by Kira
SCENE: The Penthouse Suite of the Port Charles
Hotel.
Jax opens the door and stops in his tracks. Oblivious to his reaction,
Victoria trudges into the center of the room.
Hands on hips, she surveys the place with a critical eye.
"This is home?" her head tipped to the side.
Jax swallowed. A thousand memories were assaulting him. He appeared to
be completely oblivious to her presence, let alone her words.
"Jax?" She stepped forward, frowning.
Spinning on a heel, Jax turned to walk from the room, slamming the
door
behind him. Victoria's mouth gaped open. Then, slowly, she began to
examine the room more closely. Finally stopping, she bent to pick up
a
single picture frame, pushed flat onto the table. It was a wedding photo.
It was Jax and the dark-haired woman who had been his wife. Brenda.
"Oh." the exclamation was involuntary. Victoria was now compelled once
more to view the room searchingly, this time through new eyes. He
had
brought her to a place he must have once shared with Brenda. Dear God.
Clutching the forgotten frame in one hand, Victoria slowly lowered
herself
onto the couch. The shadows of evening cast an eerie gloom over the
room,
but it could not match the impending sense of doom shadowing her soul.
SCENE: Penthouse.
Victoria is curled on the couch, still fully dressed from
last evening, fast asleep. It is morning. The screeching demand of the
phone wakes her, disoriented. Dragging herself to her feet, she
stumbles
around in search of the offending object, finally locating it on the desk
near
the door.
"H-hello?" she greeted uncertainty, still half asleep.
"Victoria. It's Jax. Meet me downstairs in an hour. It's time we went
to
meet your family."
Victoria's eyes opened wide.
"Jax?" she croaked, the last bit of sleep evaporating.
"Downstairs. One hour." his voice reiterated. The line went dead.
Victoria stared at the receiver as though it had sprouted fangs. Finally
she
replaced it on the desk.
SCENE: Quartermaine Mansion.
Morning.
Ned & Edward are finishing their coffee, both engrossed in the Morning
Edition of the Paper. Lila rolls in, followed by Monica -- who is talking
to Emily.
Alan looks up from the couch.
"I can pick you up right after school and we'll go shopping for dresses
for
the dance...." Monica was saying, just as a commotion in the hallway
drew
all their attention towards the door. The door flung open, and Victoria
stood
there, facing her family as though being led to slaughter.
"Victoria?" It is Lila who regains her voice first. "Victoria Rose!"
She
opens her arms joyously.
"Aunt Lila!!" Crossing the room, Victoria bends to hug her Aunt
fervently;
"Uncle Edward!" As she greeted each one, she suddenly comes up
short,
looking at Emily.
"You must be Emily." she finally declared, smiling.
"Yes."
"I'm your cousin Victoria. From England." and with that, Victoria
engulfed
her in a warm hug.
So engrossed in the greeting up until now, the Quartermaine's are unaware
of the hulking figure standing in the doorway. But now, Ned has taken
note.
"Jax?!" A mixture of surprise and suspicion underscores Ned's
reactive
question.
Jax nodded, smiling slightly.
The family's eyes turned, almost in unision, from Jax to Victoria to Jax
and
back again. Beneath the intense scrutiny of her family, Victoria withered.
Then her shoulders squared.
"I guess introductions aren't needed." she hedges, lacing her
fingers
together, the only sign of trepidation other than the slight gnawing on
her
lower lip.
"No." Ned confirmed distastefully.
"Oh, I disagree." Jax announced grandly, moving further into the room.
"You can stop right there, Jacks." Edward informed him coldly, "I
don't
remember inviting you into this house."
"But, Edward I didn't think family needed an invitation."
"Family?!!" Ned jerked out. At Jax's satisfied expression, he spun
towards
Victoria questingly.
Victoria cleared her throat,
"I...ahhh...would like... you see...."
As the dawning fears began to overcome the Quartermaines, Victoria took
a
deep breath and blurted out,
"I'd like you to meet my husband."
The room erupted. Edward roared, Ned snorted, Monica's exclamation
filled the air. It was only Jax, apparently basking in the announcement,
who
remained grinning. Moving deliberately across the room, he slid an
arm
around her waist, raising her left hand to reveal the solid gold wedding
band.
"This is PREPOSTEROUS!" Edward shouted.
"Not at all, I assure you." Jax returned, smoothly, indicating the evidence
of
their marital state.
"Victoria, what in God's name......" Ned began.
"Oh, my dear!" It was Lila's voice that brought a calm to the storm.
Victoria turned and bent down, as Lila took her cheeks in her
hands,
"Congratulations, my love. I wish you every joy."
"LILA!" Edward shouted, infuriated.
As the melee continued, Emily touched Victoria's arm in confusion,
"I don't understand. You're married to Jax?"
Victoria nodded, attempting to hide her misery, "Yes, I'm afraid so."
she
confirmed bravely.
"Yes, she is." Jax made his voice heard over the incessant noise, ending
the question of veracity forever and it acted as a death knell over the
room.
Victoria fought back tears, watching the closed expressions of her
family
and feeling like the worst traitor imaginable.
Jax once again slid his arm around her, underscoring his
possession
intentionally.
"We're very thankful for your good wishes." He said blithely, "But
I'm
afraid we can't stay at the moment. We actually have some
urgent
business....such as finding ourselves a place to call home."
"Home?" Lila perked up, her kindly face clouding, "Oh, my dears, don't
be
ridiculous. You'll stay in the Guest House. Ned is no longer
there...."
"Absolutely NOT!"
"Not on your life!" Edward & Ned's protest was simultaneous.
Lila brushed them aside as though they weren't spoken.
"I will hear no more of it." she decided in her gentle way, "I
insist."
"But, Aunt Lila -" Victoria moved to protest, only to receive a
warning
tightening of Jax's arm.
"Thank you, Lila. How very generous of you. Victoria & I will
gladly
accept....temporarily of course ... until we find a home of our own."
Eyeing
Edward deeply he goaded, "Perhaps one of the neighbors are prepared
to
sell?"
Edward's patience had thinned to the point of shouting,
"Over my DEAD body, Jax!"
"Edward!!" Lila scolded.
"As you wish." Jax grinned.
"Victoria is family, Edward Quartermaine, and don't you forget it!"
Lila
turned a steely gaze towards Edward, "And so is her new husband."
"NEVER." Edward discounted wrathfully.
Ned smiled humorlessly,
"Quite clever, Jax. Really quite clever."
"Thanks." Jax retorted, his grin wide.
"I can't say the same for you, Victoria." Ned continued, his razor sharp
gaze
branding her a traitor of the worst degree.
Victoria had enough.
"How dare you!" she hissed at Ned, "If it weren't for you -"
Edward's head snapped around, his interest piqued. Ned's eyebrows
shot
upwards. And Jax, sensing it was time to prevent Victoria from
continuing,
bent forward and placed his mouth unerringly over hers.
She surfaced spluttering,
"How..... You...!!"
"I'm crazy about you as well." the words were uttered loudly. Jax
was
playing to the audience.
Victoria felt her cheeks burn ferociously, a combination of
embarrassment
and something she was too frightened to name.
Lila clasped her hands together,
"Oh, Victoria Rose -" she exclaimed softly; "You are blushing like a
new
bride."
"She is a new bride, Lila." Jax added, without missing a beat. His gaze
ran
over Victoria's face with a smug satisfaction. There was a great deal
of
suppressed humor in their depths.
"So she is." Monica observed, coming forward to take her arm, "We've got
a
lot of catching up to do, Victoria Rose. And it seems we have our work
cut
out for you getting you and your new ---"
Monica slid a look towards Jax, "husband.... settled in the Guest
House."
"Thank you, Aunt Monica." Victoria suddenly took command of the
situation, "First I think Jax and I will have to retrieve our things from
the
penthouse."
"The Penthouse?!" Monica repeated in disbelief, "Jax! Surely you didn't
--"
"Oh, I spent last night there." Victoria assured her, greatly enjoying
turning
the tables on her ultra-smug husband for once.
His eyes promised retribution,
"I'm afraid my planning left a little to be desired." he began.
"I should say so!" Monica exclaimed, still affronted.
Lila's lovely face wrinkled into a frown,
"Oh, dear. We can't have this. Not at all. Reginald! Someone must
summon Reginald and have the guest house aired at once."
"Lila, I simply won't even entertain the idea of having Jasper Jacks on
my
property -" Edward began, only to be waved aside once again by Lila.
"I won't hear another word, Edward. This house belongs to Monica."
Lila
received a distinct nod from her daughter in law, and swiftly negotiated
her
chair towards where Monica stood with Victoria.
"I'm sure you boys will find plenty to talk about while we spend some
time
getting re-acquainted and making the Guest House presentable."
Jax appeared reluctant to relinquish Victoria's arm. With a swift jerk,
he
pulled her towards him, ostensibly to hug her warmly... but using the
move
to place his lips directly at her ear,
"Remember your bargain." he reminded her warningly.
Victoria's eyes flashed angrily. Unwilling to be upstaged in the least bit,
she
threw her arms enthustiastically around his neck, tugging him downward
to
place a deep, sultry kiss firmly on his mouth.
"I'll be counting the minutes." She announced huskily, pleased to note
the
angry gleam in his darkened blue glare.
Good for him, she thought breezily, He wasn't the only one who could
play
this game.
SCENE:Guest House
Monica, Lila & Victoria have spent the afternoon preparing the
Guest House for occupation. Lila & Reginald have just departed
with
Monica, and now Victoria stands alone in the living area. The radio has
been
left on, but she is too tired to turn it off. She collapses onto the
couch,
feeling thoroughly drained. She closes her eyes wearily. The door
opens
soundlessly, Jax enters. As the haunting strains of a piano plays, Jax
walks
quietly around to where Victoria is sleeping. He studies her quietly, as
the
music swells into the silence. He watches her closely, lost in his
private
thoughts, tracing the soft outlines of her face with his eyes. This
woman
who is both stranger and wife, lover and adversary, willing captive and
hated
prisoner.
Coming down onto his haunches before her, he raises one finger to
gently
follow the curve of her cheek. His eyes are dark and stormy - filled with
a
mixture of emotions strong enough to overpower. Before he can wake her,
Jax stands and walks away, towards the staircase leading upstairs. As
he
disappears, Victoria remains alone and fast asleep.
Victoria wakens minutes later to hear the shower being turned off
upstairs.
Stretching catlike, she brings herself to her feet as Jax jogs downstairs
in a
pair of shorts. He is bare-chested and barefoot, his hair damp from
his
recent shower. They look at each other for a long minute before he
breaks
the spell.
"Pretty nice place." he grins cockily.
"Don't get too used to it. I'm sure Ned & Edward will be handing you
your
walking papers before too long." Victoria shot back in annoyance.
"Oh, I'm sure they will try." Jax drawled, picking up the phone from
the
desk and punching in some numbers, "Addie - it's Jax. What are my
messages? Yeah. Uhhuh... Oh, did they? Well, I'll tell you what.... wait
a
good hour then call back with a bid for two million under. Right.
That
should do it for now. I'll see you in the morning." Jax paused a
moment,
unconsciously moving his gaze to Victoria, "Yes, thank you Addie. We're
very happy."
Victoria made a face, which Jax grinned at.
"See you in the morning. Oh? And Addie. My wife and I will be staying at
the Quartermaine Guest House. Have my personal mail forwarded here.
Thanks." Hanging up, he gave Victoria a cocky smirk.
She was not amused,
"You're having a great deal of fun." she remarked irritably, "Somehow I
seem to be missing out on all the humor."
"Perhaps we need to work your sense of humor." he said, offhand.
"That must be it." she returned dryly.
"Shall we eat?" Jax rubbed his hands together, casting a look around
the
room, "What's for dinner?"
Victoria gave him a long glare,
"Mc Donalds. 52nd and Birch." she shot back.
Jax burst out laughing,
"All right. I can take a hint. Get dressed. I'll take you to the Outback.
After all, I should take every opportunity to show off my new
Quartermaine
bride." The hard edge to his last words drained the amusement
from
Victoria's face.
Without a word, she walked upstairs, her posture rigid.
A trophy bride, she thought bitterly, who would have imagined her as
the
prize of some twisted corporate hunting party?