Heart's Desire-5
by: Cristina
The next morning, Cassie wakes up first. She looks over at Jax asleep beside her. He looks so peaceful. Without thinking, she reaches over and gently caresses his cheek. Face it, Cass, it just isn't meant to be. He is still in love with his foolish wife.
Jax wakes up while she still has her hand against his face. She quickly takes it away. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."
He sits up in his seat. "No problem. We need to get to Jerry anyway."
"Right. Then you'll be rid of me forever."
Jax nods wordlessly and turns the key in the ignition. It's show time.
**********
The abandoned fort where they are supposed to make the exchange for Jerry was definitely isolated. Jax wasn't sure if it was such a good idea for them to be there without any backup whatsoever. But Cassie didn't seem very troubled by the possible trap that they could be walking right into. They slowly walked deeper into the fort, and waited for something to happen. They didn't have to wait long.
"Let me see the stone," a voice called out.
Cassie looked up at Jax. He answered. "Let us see Jerry."
Two guards emerged from behind a piling with Jerry restrained between them. He looked none the worse for wear, and Jax placed the huge diamond on the ground and stepped back, taking Cassie with him. Once they were a few yards away from the treasure, a small man in a white suit, with two more guards emerged and walked toward the stone. He picked it up and examined it carefully.
"Well," the little man began, "It would appear that Mr. Jacks here is free to go."
The kidnapper and his guards quickly took off and left Jerry where he was. He sauntered over to Cassie and his brother. "It took you long enough, Cass."
She looked at Jerry. It was actually hard for her to believe that he was Jax's brother. They had the same blonde hair, blue eyes and glowing skin, but that was where the similarities ended. Jerry had a decidedly dangerous look about him. He was a little shorter than Jax and not quite as muscular. Now that Jax had told her about their childhood, Cassie understood Jerry a little better. He'd experienced poverty, and now he was compelled to seek danger and fortune wherever he went.
Cassie finally answered him. "Well, Jer, I'm sorry that I'm not a proficient at treasure hunting and ransoms. I had to get some help."
"Good to see you, Jax. I'm surprised that you agreed to this little scheme."
"Not as surprised as I am. I should have left you here. It's about time you learned not go off half-cocked."
"Yeah, yeah. Well, we should be after them."
Cassie looked at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"
"You don't really think I'm going to let them steal the treasure, do you?"
Jax shakes his head. "Let it go, Jerry."
"For now I will. But I know how to find them, and the stone will be mine."
"Just leave me out of it, " Jax responds. "For now, can we please get back to the states. I have the jet standing by to fly us all to New York."
Cassie nods. "Good idea."
**********
Jerry, Jax and Cassie have arrived at the airport in New York. They are preparing to go their separate ways. Jerry turns to Cassie when Jax leaves to finalize his flight plans.
"Exactly what is going on between you and my brother?"
This catches her off-guard. "What are you talking about? There isn't anything going on between me and Jax."
"Save it, babe. I may not be the most perceptive guy on the planet, but even I'm not dense enough to miss the vibes between the two of you. Look, Jax is married. And I don't blame him for being tempted. But Jax isn't the type to cheat. It would tear him apart."
Cassie has to laugh at Jerry's ignorance of his brother. "You really have no clue what's going on with your brother. He's not married anymore. He and Brenda split up and I doubt they'll reunite. Regardless of that, there is nothing between us."
"He's not with Brenda?"
"No."
Jerry changes tactics. "Then maybe you should go with Jax, wherever he is going."
"You've certainly turned around in the space of ... What? Five seconds."
"Cass, he needs someone. And I never thought Brenda was right for him. True, I never met her. But, a model? Please. And he is definitely very interested in you."
She sighs. "Jerry, I have no intention of being a rebound for him. I want more than that out of life. And Jax isn't ready. I have my own life to get back to."
They end their conversation when Jax returns. "Well, everything is set. I'll be back in Port Charles in less than an hour."
Cassie tries to smile. "That's great. Good luck. I know you'll resolve everything. Are you going with him, Jerry?"
"No, I think I'll head to Paris. I could use some down-time."
"Right."
"Will you both excuse me? I need to finalize my flight." Jerry hugs Cassie. "Thanks for saving me."
"No problem."
"Just make sure I look good when you finish that profile on me. And don't forget what I said."
"Bye, Jerry."
After he's gone, Jax looks at her. "What did he say?"
"Oh, nothing you need to worry about. I guess this is goodbye. My jet is scheduled for takeoff in a few minutes."
"Where are you going?"
"Greece."
Jax raises his eyebrows. "Greece? What are you going there for?"
"I thought I'd go home and try to get some writing done for this article on your brother."
"You're going home to your family."
Cassie shakes her head. "Lord, no. No, they aren't there now. And I'd have the whole compound all to myself. How could I resist?"
"You're sure you'll be okay?"
"I'll be fine. If there's one thing I've learned, it's how to handle my family."
"Okay. Cass? I really will miss you."
"I'll miss you too. I wish that it didn't have to be this way, but I understand."
They both want to say more, but neither is sure what to say. Cassie holds out her hand. "Goodbye, Jax."
He takes her hand. Instead of shaking it, he pulls her into his arms and kisses her. And Cassie doesn't fight Jax for even a moment. Watching from around the corner, Jerry shakes his head. Who were they kidding?
After an eternity, Cassie pulls away from Jax and rubs her thumb over his lips. "Goodbye." She kisses him again, softly, before leaving to board her plane. Jax just stands there watching her. He doesn't notice Jerry walking up behind him.
"You are a fool, Jax. Don't let her walk out of your life."
"I have too. There's something I have to do. Until then, I don't have any right to Cassie."
**********
Brenda is sitting in her new office at Barrett Industries. It is after hours, but she is still there, trying to figure out the computer system. There is a light knock on her door. "Come in," she calls out, not really paying attention. Brenda is completely focused on the computer and doesn't even notice who is standing in her office until he speaks.
"Hello, Brenda."
The sound of his voice causes her to sit completely still. She would know that voice anywhere. Brenda raises her eyes and sees him standing in front of her. Jax. For a moment, she isn't sure if she's imagining this or not. Jax was all that she'd been able to think about for the past month and half. Since he'd found out that she'd cheated on him with Sonny.
"Wh...what are you doing here?"
"You said that I could come see you whenever. I could leave, if you want."
She all but jumps out of her chair. "No. Don't leave. I've been wanting to see you. I've missed you so much, Jax."
"I've missed you, too."
Brenda can't help smiling. "Do you want to sit down?"
"Sure." Jax sits in one of the chairs in front of her desk, and Brenda sits next to him in the other one. "You seem to be doing really great here, Brenda."
"I don't know about that. Julia is being very patient while I get the hang of this. But it's been good to be with her again. We've hardly fought at all."
"I'm glad you're happy."
"I didn't say that." Brenda looks down at her hands. "Why did you come see me Jax?"
"I just realized that there were a few things we needed to resolve. Someone told me that I'd never be able to move on unless I finally talked through everything with you."
Suddenly, Brenda is fearful. He isn't here to say that he forgives her. He's here to say goodbye once and for all. She can't help the tears that begin to fill her eyes. "I see. What's she like?"
"Brenda, I'm not doing this for a woman. I'm doing this for myself. And for you."
She shakes her head. "This isn't for me. All I want is you. But you'll never forgive me, will you?"
"I have forgiven you. But that doesn't mean that we can go back to the way we were."
Brenda nods. "I went too far."
"Maybe we were doomed from the start."
"Don't ever say that. Jax, whatever happened, I love you. I loved you then, and I love you now. Don't ever forget that."
"I won't. I love you, too."
She smiles through her tears. "You don't know how much it means to hear that. You know, I tried calling the penthouse. Where were you?"
"I've been living at the beach house. In Malibu."
She nods. "I think I understand why you wouldn't want to go back to Port Charles."
"Actually, that's where I'm going once I leave London."
Brenda is surprised. "Really?"
"I have a few things to take care of before I can leave PC for good."
"I think I understand. I hope that you find what you're looking for."
"I hope the same thing for you."
Brenda takes a deep breath and looks over at Jax. "This is really the end, isn't it? I can't believe that this is how our marriage ended up. I'm so sorry for all of the pain I caused you."
"Don't spend your time punishing yourself. We both need to move past the guilt and the pain."
She nods. "You're right. Jax, don't close yourself off from love. I know that you'll never be with me again. But don't be alone. And don't wait six years to find someone, like you did after Miranda. That's not what I want for you. You are the sweetest, most romantic man that I have ever known. And you have such a huge capacity for love, that it would be a waste for you to be alone and not share it with someone." Tears start rolling down her face. "Promise me that you will find someone. You deserve someone who will love you totally and completely."
"You deserve the same thing, Brenda. Even if you don't realize it." He stands up. "I should go."
She rises from her seat. "Do you really have to go?"
"You know that I do."
Brenda looks down at her hand and notices her rings. She starts taking off the engagement ring. "You probably want this back." He covers her hand with his own before she can take off the ring.
"Don't. I want you to keep it."
"I'm sure that Jane would want it back."
He looks into her eyes. "Please keep it. You don't have to wear it, if you don't want to but I want you to have it."
She nods. "Thanks. I guess this is goodbye."
"Goodbye." He turns to leave, then reconsiders and takes her in his arms, hugging her tightly. She wraps her arms around him, holding him for dear life. "You'll always have a place in my heart, Brenda. Be happy."
"I'll always love you."
**********
After his emotional goodbye with Brenda, Jax got back on his plane and took off for Port Charles. As hard as it was to end things forever, he knew that it's what they both needed. The two of them had been holding on, despite the geographical separation. They finally had closure and they could try to move on with their lives.
Once he arrives in Port Charles, Jax's first order of business is straightening out the business mess that he'd left behind. He makes a beeline from the airport to General Hospital. He wanders the halls, clearly looking for someone. Finally, he spots her.
"Hello, Alexis."
She looks up from the file that she's holding and sees him. "Jax. I didn't think you were living in Port Charles anymore. I was disappointed that I never got to see you while you were here."
"Yes. Well, I'm back now, and that situation can be rectified. Is there somewhere that we can talk privately?"
She nods. "Sure." He follows her into Stefan's office. "Don't worry, Stefan took the day off. I'm using his office today. So, what can I do for you? You know, we haven't seen each other since that deal in Seattle. How have you been?"
Jax sits down opposite her. "Fine. Actually, I need a little more advice from my favorite lawyer."
"Shoot."
Jax leans back in his chair. "Well, I know that you have ties to ELQ right now, but I was hoping you could help me anyway."
"Absolutely. Jax, I would never put the Quartermaine's and ELQ ahead of you. Go ahead."
He smiles. "Okay. Well, I don't know how much you know about my history with ELQ."
"I know that you tried to take over the company."
"Right. Well, after that, Ned Ashton wasn't to keen on my staying on the board. So, he blackmailed me into agreeing to sell my shares to a member of the Quartermaine family. My deadline to sell is next week. I was wondering if there was any way around that."
Alexis cocks her head to the side. "Do you have a copy of the agreement?" Jax nods and hands it to her. She reads it quickly and looks up at Jax. "Well, unfortunately, I can't think of a way around your selling the shares to a Quartermaine. However, I think that I could help you as to which Quartermaine."
"What do you mean?"
Alexis smiles. "Let's just say that there is a certain ... unknown member of the Quartermaine family that I am on very good terms with. And I think that she would be very anxious to help you put one over on them."
"You're sure?"
She nods. "Absolutely, Jax. Trust me. I'll call her and get back to you tomorrow."
"Thanks, Alexis."
**********
Later that day, after Jax has left, Alexis sits down at Stefan's desk and takes out her cell phone. She dials a lot of numbers before speaking.
"Hello? This is Alexis. Is she there? I've tried everywhere else...she is? Put her on, please."
Cassie is sitting on a lounge chair, working on her laptop when the maid brings her the phone. She looks up. "What is it Sarah?"
"Sorry to bother you, Ms Lawrence, but your cousin, Ms Davis is on the phone for you."
Cassie sighs, unhappily. "You already told her I was here, didn't you?" The maid nods, apolagetically. "Don't worry about it." Cassie takes the phone. "What?"
Alexis rolls her eyes. "Relax, I'm not calling to harass you."
"True, that is Uncle Stefan's job. So, why are you calling? I know that you aren't calling just to chat. So? What is it?"
"I was just wondering if you could pry yourself away from the island and do me a favor."
Cassie leans back against her chair. "A favor? What sort of favor?"
"I don't know how much attention you pay to the family, but we're living in Port Charles, New York now."
This catches her interest. "Port Charles?"
"Yes. And I need your help. It's for an old business associate of mine."
"Alexis, I really don't have time to get involved in family business."
"Well, sweetheart, you should be happy to do this, because it doesn't involve family. At least, not the Cassadines."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Alexis smiles, knowing that Cassie will go for it when she explains the entire situation to her. "What would you say if I told you that you could finally meet your paternal family?"
"The Quartermaine's?"
"That's right?"
She sighs. "Alexis, I've had plenty of opportunities to meet them. Right now, they don't know that I even exist. Why should I change that?"
"Because, it will give you a chance to...make a splash. I know that you love to do that."
Cassie considers this. "What would I have to do?"
"Come to Port Charles. A friend of mine is being forced off the board of ELQ. He was blackmailed into selling his shares to a family member. They never specified which family member."
Cassie can't help smiling. "So, I show up and throw them all into a tailspin. I must admit, it's perfect."
"Does that mean you'll do it?"
"Yes, I'll do it. On one condition. Do not, under any circumstances tell Stefan that I'm coming."
Alexis sighs. "He's not going to be happy with your surprise visit."
"Exactly. I'm not going to let you deprive me of my fun. He already thinks I'm a horrible influence on Nikolas. May as well indulge him. Those are my terms. What do you say?"
"What choice do I have? I'll pick you up at the airport, just call and let me know when you arrive."
Cassie shakes her head. "No. Just tell me where to meet you and your friend."
"Fine. He's staying in the penthouse of the Port Charles Hotel."
"Great. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Cassie."
"Bye."
Feeling almost giddy, Cassie hangs up the phone. She'd never admitted it to anyone except Nikolas, but there was a huge part of her that was dying to meet her biological father's family. The Quartermaines. She would never forgive them for leaving her to Helena and Stefan. Not that it was entirely their fault, since her father didn't even know about her. But that was beside the point. She was looking forward to this.
But that wasn't the whole reason why she'd agreed to help Alexis. The moment she'd mentioned Port Charles, Cassie knew that she would do it. It was worth facing Uncle Stefan if she could see Jax again.
..to be continued...