100 Reasons
by jlexrocks

"Are you sure you don't want me stay, in case something happens?" Lucky asked Sam, holding her in his arms.

"No, I'll be fine. I can handle Jerry."

There's a knock at the door.

They both looked at the door. "What do we do now?"

"We'll just pretend you left something here? Hopefully that works." She went over to the closet and found a jacket, and threw it at him. "Here, you forgot this."

Sam opened the door and expected to see Jerry, instead ...

"Hey sweetheart." Alexis smiled at her eldest daughter.

"Mom. Hi. What are you doing here?"

Lucky walked by them both in a hurry, Alexis looked back at him, confused.

"I thought you two broke up."

"We did. He forgot his jacket here, I was just giving it back to him."

"Ok." She smiled, looking around the apartment.

"So not to be rude or anything Mom, but what are you doing here?"

"I can't come and check on my own daughter without getting the third degree? Must be the daughter of a brilliant lawyer." She smiled, putting down her purse.

"It's just that I have some plans tonight," she said awkwardly, not sure if Alexis would pry more.

"Oh, well then I won't be long. You mind if I get some water, it's hot outside."

"Sure." She pointed towards the kitchen and Alexis walked down the hall.

There's another knock at the door.

"Oh god, not now." She looked through the peep hole, seeing Jerry standing right there.

She opened the door and peeked through. "You need to leave, now," she whispered.

Jerry pushed his way in, taking his coat off.

"You invited me over for dinner, remember that, sweet Sam?" He rested his coat on the desk, unaware of Alexis' bag beside it.

"I was going to call you, I needed to change plans, something came up." Alexis walked down the hall but froze when she saw Jerry standing there. She hid beside the wall, out of their view.

Jerry played with a piece of Sam's hair. "You're lying to me, Sam."

"No, you really can't be here, I have someone coming over."

He touched her shoulder. "So are we still going for the boat ride?"

Alexis leaned her head back against the wall. She knew he was trouble, but going for her daughter too?

"Yeah, maybe tomorrow. Sound good? Ok, you need to leave." She pushed him forward, towards the door.

"What's the rush? Got something to hide?"

"Just leave."

He moved closer to her, almost near her face. "Another time, then."

Alexis bolted through the hall towards the desk.

"Alexis?" Jerry stood there, humiliated, full of fear.

"Don't mind me, you two can just continue what you're doing. I'll get out of your way." She grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

He looked back at Sam, now curious.

"Was this a set up?"

"No," Sam groaned, knowing her mother was upset.

"If she saw me with you, she'll push me away. Was that the plan? To get me out of your mother's life."

"You're not good for her, but no, it wasn't the plan."

He grabbed his coat and her keys fell to the chair.

She walked down the hall, tears in her eyes, searching her purse frantically for her keys. She let out a sigh. More humiliation coming. She turned to see him standing there, her keys in his hand.

"Give me my keys." She walked towards him. He held them tighter.

"It's not what you think, darling."

"Where have I heard that line before? Give me them."

He didn't move, but stared deeply into her eyes, seeing a look he had seen few times before. He never wanted her to look at him that way, but he knew, in that instant, that he was going to lose her.

"Don't do this."

"Do what, Jerry? You flirted with her. You touched her. God forbid I walked by, who knows what would have happened."

"I wasn't going to sleep with her, Alexis."

"For some reason, I can't believe you." She crossed her arms across her chest, glaring at him.

"Alexis-" He reached out for her, but she moved back.

"I was a fool to think that you had changed. Everybody warned me, but I kept things going with you. I didn't-"

"I have changed, Alexis. Let me prove it to you."

"Too late."

"If you hadn't been so stubborn to pursue then maybe-"

"Don't you dare blame this on me. This is your fault, you're the one seducing my daughter. Don't even try to make this my fault."

"She asked me over." Alexis let out a laugh. "I didn't know what it was about."

"You knew damn well what it was about, don't give me that. You know, I made it so hard for you to be part of my life because I didn't want to get hurt again. You promised me that you wouldn't be this way, but nobody can make promises, can they?" She held her hand out. He handed her the keys but they dropped to the floor.

They both squatted down, his hand fell on top of hers. They looked intensely into each other's eyes. He grabbed her hand.

She took her other hand and slapped him across the face.

"You touched my daughter with those hands. Don't expect to come near me ever again." She picked up her keys and walked away.

Sam barged into Alexis' office.

"Mom. We need to talk about this."

"About what." She looked at her paperwork, not interested in anything Sam was going to say.

"You know what I'm here for."

"No, I really don't. So if you need something, ask. If not, I'm busy." She continued to read.

"Don't push me away, Mom. I messed up, but it wasn't what you think."

"If I hear that one more time." She rolled her eyes.

"I found out something about Jerry that I think you should know." Alexis continued to be uninterested.

"He's involved in something, dangerous, Mom. He-"

Her phone rang.

"Alexis Davis."

"I'm on my way." She gets out of her chair.

"What happened?"

"Nicholas' clinic was set on fire. There were people inside. I need to go." She walked out of the office.

"Two people were inside during the explosion. They're being treated at the hospital." Harper walked with Alexis, who walked her way around the debris, around the fireman.

"Anybody seen around before the explosion?"

"No, but we'll talk to the victims when they're feeling better." He walked away. Alexis stood, staring at the debris.

"Anything new?" Nicholas stood next to her, both staring at the damage.

"We'll figure out who did this, don't worry."

"I never do."

"And you'll get a new place, a better one, a bigger one." She smiled assuringly at him.

"Don't worry about me right now. I need to go check on Nadine and Dr. Hunter." He walked away.

She continued to take in the sight before her.

Jerry stood, looking at the damage.

Sam walked up to him.

"Who did this? I need names."

"If I knew, don't you think I'd tell your mother?"

"It has to be someone you know, Jerry. Only people like you do this sort of damage."

"People like me, hm? What's that supposed to mean?"

Sam looked around and saw her mother, staring right at her, with Jerry.

"I need to go." Sam started walking away. Jerry turned and saw Alexis watching.

Alexis quickly turned around and left the scene of destruction.

She called him and asked him to come to her office.

He couldn't be too excited; he knew what this was about.

But hearing her voice, her actually talking to him, had to be some type of progress.

"Hello darling." He walked in and closed the door behind him.

"Where were you two nights ago?"

"The Metro Court, I believe."

"You believe, or you know? It's not hard to answer."

"I was eating dinner, alone, at the Metr Court."

'Why weren't you with Sam' was what she wanted to ask but decided now was not the time.

"You know why you're here, Jerry."

"To have the pleasure of being in your company. Always a treat."

"If you did this, you need to confess it now, or the penalty is going to be much worse."

"I didn't do it, darling."

"I have a witness who saw you go to the clinic. What were you doing there then?"

Busted.

"I went to talk to Nicholas about the counterfeit drugs that have been given out to patients. I gave him a warning to keep a close eye out for suspicious activity."

"Find that hard to believe," she muttered.

"So is this how it's going to be from now on? You're just going to completely shut me out, pretend that I was nothing to you."

"You weren't anything to me, an occasional good time in bed, beyond that, nothing."

"I really hope you don't mean that."

She looked up at him.

"I know I can't take back what I did. And I have no excuses for it, beyond the simple fact that I'm a guy, and we're always supposed to mess up."

"I've had that happen too many times, you're not any different."

"Let me prove to you that I am. That I'm not Sonny or Ric."

"Leave," she said, looking down at her papers.

"I care about you, Alexis. I want what is best for you. And I believe that I can make you happy."

"Nothing is ever as great as it seems. It always falls apart - it was only a matter of time before we ended. I'm relieved we didn't get too serious."

"Alexis-"

"You don't have to pretend anymore, you don't have to use me. You're free. Be with whoever you want."

He didn't have anything to say. He didn't want to be free, he wanted to be with her and she knew it, he knew it.

"Just go. But don't leave town. You'll probably be getting a call in the next few days."

"Then I'll need my lawyer present." She looked up as he walked out the door.

It had been a few more days and he hadn't heard from her and he hadn't seen her.

He knocked lightly on the door.

Sam opened the door.

"Why aren't you gone already? She doesn't want you around."

"I'm not having this conversation with you. Is your mother in there?"

"If she was, why would I tell you."

"What are you, five? I need to speak with her."

"She doesn't want you, Jerry. Face it. You blew it."

"Your mother has had a lot of people quit on her in the past. I don't intend on being on that list."

"Jerry-"

"I understand that you don't like me, and I honestly don't care because I'm not that fond of you either. You tried to hurt your mother again, and it worked. Congratulations."

"I was protecting her from you. I know what you've been up to. She doesn't deserve to be used by you."

"But she deserves to get constantly hurt by you? After she worked so hard to protect you."

Sam glared at him, knowing that he was right.

"What is it going to take to get rid of you? Money? Is that it, it could be arranged."

"I don't need money. I don't need anything but your mother. And I'm not going to give her up."

"You're not going to get her back. She's already pushed you away. Move on."

"I love her, Sam. I don't love her because she is the mother of my brother's child, I don't love her because she's my lawyer. I love her for the extraordinary woman she is. If you stopped once in a while and realized how amazing your mother is, you wouldn't work so hard to trash her life." He turned and almost crashed right into her. He looked into her eyes, knowing that she had been standing there the whole time.

Alexis walked by him, towards the door.

"Alexis," he whispered. She stopped, holding the door handle.

"You could give me a hundred reasons why you claim to love me, but the matter of the fact is that I don't trust you. I can't believe you. Without that, we have nothing." She closed the door behind her.

"He didn't." Diane sat there, glass of wine in her hand, in a state of shock.

"He did. I heard him. He basically laid into Sam, telling her that he wasn't going to quit on me because he loved me."

Diane didn't know what to say.

"Why did he have to say that," she muttered, holding her head in her hands.

"Do you believe him?"

"I don't know what to believe, Diane. One minute he's charming and sweet, the next he's making moves on my daughter and doing God knows what with business associates."

"Maybe he knew you were there and he wanted to win you back."

"He couldn't have known that I was there. He wouldn't have been fighting with my daughter in front of me."

"He defended you though. Did Ric do that? Or Sonny?"

She leaned her head back into the chair. "I know." She rolled her eyes.

"I think I know why this is bothering you so much." She put her glass down. Alexis sat up.

"You love him."

"I do not." She let out a laugh.

"He's flawed, he's insane, but you're in love with him. He said he would protect you and your daughters. That's a huge upgrade from any man you've been with."

"I thought you hated him."

"I do, and I think he's terrible for you. But sometimes you have to ignore what everyone else says and follow your heart."

"I have followed my heart, and look where it's got me."

"Alexis, you know I'm right."

"You're being ridiculous."

"Am I? Answer me this. Do you enjoy spending time with him."

"Yes."

"Do you feel protected when he is around?"

"Yes."

"Do you trust him with the safety of your daughters?"

She let out a sigh. "Yes."

"Do you love him?"

She sat on the steps of her house, thinking about everything.

Love.

She hated that word.

That one word ruins her life, it ruins her heart.

It was the one word that changed a casual fling into something so much more.

And she wasn't sure if she was ready for that, again.

She wasn't sure if she could put herself through it all, again.

But she knew she was in love with him, and that's why seeing him with Sam hurt so much.

She was a fool and she knew it. She never heard his explanation, she pushed him out.

And now she was afraid that he would never come back to her.

"Alexis." She continued to sit on the steps, not moving.

"I know you're in there. You don't have work this late at night."

She rolled her eyes.

"If you can hear me, I'd like to defend my case."

She turned towards the door, still sitting on the step.

"You said even if I gave you one hundred reasons why I loved you, that you wouldn't believe me. But I'm going to give it a shot."

"Oh God," she whispered.

"Number 1. Your smile, it's contagious, it's infectious. Number 2. The way you take charge of a situation at work, it's sexy as hell." She laughed. "Number 3. The scent of your perfume, it's intoxicating. Number 4. They way you light up whenever you are around your children. Number 5. Your willingness to do anything at any cost to protect your daughters. Number 6. The sex, it's that good." She laughed again, she knew he was right about that. "Number 7. Your persistence in playing hard to get. Number 8. How strong and put together you are. Number 9. Your bravery. Number 10. Your ability to not be able to make a damn pot of coffee without ruining it."

"You're an idiot!" she yelled.

"Does that mean you don't want me to continue, I have 90 more."

"You're probably waking up my neighbors."

"I don't care."

"Of course you don't."

She stood up on the steps, combing her fingers through her hair.

"I know I messed up. I know that I should be getting taken off your property right now for disturbing you, but I don't care. I don't want Sam, I never have and I never will. I don't want any other woman."

"You have a hard way of showing it."

"I knew Sam was up to something. I know you won't believe that, and I should have come to you. But I wanted to handle it myself. She was trying to push me away from you. Please tell me she didn't win again."

"My daughter is beautiful and she's brilliant. But the one thing I can never support is her willingness to throw herself at men for information. She told me she found something out about you."

"I know."

"It's about the clinic, it's about the drugs. You can't think I wasn't suspicious."

"I know."

"And I should have you arrested right now because of it. You should be in jail, rotting for all your mistakes."

"I should," he agreed again.

"But I can't do it. I'm selfish; it's totally unfair. But I can't see you hurt, despite everything." Her eyes started to water so she quickly blinked away the tears.

He smiled, putting his paper in his pocket.

She walked up to the door and unlocked it. "But if you do something like this ever again ..." She opened the door and he darted right at her, picking her up in his arms, as his lips met hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding on to him around his neck.

She pulled back and rested her forehead against his, catching her breath. He shut the door behind him, still holding on to her.

"Number 99. When I'm with you I don't have to be anybody but who I am. I don't have to con anyone, I don't have to manipulate. I get to feel different when I'm with you. Number 100. Because you're the most incredible woman that I've ever-" She cut him off with a kiss, combing her fingers through his hair.

"I love you," she whispered. "But if you want to be with me, I have to be able to trust you. Can I trust you?"

"I'm not going to throw this away, I promise you that." She buried her head in his neck. She unwrapped her legs from around him and stood there, letting him hold her in his arms.

"You really made a list of 100 reasons?"

"Absolutely."

"You have too much time on your hands. You need to get out more, meet new people."

"Ah, darling, I don't need to meet anybody else, I have what I want right here. I meant what I said to Sam. I love you, completely. More than any other woman I've ever known."

"Ditto." She smiled as he kissed her cheek.

"Who knew you could be the romantic?" She laughed as he pretended to be hurt by her statement.

"It's only the beginning, darling. It's only the beginning."

The End