''Too bad I can't say the same for you'' He answered coldly and walked to her. ''You and I have some business to discuss''
''Is that why you didn't bring that lovely son of yours?'' Helena asked with a smile
''Leave Jerry out of this. From now on you will not go near him without me being present. Next time, I will not be as calm as I was on Christmas eve. You will answer to me if you ever go near him again''
''Why the threats, Mr. Jacks? I don't recall ever doing anything to you nor a member of your family to deserve such hatred.'' Helena said sweetly
''And that helicopter crash in the Sahara was from the God of Sand maybe? I believe Stefan when he says that you had something to do in my wife's death, Helena, and either you tell me what you know about it right now, or suffer the consequences later''
''I seem to recall a time when you came to me with unnecessary rudeness, Mr. Jacks, back when your wife was missing. It seemed you that thought I had her, but time proved you wrong,'' Helena was getting tired of always having to answer to everyone. ''What happened to your wife and her lover is regrettable but it is not my doing. I like to let the people involved know when it is I who dealt the final blow, and in this case, it was a simple accident. I'm sure Alexis was breaking her lover's concentration and that's why he lost control of the car.''
''Alexis and Ned had broken things off. He took her into this little village because she needed a legal document and I had to stay here for the last preparation of the Nurses' Ball'' Jax replied in a flash. He was so used to telling this story, and there were times where he truly wondered if it had been the truth.
''Very well, if you want to believe *that*'' Helena said in mock exasperation. ''But don't worry, the secret of little Jeremiah's paternity is safe with me. After all, I kept the knowledge of Nikolas being the true prince for 20 years, while both his parents thought for sure my poor excuse for a son was the father. But between you and me, we both know the only reason you still have the boy in your life is because you managed to get that awful Gertrude, along with that psychopath Edward, off of your backs when you finally made them admit that just maybe, your marriage to Alexis and Ned Ashton's marriage to Chloe Morgan were for real. But we both know that it isn't true, since you and Alexis were on the verge of divorcing when the accident happened, because she wasn't carrying your baby''
Jax had to admit to himself that Helena had him. He didn't know how, but somehow she knew everything. All it took was for Helena to drop a small hint in front of Edward like she did in front of Stefan, and Jerry would be taken from him in the process. Sure, he had raised the boy for the first 7 years of his life, he had protected him, loved him, and made sure the boy wasn't in need of anything, but Edward knew judges that could be bought. In that case, Jax would be left with nothing.
''What do you want?'' Jax finally asked the woman before him.
''Me? Why would you think that I want anything?'' She asked in return
''Because you've been around Jerry like a dog around a b*tch in heat'' He answered coldly. ''Now tell me what you want from him''
''I only want to be a good step-grandmother to him, Mr. Jacks. Alexis was my husband's daughter, so her son is a part of my family, just as little Natasha is. Contrary to what everyone seems to believe, I don't hurt children''
''How do you explain the abduction and torture of Lucky Spencer?'' Jax asked and saw Helena lose, if only for a split second, her composure.
''My involvement in young Mr. Spencer's kidnapping has never been proven'' She answered matter-of-factly. ''No one has been able to prove that I knew that awful man, Cesar Faison. Is it my fault that Luke Spencer makes enemies faster than he can sell his greasy and disgusting cheese fries?''
''Don't play with words, Helena. Because if I feel that my son's life--''
''Ned's son,'' Helena said, cutting him off with a satisfied grin
''MY son's life is at stake, and I'll kill you without even thinking twice about it''
''You've been hanging around Stefan a little too long my dear,'' Helena was driving him crazy. She was way too calm. ''Ever since Jeremiah was born, you've been hanging around the Cassadines, and that is messing with your brain. Alexis' son is 7 years old. If I had wanted to hurt him, don't you think I would've done it by now?''
''Stay away from him,'' Jax warned for the last time before he walked away, his hands shaking in desperation. Helena knew everything, and there would come a time where she would cash in that information. Jax knew that would be the day he would become one of Helena's ‘assistants', or whatever the hell she called the people she was blackmailing into obeying her. When and if that day ever came, Jax would make sure that Jerry was not in danger at any point in time. And if worstcame to worst, he knew a guy who could make him and Jerry disappear. He had succeeded with his brothers years ago. This guy had become one of the only people Jax would trust with his son's life. And his own.
***************
''Come on, she will be here any minute now, '' Alexis heard, but she was too tired to even pay attention. These days Helena's visits were rare, but every time she came and left, Alexis was left feeling even more depressed, and she wanted to die even more. Not a day went by that she didn't wish Helena had killed her the night Ned died.
*-*Flashback June 2000*-*
''HELP, SOMEBODY!'' Alexis yelled after the car was done spinning. For some reasons that Alexis couldn't understand, Ned had a tendency to lose control of the car. This last time, the fatal time, he hadn't been able to regina control and they had run off of the road. Ned was dead, Alexis knew that he was dead, but she kept calling, hoping, praying that someone would eventually hear her. She stopped screaming when she felt the first contraction, and feared for her son's life. When someone did get to them, she was unconscious.
When she finally came to, she was in a sterile room, and her stomach was still as big as ever. That meant she hadn't had the baby and she heard herself sigh in relief. The door opened and she saw a doctor walk in.
''Mrs. Jacks,'' He started ''You are finally awake. How are you feeling?''
''Where am I?'' She asked weakly
''You are in Smithville, not too far from Port Charles. You were in a car accident, do you remember?''
''Ned,'' she started but was cut by the doctor.
''You need to rest,'' The doctor said. ''You were in labor when the paramedics brought you in, and we are trying to stop you from giving birth too soon''
The days changed to weeks and Alexis was feeling better every day. She wanted to go home, or at least call Jax, but she was told again and again that they had tried to reach him but weren't able to, and that they had left messages with his secretary, with his family, and he was nowhere to be found. She asked for a phone and she had been told she wasn't strong enough yet. When she started making threats to take the hospital to court, the doctor simply stopped coming, sending guys built as big as football player to restrain her when she was making trouble for the nurses.
Finally, the reason of her forced seclusion came into her room the day after she gave birth to her son. Helena walked in with a cold smile and Alexis' blood stopped running as her heart stopped beating. ''Where's my son?'' Alexis asked in a little voice.
''Don't worry, your little bastard is still alive, if that's what you want to know,'' Helena answered in her usual condescending tone.
''Why are you keeping me here?'' Alexis asked tiredly. She knew that she was Helena's now. There was no way she would be able to escape.
''I'm here to visit my husband's daughter, why else would I be here?'' Helena said sweetly. ''And I also wanted to make sure the doctor was worth what I was paying him to keep you here and alive. You see my dear, I decided to make good on the promise I made when you and Luke Spencer tried to kill me.''
*-*End flashback*-*
''I don't really care if she's coming or not, it'll only be to give us empty threats, you know that'' Alexis answered the woman who had been sharing her cell for the past 7 years.
''But Steven said he could get us out of here'' the woman answered
''I'm not risking it. Remember when Mark tried to get us out? We never saw him again and the next morning Jerry got into a fight with some of the big boys at school and got his arm broken. He was what, 5 years old? I don't believe in accidents. That was her warning, and I won't risk my son's life to get out. Helena and I have a deal, and I will respect it''
''Alexis, you plan on staying here for the rest of your life? That's insane! She hates you just because your mother had the nerve to love her husband, and I'm here because, according to her, I'm Stefan's daughter and he had the nerve to love my mother, a Spencer''
''You still think she is wrong about that one, don't you?'' Alexis asked softly
''What else could she be, Alexis? If she is right, then Carly Benson isn't Bobbie Spencer's daughter, I am. And if she is right, my parents got married without knowing who the other was, without knowing they had an affair years ago that resulted in me. According to Helena, Bobbie gave me up because she didn't have the money for another mouth to feed, and Stefan slept with Bobbie only to prove to his older brother he wasn't an homosexual. They either forgot protection, or the condom broke, but either way, Bobbie got pregnant and a mixed up at the adoption agency got her to think Caroline Benson was her daughter. Do you know what that means?''
Alexis sighed and reached for her friend. Ever since Helena told them the truth about why they were being held, Alexis couldn't help but notice the similarities between the Spencers and her cell mate. Both women had red hair, and her friend had Luke's fire and passion for life. Ned often referred to her as a spitfire, a ball of energy, an never-ending source of joy and amazement, like Bobbie, as well as being a motor-mouth.
''It means you are the best of both worlds. You are the daughter Romeo and Juliet should've had to end the war between their two families.'' Alexis answered, trying to comfort her friend.
''But the only problem is, Lexie, that Romeo and Juliet don't even know I exist, so how the hell am I suppose to stop a war cooped up in here?''
''We will get out. I don't know when, or how, but we will, as soon as I know I can get to Jeremiah and Jax before Helena can. Because no one will come to our rescue since no one knows we are here.''
''I can change that.'' Both women heard from behind and turned around to see Steven, their guard, staring back at them.
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