Chapter 42

"Damn it!" Jax tore away from the guard, watching as the plane to France took off. "Move out of my way..." he would just have to fly there himself. He wasn't waiting for two days to see Keesha, and tell her he was sorry. Tell her he wanted to try. Because the longer he waited, the more likely her sadness would turn into anger-and the smaller his chances of rectifying this mess would become. Jax glared at the man in front of him. "Move." he repeated. "Can you come with me?" "Not right now." "That honestly was not a request, sir." Jax turned and saw more guards headed his way. "I don't beleive this....look, I apologize for making a scene alright-but my entire world just went up in that plane and I have to bring her home..." Jax said quietly, yet sternly, his civil demeanor back in place. "ID?" Jax rolled his eyes and reached for his jacket pocket...oh no. "I don't have one. It's in my jacket...which I left at the security gate. My name is Jax...Jasper Jacks." "I see...." the guard snapped his fingers. "Sure it is...Turn around..." Jax opened his mouth to say something, but thought the better of it and shut it again, doing as was requested of him. The more of a fuss he made, the longer he would be detained. And he had places to go. Namely France. Keesha walked over to the fountain and sat on the edge. She looked over at the field where she had spent some time with Jax. Where he had told her that he was relaxed-that he was always more relaxed around her. She took a bite of cheese and stared into the water. Her chain fell out from her blouse and she stared at the wedding band on the end. She had always thought things would be different with Jax. He seemed to listen to her-he seemed to care what she thought and what she felt. But it hadn't mattered. Like always, what she said didn't matter. Jax just went ahead, doing what he had decided to do anyway. And that hurt her. She sighed. After AJ, she had sworn that she would never let anyone hurt her like that again. Keesha reached up, slipping her chain from around her neck. And this pain, was far, far worse. She would never, ever make that mistake again. "For the final time, my name is Jasper Jacks....I've given you 5 different numbers of people to call and verify that!" "How do we know how you received these numbers." "Because no one in my family has listed numbers! Listen to me, who I am, honestly doesn't matter..." "Where is your id?" "In my wallet, in my jacket...." "Credit cards, cellular phone...." "IN MY JACKET!" Jax stood. "Unless you're arresting me, I'm leaving!" "Fine." "Great." "You, Mr....whatever, are under arrest." Jax stared, incredulous. "For *what*?" "Airport security violations. Those are very serious here you know...." "Will you just *call* my brother so he can verify..." "Sit down, or else will add resisting arrest to your charges." Jax's eyes grew ice cold. "I swear to God, I will have the head of everyone of this airline..." "Violent threats? You are just racking up charges, sir...." "I want to talk to my attorney." "Perhaps later." the guard snapped his fingers and the other from the corner came, placing Jax in handcuffs once more. Keesha finished her 4th screwdriver. "Another." "My...I've never seen one so small drink so much." the bartender began making Keesha another drink. Keesha took a handfull of popcorn. This was better. The fuzzy numbness took some of the pain away. No wonder AJ had such a difficult time giving it up. She took the new glass and drank half the drink. "Don't you think you've had enough?" Keesha turned and looked at the man sitting next to her. "Do I know you?" "No. Not yet anyway, the name is Pete." he held out his hand. "From Texas." "Explains the accent." Keesha finished her drink. "And your name would be?" Keesha laughed. "Sorry, I've given up on men with accents." she managed to stand, placing the money on the bar. "Ah, I suppose that means you're nursing a broken heart." "Suppose." "Maybe I can help." Jax paced his cell, his anger growing by the second. "You can have your call now...*one* call...so you had better make it good." The police officer opened the door. "Don't think so." Keesha looked down at her purse as the phone rang. "Aren't you going to get that?" "No. Nice chatting with you...". Peter watched as she left the bar, heading to the elevators. "Mr. Jacks...we are extremely, extremely sorry..." the officer ran over to the gate, placing the key in the lock and opening the cell. Jax swung his legs over the side of the cot. He walked slowly over to the entrance. "Do you realize I wasted 24 hours here." "Yes sir but..." "24 hours." he said again, just as softly. Not to mentioned the hours he spent detained at the airport. "Once I'm done, I am coming back here, and I swear all of you are going to pay." The man watched as Jax pushed his way past. Jax went to the desk to sign out. He took his watch and wedding ring back, putting them on. "Come on Jerry, we have to find Keesha..." "Found." Jax turned around, his eyes growing at the sight of her, sitting on the bench at the corner. "Are you okay?" Keesha stood. "You're here..." "Jerry called worried, wanting to know where you were. So I headed back here to look. And just a half hour ago, he called again, telling me that you had called him and were in jail. What are you doing in here?" she returned Jax's stare, wanting to go over and touch him, and look into his eyes so she could tell how he was. But looking into Jax's eyes would be a bad idea right now. They would suck her in, like they had from the moment she looked at him at the Port Charles Hotel so many months ago. And that world she shared with Jax...that world that *was* Jax...she could never afford to go back to again. "Security violations? What did you do?" "Keesha..." He wanted to hold her, to touch her, and to feel her in his arms. It was all he wanted to do. Jax reached for her and she stepped back. "Don't." "What's with the sunglasses indoors." Jax placed his hands in his pockets. What had he done to her? "I have a hangover. Have you ever flown with a hangover?" "I can't say that I have." "Jerry put a block on all your cards and use of your cellular. You have a limosine waiting." "Where are you going?" "Away." she finished and walked out the front. Jax ran out, catching up with her quickly. "I need to speak to you." "I'm not in the mood..." Keesha closed her eyes as Jax placed his hands on her shoulders. He knew what he wanted to say, but he didn't know how. So he got straight to the point. Admitting to what he knew. "I'm sorry I hurt you...I'm sorry I left you feeling abandoned....I'm just sorry. But I listened to you, I swear I did. And you were right. There is a less painful way to deal with this." Keesha shook her head. "I can't do this every time we have a crisis Jax-I can't..." she tried to pull away. "We won't." Jax wrapped his arms around her. "Maybe we'll have to be careful, and maybe we'll need to plan, and no, that's not the way I wanted our life together to be like. But I want to be with you..." he rested his chin on top of her head. "...and if you want to be with me, who am I to decide that we shouldn't-we should have decided that together. We're worth fighting for, you and I being together is worth fighting for." Keesha sighed, but didn't speak. "It probably won't be easy, Keesha." "I know. But it would be easier than being without you." "Does that mean you'll stay with me?" "I can't do this again...I can't go back and forth..." "I won't ever do this again." Jax apologized once more. "It's not your fault..." "That I hurt you? Then whose fault is it?" "You didn't..." "Don't lie to me. I hurt you. I knew how you felt, you told me how you felt, you trusted me enough to tell me, and I came thisclose to ruining our marriage, and our friendship, and your trust in me." Jax squeezed his arms around her. "Or did I ruin that already?" he finished softly. Keesha turned around. Without looking up at him, still afraid to actually look into his eyes, slowly she wrapped her arms around him. "I love you." she mumbled against his chest as she realized already she felt less alone than just a moment before. Jax returned her hug, reaching up and stroking her hair as he closed his eyes. And he realized, by her non answer, that he did, in fact ruin the trust she had had in him. But not enough to scare her off. So that gave him room to work on it. "I love you too." And work on it he would. Shani