John had asked if she would ever get rid of him, Ava responding with
never. She in turned asked if he would ever get sick enough to leave her, John mimicking her response and causing Ava to smile before he kissed her.
John: "I know every thing there is to know about you, Ava Cassadine. You can't do
anything that would make me leave your side. You had me hooked the first time I ever saw you, standing there with your stubborn chin sticking out, holding that horrendous fake ID, and not giving a chuff about anyone in the place."
Ava laughed at that, the memory of their first meeting so vivid in her mind.
"That ID was flawless. I got it on the Black Market, thank you very much."
Aside from the fact that it said she was a 25 year old woman from Germany, maybe it wasn't the
best guise when trying to sneak into a dive bar club at age 13. She wrinkled her nose playfully before kissing John's then suggesting that they watch the cup game. She knew how much he loved soccer and knew he would be itchy to watch a bit of it before they went to brunch. Ava turned so her back was against John, texting Amanda the status of their return as John shouted at the game on the tv.
Ava put her phone down on the couch, her hand arm holding John's that was wrapped around her waist.
"Who are you rooting for?"
John: "Well...We've got an Arsenal man on the Germany squad - Ozil, that's him - so as much as I normally would be
against the Germans, I think in this case we've got to root for them."
She had no idea what the hell any of that meant, but she nodded anyway.
"Guys in white?"
He confirmed as much as Ava watched the game. But as the minutes went on, her mind wandered to the memory of her first meeting John. She stared forward, lost in thought. Lost in memory.
FLASH
Ava walked down the dark alley way toward the entrance of a famous London dive bar club dressed in a skimpy little black dress that made her look far older than thirteen years old. She was in the city with her father on business visiting the Hellfire London Branch, and per usual, she was surrounded by guards 24/7. It was so frustrating not to be able to go out and have fun like other pre teen girls. The only time she felt normal was when she was back home at Hellfire with Haleigh, Cameron, and Ben....at least they understood what it was like to be locked within the cellblock known as the Hellfire Club. But tonight, Ava ditched her guards, slipping out of the guest bedroom window and down the trellis. She had managed to get her hands on a fake ID that her father had gotten off the Black Market for a client, taking a cab into the city to some low end club that no Cassadine would dare step foot in.
Ava made her way to the entrance, a young boy maybe a couple years older than her standing at the door. There was no way he worked there, not at a place like this at his age. But sure enough he stepped in front of Ava with his arms crossed.
John: "Aren't you a little young to be here?"
Ava gave him an incredulous look, lifting her chin high in the air defiantly.
"Aren't you?"
That made the boy crack a smile, his stance becoming less stiff.
John: "ID?"
Ava took out her fake ID from her little black clutch and presented it to him, sighing out and rolling her eyes as she did so. Outwardly she looked confident and cocky, but inside her stomach was in a knot as he examined the ID, looking from it to her.
"Well, are you going to let me in or what?"
He gave Ava a look, his eyes kind despite his even expression. He finally handed her back her ID and stepped aside.
John: "Have fun Miss Carras."
Ava gave him an 'I told you so' look before walking past him while stuffing her ID back into her purse. Once inside, she stopped and exhaled with a smile. Looking around, the club was packed. There was a huge dance floor, a bar, and a DJ in the middle playing dance mixes of different hit songs. Ava had never been in a club before.
"Haleigh and Cameron will die when I tell them this..."
She said with a grin before going further into the club and getting lost in the music. For hours Ava just danced, hoping around to the music, laughing, spinning, and enjoying every bit of the moment. She didn't need to be with anyone to have fun. People instinctively flocked around her like a magnet, Ava making friends with anyone who struck up a conversation or asked her to dance. Throughout the night she would occasionally catch the young bouncer watching her from afar, wondering if he was going to be kicking her out at any moment. But he never did.
It was around 2am and the club was finally closed. Ava was one of the last people to leave. She didn't see the boy, assuming that he had already gone home for the night. Taking out her flip phone, she began to walk down the alley as she called for a cab to come pick her up. It was then she heard voices from behind her.
Man 1: "Hey baby doll."
Ava turned to look over her shoulder, seeing an older man with two others flanking him.
Man: "I saw you dancing in there. Got some pretty good moves..."
"Uhm..thanks.."
Ava turned back around and kept walking, her pace picking up.
Man 2: "What's a hot piece like you doing by yourself?"
Man 3: "These streets are dangerous for such an angel like yourself. Why don't you let us take you home....we got some party favors. Real good stuff."
They were taunting her, Ava was well aware of that. She just wanted to get out of the alley, for some reason the light on the main street seeming like a safe haven. Ava scoffed, looking back at them.
"Not in a million years, asshole."
Even though she was young, she had a fire within her that wouldn't let anyone talk to her that way, even if she was in a precarious situation. Ava turned back around, almost to the light. She could see the cab pulling up to where it had dropped her off, a smile forming on her lips. That was until she was grabbed and slammed against the brick wall of the building causing her to scream.
"Let GO of me!"
Ava began to struggle as they pushed her against the wall.
Man 2: "She's got some spunk!"
Man 3: "Yeah well I got something for her..."
Man 1: *laughing* "Calm down asshole, we need her conscious so she can enjoy it too."
They all began to laugh, Ava shutting her eyes as she tried with all of her might to pull herself free of their grasp. Then she heard one of the men scream. Immediately she was let go and Ava opened her eyes to see a flash of silver tearing one of the man's limbs off while the other began to run down the alley way. The other man pulled out a gun and shot at the silver looking man who had saved her, the bullets bouncing off of it with no damage. The silver man grabbed the man's hand, broke it, and pointed the gun back at him shooting him in the head, before aiming the gun down the alley way and shooting the other fleeing man until he dropped dead on the pavement. At this point Ava was breathless watching in shock. She had seen people be killed before in far more brutal ways, that wasn't what was shocking. It was this silver person who had come out of nowhere and saved her.
John: "Are you okay?"
His voice sounded familiar....and then, the silver pigment from his body melted away to reveal the boy from the club. Ava's eyes widened, her mouth agape as he took a step forward toward her. He wiped the gun of his prints with his shirt, obviously very aware of what he was doing and how to keep from being caught. He then tossed the gun into the dumpster near by, his eyes never leaving Ava.
"Yeah...yeah, i'm fine..."
After the initial shock wore off, Ava moved away from the wall as John picked up her clutch and flip phone, handing them to her.
"You're a mutant..."
He looked a little nervous at that, stuffing his hands into his pocket.
"I am too.."
That make his eyes lift to her with surprise. Ava looked toward the club door down at the other end of the alley way, confused as to why someone with his abilities would be working in a dump. Why he wasn't doing extraordinary things. She looked back at him, their eyes meeting. She could see that he was gentle and kind. That he didn't belong as a bouncer at some garbage club.
"Why are you working in a place like this?"
The boy shrugged.
John: "They pay good because they know what I am."
It made sense. But still, Ava couldn't help but feel like he deserved more than this. Especially after what he just did for her.
John: "Why are you at a place like this?"
He was throwing back at her what she had done to him at the door. Ava bit her bottom lip and looked down, knowing the ruse was over.
"My father doesn't let me do anything...his guards are constantly around me...I just wanted to have some fun..."
He gave her a cocky look, as if he was saying he was right in his assumptions earlier.
John: "Twenty five huh?"
Ava smiled at that, liking that he was calling her on her shit. Most people didn't, they were too scared of her father. It was then John extended his hand out to her.
John: "John Steele."
Her eyes stayed locked with his, knowing in that moment that there was no way in hell she was going to walk away from this boy after what he did for her. Ava reached out her hand, taking his and holding it tight.
"Ava Cassadine."
FLASH
Ava looked down at her hand within John's, her thumb gently rubbing along his skin as she smiled softly at the memory. One stupid pre teen decision lead her to the boy that quite literally changed her life. She brought his hand around to her chest, tucking it against her body like a blanket. She remembered bringing John back to her father that night, who was pacing in the great hall of the European Hellfire Club, screaming in Greek at his guards. She explained to Stavros what had happened and how John had helped her. She knew she would be punished for her careless and un-Cassadine like actions, but she also knew that if her father was made aware of the fact that John rescued his daughter? He would give him a job instantaneously. Her assumptions were correct. John was taken in by her father, given proper schooling, trained to fight and use weapons, given board and food. He had taken John under his wing until he was old enough to become a proper guard, then hired him paying him double that of any other guard. John's life had changed as well that day, leading him to becoming Rook, and now King.
She heard John groan, realizing that she had been lost in thought for a good five minutes of the game. Looking at the screen, she saw that Mexico had scored.
"They have time to come back, babe."
The game went to commercial, Ava taking the opportunity to turn onto her back and look at John.
"You know...we never talked about that night after it happened. After you helped me."
Ava looked at him inquisitively.
"I still can't believe I was stupid enough to do that at
thirteen."
She scoffed out a little laugh.
"No wonder my father had guards on me 24 hours a day."
She rolled her eyes in jest. Hell, if she had a daughter who acted the way Ava did, she'd likely do the same damn thing. But something occurred to Ava in that moment, her eyes lifting to John's.
"I never thanked you..."
