Alexis could hear footsteps coming towards her. She opened her eyes and could see a dim light ahead. The door was open and someone was standing on the stairs.
"Sonny?"
"Alexis where are you, sweetheart? I can't see a damn thing down here."
"I'm here Sonny, please hurry." She could see him moving towards her and then just before he reached her, suddenly he was gone. "Sonny?" Alexis awoke with a start and realised she had been dreaming. She was also aware of shooting pains in her abdomen, left shoulder and various other places. The last thing she could remember was Greg untying her and grabbing her roughly off the chair. She remembered thinking that she should try to escape but when she attempted to fight back he knocked her to the floor. She must have lost consciousness either from the blow or the impact of hitting the floor. The door creaked and she could see a dim light at the top of the stairs. She prayed that it was Sonny but knew it was unlikely. She pretended to be unconscious in the hope that Helena of whoever else she sent would leave her alone. The footsteps got closer and closer until the person was just a few feet away. She refused to open her eyes for fear of who she would see.
"Oh my God, what did she do to you!" Alexis lifted her head and stared at the man before her. The only light in the room was the sliver appearing from the slightly open door at the top of the stairs.
"Danniel?"
"I'm so sorry Alexis, I had no idea she would ... never mind, I need to get you out of here." He came behind her and began to untie her hands. When she was free she attempted to stand but fell back on the chair gasping in pain. "It's okay, hold on, I'll get you." He reached down and picked her up, heading for the stairs. He brought her up the stairs and then checked to make sure the coast was clear before taking her into the hallway. The light was so bright that she immediately closed her eyes in pain. She could feel him moving very quickly, down one hallway then through another. At last he opened a door and brought her into a room. Alexis opened her eyes wondering why they had stopped moving. "It's okay, we're just going to wait here for a few minutes, I have a boat waiting but I need to wait for my partner to get here."
"Partner?"
"Don't worry we can trust him. Let me see how you're doing."
"I'm fine." She replied.
"Alexis I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I told Helena about Jillian but I never..."
"Why wouldn't you tell her?" She interrupted him. "I remember how loyal you are, to her."
"Alexis there's something I've wanted to explain to you for over ten years and since we're basically stuck here until my partner comes I'm going to take my chance."
"Danniel, I don't think..."
"Please Alexis," she allowed him to go on. "Helena did ask me to get close to you in New York. She told me that you had turned Elina against the family and persuaded her to run away. She was convinced that you knew where she was and she wanted me to get close to you so that I could find out. I loved my cousin and I wanted to help find her, so I did as Helena asked. After spending about five minutes with you I knew the plan would never work. First of all you were way to smart to let anything about Elina slip but I was so taken with you that I couldn't not see you again. I pretended to do as Helena asked, I even tried to convince myself that I was only after your secrets. I soon realised you were nothing like the portrait Helena had painted of you. You were this amazing caring, smart, funny, compassionate woman and I fell in love. Alexis I had never loved a woman as much as I loved you, I could never have hurt you. We were so happy, planning for the baby, and then one day I got home and you were gone. I didn't know that Helena had come to see you until Stefan came to get your things. He wouldn't tell me where you were. Then you called a couple months later and told me our baby was gone. It was agony for me to think about what you must have gone through." Alexis was listening silently to Danniel, tears were streaming down her face. Tears for the lives that Helena had destroyed. Before she could respond the door began to open.
"Well I think Jillian is finally asleep."
"She's very much like Alexis that girl, you can definitely hear it in the way she speaks." Lady Jane remarked.
"There's something I need to tell you," Jax looked at his parents, "perhaps we should sit down."
"Oh dear, did something happen to Alexis? Is that why you've brought the child here?"
"Actually Alexis is in trouble at the moment but I'm sure she'll be fine." Jax didn't want to worry his parents anymore than he had Jillian. "This is about Jillian. She's not Alexis' biological child. She's mine." Jax proceeded to tell his parents about Jillian's mother, his relationship with her, and the fact that she was Alexis' sister.
Alexis' entire body tensed as the door continued to open wider and wider until a figure came into view.
"Stefan?"
"Are you all right?" Her brother asked rushing towards her.
"I'm fine, I just want to get out of here." As Stefan came closer he was able to see the bruises that covered her body. He would kill whomever had done this to her. And he would kill Helena for everything she had done to his sisters, especially Alexis whom he had always tried so desperately to protect.
"Is everything set?" Danniel asked Stefan.
"He is your partner?" Alexis asked incredulously. As far as she knew the two men had not spoken since the day Stefan had come to the apartment she and Danniel had shared to get the rest of her things.
"Don't worry I'm going to divert Helena's attention while you and Danniel get out of here."
"What about Helena's men?"
"I took care of most of them on my way in, the path to the boat should be clear." Danniel picked Alexis up and the three of them made their way to the door, only to be greeted by several visitors.
"So, Jillian is a Jacks? I knew I liked that girl the minute I saw her I could tell she was special."
"Yes, dad she is a Jacks and she's so amazing, she's smart and funny and well, she's amazing." Jax repeated.
"Well, son she is your daughter, of course she's exceptional." At this point Jax's face clouded over.
"The thing is, she is exceptional and I had nothing to do with it, I don't even know her really. I mean the Whitney's raised her for seven years and then she was in foster care. I can't bare to think about all those years she must have been wishing for someone to come and love her and be her parent and I didn't even know she was out there."
"Son she's a part of you."
"I know that, and I would do anything for her. When I look at her I see her mother, and when I listen to her I hear Alexis. She is a combination of two women I loved, it's a miracle that I'm able to share a child with Alexis even though we'll never really be together." As he said it Jax was not filled with the overwhelming sense of loss that usually accompanied thoughts of Alexis. He would always love her, but she had chosen to be with Sonny and he would eventually learn to accept this. Still he had a daughter and that was enough. "I want to be a good father," he told his parents. "I just hope Jillian will give me the chance."
"When are you going to tell her?"
"I'm not sure... Jillian?" She was standing at the bottom of the stairs though Jax had no idea how long she had been there.
"Are you really my father?" Obviously it was long enough.
"Going somewhere?" Helena asked as she looked at the three. "Boys, boys, I'm really very disappointed in you, Alexis and I were in the middle of something. Didn't I teach you how rude it was to interrupt?" Her voice was filled with assurance, no doubt aided by the four men that stood slightly behind her. Greg was on her left and Alexis flinched slightly at the sight of him, both Stefan and Danniel saw and knew.
"We're not going to allow you to hurt Alexis anymore," Danniel told her.
"I have no intention of hurting her, as long as she co-operates."
"And tells you where Jillian is?" Stefan finished for her.
"Ah, so you knew about this too? I don't know why I should be surprised, you never did have any family loyalty."
"That's where your wrong mother, Alexis is my family, as are Jillian, Kristina and Nicholas and I will protect any member of my family, with my life if necessary."
"I'm afraid it's going to be necessary." Helena told him drawing a gun and taking aim at Alexis. Danniel turned to place himself between Alexis and the gun at the same moment that Luke, Sonny and Laura charged into the room. Luke, Sonny and Stefan began to fight with the guards. Danniel soon joined them as did Laura. Helena took the opportunity to approach Alexis.
"You're not going to tell me where my granddaughter is, are you?"
"I would rather die."
"Very well then." Helena again lifted the gun and took aim at Alexis, who was unable to move due to her injuries. "I should have done this years ago," she said as her finger reached for the trigger. Sonny and Danniel both realised at the same moment what was about to happen and both made there way to Alexis. Danniel was closer and he reached her just as Helena fired. Throwing himself on her he was shot twice before Sonny grabbed Helena from behind and took the gun from her. Luke knocked out the last guard and a hush fell over them. Danniel was lying on Alexis, his head resting on her lap. He was bleeding profusely and they all knew he would not make it.
"Are you okay? He asked her, each word an obvious struggle. She smiled at him, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm fine, thanks to you. You saved my life."
"Least I could... After what I did... Sorry." He had begun gasping for air.
"It's okay," she told him gently stroking his face, "I understand."
"I'm going... see... our daughter." Alexis leaned over and whispered something to him and he smiled. Then he closed his eyes and took his final breath.
Everyone was so overcome as they watched this that no one noticed as Helena reached down and picked up a gun from one of her men and aimed. It wasn't until they heard a shot that they turned around and saw Helena lying on the floor, gun in hand with Luke standing over her, also holding a gun. Before he could reach down to check for a pulse they could hear several people approaching.
"Those are probably the men I knocked out on the way up here," Stefan said.
"Well I don't know about you but I say we don't wait for em." Luke suggested. Sonny gently laid Danniel on the floor and picked up Alexis. The five of them made their way down the hall and out of the house, onto the waiting boat.
"Yes Jillian, I'm your father."
"And my mother, I mean my biological one was Mom's sister?" Jillian had obviously been listening to the entire conversation.
"That's right."
"So then auntie Kristina and uncle Stefan really are my aunt and uncle? And Mom is, my aunt." The last statement was made with evident confusion.
"Jillian your mother loves you as much as any mother could love her child, that has not changed."
"And do you... I mean... love me?"
"More than anything." That caused a smile which was suddenly replaced by a worried look.
"Are you going to take me away? Is that why I'm here?"
"What?' Like Alexis, his daughter's train of thought was sometimes impossible to follow.
"Well I mean if your my Dad and Mom is really my aunt does that mean your going to take me away from her?" Jax led his daughter to the couch and sat down beside her.
"First of all your Mom is your mom, she legally adopted you and nothing is going to change that. Secondly I know how much you two love each other and I would never try to keep you apart. I don't know exactly what's going to happen Jillian but I promise you that things will eventually work out." Just then Jax's cell phone rang. He was tempted to ignore it but remembered it might be Alexis. "Hello?"
"Hi."
"Alexis it's so good to hear your voice. Are you all right?" At the sound of her mother's name Jillian had begun jumping up and down to get Jax's attention. "There's a young lady here who I think wants to talk with you."
"Mom?"
"Hey sweety, what are you still doing up, its past midnight there."
"Um we were just talking about stuff, are you coming here Mom?" Jillian asked in an attempt to change the subject.
"Actually sweetheart I'm on my way home to Port Charles. I was wondering if you wanted to stay in Alaska for a couple of days with Jax." Jillian was torn, she missed her mother but was anxious to get to know her new found father and grandparents.
"Are you sure it's okay?"
"It's fine, so are you having fun?"
"Yeah on the way here Jax let me steer the plane."
"What?" Alexis' yell and Jax's "Shhh!" occured simultaneously and Jillian giggled.
"I better go to bed, it's way past my bedtime, goodnight Mom." With that she handed the phone back to Jax who spent the next several minutes defending himself. He did not tell Alexis that Jillian had discovered the truth. Though she was trying to cover it she was obviously upset and he figured it could wait a few days.
Alexis hung up the phone and handed it to Sonny. She was curled up beside him on the plane which was just about to take off. He had wanted her to see a doctor before they left Greece but she had refused. In truth he was happy to get her home as quickly as possibly. They had a lot of challenges ahead of them, but with Alexis by his side, Sonny knew he could handle anything.
THE END
I've already begun working on the sequal but I need some help deciding what should become of Jax. Please vote below to let me know your opinion.