Keesha walked through the front door and shut it behind her. "Hello?" she called as she took off her coat and placed it in the closet before pulling off her black pumps. Realizing how quiet it really was, Keesha glanced around the main hall and gave a small smile. She couldn't remember the last time the house had been completely quiet. She thought too soon.
"Hey, you're home!" A.J. called from the kitchen and Keesha carried her pumps into the kitchen, taking a seat at the kitchen table while watching A.J. create some sort of sub sandwich.
"How was your day?" A.J. asked as he lathered on the mustard of his creation.
Keesha crossed one slim leg over the other, "I saw Carly Morgan today," she announced.
A.J. stopped his knife and his eyes rose to meet hers. "Confronted her rather," Keesha corrected herself and A.J. cringed.
"Did you leave her breathing?" he asked.
Keesha nodded, "yeah, but I really think I got to her, I saw Bobbie Spencer on my way out."
"Ooohhh man, I wouldn't want to be near that encounter," A.J. remarked as he cut the sub in half, before placing the two halves on a plate and taking a seat adjacent to Keesha. "So what did you say to her?"
Keesha removed a pickle from the half of the sub A.J. wasn't eating and bit into it before speaking. "Oh, just everything that was on my mind." A.J. nodded as he chewed quietly and observed his wife carefully and frowned. Something was on her mind. "Something bothering you?"
Keesha smiled, A.J. always knew, sometimes before she even realized, when something was bothering her. "Yeah, it was something Carly told me when we argued. She was quite nostalgic about when you two were friends. You two seemed really fond of each other back then," she noted, trying to hide the twinge of jealousy. Furious at herself, Keesha brushed the feeling from her, she shouldn't be jealous of a friendship that died almost twenty years ago!
A.J. nodded truthfully, "when she was still with Tony, I really enjoyed our times together. Tony was so busy most of the time, she didn't really have any friends and so she and I just hooked up. It's weird, things were so different back then. Look at us now, I mean, Tony Jones is dead and we all know that Jason was probably behind that." A.J. shook his head, Tony Jones had never fully recovered from losing Michael, he had become much of a recluse, although he devoted all his energy to his son Lucas. "He didn't deserve what happened to him," he remarked quietly.
"Neither did you," Keesha pointed out and A.J. brought his attention back to her, giving her a lopsided grin as he took her hands gently in his.
"My old friendship with Carly, it's dead, I'm glad it's over, it's just a shame she'll be more present in our lives now that everyone knows Michael is my son."
Keesha took a deep breath before broaching what was on her mind. "Have you spoken to Michael today?"
A.J.'s face fell slightly as he shook his head, "he's staying at the Collins's house tonight. The kids are getting together for the evening, I don't want to disturb him."
Keesha smiled, "oh baby, I know this has got to be hard for you, but don't you think you should speak to him?"
A.J. shrugged, trying to contain the pain that seemed to occupy his every movement as he attempted to push Michael from his thoughts. Keesha caught sight of the sadness in his dark eyes and she squeezed his hands gently. "This must be so terrifying for you," she said simply.
A.J.'s eyes glistened with sudden tears, "I wonder," he started, his voice thick with emotion, "does he think I gave up on him? All those years ago when I could have changed it? He could have always been with me, God, my biggest fear in life was failing as a Father," he said before Keesha cut him off.
"No," she shook her head firmly, "you and Michael being in the dark for all these years is *not* your fault. Jason and Carly have to answer to that charge all by themselves. As for failing? You never failed Mary once, you are fully involved in her life! The only people I can think who failed Michael are Carly and Jason. They lied to him for their own selfish purposes, they lied to you and they lied to everyone else. They poisoned the relationship a long time ago, no amount of backpaddling will repair the damage."
A.J. shook his head, "Michael, he must think-"
"How could you possibly know what Michael is *really* thinking until you talk to him? Talk to your son A.J., he's probably just as scared as you are," Keesha implored.
A.J. nodded slowly, "you're right, hell, you're always right. I'm just, really scared. I can juggle million dollar deals without breaking a sweat but this just gives me the shakes."
Keesha's expression softened, "it's close to your heart," she said gently, "and you always come through, you've always been like that. Trust in you and you'll never go wrong."
A.J. smiled, pulling Keesha gently into his lap and held her close, "hey, with you beside me, I'll never go wrong in life. Keesha wrapped her arms around A.J.'s neck and smiled, "I'm glad we talked about this," she said, looking into his dark eyes, "have I told you how much I love you?" she asked, her smile broadening.
A.J. tightened his grip on Keesha and smiled innocently, "uummmmm, nope, I don't believe so," he murmurmed as Keesha bent her head down, her lips greeting his, but they were interrupted by Reginald's uncomfortable cough.
"Uumm, sorry to bother you," he said nervously, "but Justus Ward is here to see you."
Keesha's expression hardened as she pulled from A.J. slightly.
"Send him in, we've got a few things that need sorting out."
Justus Ward entered the large, bright kitchen, his entire body tense with nervousness. Keesha rose from A.J.'s lap and leaned against the island counter, crossing her arms in front of her. A.J. sat silently, his eyes revealing nothing as he mimicked Keesha and leaned against the back of his chair, folding his arms across his chest.
Justus looked at both for a moment. "I didn't know," he said simply, his voice clear and strong but full of the guilt that racked his body. "I just didn't know."
"We know," A.J. replied solemnly.
Justus turned to Keesha, his eyes pleading for the forgiveness he desperately sought. "I-I'm so sorry for this. They didn't tell me, they knew if I was told, I wouldn't keep it a secret."
Keesha said nothing, her gaze still tight. Justus took a step forward, "Keesha, I didn't know, honest to God, to Mary Mae in heaven, I had no idea Michael was A.J.'s son," he pleaded anxiously.
Keesha remained firmly in her position, quiet, rigid and unmoving. The pain and grief was evident in her cousin and seeing him like this tore her apart, but the revelation of Michael being A.J.'s son was just icing on the cake of nearly twenty years of him working for Jason Morgan.
A.J. watched his wife carefully. Only he could see the deep pain in her as Justus silently asked for her forgiveness, the deep pain that had cemented into her the day Justus announced he was leaving ELQ to work for Jason. After that moment nearly twenty years ago, Keesha and Justus's formerly close relationship became strained and distant. Over the years it had become practically non-existant, in fact it had been nearly two years since Justus set foot in the Quartermaine home, when it wasn't official business.
Keesha wanted to forgive and get past everything. She wanted to tell him she loved him and always would. She had a million things to say to him before he walked in the room but the moment he did, her mouth refused to open to let the words out.
Justus cast his expression downwards, he needed to give her time. It was foolish to think either of them, especially Keesha, would welcome him with open arms after everything they had been through over the years. Feeling he had said everything he could, for now, Justus nodded to both slightly.
"I'll go now, thank you for your time. Again, I'm so very sorry."
A.J. fought the urge to rise and show him out. He'd never had problems with Justus before, but out of loyalty to Keesha, for the pain that she endured, he stood by her always before anything else.
****************
Port Charles Grille
Dade watched for a moment as the car containing Jewel rolled carefully down the road, towards the launch where upon she would be escorted back to the island. Jerry had excused himself and headed upstairs to a private suite the Cassadines formally kept in the Port Charles Hotel.
A moment later Alexis emerged from a car that pulled in front of the hotel, her face full of concern as she rushed up to Dade.
"What happened?" she asked breathlessly. Dade motioned for her to follow him to a boardroom down a hallway and waited until both were inside the empty room.
"We met Jason Morgan less than thirty minutes ago," Dade said, his tone grim. Alexis widened her eyes, "Jason Morgan now KNOWS Jerry Jacks is in Port Charles? Did anything happen?"
Dade nodded, "the same threats they uttered to each other when Deanna died. Despite being apart all these years, the hate hasn't diminished in size, in fact, it seems to have grown."
Alexis and Dade each took a seat at the conference table, swivelling the leather chairs towards each other. "Jerry believes Jason ordered the hit that killed Deanna. Jason believes Jerry ordered a drive by that nearly killed Carly and the boys. What happened to them? They were strong partners and friends. Deanna and Carly were close, what went wrong?"
Dade pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "as far as I have ever found, miscommunication. Their dealings were going through a rough patch and the Feds were breathing down their necks. Jerry was seriously considering pulling out, Deanna was worried about the safety of the baby once it was born. Then, while Jerry and Deanna were in Alaska, an unmarked car opened fire on Jason's entourage outside their home. Michael and Spencer were with them and Carly was three months pregnant. She miscarried and the boys had nightmares for months after. Jason got bad information from his crew, he was so crazy about who had attacked him they just followed a flimsy lead and a name popped out."
"Jerry Jacks," Alexis supplied quietly and Dade nodded.
"He freaked, he waited and then he attacked. I don't believe he intended on killing Deanna, just Jerry. She died in the yacht explosion but Jewel survived. It was over, Jason reacted badly and Deanna died because of bad information."
"Does Jason know this?"
Dade shrugged but contempt was written all over his face, "I don't know, if he did after Deanna's death, he didn't give any indication of it. Morgan's business is not about profusive apologies with mistakes. You make them and people die and then you move on."
"And Jerry?"
Dade's face tightened with worry, "I don't know, sometimes he gets in his own zone about revenge for Deanna. The only thing that ever really pulls him back when he gets like this is Jewel. I saw what he went through with Deanna, I told him Jason was the one who ordered the bombing," Dade said, his voice dropping as he remembered that fateful night in the tightly secured section of the hospital where Jewel was being kept. "It was like he died all over again."
Alexis's face mirrored Dade's and her hand gently cupped the side of his face, her thumb soothingly stroking his cheekbone. "This must terrify you," she said, her voice quiet and serious.
Dade took her hand in his and nodded, his head dropping slightly, "he's always been like a brother to me. I love him like that and to see him go further and further down this spiral. I hate it and for Jewel," his voice trailed off emotionally as Alexis moved herself from her chair and pulled Dade into a strong, secure embrace as his body trembled against her. Alexis closed her eyes and pulled him closer. She could feel it.
Fear, was in the air.
******************