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The penthouse,
about an hour before sunrise.
Robin and Brenda silently
walked through the room picking the shards of broken
glass and pieces of destroyed furniture, while upstairs Emily had finally
drifted back to sleep. Robin built a roaring fire and Brenda
tossed broken and
splintered wood into it.
"I think that's the last
of it." Robin said as she dumped a dustpan into a
waste basket.
Brenda chucked the final
piece of the last broken chair into the fire and
turned to her. "Hey.... You did say you thought about redecorating
this place."
Robin chuckled. "Decorating
by demolition isn't exactly what I had in mind."
Brenda laughed for a second
and then tensed up. She calmly walked to where her
sword was sitting as the door swung open. Brenda breathed a sigh
of relief when
she saw it was Jason and Sonny. <I think Emily has had enough
excitement for
one night.> She thought.
Jason looked around, his
eyes then drifted over to the sheet covered body of
the evening guard. He walked over to Robin and she held onto
to him so tightly
that it was becoming difficult for him to breathe.
"I'm so glad you're home."
Robin told him.
"What happened here?"
He asked. Robin led Jason to the couch and told him the
entire story.
Brenda moved over to stand
next to Sonny. "I'm glad you're back too."
Sonny grinned. "You
like you could use some coffee."
"Thanks." Brenda said
as she allowed Sonny to led her to the kitchen. Once
the kitchen door closed Brenda threw herself into Sonny's arms.
Sonny just
stood there and held her close to him.
"Sorry." Brenda said
as she finally released him. "It's been one of those
nights."
"I can see that."
Sonny wiped a tear off her face. "I'm glad you're alright."
In the living room Robin
had finished telling Jason what happened and he rushed
upstairs to check on Emily. He quietly opened the bedroom door
and found her
sitting on the bed shaking. Her eyes were red and swollen from
crying and at
first she paid no attention to him.
But as soon as he said her
name, her eyes lit up and ran to him practically
knocking him down. Emily buried her face into her brother's chest
and began to
cry.
V opened her eyes as she
felt an arm slide around her waist. She smiled
contentedly, she has had this dream many times before, but after a
few seconds
she realized that this time it was no dream. This time it was
real.
She carefully, so as not
to wake him, picked his arm up and got out of bed.
Grabbing a robe to cover her nakedness she headed out to the living
room.
Sitting down on the couch she remembered how this thing started.
V poured two cups of coffee
while she waited for Jax to finish getting dressed.
A few seconds later he came out looking nothing like the drunk she
found at her
door earlier.
She handed a cup.
"Bless you Venus." Jax said beforing a sip.
"How's your head?"
"Fine. Instead of
a loud pounding, there's now just a sweet dull ache."
V laughed. "Serves
you right."
"I know. I should
know better than to try and drown my problems in booze."
"So now that you're coherent
how about telling me what brought this on." She
asked knowing full well who was responsible.
"I think you know."
Jax said pointedly as he sat down. "She did it again, she
led me on and then dropped me for Sonny Corinthos and I let her do
it."
V sat down next to him.
She liked Brenda a lot and she knew that Brenda didn't
hurt Jax on purpose, but it was still difficult for V to feel sorry
for her.
"Don't blame yourself Jax."
"Who should I blame?
Brenda?" V almost said yes. "That's the easy way out.
I knew she still loved Corinthos and I knew that it was only a matter
of time
before he came back and Brenda went to him."
"You're doing it again.
You're making excuses for her and you're taking all
the blame in this mess." V spoke, Jax noticing the odd tone of
her voice.
"Brenda is my friend and I care about her, but this is her fault."
"Venus...."
"Let me finish." V
said bring her palm up. "Like I said Brenda is my friend,
but she made a piss poor decision by trying to pick things up with
you again
after her breakdown, knowing full well she was still in love with Sonny."
"But I let her." Jax
broke in. "I knew and I let her." Jax took V's hand
that somehow drifted over to his leg. "I know what you're trying
to do, but I'm
not totally blameless in this."
"I'm sorry she hurt you
again. You don't deserve it, you deserve someone who
really loves you." V squeezed his hand. "Someone like me."
She knew it was
probably a bad idea, but she also knew that if she didn't do it now
she probably
never will. V leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his lips.
She pulled back and Jax
just stared at her. He brought his hand slowly up to
her face and caressed her cheek. He moved his hand into her soft
brown hair and
pulled her back to him.
Jax kissed her this time
with a passion he had never had or felt with Brenda.
He lifted her onto his lap, his mouth never leaving hers and held her
close. V
wrapped an arm around his neck and let out a throaty moan as Jax trailed
kisses
down her neck.
She whispered into his ear
and then in one movement, he effortlessly picked her
up and carried her into the bedroom. They made love all night
before falling
asleep only a few hours ago.
"Good morning." Jax's
voice startled V. "Well almost anyway." He said
looking at his watch. Jax walked into the kitchen and V followed
a minute
later.
"Jax...." She started
but not really sure what she was going to say. "About
last night.... I just want you to know that I'm not expecting anything
from you
just because we made love."
"I'm going to be honest
with you Venus. I don't exactly know what I'm going to
do now." Jax looked down a little embarassed. "I'm sorry....
The last thing I
want to do is treat this like it was some one night stand."
V smiled at him. "You're
not. You've got a lot to work through and I just
want you to know that I'll be waiting for you when you decide."
"You won't have to wait
long." Jax said grabbing her and holding her close to
him. "I don't know what's going on between us anymore, but whatever
it is.... I
want it to continue."
V looked into his eyes.
"I love you." Jax was about to repeat those words.
"No, don't say anything, not until you're sure." She rested her
head on his
chest. "Just hold me."
Nikolas stood alone watching
the first rays of the rising sun appear on the
water. Stefan's plan for a family dinner was a disaster, at least
in Nikolas'
eyes. He thought it was going to be a pleasant evening with his
father, Alexis
and himself, but when Sarah stepped off the boat he knew that wasn't
the case.
Couldn't Stefan see what
she was doing, he thought. How blind can he really
be? He tried to put on a happy face for his father's sake, but
he couldn't hold
it when Sarah took every opportunity she could to touch him or get
close.
Finally he had enough and excused himself from dinner and went outside.
He was only out there alone
for a few minutes before Alexis joined him.
"What's wrong Nikolas?" She asked.
"Do you really have to ask
me that question?" He said. "How can you sit there
and watch her?"
"Sarah?"
"Can't you see that she's
only interested in him to make me jealous."
"Well it seems to be working."
Alexis as a joke, but realizing it wasn't all
that funny. "I don't know what's going on between your father
and Sarah, but
whatever is, it's none of my business or yours."
"It is when she's using
him." Nikolas said raising his voice.
"Keep your voice down."
Alexis said pushing him away from the patio doors.
"First of all, I don't think Sarah Webber is using your father and
if she were
don't you think that a master manipulator like him would know.
Second, I've
seen they way the two of them look at each other and there is definitely
something there."
"You can't be serious."
Nik scoffed.
"Yes I am. While I'm
not exactly thrilled at my brother being interested in a
woman young enough to be his daughter, I do trust him to make the right
decisions and so should you."
"You didn't trust his choice
of Katherine Bell." Nik shot back.
Alexis was prepared for
that comeback. "Katherine was a special case. I admit
I made mistake and your father did love her in the end, but in the
beginning all
she was to him was a substitute for your mother and I tried to protect
him."
"Then why won't you help
me protect him now?"
"Because there's nothing
to protect him from." Alexis tried to touch him, but
Nik pulled away.
"Fine. If that's what
you believe, I'll take care of this myself."
"Nikolas!" Alexis
shouted as her young nephew stormed off into the darkness.
The warmth of the sun washed
over Nikolas' face. <Alexis is wrong and if she
won't help me.... I'll just have to take care of Sarah by myself.>
Emily woke up in Jason's
arms. Sitting up a little too fast she was afraid she
had woken him, but Jason was still fast asleep. Still dressed
in the clothes
she was wearing the night before she headed for the door.
Walking down the hall she
passed by the open door to Jason's room. On the bed
together were Brenda and Robin, they were sleeping soundly next to
each other
and holding hands. Emily stared at Robin not believing that the
this was the
same person she saw as a monster the night before.
Coming to the stairs she
heard the sound of workmen. They were installing new
windows. Must be nice to be the boss Emily thought, to get someone
here at this
early hour. The living room bore no signs of the previous night's
excitement
except for the fact that the room was now almost bare.
"Shouldn't be more than
an hour or so Mr Corinthos." One of the workmen said.
"Thank you." Sonny
said then motioned for Emily to come on down. "How are you
feeling?"
"I'm okay I guess."
She answered as Sonny walked her into the kitchen.
"Coffee?"
"Please."
"So... quite a night last
night huh?"
Emily smiled faintly.
"You could say that."
"Hasn't quite sunk in yet
has it?" Sonny asked as he hand her the sugar.
"Emily listen. Brenda and Robin are still your friends."
"I know that. It's
just don't know what I'm supposed to do."
"You're not supposed to
do anything except be their friend." Sonny placed a
hand on hers. "Despite what you found out last night, they are
still the same
people you care about."
"How did you handle it?"
"Robin I'll admit was a
new experience, but Brenda.... that wasn't too hard for
me to accept." Sonny saw her looking at him curiously.
"I'm Immortal too
Emily, just like Brenda."
Emily stared at him.
Even with everything that happened this was something she
didn't expect. "How?.... How did it happen?"
"It was awhile ago."
Sonny started realizing that Emily was the first person
to ask him that question. "About ten years ago in New York I
got careless. A
couple of hired punks came up and put six shots into me. Lucky
for me there was
this antique shop across the street run by one of us and he came out
to help. A
few seconds after he got there I woke up." Sonny stared down
at his cup. "His
name was Conner MacLeod and he taught me everything I needed to know
about being
Immortal and he's one of the best friends I ever had."
Sonny then started a long
story about him and Conner and all of the previous
nights unpleasantness vanished as Emily started to laugh.
North Carolina,
late that afternoon.
The cotton candy pink convertible
came to a stop at the end of the dirt
driveway. Lucky turned off the engine. "Well here we are
babe."
Liz blew the dust kicked
up from the drive away from her face. "I still can't
believe you talked me in coming down here with you."
Lucky scooted a little closer
to her. "I can be very persuasive when I want."
He said as he kissed her.
Laura Spencer came out of
the house and walked over the car. She smiled as she
caught her son and his girlfriend kissing. "Lucky we weren't
expecting you
until Friday."
"Well if you want me to
leave." He joked as he pretended to start the car.
"Stop that and come here."
Laura said trying not to laugh at her son's
silliness.
Lucky got out of the car
and hugged his mother warmly. "Hey, where's your
cane?"
"Inside. I don't need
it much anymore."
Just as Laura stepped away
a small bundle of enegry jumped off the porch and
ran into Lucky's arms. "LUCKY!!!" Lesley Lu squealed as
her brother spun her
around.
Liz was taking her bags
out of the car. "Let me help you Liz." Laura said and
Liz handed her the lightest one.
Laura watched curiously
as the last bag Liz pulled was a long thin wooden case.
She offered to take it for her, but Liz refused and held it close to
her.
Laura shook her head wondering
what could be in it that was so important that
she couldn't even let her boyfriend's mother hold it.
CHAPTER 16
North Carolina,
early the next morning.
Laura slipped the robe over
her shoulders before she reached for the cane
leaning against the wall next to the bed. The only time she needed
it now was
when she got out of bed and even then it was becoming easier everyday.
Once she
steadied herself she set the cane next to the door as she headed for
the kitchen
to start breakfast. She passed Lucky's room and peeked her head
in. She stood
at the door and watched him sleep for several minutes. It was
so good to have
her son near again.
Next she checked Lesley
Lu's room. Liz was staying in this room, she thought
that Laura would feel better about having her here if she and Lucky
weren't
sleeping in the same room. Smart girl, Laura thought to herself.
Looking in
she found both beds empty. Thinking that they were probably downstairs
already
she continued on her way. When Laura didn't see them in the living
room or in
the kitchen she started to get a little worried.
Noticing the back door open,
she looked outside. Crouching on the backporch
was Lesley Lu. It was obvious to Laura that she was trying not
to be seen and
it was obvious to her why. In the middle of the yard stood Liz.
She was
dressed in shorts and a t-shirt doing some kind of exercise.
What surprised
Laura was that she was holding a sword.
Liz had her eyes closed
as she moved the heavy blade around with ease. Lulu
was watching her wide-eyed and gasped as she began a series of lunges
against an
nonexistant opponent. Liz brought her sword up in a couple of
counter and
blocking moves, then attacked her imaginary foe again. She finished
her workout
with an elegant series of circle motions that ended with her holding
her blade
out before her. Liz stood motionless, her eyes still closed,
for nearly two
minutes, then surprised Laura and Lulu by turning on her right foot,
her
swordarm outstreched and dropping to one knee.
"Gotcha!" Liz said
to no one. Her back was to the house and she was unaware
she had an audience.
Laura stepped up quietly
behind Lulu. Motioning Lu to stay silent she lead her
youngest child back inside.
The next two weeks passed
by quickly, Lucky and his father actually started
speaking to each other in sentences longer than a few words.
Liz would catch
Laura staring at her a few times but she didn't give it much thought.
Liz and
Lucky would spend most of their days together or playing with Lulu
who was
becoming increasingly attached to Liz. Lulu eventually started
tagging along
when Liz would go for a run. People in the nearby town would
smile at the
teenage girl and the little five year old running behind her.
Then came the day that changed
everything for them all. Luke and Lucky had
gone into town for some groceries leaving leaving Laura, Liz and Lulu
alone at
the house. Liz had taken Lu with her when she went down to check
the mail.
Wondering what was keeping them Laura went down to fetch them.
Liz was standing next to
the mailbox reading a letter she had gotten from
Emily. Lulu was bouncing her pink ball that Liz bought for her
the last time
they were in town. The ball bounced into road and she ran out
after it. Coming
to the end of the drive Laura saw her daughter in the middle of the
street and a
car barreling down on her. The car was swerving from one side
of the street to
the other and it was clear that the driver was drunk. Laura screamed
and Liz
instantly jumped into action.
Rushing into the path of
the oncoming vehicle Liz shoved Lulu out of the way
and into the ditch on the farside of the road. The drunk driver
made no attempt
to stop or slow down as the car slammed into Liz. Her body flipped
over the
hood and smashed the windshield and continued rolling over the length
of the car
before hitting the ground. The driver lost control of his car
and he slammed
into a nearby tree.
Laura screamed as she ran
over to Liz's battered and broken body. She searched
for a pulse but found none. Laura began to cry as she brought
a shaking hand up
to close Liz's wide open eyes.
"mommy?" Came a tiny
voice behind her.
"Oh honey!" Laura
said as she rushed to her daughter's side.
"I skinned my knee."
Lulu said through tears.
Laura picked her up and
shielded her eyes from the sight of Liz lying dead in
the street. As started up the drive to the house Laura heard
a sound behind
her. Still holding Lulu's face away from the scene she saw something
that....
that was just impossible.
Liz was groaning as she
sat up. Her face grimaced as each movement was new
experience in pain as a broken bone or dislocated joint popped back
into place.
Crawling on her hands and knees to the side of the road she looked
up and saw
Laura staring at her with her mouth open.
Those two weeks passed by
just as quickly in Port Charles. Robin and Jason
moved into her loft. It took some convincing on their parts to
get Sonny to
take the penthouse back. Since he was back in charge of the organization,
Jason
told him, that meant he should have everything that goes with it too.
Sonny and Brenda were now
talking to each other. Things hadn't gone back to
the way they were before with them, but it was getting better.
Mac and Felecia
finally returned from their honeymoon. They thought their impromptu
wedding
would surprise everyone, but they were the ones who were shocked when
they found
out their friends had a pool going on when they would get together.
Lucy won.
Stefan and Sarah continued to grow closer even though neither one has
mentioned
the kiss they shared. Alexis could see that they cared for each
other and
wondered why her brother doesn't do something about it.
Alexis was also becoming
increasing worried about Nikolas. His temper has
gotten shorter and shorter of late, especially concerning Sarah.
He continued
to insist that this was a plot by her to hurt him. Alexis did
her best to
convince him that he was wrong but he refuses to listen. Her
own personal life
wasn't much to speak of. Ned's ex-wife had returned and it seems
they were on
their way to a reconciliation. She was happy for him and even
though their
relationship didn't work she still considered Ned a good friend.
It seemed all
Alexis lived for lately was work. She did allow Sarah to drag
her to a
nightclub called Nightshade, and although it wasn't her kind of place,
she had
to admit she enjoyed herself.
V and Jax surprised everyone
by taking off to the Bahamas together for a little
vacation. The two of them had raised a few eyebrows around town
by going out
every night. Soon the gossip mongers were working overtime to
find out just who
the new woman Jasper Jax's life was. They were a little disappointed
to
discover that she was just a police officer with no skeletons in her
closet. It
seems she was kind of a letdown after Jax's last ladyfriend.
Brenda Barret, the
famous, mentally unstable, addict model who was the former mistress
of a
notorious mobster. V got a few laughs at how she wasn't tawdry
enough to be
written up in the same article as Jax
Methos and Eve's relationship
continued to develop. Methos felt a change in
himself as he spent time with her. His emotional barriers, so
practiced and
certain, seemed to vanish around her. He hadn't even felt this
way with Alexa.
He had spent most of their time together just seeing the world through
her eyes
and trying to make her final months happy. With Eve, it was completely
different. He couldn't recall the last time he felt so comfortable
around
another person.
Eve changed too. Her
colleagues at GH saw her as a completely different person
that the one they used to know. Her aloofness and the air superiority
she had
seemed to have vanished. She began spending more time with Karen
Wexler and
Julie Devlin during her off hours, when she wasn't with Adam of course,
and now
considered them to be her two closest friends and vice versa.
She knew what it
was that changed her. It was Adam. She loved spending time
with him because he
made her feel safe. To him it didn't matter what mistakes she
made before. Her
past, every sordid detail of it, just didn't matter, and because it
didn't
matter to him, it didn't matter to her. Eve just let all of the
lies, schemes,
and every horrible act she did just disappear. Adam made her
forget all of it.
Eve was now a new woman, completely reborn and did everything she could
to prove
that the old Eve Lambert was dead and buried.
If there was one dark cloud
on Methos and Eve's horizon it was Chris Ramsey.
Everyone accepted the new Eve except for him. He delighted in
taunting her with
quips and crass remarks about her past even though it only managed
to further
ostracize himself from the rest of the hospital staff. Outwardly
he was the
same smug egotist everyone took him for, but inside he was a mass of
growing
paranoia. Over the last two weeks he felt someone stalking him.
He would sense
that person close to him, but then they would always retreat out of
range of the
buzz. If he didn't know him as well as he did, he might've thought
it was
Methos playing some kind of game with him, but that's not the way he
operates.
If Methos wanted him dead he would have just come for him. No,
this was someone
else.
Doctor Chris Ramsey walked
to his car after an exhausting shift, as he
retrieved the keys from his pocket he felt an all too familiar buzz.
He quickly
turned around and saw no near him. He unlocked the door and wasted
no time in
driving away.
As his car sped away a tall
woman with honey blond hair stepped from the
shadows. "It's not going to be that easy to get away."
She said to herself as
she walked out of the garage.
Inside the hospital Methos
was walking along with Eve. They reached the
doctor's lounge and Eve smiles at him. "Thanks for lunch."
"It was my pleasure madam,
I assure you." Methos kissed her accidentily
pushing her into the door causing it to swing open.
They broke their kiss at
the sound of whistles and clapping. Julie Devlin and
Karen Wexler stood there staring at the couple with goofy grins on
their faces.
"I think this is my cue
to leave." Methos said. He kissed her nose then left.
Eve took a deep breath and
turned around to face her friends. "Hi."
Stepping outside Methos
felt someone approach. He turned around and blinked
several times, not sure if he was imagining the woman with honey blond
hair
before him. "Julia?" The woman just stood there stared
at him for a moment,
then turned and ran away. "Julia!" Methos shouted at her.
"JULIA!!!!"
North Carolina.
Lulu was sleeping on the
couch while Laura stood on the porch talking to a
state trooper about the accident in the front of the house. "That's
all I can
tell you." She said finishing.
The trooper looked over
the notes he just took. "Let me see now. You were
coming down to get the mail, you had almost reached the street when
you heard
the vechicle smash into the tree."
"Yes. I went inside
and called 911 right away. How's the driver?"
"He didn't make it."
The trooper said placing his notebook back in his pocket.
"You know as drunk as this guy was it's a miracle he didn't kill anyone
else."
"Yes.... a miracle."
Laura said to herself.
"It all seems pretty straightforward,
I don't see any reason why you can't
return home as you planned. If we have any further questions
we'll be in touch
with you." He tipped his hat to her. "Good day Mrs Spencer."
Laura closed the door just
as Liz came down the stairs. She was running a
towel through her hair, having just taken a shower to wash the dirt
and dried
blood off of her. "Did they leave?" Laura nodded her eyes
not leaving Liz. "I
guess it's explanation time, huh?" They walked into the kitchen.
"You'd better
sit down for this."
Laura sat down and Liz began
the entire story. As she explained what she now
was, Liz carefully avoided telling her about Brenda or Robin or any
of the
others. She told her only those things that Laura needed to know.
As she
finished Laura looked slightly overwhelmed. "That's it."
Laura sat back in her chair.
"Oh my."
Liz smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
"Does.... does Lucky know."
"Yes. He knows."
Liz got up and walked to the back door.
Laura came up behind her
and wrapped her arms around her. "You love him don't
you?"
"More than anything."
Liz answered without thinking.
Stefan poured himself another
cup of coffee and took a seat across from Alexis.
"Here are the bank statements you wanted to see Natasha."
"Thanks." Alexis said
holding out her hand, not looking up from the organized
chaos in front of her.
Stefan couldn't help but
smile at her. Alexis didn't look at all like the
sophisticated lawyer most people knew. She was wearing purple
sweats and her
hair was done up in a sloppy pony tail with a pencil behind her ear,
finishing
the picture was a pair of reading glasses perched on the end of her
nose.
"How's it coming?"
He asked.
"We'll be ready."
Alexis answered thankful for the interruption. "I swear if
ever find the SOB who ordered this audit...." She rubbed her
tired eyes. "I
mean doesn't the IRS have anything better to do."
"Apparently not."
Stefan quipped. "Where's Nikolas? I have not seen him
today."
"I don't know." Alexis
sat back on the couch. "I'm worried about him Stefan."
"So am I. He rarely
eats, he doesn't sleep. I can here him walking the halls
at all hours."
"That's just part of it.
What I'm worried about is this thing he has about
Sarah."
"What thing?" Stefan
asked.
"He's seen how close you've
gotten and he's come to the conclusion that she's
out to hurt you to get back at him." Alexis explained.
"That's ridiculous."
"I agree, but he doesn't
seem to think so."
Stefan took off his glasses.
"Well I will just have to convinvce him
otherwise."
Robin came out of her room
to find Terry sitting on a large quilt spread out
over the hardwood floor playing with baby Michael. "Where's Jason?"
Terry looked up at the grinning
woman. "He had to run out for a minute, and
since I was up I volunteered to watch this handsome young man."
She said cooing
at the baby.
"Why didn't he wake me?"
Robin sat on the floor and Michael crawled over to
her. "For that matter why didn't tell he was going to get the
baby?"
"He said something about
you needing to sleep. I think he's a tad confused
about that part."
"Maybe not." Robin
said grinning wickedly.
Emily sat motionless on
the stool as he gently fixed the komono style robe just
right. She smiled as a shiver went through her when his fingers
brushed across
her bare flesh. "Don't laugh." He admonished her.
Derek took his place behind
the canvas and went back to work. Emily looked across at him
and remembered how
she came to be here.
It was about ten days ago
that she finally worked up enough courage to face
him. Derek lived on the top floor of a converted wharehouse building
that
Mariah owned. She entered the frieght elevator and Derek buzzed
her up. A
minute later she raised the gate and entered Derek's world.
The room was vast and barely
divided into sections. Just beyond the kitchen
was a staircase that led to a loft bedroom that overlooked the entire
apartment.
As she walked through the room Emily studied the things around her.
The whole
place was filled with antiques, from the furniture, to the lamps and
vases, to
the oriental rugs on the floor. <I guess they weren't antiques
when he bought
them.> She thought to herself. On the wall by the staircase
hung an exquisite
painting of a woman with dark eyes and dark hair.
In the far corner Emily
noticed something covered with a sheet. Her curiosity
getting the better of her she peeked under the sheet. What she
saw took her
breath away.
"I finished it the night
of the attack." Came Derek's voice behind her.
"You.... you did this?"
Emily said her eyes not leaving the painting. A tear
fell from her eye as she stared at a painting of herself. She
was sitting in a
field next to a lake wearing a period dress, her face illuminated by
the blue
light of the moon hanging above. "It's beautiful.... it's so
beautiful."
"I was afraid you wouldn't
like it." Derek said as he came up to her. "Most
of my subjects sit for me, but you I had to do from memory and a couple
of
photographs I got from Robin."
"I love it." She said
crying. "I love you." She added before she could stop
herself.
"Say that again."
Derek whispered as she turned to face him.
In that split second she
had forgotten her carefully prepared speech about how
accepts what he is and what he has to do for his people. "I love
you." She
said again and it seem to her that a huge weight had been lifted off
Derek's
shoudlers.
She squealed when Derek
swooped her up into his arms. "I love you too." He
sat her down and gently held her face in his hands. "I've loved
you from the
moment I saw you in the club."
Emily started to cry again
as he touched her lips. She let her arms encircle
his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as he ravaged her mouth.
Physical
need engulfed them both as pushed her down onto the floor and streched
his body
on top of hers. His lips had moved to her neck eliciting a moan
of pleasure
from her.
He wanted her. He
wanted her love, her warmth and her body, but most of all he
wanted, no he needed her to feel his love for her. She had to
be free of doubts
now, and she had to know and understand what he was or there could
be no future.
She whimpered and reached for him as he released his lips from her
neck and sat
up.
"Nooo.... don't stop....
don't leave me like this.... Please! Make love to
me." Emily's eyes pleaded with him with raw need.
He pulled her into his lap.
"Not like this Emily. You have to be sure. You
have to understand what I truly am and what I feel for you. Only
then can we
have a chance together."
She watched his eyes and
trembled when she saw the fear in his eyes. Fear of
rejection, what? She did not know but it didn't matter.
He was offering her
more than a physical union, more than just sex. He was offering
a window into
his soul. She caressed his face with her fingertips and lightly
kissed his
lips. "Tell me what to do."
"Give me your wrist."
She offered it to him freely
and waited. Derek's fangs descended and he sliced
his own wrist letting the blood flow freely, then reached for hers
hesitantly.
Gently he sliced her wrist with his fangs and her blood surged into
his mouth.
The temptation to drink was overwhelming. He broke away from
her wrist gasping
as he tried to control the hunger. Physical pain assailed
his entire body as the need to be with her engulfed him, when her warm
hand
touched his cheek.
"Let me feel it, Derek.
Let me feel all of it...all that you are.... I need to
know."
Derek placed his bleeding
wrist to hers and pulled her into his arms. As his
blood flowed into hers, he concentrated on slowing the memories. He
couldn't
control them, but he could slow them down enough to not overwhelm her.
His power radiated through
her as his blood touched hers and she closed her
eyes. Great power and strength coursed through her until
she was almost dizzy
with it and then images began. So quickly at first, she could
not decipher what
they were...then more slowly as Derek slowed his breathing and concentrated.
She saw Mariah, Terry and Aaron. His first wife Celeste, whose
death brought
him to Mariah as a broken man. She could feel his pain and regret,
the disgust
all coursing through her at once. She gasped for breath as they
assailed her
and then there was warmth. A peace that she never knew
existed engulfed her,
cradled her and she pushed into it. She wanted more. It
was such exquisite
pleasure that her body craved it. His love for her washed through
her like a
tidal wave crashing to shore.
She opened her eyes to find
his closed tightly. She touched his lips gently
with hers, pulled her wrist away and clasped it tightly in her other
hand to
stop the bleeding . Then she sat back to watch him closely.
When she pulled
her wrist free, a great void engulfed him and he groaned with the loss
as he
opened his eyes. His eyes locked with hers seeking the answer
to the question
he feared most.
She leaned into him and
stopped with her lips only a hairs distance from his as
she whispered. "I love you. I'm yours, body and soul, for
as long as you'll
have me." She touched his lips gently to hers and melted her
body into his.
With a sigh of relief he
wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. He
let all the love in his heart caress her through their new blood bond
and his
lips. Her heart beat with joy and happiness and he could feel
it all. He had
never experienced such peace. "I will love you forever, Emily
Quartermaine."
Emily pulled away from him
slightly and smiled. "Forever is a long time....
but I'll hold you to that."
That was ten days ago, ten
glorious, wonderful days. They made love to each
other the entire night and all of the following day. The bond
they now had
because of their blood sharing was beyond explanation. It seemed
that they each
knew how the other felt, what emotions they were feeling and there
were times,
especially when they made love, that Emily could almost hear him in
her mind.
Jumping down off the stool
Emily walked slowly over to Derek who was totally
preoccupied with his painting. Getting on response from him,
she opened her
robe and let it fall to the floor. Standing before her lover
naked she finally
got him to notice.
"What are you doing?"
He asked.
"What do you think?"
She replied with a wink and a grin.
Derek dropped his paintbrush
and pallette to the floor and scooped Emily up in
his arms and carried her up to the bedroom.
CHAPTER 17
Terry was sitting on the
quilt working on her computer, next to her Michael was
napping soundly. Robin looked up from her journal and smiled
at the sight.
"You're very good with him."
"Thanks. It's been
a long time since I was around a baby this small. I was
afraid I wouldn't remember what to do."
"You're doing fine."
Robin said as she sat down on the other side of Michael.
Terry noticed her face grow
a little sad. "What's wrong?"
"It's just being around
Michael. Sometimes it reminds me that this is
something I can never give Jason. Even before, because of my
HIV, it would have
been dangerous for me to conceive for fear of passing the infection
on, but now
I would even risk that chance to give him a child."
Robin was stroking the sleeping
Michael's hair and Terry placed her hand on top
of Robin's. "Robin.... just because you cannot bear him children
does not mean
you can't have them. I have a beautiful daughter and a handsome
son and I
couldn't love them more even if I gave birth to them."
Robin smiled as Michael
turned over. "I know, but it's just not the same."
"No it's not. But
in the end doesn't really matter if they are your flesh and
blood or not, wether they were babies when you found them or adults."
Terry
moved her hand to Robin's cheek. "You will still love them as
if they were your
own."
Downstairs in the hall Brenda
and Aaron were in the middle of a sparring
session. "You keep dropping your arm!" Aaron shouted at
her.
"Just trying to lure you
in.... for this!" Brenda shouted back as she brought
her katana around and sent Aaron's sword crashing to the floor.
Sonny grinned as he watched
the two them. To him they looked like a couple of
children at play.
"I can't believe I fell
for such an obvious trap." Aaron said laughing as he
retrieved his sword.
"You must be getting old."
Brenda joked.
"I wouldn't have fallen
for it." Sonny interjected.
"Really?" Brenda raised
her eyebrows. "Care to put your money where your
mouth is."
Sonny looked over at Aaron
who just shrugged his shoulders. "Don't look at me,
you're the one who said it."
"Me and my big mouth."
Sonny muttered as he picked up his boardsword and
followed Brenda to the center of the room.
Aaron fidgeted a little
as Brenda and Sonny began sparring, It was one thing
to watch her with Elizabeth or Venus, but something else to watch her
with
another Immortal, especially since it could turn serious very easily.
He
relaxed as it became apparent that both Brenda and Sonny were taking
it easy
with just a few quick cuts and parries, nothing flashy or complicated....
or
dangerous.
"Julia!" Methos shouted
again, but she was long gone. He moved over to a
bench and sat down. He knew why she was in Port Charles and who
she was here
for.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Boston, 1899.
"Nooooo, please Jonathan....!"
Julia screamed at her husband.
"Let go of me." He
said to her, his voice eeriely calm.
He walked calmly up the
stairs ignoring the voice of Methos who was just shown
in by a servant. Getting no answer from him he walked into the
sitting room and
found Julia on the floor crying. "Julia? What's wrong,
what happened?"
"It was Christian, he did
this." Julia said through falling tears. "You
should seen him Methos. He was so smug standing there telling
my husband about
the affair we were having."
"He told him what?"
"He said that we were having
an affair and went into graphic detail describing
our encounters." Methos helped her up to the couch and dried
a few of her
tears. "Jon didn't believe him at first, but.... but Christian
went on to
describe the scars on my legs and the.... the birthmark on my back."
She began
to cry again. "He said he would tell the press about us, ruin
Jon's reputation
if he didn't do what he asked. You should have seen the look
on Jon's face....
and after he finished Christian just smirked at me and left."
Just then there was a sound
that sent Julia into hysterics. A gunshot rang
throughout the house. Having two of the maids stay with the now
screaming
Julia, Methos ran upstairs to one of the bedrooms. There sitting
on the bed
dead with a gunshot wound to his head was Jonathan.
The next day Boston General
Hospital was buzzing the news of Doctor Walker's
suicide and the appointment of Doctor Christian Roman to the post of
chief of
staff after Walker had withdrawn his name for consideration.
Sitting in is office Christian
was sipping a cup of tea when he looked up at
the buzz. A few seconds later his office door burst open and
Methos came in
seething with anger. Before he could do anything Methos had his
hands around
the man's throat.
"Is this why you did it?"
Methos screamed at him as he pulled Christian over
the top of his desk. "For a job? I always knew you were
arrogant bastard, but
even I couldn't see you deliberately hurting two people who were supposed
to be
your friends. All for a meaningless job."
"It's not meaningless."
Christian said. "I derserved it. All of the work
I've done here, all the years I've put in, and they were going to give
it to
some old fool who should have retired. Don't think I didn't know
what Julia was
doing and what she did to help him. I was only doing what I had
to to win."
"He was a good man."
Methos punched him, knocking him to the ground. "He
didn't derserve this. Neither of them did." Methos stared
down at his former
friend. "Our friendship is at an end, do you hear me? You've
made yourself two
enemies this time."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Liz walked in the apartment
and set her bag by the closet door. "Em! I'm
home!" She shouted.
Emily walked out with wet
hair wearing a bathrobe. "Hey girl! Welcome home!"
As the two friends embraced
Liz noticed small puncture wounds on Emily's
throat. "What is this?" She asked.
Embarassed, Emily brought
her hand up to cover the marks. "Derek.... he
kinda.... we both kinda.... got carried away the other night."
"Are you alright?
He didn't hurt you?"
"No he didn't hurt me.
He just took a little sip." She said trying to be
funny. "How was North Carolina?"
"It was fun. Lucky
and his dad are actually speaking to one another now." Liz
answered kicking off her shoes. "Something unexpected happened
though." Emily
asked what. "I sort of.... got killed.... in front of Lucky's
mom."
Emily's mouth dropped open.
"How the hell did that happen?"
"I'd rather not go into
that, let's just say it wasn't pleasent and leave it at
that."
"How did Laura take it?"
"Pretty well actually.
She kinda surprised me."
Nightshade,
that evening.
Mariah was perched on her
stool dutifully watching the sea of bodies on the
dancefloor when she all of a sudden felt as though someone was watching
her.
She followed the feeling out of the club and into the alley behind.
"Good evening, Mariah"
A voice came from behind her.
"I knew it was you."
She said turning to face her unwelcome visitor.
"Your're not happy to see
me?"
"No." Mariah walked
toward the stranger. "Why should one be glad to be
reminded of her mistakes."
"Mistake?" The man
chuckled. "I would hardly call the gift you gave me a
mistake."
"And how would you describe
my releasing one such as you upon the world?"
"Providence. Because
of your kindness I shall at last have my revenge."
Mariah raised a brow curiously.
"Revenge? Upon whom?"
"My enemies." He answered,
his eyes turning gold. "The ones who betrayed me
and the one who killed me. After so many years of waiting they are
a last all
together in one place at one time."
"I don't suppose you'd tell
me who they are."
"And have you warn them....
no I don't think so." He came close to Mariah and
brought up his hand as if to touch her face, but a cold glare from
her stopped
him. "I know you Mariah, the real you. You like to pretend
to be the ice
queen, but you really like them don't you."
"My thoughts and feelings
on mortals are not your concern." She shot back.
"But it is. You see
I know why you hate me so much. You brought me across,
you taught me everything I know, and I've used what you taught me and
surpassed
you in power."
"I hate you because you
are a monster without a soul or a conscience. I hate
you because you represent the worst of our past, a past that is best
forgotten.
If I had known what kind of man you truly were, I would have broken
my promise
and let you die in that hospital twenty years ago."
Carly's apartment.
After a long day of just
walking, Carly finally returned home. She had to get
out. Jason had come to pick up Michael and instead of staying
here to visit
with his son, he took him over to Robin's. How can she make Jason
see that it's
her he truly loves and not Robin when that little witch won't even
let him visit
with his son alone. After a couple of hours stewing in jealous
anger, Carly
went out for a much needed walk.
She opened her door and
a voice startled her. "I was beginning to wonder where
you were?"
"How did you get in here?"
She asked annoyed.
Nikolas Cassadine rose from
the couch. "It's been weeks and you haven't phoned
me. Have you thought it over?" He asked ignoring her question.
"Yes I've thought it over.
But I have a question for you."
"Why?" Nikolas asked
for her. "For the same reason as you. They don't belong
together." He walked over to the window. "Robin and I had
something special.
She felt it too, that's why she went back to Morgan, because it scared
her." He
turned back around to face her. "There are other reasons, but
they don't
concern you. Now will you help me?"
"Yes. I'll help you."
Carly held out her hand and Nikolas took it tenderly.
Soon they will both have what they want. Nikolas will have his
precious Robin
and Carly, she'll have Jason forever.
Wyndemere.
Laura barged into the study
disturbing Stefan and Alexis who were just
finishing going over the Cassadine family finaces. Sensing Laura
would like to
speak to her brother alone Alexis excused herself.
As soon as the door to the
study closed behind her Laura spoke. "When were you
going to tell me?"
"You seem to have me at
a disadvantage Lasha, what exactly was I supposed to
inform you about?"
"Gee, I don't know..."
Laura began sarcastically. "How about the fact that my
son is love with one of your damn Immortals."