by Kira
SCENE: Alaska. Jacks Living Room.
Jane & Victoria have just concluded a game of chess.
Jane looks towards the clock and stifles a yawn.
"Well, my dear - it's getting a bit late. I rather fear John and Jax
must have gotten tied up in Anchorage."
Picking up the chess board, she replaced it on the shelf and
yawned again, "I think I'm going to turn in, dear. Coming?"
"In a little bit. I think I'll just sit here for a bit."
Jane patted her shoulder,
"Don't stay up too late, love. I'm sure Jax is just fine."
"Jane!!" Victoria protested, torn between surprise and outrage,
"I wasn't thinking of him!!"
"No?" Jane asked innocently, "As you say, of course. Good night."
"Good night, Jane." still affronted, Victoria moved restlessly towards
the
window, drawing back the drapes to stare into the deep velvet Alaskan
night.
Her emotions churned inside her. She had resisted looking too deeply at
her
feelings....unable to reconcile the events of the past week into a
single,
coherent path.
As her hand moved the curtain back into place, the light caught the
reflection of her wedding band. She slid her thumb over the cool gold
unthinkingly.
It was a cold, tangible reminder of all that had happened .... a reminder
of Jax. Her husband.
The single force from which all this turmoil generated. Jax.
Once she had been so clear on her feelings for him - they had been
simple.
She gave a short laugh. Pure unadulterated loathing.
When had that changed? When had that pure emotion become clouded?
She sat heavily in a chair, leaning her head back.
When you started sleeping with him, you moron. She forced back a
sudden spurt of tears. Nice move, Victoria Rose. Brilliant.
The man is using you to destroy your family, he forces you into marriage
and all that goes with it.... and what do you do?!
The slamming door brought her up and around. Hastily she dragged her sleeve
across her eyes.
"Jane?!" John Jacks' booming voice called through the
semi-darkness.
Victoria stood up,
"She's gone up to bed." she announced, drawing their attention.
Jax fixed her with a cold, emotionless look.
"Victoria." he greeted.
John inclined his head, "I think I'll call it a night as well, then. Victoria.
Jax."
Jax shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it carelessly onto a hook.
"You shouldn't have waited up." he told her.
"I didn't." Victoria rubbed her elbows, hugging her arms around her middle,
"I wasn't sleepy."
"You should get some sleep. We'll be leaving first thing in the morning for
Port Charles."
he bent to tug off his boots, sparing her no further attention.
When he had finished, he simply walked up the stairs - sparing her no backward
glance.
Victoria tightened her arms against the cold streak which suddenly raced
through her veins.
SCENE: Jax's Airplane.
Jax is seated on the leather couch, an open folder
with work before him. Victoria is curled in the chair to his left, her
legs
drawn up and hugged beneath her chin. She is watching the clouds pass
as
they move inexorably to Port Charles. Jax leans back, catching her
somber
profile from the corner of his eye. Finally, he tosses the paperwork on
the
low table in front of him.
"Anticipating a reunion with the Quartermaine's?" his tone is
dry.
Victoria's start of surprise was quickly covered,
"Actually, I was thinking about your parents."
The decidedly unexpected reply piques Jax's interest.
"Oh?" he prompts, his blue eyes narrowing on her speculatively.
"Yes." she sighed and stretched, turning towards him, "I was wondering
why, with all their advantages, they would choose such a solitary
existence
as they have in Alaska."
Jax coughed,
"You think too much." he dismissed, picking up his paperwork again.
Victoria was unfazed, "Maybe." She shrugged, then continued
laconically, "But it's not as if you give me much choice." her eyes
went
pointedly towards the work before him.
"I didn't hire on as your companion." he exhaled in irritation, "I'm
a
businessman. This is what I do."
"Yes." she agreed, although her smirk told a different story.
He tossed the papers down once more, not bothering to temper
his
annoyance.
"So what do you want me to do, Victoria? Waste time discussing the
weather with you?"
Victoria bristled,
"Oh, please, spare us both!" she snapped.
One hand plowed through his hair,
"Look - I thought I'd explained the arrangement to you sufficiently."
"You did." she snapped back, "Perfectly. Please....don't think I'm
begging
for your attention. I could care less if you drowned yourself in
work."
"Then stop pouting." he shot back, furious now.
"I'm NOT pouting!" Victoria jumped to her feet, now thoroughly enraged.
At that moment, the plane lurched, tossing her off balance and landing
her
more of less on the lap of her thoroughly annoyed husband. Her haste
would
have been laughable, had it been motivated by anything less than a
fearsome
desire to remove herself from any contact with him. The rapidity only
served
to render her more clumsy, and finally Jax simply clamped his hands on
her
arms immobilizing her as she sprawled across his lap.
"Enough." he commanded.
Victoria's head tossed back, leveling her violet eyes on him.
"Let go." she ordered through gritted teeth.
"Gladly." with effortless strength, he tossed her onto the opposite end of
the
couch like she was no more than a rag doll.
Victoria's jaw set. Feeling helplessly impotent, she hit back with words,
"I hate you." she announced hotly.
Jax's expression turned from mild exasperation to deadly calm in the
blink
of an eye.
"Do you?" The question came from deep within his chest, evoking
memories
that Victoria did not want to recall. Moving closer, Jax clamped one hand
on her chin, drawing her closer. His whisper was taunting, "I like how
you
hate me, Victoria. I remember it well."
The sensuous purr doused through her like molten lava. Like a scalded
cat,
Victoria made the futile attempt at backing away from him. But she
was
trapped by the solidity of the couch behind her, and the ungentle grip of
his
hand on her chin.
"Stop it." she finally whispered, desperate to end a game she knew he
was
far superior at.
But Jax's eyes had darkened, and the familiar burn of desire now licked
like
blue flame. His mouth found hers unerringly. It was useless to fight it,
but
Victoria tried moving her head elusively, until the hot demand of his
mouth became a call she could no longer deny - and she succumbed to
the
maelstrom of passion she was rapidly becoming far too addicted to.
SCENE: The Jacks Jet.
Jax's cell phone is shrieking insistently. Reaching a
bare arm from the leather couch, Jax picks up the phone & tugs it to
his ear.
His shirt is opened, and as he moves, Victoria finally pulls herself from
his
arms, bringing swift order to her hastily rearranged clothing. As Jax
half-
heartedly speaks to the Captain who has called to inform them they will
be
landing in Port Charles, his eyes watch her movements as she
deliberately keeps her back to him. Dressed in some semblance of
order,
Victoria breathes deeply before turning to face him as he replaces the
phone.
"The pilot." he informed her with a nod towards the phone, "We'll be
landing
in Port Charles within the hour."
Her throat dry, Victoria could only nod. Heat suffused her cheeks.
Jax
suddenly grinned,
"We are married, you know." he pointed out wryly.
Victoria's head dropped in embarassment. Reaching over to slide back
the
curtain of her hair, Jax stroked the side of her neck sensuously,
"I never counted on this marriage working out quite so well." the low
words
raced across her skin.
"Well, I'm glad you've found such worth- worthwhile fringe benefits."
the shaky comeback fell far short of the scathing rejoinder she had
intended.
She was feeling vulnerable and frightened, and she hated it.
Without warning, he suddenly pulled her up against him, imprisoning
her
against his muscled frame.
"Still hate me?" he inquired, running his mouth teasingly across the skin
of
her throat. He was being maddening and tantalizing, deliberately
taunting
her with her own weakness.
"Yes." she retorted, hoping the words didn't betray the racing of her
heart.
His hands slid up her ribcage, finally cupping her face to bring her
mouth
under his.
"Then show me, Vicky. Show me how much you hate me." The husky
desire in his voice was unmistakable. And she was lost.