A/N: This chapter may be the last of total bliss for the Morgans, but every marriage hits a bumpy patch or two or in Port Charles four or five. Hope you enjoy.
Stronger Than Pride- Chapter 3
A week before Christmas and Jason knew exactly what he was going to get Alexis: Sam. If he were able to pull it off, it would be the best gift she'd ever received. Making it happen would be the trick. He walked into the coffee shop he once owned with Sonny.
"Hey handsome." Claudia Zacchara's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Haven't seen much of you around town since your little accident. Is the wifey keeping you under lock and key to make sure you don't get hurt?"
"Hello Claudia." Jason sighed, a bit exasperated. "What are you doing here?"
She moved closer to him, touching his shoulder in the process. "Maybe I'm just checking up on you. After all, you are my responsibility. You know, once you save a life, you're responsible for it." With one quick motion, she tossed her dark hair out of her eyes and away from her face.
"Right." He spoke without blinking. "Consider yourself off the hook. I'm fine."
"Hey, I was thinking of starting a little business. You know opening up a store or something. You mind if I run a few ideas by you?"
Jason shrugged. "If you want."
The clearing of a throat interrupted their conversation. "I don't mean to interrupt, Jason, but I believe we had a meeting." Sam positioned herself between Jason and Claudia.
He smiled at her feistiness, knowing now that it was entirely genetic.
Claudia chuckled in a phony sort of way. "Oh, this must be awkward. You had a meeting scheduled with your ex-lover who is now your stepdaughter. I certainly wouldn't want to intrude." She leaned closer to him and whispered. "Your family gatherings must be even more interesting than mine."
"Goodbye Claudia." Jason's voice betrayed no emotion.
Her finger poked his cheek. "Goodbye Gorgeous. See you soon."
Sam sighed. "Jase, that woman is bad news. You know that right?"
Jason watched as Claudia walked out of the door. He remembered how she saved his life from a hit a few months before. To date, she hadn't asked for anything in return. "A lot of it is for show."
"Trusting her is a risk you can't take. You have a family to worry about now: in addition to Jake, there are my two little sisters and my mother. They're all depending on you to stay safe and keep them safe too."
For a moment, he wondered when she'd become so prudent. "Sam, I am worried about them. That's why I asked you to meet me here."
She scrunched her face. "What's wrong? Is it Kristina or Molly?"
"It's Alexis." The truth was Alexis was fine, but she had no idea someone had tried to kill him. In his business, he knew they wouldn't stop trying; although, he had more reasons to live than ever: Alexis, Molly, Kristina and Jake. But, if something happened, he knew Alexis would need her family. She could count on Sonny; he needed to know he could count on Sam.
"What's wrong with my mother?" Sam demanded.
Jason ushered her to a chair then headed to the counter and bought a couple of cups of coffee. When he returned, he handed her a cup. "Alexis, misses you. She loves you."
"Jason, I really don't think this is something I can talk about with you. You and I were together and now you're with my mother."
"We didn't get together to hurt you. There were some unexpected circumstances that brought us together and one thing led to another." He took a deep breath. "Look, Alexis managed to forgive you in the past. All I'm asking is for you to give her a chance."
Sam released an awkward laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Lucky asked me to do the same thing just this morning." She pulled her fingers through her hair. "Fine. You both win. I'll try. It's been practically impossible planning my wedding without her help anyway. I'm not going to make any promises."
Jason returned to the Penthouse to find Alexis had already begun to decorate for Christmas. As he entered, she pointed upward.
"What's...Is that mistletoe?"
With a mischievous smile she nodded before she pounced.
His arms embraced her body as their tongues danced. He released his grasp as he attempted to free himself from his leather jacket without breaking contact with her mouth. She moved backward toward the couch pulling him with her. Moments later, they were on the sofa and Alexis was tugging at the edge of his sweater.
"Wow. Is that industrial strength mistletoe?" He heard her giggle as she continued to attack his neck. "Can we put some in every room of the house?" He brought his mouth to her own and kissed her tenderly, slowing the intensity of their pace. "Where are the girls?"
"Birthday party." Once again she smiled mischievously. "Could last all afternoon."
"So, can I." Jason winked at her as he watched the blush come over her face. In a flash, he had her in his arms and he headed toward the bedroom...just in case the party ended earlier than expected.
Within minutes, he had her out of her clothes. He memorized every inch of her with each of his senses: his eyes, his hands, and his mouth. His whole life, at least the ten years of it he could remember, he wondered if the moment he was living would be his last. There had been times he hadn't cared whether he continued to exist. And there were times he'd been willing to do anything to ensure he could go on: times with Robin and Courtney, times with Elizabeth and times with Sam.
But he loved Alexis differently. He loved her with a desperation he hadn't known before. They were neither expected nor conventional, but together they worked. And he often felt that when she looked at him, she could see parts of him that no one had ever seen before. There were times after they made love, times like this, when he felt overwhelmed.
As she lay against his chest, he stroked her hair. "Are you happy, Alexis?"
She giggled. "If you'd made me any happier, I think Sonny could have heard me next door."
"That's not what I meant." He took a deep breath, which she must have felt. "I want to know if you are happy being with me."
She leaned on her elbow and faced him. "I'm happier than I knew was possible. Where is this coming from? Do you want out? Because if this arrangement isn't working for you anymore..."
He placed a finger on her mouth. "I love you. I don't want to go anywhere and I don't want us to keep calling our marriage an arrangement. Okay?"
"Okay." She ran her finger along the bridge of his nose. He watched as her face became serious. "What's going on with you?"
He closed his eyes slowly then reopened them. "I don't know. Sometimes the two of us being together gets to me. You were one of the first people to help me, you know, when I became Jason Morgan. You didn't look at me like I was him, the lost Quartermaine, and you actually believed I was a decent person. You though I could be a good father."
"And I was right. The girls adore you and you are amazing with Jake." She hesitated. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. I was just thinking about the times when you hauled me into the interview room at the PCPD."
"And you'd stare at me with those icy blue eyes. I always wondered what you were thinking."
"I was wondering if your legs were as amazing as I thought," he chuckled. "And I wondered when you started seeing me as the enemy."
He could tell she was caught off guard. She seemed to be searching for words. After a deep breath she began. "Jason, I hate what you do for a living. I especially hate it when I think about it... Anyway, when my sister died, I no longer had the luxury of pretending that the violence from yours and Sonny's world only touched bad people. But then, Stefan died an unrelated and violent death and my very safe choice of a lawyer for a husband brought me more pain and misery than I could bear, except for Molly, of course. And there was the Jerry disaster that very nearly killed me. Then you saved my life and I realized..."
He appreciated her honesty, and he marveled at how she could talk for an extended period of time without taking a breath. "You realized what?"
She sighed. "Look Jason, we've both lost a lot of people who were close to us over the past few years. Some of it was related to what you do, but most of it wasn't. I decided life was pretty random and maybe it was okay to trust you not only with my life, but with my heart, too."
Immediately, he felt the weight of her trust. He kissed her forehead. "I hope I don't let you down."
Once more, she rested her head on his chest. "You won't."
Their tender moment was interrupted by the simultaneous ringing of the telephone and the doorbell. He headed for the door and she agreed to answer the phone. He slipped on his jeans and answered the door. To his surprise, Claudia was on the other side.
"What are you doing here, Claudia?" He moved toward the sofa to find his sweater.
"I came to discuss some ideas for a possible business with my new partner." She eyed his bare chest before she slid closer to him. "So partner, what do you think the two of us would be good at?"