Chapter 90
<![CDATA[
Author's quick note: In this story Nikolas is still Stefan's and
Laura's son.
Jax knocked on Mac's office door. "Come in!" Mac called and Jax opened
the door.
"You wanted..." his voice trailed off as he noticed Jerry, Nikolas and
Stefan in the office. "What is this about?"
"Close the door and have a seat." He waited until Jax had taken his
place, standing next to Jerry. "Fine. If you want to stand."
"What is this about Commisoner." Stefan asked. "We are all busy men, and
I do not have time for your..."
"It's concerning the disappearance of Miranda Jameson. Do any of you know
where she is?"
"I paid her bail. I'm the one who has lost money." Nikolas answered.
"Don't you think if I knew where she was I would have told you."
"Perhaps."
"No, that is a definite." Stefan added. "Cassadines do not like to lose
anything, and that includes money. Neither he nor my son know where that
woman is. So we will be going..."
"What about you?" Mac looked at Jerry.
"Her disappearance was a suprise to me. However, if I did know, I surely
wouldn't give her up to you." he smirked.
"Jax?"
"No. And if that's all...."
"I would like to speak to you three." Mac pointed to Jax, Jerry and
Nikolas. "Alone."
"That is not occuring..."
"Father, I can handle this." Nikolas touched Stefan's arm.
"All right." Stefan relented, leaving him and the Jacks' with Mac.
Mac looked at all three coldly. "One, if not all of you is hiding
something. You may not know where she is, but you know more than you are
letting on. It is illegal to interfere in a police investigation..."
Jerry looked at Jax. "Doesn't that sound like some sort of threat to you?"
"Sort of." Jax answered Jerry, yet was still staring at Mac. "But Mac
wouldn't dare to do that. He knows how we hate to be threatened."
"Just know that I will be watching you. Get out." Mac went behind his
desk, sitting down.
Jax walked to his car, getting in.
"We need to talk." Nikolas came from nowhere, getting in on the passanger
side.
"About?" Jax started the car, not looking at Nikolas.
"We have to find Miranda, and make sure she stays gone. I know you agree."
"Didn't you handle that?"
"What are you talking about?"
Jax sighed, glancing over at Nikolas. "You paid Miranda's bail and I am
sure you told her to skip town, so that she didn't blow the whistle on
you, that you were framing her. You know, it seems that the Corithos'
murders will continue to go unsolved, and that means that Mac won't give
up. He will do everything in his power to clear Miranda of it, so that
she can come safely back to Port Charles. And that means he will go
looking for whoever was behind it. I've had my day, AJ has had his...if
he finds out about you, you can bet that he will charge you. So...I am
*sure* that you handled Miranda."
"No one handles Miranda." Nikolas reminded Jax. "I may have, and I am
not saying I *did*, but even if I *could* have gotten rid of her for now,
she will likely come back. Because Jerry is here. You know it, I know
it. We have to get rid of her. For good."
"That had better not mean what I think you mean..."
"I do not want her dead. I just want her to do know that Jerry is not
here for her to come back to."
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"That I don't know. But at least, if we find her, she can be sure that we
are watching her. And it could bide us some time..."
"I hate your use of the word *us*. This is your mess, not mine."
"Perhaps." Nikolas got out of the car. "But I doubt you want to see
Miranda any more than I do." he shut the door. Nikolas walked in front of
Jax's car, looking at Jax through the front window.
And with one simple nod from Jax, Nikolas knew that he would be helping
him to find Miranda.
Next Day.
"I'll be right back." Keesha promised Laurence, leaving the nursery and
running downstairs to answer the knock on the front door. "Mr.
Cassadine." she answered, surprised to see Stefan. "May I help you?"
"Mrs. Jacks." Stefan smiled. "May I..."
"Oh, of course." Keesha stepped out of the way and Stefan walked in.
"Is Jasper home?"
"No, you just missed him. He's on a run."
"Run?"
"He went jogging. You could wait, but he will be gone for at least an
hour. Or if you leave, I will tell him you stopped by. May I ask what
this is concerning?"
Stefan looked at Keesha, debating his options. "Ms. Jameson."
"Miranda? Why do you want to see Jax about Miranda?"
"I need to know if he is in contact with her."
"He's not."
"How do you...."
"He's not." Keesha repeated. "Jax only spoke with her once the entire
time she was here. He had other things to deal with..."
"What about you? You went to visit her in jail on numerous occassions."
"And?"
"Have you been in contact with her?"
"No. What about Nikolas. Shouldn't you be speaking to Nikolas about
Miranda. She was his..."
"Lover, yes. That is why I am asking about her. I want to protect my
son. If you hear from her, will you please let me know."
"Why?"
Stefan smiled. "Why not?"
Keesha had to laugh. Why should she care if Stefan had unfinished
business with Miranda. "All right." she agreed.
Keesha finished swimming across the pool, pushing herself to the surface.
She swam every day, wanting to get it in while she still could. Before
she started to really show, and could still move around like everyone
else.
Keesha leaned against the side, watching as Jax pushed Laurenece gently in
the baby swing in the grassy area of their back yard. "Perfect." she
whispered to herself. Her life was perfect...she had Jax, and Laurence,
and now...
Keesha sighed, praying like she did every day, that her and Jax would be
able to have this baby she was carrying. That nothing would happen, like
it had before...
Jax glanced over, watching as Keesha looked up at the sky, deep in
thought. He saw her glance down, looking into the pool, and he knew what
was on her mind... "Hey!" he called.
Jax's voice brought her back to the world. She took another breath,
shaking any negative thoughts out of her mind. "Hey yourself!" she
grinned, getting out of the pool. She wrapped a towel around her,
slipping on her sandels and walking over to them. "I'm starving..."
"Your wish is my command. Watch him..."
"Jax, that wasn't a request." she laughed. "It was an observation. I was
just going to go in and fix myself something..."
"I'll do it. You just relax..."
"Will you stop babying me."
"Only if you stop worrying." he answered quietly.
"How.."
"I know you."
Keesha shook her head. "I don't just sit around and worry Jax. Honestly.
But...I can't help it sometimes. I can't."
"Then, I can't stop babying you, now can I?" he ran his fingers gently
across her lips. "What do you want to eat?"
"Ice cream is fine."
"Ice cream it is. You're so easily pleased..." he winked, leaving her
with Laurence.
"Hello." John Jacks answered his phone in Alaska.
"Right now....Keesha is pushing Laurence in his baby swing...and..."
Miranda moved her binoculars, looking inside of the house. "Jax is on his
way out with a bowl of ice cream..."
"Miranda! What..."
"Oh, isn't that adoreable, he just fed Keesha the first bite." she rolled
her eyes.
Jane stood from the couch, walking over to John. "What..."
"I want to see Jerry, and I want to see him *now*! You tell him to get to
San Francisco by tomorrow afternoon. 1:00 pm. I will be at the enterance
of Golden Gate Park."
"Why would I do that..."
"Bceause you can see how resourceful I am. And you want me to leave your
little golden child and his family alone don't you? Jerry comes to see
me, and you better not tell him of this threat, because if I get an
inkling that you have-and trust me I will be able to tell just by looking
at him...I will use whatever resources I have left to destroy all of you.
I'm that desperate. Don't push me." Miranda hung up the phone. She
pushed her sunglasses up from her eyes, resting them on her long blonde
hair extensions.
Now Jerry would come. And she would make him understand. And he would
protect her from Nikolas and Stefan.
And most importantly, Helena.
Shani]]>
