Re: Ghosts - ch.26 & 27 -- The Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Fan Exchange

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Date Posted: 11:43:42 04/11/03 Fri
Author: dqfan
Subject: Re: Ghosts - ch.26 & 27
In reply to: dqfan 's message, "Re: Ghosts - ch.24 & 25" on 09:56:27 04/10/03 Thu

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

The ride back to the Sahara Sands had been a strange one. The temperature in the car felt like twenty below - even without air conditioning. Gus and Ivy barely spoke two words - to Sophie, or to each other.

But, it was what they weren't discussing that Sophie found most interesting�

Less than an hour ago they'd discovered that a man they both knew, a man Ivy worked for, a man Gus had business dealings with, had been brutally murdered. But, Stanley's name hadn't come up once. Were they that unaffected by the news - or maybe just the opposite, Sophie wondered?

"Thanks for the ride, Gus," Ivy said perfunctorily, exiting the car almost before it had come to a full stop. "Night, Sophie."

"Night�" Sophie barely had time to wave goodbye.

Suddenly, there was that uncomfortable silence as Sophie found herself, once again, alone with Gus.

"Well, it's late�I should turn in�" she began hesitantly.

"Nah, it's still early," Gus contradicted, unwilling for their evening to end. "Why don't you come up for a nightcap?"

"Oh, I don't know�" Sophie hedged, uncertain how to proceed.

Seeing Sophie waver, Gus decided to throw in an additional enticement. "I'll show you the painting," he added, impulsively.

Gus knew better than to mix business and pleasure. But Sophie was so different from any woman he'd ever known that somehow it seemed okay. Sophie wasn't a showgirl or a golddigger or even an airhead. She was an intelligent, beautiful, compassionate woman, who'd filled his thoughts and his dreams ever since she arrived. That kind of woman didn't come along every day. That kind of woman was as rare and as breathtaking as Ingrid Bergman in a Morroccan cafe. That kind of woman was worth the risk.

And so, fervently, he tempted her again. "C'mon, after all this talk about it, you must be curious�"

Sophie was curious. After listening to Charity's stories, she was more than curious. She was positively dying to see this sketch! The only problem happened to be that it was in Gus' hotel suite - a place Sophie had been studiously trying to avoid.

Still, how could she hope to learn more if she didn't take a chance? How could she continue connecting the dots, without more dots?

Like it or not, right now, Gus Leighton was the Dot King. Sophie felt it deep down inside. Of course, she felt a lot of other things deep down inside when Gus was around - like nerves, and fear, and an uncontrollable desire to take a shower with her husband. But, that just couldn't be helped.

She could either debate this in her head forever or she could act now. And, as always, Sophie's reckless streak won out.

Wearing a smile meant to convince herself just as much as Gus, Sophie took a deep breath and nodded.

"You talked me into it�"

^^^^^^^^^^

"Sophie, meet Elsie�" Gus introduced with a grin.

"Elsie?" Sophie asked quizzically, awed to finally see Lila's painting in person.

"Yeah, some people get the Mona Lisa, I get Elsie," Gus chuckled, pointing to Lila's monogrammed locket as he propped up the portrait on his bar so Sophie could get a better look.

Sophie examined the sketch closely. Not knowing much about charcoal or canvases, Sophie concentrated, instead, on the woman, herself - Lila.

She was lovely, in that old-fashioned way, her long dark hair flowing about her shoulders. But, her expression seemed older and wiser than her years, leaving Sophie to wonder what she might have looked like before Hank broke her heart. Was there a resemblance between Lila and Gus? Sophie shot a furtive glance his way just to check.

Gus noticed her looking at him and smiled. Embarrassed, Sophie scrambled to say something.

"She deserves better than the bar�" Apparently, Reggie's information was accurate.

"I know, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with her yet," Gus replied, with a heavy sigh. "I might sell her."

"So soon?" Sophie was surprised. "Then, why did you want her so badly?"

Enthralled by her first look at both Lila and the locket, Sophie failed to notice that Gus was similarly enthralled, moving steadily closer, as he enjoyed Sophie, enjoying the painting.

"Why does any man want a woman?" he whispered in her ear.

Sophie looked up at him, more bemused than frightened. He was a charmer. She would give him that. "You tell me?" she flirted, keeping her cool.

"Thrill of the chase," Gus ran his fingers slowly down her bare arm. "Desirability of the prize�"

Gus was about to capture her lips when Sophie turned suddenly back toward the painting.

"I see," she teased blithely. "So, a long-term relationship is of no value to you? Poor Elsie�"

"I never said she didn't have any value," Gus denied, coming up behind Sophie and placing his hands on her shoulders. "She's very valuable to me."

Sophie was fascinated. "But not valuable enough to keep�" She struggled to understand.

"Some women are�some aren't," he shrugged. Wearily, Sophie thought.

"You sound like you've been burned," she asked softly, wondering if Gus had a particular woman in mind.

"Happens to everyone," Gus replied, sagely. Then, with extreme tenderness he added, "I'm sorry it happened to you."

Oh, these two sides to Gus' personality were driving Sophie crazy! He could be a cocky, ruthless casino owner one minute, and a gentle, heartbroken soul the next. She wanted to hate him, she wanted to mistrust him, but, when he looked deeply into her eyes, Sophie saw someone she could almost consider - a friend.

"My marriage isn't over yet, Gus," Sophie placed her palm on his chest, halting his advances.

Gus took her hand gently in his. "Yes, it is," he whispered, kissing her fingertips. "You just haven't faced it yet."

Then, before Sophie could object, Gus took her in his arms and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Gus, I can't�" Sophie tried to shift out of his grasp.

"Just one more kiss - a real one this time," he bargained, holding her tight, sure he could change her mind. "Then you can go if you still want to�"

The next move was all Sophie's - and she literally had only a second to decide. If she fought him too strenuously, he might get angry. As good as her kick-boxing skills were, Sophie didn't particularly want to see Gus Leighton angry.

One kiss� Peter had shared dozens of kisses with Ivy, already. What was one kiss? Nothing, if it kept her in Gus' good graces just a little while longer. But, could she trust him at his word?

Ninety-nine percent sure Gus wouldn't force her, Sophie decided to accept his terms and then leave, quickly, with all her options still open.

"One kiss�" Cautiously, she agreed.

Gus smiled and took his time, quite confident of his skills. The kiss began slowly with the softest brush of her lips at first. Sophie placed her hands on Gus' arms, hoping to pin them securely at her waist. If her tactic bothered him, he didn't let on. Instead, he continued by placing tiny kisses at the corners of her mouth as he worked his way toward the center. Finally, she felt the full pressure of his lips on hers. Coaxing, not demanding, they tasted faintly of the wine he'd had at dinner. Ten years ago this would not have been an unpleasant experience. Sophie's lips parted instinctively before she knew what was happening. Teasingly, she felt the tip of his tongue begin to trace her lower lip. He was really good at this.

One kiss� She'd been to parties that hadn't lasted as long as this kiss.

Desperately, Sophie tried not to panic. He had to come up for air eventually, right? Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Sophie felt him pull back slightly. Not breaking the kiss entirely, but finishing as temptingly as he'd begun, his lips lingering, until, at last, they were gone.

"Gus�I�" Sophie struggled to find her voice.

If the silence was deafening, the sudden knock at the door was ear-splitting. "Room Service!"

"Be right back�" Gus promised, scowling at the interruption.

"You?!" Gus barked at Reggie, ready to fire him on the spot. "I didn't order any room service."

Reggie elbowed his way into the room carrying two glasses and a large bottle of champagne in his hands. He took one look at Sophie with her flushed face and slightly swollen lips and knew he'd arrived just in time.

"It's a gift," Reggie cut Gus off, handing him a small card.

"Gus, thanks for dinner. With my compliments - Peter Scarbrow." Gus read the card aloud and shook his head, surprised.

"That was nice of him," he shrugged, not really paying any attention to Reggie, who had surreptitiously shaken the bottle before popping the cork.

Sophie figured Reggie was up to something but she hadn't expected the torrent of champagne which exploded without warning all over her dress, leaving her soaked and stunned beyond words.

"Oh!" was about all she could manage.

"You idiot!" Gus shouted, aghast. "Get out! You're fired!"

"No�Gus�please don't fire him," Sophie pleaded, once the shock wore off. "It was just a mistake�no harm done."

"I'll just go back to my room and change," she sighed, her favorite black dress totally ruined. "It's late�"

"You could change here," Gus offered, trying to recapture the mood. "Warm shower�nice soft bathrobe�"

Petrified that his plan might not be working, Reggie blurted nonsensically, "You know, Grandma Florence always had the best remedy for stains�but we have to act fast - a dab of baking soda, a pinch of salt, sprinkle of warm water�"

Sophie was truly touched by Reggie's rescue attempt but if he didn't shut up soon, Gus wouldn't just fire him�he'd kill him!

"That is so sweet of you!" It seemed only fair for Sophie to rescue Reggie now. "If you wouldn't mind coming back to my room with me, then?"

Reggie beamed with pride. "Yes, Ma'am�The Sahara Sands is always at your service�"

Gus bit his cheek and rolled his eyes. This kid was going to drive him crazy!
Lucky for him, Sophie seemed to like him.

"Thank you for a lovely evening, Gus," Sophie smiled, trying to soothe his disappointment.

"Sure you won't change your mind?" he tried one last time.

"Not tonight," Sophie shrugged, tilting her head.

Then, wanting to apologize somehow for constantly stringing him along, she added whimsically, "We'll always have Paris�"

^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Douse me with champagne! That was Peter's idea?" Sophie was still fuming at Reggie as they entered her room.

"Noooo�" Reggie clarified calmly. "The champagne was Peter's idea�the dousing was my idea."

Sophie stopped short, still astounded.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Reggie snapped, feeling a headache coming on.

"I'll have you know, I was about to leave all on my own," Sophie huffed, grabbing a bathrobe from inside the closet.

"Oh, yeah, that's what it looked like to me, sure�" Reggie knew he'd been invaluable and his ego demanded satisfaction.

"Okay, fine!" Sophie threw up her hands in exasperation. "You win! I'm taking a shower�"

"First tequila and now champagne�" she muttered, heading toward the bathroom.

Nonchalantly, Reggie deposited himself in the nearest chair and opened a magazine. "Aren't you leaving?" Sophie asked in a huff.

"Nope�no can do�not til Peter gets back�I promised�" Reggie was about to put his feet up on the table.

Sophie eyed him with daggers and Reggie's feet came back down with a thud.

Struggling, he groped for something helpful to say�

"Maybe you should try a bubble bath?"

^^^^^^^^^^^^

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Exhausted, Peter entered his room, peeking into Sophie's adjoining suite.

"Everything okay?" he asked, disturbing Reggie's short siesta.

"More or less�" Reggie yawned, preparing to leave. "She mumbled something about tequila and stormed into the shower."

"Good man," Peter nodded solemnly, shaking Reggie's hand. "I'll take it from here."

"Any other instructions, Chief?" Reggie asked, turning one final time.

"Yeah," Peter nodded tiredly. "Keep an eye on Gus, would you? And the woman in room 1005, too - Ivy Wilcox."

Then, desperately needing some quiet time alone with his wife, Peter made one final request.

"Oh, and Reggie�" he added, plaintively.

"Do not disturb."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sophie emerged from the shower to find Peter stretched comfortably on his bed, already in his pajama bottoms.

He looked up with a smile as she entered. Sophie, too, had changed - into that pretty lavender number he liked so much. After the evening he'd had, she was a welcome sight to his weary eyes.

"C'mhere�" he sighed and, in one smooth motion, he clasped her hand and rolled her over his body and onto the bed beside him.

"I missed you," he added, his hand traveling lazily along the curve of her spine.

"I missed you, too," she smiled, happy to be in his arms at last.

Her evening with Gus had been fun, pleasant - everything a date should be. But, she felt empty inside, not sharing it with Peter. It was Peter's arm around her, she'd convinced herself in the movie, Peter's hand holding hers, and Peter's lips during that long, slow, kiss.

He was all she ever wanted. All she ever needed.

Still, she was surprised that "missing her" was the only thing Peter had on his mind.

"Don't you want to know what happened with Gus?" she asked quietly, amazed that he seemed so calm.

"Reggie got there in time, right?" Suddenly, Peter became worried.

Sophie paused for a moment, then decided to tell the truth. "Pretty much�" she answered softly.

Peter froze. "How much?" he asked with a frown.

"One kiss much," Sophie responded, stroking her hand across his chest.

As much as Peter would have liked to object, considering his track record with Ivy, he wasn't sure he had any right.

"Well�okay�I guess�" he grumbled, succumbing to Sophie's tender caress.

"The champagne was an interesting idea," she teased, placing lazy kisses along his jawline.

"I thought so," Peter agreed proudly. "Did it help?"

"Oh, dramatically," she smirked, "but next time, tell Reggie not to get it in my hair."

"Smells good�" Peter captured a few strands, inhaling the scent.

"So," Sophie cuddled under his arm, gazing up at him in contentment. "How did it go with Charity?"

Left unspoken was the question, "Did you tell her?"

Peter nodded, acknowledging simply, "She loves me."

Sophie lifted her lips to his. "Told you so�"

Peter sighed, feeling so lucky to have both Sophie and Charity in his life. "All she's worried about is me�and Ben."

Sophie smiled, understanding completely. "I'll call the hospital tomorrow to see how he's doing."

"Maybe we should do more than that?" Peter wondered, fearful.

"This is getting out of hand, Soph," he said. "People are dying. If this is all about revenge on Charity�whoever it is might try again to kill Ben."

"What do you want to do?" Sophie asked, concerned. "Post a guard or something?"

Peter shook his head. "Easier than that," he replied mysteriously. "If Ben's in harm's way because he's supposedly Charity's husband, we just tell people the truth�he's not."

"People?" Sophie eyed him suspiciously.

"Gus�Ivy� It has to be one of them, Soph," he felt sure of it.

"Ivy." Sophie answered quite confidently.

"Funny, I was thinking Gus�." Peter winced, still vexed over Sophie's one kiss.

"Nope, it's Ivy," Sophie insisted, in a tone that Peter recognized very well. His beautiful wife knew a lot more than what she'd told him so far.

"Becaussse�" he tilted her chin, waiting expectantly.

"Because," Sophie sat up straight against the pillows, quite business-like now, "I have a theory," she proclaimed.

"Which is?" Peter asked cheerfully, enjoying this inquisitive side to Sophie's personality.

"Ivy Wilcox is the great-great-granddaughter of Lila Cohen." Sophie announced her findings.

"And just how did you figure that?" Astounded, Peter sat up, too, facing her.

"Well, it was Michaela, actually," Sophie began, eager to share her story.

"Michaela told you?" Peter was surprised. He thought ghosts had rules about that sort of thing�

"No, Silly," Sophie explained. "She told me that if I thought about it long enough, I had the knowledge within me to figure it out."

Peter was baffled. Obviously, Sophie was buoyed by something she had discovered. He just still didn't know what.

"And?" he pressed further.

"And�so I started thinking about Grandpa Hank, and Lila, and Chava�" Sophie detailed.

"It's an unusual name, don't you think?" she asked him, slowly divulging her clues.

"I guess so�" Peter struggled to follow along.

"You know how I love researching names," Sophie babbled happily.

"I know," Peter grinned. "Sophie means wisdom and Peter means rock�"

Those two, he knew by heart now. All the others, he left to Sophie.

"Did I ever tell you that when I was in graduate school at McGill I had a roommate named Joy Lowenstein?" Sophie rambled on.

At this point, Peter was so befuddled, he decided to just sit back and enjoy the ride. With the amazing Sophie Becker, that was usually the best way to go�

"Ummm�no�no�I don't think you ever told me that," he replied, loving the excitement written all over her face.

"Well, I did." Sophie kept going. "She's a terrific person� We still keep in touch� Even if she did steal all my gloves... Do you have any idea how cold and snowy it gets in Montreal?"

Peter merely shrugged, choosing not to interrupt this fascinating glimpse into Sophie's past. That it might also lead to Charity's freedom only made it all the more intriguing.

"Anyway," Sophie continued on. "Joy's Jewish, as you can probably tell by Lowenstein�"

"But, did you know that Joy isn't her real name?" Sophie whispered, as if she were revealing a secret.

"I mean, it's her real name, but it isn't her Hebrew name, the name she was given at birth," Sophie explained. "Her Hebrew name is Gila�"

"Gila means Joy�" Sophie finished, feeling as if she'd covered everything quite clearly.

Peter sat there, for a minute, absorbing Sophie's breezy, expansive tale. While, little by little, the light began to dawn.

"So, Chava is a Hebrew name�" Peter was pretty sure he understood. "Meaning?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Sophie grinned, pulling the notes she'd made from the computer off the nightstand.

"Chava�also known as Eva�or Eve�or�"

Peter finished for her, remembering Ivy's story from the restaurant. "Ivy."

"Voila!" Sophie's face lit up.

Peter gazed at her in awe. "You are an incredible woman, Sophie Becker."

"Why, thank you�" she replied, quite proud of her sleuthing.

Thrilled by the first possible lead they had, Peter scooped her into his arms. His lips conveyed such newfound optimism that, suddenly, Sophie feared she might have jumped to conclusions too quickly.

"Peter, I could be wrong�" she cautioned, breaking the kiss.

"You're not wrong," Peter looked at her with love in his eyes.

Sophie was still mulling it over. "Ivy does resemble Lila�I mean, much more than Gus does."

"You saw the painting?" Peter pulled back, surprised.

"Uh-huh," Sophie nodded, pleased. "After the movie, we met you for dinner and then Gus invited me back up to his suite�"

"I don't think I want to hear this," Peter grimaced.

"Casablanca�dinner�one kiss�" Sophie soothed him. "And it gave me the chance to see the painting, Peter. It was worth it."

"Casablanca�" he muttered. There was that movie again.

Sophie noticed his expression instantly. "What?" she asked, confused.

"Nothing�" Peter thought better of asking. Instead, he lifted the covers, inviting Sophie to crawl underneath with him.

"Somethin' on your mind, Mountain Man?" she asked again after they were all snuggled in, lights turned down low, pillow-to-pillow, face-to-face.

Sophie hoped they'd come far enough that there'd be no more unanswered questions between them.

"It's just�" Peter felt foolish but he really wanted to know. "When you talk about Casablanca you get such a sparkle in your eyes and Gus shares that sparkle with you�and I feel left out."

"Don't you like Casablanca?" Sophie perched up on her elbow, shocked at the possibility.

"Well, sure, it's okay, as old movies go�" Peter acknowledged freely, certain he must have seen it once or twice.

"I just get the feeling that it means more to you somehow," he continued, brushing Sophie's cheek with the back of his hand. "And I wondered why?"

Peter knew he was probably making too much of this. But, even after being married for a year, there was still so much about Sophie that he didn't know�that he wanted to know. Joy Lowenstein, for example, and her penchant for stealing Sophie's winter gloves. It was all those little stories that together comprised the fabric of Sophie's life. But they were so few and far between.

Things, like Sophie's favorite color, which he now knew to be green, and her favorite movie, which undoubtedly had to be Casablanca. Those were the precious details he never got a chance to ask amidst their unorthodox relationship. The stories behind those answers were the part of Sophie Becker he still yearned to know. But was she ready to share them?

Even in the dim light, Sophie could see all the questions in Peter's mind. Let's face it, neither one of them had had the best of childhoods, the easiest of lives, or the happiest of memories growing up. As much as she chided Peter for keeping things to himself, Sophie had to admit she didn't exactly volunteer information about her past, either.

"It does mean more�." she admitted softly.

Immediately Peter felt guilty, sensing he'd probed an old wound. "You don't have to, Soph�"

"No, it's nothing really," she assured him, but her voice indicated otherwise. "Just the life of an air force brat�"

"First with Dad, then on my own�I never stood still, Peter, you know that." Sophie recalled her old self - the person she was before she met him.

"Casablanca was my one security blanket, my warm fuzzy slippers, my way of fitting in�" she explained shyly.

"Fitting in?" Lovingly, he stroked Sophie's arm and listened.

"It plays in every country, in every language around the world," Sophie marveled. "I could always find it somewhere."

"It was how I'd learn to speak a new language whenever I arrived," she told him with a small smile.

"Toutes les jointures des gin dans toutes les villes dans toutes les monde, elle marche dans le mien," she quoted grandly.

"Lo guarda qui, il bambino." Sophie's Italian was excellent.

"Accorale a los sospechosos usuales." Peter assumed she was in Spain now.

A million miles away in a hundred other countries, Sophie was reliving lost and lonely times - times Peter wished he could have been there for her.

"I knew the dialogue by heart so it was easy to figure out," she recalled. "And if it was playing in a theater, it gave me a chance to mingle, meet people�feel at home."

"Casablanca means 'home,'" Sophie finished with an embarrassed shrug.

Peter had hung on Sophie's every word, picturing her at all the stages of her life, so alone, yet so determined. His eyes began to glisten.

"I love you, Sophie Becker," he said softly, so touched by all she'd shared.

"More and more, every day," he added in a reverent hush.

"I love you, too, Mountain Man." Sophie's eyes were filled with such devotion that Peter would have given her the world.

Instead, he pledged something he knew she'd cherish above all.

"And, I promise," he whispered, tracing her faint smile with his fingertips, "that Casablanca will forever be my favorite movie of all time."

Then, he crossed his heart to seal the deal.

Sophie's smile increased, along with her sneaking suspicion that her husband was fibbing. "Peter, have you ever even seen it?" she challenged playfully - not that it mattered. Just sharing her life with him was the greatest gift she could imagine.

"Of course, I've seen it, Soph." Peter appeared mortally wounded by her lack of faith.

"Prove it," Sophie dared, leaning over him seductively, hoping to distract him.

Oh, Peter was going to enjoy this.

"Well, it starred Humphrey Bogart�" He began leisurely by placing his hands lightly on Sophie's bare shoulders.

"And?" Sophie was beginning to enjoy this, too.

"And�Ingrid Bergman�" As he spoke, Peter entwined his fingers within the delicate spaghetti straps of her camisole. Gradually, he eased them downward until his hands were at her elbows and she was locked firmly within his grasp.

"And?" Sophie tilted her head back, reveling in the feel of his soft, warm, lips along her neck, her shoulders, the tops of her breasts - everywhere, it seemed, but on her mouth.

Sophie squirmed with delight, intensifying the pressure of her body against his. She no longer cared about Peter's knowledge of old movies or claiming victory by calling his bluff. All she cared about was joining his lips with hers.

"Peter, please!" Sophie moaned, desperate to reach him. "Kiss me�"

Lucky for Peter, her request came quickly. He'd gambled he could win his wife's little dare but his concentration was fading as fast as his control.

Still, he held her back, just one more second. "Relax, Soph," he tortured wickedly, his voice husky and his breath as hot as a desert breeze.

"A kiss is just a kiss�"

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