Serendipity 26 to 28

by Dawn 

Chapter 26: Short, Sweet and To the Point

One thing Jasper Jacks knew like the back of his hand was business -- including the Quartermaines and how they conducted theirs. He'd been right about them. Twelve days after he'd left for Hong Kong and Tokyo, the Qs were assembling at the family mansion for an impromptu board meeting with the dock project headlining the agenda. It had taken them twelve days to stage the maneuver because V had kept them in the dark about Jax's whereabouts for eleven.

She hadn't enjoyed hedging whenever one of the ELQ contingent had called or come by looking for her boss… not that she'd deliberately lied or misled them -- she didn't need to. From what she gathered, Jax obviously had some abbreviated contact with Ned and while he was in the Far East in which he conveniently forgot to mention that he wasn't in Port Charles -- which helped delay the inevitable. As for the rest, the Qs never bothered to assume that V knew a great deal more than she let on. They came, they groused, and they interpreted her vague polite responses to mean what they wanted to believe -- Jax was too wrapped up in playing cat-and-mouse with Brenda to care about anything as grown-up as business, or he was arrogantly grand-standing and avoiding his responsibilities as an ELQ board member because he was in a snit about Jason… take your pick.

Either way, V managed to avoid having to use Jax's proxy or otherwise having to face a roomful of pushy Quartermaines. Until today, that is.

Jax had sent some contracts that the Jacks attorneys had been going over with a fine-tooth comb before he put his signature on the dotted line by express delivery. She was to relay them to ELQ and hopefully put the Qs off the scent for a few more days until he could wrap up business in Tokyo. When V called the ELQ offices earlier in the day to confirm their receipt and ask if they were to Mr. Ashton's satisfaction, she discovered that not only was Ned unavailable but neither was A.J. or Edward. Calls to the hospital and Mr. Ward's office revealed that Monica, Alan and Justus were all unexpectedly called away and no one knew exactly when they would be back in. It didn't a rocket scientist to deduce where they were and why. Which is how she ended up here, now.

She surveyed the closed paneled doors leading into the living room of the Quartermaine mansion with apprehension. After some back-and-forth with Reginald, he finally disappeared behind the doors where the family throng was assembled. Just when V thought she'd have to completely forget her manners and barge in despite the obvious hint that they didn't want to be bothered with her, Reginald opened the door and showed her inside.

War zones were more inviting… and more peaceful. It was a mystery why Reginald had discouraged her intrusion as if it might be unwelcome -- how could it be unwelcome… they didn't even notice her arrival. Edward was bellowing at everyone but Lila, Ned and AJ were at each other's throats, the Drs. Quartermaine were arguing about legal ownership of someone's house, and Justus Ward was alternatively trading barbs with Edward and dryly refereeing the exchange between Ned and AJ. The scene made sharks in the throes of a feeding frenzy look sedate. It was hard to do anything but stare… until a feather-light hand on her arm and a genteel voice drew her away from her observation of the dramatic production.

"You must forgive them." Lila Quartermaine smiled gently up from her wheelchair on her way out of the room. "Once they become like this, they forget all their manners, I'm afraid. Reginald, would you kindly pour Miss… Ardanwoski, isn't it… a cup of tea? I believe I'll retire to my room before my family begins throwing the china."

"Yes, ma'am… V Ardanowski -- Mr. Jacks' assistant. But you can call me V, Mrs. Quartermaine." V couldn't help but smile back. Lila was enchanting… a person couldn't help but adore her on sight. "And tea would be very nice, thank you."

"Lovely to you see again, V. Go on in, dear… they'll never know you're here if you don't make your presence known."

Truer words were never spoken.

The melee continued with gusto while V sipped her tea until suddenly Ned Ashton noticed her. She could've imagined it, but his eyes seemed to narrow slightly as if assessing her before donning a friendly expression. "Ahh… V. Are we to assume that Jax is going to join the festivities? Or have you decided to jump ship and come to ELQ?"

Frankly, V didn't think he was pleased to see her despite the smile on his face. If the Qs were intent on taking advantage of Jax's absence -- which they were -- the last thing they would want was for him to pop into this little get-together. They had obviously found out that more than a mood separated Jax and them at the moment, but it came as no surprise that they would act ignorant of that little detail until she revealed her purpose for barging in. V decided that brevity was the best policy -- there was less to misinterpret that way and less to try and trip her up with. "No to both questions, Mr. Ashton."

Edward was less subtle. "We're about to have a meeting, young woman. So whatever you've come for will have to wait until another day."

V was suddenly reminded of her grandfather's advice concerning power struggles and unwanted meetings strange animals -- show no fear… they'll sense it and see it as an invitation to take a bite out of you. Of course, he'd been talking about dogs… but it seemed applicable in this case, too. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Mr. Quartermaine."

Edward was used to his edicts being ignored by the ingrates in his own family, but from Jax's slip of an office girl… he was startled and very, very displeased. Just like that blonde menace to send a troublemaker to stir things up in his stead. "What you do mean, you can't?"

"I mean, your meeting is the reason I'm here. Assuming you plan to discuss ELQ business and the dock project, of course." That certainly got everyone's attention. V smiled politely and reminded herself that she was the only one in the room willing to protect Jax's interests. She couldn't let any of these people intimidate or misunderstand her. And, more importantly, she couldn't let Jax down. She was hoping that this strategic engagement would be brief, but if Edward and the others wanted to battle it out then she'd defend Jax's position to the bitter end.

The room was suddenly quiet, but V didn't expect that to last for long. And everyone was staring at her as if she announced she had a bomb strapped to her midsection. Justus was first one to break the silence. "Did Jax send you to observe the meeting? Or in his place?"

Ah, good… someone who would understand what was coming next. V started to think that perhaps this wouldn't take too long, after all. V took the proxy papers that Jax had his legal staff draw up from her briefcase, walked across the room and handed them to Mr. Ward. Justus was in Jason Morgan's back pocket, but he could still decipher the law even if he might be on the wrong side of it now. "Here… I think this will make things clearer."

V simply waited for Justus to take in all in and explain it to the others, but Edward wasn't as patient. "What is that? What's Jax trying to pull now?"

Justus looked up from the papers and gave her an amused half-smile. "It seems that Ms. Ardanowski is here to cast Jax's vote in any ELQ business. He's given her his proxy while he's out of the country."

"He what!" Edward exploded. "He -- He -- He can't do that!"

"He can and he did." Justus interjected.

"Let me see that." Ned wasn't nearly as loud as his grandfather, but he still wasn't pleased. He was as anxious as any of the others to try and alter some of the specifics in the dock project while Jax wasn't around to interfere. And he didn't like surprises -- especially from Jax. After a brief perusal of the proxy, Ned peered at V with a begrudging new respect. He'd underestimated her so far… as had Brenda from what he gathered. "Justus is right, Grandfather. V has Jax's vote until he returns."

Edward, the old curmudgeon, was beginning to sputter again, so V thought it was best to start as she meant to go on. "For the record, Mr. Jacks is unequivocally opposed to any changes, revisions, additions or amendments to the specifics of the dock project and I will vote against any such proposals without exception. In other business, the Hooper offer has Mr. Jacks' support, the merger with Allied Chemicals through one of the ELQ subsidiaries does not, and he wants more information on the Brockton deal. I think that covers everything on Jax's agenda --"

"I doubt that." Ned muttered, with a smug grin, eyeing V.

V didn't respond to that remark, other than to cut Mr. Ashton a curt glance. The man seem determined to remain on her bad side at every possibly opportunity. " -- So if there's nothing else?" The proverbial cat seemed to have gotten their tongues, so V smiled and gathered her things. "Thank you for the tea. Have a nice day." She waved slightly and sailed out of the room before the stunned silence abruptly ended in her wake.

In the midst of the holy hell that broke loose after V's departure, Justus stepped to the window and watched her steady progress to her car. "It seems that Jax has added a new player to the docks deal." He smiled into his cellular phone. "Someone I think you'll want to talk to…."

To be continued

Dawn

Chapter 27: The Prodigals

The Outback, later that night.

"Hey, V, can you do me a big favor?" Mac called out across the empty restaurant, spotting her as she headed for the stairs to the apartments up above.

"Sure what do you need?" V did an about-face and strolled over to the bar that Mac was hurriedly wiping down. The glow of her victorious visit to Camp Quartermaine hadn't worn off yet. Added to her anticipation of a nightly phone call from Jax that would likely be an enjoyable balance of less business and more pleasure, V had energy to spare.

"I need to take off. Felicia was suppose to close the place up tonight, but Georgie got sick -- nothing serious, but she had to leave. You think you could mind the bar for half an hour then lock up after the last of the wait staff leaves?"

"You want *me* to serve drinks at the bar?" V laughed, as she slid onto a seat at the counter. "Have you forgotten the last time I handled breakable objects during my short stint as an employee in this very establishment? Are you sure you want to trust me with the stemware I mean, the mind boggles at how much I can break in thirty minutes."

"To be honest, I'd rather not, but I don't have much of a choice." Mac grinned, completely blunt about the idea of V and anything that couldn't survive a few bounces on the floor being within ten feet of each other giving him pause. "So, will you do it? We're dead even the guys in the kitchen will be ready to get out of here the minute we close I made a deposit earlier, so all you have to do is close the register, lock the door and turn off the lights on your way upstairs. It'll be a piece of cake, I promise."

"Go on, get out of here." V flashed him a teasing smile. What was half an hour of her time for a friend? Besides, her cell phone was in her purse -- if Jax didn't get an answer at her apartment, he'd try her cellular number next. "I'll try not to burn the place to the ground while you're gone I'm joking, I'm joking. Leave already before I change my mind."

"Thanks, V. I won't forget this."

"Yeah, yeah that's what they all say." V chirped at his exit, before wandering behind the bar and surveying the deserted restaurant. Thank goodness, there were no customers she still didn't relish the idea of handling glass with a paying clientele anxiously waiting and watching. V scrutinized the set-up at the bar, familiarizing herself with where everything was located -- just in case. During her perusal, she spotted a binder marked "Training Manual" tucked underneath the counter a logical place to start. Sure enough, inside was a detailed list of the house drinks, complete with ingredients and proportions. This might not be so hard. Twenty-six minutes and counting. How much trouble could she get into with an empty bar in that amount of time?

Her study of the manual was so diligent that V didn't see that she was no longer alone. But a mild frisson of awareness that coursed down her spine and the muffled sound of footsteps in the entrance drew her attention up from her reading. The first arrival had gotten a few feet closer than the other two flanking the door before she realized he was there. But her radar wasn't so dusty from disuse since her law enforcement days that she was easily caught napping. Still, the moment or two of warning before the man was a few feet away from her, separated only by the bar, hadn't sufficiently prepared her for who she saw. She kept her surprise to herself merely returning his silent, assessing gaze with an equally neutral and frozen face before she finally spoke. "May I help you, Mr. Morgan?"

One eyebrow raised slightly at her question, accompanied by the smallest up-turn of his mouth as he took a seat at the bar. She supposed the expression could be considered a smile by his standards, but V knew better than to assume that she could interpret Jason Morgan's emotions with any more success than others in town who had tried. He was Sonny Corinthos' heir in more ways than one, as far as V could tell he lacked the pretense of Sonny's charm, but he played things very close to the vest -- revealing less than he was invited to and nothing that didn't serve his purposes. His being here wasn't a coincidence and it certainly wasn't a social call.

"Depends." Jason began his cryptic dance with her, but he didn't bother to pretend that he was there for the ambience or a late dinner.

"On what?"

"On what we can offer each other."

"A drink was about all I had in mind." She closed the binder, slipped it back under the counter, and casually began wiping down the counter. The appearance of disinterest was more important with people like Morgan than the genuine emotion, but underneath V proceeded with caution. She needed to know why he was here -- especially if it had something to do with Jax.

"I'm more interested in the new house special, the same one that the Quartermaines were introduced to at lunch today." He was willing to fence with her for a while, anyway.

Her stare became a degree or two cooler despite the calm in her voice. "Last time I checked, I wasn't on the menu. The kitchen will be closing shortly. I can get you a drink or I can get a server out here to take your order. But if you're looking for anything else, you're looking in the wrong place, Mr. Morgan."

"I think you're wrong about that, Ms. Ardanowski. Or would you prefer V?"

"I would prefer you get to the point, if you don't mind." V stopped the circular motion of her arm and tossed the towel she used to wipe the already clean bar aside.

She was direct and careful -- two traits that Jason could appreciate especially in a woman, since the three things together were so rare. But he knew, even if V didn't, that she could be the solution to a potentially fatal problem. "It's come to my attention that you may have some influence with your employer that could prove beneficial to everyone."

"I suggest that you get a new informant, Mr. Morgan, because either Mr. Ward or Mr. Ashton has sold you a bill of goods." At the reference to Jax, V was even more on guard, if that was possible. "I have about as much influence with Mr. Jacks as his tailor or the bellhop that delivers the morning paper. So whatever it is you think I can do for you I can't."

"I think you underestimate yourself." Jason watched her face closely for any sign of weakness or confirmation of his suspicions. Maybe what he heard was true maybe the Golden Boy had finally moved on from Brenda to someone new. Whether he had or not, the woman across from him was the only one close enough to Jax to do what Jason needed to be done -- to get Jax out of the dock project all together or keep him out of the way so he couldn't interfere. The man had no other friends to speak of except for Brenda, and Jax was keeping her at arm's length. Even if he wasn't, Brenda was too volatile an issue between Jax and him to be of any possible use. Yes, former Officer Ardanowski was his best bet for controlling the situation. "Jax gave you his proxy. Now, I don't think he has enough sense to come in out of the rain but the man isn't completely stupid when it comes to business. If he sent you in his place to handle the Quartermaines -- that means he trusts you."

"And assuming that's true, I should repay this trust by betraying him? To you -- a man he hates?"

"Which is exactly the point -- the dock project isn't business to Jax it's personal. It's just his way of getting at me. You could get him to back off."

V arched one dark brow and regarded him with a small grin. There was no way Jason Morgan could seriously believe that she would do such a thing, so what was he up to? Then again, after dealing Sonny and Brenda maybe he didn't see it as much of an impossibility. Better to clear up that misconception now. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Mr. Morgan."

If he couldn't test her loyalty, then he'd play on it her loyalty and any softer emotions she might feel for Jax. "Your boss is throwing his weight around in places where he doesn't belong trying to stir up trouble for me. It would be in his best interest if he stopped."

The grin abruptly disappeared and the cool stare became icy. "Meaning?"

"Meaning Jax is playing games with people who play for keeps." Jason didn't sugarcoat the warning. Whatever it took to make his point clear to her and, through her, to Jax. "And it's only going to get more unpleasant if he keeps pushing. If you value his health, you'll convince him to hate me from a distance."

The voice of the lone waitress left on duty interrupted the tense exchange. "V you want me to show these gentlemen to a table?"

V didn't bother to tear her glare at Morgan away when she answered. "No, Terri, that won't be necessary. These gentlemen were just leaving. And would you go back in the kitchen and help the guys finish up -- we're going to get out of here a few minutes earlier since there aren't any customers." The young woman looked a little confused at V's announcement, but she didn't argue or loiter. As soon as she was gone, V kept a fierce grip on her anger and her alarm, and bid Jason a curt good-bye. "I suggest you take your threats and leave, Mr. Morgan."

"Take some friendly -- and free -- advice, Ms. Ardanowski." Jason rose from the barstool as he signaled his impending departure to Reynaldo and leaned both palms on the counter. "Jax is in over his head. His trust won't do you any good if he gets himself killed. It'll be even less useful to him if the people he's messing with hit back where he's most vulnerable." You.

"Thank you for the thought, but if I need advice -- I'll write Dear Abby." V showed an arrogant confidence that could've been learned at Jasper Jacks' knee but that was all it was -- a show. "Goodnight, Mr. Morgan."

"Ignore me if you like." Jason pulled away from the bar, with what almost looked like disappointment in his eyes before the impersonal mask he normally wore was put firmly back in place. "I just hope you live long enough to regret it."

"Hey, pup, the lady said "good night" --- " A familiar voice piped in from the doorway with a smirk of a smile, invading the quiet space and startling Jason's bodyguards. "Don't wear out your welcome."

V's head jerked around to see Jerry standing in the entrance, appearing for all the world as if he'd just wandered in to buy a beer. She'd never been so relieved or glad to see anyone in all her life. Neither emotion kept her from noting one very important fact about Jax's older brother for a man whose reputation was based on his boisterous and cavalier thumbing of his nose at the rules and any sense of discretion, whose devil-may-care escapades were dramatic and loud productions that never failed to attract the attention of those around him -- he'd managed to slip into the Outback and behind two armed and paranoid guards without anyone being the wiser until *he'd* announced his presence. And despite Jerry's relaxed pose and cocky smile, something in his demeanor didn't let a person miss that he was both capable and willing to enforce his warning.

V eyed the scene with trepidation, hoping that Jason took the hint and that his guards kept their cool.

Jerry, on the other hand, hoped that any or all of the three men now facing him would give him an excuse to trash what Jax had assured him was Mac Scorpio's sideline here in America. He'd come to town to check on his baby brother -- what with the trouble he'd been having with the docks and Jason Morgan, not to mention attempt another fruitless argument with Jax to get out of the hole he'd dug himself while he still could. Now there was a new point on the agenda. Threats against Jax were bad enough, but nothing they hadn't faced before. But no one -- and he meant NO ONE -- was going to threaten sweet little Venus just because Jax wasn't around to keep an eye on her.

"Well, well, well." Jerry announced cheerfully to no one in particular. "It looks like I've arrived just in time."

Chapter 28: Tonight I'm Yours

"Well, well, well it looks like I've arrived just in time." Thumbs hooked in the loops of his jeans, the cocky grin growing wider by the minute at the prospect of tangling with the three goons cluttering up Mac Scorpio's quaint watering hole. Reynaldo and the other guard each put a hand firmly on his chest as a none too subtle hint to stay exactly where he was. Jerry glanced down at the forcible suggestion before locking eyes with Jason Morgan as he approached. "What -- did I break the dress code?"

"Who are you?" Jason's hard gaze studied the stranger's face carefully, as if memorizing ever detail, looking for any weakness, any agenda.

Jerry returned the look, unfazed. But he took note of the way the younger blonde man in black positioned himself between V and the new, unfamiliar figure in the room almost like Morgan was preparing to defend the very woman Jerry heard him try to coldly warn off seconds before. Despite the defensive stance, Morgan had to notice the resemblance to Jax not to mention the accent. How many Australians could there be in this berg? Besides, with his recent clashes with Jax, it was certain that Morgan could identify anyone in his rival's immediate circle -- just as the Jacks brothers could with Morgan's associates. "Why d'ya ask? You need a date?"

V eyed Jerry with growing unease. He was as bad as Jax taunting Mr. Morgan and fervently hoping he might take the bait. She quickly slid from behind the bar, hoping that proximity might prevent either man from doing anything stupid. At least, maybe reminding them that there was an eyewitness in the room would prevent property damage or bloodshed. "He's a friend of mine."

He tossed a blue-eyed flirty stare not too dissimilar from his brother's over at V. "Miss me, darlin'?"

"That all depends on how much testosterone I'm gonna have to clean up off the floor when you two finish marking your territory." V muttered, wishing Jason would just leave before Jerry got warmed up.

"I can see that Jax is the brains of the family." Jason didn't bother to respond to the smirk of a question, jerking his chin up a notch to signal his bodyguards to let Jerry pass. Jerry sauntered closer, until he and Jason were almost nose to nose. "That doesn't say much."

Jerry looked amused by the insult, smiling broadly. "Well, someone had to get all the good looks."

V, on the other hand, was losing patience with both men. "Gentlemen, I hate to be rude, but if you plan to break out the measuring tapes to settle this contest of wills -- could you warn me first there are some things I just don't need to see."

Jerry burst out laughing, as he brushed past Morgan -- the standoff over for the moment. V greeted his approach with a deep frown. He had to give her credit he could tell from the tone of her voice when he'd wandered in unobserved that Morgan had rattled her cage, but she didn't let it show. Yeah, he'd been right about baby brother's right hand -- beneath the stunning beauty was a backbone of steel and a ferocious loyalty to Jax. It was almost a shame that little Jasper had seen her first. Almost, but not quite. "You've been hanging out with my brother too long, V you want to ruin all my fun." Once he reached her and pressed a polite kiss against her cheek, Jerry turned to face Corinthos' heir again. "Besides, the pup and I were just getting acquainted. Why, we're on our way to becoming fast friends, aren't we, Morgan?"

Pup. Though irritated, Jason stared back without expression. "Yeah I'm practically your shadow." It was best that both brothers know that they were being closely watched maybe it would discourage any more interference. This Jacks could be trouble, but there was still a chance that the woman across from him would get Jax's attention pointed in another direction. With any luck, where the younger brother went, the older would follow. From what his sources had relayed, Jerry was eager for Jax to pull out of the dock deal and look elsewhere. Still, he couldn't have another inquisitive Jacks snooping around his business -- especially not now. Jason turned just as he reached the door and caught V's gaze. "Think about what I said, Ms. Ardanowski. We'll talk again soon."

"I don't think that'll be possible. Y'see, V's a very busy woman keeping me and my brother honest is a fulltime job." The arrogant half-smile on his face aside, all jovial pretense dropped as Jerry cut in before V could respond. "But if you want to talk business -- I have all the time in the world. Why, for you, Jax and I both would make time." His meaning was obvious -- V was off-limits and, from now on, Jax and he would know if Morgan or his men came near her. Any threat against her would be returned -- swiftly and in kind. As long as Morgan knew that V wasn't unprotected, then they understood each other fine. And if he didn't, he'd pay simple as that.

V wasn't completely oblivious to the change in Jerry's demeanor or the charged undercurrent between the men. She'd hadn't enjoyed the encounter with Jason by any means, but now, after the exchange between him and Jerry, she knew there was a great deal more to be concerned about than she already knew. But before she could find anything out, V needed to get rid of everyone but Jerry. And despite her immediate instinct to refute Jerry's chauvinistic assertion, she didn't think it wise to openly go against Jerry in front of the other men -- so she stuck with the polite bare minimum. "Good night, Mr. Morgan."

Then with a restrained nod of his head, Jason Morgan and his entourage were gone as quickly and quietly as they had appeared.

V immediately turned on Jax's outrageous older brother. "What was that all about?"

Jerry immediately evaded. "Does Mac have any decent liquor in this shack?"

V wasn't fooled. "Nice try. Now answer my question, Jerry. What's behind this visit of Jason Morgan's? And don't tell me you don't know because that's bull, and you know it."

"You were the one the man wanted to talk to -- not me. How should I know what's in the mini-mobster's mind?" Jerry took a seat at the bar and tried to run V in circles.

"Think fast, Jerry. I'm sure it'll come to you." V's sarcastic drawl revealed her disbelief loud and clear. She went behind the bar because it was the fastest way to get Jerry to look at her face to face -- she hoped he'd have at least a little trouble lying to her that way.

"I think much better with a whiskey in my hand, darlin'." Jerry gave her his most dashing smile. Jax was right -- she was too damn observant. Dodging her questions meant playing dirty not that he minded much -- it was what he did best, after all.

"You'll have better luck getting one if you stop calling me "darlin'"." V slammed a shot glass down on the bar in front of him and searched quickly for a bottle of the appropriate liquor, grabbing the first one she could find and splashing some of the noxious smelling drink into his glass. Anything to hurry this along before she really got scared and if Jerry felt the need to candy-coat the evening's events, that's exactly what she'd feel -- afraid afraid for Jax. Jerry wouldn't bother to deny any trouble he was in alone -- that was too frequent an occurrence; he'd probably run out of convincing cover stories years ago. But Jax was a different matter.

Given what she knew about the Miranda situation, Jax's family -- his father and brother, in particular -- seemed to have a nasty habit of "protecting" Jax by rather drastic means. She wasn't sure why exactly they insisted on treating Jax like a helpless Golden Child at times, but knowing that only made her suspicious that Jerry's surprise appearance and Jason Morgan's visit weren't wholly unrelated. If that were the case, it would mean that Jerry was keeping tabs on Jax instead of the other way around, as was normally the case. Coupled with the fact that Jerry appeared to be inviting Jason's attention, almost daring him to start something it all made her very ill at ease. And Jason's seeking her out wanting her -- no, *warning* her -- to get Jax out of the docks and Jason's sphere of interest in general all but promising that Jax would be hurt or killed if she didn't the fact that he even thought she could manage such a feat, that she'd try to -- none of this could amount to anything but trouble.

"Now you're not going to make me drink alone, are you?" Jerry stared down at the single glass and pouted. "I hate to drink alone. But a drink with a beautiful woman like yourself you'd be surprised at how loose my tongue can be with a little persuasion."

"Does that sort of thing really work with the women you know?" V looked disgusted at such a transparent and sexist diversion. "You don't actually expect me to fall for that, do you?"

"Oh, V you've plunged a dagger in my tender heart with your rejection. "Jerry clutched dramatically at his chest, before he curled a seductive glance from beneath his half-mast lashes. "Get rid of the audience in the kitchen and in a few hours I could make you forget all about my baby brother."

"Oh, Jerry that's pathetic." She had to beat the blush down from her cheeks at his implication that her feelings for Jax were more than apparent to his older sibling. But he had a good point about the staff. Jerry was reluctant to give up any useful information as it was, but as long as there were witnesses around he would reveal nothing. "Give me a few minutes to send the staff home and lock up then I want answers -- so don't get any ideas about taking off while my back's turned."

"And squander the opportunity to be alone with you -- never." Jerry teased with all his might.

"I want answers, Jerry you can keep the blarney." V frowned to keep from grinning. The Jacks men were dangerous to a woman's good sense.

"Ahh, but the blarney is free. Those answers, on the other hand."

V was immediately suspicious again. She knew Jerry wanted to avoid telling her what she wanted to know if at all possible. "What about them?"

"They're not free, that is."

"I'm going to regret this." V arched one brow in warning that her patience was wearing thin, folding her arms across her chest as she held his unyielding gaze. "What's the price of a straight answer these days?"

"Nothing you can't afford." Jerry smiled wickedly before he tossed back his whiskey. "It's very simple, very fair. One answer per drink."

"You want me to buy your alcohol? I've heard some of your drinking tales from Jax -- I don't have that much money."

"No, you misunderstand. I'll pay for Mac's poor excuse for liquid fire." Jerry waved her objection aside. "But like I said, I hate to drink alone. You want an answer you share a drink with me in return. One answer per drink." A smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he poured himself another whiskey. "So what's it gonna be, sweet little V? Just how bad do you want those answers of yours?"

Her brain screamed that the man was up to no good it was a trick to make his prevarication easier. But her need to know outweighed her reservations. Jax was in serious trouble -- the more Jerry avoided her quest for an explanation, the deeper her fear for Jax's safety ran. Besides, it wasn't as if she needed to ask about Jax's entire life -- just a few pertinent questions to illuminate the situation with Jason Morgan fill in the details about the dock project that she didn't know about -- how many drinks could that possibly take?

An hour or so later

Half the lights in the dining space in the Outback were off and Rod Stewart tunes blared repeatedly from the jukebox. Jerry sang along enthusiastically, twirling and twisting a giggling V in time with the music. "Then tomorrow morning we won't cry you go your way, honey, I'll go mine I'm the one who didn't waste your time, remember me this way and if you never see my face again, think of me as a brother and a friend the one who loved you like a hurricane, then disappeared, disappeared, disappeared tonight I'm yours, do anything that you want me to -- don't hurt me, don't hurt me."

This was how Jax found them -- Jerry dipping a breathless V, leering at all the musically appropriate moments and V howling in laughter in response the more outrageously suggestive the expression on Jerry's face, the more ridiculous V found it and the harder she laughed. Of course, all the whiskey they'd consumed hadn't hurt either.

Jax just took it all in with a grin, having to put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing at the sight of his upright assistant being charmed senseless and his smart-ass brother making a complete fool of himself to accomplish the feat. After a quick stop at the penthouse to shower and change, Jax had come to V's apartment, anxious to see her after the long separation necessitated by his business trip. But instead of surprising her, he was the one who had been surprised when he'd let himself in and found the apartment empty. Knowing that her car was parked outside, he decided to check the Outback before becoming alarmed. Halfway down the stairs, he heard the commotion and simply followed the noise.

Just when he began to wonder if they'd ever notice they were no longer alone V did. It was a most enjoyable experience, and well worth the wait.

"Jax." She said his name in that smoky voice of hers that he'd dreamed about every night he'd been away. It was so soft and sweet, a perfect match to her glowing smile, yet it managed to drown out the music and be the only thing he heard. He strolled leisurely towards her, not even caring about Jerry's amusement at his smitten state. Then, the most extraordinary thing happened V took a few steps closer and, after a moment's hesitation, launched herself at his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on for dear life, whispering against his ear. "Thank God, you're home."

Jerry looked on in inebriated satisfaction. He'd wondered if his knot-headed brother had opened his eyes to what was right in front of him and cleared up all the residual nonsense left over from his unfortunate entanglement with That Woman. The elder Jacks grinned to himself, as he watched his brother uncharacteristically return his look rather bashfully before breaking it and burying his smiling face in the softness of V's shoulder. Yeah it looked like little brother finally got it right.

Jax felt V's grip relax slightly and thought perhaps she meant to pull away, recovering from the unusual display of strong emotion. But he wasn't ready to let her go so he wrapped his arms more tightly around her and whispered back. "Yes I'm home."

That was what she felt like. Home.

To be continued

Dawn