Mixed Emotions
Author's
Note: I wanted to write something different than "Such Is
Life", so this came to mind since I love Skye with Jax. I apologize
if I repeat any other storylines mentioned in other fanfics - there are so many
great fanfics out there that I have read, but hopefully mine will be different
enough to still be entertaining and original.
Chapter 1
Skye put the hand that Jax had just kissed to her cheek. "My God, do
I want that man," she murmured dreamily.
Jax stood on the other side of Skye's hotel room door, resisting the urge to
knock on her door once again and take her in his arms. Running his
fingers through his hair, he sighed and turned down the hall to return to his
room.
Skye wandered back over to the sofa that Jax had occupied with her just moments
ago. She sank down onto the plush fabric as she replayed over and over in
her mind the conversation she and Jax had just had. "I'll always be
your champion, Skye," he had told her. "You can count on that."
Could she, though? She wanted to believe it with all her heart, but those
automatic brakes went on regardless of what her heart felt. Her mind had
been conditioned to put on those brakes whenever another chance arose for her
heart to once again be damaged or broken altogether.
Skye groaned as she glanced at the clock - it was very late, and she had to
take care of some ELQ business the next morning. Her mind, however, was
not cooperating with sleep - she was far too wired to even attempt to get some
rest. She kept picturing Jax taking her hand in his own and kissing
it, his lips lingering as they brushed against her fingers. She could
still feel his warm breath on her fingertips, it had given her goosebumps. Even
now, she felt her face flush at the memory of that moment.
A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie. Quickly, she made
certain her satin robe was still tied and then opened the door… to Jax.
The two stared at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally, Jax cleared his throat. "I, uh, left my room key in
here," he explained, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Oh, of course. Come in." Skye held open the door for
him, wondering if this was a stroke of luck. Of course, her mother had
told her that some people believed there was no such thing as luck - that Skye
needed to just let things happen. Was this the universe's way of pushing
her in the right direction?
"Here it is." Jax picked up his key from the table and put it
in his pocket. He smiled rather sheepishly at Skye. "I hope I
didn't wake you up."
"Oh, no, you didn't." Skye wondered if her face still was as
flushed as it had been earlier. "I wasn't quite ready to turn in
yet, I was just, ah, going to listen to some music."
Jax nodded as his smile spread. "Any particular music?"
"No, not really." Skye smoothed down her hair with one hand as
she wandered over to the radio. "Just whatever was on,
really." Flipping on the radio, a deejay droned on about the
late-night weather. "Well, so much for music." Skye moved
to turn the radio off.
"Wait," Jax called out, walking over to the radio. "Don't
give up so easily." His closeness to Skye made her want to throw
herself into his arms. "Here, try another station." He
adjusted the knob until a slow melody wafted into the room.
"Mmm… you're right, that's much better," Skye said softly as Jax
stood within inches from her.
"May I have this dance, Ms. Chandler-Quartermaine?" Jax asked,
extending his hand.
"Why, yes, Mr. Jax, that would be lovely." Skye put her own
hand in his, then resisted the urge to giggle when he pulled her against him in
one swift move.
Another song came on as the two started to sway to the music. Skye closed
her eyes and rested her head against Jax's chest, feeling the steady rhythm of
his heartbeat.
"There's no chill, and yet I shiver
There's no fire, and yet I burn.
Weak one moment, then the next I'm fine."
The words to the song made Skye blush, it was almost as if her thoughts had
been set to music. She didn’t dare look up at Jax, so instead she
snuggled closer to his chest. She noticed with pleasure how Jax's arms
had wrapped around her just a bit tighter.
"I feel as if I'm falling every time I close my eyes.
And floating through my body is a river of surprise.
Feelings are awakening I hardly recognize as mine."
Skye let out a sigh without realizing it. Jax, looking down at her head
resting on his chest, kissed the top of it lightly, then let his head stay bent
down as he took in the sweet scent of her hair.
"What are all these new sensations?
What's the secret they reveal?
I'm not sure I understand,
But I like the way I feel."
Skye lifted her head up slightly, causing Jax's head to move up as well.
Their eyes locked as they both continued to sway to the music.
"I'm a bundle of confusion,
Yet it has a strange appeal.
Did it all begin with him,
And the way he makes me feel?
I like the way he makes me feel.
Yes, I like the way he makes me feel."
As the last notes of the song drifted away, Jax stopped swaying. Gently,
he unwrapped his arms from Skye's waist and brought his hands up to cup her
face.
Jax's gentle move touched Skye in a way she didn't think possible
anymore. Unexpected tears sprang to her eyes. Was it possible that
this wonderful man wanted her as much as she wanted him?
Jax kept his hands on the sides of Skye's face as he continued to gaze down at
her. "I like the way I feel right now," he said in a husky
voice.
"Me, too," Skye managed to get out in a sultry whisper.
They each moved at the same time, their lips coming together instantaneously in
an explosive kiss. Jax's hands left Skye's face and ran up and down her
back as the kiss continued.
Finally, Skye pulled away slightly, catching her breath. "Wow,"
she muttered, just loud enough for Jax to hear.
"Skye, you're trembling, are you alright?" Jax asked with concern,
touching her shoulder gently.
Skye nodded. "You're what is making me tremble, and that's a good
thing, trust me," she said softly, her eyes full of desire.
Jax took a deep breath. He knew that this was a possibility if he
returned to her room. The truth was, he could've just as easily gotten a
key from the front desk, but he did want to go back and see Skye. Now that
things were getting heated, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do.
Skye looked at Jax, trying to hide her confusion. He had suddenly pulled
back and was staring into space. Should she make the next move?
Snapping out of his momentary trance, Jax looked back down at Skye.
"I'm glad it's a good thing - your trembling, that is." He
smiled down at her, a sexy, radiant smile that melted her insides. He
leaned in again and captured her lips with his. The kiss was enough to
practically make Skye's knees buckle beneath her.
Just then, the phone rang. Skye broke away from their kiss, trembling
even more than before. "I'd better get that," she murmured as
she practically ran over to the phone. After talking for a moment, she
hung up, a glum look on her face. "I have to get to the
hospital."
"Is it Edward? Is he worse?" Jax asked, concern replacing the
desire in his eyes.
"No, but he's demanding to see me again." Skye looked at her
watch and sighed. "Look how late it is, why can't it wait till
morning?"
"Skye, do you want me to go with you?" Jax offered, brushing a strand
of hair out of her eyes.
"No, but thank you. It is late, I guess you probably need to get
some sleep." Skye looked down as she said the words, wondering if
fate had just dealt her a worse hand than she originally thought tonight.
Jax pulled back and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I do
need to go," he agreed, a hint of anger in his voice. "Good
night, Skye." He walked out the door, not waiting for her
reply.
He sighed as he walked back to his room, thinking about how incredible her body
felt next to his. Shaking his head, he tried to force the thoughts out of
his mind. It obviously wasn't meant to be, for whatever reason. But
try as he might, the image of her staring at him passionately would not leave
his mind. He didn't even want to guess at what might happen the next time
he saw Skye. Would he give in to his desire, or would they once again be
back to their hot-cold routine? Only time would tell.
Song Credit: “The Way He Makes Me Feel” by Barbra Streisand
Chapter 2
*text* - denotes flashback
Skye groaned as she rolled over in her bed and hit the snooze button.
Just nine more minutes, she thought groggily as she once again closed her
eyes. She had been at the hospital very late the previous night, having
been summoned by Edward. She wasn’t even certain what time she had
arrived back at the hotel.
The nine minutes passed entirely too quickly, as Skye heard the radio once
again turn itself on. Blinking her eyes, she suddenly thought back to Jax’s
return to her hotel room, and the subsequent dance, and then what she had been
waiting for – well, one of the things she had been waiting for – the
kiss! It was everything she had imagined it would be. But then
Edward had called, and the mood had been lost. Skye frowned as she
remembered Jax’s expression as he left that second time last night. She
laid back against her two pillows, not yet ready to get out from under the warm
covers, and listened to the song playing on the radio as her mind ran through
memories of the past.
Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance,
For a break that would make it okay.
*Skye announces to Alan, “I’m your daughter. Where’s my room?”*
There's always one reason
To feel not good enough,
And it's hard at the end of the day.
*Skye cries into her pillow at the Quartermaines’ after Alan tells her to move
out.*
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release,
Memory seeps from my veins.
*”You’re nothing but a mistake! You were a mistake then, and you’re a
mistake now!” Edward yells at Skye in his hotel room.*
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight.
*There isn’t anything you can do or say that will push me away,” Alan tells
Skye.*
In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear.
*I like the way I feel right now,” Jax tells Skye as they dance.*
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie.
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there.
*”Thanks a lot, Mom,” Skye jokes to Rae as she moves to hug her mother after
Rae gives her advice on wearing the gray dress.*
So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn,
There's vultures and thieves at your back.
*”I want that viper out of my house, right now!” Monica yells at Alan, pointing
to Skye.*
And the storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lie,
That you make up for all that you lack.
*”Of course, I made the whole thing up, Jax – for you, for Jasper Jax, the
greatest prize of them all!” Skye tells Jax in Sonny’s office.*
It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time,
It's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees.
*”I’ve learned that you can’t count on people, they’ll only let you down,” Skye
tells Jax. “Do you think I will let you down?” Jax asks Skye.
“Yes,” she replies, quietly but firmly.*
In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear.
*” I don't really think I'm worth forgiving. I don't even know how you can sit
there and look at me. You really should just tell me to get lost,” Skye tells
Alan after the AA meeting.”*
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie.
You're in the arms of the angel,
May you find some comfort there.
You're in the arms of the angel,
May you find some comfort here.
Skye stretched as the song ended and turned off the radio. She actually
wanted to go to ELQ today, she couldn’t wait to see Jax. Normally, he
didn’t come into the office every day, but a board meeting was on the schedule
for today. Skye only hoped that she and Jax would have a moment alone to
talk, or continue where they left off last night.
What Skye had no way of knowing was that at that same moment, Jax was walking
into Edward’s hospital room. Edward held out a tape recorder and pushed
‘play’. Jax cringed as he recognized Skye’s voice as she said, “Jax
bought my story, Grandfather. You don’t have any proof.”
Song Credit: “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan
Chapter 3
The ELQ meeting passed with little
disruption. With Edward gone, there wasn’t near as much rumbling at
Skye’s suggestions, except for Monica’s occasional digs. Skye noticed
that Jax was being unusually quiet throughout the meeting, staring out the
window.
After the meeting adjourned, Skye made her way over to Jax, who was still
seated, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. “Jax?” she said softly.
Jax turned suddenly and looked into Skye’s eyes. Skye flinched – the look
in his eyes wasn’t anywhere near the warm, tender look his eyes had held the
night before as they had danced in her room. “What – what’s wrong?” she
managed to get out, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Jax smiled one of his insincere smiles. “Not a thing, Skye. Why would
anything be wrong?”
Her suspicions growing, Skye backed away slightly. “I – I don’t know,
Jax. You just seem a bit off.”
Just then, Alan came back into the boardroom and asked for a moment alone with
Skye. Jax stood and nodded, then leaned over and whispered in Skye’s ear,
“How about if I meet you in your hotel room in about an hour?”
Skye nodded, waves of excitement returning to her, despite the feeling on
uneasiness that continued to stick with her. She watched Jax’s retreating
figure, then turned her attention over to her father.
“I thought you were going to make Father CEO of ELQ again,” Alan said, almost
in an accusatory tone.
“It’s, uh, still in the works. Grandfather has hardly been out of surgery
a few days, these things take time,” Skye explained, trying to sound
convincing.
“Uh-huh,” Alan nodded, not looking very influenced. “Look, Skye – I just
hope that whatever this new game is that you and my father are playing, that
neither one of you will end up hurt. Hasn’t this family had enough pain?”
“So, what - you’re saying all of that pain is my fault?” Skye asked
incredulously. “Of course, it must be - I’m the evil viper, as I’ve heard
Monica and Edward tell me time after time. I’m the mistake, the child who
should’ve never been born!” Her eyes flashed with anger and pain.
Alan walked over to his daughter and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Skye, why on earth would you say that you’re a mistake? No one has ever
said that.”
Skye looked down. “Edward did,” she admitted quietly.
Alan sighed, then pulled Skye into a hug. “Listen to me – you may do
things that make me angry, but I love you, no matter what. And there is
no way that you are a mistake – I don’t want you to ever think that,
okay?” He pulled back and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes.
Skye nodded and smiled, wiping away the tears that had managed to escape.
Alan kissed her forehead. “Good. Now, I do need to get back to the
hospital. We’ll talk later?”
“Yes,” Skye answered, trying to compose herself.
Once Alan had left, Skye noticed the time. She had almost forgotten about
her meeting with Jax – almost. As she quickly gathered up her belongings
and headed out the door, she wondered where this next encounter would lead.
Exactly one hour since he had departed the ELQ boardroom, Jax knocked on Skye’s
door. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he was about to
do.
Skye nervously ran her hands through her hair as she hurried to answer the
door. Opening the door, her breath caught in her throat as she saw
Jax. He looked incredible, in a midnight blue shirt that accentuated his
eyes, and casual khaki pants that fit just right.
Jax allowed himself to admire Skye as well. She was wearing that gray
dress that she’d had on when they were stuck in the elevator. The dress
was form-fitting and showed off her curves in all the right places. Her
hair was pulled back, revealing her graceful neckline.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Jax teased with a flirtatious smile.
“Oh, of course, come in.” Skye silently chastised herself as she held the
door open for Jax. As he passed by her, she took in the smell of his
cologne – it was one of her favorites.
“So,” Skye said, not sure what to say or do.
“So,” Jax repeated, smiling at Skye’s discomfort.
“Would you, uh, like a drink?” Skye asked, moving over to the wet bar.
Jax moved to the wet bar as well and put his hand on Skye’s. “No,
Skye. What I would like is to hold you in my arms again.” He turned
her toward him and began to take her in his arms, noticing the dreamy
expression on her face. “Oh, wait, I forgot one thing.” Jax slipped
away from Skye and went over to her radio, where he inserted a tape. “We
need music to dance,” he smiled, once again taking her in his arms.
Skye chuckled as a country tune started playing. Jax gave her a
questioning look. “I guess I just didn’t figure you for a country music
fan, Mr. Jax,” she teased.
“Well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me, Ms. Chandler-Quartermaine,” he
answered seriously.
“I’d like to find out,” Skye whispered seductively. She started to move
in to kiss Jax, but something in his eyes held her back. He stared at her
intently as they continued to sway to the music.
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go.
Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain,
But I'd of had to miss the dance.
Holding you, I held everything,
For a moment wasn't I a king.
But if I'd only known how the king would fall,
Hey who's to say you know I might have chanced it all.
And now I'm glad I didn't know,
The way it all would end, the way it all would go.
Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain,
But I'd of had to miss the dance.
Yes, my life is better left to chance,
I could have missed the pain, but I'd of had to miss the dance.
Skye grew more uneasy as the song progressed… it was almost as if Jax were
saying good-bye through this song, but why? No, she thought, it’s
nothing, it’s just a song.
As the final notes played, Jax once again brought Skye’s hand to his
lips. “Thank you for the dance, Ms. Chandler-Quartermaine,” he said,
kissing her hand. Then, staring into her eyes, he brought his lips from
her hand to her lips.
Skye felt as though she were floating, the kiss was so unexpected yet so
right. She sighed contentedly as Jax moved his lips down down her neck,
nuzzling her as his hands ran over her body. Jax was awakening sensations
in Skye that she hadn’t felt in so long, both physical and emotional, and she
was loving every second of it.
Jax pulled back slightly and put his hands on Skye’s hips. “I think
another song is coming on,” he whispered, before pulling her into another
passionate kiss.
Skye couldn’t believe this was happening – she felt as if she were
dreaming. She continued to kiss Jax with all of the passion she was
feeling. She was vaguely aware of the song ending, then suddenly pulled
back in alarm when she heard Edward’s voice on the tape.
“…spare yourself the embarrassment of being exposed for all to see as a
pathetic manipulator so desperate for the affections of Jasper Jax that you
invented a stalker out of thin air, and then you did your lying best to actuate
his threats,” Edward’s voice roared.
Jax pulled back and crossed his arms as he glared at Skye. She winced
under his harsh glare as if she were in physical pain.
”You know, one of the things that I admire the most about Jax is his
capacity for understanding. For example, why an elderly heart patient on such
strong, mind-altering drugs would invent a scenario that would restore him to
power by undermining the woman who replaced him,” Skye told Edward on the tape.
“Oh, you are bluffing,” Edward harrumphed.
”Jax bought my story, Grandfather. And why wouldn't he? You don't have any
proof, not even circumstantial. And as for witnesses - well, there's only
you. As a matter of fact, during my so-called confession, you were by all
accounts unconscious.”
Jax moved over and shut off the tape player. He slowly took out the tape
and put it in his pocket before turning back to Skye, who was white as a sheet.
“Jax, I…” Skye started to say, but Jax held a hand up.
“I think you’ve done enough talking, don’t you?” His jaw was clenched as
he continued to stare at her, his eyes icy. “As I said before, Ms.
Chandler-Quartermaine, thank you for the dance. I don’t think I’ll be
requiring your services anymore.” He turned to leave.
“Jax, wait!” Skye pleaded, putting her hand on his shoulder.
Jax whipped around to face Skye. “And what would I be waiting for,
Skye? Are you going to tell me another lie, or just twist the truth
again?” Jax shook his head as he opened the door. “I’m tired of
your games, Skye. I am sick of trying to figure you out, of giving you the
benefit of the doubt. I know you’ve been hurt – well, wake up,
Skye! The rest of us have been hurt, too, but we don’t go around lying
and manipulating people because of it.”
“Jax, I never meant to hurt you,” Skye wailed, tears streaming down her
cheeks. “Please, Jax, give me a chance to explain!”
“There’s no explanation good enough for you, Ms. Chandler-Quartermaine,” Jax
hissed. “You disgust me. In fact, getting involved with you was the
worst mistake I ever made!” With that, Jax walked out the door, slamming
it behind him.
Skye fell to the floor and leaned against the door. She began to weep as
she recalled how Jax’s look of warmth had turned into a cold, icy glare.
He had used that word again, calling her a mistake.
She managed to pull herself up off the floor and make her way over to the wet
bar. Still sobbing, Skye started to pull herself a glass of water, then
let her gaze wander over to the bottle of brandy. Her fingers rested on
the top of the decanter as she contemplated how to deal with the pain inside of
her.
Song Credit: “The Dance” by Garth Brooks
Chapter 4
Skye's gaze lingered on the bottle
of liquor on the wet bar, then she shook her head violently. "No!"
she yelled out loud. "I've worked too hard to slip up now, especially
because of some pompous ass." Still, her tears continued to fall, as she
knew that Jax was much more than a jerk to her.
Wiping away the tears, Skye ran over to the phone. "Hello? Yeah, it's
me." She paused, letting out a shaky breath. "I - I really need you
right now. Can you come over?" She listened and nodded before replacing
the receiver.
After rinsing off her face, Skye sat on the bed, trying not to look at the wet
bar. She kept playing over and over again in her mind the kisses that led up to
Jax's icy glare, to him telling her it was a mistake to get involved with her.
A knock on the door made her jump. "Skye, it's me!" came a voice from
the other side.
Skye opened the door and fell into the arms of AJ, who was confused as ever. He
slowly led her back into her room and closed the door, then just held her as
she wept in his arms.
"So, Jax just left a little while ago?" AJ asked, handing Skye a
glass of water.
Skye nodded, having just recounted the events of the past few days. She had
finally stopped crying, but her eyes were still bloodshot and puffy. She smiled
up at AJ gratefully as she accepted the glass of water.
"AJ, thank you for coming. I… I'm afraid to think what might have happened
if you hadn't come when you did. I was so tempted to take a drink." Her
voice faltered at the end of her confession.
AJ sat down beside her and rubbed her back. "What can I do to help?"
Skye's smile was strained. "Besides making the past few days go away? I
guess I really could use a meeting right now."
AJ nodded and stood. "Then that's what we'll do, I'll take you."
Skye stood up and looked at AJ in surprise. "You're going to take me? I
thought you hated organized support groups like AA."
AJ shrugged and crossed his arms. "Well, hey - don't knock 'em till you
try 'em, right?" His expression softened as he pulled Skye into a hug.
"Besides, if that's what you need right now, then I'm going to be there
for you, Skye. I want to always be there for you."
Skye couldn't help letting a few more tears escape at her brother's show
compassion. "Thank you," she simply said, thanking God that she at
least had AJ to turn to.
Skye tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator in the hotel
lobby. The past three days had flown by, much to Skye's liking. She had gone to
three AA meetings in three days and was once again really trying to adhere more
to the program. She had purposefully kept herself busy the past few days so
that her mind wouldn't have any time to go back to the beginning of the
nightmare. Besides, she had pretty much dug her own hole, and she had to admit
that to herself, for her own sake. Still, she was very glad that she had
managed to avoid running into Jax since that day he had left her hotel room
after playing the tape of her confession to Edward.
Finally, Skye thought, as the elevator doors opened to the lobby. She pushed
her way into the elevator and was pleased to see that it was empty. As she
punched the button for her floor, someone unexpectedly grabbed the doors just
as they were about to close and held them open. Skye looked up into none other
than Jax's face. His expression was a cool one as he surveyed her briefly
before boarding the elevator. Skye automatically hit the button for his floor.
"Nice to see you still remember where I live," Jax commented, looking
at the numbers of the floors as the elevator ascended.
His comment confused Skye, who decided to just keep quiet lest she say
something to make a bad situation worse.
Jax felt himself yearning to touch Skye as he remembered the harsh words he had
spoken to her three days ago. But she also lied to me, he thought to himself,
and I can't let that go. Still, he kept picturing her hurt expression as he
told her that she disgusted him, that there was no explanation good enough for
her. Jax felt himself cringe at his harsh words, despite his feelings of anger
he still felt toward her. Instinctively, he reached over and pushed the
emergency stop button.
Skye whirled around, wide-eyed. "What do you think you're doing?" she
demanded.
"I want to talk to you - right here, right now," Jax replied firmly.
"Don't I have a say in this?" Skye's eyes flashed with anger, but
something else was in them that Jax hadn't seen before.
"No, not really," Jax smirked.
"Well, we'll just see about that," Skye retorted as she suddenly made
a move toward the elevator panel. Jax stepped in front of her so that she
collided into him, pushing him back into the panel. An alarm started to go off.
"See what you did?" Skye accused him, furious with herself for losing
control once again.
"What I did? You're the one who attacked me like an animal!" Jax
turned around and pushed a button that stopped the alarm from sounding, then
pushed the stop button. "Oh, great," he moaned.
"What? What is it?" Skye demanded.
Jax turned to face Skye, not knowing whether to be angry or amused. "We're
stuck," he announced.
"Again?" Skye asked incredulously. "No, this can't be
happening," she muttered, rubbing her forehead with one hand. She watched
from the far corner as Jax played with the buttons for a few minutes.
"Well?" she asked finally.
"Nothing." Jax threw his hands up in resignation, then turned to look
at Skye. "Well, at least now we have a chance to talk."
Skye whipped out her cell phone. "Maybe you want to talk, but I have places
I need to be," she snapped, then cursed softly.
"Let me guess - no signal," Jax snickered. "Seems we've tried
this before. In fact, I'm getting a sense of déjà vu."
Skye looked at him strangely, wondering why he wasn't being a complete jerk, as
he had expected him to be.
The two stared silently at each other for a few moments before Jax opened his
mouth to speak, but Skye cut him off.
"If you insist on talking, then at least let me go first," she
requested. Seeing no objection, she continued. "All I have to say to you,
Mr. Jax, is that… well, I'm sorry for lying to you." She watched as his
eyes widened in surprise.
"You're actually apologizing?" he asked, stupefied.
"I was wrong, okay? There, I said it." Skye looked down, hating that
she had to humiliate herself but reminding herself that she had to set the
record straight for her own well-being. She tried not to think of the ulterior
motives that were in the back of her mind for her apology.
"Well, I don't quite know what to say, except… I'm sorry, too." Jax
stepped closer to Skye, who kept her eyes on the floor. "Skye, I was angry
- so angry that you had betrayed me and lieed to me, but that still is no excuse
for the awful things I said to you," he admitted.
Skye shrugged, then moved to the opposite corner of the small elevator car.
"So, we've both apologized - all is forgiven," she said, her eyes
dull. "I guess that's that."
"So that's it, then?" Jax asked, stepping closer to Skye again.
"What now - we just get on with our lives?"
Skye shrugged again. "You tell me," she said quietly, still looking
down.
"We both hurt each other, Skye. I know it takes awhile to get past that,
but I'd like to try." Jax tipped Skye's chin up until she was looking into
his eyes. "I can't forget what you felt like in my arms, Skye. I keep
remembering the way your lips felt on mine, the smell of your hair, the feel of
your breath against my neck…" Jax stopped himself, getting flustered. He
let go of her chin and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I haven't felt
like this in quite awhile, Skye. In fact, I wasn't sure if I would ever feel
this way again, after…" Jax once again stopped, unable to say Brenda's
name.
Skye's heart was pounding so loud that she was certain Jax could hear it. Her
mouth was dry as she nervously contemplated how to respond.
Jax walked back over to Skye before she could say anything and put his hands on
her arms. "Skye, I think we could possibly have something here, but I need
to know if you feel the same way before we go any further." He searched
her eyes again for a clue as to how she was feeling.
Skye broke away from his grasp. "Look, Jax, I’m flattered and all, but I
really was only using you to get power," she said flippantly. "Now
that I've gotten what I've wanted, I really don't need you anymore."
"Really?" Jax asked dubiously, taking a step closer.
"Yes, really," Skye assured him, backing away as he continued to move
closer until she was up against the wall.
"You mean to tell me that you didn't feel anything when we kissed?"
Jax questioned as he stood inches away from her. "That you didn't feel the
slightest tingling sensation when I did this?" Jax put his lips to her
neck and nuzzled her softly, lingering as he kissed her earlobe.
Skye's resolve was faltering quickly as her breaths came faster and heavier.
"Not in the least," she breathed as Jax pulled back and looked into
her eyes. "You just don't do it for me, Mr. Jax," she said coyly.
"Well, then, you won't mind if I do this…" Jax leaned down and kissed
Skye, softly at first, but then with more passion. Skye resisted, but only for
a few seconds, before her arms flew up around Jax's neck as he pulled her
closer in an embrace.
Jax finally pulled back and caressed the side of Skye's face tenderly.
"You're so beautiful, Skye," he whispered, then leaned in to kiss her
again.
"No!" Skye shouted, pushing him in the chest.
Jax pulled back, his eyes wide with wonder and confusion. "What did I
do?"
Skye looked at him with a look of pure despair. "Just stop, Jax, okay?
Just stop!"
Chapter 5
Skye
wriggled out of Jax’s arms and walked to the opposite side of the elevator,
trying to collect her thoughts. Jax stared at her, bewildered by what had
just happened.
“You care to tell me what that was all about?” Jax asked, walking toward
Skye.
“Just stay on that side of the elevator, okay?” Skye said irritably.
Noticing that Jax wasn’t obeying, she took off one of her high-heeled
shoes. “I mean it, Jax – move another inch, and you’ll have a permanent
indentation on your forehead.”
Jax raised his hands, surrendering, but he couldn’t hide the amusement in his
eyes. “Fine, I’m backing off.” He carefully watched her as he
backed up against the wall. Slowly, his eyes followed her motions as she
first put her shoe back on, then brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and
let out a long sigh. Jax decided to break the silence. “Skye, talk
to me,” he encouraged her softly.
Skye shook her head. She wanted to tell him every thought that was flying
through her head, but she held back… she had to stay in control.
Jax knew from experience that the best way to get Skye to open up was
unfortunately to get her riled up about something. As the two stood
opposite each other in silence, Jax tried to think of a topic that would get
Skye’s blood boiling.
“So, Skye,” Jax began slowly, “how’s old Edward doing?”
“You tell me – you saw him after I did last,” Skye spat out. “He gave you
the tape, remember?”
“Oh, yeah,” Jax mumbled, livid with himself for forgetting that detail.
“How could I forget.”
“I really don’t know,” Skye retorted. “Tell me, Jax, how you could just
forget that. How could you stand there and be nice to me, even want to
touch me and kiss me, after what I did?” Her face was flushed in anger.
Jax, taken aback at her unexpected outburst, didn’t quite know how to
respond. As he studied her, he could see her cheeks becoming redder, and
her eyes grew sadder the longer he remained silent.
“Great. That’s just great, Jax. You can’t even answer the question,
because there is no good answer!” Skye threw her hands up in the
air. “I should’ve never given you a second look, Jax. You, the
white knight, the squeaky-clean billionaire – why in the world would you be
interested in me? I mean, I was just kidding myself, right? And now,
here we are, and you’re only using me for sex, just like I used you for power.”
“Skye…” Jax tried to cut her off, but she was on a roll.
“No, I should’ve listened to AJ, I should’ve guarded my heart. But I
didn’t, and I did some stupid things, like I always do. How can you even
stand there and look at me? Of course, you did turn the tables on me,
trying to convince me you cared about me just so you could sleep with me.
Yeah, well, nice try, Mr. Jax, but I see through your ruse now. This game
is officially over.”
Jax waited a few seconds to make certain Skye was finished talking. “Can
I say something now?” he asked permission.
Skye waved her hand dismissively. “Whatever.”
“Okay, first of all, Ms. Chandler-Quartermaine, I am not using you for sex.
I won’t deny that I immensely enjoyed kissing you, and I imagine that more
involved physical contact would be… well… very pleasurable, but I am not using
you for sex.”
Skye opened her mouth, but Jax held up his hand. “You had your say, now
let me have mine.” Skye nodded slowly, looking down at her hands.
“Secondly, why wouldn’t I be interested in you? Skye, you’re a bright,
beautiful, savvy, sensual woman who knows what she wants and goes after
it. Yes, we had a rough start, and at times you can drive me crazy, but
that’s part of what I…” Jax broke off, realizing he had been about to use the
word ‘love’. He cleared his throat, looking down at his feet as he tried
to get back on track. “What I’m trying to say is that I do care about you,
Skye – very deeply. I want you to know that and to believe that with all
your heart.” Jax looked over to see Skye’s reaction and was amazed to see
her knelt down on the floor, crying softly.
Jax knelt down next to her and rubbed her back. “Skye, I… I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Skye chuckled through her tears. “You give that speech and expect me not
to cry?” she sniffled, looking up at Jax.
It physically hurt Jax to see so much vulnerability and pain in Skye’s eyes as
she gazed up at him. “Tell me what you need, Skye. Please, let me
in.”
Skye drew her knees to her chest, then put her chin on top of her knees.
“I thought you said you were sick of trying to figure me out,” she said
quietly. “I thought I disgusted you, that there was no explanation good
enough for me.”
Jax sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “Skye, please – can’t we
put all of that behind us? I’m so sorry I said those things to you.
I’ve forgiven you for your manipulations – how about forgiving me now?”
“Okay,” Skye agreed. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” Skye bit her lip
before turning to Jax. “There is one thing I don’t understand.”
“What’s that?” Jax asked, wiping away one of Skye’s tears.
Skye shivered slightly at his touch but pushed onward to her question. “Why
do you care about me, Jax?” she asked in a small, almost childlike voice.
“Oh, Skye.” Jax’s heart as he gathered her in his arms and held her,
trying to make her feel safe in his arms. He kissed the top of her head
as he rocked her gently back and forth. “I wish you could see how truly
special you are, Skye. I want that for you. There is so much more
to you than the façade you show normally. If others saw that, they would
be amazed.”
Skye let out a bitter laugh. “Unfortunately, that’s not usually how it
works for me, Jax. I wouldn’t exactly call a person’s reaction to me one
of amazement.”
“Well, maybe that’s because they don’t see you like I do. Skye, for
whatever reason, I’ve seen you without your mask, without those barriers – and
there is such a fascinating person underneath all of those layers… a very
loving, caring person.”
“If you say so,” Skye mumbled, then pulled back from Jax.
“Yes, I do say so.” Jax grasped her hand in his own tightly. “So,
what do you say, Ms. Chandler-Quartermaine? Shall we see what happens
next?”
Skye smiled for the first time that day. She still couldn’t quite believe
that a man this wonderful cared about her so much, but she was going to stop
standing in her own way… at least for now.
“Yes, what happens next?” Skye asked softly, leaning toward Jax.
Jax smiled back at Skye and leaned closer. “We’ll just have to wait and
see,” he grinned as he moved in for a kiss.
Suddenly, the elevator jolted, causing them both to fall to the floor, Skye on
top of Jax. As the doors opened, a few people gathered around looked at
the peculiar site in front of them, chuckling to themselves.
“Sorry about that, folks. It’s all fixed now,” a mechanic informed them
as the exited off the elevator. “Do you want to take it up to your rooms
now?”
Skye and Jax looked at each other before they each burst out laughing. “I
think we’ll take the stairs, thanks,” Jax replied. He turned back to Skye
and offered her his hand. “Shall we?”
Skye’s smile was radiant as she placed her hand in his. “Yes, let’s go.”
Chapter 6
(Rated
PG-13 for sexual content)
Skye nervously eyed her surroundings. Jax had brought her up to his hotel
suite after they were released from the elevator, then asked her to wait a few
moments while he took care of a few details. Skye hated surprises, she
hated not having control over what would happen next. She forced herself
to sit down on the sofa, taking in deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.
“All set!” Jax beamed as he came out from the bedroom.
“What do you mean?” Skye’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, but a small smile
played on her lips.
Jax came over to Skye and pulled her up off the sofa. “I think a
celebration is in order, Ms. Chandler-Quartermaine. Don’t you?” Jax
gathered Skye in his arms, not wanting to tear his eyes away from her face.
“What exactly are we celebrating?” Skye asked, feeling herself grow
apprehensive despite the warm feeling flowing through her body as Jax held her
in his arms.
“All if forgiven – it’s a brand new day.” Jax smiled as he leaned in and
whispered in her ear, “Anything is possible on this day.”
Skye shivered at the feeling of Jax’s hot breath on her ear and neck. She
didn’t quite know how to respond to his declaration. All she could do was
stand there, looking into his eyes, as varying thoughts flew around in her
head.
Jax stepped back a bit, noticing the worried look on Skye’s face that replaced
her smile. He was about to ask her what she was thinking when there was a
knock on the door. “Good, it’s here,” Jax said softly, giving Skye’s arm
a gentle squeeze before moving to open the door.
Skye stood in a daze, watching as three waiters brought in flowers, candles,
and covered dishes, then set it up in a matter of minutes. They left just
as quietly as they had arrived.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Jax teased with a smile as he moved to pull out a chair
for Skye.
Skye felt as if she were in a dream, this had to be too good to be true.
“Yes,” she managed to get out as she sank down into the chair, then looked up
as Jax sat down across from her.
“Sparkling cider?” Jax asked before pouring two glasses. “May I have the
pleasure of making a toast?” he requested.
Skye nodded, unable to say anything intelligible at this point.
Jax held up his glass as he looked into Skye’s eyes. “To you, Ms. Skye
Chandler-Quartermaine. I am grateful that you have come into my
life. I know that we had a rough start, but we are now learning to trust
each other after a few bumps in the road, so to speak.” He paused as Skye
blushed and looked down, smiling. “Skye, you are beautiful, charming,
smart, and incredibly sexy. And I am a very lucky man to be sharing
dinner with you tonight. Cheers.” Jax clinked his glass with
Skye’s, who finally looked up into his eyes.
Skye could feel the heat in her cheeks. She didn’t know what to make of
all this, it was all happening so quickly. Just that morning, she had
been trying to forget all about Jasper Jacks, and now here they were, having
dinner in his hotel suite.
“Oh, I almost forgot something.” Jax leapt out of his chair and quickly
made his way over to the stereo. He chose some soft instrumental music
for the background, then once again joined Skye. “How’s that?”
“It’s fine,” Skye murmured, smiling at him.
Jax reached out and held one of Skye’s hands in his own. “Skye, is
something wrong? You seem rather preoccupied. Did I do something
wrong?” He searched Skye’s face for a sign as to what she was thinking.
Skye smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Are you kidding?
What could you have possibly done wrong? I mean, this is every woman’s
dream of a perfect date, with a perfect man,” she finished softly, once again
blushing. She gently pulled her hand away from his grasp and picked up her
glass, taking a sip of the sparkling cider.
Jax decided to just let his vague feeling of uneasiness go – he wanted the
night to be perfect. He held up his glass once more. “To the
perfect date,” he toasted as their glasses clinked together.
“To the perfect date,” Skye echoed softly, the worried look gone from her
face.
The evening seemed to fly by as the two dined on shrimp scampi, au gratin
potatoes, steamed vegetables, and homemade bread with brie. Skye couldn’t
get over how comfortable she felt with Jax – their conversation went
everywhere, from Australia to New York to the Quartermaines to the Jacks
family.
Jax couldn’t remember the last time he had been this happy – it had indeed been
too long. He sat back contentedly and smiled as he watched Skye
finish her dinner. He realized that he loved watching her eat – she did
it as she did everything, with gusto.
“So, how was it?” Jax asked, chuckling as Skye threw her napkin on the table
and slumped in her chair, heaving a big sigh.
“Oh, that was sinful,” Skye moaned, rubbing her stomach. “I ate too much,
I am entirely too full!”
“Well, then, we’ll just have to work that dinner off,” Jax suggested, his eyes
twinkling.
Skye leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table and her chin resting on
her folded hands. “What exactly did you have in mind, Mr. Jax?” she
asked, giving him a seductive smile.
“Well, for starters, dancing,” Jax answered, standing and putting on different
music. He held out his hand to her. “May I have this dance?”
“Certainly.” Skye allowed Jax to gently pull her up.
The two moved away from the table, toward the center of the room. Skye
felt a slight shiver run down her spine as Jax placed his hands on her
hips. She, in turn, encircled her arms around his neck. They fell
into a rhythmic sway as they simply gazed into each other’s eyes.
I’m crazy for you
Touch me once and you'll know it's true
I never wanted anyone like this
It's all brand new, you'll feel it in my kiss
I'm crazy for you, crazy for you
Trying hard to control my heart
I walk over to where you are
Eye to eye we need no words at all
Slowly now we begin to move
Every breath I'm deeper into you
Soon we two are standing still in time
If you read my mind, you'll see
I'm crazy for you
Touch me once and you'll know it's true
I never wanted anyone like this
It's all brand new, you'll feel it in my kiss
I'm crazy for you, crazy for you
Slowly, Jax leaned in and gently brushed his lips over Skye’s own lips.
He lifted his head back up and looked down at Skye. She had her eyes
closed and the most blissful, dreamy look on her face. Jax couldn’t
remember when he had ever seen her look more beautiful. He didn’t want
anything to ruin this moment.
Skye felt as if she were floating on air. Just the feel of Jax’s lips on
hers sent a tingling sensation all through her body. She had never felt
this way – not with Tom, or Will, or Ben, or Max, or anyone else – and she
didn’t want the feeling to end.
Jax realized that sometime in the midst of their dancing, that he and Skye had
moved as close as they possibly could to each other. His hands were no
longer on her hips; they were wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her
body close to his. He happily noticed that Skye’s arms were no longer
wrapped around his neck; instead, her arms were hooked under his arms, with her
hands pressing against his back, as if to draw him even closer to her.
Skye was slightly aware of the music as she continued to sway in time with Jax,
her head pressed against his chest. She felt so incredibly safe and
peaceful in his arms – it was something she wasn’t used to feeling, but she
liked it all the same.
Jax gently pulled back slightly, causing Skye to raise her head.
Overwhelmed by the desire building within him, Jax was quick to capture Skye’s
lips with his. His pulse quickened as her lips parted, allowing his
tongue to enter her mouth.
Skye matched Jax’s growing passion with her own, as she ran her hands up and
down his back, then quietly moaned when Jax began kissing her neck.
Slowly, Skye pulled Jax’s shirttails out of his trousers, then ran her hands
slowly up and down the bare skin of his back.
Jax shuddered at Skye’s gentle yet passionate touch. He let out a heavy
breath as he tried to control his longing to make love to her, right then and
there. “Skye,” he whispered hoarsely.
Skye raised her head to look at Jax. He had lit the fire within her, and
she was yearning to be with him.
“I… I just want to make sure this is what you want. We’re – ah – nearing
the point of no return,” Jax stammered, as Skye continued running her
fingernails up and down his back, giving him goosebumps.
“I think we’ve already passed the point of no return,” Skye cooed as she moved
in to kiss him, but Jax stopped her.
“Skye, I’m serious. If this is too fast for you, I want you to tell
me. Is this what you want?” He was certain he saw the same desire
in her eyes that he felt, but he had to be sure.
“Yes, this is what I want,” Skye answered, amazed at the look of pure adoration
in Jax’s eyes. She could hardly believe that the look was for her, but it
thrilled her to no end. Still, she had to be sure that he wasn’t going to
regret this. She took a deep breath before asking, “Is this what you
want, Jax?”
His heart overflowed from the expression on her face – one of hope mixed with
caution. He wanted that cautiousness to go away. “Yes, Skye, this
is what I want… most definitely.” He smiled as her smile reached her
eyes, chasing the shadows of doubt away.
Once again, their lips locked with such a passion that it took Skye’s breath
away. Her knees nearly buckled as Jax began to undo the buttons on her
blouse, his fingers lightly brushing against her bra as he went about his
task. Skye, in turn, unbuttoned Jax’s shirt and pulled it off of him.
Noticing that Jax had finished unbuttoning her blouse, she dropped her arms to
her sides and allowed him to push her blouse off her shoulders, as Jax slowly
kissed the top of her shoulders while caressing her arms with the lightest of
touches. Skye leaned into Jax and mimicked him, kissing the tops of his
broad shoulders.
“Why – ah – don’t we move upstairs?” Jax suggested, trying to be as gentlemanly
as possible under the circumstances.
Skye smiled slyly up at him as she ran her hands lightly up and down his ribs.
“If that’s alright with you, that’s fine with me.”
Jax suddenly grabbed Skye and carried her as he continued to kiss her lips,
then her neck. When they finally reached his bedroom, Jax gently laid
Skye down on his bed, then lay down next to Skye. The words went
unspoken, but both knew that this was indeed a gigantic step that they were
about to take. Their fingers were interlaced as they lay next to each
other, staring into each other’s eyes.
“You okay?” Skye asked quietly, brushing her hand tenderly across his cheek.
“Absolutely. Are you okay?” He had to be sure.
Skye nodded and smiled. “I’m more than okay.”
That was all Jax needed to hear, as he once again passionately pulled Skye
closer to him. There was nothing left to hold either of them back, as
they each concentrated on being in each other’s arms and nothing else.
It was, indeed, the perfect date.
Chapter 7
The next
few weeks were like a fairytale to Skye; she couldn’t remember a time when she had
felt both happy and safe at the same time. She and Jax spent as much time
together as they possibly could, despite their busy work schedules.
Jax was just as happy as Skye about the turn in their relationship. When
he wasn’t with Skye, she was all he could think about. He loved coming up
with new ways to make her smile, and he loved even more the sound of her
laughter. It was a sound that he hadn’t heard much until they began
seriously dating, and it thrilled him to no end that he could make Skye laugh
like that.
While Skye lavished on all the attention Jax was giving her, she had forgotten
what all came with someone wanting to know all about her. Skye knew that
Jax was very adept at knowing just what she was thinking. Their
lovemaking improved each time, as they became more and more familiar with each
other’s bodies. There was nothing quite so peaceful to Skye as lying in
Jax’s arms after making love – she couldn’t get enough of that feeling.
But the trouble with getting so close to Jax was that he wanted more than to
know her mind and body – he wanted to know her soul, and Skye wasn’t sure she
was ready to bare her soul for anyone to see, not even Jax.
Jax could sense that something was a bit off every once in awhile.
Sometimes, he’d catch a faraway look in Skye’s eyes and be amazed at the amount
of sadness he saw in her eyes. When he’d ask her if something was wrong,
she’d snap out of her trance and say no and give him a reassuring smile.
Jax certainly didn’t want to push Skye so hard that he pushed her away for
good, but he did want to discover more about what her life was like before she
came into his life. He just hadn’t figured out the best way to go about
it yet.
Even though Skye’s suite was just down the hall, she had started spending more
and more nights at Jax’s suite – it felt so cozy to her, something that she had
never felt in a place where she lived before. There was nothing cozy
about the many houses she grew up in with Althea that always had to be elegant
and refined, reflecting their Chandler name and status of wealth, even though
Adam and Althea had divorced. And there certainly wasn’t anything cozy
about either the Chandler mansion or the Quartermaine mansion. Skye
remembered once feeling comfortable at Myrtle’s boardinghouse; ironically,
Myrtle turned out to be her biological grandmother. But no place had ever
felt as good as Jax’s suite to Skye.
Jax and Skye were fast asleep early one morning when the phone rang.
Forgetting that she wasn’t in her own suite, Skye grabbed the receiver.
“Hello,” she answered sleepily.
“Er, ah, I must have the wrong number. I’m trying to ring Jasper Jax,”
came a bubbly female voice with a thick Australian accent on the other end.
Skye looked over at Jax, who was just now awakening. “Uh, he’s right
here.” Skye shrugged to Jax in response to his quizzical look, not
knowing who was calling him.
“Hello?” Jax answered, then broke into a big smile. “Mom,
hello! How are things Down Under?”
Skye cringed when she realized it was Jax’s mother on the other end. She
laid back down in bed and pulled the covers up to her chin as she pretended not
to listen to Jax’s conversation.
“Great, how’s ole Dad?… Well, when can I see you?… Oh, that soon, huh?… Great,
I’ll look forward to it!… Yes, that was my, er, that was Skye who answered…
Mom, can I talk to you about it later?… Yes, I’m sure she’d love to meet you
when you’re here… Okay, give my love to Dad. I’ll see you soon.”
Jax leaned over Skye to hang up the phone, then stayed snuggled up to
her. “Come on, beautiful – don’t tell me you’ve fallen back asleep
already.”
Skye tried to fight it, but a smile formed on her lips, giving her away.
She opened her eyes with a giggle, but then her expression changed to
worry. “Jax, I answered the phone at,” she paused and looked at the
clock,”5:30 AM! What is she going to think?” she asked, mortified.
Jax was clearly amused. “Since when does Skye Chandler-Quartermaine care
what anyone thinks?” he teased.
“Jax, I’m serious! This is different – I haven’t even met your parents,
and this is the first impression they get?” Skye lower lip stuck out as
if she were pouting, causing Jax to laugh.
“I think it will be okay,” he reassured her before leaning down and kissing her
softly.
Skye smiled up at Jax. “Well, if that’s your method of reassurance, then
I’ll have to get paranoid more often,” she joked, rolling over so that she was
facing him.
“Oh, is that what you were now, paranoid?” Jax continued to tease her.
“No, seriously, Skye – I understand. Even though we are both quite grown
up, we are always like little kids to our parents, seeking out their
approval.” He stopped when he saw Skye frown. “What’s that for?” he
asked, lightly tracing her jaw line with his finger.
Skye looked almost bashful. “Nothing, it’s just…” her voice trailed off.
“What? You can tell me, Skye,” Jax urged her.
Skye looked up into Jax’s eyes and saw pure love and adoration there for
her. Even though they hadn’t yet uttered the words, Skye knew that they
were falling in love with each other. Still, there were some things that
she just wasn’t ready to share. “When you said that, about parents… it
just kinda hit home, I mean with the way I have acted with Alan and Rae…” Skye
hoped that was enough explanation for Jax.
“You mean by wanting their approval?” Jax prodded.
Skye nodded. “Yeah, that’s me – a little kid, just seeking
approval.” She tried to keep her voice light when she said it, despite
the heaviness of her heart.
Jax could see the pain etched in Skye’s face, he wanted nothing more than to
take all of that pain away. But he also knew that it had to be on her
terms; he couldn’t come rushing in to help her, she’d have to do that for
herself. Apparently, she wasn’t yet ready to face whatever it was that
was causing her so much pain.
Jax smiled as he thought of another way to remove that pain in her face.
“Skye?” he said softly.
“Hmm?” she murmured, her eyes closed as she snuggled closer to Jax.
“I love you.”
Skye’s eyes flew open in astonishment. Seeing the serious expression on
Jax’s face, coupled with his look of adoration for her, made tears well up in
Skye’s eyes.
“Now, I didn’t tell you that to make you cry,” Jax teased lightly, brushing
away a few tears that were trickling down her cheeks.
Skye smiled through her tears. “I know you didn’t, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Skye. It’s okay to feel whatever it is that you’re
feeling,” he tried to reassure her.
“How do you do that?” she asked softly.
“Do what?” Jax asked, confused.
Skye let out a shaky breath. “Make me feel so… so safe and loved.”
She couldn’t control the tears after that – they flooded out as Skye’s sniffles
turned into sobs.
Jax pulled her as close to him as possible. He kissed the top of her head
and held her as she cried even harder. Dumbfounded, Jax could only hold
her - and that’s just what he did, until she had cried herself to
sleep.
Chapter 8
Later that morning, Jax awoke to
find that Skye was no longer nestled in his arms. Jax swore under his
breath when he noticed that it was already 10:00 AM, much later than he had
anticipated sleeping.
“Skye?” Jax called as he made his way downstairs. Not hearing a response,
Jax dialed Skye’s suite number and frowned when she didn’t answer.
Deciding he needed a strong cup of coffee to wake up more, Jax went into the
kitchen to make a pot. He chuckled when he saw the handwritten note taped
to the coffeemaker – Skye did indeed know him well. Picking up the note,
he read: Jax, sorry I had to go so early – I had an important teleconference
call that I couldn’t miss. I’ll call you later. Skye
After making his coffee, Jax sat down at the table with the morning newspaper,
but his thoughts kept wandering back to that early morning. He had told
Skye he loved her, and her response had been anything but typical. But
then again, Skye wasn’t exactly a typical woman, and that made Jax love her
even more.
Try as he might, he just couldn’t comprehend how his declaration of love for
her could make her cry like she did. No, there had to be more to it, but
what… he had no idea. He was determined, however, to make certain that
she knew just how much she meant to him. Grinning like an idiot, Jax
picked up the phone to start making arrangements.
The intercom buzzed Skye’s large corporate office as she sat at her desk,
eating a salad for lunch. “Yes, Julie?” she answered.
“Jasper Jax on Line 1 for you, Ms. Chandler-Quartermaine,” came her secretary’s
reply.
Skye sighed inaudibly, then told Julie to put him through. “Hi, Jax,” she
greeted him, trying to keep her voice light.
“Well, hello yourself, beautiful,” Jax replied on the other end, unable to keep
himself from smiling as he thought of what lay ahead for them. “How are
you on this fine day?”
Skye couldn’t help but chuckle at hearing the excited tone to Jax’s
voice. “I’m fine, and I have a feeling that you’re doing well yourself,”
she teased.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jax replied, feigning
innocence. “No, seriously, I am in a good mood. I just spoke with
John and Jane – we’re all set to meet them this weekend.”
Skye bit her lip, the smile fading from her face. “Uh, Jax – maybe it’s
not such a good idea for me to meet your parents quite yet.”
“Why not?” Jax asked, confused and disappointed.
Skye leaned back in her chair and twirled a piece of her auburn hair around her
finger as she thought of how to respond. “It’s just that this weekend is
going to be busy for me. I have ELQ business to take care of, and I think
that AJ might need me here…”
“To keep tabs on Sonny?” Jax retorted angrily. “I swear, why can’t your
brother do his own dirty work.”
“That is not why he wants me here! It’s none of your business,
okay?” Skye squeezed her eyes shut, wondering how this light phone
conversation had suddenly gotten so out of hand.
Jax sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Look, Skye, I know
that this morning was… well, pretty intense. I meant what I said – I love
you. And that means that I care about everything going on in your life,
and I want the people in my life to know you like I do. That’s why it
means so much for you to meet my parents.” Jax paused briefly, allowing
for Skye to say something, but he only heard silence on the other end.
“Please, come with me?” he asked in a soft voice.
“Come with you? I thought your parents were coming to Port Charles,” Skye
queried, clearly confused.
Jax smiled once again. “No, actually, plans have changed. They want
to meet in New York City.”
“Oh,” was all Skye could say.
Jax waited again, then couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “Skye –
please come with me.”
Skye sighed and shook her head. “Alright, Jax, I’ll go with you,” she
agreed, hoping that she wasn’t going to regret it.
The next day, Skye looked out the window of Jax’s private plane as they circled
New York’s LaGuardia airport, awaiting clearance to land. Her mind
traveled back to her many years growing up in Manhattan. For whatever
reason, Manhattan was Althea’s favorite rest stop. She and Skye had lived
in so many places as Skye grew up, but they always seemed to come back to
Manhattan. Skye would joke to the hired help that this was Althea’s
favorite place because of the magnitude of bars, not to mention that there were
far crazier people there than Althea, so she blended in better than in other
cities.
Leaning back in the leather-cushioned seat, Skye closed her eyes as the plane
continued its descent. An image suddenly came into her mind, from Skye’s
high school graduation night.
*Flashback*
“Mother?” Skye gingerly tiptoed into Althea’s bedroom, not knowing what
to expect. Althea had been in bed all day, which wasn’t abnormal – Skye
just didn’t know what kind of mood she’d be in.
“Ugh,” Althea grunted from under the covers, her face buried in her pillow.
Skye bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from crying. It drove
her crazy that, after all these years of growing up and seeing how Althea
operated, she still wanted and needed Althea’s approval and attention.
“I, um, was just wondering if you are coming to my graduation ceremony
tonight,” Skye said in a low but firm voice.
Althea rolled over and stared at Skye. Her makeup was smeared on her face
from the previous night, and her hair was a ratty mess. “What for?” she
asked roughly.
“I want you there,” Skye said quietly.
“Speak up!” Althea demanded. “For crying out loud, Antoinette – you’re 18
now, you need to start acting like an adult!”
Skye nodded in understanding, but she was boiling on the inside. Althea
didn’t know her at all, she had no idea who Skye was as a person – how did
Althea know how Skye acted?
“So, what did you say?” Althea asked again, turning back over in her bed.
“Nothing,” Skye said crisply. “Good night, Mother.”
Althea didn’t even respond as Skye walked out of her room. Skye strode
back into her bedroom, grabbed her graduation gown and a pair of scissors, and
started to cut her gown to shreds. With every cut, more tears burned down
her cheeks. “Damn her!” she kept whispering, as she snipped away.
“I hate her!”
Determined not to let Althea have the upper hand, Skye finally wiped away her
tears and picked up the phone. “Hey, it’s me,” she said into the
receiver. “Yeah, I’m ready to party.”
A few hours later, Skye was with a group of people in some apartment that she’d
never seen before. “Where are we?” she asked her friend, Dave.
He shrugged in response. “Who cares, baby! There’s liquor and party
favors, that’s all that matters!” He grinned as he handed Skye another
shot of whiskey.
Skye tipped the shot to him, then tilted her head back and pounded it
down. “Like a pro!” Dave yelled with a laugh. “C’mon, let’s go
dance!”
Skye let Dave drag her over to a small area where others were dancing to the
80’s music. She sighed as she felt the effects of the alcohol wash over
her and tried not to think about how she should be receiving her diploma
instead.
“Hey, what’s up, man?” A friend of Dave’s came up and slapped him on the
back, then looked at Skye appreciatively. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Skye,” Dave introduced them. “Skye, meet Jason.”
Skye barely nodded as she kept dancing, getting lost in the music.
“What do you two say to really making this a night worth remembering?” Jason
asked, pulling something out of his pocket.
“Oh, yeah, man! I knew you’d come through for me!” Dave high-fived
his friend as Skye looked on, trying not show her confusion.
“So, Skye, are you in?” Jason sneered. “Baby, this stuff will make you
forget everything.”
That was all Skye needed to hear. She followed the two guys back to a
corner, away from other people. Jason handed her a sticker. “What
the hell am I supposed to do with this?” Skye demanded.
The other two guys laughed at her. “Stick it on you, you’ll soon feel the
effects,” Jason promised, demonstrating on himself. “LSD, baby – the best
trip you’ll ever have!”
Skye followed suit and put the sticker on her, despite a nagging feeling of
doubt in the back of her mind. “Now what?” she asked.
“Just lay back and enjoy,” Dave instructed, smiling as he lay down on the floor
at Skye’s feet.
Skye closed her eyes and leaned back in the soft chair, listening to the
music. Soon, the music began to change, as the drug started to take
effect. Instead of an upbeat rhythm, the music took on a deep, somber
tone that echoed. Skye opened her eyes and looked around. There
were actually words floating out of people’s mouths! She stared at her
surroundings, amazed at what she was seeing.
Suddenly, Jason grabbed Skye’s arm. “Why don’t you and I go back to my
bedroom?” he suggested, only his face was a monster’s face in Skye’s eyes,
causing her to scream. She continued to scream until Jason let go of her
arm, laughing hysterically. “Man, she’s trippin’ hard!” he yelled to
Dave.
Dave stood up on wobbly legs and tried to push Jason off of Skye, but Jason was
much stronger than Dave, even high. “Let her go!” Dave yelled above the
pounding music.
Skye envisioned being the knot in the middle of a tug-of-war rope – the words
of other people were swirling around her head, and she felt as if her arms were
actually expanding like rubber bands as Dave and Jason pulled on them.
Finally, someone else came up and grabbed Jason from behind. “Leave the
lady alone, loser!” he growled.
Dave grabbed Skye’s hand and ran out of the apartment, dragging her behind
him. “Damn it, Skye, pick up your feet and run!” he yelled at her.
Unable to communicate to her feet what she wanted them to do, Skye stumbled
behind Dave as they made their way down the several flights of stairs and finally
emerged outside.
“Are you okay?” Dave asked Skye, who just looked at him blankly, then started
to laugh as his face morphed into an elf’s face with a long nose and pointed
ears. Dave tried to fight off his trip, cursing himself for ever bringing
Skye to a party like that. He didn’t know her very well, but he could
tell she wasn’t as experienced as she let on about many aspects of life.
“Hey, Skye!” Skye and Dave looked up to see Jason standing outside on the
apartment balcony. “Wait for me!”
Skye and Dave watched in horror as Jason threw himself over the balcony.
Skye stood, transfixed, as she watched Jason’s body come closer and
closer. Dave grabbed Skye around the waist and pulled her to the ground a
few feet away. He covered her head as Jason’s body hit the
pavement.
People were already gathering on the balconies of other apartments in the
building. Passers-by stopped to surround the body. Dave took this
opportunity to sit up with Skye. He shook her gently, trying to get
through to her. “Skye! We have to go, now!”
Skye numbly nodded, glancing over at Jason’s body. She followed Dave
around the corner, where they then broke into a run. As sirens came
closer, the two ran as fast as they could, away from the grisly scene they had
just witnessed.
Hours later, Skye arrived home sober, hung over, and sleep-deprived. The
events of the evening were still foggy to her, but she didn’t want to
concentrate on that now. All she wanted was a hot shower and her warm
bed.
As she climbed the stairs, Skye cringed. Althea was standing at the top
of the stairs, with a wild look in her eyes. Holding her head up high,
Skye marched up the stairs and past Althea, who grabbed her arm forcefully,
stopping her.
“Where the hell have you been?” she hissed.
Skye yanked her arm away. “Since when do you care?” she demanded, trying
to hide the hurt in her voice.
“Oh, don’t gimme that poor mistreated Skye routine,” Althea snapped. “You
have nothing to complain about!”
“Whatever,” Skye muttered, striding past Althea once again and into her
room. Althea followed close behind.
“Here,” Althea threw a box onto Skye’s bed.
“What’s this?” Skye asked suspiciously, not remembering the last time Althea
had bought her anything.
Althea lit a cigarette, then stared coolly at Skye. “How the hell should
I know? It’s from your father.”
A mixture of excitement and anger overcame Skye as she thought of her
father. She stared at the box, not yet wanting to know what was inside.
“Well? Aren’t you going to open it?” Althea prodded.
“No, not yet,” Skye replied defiantly, crossing her arms as she turned to face
Althea once more.
“You spoiled brat!” Althea yelled suddenly, lunging for the box. Skye
tried to jump in front of her to retrieve the box, but she was too late.
“Give that back, it’s mine!” Skye shouted, infuriated at her mother.
“Give it back, it’s mine!” Althea cruelly mimicked. “You sound like a
little kid, ya know that? You don’t deserve whatever is in this box!”
“I hate you!” Skye screamed before lunging at Althea, knocking her over.
Skye grabbed the box and resisted the urge to inflict even more bodily pain
onto Althea, her loathing for the woman at that moment was so intense.
Althea slowly stood up and walked over to the doorway. “Fine, take your
stupid present from Adam. While you’re at it, take your sorry butt and
get out of my house!”
Skye looked at her mother in shock. She and Althea had had their share of
heated arguments before, but never had it come to this.
“I mean it, get out!” Althea screamed, trembling with rage.
Skye quickly collected a few things, threw them in a suitcase, and ran down the
stairs and out the door, all the while clutching the box from her father.
She tried to convince herself that this was for the best, as Althea slammed the
door behind her.
Skye wiped away the few tears that were sliding down her cheeks. With a
newfound sense of determination, she gathered up her belongings and hailed a
taxi. She would not let Althea win; she would prove that she could make
it on her own.
*End of Flashback*
“Skye?”
Skye was roused from her thoughts by the sound of her name being called.
She looked up to see Jax staring down at her, concerned. “Where were you
just now? I’ve been calling your name for a few minutes. We’re
here, we’ve landed.”
Skye looked out the window in surprise, then back to Jax’s concerned
face. “Just daydreaming, I guess,” she reassured him with a quick smile
that didn’t quite mask the haunted look in her eyes.
Jax picked up her hand and kissed it. “You know that you can tell me
anything,” he said softly, rubbing the top of her hand gently as he stared into
her eyes.
For just a moment, Skye pondered telling Jax everything about her childhood,
but then decided against it. She wasn’t ready to relive all of that, and
she didn’t want to risk changing the way that Jax felt about her in any
way.
Skye cleared her throat and gave Jax a brilliant smile. “Well, if I can
tell you anything, then I need to tell you that I am ready to explore this city
with you.” She smiled as Jax extended his hand to her and gently pulled
her up to him.
“I couldn’t agree more,” he whispered in her ear before capturing her lips with
his.
Skye pulled back for a moment. “Mmm… Mr. Jacks, if you keep this up, then
our first stop will have to be the hotel.”
Jax grinned down at Skye. “Your wish is my command,” he responded,
gesturing for her to come outside with him, where a limousine awaited
them. “Shall we?”
Skye nodded and smiled happily, momentarily forgetting about her childhood
recollections. Jax watched her, smiling at her apparent happiness, but
disturbed at the same time. It was painfully obvious to him that
something was deeply troubling Skye, and he wanted to help. But how could
he if she wouldn’t let him in?
Chapter 9
Skye smiled happily at her
reflection in the mirror as she touched up her makeup. She and Jax had checked
into the stylish Four Seasons hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Jax had insisted on
staying in one of the Hotel’s two Premier Park View Rooms, which were on the
50th floor and provided a spectacular view of Central Park through
floor-to-ceiling windows.
Jax had driven Skye wild in the limo on the ride from LaGuardia to their hotel
by continually nibbling on her ear and caressing her hair. Once the bellhop had
brought their luggage up, Skye wasted no time in grabbing Jax and yanking his
belt off. Jax didn’t seem to mind Skye’s forcefulness, and the two had what was
possibly their most intense lovemaking session yet.
Now, Skye was preparing for their big afternoon and evening, in which Jax was
being vague about the details. She did know that his parents wouldn’t arrive
from Alaska until the next day, which gave them all day Friday to do whatever
they pleased, or rather, whatever plans Jax had up his sleeve.
“Ready?” Jax came up behind Skye and kissed her cheek.
Skye turned around and faced Jax, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Careful,
Mr. Jacks – that’s how we got distracted in the first place.”
“Oh, and you make it sound like it was pure torture,” Jax joked back, feigning
indignation.
Skye gave him a look that said, “You know better than that,” then picked up her
jacket. “Well, I guess I have to let you lead the way,” she told him, trying to
sound annoyed but secretly pleased that Jax had gone to so much trouble for
her.
“Very well, let’s go then.” Jax took her hand and escorted her out of their
room. Their New York experience had begun.
Their first
stop was Central Park. Jax had arranged for a special horse-drawn carriage to
take them around various parts of the park. The carriage came complete with a
heating system and speakers, from which soft instrumental music wafted. Several
passers-by glanced at the handsome duo as they meandered through the park,
oblivious to anything but each other.
From there, it was on to the Upper East Side, where Jax proved himself a
patient man as Skye ran amuck in the various boutiques. She had forgotten how
much fun it was to shop in New York, and it was even more fun to see the look
on Jax’s face as the saleswomen fawned all over him while others helped Skye
make purchases.
Smiling with glee, Skye emerged from yet another store, loaded down with bags.
“Are you quite through?” Jax teased.
“What, you’ve had enough shopping for one day?” Skye pretended to pout, but
then quickly smiled. “Okay, what’s next?”
“Do you like Italian?” Jax asked hopefully.
“But of course, signor!” Skye answered with an Italian accent.
Jax then whisked Skye away to Carmine’s on the Upper West Side, one of the best
Italian restaurants in all of Manhattan. After starting off with calamari, Skye
moved on to Shrimp Marinara, while Jax tried the Friday special, Zuppe Di
Pesce. Skye begged off when Jax suggested dessert, stating she was absolutely
about to burst.
“Well, I know the best medicine to cure that,” Jax smirked, then laughed at
Skye’s widened eyes. “No, not that!” he chuckled.
“Then what?” Skye asked, confused.
“You’ll see,” he told her with a mischievous smile.
Jax then took Skye to see “Noises Off”, a hilarious Broadway comedy. As they
took their seats, Skye looked at Jax in puzzlement. “I still don’t get it,” she
told him.
“Laughter – your stomach will feel much better after you laugh at this play,”
he told her.
“If you say so,” Skye mumbled, then focused on the stage as the play began.
Darn it if Jax wasn’t right – Skye laughed so hard that she had tears streaming
down her face while she gasped for air.
“So, did you like it?” Jax asked afterwards.
“Uh, yeah, I think that’s a pretty safe assumption,” Skye responded playfully.
“So, is that all you have planned for the evening?”
“What do you think?” Jax asked, giving her a smile that melted her insides.
“I think the answer would be no,” Skye replied with a laugh.
“Ah, correct!” Jax led her once again to their limo, then poured them each some
sparkling cider from the wet bar.
Jax watched Skye, reveling in how animated she was as she rambled on about
parts of the play that she had particularly enjoyed. Her cheeks were just a bit
flushed with excitement, and her eyes sparkled with laughter. The biggest
difference to Jax, though, was Skye's overall expression - it was an actual
happy face, such a drastic contrast from the first few times that Jax had met
her. Unable to control himself any longer, Jax set his glass down and gently
pulled a surprised Skye onto his lap. Jax hungrily kissed Skye, savoring the
taste of the sparkling cider on her lips. When they pulled apart, both Jax and
Skye's hearts were pounding.
Skye wound her arms around Jax's neck. "You'd better cut this out if you
hope to take me anyplace else tonight," she admonished with a seductive
smile.
"Well…" Jax thought for a moment, then grinned at Skye. "I was
planning on taking you to the Rainbow Room for some dancing, but we could
always just dance in our hotel suite. It's up to you."
"Hmm… let me see…" Skye tilted her head back and forth, as if
weighing the pros and cons of her choices, then giggled when Jax began to
lightly kiss her neck. "Umm… well…" She caught her breath when Jax
slid her jacket off and began kissing her shoulder and collarbone while
caressing her back in slow motions. "I… ah… think we should… ahem…"
By this point, Jax's hand was slowly trailing up Skye's leg, sending shivers
through Skye's spine.
"Well?" Jax asked with a grin.
"Back to the hotel, and step on it," Skye spoke into the intercom to
the driver, causing Jax to double over with laughter.
"Good choice," he beamed, then resumed where he had left off. He
allowed himself to get lost in the feel of Skye's body next to his and tried to
keep control of himself until they reached their room.
Skye was in sheer bliss, she simply didn’t know that it was possible for her to
be this happy. She didn’t dare dwell on it, though, because somehow, someway,
her happiness always seemed to be short-lived. She just hoped that this time
was an exception to the rule.
Chapter 10
“Where are
you taking me?” Skye giggled like a schoolgirl as Jax put a blindfold on
her in the back of the limousine.
It was early Saturday afternoon. Jax and Skye had stayed in bed as long
as possible. Their lovemaking had gone into the early hours of the
morning, and both had enjoyed sleeping in that morning. Once awake, Jax
had ordered a lavish breakfast for them to share. They each took turns
feeding one another, and this had led to passion taking over once again.
“We wouldn’t have to hurry if you hadn’t attacked me earlier,” Jax kidded Skye,
enjoying her slight apprehension at his surprise.
“I attacked you?!?” Skye took a playful swing at Jax but missed since she
couldn’t see where he was with her blindfold on. “I think you’ve got that
backwards, Mr. Jacks,” she growled playfully.
“Well, since we got a much later start than I had planned, we’d better step on
it.” Jax looked out the window as they passed Central Park South.
It was a rather gloomy day, and Jax didn’t envy the people who were out in the
rain, especially those without umbrellas.
“Yes, we wouldn’t want to be late to meet your parents,” Skye agreed, trying to
concentrate on something other than the butterflies in her stomach. She
didn’t know if she was nervous because she hated surprises and didn’t know
where Jax was taking her, or if it was because of her anxiety of meeting Jax’s
parents for the first time.
The limo pulled to a stop. “Ah, we’re here,” Jax told Skye, who was
pouting.
“This had better be good, Jax,” Skye grumbled.
Jax took Skye’s hand and helped her out of the limo as he held an umbrella over
their heads. “Okay, this is going to be a bit tricky. There are a
few steps here.”
“Great,” Skye muttered, liking this surprise less and less. But then she
remembered the hopeful look on Jax’s face when he had told her he wanted to
take her someplace special, so she tried to put a smile on her face as Jax
talked her up the steps.
Skye heard Jax pull out a set of keys and open what sounded to be a heavy
door. “Jax, what in the world?” she said softly, thoroughly
confused. She allowed Jax to lead her inside their new location.
“Alright, Skye,” Jax said, a tinge of nervousness in his voice. “I hope
you like this.” He slowly removed her blindfold.
Skye blinked her eyes a few times to adjust to the light, then gasped as she
took in her surroundings. “Jax…” she whispered, putting her hand over her
mouth in astonishment.
Jax grinned as he looked around as well. “Well, do you like it?
Does it look the same as you remember it?”
Skye could feel the blood rushing to her head as she stood in the foyer of the
very townhouse that Althea had kicked her out of all those years ago.
Feeling as if she were in some surreal dream, Skye slowly moved toward the
giant staircase, her mind reeling with memories.
“Skye?” Jax had an uneasy feeling start to come over him as he watched Skye
slowly ascend the stairs. She moved incredibly slowly, as if she were in
a trance, and didn’t respond to his calls. Growing increasingly worried,
Jax followed Skye from a short distance.
Skye was seeing a scene play out before her in her mind’s eye.
*Flashback*
She was eighteen years old again and had returned to the house to retrieve some
of her clothing and other possessions, since she had left in such a hurry when
Althea kicked her out.
Skye slowly crept up the stairs, relieved to not hear a sound in the
house. She hoped that Althea was either out of the house or passed
out. Still, she was on high alert – it was something she had learned to
be whenever she wasn’t sure what her surroundings held.
Skye gasped in horror as she pushed open the door to her bedroom.
Everything was destroyed – framed prints were shattered on the floor; her
clothing was in pieces and strewn everywhere; her bedding was scattered; even
her makeup and perfume were spilled over the carpet. Skye’s rage built
inside her despite her crying. How could Althea do this to her? She
didn’t know why she was so surprised, but she hadn’t expected this big of a
reaction from her monster of a mother.
Just then, Skye heard a noise behind her. Jerking her head around, she
saw Althea lunge at her with a knife. Skye barely had time to move to
avoid the sharp blade. She ran into her room, looking for an escape from
her maniacal mother.
“You can’t just leave me like that!” Althea sobbed, holding the knife over her
head. “Not like Adam did! No, I won’t let you!”
“You told me to leave!” Skye retorted, trying not to show her fear. She
had seen her mother in bad shape before, but nothing like this.
“I would never tell you to leave!” Althea protested. “No… you’re
worthless, that’s why you left. You have never appreciated everything
I’ve sacrificed for you. I plucked you up out of nothing. I gave
you a home, nice clothes, a family, and what is my payback? You leave me,
you miserable excuse for a daughter!” Althea, enraged, charged at Skye
with the knife once more. Skye yelled for the housekeeper as she grabbed
a pillow to ward off Althea’s blows. The pillow worked the first few
times, but Althea kept repeating the same stabbing motion as if on
autopilot.
The housekeeper came running up the stairs just as the knife blade made contact
with Skye for the first time. “Mrs. Chandler, stop! Antoinette, I
called 911!” She continued to scream as Althea continued with her
stabbing motions, cutting into Skye.
Finally, Althea stopped, as though she had come out of her daze. “Oh my
God, what have I done?” She dropped the knife and backed away from Skye,
who was lying on the carpet, her shirt covered with blood.
Skye didn’t remember what happened next, but was later told that the police had
come and taken Althea away and put her in another mental institution.
Skye had been rushed by ambulance to the nearest hospital, where doctors
managed to save her life by stopping the internal bleeding.
Once she was well enough to be released from the hospital, Skye moved on with
her life. She never saw Althea again after that horrible day.
*End Flashback*
“Skye!” Jax was shouting Skye’s name now, right next to her, yet she
wasn’t responding. Seeing the tortured look on Skye’s face, Jax wondered
what in the world he had done by bringing Skye there. He pondered whether
or not to touch her, then decided that might be the only way to get through to
her. He reached out and gently grabbed onto her arm.
“Don’t touch me!” Skye screeched, backing away from Jax so quickly that she
rammed against the wall.
“Skye, it’s Jax. I’m not going to hurt you.” Jax slowly moved
toward Skye, who suddenly started to laugh.
“I know who you are, Jax.” She shook her head then and sighed, then
leaned against the wall for a moment, a thoughtful expression coming over
her. She looked back at Jax then. “Why did you bring me
here?” The question sounded more like an accusation, causing Jax to
flinch.
“Skye, I didn’t know… I’m sorry,” Jax stammered, once again moving toward Skye,
who quickly moved away.
“I said to leave me alone!” Skye screamed as Jax grabbed her arm
again. This time, though, Jax ignored her wishes and pinned her
arms to her sides tightly. Skye fought against Jax, but it was no use –
he was much stronger than she. “Damn it, Jax, why are you doing this to
me? Why? What do you want from me?” Skye wailed, starting to get
hysterical.
Jax’s heart was breaking, but he could think of no other way to calm Skye down
and get her talking about whatever it was that was so upsetting to her.
“Just tell me what is wrong, Skye,” he told her in a soothing voice, struggling
to keep hold of her as she squirmed furiously in his grasp.
Skye suddenly went limp in his arms, and Jax relaxed his grip a bit. Just
as he was about to turn Skye around to face him, she surprised him by flipping
him over onto his back! Jax stared up, stunned, into Skye’s face – he was
even more shocked to see such hatred in her eyes.
Skye took off running through the upstairs halls. She knew every inch of
this house, unlike Jax. Soon, she was rushing down the back stairs and
out the back kitchen door, ignoring Jax’s calls for her to wait. Skye
continued to run outside in the rain, through an alley and then to another street
that led to the edge of Central Park. Looking behind her, she saw no sign
of Jax, but something inside her told her to keep running. She took a
deep breath, then started to run again into the park in the cold rain.
Jax panicked when he heard a door slam. Turned around upstairs, he found
his way back to the front staircase and ran down the stairs, wincing from the
slight pain in his hip from being thrown onto the floor. He ran outside
and looked down the street but didn’t see Skye anywhere. “Damn!” he swore
softly, not knowing what to do next. He looked at his watch and realized
he was dangerously close already to being late to meet his parents. He
had to decide right then and there – should he go and meet his parents, or
should he try to find Skye, who could be anywhere in the City?
Chapter 11
Jax let out
a huge sigh as he unlocked the door to the hotel suite. He was soaking
head to toe from looking all over New York City for Skye, but he hadn’t found
her anywhere.
Stripping off his wet clothes, Jax threw them in a heap and then climbed into
the shower. As he let the hot spray hit his body and warm him, Jax’s mind
reeled from Skye’s reaction to her old house, it wasn’t what he had expected at
all. He thought that she would love his surprise, but when thinking about
it now, he didn’t know why he had leapt to that assumption.
Jax continued to stand in the shower, wishing that Skye were there with
him. He shook his head in amazement – he couldn’t believe what an
important part of his life she had become in such a short amount of time.
He hadn’t thought it possible to fall in love with someone as much as he loved
Brenda, but it was happening again. There was only one problem – Jax had
no idea why his new love had reacted the way she did, and it made him feel
completely helpless.
As the water started to lose its heat, Jax sighed and reluctantly stepped out
of the shower. As he grabbed a towel, the phone rang. Hurriedly
drying off, Jax ran naked over to the phone, hoping against hope that it would
be Skye.
“Jax?”
Jax’s heart sank when he realized who it was. “Hello, Mum.”
“Listen, I know you said that you couldn’t make dinner tonight, but could we
stop by?” she implored. “We just haven’t seen you in so long, and since
you’re there…”
Jax considered his mother’s self-invitation. He would drive himself crazy
if he just sat around by himself and waited for Skye to return. And his
parents always did make him laugh. Plus, he could use his mom’s advice on
what to do. “Sure, Mom. Come on over in a bit.”
Jax hung up the receiver and finished drying off. After wrapping the
towel around his waist, he looked out the windows which overlooked Central
Park. The sky was quickly losing its light as the sun had set some time
ago. Across the cityscape, lights were turned on everywhere.
Jax leaned against the window, trying not to panic. “Where are you,
Skye?”
Skye had no idea what time it was. She hadn’t put on her watch when she
dressed earlier that day like she normally did since she and Jax had been in
such a hurry. Then, Skye had been foolish enough to leave her purse in
the limo when Jax had taken her to his surprise – what a surprise it turned out
to be!
Grateful that she had at least been wearing a jacket with a hood, Skye tried
not to think of how wet and cold she was. She had been wandering around
Central Park for hours and then decided that she should probably get back on
the well-lit streets for her own safety. She knew that she would
eventually have to return to the hotel; she just wasn’t ready to face Jax or
the questions he was bound to ask her.
Skye kept replaying her most recent memory over and over again in her
mind. She had practically forgotten the words Althea had yelled at her,
but now they made perfect sense. Althea had told her that she plucked her
up out of nothing, and gave her a home and a family. At the time, Skye
hadn’t thought about her mother’s choice in words, but now she realized that
Althea was alluding to Skye being adopted. She only wondered how she
could never have seen the signs before the big revelation occurred at Todd and
Blair’s non-wedding. Did she really look anything like Adam or
Althea? Not in the least.
Skye cursed herself for being so stupid and naïve. In her mind’s eye,
regardless of the fact that she had merely been a child, she was convinced that
she should’ve been able to deduct the truth from all of the clues that came her
way.
As Skye trudged up 5th Avenue, she thought back to Jax. She truly did
love him, and it scared her to no end. Being with him meant giving up
control, something that Skye was never comfortable with. But Jax was
worth that sacrifice, and he hadn’t taken advantage of her loss of control…
until today. Skye knew that he hadn’t meant to hurt her, she’d just been
so taken aback when she realized where they were, and Jax had been unlucky
enough to be on the receiving end of her rage. She cringed as she
remembered how she’d thrown him to the ground, looking at him as if he’d been
Althea, trying to physically and emotionally hurt her. Part of her knew
that he would never do that to her, but there was that other part… that part
that told her that she couldn’t trust anyone, that it was a mistake to open up
her heart again, that she should’ve learned her lesson by now. It was
that part of herself that was keeping Skye from going back to the hotel or at
least calling Jax.
Skye looked up as she walked past one of the many cathedrals in that part of
New York City, trying to locate the source of the beautiful music she
heard. The music pulled Skye in toward the church. The next thing
she knew, she was opening the heavy front door and walking into the cathedral.
“So, that’s what happened,” Jax finished his story. He had worried at
first that his parents would pre-judge Skye before meeting her, but then he
remembered how they hadn’t judged he and Alexis for their marriage of
convenience, and how Jax was in fact the harshest of the three as far as
judging his brother, Jerry.
Jane Jax sighed as she stood and walked over to her son. It was obvious
to her that this woman meant a great deal to her son. While she hated to
see him so pained, she was also thrilled that he had once again found someone
to love. Truth be told, she and John had been rather worried about Jasper
ever since Brenda had died.
“What can we do to help, Son?” John Jacks got down to the point, he was a
very straightforward man.
Jax shrugged as he looked up at his father glumly. “I don’t know,
Dad. I tried looking for her, but I couldn’t find her. I don’t
know.”
“Well, she’ll come back,” Jane announced confidently, patting Jax on the
back. She made a face and shook her head slightly at John as he frowned,
his concern for their son evident in his demeanor.
Jax slowly nodded. “I hope you’re right, Mum. I hope you’re right.”
Skye listened to the group practicing their songs at the front of the
sanctuary, enthralled by the sound of their voices. She subtly leaned
against a dark corner, hoping that no one would notice the woman soaked
head-to-toe who had just wandered in off the street.
As the group started their next song, Skye’s breath caught in her throat as she
listened to the words:
You think you're
alone there in your silent storm
but I've seen the tears you've cried
Falling down and trying to drown
The flame of hope inside
Let me tell you now, tell you now
When you're walking in the dead of night
And your soul is churning
When your hope seems out of sight
Keep the candle burning
All it takes is one steady heart in a world that's turning
Shine a light and pierce the dark
Keep the candle burning
Keep the candle burning
When you're down and you're discouraged
When the darkness clouds your view
You've got to gather up your courage
You know the Lord is gonna see you through
Let me tell you now, tell you now
When you're walking in the dead of night
And your soul is churning
When your hope seems out of sight
Keep the candle burning
All it takes is one steady heart in a world that's turning
Shine a light and pierce the dark
Keep the candle burning
Keep the candle burning
One ray of light always breaks through
Follow wherever He takes you
Wherever He takes you
As her salty tears intermingled with the rainwater on her face, Skye sniffled
quietly in the back corner, the words touching her heart. Saying a silent
prayer of thanks, Skye quickly let herself back out into the wet night and set
off at a brisk pace, finally having a destination in mind.
Jax rolled the room service cart out into the hallway after his parents left,
trying to keep his mind occupied. He didn’t dare look at the clock, it
would only lead to more panic and frustration on his part. Damn, how
could he not have noticed that Skye never talked about her childhood.
Obviously, it had been a horrible experience for her. Jax couldn’t quite
imagine what that must be like – he had been blessed with two loving parents
and a fun, if not mischievous, older brother.
Having found Skye’s purse in the back of the limo earlier, Jax knew that she
didn’t have her card key with her. He propped the door open, just in case
he fell asleep, then sat down in a chair in the darkened room, overlooking
Central Park.
Skye was surprised to find the door ajar. Her heart jumped a bit from
fear… she hoped that nothing had happened to Jax. Gently pushing the door
open, she squinted in the dark as she fumbled for a light switch.
Suddenly, the room was flooded with light.
Jax and Skye stood still, staring at each other, neither one saying a
word. Finally, Jax couldn’t take it anymore… he was so relieved that he
couldn’t contain himself – he scooped Skye up into his arms and simply held her
close to him. When Skye met his eyes with hers and wrapped her arms
around his neck, he knew that everything would be okay.
Skye met Jax’s gaze without any hesitation. She was so relieved that he
didn’t seem angry – she hadn’t been sure what his reaction would be.
Jax sat down on the couch, still holding Skye in his arms. She snuggled
against him and let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her head
buried in his chest.
“No, I’m sorry, Skye. I didn’t know…” his voice trailed off, unsure of
how to put into words what he didn’t know, and what he was afraid had happened
to her when she was a child.
Skye sniffed as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. “You couldn’t have
known,” she acknowledged quietly, looking down at her hands.
Jax lifted Skye’s chin up, then gently wiped away the tears from her
cheeks. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly.
Skye shook her head, overcome with emotion. “I will, I promise, but not
right now, okay?” Her eyes pleaded with Jax’s.
Jax nodded, afraid now more than ever to hear what she would eventually tell
him. He couldn’t imagine how anyone would purposefully hurt Skye, and it
made his blood boil to think about it.
Exhausted, Skye collapsed against Jax once more. He pulled her close and
simply held her against him, staring down at her dampened hair that was
starting to curl up. As he watched her slowly drift off to sleep, he
wondered just how soon she would be ready to open up to him, and just how many
walls would she have to tear down to tell the entire truth.
Song credit
– “Keep the Candle Burnin’” – Point of Grace
Chapter 12
Skye sighed
contentedly as she snuggled deeper into the crook between Jax’s arm and his
chest. He had been spooning her all night, making her feel incredibly
safe and warm. For a brief moment, it was as if everything was right with
the world… until Skye recalled what had taken place the day before. She sat
bolt upright in bed, the sudden movement awakening Jax beside her.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked groggily, blinking his eyes against the light
filtering into the room from outside.
“Nothing, I just…” Skye didn’t know how to respond, truth be told.
What exactly was wrong, and how could it be fixed? Was she nervous about
telling Jax about her past experiences in that house, or was it something
more? Regardless, Skye could feel a sense of dread growing deep within
her.
Jax, more alert now, sat up beside Skye and rubbed her back gently as he
studied her expression. He had been weak with relief when she had walked
into the suite last night, but now he didn’t know what to feel. He knew
that sooner or later, he was going to have to be strong for her as she told him
things that were undoubtedly difficult for her to talk about, but he feared
that he wouldn’t be able to control his rage after hearing whatever horrible
tragedies Skye had endured.
Even though she was deep in thought, Skye still noticed Jax remaining strangely
silent next to her. She glanced over and saw the muscles in his jaw
contracting from Jax clenching his teeth together. Apprehension grew
within Skye as she wondered exactly what had made Jax so angry. Part of
her wanted to reach out to him, but another part was afraid of what she’d find
out. She was sick of being so damn confused, of being pulled in so many
different directions. She sighed and swung her legs over the side of the
bed.
“Where are you going?” Jax asked, surprise evident in his voice.
“I need to shower,” Skye said quietly as she stood up and put on her
slippers. She turned and faced Jax, her gaze one of affection.
“Jax, I am very sorry that I worried you last night,” she said quietly.
Jax moved over to the side of the bed and held Skye’s hands in his own.
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” he told her, surprising even himself as tears
sprang into his eyes.
Skye sucked in her breath. She couldn’t stand there and see Jax in pain
because of her reflexive actions. She pulled away abruptly and busied
herself by tidying up the room. She could feel Jax’s eyes on her,
watching her every move. “So, what happened with your parents?” she
finally asked, breaking the silence.
Jax snickered a bit. “Oh, yes, them. Well, Mum and Dad were
disappointed, to say the least, that they didn’t have a chance to meet
you.” Jax remembered back to his conversation with his parents about what
had happened with Skye at the townhouse and decided not to tell Skye that he
had confided in his parents. “Actually, they’re still here and would love
to have lunch today before they jet back to Alaska,” he paused, noticing Skye
tense up a bit. “That is, if you’re up for it,” he added quickly.
Skye forced a smile onto her face. “Of course! I do want to meet
them, Jax. Lunch will work out fine.”
“You’re sure?” Jax wasn’t entirely convinced.
“Yes!” Skye responded, somewhat exasperated. Realizing how cross she had
sounded, she took a deep breath and shook her head slightly. “Sorry,” she
simply said, glancing over at Jax with regret.
Jax smiled slightly. “It’s okay,” he assured her. He watched her
carefully as she began to slowly pace the room, becoming lost in her own
thoughts. Jax was slowly picking up on some of Skye’s habits – the way
she chewed part of her lower lip while trying to make a decision, the way she
cocked her head to the side just before she opened up about something, the way
she squeezed her lips together to stop her tears from falling. He
realized now that she had something very heavy on her mind, and she was
battling with whether to share it with him or not. He had learned
that it was better not to force the issue, but to just be there to listen to
her if she decided to talk.
Skye’s had frightened herself with her unnecessary harsh response to Jax’s
simple question. She had actually sounded a bit like Althea, and that was
enough to make her skin crawl. She thought back to the previous night, to
her promise to Jax to share with him what it was that she had run away from –
she owed him that much.
Slowly, Skye lifted her gaze to Jax and noticed that he was staring back at
her. She marveled at how he could be so patient with her, putting up with
her moods that could change without any notice. Yes, she did owe him the
truth… or at least the part that she had promised to tell him.
Keeping eye contact, Skye walked back over to Jax and gingerly sat down on the
edge of the bed. She tapped her fingers together out of nervousness until
Jax reached out and covered her fingers with his own. His own heart
started to pound harder, simply from witnessing her in such agony. He
swallowed hard, trying to prepare himself for anything she might say.
Skye felt herself begin to tremble, just at the thought of voicing aloud
anything having to do with her childhood. Jax sensed this, and gently
grasped her shoulders. “What can I do to make this easier for you?” he
asked softly.
“Hold me,” Skye told him in a small voice. Jax did as requested, moving
so that he was leaning against the headboard of the bed, and then pulled Skye
into his arms. She leaned back into him, resting her head on his
chest. Skye let out a nervous sigh, then allowed herself to calm down
somewhat as she felt Jax’s steady heartbeat. Not knowing where to begin,
Skye just let the words start to tumble out.
“You know, what’s weird is that in Oak Haven – that’s the sanitarium I was in
for awhile – in my therapy sessions, we barely even touched on my relationship
with Althea. We only focused on my relationship with Adam. I guess
that was because we hadn’t been in each other’s lives for very long when I
decided to go psycho and hold Barbara Montgomery at gunpoint for stealing my
husband while I was in a coma.” She paused, drawing in a breath.
Jax was partially glad that Skye was facing away from him so she couldn’t see
the expression on his face. He was completely dumbfounded by what he was
hearing – it sounded like something out of a soap opera. In fact, it
wasn’t at all what he had expected to come out of her mouth. But then, he
should’ve known better… he thought that he would’ve learned by now to expect
the unexpected when it came to Skye.
Skye continued her rambling, unaware of Jax’s shock thus far. “Boy, Rae
would have a field day with that information, wouldn’t she? I doubt that
Myrtle told her about my stay in the loony bin.” She chuckled, though the
slight laugh sounded hollow even to her ears.
“Anyway, that was such an awful time. I was so unsure of myself… well,
who am I kidding, I still am… but it was so much worse back then. Dixie
and Daddy… well, Adam… had just brought Junior home from the hospital. He
was so proud of his son – his best boy! He even forgot my birthday that
year - he told me that grown people over 21 should have the decency not to
celebrate their own birthdays anymore.” She paused and gripped Jax’s arm
as if to steady herself, as she remembered her feelings of being neglected
returning on that awful day.
“Well, it got worse from there. Junior was kidnapped, and would you
believe that my own father accused me of doing it! I mean, I did say at
Junior’s christening that I hated the baby, and then Adam kicked me out of his
house. But I would never have hurt Junior, and Adam should’ve known
that!” Skye shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. “It was
awful, Jax. The police were chasing me, and I was sure that they were
going to lock me up again at Oak Haven. I couldn’t go through that
again! So, once I was arrested, Tad Martin found the real kidnapper, and
then I was released. I immediately started drinking again, full-force… I
figured, if I was going to be accused of being crazy again, I might as well
have a good excuse, right?” Skye shook her head sadly. “I made so
many bad choices, so many mistakes.” She sighed, recalling some of her
not-so-pleasant times in Pine Valley. “Finally, I wised up and quit
drinking and got with the program – AA, that is. They saved my life, they
really did. But at the same time, it was so scary to not have that safety
net of drinking to fall back on. I think that’s when I really started
putting up walls around me. I was so damn determined that no one would
ever get a close enough look at what I was thinking or feeling to ever make the
declaration that I was crazy. And it worked… no one could get through
those walls I built up. Sure, a few people tried, some with more success
than others. But no one has managed to get me to open up…” she paused and
turned to look at Jax, “until you, Jax.”
Stunned by her frankness, Jax didn’t know how to respond. Lucky for him,
Skye solved the problem by continuing to talk, still facing him but looking
down at her hands. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I never wanted
to talk about my past with anyone before, but something about you makes me want
to share everything with you. And quite frankly, that scares a part of
me, the part that is screaming inside me right now for me to just shut up and
put those walls back up. But I can’t, Jax, because I don’t want this wall
to keep you out. I don’t want anything to come between us.”
Jax instinctively reached out and pulled Skye into a hug, holding her tightly
against him. “I don’t want anything between us, either,” he said
hoarsely, blinking back his own tears.
Skye pulled away gently, wiping her eyes. “Good,” she said, smiling
slightly, “because I still have more to tell.”
She then proceeded to tell him exactly what she had remembered when they had
gone into the townhouse. Jax was thunderstruck by what he was hearing –
he couldn’t imagine enduring something so horrible, and at the hand of a
parent, no less. He just sat with Skye, holding her hands and rubbing
them softly with his thumbs, as the story poured out of her.
When Skye finally stopped talking, she realized that Jax was crying. Her
brow knit together in concern and anger as she leaned forward and lightly
placed her hands on his face. “No, Jax, don’t cry – she’s not worth it.”
Jax cleared his throat and smiled through his tears. “You’re right, Skye
- she isn’t worth it, but you are.”
Taken aback, Skye was wide-eyed as she let Jax’s words sink in. Slowly
but gradually, the awful feeling she’d had in the pit of her stomach began to
release its hold on her. As the feeling of dread faded away, a new
feeling of sorrow replaced it.
Jax watched as Skye’s expression changed from one of anger and shock to one of
sadness and desperation. He caught her as she fell forward into his
arms, sobbing. “Why, Jax, why?” she asked over and over, the sound of her
sobs muffled by his body as she leaned into him.
“I don’t know, Skye. I’m so sorry, luv. So sorry.” Jax’s
voice broke as he gently rocked Skye in his lap. How could he have not
realized what she had endured? And for whatever reason, he had a sinking
feeling that, while everything she had told him was the truth, there was much
more to be told. But what would it take for her to tear down even more
walls? Was it even a possibility?
Chapter 13
“Skye! Are you almost ready?”
Jax called out from the front room of the hotel suite. “I don’t want to
keep my folks waiting!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Skye announced breathlessly, exiting the
bedroom. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to look nice.”
Jax surveyed her for a moment, admiring the simple cut of the brown dress she
had chosen. The material clung to her perfect figure in all the right
places but also gave her the look of sophistication. Her hair was down
and wavy, just the way Jax liked it. “You look more than nice,” he
finally told her, causing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
“Okay, then – let’s go meet Lord and Lady Jacks!” Skye told him, nervous with
anticipation.
Jax grabbed Skye’s hand as she started past him toward the door. “Hey –
no worries, okay? They’re going to love you, just like I do.” He
kissed her lightly on the lips and gave her one of his radiant grins.
Skye nodded her head, returning his smile, and silently hoped that he was
right.
“Mum, Dad!” Jax walked over to the handsome older couple standing by the
entrance to the restaurant.
“Hello, son!” Lady Jane Jacks pulled her much taller son into a bear hug,
then looked over at Skye as she pulled away from Jasper. “So, is this
whom I’ve been hearing so much about?” she teased Jax, smiling at Skye.
Skye held out her hand to Jane. “Hello, I’m Skye Chandler Quartermaine,”
she introduced herself, trying to hide her nervousness.
“Yes, you are!” Jane responded, ignoring Skye’s outstretched hand and instead
pulling her into the same type of bear hug she had given Jax moments ago.
“My dear, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you,” Jane told her as she
released her grasp on Skye.
“And the same goes for me,” John spoke up, taking both of Skye’s hands in his
and kissing them. “Jax, she is a beauty!”
“Dad!” Jax admonished, obviously embarrassed by his father’s behavior.
“What? Can’t I state the obvious?” he objected.
“Lord Jacks, you are too kind,” Skye thanked him.
“Oh no, we can’t have any of that Lord and Lady nonsense – it’s Jane and John,
please,” Jax’s mother insisted. “Ah, Jax, I believe our table is ready.
Shall we?”
The foursome enjoyed each other’s company immensely. Skye was pleasantly
surprised to find herself put at ease by Jax’s parents – they were both such
warm, friendly people. Even better, they full of delightful anecdotes
about Jax’s childhood. Skye couldn’t remember the last time she had
laughed this much, except at a play or movie.
Jax was thrilled to see Skye so happy. Truthfully, he had been a bit
worried about their lunch with his parents after Skye’s breakdown earlier that
morning. But instead of bringing her down, her confessions to Jax of
stories of her past actually seemed to be a burden removed from her – Jax
couldn’t remember when he had seen her eyes sparkle quite so much.
Coffee was served once they were all finished eating the delicious meal.
John slapped Jax on the back heartily. “What do you say, old mate?
We need to discuss some family business, and I’d like a cigar. Shall we
step into the bar for a few moments?”
Jax looked over to see Skye’s reaction. She gave him a slight nod of
encouragement, not lost on Jane. “I’ll take good care of her, my boy,”
Jane told her son, smiling as she patted Skye’s hand and gave her son a wink.
“So, I’m afraid we’ve monopolized the conversation for most of the afternoon,
my dear,” Jane told Skye apologetically. “Do tell me a bit about
yourself.”
“Well, I’m sure Jax has told you about my job and all that,” Skye countered,
taking a sip of her coffee.
“Yes, that’s true,” Jane confirmed. “But I’m sure there’s much more to
know about you than what you do for a living.”
Skye shrugged, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “Not really,
actually. You’d be surprised at how boring my life really is.”
“Well, what about your family? I understand you’re related to the
Quartermaines?” Jane questioned with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, yes… I only discovered that I was adopted about a year ago. My
biological mother led me to Alan Quartermaine, my father. I decided to
stay in Port Charles to get to know Alan and the rest of my family better.”
“And how has that been?” Jane asked.
Skye tilted her head to the side, considering Jane’s question. “To tell
you truth, it hasn’t been the greatest,” she admitted, but then smiled.
“I have learned a lot about myself through this entire ordeal, though. And
if I hadn’t come to Port Charles, chances are that I never would’ve met
Jax.” Her smile broadened just from saying his name.
Jane was pleased to see that Skye seemed to be as smitten with Jax as he was
with her. “You know, dear, Jax was terribly frantic last night when you
were nowhere to be found.”
Skye’s smile disappeared as she looked at Jane, trying to hide her shock that
Jax had shared that with his parents. What else had he shared with them?
“Oh, I know… it was thoughtless of me,” Skye agreed, looking rather upset with
herself. “I guess his surprise for me just caught me off-guard!”
She tried to keep her voice light as she looked over at Jane, awaiting her
reaction.
“Well, it’s understandable if you had a bad experience in that house,” Jane
offered sympathetically. “Jax was so worried about you last night – the
last thing he wanted to do was to hurt you. He thought you’d love going
to an old childhood home.”
Skye’s mind went numb as she realized that Jax had indeed told his parents the
entire story. She was saved from a response by Jax and his father’s
return to the table.
“What’s going on here?” Jax asked, noticing the spacey look in Skye’s eyes.
Skye snapped out of her momentary trance and beat Jane in answering Jax’s
question. “We were just getting to know each other better, isn’t that
right?” She smiled sweetly at Jane and then at Jax, but Jax could see
something dark lurking beneath her sugary sweet smile.
“We really need to get to the airport,” John declared. “Skye, my dear, it
was such a pleasure meeting you. I hope we see you again soon!” He
kissed her cheek affectionately. Skye smiled in return and thanked him
for his kind words.
Jane exchanged good-byes with Skye and Jax, then departed with John. Jax
sat back down at the table and glanced over at Skye, who seemed utterly
fascinated with her coffee cup. “Well, how do you think it went?” Jax
asked finally.
Skye scowled as she kept her eyes on her coffee cup. “You know, Jax, I’m
ready to go back to Port Charles,” she said, ignoring his question. “Can
we leave tonight instead of tomorrow?”
Surprised and disappointed, Jax nodded his head. “Sure, if that’s what
you want,” he agreed.
“Yes, it is,” Skye concurred, then stood up. “Well, I need to
pack.” She started out of the restaurant without waiting for Jax.
“Wait, Skye, I have to get the bill…” Jax called out to her, but she didn’t
even slow her pace. As he watched her leave, Jax cursed under his
breath. What went wrong?
Skye slammed the door as she stomped into the suite. Grabbing a suitcase,
she threw it onto the bed and started tossing clothes into the suitcase.
Her mind was reeling, the more she thought about Jax’s parents knowing what a
fool she had made of herself the day before. She shuddered as she
marveled how they must perceive her after that was their first impression of
her. She didn’t know what made her angrier – the fact that Jax had told
them about yesterday’s happenings, or the fact that Jax hadn’t told her that
he’d confided in them. Seething, she continued to pack haphazardly as Jax
came into the room.
“You mind telling me what that was all about?” Jax demanded, sitting on the
edge of the bed.
“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Skye told him, keeping busy with her
packing.
“Skye, stop this!” Jax insisted. When Skye continued her packing, Jax
stood up and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently. “Stop it,
Skye! Talk to me!”
Skye pushed Jax away angrily, then turned away from him. “Talk to you?”
she choked out. “Why, so you can tell your parents everything I say or
do?”
Jax hung his head – so that was what this was all about. He should’ve
guessed. Boy, his mother had a big mouth at times. He moved over to
Skye and put his hand on her shoulder. “Skye, I’m sorry,” he started, but
she brushed him off.
“Forget it,” she spat, turning and walking away from him. “Let’s just get
out of here.”
Jax looked at Skye with a mixture of amazement and disbelief. “No, I’m
not going to just forget it, Skye, and you shouldn’t, either.” Seeing no
response from her, Jax carried on. “Look, I was worried sick about you
last night. My mother and I happen to be very connected – I thought that
if anyone could give me advice on what to do, it would be her. Now, I’m
sorry if my telling them about what happened upset you, but you need to realize
that I didn’t do it to hurt you, Skye. I would never do anything to hurt
you.”
Skye turned slowly and looked at Jax, her eyes filled with pain. “You
just did,” she said quietly, then walked into the bathroom and shut the
door.
Confused beyond belief, Jax sank down onto the bed, then hit a pillow in
frustration. Just when he thought he had reached Skye, something had to
happen for her to put up another wall. He admitted to himself that she
had a right to feel betrayed, which made him feel all the worse. But what
would it take for him not to have to walk around on eggshells, constantly
afraid of upsetting her? He didn’t even have to ask himself if she was
worth it – that question didn’t appear anywhere in his mind. The only
question he had was how to solve the problem.
Skye leaned against the bathroom counter, trying to decide what her next move
would be. She was thoroughly frustrated with Jax but also with herself,
for allowing herself to get so worked up in front of Jax. On the other
hand, this was the same man that she had shared something with that very
morning that she had never shared with any other soul – if she couldn’t lose
her cool in front of him, then who? A voice screamed out the answer to
that in Skye’s head – no one. That was Althea talking again.
“Shut up, just shut up!” Skye whispered to her reflection, furious with herself
for losing control. “Get your act together!”
She gritted her teeth as she stared at her reflection, slightly amazed at the
angry expression on her face. She had a choice to make, and she wasn’t
crazy about what she’d have to give up either way she went. At that
moment, she wished like crazy that she could have it all, but she knew that it
just wasn’t possible – it would never be possible.
Chapter 14
Skye
quietly opened the bathroom door and peered out into the bedroom. Her
angry expression softened when she saw Jax sitting on the edge of the bed, his
head in his hands. Feeling her resolution faltering, Skye knew that it
was now or never. She opened the door wider and stepped into the bedroom,
faking a cough. It had the desired effect, as Jax finally looked up and
noticed her presence.
Jax’s eyes met Skye’s gaze. He scowled after seeing the look on her face,
one of determination and stubbornness. Well, he would show her that he
could be just as stubborn. This was going to be a battle of wills.
Skye took another step toward Jax, then stopped and crossed her arms over her
chest. She was waiting for Jax to say something; that would determine if
she gave him her decision here or back in Port Charles. She waited,
keeping her gaze steely, even as he stood and slowly moved toward her.
Just as he stood within inches of her, she dropped her head, unable to look him
in the eye at that close of a proximity.
“We need to go,” Skye mumbled, still looking down at the floor.
“No, I don’t think so.” Jax’s voice was soft, yet firm.
Skye’s head snapped up; her eyes were blazing as her cheeks flushed with
anger. “Damn it, Jax – don’t make me do this,” she said through clenched
teeth.
Jax took a step back, examined Skye for a moment, then sat back down on the
edge of the bed. Giving a short laugh, he shook his head in
amazement. “What exactly am I making you do, Skye?”
Skye threw her hands up in exasperation. “Alright, fine. If that’s
the way you want it…” Her voice trailed off as Jax looked at her
expectantly, awaiting the rest of her tirade. The fact that he seemed to
know how she would react to his decision to stay only made her rage
increase.
Swallowing what would’ve been an outburst that would make a priest blush, Skye
instead grabbed her suitcase and zipped it up. “You go ahead and stay if
you want to,” she told Jax in a low voice, “but I’m leaving.”
Jax stood up and put his arm on Skye’s hand, stopping her as she headed toward
the door. “No, you’re not.”
Skye whirled around, furious that he was trying to control her actions.
“Why not, oh mighty one?” she sneered.
Jax couldn’t resist a tiny smirk. “Well, for one thing, you are still in
your nightie,” he pointed out.
Skye frowned as she looked down, realizing that he was right. “Well, that
can easily be fixed,” she huffed, throwing her suitcase back onto the bed and
unzipping it, then rifling through the mess of wadded-up clothes to try to find
something to wear.
Jax flopped down on the bed and lay on his back, watching Skye’s
movements. He gave a rather long, loud sigh, causing Skye to glance over
at him with suspicious eyes. Finally, he rolled over onto his side and
propped himself up onto one elbow. “I just have one question for you,” he
said, a hint of sadness in his voice. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?” Skye narrowed her eyes as she continued to look at him
suspiciously.
Jax suddenly sat up and looked directly at Skye. “How do you have the
energy to keep so many people out of your life, Skye? I really wanna
know. My God, it must take so much energy to hide certain things, to keep
those walls up. Is it really worth it?” Seeing the slight look of
alarm on Skye’s face as she took a step back, he pushed onward. “Is it
worth all the pain? Is it worth the loneliness you feel? Is it?”
Recovering from her momentary shock, Skye tried to grab her clothes, but Jax
jumped up and stood between her and the suitcase. Crossing her arms
again, Skye looked away from Jax. “I don’t owe you any answers,” she
hissed.
“No, that’s true… you don’t,” Jax agreed. “But I would think that you’d
like to have those answers for yourself, Skye. I mean, think about
it. How much easier would your life be if you didn’t have to keep pushing
people away the entire time? Wouldn’t that be nice for a change?”
Jax realized he could push her too far with this line of questioning, but he
was willing to take the risk. He knew that if he didn’t try something, he
could lose her for good.
“You don’t know,” Skye said, her voice barely audible.
“That’s right, Skye. I only know what you’re willing to tell me,” Jax responded,
taking a step closer as he studied Skye carefully.
Skye’s resolve faltered once more as she considered Jax’s words. But who
was he to ask her these things? Did he have any idea what her life had
been like thus far? No, he certainly did not. Squaring her
shoulders, Skye lifted her chin and looked at Jax, her determination
back. “I don’t know what you hope to gain with this, Jax, but it’s not
working. So why don’t you just let me go, and just forget about all
this.” She started to brush past Jax, but he caught her by the arm and
gently pulled her directly in front of him.
“See what I mean?” he said softly, his hands on her shoulders. “Feel how
much energy it is taking right now for you to do this, for you to walk out on
us. Why do you have to do that, Skye? Why is it easier for you to
do that than to stay and fight for what we have going here?”
Skye kept her head down, knowing that he had her trapped. Strangely,
though, she didn’t feel as angry or threatened as she did a moment ago; instead,
the feeling of sorrow was returning.
“I can’t forget about all this, Skye. You know why? Because I love
you. And don’t think it doesn’t scare me to death to say that to you,
because it does. But what scares me even more is the thought of you walking
out that door and us losing what we have. I can’t go through that, Skye,
not again. Do you know the thoughts that were flying through my head last
night, of what might have happened to you? I was scared out of my mind… I
kept thinking the absolute worst. Don’t you think that it’s scary for me
to put my heart out there to love again? But I’m doing it anyway, aren’t
I? Please, Skye, you have to meet me halfway.” Jax stopped and took
a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions. He then knelt down and
grasped Skye’s hands in his own, then looked up into her face. “Talk to
me,” he whispered, a sense of urgency in his voice.
Skye felt like she had gone numb from head to toe. Never before had any
man said such things to her to keep her around. It went far beyond her
comprehension, why Jax would go to all this trouble for her. At the same
time, though, she remembered what it felt like to be in his arms, to feel his
lips on hers, to see him smile at her with his whole heart. It was like
her own little slice of Heaven, something she’d never quite experienced
before. But what he wanted from her, for her to talk to him, quite
possibly about everything… she just wasn’t sure if she could follow through if
she made that promise.
Slowly, Skye kneeled beside Jax, keeping her eyes averted. She suddenly
felt incredibly nervous for some odd reason, as if he were seeing her for the
first time. Her heart pounding, Skye raised her head to look at Jax and
asked in a soft whisper, “What do you want to know?”
Jax’s eyes radiated warmth and love as he gently cupped her face in his
hands. “Everything about you, luv. I want to know your soul, flaws
and all. It’s who you are, it’s all part of the woman I love.”
Skye nodded, sniffling as tears started seeping down her cheeks. “Okay,”
she said in a strangled whisper. “I’ll tell you everything – for you,
Jax, only for you.”
Jax shook his head, fighting back his own tears. “No, Skye – you need to
do this for yourself, too. No more hiding behind walls. Let yourself
be free. Show everyone who you really are behind all those masks.”
Skye looked back at Jax, a heartbroken expression on her face. “I’m not
sure if I know who that person is,” she lamented. “Besides, what if
people don’t like who I am, deep down?” She paused, drawing in a shaky
breath. “What if you don’t like who I am?” she said in a tiny voice.
Jax drew her close, silently cursing whatever or whoever it was that made her
feel this way her entire life. “That’s impossible, Skye… I’ve seen glimpses
of who you are behind that mask, and that’s what made me fall in love with
you. Never doubt that, okay?” He felt her nod against his chest.
As the sun started to set outside, the natural light in the hotel room slowly
grew dimmer. The two figures stayed huddled together on the floor,
clinging to each other, neither wanting to move.
Jax was resting his head on top of Skye’s, which was buried in his chest.
He lightly kissed the top of her head, then put his head back down on
hers. “I love you so much, Skye,” he whispered.
Skye slowly raised her head and looked into Jax’s eyes. Her doubt was
gone – she knew that she could trust this man. That didn’t mean that it
was going to be easy for her to talk about her past, but she felt more stable
and secure than she ever remembered feeling.
She raised her hands and gently brushed them across Jax’s eyes, watching as his
eyelids fluttered under her fingers. She then followed her fingers with
kisses on his eyelids, then trailed kisses down his nose before coming to his
mouth.
Jax kissed her back with a gentleness he hadn’t known he possessed. It
was as if they were touching each other for the first time, as their hands
moved ever so lightly over each other’s bodies. The feeling was pure
bliss, as the two lovers maintained constant eye contact as they started to
make love. It had never been so right. Hopefully, it was a new
beginning.
Chapter 15
Saying she would tell Jax the truth
about her past was easy; telling him the many sordid details of her past proved
to be much more difficult than even Skye had anticipated.
Jax and Skye agreed that they would take things slowly, as far as Skye opening
up about her past was concerned. Jax understood how unnerving it was for
Skye to dredge up all of her memories of her childhood, a feeling that was all
but foreign to him. He was just so glad that Skye wasn't going back on
her word; in their hotel suite in New York, he had been afraid that she'd just
said she'd tell him everything to get him to drop it. There were no
pretenses to that night, however - Jax had never experienced anything quite
like the tenderness and gentleness that he and Skye had shared that
night. Looking back, Jax marveled at just how perfect everything had been
about their lovemaking that night - there wasn't a single moment of awkwardness
between them, as their movements flowed together in perfect time. It had almost
been like they were making love to a musical ballad, their bodies and minds
were in such perfect sync with one another. Jax believed with all his
heart that it had been that way because there were finally no barriers between
them. He had shared his theory with Skye, and she had admitted that she
had never had a night quite like that one and didn't know what to make of the profound
physical and emotional impact that it had on her.
Since that night, Skye had started to change in several subtle ways. When
caught in a disagreement, Skye found herself considering more carefully what to
say before the words flew out of her mouth. If taunts were thrown her way
by the Quartermaines or others, Skye was slowly learning how to rise above it
and be the better person. When Jax shared some childhood story about him
and Jerry, Skye listened intently and allowed herself to be happy that Jax had
such a wonderful childhood. Then, with still some slight coaxing from
Jax, Skye would share a tale from her childhood. As she tried to remember
details that she had long ago tried to forget, she would often grow impatient
with herself. There were times when Skye couldn’t recall the details of a
number of events; at other times, it was as if a floodgate had opened, and her
childhood memories consumed her mind, night and day. It was those times
that Skye retreated back into herself, not wanting Jax or anyone else to see
her so vulnerable and frightened, as she had been as a little girl. It
was those times that Skye hated the worst, because that's when she felt she had
lost control.
Overall, though, things were really looking up for both Skye and Jax.
Jane and John Jacks had instantly phoned Jasper to tell him how much they truly
adored Skye, which gave her more confidence in herself, and also pleased Jax to
no end. Skye took the liberty of inviting the Quartermaines all out to
dinner with her and Jax. That evening had been a truly unique experience,
with everyone there from Ned and Kristina to Reginald and Big Alice. The
most important part of that evening, though, had been Skye facing her family
for the first time with Jax by her side, being able to feel his love for her,
and not having the gnawing hunger of being starved for her family's affection
and attention. Somehow, it didn't seem to matter as much anymore as it
used to.
The one person in Skye's life who Jax had yet to meet was her mother,
Rae. Skye had talked with Rae over the phone on several different
occasions since Christmas; Rae had been ecstatic to hear that Skye and Jax'
relationship had progressed so well. Ever the relationship expert, Rae
had cautioned Skye on taking things too fast, but Skye had assured her mother
that she knew what she was doing. The two agreed to meet in Pine Valley
in a few weeks - Rae was heading there to spend some time with her mother,
Myrtle, before Skye later joined them.
A week before she was scheduled to go to Pine Valley, Skye was busy working at
ELQ headquarters when her private line rang. "Skye Chandler
Quartermaine," she answered.
"Do you think you can clear your calendar for a few days?" boomed
Jax' voice over the line, excitement creeping into his voice.
Skye smiled happily the moment she heard his voice. "Well, I don't
know. What did you have in mind?"
"It's a surprise," came his reply, causing Skye to roll her
eyes. She still had trouble getting used to Jax' impulsive nature
at times.
Skye flipped open her Palm Pilot and scrolled through the next few days'
schedule. "Well, I guess I can get away for a bit," she
conceded. "Oh, but I am going to Pine Valley in about a week, so
I'll need to be back here in a few days to tie up some loose ends before that
trip. How does that sound?"
"That sounds perfect," Jax beamed. "I hope you're ready
for some magic, Ms. Chandler Quartermaine."
"Magic?" Skye asked quizically. "Jasper Jacks, what in the
world are you up to?"
"All in good time, my lady, all in good time," he teased.
"Okay, I'll meet you at the airport at 6:00 PM this evening. Is that
enough time for you to pack?"
"Yes, but what kind of weather am I packing for? Jax??"
Skye was trying her hardest not to grow exasperated with the well-intentioned
Aussie.
"Oh, yeah - sorry. Um, let's say fairly warm weather, but be
prepared to be active."
"Okay," Skye said slowly, making a notation in her Palm Pilot.
"I guess I'll see you soon, then."
"Alright, luv. Gotta run, lots to do in such little
time!" The phone clicked in Skye's ear before she could respond.
Shaking her head, Skye couldn’t help but smile as she replayed their
conversation in her mind. She knew that these surprises of Jax' were
meant to keep her happy; he'd been doing things like this ever since they had
returned from New York. But this was the most secretive yet he'd been
about a surprise. Skye could not begin to fathom where they might be
going.
After finally finishing some paperwork at the office, Skye made her way to her
hotel suite and hastily packed a suitcase. Once at the airport, she
instinctively went to the hangar where Jax' plane was located. Sure
enough, he was there, along with his most trusted pilot.
Jax ran out to greet her. "Hey, there, beautiful!" He
grinned as he picked her up and swung her around in his arms.
Skye laughed as Jax put her down. "What in the world has gotten into
you?" she asked.
A hint of mischief in his eyes, Jax kept grinning. "I just feel like
a little kid again, that's all." He whistled as he led Skye aboard
the airplane.
It took another half-hour before the airplane was in the air. Skye was
trying to stay patient, but inside she was going crazy from not knowing their
destination. "Come on, Jax," she begged. "At least a
hint?"
Jax pretended to ponder this for a moment. "Oh, alright," he
conceded. "I'll give you a hint." He moved to the front
of the cabin and came back, carrying a crate full of video tapes.
"What is this?" Skye asked, more puzzled than ever.
"This," Jax answered, "is our in-flight movie entertainment,
designed to get us in the mindset for our fun-filled adventure."
Skye leaned down to look at the movies, then looked back up at Jax as the clues
all fell into place. "Okay, so I should be ready for some magic,
you're acting like a little kid again, we're off on a fun-filled adventure,
it's going to be fairly warm, we'll be active, and these movies are all Disney
movies." A grin spread slowly across Skye's face. "Why
Mr. Jacks, are you taking me to Walt Disney World?"
"The one and only!" Jax confirmed, then suddenly grew worried when he
noticed a shadow cross her face briefly. "Is that okay?" he
asked, looking so much like a puppy wanting approval that Skye was forced to
laugh.
"Yes, it's more than okay!" Her smile faded as she recalled
another memory from long ago.
"What is it?" Jax asked softly, having started to recognize the
signals of a bad memory invading Skye's mind. He lifted up the armrest
between Skye and himself and put his arm around her comfortingly.
Skye sighed in frustration; she hated that all of these happy moments had to be
ruined by her having another bad memory of Althea. But there was no
stopping it now, and Jax wouldn't be put off, so she needed to concentrate on
the memory before it escaped her.
"I… I was about 7 or 8, I guess," Skye started slowly, closing her
eyes as she concentrated. "Althea was actually dating a nice man for
once, not another drunk loser. He had the idea to take us on a family
vacation, all three of us. I, of course, was ecstatic, especially when he
suggested we all go to Disneyland." Skye frowned as she remembered
more of the story. "But Althea objected, she said I didn't need to
go with them, that trips were for grown-ups only. The man didn't
agree. I was sent to my room, but then I sneaked downstairs to
listen. Althea said…" Skye stopped and bit her lip, "… she said
she wouldn't go on a trip with me, that she'd rather this man just take me on
the trip himself, or that he take me away for good."
Jax continued to just sit and listen, knowing there was not much else he could
do to make it any better for Skye at this point. Sensing that she was
growing more and more upset, he gently rubbed her arm with his free hand.
"I remember that the man was so angry at Althea - he asked her how she
could say something like that about her own daughter… I can't remember what
Althea's response was." Skye frowned as she tried to capture the
scene in her mind's eye. "He told Althea that she was cruel and had
no business raising a child. The next day, he was gone, and Child
Protection Services came knocking on our door." Skye shuddered,
remembering Althea's warnings. "They couldn't prove anything,
because I wasn't being physically abused, so there were no bruises or markings
on me." Yet, she thought, but didn't voice it aloud. "But
their visit was enough to send Althea over the edge. She was hauled away
in a straightjacket the next day, just like a scene out of the movies."
Skye heaved another sigh, then opened her eyes and turned her head to look at
Jax.
"And you never got to see Mickey Mouse," Jax concluded solemnly, his
heart breaking over all that Skye had endured.
She nodded, smiling despite the sad story. "Yeah, I guess it's no
big deal. It just would've been nice." She shrugged, as if
trying to shrug off the effect of that particular experience on her.
Jax enveloped her into a hug. "Well, I hope that this is nice for
you, Skye. I want to give you everything that you had to miss out on
growing up."
Skye smiled, even as her eyes filled with tears. "You already are,
Jax. You make me feel safe and loved and protected," she pulled away
and looked up at him earnestly, "and wanted. I can't ask for
more."
Jax smiled as he tenderly brushed his hand across her cheek, then leaned down
and captured her lips with his.
Chapter 16
Skye let
out a deep, cleansing breath as she lay on the massage table. “Oh, this
is heaven,” she mumbled as the masseuse worked her magic on Skye’s taut muscles.
“You do carry a lot of stress, don’t you?” the masseuse remarked off-handedly.
Skye snickered. “I guess you could call it that.” She smiled as she
closed her eyes, thinking about the incredible time she and Jax had been having
at Walt Disney World. They were staying at the Grand Floridian Hotel and
Spa, one of the most luxurious hotels on the Disney property. Skye and
Jax were both partaking in the spa activities before heading back out into the
parks. Jax was in a mineral bath somewhere nearby. After the
massage, Skye was next scheduled for a facial, and then a manicure and
pedicure. She was especially looking forward to the pedicure after being
on her feet almost all that day.
She thought back to the wonderful day they’d had so far. They had slept
in a bit since they didn’t arrive until late the night before. Determined
to show her a good time, Jax had been quite eager to get going, but Skye had
gently reminded him that she didn’t like to be rushed. They had
compromised and agreed to take their time and enjoy everything together.
They first went to EPCOT. There, they rode Spaceship Earth, Test Track,
and several other rides. Skye loved visiting all of the different
nations; Jax insisted on taking her picture in each country, with Skye wearing
a different hat each time to match that particular country. They had
dined at Le Cellier in Canada for a late lunch – the food and atmosphere had
been fantastic. Skye had to admit that her favorite parts were, rather
selfishly, when she could be alone with Jax. They snuggled on rides like
Spaceship Earth and Mexico’s River of Time, missing most of their surroundings
but not really caring.
The happy couple then ventured over to the Animal Kingdom. This place was
not Skye’s style, but Jax loved it and truly acted like a kid again. His
genuine excitement at seeing animals while on the Safari Ride delighted Skye to
no end. She would have preferred not to be jostled around so much, but
she wanted to experience it with Jax. Next, they rode the Dinosaur ride –
Skye jumped and clung to Jax when the dinosaur came out of nowhere. They
had ended their time at Animal Kingdom with The Lion King Show, which they both
absolutely loved. Jax had been amazed that Skye hadn’t seen “The Lion
King” or any other newer Disney movies. Skye told Jax she thought those
movies were just for kids, but he vowed to change her opinion when they
returned to Port Charles.
“Okay, that’s it,” the masseuse told her.
“Oh, that was absolutely wonderful. Thank you,” Skye told her, making
sure to leave her a generous tip.
After the rest of her treatments, Skye made her way up to their hotel
suite. Jax had gone all out, naturally, and reserved one of the honeymoon
suites. Skye teased him that he wanted that room for the Jacuzzi tub,
which Jax had denied, though not very convincingly.
Once in the suite, Skye heard water running in the tub. Pushing open the
bathroom door, she grinned at the sight before her. Jax stood by the tub,
stark naked, grinning as he filled it up.
“I thought you already had a bath downstairs,” Skye teased.
“I was hoping you’d be coming up soon,” Jax told her as he turned off the
water. “So, what do you say, Ms. Chandler Quartermaine, are you up for
the Jacuzzi?”
“Hmmm…” Skye pretended to hesitate, tapping her finger against her lip.
“I guess I could do that.” She gave Jax a playful grin as she stripped
off her clothes, then stepped past him into the tub.
“Hey, what are you doing?” he demanded as she leaned back and closed her eyes.
“Oh, Jax – did you want to get in first? Come on, there’s plenty of
room.” Skye smiled coyly as Jax stepped into the tub. She
knew that he had wanted to snuggle with her, but her perch against the side of
the tub made that impossible.
Skye leaned over Jax to turn on the jets. As the water started to churn
around them, Skye sighed contentedly. “Isn’t this just the best?” she
murmured.
“That massage must have really relaxed you,” Jax commented, trying not to
show his disappointment.
Skye turned and splashed Jax. “Jasper Jacks, you are such a gentleman,
even when you’re naked in a tub with a woman,” she laughed. “Come here,
you.”
He obliged all too willingly, grinning as he moved over to Skye’s side, then
nibbled on her earlobe.
“Mmmm…” was all Skye could say.
Jax pulled back and just stared at Skye for a moment.
“What?” she asked with a giggle.
“You’re just so beautiful,” he said in a low, husky voice.
“You aren’t so bad yourself,” she teased, then leaned up and brought his head
down so their lips met.
Passion erupted between the two lovers as they lost themselves in each other,
everything else forgotten for the time being.
Chapter 17
Rating:
PG
The lovebirds arose early the next morning. Jax had been teasing Skye the
night before that he had quite the surprise planned for her.
As they stepped off the monorail into the Magic Kingdom, Skye gasped at the
sight of Cinderella’s Castle in front of them. “Oh, Jax – I love
it!”
Jax’s smile grew broader as he saw her eyes light up at each new
discovery. He had hoped that this place would help to perhaps heal some
of Skye’s inner child, or to at least give her back some of the fun and
laughter that had been stolen from her during her horrible
childhood.
Jax led Skye toward the castle, laughing as Skye talked a mile a minute while
reading the brochure, listing off the attractions they had to see. As
they reached the inside of the castle, Skye looked at Jax quizzically.
“What are we doing here?” she asked as she arched an eyebrow.
Jax grinned back. “M’ lady, welcome to Cinderella’s Royal Table.”
He held open a door for her, and they entered a restaurant with Disney
characters floating from table to table.
Skye practically clapped her hands with glee, she didn’t think it could get any
more magical. She turned to Jax and wrapped her arms around his waist,
drawing him near. “You’ve really outdone yourself, Mr. Jacks,” she
whispered to him, then gave him a soft peck on the cheek.
“Yes, well…” Jax was interrupted by the hostess, who seated them at a
special table. “Your guest will be along momentarily,” she told them with
a wink.
“Who?” Skye asked suspiciously, but she was unable to hide her smile from Jax.
“Oh, just someone I thought you’d want to meet,” Jax told her casually.
As the two perused the menus, Skye suddenly felt a pair of hands go over her
eyes. These were no ordinary hands, though – they were big and
white. Turning around, Skye gasped as she looked into the face of Mickey
Mouse.
Jax beamed as he grabbed a camera and snapped shots of Skye hugging Mickey,
then had the waiter come over and take a picture of the three of them.
After Mickey had parted, Skye looked at Jax with tears in her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said softly, squeezing his hands. “You brought me Mickey.”
Jax nodded, returning her squeeze of affection. Then he grinned, as a
thought occurred to him. “Well, Ms. Chandler Quartermaine, I do believe
that I have some suitable blackmail material now. Imagine the headlines –
‘ELQ CEO conspires with Mickey Mouse.’”
Skye joined in his laughter, then gave him a devilish smile. “Those
pictures are for your and my eyes only,” she warned him with a wink.
Jax held up his hands in mock protest. “Whatever you say, my fair lady.”
Skye sighed as she looked around at the nearby tables. A handsome couple
was seated next to Skye and Jax, with two young children. The children
squealed in delight as Mickey Mouse visited them next.
Jax followed Skye’s gaze and caught the wistful look in her eyes. “Cute,
huh?” He nodded toward the kids.
Skye diverted her gaze and busied herself with her silverware. “Yeah,
they are,” she agreed quietly. Picking up her glass of ice water and
swirling the ice around, Skye tried to sound casual as she asked a question
that had been heavy on her mind. “Do you like kids, Jax?”
Her question threw Jax off-guard. “Uh, yeah, I like kids. In fact,
I hope to have a few someday.” He smiled, hoping that this was the answer
she wanted to hear.
Her expression unreadable, Skye’s heart sank as she continued to sip her water,
barely acknowledging his answer with a nod. Their food arrived then, to
Skye’s relief, saving her from commenting on the subject any further. She
wished she had never brought it up in the first place.
After a scrumptious brunch, the duo headed back out into the Magic
Kingdom. To continue with the magical theme, Jax first took Skye to
Fantasyland, where they rode It’s a Small World and Peter Pan’s Flight.
Continuing from there, they journeyed over to Tomorrowland. There, they
hopped aboard the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, partly to rest their feet,
and partly to snuggle together.
As their cart moved into a dark area, Jax surprised Skye with a passionate kiss
that left her breathless. Her breathing grew heavy as he continued to
nibble on her neck. “Would you stop?” she teased, playfully pushing at
him. “This is hardly fair, Jax. You get me all excited, and there’s
nothing I can do about it.”
Jax grinned back at her. “Well, there is a method to my madness of
getting your heart pounding,” he admitted with a chuckle. “In fact, I
believe we’re about to enter the very ride that I want to go on next.”
Skye’s eyebrows shot up as their cart passed through the Space Mountain
ride. “No way!” she protested.
“Aw, come on,” Jax taunted her. “It’s not nearly as bad as it looks.”
Skye still looked unconvinced. Jax leaned in and whispered, “Unless
you’re chicken, that is.”
Skye’s mouth dropped open. She looked offended as her eyes
narrowed. “You’re on, Mr. Jax,” she told him with a daring smile.
After the ride, even though she had screamed and hollered, Skye had to admit
that Jax was right – it wasn’t nearly as heart-stopping as it had looked.
“So, what’s next?” she asked cheerily.
“Well, I think we need to head over to Frontierland and Adventureland,” Jax
suggested, observing the time. “Perfect timing – the sun is just
setting.”
“Perfect timing for what?” Skye asked cautiously.
“Let’s go, and you’ll find out,” Jax promised, grabbing her hand and directing her
through the crowds.
Soon, the couple was climbing about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which
promised to be the craziest ride in the west. Jax had been right once
again – dusk was the perfect time to ride this roller coaster.
They followed Thunder Mountain with Splash Mountain. Jax had insisted
that they ride in the very front of the boat. By this time, it was dark
outside, making it difficult to tell what was up ahead on the ride. Skye
clung to Jax, screaming from any kind of drop, small or large. The large
drop at the end soaked them both. Skye doubled over with laughter once
they exited the ride – they both looked like drowned rats.
“Why don’t we head back to the hotel, change, and then go out and have some
more fun?” Jax suggested.
Skye motioned for Jax to lead. “By all means, Mr. Tour Director,” she
teased him. It pleased her to see him having as much fun as she was –
with everything that had been going on in Port Charles, she hadn’t been the
only one in need of a getaway.
After freshening up at their hotel, Skye and Jax headed over to Pleasure
Island. Their first stop was the Comedy Warehouse. The
improvisation was at its best, leaving the crowd in tears from laughing so
hard.
As they walked hand-in-hand down one of the streets, Skye pulled Jax into a
club. Her eyes lit up as she looked around at the various retro
decorations. “Now, this is my kind of place!” Pulling Jax behind
her, Skye marched straight onto the dance floor, then dropped Jax’ hand as she
lost herself to the retro music. Jax shook his head; he never would’ve
guessed that Skye Chandler Quartermaine loved to dance. It only added to
his desire to experience everything with her that he possibly could; he wanted
to know all there was to know about her, heart and soul.
Chapter 18
Rating: R
The next day was much less hectic, as Skye and Jax slept in after their late
night out, then ordered room service and served each other breakfast in
bed. Once they actually moved out of bed, they decided to venture over to
the Disney-MGM Studios for their last day at Walt Disney World.
“What in the world…” Jax mumbled as they approached the gates. Banners
were hung up near the entrance, welcoming soap fans.
“Super Soap Weekend,” Skye read, then chortled. “Omigod, you mean they
actually have a weekend just for soap operas?” The idea seemed
preposterous to her.
Jax grinned as they passed a group of women screaming at some soap star to take
his shirt off. “I guess it takes all kinds,” he remarked with a
grin.
Skye insisted on seeing the Muppets’ 3-D show. Jax watched her more than
he did the show – she was enthralled with it all. Afterwards, she smiled
as a bittersweet memory overcame her.
“When I was about 10 or 11, I wanted to be a puppeteer,” she confided in a
surprised Jax.
“How did that come about?” he wanted to know, curious about this latest glimpse
into her childhood.
Skye sighed as she recounted one of the few good memories she had of her days
growing up. “We lived in Chicago at the time,” she said softly.
“Althea was having one of her bad spells, so she was in another
institution. One of my only friends invited me along with her family to a
carnival.” Skye stopped, remembering the kindness her friend’s parents
had shown her, and how she had acted like a spoiled brat so that they wouldn’t
see how much it hurt her to see what she was missing out on. “We watched
a puppet show, and I remember thinking that this was the ideal job because you
get to hide behind a wall, yet still maneuver something and entertain people
with your own voice and ideas.” She looked up at Jax then, slightly
embarrassed. “That probably sounds silly, huh?”
“No, not at all,” Jax told her. “Thank you for sharing that with me,
Skye.”
Skye nodded and gave Jax a little smile, not sure of how to respond.
“What next?” she asked, intentionally changing the subject.
Jax allowed her diversion tactic to work. He pointed toward Hollywood
Boulevard. “This way to the best rides,” he told her, his eyes sparkling.
While Skye liked the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, she absolutely loved the Tower of
Terror. Jax had to give in to her begging to ride it again, he just
couldn’t resist. Skye squealed in delight as their elevator car
repeatedly fell. She collapsed against Jax as they prepared to disembark.
“Oh, boy, that wore me out,” she confessed with a smile.
Jax pretended to pout. “Oh, gee, that’s too bad. I had a special
evening planned.”
Skye perked up at that. “Well, I’m sure I can get my energy back,” she
replied, batting her eyelashes.
“Good,” Jax smirked. “Glad to hear it.”
Back at the Grand Floridian Resort, Jax waited for Skye to join him for their
special evening. As the bedroom door opened and Skye stepped out to join
him, Jax’ breath caught in his throat.
Skye was wearing a satin strapless evening gown, in a deep ruby red, with a
sheer red wrap. Her hair was swept up and pinned into place by several
tiny clips that sparkled as they caught the light. She smiled when she
saw the effect her appearance had on Jax, and returned his approving
gaze. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit, a crisp white shirt, and a new
tie that Skye had purchased for him at the hotel’s gift shop.
Jax wordlessly held out his hand to Skye, who took it with a smile, her eyes
never leaving his. It was as if her dreams had indeed come true, and she
didn’t want it to end.
The pair dined on a lavish six-course meal at Victoria & Albert’s, one of
the most prominent restaurants in all of Walt Disney World. It also just
happened to be at their resort.
“Oh, not another bite!” Skye groaned as she placed her fork and knife on the
plate. “It was so delicious, though.”
Jax nodded in agreement, then motioned to their servers. They came
bustling over and quickly cleared the table, then gave Jax a small basket and a
cooler. “Enjoy,” they said, smiling as they left just as quickly as
they’d appeared.
Skye gave Jax a questioning look. “There’s something I want to show you,”
he told her as he guided her out of her seat. “Follow me.”
Jax led Skye outside the resort, then down to the beach. He bent to take
off his shoes, then did the same for Skye, who giggled, unable to imagine what
he was up to. Jax threw their shoes into a bag that had been inside the
basket, then grabbed Skye’s hand once more and led her out onto the beach of
the resort. The sand felt cold yet soft on their bare feet, as they
slowly walked toward the water’s edge.
Cinderella’s Castle was in full view in front of them as Jax set down the
basket and cooler. Skye watched as he unfolded a blanket and placed it on
the sand, then pulled out some sparkling cider and two glasses. After
helping Skye get settled on the blanket, Jax poured them each some sparkling
cider.
Jax held up his glass for a toast. He looked deep into Skye’s eyes,
wondering if she had any idea of the depth of his feelings for her.
Clearing his throat, Jax regained his train of thought. “To magic,” he
said.
“To magic,” Skye repeated softly, clinking her glass with his.
They each took a sip from their glasses, then leaned forward until their lips
brushed against each other. At that moment, bursts of bright light
exploded in the sky, causing Skye to jump.
“It’s the Magic Kingdom fireworks show,” Jax explained with a smile.
Skye looked back at Jax with an endearing smile. “Jax, it’s perfect,” she
sighed.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jax told her, his eyes twinkling as he
slowly leaned down and captured her lips with his once more.
Skye felt herself slowly falling as she and Jax tumbled down onto the
blanket. His hands began to roam over her thin satin gown, causing Skye
to gasp in delight. “Jax,” she said in a low voice, “we shouldn’t do this
here.”
Jax sat up, realizing that she was right. “I guess we’re not on our own
beach, huh,” he agreed, grinning. “Well, it appears that we need some
privacy.” He pointed over to a nearby golf cart. “Go ahead, hop
on.”
Skye slowly stood up, trying to compose herself. She climbed aboard the
golf cart as Jax packed away their things, then started the cart. Skye
held onto Jax’ arm as he steered the cart down the beach, then through a thin
row of palm trees until they came upon a small cottage, set back from the
beach.
Jax helped Skye out of the cart, then led her to the door. With a smile
that melted her heart, Jax pushed open the cottage door. Skye’s eyes
widened as they adjusted to the light. Candles flickered all over the
one-room villa. In one corner, a large bed sat low to the floor, covered
with silk pillows and red rose petals. On the other side of the room sat
a sunken whirlpool. Music played softly in the background.
Skye looked over at Jax in bewilderment. “How did you…”
Jax put a finger to her lips. “Don’t you know by now that anything is
possible?” he teased gently.
“But… I don’t have anything to change into,” Skye sputtered, trying to
rationalize everything in her mind.
“I took the liberty of having the hotel staff bring our luggage here,” Jax
informed her. “There’s a full bath right through that door,” he pointed,
“so we can get ready in the morning and then be on our way.”
Skye walked over to a nearby chair and sank down, blinking back tears.
Jax hurried over to her and took her hands in his. “What is it?” he
asked, his face full of concern.
“It’s nothing,” she assured him. “I’m just so happy – no one has ever
done anything like this for me before.” She smiled at him through her
tears.
Jax gently ran his fingers down the sides of her arms, leaving goosebumps in
his path. “Well, you’d better get used to it,” he told her, then leaned
in and started to kiss her.
Skye pulled away momentarily. “Wait. I need to, er, freshen up for
a minute.”
Jax shrugged as he sat back. “Okay, whatever you need to do to make
yourself comfortable.” He watched as she grabbed her suitcase and
disappeared into the bathroom, then realized that she probably had the right
idea. Not wanting to seem too anxious, Jax removed his suit and shirt,
but jokingly left on his tie around his bare chest, and left on his silk
boxers. As he went over to check the temperature of the water in the
whirlpool, he heard the bathroom door open. His jaw dropped when he
turned and saw Skye.
Skye threw back her head and laughed at the sight of Jax in nothing more than
silk boxers and a tie. “I’m glad to see we’re still doing the
formalwear,” she teased.
“Indeed,” Jax agreed, his eyes roaming over Skye’s body hungrily. She was
wearing nothing beneath the sheer wrap that was draped over her body. The
soft candlelight provided Jax with just enough light to see various curves
through the red material. She had let her hair down so that it softly
framed her face.
In one swift motion, Jax picked Skye up and carried her over to the bed.
As he gently lay her down on the soft silk sheets, he slowly unwrapped a layer
of the red fabric covering her body, letting his hands graze over her heaving
chest. Skye responded by grabbing the tie around Jax’ neck and used it to
pull his head down to her waiting mouth. Skye’s lips parted as Jax’
tongue sought out hers. Breathless with anticipation, Skye gasped at the
feel of Jax’ hands moving lightly over the soft material still wrapped around
her body. Skye moaned as Jax shifted slightly, trailing kisses down her
neck. After she removed the tie from Jax’ neck, she gently moved her
fingertips over his pecs, causing Jax to gasp with pleasure.
They resumed kissing with a newfound urgency, their passion for each other
building. Jax leaned back and removed the remaining layer of fabric
covering Skye’s body, then ran his hands slowly down her front, followed by
soft kisses. Skye moaned as her body began to tingle. “Jax,” she
murmured, her eyes full of desire.
Jax lifted his head and smiled up at Skye, then slowly slipped off his silk
boxers with one hand, while his other hand continued to work magic on her most
sensitive area. Skye reached for Jax, but he gently pushed her away,
shaking his head. “I want to please you first,” he told her gently,
smiling at the flush in her cheeks.
As he leaned down to kiss her again, Skye couldn’t keep her hands down – she
had to touch his skin. Her hands ran up and down his back as he continued
to bring her closer to ecstasy. As she gasped for breath against his
lips, Jax lifted his head up and watched her face as she came closer and closer
to the edge. Her eyes filled with lust and passion, Skye’s breaths were
quick and shallow as the electric current inside her built, finally releasing
in an explosive shudder that ran through her entire body.
As she tried to catch her breath, Jax continued to kiss Skye’s neck and
shoulders. “What… about… you?” she asked in between breaths.
“Oh, don’t worry,” he told her, smiling. “I’m sure you won’t let me
down.”
“Not a chance,” she grinned, then suddenly wriggled out from under Jax and
stood up. “What do you think about a swim?” she asked suggestively.
Seeing her standing there with nothing on was enough to get Jax excited all
over again. The two lowered themselves into the whirlpool and turned on
the jets. As the water bubbled around them, Jax sat on a ledge and pulled
Skye close to him. He gasped as her hands traveled down his chest, over
his taut stomach muscles, then below his waist to his most tender muscle.
As she massaged him with both hands, Jax ran his hands down Skye’s back, then
pulled her closer to him. “I want you now,” he said huskily.
The simple feel of his hot breath against her wet skin drove Skye wild, as she
allowed him to maneuver her until she was where she needed to be. As they
helped each other reach exquisite new heights of ecstasy, they both cried out
in unison, overcome by the physical and emotional feelings of pleasure they
were capable of producing in each other.
It was truly magical.
THE END
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