Heat

Jason Morgan and Alexis Davis, canon

Chapter Fifteen

December 10th, 2009

Thursday

She knocked on the door.

Alexis was on a mission. One she did not want to be on or particularly look forward to. All right, fine, to be more honest she loathed the idea of doing this but it had to be done.

As soon as breakfast was over, she sent her youngest two daughters off to school then she left the lake house, drove across town and knocked on the door of Max Giambetti's apartment. He had married Sam in Vegas not too many weeks back. They were living at his place for now but looking for a house to buy.

A home to share.

Alexis had her doubts about their union but by the time she heard about it the damage was already done- they were husband and wife- so she had plastered on a shocked smile and tried to be hopeful.

Because Alexis had decided to pursue a sexual relationship with Jason she knew it was imperative that she inform her eldest daughter, who just happen to be his ex-lover, as soon as possible so that Sam did not somehow hear about it from someone else. That would be a disaster of the highest order.

The apartment door opened to reveal Max standing there in just a pair of boxers- and a gun in his hand- looking like he just rolled out of bed, and breathing hard. "Oh hi, Mom!"

She cringed and shielded her eyes. "Um....sorry! I should have called." She glanced at her watch. "Its after nine but I suppose that does not mean the same to everyone...especially newlyweds. This is my fault. My eyes blame me, not you. I should go."

Max said "Well you came by for something. Come on in. You're here already." He looked at himself "Oh! I should...put something...on...excuse me."

Alexis shuffled inside and turned away from her son-in-law. "Brilliant plan! You do that."

As Max left he said "I'll tell Sam you're here. Good to see you again, Mom!"

She let a breath out through her teeth as her lips turned into a grimace. The image of Max in boxers would always haunt her- and not in a good way. She liked him in a suit and calling her "Ms. Davis."

There were bigger concerns to worry about in this moment though.

Sam came walking into the room, in a silk red robe, with her hand threading through her hair. "Hi!"

Her eyes were wide and questioning.

Alexis had always loved when Sam looked that way because, in that second, Sam reminded Alexis of herself. They had often had misunderstandings but that came from their pain and fears, not because they were all that different from each other. They really weren't.

Case in point- they found the same men amazing and worthy of love, over and over. Jax and Sonny and now Jason.

There were a lot more about their personalities that they had in common too. They both were very tough women who liked to face down life by their own means. They liked to know they could take care of themselves. Sam might seem like she let men take care of her but she was working most of those men- she called the shots. And when she finally was completely on her own she survived by taking her finances into her own hands and opening her detective agency. Being in charge in a new, legal, and more empowering way. Alexis was proud of her daughter's growth. She worried about this reckless, quick marriage to a mobster but who was to say that this mobster was not just who Sam needed in her life.

"I'm sorry for interrupting."

"Don't worry about it, Mom. What's up?"

"Um....do you want to sit down? Maybe we should sit. Lets sit."

Sam sat on the couch while Alexis paced. "Something wrong with Molly or Kristina?"

"No."

"Oh, good!"

Alexis kept pacing.

Sam added "You're freaking me out. What has you so worked up?"

"I don't know how to say this to you. Its not something you want to hear or I relish saying."

Sam made a face, filled with concern. "Wait...this isn't the long delayed lecture about how I shouldn't have run off to Vegas and married a guy I just hooked up with two weeks after ending my last relationship, is it? I knew you were biting your tongue about all this!"

"Its not for me to judge who you marry. Though...yes....I do wonder about this choice but it was your choice, you made it, and I respect it. Because who you choose to put in your bed is your, and your alone, business."

"Okay," Sam drug out the word. "I hear a but in there."

"No but. Though this does lead me to the point I came here to discuss, which is, that who I have in my....uh, life.....should also be my business alone. I know that's not completely true though because I am a mother of three and my daughters come first. I would never do anything to knowingly hurt you. I hope you believe that."

Sam stood up. She touched Alexis' arm to make her stop pacing. "I do know that. So just tell me what this is about. You said....you're dating someone new? Did I get that, right?"

Alexis nodded.

Sam smiled and said "Cool! Who?"

Alexis pursed her lips.

Sam made a worried face. "Oh, no.....not Mayor Floyd again?"

"Of course not!"

"Thank God. Okay. Well then who? Jerry is most definitely dead this time. I can't think of anyone else that would be so horrible that you wouldn't want to tell me about it." Her eyes were wide and searching. "Jax?"

"No!"

"Okay. Because I could see that. You two are best friends, after all."

"Would that bother you? You used to be with him."

"A long time ago. And he never loved me like he loves you. It wouldn't be me who imploded at the news, it would be Carly." Sam made her hands look like a bomb going off.

"Yes, I can only imagine. It would be nuclear."

"Exactly! So thank God you aren't with Jax. Hmmmm. Who else? Come on, Mom. Just tell me." She whispered "Milo?"

Alexis mouth gaped.

Sam said, quickly, "No, no way. Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. He is kinda young and immature still. I mean Milo plays video games till dawn some nights and that's not really your type, age differences aside."

Alexis let out a long breath and then said "Jason."

"Jason?"

"Yes, and I know this is probably upsetting to you and shocking and hurtful but just know that I did think long and hard about not involving myself with him because of you but it seems my reckless danger loving genes just kicked into overdrive and I found myself going there."

"There?"

"You really should sit back down. You seem to be shocked."

Sam nibbled her bottom lip. "Wow. Huh. You and Jason....huh."

"This will take time to get used to. I'm going to leave now. Just, please, remember that you come first for me...my daughters come first...always, forever. And Nikolas and Spencer, of course. My family. You mean the whole world to me. The whole world." Alexis headed for the door.

She pulled it open.

"Mom."

Alexis froze. She slowly turned around.

Sam said "Okay, I'm surprised and it is kinda weird but no weirder than when I found out you were my mother and we had both been with Sonny. Its just....I didn't see this coming because you always had such a problem with Jason."

"Not with Jason, per se. With you and Jason as a couple because I was afraid for you."

"And you're not afraid for yourself?"

"Not physically afraid. I've been a mob target since everyone found out Sonny fathered Kristina."

"Right. Okay."

"Take time to think about this, digest it, sit with it for a while and then phone me."

"It will take time to get used to. To wrap my mind around but," she blew a long breath out, making her high fly away from her face, "I love you. You're my Mom. I'm not mad. I just want you happy."

"You don't have to push aside your anger for me. In fact, please don't, because I don't want it to come out later and be worse."

Sam smiled. "Seriously, I'm okay. You and Jason...huh...weird. But I'm married." Sam showed off her ring. "And I haven't been with Jason in years. I let that go a long time ago. I love my husband." She smiled widely, like she always did when talking about Max. Like she was amazed over him. Like they shared a deep secret about how good they were together- how magical, how special, how perfect.

Alexis finally relaxed. "Whew. I was sure you'd hate this."

"Nope. Its strange but like when aren't we strange, right?"

"Right!"

Sam chuckled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mercedes."

The nanny turned around in the nursery. "Oh, hello, Jason."

"How is he?"

Matthew Jason Jacks was just a month and a half old. He lay in his bassinet.

"He's doing great today."

"Where's Carly?"

"She had a doctor's appointment. She should be home soon." Mercedes walked toward the door. "Do you want to wait with M.J?"

"Sure."

Mercedes left. Jason walked over and looked down at his godson. His eyes settled on the perfect child that always made his heart ache in joy and pain. "Hey, little boy."

Jason picked him up. He patted his back. It felt so right to hold a baby in his arms. He couldn't keep the grin off his lips.

He walked near the window and started talking to M.J. "I heard you were having trouble sleeping for a while there. You need your rest. You can't keep your mom up all night. Your little brothers both went through croup too. It's tough, I know. But you're past it now." He kept talking and talking to him, because this was the only time he would have with the child for who knows how long. He wanted them to bond. Plus his voice soothed the baby. It was the vibrations of his chest that did the trick. As long as Jason talked while M.J. was laying against his chest the baby cooed happily.

Eventually Carly came strolling into the room. "Hey!" She smiled widely. "What are you doing here?" She walked over and kissed the baby's head. "Mommy's home. Not like you missed me, did you? Nope. Not when Uncle Jason is around."

"Hey." He passed her the baby. "I just wanted to talk to you real quick. I actually need to get to a meeting. I didn't realize you had a doctor's appointment today."

"It was just routine follow up after delivery. I'm perfectly healthy."

"Good."

"So, what do you need to talk about?"

Jason let out a short breath. "I need a favor, Carly."

"Sure."

"Don't answer so quick. Wait till you hear what it is."

"What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

"No." He touched her arm. "Nothing's wrong."

"Well something is up." She lay her son in his bed.

Jason moved back from her. He rolled his head on his neck.

Carly tensed. "Liz! Please tell me you did not give her a ring this time. Anything but that. Anything! Seriously!"

"Stop!"

"Oh my God! You can't actually be going back to her after everything that happened. What you need to do is get her to sign a custody agreement and then kick her back out on the street where she-"

"Enough!"

"I'm surprised you're actually standing here telling me. Isn't it your style to hide it for a few years?"

His eyes held hers for a long moment.

Carly relaxed. She backed down. "I'm sorry. Its just I care so much about you and she's so wrong for you. I didn't mean to say it that way, Jase."

"You're upsetting yourself and its not healthy for you. Plus M.J. doesn't need to hear this. Lets go downstairs."

Carly followed him to the living room. She asked "How did she trick you into doing her this time? I'm just curious!"

"I'm not involved in any way with Liz. So leave her out of this."

"Oh."

Jason sucked a breath through his nose and let it out his mouth. He spit out "I'm dating Alexis. There. You know. Bye."

He headed for the door.

"ALEXIS!"

Jason turned around. "Be calm! Come on. You can't let your blood pressure get out of control, Carly!"

"Okay," she said, calmly. "Okay. I'm fine."

"I have to work."

"But-!"

"I have to go." He walked through the foyer.

"But! I want details. How did this happen? Who made a move first? Her, right? Of course she did. I mean look at you."

Letting out a frustrated breath he turned around, only then realizing that in his haste to leave and not face talking to her about this, he forgot something. "The favor I need is for you to be nice to her."

Carly screwed up her face. "In nearly twenty years I've never been nice to her. That's asking a lot."

"Be serious."

"She's seriously has a stick stuck up her butt and thinks she's better than me. A better mom. A better career woman. A better dresser. But she's wrong on every count and it burns her up because really deep down she knows that my trailer park roots are putting to shame her royal behind."

Shaking his head wearily Jason said "Just get along. Do not harass her over this."

"I want to know how you hooked up!" Carly whined, with a teasing smile.

"Will you do this for me? Can you handle this?"

"I can do anything for you, you know that, Jase."

"Okay. Good." He kissed her cheek. "Thanks."

He pulled open the front door.

Carly cried "Sam! Oh my God! What does she think about this? Come on. You can't just leave me hear without any of the gossip. This is like taking me to a movie and making us walk out halfway through. You can't just say you are sleeping with neurotic Alexis hands off Davis and then just run out of here."

"Bye!"

Carly let out a huge breath as Jason headed for his SUV. She called out, while freezing cold December air hit her, "She better be good to you or else!"

Jason got in his SUV, waited for her to go inside, and then left. He was a lot less tense after getting that out of the way and because he got to see M.J. but he was far from feeling good. Carly would keep her nose in this, that was for sure, and nothing would keep her from having an opinion about everything that went down between him and Alexis. He knew Carly loved him and that was why she cared. If Jason stayed honest with her they would be okay.

But it was hard to be completely honest with himself. Hard to not get upset when he held M.J. and it felt so right.

He ached over his own sons. For lost time with Michael and Jake. Michael he at least got to be close with, in a different way than being his father but they were close. Jake was just a picture and a few stolen glances every now and then.

Jason knew he didn't deserve to raise a child. It wasn't safe. He made his life this mess and he had to live with that.

It still hurt.

Carly took the news like he expected. She didn't cause him any pain today. He caused it all for himself this time.