This is my J&C adaptation of Susan Sizemore’s novel, "His Last Best Hope"

"Miss Morgan, I’m sure that you’ve been through….."

"You have no IDEA what I’ve been through, Mister General or Commandant or whoever the H*LL you are!!" Chloe released Sean’s sleeve and strode away from him fiercely. She went to a window and then whirled back to face him, her chest heaving with barely-controlled anger. "How do you suggest I go about forgetting how my only living relatives were *murdered*? Almost right in front of me?" Sean took a step towards Chloe but she backed away, still seething. "How do you suggest I forget the fact that I was *kidnapped* by a man I was sure would rape and kill me at the drop of a hat??!!"

"But he didn’t….."

"But that didn’t stop me from THINKING he would!!" Chloe spat back. "Or from the terror that I had to live with until Jax told me the truth about who he was!" When Sean grimaced and sank into a chair, rubbing both hands over his face in frustration, Chloe saw that she had drawn blood. She relentlessly went towards him, fire in her eyes. "And how do you think I felt when Jax told me he had to leave me there alone and come back to Washington?" she hissed, taking a seat in the chair next to Sean’s. "That I was on foreign soil, far from any American embassy, dependent on the good graces of some wacko criminal with a Barbara Cartland complex??!!"

"And how do you think *I* felt?" Sean’s growled reply caught Chloe by surprise. She expected him to be cool, calm, and unruffled. Certainly not sympathetic. He turned towards her and clasped his hands together in frustration. "Don’t you think it turned me inside out when I couldn’t let him come back for you? Especially when it was so obvious that he loves you?"

"He…….." Chloe swallowed hard, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You could see that he loves me?" Although Jax’s love had been the object of her hopes and dreams, and despite their torrid lovemaking that one night, he had never put it into words.

Sean nodded solemnly. "I should have seen this coming." He looked up in the direction the surgeon had gone. "I should have realized Jax would pull some d*mn fool stunt like trying to rescue you and not care about the consequences."

Silence fell for a few minutes before Chloe spoke again. "What……" She cleared her throat awkwardly. "What *will* happen to Jax? Will he go to jail?"

"The term you’re looking for here is court-martialed, Miss Morgan." Sean cracked just the hint of a weary smile. "And no – he won’t. Technically, I never *ordered* Lieutenant Jacks not to go back for you. My specific orders were that he get 48 hours of rest and relaxation. He wasn’t on duty when he went to Montserrat." Chloe sighed loudly in relief as Sean shook his head and stared down at his clasped hands. "*I’m* the one who should take the blame for this fiasco."

"You?" Chloe frowned.

"Yeah – me." Sean’s lips thinned with self-recrimination. "I should have realized how much Jax cared for you and that he would have moved heaven and earth to get you back." He shook his head again. "I told him that I would make sure somebody else got you out, but I should have been more specific. I should have made the call to the higher ups at Naval Intelligence while he was still in the office. That might have given him enough peace of mind that he wouldn’t have gone down there himself……." He suddenly rose to his feet and strode towards the window, staring out of it intensely before taking a shuddering breath. "…..and he might not be lying in that ICU fighting for his life….."

Chloe waited for a few minutes until Sean seemed to compose himself again. "So then Jax won’t get court-martialed or sent to jail or anything because he came back for me?"

"No." Sean blinked rapidly and then seemed to re-gain the self-control befitting his rank. "Although there’s a h*ll of a mess to straighten out with the DEA and the Cassidine operation……"

"Because that other man’s cover might have been blown." Chloe tipped her head in the direction Jason had gone. "The other spy. The one who took over for Sonny."

"Exactly. Sean nodded. "And then, after Jax recovers……" He gave Chloe a wan smile. "……since we *will* indulge ourselves in some positive thinking here, the Lieutenant has some ……um……personal things to attend to………some time off he requested for private reasons……"

"You mean his brother’s wedding."

Sean’s eyes widened at Chloe’s observation. "He told you about that?"

"When we were on Montserrat." She nodded, feeling just the slightest thrill of victory. The look on Sean’s face told her that Jax’s openness with her was atypical and probably not approved. "I think he said his brother was marrying a widow in North Carolina……."

Sean bristled and abruptly strode back towards his chair and briefcase. "All of which only reinforces the need for you to be debriefed, Miss Morgan." He sat down, flipped open the locks on the briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. "I have all of the documentation you’ll need to be processed through customs, a replacement passport, driver’s license, etc……" Chloe’s jaw grew slack and dizziness washed over her when Sean pressed the papers into her hands. "And I’ve got a plane ticket here for you," he continued, holding up another folder. "Your flight leaves for LaGuardia tonight, and there’ll be a helicopter waiting to take you back to Port Charles courtesy of the government."

"But I ……." Chloe’s head swam as she spread the papers in her lap. "I *can’t* go back home, Captain!" Tears filled her eyes again as she looked in the direction of the ICU. "I want to stay here with Jax……"

"As I said before, Miss Morgan," Sean intoned gravely, "that won’t be possible." He closed his briefcase, totally oblivious to Chloe’s strangled snorts of indignation. "Now once you’re back in Port Charles, we’ll be in touch with you to set up a time that’s convenient so we can take your statement and get you debriefed."

"De-briefed?" Chloe accented the two syllables of the word sarcastically. "And what exactly does *that* involve?"

"We’ll have some folks from Naval Intelligence fly down to meet with you. They’ll go over everything that happened in Montserrat with you and work out some plausible explanations that you can give friends and relatives…….."

"I HAVE no relatives, Captain," Chloe spat furiously. "Remember? They were killed onboard the Morgana."

Sean ignored the bitter jibe. "Our people will construct a logical scenario for that too, Miss Morgan." He lowered his voice. "Obviously, due to the sensitive nature of our operations in Montserrat, you’ll never be able to tell anyone what *really* happened or about any of the people you came in contact with."

Chloe’s chin trembled and then firmed with anger. "I *won’t* do it, Captain." She rose from her chair, her legs wobbling slightly as she did. After getting very little sleep the night before, exhaustion waged a fierce war for control of her body. "I demand to see Pantera before I leave."

Sean got to his feet, putting a hand on Chloe’s arm to steady her. "Pantera doesn’t exist, Miss Morgan. Never has, never will."

"You *know* what I mean," Chloe growled in reply. She vaguely noticed two men appear at Sean’s right elbow – one in a military uniform, one in hospital garb. "I demand to see Jax."

"Miss Morgan, you’ve been through a terrible ordeal the past few days." Sean’s paternal smile and patronizing tone only grated further on Chloe’s nerves. "Right now, you’re functioning on very little sleep, and I’d wager you probably haven’t eaten a decent meal in almost 24 hours." He nodded silently to the men behind him. "Now, if you’ll just accompany Dr. Martinez here, he’ll give you a thorough checkup just to be on the safe side……"

"……..I won’t GO!" Chloe glared at the men as they took a position on either side of her. She unconsciously fingered the blood-stained cigar-band that still circled her third finger, left hand.

Sean continued, unaffected by her resistance. "…..and then Petty Officer Barnes will escort you to a hotel suite where you can get some rest before your flight leaves for New York."

"I won’t……." Chloe caught her breath as black dots swam in front of her eyes. Her knees buckled and she would have hit the floor if the men hadn’t each grabbed her arms.

"Miss Morgan…….." Sean crouched down to stare into Chloe’s fluttering eyes. "Please…….."

Chloe took a deep breath but the room still spun on its axis. The lack of sleep and food combined with her worry about Jax was taking its toll at the worst possible time. She gritted her teeth and then let the two men help her get her bearings. As they started to lead her away, she stopped and turned back towards Sean. "Jax won’t let me just disappear from his life, Captain Donnelly," she murmured passionately. "No matter how far you send me away, he’ll find me!"

Sean pulled himself upright and faced her coldly. "Lieutenant Jacks is well aware of the sacrifices his occupation demands, Miss Morgan. Unsavory though it’s been, he’s done his duty in the past." He clasped his hands behind him and puffed out his chest somberly. "After a while, he’ll forget you – just as you must forget him."

Chloe’s eyes filled with bitter tears and her lips twisted in anguish. She took a breath to say something again but then faintness blurred her vision. The men at her sides gripped her arms tighter and after she glared at Sean one last time, they led her down a hallway towards a set of double doors.

Sean watched until the doors closed slowly behind her, then let out a long breath, his chest sagging. "God, I hate this job some days," he sighed. He reached down to pick up his briefcase, took a deep breath, and then turned in the direction of the ICU. "One down – one to go."

#######

"Chloe!!!"

Jax’s eyes shot open and a searing pain radiated across his chest. When he tried to sit up, the room spun.

"Jax?" The sound of a voice on his right made Jax turn towards it sluggishly. He felt someone gripping his shoulders to calm him. "Everything’s OK, Jax – you were just dreaming."

He sank back into the bed with a long sigh. "Dreaming……." He frowned, licking lips that felt like over-baked clay. "Thirsty……"

"I don’t think you can have much yet, but the nurse left some ice chips." Sean got to his feet to hold a glass and straw to Jax’s mouth.

He took a sip and then winced and closed his eyes. "Where am I?"

"You’re in a hospital in Miami, Lieutenant." Sean set the glass back down and smiled warmly at Jax. "You were wounded in Montserrat and had to have surgery, but other than a pretty fancy scar on your chest, you’ll be fine."

Jax’s eyes opened for an instant and then closed wearily again. "Shot. I was shot." Then suddenly they opened again, wide and anxious. "Chloe!? Where’s Chloe? Did she get shot, too?"

"Miss Morgan is fine, too, Lieutenant." Sean lay a hand on Jax’s arm to reassure him. "Another operative managed to get her out of Montserrat safely."

"Jason." Jax’s eyes narrowed as he gave Sean a scolding look. "He was in on it, too. What was he? CIA?"

"Close. DEA." Sean shook his head and whistled softly. "I gotta tell you, Jax – the boys upstairs are having a field day with this one. The alphabet soup top brass will be hashing this one out for weeks to come thanks to your little attempt to rescue Miss Morgan."

"I *had* to go back for her, Sean." Jax glared at Sean protectively and then rotated his shoulders and winced again. "I love her." Jax had his eyes closed against the pain and never saw Sean stare down into his lap guiltily. "Where is she? I want to see her."

"She’s……." Sean took a deep breath. "She’s not here, Jax."

His eyes popped open. "You mean you sent her to some hotel to get cleaned up?"

"I mean that she’s gone – back to that little burg in upstate New York she calls home."

Jax’s eyes frosted over. "She *can’t* be gone." Thirty seconds of silence passed awkwardly between the two men. "She wouldn’t do that – just leave me without saying goodbye. Not after what we went through together……. what we mean to each other……"

"She…..uh……..She told me to tell you goodbye, Jax." Sean tried to put on his most convincing face, but the raw pain he saw in Jax’s eyes was tearing him apart inside. "She was going to check into a hotel to get some rest and then catch a flight back to LaGuardia later tonight."

Jax shifted his weight in the bed and tried to reach towards the telephone on his nightstand. "Fine. Then I’ll find the hotel where she’s staying. She can tell me goodbye herself."

When Jax’s hand fell limply short of its goal, Sean caught it and placed it back on his chest. "She didn’t tell me which hotel it was, Jax. And there are hundreds in Miami. You’ll never find her."

Jax’s eyes simmered with anger and regret. "That’s because YOU sent her away, didn’t you, Sean? You probably called in some reinforcements and had them "escort" Miss Morgan out of here before I woke up……"

"She was dead on her feet, Jax!" Sean interrupted. "The poor woman probably hasn’t slept or had a decent meal in almost 24 hours!"

"I bet you fed her the old party line cr@p." Jax’s voice was overflowing with bitterness. "About how there wouldn’t be a future for us, and it was all just some fling that wouldn’t hold up when we got back to reality."

"It’s the TRUTH, Jax!" Sean hissed in a low voice. "You KNOW by now that relationships based on these kind of experiences don’t last!"

"Tell that to Tiffany!!" The momentary tick at the corner of Sean’s eye told Jax he had scored a point in their battle. It was common knowledge that Sean had met his wife of over 15 years while on assignment in the South Pacific.

Sean grimaced and then put his hand on Jax’s arm gently, his tone softening. "Jax, you should know better than anyone else that operatives can’t have afford to have relationships that the other side can exploit." He paused for a second. "The same way they used Felicia to get to Frisco……"

"But I’m not sure I’ll still BE an operative after all this, Sean!" Jax countered. "You yourself gave me the transfer papers for that desk job in Naval Ops ….."

"……where you’ll probably be bored out of your gourd in about three days….."

"…..but maybe if I had Chloe to come home to, I wouldn’t CARE about being bored!"

Jax suddenly winced and seemed to curl into a little ball in the bed, cradling his arms against his chest. A few seconds later, a nurse came barreling into the cubicle. "What the H*LL are you doing?" she asked, shooting daggers at Sean while reaching for Jax’s wrist.

"Me?" Sean scooted back in his chair a little. "I’m not doing anything….."

"Don’t hand me that, Captain." Her eyes bounced back and forth between Sean and her watch as she took Jax’s pulse. "Something was going on in here that caused the patient’s blood pressure to skyrocket and then drop sharply." She waited a few more seconds, glaring at Sean again and holding up a hand to silence him when he tried to speak. Once she had finished her count, she lowered Jax’s wrist to the bed gently. "Now you get this straight, Captain," she growled, pointing a finger at Sean. "When you go back to Washington, you can order people around all you want in that nice little office you have at the Navy. But right now, you’re on MY turf, and *I* say it’s time for you to go!"

Sean sighed and glanced at Jax in silent apology. "You’re probably right," he said, rising to his feet. "I’ve got a mountain of paperwork to fill out, and this man has been through a lot in the past 24 hours, the least of which was getting shot."

He went to the door of Jax’s cubicle while the nurse re-adjusted his IV fluids and made some brisk notes in his chart. She grumbled something under her breath as she slid past him and Sean saw Jax open his eyes and look towards him. "I’m sorry, Jax – but when you’re stronger, you’ll understand that I did the right thing."

Jax watched Sean leave silently before he let out a long, shuddering breath. "No, I won’t Sean. You’ll see." He closed his eyes, his hands clutched into fists at his side. "I never break a promise."

*~*~*~*~*

"And you’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do for you, dear?" The white-haired matron held onto Chloe’s hands for dear life as she gushed tearfully. "Anything at all?"

"I’ll let you know, Mrs. Barrington," Chloe dully replied. "I promise."

Amanda Barrington patted Chloe’s hands and then took one last look at the framed pictures of Herbert and Gertrude Morgan resting on a pedestal surrounded by tasteful floral sprays. "They would be proud of you, Chloe," she whispered, putting a delicate knuckle to her nose. "It was a very moving memorial service."

"Thank you, Mrs. Barrington." Chloe silently prayed that Amanda would just shut the heck up and move along. It has been bad enough, playing along with the scenario the Navy created of her aunt and uncle being washed overboard during an unexpected hurricane. She only *wished* she had been that lucky – that Gertrude and Herbert would have been taken from her by something as powerful and capricious as the sea, instead of something as malicious and intentional as Faison’s greed.

Herbert Morgan had owned a small but profitable purse factory in Port Charles. He didn’t have many employees, but the ones he did had all been with the company for as long as Chloe could remember. He was a past president of the Port Charles Small Business League and, although modest, was just as much a fixture in the local business scene as Ned’s grandfather, Edward Quartermaine.

Soon after she returned home, just as Sean had promised, the Navy contacted Chloe and set up her debriefing sessions. Once they had agreed on the "lost at sea" outline, Chloe convinced them that a memorial service was practically a necessity. Without one, his business associates and numerous friends would have wondered, and wondering would lead to asking questions. Questions that the Navy didn’t want to answer.

Chloe rubbed one aching, black-pump clad foot against the calf of her other leg. Although the memorial service provided an outlet for the grief of Herbert and Gertrude’s friends and colleagues, it only served to re-open wounds that were on the way to healing for Chloe. The truth was that she had been in fear of losing her *own* life so often during that time in Montserrat, she hadn’t had that much time to think about losing her only relatives.

"So, dear………have you made a decision?"

Chloe blinked her eyes rapidly and tried to focus on Amanda’s question. "I’m so sorry, Mrs. Barrington…….what did you say?"

"I asked if you had decided yet whether or not to keep the factory open?" Amanda’s voice dropped to a low purr. Although the woman was one of Gertrude’s close friends, it was also true that she never forgot to look out for her *own* best interests. The department store chain that the Barrington family owned was one of Morgan Handbags’ best customers.

"Actually, Mrs. Barrington, I haven’t given the matter much thought." Chloe’s face hurt from smiling, when all she really wanted to do was tell everyone to go home so she could mourn the loss of those she loved – and the man she loved most. "There’s been so much to do – so many arrangements to make and paperwork to file since I got back……"

"Which is *precisely* why I’m going to step in and help her!"

Chloe’s eyes widened at the sound of the strong baritone voice. Nausea churned in her stomach at the sight of her former fiancé. "Why Ned, darling!" Amanda crooned, leaning over to kiss the air in the vicinity of his cheek. "Isn’t that gallant of you!" She clasped her hands to her chest dramatically. "Galloping to the rescue of your lady fair in her time of need!"

{More like a vulture, swooping down out of the sky when he smells dead meat and thinks "dinner."}

Chloe stifled her grimace. She meekly offered her cheek when he leaned forward to kiss it but then pulled back at the last minute so that he missed his target. "Ned," she said in a monotone, "I didn’t think I’d see you here today."

"I wouldn’t have *dreamed* of missing this, Chloe. Edward and Lila send their sincere sympathies, by the way," he added, referring to his grandfather and near-invalid grandmother. Ned glanced towards Herbert and Gertrude’s pictures. "You know, your aunt and uncle were almost like part of our family, especially considering the fact that you and I were nearly ……….well…….." Just as Chloe’s squeak of protest started to erupt, Ned stepped in front of her and gave Amanda a lizard-like smile. "Would you excuse us, Mrs. Barrington?" He put his arm around Chloe’s shoulders, missing the look of pure venom she shot him. "I think Chloe might need a breath of fresh air."

"Of course she does, Ned." Amanda quickly glanced between the two young people. "You just go on and take care of your young lady." She air-kissed Chloe and was off with a wave of her aristocratic hand.

Chloe’s growl came from low in her throat through gritted teeth. "I don’t know what the H*LL you think you’re doing, Ned, but I certainly don’t need you to take care……."

"Chloe, DARLING!!" Ned smiled again through her tirade and tried to pull her off to the side of the small chapel. "Why don’t we go out and have some coffee in the lounge? You’re probably still recovering from that storm yourself….."

"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it RIGHT HERE!" Chloe dug in her heels like a two-year-old and jerked her arm away from Ned’s grasp. She let out a disgruntled breath, smoothed her skirt with her hands, regained her composure, and then frowned at him. "So exactly what ARE you doing here?"

"I told you before, Chloe – I cared about your aunt and uncle." Ned’s phony solicitude was beginning to make Chloe’s teeth ache. "And I was worried about you, too."

"Me?" Chloe laughed sarcastically. "Why would you be worried about me?"

"Your aunt and uncle weren’t the *only* ones in that hurricane, Chloe." Ned started to rub his hand up and down her arm again. "I could have lost you," he whispered huskily.

Chloe leaned towards him. "News flash, Ned – you DID lose me." Her eyes shot fire as she *removed* his hand pointedly. "You CHOSE to lose me." She crossed her arms and scanned the other mourners in the chapel. "Where IS the charming Alexis today, anyway?"

"She had some family business she had to take care of," Ned replied quickly. He reached out to take her arm again but when Chloe glared at him, he put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Look, Chloe," he argued, "I know you’re probably still angry with me for what happened before you left with your aunt and uncle on that cruise, but now is *not* the time for guilt and the blame game." He glanced around and lowered his voice. "You’re going to have some important decisions to make concerning your uncle’s business……"

Chloe’s eyes widened and her mouth rounded in understanding. "Ohhhhhhhh, I get it now," she murmured. "You’re only anxious to make up with me because of the money!"

Ned grimaced, his lips thin. "There’s a lot at stake here, Chloe, and you KNOW you don’t always have the best head for business." When she didn’t answer, Ned took it as a green light. "Now grandfather and I have discussed it, and we’re perfectly amenable to bringing Morgan Handbags under the ELQ corporate umbrella as quickly as possible."

Chloe fought her rising anger admirably and feigned innocence. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Ned never saw it coming and continued like a bull in a china shop. "There’ll be some downsizing, of course – an unfortunate but unavoidable byproduct of the buyout." He clasped his hands behind him in his best "corporate wunderkind" stance. "But you must admit that your uncle was a little medieval in his loyalty to long-term employees."

"Actually……" Chloe crooked one finger for Ned to come closer. "Although I appreciate your offer, Ned, the answer is NO."

His head shook slightly. "What did you say?"

"I said……." Chloe came so close to his ear, his hair ruffled with her breath. "You can take your offer and STUFF IT WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE!!" She smiled at him sweetly as his jaw dropped. "Oh, and while you’re at it, Ned – go to H*LL!!"

She stalked away, swallowing the sob that choked her throat. If only Jax had been there to see her finally taking a stand with Ned. His words to her in Stefan’s resort the day they went swimming swirled through her brain until she barely heard Ned come up behind her.

"Chloe!!" He finally caught her arm to stop her. "Are you NUTS??!!" Ned laughed a little and looked around the mostly-vacant-now chapel. "What do you plan to do with your uncle’s company?"

Tears glittered in her eyes when she spun back to face Ned. "I’m going to *finally* stand up for myself and follow *my* dream, Ned!" Her breath came in hiccups. "I’m going to make good on a promise that I made to an old college roommate – maybe expand Uncle Herbert’s company and do some designing myself."

Ned stood silently for a half minute and then a smile lifted the corners of his mouth again. "Well, well, well……." He shook his head and crossed his arms, looking her slowly up and down. "I must tell you, Chloe – this new assertive nature of yours is really……..well, it’s d*mn sexy……"

Another wave of nausea washed over her when he gave her a lewd smile. "Get the H*LL out of my life, Ned," she snarled. "And don’t EVER come near me again!"

Charged silence filled the room as the two stared at each other. Then Ned re-adjusted his tie, gave her a "boy, did you make a mistake" look, and sauntered out of the chapel. After she was sure he had left the room, Chloe finally slumped over and allowed herself some bitter tears.

*^*^*^*^*

"Welcome!!"

Chloe sighed loudly and sank back in her office chair, kicking off her shoes. It had been a long but productive day. Morgan Designs was finally becoming a corporate reality, thanks to long hours with attorneys and bankers. Amanda Barrington’s department stores had already placed advance orders that put Chloe nearly in the black. More and more inquiries came in every day from small boutiques in New York City and as far away as Atlanta.

"You’ve got mail!!"

Chloe grimaced at the screen. "I do?" She shook her head and reached for a cup of strong coffee. "Not the right "male," though – that’s the problem," she muttered, blowing on the inky liquid.

It had been almost six weeks since Chloe left Jax in Miami. She had spent nearly every waking minute building Morgan Handbags into Port Charles’ newest thriving small business. But at night, when she collapsed into bed, there were still times when sleep was elusive. The darkness around her only reminded her of another night – tropical heat – and a kind of heat that had nothing to do with the climate.

She watched the newspapers for anything about Stefan Cassidine or Montserrat, although she also realized that there was a strong possibility she would never hear what had really happened. If Jason had been telling her the truth, the sting may still have been in process with no results forthcoming for weeks or months. Even when it all did go down, the likelihood was that only the top brass at Naval Intelligence and the DEA would hear the details.

In her spare time, she did some searching on the Internet and Washington phone directories for Jasper Jacks, all to no avail. Chloe finally realized that a man who assumed other identities probably didn’t *want* to be able to be found easily. As time went on, even though she was strong and decisive in her new business persona, old insecurities surfaced. Maybe Jax hadn’t tried to find her because he really *didn’t* care for her as much as she thought. Maybe Sean was right – their attraction was just in the heat of the moment and didn’t last in the clear light of day. After all – Jax had never said he loved her.

Chloe sighed loudly, brushed away the tears that often blurred her vision late at night when she was alone, and reached for the computer mouse. She clicked on the "mail" icon, scanning quickly through the contents of her virtual mailbox. Suddenly, she stopped and frowned. Her hand on the mouse trembled, and then she slowly moved it to click on the "open" icon.

The computer seemed to grind forever loading the message. When it finally finished and Chloe read it, her heart skipped a beat.

Dear Chloe Morgan,

To be continued………