Jax frowned and rubbed his face briskly with both hands as he stumbled towards the front door of his condominium. Only the persistent buzzing of the doorbell kept him from rolling over and ignoring whoever had the colossal nerve to be waking him up before noon on a Saturday. He wore navy silk pajama bottoms, his feet and chest bare as he dragged his reluctant body out of bed to answer the bell’s summons.

He didn’t bother to check through the security peekhole before he yanked the door open. As soon as he did, though, all of the air left his lungs in a disgusted sigh that was impossible to mask. "Scott………."

Jax’s nearly-brother-in-law smiled apologetically. "I’m sorry, Jax. Did I wake you?"

{Geez…….obviously not a Phi Beta Kappa, this one.} Jax ruffled his hair with his fingers before indulging himself in scratching the side of his bare stomach. "No…….not at all." {I bet you believe that too.} "I was just…uh…going to get some coffee started." Even in his groggy state, Jax couldn’t help but see the elation that lit Scott’s face. "Care to join me for some?"

"Great!!"

{How did I know he was going to say that?} Jax stepped aside and bit back the obscenities that threatened to spill out when Scott eagerly strode through the door and into his living room. The groom-to-be stopped and looked around, smiling and nodding. "Nice place you’ve got here, Jax." Scott chuckled a little, never noticing Jax’s bloodshot eyes or Antarctic atmosphere in his blue eyes as he closed the door. "I can see why you’d prefer this to life back at the old homestead right now."

{Great. He came here for some kind of male bonding b*tch session about the way my little sister is behaving.} Jax drew back, his gaze drawing a cold bead on the middle of Scott’s forehead. "Is that why you’re here? Cause you can’t stand all the wedding folderol? And the way Jessie is turning into a raving lunatic about who sits next to whom at the reception?"

Scott snorted softly. "You’re pretty close to the truth on that one, Jax." He shook his head and sighed. "I’ll sure be glad when we get on that plane for Fiji and life gets back to normal."

{But then Alexis will have the green light to go after Jerry again, or Bobbie, or whichever member of the family she sees fit to blame for Chloe’s death.} Jax ruffled his hair with his fingertips again and then walked past Scott towards an open archway, his bare feet slapping on the hardwood floors as he did. "Yeah, well sometimes you should be careful what you wish for, Scott." He reached inside and flipped on a light in the ultra-modern, fully-equipped kitchenette. "You want some toast, too?"

"No…….that’s OK." Scott slipped off his black leather bomber jacket and tossed it over the back of one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "I never seem to have much of an appetite in the morning……" His eyes sparkled appreciatively when he saw Jax dipping a scoop into some dark, fragrant grounds. "But I’ve *always* got room for an extra caffeine fix!" he chortled, pointing at the coffeemaker.

{Swell. Now we’re going to debate the merits of Folger’s versus Sanka.} "So……" Jax padded to the sink and filled the carafe with cold water. "Is everything OK back at the house?" He lifted an eyebrow cautiously. "I mean – you’re not here to tell me that you’ve secretly decided to call off the wedding, are you?"

"No, no……..nothing that drastic," Scott laughed, throwing up his hands. He slid into one of the stools and folded his hands on the breakfast bar in front of him. "But I *did* want to speak to you about something – privately." As Jax started the coffee brewing, Scott stared down at his hands and cleared his throat in obvious discomfort. "I mean, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this ever since the other day."

Jax frowned and propped his hands on his hips. "And it’s not about Jessie? You two haven’t had a fight?"

"No…..not at all!" Scott’s eyes suddenly widened as his gaze swept Jax from head to toe. "I’m sorry – is this a bad time for you? It looks like you had a bad night."

"I’ve had better." The truth was Jax could now state beyond a shadow of a doubt that there were 39 vertical blue stripes in the wallpaper on the south wall of the condominium’s bedroom. And 53 tan ones. And 17 tiny white bars that bordered the areas where the blue and the tan blurred into a hazy hybrid color. His bathroom faucet had dripped 152 times before he finally got up to shut it off firmly.

He just couldn’t shake the image, no matter how hard he tried. Every time he closed his eyes, Jax had seen that d*mn black car heading straight for Alexis. After getting up to take a stiff drink of Scotch, thinking it might help him sleep, he drifted off into a troubled slumber, only to dream that he hadn’t reached her in time. Again and again, he woke up in a cold sweat, the sight of her broken and bleeding body etched in his consciousness.

The sun was peeking over the horizon when Jax finally tossed the covers aside and strode rapidly to the spare bedroom he used as a study. He flipped through the rolodex and found a possible solution to his sleeplessness: Anna Devane. Anna was a private investigator he had met years earlier. She had a small practice in Port Charles and had often helped him out on cases that other defense attorneys had deemed "un-winnable."

His 6AM call didn’t surprise her at all – at least, not the timing of it. She had worked with him often enough to know that Jasper Jacks didn’t observe "normal working hours" when it came to discovering the truth in a case. After a quick interlude of "catching up on old times," Jax outlined the job he needed done: find out the names of any and all persons who had rented black or very dark colored cars in the Port Charles area in the past three days. He would have bet his retirement account that whoever was driving the car that almost ran Alexis down didn’t own it.

Anna’s cool, calm reassuring voice did wonders for Jax’s nerves. After she promised to get back to him within two days, he hung up the phone and went back to bed. He finally managed to get some sleep, but less than four hours of quality rest didn’t exactly equip him to handle family problems at full speed.

Jax stared grudgingly at Scott as he waited for the coffee to finish dripping through the filter. Fully rested or not, he had to admit that he felt sorry for the sandy-haired man. Jessica Jacks had been the darling of her daddy’s eye ever since she first drew breath on this earth. Being the only girl in the family, Lady Jane had bought her every absurdly frilly dress that she could find in Port Charles. Jessie had wanted for no doll, no toy, no luxury growing up. She was the very definition of "spoiled," and Jax had no doubt that within five years, she would either browbeat Scott into submission or they would kill each other in the process.

"So……." Jax grabbed a large stoneware mug and filled it with fragrant, dark brew. "What’s on your mind, Scott?"

"It’s about that little discussion we had the other day in the library." Scott licked his lips nervously and stared down at his hands on the counter before continuing. "It was pretty obvious that you really don’t want to be defending Jerry on this one."

{Well……I never wouldda thought it. Guess he’s not just one step up the mental evolutionary chain from a philodendron after all.} Jax gave Scott a mug of coffee, took a sip of his own, and nodded. "Go on."

"And it’s also pretty obvious that if had refused and *I* had to defend him instead, Jerry wouldn’t have a prayer of beating a murder rap."

Scott’s modesty and admission of his lack of skills was unexpected. "I wouldn’t necessarily say that, Scott……."

"Don’t be nice to me, Jax," Scott argued, shaking his head. He toyed with the handle on the coffee mug. "We both know that until now, the most serious case I’ve handled has been Amanda Barrington’s suit against McDonald’s for some punk waiter spilling a milkshake on her good winter coat." He sighed. "The only reason I’m assisting you in Jerry’s defense is because your father is forcing you."

Jax’s opinion of his sister’s future husband rose another notch. He briefly wondered if Jessie knew she was getting a man with a "tiger in his tank." He wished he could be a fly on the wall the first time she tried to explain her way out of a monumental American Express bill to her husband.

"Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you is to tell you that I’m really going to try not to be a liability to you, Jax," Scott explained. "And to do that, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to be *extra* patient with me."

Jax smiled weakly. Lack of sleep in the face of so much self-deprecation was dangerous. "I can do that."

"And to put up with my stupid questions when I don’t understand your strategies."

Jax paused, and then arched one golden eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling that you’re just itching to ask me one of those questions right now?"

"Got me again." Scott’s lips thinned guiltily. He took a deep breath, then pushed his coffee mug away from him and stared intently at Jax. "Last night, Jerry was pretty upset when he came home. He said he had been talking to Alexis Davis at some local watering hole."

"He wasn’t there alone." Jax rested his hip against the counter opposite Scott’s stool. "I was there to make sure he didn’t put his foot in his mouth. And it *wasn’t* some watering hole, as you put it. It was a perfectly respectable pub where I thought we could have a private conversation."

"I’m not really concerned about the "where," Jax. What I don’t understand is the WHY." Scott frowned. "WHY would you allow Jerry to talk to Miss Davis? To give her more possible ammunition in putting together a murder case against him?"

"It’s a fair question." Jax tipped his head to the side in admission. "And you should know right from the start that I NEVER do anything without a reason." He took a breath to continue but just then, the doorbell shrilled.

Scott looked over his shoulder in that direction. "You expecting someone else this morning?"

Several possibilities flitted through Jax’s brain. Had Anna found an interesting name in the car rental agencies that quickly? He hadn’t informed her of exactly WHY he was searching for the information, so he doubted she would zero in on any one person as being "suspicious."

Had someone tried to kill Alexis again, and she was coming to him for help? His heart sank at the thought of her being in that much danger. But there again, he was almost certain that she didn’t know the address of his condo. H*ll, she hadn’t even known it *existed* until the night before. And judging from her state of mind when they parted at the Cheshire, Jasper Jacks was the *last* person on God’s green earth she would come to if she was in trouble.

Or could it be Jerry? Scott hadn’t mentioned anything, but was it possible Jerry had snuck out of the house last night, still semi-inebriated? And gotten himself into even MORE trouble than he already was?

"Are you gonna answer that? Or do you really *want* whoever it is wake up all of your neighbors?"

Scott’s question, along with the persistent ringing of the bell, brought Jax back to the here-and-now. "You’re right." He set down his coffee mug hurriedly on the counter and then shuffled out of the kitchen in the direction of the front door. Just as he reached to turn the knob, a voice from the other side left no doubt in his mind as to his visitor’s identity.

"I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE, YOU B*STARD!! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW OR I’M GONNA BREAK IT DOWN!!"

{Could I just go back to bed, click my heels, and wake up yesterday morning again?} Jax’s eyes narrowed as he muttered an obscenity and yanked the door open. "Bobbie…….." His sister-in-law, slightly disheveled and smelling like Jack Daniels’ finest, glared at him as though he was the anti-Christ. "Is there something you nee……."

"You lowdown, no-good, BENEDICT ARNOLD!!!"

Jax quickly peeked up and down the hallway to make sure none of his neighbors were peering out of their doors at the tipsy redhead. "Bobbie, if you’ll just come inside, I promise I’ll explain everything……"

"I wouldn’t come within TWO INCHES of you, you lying, back-stabbing, son of a ……"

"THAT’S IT!!" Jax ignored her mild shriek of protest, grabbing Bobbie by the forearm to pull her inside the apartment. He slammed the door behind her, never letting go of her arm, and then forced her in the direction of the kitchen. "Now, why don’t we just get you some black coffee and then we can sit down and talk about this calmly……"

"I don’t WANT to be calm!" Bobbie took advantage of Jax’s momentary distraction when Scott appeared in the doorway to his kitchen. She jerked her arm out of his grasp and whirled to face Jax, hissing and spitting like a tiger with a thorn in its paw. "I thought you LOVED Jerry!"

"I……" Jax pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. {Is this like one of those times when a wife wakes her husband at 2 in the morning to ask him if he still loves her? Could this morning GET any worse?} "I DO love Jerry, Bobbie……"

"Then WHY in God’s name did you force him to meet with that B*TCH you almost married??!!"

"Bobbie, I’m sure that you’re getting yourself upset over nothing." Jax’s shock continued when Scott’s calm voice and soothing manner seemed to do wonders in disarming Bobbie’s temper. "Now why don’t you just come out here in the kitchen, have a cup of coffee, and then Jax can explain it all to both of us," he suggested, putting a hand gently on her arm.

Bobbie’s obviously blurred gaze traveled between the two men for a moment before she sighed. "OK – I guess I *am* a little hungry."

"Ten’ll get you fifty that she didn’t skip the liquid portion of her breakfast," Jax quipped sarcastically as he gave Scott a private thumb’s up gesture. He followed the two into the small kitchen and then edged past Bobbie, who was settling somewhat unsteadily onto a kitchen barstool.

"First of all, I want BOTH of you to know that I had very good reasons for setting up the meeting with Alexis," Jax began as he poured another mug of coffee for Bobbie. "Unfortunately, a lot of the circumstantial evidence puts Jerry in the lead for Public Enemy Number One in this case." He set the mug down in front of Bobbie. "It *wasn’t* an ambush, and I *didn’t* just throw Jerry to the wolves, if that’s what you’re thinking," he added, looking intently at Bobbie. "I was there the whole time to make sure that none of the questions were inappropriate and that Jerry didn’t put his foot in his mouth legally."

"But WHY, Jax?" Scott pressed quietly. "Did Alexis come up with some new evidence that had you nervous about Jerry’s chances of beating this frame-up?"

"Actually, Alexis DID tell us something new – a possible second suspect in the case," Jax replied, rubbing his forehead to try to ward off the headache that started to form when Scott rang his doorbell. "And it was a deal, actually." Bobbie’s coffee mug made a loud thunking noise when she let it sink to the counter in front of her in surprise. "In return for the chance to talk to Jerry one-on-one, Alexis agreed to hold off on any more confrontations with the family until after Jessie’s wedding."

Scott’s eyes widened in understanding. "Even if she comes up with something that she thinks is rock solid against Jerry?"

"She won’t. Jerry didn’t kill Chloe." Jax’s steely expression visibly took Scott back a few paces. "But even if Alexis *did* manage to get an indictment against him, she promised that she wouldn’t serve it until after you and Jessie are on your honeymoon."

"And you believe that b*tch?" Bobbie snorted, staring glumly into her coffee mug.

"May I remind you that you’re talking about the woman I ……." Jax fought to control his rage, reminding himself that Bobbie’s blood alcohol level was probably twice the legal limit. "I almost married," he finished. Neither his future brother-in-law nor his pitiful sister-in-law needed to know the extent of his feelings for Alexis at this point. "We negotiated this deal as officers of the court, not as former lovers. I’m sure Alexis will hold up her end of the bargain."

"I’ve got to hand it to you, Jax, negotiating that deal with Alexis was sheer brilliance." Scott whistled softly, shaking his head. "I’ve got a feeling that before this case is over, I’m going to learn a LOT about being a top-notch criminal defense attorney."

"Yeah, you’re pretty smart, old Jaxy waxy," Bobbie slurred. She wove back and forth on the stool as she pointed a finger in what she thought was Jax’s direction. "You’re almost as smart as me!!!"

The two men exchanged wry looks. "Yeah, well driving over here in your condition doesn’t seem too smart to me, Bobbie," Jax murmured, taking her coffee mug to refill it. "Why don’t you just have another cup of this and then let Scott drive you ba……."

"YOU don’t believe me!" she shrieked, assuming an affronted air. "You don’t think I can be as smart as you!!" Bobbie slid off the stool and shakily followed Jax towards the coffeemaker. "I bet you think that I’m so stupid that when I stayed at the Port Charles Hotel the other night, I checked in under my REAL name!" She puffed out her considerable chest proudly. "*I* was smart enough to register as Barbara Jean Spencer!!"

"You stayed at the Port Charles Hotel recently?" Jax arched an eyebrow at her as he linked arms with Bobbie and led her back towards the counter. "I thought you’ve been sticking close to the house, especially with all the wedding preparations."

"Yeah……." Scott frowned warily as Jax helped an oblivious Bobbie back onto her stool. "I don’t remember you and Jerry spending any nights away from the mansion lately."

"Wasn’t me and Jerry." Bobbie sniffed and stared down into her coffee before taking another drink. "Was just me." Tears began to run down her cheeks unchecked. "The night that he told me……..when Jerry told me……."

A sick feeling gripped Jax’s stomach. "The night when Jerry told you what, Bobbie?"

"He told me about……..about that tramp." She rubbed furiously at her eyes and nose with the back of her hand. "The b*tch who was going to ruin my marriage."

Scott leaned towards Bobbie, mirroring Jax’s stance. "Jerry told you about his affair with Chloe?"

"He told me …….. he said she was pregnant!! She was having his baby……..and I couldn’t………." Tears glimmered in Bobbie’s eyes as sobriety returned, bringing the pain of reality. "He was going to leave me……….so that they could be……….a family!! He said he LOVED her!!"

As Bobbie wrapped both hands around her coffee mug, shakily taking another sip, Jax glanced grimly at Scott. "Bobbie," he crooned gently, "can you tell us EXACTLY which night Jerry told you about Chloe and the baby?"

She hiccuped softly, her chin quivering. "I can’t remember……."

"It’s REALLY important that you try, Bobbie," Scott chimed in. He wiped some tears from her cheeks with a paper napkin Jax provided. "Were you at home when he told you?"

"No." Bobbie stared vacantly into space. Part of her fought the memories while another desperately sought them so Jax and Scott would just leave her alone. "We were all dressed up…….we went out for dinner……."

"Ohhhhhh, God…….." Jax raked his fingers through his hair. Just when he thought this morning couldn’t get any worse, it did. "Try to remember, Bobbie," he whispered, leaning towards her again. "Was it the night of Jerry’s fundraiser?" When she gave him an expressionless look, he added, "The night Jerry made a big speech in front of a lot of people, and you all had a fancy dinner at a BIG hall?"

Her eyes glazed over with a faraway stupor. "Everything was so beautiful that night, Jax. The people, and the room, and the food…….." Her lower lip began to tremble afresh. "Then after dessert, Jerry told me he needed to talk to me privately about something. Outside." She snorted sarcastically. "I guess he figured if he told me in a public place, I couldn’t make a big deal about it."

"So he and Bobbie *didn’t* spend that entire night together like Jerry said," Scott murmured with a sigh. "His alibi is a lie."

"And so is Bobbie’s, for that matter," Jax added sternly. "D*mnit. D*mnit all to h*ll." He shook his head, turned and strode back towards the coffeemaker. "Jerry’s toast unless we can turn this around before Alexis finds out." He drilled his fingers on the counter for a few minutes and then turned back towards his sister-in-law. "How did you get to the hotel, Bobbie?"

"I……..I took a cab." She grabbed another napkin and wiped at tears that flowed nonstop now as her anger built again. "Jerry told me that he wanted a divorce!! That he was going to leave me so he could marry that b*tch and give her baby a name!" Her shoulders slumped visibly as she ran out of steam. "I was so upset that I couldn’t drive……so I asked the desk clerk to c...c….call me a c….c……cab……."

"Great." Jax snorted sarcastically, then shook his head again. "So now we’ve got TWO witnesses to the fact that Jerry and Bobbie were lying about being together that night – the desk clerk AND the cabdriver."

"Maybe not……." Scott raised one finger and slid off the stool, walking slowly in Jax’s direction. "It was a busy night, with the fundraiser and all. Maybe the cabdriver won’t remember Bobbie. And since she registered under her maiden name at the hotel, we can argue that it’s the clerk’s word against hers. That this might all be some gigantic frameup!"

Jax’s somber expression didn’t change. "It’s possible……but……." His gaze slid back towards his sister-in-law. "Did you pay cash for your room that night, Bobbie?"

"Are you JOKING??!!" Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. She almost dumped her mug of coffee over in her agitation. "After what Jerry had just told me, do you think *I’d* pay for the hotel room?"

Jax’s thin-lipped, grim smile was accompanied by Scott’s muttered expletives. "You used Jerry’s credit card, didn’t you?"

"D*MN right!!" Bobbie seemed inordinately pleased with herself, although she couldn’t understand why Jax and Scott didn’t "get" the irony of it all. She got to her feet, still wavering under the effects of the alcohol she had consumed earlier. "Just WAIT till that old Mary Sunshine b*tch of a mother-in-law of mine gets a load of the bill for that night!!" Her eyes glazed over again as she spoke more to herself than to the others in the room. "Her and her *perfect* oldest son who can do no wrong………."

The abrupt ringing of the telephone made all three of them jump slightly. "Great……." Jax strode angrily towards it. "Maybe somebody should just kill me now and put me out of my misery." He jerked the receiver off the hook, his eyes cold with a mixture of anger and weariness. "Jax here……."

"Jax…….I’m so glad you’re home!"

"Jessie?" The dull pain behind his temples blossomed into a full-blown throbbing. "What’s the matter?" He massaged the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and frowned. "I can’t hear you’re saying …….."

"I’m on my cell phone, Jax." The connection cut out again but then his sister’s voice came back through loud and clear. "We’ve got a big problem!"

Jax’s eyes narrowed and the muscle in his jaw clenched with annoyance. "I swear, Jessie, if this is about the color of the limousines again, I’m going to hang up……"

"NO, Jax!!" Even Scott heard her vehement reply. "This isn’t about the wedding!"

As Scott came closer, anxiety clearly visible on his face, Jax swore softly when the connection broke again. "Where are you, Jess?" he asked, fraternal instincts taking over. "You keep breaking up……."

"I’m about a half a mile from the house…..just getting close to the highway. Mom’s here in the car with me."

Jax waved his hand in a circular motion, a "get-to-the-point" gesture betraying the fact that his patience was nearing an end. "And?"

"I asked mom to go with me to the bridal shop for my final fitting this morning. We were just about three blocks from the house when a car almost sideswiped me going the other way."

Jax gripped the edge of the counter for support. "Are you both OK?"

"We’re fine. That’s not the point, Jax. It was Alexis Davis in the other car."

Frown lines deepened in his forehead. "Alexis tried to hit you?"

"To tell the truth, I don’t think she even saw me." Jessie’s voice dropped an octave. "Jax, she was on her way to the house."

Caffeine and nerves turned his stomach into a churning maelstrom. Had Alexis already discovered the truth about his brother’s alibi, gotten a warrant, and reneged on their deal? "Is Jerry there?"

"No." His chest heaved with some small measure of relief. "He went out somewhere early this morning with some other people from his office. That’s what dad said, anyway."

"So dad’s there alone?"

"I guess so, although I don’t know where Bobb……."

"Don’t worry about Bobbie." Jax’s words were clipped, his tone urgent. "You did the right thing calling me, Munchkin, but I’ve got to go now." He nodded once more and then hung up the phone. "Feed her more coffee and then drive her home!" he ordered Scott, pointing a finger at Bobbie. His words floated behind him as he trotted out of the kitchen towards the bedroom.

"OK – but where are YOU going in such a hurry?" Scott asked, following confusedly behind him.

Jax stopped in the doorway and turned back to face him, his features sharply etched with dismay. "I’m going to prevent another murder."

*~*~*~*

"I must admit, Miss Davis," John Jacks crooned smoothly, "this is certainly an unexpected pleasure!"

"The feeling is mutual, Mr. Jacks," Alexis lied. She somehow managed to hide the nausea that the sight of her almost-father-in-law inspired. Following behind him as he led the way to the study, she couldn’t help but notice his rather unnerving composure and icy calmness. Obviously none of his well-placed "spies" had informed him yet that Von Alden had fingered him as the payoff man for Chloe Morgan’s debt.

"So……." He closed the double doors behind them and walked leisurely over to the mini-bar. "Can I get you some coffee?" John lifted a large, cut glass decanter of brandy. "Or perhaps something stronger?"

"It’s a little too early in the day for me, thank you." With that kind of attitude, it was easy to see how Bobbie had turned into a grade A alcoholic. He set down the decanter and as he poured himself a large cup of steaming black coffee, Alexis turned to stare at the impressive array of books and gleaming wood. "It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this room. I had forgotten just how beautiful it is."

"That’s right!" John took a sip of coffee and then lifted the cup towards her in salute. "I suppose the last time we were together in this room was at your engagement party, wasn’t it?"

"Right again, Mr. Jacks." Alexis ground the words out between gritted teeth. "It was the night of my engagement party." She strode towards him, her eyes dark and dangerous with venom. "When we had our little "private" talk, and you offered me five hundred thousand dollars to break my engagement to your son."

To be continued………