Thank you ever so much for the reviews! You guys warm the cockles of my heart, no truly! Love you guys :D Hope you enjoy. (My muse was totally holding out on me…I'm the conduit, you'd think I'd be trusted to know shit…and you know, I think I am still being kept in the dark about some things.) Warning for some swearing...
Chapter Thirty-Two
"Do you know how much of a child you sound like?" Jerry asked.
"I'm the child?" Jasper sputtered.
Rolling his eyes, Jerry glanced skyward, almost as if he was praying for strength or patience, maybe both, he really wasn't sure.
For a long time he had listened to his brother's sanity slip further and further away. It wasn't that he wasn't just as hell bent on revenge, his reasons were just different…but even Jerry had to wonder when his brother had slipped so far off the deep end that even he didn't recognize than man before him.
"Yes Jasper…You've been after justice or revenge, I don't really know anymore, for so long, it has warped up so badly that I can't even say in good conscience that you aren't stark raving mad."
"Like you would know a conscience if it bit you in the ass, with blinking lights and a billboard…" Jasper said mulishly. "And…I am not mad, I…do you know what it feels like to lose the woman you love and the child she was carrying? Of course not, because that would mean you would have to love someone more than yourself and you have never been able to do that, you egomaniacal ass."
Jerry couldn't really disagree…well he could, because as much as Jasper thought he knew his brother, Jerry knew Jasper was so wet behind the ears, so naive that he'd never comprehend the actual truth. Some day's Jerry wasn't even sure he understood the truth anymore. It still made him laugh when his brother proclaimed to him that they were the good guys, just pushed too far. When, if Jasper actually thought about it, he'd realize that he, they were the bad guys all along.
"Fine, you want to do this, explain to me then, how you are justifying your plea for justice by taking out the sins of the father on the daughter? Are you not just as morally bankrupt as Mac? Who, I might add, didn't know anyone was in the mine and when he discovered someone was in there, did he or did he not rush head long into something that could have killed him?" Jerry asked testily. So tired of the martyr routine that his brother wanted to project and really, failed horribly at.
"What the hell are you trying to pull? Now you are defending that piece of shit?" Jasper spat at his brother.
If he kept rolling his eyes like this, he was liable to have the damn things roll right out of his head. "I am not defending anyone, least of all you but I find it funny that when this all went down, you were screaming about justice for your wife and unborn child and now, you are looking at the woman whose father didn't even know she existed as though every bad thing that has happened, is her fault. I may be morally bankrupt but I don't tell myself lies, lies that I am buying into that I am just a misunderstood man who has had the unthinkable happen. I don't justify my bad attitude or acts and claim it is in defence of someone or the just, Godly destiny that you've been preordained to carry out your own wrath. If it was justice you were really looking for, you would have gathered as much evidence as possible and taken it to the authorities and had Mac Scorpio thrown in prison but no little brother, you spent three days demanding justice and then jumped fully into revenge against an innocent party."
"There is not a single thing innocent about that little bitch over there." Jasper roared.
"Really? So she what? Planned her conception, birthed herself and decided that she was going to mock you with her very breath because she had the audacity to be born to a man who hurt you deeply?" Jerry asked, frustrated with everything.
"His blood runs through her veins, if she couldn't handle that, that isn't my problem."
"Oh yes, because she of course knew all along that Mac was her father and knew what he did, right? Do you even hear the complete madness that is your mind?" Jerry asked factitiously.
The glares, while not deadly, were being tossed back and forth between the two men, both stumped as to what to say. Thankfully, Jerry thought, it was taken out of his hands.
"You are both morally bankrupt! You have decided that since you couldn't get your hands on the man himself that you would take your revenge on someone who didn't even know of his existence…you are the ones who gave me to the Webber's right?" Elizabeth asked calmly. Even though it felt like her head was going to split down the middle and her brain would slowly leak out, she refused to allow her kidnappers to frighten her.
She watched the pure, unadulterated hatred flash across the taller brother, who she believed was named Jasper but it was the shorter brother's face that interested her. "What, you weren't the ones who gave me to those monsters?"
Before Jerry could respond, he had to jump in front of his brother. Jasper's hands were raised high in the air, his entire body language screaming 'attack, attack'. Shoving the solid weight of his brother to the door and out, he turned back briefly, "I'll be back for you in a moment."
Once out of the room, Jerry really looked at his brother and wondered when insanity had gotten such a foothold. Sure, he had been declaring him mad for a few years but mostly it was just to push his buttons but now, really looking at him, he saw it wasn't so much as an act or a joke, Jasper had lost his mind. "Jax…you need to get your shit together. I don't know what the hell you are thinking but…"
"Aww, isn't this sweet, don't mind me, if you were going to make a heated declaration and kiss, I'll gladly wait until a more opportune, less…intense and steamy time. Carry on."
"Who the hell are you?" The brother's asked in tandem.
"What, no kisses…I can wait till you make up, promise." She said jovially. Her laughter was like nails on a chalkboard, no humor whatsoever, just a deeper and more pronounced madness lying beneath the surface.
Just the thought that she thought they would kiss made the older man's stomach revolt, his testicles tried very hard to burrow into his body. If Jerry was honest, it was a very unpleasant feeling/thought.
Trying to read the madness in his brother's eyes, they both took a threatening step towards her; she quickly lost her humor, raising the gun neither man had seen.
"Stop right there! Now, a little birdy told me that my lost little lamb has returned to the roost…well not a roost because…but anyway…" She said, trailing off like she had lost her train of thought. Shaking her head almost imperceptibly, she refocused on the current threat. "Now, as I was saying boys, I am happy to hear that you have rectified your past mistakes, if you wouldn't mind, can you bundle that little thing up and I'll happily be on my way."
Realizing that the questions they had would not be answered, Jerry contemplated what he could do, if he gave the girl over, then Jasper might just kill him in his blind rage but if he didn't, this woman, who looked vaguely familiar, might just kill them both…As far as quandaries go, this was a rather large one.
Decisions, decisions… Decisions that were quickly ripped away from him as his brother brought up his own gun, 'huh, didn't know he was packing…might not of been such a good idea to poke the bear' he thought belatedly, although happy he hadn't had to wrestle it away from him, should he have tried to shoot Elizabeth.
His brother and the mysterious woman began circling each other; almost as if they had forgotten he was even in the room. 'How rude…' his mind helpfully supplied before an idea, a very, very bad idea popped into his head. Inching one way then another, trying to gauge who aware they were of him, made him almost huff in annoyance. They didn't notice him at all, like he was a neutered and declawed kitten who couldn't possibly be a threat.
Perhaps this was a good thing…letting whatever this was play out, Jerry inched his way closer to the bedroom, unsure why he was doing this but knowing it needed to be done. He suddenly had a lot of questions. As he backed his way into the room holding Elizabeth, he tried to ascertain if either of them saw what he was doing but the almost erotic, anger, insane dance that they were coupled in, was nothing if not a good distraction. Hoping he didn't regret this, he slipped fully into the room, closing the door silently.
"What the hell?" Elizabeth asked her eyes as big as saucers.
"No time for questions…" Jerry said before slapping his head firmly over her mouth to still any more brazen, loud complaints. "If you don't want to die in the next ten seconds, I'd suggest you keep your mouth closed." He whispered in her ear.
She had impulse issues but even she knew something wasn't right, instead of spewing all her invective and a handful of questions, she gave a slight nod.
She couldn't help the questioning quirk of her brow as he shoved them both through the window before heading into the dense forest surrounding the little house.
"Keep your mouth closed, we don't have time for questions or hysterics, if I put you down, will you come along quietly? Because if you don't, you are liable to get yourself and me killed and that really doesn't fit in with my plans." Jerry said.
"Like you aren't planning on killing me anyway, so why should I make it easy for you? What am I supposed to believe you have a heart of gold and were just working with two wackjobs to thwart their dastardly evil plan?" Elizabeth asked in a huff.
"I could gag you, truss you up like a Thanksgiving turkey and get you where I want that way, does that sound better?" Jerry asked snidely.
"Of course, this is my life…why wouldn't it be. I get abused for years, then end up on the run with a nurse who has her own dark past…and then I discover my parents aren't my parents and I'm supposedly, might have suffered everything because my father fucked up, so of course, yes, this is my life, to get kidnapped by people I have seen before but don't know…like…is life always so ironic, am I a walking oxymoron? Do you believe in reincarnation because I am starting to think I must have been a very, very horrible person in numerous past lives? I'm so confused, nothing about any of this makes sense, you know?" Elizabeth rambled.
"Do you need an oxygen tank?" Jerry asked wonderingly. Ignoring everything else she said in favor of the most important thing, in his opinion.
"Nah, that was nothing, I could have done that and more without a breath." Elizabeth said before she realized she was chatting amicably with her kidnapper.
"Does that mean you are going to come along quietly?" Jerry queried.
"Don't have much of a choice now do I? If I run, you will follow, your brother will follow, that lady…she'll follow…I guess I am going to go along quietly but don't think for a moment that I trust you, just your touch alone makes my skin crawl. Asshole." Elizabeth offered before moving deeper into the woods.
It took longer than he thought it would but after her asshole comment, she managed to remain silent for more than three hours but he could see the wear and knew she was getting close to saying something. He was not disappointed.
"How much freaking longer is this walk? I've had my head cracked twice, I haven't eaten anything in I don't know how long, I haven't had anything to drink. My brain literally feels like it is dripping out of my ears…"
Jerry didn't bother to answer, since she had no sooner stopped talking than they broke through the dense forest on to what looked like a long forgot road.
"Oh…" Elizabeth said while looking at the dark vehicle parked there. "Got some water and food, maybe even some Tylenol or Advil?"
After unlocking the door, Jerry dug through the back, tossing a water bottle, a bag of Doritos and a travel sized bottle of Tylenol at her.
"Thanks…" Elizabeth said begrudgingly.
"Get in; we have to get out of here."
"And go where? You act like I am supposed to trust you, if you think I am suddenly going to get Stockholm syndrome or some shit, you are seriously reading the situation wrong. I will not be falling in love with my kidnapper; I am not baby Jane or…whatever." Elizabeth mumbled.
"Baby Jane what? You do realize where the term Stockholm syndrome came from, don't you?" Jerry asked, completely baffled.
"Well, yeah…those guys in Sweden took a bank hostage for like six days; I think it was in 73' or something, maybe 76'…I never paid too close attention but seriously, what?" Elizabeth asked, a little baffled herself, or a lot.
"You are very knowledgeable for someone so young…" Jerry said, trying and failing to understand the woman in front of him.
"Ehh…whatever, now what the hell, I cannot just get in that vehicle with you, you KIDNAPPED me. You may have saved me back there, I don't know, maybe it was all a plan between the three of you or something, you know, make me lower my guard, believe in dissention or some shit and then bam...I end up dead on the side of the road. It isn't like you have 'trust me face' or anything."
"Trust me face, what the hell is that. You know, the more you talk, the less I understand."
"Is that a bad thing?" Elizabeth asked honestly.
Jerry just shook his head, the things he did for his brother… "Get in the car if you want to live…"
"Wasn't that a line in a movie?"
"Elizabeth…get in the fucking car… my God!"
Knowing when she was screwed, Elizabeth stomped around the SUV and got in the front seat. "Bossy men who kidnap me and expect me to do as they say…like I don't have a mind of my own, like I can't take care of myself…Stupid, irrational people demanding shit of me like I need this shit." Elizabeth complained under her breath. She may be more scared than any time in her life but now wasn't the time to try to fix shit. When or if the time came, she would take it but, these last few weeks in Port Charles had given her a better outlook on life, sort of, and unlike before, she actually had people she wanted to get back to. Someone…
"I'm in your SUV JACKASS…" Elizabeth shouted through the window.
She heard a thump and looked up just in time to see her kidnapper bang his head against the side of the vehicle. "I still got it."
XxXxXxX
