jeu d’esprit
chapter eleven:


"Jerry," Jax breathlessly enter the hotel room Jerry entered, paused and looked around, "where'd you get the money to pay for this," Jax referred to the room.

"Live dangerously, brother, isn't that what I've always told you?" Jerry poured himself a glass of water.

"What?" Jax questioned, "Isn't that what Jake always told you?"

"Exactly my point," Jerry pointed his finer at Jax angrily, "I have to say it now. Jake is no more and Antoinette will pay for it."

"Don't touch her. You've never even met Skye."

"Neither had you until now, hmm, Toni, Antoinette, Skye, whatever the hell she likes to call herself is in for the surprise of her life -- or is that death?"

"Leave her alone, I swear she didn't kill our brother."

"You know that?" Jerry plopped down on his bed.

"Yes"

"How?"

"How do you know she did?"

"Althea called Mother."

"Althea was in a mental hospital, Jerry, for crying out loud."

"Yes, for crying out loud, we didn't get a body -- nothing. And little miss what did she get? She got daddy money bags to cover the whole thing up."

"I know you're hurting, Jerry, but I'm telling you she didn't do it. I just know -- she didn't do it. If you won't stop because she's innocent, stop because I'm your brother."

"That's not fair Jasper," Jerry stood up facing Jax, "Jake may have only been our half brother but he was as much a brother to me as you were. Maybe more."

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"So, did you have a good time?" Alan inquired from the door entrance of her room stepping in.

Skye turned around to him putting her hair brush down on the vanity, "Yeah, yeah I did. Thanks Dad," she set on the chair. "I had a great time."

"You look happy," Alan set on the foot of her bed.

"I am," Skye smiled. "You know what? Jax invited me to this dance at PC High -- "

"And you want to go," Alan finished for her.

"Yeah, but I don't think I can because I think it's only for students enrolled in PC High."

"Well, when is it?"

"It's the Valentine Day dance," Skye blushed slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, well then you should have no problem because your mother and I have talked it over and you start back at PC High next semester."

"Really?" Skye asked not expecting what he said next.

"Yeah," Alan got up and walked to her door, "Skye," he looked at her, "you better get some sleep because Adam will be here tomorrow morning."

"Oh, Dad," Skye embraced him, "thank you."

"You're welcome," Alan uttered almost inaudibly, while inside it was all he could do from falling apart at the thought of loosing his daughter to her boyfriend but most of all to her other father, "You're welcome," he stroked her hair, "go to sleep, remember Santa comes tomorrow."

"Santa?" Skye questioned rather amused, turning her covers back.

"What you don't believe in Jolly Ol' St. Nick?" Rae entered Skye's room.

Skye sat on her bed under the covers and shook her head, "Santa Claus never brought me anything."

"Nothing?" Rae sat next to her on the bed.

"I got a candy cane from one of those department store Santa's but other than that -- no, nothing that I can remember."

"That's terrible."

"Not really, I got a present from Adam every Christmas. Two actually, one for my birthday and one for Christmas. Uncle Stuart did dress up like Santa Claus once," Skye smiled, laying her head on her pillow, "I must have been five or six and Adam couldn't come see me so Stuart dressed in this big old Santa costume and pretended to be Adam dressing up as Santa. He did the ho-ho-ho's perfectly and was so convincing. He actually had me wanting to believe that he was my father but I knew he wasn't. I closed my eyes and wished I could know what it felt like to be that happy and loved all the time," Skye laid down. "I'm so tired," Skye murmured turned on her side.

"Wow -- I wish I could do that."

"What?" Alan asked.

"Fall asleep so quickly, she's out like a light," Rae paused. "Our daughter is so beautiful, Alan, and in so much pain," she looked at Skye intently, reaching over and putting a strand of hair behind Skye's ear.

Skye jumped surveying the darkness her eyes falling on Rae and Alan, "I'm sorry," Skye saw the expressions on their faces, "I thought -- I thought -- " Skye's voice broke not wanting to say anymore.

"It's okay, honey," Rae soothed her, "it's okay, we -- we would never hurt you."

"I know that," Skye sighed, "it's just sometimes I, uh, I forget where I'm at."

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"Jake, more a brother to you then me? The only thing that's good for is a laugh, Jerry, and you know it. All Jake ever did was get you into trouble. He was bad news, I loved him but he was trouble."

"Shut-up" Jerry spat the words out angrily.

"You know what I'm telling you is the truth. Skye didn't do anything to Jake. He did it all himself. Think about that," Jax exited Jerry's hotel room.

"Think about it? That's all I ever do, little brother. And she won't get away with this."

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"I wish I could just forget Jake -- and Althea."

"Honey," Rae stroked Skye's hair in an embrace, then looking her in the face, "Never forget where you came from because that is what makes you as strong and insightful as you are now. We all have our pasts, skeletons in the closet; those are the things that help us grow. I know sometimes you wish you could forget everything that hurt you, everyone does, but don't It's what makes you, you. And I just adore you," Rae stood up from Skye's bed. "Get some sleep," Rae exited Skye's bedroom shutting the door behind her.

Skye shifted and sighed,
how can I sleep?
this was no easy task that's for sure, Skye closed her eyes.
I'm probably an insomniac. Just another thing wrong with you. What a headcase. You'll never be good enough. You weren't for Will
The thought made her shiver, pulling the blanket around her shoulders she tried to drive out the coldness, the emptiness inside of herself. Her thoughts and memories haunted her, making her weaker; they didn't help her grow. She was stunted. Rae and Alan tried but what she couldn't figure out, what had plagued her for years was one question 'why was she so unlovable?' Althea couldn't love her, neither could Adam; he was so distant even under the same roof he was distant. Rae and Alan only loved her because they were her parents. If they had all met before they wouldn't have looked at her twice. She couldn't make friends, no one stayed around long enough -- except Jax. Why did he? She had asked herself that question a thousand times and she still had no answer. Will loved her because they were the same. Both had rich, sometimes psychotic parents. There was an understanding. Will just knew -- whatever it was he just knew. But Jax? Jax was completely different from her. A white knight so to speak. She couldn't help but get an odd feeling from all of this. That things right now at this very second were just to good to be true. That all she had to do was blink and it would all come tumbling down around her.

"Skye," Jax whispered, "Skye," Jax knocked at her bedroom window. Skye jerked up her eye's fluddering open then squinting at the sunlight, it must be morning she got up brushing her hair back with her fingers a questioning look directed at Jax as she opened her window to let him in, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm trying to save you, Skye, we've got to go," Jax took her arm, directing her to the window and the tree he climbed up.

"Oh, you have seriously got to be kidding me," Skye looked the tree over and then Jax as though he were crazy.

"I am dead serious."

"Adam's coming this morning, Jax, look," Skye pointed out the window, "he's here. I can't go anywhere with you, not now" Skye headed for the front door Jax right behind her.

Questions, Suggestions, Comments, etc., . . . are very much welcome so please reply and tell me what you thought.
Lauren