| Subject: Chapter 15 |
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Becca
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Date Posted: 10:18:13 02/24/01 Sat
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Becca
's message, "The Path of Thorns" on 09:58:31 02/24/01 Sat
Chapter 15
**Penthouse 4**
Carly stepped off the elevator after a long day at the restaurant covering for Lucy who had a sudden appointment come up.
“Hey Johnny, is Sonny home?” Carly asked with a sigh as she approached the door.
“Yeah, he’s in there, and he told me to warn you,” Johnny said carefully.
“Warn me? About what?” Carly asked as her hand went for the door. She looked at Johnny, waiting for an answer.
Johnny frowned tiredly, “He just said to warn you Carly.”
Carly began to fume as she turned the doorknob. Sonny was making sure she didn’t explode by warning her ahead of time? Was he insane? This of course would only make her anxious, she thought, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what she was being warned of.
Stepping into the penthouse she saw a scene she never expected.
“What the hell is this?” Carly demanded. Sonny was sitting at the dining room table with Jason and Brenda on either side of him
Sonny looked up at her, trying to do his best to seem like he was having a good time. “Supper Carly. Jason and Brenda decided to treat us to Chinese food.”
“We can’t cook,” Brenda explained with a laugh. “So we ordered take out and brought it over. I was wondering if you were ever going to get home from work.”
“Yeah Carly, what’s up with that?” Jason asked as he took a mouthful of rice. “You really are into this working thing, huh?”
Carly glared at him for a moment before pulling a chair up next to Sonny. “Did AJ come for Michael?”
“Yeah, I think he said he was taking Michael to the Water Park tomorrow,” Sonny explained.
“That’s great,” Carly noted, ignoring the displeased look from Jason. She leaned closer to Sonny and whispered, “Please tell me this wasn’t your idea?”
“Of course not Carly,” he whispered back as Jason and Brenda ate silently. “They just showed up . . .I couldn’t throw them out.”
“Oh really? Did you try?” she retorted but didn’t allow him to answer. Instead Carly looked at Brenda who was sitting at her right and Jason across the table. “Ok you two, what’s the deal?”
“The deal?” Jason asked in confusion.
“Yeah, what are you two trying to do? What’s the angle you are playing?”
Jason stood up unhappily. “Carly, why are you acting like this? Brenda and I are just trying to be neighborly and friendly. We used to be friends, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, and that, despite all my trying to change, is all we were. Then you left, didn’t write, didn’t try to keep in touch, and I moved on. Jason, I moved on, I just want to know why you haven’t?” Carly shot coarsely.
“Because I thought friendship didn’t end Carly,” Jason said finally as he stormed out of the penthouse.
Brenda rose, glared at Carly, and went after Jason. “I’m really sorry Sonny, we wanted this night to be fun. Oh well. Good night Carly.”
Once she was gone, Carly threw her hands in the air and yelled. She looked at Sonny, who was staying amazingly patient. “I don’t care what you say, I think they are up to something and it is driving me nuts.”
“I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt, but they are acting strange,” Sonny pointed out. He motioned to the cartons of food. “Might as well eat right?”
**Penthouse 1**
“That’s it!” Brenda shouted as she slammed the door to their penthouse shut.
“You’re telling me . . .Brenda, I think we should move,” Jason suggested. “Things are just too different to fall back into that life with Sonny and Carly.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Brenda said wickedly. “I think it is time we finally have some fun with those two stiffs.”
Jason moved across the room and pulled Brenda close to him. “And what do you suggest we do?”
“Oh, I say we test their newfound devotion to each other,” Brenda smiled.
“How do we do that?”
“Use your imagination Jason…what has Carly always wanted but never gotten from you?”
Jason’s face was blank.
“Jason, sex, she wanted you in bed but you wouldn’t. Right?”
“Oh yeah, but she’s in love with Sonny now Brenda, it won’t work,” Jason insisted. “And he’s over you.”
“Neither of them will ever be over us, and if they are we’ll make them prove it!”
**Sly’s Apartment**
“This is nice,” Emily sighed as she leaned against Sly. They were lounged on the couch, the stereo playing softly in the background, both reading a book quietly.
“What is?” he asked, kissing the top of her head softly.
“Just us, being able to just relax for fifteen minutes,” she noted. “Everything is just so crazy now. With Landon and Lucky on the run, and Liz pregnant, and Brenda back . . .it’s nice to have someone I can just relax with.”
Sly smiled and returned to his book. Their silence was broken by the telephone. Both groaned, not wanting to answer it.
“Maybe it’s Liz,” Emily prompted.
“Or Luke, maybe something about Lucky and Landon,” Sly suggested.
“One of us should get up,” she told him with a laugh.
“You’re on top of me,” Sly pointed out with a laugh.
Emily groaned and pushed herself up. “Fine, I’ll answer it, but first . . .” she leaned down and kissed him quickly. “There, now I can answer the phone.”
She walked over to the ringing telephone, picking it up hurriedly. “Hello . . .yes, this is she . . .oh really, that’s great . . . how long are you going to be there? . . .ok, that’s great, I’ll be right over. Thanks for getting it done so fast. Bye.”
Emily hung up the phone and turned back to an expectant Sly. “What is so great?” he asked with a chuckle.
“That was Mr. Zander Smith from the car shop, he says my Jetta is all fixed,” Emily said mockingly. “I’m going to go get it.”
Sly sat up, “You want me to give you a lift?”
Emily shook her head. “Nah, I think I’ll take a walk . . .clear my head and all.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, his gray blue eyes shining up at her. She knelt onto the couch, hovering over him with a seductive smile.
“You wait here and when I get back . . .well, you know,” she said, her boldness caving a bit.
Sly cocked his head to the side and smirked, “You sure know how to control me, you know that?”
Standing up and moving to the door she looked back at him, once again smiling at him, “It’s a gift.”
“Be careful,” he told her. “I couldn’t bare losing you.”
“Sly, don’t you know? That’s impossible, you’re stuck with me.”
**PCPD**
Taggert paced around the tiny interrogation room, hating his job at that very moment. Kallie Morez sat at the table, her face stained with tears, looking like she was about to break down crying again.
“I know this is very hard for you . . .”
“Hard?” Kallie snapped. “Yesterday I found my brother murdered in his own home . . . I had spoken to him only an hour earlier and then I find . . .this is beyond hard Lieutenant Taggert.”
Taggert ringed his hands thoughtfully. “I fully understand, but we have to figure out if your brother had any enemies. Do you know of anyone who would want to . . .well, kill him?”
“No,” Kallie said firmly. “He wasn’t that kind of guy. Tony was gentle and sweet. You know when they say ‘a love not a fighter’, well that was Tony. My brother made friends with everyone he knew, and for all I knew he wasn’t into any trouble.”
“Are you sure? He could have a secret life that . . .”
“Because he was gay? Is that what you are hinting at? Let me tell you, if someone killed him because they don’t approve of his lifestyle . . .”
Taggert shook his head, “No, that’s not what it looks like at all. It doesn’t appear to be someone irrationally killing your brother. That was a professional hit Miss Morez, he was killed for a reason. I was just wondering if maybe he was involved in drugs, maybe the Mafia.”
Kallie rolled her eyes at the accusation. “No, Tony wasn’t into that stuff. He was a health nut. He always worked out, kept his body in shape, he was so into training for baseball that he didn’t even date anymore. He lived a simple life, the only friend I really know he had was Landon Spencer, and that was because they played ball together.”
“Spencer?” Taggert ran his hand over his face, frustrated with himself. “I should have known . . .damnit.”
“What is it?”
Taggert forced a smile and sighed, “Nothing for you to worry about.”
“If you insist,” Kallie said adversely. She rose her eyes to Taggert, “So can I go back to my brother’s apartment or not?”
Taggert looked at her in surprise. “You are staying in Port Charles? Why don’t you go home?”
Kallie shrugged, “Home? Where is that? Our parents are dead, our grandmother raised us, but really Tony and I have been on our own for a long time. Right now Port Charles is my home.”
“Well, you can’t go back to Tony’s apartment, it’s still a crime scene.”
Kallie slammed her hands down on the desk, “Oh that’s perfect. Think maybe they have any apartments available in that swank building where the mobster lives?”
Taggert snickered at the young woman’s sarcasm, it was rather charming coming from her. “Tell you what, I have an extra room you can crash in until you find somewhere better to live.”
“Live with a cop?”
Taggert shrugged his shoulders, “Look at it this way, at least you’ll be safe.”
She eyed him carefully. He seemed genuinely nice, trustworthy, Kallie wanted to say yes but her pride was getting the better of her. “How do I know you aren’t some kind of weirdo with fetishes?”
“Listen, you don’t have to stay with me, I’m just trying to be nice and . . .”
Kallie’s face softened, “Ok, I appreciate it, really. But don’t worry, it won’t be permanent, I’ll find my own place soon.”
Taggert turned to leave, “I’ll leave the directions and a key with Officer Howard. Make yourself at home.”
**Undisclosed Location**
Lucky pried his eyes open slowly. His entire body ached as if he had been through a car accident. As his vision focused Lucky began to remember what had happened. He and Landon were in Canada, waiting for word from Luke, wanting, needing to go home. Lucky took a short walk, called Maria, and when he returned everything fell apart.
Apparently Helena had found them and decided to up the stakes. Lucky had a feeling that Landon was merely a bonus for Helena, all she really wanted was Lucky.
But why? For nineteen years Lucky still couldn’t figure it out. He thought about it every day, tried to be logical, tried to be absurd, but nothing worked. What did Helena want from him?
Lucky didn’t really have time to dwell on that aspect at the moment; he was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard the door to the room slide open. For the first time he realized he was in a cell, it was cold and dark, the walls made of steel, the cot he laid on hard and uncomfortable, a single table and chair in the center of the room. Not the worst cell he could imagine, but not the Ritz either.
“Lucky Spencer,” a woman cooed. She was thin, with blonde hair and piercing eyes. Lucky wasn’t sure if they were dark blue or black, but they certainly weren’t friendly. As he stared at the woman she became more and more familiar to him.
“Where is Helena?” Lucky demanded as he rose.
“Not yet Lucky, she’s not ready for you . . .that’s my job.”
Lucky clenched his jaw tightly, not in the mood for these games. “What’s your job?” he relented.
“To make you ready, of course.”
“Tell me your name,” Lucky ordered her, wanting to know why she seemed to so familiar.
“Why? When it is so much fun to watch your beautiful little head struggle with the big question ‘did I screw her sister and then watch my brother murder her?’ Oh my, looks like I just spilled the beans.”
Lucky smirked at her, flipping his hair out of his eyes casually. “So you’re Jane’s sister? I should have known psychosis ran in the family.”
“Ah, isn’t that cute, still glib,” she snipped. “But to answer your question, I’m Maddy Kerros. Not a doctor like my sister, and I don’t sleep with fifteen year old boys either, that was her thing, not mine.”
“Well, let me give you the Noble Peace Prize then,” Lucky retorted. “You’re younger than her.”
Maddy sighed, “Yes, by five years. But I make up where Jane was deficient. She became attached to you, or rather addicted. She was a good salesman though, and she sold Helena on her method of control easily. However I don’t think her methods were quite useful.
“You still fell in love, you still aren’t loyal to Helena, and you are still don’t understand your place . . .that’s what I plan to change.”
“You think that you are going to beat me?” Lucky asked cockily. “Hate to tell you, I’ve been fighting this fight since I was a little boy and nobody has gotten the better of me, why should it work now?”
Maddy moved towards Lucky, running her hand up his chest, smiling wickedly. “Because you now have something to lose. And I have ways of exploiting everything.”
“You think so? Hate to tell you, but you won’t get near anyone. Sonny Corinthos has guards on everyone.”
“Everyone?” Maddy asked skeptically. She moved to the wall and opened one of the steel panels, revealing a television monitor. She turned it on with a remote control she removed from her pocket.
“What are we going to watch? ‘Cheers’ reruns?” Lucky snapped.
“No, just look.” The picture appeared, revealing an identical cell, only the person in it was Landon and he wasn’t alone.
“Leave him out of this, this isn’t his war,” Lucky said firmly as he watched the screen. It appeared that Landon was just talking to the guard, he didn’t seem threatened.
“Now why would we do that Lucky? This is so much more fun this way,” Maddy declared. “With your brother in there is my boyfriend and partner Damon Morte. Did you know that he was a psychology major in college? Of course you wouldn’t know that, but he was. Brilliant man that Damon is . . . I can’t wait to see the final results with Landon.”
Lucky turned away from the monitor, his eyes searching Maddy’s beautiful face for a sense of humanity. She seemed to be lacking in that area.
“Results?” Lucky managed to ask.
“Oh, we’re trying something new . . .don’t worry your little mind about it. I have other plans for you,” Maddy said secretively.
“Any hints?”
“A game, but don’t worry, I’ll give you a day to recoup before we begin,” Maddy told him as she moved for the door.
Lucky followed her, standing only inches from her. “Are you sure you don’t want to play your sister’s game? I’ll prove to you why your sister was so enamored?” Lucky tested her, trying to see how firm she was about her plans, her goals.
Maddy reached her hand to Lucky’s head, pulling his face even closer so that they were literally eye to eye. “Now I can see why it would be an appealing idea for both of us,” she paused, staring at his supple lips hungrily. “That just won’t work for us. I’m sure people would end up displeased with our endeavors. Good day Lucky.”
Lucky watched her leave, punching the door painfully after she left. This was going to be difficult because he had no idea what was going on.
**Spencer House**
Liz sat on the couch, the uneasiness she felt earlier having subsided. She decided to tell Luke and Laura, and Steven and her grandmother about her pregnancy at the same time. She figured it would be easier to tell them all once than multiple times. Emily offered to be there when she told them, but Liz knew she had to do this on her own.
Luke and Laura, despite the fact that their sons were on the run, and that Nikolas had now ‘crossed over’ to Helena’s side to start the plan, were overjoyed. They were able to see the good in something she was struggling with. She had a life inside of her, she made a child, a miracle with Lucky, and Luke and Laura saw it as a reason to celebrate.
Audrey, surprisingly, was very supportive. She believed that her granddaughter was far to young to be a parent, but she also understood that more than anything Liz needed her family at this time.
Steven, on the other hand, wasn’t taking this well at all. Luke, Laura, and Audrey went into the kitchen to allow a moment between brother and sister.
“I just can’t believe this could happen,” Steven exclaimed as he paced the living room, stopping by the fireplace. “How can you be this irresponsible Elizabeth? Really?”
“It just happens Steve, Lucky and I didn’t plan it, we just got caught up in the moment.” Liz held her head tiredly in her hands. “But I don’t need your disapproval of my relationship or what happened in the past, I just need your support.”
Steven didn’t say anything, just studied the photos on the mantel.
“Remember when you first got back to Port Charles? You told me all about the stuff that happened to you, the problems and trouble you got into. Did I shun you for it Steve? Did I lecture you? No, I was supportive and your sister and I loved you. Steve, of all the people in my life who I need right now it is you.”
Steven turned to her, their eyes locking. He loved his little sister so much; he just hated to see her going through something difficult. They were all they had anymore, Steven, Liz, and Sarah, their parents were too busy playing hero and they couldn’t put their problems on Audrey.
“Why me? I would think you need the father of the child.”
Liz laughed lightly as she motioned for Steven to sit next to her, “That goes without saying. But I need my family too. The Spencers are great, I love them dearly and I know they’ll help at every turn. But Steve, I need MY family, you, Gram, and even Sarah. Please . . .”
Steven’s heart melted as he wrapped an arm around Liz’s shoulder. “I want to be a hard ass Liz, I really do.”
“But you won’t,” Liz teased, kissing her handsome brother on the cheek. “Will you?”
“How could I? You’re going to have enough to deal with when Sarah finds out, the least I can do is support you . . . even if you were acting like an irresponsible kid to get in this situation,” Steven scolded lovingly.
“We’ve got trouble,” Luke declared as he burst into the living room with Laura and Audrey close behind.
Liz stood up quickly, “What is it?”
Luke’s face looked pale and worried, “It’s Lucky and Landon. They were supposed to check in today but didn’t. So I called the motel where they were staying and the owner said they were gone, their room cleaned out, and they never checked out. He did say that someone saw a lot of people moving in and out of the room yesterday.”
Steven looked at them, getting what his sister was obviously trying not to. “You think they were . . .”
“I would bet all my money that Helena got to them,” Luke said. “I better call Sonny.”
**Conroy’s Auto Repair Shop**
Emily casually walked into the shop, expecting to find a middle aged mechanic, surprised at who she found. The young man behind the counter, his attention directed fully on a pad, as he seemed to be figuring out some figures, was young and very handsome.
“Um, I’m here to pick up my Jetta,” Emily prompted, finally getting the young man’s attention.
Zander looked up slowly, the world seeming to slow down as he made eye contact with the young woman. She was tall and elegant, her smooth, straight hair flowing, her smile alluring, he was instantly captivated.
“Are you Zander Smith?” Emily asked, glancing at her watch distractedly.
Zander nodded, “Yeah, I’m me . . . I mean, that’s I . . .uh, I’m Zander.”
Emily laughed softly at his bumbling, “You said my car was ready?”
Zander smiled and ran a hand through his floppy dark hair. “Yes it is, it only needed a few things . . . nothing too major. If you want I can walk you through what I did.”
“That’s alright,” Emily noted. She studied Zander closely, trying to figure out if she had ever met him before. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, I may not have the answer though,” he quipped.
“Did you go to PC High?”
Zander stood behind the computer and began to calculate her bill. “Nope, I’m actually really new in town. I’ve only been here two weeks. Why?”
“That’s what I thought . . . I was just curious because you didn’t seem familiar.”
Zander nodded and handed her the bill, “Oh, I’m actually . . .ah, never mind.”
“Go on, tell me,” she pushed.
“I was just going to say that I’m really glad I came to Port Charles, it was a last minute decision but it seems to be paying off,” Zander said, looking Emily directly in the eye.
Emily nodded, looking at the bill thoughtfully as she handed him her credit card. “This seems awfully low for all the work you did . . .”
“Your boyfriend was telling the truth when he said he didn’t know much about cars. The problems you had were nothing, fixed in a hurry.”
“I see . . . it still seems low, considering you got done in a day and all,” Emily mused with a sigh.
Zander nodded and handed her the key and credit card back. “Trust me Miss Quatermaine, it was my pleasure.”
Emily laughed slightly and turned to leave, “Well thanks Zander, I appreciate the speed at which you fixed my car.”
Zander smiled at her humbly. He walked to the door and watched Emily leave, taking a deep sigh. This was certainly going to make his stay in Port Charles interesting . . .well, more interesting than it already was.
**The Cottage**
Nikolas quickly unlocked the front door of his home, determined to find his bed and sleep for a few hours before dealing with updating everyone on the plan to get Helena.
“Sarah?” Nikolas asked in question when he found his girlfriend in the middle of the living room packing boxes. “What’s going on?”
Sarah looked up, pushing her hair out of her face with a sigh, “Nothing is going on Nikolas, and that is precisely the problem.”
“It looks like you are packing, why?”
Sarah looked at him, melting as she stared into his dark eyes, but finding her resolve quickly. “We are over Nikolas, we’ve been over for a long time and I don’t really think anything is going to fix that. Besides, you’d much rather be with Gina Cates than me.”
Nikolas looked at her in amazement. He knew that his relationship with Sarah was over, but he never thought he’d have to face the actual end of it. They were together so long it felt like he was losing much more than just his girlfriend.
“Gina left,” Nikolas told her weakly. “Before I left for New York I ran into her and she said she was moving to San Francisco to be with Jagger. Seems he was shot while on duty and, um, is now paralyzed. Gina wanted to be there for him, to help him through this.”
Sarah was shocked but even with Gina gone she and Nikolas didn’t stand a chance. “It doesn’t change anything.”
Nikolas nodded and sat down on the couch. “I know.”
“I think it is best it ends this way. Before we start to hate each other,” Sarah told him with a small smile.
“I suppose I can go for that,” Nikolas pointed out. He stood up and walked over to the stairs. “I’m going to go take a nap, my trip wore me out.”
“How was your meeting with your grandmother?” Sarah asked worriedly. Even though their relationship was over she would always care for Nikolas, and knowing that he was now meeting, voluntarily, with his grandmother, scared her to the bone.
Nikolas stopped dead in his tracks, his back still to Sarah, “It’s none of your concern.”
**Helena’s Suite**
Helena picked up her ringing telephone, a pleased yet weary smile on her face. “It’s about time,” she declared to the person on the other end.
“I’m sorry Mrs. Cassadine, but it was a rather long trip from Canada to here, not to mention it took a while to get the guests settled in,” Maddy explained sweetly.
“How are they?”
“Damon has already started on Landon, and I’ll have Lucky understanding his place in all of this soon enough.”
Helena paused, not liking the sound of power in the young woman’s voice. “No you will not Madeline, this is very delicate, Lucas cannot know the true reason behind his participation. He must understand this is his destiny, but he can’t know what his destiny is.”
Maddy murmured something Helena couldn’t hear before clearing her throat. “You know Mrs. Cassadine, one could misconstrue your plan as playing god.”
Helena tapped her fingernails on the side of the phone with a laugh. “Why misconstrue? That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
**Lucky’s Cell**
Lucky paced his cell tiredly, desperately trying to figure out what was going on. This was a game, that much Maddy told him. But what kind of game, where were the rules, what was the ultimate goal. And how could Landon being locked up possibly be part of it.
Lucky glanced at the television monitor. Landon had been left alone for a couple of hours and only slept, but it looked like the “doctor” had returned. Lucky had a feeling this guy wasn’t just talking to Landon about his feelings, he was messing with is head. And Lucky knew that Landon was the perfect target. He was vulnerable to be controlled, he was the trusting type of person, and there was no way he’d be capable of fighting off the suggestions Damon was planting in his head. Lucky was helpless to stop it.
Lucky sat down at the table, finding pad and pencil lying in the center of it. He looked at the yellow pencil carefully, knowing that what Maddy, or rather Helena, wanted was for him to write.
Was this the start of the game? What did they want him to write? A love letter to Elizabeth. A plan of escape. His deepest fears and feelings.
No, that was too easy, Lucky thought. There was more to this, this was something he had been moving toward for a long time. But what?
“What’s the point?” Lucky screamed at the ceiling, knowing that he had to be being watched. “Tell me what is going on! How can I play the game if I don’t even know the point!”
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