**see first part for disclaimer**
Memoria
by Laura
Part XV
Luke awoke to the sound of a hairdryer humming through the walls. He rubbed his hands up and down his face and pressed a pillow to his ears. After a few more seconds of irritating noise, he sighed in defeat and tossed the pillow onto the floor. He rolled over and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He stepped into a pair of jeans and neglected to fasten the button. A glass of whiskey sat on the table beside the bed, a water stain circled around the bottom. He decided it was too early to worry about how long the whiskey had been sitting there, and with a flick of his wrist, Luke downed it in one gulp.
He stumbled to the door, turning the knob in the wrong direction before stepping into the hall. He saw Alexis running a comb through her hair, and the blow dryer resting on the sofa. Luke asked her groggily, "Do you always carry one of those things in your purse?"
Alexis smiled at him. "I found it in your bathroom," she said.
Luke squinted, confused and positive he never owned one of those loud, annoying mechanisms. "Hair was meant to air dry," he sneered, rubbing his heavy eyes again and again. As though noticing for the first time that Alexis was heading out the door, Luke asked, "Where are you off to so early?"
"Why?" Alexis asked. "Are you gonna miss me?" She rolled her eyes when all he did was stare at her blankly. "I need to go to Wyndemere. I have to get some of Stefan's things and make sure everything is in order."
"Want some company?" Luke asked, suddenly awake.
Alexis shook her head. "No," she told him, rather bluntly. "You didn't want my company last night, why should I want your's this morning?"
"Oh, I get it. So you think I rejected you last night? You were wishin' I'd just forgive you and invite you into my bed, huh?" He began to move toward her and didn't stop until she could feel the heat of his body.
"Well," Alexis shrugged, feverish at their close proximity. Every time she took a breath, she inhaled the scent that had been lingering on her skin for days, the very scent she both tried to forget and wanted desperately to remember.
Luke smiled to himself. He was going to play with her, lead her on and then burn her. But when she tilted her head to the side, and her lips parted enough for him to hear a breathy gasp escape her mouth, he was gone. He slowly dipped his head while Alexis rose onto the tips of her toes until their lips gently pressed together. She threw her arms around his neck, and Luke clutched at the loose ends of her shirt. The kiss intensified for a brief moment, and then they broke apart.
"Can you be ready in ten minutes?" Alexis asked, holding a finger to her swollen lips.
Luke nodded casually. "Meet you downstairs in five," he said, turning and walking toward his bedroom. When he heard the door slam and was sure Alexis was gone, his pace increased. He pulled a T-shirt over his head and carelessly splashed some after shave lotion on his cheeks before jogging to the door and downstairs.
~*~
If it was possible, Stefan's prison cell seemed to grow smaller and more drab with each day. He had noticed how His body did not fit comfortably on the cot, that he had to sleep in a fetal position to avoid having his feet pressing against the wall all night. The walls were the same color as the gray jump suit he wore. "I blend in," he thought. More and more each day.
He rolled over to face the wall, his legs curled so much that his knees nearly touched his chest. Stefan closed his eyes. Just as he felt himself giving in to sleep, winning the battle he had fought all night, a guard tapped on the bars. He didn't sit up until an unfamiliar voice called to him, "Mr. Cassadine? I'm your lawyer. We need to talk."
Stefan rolled over, the cot squeaking. He stood up and walked to the bars, extending his hand through them. "Mr. Baldwin, I presume?"
Scotty nodded and shook his client's hand. "Call me Scott," he said.
Stefan pointed to the folding chair that had been placed outside the cell. "Please have a seat," he suggested, pulling his own unsteady chair closer to the bars.
Both men sat down, crossing one leg over the other and staring at the ground. Scott thought for a moment and then said, "So. Your sister told you I was gonna be your lawyer, I guess?"
"Yes," Stefan nodded. He folded one arm across his chest, stroking his goatee with his other hand. Course hair was slowly spreading over both cheeks, as he had not been allowed to properly groom himself for days. For lack of better things to say, he considered asking Scotty if he could do something about that.
"So." Scotty leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I pretty much know all the facts, and I gotta say that after listening to your sister and forming my own opinions, I believe you are innocent. I don't wanna waste time right now rehashing all the specifics. I just wanna know how you're doing, if there's anything new you've thought of that might help the case. Things like that."
Stefan nodded and sat up. "I received a letter yesterday, actually"
"From who?"
Stefan shrugged. "It was not signed. I know it was not from Alexis or Nikolas, and to be honest it did not resemble my mother's handwriting."
Scotty listened carefully, taking mental notes. "What did it say? Do you still have it?"
Reaching into his pocket, Stefan held the letter through the bars. As he watched Scotty read it, he said, "I love my family too much to ignore the letter. They mean far too much for me to presume it is a hoax. Do you understand?"
Scotty nodded. He stuffed the letter into a folder and said, "I'm gonna keep this. Could be evidence down the road. Keep thinking of who it could be from, make me a list. Do you think your sister should go to Greece, Mr. Cassadine?"
He shut his eyes, too exhausted to make important decisions. "I wish I knew. I haven't told her about it."
"I will," Scotty offered, standing up. "I'll meet with her later today. See what she thinks. I gotta run though. We'll have a longer meeting soon."
Stefan stood from his chair. He reached through the bars, shaking his lawyer's hand. "Thank you, Scott. I want to keep my family safe. I would like to be able to accompany my sister to Greece. I would not want her to travel there alone in case this is all a ruse by Helena. Do you understand?"
Scotty nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
~*~
Jax's eyes snapped open suddenly, his body twitching as he came out of a deep sleep. He assumed a nightmare woke him, but then he felt the intense pressure in his jaw and the throbbing pain in his nose. Not to mention the way the way his flesh, on his stomach, stung and burned with each breath.
He slowly eased himself into a sitting position. Jax held his head in his hands, staring down at the ground. He reached for the ice that he had dropped, but the bag was filled with water and rest limply on his palm. He tossed it back onto the floor and stood up, holding a hand over his stomach.
The sunlight intruded into the penthouse through the window. He covered his eyes and snapped the blinds shut. Jax nearly tripped as he crossed the floor, his feet knocking into a pile of boxes and luggage. A memory flashed in his mind, something a bottle of Tequila had almost erased. He had brought them into the penthouse for Alexis to pack.
Jax sighed, kicking one of the flimsy boxes. He hated to think about seeing her belongings piled at the door, waiting to be carried. He hated to think about not going to bed each night with her in the next room. Part of him was sorry he had ever confessed his feelings, but the rest of Jax knew that it was all he could do.
He shook his head and stumbled past the boxes. Jax grabbed the phone and dialed the number to Alexis' cell phone. He listened to it ring repeatedly and flinched at her quick but humorous voice mail message. He waited for the beep and said, "Alexis. It's me. Jax. Uh, listen. As soon as you're ready, I'll call someone from the hotel and have them move your things to your old suite. I'll save you some trouble and get some boxes and things." He paused for a long time, raking his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do." He mumbled something, unable to form anymore words, and dropped the phone back onto the receiver.
Jax bent down, ignoring the way his entire body seemed to be on fire every time he moved. He carried the boxes and kicked a suitcase to the stairs, and to Alexis' bedroom. He left them scattered on the floor. He decided he wasn't going to be there when she packed, and yet he knew he would be right there helping. He had resolved a thousand times to keep what he knew about Helena and Lucky Spencer to himself, but Jax knew it was just a matter of time before he broke down and told Alexis everything. She had a way of doing that to him.
~*~
"It has to be soon," Helena whispered. "More than soon. Stefan has a lawyer and I would not put it past this man, this Scotty Baldwin, to find a way to prove Stefan innocent. That cannot happen. Do you understand me?"
Andreas nodded, his hands poised behind his back. "I understand."
"Good," she smiled, moving closer to him. Helena held her fingers against the collar of Andrea's shirt, tugging on it. She pressed her palms to his shoulders and smoothed her hands down to his chest, leaning forward until their mouths were only inches apart. "There is one more thing, Andreas."
"Yes?"
Helena took a deep breath, unsure if she really felt a pang of guilt at hiding things from Lucky or not. "I know that in the past I told you to inform Lucky of our every move, our every intention. That rule no longer applies. You are to only inform Master Spencer of those things in which I ask of you. Do you understand?"
Andreas nodded again. He held his hands against her hips, drawing her toward him as she smiled. "I understand."
Lucky hurried back into his bedroom when he heard their lips press together, and Helena's hands running up and down the material of Andreas' suit. He rolled his eyes in disgust and sank onto his bed, bringing his knees to his chest. She was losing trust in him. He knew he had to become even more convincing, even more lethal. Even more like her.
~*~
"I know an easier way inside," Luke whispered, pulling Alexis away from the path leading to the main entrance into Wyndemere.
She turned and glared at him, hands at her hips. "You idiot. We're the only two people here besides a bunch of really bored employees. We can use the door like normal human beings."
Luke shook his head and refused to budge. "That's boring," he told her, grabbing her hand. "Just come on, Natasha. Live a little."
"Ahh," she screamed playfully, swallowing the laughter that bubbled in her chest. "If it'll satisfy you, then fine. Let's go your way."
He nodded once and began walking, holding her hand tightly inside of his. Luke winked and said, "I know what'll satisfy me, baby. It's got nothin' to do with secret tunnels." He thought about his words for a minute and added, "Well, in a way."
Alexis laughed and slapped his arm, leaning into him a bit. She let Luke lead her to a small door in the back of the mansion that she never even knew existed. It hardly resemembled a door and was so small that they had to duck to enter, and even then Luke smacked his head. He shrugged it off.
She looked around, finding herself in a very cramped closet. Luke pointed to another door, so small that they had to climb inside on their knees. It lead to a larger room that was nothing but walls and floors of dirt. When Luke slammed the door, particles of dust and dirt began to swim in the air. Alexis closed her eyes and coughed. "What is this?" she asked, annoyed.
"A secret passage. Not so secret anymore."
"You are so unbelievable, Spencer," she chided him. Alexis practically ran to the other side of the dirt room and opened the door, finding herself in the library. "We could have used the nice, clean front door and instead..." She looked down at her hands. Dirt was covering her skin, and flaked all over her clothes and hair. She turned to face him, her eyes angry slants and her hands curled into tight fists. "And instead you take me through a dirt room and I end up covered in mud! Thank you, Luke. Thank you very much."
Luke stood in the middle of the room as she brushed past him. He shrugged. "I thought we could use an adventure."
Alexis murmured insults under her breath and made her way to the stairs. "I should still have some clothes in one of the bedrooms," she told him. "I'm going to take another shower and change. You behave and do not touch anything!"
"Yes, ma'am," Luke saluted her. "Whatever you say."
Alexis rolled her eyes and stomped up the stairs. She stopped at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall so that he could not see her. She pursed her lips together, preventing a smile that was threatening numb her cheeks, as she saw Luke stand helpless at the bottom of the stairs. Alexis laughed quickly and made her way to the bathroom.
Luke slowly crept up the stairs, wincing whenever the floorboards squeaked. He stood at the end of the hall and waited to move again until he heard the sound of rushing water. He moved to stand just outside the bathroom door, which Alexis had left open a crack. He kicked his shoes into a pile and practically ripped the T-shirt from his chest. When a trail of steam began to slip into the hall, he rubbed his hands together and quietly pushed on the door.
He stopped suddenly when he saw Alexis standing there, stripped of her clothes, leaning against the sink. He took a moment, a very quick moment, to admire the extravagant bathroom. There were three large mirrors, partially covered in a cloud of steam. Everything was marble, and smooth. But what he couldn't take his eyes off of was Alexis, standing coyly before him.
"What took you so long?" Alexis asked, her voice a husky whisper and fading under the sound of the water.
**the remainder of this chapter has been edited. if you are over 18 and would like to read it, please e-mail me**