Chapters 16 - 18   CHAPTER 16: ANY PORT IN A STORM   Tom Jr. knocks on the apartment door of his friend Maxie. Her face lights up as she opens the door to see him standing there. "Hey Tommy, come in." As Tommy crosses the living room and sits on the sofa, she asks, "What have you been up to? I haven't seen you in a while." "I've been kinda busy." Sensing something is off, she sits down beside him, "What's wrong, Tommy?" He smiles, "Nothing." She swats his shoulder playfully and smiles, "Don't lie to me. I know you better than that." Tommy takes her hands in his, "Maxie, we need to talk." "I knew it. What happened?" He shakes his head, "No, it's nothing serious. I mean, it's serious, but it's not bad. In fact, I'd say it's a good thing," he says softly. "Tommy, just spit it out before you drive me crazy." He sighs briefly before answering, "Maxie, I'm getting married." She inhales sharply, hoping she heard him wrong, "What?!" "Emily Quartermaine and I are getting married." She shakes her head, "That's not possible. When did you two get together?" Tommy adds another bombshell, "She's carrying my child." "Well, that explains it. You're marrying her because of the baby, right?" Again, Tommy shakes his head, "No. I love her, Max." He sees the hurt in his best friend's eyes and wishes there was some way to stop it. He holds her face in his hands. Softly, he says, "Max, this won't change the fact that you're my best friend." She nods, "I know, it's just that best friends can be..." She stops mid sentence, knowing there's no need to finish it. Once Tommy had his mind set, he wasn't likely to change it. All their years as friends taught her that. She is surprised when he reaches over and kisses her on the forehead. She pulls back, "Tommy, don't, please. My heart can't handle it." Tears fall down her face. He wipes them away with his thumb. "I'm sorry Max. I want the best for you, but I'm not it. I never have been." "Then this has nothing to do with the fact that I can't have kids? I know how much you want them, Tommy." Tommy exhales deeply, "It's not about that Maxie, I promise you. You and I are friends. You deserve so much better than I could ever give you." He stands slowly and heads towards the door. At the last minute, he turns to face her, "Can you be happy for me?" She smiles weakly, "I'll try." As he opens the door to leave, she says, "If you need anything, I mean anything, you know where to find me." He nods once before pulling the door shut behind him. She watches him go. Then pulling her knees up to her chin, she wraps her arms around her legs, sobbing. Tom Sr. goes through several papers. After a few minutes, he pulls out his briefcase and puts a couple of files in it absentmindedly. He is interrupted by a quick knock on the door seconds before Carly comes in. Before she can say anything, Tom starts off, "I'm getting ready to leave, Carly." Carly glances at her watch. 12:45. "This won't take long, Tom, I promise. I just wanted to apologize for last night." Tom's mind races back to the night before. Seeing Carly sitting in front of him brings it all back. His face turns red, "I love my wife." Carly fidgits in her chair, "I know you do, that's why I'm apologizing. We were both lonely." She looks down at the ground, "I took advantage of that, I'm sorry. I'd never want to do anything to hurt you. You've been too good to me." Tom crosses around the desk and takes her hands in his. "Carly, don't apologize. We took comfort in each other." "You mean you're not sorry?" He smiles, "I know I should be, but I'm not." He stands and pulls her up and close to him. I find you very attractive, Carly." Surprised, she says, "What about Alexis? I don't want to do anything to ruin your marriage. Or our friendship." Tom nods and starts to kiss Carly. In between kisses, he says, "I do love her. But she's never around. You are." She moans softly as he plants kisses around the base of her neck. "I want you, Carly. I need you. When I'm with you, I feel like someone cares about me. I know that's not fair to you..." "I can't believe that Alexis would neglect you like this. You deserve to be cherished, Tom." Carly pulls back slightly, "But are you sure this is what you want? I don't want you to regret anything. And the last thing I want to do is destroy our friendship." He puts his finger over her mouth to silence her. "No regrets. Not now, not ever." They kiss passionately. Across town at the PC Grille, Alexis waits for Tom. She glances down at her watch. He's 45 minutes late. Being a doctor's wife, she realizes that emergencies come up and he's probably not going to make it. Scott Baldwin comes in and sits down across from her, "Left alone again, I see." Frustrated by him, she says, "It's none of your business, Scott." "No?" Scott smiles, "Someone needs to teach my cousin a lesson in punctuality. Besides, standing up a beautiful woman is a definite no-no." "Go away." Scott folds his hands on the table in front of him. "Not so fast." Relenting, Alexis sighs, "What do you want?" "I already told you. But since we're both here and we're both hungry, why don't you let me buy you lunch." "Do you promise to go away afterward?" "Alexis, if you want me to leave after our lunch, then by all means, I'll go." Alexis raises her hand up in defeat, "Okay. You win. I don't see what harm one lunch will do." Lu and Georgie sit on Lu's bed. Lu is discussing the night before. Georgie is full of questions, "What does he look like?" Lu smiles, "He's adorable! He's taller than I am with dark brown hair and blue eyes you can just swim in." "What did he say about your age? Was he surprised that you're only 15? Lu shakes her head, "I don't think he realized. I dressed up like the time Lucky took us driving. Mike said I looked at least 25." "What about him?" Lu shrugs, "He talked about graduation, so I'm assuming college? Making him what, 22 or 23?" Lu hops up and puts a CD in the stereo. Georgie asks another question while smiling, "Did he kiss you?" Lu spins back to face Georgie and just smiles. Georgie starts laughing before asking, "So when are you going out again?" "I don't know. He's supposed to call soon." "You want me to cover for you again?" Lu's eyes light up, "Would you?" Georgie nods so Lu continues, "I want to cook for him." "And just how do you plan to do that? You gonna bring him over here and kick Mrs. L out of her own kitchen? Good luck." Seriously, Lu says, "No, absolutely not. He doesn't know that I have anything to do with the Cassadines, and I intend to keep in that way. He doesn't even know that Nik is my brother. The only brother he thinks I have is Lucky." "So what are you going to do?" Lu smiles devilishly, "Borrow Lucky's apartment." "And?" "And...we'll see what happens." "Lu, tell me what you have planned!" Lu waffles, "Nothing definite, yet." Georgie realizes that Lu isn't going to tell her anything else. The girls sit in silence for a couple of minutes listening to the music before Georgie asks, "What CD is this? I haven't heard it before." Lu shrugs absently, "It's one of Lucky's. He let me borrow it. It's a group that's going to be playing at the club in a couple of weeks. I wanted to be familiar with them when they came." She got up and picked up the case to the CD and held it up for Georgie to see. "It's Eddie Maine and the Idle Rich."   CHAPTER 17: REVELATIONS Later on that afternoon, Lu sits at her hidden computer and reads an email from Dylan. "To my dearest Princess Lesley Lu, :-) Last night was absolutely amazing! I don't think I've ever met another woman like you. You're beautiful, as well as having a knock out personality. I can honestly say that I've never met anyone that's affected me so quickly. I can see us spending lots of time together, both in the near and far future. Take care, and until I see you tonight, all my love. Dylan" Lu sits back in her chair and sighs softly. She starts to type a reply. "What the heck?" she asks, confused because the computer refuses to let her type. She tries to type a new message, but that doesn't work either. She tries to get online, but the modem doesn't respond. She crosses the room and picks up the phone. Dial tone, so nothing wrong there. She stands up and starts meticulously checking all the wires and connections on the computer. Downstairs, Stefan smiles slightly as he types a reply to Dylan's message to Lu. After he finishes, he starts typing a letter to Lu. "This nonsense will stop here and now." Robin opens the door of her house and sees Maxie standing there in tears. Robin quickly ushers the younger woman in, shutting the door. "Maxie, what's wrong?" Maxie wipes away tears, "Tommy's getting married." Robin gestures towards the sofa, "Sit down, Max and tell me everything." They both sit. After a couple of minutes, Maxie regains her composure. "You know how close Tommy and I have always been." Robin nods, "You grew up together." "We were inseparable all through school. I mean, we even went to our senior prom together." "That was a long time ago." Maxie sighs, "I know. And maybe I'm just living in the past, but he used to tell me everything. He would always come to my place and fuss about professors and classes all through college and med school. I was the one that he first told about being a doctor. We were just always together and I guess I assumed that we always would be." "Who's he marrying?" "Emily." Surprised, Robin asks, "When did they..." Maxie cuts her off, "That's just it, Robin. I didn't know anything about it." They sit in silence for a moment before Maxie adds, "Emily's pregnant." "And you think that's why they're getting married." Maxie nods, "He says not, but I'm almost positive. That was always an obstacle for us. He always wanted kids and I can't have them. He refused to give any thought to us as a serious long term relationship." "Maxie, you're like a little sister to me, always have been, even before Mac and Felicia got married; so I hope you won't take this the wrong way. You could always have another transplant. It's not nearly as dangerous as it was the first time." Maxie jumps up, "No! No way!" She smacks her chest softly, "This was BJ's heart. I'm not just gonna throw it away because it's not useful enough for my selfish needs and desires. It's not just my life, it's hers too. She died and because of it, I lived. I owe her more than that." Robin sits back and watches her, "Have they run the tests again lately?" Maxie shakes her head and sits back down, "No. Besides, it would take a miracle." Robin smiles, "You're looking at someone who believes in miracles. Five years ago, I thought I could never be married and have kids. Now look at me." She pats her stomach lovingly. Maxie laughs slightly, "You're right. It couldn't hurt to run the tests again." Robin nods, "I'll ask Emma Goldstein for her opinion. I'll have her call you." Maxie hugs Robin, "Thanks Robin. I don't know who else would listen to me whine like this." "Hey, you're not whining. You're upset. You're allowed." Maxie smiles and nods. Tommy and Emily sit in the living room at the gatehouse, making plans for the wedding. Emily flips through the books of invitations while Tommy watches and smiles. She throws the books casually onto the coffee table and declares, "This is weird." "Didn't you see anything you liked?" She shrugged, "A couple of possibilities, I guess." Tommy puts his arm comfortingly around her shoulders, "You nervous about the wedding?" She nods slightly, "A bit, yeah." "Are you afraid that it won't be what you want?" "No, it's not that." She smiles, "Do you know that Alan came by this morning and reemphasized that money was no object in the planning?" Tommy pulls Emily towards him and caresses her face and hair. "I love you, Emily Quartermaine." She smiles, "I love you too, Tom." As they begin to kiss, there is a quick knock on the door. "Ignore them, they'll go away," Tommy says in a hoarse whisper. Emily jumps as the person outside calls out to her, "Hey Em, it's me, Lucky. I know you're home, babe. Open up... or do I have to get pebbles to throw at your window again?" Tommy shakes his head, "Let him go, Em." She stands up, walking towards the door, "I have to tell him. He shouldn't find out by reading it in the papers tomorrow." She opens the door slowly, "Hi Lucky." She steps aside and lets him in. Tommy stands up and walks over to join Emily by the door. Lucky looks at Tommy, "Hey Tommy, what are you doing here?" Emily gives Tommy a glance that keeps him from saying anything. She adds, "Tommy, would you mind? I really need to talk to Lucky alone." Tommy nods, "I understand, Em. We can finish with the arrangements later." He gives her a lingering kiss on the lips while Lucky stares on. Tommy gives Emily a quick wink on his way out. Lucky crosses over and sits on the sofa. As soon as she shuts the door, Emily quickly walks over to where Lucky is sitting. "Lucky, I've been trying to catch up with you. Mike was the one that had to tell me that you were out of town. We need to talk." "Forget that, Em. Babe, what's up between you and Junior Doctor Kildare?" Emily sighs as she prepares herself to tell Lucky. Before she can say anything, he notices the books of wedding invitations sitting on the coffee table. He frowns as he picks it up and thumbs through it. He looks up at her; she returns his stare. He holds up the book, looking angry and hurt, "Were you going to wait until after the wedding to tell me, Emily?" She shakes her head slightly, "I didn't want you to find out like this. I wanted to tell you, but you weren't here to tell. You just took off, again, without any explanation." Lucky harshly says, "Oh really. You didn't try very hard. What were you going to do, have us going someplace quiet where we could be alone? Were you planning on making love to me tonight and then telling me afterwards?" She puts her hands on her hips angrily, "No Lucky. You know I wouldn't do that to you. And I don't have to explain anything to you. You made sure of that. You kept me at enough of a distance that I found someone else who wouldn't." Lucky stands up, "How long have the two of you been together? Were you sleeping with him at the same time as you were sleeping with me?" he asks emotionlessly. "Lucky, I don't owe you any explanation. You certainly never give me any. You walked away from me and left me holding the bag," she says harshly. Lucky starts pacing angrily, "What bag? What are you talking about?" She bites her tongue and glares at him, "Nevermind. It doesn't matter now. I'm marrying Tom and there's nothing you can do to change my mind. He and I want the same things. Things you didn't want. Marriage, settling down, family." More softly, she adds, "I didn't do this to hurt you. I'm sorry, Lucky." "Me too babe, me too," he says softly as he slams the door behind him. He walks towards the car and hops in over the door. He slams his fists angrily against the steering wheel before as a tear slides slowly down his cheek and he covers his anguished face with his hands.   CHAPTER 18: INFORMATION PLEASE Alan and Hans walk the halls of the PCU med school. Alan stops and looks at Hans. "So tell me, Hans, no holds barred, how is my grandson?" Hans smiles politely, "I will tell you the same as I told the child's mother. The first surgery, although alleviating the immediate pressure on Bradley's brain, did nothing for the dendrite damage. We're not dealing with a simple concussion where we can just expect the swelling to go down and everything be okay." Alan nods, "Another surgery?" "Yes. But because it is the second surgery, it becomes so much more dangerous." "What are the odds?" Hans takes a deep breath before answering. "Survival, 80 to 90%. Complete recovery," he shakes his head, "we just don't know for sure." Lu sits in the living room reading her textiles book trying to decide how best to begin her project. She frowns as the phone rings, breaking her concentration. She stands and crosses the room to answer it, "Hello." "Lesley Lu?" the male voice asks. She frowns again, not recognizing the voice immediately, "Yes." "It's Dylan." Lu smiles and relaxes, "Hey Dylan, I didn't recognize your voice." "What's the matter?" Confused, she asks, "Nothing, why?" "What did you mean by the letter?" "What letter? Dylan, I've not been able to access the Internet since yesterday. Something's wrong with my computer." Dylan sighs with relief, "Then you do still want to keep going out." "Of course, why wouldn't I..." she trails off, suddenly realizing. "Uh oh." "Uh oh?" he repeats questioningly. Hurriedly, she says, "Yeah. Uh oh. Dylan, I'll call you right back." She hangs up the phone and rushes to her computer room. Looking at the back of the computer, she notices a connecting wire that she missed before. She quickly logs on and downloads her mail. She opens up a letter from Dylan and scans through it. She slams her fist temperamentally on the desk. "Dammit Daddy, I should've known you wouldn't leave well enough alone. You won't get away with this." She picks up the phone and calls Dylan. He answered on the first ring. "Lu?" "Yeah. We're going to have to cut down on the online stuff. I've got a problem." "What kind of problem?" he asks. "I'll explain tonight when I see you." "We're still meeting at the park?" "Yeah. Bye." She hangs up the phone and stares at the computer. "I don't know how you did it, Daddy." Lu slowly walks downstairs and back into the living room. She picks up the textiles book and turns on the TV. She frowns as she sees Veronica Bowles asking questions at a press conference. She is even more surprised when she sees that Alexis is the one holding it. "Excuse me, Mrs. Hardy, Veronica Bowles of WVPC. What was the reasoning behind the Cassadine purchase of Microsoft?" Alexis smiles slightly, "It is a profitable venture and one that will pay off handsomely for the family." Veronica digs for more information. "So this is a Cassadine Incorporated purchase? Then why isn't Nikolas Cassadine holding this press conference?" "Microsoft is not a Cassadine subsidiary." Alexis says tightly. She ends the press conference just as abruptly. "There will be no further questions." Amid the grumbles and last minute attempts to ask her questions, Alexis leaves the stage quickly. Lu frowns and turns off the TV, throwing her book in the floor, "Nevermind, Daddy. Now I know how you did it." Backstage from where Alexis is holding her press conference, Stefan, Laura and Nikolas wait for her. As Alexis joins them, Stefan smiles at his family and says, "It's finished." Nikolas nods. "Good. Now, do you want to tell me why you bought Microsoft?" Stefan looks intently at Nikolas, "I wanted my granddaughter to have a stable income for herself when she gets older." Nikolas knows he is lying, but he also recognizes that Stefan won't share any information until he's ready. Nikolas nods in reply and leaves silently, realizing that Stefan will fill him in when and if it becomes necessary. Alexis pats Stefan affectionately on the shoulder, "Congratulations Cousin. You've managed to stage the biggest coup in business since Jason fought off J&J of Alaska." "I could not have done it without your help, Alexis. Thank you." She nods and smiles, "That's what family is for." She walks off, leaving Stefan and Laura alone. Laura looks Stefan in the eyes. "And the real reason was...?" she questions. Stefan slips his arm around Laura's waist. "Protecting the family, Lasha." As they start walking towards the waiting car, she asks, "Protecting them from what or whom?" "Themselves," he says cryptically. "So you're not going to tell me either?" she says disapprovingly. Stefan leans over and kisses her briefly on the cheek.