by Kira
It's Cold There
Except At Night
Feel The Burn
SCENE: Alaska. John & Jane Jacks home. They open the door to find Jax and Victoria standing there. "Hello, Mum." Jax greets enthusiastically, reaching over to kiss and hug her hard. "Dad!" they embrace strongly. Victoria follows him into the house. Jane immediately stares at her. Jax turns around. "This is Victoria." he announces. Jane walks towards her, "Welcome to our home, Victoria." she says guardedly. Victoria smiles wanly, "Thank you, Mrs. Jacks. It's very nice to meet you." "John." Jane prods warningly. John steps forward, "Victoria." he nods in her direction. "Mr. Jacks, I --" but before Victoria can continue, John has turned away towards his son. "We need to talk, boy." he states unequivocally. Jax gives him a long look, "Dad -" "No arguments, Jax. Your mother can entertain...." he waves his hand in Victoria's direction, "the girl." "The girl has a name, Dad." Jax explains immediately, "Her name is Victoria. And she happens to be my wife." "Yes." John dismisses, "I'm aware of that." Jane steps in, taking Victoria by the arm. "Come with me, dear. We'll leave the men to talk. I'm sure you'd like to have a chance to freshen up a bit." Victoria nods, feeling uncomfortable by her cold reception.
SCENE: Alaska. The Jacks Home. Victoria & Jax are in the living room alone.
"They hate me." she stated without preamble. Jax is about to protest, then thinks better of it. "Yes." "They don't even know me." she objects, stung. "Don't take it personally, Victoria. They know the circumstances of the marriage, and they don't approve." "That makes three of us." she laughed shortly. "It's irrelevant. They don't have to like it. It's done." "Did they like Brenda?" Victoria asked suddenly, shocking him. "That was her name, wasn't it?" "Yes. But how -" Jax is speechless. "You talk in your sleep sometimes." she explained. "I see." he was angry, "I'll have to remember that." "Did they like her? Brenda?" "That has nothing to do with you, Victoria. Now let's drop it." Jax states fiercely. "It has everything to do with me. I'm your wife -" "This argument is getting old." Jax interrupted icily, "Look, you asked for a honeymoon. I spent five days catering to your whims, making myself available for you. But I think you've gotten the mistaken impression that this marriage is something that it isn't." Victoria was immobilized by his revelation. Jax took the advantage, "Let me set you straight here and now. This marriage is nothing more than a partnership forged to gain a certain specific goal. Nothing more, Victoria. If you think that I'm going to expend endless effort in putting up the sham that this is something else, then I'd like to disabuse you of that notion here and now. It doesn't matter if my parents approve of our marriage, or even that they like you. In fact, Victoria, feelings are the last thing that should enter into any conversation between you and I. I don't intend to concern myself with whether my parents like you or vice versa. It's entirely irrelevant and frankly, I don't care one way or the other." "I see." Victoria said quietly. "You are only required to remain here through the weekend. If you want, spend it in our room. I don't expect you to impress my parents or attempt to form any sort of relationship with them. Just do what you have to until it's time to leave. Do you understand?" Victoria bowed her head a minute, nodding. "I understand perfectly." "Good." he pulled back his cuff and consulted his watch, "I have a conference call in ten minutes. I'll see you at dinner."
From the stairwell, Jane Jacks watched her son walk out. She watched as her daughter in law put her hands to her face and breathed deeply. Victoria straightened then, her back stiff with pride, and raised her chin as she strode from the room. Jane Jacks could not keep the emotional sheen from her eyes.
SCENE: Alaska. Living Room. Morning. John is seated reading the newspaper when Jane comes into the room. Wasting no time, she accosts him at once.
"John, I think we've misjudged Victoria." Jane ventured. "Misjudged her? In what way?" John was clearly not of the same opinion. "The whole things a mess, I agree, but I think that Victoria is the innocent in all this. After all, Jax forced her to marry him --" "What could he be thinking?" John questioned, "Taking a wife in order to bring down the Quartermaine empire. Surely there could be other methods --" "That's beside the point." Jane dismissed with a wave, "What I mean is, the poor child is not responsible for our son's actions." At that precise moment, the door opened to allow Victoria to walk in. She paused on the landing, uncertain. "Good morning." she finally ventured. "Good morning, child." Jane said kindly. "Morning." John got out irritably. "I was just...umm....walking...." Victoria jerked a thumb in the direction of the door. "It's a lovely countryside, isn't it?" Jane asked warmly. "Yes." Victoria stripped off her outerwear, bending to tug off both boots. "Is Jax still asleep?" Jane inquired. "Yes." Victoria padded in her socks to the bottom of the stairs, "I'm sure he's probably up by now, though." "Good. You both come down for a nice hot breakfast." Victoria nodded, avoiding John Jacks' hostile gaze by quickly jogging up the stairs.
SCENE: Alaska. The Jacks Home. Dinner. John, Jane, Jax & Victoria are seated around the Jacks dining room table. It is a quiet, uncomfortable meal, despite Jane's best efforts at playing mediator. Jane is frustrated not only with her husband's non-cooperativeness, but her sons apparent disregard as well.
"Well, Victoria, I imagine you have a lot of planning ahead of you in Port Charles." Jane ventured, passing the basket of rolls to her husband with more force than necessary. "Yes." Victoria's uneasiness was apparent. She concentrated on her plate, neither looking at her husband or father-in-law. "Where will you live?" Jane probed, breaking a roll into more manageable pieces. "Ummm...."Victoria's looked at Jax, hesitating. Jax gave his mother an annoyed look, "Actually, Mother, that's entirely up to Victoria. As soon as we land in Port Charles, I've given her carte blanche on house shopping." "That sounds like great fun." Jane declared, forcibly cheerful. Victoria returned a wan smile of agreement. "What were you thinking of, Victoria?" she continued, refusing to back down. Victoria studied her mother-in-law for a few seconds before finally coming to some sort of decision. "You know," she began confidentially, "I really thought something in an early Victorian would do nicely. You know, very fussy....and pink." Jax's eyebrows shot up. John choked on his water. Jane burst into delighted chuckles, "That sounds marvelous!" she declared, heartily. "And the bathrooms..... I was thinking.....pink." Victoria continued, warming to her theme, "With lots of lace." "Why stop there?" Jane added, sending Jax a sly sideways look, "Why not extend the theme to the bedroom?" "Oh, without a doubt!" Victoria agreed, giggling herself; "But then again, I've been rather torn. I thought perhaps a sixties motif .... black walls....love bead curtains.....a lava lamp." The two women went off into peels of laughter, which increased Jax's scowl. "I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves." he informed them humorlessly. "Oh, lighten up, boy." Jane dismissed, waving her hand. "You did say carte blanche." Victoria reminded him saucily. "I assumed you would understand the implied concept of 'within reason'." Jax remarked acidly. "Did you?" Victoria looked at him innocently, "How very civilized of you." Jane watched the interchange with great interest, finally coming to rest on her husbands scowling countenance. "You're very quiet this evening, John. Are you feeling under the weather?" "I don't suffer fools gladly, or foolish situations." John imparted pointedly. Victoria's humor evaporated as though never existing. Unexpectedly, Jax reached over to cover her hand with his own. He addressed his next words to his father. "I don't think there can be much sense expected from newlyweds, do you?" He met Victoria's surprised look with one of reassurance. John expelled a sound of disgust. "How much longer shall we be exposed to this farce?" he demanded suddenly, ignoring Jane's silent warning. "Dammit, boy, this situation is untenable. You've brought this..... this...wife here, and expect your Mother and I to accept this without a single word?!" "Yes I do." Jax replied calmly. "John, let it be." Jane urged quietly. "I will not!" John's voice rose loudly, "It's ridiculous! Young woman - have you no sense of what you've done? Have you no pride?" His attack turned to Victoria so rapidly as to take all of them by surprise. It took Victoria only seconds to recover, her chin lifting stubbornly. "I have a great deal of pride, Mr. Jacks." she answered heatedly, "Sometimes more than I need for my own good!" "What would possess you to agree to this sham of a marriage?" John pounded the table in emphasis, bringing Jax to his feet. "I'm going to ask you not to speak to my wife in that manner, Dad." the calm request hid a deadly serious undertone. Victoria stood herself now, her blue eyes flashing. "Mr. Jacks, I don't have to explain myself or my reasons to you. But I will, because now you're my family, whether I like it or not." she eyed John straight on, "Your son gave me little choice in the matter of marriage. If I had ANY other recourse, ANY at all, you may trust me that I would have taken it. I am no more happy about being married to your son, or being your daughter-in-law, then YOU are. Unfortunately, neither of us were consulted on the matter." She pushed back the chair, stopping to address Jane. "Thank you very much for dinner, Jane. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll retire to my room now." "You are very welcome, dear." Jane said quietly. Jax reached out a hand to grasp Victoria's elbow, "I think I'll go with you." he nodded towards his parents, "Mum, Dad."
SCENE: Bedroom, Jane & John Jacks Alaskan home. Victoria enters with Jax following.
Victoria stopped inside the room, clapping her hands slowly in tribute. "Bravo, Jax!!" she said deliberately. Jax simply stared. "Quite a performance, you know" Victoria continued, "We're all little players in your production, and you manage to manipulate us perfectly." "What are you talking about?" he was not amused by her outburst. "I mean that you've just managed to put your father, your mother and I in our respective places without uttering a single word. Your grand show of support down there." she jerked her head towards the closed door, "Designed to put your father in his place but good. I mean, how can he protest this ridiculous situation when you won't even acknowledge that it exists?" "This situation, as you put it, does not concern my father." Jax stated unequivocally. Victoria's gesture was deprecating, "No! It concerns Revenge, doesn't it? Revenge against my family for your failed marriage." The carefully controlled mask erupted without warning. "My marriage did NOT fail! It was destroyed - piece by piece - in a very carefully executed plan." "What?" Victoria was flabbergasted. "Oh, they weren't alone. But they will pay right alongside the Master Architect." For the first time, Victoria was actually afraid of this man who had become her husband. The chilling, icy mask had cracked, it revealed a powerfully destructive volcano beneath. "Jax -" she reached out to him, palm extended upwards imploringly, "You can't even the score. It never works that way. True, you can hit them where it hurts - in business. But you can't make your own pain go away like that --" "Shut up!" Jax roared, grabbing her violently by the shoulders, "What do you know about MY pain?!" "I know that you must have loved her very much." she said softly. Her reply only succeeded in tightening the painful hold he had on her shoulders, as he dragged her further upwards to meet his blazingly angry countenance. "Love is not an emotion I am familiar with any longer." he told her chillingly, "But I do know about Hate. It's been my constant companion since the day my wife walked out of my life. It's what keeps me alive, Victoria. The certain knowledge that they will pay the piper - and I will be there to collect the dues." Victoria swallowed, fighting not to give in to the urge to cower from him. "And then what?" she asked simply. The question hung between them, pervading the air with it's stark and inescapable implications. His hands squeezed harder, causing her to gasp in pain, and then they fell away - pushing her from him. "Then I'll have no more use for you, Victoria." he told her, his voice rough. She jumped at the sound of the slamming door, her hands unconsciously rubbing the numb spots where his fingers had bit into her arms. She was shaking.
~*~