The evening was winding down and surprisingly enough there had been no real trouble besides dirty looks cast between people. All in all Luke thought puffing on his cigar the night was a success; the booze sold, the music was good and he got to look at Laura most of the night. What the hell was he thinking? Daydreaming about his soon to be ex-wife wasn’t a good, he had been down that road before and it ended painfully. He wasn’t willing to risk his heart again. His Angel was the only person who could break so that it would never heal and no matter how pessimistic he was Luke didn’t want to go through the rest of his life like that.
Laura casted a quick glanced at Luke for about the millionth time. How she wondered was it possible to live without him. She had been trying for over a year now and it hurt so much; like she was missing a piece of herself. She wouldn’t lie to herself she had loved Stephen. He had rescued her on the island, without him she truly believed that she would be sane or possible alive at this moment. She wouldn’t have Lucky or Lulu. For that she would always be grateful and have some feelings towards him, perhaps it was even love, but not like the love she had with Luke. With Luke it was everything; love, friendship, passion, laughter, adventure, magic, family and so much more.
There was damage, she wouldn’t deny that, but if they fix it...mend what they had broken, she smiled at the thought. Of what they once were and could be again. It was a risk, but then it had been one more than twenty years ago when they first got together. Laura was up for it and she prayed that Luke would be too.
“That’s so sweet,” Liz said privately to Emily.
“What is?”
“The looks that are passing between Luke and Laura.”
“So I wasn’t seeing things?”
“Nope.”
“I hope they find their way back to each other. They were so amazing together. I was so jealous of Lucky because you could feel and see the love between his parents, while mine have to be fighting all the time to show that they care.”
“It gives me hope, you know that if they can Lucky and I can.”
“Liz trust me you guys will find your way back to each other.”
“I hope so.”
“So what are you two whispering about,” Nikolas asked.
“The cute drummer,” Emily replied sweetly.
Nikolas rolled his eyes. “He’s way to old for you.”
“Yeah Emily,” Lucky piped in, “you need to get over the whole musician thing.”
“Shut up Spencer.”
“Leave her alone guys. Besides Nikolas you’ve been checking out the singer all night. Like that’s a real possibility.”
Lucky laughed. “She’s got you there.”
Alexis smiled as she watched the foursome from her table. Ned leaned in and nibbled her ear causing her to jump a bit. “I hope it’s me that’s putting that smile on your face.”
She turned towards him and gave him a quick kiss. “Not this time.”
“Some other guy?”
“Yep.”
Ned’s eyes flared with a mixer between curiosity and jealousy. “And what guy is that?”
“My nephew.”
“They do seem to be having a good time.”
“I’m glad Nikolas has friends. A normal life, he deserves more than just being the Cassadine heir.”
“Nobody deserve the sentence of being the Cassadine heir.” Alexis elbowed him slightly.
“That’s my family our talking about.”
“Well you had some choice words for mine awhile ago.”
Alexis smiled sheepishly at him. “Jax.”
“Yes, ex-wife.”
“For goodness sakes Jax, quite calling her that,” Ned said testily.
Juan had continued to pay no attention to Hannah, Taggart and AJ; his eyes were on Emily the entire night. This left Taggart to talk with AJ who knew there could be a man who was able to get under his skin more than Corinthos, Taggart thought to himself. He didn’t understand why Hannah felt the need to try and save AJ Quartermaine, he was a of time.
AJ was enjoying his evening immensely. He got to annoy Taggart and spend time with Hannah, two of his favorite things. He was slightly bothered by Juan. It wasn’t that he didn't like the kid, but if he was sitting with Taggart making eyes at Emily he knew they must be having problems. Not that he cared all that much. Emily always took Jason’s side in everything, but there had been a time when they were close. When she turned to him. He missed that. He knew she loved him, but as always she loved Jason best. Everyone did.
Hannah noticed that AJ’s mood which had been jovial started to darken.
"Everything all right?”
“Not really. Juan? Hello Juan.”
Juan looked over at AJ. “Yeah?”
“What’s going on with you and Emily?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Taggart remarked.
“Emily’s my sister. I have a right to know what she’s not with her boyfriend.”
“Why don’t you ask her then and leave Juan alone,” Taggart replied.
“It’s all right,” Juan said. “Em and I had a fight that’s all. We’re working things out.”
Carly leaned closer into Sonny. She loved the feel of being wrapped in his arms. She yawned. “I think it’s time I took you home.” Carly looked up at him and smiled.
“The sets almost over we’ll go after that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Bobbie watched her daughter happily. Carly deserved to be happy and in love. She was glad that her daughter was able to find it. She looked over at Roy. They were both lucky. They had great, loving, kind men in their lives. For the first time everything seemed to be going right in both her life and Carly’s. Now she just had to hope that Carly doesn’t create another disaster.
The song ended and once again the room filled with applause. The thin, brunette woman smile at the crowd. “Thank you,” she said in a throaty voice. “Once again we are The Mean Reds in case you just walked in on us. And we have Melvin Moten the future mayor of Pittsburgh on the bass.” The room fills with soft applause and a few chuckles. “And would you believe that Dave Minda has four kids and still has time to play guitar?” More applause and some astonished looks pass between members of the audience. “And behind me we have 252 pounds of glorious chicken cooking Greek man on the drums. George Kazalas.” At this two women, well actually one woman and a girl scream and clap wildly. The woman on stage winked at the curly hair duo and continued. “I’m Erin Burkett and the next song is another original and it’s called the ‘Goodbye Song.’”
Pack your bags, say goodbye, great big world out there
Bigger and stronger than you and I
Emily smiled over at Lucky. She remembered the time when they had once packed their bags together and headed out into the world thinking that they would be able to find her aunt Corey easily. It had been a wild goose chase, but the time they spent on the road together was the best.
Lift you head, try and smile
We come on from ashes and we’re goin’ out in style
Bring sad songs
Let them swell
We had a little heaven and spent some time in hell
Irony. Luke hated it. What were the chances of the band having a song like this? He was a gambling man so he knew it was little. He smiled ruefully. Once upon a time he and Laura packed up and ran many times picking up the pieces of their life from what they left behind. Most of their years together had been heaven, the last few hell. God, he hated irony.
We might have faltered, but you know we never fell
Might have missed the mark
But they sure can’t say we failed
Goodbye, I guess
I said friend you got to know
You’ll take a piece of with you
Got of piece of my soul
Why was it that they were missing the mark, Liz wondered? She and Lucky were soul mates, meant to be, they had promised forever. Yet since he got back things were all messed up. He didn’t want her anymore, at least not as a girlfriend. She missed him so much. She had promised to walk away, but it was so hard and frankly she didn’t want to give up on him. On their love. He had a piece of her soul, like she had a piece of his.
Curse the lack of music, curse the light
Curse the ache that comes my way when I lay in bed at night
Laura knew of that ache. She experienced each night she was away from Luke. Had he? Was it sick to hope so? She had to talk to him, to ask him for another chance. They deserved it. Their love was to strong, to all consuming to give up.
We might have won the war
But I’m givin’ up the fight
Carly knew about giving up the fight. She had too with Jason; there was no other choice. She snuggled closer to Sonny; she won’t give up on Sonny.
Had he let go or giving up? Lily was taken, Brenda he let go and Hannah, with Hannah he wasn’t sure of anything. He knew three things though. He loved his daughter, Michael and Carly and nothing would stop them from being together. From being a family.
Sure don’t get no easier
Everytime we say goodbye
One last song to write
Bring on the music
Let it crumble at my side
Inside my heart that valley, deep and wide
Sure don’t get no easier
Every time we say goodbye
Mac had just finished listening to his answering machine. He couldn’t believe that Ned and Alexis wanted the apartment above the Outback. If they had only asked him a few days ago he could have told them yes, but he had just rented out to nice young lady by the name of Perry Pappas. Oh well, he thought, there are plenty of other places they could rent.
Edward sat in the Quartermaine living room enjoying a stiff drink and the early edition of the paper when Reginald came in. “A Ms. Gibbons here to see you.” Edward jumped. It couldn’t be, she wouldn’t dare.
“Show her in.”
Corey walked in smirk on her face. “It’s good to see ya Mr. Q.”
Edward shuttered. She looked like hooker and had a grating voice. “Thank you Reginald.”
“Should I bring refreshments?”
“No, Ms. Gibbons won’t be here long.”
“So much for hospitality.”
“Right.” Reginald left, shutting the door and then snuck to his listening spot.
“I told you more than once that you’ll get no more money out of us Ms. Gibbons so I suggest you leave.”
“Are you always so high and mighty?”
“You’re not getting any more money so leave.”
“I think I could change you’re mind.”
“Rubbish.”
“All I ask for is the chance.”
“And you’ll leave and never come back.”
“Sure thing.”
Edward looked at her. She couldn’t be trusted, but he had to get her out of here. If Emily ever found out she would hate him. He wasn’t going to risk losing her too. “All right.”
“Thomas Bowen wasn’t Emily’s biological father.”
“Lying won’t help you.”
“It’s not a lie. I have proof.”
Edward’s heat did a flip. It couldn’t be true, could it? Would they lose Emily? Of course not it was a lie. “Let’s see it.” Corey pulled out the diary and birth certificate. Edward read his heart filling with dread.
August 2, 1983
Thomas is so sweet to want to claim this baby. He loves her so much already. He wants me to put his name on the birth certificate and d I don’t know what to do. I him, but I also love the baby’s real father. I know that if I told him about the baby he would have stayed, but I always knew he was a wanderer. How could I hold him here? And to be so lucky to have met Thomas, to have his love. He wants this baby so much. To be a family, how can I take it way from him?
He skipped a few pages.
August 10, 1983
I have decided to put Thomas’ name on the birth certificate. He will be our baby’s father in every way.
Edward stopped reading. “This could be manufactured.”
“I have a picture of the happy couple in January. She met Thomas March, to late for him to be the father.” She handed Edward the picture and he went pale. No his mind screamed. Of all the people, why him? God, Emily knew him, spoke to him, hell she even liked him. He would take try to take her. He could allow that to happen.
“What do you want?”
“A room in your four star hotel to start.”
Luke’s had cleared out. Everyone had a good time and enjoyed the music. Luke had left Roy with the job of closing and headed back to his office. He was enjoying a double scotch when he heard her voice.
“Luke?”
“Hi, Angel.”
She smiled at his endearment. “It well tonight.”
“That it did.”
“Yesterday was nice. The three of us at the park.”
“How is Princess?”
“She good. She keeps talking about your next fishing trip.”
“Would next Saturday be all right with you?”
“It would be fine.”
“Good.”
“Luke?”
“Yeah darlin’?”
“This is going to sound crazy, but...”
“But what?”
“Nevermind.” She turned to leave.
“Laura whatever it is you can tell me.”
She sighed. “I miss you. I miss us.”
He smiled at her sadly. “Me too.”
“Do you think...could we maybe have a second chance?”
“I think we’d be on our fourth or fifth.”
She smiled at him. “We have had some bumps.”
“More like a derailing or two.” He loved her, but God he couldn’t go through losing her again. “I’m not sure that it’s a great idea. To much baggage.”
“We never let that stop us before.”
“Yeah but we’re older and wiser now.”
She looked at him sadly. “All right. Bye Luke.” She turned and headed for the door. Cursing himself, Luke jumped from his chair and grabbed her. He spun her around and pulled her into an embrace. “I love you, Luke,” she said between her tears.
He kissed her forehead. “I love you too Angel. You know this isn’t the smart thing to do.”
“I don’t care.”
“Neither do I.” He leaned down and kissed her passionately. All their love for on another poured into one kiss. He broke gently, hating having to do it. “If we’re not going to be smart, perhaps we should be sensible.”
“Are you sure you’re Luke Spencer?” He smiled down at her. “You’re right though, we should take it slow.”
“Well it’s been over twenty years since my last date, but I’m willing to give it a try.”
“Name when and where and I’ll be there.”
Reginald couldn’t believe that he was standing outside Sonny Corinthos’ door. It was a mistake; he could feel it in his bones. But then he thought back to Edward’s conversation with Corey...“Thomas Bowen wasn’t Emily’s biological father.” “Lying won’t help you.” “It’s not a lie. I have proof.”
Reginald hadn’t seen the proof, but it was enough to scare Edward into giving the woman what she wanted. His family, strangely enough he did consider the Quartermaines family, well most of them; they couldn’t lose Emily. She and Lila were the heart and soul of the family, and it would break them if she was taken away. So here he was standing at the gates of hell ready to make a deal with the devil, well maybe is dramatizing it a bit but he couldn’t help it. Sonny Corinthos was dangerous, but he could and would help.
“Are you here to see Letecia,” Johnny asked.
“No. I was hoping to speak to Sonny.” Sonny shot him a curious look but knocked gently on the door before opening it. Sonny was sitting on the couch going over some paper work for the coffee warehouse.
“Reginald Jennings is here to see you.”
Sonny wasn’t surprised that Reginald was here, but the man barely spoke to him when he came to see Letecia. “Send him in.”
Johnny held the door open and Reginald stepped into the lion’s den. “Mr. Corinthos.”
“Reginald. How can I help you?”
Reginald mouth thinned. He wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do. He sighed; he had to help Emily. “There is a problem with Emily.”
Sonny heart jumped. “Is she all right? What’s the matter? Is she hurt?”
Reginald was reassured by his concern. “She’s fine,” Sonny sighed in relief. “Mr. Quartermaine had a visitor last night.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“The visitor was Corey Gibbons.”
"Who is?”
“Emily’s aunt.”
“The one she and Lucky tried to find a few years ago?”
“Yes. It appears that Mr. Quartermaine paid her to stay away.”
“He what,” he questioned angrily.
“You have to understand something, Ms. Gibbons is not the type of person you give a young child to.”
“Is this your take or Edward’s?”
“Mine.”
“So what, Emily’s found out and she's upset?”
“No. In fact no one knows.”
“You seem to. Reginald please get to the point.”
“I over heard,” at Sonny’s look, “okay I eased dropped on their conversation. It seems that Emily’s biological is not Thomas Bowen.”
Sonny stood stunned by what he just heard. “Who is,” he finally asked.
"I don’t know his name was ever said, but who ever it was upset Mr. Quartermaine.”
“I still don’t understand what you want.”
“Mr. Quartermaine fears that because Emily is underage and seeing that the man never knew of her that he will try to take her and might succeed.”
“And that would be a bad thing? The Quartermaines are the worse thing that could ever happen to her.”
“It’s because of the Quartermaines that Emily has Lila, Jason, Lois and Brooke Lynn.”
“All right, I see your point, but with the Quartermaines the goods don’t always out way the bad.”
“I know. There is also the fact that this could really hurt her. Emily hates lies and finding out that her mother of all people lied to her...I don’t think she would handle it well.”
Sonny understood that and he didn’t want to put her though that. “So what do you wanted from me.”
“Ms. Gibbons will be here until she gets what she wants from the family, all that I want is to make sure that she gets no where near Emily.”
“She won’t.”
Carly sat outside of Kelly’s thinking about the conversation she over heard between Sonny and Reginald and she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t particularly like Emily, but she didn’t hate the girl either. She knew what it was like to have her parents lie to her and to have the urge to find her biological parents. Sonny would hate her if she told Emily; hell the girl wouldn’t believe it from her mouth. No one deserved the Quartermaines; of course there was Lila and Jason but the rest! No one deserved them and the misery that they bring.
“Hello Carly.”
Carly looked up and met the eyes of her ex-husband. “What do you want AJ?”
“My son.”
“It’s not going to happen.”
“You can’t keep my son away from me.”
“I’m doing my son a favor by keeping him away from his drunk of a father.”
“Like your angel, jumping from bed to bed looking for the next guy to pay your way. Your nothing but a whore.”
“AJ,” Emily said sharply.
“Stay out of this,” he replied.
“I don’t think so. I may not be Carly’s biggest fan, but she is Michael’s mother and no one deserves...”
“I said back off.”
“AJ just leave no one wants you here,” Carly said.
“It’s more like the other way around. You destroy everything you touch, I won’t let you destroy MY son.”
“You need to look at yourself when you talk about people who destroy lives AJ, you’re the master.”
“Enough both of you!”
At Emily’s holler Tammy came out of the dinner. “Is everything all right out here?” She looked at three agitated people and knew that everything wasn’t copacetic.
“AJ was just leaving,” Emily replied.
“That’s great Em, just great.”
“AJ...”
“I don’t want to hear your false words of love, I know where you stand.” With that AJ stormed off. Emily sighed, she was afraid she just lost her other brother.
“Do you want to sit,” Carly asked.
What the hell Emily thought, “sure.”
“Can I get you anything,” Tammy asked gently.
“A milkshake.”
“Double chocolate?”
Emily smiled. “You’re an angel.”
“Carly?”
“I’m fine.” Tammy nodded and headed back inside. “Thanks.”
“Your welcome.” An awaked silence settled over them as they waited for the milk shake.
“Lucky how wonderful to see you my dear,” Helena purred.
“It’s nice to see you too.”
“Really, I’m surprised you say so since you hid from my for so long.”
“Sorry, I just didn’t feel like seeing anyone.”
“I don’t appreciate being lied to Lucky.”
Damn she knew about Emily. “She found me, seeing her was the only way to keep her from telling.”
“That’s better.”
“You can’t tell.”
“I can’t,” she asked coyly. Lucky looked worried. “Don’t worry dear I won’t tell your secret. So how are things with Elizabeth.”
Lucky’s face harden. “I told her we were over.”
“And?”
“That’s it.”
“What about Nikolas?”
“I'm not sure...”
“Protect your queen Lucky.”
“Always.”
“Nikolas and Elizabeth belong together. He will make her happy.”
“That’s all I want, the two of them happy. They’ll be happier together. Nikolas loves her.”
Nikolas looked over at the woman who had just stepped into L&B. She was slightly older then him and very lovely. “Can I help you?”
Perry smiled at the young man. “I’m looking for Ned Ashton.”
“He’s out right now, perhaps I can help you.”
She wasn’t sure how the kid could; she was there after all to apply for a job. “I’m here about the job.”
“Well, Ned’s out wooing a band, but I can make sure he gets your name, number and resume.”
“Okay.” Perry leaned over and pulled a folder from her briefcase.
“Nikolas,” Juan bellowed before walking into the main room of L&B.
“What,” he asked testily.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Juan smiled at the woman. “Hi, I’m Juan Santiago.” He held out his hand. As Perry took it she questioned to herself if she stepped into a high school instead of a record label.
“Perry Pappas.” Juan smirked some at her name.
“Nice to meet you.”
“What did you need Juan?”
“I’m almost done recording for the day and I wanted Ned to hear the track, Joe thinks it’s done.”
Before Nikolas could tell him that Ned was gone he walked through the door. “Nikolas, just the person I wanted to see.”
“How did the meeting go?”
“Pretty good. They want to wait a bit before signing anything long term, so were going to see how we work together. I need you to get started with booking a few gigs for them. Let’s test the water with them and see what kind of response we get.”
“I’ll get started right away. Ah, this is Perry Pappas,” he said pointing to the women, “she here about the receptionist job.”
“Great,” Ned turned to her and smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” she said a little star struck. She didn’t know that Ned Ashton and Eddie Maine were one in the same.
“Ned?”
“Yeah Juan.”
“Joe thinks that the ‘Heart and Soul’ track is done, but he wants your okay.”
“Give me ten minutes.”
“Sure.”
“Alone at last,” Ned said.
Perry laughed at his joke. At least she hoped it was a joke. “If this is a bad time.”
“Nope. I assume you brought your resume.”
“Yes,” she said and handed it to him. Ned looked it over quickly. She was highly qualified having internships at both a radio station and an advertising firm and finally working at a label.
“You had a good job at a record label in LA, why did you leave?”
“Personal reasons.” Ned looked her over. Not drugs he could tell, she looked to healthy, maybe alcohol. Or maybe relationship problems? “I hate it when people do that.”
“Do what?”
“Try to figure out what personal reasons translate into.”
“Just trying to make sure you’re not an escaped homicidal mental patient.”
“Get a lot of those?”
“You’d be surprised.” Ned looked back down and noticed her address.
“You live above the Outback?”
“Yeah.” Ned laughed. “What’s so funny?”
“You steal my apartment and now you want a job.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry, my fiancée and I were looking for a place and we decided to ask Mac about the apartment. I figured it was still empty, but he called me back and told me he already rented it to someone else.”
“Oh.” Frankly Perry wasn’t sure what to think about the man standing in front of her anymore.
“Well if your references check out you’re hired.”
“Just like that?”
“I trust Mac’s judgment of people.”
“Why is that?”
“He’s the police commissioner.”
“Oh.”
“I take it you didn’t know.”
“I had no idea.”
Alexis rushed in to L&B. “Ned,” she said breathlessly, “I don’t have a lot of time. Here are the contracts you wanted drawn up, where having dinner with Jax and Chloe tonight at the grill and I called a real estate agent. She said she start looking and would get back to us. Her name’s Donna, she has all our numbers.” Alexis shoved the papers at Ned, kissed him quickly and was out the door again before he got a word in.
“Your fiancée?”
“Great isn’t she? Since you’ll be working here why don’t you come back and hear one of our artists under development.”
“But...”
“Come on,” he said as he placed the papers in her hands and dragged her along with him. Perry wondered what she had gotten herself into.
Perry had been working for L&B for about a week now. At first with the younger workers running around she felt like she was in pre-school, but surprising enough Nikolas and Liz knew what they were doing and were good at it. Juan was a little dim but all right; Ned, Alexis and Chloe were great. She loved working there, she liked were she lived; it amazed her that she was able to settle into life here so quickly. Not even a hiccup, well she would not count the night she spent with a total stranger, she was drunk after all. It wasn’t like she drank often and when she did she made a fool out of herself. She laughed lightly to herself, waking up in an unknown room with the guy you stumbled in there with the night before gone, definitely at big mistake. She cringed thinking about it. How stupid was she?
“Something that matter,” Ned asked her.
“Life before this town.”
“Normally it’s the other way around.”
Alexis, Chloe and Jax joined Perry in laughing at Ned’s remark. “That’s because you’re a Quartermaine,” Jax replied.
“Well you have room to talk, you’re not related to a neurotic family,” Ned said testily. “You, however,” Ned said looking at Alexis, “shouldn’t find it amusing. The Cassadine’s are almost as bad the Quartermaines.”
“Try worse, your family doesn’t try to kill you at least once a year.”
“No, but they do try to destroyed my business every few months.”
Perry shook her head at the banter. She knew it was true, it was just so hard to believe. How could any family be so screwed up? Let alone two in the same town, with the two gatekeepers, as Ned and Alexis called themselves, being together. The landscape of Port Charles was so odd, but everything about the place was interesting. Who knew when she chose what she thought was a quite city she would get all this? A multi-millionaire aussie in love with a world famous fashion designer, who was married to a Quartermaine who was in love with a Cassadine who was married to the aussie! Well life would never be dull.
Dark brown eyes blinked open. The room was strange; she didn’t know it. She hurt; it was a dull pain and it relieved her that she could feel it. She looked over and saw a man sitting beside her. He had salt-n-pepper hair and was sound asleep. It wasn’t John, so who was he? She looked around the rest of the room, it reminded her of General Hospital that was it, she was in a hospital, but where? She closed her eyes, the last think she remembered was being in a car with her mother and she grabbed the wheel and…Brenda’s eyes shot open, her heart was pounding. “Jax,” she said weakly.
The man stirred. He brushed the sleep out of his eyes, which then focused on her. She was awake and looked terrified. “It’s all right.”
“Where’s Jax?”
“Brenda…” he stopped. How could he tell her? God she would hate him.
“Who are you?”
“I’m a friend. I found you.”
“My mother?”
“Dead.”
“Where is Jax?”
“In Port Charles.”
“This isn’t General Hospital.”
“No, you’re in a hospital in Maryland.”
“Then why isn’t Jax here?”
“He thinks you’re dead.”
Brenda’s heart stopped. Jax thought she was dead. Why? The cliff, they had driven off the cliff. But she had been found why didn’t they tell him? How long had she been thought dead? Her mind raced what about Julia, Ned, Lois, Brooke Lynn, Robin, Emily and the rest of Quartermaines? Sonny? Was she dead to everyone? “I don’t understand.”
“You’ve been in a coma for over a year now.”
“A coma.”
“Yes.”
“Why doesn’t anyone know where I am?”
“I made sure they wouldn’t.”
“I…why would…” she was terrified. She wanted to run. She tried to get up, to move but found that she couldn’t. The man saw her struggling and tried to clam her. “Why can’t I move?”
“You’ve been in that bed for over a year, you’re muscles haven’t moved.”
“I can’t walk,” it was a statement, not a question.
“No, you’ll have to learn again.”
God, she was helpless. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this. “You can’t tell.”
“I wasn’t going to, not until you were ready to go back and reclaim your life whole.”
“I can never go back. It’s better this way, Jax won’t see my lose my mind the way my mother did.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had the test that determined if you had your mother’s disease run. You don’t.”
Brenda’s eyes filled with tears. She wouldn’t lose her mind. She could get better and go back to life. Her family, friends, job and most importantly Jax. They could have their happily ever after liked they planned. “Will you help me?”
“In anyway I can.”
“I want to get better and go home.”
“I’ll arrange it. Now rest. When the doctors come you must not remember anything.”
“But…I understand.” The man turned to leave. “Thank you.”
He smiled back at her. “You're welcome.”
“Wait.” He stopped and turned back to her. “I…can I really trust you?”
“Yes.”
“How, I don’t even know your name.”
“Cass, my name is Cass. Now rest.” She nodded at him. He turned and walked out of the room with a smile on his face. Soon she would be well and would reclaim her life. Hopefully saving her would erase some of his mistakes, he could only hope. After he helped her he could go back to his family, with proof that he was no longer a monster, craving power. He could claim his son, daughter and grandson and finally stop the reign of terror that his wife took such joy in. Soon Brenda Barett and Mekkos Cassadine could have their lives and family back, thinking that he left the hospital. Pulling out his cell phone he began to make the arrangements.
Nikolas, Liz, Lucky, Emily and Juan sat in the living room of the cottage watching LA Confidential. Nikolas and Lucky hadn’t been thrilled that Emily had invited Juan, but they had behaved themselves. Emily had told Juan that she wasn’t ready to pick up where they left off, but that she wanted a friend. He had jumped at the chance, he knew that by spending time with her that she would see what they had and would come back. They were meant to be after all. The credits began to roll.
“Wow that was a great movie,” Liz said.
“It was better then great,” Emily replied.
“Explain that one to me,” Nikolas said.
Emily bit her lip. “Well…it’s just, well better then great.”
Nikolas laughed at her and she sent him a dirty look. Taking pity on her Lucky said, “better then great means fantastic, Nikki.”
Nikolas groaned at the nickname and Emily smiled gratefully at Lucky. Juan jealousy flared up and he fought to keep it in check. Liz glanced down at her watch. “Em it’s almost eleven we've got to get you home.”
“What’s up with the early curfew,” Juan asked.
“I don’t know grandfather been acting strange lately. He doesn’t want me out of the house.”
“You should have seen the fuss he put up this evening,” Liz chimed in. “He wanted to know were Em was going, who she be with and all this other weird stuff.”
“Yeah, like how I get there and if we were planning on making any stops.”
“The Quartermaine paranoia is getting out of control,” Lucky quipped.
“Shut up Spencer.”
“It could be serious,” Nikolas said.
“How,” Juan asked.
“Well Emily is the only granddaughter of one of the richest men in the country who has his hands in business all over the world.”
“You forgot Brooke Lynn.”
“What does a suburb of New York have to do with this,” Juan asked.
Lucky and Nikolas had to bite their tongue so they wouldn’t laugh. “Brooke is my cousin, you know Ned’s daughter.”
“Oh, right.” Liz couldn’t help it anymore; she burst out laughing. Lucky and Nikolas weren’t far behind. Emily smiled at Juan and he rolled his eyes. “Stupid mistake.”
“Don’t sweat it. So do I have to ride the bus or can my very good friend give my a lift in his hot car?”
“There’s only room for four.”
“Then Lucky could drive us home and bring it back to you,” Emily said jokingly. She knew Nikolas was very protective of his car.
“I like that idea,” Lucky said excitedly.
“In your dreams Spencer,” Nikolas shot back.
“Well if Em takes the bus she’ll be late and Edward will blow a gasket,” Liz informed the group.
“Lucky’s still not driving my car.”
“I’ll take Liz home and you can take Juan and Emily, if that’s all right with you Elizabeth,” Lucky asked.
“That be great.” Liz walked over to Emily. Emily grinned at her. “Do you think…”
“Think,” Emily whispered, “more like I know. He loves you.”
Liz grinned back at her. Maybe this would be the first step to getting what they had back. “I'll call you later.”
“You better.” Emily hugged her and then walked over to Lucky and hugged him. “Bye.”
“Bye.” Emily stepped out of the embrace. “Em, do you want to do something tomorrow?”
“Sure, how about a swim at the lake?”
“Sure.”
"We could ask Nikolas, Liz and Juan.”
“Please no more of song boy.”
“Lucky!”
“Actually I was hoping to talk to you alone.”
She shook her head at him. “All right, after lunch?”
“I’ll be there.”
Laura sat across the table from Luke. I can’t believe after twenty plus years where at the beginning again. Of course Luke and I never really dated, so maybe the beginning isn’t quite right. Oh, well c’set la vie.
He was crazy, but then he knew that. What was it about this woman that made him break all his rules and risk everything? Then again she had done the same for him.
“Dinner was lovely.”
“I’m glad that you liked it.”
Laura laughed nervously. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this awkward. Why is it we can travel all over and fall into our old retinue, but we can’t have a normal date?”
“Because we're not normal, never were.”
“True, but…I’ve known and loved you most of my life you think dinner would be easy.”
“We’ve been through a lot.”
“I know. Sometimes it doesn’t even seem real. Like it happened to some other person.”
“It did.”
“What you mean?”
“To most of the world you weren’t Laura Spencer, you were the alias we were using at the time.”
“Well I wouldn’t trade a moment of it for anything.”
“Not even Nikolas?”
Laura face fell and her heart ached. “I love my son, very much. I left because I had to see you again, I stayed because I couldn’t leave you and I didn’t get him because it would have cost more people’s lives. I had you, then we had Lucky and Lulu and I don’t regret that, I can’t. I can wish, but it does no good. It just is. But, I have my both my sons back now, my daughter, my mother and now it doesn’t matter how I got them, but that I have them. Nikolas wouldn’t be the person he is today if we took him with us and I love who he is, not because he’s my son, but because of the person he is. The same goes for Lucky and Lulu. They are my children, God’s gift to me but it is who they are that amazes me, that makes me love them with all that I am.”
“I didn’t mean to question your love for the children.”
“Then what? Question my love for you?”
Luke closed his eyes. He didn’t want to have this conversation, but they had to if they were going to have future. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Laura we didn’t start out well.”
“We started out as friends.”
“And I hurt you.”
“Luke,” she said softly, “we hurt each other.”
“What I did…”
“What you did was wrong and ugly. What happened that night changed everything, except that I stilled loved you. Before the rape, I was in love you no matter how much I didn’t want to be.”
“And I loved you. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“I know that. I know the reason. Frank, the alcohol. I know you were lost that night.”
“But that doesn’t make it right.”
“No. It doesn’t. Nothing really makes it right.”
“Then why did you come back, why did you love me?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. All that I know is that from the moment I met you I felt like I had never felt beforewhole and alive. You completed me in some way.”
He smiled weakly at her. “I know what you mean.”
“I think you’re the only one who could. Luke what’s been us is so much greater and stronger than one night.”
“But, rape? I don’t understand how you could love me. I didn’t deserve it, I still don’t.”
She smiled at him and reach across the table and took his hand. “Maybe that’s why. I know you hated yourself. I know how horrible it was for you. It was tearing at you like it was at me. What we had could be lost to one night, to one act. That scared me more then what happened that night. The thought that all those wonderful feelings would be lost and gone forever.”
“I would have always loved you.”
A tear slide down her cheek. “I know, but I wouldn’t have you with me and that’s what I wanted was us together forever.”
Luke drew away from her. “I didn’t last.”
“Don’t say that,” she said angrily. “Through everything I have loved you. I still love you.”
“You were with another man.”
“You were with two other women.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was there Luke, the night of Lucky’s memorial service. I went to the club to see you. To apologize to you. To help you, hoping we could help each other. I saw you with Tammy.”
Luke blew out breath in frustration. “I didn’t know.”
“I know. I tried to hold it against you but I couldn’t for long.”
“But, Stefan?”
“You didn’t want me anymore. After Lucky died, I lost my self. My son was dead and my marriage was really over. Stefan helped me and didn’t force me to give anything more then I could.”
“So you were never with him?”
"I wish I could tell you that, but I can’t.” Luke looked away from her. No more lies, she thought. She couldn’t let lies destroy them again. “I was with him once.”
“Once,” he said sharply not believing her.
“Yes. Shortly before you told me about Lucky.”
Luke’s face-harden. “I was with Tammy, but Felicia and I were never together like that no matter what Bubba thinks.”
Laura looked at him. She wanted to believe that, but…stop it, her mind screamed. Luke knew like she did that lies could destroy and he wouldn’t risk their future. She smiled at him. “I believe you.”
Luke looked at his wife. The love of his life, the woman that meant the world to him. She had slept with Stefan again. That was the past, what happened on the island was terrible. He knew she needed some reason to live while she was there and she found Stefan. Yet she still chose him, Luke marveled, as she almost always did. He looked into her blue eyes and saw love and hope and a chance at a future. He wanted it. “I believe you.”
“Well here we are,” Liz said as she and Lucky entered Kelly’s courtyard.
“Yeah. Elizabeth?”
“Yes,” she asked hopefully.
“Can we talk?”
“Of course we’re friends. You can tell me anything.”
Lucky smiled at her. “Good. Elizabeth you know that Nikolas loves you…”
“What are you talking about?"
“Nikolas loves you.”
“Where did you get that idea, Nikolas and I are friends. Did he tell you this?”
“No. But I know he loves you and I think you love him.”
“What!?”
“I think that you two would be good together. You would make each other happy.”
“I don’t love Nikolas. I love you.”
“Don’t say that.”
“What the truth. I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t lie to one another. I love you Lucky not Nikolas.”
“Elizabeth, I told you. I can’t…we can’t be together anymore.”
“Why?”
“We’re friends.”
“We were always friends Lucky.”
“Elizabeth…”
“No I so tired of this. One minute your like your old self and seems like we could be together again and the next I get the cold shoulder.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Than stop fighting your feelings.”
“I’m not fighting them.”
“You love me.”
“Elizabeth…”
“You can’t deny them, you know that. I want the truth, you promised me many things Lucky. Keep that one and tell me the truth.”
Lucky sighed. He loved her, no his mind shouted Nikolas loves Elizabeth and they belong together. His heart rebelled, he felt his love for her, but everything was so confusing. He cared for her, it went deeper but for some reason he couldn’t allow himself I feel it. It was wrong to love her now. She was different and so was he. Besides Nikolas loved her and they could happy together. That’s what he wanted most her happiness. “Elizabeth I care for you. You are my friend, one of my very best. I do love you.” Hope flared in Liz’s heart. He said he loved her. “I'm just not in love with you.” Her heart stopped. She couldn’t breathe. Tears she wasn’t aware of began to fall. “Elizabeth, I sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Go away.”
“But…”
“Lucky please just go.” His heart ached. He had caused her pain. He wanted to hold her and kiss her, but he couldn’t Nikolas loved her and they were meant to be, what they had was in the past.
“I’m sorry.”
Liz stood there holding herself. Her world had fallen apart. She began to shake; she didn’t know what to do. She leaned back against the wall and slid down to the ground. She lost him.
Sonny stood looking out at Port Charles. Life, he thought was strange. He was in love with Carly Benson. God, that was the biggest shock of his life. And soon he would be a farther. He would have a daughter, Lily. The thought of his child made him extremely happy, the only thing that made him happier was to picture his whole family; Carly, Michael, Lily, himself and even Mike. Sonny’s cell phone range disturbing his silence.
“Yes.”
“Ms. Gibbons is back at the hotel. She hasn’t been anywhere near Miss Quartermaine.”
“Good.” Sonny sighed. He had the woman checked out and has much as he hated to admit Edward was right, Corrine Gibbons would be the worst thing for Emily. He had promised Jason that he would look out for Emily, he even thought of her as a little sister, but something was off. Emily had a right to know what Edward had done, but it would be hard on her and Jason wasn’t here to help her. Sonny knew most of the time that it wasn’t his fault that Jason left but at this moment he felt the guilt. Emily couldn’t know and he wouldn’t allow Corrine to get near her. But still he would feel better if he knew whom her father was, if her didn’t how could he protect her? He’d go see Corrine tomorrow and find the truth, more like he end up buying it. Sonny dialed Benny’s number, it would be best to have the money ready to move so he could get it done quickly before Edward found out.
Jason looked up the sky, it was filled with stars. Michael would love it, this thought made Jason sad. He missed his son. True AJ was his father biologically, but in every way that mattered he was Michael’s father. Emily told him once that blood didn’t make someone family, love did. She was right. She was his sister because he loved her, Lila was his grandmother through blood and love, Monica was his mother because of love, Sonny was his brother because he loved him and Michael was his nephew by blood, but his son because of love.
He hated being away from them. He missed holding Michael, helping Sonny and being with Emily. They were his family. He missed Carly also; he had loved her, but not the way she wanted. She was his friend, the best he ever had. The only person he had been in love with was Robin and that was over. He wished that Carly would have seen that they could only be friends, maybe than he wouldn’t have left.
It wasn’t Carly’s fault that he left. He wouldn’t blame anyone, it was something he had to do for everyone. At least he thought so at the time, but now his heart ached. He craved to see the people he loved. He’d do anything to have five minutes with them.
He couldn’t go back. It would hurt to many people. Jason sighed and checked his watch, it wasn’t to late to call. He thought about calling her tons of time, but decided against. She would be in danger if he did. He sent her a postcard every time he left were he was, it wasn’t enough for him and he was sure it wasn’t for her. Cursing himself he pulled out his cell phone and dialed.
“Hello,” Emily answered her private phone sleepily. There was silence. “Hello?” She heard someone breathing. It couldn’t be, could t? “Jason?”
He pressed the end button with more force then required. She sounded all right. How was he suppose to know how she was by the sound of her voice? He redialed her number but hesitated to press the send button.
Emily had tried star sixty-nine, but it didn’t work. It was Jason, she knew it. The phone rang again and she jumped to grab it. “Jason?”
Emily heard crying. “Emily?”
“Liz, what’s that matter,” Emily asked with concern in her voice.
“He said that he didn’t love anymore.”
“Who? Lucky? That’s ridiculous. He loves you.”
“He said that he’s not in love with me anymore and that I should be with Nikolas.”
“What!”
All Jason got when he hit the send button was a busy signal. “Damn.” It was better that he didn’t talk to her, but that was what his mind was telling him, his heart was sending him a different message. “It’s for the best.” He’d pick up a postcard and send it to her tomorrow. After that he would head to the ocean, Michael loved the ocean.
“You’re glowing,” Leslie stated. “I take it your date went well late night.”
“Very well. I almost forgot what a kiss good night could be.” Mother and daughter smiled at each other.
“I knew that things between you two would work out.”
“Well if it wasn’t for your faith in us, I might have lost mine.”
“I don’t believe that for a minute.”
“I just hope Luke is as happy as I am.”
“Trust me, he is.”
Luke was sitting in his office smiling as he went over the books. He didn’t have his morning drink and he had yet to fire Claud.
Alexis walked into club hoping to find Luke there. “Is he in,” she asked Claud.
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t go back there.”
“I'm used to Luke’s moods.”
“He’s smiling, doing the books, not drinking and he was suppose to fire me an hour ago.”
Alexis look quizzically at him. She would never understand the relationship between Luke and Claud and figured it was better that she didn’t. But, Luke’s behavior was strange. “I’ll be careful.” Alexis moved towards Luke’s office, she debated knocking but decided to walk in. Claud was right, the man was smiling and doing his books. She could tell he didn’t drink last night nor this morning. Something was wrong. Had Helena done something to him too? “Luke?”
He looked up and his smiled widen. “Tasha, how wonderful to you.” Luke jumped up from his sit and gave her a quick hug. “You’re my favorite blood sucker.”
“Thanks, now tell me what you took.”
“Huh?”
“You’re an hour late firing Claud and for God’s sake you’re happy. So what did you take?”
“An hour late, huh. Claud,” Luke bellowed.
“Yeah,” he said as he entered the room.
“You’re fired.” Claud nodded at him and left to continue doing the inventory. “Feel better?”
“No.”
“Natasha, I’m touched by your concern.”
“Enough Spencer.”
“I had a date alright, just drop it.” Alexis shook her head in disgust. What was it about Laura Spencer that sent rational men off the deep end trying to win her love or protect her? “So how’s Nedley?”
Alexis cringed at the name, a reminder of Ned’s ex-wife Lois. “Ned is fine.”
“I heard he’s back in leather.”
“Yes he is.”
“Tell him Eddie might not be the blues but he’s welcome at Luke’s.”
"All right, I get your point. I’ll stay out of yours if you stay out of mine.”
“Deal. So do you have anything new on Momma Bat?”
Alexis rolled her eyes. At least he’s in a good mood it could help. “No. Look Luke this is going to take more then the two of us. We need help.”
“No way in hell is Count Vlad getting involved with this. I know he had something to do with this.”
“He wasn’t involved in Lucky’s kidnapping.”
“Believe what you need too.”
“Luke quite being such an ass. The only reason Helena is still around is because her enemies are working against each other. The enemy of you’re enemy is you’re friend.”
“Not when it comes to the Count.”
“Look Luke, Stefan is already looking.”
“What?”
“He wants to help.”
“The hell with that, he wants to get into my,” Luke stressed the word my, “wife’s good graces.”
“Truthfully I don’t know what Stefan wants, but Nikolas is Lucky’s brother and what’s going on with him is effecting Nikolas. He wants to help his son.” She saw Luke shutter when she called Nikolas Stefan son. “Luke…”
“I don’t trust him, but for some reason I trust you. Is their something Count Vlad knows that I don’t.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me and if it’s good I’ll consider working with him for my son’s sake.”
"Helena may have brain washed him.”
“That’s impossible. He’s too strong for that.”
“Fasion was a master at mind games, you know that.”
“Damn. Why does that make sense? She hires Fasion to take Lucky, to mess up his mind and when he was ready she quote rescues him. She takes care of Fasion giving herself control over him. We think it’s possible, but we don’t have proof. Or a way to help him. They could have used drugs or something. Luke, I know you’re worried and I know you hate him, but…”
“You thinking working together is the only way to save him from her.”
“Yes.”
Angry at the situation Luke desperately wanted to say no, but his son need help and he do anything for Lucky. “The first hint he’s up to something I’m out.”
“Fine.”
“Lucky I don’t understand how could you tell Liz that she belongs with Nikolas,” Emily had waited to ask him this question until after their swim, it had felt like an eternity.
“Because he loves her, you must have noticed that.”
Emily bit her lip. Nikolas had kissed Liz, but they were just friends. Did Nikolas want more than that from Liz? And why did it bother her? Probably because most of the boy’s she had crushes on saw her as a little sister, Juan was the first guy to see her as more. Emily sighed this wasn’t helping Liz or Lucky. “I don’t know how Nikolas feels but Liz loves you.”
Lucky looked sad when Emily said this. “She didn’t love me.”
“How can you say that?”
“Don’t you understand Emily I saved her. I was her hero and she needed me. She different now, stronger she doesn’t need any more. She got the need and love confused.”
Emily sat there dumbstruck. She couldn’t believe what he said. “But…but you love her.”
“Love yes, but in love, no. Don’t you understand I was her hero? I allowed myself to believe it was love, but it wasn’t.”
“Lucky I was there, I saw the love between the two of you. Heck I even envied it.”
“Emily you were on the outside looking in, so you don’t know.”
“But you promised forever, you don’t break your promises.”
“Don’t I? I broke the promises I made to you. Not to lie to you. To always be there for you.”
“Lucky…”
“Your forgiveness doesn’t change the facts. I told you my mother was dead. I lied to you about that so soon after your mother died. I left you to the likes of Matt Reynolds. Every time I wanted to call you I didn’t, I kept the lie going. No wonder you hated me when I first got back.”
“I didn’t hate you.”
“Emily you wouldn’t speak to me. It broke my heart.”
“Yeah, so much that you went chasing after Sarah Webber.” Emily closed her eyes in disgust. Why was she bring this up, it was the past and didn’t matter anymore.
“See you’re still angry with me.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Why because I died and came back.”
“No! Because you’re my best friend. You helped with Tom, you promised we always be friends that night in Kelly’s with your brownie and because you’re the only person who knows about purple lips.”
Lucky looked over at her thoughtfully. “The only person?”
“Not even Jason. That’s ours Lucky.”
He smiled at her. “I don’t know how you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Love us.”
“Huh?”
“Emily, we’ve let you down. Everyone you love the Q’s, Nikolas, Juan, me, Liz and even Jason. We’ve all let you down, yet you forgive us. I don’t understand why.”
“Some people are too important to let go. You love them to much so you forgive.”
“I wish I could do that.”
“You did once, your forgave Luke and Laura before the fire.”
Lucky’s eye became hard. “That was a mistake.”
“Why?"
“Because my parents are liars.”
“There is one thing I learned Lucky, we’re all liars.”
“Em…”
“I hate that I really do. Can you honestly tell me without hesitation that you’re not in love with Liz?”
He started to yes, but stopped. Something was holding him back. He could picture Liz, see her in his arms his head near hers, telling her he loved her hearing the words back and kissing her. But he also saw something else, Elizabeth with Nikolas. The happiness they could have. The images blurred and confused him.
“I’m waiting,” she said softly. Lucky opened his eyes and didn’t Emily but Elizabeth. She was waiting for him. She loved him. He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently.
Emily was too surprised by the kiss to think and before she could stop herself she kissed him. For a few glorious moments she was kissing Lucky Spencer, her first crush, her best friend, Liz’s boyfriend at that thought she pulled away from him. “What hell is the matter with you,” she said breathlessly. Lucky sat there stunned, he had kissed Emily and not Elizabeth, and he shouldn’t want to kiss Elizabeth she belonged with Nikolas.
“Em…”
“Leave.”
“Emily please just let…”
“Lucky if you want us to stay friends leave!”
He looked at her with pleading eyes and saw the tears of anger in hers. She needed time and then she would listen. “All right.”
Emily waited for Lucky to leave before she burst into tears. She wasn’t angry for Lucky kissing her, she was angry that she liked it and wanted it. She had loved him since she was ten, but the kiss awoke feelings she could have for him. Damn Laura Spencer’s sons, they are the only ones who can break my heart.
“He didn’t say that please,” Nikolas begged, “tell me you’re joking.”
“I wish I could Nikolas,” Liz replied, “but he said that you love me and that we belong together. That he wants us together.”
“But that’s ridiculous, you two belong together. You're soul mates.”
"Well he doesn’t think so.”
Before Nikolas could reply his cell phone rang. “Hello.”
“Nikolas,” Emily said with tears in her voice.
"Emily are you all right?”
“I’m okay.”
“You don’t sound it.”
“It’s all right I’m fine. Is Liz with you?”
“Yeah hang on a second.” He turned to Liz, “it’s Em, she sounds upset.”
“Emily what’s the matter?”
"I’m fine."
“Em…”
“I talked to Lucky,” she hurried on she had to get this done before she had second thoughts.
“And?”
“At first he said that he saved you. He said that he was your hero and that you needed him. He said you were different now, stronger and that you didn’t need him any more. He said you got need and love confused.”
Liz’s faced filled with sadness. “Em…”
“Wait there’s more.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
"You need to. Trust me.”
“Okay.”
“I asked him if he could honestly tell me without hesitation that he wasn’t in love with you and he couldn’t.”
“It’s not enough, especially after what he said.”
“Liz he’s confused. I watched him, I could see the play of emotions on his face. I don’t know why but for some reason he’s stopping himself from loving you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but I know he loves you. Please don’t give up on him.”
“I won’t. Did you need Nikolas?”
“No. Tell him I said bye and not to worry.”
“All right.” Liz hit the end button on the phone. “Emily says not to worry.”
“She’s all right?”
“Yeah she talked to Lucky.”
“He upset her?” That didn’t make sense, Lucky wouldn’t risk his friendship with Emily. Ever since he got back it was the most important thing to him.
"They were talking about the same thing we were.”
“I take she got on his case?”
“Yeah, it was difficult for both of them by the way Emily sounded. She asked me not to give up on him.”
“Please don’t.”
“It’s just so hard. I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.”
“Your not. You guys were meant to be.” She smiled at him.
“Thanks, I don’t know what I do without you.”
Nikolas held her in his arms. He loved the feel of her there, but she belonged to Lucky. All he could hope for was her friendship.
Sonny knocked on Corrine Gibbon’s door. She answered it a few minutes later in a slinky black dress. “Hello handsome.”
“Ms. Gibbons, I was hoping to speak with you.”
“You’ll get to do more then speak with me.” She grabbed him by his lapels and kissed, pulling him into the room. Sonny tried to gently pry her off but had no luck. As much as he hated it he had to use some force.
“I’m flattered Ms. Gibbons but I’m…” he didn’t want to tell he wasn’t interested, it might hurt his chances of getting the truth. “I’m engaged.”
“A little hanky panky before marriage is a good thing,” she said trying to be seductive.
“I love her,” he said softly.
“Then what do you want?”
“The truth about Emily Quartermaine.”
“And how you do know about that?”
“I have my sources.”
“Sorry, the old man is giving me a pretty penny not to tell.”
“I'll give you some more if you tell me.”
“Why should I tell you.”
“I told her brother, Jason, that I'd look out for her while he was gone.”
“I’m suppose to believe this.”
“Yes.”
Corey looked him over. His suit was expense, so he had the money. What did she care if the guy knew as long as she got more money. “How much are you offering?”
“A half million dollars.”
“The old man’s giving me double.”
“A half million.”
“Then I guess it will stay between me and Mr. Q.” Sonny shot her a hard look and Corey took a deep breath. She saw the power and coldness in him. He meant business. “Another half mill would be great.”
Sonny took at his cell phone and called Benny. “Benny I need that half million transfer from my account to Corrine Gibbons.” He looked at her. “I need your account number.”
“728900 19811 12102.”
Sonny repeated the numbers to Benny. After the conversation was over he handed the phone to Corey. “Call your bank to confirm.” Corey complied and sure enough the money was in her account. “Now, who is Emily’s father?”
“Alexis I can’t believe that you went to Luke Spencer with the information I gathered.”
Alexis shot him an angry look. She really shouldn’t have decided to speak to them both on the same day, her temper and sanity wasn’t up too it. “Stefan,” she said angrily, “we need his help. He’s an expert on Helena.”
“I refuse to work with the man. He is careless, reckless and…”
“And has Laura.” Stefan sent her a steely look. “Stefan you’re going to have to face the facts. They love each other and always will. You’ll never get her back.”
“I already told you,” he replied in a harsh voice, “that this isn’t about getting Lasha back.”
Alexis look at him quizzically. “Really?”
“Yes. I’m trying to prove to everyone, especially Nikolas, that I wasn’t involved with Lucky’s kidnapping.”
“We’re going up against Helena and if we want to defeat her for good we needs Luke’s help.”
“NO!”
"Look,” she said coldly, “he’s agreed to work with us, both of us. He’s smart enough to realize that he needs help, it looks like your not.”
That comment stung Stefan more then Alexis could know. No matter what Alexis’ opinion meant a lot to him and to be considered less intelligent then Spencer angered him. Knowing that it was a mistake he agreed.
“Good, I gave Luke what we got and he gave us his information. Do you want to go over it now or later.”
“The sooner we get this done the sooner we’ll get out of this ill-fated alliance with Spencer.”
“Here are the magazines you asked for Ms. Barrett.”
“Thank you James. Has Cass returned?”
“No, he said he'd be back with all the equipment tomorrow.”
Brenda smiled at him before he left. She was still unable to move much. Even moving her arms was a challenge. She wanted desperately to call Jax or Ned or Julia. She wanted her family and friends, but she didn’t want them to see her like this. She wanted to be well, to be whole when she went back to them. Smiling she opened the old fashion magazine.
Flipping through the pages she was surprised to see an article about Emily. The picture had caught her off guard and caused her heart to ache. Emily like so many others in Port Charles was her family. She read the article in hopes of getting more information on what was going on with the Quartermaine family, which had taken her in like one of their own. She was surprised to find that Emily had been blackmailed with fake nudie pictures and that of all people Tom was to blame. How was that possible? She had always trusted Tom, hell she introduced Emily to him. Logically she knew it wasn’t her fault, but she still felt responsible.
Brenda wasn’t sure how long she sat there blaming herself, before she threw the magazine (though not far, it really just fell to the floor). Anger and helplessness filled her. She wanted to scream and rant. Taking deep breathes to settle herself, Brenda picked up a newer magazine. Inside was an article with Chloe Morgan, who was a favorite designer of hers. She had never got to work with her before, but maybe when she reemerged.
As Brenda read the article she became more and more shocked. Chloe Morgan was a distant relation to Lila Quartermaine, she married Ned and merged their businesses, they were in the process of an amicable divorce and she was now involved with Jasper Jax, who was recently divorced from Alexis Davis. She couldn’t breathe, it felt like her heart had stopped. Jax had moved on. He was in love with someone else, had married someone else. It didn’t make sense. Alexis and Ned were involved before she left, but they’d married different people and Jax was in love with Chloe. They lived together, he shared their bed with another woman! Brenda’s heart broke. She loved two men in her life, Sonny and Jax, and lost them both.
He knew was being foolish, but after making the biggest mistake of his life, trusting a Cassadine, foolishness seemed quite fitting. So Luke Spencer was standing on what use to be his porch with a handful of daises in his hands, his wife favorite. Luke chuckled at himself, over twenty years of marriage and here he was wooing his wife again. Life sure takes interesting turns, he thought before knocking on the door.
“Mommy, can I get it?”
“Lulu it's bed time.”
“But it might be Lucky,” she said excitedly. Ever since God gave her Lucky back she had been the happiest girl on the plant, now if her parents got back together she’d be over the moon.
Laura couldn’t resist the look of happiness on Lulu’s face. “All right.”
Lulu rushed to the door and opened exuberantly. She looked up, it wasn’t Lucky but it was her dad, which was just as wonderful. “Daddy,” she cried excitedly.
“Princess,” he said as he leaned down and picked her up. “You look lovely darlin’.”
Lulu smiled at her father, she loved it when he jovial. “Are the flowers for me?”
Luke smiled at her sheepishly. “Sorry Princess, I brought them for your mother.” Luke shot Laura a loving look.
Laura had felt her heart pound when she heard Lulu call out daddy instead of Lucky. Luke was here and so soon, it was what she wanted. She hated the going slow, she wanted him back home with her and Lulu. She had smiled happily at the interaction between father and daughter, and had missed the daises. At Lulu’s question she looked at the flowers in Luke’s hand and her heart soften. Daises were her favorite. Laura smiled loving back at Luke. “Thank you,” she said as she took the flowers.
Luke leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. “So shall I put Princess bed for you?”
“Sure, I’ll put these in water and come up to join you.”
“Perfect,” Luke replied and headed upstairs. That what’s they had been once upon a time, perfect. Luke was terrified that they could be that again.
Lucky sat on the docks thinking over the day’s events. Where, he wondered, had everything gone wrong. One minute everything was great, he was with his best friend swimming in the prettiest lake in New York and the next she was kicking him out. He was afriad he lost her when he needed his best friend the most.
Why had he kissed Emily? No he didn’t kiss her, well he did but he thought she was Elizabeth. God, this was confusing. He knew Nikolas and Elizabeth belonged together and yet he still wanted to kiss her. To be with her. He had kissed someone else thinking it was her and in doing so he may had lost his oldest friendship.
Lucky thought back to the kiss. Who knew Emily could kiss that way? What the hell was he thinking? Emily was his best friend, besides he loved…Lucky stopped the thought as soon as it started to form. Elizabeth belonged with Nikolas. He loved her and would make her happy.
“Lucky,” Liz’s voice came softly, “are you all right?”
He turned to her, and his emotions swelled. She was so beautiful and amazing…Nikolas loves her, his mind scream. Lucky looked away. Everything was so confusing. He didn’t understand anything anymore, not even himself.
“Lucky,” Liz called with worry in her voice.
“Yeah?”
“Are you all right?”
“Not really.”
“Lucky I know that you had some kind of fight with Em…”
“How,” he asked harshly. She couldn’t know he kissed Emily, it would hurt her. And that was the last thing he ever wanted to do.
“She called, she was upset…crying in fact.” Lucky closed his eyes. “Lucky, I’m sorry. I know you guys were talking about us…I mean what we use to be to each other. This my fault.”
“No it’s not.”
“Yes it is. I called Em last night, upset about what happened and she was just trying to help.”
“I know that.”
“Then why are you so upset at her?”
Lucky looked up at her. Upset with Emily? “More like with myself. I took everything the wrong way and hurt her. I seem to doing that to a lot of people lately.”
“Lucky…”
“Don’t Elizabeth. Don’t try and make it better. It’s not your job anymore. Remember, we’re through.” Lucky hated himself as he said this, he knew it hurt her.
Liz’s face filled with pain and her heart ached. “I’m still your friend, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me help.”
“How can you help Elizabeth? I was jerk. I threw her good intentions back in her face, she’s the one who’s hurt not me.”
“That’s not true. You’re hurting now too, because you caused her pain.”
Lucky sighed. “I appreciated you trying to help…”
“You don’t want it,” she said sadly.
“I want your friendship,” he said desperately.
“It doesn’t seem like it. Lucky you won’t even let me help you.”
“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
“Lucky you’ve made your feelings very clear, I know what you want and don’t want. I’m not going to get the wrong idea if you lean on me like you would on any friend.”
He looked at her and wanted to believe that it wouldn’t get her hopes up. He didn’t believe it, but he needed a friend now. “Want to go to Kelley’s for soda?”
“I'd love too.”
Emily was sitting in the rose garden. Lucky’s kiss had ran through her mind for the rest of the day. She didn’t understand why, he was her friend. Her best friend, and more importantly Liz’s boy friend. Thinking about Lucky in any other way was stupid, selfish and more importantly it would end up breaking her heart. She couldn’t go through that again. She had allowed herself to fall in love with Nikolas, believing that she could show him there was more to herself then the little sister he saw. Big mistake!
She remembered the time when she had the hugest crush on Lucky, right before they faked Laura’s death. She had dreamed about telling him how she felt and was prepared to, until Laura ‘died’ and he left. He didn’t write or call; he cut her out of his life completely. That was the first time a guy broke her heart.
Then Nikolas. Call it fate or irony, but the only other man that was able to capture her heart was Lucky’s brother, Laura Spencer’s other son. What was it about her that made guys see her as a little sister who needed protecting? She had lived through a lot, her mother’s death, the Quartermaines, losing Jason two different times and watching two of the most important people in her life fall into addiction. Alan cleaned himself up, but AJ. Her heart ached. She wanted more than anything to help her brother, but how?
“Emily.”
She jumped when she heard Nikolas voice. What was he doing here? “Hi, you startled me.”
“Sorry, I was coming to see how you were.”
“I told you not to worry.”
“I can’t help worrying when it comes to you, you’re like a sister to me.”
Emily cringed inwardly when she heard this, but smiled at him. “Thanks, you know I feel the same way.” At least now I do she thought to herself.
“I’m like a sister to you?”
Emily rolled her eyes at him. “Cute, Nikki real cute.”
“Stop with that awful nickname, only Lulu is allowed to use it.”
“I thought I was a sister, don’t all younger sisters get to use it.”
Nikolas shot her a slightly dirty look. “Have you been spending time with Luke?”
“Yeah he comes into my room in the middle of night all the time,” she shot back sarcastically.
Nikolas blushed. He remembered the night when he and Luke had barged into her room. “I really did like the shirt.”
"Watch it Cassadine.”
“Your sure you’re okay?”
“I will be after I clear things up with Lucky.”
“I'm glad that you want to.”
“Nikolas he’s been my best friend since I was ten, one fight isn't worth losing him. No matter how stupid he’s being.”
“I know Elizabeth appreciates your help with Lucky.”
“I just want them happy. They need each other for that.”
“Yeah I know,” he said sadly.
Emily looked at him. Could he really love Liz? “Nikolas, you don’t…you don’t love her do you?"
“Of course I do.” Emily gapped at him. Nikolas continued quickly. “Like a friend, as a friend. You love your friends.”
“I know that…so you love her as a friend, but not a little sister, right?”
“You’re the only one, besides my sister, that I love like that.” Nikolas didn’t see the disappointment on her face because he pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back, always the little sister she thought.
“I’m waiting,” Sonny said quietly.
Corey looked him over again, perhaps this was a mistake. She then thought about the extra 500,000 in her bank account. “The guys name is Mike Corbin.”
Sonny froze and his heart stopped. Mike, no not possible, not his father. “You have proof,” he asked shakily.
“Of course. Her diary and a picture of them…”
“Let me see it.”
“That wasn’t…”
“Let me see the picture,” he roared harshly. He hated how he sounded, but he had to know.
Corey moved quickly and pulled out the picture and handed to him. Sonny closed his eyes and sent a quick prayer, please don’t let it be true. He looked down at the picture and saw his father’s face smiling back at him. Emily was his sister. Mike left her…no didn’t know about her. He had a sister. Edward was trying to keep her from him. Oh God, he thought, Jason. He loved Emily so much; she was his sister.
Suddenly his mind stopped. He didn’t know what to do. Should he tell Mike and Emily? She hated living with the Quartermaines but loved them, should he take her out of the house? Could he? What the hell was he supposed to do?
Sonny folded the picture and put it in his pocket. He needed time to think. “Hey, you can’t take that,” Corey yell.
Sonny turned his eyes cold, his voice flat and emotionless, “I paid half a million for it.” Corey stopped dead in her tracks, she couldn’t remember being afraid of anyone like she was afraid of this man. “Take it,” she spat at him.
Sonny had sat up all night looking at the picture of Mike and Emily’s mom, Paige. The truth still didn’t seem real. Emily was his sister. He was a big brother. He smiled a little at the thought, he had always wanted to be a big brother. Sometimes with the Cerello’s he had felt like one. He was at a complete loss, what should he do?
Carly had watched Sonny come in, he looked preoccupied. She wanted to help him, but didn’t want him to think that she was prying into his business. She knew he had been up all night looking at something but she wasn’t sure what. Carly bit her lip, should she go to him? She loved him and he needed her help. Carly descended the stairs quietly. “Sonny,” she said softly. He didn’t stir; his eyes were still focused on the object in his hands. When she got closer she saw that it was picture of Mike and a woman. For some reason the woman looked familiar. “Sonny,” she said again placing her hand on his shoulder.
Sonny looked up and saw the worry in her eyes. He started to speak but didn’t know what to say, so he turned away from her.
Carly would not be deterred though, she walked around the couch and sat next to him. She took his free hand and placed it between her own. “Sonny are you all right,” she asked.
He was scaring her; he had to speak her. Finally words formed in his mind. “Bad night.”
“How so?” Looking towards the picture. “Something to do with Mike?”
Sonny sighed. Could he tell her, trust her? He loved her and trusted her to a point, but could he with this? He cursed himself. He was putting a limit on his trust for her. “How the hell am I suppose to tell you I love you if I don’t trust you enough to say the words.”
Sonny wasn’t aware that he said that out loud. Carly’s heart stopped. He loved her. The man she loved, loved her back. It was a perfect moment, until he brought up trust. She wanted to hate him for that, yet she had hesitated for the same reason. God, they were too much a like sometimes. Carly took Sonny’s face in her hands and turned him towards her. “I love you Sonny.”
For a second time in the same night Sonny’s heart skipped a beat. She said she loved him. That was impossible, she loved Jason. But she just said that she loved him Carly saw the confusion and doubt in his eyes. She wanted to laugh, but took pity on him. She was free to tell him how she felt, because she knew she was loved. “I love you Sonny.”
Happiness filled him. He was afraid, but he had to tell her. “I love you Carly.” He then gently pulled her in for a kiss. Their lips met for the first time with love known and it was kiss neither would be able to forget. Carly pulled away and ran her hand down his face.
“I’m glad we finally said that.”
“Me too,” he replied as he ran his hands through her hair. He still couldn’t believe it. She loved him back. “Marry me?”
“I already am.”
Sonny quickly took the engagement ring off her finger. Carly tried to protest but he silenced her with a kiss. Sonny pulled away and took her hand and placed it over his heart. “I have promised to protect you, respect you and love and protect our children.” His brown eyes were filled with emotion, and her eyes shimmered with tears of joy. “But I want you Carly. Not just because of the children, but because I love you. You drive me crazy” Carly laughed slightly we he said this, “and redecorate my house every other week” at this she smacked him playfully, “but I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me?”
Carly gazed back at him. “You are the most stubborn and hard headed man I have ever met. You think I drive you crazy, but trust me you’re ten times worse. But you understand me, help me, protect me and you are amazingly loving with my children. For this and all that you are, I love you, and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Sonny slid the ring back on her finger and began to kiss her passionately. The photo forgotten he picked Carly up and carried her to his room.
“Alexis that was the seventh place we looked at,” Ned said with exhaustion in his voice, “I thought it was nice.”
“The price was outrageous.”
“I’m a Quartermaine you’re a Cassadine, we could have afforded it.”
“Just because we can afford to pay through the nose doesn’t mean we should.”
Ned sent her a pleading look. “The first one was too big, the next too small, the third the location was bad, the fourth had that strange smell, fifth had a garden you were afraid you'd kill, the sixth needed too much work and them the last one was over priced. Will you find something wrong with every place we see?”
“No,” she replied with mildly. Ned was tired and frankly she was making excuses. She really liked the last place they saw it was a condominium near the courthouse; it was perfect really.
"There’s always the gatehouse.”
Alexis bit her lip. She liked the gatehouse, but it was Ned’s home with Lois. “Ned, the gatehouse is your home. It wouldn’t be us moving in together, but me moving in with you.”
“I don’t have a problem with that, why do you?”
She couldn’t explain why the idea bothered her so much, but it did. It was more than the gatehouse being the place that Ned lived with Lois and the fact that the Quartermaine’s would be surrounding her.
“I could rid of everything and we could buy new stuff,” Ned suggested.
“Ned that’s sweet, but…”
“What? Alexis I’m trying hard to understand, but it seems like you don’t want this.”
“I do.” Ned shot her a look of disbelief. “Ned I really do want to live with you, but none of these places seem right to me.”
“So we’ll keep looking, but not today I have meeting in an half hour. I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yeah, dinner at the Grill?”
“Want to live dangerously and go to the Outback?”
“Danger’s my middle name,” she shot him a playful smile. Ned leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. As he pulled away and placed his hands on her face.
“Don’t worry. We will find a place,” he said reassuringly. He than placed a kiss on her fore head, each of her cheeks and finally her lips again, Alexis wrapped her arms around him. He lingered over the kiss, hating to end it.
Alexis pulled back, “you’ll be late.”
“It was worth it,” he said softly in her ear before he pulled out of the embrace.
Lucky found Emily in the rose garden with Lila. The two were smiling and picking roses, which they placed, in basket that Reginald was holding. She looked so carefree and happy, he hoped that her good humor would last once she saw him.
Reginald noticed Lucky; it was still a bit shocking to see the boy alive and well. “Good afternoon, Lucky.” Both Lila and Emily looked up smiling and greeted him.
“It’s lovely to see you dear,” Lila said.
“It’s nice to see you too Mrs. Quartermaine,” Lucky said turning on the Spencer charm.
Emily smiled softly, he probably didn’t even realize he was doing and at this moment he was acting very much like his father’s son. God, he'd hate that if she told him. “I’m glad you’re here Lucky.” He shot her a questioning look. “Grandmother has been looking forward to seeing you.”
"I’m sorry I kept you waiting Mrs. Quartermaine.”
“That’s all right dear, the good things are always worth the wait. But I suppose you two would like some privacy.”
“I don’t want to interfere with your time together.”
“Nonsense my dear boy. Emily was just helping me pick flowers and I have plenty to make my arrangement.” Lucky didn’t get a chance to protest, Emily kiss her grandmother on the cheek and handed her scissors to Reginald, before they began to make their way into the house.
“It was nice seeing you Lucky please come by again soon dear,” Lila said in her sweet voice.
Lucky kissed her the cheek, “I will.” Lucky watched them leave and turned back to Emily who was sitting Indian style on the ground playing with the grass. “So were you being nice to me for your grandmother’s sake?”
“I’d willingly do anything for her,” she replied and then turned her face up to look at him. “But, I was being nice to you because you’re my best friend.”
Lucky sat down beside her. “Even after what happened yesterday?”
“Like I told Nikolas…”
“Wait. What do you mean you told Nikolas?”
“He stopped by yesterday and was worried about me because of our fight.”
“Em, it was more than that.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
Lucky looked down at the ground, he didn’t know how to handle this. What to say to or do. “Thank you for not mentioning the kiss.”
“I didn’t do it just for you.”
“I know that and I appreciate…”
“She’s my friend too, I don’t want to hurt her either. So quit apologizing.”
“Okay. So what did you say to Nikolas?”
“I told him that you were my oldest friend in the world and that I wasn’t going to allow one fight to ruin that. Lucky I need you and our friendship.”
“So do I.”
“All right so don’t do anything stupid again.”
He laughed weakly. “I won’t.”
AJ and Hannah were having lunch at Kelly’s. Hannah was wondering how she let AJ talk her into it, while he was reveling in his victory.
“Working on anything I can help you with?”
“AJ I highly doubt that you can help with a Federal investigation.”
“You never know until you let me try.” Hannah shook her head, would he never give up?
Inside Elizabeth was just finishing up her shift and was getting ready to head over to L&B. “Tammy, my shifts over I'll see you later.”
“Sure thing Hun,” she called from the kitchen.
Liz untied her apron and picked up her purse when she was just about to leave Laura and Lulu walked through the door. She looked down at her watch. She had enough time to stop and talk to them. Liz walked over with a smile on her face. “Hi, Laura.”
Laura looked up from Lulu and smiled at Liz. “Elizabeth how wonderful to see you.” They embraced before Liz leaned down and hugged Lulu.
“Hi Lizbeth.”
“Hi Ms. Lulu. Did you guys come here for a late lunch?”
“Yep, we just got done playing with Daddy in the park.”
“Really.”
“Yep. He pushed me the swings really high.”
“Almost gave me a heart attack, Luke got her so high up,” Laura added.
“But it was fun Mommy.”
“Yes it was.” Laura situated Lulu on the chair and asked Liz how things were going with Lucky. Liz’s eyes saddened and Laura felt bad for bring it up.
“He doesn’t want to be with me anymore.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve tried, Nikolas has and so has Emily he won’t hear of it. He just wants my friendship.”
“Give him time, sweetheart and he’ll come around.”
“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.”
“I know it’s hard, but it does work out,” Laura said glowing thinking of her and Luke.
“Em and I were wondering about that, we saw the looks between you guys that night at Luke’s.”
“Well, slowly but surely we are working it out and I’m sure you and Lucky can too.”
Liz smiled, if Luke and Laura could do it, maybe she and Lucky could too. With fresh hope in her heart she told Laura that she wouldn’t give up and then wished them goodbye.
Helena sat sipping champagne. Her plan wasn’t working out like she had hoped. Of all things Luke and Laura were getting closer. Damn them for ruining her plans. How the hell was she suppose to make them miserable if they were working things out? Perhaps a visit from Lucky. It might not prevent them from getting back together, but hearing their son’s disgust would definitely heavy their hearts.
Helena smiled. She would get her revenge even if she had to take it a little at a time, destroying them slowly. They might have each other, but they would never have their son and that was a start.
“Why didn’t you tell me,” Brenda asked sadly.
Mekkos could tell that she was heart broken, but he didn’t know how to help her with that. He could help repair her body but her heart was another story. “I didn’t want you to find out.”
“Why?”
“Frankly I didn’t think that you’d be willing to get better if you knew.”
Brenda sat there stunned. Was she that dependant, did he see her like that? She loved Jax, but she didn’t need him for her reason to live and fight. She had herself, family and friends. “Do you think so little of me?”
“Brenda…”
“If you do then why go through all this trouble,” she shouted.
“Trust me I know how difficult it is to go on and fight when the person you love most is with another.”
Brenda sat there quietly. She didn’t know a lot about Cass, except that he was her guardian angel and that he was trying to save her. “You did.”
“Not really. I have wasted years feeling sorry for myself and my family has suffered for it. My mistakes have cost them a great deal, my cowardliness has left them to a wrath that need not be there if I had been willing to step forward. It is hard to fight if you think you have nothing to fight for.”
“I have more than Jax.”
“I know that. I wasn’t sure if you would see that yourself.”
Brenda exhaled a deep breath. Jax wasn’t waiting for her, he was happy. Once upon a time they had been happy together, but that time had past like it had with Sonny. She loved him, but she didn’t needed him to survive, to make her life worth living. She had made that mistake once and she wouldn’t do it again. “It hurts knowing that he’s moved on, but I won’t let it stop me from getting better. I won’t let it keep me from my family and friends.”
“Good. Specialists will be here tomorrow at nine a.m. to get started on the rehabilitation.”
It was crazy and a mistake, but than she had told him that danger was her middle name. She really needed help. It was the stress of getting a Cassadine and a Spencer to work together. It addled her mind. She really wasn’t the type of person that took risks without looking first.
Alexis looked around the gatehouse. It was cluttered with her things. After Ned had left her she decided the best thing was to move into the gatehouse and continue their search for a place of their own. With any luck, her moving in would give Edward a heart attack and the whole family, including Ned could have a break from him.
Alexis bit her lip, yet again questioning her sanity. She had left a message for Ned at L&B to meet her here instead of the Outback. What if he didn’t get it? She shot up off the couch and began to pace back and forth. If he didn’t get it, maybe there was still time to get her stuff out and her old room back.
Ned walked in on Alexis muttering softly to herself. He had been surprised to see his house covered in luggage. “Going on a trip,” he asked.
Alexis turned, startled to see him there. “What are you doing here?”
“I live here.”
“Oh, right I knew that. So do I.”
Ned grinned at her before rushing forward and pulling her into his arms. The embrace was passionate as his lips played over her face and his hands ran over her body.
“It’s not permanent,” she mumbled.
“What,” he asked huskily.
“We’re still looking for our own place.”
Ned pulled back. “I’ll agree to anything you say if I can take you up stairs to our room and make love to you in our bed,” Ned had stressed the word our each time.
Alexis got a devilish look in her eyes. “Anything?”
“Yes, but we’ll work out the details later,” he said before he began kissing her again. Alexis didn’t have any problems with that at all.
“Emily here’s Ms. Benson,” Johnny said.
“Johnny how come you can call her Emily and not call me Carly,” she asked playfully. Johnny blushed slightly. Carly took pity on him. “She can come in.” Johnny nodded at her and let Emily pass into the penthouse.
“Thanks Johnny,” she said happily. He smiled at her before closing the door. “Hi Carly,” she said carefully.
There was a slight tension in the room but both wanted to work this out. “I’m glad you said yes to coming. Michael will be back soon, so we have some time to talk.”
“Good,” Emily bit her lip, she still wasn’t sure about this. There was no love lose between them, but she was Michael’s mother plus Jason, Sonny and Bobbie all saw something in her.
“Do you want something to drink,” God Carly thought this isn’t going well.
“Water would be great.”
“Okay, why don’t you sit down.” Carly walked over to the table and poured some water, while Emily situated herself on the couch. Carly walked over and handed her the glass and sat down.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Silence settle over them. Emily took a long sip of her water, while doing this she tried to think of something to say. “Is this awkward or what,” she finally asked.
Carly sighed in relief, she wasn’t the only one feeling that way. “I suppose it could be worse.”
“Yeah, we could be throwing insults at each other.”
“You’re not to bad at it?”
“What throwing insults?”
“Yep.”
“Well you were always better. You always knew just the right spot to hit. I hated it every time you called me a brat.”
“Well your move at the bridal shower was pure brilliance.”
Emily smiled. “What a thing to talk about.”
“Lila would be a bit shocked.”
“I don’t know, Grandmother is a true lady, but I don’t think that would stop her from getting down and dirty.”
Carly laughed at the thought, Lila was such a sweet old lady, but when it came to her family she could be a tiger. “I would love to see that.”
“Me and you both.” Okay, Emily thought, we’re on steadier ground. “So have you and Sonny decided on a name for the baby?”
Smart move Emily, Carly thought, keep it on neutral ground where it’s safe. “Yeah. Lily Adel Virginia Corinthos.”
Emily eyes soften. She remembered Lily, she was a good person. “That’s very thoughtful of the two you, I know it can’t be easy naming your child after Sonny’s first wife.”
“I thought it would be a good idea, I never thought of it that way.”
“I didn’t mean to imply…”
“It’s all right Emily, I know that and I guess most people would think that.”
Emily looked down, so much for this going well. As she began to look up at Carly she noticed something on the floor. “Carly did you drop a picture or something?"
“Huh,” she replied. A bit confused by the sudden change in topic.
Emily reached over and picked up the picture. It was than that Carly remembered that Sonny was looking at one yesterday morning. She panicked and grabbed the picture from Emily, but it was too late Emily saw the image of her mother’s smiling face next to Mike Corbin’s. “Why does Sonny have a picture of my mother?”
Carly’s eyes dropped to the picture. That was why it looked familiar, she had seen pictures of the woman in Emily’s room but she never knew who the woman was or why she had so many pictures of her.
Questions ran wild through Emily’s mind. Why did Sonny have this picture? Why was Mike in it? Did Mike know her mom? Why didn’t he tell her…wait she died before Mike ever met her, no before he found out that she was here. This didn’t make any sense.
“I didn’t know it was your mother,” Carly said hesitantly. She wasn’t sure what to say, all she knew is that the picture had up set Sonny.
Emily leaned closer to Carly to see the photo better. “She looks so young and healthy,” she said lovingly.
Carly couldn’t help it. She understood how Emily felt. She had lost Bobbie at birth, then just when she was getting her back, she lost Virginia, the mother she had known and loved since that time. Carly put her arm around Emily drawing her closer. “She was very pretty.”
Emily smiled down at the picture and then looked up at Carly. “She was the best.” Emily’s brow then furrowed and her eyes clouded. “Why is she with Mike?”
Carly didn’t know how to answer the question. “I don’t know, I guess they knew each other.”
“He never mentioned it.”
Carly frowned, it was a mystery to her too. “Did he know she was here in Port Charles?”
“No, but…I don’t know why this is bothering me.”
“Because he knew her and by the looks of this picture they were friends, he could probably tell you things and you just found that out and…”
“Yeah, but why is the picture here?”
“I don’t know.” They looked down at the picture each trying to solve the mystery in their minds.
When Sonny walked in he saw Emily and Carly close together, it looked like they were trying to figure something out. He eyes lingered on Emily and his heart filled with love. She was his blood, his sister. It made him happy that both she and Carly were trying to be friends, by the looks of it, it was going well. “Can I help,” he asked.
They looked up at him in surprise. Carly didn’t think it was good to mention the photo, but before she could communicate that to Emily, she was asking Sonny about it.
“Sonny I found a picture on the floor of Mike and my mother. Why do you have it?”
Sonny went completely still, the picture! He had totally forgotten about it. He closed his eyes.
“Sonny,” Carly asked with worry in her voice.
He didn’t know what to say or do, he hadn’t decided how to handle it. Now it was blowing up in his face. He could lie to them, but than any chance of being Emily’s brother would be gone and if Carly ever found out he lied to her she’d kill him. How could he tell her? How could he not? She was his family after all he had a right to be there for her. “You’d better sit down.”
“We already are,” Carly replied.
Sonny opened his eyes. “Right. Emily I can explain that picture.”
“Do you know how nice it is waking up in your arms this late in the day,” Alexis asked.
“As wonderful as it is knowing that when I wake up you’ll be there,” Ned replied. He then leaned down and kissed her passionately.
“This could be a problem,” she said breathlessly after the kiss ended.
“How so,” Ned asked.
“I may never leave bed again.”
“That’s a problem,” he asked excited about the idea of them spending the rest of their lives in bed together.
“For one thing we starve.”
“So,” Ned said and began kissing her neck.
“I’d lose all my clients.”
“Who cares,” he said as he continued to assault her senses.
“You’d never sing again.”
“Not true, I’ll serenade you every night.”
“We’d never see our families again.”
“Thank God.”
“You’re forgetting Brooke, Lila, Emily and Nikolas; you know the family we love and care about and more importantly like."
Ned stopped nuzzling her neck and thought about that one. While he was preoccupied she slipped out of bed and began to get dress. “Hey no fair.”
“You should know that Cassadine’s don’t play by the rules.” She winked at him as she sauntered out of the room.
Ned sighed and fell back on the bed and thought, neither do Quartermaine’s. Next time he would be prepared.
Lucky met Nikolas at Kelly’s for lunch. They had just sat down at an outside table when Lucky asked if coming here was a good idea.
“Look Lucky, I don’t have problem with it and I’m sure Elizabeth won’t.”
“I just don’t want to…”
“What hurt her? Send her the wrong message?”
“Yeah.”
“Lucky it’s lunch, get over it.”
Lucky shot him a grin. “You’re certainly sure of yourself.”
“It’s a prince thing.” They both laughed and enjoyed the easiness between them.
Liz came out and heard their laughter. She sighed, she wished it could be like that between her and Lucky. But it would take time for the easiness to come back in their friendship. “Private joke or can anyone join in,” she asked them.
Both of them smiled and greeted her cheerfully. “You wouldn’t get it,” Nikolas said.
“Yeah, it’s a cross between a brother thing and a Cassadine/Spencer thing,” Lucky replied.
“Then I guess you guys need to work on outsider material.”
“Roger that,” Lucky said.
“So what can I get for you,” she said taking on her waitress role.
“I’ll have the regular,” Nikolas said.
“Check, and you Lucky,” she asked.
“I take it he eats here a lot.”
“Hey, you think a Cassadine would learn to cook for themself.”
“Hey, I resent that! Alexis and I make great popcorn.”
Liz and Lucky laughed at him. “What’s his regular?”
“A soda and a Ruben with french fries.”
Lucky shook his head. “I guess my eating habits never rubbed off on you.” Nikolas shot him a strange look. “I’ll have the same except I want extra fries.”
“Sure, I’ll get your drinks.”
“I’m glad to see that things are easier between you two,” Nikolas remarked.
“It’s nice having my friend back.”
“You could have more…”
“Please don’t go there. Elizabeth and I don’t belong together, you guys do…”
“I’ll make a deal with you Lucky. I won’t tell you that you belong with her if you won’t tell me I do.”
Lucky sat quietly thing about it. “I’ll still think it but I won’t bring it up.”
“The same goes for me. So are things better with Em?”
“Yeah we worked it out. Thanks for doing the big brother thing, it wasn’t needed but it’s nice knowing that you’re there looking out for me.”
Nikolas smiled at him. That was the first time Lucky referred to him as his big brother. “You’d do the same for me. Besides Emily is my friend too, plus it wasn’t like had to beg her to forgive you. By the time I was there she wasn’t angry with you any more.”
“I’m glad about that, I really need her now.”
Nikolas looked carefully at his brother. Could it be possible that Lucky was having feelings for Emily? What was he thinking! Lucky loved Liz.
“Well it’s not her birthday.”
“What are you talking about?”
“All the really bad things that go on in her life happen on her birthday. You remember the one were her father, grandfather and AJ tried to kidnap Michael.”
“Don’t forget she found out about you and Katherine on her birthday.”
Nikolas cringed at the memory. “Not my finest moment.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Well if I were her I stop celebrating my birthday.”
Liz came back out and found them laughing again. “Will I understand this one,” she asked as she placed the soda on the table.
“We were just discussing life’s little ironies,” Nikolas said after his laughter subsided.
“I have a feeling that I don’t want to know.”
“Smart girl,” Lucky quipped.
Jason stared out at the wide blue ocean. The salt air invaded his senses. He remembered Michael’s reaction to the ocean. The pure joy on his face. The sound of the surf calmed his nerves, and he closed his eyes. Being here made him feel closer to Michael. It helped the ache in his heart for his family. Michael and Emily, Jason sighed picturing them. He wanted to be with them more than anything, but going back was not an option. He was sad that he would miss out on seeing them, helping them, and being there to touch them. Jason opened his eyes, dwelling on them would only hurt him more. He had to live his life without then in it, he would get use to that eventually.
“You’re pushing yourself to hard,” a young man told Brenda.
“No I’m not,” she replied tersely.
He sighed. “I’m the doctor.”
“It’s my body and I know it.”
“I don’t want you to over work your self, that makes it harder to get well.”
Brenda shot him a dirty look. She was tired but she wanted to do more. She sighed, she hate this. Being so weak and helpless, it didn’t suit her. Exhaling a deep breath. “All right.”
“Thank you.” He began to help her into her wheel chair. “I know this is difficult, but you will get better. It just takes time.”
“That’s just it. I’ve lost a year already. Time had been wasted, lost and there is no way to get it back. Plus the sooner I get better the sooner I see the people I love.”
He looked down at her. Her pleading brown eyes got to him. “We can try to move faster, but if you experience any trouble, we’re slowing down.”
She shot him a look of triumph. “That’s fine with me.”
“We’re waiting,” Emily said.
Sonny had stood there for over five minutes trying to think of a way to start explaining. Would she even believe him? “I got the photo from Corrine Gibbons.”
“My Aunt Corey is in town?”
“Yes. She came to blackmail Edward.”
“What?!”
“Edward gave her money to stay away when Alan and Monica were adopting you.”
Emily went pale and grabbed Carly’s hand. It couldn’t be true, he wouldn’t. Emily closed her eyes, he would. Did the rest of the family know? “How did you find out?”
“Reginald over heard their conversation and came to me.”
Emily was stunned. Why would Reggie come to Sonny? “I take it that there is more to this then Edward paying her to stay away all those years ago,” Carly asked.
“Yes. Corrine told him that she would go to Emily’s biological father…”
“He’s dead,” Emily cried.
Sonny ran his hands down his face. “Thomas Bowen wasn’t your father.” Emily began shaking her head no. “She had proof. The marriage certificate, Page’s dairy and…and a…a photo.”
Emily froze. Carly’s eyes dropped to the photo. Sonny had looked so lost and concerned, like he didn’t know what to do.
“Emily…”
“No,” she said softly. “She wouldn’t lie to me. Mike’s not my father.”
Sonny was glad that she had put the ending pieces together, he hadn’t been sure how to tell her.
“Emily,” Carly said softly.
“No,” she yelled. She pulled away from Carly and ran past Sonny. Sonny turned to follow but Carly stopped him.
“You have to give her time,” she said softly.
He turned to her, his eyes filled with conflicting emotion. “Did I do the right thing?”
Carly’s lips wavered. “I…Sonny she had to know the truth.” Sonny pulled her into his arms and she held him tight. “You have to tell Mike, she might blind-side him, if he denies it, it could hurt her.”
Sonny pulled away. He smiled weakly at her. “Thank you,” he said and then kissed her gently before going to the phone to call Mike.
General Hospital's Friendship Forever