Chapters 63 & 64
Chapter 63: One Enchanted Evening
Alex Garcia and Keesha sit at the Outback, having dinner. Keesha is talking about her family. "So there you have it, I'm the pampered youngest daughter. I left my home in Boston to follow my own voice, to learn how to make it on my own."
Alex smiles."I'd say you're managing quite nicely."
"You think so? Then why was I a stupid enough to marry an alcoholic that couldn't stay sober for more than six months? But I learned my lesson." Keesha picks up her water glass. "Enough about me. Now that I've spilled my guts, it's your turn."
Alex looks at his plate, his face sobering suddenly. "There isn't much to tell."
Keesha presses him further. "Tell me about them. I want to know what makes Alejandro Garcia tick."
"It ain't pretty." Alex replies. While he recalls the story matter of factly, his head bows from old grief. "My father worked for the mob. When I was ten, He went to prison for murder and died a few years later during a fight between inmates."
Keesha pales, impulsively reaching her hand out to cover his. "Alex, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have pressured you."
Alex looks at her hand covering his and then at her face. He smiles sadly. "No, it's okay. You have to know sometime. Unfortunately the rest of the story is just as sad." He looks down at his plate again as he continues his story, his voice laced with melancholy. "My mother died when I was sixteen. The doctors were never able to explain it, but I know she died of a broken heart. She never got over my father's death."
Keesha's eyes fill with sympathetic tears. "So you've been on your own since? No family? That's so sad! It must have been horrible for you."
"I had some hard years, but I think I turned out okay." He turned his hand over to squeeze hers back. "I have wonderful memories of my parents loving each other with everything they were. I only hope I can share that kind of love with someone someday."
"I know you will, Alex." Keesha says with determination "I just know it."
After having dinner in an exclusive restaurant, Laura, Stefan, Nik and Gina sit around the table talking about the play they saw, "Same Time, Next Year." Dance music plays in the background. A few couples are dancing.
"I loved it." Laura gushes. "It was very romantic. I'm glad you suggested seeing a play, Nikolas."
"I just don't get it." Nikolas says, shaking his head. "Here they have this longtime love, and they keep it a secret. Why? And why be married to other people when they obviously love each other more?"
"It doesn't make sense to me either," Gina replies, as reaches over to lace her fingers with his. "Why deny yourself the love of your life?"
"Because it was the right thing to do. And they didn't exactly deny themselves, they met every year." Laura explains. "It kept their love fresh, intense. It didn't get muddied by the everyday stresses of living with one another."
"Shall We Dance" from the King and I plays in the background. Nikolas pulls Gina to her feet and leads her to the dance floor. Stefan and Laura watch them dance from the sidelines. "They look adorable together, don't you think?" Laura asks him. Stefan nods in agreement.
"Why don't you join us?" Nikolas calls from the dance floor. "Or are you two going to be fuddy duddies?"
"What is a fuddy duddy?" Stefan almost trips over the words.
Laura laughs. "It's slang for people who don't know how to have fun. You really are an innocent when it comes to American slang."
He looks wounded. "I thought I was doing quite well in the slang department."
"I guess they are going to be sticks in the mud." Gina adds in a loud whisper, playing along with Nikolas. "Sad though, I bet they could show us how it's done."
Laura's eyes dance with mirth. "I think we're being shamed into dancing."
"Indeed we are. " Stefan rises from his chair and gallantly offers her his hand. "May I have this dance?"
Laura blushes. "Oh dear, an offer I can't refuse." She graciously takes his hand and follows him to the dance floor. Stefan guides her around the dance floor with ease. Laura is amazed at how quickly they become in sync, as if they'd been dancing together for years. "You are a wonderful dancer, Stefan."
"Thank you." He gives her one of his rare warm smiles. "You are a pleasure to dance with as well, Lasha." He gestures to where Nikolas and Gina, who are grinning at them. "Look at them, they look mighty proud of themselves."
Eddie Maine's concert at Luke's Place continues. The couples are dancing while Eddie sings "Lady".
Lady, I'm your knight in shining armor and I love you.
You have made me what I am and I am yours.
My love, there's so many ways I want to say I love you.
et me hold you in my arms forever more.
You have gone and made me such a fool,
I'm so lost in your love.
And oh, we belong together.
Won't you believe in my song?
As they slow dance, Cassidy smiles up at Jerry and mouths, "I love you."
He smiles and kisses the top of her head. "I love you too, darlin'. " He holds her tighter, growling into her hair. "I can't wait to get you home."
Kevin watches them thoughtfully while he dances with Lucy. "She's in love with him."
Lucy follows his line of sight. "Who? Oh, Cassidy? Yeah, she does look pretty happy, doesn't she? I'd say love agrees with her."
Lady, for so many years I thought I'd never find you.
You have come into my life and made me whole.
Forever let me wake to see you each and every morning.
Let me hear you whisper softly in my ear.
In my eyes I see no one else but you.
There's no other love like our love.
And yes, oh yes, I'll always want you near me.
I've waited for you so long.
Lady, your love's the only love I need
and beside me is where I want you to be.
'Cause, my love, there's something I want you to know,
you're the love of my life, you're my lady.
The couples return to their tables when the song ends. Eddie Maine aka Ned Ashton addresses the audience. "That song was dedicated to all the beautiful ladies in the audience." The crowd applauds him enthusiastically. He bows. "Now, I'll be taking a short break."
Kevin and Lucy join Cassidy and Jerry at the table. Cassidy makes the introductions. "Kevin, Lucy, this is Jerry Jacks. Jerry this is my brother, Kevin and his lovely wife, Lucy."
Kevin shakes Jerry's hand. "Nice to meet you, Jerry. I can tell Cassidy cares quite a deal for you."
"As I do for her," Jerry replies, smiling warmly at both Kevin and Lucy. "Lucy, I believe I've heard about you from my brother Jax."
Lucy offers her hand, which Jerry shakes. "Jerry Jacks.. as in Jax's brother! I wondered why you looked so familiar. I hope Jax had nice things to say about me. Did you know he sold me Jax Cosmetics? Oh, of course he told you! Silly me." They all sit down to talk.
Jerry suppresses a chuckle. "Yes, my brother did mention it in passing. Cassidy tells me she just started to get to know you, Kevin...."
Nikolas and Gina sit at their table, taking a short break from dancing to watch Stefan and Laura, who are still dancing. "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady is playing in the background. "I've never seen my uncle this happy. He's practically beaming. And Cassadine NEVER beam." Nikolas comments.
"They do when they are with the ones they love." Gina replies while she studies Laura. For a rare moment, Laura's cloak of sadness and grief has been lifted. There is a lightness in her step that wasn't there earlier. For a moment she is just a woman enjoying herself. "Your mother seems content too. Look at her smile."
Nikolas agrees. "Yes, I see what you mean. I haven't seen her this free since Luke died."
The music changes to "At Time For Us" from Romeo and Juliet. Nikolas leads Gina to the floor to dance again. Meanwhile Laura and Stefan continue dancing, this time Stefan pulls Laura closer. Laura rests her head on his chest and gives herself over the the music. "I love this song."
"Yes, it's unforgettable." Stefan smiles painfully, enjoying the sweet torture of her body against his. It had almost been two decades since he'd held her this close and it's more than he had ever dared to hope for. He never wanted to let her go. For in this brief moment in time, she is his.
Luke's Place. After several slow songs, the audience is feeling mellow. Eddie introduces his final song, taking a seat on the stool provided for him. "I have to say this has to be one of my favorite places to perform. I want to thank you for being the best audience a performer could hope for. As my final number, I want to sing, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother." It's dedicated to my little brother, Dylan. While he can't be here tonight, my partner in life, Lois will tape this for him. Dylan, this is for you."
The road is long, with many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where, who knows where
But I'm strong, strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy - he's my brother
So on we go, his welfare is my concern
No burden is he to bare, we'll get there
For I know he would not encumber me
He ain't heavy - he's my brother
Fade to a scene at the Quartermaines, where Dylan lies on his bed staring at the ceiling, the same music plays in the background. Dylan turns on his side and reaches for a photograph off his night table. He stares at the happy family: Ned, Lois, Brooke, and Briana.
He ain't heavy - he's my brother
If I'm laden at all, I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart isn't filled with gladness of love for one another
It's a long long road from which there is no return
While we're on our way to there, why not share
And the load, it doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy - he's my brother
He ain't heavy - he's my brother, he's my brother, he's my brother
Scene fades to black.
Back at the restaurant, Stefan and Laura continue to dance to "A Time For Us." Laura's eyes are closed and a blissful smile crosses her face. The song ends; Stefan waits for Laura to pull away but she doesn't.
A moment later, "Fascination" begins to play, the song she and Luke had danced to in Wyndam's Department Store so long ago... their song. The sick realization hits Laura like a ton of bricks. A second later, she wrenches herself out of Stefan's arms. "I can't do this! I can't...." Instantly her eyes fill with tears and spill over onto her face.
Stefan becomes alarmed by the sudden change and the look of utter devastation on her face. " What?! What's wrong, Lasha?"
He tries to stop her from breaking away, but her struggles become more frantic and insistent and she begins to openly sob. "Let me go! Please! I'm sorry, I... I can't do this!" Once she's free, she dashes out of the room.
Chapter 64: Timing
Late Friday night outside of Kelly's, a group of four teenage boys dressed in gang colors hang out drinking beer. The street is otherwise deserted.
The youngest boy leans against the restaurant window. "Man, this hood is dead!"
"Hey, I got an idea. Come here." The biggest kid says. The group huddles around him and they whisper amongst themselves. They all nod in unison as they disperse.
Twenty minutes later the four boys, accompanied by four more, descend on Kelly's, throwing large rocks at the windows, shattering them to gain entrance. They smash the tables and chairs, slash the tablecloths and the cushions on the barstools. The leader raids the register. A minute later, they hear sirens. The leader calls out. "Okay, let's beat it!" They are long gone before the police arrive.
Laura's last words 'I'm sorry.. I can't do this' echo through Stefan's brain, temporarily rooting him to floor. Nikolas and Gina rush over to him. "What happened, Uncle?" Nikolas asks.
"I have no idea... one minute we were dancing and everything was fine. The next minute...I have to go to her." Stefan starts to leave but Gina stops him by holding his arm.
"Wait, Stefan." Gina says. "Going after her will only make things worse."
Stefan turns and grips her shoulders painfully causing her to wince. "You know what's wrong? You will tell me, NOW."
She nods nervously under his intense gaze. "Yes, at least I think so. The song.. the one that's playing. Luke and Laura used to dance to it all the time at the club. I think it was their song." Stefan releases her, his shoulder sagging in defeat. "I probably should go to her. I think she went to the ladies' room."
Stefan runs an agitated hand through his hair and he nods stiffly. "Yes...go to her." He draws an uneven breath as he walks back to their table. Nikolas trails behind him.
"She'll be alright, Uncle. She just needs some time." Nikolas says gently in an attempt to soothe.
Stefan shakes his head sadly. "No, it will NEVER be alright. Luke was the love of her life. I am a fool to think I could ever have a chance with her. I rushed her, and now..."
"Forever is a long time, Uncle. Luke's only been dead a couple months. The wound is still fresh." Nikolas puts a hand on his shoulder. "Just give her time. She's worth the wait."
Stefan looks up at Nikolas and gives him a small smile."How did you become so wise?"
Meanwhile,bear Gina consoles a distraught Laura, murmuring soft words and rubbing her back on the small bench in the bathroom. Once Laura regains her composure, Gina offers her a handkerchief. Laura laughs. "I think I need a full size bath towel for this crying jag. I'll just wash my face." She splashes cold water in her face. "I'm such a fool to let a simple song get to me."
"Not if it's THE song." Gina comments.
"True." Laura sits down on the bench as she dries off her face. "That song just brought back all I've lost... who I've lost." Laura's face crumples as tears form in her eyes; she struggles to regain composure. "See? Even thinking about it makes me weepy. I remember the day we first danced to that song as if it was yesterday." She gives a little laugh as she reminisces. "We were locked in Wyndam's all night, so we got dressed up and danced to that music. It was one of the happiest days of my life. We were always running from someone, but Luke made it bearable... that song made it bearable because it reminded me of our magical night at Wyndam's." Laura bites her lip to keep from crying. "I'm NOT going to cry again."
Gina gives her shoulder a squeeze. "No one would blame you if you did."
"Stefan must think I've gone off my rocker." She shakes her head in irony. "I suppose I have."
"I hope you don't mind, but to keep him from coming after you I had to tell him about the song."
"No, actually I'm glad. It keeps me from having to explain it to him." Laura leans her head on Gina's shoulder. "Would you and Nik mind so terribly if we called it a night? I just want to go home and climb into my own bed."
"Not at all. It's getting late anyway." Gina replies. They walk out of the ladies' room to rejoin Nikolas and Stefan.
Emily runs to the window when she hears the familiar patter of pebbles hit. She waves at Lucky before running downstairs to let him in. They are silent until they reach her bedroom. "So how was the concert? Tell me all about it." Lucky hands Emily one of the two root beers he brought from the club. "You didn't need to do that, Lucky, we could have just raided the fridge."
"Well, I was hoping we could raid the freezer for ice cream later." Lucky pops his root beer open and takes a swig. "Ah.... the concert was hot, man. I wish you'd been there. Lois and I danced on one of the tables during the first number. What a blast!"
"Did you by any chance tape it?" Emily asks hopefully.
Lucky pulls an audio cassette from his pocket. "Yup, sure did. Don't let Lois know, she'd kill me if she found out I made a bootleg copy."
They both burst out laughing at the thought of Lois going after him. "Seriously, she wouldn't care if you made a tape for me."
Lucky lays down on her bed, propping himself up with his elbow. "I suppose not." Emily pops the tape into her stereo and they listen for a while in silence.
She looks wistful. "So I bet there was a lot of dancing, wasn't there?"
"Tons." Lucky says."Hey, you wanna dance? It won't be the same as the club, but it'll still be fun."
Emily's light up. "Sure, if you don't mind?"
"Nah, I like to dance." He takes her hand and they slowdance while Eddie Maine sings 'Lady'. "I think I got that from my dad."
Emily smiles happily as she rests her head on his shoulder, swaying to the music. "I love this song. I bet Ned looked positively dreamy." Emily sighs. "If he weren't my cousin, I think I'd have to fall in love with him."
"Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" Lucky complains.
"Oh, you're okay, I guess." She teases. "Besides I don't want your ego to get too big, otherwise your head won't fit through the door."
Lucky does his best Rodney Dangerfield impression. "I tell ya, I get no respect. See if I tape another concert for you."
Emily laughs, knowing he's bluffing. She leans her head on his shoulder and sways to the music again. Lucky subtly pulls her closer so their bodies are molded to one another. Much too soon, the song ends.
Emily, suddenly feeling self conscious at how intimate their dancing has become, starts to pull away. "I'm sorry, I just got into the music, I didn't realize..."
Lucky stops her apology with a searing kiss. "Don't apologize." He says between kisses. "You are so beautiful...." He cups her cheeks tenderly with his hands to keep her from pulling away. "And so sexy when you dance. I didn't want it to end..."
"Oh, God..." Emily gasps, dizzy from the passion he's evoked. At first she just stands there numb with shock; but soon she is matching his passion with her own. Not able to get enough of him, her arms wind around his waist to pull him closer. She only halts him when his hands roam under her shirt. "Stop! I can't..."
Lucky drops his hands, leaning his forehead against hers as he pants for breath. "Damn!"
Then the shame hits Emily like a mack truck. Maybe Matt had been right...
Nikolas, Gina, Stefan and Laura are on the Cassadine jet back to Port Charles. Gina and Nikolas are huddled together, having fallen asleep immediately upon entering the cabin. Stefan and Laura sit together in an uneasy silence, having not said a word to each other since dancing. Finally Laura, unable to stand the silence any longer, breaks it. "Nikolas and Gina seemed to have a nice time." She swears at herself for sounding stupid.
Stefan smiles politely. "Yes, I believe they did."
Another long pause. Laura bites her lip nervously and looks at her hands, saying finally in an almost whisper. "Was this a date? I mean.. between us?"
Stefan shakes his head. "No, it was not a date. We were merely indulging Nikolas' wish that we let Gina get to know us better." He is pleased when he sees the tension leave her body. His mission accomplished.
"Good, that's what I thought at first... but then, when we were dancing, I wasn't sure." She looks to him again for reassurance.
"Believe me, Lasha, if we were on a date, there would be no doubt in your mind about it, or mine." Stefan squeezes her hand briefly. "I am gratified that we can get along so well for Nikolas' sake. Today confirmed it for both of us I hope. He has told me many times how important it is for us to get along."
Laura, her mind finally at peace, leans her head back and closes her eyes. "Yes, I think today went quite well."
Emily has pulled away from Lucky and is holding her stomach, filled with shame. Lucky takes deep breaths to compose himself as he studies Emily. "I'm sorry, Em. I shouldn't have touched you like that; I just sorta got carried away."
"It's okay." She replies in a flat voice. "It's my fault... I led you on." She turns to face him, looking at him with a mixture of terror and shame. "Please don't hate me?"
Lucky closes the distance between them, cupping her cheek with one of his hands. He stares into her eyes with intense concern. "God, Em. I could never hate you! NEVER. You didn't do anything wrong. What made you think that?"
Emily takes a deep breath as she leans her cheek against his hand. "Just something someone said to me a long time ago. Nothing you need to worry about."
Lucky runs his fingers through her hair tenderly. "I do worry about it, Em. There's nothing wrong with wanting to kiss. We both wanted that, right? You seemed to be enjoying it."
"I did..." Emily shakes her head. "But by kissing you back, I led you on. I should know better. When a guy wants to kiss... Oh this is so embarrassing!" She flushes pink and tries to pull away but Lucky holds her by the elbows, gently but firmly.
Lucky starts to put the puzzle together. "Yea, sure, I wanted more than to just kiss you. Because you're beautiful and sexy and I care about you. But just 'cause I want more doesn't mean you led me on by kissing me back. You get to say no anytime. So do I."
Emily looks at him in surprise. "But I thought if I kissed you, it meant I was giving you permission..." She blushes again.
Lucky smiles at her reassuringly. "To sleep with you?" Emily nods, her face now bright red. "No way! That just means you want to kiss me. Didn't Monica and Alan talk to you about this stuff?"
Emily shakes her head, looking much more relaxed. "They tried, but they were so embarrassed I told them I already knew everything. Funny how even doctors can be terrified about this stuff. I think they were hoping I'd never grow up. Did your Mom explain it to you?"
"No, my dad. He made sure I knew how to treat a girl right. He said something about not wanting me to make the same mistakes he'd made." The music from the concert still plays in the background, this time it's 'He Ain't Heavy-- He's My Brother.' Lucky changes the subject. "Ned sang this for Dylan, you know."
"Really? That's so sweet." Emily smiles warmly at Lucky. "Thanks, for making me feel better."
Lucky shrugs modestly. "Hey, you've done the same for me." He holds out his hand. "Wanna dance again?"
"Why not?" Emily accepts his hand. "Uh....can I ask you something?"
"Shoot." Lucky closes his eyes as he pulls her back into his arms again to dance.
"Do you think we can kiss like that again sometime?"
Lucky smiles as he pulls away far enough to look her in the eye. "You bet."
When Carly drives by Kelly's on her way home from her late shift at the hospital, she is floored to see several cop cars with their lights flashing. She quickly parks and rushes to the scene. She runs up Alex Garcia, who is talking to one of the officers. "Commissioner! What's going on? What's happening?"
Alex pulls her aside. "Miss Roberts, we've been trying to contact you for the last hour. Kelly's was vandalized about an hour and a half ago. Looks like they got the money in the register. Do you have any idea who might have done this?"
She looks at the destruction.. the huge window smashed in, the broken tables and chairs. Everything destroyed. "Oh No! I can't believe this! Why? Why would someone do this?"
"Then you have no idea who did this?" Alex asks again.
Carly walks toward the wreckage. "No, I have no idea," She replies numbly. "In fact, I just inherited this a couple months ago... wait, the manager I hired mentioned some rude kids have been hanging around harassing the customers."
Alex writes down the name of the manager. "I'll call her in the morning."
Carly starts to shake. " I was planning on moving my son and me into Ruby's old apartment next week. What if we'd been here?"
"There's no saying, Miss Roberts." Alex puts a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "Is there someone we could call to be with you? You look pretty shook up."
"Yeah.. actually there is. Could I use your cell phone?" Carly thanks him when he hands over the phone. She has to redial the number several times before getting it right. It's answered on the first ring. "Jason? Could you come down to Kelly's?" She starts to cry. "Yeah, there is. There's been a breakin.... they destroyed the place. Thanks, I'll be right here."
