“I’m so sorry I’m late!” Alexis said as she leaned in for a kiss and then sat down in front of Jax

“It’s ok, it’s ok” he said trying to calm her

“I had to drop off the girls, Kristina didn’t want me to go, so I was stricken with guilt that I had to leave her while she gave me that ‘mommy why are you leaving me look,’ which made me late for my meeting, where I tried to be extra brilliant because I was late, that made my meeting run over, and made me late for our lunch…”

“Lex its fine, I promise” Jax said with a grin covering his face

“You just got here yourself didn’t you?” she asked suspiciously

“The hotel’s been busy today” he answered innocently

“Do you still have time for lunch?”

“I always have time for you”

“Flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Jacks…” she said taking a sip of the glass if water waiting on her “And what’s with the fixed grin on your face?”

“It’s why I wanted to have lunch with you”

“What, why? What have you done?”

“What do you mean what have I done?”

“Jax, that goofy grin on your face is a tale tale sign that you’ve done or you’re about to do something that is going to make my brain hurt”

“I wouldn’t do that!”

“You would, you have!”

“I want you to hear me out”

“Jax”

Jax held out a large envelope to her

“What is it?”

“Will you just open it”

Alexis pulled the piece of paper from the envelop, her eyes widening at the site of the picture in front of her

“Wow, Jax it’s beautiful”

“You think so?” he said still grinning

“What are you planning to do?”

“I think I’m going to buy it”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah why not?”

“I thought you liked your penthouse?”

“I do, I did, but I have John now and I want him to have plenty of room to play and he needs grass”

“He’s not a cow Jax”

“He’ll need backyard to play in”

“That makes sense I guess” She said agreeing

“And so do the girls”

“Hmm?” She said, caught off guard

“The girls, they need a back yard”

“The girls? My girls?”

“Alexis”

“Jax what are you talking about?”

“Your apartment it’s cramped with the three of you…”

“It’s like I can hear words coming out of your mouth and they seemed to be forming sentences but they still don’t make sense to me”

“Will you look at the house?”

“Are you asking us to move in with you?”

“Well if you want to put it that simple… yes” he said amused

“Jax don’t do this”

“Alexis I know you need time and I’m completely prepared to give you that time to think about it”

Alexis laughed a completely un-amused laugh

“If you’re trying to play knight in shining armor with me don’t”

“I’ve learned my lesson… no playing white knight with you!”

“Jax I’m not even divorced yet. How will it look if the girls and I move in with you? And not to mention dealing with Ric and Sonny! What would everyone think!?”

Jax paused for a moment hoping she would at least take a breath

“Maybe they would think that Alexis finally made a decision that was for her, that made her happy…”

“My apartment makes me happy Jax!”

“I want to make you happy Alexis”

Alexis stopped, looking at him

His face

The look on his face wasn’t one of a man trying to “fix” her, or trying to play white knight. The look on his face was sincere… almost seemingly sad

“You do make me happy. You’re one of the few people on this planet who have never made me unhappy…”

“Then will you just go with me and look at the house?”

“I’m not sure if that’s a great idea…Jax, our lives are complicated right now. You’re wrapping up custody issues and I’m in the middle of getting a divorce… and I did I mention Ric and Sonny?”

Jax reached across the table pulling her hands in to his

“I love you Alexis and you’re my best friend… and you have been for a long time. I want you to be happy. I want to continue to be apart of what makes you happy. And I think right now you and I both need someone… we both need each other…”

“That doesn’t simplify it Jax. What about Molly and Kristina and John?”

“I want them to be happy, just as happy as you”

“You think a big house will do it?”

“No… I think you and I will do it”

Alexis paused; she said nothing for the longest time

“It will be like the freaking Brady Bunch” she said with a pained look on her face

Jax laughed a hardy laugh

“So you’ll think about it?”

Alexis let out a deep breath as she slid her hands down her face

“I knew you were going to make my brain hurt!”

“Will lunch make it better?”

“I feel queasy”

Jax grinned

Alexis looked at him, his grin a bit malicious, but his eyes hopeful

She let out sighing deep breath

“I need to think about it”

“I told you I was prepared to be patient, I know you need to, it’s a big thing”

“Yeah a really big thing!”

Alexis fell back in to her chair

“Mr. Jax, Ms. Davis… can I get you something? Perhaps another drink for you sir? And for you” the waiter said directing his attention to Alexis

Alexis spoke the waiter but never taking her eyes from Jax “vodka tonic please”

As the waiter walked away Jax leaned in to her “You and I we used to be great cohabiters”

“We didn’t have three children and ex’s between us then?”

“But I still love you the same”

Alexis sat down the menu she had been holding

She meant to not talk about it, she meant to think about it…maybe talking was better

“Jax you and I… we’re, we’re the one thing that I haven’t screwed up. Us living together… I may screw it up and… I think you’re right I think we both need each other right now, more than ever but I don’t want to risk losing you all together so we can play house together…”

“I understand your hesitation and I promise you when I thought of asking you I knew you would think I had lost my mind. But there is only so many times you can win only to end up losing before you realize what you were winning, what you thought was the prize was only a substitute for what really makes you happy, for what is not as much as a prize as a gift…”

“Jax please don’t romanticize it”

The waiter sat the drinks down in front of them as they once again paused their conversation

“Will you be having lunch?”

“Actually no we won’t, thank you” Alexis said politely

“Alexis I’m sorry” Jax said already apologizing fearing he had really upset her

“No, don’t say you’re sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about. I just need to go, I need to think. Being here with you, I’ll just end up being cast under the spell of those blue eyes and then following you around like a puppy instead of making the right decision for all of us, not just me and Kristina and Molly but for you and John too… I need to think ok…”

Jax shook his head as he watched her close her eyes as her drink slithered down her throat

She stood walking towards him from the opposite side of the table

She leaned in to kiss him

“I love you and I’ll call you later ok?”

“Ok”

She walked away

Jax sat at the table replaying the conversation in his head; he feared he’s done it again

Too much, too soon, a bad idea… white knight complex

“Well, well why such a sullen look on such a pretty face?” Luke said as he took Alexis’ place at the table

“Go away Luke”

“Now I know we’ve had words in the past but I couldn’t help but want to come and try and console the man that Natasha just left all teary eyed”

“Alexis and I are none of your business”

“Oh that’s where you’re wrong. Anything having to do with little princess Natasha is my business. Partly because she’s a player in my favorite game of Cassadine. She’s also my business because despite  outward protests she’s is a dear friend to me and I would pluck every blonde hair from your head if you were causing her grief…”

“I wouldn’t do that… that much you do know” Jax snipped

“I know you’re her best pal, I know you’re the recipient of her love and what I believe is still purely plutonic affection, though I would swear you two were sleeping together or in worse case scenario you’ve been married for a good 20 years…”

“Luke I don’t want to play a verbal round with you today”

“It’s all about Natasha today huh? Hell who can blame you? If you’re gonna be a fool at least be a fool for her…she’s smart, sexy and feisty… I like em’ feisty”

Luke stood up… Luke got Jax was in no mood to play

“Look, I know you don’t want my advice but whatever it is, whatever your agenda is… she better come out smelling like a rose… cause she’s been through enough for you to turn on her too”

Luke left

Without having any clue to the conversation between Alexis and Jax, Luke offered his advice… the best advice Jax could have received at that moment

In all his excitement Jax couldn’t forget she had been disappointed one to many times… and he shouldn’t be the next inline to disappoint her again

To make promises and not keep them

Jax knew she didn’t need a white knight, that she didn’t need someone to save her, she could take care of herself and her girls

But maybe the truth was he needed someone to save him

Alexis Davis wasn’t his lover, or his wife… but she was the woman he loved, the woman that he had truly adored for years…

And he had never made promises to her he didn’t keep, and he wouldn’t start making them now

End Ch. 2