Destiny's Child

Chapter 4

Jax stood and started pacing, alarmed by the worry etched upon his brother's features as well as the mixture of concern and shock on V's face. "All right. Start talking one of you please."

V pulled out her medallion without a word and handed it to Jax. He studied it carefully for a few moments. "A Cassadine medallion. Where did you get this?"

"It was delivered to me, Jax, along with a diamond bracelet, pearl earrings and a necklace, a picture in a very ornate frame and a diamond tiara. Jerry and I are off to find out what it means."

"What it means?" Jax asked in shock. "What could it possibly mean?"

"That V is related to the Cassadines somehow." Jerry said softly. As these words hit Jax, his head snapped up. He had always seen V differently after the Monte Carlo Countess escapade and to be honest, he could see her as a Cassadine. She had cultivated a certain grace that while wordless, had captivated and enchanted him, though he would never admit it to anyone. To do that at the time would have been to have denied and devalued Brenda's memory at the time.

"And if so?" Jax inquired softly. "Are you ok with this Venus?"

"If it's my birthright I have to be Jasper." She replied softly, putting a hand on his arm. "I just want answers and Jerry is going to help me find them."

"You don't want my help as well?" Jax bristled.

"Jax it's not like that." V assured quietly. "Jerry seems to have some knowledge…" She trailed off at the murderous look Jerry gave her. "I just think he could help." She finished quietly, hating the hurt expression on Jax's face.

"If you hurt her Jerry I will never forgive you and I mean that" Jax said as he stalked into the kitchen. Jerry and V watched him walking away, then Jerry found himself wrapping a strong arm around V's shoulder. Surprised to find how much she enjoyed this, V leaned comfortably against him.

"We'll work it all out luv, I promise." Jerry assured in a low voice, laced with true hatred. What happened to you Jerry, V found herself wondering. His heart was so hardened that it must have been something major and devastating. Had a Cassadine broken his heart or spirit? Could he have been involved with Helena somehow? Disconcerted by this thought, V couldn't suppress the shudder that wracked her body at the metal picture of Jerry and Helena Cassadine in bed together. Jerry was reckless and sometimes downright stupid but had he ever bedded that she devil?

V knew that Jerry wasn't about to give her anything to work on, so she never anticipated an answer to her question. "Tell me one thing." She said quietly "have you ever been intimate with Helena Cassadine?"

Jerry's reaction was immediate. Thrusting V away from him as if she had a contagious disease, Jerry was torn between a horrified gasp and hysterical laughter. What came out instead was a rather ungallant snort that quickly dissolved into loud bursts of laughter. "No luv, never." He finally managed to say. "If I had I'd expect you to take me out to pasture and kill me like some wounded animal. I'd never be the same." A terrifying mental picture of Helena in the buff came to mind and he again lost his composure.

"I'm glad you're finding this so amusing" V shot back, swatting at his arm. She was dangerously close to laughter herself, but she wouldn't give Jerry the satisfaction of getting to her. "Why don't you take a shower so that we can deal with Stefan Cassadine. The sooner we know what all of this is about the better."

"Want to join me?" Jerry couldn't stop himself from asking, putting hands up in defense as she huffed. "Ok Ok Luv I understand. No hanky panky with the older Jacks brother. I see your doe eyes trained on Jasper." He said as he retreated.

"I'm not involved with…" V sighed. Why am I letting this bother me so much, she wondered as her gaze switched from the kitchen to the bathroom. Unsettled by her thoughts, she found herself venturing into the kitchen. "Jax please don't be upset. It seems that Jerry has some inside knowledge of the Cassadines and he is in a better position to help me than you are. It doesn't mean that we’re any less friends Jax." She hated the plaintive look in his eyes. He hadn't been left out of many things, V realized.

"V I don't know what elder brother is up to but he has no dealings with the Cassadines." Jax affirmed quietly. He was furious at this wedge Jerry had driven into their relationship. The bloody timing of it all. Just when Jax had been getting ready to ask V out, first Chloe had entered the scene providing a distraction and a wedge. To be fair Jax was enchanted by Chloe but not interested in her at the present time. Still, it seemed that he was too late and V was slipping into his brother's hands. And what of Bobbie Spencer, wasn't Jerry dating her?

"Maybe not now but he did at one time." V asserted firmly. Jerry might have been a con artist of the worst sort but the pain and anguish that had been present on his features and ingrained in every nuance of his body language was unmistakable.

Jax simply shook his head at V's statement, even though he was feeling quite foolish.He was the last person to be informed of his family's activities was he mot? Wasn't that how the whole mess with the feds had occurred? He knew that Jerry at one time had been involved in only nefarious plans and schemes, so why was he so convinced that they had nothing to do with the Cassadines? Downing his coffee, he spared V a small smile. "I'm going to go but keep me posted and if Jerry does anything to you, hurts you in any way you contact me. I'll expect an update before noon."

"Yes daddy." V said, leaning up to give Jax a gentle peck on the cheek. She was shocked and stunned when he turned his head and their lips brushed, then met as he pressed his mouth against hers in a kiss that was both sweet and sensual, a promise of things to come. Shocked, V first closed then opened her eyes. She had wanted this, hadn't she? But not like this, not when his brother was…

"Ready to go V?" Jerry's quiet tone broke into her panicked state. Jax stepped back and gave his brother a smile of wonder and possession.

"I'll see you both later then." He said with a wink to V. V watched Jax leave then turned to Jerry. His expression was unreadable and he couldn't quite look her in the eyes.

"Well then let's go to the lion's den." Jerry said quietly.