Beyond Repair

By: Lesera128

Rated: M

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am just playing in someone else's sandbox….

Summary: Secrets abound as Skye reluctantly returns to Australia at AJ's behest despite the fact its where her marriage to Jax ended in disaster the previous year. AU. Skye/Jax. SAX.

Author's Note: I am reposting some of the older works that I have saved on my harddrive. Old-time SAX fans may remember this story. It was originally posted under my other penname [MuseofJaynor] at the Skye messageboard fan fiction archive. Many people already know this, but in case you were wondering, yeah, that was me.

"Do you remember the day that Sydney was born?" Skye asked, as she looked at Carly.

Skye's sister-in-law merely nodded and then clarified, "Of course. Why?"

Shaking her head, Skye bit her lip. She realized it was becoming an annoying tell when she was anxious or unsure and vowed to try to do it less. Turning from Carly, Skye looked out into the waves before she spoke. "Some times a part of me just wonders what it would have been like if I hadn't of lied to Jax. Part of me wishes what it would have been like if the first person that Sydney saw when she came into this world had been Jax instead of A.J. Part of me wonders if all of us would be in this mess now, you know?"

Coming to stand close to Skye, Carly put her arms lightly around her sister-in-law in a loose hug. Skye felt strength from Carly's closeness. It was such an odd site for two people who had been such bitter enemies at one point in their lives to have finally reached. A stranger gazing upon the pair wouldn't have thought twice on the image of two women hugging, unless the someone watching actually knew the history between Carly and Skye. Then, such an image would have been thoroughly shocking. Indeed, such a person was staring in shock out the kitchen window of a house that had once been his and now belonged to the person that was sitting in front of him.

Gazing at the faint outline of the two women, Jax turned from where he was staring out the window and turned back to A.J. He was silent for a moment, his mouth suddenly having gone dry. A.J. handed him a glass of water without being asked. Jax took it gratefully and downed the entire contents of the glass in one gulp. He handed the empty container back to A.J. as he said, "Thanks."

Placing the glass in the sink, A.J. nodded. "You're welcome."

Looking down at his feet, Jax was unsure how to proceed. He had arrived only a few moments before, surprised to find A.J. Quartermaine as the grand orchestrater in bringing him back to this place… to this place of all places - a place he had sworn he would never return to after all the loss and grief he had suffered here.

Sitting down in a chair, he let out a deep breath. At last he lifted his head to meet A.J.'s questioning gaze. Shaking his head, at last Jax could barely manage to utter a single word. "Why?"

Picking up a coffee cup from the counter, A.J. took a long sip of the warm, bitter liquid before he answered. Looking up at the blue eyes that were almost identical to Sydney's that there was no mistaking who was her biological father, A.J. spoke slowly, measuring each word carefully. "The past year and a half has been hell for everyone, Jax. You...Carly...me...Skye. I just thought that it was past time for all of us to continue soaking in this unending pit of self-depreciating sadness that Quartermaines love to wallow in and take everyone around us in as well. Enough is enough."

"Then if you knew what was really going on all this time, A.J., why did you let it continue? All you had to do was pick up the phone. You could have ended this at any time. Why wait until now?" Jax said.

A.J. shrugged. "It took me a long time to figure out everything that had happened, Jax. And by the time I did, there were more important things to take care of…."

"You mean the baby," Jax said softly.

Nodding, A.J. said, "Yes. I mean Sydney. She's the most important thing in all of this Jax. And the best thing for her right now is for her biological mother and father to clear the path of all the lies that are between them. If not for their own sakes, than at least for hers."

Jax stood and resumed pacing. He stopped in front of the window again. Skye had moved farther away from Carly as the later was returning to the house. Skye's faint outline seemed to glow in the late afternoon sunshine. Even at this distance, and despite everything that had happened between them, she still took his breath away. At last, his eyes never breaking from the window, Jax spoke, "That isn't your call to make, A.J."

Sitting down in Jax's vacated seat, A.J. placed his coffee cup on the table. He nodded as he said, "You know, you're right, Jax. It's not my call. I am simply the only one who was willing to take a risk and try to bring you and Skye together in one place to rectify things between you enough at least for the sake of your daughter."

"A.J., it's not that simple-" Jax began.

Cutting him off, A.J. said, "Yeah, Jax, it is. You can either go to Skye and work this out. Or, you can simply get up and leave. No one even knows that you're here. You can simply walk out the door, and Carly & Skye won't be any wiser to the fact that you know anything more about Sydney and what really has happened over the past eighteen months that what you questioned Carly about in the post office. It's your choice."

Jax was silent for a moment before A.J. softened his tone and added, "Jax, look man. I'm sure Skye had her reasons for doing what she did, just like you. And that's none of my business. So, if I made a mistake in bringing you here, I'm sorry. But I had to do something, so at least my conscience is clear because I know that I did everything in my power to right a great wrong that might come back to destroy that precious little girl one day and every one else involved."

At last, A.J.'s words had hit upon something. Jax turned on his heels and he merely nodded at A.J. "You're a real bastard, you know that?"

A.J. smiled. "Coming from someone like you, Jax, I'll take that as a compliment."

Jax shook his head, and walked towards the door. Closing it softly behind him, he headed out towards the beach and his destiny.

Looking at the clock, A.J. realized that Sydney would be due for her afternoon feeding soon. Reaching into the sink for any empty bottle, A.J. was slightly distracted when he heard movement come from the opposite side of the room.

"A.J.?"

Turning around, he saw a breathless Carly standing in the archway that separated the kitchen from the dining room. She had a look on her face that stopped A.J. in his tracks.

"Carly? Baby, what is it? What's wrong?"

Taking a breath, Carly was about to speak again when, all of a sudden, blackness swept over her and she fell to the ground unconscious.

-TBC-