“Revenge”

 It’s funny how life can change in an instant

Alexis flashed through her past sitting in the waiting area at the Port Charles Police Station; Davis had fallen asleep in her arms

She was lost in how one could go from constant fear to unimaginable bliss to fear again… in an instant

“Mrs. Jacks”

Alexis looked up at the officer as he called her name once again unsure that he had her attention

“Mrs. Jacks?”

“Um… yes?”

“We’re sorry you and Ms. Davis had to wait so long but you understand…”

“I do”

“We’re ready for her if she is”

“If you could give us a moment?” Alexis asked looking down at her daughter curled up against her

“Of course” The officer said walking away

Alexis was suddenly aware Jax was no longer pacing the hallway

She looked around the room wondering if he had slipped from her sight while her mind had drifted

Alexis leaned up pulling Davis with her

“Sweetheart it’s time to wake up”

Davis stirred in the hard wooden chair

Davis had latched on to her mother’s arm in the emergency room three nights before and had yet to let go of her

“You don’t have to do this sweetheart”

“Yes I do” Davis said now standing, towering above her mother still sitting

“We can do this without you testifying, without you ever having to see any of these people again including Helena”

“She won’t hurt me anymore and neither will those men who helped her take me”

Alexis looked at Davis wishing she had an ounce of her bravery even if it were just for her mother’s sake

“You’re very brave”

“I want to help put them in jail. But I want to help put Helena in jail the most… and not because of what she did to me but because I know now how she treated you when you were my age”

Alexis looked at Davis stunned

“Davis that’s all in the past”

“No it’s not I’ve seen her make you cry… I’ve seen you with daddy and you were crying and I heard you talking about Helena… I didn’t know who she was until she told me but I remembered her name… the way she made you cry just thinking about her made her name one I would never forget”

“You don’t have to fight my battles… my past, the Cassadines will always haunt me. But I will do everything I can for that not to happen to you. But Helena just proved she still can take the most precious thing I have away and I can’t let you…”

“Mom I’ll help you. I’ll help put her in jail so you and daddy and I can go home to London”

Alexis paused her argument to her daughter

“Maybe I don’t want you to do this. Maybe I’m trying to let you make your own decisions and let you be the brave person that you are but I just keep thinking about you having to go through this…”

“Alexis, Davis… are you ready?” Mac said pushing his head between the door and its frame

“Yes I am” Davis spoke up

Davis reached down for her mother’s hand

Alexis shook her head to Davis and then placed her hands in hers

Alexis took one last inconspicuous look around for Jax

“Ok Davis we’ll start by having you identify…”

++++++++++++++

“She’s probably identifying the man who took her and giving a statement as we speak”

“She wanted to?” Sonny questioned surprised

“More like determined to”

“So what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with them?”

“Alexis is with her… I wanted to speak to you…”

“Without Alexis knowing?”

Jax’s hand’s went from his pockets to folded almost defensively across his chest

“You know why I’m here”

“I do, but don’t you think that Alexis will be a bit displeased that her Prince Charming is going behind her back to plan her step-mother’s murder?”

”I’m not going behind her back, Alexis nor Davis doesn’t need to deal with any of this. Besides I’m not sure if Alexis would care if I had Helena murdered…”

“You seem pretty certain you want it done”

“And you’re not? You don’t want Helena dead? You don’t want the woman who kidnapped Davis, who’s tortured Alexis her whole life, dead? I mean you’ve had days I can’t believe you haven’t found Helena and her men and had them killed. I mean you’d be the hero… Alexis and Davis’ hero…”

Sonny let out a sly grin but quickly straitened his face

“I assume this means you haven’t found her” Jax continued

Sonny shook his head no, and this time, without the smug looks on his face

“When she’s found I want her dead. You can have one of your men do it or I can have someone do it… and if you want to be compensated for your trouble…”

“Trouble? It’s no trouble and I don’t need any compensation from you for a matter I can take care of without you”

Jax’s blood began to boil though he could still keep his head clear enough to remind himself that he was the one that had come to Sonny Corinthos

“Look we both want the same thing. We want Helena found and we want her dead, agreed?”

“Agreed”

“Then bottom line… let’s find her and deal with the situation…”

Jax’s phone rang interrupting

Her cell number

Jax’s eyes shot quickly to Sonny’s

Sonny knew instantly it was her

Jax flipped open the phone and held it to his ear

“Hi honey… yeah I’m sorry. I figured you and Davis would be fine… I had something I had to take care of… I’ll explain later I promise.” Jax said again cutting his eyes to Sonny. “How’s Davis?... I knew she would. Are you sure she’s ok?... Ok, ok I’ll meet you two at the penthouse… Love you too”

Jax closed his phone and gripped it tightly in the palm of his hand

“I assume we’re on the same page?” Jax said

“We are”

Strangely the sound of Alexis’ voice through the phone brought both men to a more silent focus

Jealousy meant nothing if neither of them could accomplish their common goal

“Davis is fine?” sonny questioned dryly

Jax nodded

“I’ll be in touch if I hear anything” Jax said making his way to the door

“Same here” Sonny said suddenly quick to be agreeable

++++++++++++

Jax sat in silence as he drove to the penthouse to meet Davis and Alexis. His confessions to where he had been and what his discussions were about were consuming him more than his worries of Davis’ statement. His daughter was smart and feisty and much to her mother’s credit stronger than he could have ever imaged her to be. His worries now, his threats to have Helena murdered filled his guilty mind

He wanted her dead. It was the only way he could think of that wouldn’t allow her to once again get away with another heinous crime. But his sudden guilt to how his wife would react, though Alexis probably wished her secretly dead a million times, was overwhelming.

This type of revenge on someone was completely out of his character but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to make it happen. Jax also knew that he didn’t want to keep this from his wife. The one woman that he trusted and loved more than anyone… but he knew the moment he confessed to where he had been she would probably plead with him not to have any part in it  

Alexis had already lived through the consequences of revenge

She knew what it was like to hate someone so much that it would literally drive you to the point of insanity

How would he go home and tell his wife he was plotting to murder her step-mother…

The parking garage

The elevator

Security guards at every post

By the time Jax opened the door to the penthouse his overwhelming thoughts were smothered under arms wrapped tightly around his neck

“Sweetheart!”

Her beautiful, beautiful face

“I heard that you were quite impressive today”

“I just did what I had to do” Davis said looking at him seriously

“She did better than I would have” Alexis said appearing around the corner

Alexis eyes were fixated on Jax’s

A woman’s intuition

The depth she knew her husband

How much she understood revenge

Jax looked back at her intensely until Davis took his attention

“Daddy we ordered pizza!”

“Pizza! Two nights in a row!”

“Mom said I could have anything I wanted!”

“I also told her we wouldn’t be able to fit in our clothes by the weekend” Alexis said letting out a slight smile

The door bell interrupted them

“Pizza!” Davis said wide eyed and headed for the door

The pizza delivery boy stood at the door step with an uneasy look as a guard stood by his side

“It’s ok Mike it’s just the pizza guy” Davis said trying to assure his uneasiness

Davis took the pizza and held out her hand to Jax for money

“Oh I see” Jax said reaching for his wallet

+++++++++++++++++++

“No more pizza” Alexis said making a funny face at Jax

He went for her stomach for a soothing rub

“You said she could”

“No more pizza” Alexis repeated

“She’s sound asleep”

“She had a busy day”

Alexis sat down on the couch and Jax sat close beside her

“So she took it like a pro huh?”

“It barely seemed to faze her”

“And her mother?”

“Scared her to death… Davis just looked straight at the guy who kidnapped her, pointed him out and then relayed everything she could remember”

“Good… I mean that she’s not afraid”

“That’s just it. That’s what bother’s me. None of this seems to bother her on a personal level. Today, before we went in I told her she didn’t have to do this. She said she wanted to… Jax she said she wanted to because she wanted Helena to be put in jail for all the things she’s done to me”

Jax said nothing only looked at Alexis intently

“I told her not to fight my battles…”

“She did that today for you” Jax said as if he just comprehended it all

“And she was intent on doing it. She didn’t seem afraid to any of it”

“Maybe she is that brave”

“Brave but not fearless Jax”

A silence went between them

A long silence

Jax began fidgeting with Alexis’ hand

“Jax?”

Jax hesitated to answer

“Yes”

“Where were you?”

Jax’s fidgeting hands went to a halt. The now squeezed her hand tightly then let go

“Sonny’s”

He couldn’t lie

Alexis immediately put her face to her hands

“Why?” she asked bluntly

“Nothing you need to worry about right now, ok”

Alexis shook her head in disappointment

“Don’t do this to me”

“I don’t mean to”

“Then why do it? Why keep secrets from me?”

“Because you won’t like what I will tell you”

“Jax”

Jax shifted to the edge of the couch preparing himself for his confession

“Sonny and I are looking for Helena”

“And?” Alexis said knowing that wasn’t it

“I want her dead”

“Jax…”

“I know, I know”

“God… you can’t, you can’t do it. You’ll pay for it, we’ll pay for it… you can’t take revenge out on her like that…”

“I know you don’t want me to” he said his face truly reflecting how he knew how sad it made her

“You know, I know what revenge can do Jax. How it can control you, literally make you crazy”

“I know baby, I know”

“Don’t do this please… please”

That night Jax never said he wouldn’t and she pleaded with him literally until she fell asleep

He held her in his arms

His mind numb

His heart never finding its normal rhythm

His heart beating to hers