Disclaimer: OK, so they're not mine, but the majority of them aren't being used anyway so why not take them out to play for a bit?

I started this when I first heard that they were being stupid enough to write Jake off of ATWT. I wanted to do something that would take into account his history and actually be able to bring him back from. Too bad the actual writers weren't as kind!

Chapter 1

~A Visitor from the Past~

Jake sat on the cot, his head buried in his hands. Here he was once again.

The reemergence of 'Jake the Snake.'

Jake the screw up.

At least that was what they would all think, and he supposed they were right.

If they weren't he wouldn't be in this six by eight cell. He wouldn't have counted on Carl for help! At least, he supposed, it hadn't been for selfish reasons. He had been trying to protect them; his women. Ironic that he had ended up hurting two of them in the course of helping others. G-d, he never should have trusted Carl to fix this. . .

"McKinnon," Margo Hughes said as she stopped in front of the cell and took out the keys to open the door, "you have a visitor."

Jake's head shot up at that, a flash of hope lighting his eyes, "it's not Molly," she added on a sigh.

"Kinda figured," he said softly as he rose to his feet and crossed the cell. "So who is it?"

"Your cousin," Margo said stiffly as she opened it.

"My cousin?"

"What? Don't have any?" she asked as the door closed behind them and they walked towards the interrogation room.

"Nay. I've got cousins. Just didn't think any were close enough to hear about this," he shrugged.

"Well, apparently she was," Margo told him as she opened the door. "Ms. McKinnon, you have half and hour."

"Thank you," the red head staring out the barred window, the shade off just enough for Jake to raise and eyebrow as Margo indicated he should enter and waited to close the door behind him.

At the sound of the door closing, the woman turned, causing Jake to shake his head as she walked towards him. "Got something to tell me?"

"Not even in your dreams, McKinnon," she laughed as they shared a quick hug. "Trouble still finds you huh?"

"Something like that," he shrugged as they moved towards the table in the middle of the room. "So what's the story?"

"Seems you have more of one to share," she started as she sat and reached into her purse, as he opened his mouth, she cut him off. "Carl tracked me down," she explained as she pushed a sheaf of papers to him along with a pen.

"Guess its good someone knows how to. What with you disappearing off the face of the earth and all."

"Thought I had a good reason to."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Don't see you hanging around there."

"I said you had a point. So do I want to know?" he asked indicating the papers with a tilt of his head.

"Pact with the devil we know and love," she deadpanned.

"Though I already made it to get here," he sighed.

"Still better the one you know. . ."

"I guess," he sighed as he signed them. "So know what?"

"Lunch," she said as she reached under the table and pulled out a bag containing containers from Carlinos.

"So you've seen. . ."

"No. They were delivered," she told him softly as she opened the lid of one and crumpled up label with his name, and stuck it into her purse.

"So you haven't heard about. . ."

"Just that she's dealing and wishes. . ." she shrugged.

"Just as long as she's safe."

The woman shook her head sadly. "There's so much of this you have no clue about."

"So fill me in."

"You will be, eventually," she sighed as she handed him a fork. "I hope you enjoy this as much this time as the last."

Jake swallowed convulsively as he looked at the container. "Let me guess. Paulina's jailhouse special?"

"Eat up. You're going to need your strength," the red head said in way of answer watching as Jake watched the food wearily before taking a bite. Hiding a slight smile, she started eating her own meal, knowing it was only a matter of minutes before the plan would be put into action.