GH 2026.03 At Wit's End

At the firehouse, Dominique sits alone at her computer. Ian is taking a shower down the hall. For the first time in several days, Dominique has been able to push thoughts of the stalker out of her mind enough to concentrate on what she loves, writing software.

Silently patting herself on the back for a job well done, Dominique decides to send out a quick note to her manufacturers at Rubber Ducky regarding the new game. Opening her email, Dominique suppresses a shiver upon seeing that she has yet another message from an unknown server.

Opening the message, Dominique grits her teeth. "Hello again, Dominique. It seems like ages since we last spoke." Mulling the words over and over in her mind's eye, Dominique can almost hear the stalker's voice. . . silky, smooth, almost seductive. "Although I have to tell you that I am very displeased with you, you are playing with an unfair advantage. Here I am playing a very important game with you, even allowing you the home court advantage as it were, and yet you insist on breaking the rules of the game."

"I must say, you haven't been getting my hints. I thought my displeasure was clearly expressed by that attractive mobile in your living room. You are supposedly the genius, Dominique my love. You figure it out. If you have all the advantages how can we truly have a match of wits? So I think I will take one of your advantages from you. It can either be the home court advantage, and you will come and play on my turf, or it can be the big dumb ox downstairs. . . which do you prefer I remove? To show you I am not a total brute, my love, I will give you 24 hours to either remove Mr. Scorpio from the premises or to prepare to have yourself removed. Sincerely, your humble servant, NB."

Dominique swears, "You sick son of a --- IAN!" Then immediately regrets her rashness. Working quickly, she saves the email as an encrypted file and blanks her screen.

A moment later, she hears Ian jog down the hall. "Dom, what's wrong?!"

For one moment Dominique is at a loss for words as Ian stands with one fist clutching the towel around his waist with water rolling in rivulets down his rock hard chest. "Um nothing. Really. I was just working on a new game and I wanted you to test it ... but you could put on some clothes first." Dominique lets out a husky breath that sounds too close to a moan for her liking.

Ian's eyes twinkle with amusement as Dom forces her eyes back to her computer screen. He pads up behind her and bends over to put his lips right next to her ear "Why is it that I am the one fresh out of the shower when you're so hot and bothered? Perhaps you'd like to join me for another one? You scrub my back, I'll scrub your front?" His voice trips across her skin leaving goose bumps up and down her neck.


Dominique laughs as she fights her rising blush. "Really, Ian. You're like a rabid dog. Down boy!"

"Wanna rub my belly?" He quips, undaunted. He places one of her small hands flat against his washboard stomach.

"Ian, I....." Dominique catches her breath and lets her hand rest there for a fraction of a
second, then gives him a stinging *Smack* with her open palm.

"Ouch!" Ian protests, looking mortally wounded. "You're no fun!"

"Ohhh. . . poor baby. Lemme kiss and make it all better." Dominique says facetiously.

"Oh, please do." Ian purrs low in his throat. A strong hand whips out and pulls her to her feet. "Please do."

Blushing from head to toe, Dominique stands her ground and refuses to back down. She quickly feathers a light kiss across his cheek and smiles bravely. "There. All better."

"Not yet, Dominique." Ian's low growl turns to molten lava. One hand tilts her chin up so that he can look into her deep brown eyes, his lips skimming hers in the briefest of salutes at first. Then with Dom's gasp of surprise, his lips press harder and begin to explore her soft lips in the most intimate ways.

"No." Dominique breathes heavily a moment later, pushing herself away from him. "I told you once that I would never throw myself at your feet again. That I would never let you turn my world upside down again. Well ... I meant it. I want you out. Tonight."

"What?" Ian's face registers shock at her abrupt turnabout.

"It's not helping having you here. In fact it might be making things worse! You're distracting me and driving me almost as nuts as this guy is!" Turning away back to her desk Dominique squares her shoulders and gets her breathing under control. "So I want you to get your things and get out."



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


"Ms. Collins to see you, Sir." Alfred announces solemnly at the door to Stefan's studio.

"Please send her in." Stefan looks up from his canvas with a smile on his lips.

"Stefan! Just the wonderful man I've been looking for!" Destiny exclaims, breezing in and dropping her purse on the floor by the door to the studio. "Oh! I think this is going to be fabulous when you're finished!"

Studying his cousin, Stefan swallows an indulgent chuckle at her attempts to 'butter him up'. "Hello, Destiny. To what do I owe this great pleasure?"

"I just wondered if i could entice you to take a coffee break?" Destiny holds up a white bakery bag and two cups of coffee. "Blueberry muffins ..." She whispers enticingly.

"Well, man cannot live on art alone." Stefan removes his glasses and wipes his hands on a rag. "And how is your sister? It seems I haven't had the pleasure of both your companies at one time in a while."

Taking a seat on the well worn couch, Destiny munches on a muffin. "Actually, I can't lie. This is sort of a business visit." She rushes on. "Not that I didn't want to see you anyway ..."

"But if this is about business shouldn't you have made an appointment with Nikolas?" Stefan baits coyly.

"Actually. . . " Destiny squirms under his knowing gaze. "I sort of already spoke with Nik."

"And he said no, so you thought you would have more success with me?" Stefan guesses, not unkindly, and not without a trace of genuine humor.

"Well, Mom always says if you ask a question and get an answer you don't like, keep asking till someone says yes." She takes a long swallow of hot coffee. "And you know what a stickler Nik can be. He only hears up until the point when you disagree with him, then you're sunk!"

"What is it exactly you want, Destiny?"

"I want to borrow the house in Italy for a photo shoot for Jax Cosmetics. That's it, and not for very long either. One day is all it would take. But Nikolas got this horrified look on his face, he actually BLANCHED, can you believe it? He blanched in this day and age! And said NEVER. How unreasonable is that?"

Covering his smile by taking a sip of coffee, Stefan struggles to keep his composure. This child was so much like her mother that it was a struggle to keep from laughing. "I am certain Nikolas had excellent reasons, Destiny. Regardless, I have no desire to go behind his back on this subject. I am sorry you wasted a trip."

"Ahh, I didn't think it would work anyway, but I had to give it a shot." Destiny shrugs. "Besides, it wasn't a wasted trip. I get to have coffee with you and see if you have any paintings I can plunder before your agent gets her paws on them."

"There are a few that I would consider parting with to the right woman... " Stefan leads her over to a corner with several frames leaning against the wall. "You are welcome to any of these," Stefan offers generously, gesturing to a stack of canvases with several different themes.

"Oh! They're wonderful! I can't decide. And such a departure from your portraits." Dom gushes. "They'd all look wonderful in the new house."

"Then I'll have them all sent over and you and Richard can choose whatever suits you best."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Kissing the top of Destiny's head, Stefan pulls out a small note pad and writes down a phone number. "This is the number of an old friend. He is in possession of a 16th century castle and as he owes me a few favors, I am sure that he would be willing to allow you to use the castle for the weekend. I know nothing of your shoot, but I do know that the castle is exquisite."

"You mean it? OHMIGOSH! Stefan you are the best!!!!!" Destiny throws her arms around a startled Stefan and squeezes the stuffing out of him. "I can't thank you enough."

"There is no need to thank me at all, Little One. The pleasure is, as always, all mine." Stefan answers gallantly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Late that afternoon in the Police Commissioner's Office.

"Dad, I'm telling you, this case is driving me batty and it's not even happening to ME." Ian runs a hand through his hair. "Dom's starting to climb the walls, she's gone so far as to kick me out. We need to stop waiting for this guy to go away, and go after him. Make him mess up. Because, right now, he's got all the cards."

"It's a little hard for me to be objective on this, Ian." Evan sighs. "If we were talking about anyone else other than my son and my lover's sister, I'd say let's do it. But I'm backed in a corner."

"Dad, this guy is coming. And if we keep waiting, when it's all over Dominique will be dead and it won't matter. We need to grab him before it gets any further."

Looking closely at Ian, Evan can see the deeply buried worry in his eyes. "Son, considering the fact Dom dumped ice down your shorts the other night, why are you so involved?"

"I've known Dom a long time, Dad. I mean not well, but I know her," Ian says absently. His mind wanders back to the night his brief relationship with Dominique Collins had been severed forever
..................................

"I can't believe this!" A teenage Ian swipes an angry hand through his hair. "You mean to tell me you're DOMINIQUE? That for the past three weeks you've been playing some sort of demento twin game?" His mouth sets into a bitter line.

"It's not demented. . . . " Dom sputters, still wet from Ian tossing her off the dock after her big confession. "I mean... it started out as kind of a trick. Then it just kept going and I didn't know how to tell you." Her hand flutters out to touch him, and Dom winces as recoils. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't even cut it, Sister." Ian rants. "All the time we've spent together. . . everything I told you about myself, what did you do? Go home and spill all to your sister? Did you chuckle about it at night? Hmm?" Grabbing her by the arms Ian gives her a little shake. "I almost trusted you!"

"IAN! Ian! I am sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, and yes it started out as a game, but I fell in love with you. I really did, and I knew it had gone to far." Dominique puts out a tentative hand towards him. "Please Ian. Forgive me."

"Get away from me, you cold hearted witch!" Ian's low snarl causes Dom to take a step back. "I told you things that I never told anybody, and all the time you played me for a fool." Turning away in disgust, Ian continues his cruel tirade. "I should have known something was up when you wouldn't even let me kiss you. Everyone knows the kind of girl Destiny Collins is. The REAL Destiny. You're nothing but a cheap imitation.."

Recoiling as if she'd been slapped, Dominique squares her shoulders. "Then to Hell with you, Ian Scorpio! You're right I did want to be like my sister. And I AM a second rate copy of Destiny. But I am a first rate version of ME. *I* am the one that you told all your secrets to. *I* am the one that taught you how to skip stones. *I* am the one that loved you so much her heart nearly burst. Not Destiny, ME, and if your pride and your ego won't let you forgive me for one mistake then you deserve to be alone for the rest of your life." Grabbing his shirt collar Dom pulls the speechless Ian close and wraps both arms around his neck pulling him into a torrid kiss that curls his toes. "Now tell me you wish I were Destiny?!" She challenges. "And remember that kiss, it will have to last you a lifetime." Tossing her tangled wet hair and tilting her chin defiantly Dominique pushes roughly past him. "I will never love you again, Ian," She vows stalking off into the night.

*~*~*~*~*~

Back in the present, Ian looks at his father helplessly. "I just can't let her do this alone. Even if she never admits it, she needs my help."