Risk

Chapter XLIX

Contractual Obligations

The contract comes from the Estate Lawyers aka the Damn attorneys. Your basic prenuptial goes something like what's yours is yours and what's mine is mine in case of divorce. Not what is needed for a Cassadine marriage. There is no provision in a Cassadine marriage contract for divorce.
In many ways it more resembles a feudal contract between the families. It outlines what properties from the estate go with Alexis into the marriage. Which properties come to the Cassadines... a formality really since Stavros had already taken the companies while Jax was chasing his tail down in South America and the companies given to Jax were already in his possession from his assault on the Estate while Helena had been in charge.
A suitable home in Port Charles, New York, that would come to Alexis in case something happened to Jax along with an income to support her and ensure her health and well being for the rest of her natural life. Incase of premature death, all of Jax's properties obtained prior to the marriage would revert to his family. All properties obtained during the course of the marriage would be inherited by the eldest male child of the union. The marriage has no benefit really to the Cassadine, and nothing to gain until there is a child.
Incase of Alexis premature death, all of the dower properties revert to the Cassadine unless there is a child of the union. The child inherits the dower properties and the house. If there is more than one child the eldest child inherits from his father and the younger children split the dower properties. The contract goes on to discuss the upbringing of the children as far as their religious training and education. This is where Stavros slips in the stipulation about Jax not seeking comfort outside of the marriage bed until the legitimate line has been assured. And outlines Alexis' duties as being only what Jax gives her and thus him being responsible for her actions in and out of the marriage.
Attached to the contract is the list of every holding that Jax has in total or in part-- a statement of his net worth. It is detailed and current up to and including the mini sub that Jax won from Thaao in Gstaad. Also attached to the contract is a detailed listing of Alexis' net worth to the penny from all of her investments and accounts.

The contract arrives by messenger to Jax's suite at the Port Charles Hotel the next morning after Jax had emailed off the details of the house and a picture. Jax had been about to leave when the knock on the door had derailed that plan. Settling back on the couch, he opens up the contract on the coffee table and starts going through it. "This has got to be a joke." He mutters. "This is a joke." He starts thumbing through the pages of the contract and there are pages and pages. Then he gets to the list of his holdings and can tell they are both accurate and invasive.
That gets his attention and he goes back to the beginning. Sure this thing looked like something out of the dark ages even if the attorneys used modern spelling and a printer rather than a monk, goose quills, sheepskin parchment and india ink. Jax finds the points in the contract that had been detailed in his conversation with Stavros in Gstaad and isn't surprised by them... maybe embarrassed hoping nobody outside the family ever gets hold of this thing.
Where the hell is the other shoe? So far Stavros gets nothing out of this. Nothing he didn't already have. Hell Alexis didn't get anything out of it except him. "Where is the kicker?" The first part of the contract had named off the properties already exchanged as being basically dower and bride price. But there it is... a property to be named later. "What are you up to you son of a bitch?" Jax mutters and goes thru the contract looking for it. There was no way Stavros would expect him to sign such an open ended agreement. Even if Jax knew he would to get Alexis away from Cassadine. And the property to be named later had to be right there in plain sight. Then he finds it. That contract is separate from the marriage contract.

... The property previously referred to as the property to be named later shall in future be referred to as all shares in ELQ, a publically held multinational corporation, based in Port Charles, New York held by Jasper Jacks. The shares ownership shall be transferred from Jasper Jack to Prince Stavros Cassadine, DBA Cassadine Enterprises, in their entirety prior to the nuptials of Jasper Jack and Natasha Alexis Davidovich Cassadine. Both parties agree to the confidentiality of the transfer until after the nuptials....

Jax leans back against the couch. What is Stavros up to? Then he realizes. Carly. This is about Carly and the Quartermaines. Cassadine wants a lever to protect his little bird from her former in-laws. Lever hell. He's going for a sledgehammer and one coming out of the blue with no warning. The Quartermaines would never know what hit them. "Damn." The decent thing to do would be to warn them. Warn Ned. But that would endanger Alexis and compromise this chance to get her free. Hell.
Jax pulls out a pen and flips back to the marriage contract. One the last page is the line for him to sign. Space for two signatures. His and Stavros. Jax winces. Alexis didn't even get to the option of signing her life away; Stavros would do it for her. Jax signs with a firm hand and then signs the separate contract as well.
Going back over to the door he opens it and isn't surprised when he sees the same messenger standing there even though it has taken over an hour for him to go through all the dotted i's and crossed t's. He hands the messenger the signed contracts and then shuts the door. Going over to the laptop on the desk, he emails Stavros that the contracts are signed and on their way back to him. Hesitating even though it's too late now... finally Jax hits enter.

"Anyone ever tell you you're a bitch?!" Gia groans. She'd blocked out how different shoots were with Carly in charge than Laura. Carly had something going on in her head and was never satisfied until convinced it had been conveyed to film. Laura just showed up for a quick peptalk and then headed back to the upper offices. She worked from the finished pictures--picking the best ones.

"All the time." Carly says cheerfully. "Come on don't wimp on me now. You wanted this remember? Face of Deception. Modeling. Hot clothes. Good money. Prestiege. You remember all the glamour? One more outfit." Carly passes an outfit into the backseat of the car where Gia is laying on the backseat and changing clothes.

"Hold that thought, Carly. We're losing light." Lucky interjects from outside the car where he is standing guard so nobody passing by would be catching a peek of the FOD in her undies. "And I'm down to the last roll of film." Lucky had taken some pictures with the digital but he can get better quality with the high speed film he's using.

"Thank you, GOD! All I want to do is go back to the hotel and soak in a steaming hot tub for hours." Instead of the outfit that Carly had passed back to her, Gia starts wriggling into her jeans.

Carly straightens. "What a fabulous thought. You're a genius." Carly climbs out of the car. "I'll meet you and Gia back at your cottage, Lucky."

Gia sticks her head out the window. "Carly? What the hell?"

"The hotel! Meet me at the hotel!" Carly breaks into a run heading back in the direction of the Four Seasons.

"Do you have any idea?" Lucky asks.

"Nope. But she's stuck you with paying the hair and makeup gal." Gia ducks her head back in the car and rolls up the window with a towel stuck in it.

Lucky groans when he realizes Gia is right. He walks over to the gal had found at a beauty school and checked out for the day. "Cuanto?"

The girl shakes her head. "No. Carly has already taken care of everything... except..."

"Except?"

"The pictures. I need copies of the pictures for my portfolio. She promised."

"That's all?" Lucky gets suspicious. He wouldn't put it past his cousin to take advantage. "How much did Carly pay you...exactly?"

"She bought me this case." The girl runs her hand lovingly over the professional sized leather make up case. "And everything in it. The makeup, the brushes. With this and the pictures... I will be able to work once I graduate."

"Get in." Lucky says gruffly. Okay so Carly wasn't quite the bitch Gia claimed... all the time.

"What?"

"We're packing it in for the day. If you want I can print you up some pictures tonight."

Nikolas knocks on the door to Stavros and Carly's suite at the Milan Four Season's Hotel. Stavros answers. "Son."

"Father. May I?"

"Of course come in." Stavros steps back.

"Where is Michael?"

"We have fallen into a... routine. While Carly and I conduct business Michael conducts his own." Stavros then adds dryly. "He is working on his classwork with his tutor. I thought you would be with Gia?"

"I've been banished from the shoot." Nik shakes his head. "Gia and Carly showed up at Lucky's suite with everything they need to get the shoot done and kicked me out as being a distraction."

Stavros frowns. This is not what he'd planned. His son and Gia were suppose to be spending time together. Resolving their differences. "I will speak to Caroline this evening. It is unsatisfactory."

"No. You won't." Nikolas counters. "I'm fine with this." Stavros just looks at him. "Okay. I'm not fine with it. But this is the way things are now. I agreed to give Gia space... time to figure out that I'm not going to hurt her again."

Stavros shakes his head. "No. You are handling it all wrong! How is space going to solve things? You need to settle your differences now! Take her to Greece and convince her of your sincerity."

Nikolas laughs. "That is not going to work. And don't think I haven't thought of it. Many, many times in the middle of the night when I am sleeping alone and find myself reaching out. I guess I am my father's son afterall."

"And this troubles you?"

"Oh hell yeah. You say take her to Greece. 99.99 % of the world would call that kidnapping. And not the way to settle things. I can't give into the temptation. I can think about it. I can dream about it, but I can't give into it."

"You love Gia. Gia loves you. I don't see a problem." Stavros shrugs.

"But there are problems. Problems that I allowed to interfere in my relationship with Gia. Things I didn't do right the first time and I have to get right this time. Elizabeth was one of them. Deception is another. I'm dealing with those." Nikolas goes over to the french doors that lead to the balcony. He stares out into the distance but doesn't see the view. "And then there is me."

"Tell me." Stavros demands quietly.

"Bobbie says I sabotaged me and Gia. That I always thought she'd leave me and forced her into fulfilling my own prophecy." Nikolas looks over his shoulder at his father. "You aren't denying it. You aren't telling me that I was a saint and Gia was a fool for leaving me. You aren't saying that Bobbie is butting her nose in where she has no business. And you aren't surprised. Did Bobbie talk to you?"

"Your uncle's wife is... not pleased with me." Stavros says wryly. "She does not initiate conversations that do not involve Caroline or her grandson. It is easy to see where Caroline gets her stubborness and temper. I suppose I could demand my right as your father to have my say but it's done little good so far and the years separation have taken their toll.
I love you. You are my son and reason for being but that is what is in my heart. What has been in my heart from when I held you on the day you were born and every day since. For me that seems only hours ago. But for you it has been decades. Decades of making your own path of growing into the man you are today." Stavros gets back on topic. "Cassadine relationships are... difficult...."

Nikolas snorts. "Oh yeah, understatement there."

"Do you believe you sabotaged your relationship? That you forced Gia to leave you?"

Nik turns back to the french doors. "Yes."

"And that it cannot be resolved between the two of you if you were given time and space?"

"The problems between me and Gia were never really about us. Being alone wouldn't solve things." Nikolas says resolutely. "The problem is the world around us and the way I reacted to it."

"Taking everyone's word before Gia's."

"Yes! Gia has to see that it isn't going to be like that anymore. She has to trust me."

"And you have a plan."

"I have to show her not tell her that things are going to be different and that is going to take time. And space."

"But not too much space." Stavros counters.

"Not too much space." Nikolas agrees. "She is always going to know I love her and plan to marry her. We're just going to take some time."

"Know that you have my support... however you want to handle this."

"Thank you." Nikolas sighs and turns around. "I wish I could say the same about you."

"Excuse me?"

"Mother? The Spencers? Alexis? Stefan? What are you up to, father?"

"It is Estate business. And none of yours unless you mean to make it so." Stavros warns.

"She's my mother."

"She's my wife."

"What about Carly?" Nikolas doesn't want to get into the whole Laura being married to another.

"Caroline and I have an understanding. She knew going in that I am married. And that Cassadines do not divorce."

Nikolas winces. "You should really rethink that divorce thing. It would make your life a whole lot easier. Laura never made you happy. Hell you ended up dead because you didn't give yourself the option of divorce. Carly at least makes you happy. She accepts you. You have fun with her. I can see that. Why hold on to something that isn't working?"

"And when you and Gia are wed you want the option of Divorce? It will enhance your marriage how?"

"No, of course not. That's why we have to get it right now. Why we have to take the time now because I'm going to be with Gia forever, love Gia forever."

"Yes, because Cassadines don't divorce. It is not in our nature, son. It isn't just a saying. It is who we are. Stefan can't seem to get that in his little pea brain. It isn't just a tradition. There is one person out there for us and when we find them we marry them."

"Bobbie and Stefan are divorced."

"And has either of them married another since the nuptials that they shared?"

"No. Both of them came close but no."

"That's because they aren't divorced. They are married." Stavros points to his head. "Whatever they tell themselves here, whatever paperwork says otherwise, cannot overcome what is here." Stavros puts a closed fist to his gut. "I would never have approved the union between Barbara and Stefan. She is unsuitable with her checkered past and unsavory connections." Stavros adds grudgingly. "But it works. My brother is a stick in the mud. Always with his nose in a book, too serious, too..." Stavros searches for a word. "...superior not only to the rest of the world but to the rest of the family as well. He has the disposition of a monk or martyr of old. Barbara tempers those tendencies. It is a good match."

"And that is why you are forcing Alexis to marry Jax? Why you kidnapped Alexis and are isolating her away from her friends and family? Why do you hate her so much?" Nikolas blurts out.

"Her mother destroyed my family much as Luke Spencer destroyed yours." Stavros says flatly. "Seducing my father away from his true family, spreading her thighs. Mikkos was distracted from his wife and sons by an upstart whore who didn't know and keep her place. Natasha and her bastard sister were tools to Kristin to bind Mikkos to her and away from his family. Just as Lucky and his sister were tools used by Luke Spencer to keep your mother from you."

Nikolas shakes his head denying all of it. "I love Lucky. He is my brother. Yes, we've had difficulties in the past. But it we've put it behind us. And Lesley Lu is precious to me. Helena is the one that kept my mother from me. She would have been a part of my life if Helena hadn't threatened my mother and her family."

"Do not deceive yourself." Stavros eyes glow in his hatred for Luke Spencer. "Spencer killed your grandfather. He stuck me in a climate controlled coffin for decades. If Laura didn't tell Spencer about you it was to protect you from a premature death at his hands. You wouldn't have survived infancy in his household or rather you wouldn't have survived after the birth of his own child."

"Lucky isn't Luke. And Alexis isn't Kristin. You can't blame the child for the sins of the parent. It's not right. It's not fair."

"Isn't that what you've been doing to yourself all your life? Fearing that you would become me? Become like me? Fulfill the horror stories that have been spoonfed to you by your Spencer relatives? Come to hate the part of you that is Cassadine to the point of denying your birthright?! Isn't that why you've pushed Gia away and not sought your own happiness? Because you are Cassadine and therefore evil and unworthy?! Do not dare to tell me to not blame the child until you can do the same!" Stavros steps back and takes a deep breath.
"Natasha is a Cassadine recognized in my father's will. If my father had lived he would have ensured her education and a suitable marriage. Stefan took care of her education. I will do my part. She is the one that allied herself to Jasper Jacks. Again an unsuitable arrangement. He is the younger son of an Australian mobster. But considering Natasha's clientele as an attorney perhaps that is not unexpected. She seems to gravitate toward thugs. Had I been in charge of the family her talents would have been better utilized for the good of the family. Helena's distain of her is not unexpected considering she is the living proof of Mikkos unsavory alliance with an opera singer/maid and of my father's death but I expected better of Stefan. He should have reined her in long ago."

"They had a falling out a few years ago." Nikolas admits. "It was about the same time as Stefan was dating Katherine. It was when Alexis ended up defending Tony Jones for kidnapping Michael. They've made up since then but Alexis had already started building her private practice separate from the family. Father... Alexis loves Ned Ashton."

Stavros shakes his head. "If she had loved Ashton she would have married him. She didn't. She married Jax. So married to Jax she shall be."

"It was a scam. A manipulation to deceive Chloe's aunt. They weren't really married. They never consumated it." Nikolas guesses on the last but figures it's a good try.

"And if it had been a manipulation, a scam, not a real marriage then she would have made it down the aisle to her true love, Ned Ashton. But she didn't. Because it wasn't. She ran away from those nuptials. Literally. She married Jax. She knows she is married to Jax. I am holding her to that truth. Alexis Davis was accountable to no one but herself and the law. Natasha Cassadine on the other hand will fulfill her place in this family. The place I grant her. Natasha chose to be Cassadine when she tracked down our father's will. And she chose Jax when she married him in Las Vegas. Let love be the tie that binds until only death may part them." Stavros quotes the traditional closing to a Cassadine marriage ceremony.

Nikolas can tell that it's a closed subject from the look on his father's face. There is no budging to be found. He sighs and rubs his forehead. Then a thought occurs to him. "Okay." Nikolas raises his index finger in a first point type gesture. "I can tell you aren't moving on this one. And there is nothing I can do to convince you differently."

"True." Stavros nods.

"And if love is the ties that binds until only death may part... doesn't that mean... you are free? Father, you weren't asleep, or in a coma no matter what we are telling the world. You were dead. Doesn't that mean when you came back that you get a clean slate? You are free of mother. And she was free to form another alliance, no matter how unsavory you find it? By your own rules-- Mother could marry Luke and you can find someone who will make you happy?"

Stavros starts. "I hadn't considered it in that light."

"How about you think about that one."

"And you will consider that all things Cassadine are not evil or unworthy including you." Stavros counters.

"Including both of us." Nikolas amends.