Home is were my heart is {Alice}

[Jackson Grimm]

It was a nice morning, it would have been a beautiful morning if she had been there to enjoy it with him. It had only been a few days since she life, but to Jax it felt like a life time. The past year had been nothing short of amazing. After the crew scattered, Alice and Jackson took the first flight to Santo for two reasons. First and foremost, was to be married, and what a day that was. It was everything that Jax dreamed, it may sound strange for a guy to dream about getting married, but from the first time he had talked to Alice, that was all he could think of. She was stunning that day glowing in all white. Jax did everything he could to make her dreams come to life, the only thing that he couldn't make happen was for their friends to be there to enjoy it with them, but that was only a small dark spot in a room full of light.

The second reason they went to Santo, was the honeymoon. Oh the honeymoon. Six months of sight seeing, gambling and enjoying each other. They ended up falling in love with Santo so much that they bought a house there, well three houses there, it was like a villa. You see, during the war Santo's economy went down the drain cause it was next to impossible for the high rollers to make it to the planet. So the planet went from the play ground for the wealthy to a high end, mid-class, sin city. A perfect place for a couple of criminals, or a criminal couple. You could get any from of entertainment whether you wanted it or not, anything form prostitutes to stage shows. Now the outlaying areas were still very nice and welcoming. Small quaint little hobbles where the local's grew most of there own food, Jax could have stayed there the rest of his life working the land and learning from the elder's for the hobbles. Alice on the other hand liked the area but there wasn't enough grease for her. Jackson loved that women but he swore the only time she didn't have grease on her, was when stepped out of the shower. So they split the diffrence and found the villa, it was close enough to the city for Alice to stay greasy, but also had enough space for Jax to have a garden.

Alice took a job as a mechanic and Jax took a job as a bouncer at a high end casino. A month or so went by with Alice and Jax working a regular forty, both being misrable, although neither of them wanted to admit it to each other. Crime was all either of them knew, I mean it had been there life for so long. The jobs they had were nice, it was legal and no one was trying to kill them or put them in prision. But the lack of a thrill, a real challange left a lot to be desired.

It was the end of another normal week when the wave came in, it was Onas. It was great to hear from Onas again right up to the part where he asked for Alice's help, and only Alice's help...

[Alice Grimm]

Alice woke up rubbing her newly healed burn. The action instantly made her think of Jax. She did not like leaving him, but she was about to go crazy on Santo. She loved that planet, but not living every day of her life there. Alice really wished that Onas needed Jackson as well, and that they could go together. This thought caused her stomach to turn in a knot. It had only been a few days since she had left him, but it seemed like years. 'It is only for a little while' she reminded her self.

On the way to Persephone Alice often found her self think about events of the last year. She often thought of their wedding day. Her dress was perfect! It had crystals sown into the bodice and lace on the hem. It flattered her in every way. Her hair had been curled and had crystal laced into it. Jackson had one a black suit with a red tie.They had chosen to get matching heart shaped burns and the traditional wedding rings. Jax had the priest burn him on the inside of his left arm and Alice had the burn on her left wrist. The heart was her reminder that no matter how far they were apart he still had her heart and she had his.

The ship she was on was boring. She got caught once in the engine room tinkering on a reactor. She was covered in grease when the guard made her go back to her quarters. She secretly giggled to her self as she walked back. 'what would Jax think?' He would get so upset if she tried to come to bed with out taking a shower after she had been working all day. Everything in there little house had grease on it from her. Well their house was not little, but everything did have grease on it from her. Jackson was much cleaner then her. She assumed that it was because he loved his body and wanted it to look is best all the time. He also took pride in everything he had. Alice knew physical belongs are hard to travel with and tend to get messed up (especially if she could take it apart and put it back together).

Alice avoided thoughts of the honeymoon. It made her stomach hurt and the longing for Jax worse. Though, those where her favorite memories of her time on Santo. Anytime one of those memories came to her mind Alice had to fight the urge to steal an escape ship and head back to him. 'Onas needs me and it is only for a little while' is what she ended up telling her self more often then she would like to admit.

[Jackson Grimm]

The months since Alice had been gone went by slowly by for Jax he had went to work than came back home to an empty house. He kept telling himself that she would come back in a month or two and all would be normal again, but what was really normal I mean he was a glasser not a bouncer. It kept gnawing at him that this wasn't his life, this wasn't what he wanted out of life. The money he made at the casino was ok, but trying to live off it was almost a joke. When your used to making six or seven times that amount in a matter of weeks instead of years its tuff to adjust.

Jackson was antsy that night when he went to the casino, he really was wanting some knuckle head to try something. Steal chips, money, or even back out on a bet, something, anything. It wasn't long before he got his wish. A man had been drinking for the better part of the afternoon and had finally had enough "O, joy" Jax thought sarcasticly, nothing he loved more the throwing out drunks. He wanted some real action, but he guessed that it would have to do. As he approached the man something didn't seem on the level, the man seemed to perfectly drunk. You know, when your pretending to be drunk, reenacting the wild night before for your buddies who didn't make it out.
"Come on buddy it's time to go" Jackson said as he laid his massive hand on the guys shoulder. The red eyed patron stood with no fuss, that was a good start. Walking him towards the main door the drunk fella started to get mouthy "tch, man, why you got to be messin with me I just trying have some fun. You know just wanna unwind from a long day." As the drunk talked his words became clearer and easier to understand this caught Jax's attention, he taught this guys was a little off.

Not sure what this guy's angle was, and not really caring at this junction. Jax stopped the drunk and said in a low tone "Look buddy this doesn't have to be hard, you know the deal you drink to much you got to go." The mans next words were crystal clear, no slurring that you tend to hear with the inebriated "Come on buddy''. This caught Jax way off guard he turned and looked at the man for the first time since the started making for the door "What..the" . Seeing that Jax's was on to him the grifter or the con-man figured his gig was up and it was time to make his move, taking a half step back transferring his weight to his back leg and winding up his right fist for a one hitter quitter. Jax's had immediately started scanning the room. He saw the man making a move out of the corner of his eye, a stupid move, but a move none the less. Jax had to end this quickly. This guy was just a set up man, he had seen this plenty of times before one man would create a distraction while another guy would grab as much money, chips, or whatever and then slip away in the confusion.

The drunk swung at Jax's face, wrong thing to open up with unless you had your opponents hand pinned like Jax now held the man arm at the wrist. Sifting his own weight Jax landed his fist squarely in the middle of the drunks face dropping him like wet sack with a first that could double as a cinder block. The one hitter quitter that the con-man was going for got turned on him by Jax. With the con-man out of the fight Jax began to scan the room while bring his com. up to his lips spotting his target he barked in to the mic "There, there he is the man in the black coat grab and bring him to the pin" bending down and grabbing the con-man by his collar Jax drug the lifeless man through the main lobby headed for the pin.

Jackson stood outside the pin with his boss a short fat man named Maxwell. "This, never took place Mr. Grimm i don't care what you do with these men but you make them disappear" Maxwell said red faced and jowls flapping.
"Yes sir, I will handle it" Jax stated as he opened the door. What was he doing here he asked himself for the hundredth time in as many days. He wasn't some mindless busier for someone to point and yell sick um. Jax brought himself back to the situation at hand. "Well gentlemen i hope your proud of you efforts, you almost had me fooled. The only problem was that I have run the same scam plenty of times when I was seventeen, just learning how to run simple cons." Jackson made this statement while he was taking off his blazer. "Now this is how this is going to go. I am going to beat you within an inch of your life and then I am going to take you some where were your going to be taken care of and if your smart" he paused while he cracked his knuckles the let out a long breath " you..." Jax slammed his fist in to the "drunks" mid section. The man doubled over with a cry of pain "will..." his back was facing the other man so he spun on his heal and back handed the black coated man in the face. The man spun like a top and hit the ground landing on his hands and knees slowly bring a hand to his now bleeding mouth. "Never...come....back...here again" punctuating ever word with kicks to the mid sections of each men. After making his demands know Jax straightened his dress shirt and gave his men there marching orders.

Early the next morning as he walked trought the door of their home he was despertly hoping for a message from Alice....

[Alice Grimm]

Wave Message


Hey Jackson,
I love you so much! How are things back on Santo? Well really never mind that... I found you a job here. It would be working with Onas. I know you love it there Jax, but please come be with me here. I know we talked about living out on Santo, but ,babe, I can't see myself going back there to live. We can keep the houses and vacation there from time to time... Plus working with Onas will get us enough money to pay some one to work your gardens for you. So that every time we go there the gardens will look amazing, or we can ship the food to where we are. I need you, my love, and you have alway said "home is where you heart is." WELL JACKSON GRIMM YOUR HEART IS ON PERSEPHONE!SO PLEASE COME HOME.
Love you always, your heart
Alice

[Jackson Grimm]

Red light...that made Jax smile. The red light meant he had a massage and since Alice was the only one who had contact info it was a good bet it was her.

Jax was floored by the message she left him, he just knew it was a message telling him she was coming home. But instead it was a message telling him she wanted to stay there and wanted him to come to her. They had talked about this many of times before she left, they wanted to live on Santo. They wanted to live normal lives, work normal jobs, and maybe even start a family. Not keep up they ship ripping gig. Or was that what he wanted, he started replaying the talks they had and it was him who keep pushing it she would just smile and nod or half heartily agree with him. He was the one who had surprised her with houses and the garden, his stupid garden. Was this all a reaction to Sid getting killed and the crew having to bolt? Did he really want to live a normal life? Wasn't he just complaining to himself that he was tired of being some mindless thug for the casino. I mean he was a glasser for heaven sakes. With one arm tied behind his back and blind folded he could setup a gateway, smash trough a firewall, out run a CSET and drop a Logic bomb. What was he doing on this rock.

With that decided Jackson started packing up the house. He left the things needed to enjoy a house such as dishes, towels, and furniture of course but the clothes and personal effects packed away in a medium size shipping crate, which was about the same size as his gang box that housed all of his tools for ripping apart a ship or perparing a seven course meal . After that task was complete he started looking for a ship that would take him to his heart. Two days later Jackson Xavier Grimm was sitting on a firefly class ship headed for his heart on Persephone.

Staring at a picture of Alice, rubbing the heart shape burn on his left bicep all he could think was this felt right, this felt like he was going home...