Chapter 88
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Deidre kissed Laurence one last time.
"Let go..." Jax laughed. "You'll be back in a couple of days."
"Be good for Daddy, okay?"
"Tell Mum, *I don't know how to be anything but good*." Jax smiled, taking
Laurence from Deidre.
"You have all the emergancy numbers?" Deidre cleared her throat.
"Yes Deidre...I've taken care of our son before, why are you so worried
now..."
"It's a mother thing. Ask Lady Jane about it." she kissed Laurence again.
"You and Keesha seem to be doing well."
"We are. Thanks for asking...go on, or you'll miss your flight."
Deidre nodded. She walked away, looking back one last time and blowing
Laurence a kiss.
Deidre walked into the bathroom. She went into the handicapped stall,
pulling out the small vial hidden in her cleavage. She looked down,
spreading the cocaine out. She looked in the mirror before bending,
taking it all. Deidre cleared her throat, her eyes filling with tears.
"Hello?" Jax answered his car phone. He handed Laurence his pacifier,
watching as he played with his keys, enchanted by their jingle.
"Jax...Bobbie. You need to come in here, and bring Laurence."
"What's wrong?"
"I can't say over the phone. Just come down to GH as soon as possible.
And ask for Alan."
Jax listened to the dial tone.
Keesha sat up in the bed, cutting her afternoon nap short
Of *course*. Why didn't the thought hit her sooner?
She ran out of the room, leaving Jax a simple note.
"Gone to see Miranda."
"What?!...but...that can't be..."
"Does Deidre nurse?"
"I don't know...I would think so..."
"That is likely how the drugs got into Laurence's system."
"Deidre isn't....she wouldn't...is he..."
"The amount is small. But...you never know with something like
this...Jax..." Alan touched his arm. "Laurence seems fine, he really
does. I just need for you to make sure that he has no more of the milk
from his mother. And bring him in for check ups, once a week. We should
have a better idea after a month or so. Okay?"
Jax nodded. "I'm going to kill her." he said deeply, picking up
Laurence's carrier and leaving the office.
"I have one simple question. Did you tell Nikolas about Jax and Deidre?"
"Why should I answer that."
"Because he told me....that's what I thought." Keesha's beleifs were
confirmed as she stared at the genuine shock in Miranda's eyes.
"But...how would he find out."
"I don't know. But he found out. And he said he talked to you about it,
obviously he didn't. Which means that he wanted me to think you had, so
that we would hate you even more."
"Oh my God...he set me up...the little bastard set me up!"
Keesha leaned back in her chair.
"You have to tell..."
"Tell what?" Keesha asked innocently.
"You...forget it, I don't need you. I'll tell them myself..."
"Sure. I'm sure Stefan will just *love* that. And who's going to beleive
you over Nikolas. I know I don't..."
"But you..."
"According to Taggert, you called to see me. And now I'm here and you're
trying to feed me some far fetched story about Nikolas." Keesha's eyes
flashed. "Why would you do such a thing."
"What do you want?" Miranda's tone was cold.
"For you to realize something. I hold all the cards. You call Lucky off.
You leave Jerry and Jax alone. Or I swear to God, no one will find out
anything. You got me." Keesha tossed the phone on the desk, leaving the
room.
Miranda hit the glass...moaning as she realized Keesha was right.
She held all the cards.
Jax stormed into the house, placing Laurence in the playpen before taking
the phone and dialing.
"Hello?"
"Deidre."
"She's getting ready..."
"NOW!" Jax barked.
"Hello?"
"How dare you!"
Deidre froze. He knew..."I didn't think..."
"You didn't *think*?! Do you know what this could do to our son?!"
"I'm sorry Jax...I didn't think..."
"You get clean, or don't bother coming back." he stated.
"I know...I wasn't planning on coming back anyway..."
"What?"
"I'm not coming back...take care of him...tell him I love him...okay..."
Deidre's voice broke and she hung up.
"You're on." her makeup artist walked in. "Let's go."
Keesha walked into the PC Grill. "I came as fast as I could." she said,
somewhat breathless as she sat down across from Jax. "Where's Laurence?
I thought that you had him for the weekend."
"I have Laurence, period. Deidre's giving him up to me."
Keesha stared. "Why do I have the feeling this is not good news." she
asked carefully.
"Deidre is addicted to cocaine."
"What?"
"There's traces of it in Laurence's system...I just found out today..."
"Oh...Jax...I'm so sorry..." Keesha took his hand, holding it tightly.
"He'll be fine...Alan pretty much all but said so." Jax tried to convince
them both. "I just...I wanted...I needed to see you...I needed you." he
finally finished. "Yes, I needed to tell you and let you know what's
going on...but more than that...I just needed you." he squeezed her hand,
looking into her eyes. "I'm so scared Keesha..."
Keesha took his hand, kissing it. "Let's go home, okay?"
Jax nodded. They got up and walked out, her hand resting on his back.
Jax covered Laurence with his baby blanket, turning out the light. He
climbed into the bed. "This was a good idea...bringing him in here for
awhile." he nodded as Keesha came into the room.
"Well, you know how protective we are of those we love." she teased and
Jax smiled as some of his tension passed. She went into the bed,
snuggling up against him. She rested her head on his shoulder as both
of them looked through the bars of the crib, watching Laurence as he
slept. "He's going to be fine Jax...you'll see." she promised.
Jax ran his fingers through Keesha's hair. "I know...thank you."
"For what?"
Before he could answer the phone rang. "Hello...yes this is he..." Jax
listened as Keesha sat up in the bed.
Jax dropped the phone, getting out of the bed and closing the door to the
bathroom.
"Hello?...yes..." Keesha listened as she walked to the door. "Thank
you." she hung up, placing her hand on the door. "Jax?" she called
carefully.
Jax leaned up against the sink, not answering
Overdose.
Deidre just died of an overdose.
The next few days were a blur for Jax. While Laurence stayed with Jerry
and Bobbie, he and Keesha went to New York City for Deidre's funeral. He
was surprised at how small the event was. Deidre didn't have any family,
and her friends, afraid of being tied into Deidre's drug lifestyle didn't
come.
Keesha and Alexis went to Deidre's lawyer, going through finalizing
Deidre's estate. It was simple since she left all of her earnings to
Laurence, to be set up in a trust fund and guarded by Jax.
And by Friday they were back in Port Charles, that night spent the same
way as they had been since Jax found out. With Jax leaned up against
Keesha's body, not saying anything as she ran her fingers through his hair
until finally he fell asleep.
"You don't sound too happy..."
"I guess I'm just in shock...yes..." Keesha nodded. She didn't know
whether to laugh or to cry. She didn't know if the timing was perfect or
just all wrong. She touched her stomach...as she continued listening to
Monica.
Keesha hung up quickly as the door opened. "How is he?"
Jax froze. Something was wrong..."What?"
"Laurence...he just had a check up, right? How is he?"
"Alan says he's fine." he closed the door, settling Laurence on the floor.
"Keesha...who was on the phone?"
"Phone?" she glanced back.
"Yes..." he looked at her.
"Oh...uh...just...you know...so what do you want to do to celebrate...I
think we should go out somewhere..."
"Keesha..." Jax took her hand. "What?"
She took a deep breath, glancing down. Finally she looked back up into
his eyes. "I...I'm pregnant."
Jax stared at her. "What?"
"That was Monica...she just confirmed..." Keesha searched his eyes,
looking for a reaction.
Any kind of reaction.
Shani ]]>
