Chapter Five: All In A Day's...Work?
Carly and Courtney's office Courtney Scanlon walked into the office she and Carly shared, sat down in the chair across from Carly's desk, and slid a sandwich across the desk. Carly looked at her partner, lifted an eyebrow and picked the sandwich up, sniffing warily. She brightened immediately, flashing a grin at Courtney. "No tunafish!" She took a bite, and her smile widened even further. "And, you remembered the avocado!" Carly's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she looked at Courtney. "Okay, okay, Court, what is it? What do you want me to do?"
Courtney grinned at Carly, not at all embarrassed at being so transparent. "Sit for me tonight? Now that Crissy's living with us more or less full time, I can't remember the last time Frank and I had a night just to ourselves. I mean, I love our kids but," Courtney made a slight shrugging motion with her shoulders, "you know. You can't be 'Mom' all the time."
"Tell me about it," Carly said dryly. She took a bite of her sandwich and leaned across the desk. "I'll sit for you tonight if you'll return the favor on Saturday. It's just Ginia; Michael'll be with his dad."
Courtney lifted an eyebrow, leaning back in the chair. "You're actually leaving the house on a Saturday night? Hell, yes, I'll babysit! Unless," she leaned forward, a thought occurring, "you're not getting back together with Dark, Dumb and Dimpled, are you? 'Cause I'm not going to help you revisit that particular trail of tears." Courtney shook her head decisively. "No way."
Carly tossed an eraser across the desk at her partner with a scowl; Courtney ducked it deftly. "You know, your commentary on my life is just exactly what I need," she snapped. "Since your life is so perfect and all." She sighed in resignation as Courtney refused to rise to the bait and just sat, looking at her. "I'm not 'getting together' with anyone, Courtney, but especially not Sonny, alright? I'm just -- helpin' out a friend. It's no big deal."
"Helping out a friend? By going out with him on a Saturday night? Uh-huh," Courtney said in disbelief. "Wanna buy a bridge?"
Carly laughed. "No, I'm serious. You know Marcus Taggert, right?" Courtney nodded. "His -- ward, or whatever, Juan Santiago, has a gig Saturday night; Marcus is kind of required to go and he asked me to come along and keep him company. Juan's playing at Jake's; Marcus wanted company, that's all."
"Okay. So, you're going to a concert with the very single, very eligible Police Commissioner, who just happens to live downstairs in your building, but it's not a date? Yeah, you're right, Carly, makes perfect sense." Courtney rolled her eyes, propping her feet up on Carly's desk.
Carly glared at Courtney. "It's not a date, Courtney. It's just Taggert," she reached over and pushed Courtney's feet off her desk. "Leave it alone, okay? I've been divorced, what, a whole week? I'm not dating anyone yet, and especially not Marcus Taggert."
"You haven't lived with Sonny for almost two months, Carly." Courtney leaned forward, looking intently at her friend. "Look, I don't do this often, and I'm not very good at it, but I care about you. So, I'm going to give it a shot. I'm going to give you some advice." It was Carly's turn to roll her eyes, but Courtney kept talking. "Not every man who walks into your life has to be your great love, you know. You can go out with a guy and just have fun and let that be all it is. That's okay. It's even, you know, normal. Whatever that means."
Carly looked at Courtney a long, sober moment, then burst out laughing. She waved an apologetic hand in Courtney's direction, as her partner started to look offended. "No, Court, I'm not laughing at you; good advice. It's just anyone telling me that--" Carly shook her head. "I'm the original 'love 'em and leave 'em' girl. It's what I do. Or -- what I did, before. Maybe you're right," she mused, then shot Courtney a glance as her partner looked back at her smugly. "For once. Hey," Carly leaned over the desk, placing a hand on Courtney's, "thanks."
"Consider it a fair trade. For getting me through the Frank and Christina stuff last year," Courtney squeezed her hand lightly in return, then dropped it with a deep breath as she stood up, leaning over Carly's desk to open the sample book Carly had been looking at earlier. "Were you thinking of this one for the McAlister thing next week?" she asked, pointing to a fabric swatch, deliberately letting the heavy stuff go. One meaningful conversation was about all Courtney could handle in a day. And, she hated mushy girl stuff almost as much as Carly did. Part of why they were such fantastic partners.
Carly grinned at her, knowing why she'd changed the subject, and grateful that she'd done so. "Yeah," she answered, "but it's awfully heavy for summer, you know?" She walked over to the bookshelf, pulling off another book and flipping through it, pointing to another fabric sample, as the two women went back to work.
PCPD
Taggert didn't bother to look up as the door opened; he just growled, "Go away," in a tone that brooked no complaints.
"Well, if you insist," came the amused, feminine reply from the doorway. "But, Marcus, the PCPD's reputation isn't going to be helped any if it gets around that the Police Commissioner is a big, bald grouch."
A slow smile slid across Taggert's face as he stood up and moved quickly around his desk, taking the woman in his arms and spinning her around as she laughed. "Dara," he exclaimed, "lady, you are a sight for sore eyes! Tell me you've decided to make all my dreams come true and come back and work with me."
"Marcus," Dara reached up and patted his cheek with a laugh, "not a chance in hell. Sorry, my friend, but let's face facts; I never did much good in the DA's office. Just 'cause you went and got yourself stuck here in the Commissioner's office doesn't mean the rest of us have to be fool enough to follow suit." She smiled at him, taking all of the sting out of her words. "Congratulations, by the way."
Taggert sighed dramatically. "Then, if you won't come back to Port Charles and work with me, there's only one thing left to do. Run away with me to a tropical island where I never have to hear the word 'Commissioner' again," he pled, laughter sparkling in his eyes.
"You, me, a tropical island?" Dara did a quick shimmy with her hips, a not inconsiderable feat considering her almost eight-months pregnant stomach. "Baby, I am there!" She tilted her head to look up at him. "Can my husband come too?"
Taggert shook his head decisively. "No Quartermaines allowed -- rule number one. Rules number two through four: no Cassadines, Spencers or Corinthos' either."
Dara pouted. "Ned'll be so disappointed. That sounds like his version of paradise. 'Course, I have a feeling his version of paradise didn't include his wife running away with another man, but, you know, he's gotta learn he can't have everything just because he's a Quartermaine," she grinned, one hand absently rubbing her stomach. Dara Ashton reached up to hug Taggert again, hard. "I didn't know how much I'd missed you until just now, Marcus. You're one of the good things about coming home to Port Charles."
He looked down at her in pleasure. "Comin' home? Does this mean you and Ashton are moving back to town?"
"It does," Dara nodded. "We can't do the on the road thing with this one," she patted her stomach, "about to make her appearance. It was either move back here or up to Pennsylvania, near my mother. And, even though my in-laws," Dara rolled her eyes, "made a pretty good case for Pennsylvania, Port Charles is our home. Ned and I want it to be the baby's home too. Added to that," she smiled up at Taggert, linking her arm through his, "is the fact that my baby's godfather lives right here in Port Charles, and I am counting on him to keep Edward and company at bay. You know, run him on a charge or two of harassment if he starts trying to get too bossy, which we both know he will," she finished dryly.
"Godfather? You sure you want a big, bald grouch for your baby's godfather?" Taggert asked, the tenderness in the way he touched her stomach contrasting with his nonchalant words.
"Well, took Ned a while to get used to the idea," Dara smiled. "But, I reminded him how if it wasn't for you, this little one wouldn't be around to begin with and he came around."
Taggert groaned. "One night!" he exclaimed in exasperation, as Dara hid her laughter. "All I did was encourage you to get up and sing with the man for one night, not to quit your job, fall in love with Rich Boy, and go running off with him on the road!" He shook his head, his expression saying he'd said all this before, many, many times, and reluctantly smiled back at her as Dara's laughter burst out. "Just bought your latest CD, by the way. Whatever else the two of you do, you and Ashton make good music together," he admitted, with a reluctant grin.
"That we do," Dara refrained, barely, from purring. "What about you?" she asked, looking up at him. "You 'making music' with anyone special these days? And, don't give me that look," she poked him in the chest with her finger. "I get to be nosy; you're my baby's godfather!"
"See, I knew there were ulterior motives," Taggert teased, then moved away from her and back toward his desk, clearing his throat once. "You know how busy this job keeps you, Dara. Personal life's pretty much non-existant when you pin on that Commissioner's badge."
Dara perched on the edge of his desk, her eyes narrowing as he refused to meet her eyes. "Uh-huh. Just tell me one thing, Marcus. Please tell me you aren't still hung up on Sonny Corinthos' left-overs." Taggert looked up sharply, and Dara continued. "Hannah Scott isn't worth it, Marcus. Not only is she always gonna be hung up on Sonny, there's just something off about the woman."
Taggert laughed, relived. "Hannah left town not long after you and Ashton, Dara," he told her. "I don't know where she is now; we don't keep in touch. Far as I know, she hasn't been back since."
"Good," Dara said decisively. She shifted and something fell out of her purse. "Oh, I almost forgot," she picked up the packet and handed it to Taggert. "Ned and I ran into Miguel when we went down to South America; he wrote Juan a letter. I promised I'd get it to you."
Taggert nodded. "Thanks. He's been askin' about Miguel a lot lately, especially since he's been doing this singing thing." Dara looked at him in surprise, and Taggert grinned ruefully. "I didn't tell you? Seems Miguel passed a little something down in his DNA; Juan's got it in his head that he wants to be a singer now. He's got a gig this Saturday night at Jake's. You and Ned should come; it would mean a lot to the kid." The words slipped out before Taggert remembered exactly who was coming with him, and he winced as the mental image of him, Dara, Carly and Ned Ashton formed in his mind. It was not a particularly pretty image.
"That would be great," Dara replied, enthused, before Taggert could rescind the invitation. "Lordy, I haven't been to Jake's since before Ned and I got together; it'll be somethin'. You, me, and Ned -- we'll make a night out of it!"
"Oh, yeah," Taggert muttered under his breath, his eyes closing painfully, "it'll be some night."
Alexis' office
"Come in," Alexis called, looking up enthusiastically at the knock at the door. She had been buried in legal briefs for hours; any interruption was welcome. Her face brightened as Lucky Spencer stepped tentatively through the door, his hands in his pockets. "Lucky!" Alexis exclaimed, standing up and walking around her desk. "It is so unbelievably good to see you! You know, I'm sorry I had to leave the party the other day before talking to you. I wanted to welcome you home, personally."
"Thanks," he said, softly. "That's really what I came by to say, Alexis. You know I never got a chance to thank you last year when you helped me to come home." Lucky ran a hand through his hair. "I was kinda mixed up there for a while, but once I figured out what went down, I realized I owed you a lot. Sorry it took me so long to tell you that."
Alexis shook her head, moved. "Lucky, you don't owe me anything. What I did was minor compared to everyone else. And, it was no more than what anyone would have done, in the same situation."
Lucky shrugged, looking at her. "Yeah, well, my Dad says that you put a lot on the line to help me, when you didn't have to. And, from where I'm standin', it's more than a lot of people were willing to do. You turned your back on people you loved to get me out of a really dark place, and from what I'm told, you're still payin' for it. I think," he paused, then went on, "I think maybe I owe you a whole lot more than just a 'thank you'."
Alexis was silent a long moment, and when she spoke, it was barely audible. "Cassadine and Spencer, Spencer and Cassadine. More pain has been done in the name of our two families than should exist in this world. If I could take my birthright, the name I was born to wear and use it to right some of that," she smiled at him, tremulously, "then the gain far outweighs whatever loss there is. Trust me on this one, Lucky," her smile widened marginally. "This is what I do for a living, weigh gains and losses on the proverbial balance sheet. Your life and your freedom -- that's worth a lot."
Lucky looked at her. "Just the same, thanks, Alexis. I have a feeling that if it weren't for you, I'd still be stuck in a hole somewhere." His eyes met hers, clearly and simply. "So, thank you for my life. That's all I really came to say."
Alexis hesitated, then leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Anytime," she whispered softly, ruffling the young man's hair, as he turned to go. Lucky smiled once at her, sweetly, and left. Alexis sat perched on the corner of her desk, staring at the door Lucky Spencer had just walked out of, a single tear trickling down her cheek. She wiped it away hastily as another knock sounded at the door. Alexis stood up, walking over to the door, smiling brightly as she opened it. "Back so--" She broke off as she saw that the man standing in her doorway was very much not the man she'd expected to see.
"I came by to see if you were free for that dinner I keep promising you," Sonny smiled, then paused, looking at her carefully. "Alexis, you been cryin'?" he asked softly, slowly reaching out to touch her cheek softly with his thumb.
Alexis closed her eyes, taking a long, shuddering breath. After a moment, she expelled it, softly, then opened her eyes, looking at him. "Sonny, I can't do this," she said, taking a single step away from him. "I can be -- I can be your lawyer. I can even be a casual friend, someone you say hello to on the street. But, I can't be any more than that. There's an attraction here, and I'm not -- I'm not willing to deny it, and I'm not ready to act on it." She tilted her head, and looked at the man standing in front of her, a man who made her pulse race faster even though she knew with every instinct she had that what Sonny was, more than anything, was a man trying to forget another woman. Alexis shook her head once, decisively. "Gains and losses, Sonny," she smiled slightly, only a touch of irony in her glance, "I'm very good at calculating them. And, getting involved with you, in almost any capacity more intimate than that of your lawyer requires potential losses I'm not willing to take."
"Alexis, all I wanted was a simple dinner," Sonny began, then stopped. She had just been more than honest with him; he owed her the same in return. He paused a long moment then spoke, slowly. "I don't know what I'm willin' to lose either, Alexis, but you," he didn't smile, but the way he looked into her eyes, it was as if he had, "make me think that it would be worth it. You're good at calculating balance sheets; I calculate risks. And, this is a good one. You're a risk I'd like the chance to take. I know I haven't treated you with half the respect you deserve, but I'd like to make that up to you. If you'll let me."
Alexis couldn't help smiling slightly, but she shook her head, nonetheless. "I'm sorry, Sonny. I've just -- lost too much lately." She stood up slightly straighter, and spoke with a little less warmth in her tone. "Thank you for the dinner invitation, Sonny, but no thanks. It's just not going to happen."
Sonny looked at her a moment longer, then turned to go. Alexis had started to close the door after him, when he turned swiftly and stepped forward, taking her shoulders in his hands in one quick motion, pulling her hard against him, and dropping his lips to cover hers, in a kiss that was demanding and giving, hard and soft all at once. Without her giving herself permission to move, Alexis' hand wound around the back of Sonny's neck, twining tentatively in the springy curls there. A long, breathless moment passed before Sonny lifted his mouth and stepped away, dropping Alexis' shoulders. He grinned at her. "Just thought maybe we should sample the payoff before you decided not to take the risk," Sonny murmured, a single dimple flashing once, before he turned and disappeared out her office door.
few days later
