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The door to V's apartment
swung open. Two figures stood in the doorway locked
in a passionate kiss. Finally breaking the woman tried to walk
in but the man
grabbed and pulled her back.
"Not like that." He
said before picking her up in his arms. "Like this." Jax
carried V inside all the while kissing her.
Setting her down gently
she looked up into his blue eyes. "Welcome home, Mr
Jax."
Jax smiled at her and kissed
her forhead. "Welcome home, Mrs Jax."
The loft.
Alexis sat in total shock
as Robin Scorpio explained to her what was happening.
Seeing the state that Nikolas was in helped, but everything wasn't
quite sinking
in.
"Is that it?" Alexis
asked and Robin nodded. "Good. Is it okay if I throw up
now?" Robin chuckled. "Nikolas will be alright, won't he?"
"I believe so." Terry
said from behind her.
She walked around and Alexis
got her first good look at her. She was beautiful
with long curly red hair. She watched as Terry backed into her
husband's arms
and smiled when they tighten around her waist.
<That explains a few
things.> Alexis thought. She had done some reading on
Aaron Grey since he's been in Port Charles and one thing see noticed
in his
chronicles was that every so often there would be a mention of a red-haired
woman with him.
None of his previous Watchers
ever find out anything about these women and it
was thought by others that Grey just had an attraction for women with
red hair.
It was now dawning on Alexis that all these accounts of different women
throughout the years were in fact Terry herself.
Robin excused herself and
went to the kitchen followed by Jason. Aaron and
Terry sat down across from her and soon felt Alexis' eyes on them.
Aware that she was staring
Alexis blushed. "I'm Sorry."
"It's alright." Terry
said with a smile.
Robin returned with five
glasses. Aaron reached for two and handed one to
Terry. Alexis followed his lead, but just as she raised it to
her lips, Robin
stopped her.
"Alexis that one's mine."
Alexis looked at the glass
in her hand. The dark liquid could have passed for
a deep red wine but she finally caught a whiff of the metallic odor
of blood.
Swallowing hard she handed it Robin.
"Thanks." Alexis said
looking rather green.
The irritating shrill of
the door buzzer awoke Emily. "I'm coming!" She
shouted.
Rolling out of bed she stumbled
for the door. Checking her reflection in the
mirror she patted her hair down and checked her nightshirt.
"Yes?" She asked cracking
the door.
"Delivery for a Emily Quartermaine."
She undid the chain and
opened the door. The delivery man handed her a long
box. Emily was about to grab her purse when he stopped her.
"That's already been taken
care of." He tipped his hat to her. "Good
morning."
"Good morning." Emily
said closing the door. "And thank you!"
Emily sat on the couch and
opened the box. Inside were two dozen long-stemmed
pink roses. She picked up the card and read it aloud.
"Thinking of you.
D."
"So that's the plan."
Aaron said as he refilled Alexis' glass. "You don't
approve?" He asked noticing the expression on her face.
"To be perfectly honest,
I was expecting something more than 'we wait till
nightfall, run in, grab the others and kill the son of a bitch'."
Terry grinned and Robin
surpressed a laugh.
Aaron glared at them.
"Alright. If anyone else has a better idea, let's hear
it." There was silence. "I didn't think so. So it's
settled then. As soon as
the sun is down, Terry, Mariah and I go in, while Robin sits with Nikolas."
"I'm coming too."
Alexis added.
"The hell you are."
Aaron replied back.
"Let her come."
All heads turned as Mariah
came from the bedroom. She walked to table and
picked up Terry's glass and drained it.
"What about Derek?"
Robin asked to change the subject.
"He's out of the city."
Terry answered her eyes not leaving her husband and
Mariah who continued to stare at each other.
"Mariah...."
"Aaron, she comes."
Mariah then turned and headed back for the bedroom.
A few seconds later Alexis
followed her. Mariah was seated on the edge of the
bed watching the sleeping Nikolas. Alexis tried to approach her
silently.
"Is there something you
want?" Mariah asked not turning around.
Alexis stopped. "You....
I know you."
Mariah touched Nikolas'
forehead. "Of course you know me. You've been to my
club."
Alexis sat down beside her.
"That's not where I remember you from. It was a
long time ago and I was very little, but I know it was you."
Mariah turned to
face her. "You were there. When the men came for me and
my mother."
Police station,
early afternoon.
Sonny fidgited in his chair.
"How long are you going to keep me here?"
"For as long as I say."
Taggert answered not looking up from his desk.
Mac Scorpio walked in followed
by Justus and he was not happy.
"I demand that you release
my client immediately Commissioner."
Mac waived Justus quiet
for a moment and looked at his detective. "Taggert."
"Mr Corinthos is here answering
questions concerning the disappearances of the
Spencers and Stefan Cassadine."
Sonny laughed. "I've
sitting here for over two hours and Detective Cueball
hasn't asked me a thing."
"This is a roust Commissioner."
Justus moved next to Sonny. "Detective
Taggert is merely using the fact the Mr Spencer's car was found abandoned
in my
client's building as a means to harass him."
"Cut him loose." Mac
said.
As he turned away Taggert
followed him. "What are you doing?"
Mac stopped. "What
are YOU doing? You've got no cause to hold him."
"He's Sonny Corinthos.
That's cause enough."
"No it's not." Mac
walked him over to a corner. "You've been playing fast and
loose with Corinthos and Morgan too long and it's going stop.
Everytime you
haul one of them in here like this it's just another instance of police
harassment they can use against us when finally get them into court."
"That's crap and you know
it. A judge will see what's what."
"You might not think so
if you got a look at the complaints filed against you.
Now cut him loose." Mac held his hand up. "And this is
the very last time you
do this."
Taggert glared at Mac as
he walked away. "Okay Sonny you're free to go. But I
wouldn't get too comfortable, you're going to back here before you
know it, and
that time it will be for good."
Sonny smiled. "Always
a pleasure dectective."
Justus moved to follow and
pulled a piece of paper from his briefcase. "Here's
another one for your collection."
Taggert crumpled up the
complaint form and muttered to himself. "No more
games. You're going down Sonny-boy. Down hard."
Port Charles Grill.
Lois sat sipping her soda
while Brenda talked on the phone. "What's the word?"
She asked as Brenda stuck her phone back into her purse.
"He's been released."
Lois breathed a sigh of
relief. "That's good. You know I can't believe Mac
Scorpio is letting this kinda thing go on."
"Yeah well I think Taggert
has finally worn out Mac's patience with this little
stunt. Sonny said he was none to happy when he showed up."
The waiter had just arrived
to take their orders when V walked in. Brenda
rushed over and hugged her. Dragging her back to the table she
invited her to
join them.
Reaching for a glass of
water Brenda noticed the rings on V's finger. "What is
this?" V turned red. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't."
"We did. Jax and I
got married."
All three women screamed
at once eliciting stares from the other patrons of the
restaurant.
"Congrats." Lois said
hugging her.
Brenda hugged and kissed
her again. "When did this happen?"
"Just before we came back."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Off the coast of the Bahamas,
four days ago.
The past week and half has
been pure bliss for V. She and Jax have traveled
through the entire Caribean aboard his yacht. Stopping at just
about every
island along the way. They had just returned from a shopping
excursion and were
lounging on the deck looking out at the clear blue ocean.
Jax grasped V's hand and
brought it to his lips. "Having fun?"
V had her eyes closed.
"Uh-uh."
Jax has been debating exactly
how to go about this for the last couple of days,
but seeing V now, dressed only a white bikini with a floral wrap around
her
waist, he decided to just go for it.
"Venus."
"Hmmm?"
Jax sat up. "You know
the reason why we took this trip was for us to see just
what it was between us, right?"
V opened her eyes and looked
over at him. "Yeah?"
"Well I've figured it out."
V felt a bowling ball form
in the pit of her stomach. It slowly rose as she
began to panic inside. Her mind raced. <Oh god, this
is it. It's over. He's
now going to tell me he never wants to see me again.>
"I love you."
V blinked her eyes and shook
her head. "What? What was that?"
Jax grinned. "I said....
I love you."
V sat up still not certain
that she heard him right. "Okay. One more time."
Jax laughed. "I love
you."
"You do?"
Jax pulled her onto his
lap. "I do." He reached behind him. "And this is to
prove to you just how much." He put his hands in V's lap and
opened the small
box.
"Oh, Jax."
He removed the diamond ring.
"Venus Aardanowski, will you do me the honor of
becoming my wife?"
V started to cry.
"Yes." She answered her voice barely audible.
Jax slipped the ring on
her finger and then kissed her passionately.
"I love you, Jax."
She said cradling his face in her hands.
"Call me Jasper."
He said as he kissed her again.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So he had our cabin filled
with white roses and candles, it was heaven."
Lois sighed. "That
is so romantic."
Brenda grinned. "That
is so Jax."
V giggled. "So anyway
the next thing I know I'm standing in a little island
church in front of some poor minister who hasn't a clue as to what's
going on."
"You are gonna have a real
wedding aren't ya?" Lois asked munching on her
salad.
"I did have a real wedding.
I married the man I love and became Mrs Jasper
Jax."
"He never let me call him
Jasper." Brenda pouted.
"That's because he knew
deep down you were nothing but a two-timing witch."
Brenda stared at V, then
tossed a roll at her and stuck out her tongue. It
wasn't long before they were all laughing.
CHAPTER 22
Robin's loft.
"It was you was you, wasn't
it? On the road that night."
Mariah stiffen slightly
as Alexis trigged a long forgotten memory. "Italy."
She whispered.
"Yes. My mother and
I had just left from a visit with my father."
Mariah rose from the bed
and walked to the window. Time seemed run backward in
her mind as memories came to the surface.
Mikos had arranged a secret
visit with his daughter in Venice. He had asked
Mariah to stand watch and see that they reached their boat safely just
in case
Helena got wind of it.
The journey was uneventful
and it wasn't until they reached the ship that all
hell broke loose. A squad of men dressed in black attacked the
car. The driver
was killed and little Natasha screamed as the hired killers approached.
Just as
they were about to fire into the rear section a shape moved behind
them and the
further most gunman screamed.
The two closest to him turned
and were immediately taken down by a form moving
so fast it was nothing but a blur. Sensing his own death the
leader turned back
to the car and raised his weapon, but before he could pull the trigger
a hand
grabbed his throat. His weapon discharged into the air as he
was slowly
strangled to death.
Kristen held her small daughter
in her arms as she exited the vehicle. "Who?
Who are you?"
"No one."
She set Natasha gently on
the ground as the boat's captain approached with
several of his men. As Kristen spoke to them, Natasha tugged
on the strange
woman's long coat.
"Are you an angel?"
She asked in a squeaky voice.
"Hardly." She replied.
Natasha watched as the woman
dressed in black turned and disappeared into the
darkness from which she came.
"What I don't understand
is why you helped us in the first place."
Mariah was pulled back to
the present by Alexis' voice. "My reasons are not
your concern." Alexis was about to say something, but a look
into Mariah's eyes
prevented her. "Alexis, I want you to listen very carefully to
what I'm about
to tell you." She leaned in watched as Alexis' eyes glazed over.
General Hospital, Sarah's room.
"I can't believe you smuggled
these things in here." Sarah said as she wiped
her mouth with a napkin.
Liz came by to see her early
that morning. She returned later that afternoon
only this time she was trying to hide a big bag of Luke's cheese fries
from the
attending nurse.
"Well if you don't want
yours."
Sarah slapped her sister's
hand. "Touch'em and die."
Liz laughed. "I guess
you're feeling better."
Sarah tried to smile.
"I'm still worried about Stefan. Lieutenant Garcia came
by after you left. He told me Luke Spencer was missing now too."
"Luke?" Liz looked
strickened. "Oh no, Lucky must be in hell."
She sat up. "I'd better go to him."
"Go." Sarah held up
her arms and hugged her sister. "Give him my best." She
whispered into Liz's ear.
"I will." Liz kissed
her sister's cheek and left.
Port Charles Hotel.
The door opened. "Hi."
"Eve...."
She walked into his suite
without a word. Methos closed the door and came up
behind her.
"Adam...." She said
finally. A tear rolled down her cheek as she struggled
for words. "Everything in my head tells me to run and not look
back, but I
can't. I don't know why, but I can't leave you."
"I don't want you to leave
either." His voice was heavy with emotion. "I'm
sorry. I should have told you sooner. I didn't mean to
hurt you."
"I know that you didn't."
He could see the confusion and the love in her eyes.
"You know I can't even remember what my life was like was before I
met you.
Adam, I don't want to go back to my life without you."
"You don't need to.
I'm right here." Methos reached up to kiss her lips,
softly and tentatively. "I'm not going anywhere." He took
her hand. "Eve, I
don't want to leave you, but I won't lie to you. It will require
some changes
in our life for us to stay together long-term." He smiled.
She smiled back. "I
know and I don't care. I just don't want to lose you."
"You won't." He tenderly
kissed her forehead. "Wherever you are, that's where
I'll be because I love you."
Another tear rolled down
Eve's cheek. "Adam.... what's your name?"
"Methos." He said
without hesitation. "My name is Methos."
The loft,
just after sunset.
Jason poured Aaron another
cup of coffee. "They've been in there a long time."
He said looking at the bedroom door. "Shouldn't somebody check."
"You're right." Aaron
said getting up. "We should be getting ready to head
out now anyway." He opened the door and Jason heard him curse.
"Terry!"
His wife came from the other
bedroom with Robin close behind. "What is it?"
"She's gone!"
"Who?" Robin asked.
"Mariah." Robin slipped
past him and saw Alexis lying on the bed where Nikolas
was only a few hours ago. "Damn! I should've expected this."
"We both should have."
Terry said to him.
"She took Nikolas with her."
Robin added. "What do we do?"
Aaron was helping Terry
into her coat. "We go after her." He snatched his own
and picked up his sword on the way out the door.
"Stay here. Alexis
will be alright in a little while." Terry told them as she
followed her husband.
As Robin watched them both
leave, Jason came up and held her in his arms.
"Please be careful." She whispered.
Liz walked into the Spencer
house to the sounds of laughing. Coming into the
living room Lulu saw her.
"Lizzie!" She squealed.
She jumped into her arms,
almost knocking her down. "Hey squirt." She carried
her into the room and was surprised to see Emily sitting on the couch
with
Lucky. "Hey Em!" She said trying to supress an uncharacteristic
twinge of
jealousy.
"Hey babe." Lucky
said looking over at her. "Em just came by to lend a little
moral support."
"I heard about his dad from
Jason and I thought I should come over." Emily
explained.
Liz sat Lulu down and Emily,
feeling that Liz and Lucky wanted to be alone,
took her into the kitchen for a snack.
She sat down next to him
and took his hand. "Why didn't you call me? I had to
hear about it from Sarah."
"How is she?"
"She's fine and don't change
the subject. We're talking about why you didn't
tell me your dad was missing too."
Lucky held her hand a little
tighter. "I don't know." He shrugged his
shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe.... maybe I thought that
if I kept it to
myself it wouldn't be true."
"Lucky they've been gone
a day. They'll be alright."
"I want to be believe that,
I really do." Tears began to form in Lucky's eyes.
"But I still can't shake this feeling that something terrible is going
to
happen."
The catacombs.
It wasn't hard for them to
find Stavros' lair. Young Cassadine's directions
were right on. They entered the main chamber cautiously.
A quick survey showed
them that they were too late.
"They're gone!" Aaron
said slamming his fist against the rock wall.
Terry looked at him and
snickered. "You're going to break your hand again."
Aaron ignored her. Moving further into the chamber Terry studied
it. "Someone
is definitely confused about how we live...." She stopped.
"Aaron...."
He came over to her.
If what he saw phased him, he didn't show it. "Remind me
not to call him for decorating advice on the loft."
Terry inched closer to the
body. "I think this is.... this was Helena
Cassadine." She felt an involuntary shiver run her spine.
"We had better find
them. This guy is not playing with a full deck."
"Where the hell are they?"
Wyndemere.
"Why are keeping us here?"
Stavros merely smiled.
"In a hurry to die little brother? I don't blame you,
I can hardly wait myself."
"What do you want from us
Stavros?" Laura asked.
"So she finally speaks."
Stavros rose from his chair. "What do I want from
you? It's quite simple my darling, I want you to die."
He touched her face.
Luke started for him, but Stefan held him back. "Yes, that's
right. I wouldn't
want you miss your chance to say goodbye to our wife."
"You son a bitch!"
Luke shouted. "Why don't you just get it over with
Cassadine! What are you waiting for?"
Stavros flashed his fangs
and Luke stepped back. "I'm waiting because our last
guest has yet to arrive." With his enhanced hearing Stavros hears
the front
door open. "That should be him now." All eyes turn to the
doorway and Laura
gasps. "Nikolas my boy."
He strides over to the young
man who hugs him warmly. "Father."
"What?.... What have you
done to him?"
"I've done nothing except
claim what is mine." Stavros' eyes turned gold and
he faces his prisoners. "Now at last we can begin. Each
one of you betrayed
me. You...." He pointed at Stefan. "My brother, coveted
my wife, my position
in the family and my son. You...." Indicating Luke.
"You murdered my father,
my brother and myself." He walked over to Laura. "And you,
my loving wife...."
He picked her up from her seat by her hair. "I cannot even begin
to list your
crimes, but your punishment will be to watch the two men who love you
die,
slowly."
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
Stavros whirled around at the sound of a
woman's voice.
Stavros smiled, his fangs
still showing. "Mariah."
"You don't seem to surprised.
You were expecting me?"
"I'm not and I did."
Mariah stood motionless
in the doorway. "I made a mistake when I brought you
across." As she spoke Nikolas moved next to Stavros. "That's
a mistake I now
plan to rectify." Her eyes turned gold and she flashed her fangs.
"NOW!!" She
shouted.
From behind his back Nikolas
produced a cross. He held held to Stavros' cheek
and it began to smoke. He howled in pain and sent Nikolas flying
into the wall
hard with a forearm to the stomach.
"Nikolas!" Laura and
Stefan shouted at the same time.
"You little bastard!"
Stavros picked him up by the throat.
Purely on instinct Luke
jumped in to save his wife's son. He and Stavros
grappled for a moment, but Stavros quickly got the upper hand and flung
his old
enemy across the room. Stefan took his place and his brother
took care of him
just as easily. Before Mariah join the fray however, Stavros
grabbed Laura and
disappeared up the stairs.
"Laura!" Luke yelled.
Not hearing him Mariah followed
leaving Luke to regain his senses and Stefan to
look after his son. Following Stavros outside they stood face
to face on the
balcony.
"Give it up Stavros, it's
over."
He held Laura by the throat.
"It's not over until they are all dead."
Mariah tried to approach
closer, but Stavros tighten his grip on Laura's throat
each time. Unknown to the two vampires Luke had made his way
up.
"Laura!" Luke shouted
distracting Stavros.
Taking her chance Laura
elbowed him in the stomach. As she fell to the ground
Mariah lept at Stavros. The vampires snarled at each other.
Within seconds
Stavros knew he was overmatched by his elder opponent.
As they struggled, he maneuvered
her near the stone parapet. If he could get
her off balance he would have a chance, he thought. Laura had
gotten to her
feet just as Stavros shoved her backward. Mariah slammed into
Laura sending
them both over the parapet. Mariah hit the ground, while one
of Laura's hands
somehow managed to grab a stone as she fell.
Luke grasped the wooden
chair leg he brought from downstairs tightly in his
hand. He screamed and ran toward Stavros who turned. Before
he knew what
happened Luke plunged the wooden shaft into his chest. Stavros
howled like a
wounded animal and fell backward over the railing himself.
Luke was trying to catch
his breath when Laura cried out. He bent over and
tried to grasp his wife's hand. He inched closer and closer,
and just as he was
about a touch her, Laura's strength gave way and she plummeted to the
ground.
"LAURA!!!!!"