Re: Ghosts - ch.38 & 39 -- The Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Fan Exchange

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Date Posted: 14:07:56 04/23/03 Wed
Author: dqfan
Subject: Re: Ghosts - ch.38 & 39
In reply to: dqfan 's message, "Re: Ghosts - ch.37" on 11:07:15 04/21/03 Mon

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT Thursday about 9am

"I can't take this any more, Bruno!"

Gus had tossed and turned on his subterranean Parisian bench all night. Warmed by only his jacket for cover, he'd discovered that, even in the desert, nights below ground were damned cold!

"This place is starting to get to me," Gus moaned. Unable to find a comfortable position, he bolted upright, freezing.

"It's your claustrophobia, Sir�" Bruno reported helpfully.

"You think?" Gus deadpanned, making another mental note re: staff insubordination. "I'm just saying, it's not the Batcave, okay, Robin?"

"Yes, Sir, not the Batcave, Sir�" Bruno agreed readily.

"And we should've turned the heat on," Gus snapped, irritated.

"Heat doesn't come on until opening day, Sir. Your orders�" Bruno reminded him succinctly.

"Great�" Gus muttered. That stupid idea, they listened to�

"What time is it?" Gus asked, tucking in his shirt and slipping his jacket back on.

Bruno checked his watch. "Close to 9am, Sir."

"Wonder if Sophie's back?" Gus mumbled to himself.

About the only tolerable part of Gus' evening had been the dream he'd had during the hour or so of sleep he'd managed to get that night. In it, he and Sophie were together in Paris - strolling along the banks of the Seine, having dinner atop the Eiffel Tower, sipping champagne at midnight overlooking the city lights�

"Bruno," Gus announced with renewed energy. "We're breaking out."

"Out, Sir?" Bruno looked concerned. "Is that wise? Sheriff Carter probably has your suite under surveillance."

"That's why I'm not going to my suite." Conspiratorially, Gus motioned Bruno closer.

"We'll take the service elevator," Gus decided on a plan. "I'll meet you at the Sandbox in about 15 minutes."

"Where will you be, Sir?" Bruno's eyebrows met in disapproval.

"I won't be long," Gus punched the elevator call button.

"I just need to ask a lady for a date�"

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

"Did you find anything?" Peter had turned Sophie's room upside down and found nothing.

Reggie was currently doing the same in Peter's adjoining room with little success so far. "I'm looking!" he yelled from inside the closet.

Peter stood on the threshold of the two rooms and shook his head. "Do you really think she left a note in the closet?" he asked in exasperation.

"Well, she wouldn't leave it in plain sight, would she?" Reggie countered. "In case you decided to continue your 'date' up here?"

Peter stopped in his tracks. He must be losing his mind. Reggie was starting to make sense�

"Point taken," Peter grumbled, checking the desk anyway.

Reggie moved from the closet, to the bed, and then headed toward the bathroom, placing his hand on the doorknob.

"Now, what are you doing?" Peter scowled.

Losing his cool, Reggie turned back to face Peter.

"I am checking the bathroom! Do you have a problem with that?" he barked.

"What do you think�she wrote a note on the mirror in lipstick?" Peter snarled, opening a few more desk drawers.

"It would just kill you if I happened to know a thing or two about the female psyche, wouldn't it?" Reggie snapped, noticing Peter's attention drift.

"Well, would it?" Reggie insisted.

"Sshhh!" Peter silenced him. "Do you hear that?"

"What�?" Reggie's ears perked up.

It wasn't a knock, exactly - more of a scraping sound - and it was coming from Sophie's door.

At once, Peter raced out into the hallway to investigate, with Reggie close on his heels.

There, with his arm propped against Sophie's door for support, they found Gus, busily scribbling a note.

"Gus! What the Hell are you doing here?" Furious, Peter's voice carried all the way down the hall and around the corner, where Ivy was just getting off of the main elevator.

Checking her reflection in its glass panel, Ivy smiled. Deciding to surprise Peter in his hotel room had been the perfect idea! Wearing red again, in the hope that it would re-kindle Peter's passion, she'd changed quickly into one of her favorite dresses. With its princess neckline, fitted sleeves, and short flouncy skirt, Ivy felt certain her figure would speak for itself. Then, there'd be more than enough time before Charity's hearing for Peter to refresh "her" memory of last night.

But, with Peter and Gus in mid-argument over something, Ivy's curiosity overtook her. Intrigued, she chose to stay hidden from their view and listen in on the conversation�

"Quiet!" Gus hissed. "You want Sheriff Stupid to find me?"

"You were supposed to stay downstairs!" Peter lowered his voice.

"Nothing to get excited about," Gus misunderstood Peter's worry.

"Nobody saw me. I took the service elevator up," he explained calmly.

"That damned basement is more of a river of nightmares than a river of dreams�" Gus reported with a shiver.

But Peter wasn't listening� All of his original misgivings about Gus were bubbling to the surface once again, especially seeing him outside Sophie's door.

The way Peter saw it, Sophie was missing and the only person lurking around was�Gus. What if Sully had been wrong about trusting him?

And, more importantly, could Gus have played any part in Sophie's disappearance?

"Why didn't you just knock?" Peter asked, suspicious. After all, a person would normally knock first, before bothering to write a note.

Peter's imagination was in overdrive now and his panic over Sophie's whereabouts was getting the better of him.

"I didn't think she'd be back yet," Gus replied with a shrug, unable to see what the big deal was.

"Back? "Back from where?" Peter cornered Gus against the wall, his anger building. "When's the last time you saw her?"

"Last night, about six o'clock. I dropped her at the airport," Gus replied truthfully.

"I don't believe you," Peter insisted. "Sophie would never leave town just like that."

"Where was she going?" he delved further, enraged by Gus' story.

"I don't know," Gus answered, tiring of Peter's third degree and his increasingly hostile tone.

But Gus' reply only served to send Peter into even more of a rage.

"You're lying!" Peter decided there and then.

"Why would I lie?" Gus turned to Reggie in exasperation.

"I'm telling you - I�DON'T�KNOW!" With each clearly enunciated word, Gus jabbed Peter further away, not caring any more who heard.

Grateful for the increase in volume, Ivy was finding this entire exchange fascinating. So, Gus was hiding downstairs in the under-construction River of Dreams. She'd have to remember to tell Leroy at her earliest convenience. But, what was all this fuss about Sophie? Why would Peter care if she were missing?

Ivy's answer came in the form of Peter's lunging growl. Peering just enough for a small peek, Ivy was delighted to see Peter aim a right hook straight to Gus' jaw. This was almost as fun as seeing Charity in prison.

Gleefully, Ivy leaned back against the wall, out of sight, and continued listening.

"The Hell you don't!" Peter struck Gus again, shoving him back against the wall.

"She said her mother needed her." Wiping a trickle of blood from his lip, Gus gathered his strength for a counter-attack.

"Her mother's dead, you son of a bitch!" Peter let another punch fly. "And if you don't start telling me the truth, I'm gonna rip you to pieces and sprinkle you across the real Sahara."

"I AM telling you the truth," Gus roared, breaking Peter's hold and flinging him up against the opposite wall.

"Peter!" Reggie pleaded with both men to stop as Gus struck back in retaliation.

Back and forth the punches flew, while Ivy pondered all she had heard so far. If Gus was telling the truth, Sophie had mysteriously left town - a fact that seemed to upset Peter no end. And how could Peter possibly know that Sophie's mother was dead? That wasn't the sort of thing one shared with a perfect stranger.

The more Ivy listened, the more puzzled she became. It was becoming quite apparent to her that Peter had an agenda all his own.

The fight was out of control now. Peter was out of control. His guilt over bringing Sophie into all this, his growing fear that she might be in danger, his jealousy and his anger at Gus, were all coming to a head.

"I've had it with you, Leighton!" Peter pummeled him over and over again. "Now, I wanna known what the Hell you've done with my wife!"

With that one single word - "wife" - the smile, which had been plastered all over Ivy's face while Peter was busy beating Gus to a pulp, dissolved into a cold, stony stare.

"PETER!" Reggie pulled Peter off of Gus and stared him straight in the eyes. Did he even realize what he'd just said?

"Wife?" Gus crumpled on the floor in a heap. "Sophie?"

As Peter struggled to catch his breath, he quickly grasped the enormity of his mistake. "Keep your voice down," he instructed Gus sharply.

"She's your wife?" The revelation kicked Gus in the stomach harder than any of Peter's previous blows.

Relieved to see the hallway was, to his viewpoint, empty, Peter attempted to continue the conversation more calmly.

"I don't have time to explain everything to you now," Peter pulled Gus to his feet.

"Nice to know my partner trusts me so much," Gus fumed, refusing Peter's help.

"Listen, you do what you want," he challenged Peter. "But I'm telling you the truth."

Gus had had enough. It was time to handle things his way, from now on.

"And, maybe, if you'd spent more time with your wife and less with my ex, you wouldn't have lost her." Gus' biting remark stung Peter to the core and sent Ivy's desire for revenge to new heights.

"Where are you going?" Irate, Peter tried to stop Gus from leaving.

"Deal's off!" Gus spit the words at Peter. "I'll find my own hiding place, thank you very much."

"And when Sophie realizes what an idiot you are," he added for good measure. "I'll be waiting for her."

Anticipating Peter's response, Reggie held Peter back with all his might. "Peter, don't!" he begged.

Gus took a pitiful look at the sorry pair and shook his head. He'd find Sophie all on his own. He had only one final bit of business first.

"Oh, and Reg," Gus said pointedly.

"You're fired!"

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

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

"How could I've been so stupid?" Peter was furious with himself and the way he'd handled Gus. Now, it was almost time for him to pick up Ivy and head to Charity's hearing and he still had no idea where his wife was!

"I don't think Gus will spill the beans," Reggie tried to reassure Peter as the two men paced Sophie's hotel room. "He'd rather find Sophie himself and come out looking like the hero."

At that, Peter hung his head and slumped onto the bed, his expression bearing a definite resemblance to a bassett hound Reggie once owned.

"I just mean, I don't think he'd hurt her," Reggie flustered, not used to seeing Peter so down.

"So, what am I supposed to do now?" Peter sighed, willing to take advice from any quarter at this point.

"I think you should stick to the plan. Go pick up Ivy and bail Mrs. M. out of jail," Reggie decided unilaterally.

"Sophie will probably be here by the time you get back," he added, with the most optimistic smile he could manage. "Just like she promised�"

Realistically, Peter knew he didn't have much choice. And Reggie was right about one thing. As much as Peter hated to admit it, Gus seemed genuinely to care about Sophie; whereas, Ivy didn't seem to care about anyone but herself. To leave her alone for too long would be playing with fire.

Resigned, Peter rose from the bed and took a good look at himself in the mirror. Disheveled didn't begin to describe his appearance. But, it was too late now to shower and change. He'd just have to make do with what he was wearing. At least, he'd managed that shave at Ivy's earlier this morning.

Tucking in his shirt and straightening his tie, Peter grabbed his jacket and prepared to do as Reggie suggested.

But, as he headed out the door, Peter caught sight of Sophie's lavender pajamas lying across a chair.

Shaken, he turned back toward Reggie with a sigh.

"I really hope you're right�"

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

Meanwhile, downstairs in the lobby, bored and frustrated by his inability to locate Gus, Leroy Carter was passing the time by attempting to converse with several firemen who were busy making their usual monthly inspection of the hotel, their truck parked outside.

As the men, promptly and professionally, went about their work, Leroy boasted to them at length about Virginia City's excellent fire prevention record, unphased by the fact that none of the men appeared to be paying even the slightest attention to him.

Thankfully, though, Ivy's arrival on the scene put a swift end to the Sheriff's incessant monologue, as she motioned him away with a stern look.

"Take the service elevator down to the basement," Ivy ordered harshly, sparing no time to mince words.

"Gus is there," she explained, pointing Leroy in the right direction, just to be sure. "Take care of him."

"Anything you say, Sugar," Leroy replied, resting his hand on his gun.

Ivy was so angry she could hardly see straight. Gus knew better than to double-cross her. And Peter� How dare he lie to her�make love to her�and then use her as nothing more than a pawn in his quest to free Charity? Well, she'd take care of him - and his precious Sophie.

Suddenly, the unexpected early morning activity in the lobby caught Ivy's attention. "What's with all the firemen?" she asked, rattled.

"Regulations, Sugar. Hotels this size gotta be checked monthly. Two ladder companies at least," Leroy reported authoritatively. "They'll be gone in a few minutes. Just finishing up."

"Fine, fine," Ivy waved him off. She really hadn't wanted to know that much. "Get going. I'll meet you down there later."

Carefully, Ivy watched to make sure Leroy reached the service elevator without any problems. Now that Gus would soon be history, Ivy's next target remained Charity. Let her enjoy these few hours free on bail this morning. By nightfall, she'd be back in prison for the murder of her husband. Ivy could hardly wait for the hearing to begin.

But first, she would have to face Peter again...Peter, who had now eclipsed Charity as the prime recipient of Ivy's venomous wrath. It would take every ounce of strength she possessed not to kill Peter on the spot. Murderously, Ivy double-checked the poison syringe in her purse.

But, instantaneous death was too good for Peter. No, he would have to suffer first - long and hard.

He'd watch his beloved Sophie die. Ivy would make very sure of that. Then, she and Peter could be married, as planned. He'd have little choice but to agree - if he thought there was a chance it might lead to Charity's freedom. Ivy made a mental note to dangle that little carrot for all it was worth.

But, alas, once Peter had given her his name and his fortune in a proper wedding, her new husband would perish - on their honeymoon, perhaps. Yes, that would be tragic�

The "all clear" blast from the fire engine's horn interrupted Ivy's musings and turned her attention toward the main entrance. A Yellow Cab was just pulling up and a surprising guest was making a decidedly weary return into the lobby.

"Sophie!" Ivy called to her, seizing the golden opportunity fate had placed in her hands.

"Ivy?" Jet-lagged from flying all night, Sophie was unprepared for Ivy - and her devious announcement.

"Thank God, you're here!" Ivy exclaimed in a rush, her face filled with horror.

"What's wrong?" Sophie asked immediately, adjusting her daypack on her shoulders.

"It's Gus�" Ivy blurted frantically. "Apparently, he was inspecting a new construction site downstairs and there was some sort of accident�a fallen support beam�"

Intricately, Ivy concocted her lie, leading Sophie by the elbow, past all the firemen, who added such a fortunate authenticity to her tale.

"At first, they thought he was alone�" Ivy took her time here, laying the groundwork. She and Sophie were almost at the service elevator now�

Sophie's mind was a jumble of confusion - not unlike the lobby. Re-entering Las Vegas definitely wasn't any easier the second time around, especially after the tranquil calm of Vashon Island.

The whirl of lights, the clanging bells and whistles of the slot machines, and now the swarm of firemen, all had Sophie's senses on overload, as she struggled to digest everything Ivy was telling her.

Gus was trapped somehow in the River of Dreams? How the heck had that happened? And what about Peter's night with Ivy? Sophie wasn't sure she wanted to hear any more of Ivy's version of events. Better to get all the gory details straight from Peter.

"But then, I couldn't find Peter�" Adroitly, Ivy dropped her bombshell on an unsuspecting Sophie, and waited patiently for it to register.

"Peter!" The color drained from Sophie's face just as Ivy knew that it would. Meanwhile, Sophie struggled to maintain her composure.

"Is he� I mean� Are they all right?" Sophie phrased her question carefully.

"The rescue effort's still underway," Ivy replied hurriedly, hoping Sophie would take the bait. "But I was just heading down there to see for myself�"

Boldly, Ivy stepped onto the service elevator. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain. It was Sophie's move now.

To Ivy's delight, Sophie followed her into the elevator without so much as a pause.

"I'm coming with you!" she announced, thinking only of Peter�thinking only with her heart.

Somberly, Ivy pressed the "Close Door" button and nodded.

"Of course�"

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

Michaela was sitting alone on a bench by the Tequila Trail when Sully came up quietly to sit beside her.

"You still mad at me?" he asked softly, looking out over the desert landscape.

Michaela turned to her husband and sighed. "No, of course, not� I was never mad at you, Sully."

"Just the situation," Sully nodded sagely, staring straight ahead.

"Yes�the situation�" Michaela agreed, her voice cracking as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Hey�" Sully comforted her instantly, wiping the tear away with his thumb. "It ain't like you to give up."

Michaela's worries gave way to a tiny smile at Sully's challenge. "Did I say I was giving up?"

"I love them both so much, Sully�" she vowed.

"I know you do." Gently, Sully placed his hand on her shoulder, twirling a lock of her hair absent-mindedly between his fingers.

"But, this's gotta happen in its own way, Michaela," he warned her. "They've gotta find their own way."

"I should be at the hospital." Michaela realized the time. "Unless you'd rather we switch?" she offered, taking his hand in hers.

Only Michaela truly knew the courage Sully would need today, and his eyes sparkled with love at her compassion. "Thank you�" he smiled lovingly. "But we each got our places fer a reason, right?"

"Guess I gotta face my ghosts this trip, too," he added with a wry grimace.

Devotedly, Michaela framed Sully's face within her hands.

"Peter and Sophie aren't the only ones I love very much," she reminded him with a deep, tender kiss.

Sully returned the kiss, welcoming her overture, appreciating Michaela's attempt to ease his mind and re-establish their timeless connection. He would need the strength of their love for the day ahead.

"Anybody I know?" he teased, his fears melting with the first touch of her lips.

Michaela's eyes twinkled mischievously. "No�" she replied with an innocent shrug, capturing his mouth again.

"No one in particular�"

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

"This place is huge," Ivy gushed, walking ahead of Sophie along the River of Dreams. "The brochure said it's over two miles long."

The further Sophie ventured from the elevator, the more leery she grew. She'd expected lights, drilling, shouts�a hub of activity. Instead, there was nothing but silence and dim tracking lights as far ahead as she could see.

"Uh, I think I'll go back upstairs and ask one of the firemen for an update." Trying not to panic, Sophie stopped and eased one step backwards - bumping into something very big�something that was breathing!

"Sugar, damned if I can find that Gus fella anywhere."

Face to face with Sheriff Leroy Carter, Sophie took only one second to put all her instincts and survival training to good use�and run.

"Get her!" Ivy shrieked.

Leroy chuckled, happy for a request that he could easily fulfill.

Sophie didn't stand a chance. All her kicking and screaming was useless. Leroy captured her in one swoop, like a lion with a mouse between its teeth.

"Tie her up!" Ivy instructed angrily.

Leroy pulled out his cuffs and secured Sophie's wrists below her daypack. "No! Wait! Please! HELP!!" she yelled, squirming.

"Somebody'll hear her�" Menacingly, Leroy reached for his gun as Sophie flinched.

"No!" Ivy snatched the gun from Leroy, enjoying the puzzled, yet relieved look on Sophie's face.

"I'll take care of this myself," Ivy hissed, stroking the gun barrel with her fingertips.

"Ivy�" Sophie didn't know what to say. All her psychological training and she couldn't seem to find the words to plead for her life.

It mattered little, for Ivy's mind was made up. In a violent rage, she brought the barrel of the gun down with a hard crack against Sophie's skull.

"Good night, Mrs. Scarbrow," Ivy seethed, as Sophie slumped unconscious to the ground, blood seeping from her forehead.

"Ya want me to dump her in the 'River,' Sugar?" Leroy offered helpfully, lifting Sophie's lifeless body.

Ivy looked around with a smile. "Yes, but not here�" she replied, unhappy with the Parisian d�cor. "Follow me."

About a mile down the tunnel, Ivy found the perfect spot. "There," she pointed to beneath an ornamental footbridge. "Leave her down there."

At least fifteen feet below the paved walkways, the riverbed was nothing but mud and rocks, with the occasional rat still scrambling for a home. The surface could be reached only by emergency ladders, which were bolted flush to either side of the tunnel at several points along the way.

The closest ladder to where Ivy had pointed was about a quarter of a mile ahead and Leroy was beginning to tire from carrying Sophie for so long. With an exhausted groan, he sat down along the edge of the river and placed Sophie on his lap. Then, he gave her a push and rolled her down into the pit.

Sophie's body hit the ground with a thud, landing just below the footbridge.

"Ya think she's dead, Sugar?" Leroy wondered, staring at Sophie's bloody, twisted body.

"If she isn't now, she will be soon enough," Ivy said with icy detachment. No one with Sophie's injuries could survive down there for long.

"Did you see a light switch around here somewhere?" Ivy asked, handing Leroy back his gun.

"It's by the elevator," Leroy told her as they walked back.

"Good," Ivy nodded, smoothing her dress from all the fuss. "Then, make sure you turn them off on our way up."

"Sophie needs her beauty sleep�"

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

"Any word from Sophie?" Peter badgered Reggie at the concierge desk.

"I thought you were going to pick up Ivy?" Reggie asked, confused.

"She wasn't in her room," Peter reported, pacing back and forth in the lobby.

"You lost Ivy, too?" Reggie was appalled. "How did that happen?"

Peter stopped pacing and shot Reggie one of those "give me a break looks" that always made Reggie feel guilty for asking.

Succinctly, Reggie detailed his observations, thusfar. "No Sophie�no Ivy�and no Gus. Not that you asked about him, but I thought you'd like to know you're batting three for three."

"Terrific..." Peter bit his cheek in frustration.

"Peter!" Ivy's voice carried across the lobby.

"One down�" Reggie muttered under his breath.

"Ivy, I'm sorry. Did we get our signals crossed?" Peter asked as brightly as possible.

"Oh, it's my fault," Ivy covered, glancing furtively over her shoulder to make sure that Leroy had disappeared safely into the crowd. "I thought I'd check the gift shop before we left and buy Mrs. Reardon a welcome home present. But I couldn't find anything�appropriate."

"Don't worry about it," Peter reassured her. "All Charity wants is her freedom. And to see Ben, of course."

"Of course," Ivy nodded. Taking his arm sweetly, she suppressed her desire to rip it right out of its socket.

"Then, we should go�"

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Replies:

Re: Ghosts - ch.40 -- dqfan, 14:14:49 04/23/03 Wed
- Re: Ghosts - ch.41 -- dqfan, 16:44:35 04/25/03 Fri
  - Re: Ghosts - ch.42 -- dqfan, 14:19:25 04/26/03 Sat