Chapter 97

Back in Port Charles

Stefan and Keesha stood on the peir from Windemere. "Will you do it? I really need for you to help. And what I am asking, won't hurt anyone-it is just making me more informed."

"Why me?"

"Because I know you can."

Keesha sighed. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course. And do not hesitate to tell me no. I have another plan as always."

Keesha nodded. That made her feel a little better. Now she would just say no and stay out of the Cassadine/Spencer feud. Why should she get involved. Besides, Luke Spencer had always been kind to her. "I will call you tomorrow." she stated, though she already knew what her answer would be. The least she could do for Stefan was pretend to think about it.

Stefan helped Keesha into the shuttle to go back to the mainland. He watched it go and then turned to go up the stairs. He paused, his eyebrow arching. "Jasper."

Jax came from the shadows. He could not hear too much of what had transpired. However that did not matter. If Keesha was not going to end this relationship herself, he would just have to do it for her.

"What can I do for you?" Jax asked simply.

Stefan smiled. He knew Jax would be along sooner or later. Now, he just had to bait him further. "Nothing. I am quite satisfied with the help your wife provides..." He moved past Jax and started up the stairs.

"What in God's name could you want with Keesha?" Jax followed. "Listen...." Stefan turned, looking at Jax once more. "Whatever she can give you, I may give you. And much sooner."

"Perhaps you understimate your wife."

Jax cut his eyes at Stefan. "What do you want with her?"

"I will not allow harm to come to Keesha..."

"Keesha? So you're on a first name basis now?"

"Now, Jasper..."

"Listen to me. We have never had to go up against each other before, but don't tempt me. Stay away from Keesha. And I will do what you require. But as for her, no more favors for her, no more favors from her. Is that understood?"

"Quite."

Jax and Stefan continued staring at each other for awhile. Then, Jax walked away.

Keesha looked at her watch. It was late when she got home, and she had expected Jax to be there. Yet all she had found was a phone message that Laurence and Jocelyn were with Jerry-that Jax and Keesha were to watch Lucas in return tomorrow night-and that Jax would be home soon.

Keesha stood from the couch and walked over to the kitchen. She might as well enjoy the peace and quiet.

"Miss me..." a deep voice whispered into her ear, startling her.

Keesha turned around, hitting Jax in the middle of his chest. "How do you manage to sneak up on me like that."

"It's one of my many talents."

"Where have you been?"

"Meeting."

Keesha looked at Jax. "There's something you're not telling me. I thought we had stopped doing that."

Jax smiled. "And there is one of your talents...reading my every thought." He bent down, nuzzling against her neck. "What am I thinking now?" he mumbled.

Keesha closed her eyes, a small smile growing across her lips. "I don't know...perhaps you should give me a hint..."

Keesha laughed as Jax picked her up suddenly. He grinned and then carried her up the stairs.

"Very talented..." Keesha smiled wickedly as she rested on top of Jax.

"Thank you." Jax laughed. "I'm always here to please."

Keesha leaned up from his chest, gazing into his eyes. "If I must be distracted, this is definitely the best way." she noted, wanting him to realize that she was aware.

Jax's smile faded. "You think way too much."

"And you worry way too much. You went to see Stefan, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Jax..." Keesha sighed. "Never mind." she sat up in the bed, between Jax's legs. He would worry and that worry would sometimes lead him to interfere in her business. As long as it wasn't a regular occurance, it was something she would over look. "You wasted your time. What Stefan wants this time I have no intention of doing."

"Good." Jax nodded as he sat up as well. "Might I ask why?" he inquired, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Because it's just something I would rather not get involved in. And I really would rather leave it at that. Because I don't want you to get involved either..."

Jax tilted his head at her. "I can handle myself around Stefan," he reminded her. He stood from the bed and Keesha watched as he put on his robe, heading into the master bath.

Keesha left the kitchen, walking down the hall to Jax's office, knowing that, it being Thursday-he was working hard. She carried a cup of coffee, strong and disgusting the way Jerry made it, because Jax would be fighting to stay awake the rest of the night. She stood next to the partially open door, deciding to listen for a second, just to make sure it was safe for her to come in.

"Right...Luke Spencer..."

Keesha's eyes clouded as she heard Jax mumbling into the phone.

"...Lucky Spencer...how soon can you have this for me...not good enough, my contact wants it as soon as yesterday..."

He wouldn't...Jax would not get himself involved in that insane feud....

Then she remembered. Stefan said he had a back up plan...but if Jax was Stefan's back up plan...

Keesha left the hallway quietly, leaving the coffee on the table in the living room as she picked up the main phone. She looked towards the hallway, hoping she could wrap up her phone call to Stefan before Jax called him back.

"Hello Keesha." Stefan smiled.

"What exactly do you need?"

"I want to know how far the Spencer/Morgan connection goes."

"And what do you want me to do?"

"Speak to Mrs. Morgan. Tell her you've found her husband, but she has to do something for you first. Tell her you need to be sure this is the favor Morgan would want you to do...tell her in fact you do not believe that you owe Morgan anything since it is only his word. As far as you know, you only owe Spencer. She will likely start to talk about something, and then you will come and tell me. Very safe. I would not have you doing anything that was not safe."

"What about Jax?"

"What about him? Oh, I assume he told you..." Stefan could tell she was still unsure. He just had to push her a little further. "He will do anything I ask if I stay away from you."

Keesha blinked. Jax actually said that?

"He was rather adamant. I hope that you two have worked it out amongst yourselves..."

"I am speaking to you, aren't I. So Jax doesn't owe you anything," she answered simply.

"I understand."

Stefan hung up. People in love were always too protective. All he had to do was get both Keesha and Jax to focus on that, and now he was able to get Keesha to do whatever he wished. He knew that she would have refused to help him against Spencer, unless he had something to offer her-a promise to leave Jax out of everything was that something he knew that she would not refuse.

In this case, Stefan needed Keesha's help. Luke would not be wary of Keesha. It was a tactic Stefan knew Jerry had used once, when he sent Keesha back to Luke's to see what could be found after the hostage situation. Luke and the rest of the Spencers, Morgan, Carly, and everyone else underestimated Keesha, while they all would be wary of Jax...and therefore, she would be the most valulable. She would be able to get the information Jax might not be able to.

Besides. He had been honest. Stefan trusted Keesha. He never really did trust Jax. He picked up his phone.

"Hello Jasper..."

"You would not answer your line..." Jax sat down at the edge of his desk. "I am having them looked into."

"Good," was all Stefan would say. He hung up and with a contented smirk he went upstairs.

"What are you doing up?" Jax asked Keesha as he came into the living room.

"I was using the phone." her voice was quiet and cold.

"Okay...now there is something you aren't telling me."

"How's this for starters? You have no right telling people to stay away from me."

Jax looked at Keesha, his eyes darkening.

"Are you going to deny it?"

"No. I told Stefan to stay away from you. And he had better do just that..."

"Damn it Jax...you don't have the right..."

"I do when you aren't looking out for yourself..."

"Excuse me?"

"If you aren't going to look out for yourself, I will do it for you!"

Keesha stood from the couch, storming over to Jax. Her voice lowered to an octave Jax rarely heard. "Last time I checked, I was grown. And I will do as I damn well please...and if you have a problem with what I am doing, you come to me-you don't go around ordering..."

"Don't go around ordering your what? Friend? You think Stefan is your friend? Stefan could give a damn about you...don't be so bloody naive...that man is using you!"

"So now I'm stupid?"

"I never said that. But it is...idiotic to align yourself with that man..."

"You do it all the time!"

"You are not me." Jax answered matter of factly.

"Wait a minute...what does that mean?"

"It means that I can handle myself. That's me. But as for you, when it comes to Stefan pretty soon you will find yourself way over your head...."

"Do you think I am completely unable to take care of myself?"

"No. Just when it comes to Stefan. Your vision is sort of...cloudly."

Keesha groaned. "Now I know how Jerry must have felt when it came to you and him and Miranda...."

Jax stared, completely shocked at her parallel. "You know what, I was right about Miranda. And I am right about Stefan. That's the only correlation to make."

"What about the fact that you seem to believe that you are invincible and that we could do nothing without your guidance? How's that for a correlation? You knew all about Miranda, so it's your job to protect Jerry from her, because he knows nothing. You know all about Stefan, and I know nothing, so now you go around promising him whatever he wants as long as he stays away from me...has it ever occured to you that he has much much more sinister plans for you than he could ever have for me. Miranda never set out to hurt Jerry...but she sure as hell wanted to hurt you..." Keesha's voice pleaded, she needed him to hear her. She wanted Jax to see what he was doing...he was always out protecting others, others who didn't need as much protection as he did.

Miranda wouldn't have tried half of the things she had to Jax, with Jerry. Miranda had tried many times to destory Jax's life-not Jerry's. And Stefan would use Jax in a way he would never have thought of using Keesha.

It was a much more dangerous alliance.

Jax sighed deeply. She never would get it. Jerry never got it, and Keesha would not get it now. Though Jax had always hoped Keesha understood him better than that. He could not lose anyone else. He couldn't. And so he was much more aware, of some things than Keesha or Jerry ever could be. Jerry had a weakness for Miranda until the day she died-and that weakness made him blind to so many things that could have ruined his life. And Keesha, for whatever reason, could not see how Stefan was using her. But Jax saw it. And he was not going to allow her to be used by someone who's enemies always wanted to kill him. He would not let her get caught in the crossfire.

Why couldn't she understand that? He didn't like doing this-he wished he had never had to go to Stefan in the first place-Jax wished that Keesha would never have established such a relationship with Stefan to begin with.

But instead of saying all of that, he merely said, "I can take care of myself..." and started to the stairs.

"But I can't?!"

Jax stopped. He turned around. And answered once more, simply. "When it comes to Stefan Cassadine. No." And with that he went up the stairs, leaving Keesha alone in the living room.

Keesha shook her head, running her hands through her hair in frustration.