CHAPTER FIVE

''Did you see my brother?'' Toby asked with a laugh when the door closed after them. ''Oh check out that bod!'' The boy mocked the oldest Corinthos boy. ''He talks like he's 15 or something, and that he is so mature, and have lots of experience with the ladies''

‘Yeah, who would want to drool over a woman anyway?'' Jerry asked as he wrinkled his nose. The concept of even wanting to spend time with a girl was overly gross to him. He and Toby were, after all, 7 year old boys.

''So what game do you wanna play?'' Toby asked as he pulled a chunk of change from his coat pocket.

''How about ‘if I don't go pee I'll wet my pants?'' Jerry asked before running to the bathroom, leaving a laughing Toby in the hallway. The boy opened the door and found it empty. ''Creepy'' He whispered and went to do his business. He jumped when he heard the door open and quickly turned around, before he sighed of relief. Ever since he had a run in with Helena Cassadine, Jerry was nervous when he was alone. He knew the woman was interested in him for some reason, and he knew she would want to get back at him for the stunt he pulled when he called everyone in the kitchen on Christmas eve. Jerry also knew the woman was dangerous, she had killed his mother, and the boy thought she could just as easily kill him if she was given the chance. But for now it was only a man and Jerry quickly walked to the sink to wash his hands.

''Aren't you missing the movie?'' The man asked, washing his hands, too

''Nah, my best friends' parents chose it and it's a cheesy one, I'm not in a hurry to go back'' Jerry answered and opened the door

''Hey kid, you dropped this!''

When Jerry turned around to see what it was, the man quickly put his hand on the boy's mouth, making Jerry inhale chloroform. In no time the boy's body fell into the man's arms, and no one saw them leave by the back door. When Toby realized it was taking Jerry an awful lot of time to come back, it was too late, it seemed as if his best friend had vanished into the thin air, without a trace.

***************

''I don't like him'' Alexis whispered in her friend's back. ''He gives me the creeps''

''I know, me too'' The red hair answered. ''Steven, why would you want to help us, risking your job, not to mention your life to help us?''

''I think it's awful what Mrs. Cassadine has been doing to you, taking you from your family and keeping you here'' Steven answered. ''I wanna help any way I can''

''You can't help'' Alexis answered before her cell mate could. ''We know what happened to the last guard who tried to help us'' Alexis took the woman's hand in hers and walked at the other side of the cell, leaving a frustrated Steven at the other end.

''Why did you do that for?''

''Because, I told you. I have a pact with Helena and I intend to respect it and if you had accepted that guard's help, I'm automatically suck in it too, and my son would be the one paying the price'' Alexis answered.

''So because you weren't able to stand to your step-mother, I'm stuck here until when, Pavarotti goes Disco?''

*-*Flashback, July 2000*-*

''So what happens now?'' Alexis asked Helena in a little girl's voice, scared for her, and her son.

''Oh my, no witty comments? No last minute claim of innocence?'' Helena taunted Alexis. She loved the feeling of fear in her step-daughter's face, the feeling of knowing she would do anything and agree to anything to make sure her and her son stay alive. ''I have no interest in your b*stard son, but I do wanna make you suffer until your last breath. What is it that you love more than anything else in this world, that I could take away from you?''

Alexis felt tears fill her eyes. While she fought to take her baby to term, while she fought to stay alive so her baby could survive, Helena was plotting to kill him as soon as he was born. That was exactly what Helena wanted. She knew exactly Alexis wouldn't be able to ever be happy again, knowing her little stunt with Luke Spencer killed her son. She would never be able to be with Ned again, nor be with Jax. Helena found the only way to truly hurt her, and tears fell before she could stop them.

''Oh don't worry my dear, I won't kill your little boy'' Helena said with a smile as if the idea had never crossed her mind. ''No, your punishment will be much worst. If your little boy was killed, surely you would cry and be sad, but that, in time, would vanish, at least you would learn to live with it. I think what's worst, for a mother, is to live without their children, not being able to see them grow up, to teach them stuff, to hug them, to know someone else is tucking them in at night, someone else they love.''

The realization of what Helena was saying dawned over Alexis. She would take her son away without telling her where he was.

''I see you finally understood'' Helena said with a cruel smile. ''I thought about making the little boy disappear and never be found again, leaving you with the never ending agony, wondering if he was happy, healthy, alive and well. But again, this wasn't appealing to me. So I finally decided your punishment. Now you either have the choice to agree to it, and your son lives, or not agree to it, he will still live, but live an ever ending life of misery and pain. So what will it be? Either you stay with me forever, kind of like Cinderella, and your son is raised by your husband, thinking his mother is dead, like you did, or I let you go, but I keep the boy''

''And you promise he will be safe and happy?'' Alexis asked. She knew she didn't have a choice, but she wanted to at least think she did

''The doctor will call Mr. Jacks and tell him the baby survived but you didn't. And as long as you do what I say and behave, the boy will live a wonderful life with your husband, even though Jax isn't the father.''

''Ok, I'll do whatever you want, but don't hurt my son'' Alexis quickly agreed, thinking she would only have to be Helena's maid or something to that effect.

*-*End Flashback*-*

Alexis didn't know she would spend the next 7 years in a cell smaller than a closet at Jax's penthouse. The only joy was that she was with someone from her past, someone she became to care deeply for before she left, a year before Alexis' accident.

''I'm sorry, I know it's unfair to you, but I have to do what I can to protect my son, you would do the same if you were at my place.'' Alexis answered

''I know, I know, but I can't stay here anymore, I will go crazy, more so that I have so far, if I don't do something to get out of here.''

''I know, and we will, but not with *him*''

''Ok, fine'' Alexis heard from her friend. ''We'll wait. How do you think Bobbie and Stefan and Luke will react when they find out about me?''

Both women silently decided, when they fantasized about their lives on the outside, never to say if, only when. If meant that they were giving up on one day being free again. They knew that day would come, one way or another, and they were hoping it would be soon. Alexis wanted to be with her family, and it was time Bobbie knew her real daughter.

They finally heard the noise that told them Helena was on her way to torture them again. But Alexis was actually happy when Helena was coming to visit, because usually she brought pictures of Jerry, with stories about him. She thought this time wouldn't be different.

***************

''My dad and my best friend's dad will have your head for this!'' Jerry said from where he was sitting, in the back of the car, his hands tired behind his back, where he couldn't move, only drive the bad man crazy with his consistent whining.

''Your dad couldn't find his way out of an open paper bag, much less find you'' The man answered in a deep voice, giving Jerry the creeps. He wasn't the man who drugged him in the theater bathroom, this one was bigger, and meaner. At a stop sign, he turned around and slapped Jerry across the face, and Jerry only had time to take the man's pinky in his mouth and bite as hard as he could, getting the man to curse and leave the boy alone. At least the man wouldn't hit him anymore.

''So where are you taking me?'' Jerry asked again and saw the man's eyes look at him in the mirror. When the boy came to, he was told to shut his mouth and keep it close for the remaining of the ride, but Jerry was never one to obey a not-so-nice order.

''Didn't you hear me when I told you to shut up?'' The man asked and Jerry grinned

''You don't know my uncle do you?'' Jerry asked. ''You see, he's also my godfather, and he told me never to do anything someone asked that didn't start by please, and ended by thank you''

''Does this finishes by thank you?'' The man asked, taking his gun out. ''I've been told you were needed alive, but I don't mind playing the kamikaze with you in the car kid, so this is my last warning. Either I don't hear your voice for the remaining of the ride, or you'll never get there alive''

Jerry shrugged and said ''Ok'' before he started to look out the window. He had won the little battle, as the man ordered him not to say another word and he said ok. Jerry couldn't help but wonder where he was being taken, and if he would ever see his father again.

The car finally stopped at a big castle, and Jerry couldn't help but look around in amazement. ''Wow, who lives here?'' He asked, knowing they weren't riding anymore and the rule no longer applied.

''Someone wants to see you'' The man said and untied Jerry's hand, before he led the boy in the corridors. They finally arrived at a door and the man stopped. ''You wait here'' He said to Jerry. ''If you move one inch, I'll make sure your father can use you as a doormat, have I made myself clear?''

Jerry knew he wasn't joking, and where could the boy go anyway? He didn't know how far from home he was, so he just nodded.

Jerry heard the man talk to someone on the other side of the door and all he heard was the word Helena. Jerry gasped in surprise and slowly started to walk backwards. Even if he didn't know where he was, he could hitchhike his way back to Port Charles, or even walk. Anything was better than to be here, in the middle of nowhere with Helena and her goons.

''Jerry? You can come in now, someone is waiting for you'' A man with a soft voice said, and the boy didn't have any choice but to walk forward. They entered a room with cells on the sides, and he heard Helena's voice.

''Here he is, Jeremiah Alexander Jacks, named after his uncle and his mother'' Helena said, looking directly in his eyes and the boy shivered. ''Come here my darling, there is someone I want you to meet''

Jerry slowly walked to her, a part of him wanting to throw up, but the other part wondering who she wanted him to meet that was worth drugging him and take the chance to kill him when she left him with King Kong as a jailer. He finally saw a jail cell opened, and saw two women inside, one facing him and one with his back to him. He recognized the red haired one, although her hair was short on the last picture his father had of her. ''V? What are you doing here?'' The boy asked in a quiet voice when he saw the other woman turn around. Tears were running down her face, and instead of a look of pure joy to finally see him, her terrified eyes were looking at Helena.

''MUM!'' Jerry yelled before running in Alexis' arms.