Chapters 25 & 26

Chapter 25: Natural Selection

Alexis, eyeglasses perched on her nose, sits at her desk at the Penthouse looking through the stack of files Justus gave her on Jason's investments. She pulls out a file and begins to read through it, making notes on a yellow pad. It's obvious from the furious strokes she is making with her pen on the notepad that she is very upset.

A sudden sharp knock at the door causes her to jump and scatter the contents of the file all over the floor. "Damn it all to...JUST A SECOND!" She calls out as she scrambles gather the pages. Once she has the file in a jumbled pile in her arms, she answers the door. Her frazzled look turns into a deep frown when she sees Tom standing there. "Tom... this isn't the best time...."

Tom walks purposefully into the penthouse without waiting for an invitation. "I doubt seriously you will ever find a good time to have this conversation with me, given how you've ignored my pleas to talk for the last day and a half."

"Fine," Alexis replies icily as she puts the papers on her desk. "You want to talk now, we'll talk now. I'll try to make this as clear as I can so we never have to discuss it again. I'm not interested in pursuing any sort of romantic or sexual relationship with you. I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings in any way, it wasn't my intention."

Tom rubs his chin thoughtfully as he studies Alexis carefully... the paleness of her cheeks, the dark circles under her eyes, the rigid way she is carrying herself. She looks exactly how he suspected she would look. "I know what this is about, you know," he says cryptically.

Alexis busies herself with straightening a pile of papers on her desk. "I don't really care to hear your theories at the moment. What I'd like is for you to leave. I have a lot of work to do."

"You can't stand it. You can't stand being happy without Sonny," Tom continues, heedless of Alexis' wishes. "For the first time since Sonny died, you've started to have feelings for a man, for me... romantic feelings. And the guilt is eating you up. You can't stand the idea of living without Sonny or being unfaithful to his memory. So you're pushing me away so you can feel close to Sonny again. It's a perfectly natural reaction."

"Get out." Alexis whispers through gritted teeth, her eyes now blazing with barely contained fury.

"Alexis, I can help you through this if you'll just let me." Tom reaches a hand out to her. "Don't push me away. Please..."

Alexis slaps his hand away. "I don't want OR need your help, and I haven't for some time, I quit therapy ages ago, remember? You're not my doctor anymore and you have a lot of gall imposing your insights or diagnoses on me! Save them for your patients and GET OUT!"

Tom crosses his arms impatiently. "That's not what this is about and you know it."

"That's exactly what this is about!" Alexis lets her fury have complete rein. "It's you, the great and wise Dr Tom Hardy, deciding what's wrong with poor little Alexis Corinthos. But this time you couldn't be more wrong with your diagnosis, Doctor. The sad fact is you have been used and discarded."

"I'm not interested in hearing you spin some ridiculous tale," Tom replies as he shakes his head and turns away. "It's apparent you're too upset to talk this out constructively."

Tom heads for the door, but Alexis grabs his arm. "NO! I had to listen to you spout off your theories as to what is wrong with me, now you're going to hear the REAL reason I slept with you. You've been had, Dr Hardy. I was lonely and horny and you were there, panting at my feet, practically salivating at the mere idea of kissing me. Because it amused me, I took you up on your offer. I needed to work off some frustration and I did. So we had some good sex the other night, big deal. Bottom line is you were nothing but a pleasant... 'diversion' for me. Now get out of my home before you humiliate yourself further with this delusion of yours."

Alexis strides to the door and opens it, silently motioning for Tom to leave. He walks out slowly, but stops in front of her, staring her right in the eye. "You may think you're fooling me with this pat explanation, but you're not. This isn't over, not by a long shot."

The door slams behind Tom with a such force the paintings on the walls shake. Emotionally drained, Alexis sags against it and closes her eyes.

Emily sits on the bed in her room with her diary open and the unmailed letter to Lucky open in her lap. She reads an excerpt to herself:

"I miss you so much, Lucky, it hurts. I wake up every morning with a hole in my heart and my first thought is of you. I miss feeling your arms around me...seeing you crack a lazy smile... having you kiss me. Sometimes at night, I close my eyes and I can almost feel your arms around me. Pretty sad, huh?"

Angry tears streaming down her face, she crumples the letter and tosses it in the trash. "Damn you, Lucky! You tie my insides into knots without even being here!"

Emily wipes the tears from her cheeks and reaches for the phone. She dials a long distance number from memory. The phone rings once before a small child answers it. "Hello?"

Emily smiles. "Brooke, is that you? It's Emily. I can't believe you're answering the phone already!"

Lois can be heard in the background. "Brooke, Honey, give Mommy the phone. NOO-- don't hang it up!"

"Bye Emily!" Brooke calls into the phone before giving it up to her mom.

"Hiya, Em. How are ya?" Lois says cheerfully. "I trust Mr Q is minding his diet and not causing too much trouble around the house?"

"Oh, you know Grandfather," Emily jokes. "His life wouldn't be complete without causing some trouble. But yeah, he's eating all the right things and taking it easy."

"Oh good. Nedly will be glad to hear it, too," Lois says absently. "So how about you? Everything okay with your parents, school and work?"

"Yeah," Emily replies with less enthusiasm. "Everything's going great at home and everything."

Lois frowns. "You don't sound so great, something must be up. What is it, Sweetie?"

Emily bites her lip to keep from breaking down. "It's Lucky. Nikolas Cassadine told me Lucky's coming home and..."

"Oh, Honey. I bet you're all confused, aren't ya?"

A few tears escape from Emily's eyes. "I don't know if I should be happy or mad or.. what! It's like just in the last month I've started to feel semi-normal. Like I have a life again, like I can be happy without him. And now... I'm all messed up again. And I can't stop thinking about him."

"Of course you can't stop thinking about him," Lois agrees. "You're crazy about him. Not only that, you don't know what's going to happen when you see him. Do you know what you want to have happen?"

"If he'd come back a month ago, I would have run into his arms and never let him go. But now..." Emily flops back on her bed miserable. "Now I don't know... I guess I want that. It's all so confusing. I should be really mad, you know? He just took off at the drop of the hat and hasn't even tried to get a hold of me once. Not even once! I mean, if he loved me like he said he did, wouldn't he have at least tried?"

"No one knows what Lucky's been thinking or feeling since he left, except for Lucky. Only he can explain why he's done what he's done." Lois pauses for a moment, before continuing in a softer tone. "But I think you have to be prepared for the possibility that his feelings for you have changed."

Emily shuts her eyes tight to try to keep the tears at bay. "I know," she says in a barely audible whisper.

Lois winces at the pain she hears in Emily's voice. "I'm not saying this to hurt you, Honey. I just think you have to be prepared for all possibilities. I also think it's possible that his feelings for you haven't changed a bit. He didn't leave because of you, he left because he couldn't handle the stuff going on with his family."

"I know, I know." Emily sighs.

"The question you need to answer for yourself is... have your feelings for him changed?" Lois asks. "You might not even know the answer until you see him, and even then you might be confused. The best advice I can give you is that you need to give yourself time to sort things out. Don't rush to any conclusions."

"Thanks."

Lois smiles sadly. "I know this is hard, Hon. But I have faith in ya. You're one of the wisest people I know, and given your age, that's an amazing feat."

Emily sniffs. "Thanks Lois, but right now I think I'd rather be naive and happy."

Lois and Emily say their good byes and hang up. After a moment of staring at the phone, Emily crosses the room to retrieve the crumpled letter from the trash can. She sits on her bed and carefully smooths it out before gently folding it and sticking it back in her diary.

In the early hours just before dawn, long after the bars have all closed, a pink Cadillac rolls into Port Charles. After making a brief pit stop in front of the Port Charles Hotel to drop off one of it's passengers, it makes it's way across town to Luke's Place.

Lucky exits the Cadillac with a knapsack slung over his shoulder and Foster on his heels. Climbing the back stairs to the small apartment above Luke's, Lucky scopes out the place. Once satisfied that the apartment is uninhabited, Lucky uses a small tool from his pocket to jimmy the lock. He hears the lock click after a moment and he grins at Foster while he opens the door. "You'll be glad to know I haven't lost my touch, Foster! Come on. Let's get some shut-eye. I'm beat."

 

Chapter 26 Let It Lay

"Hi Carly, this is a pleasant surprise," Laura gushes into the phone. "What's up?"

"I was just thinking last night that it's been ages since we just sat down to catch up on things," Carly explains. "With you living at Wyndemere now, I hardly get to see you."

"That's true," Laura replies wistfully. "And even before that we didn't see much of each other since we were both so busy. And I've been regretting it because I feel so disconnected from family."

"How about lunch today at the diner?" Carly suggests. "Unless you'd rather go someplace more fancy...?"

"No, No. I love the diner," Laura assures her. "And I just happen to be free for lunch. Is noon a good time?"

Carly and Laura make arrangements to meet then hang up. Carly smiles across the counter at Lucky who's been listening to the whole conversation. "Mission accomplished."

"Thanks, Babe!" Lucky quips, giving her a quick peck on the cheek as he gets up.

Carly wipes down the lunch counter and takes away Lucky's empty plate. "I still don't get why you couldn't call her yourself. She'd love to hear from you."

"And risk having to talk to Count Stiff?" Lucky shudders. "Granted, she's married to the guy, but I'd just as soon keep my contact with the bloodsucker down to a minimum."

Carly rolls her eyes. "Gee, don't you think calling him a bloodsucker is a little like throwing gas on a fire? The way things are now, he's going to be married to your mom for the foreseeable future. It's not that I like the guy, mind you. He gives me the willies. Still, I think an attempt at civility might help keep the bloodshed down. I don't particularly want to bail you out of jail again."

Lucky throws a ten dollar bill on the counter to cover his breakfast bill. "Not to worry, I'm past brawling with him just for the fun of it. Unless he does something to hurt my mom or my sister, I'll keep the peace. In fact, once I've talked with my mom, I should probably pay him a visit and set some things straight."

"There's someone else you need to clear the air with, you know," Carly points out. "And that someone is working the lunch rush this afternoon."

Lucky nods. "Yeah, I know. I just wish I knew what to say to Emily, you know? But I can't think about that until I've settled things with my mom. She's got to be my first priority. Then Emily... then the club."

"You're going to do the smart thing and reclaim your part of the club, right?"

Lucky gives her a crooked grin. "We'll see when I actually set eyes on Mike. If I don't, I'll demand a prince's ransom for it."

Alexis' penthouse. Alexis is slamming things into her briefcase with an uncharacteristic amount of violence. "Where the hell is she? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago! We are going to have to get a few things straight or she's out of a job!" The phone rings, interrupting her vent. She grabs the phone angrily. "WHAT... " She takes a breath to calm herself. "I mean, hello."

"Having a bad day, Counselor?" Justus answers drily.

"Yes, not that it's any of your business," Alexis snaps. She closes her eyes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. What can I do for you, Justus?"

Justus raises his eyebrows but wisely chooses to let it pass. "I got your message that you're ready to meet with Jason and me regarding those files I gave you the other day. Does this afternoon still work for you?"

"Yes, that should work fine. Let's plan on four o'clock." Alexis makes a notation in her calendar. "Jason's Penthouse is the natural location. Does that work for you and your schedule?"

Justus and Alexis finalize their plans and just as Alexis is hanging up, her driver/bodyguard Jan arrives with an apology, "I'm sorry I'm a few minutes late, but..."

"You're more than a few minutes late, Jan," Alexis says pointedly."You're over TEN minutes late. I can't tolerate this kind of tardiness on a regular basis. You're either here on time or you can find another job!"

Jan's eyes widen at being dressed down so completely by an employer who's always been courteous, but she says nothing as Alexis breezes past her. Jan closes the door behind them and mutters sarcastically under her breath, "Yes, ma'am!"

In the foggy shadows of the docks, Lucky watches with a lump in his throat as his mother disembarks from the Wyndemere launch. She has changed so much since the last time he saw her. Of course, her stomach is round with the child growing inside her, but he also sees something else. The glow of happiness in her face, which had been absent since his father's death.

Just as Laura is about to pass by him, Lucky speaks. "Mom."

Laura stops cold and turns in the direction of his voice, searching the shadows. Hope is written all over her face. "Lucky? Is that you?"

Lucky steps out from his dark corner and reveals himself. "Hi Mom. It's been a long time."

Laura's eyes shine with unconcealed joy as she takes several steps toward him. "You've come home! I hoped, I prayed every day and every night you would.... and you did!" She reaches out tentatively to cup his cheek, waiting for him to flinch or pull away. He doesn't. Instead his eyes moisten and his head tilts slightly to make contact with her hand.

Tears from Laura's eyes spill onto her face as she pulls him to her closely, hugging him fiercely, as if she's afraid to if she lets go he might disappear again. "You're home, you're home! I've.. I've missed you so much."

Lucky surrenders his emotional defenses and hugs her back just as fiercely. "I've.. I've missed you too," He whispers hoarsely. "I didn't know how much until just this moment." Lucky pulls away gently but Laura won't let him go. "Mom, I have to be hurting the baby."

Laura loosens her hold slightly, but doesn't release him. "Don't.. don't pull away yet. Please... I want as much time as I can get holding my sweet young man. It's been too long. Much too long."

The words are music to Lucky's ears and he sags against her again, savoring the moment of being her son, her child again and the loving comfort she has always given him. "Maybe I should go away more often, huh?" He jokes.

"Don't even kid about that!" Laura scolds through her sniffles. "The last few months with you away and so angry with me have been so hard. I can't even begin to tell you."

Lucky strokes the back of Laura's head gently. "I... I was terrified when Lulu told me you were in the hospital... I thought maybe something happened to you and the baby. It was then I realized I had to come back. The thought of something happening to you.. of never seeing you again..."

"Then maybe you can understand what it was like for me to have you gone." Laura rubs his back affectionately. "I knew you had to leave. In my heart, I probably even expected it. With so much pain here in Port Charles for you, you had to leave or it would have consumed you. I didn't want that."

Lucky leans his head on his mother's shoulders. "I would have ended up hurting everyone I cared about if I stayed... you, Lulu, even Emily. And I would have hated myself for it."

Laura whispers as she begins to stroke his hair."I never wanted the decisions I made to hurt you, Lucky. You have to know that."

Lucky pulls away as the initial joy of seeing his mother is clouded by the painful memory of the choices she's made. "Talking about that is useless," He says flatly, mentally creating distance between them. "What's done is done."

Laura watches sadly as he turns away from her and stares out at the water. She takes a step towards him. "I'm so sorry I've hurt you..."

"MOM!" Lucky almost shouts her name to keep her from continuing. "I said it's useless to talk about. Sorry doesn't change the fact it happened. Sorry doesn't change anything, it never has."

Laura nods in acquiescence. "So where do we go from here? Surely we can't forget it ever happened."

"No, we can't." Lucky puts his elbows on the dock railing as he continues to stare out at the water, his eyes inevitably resting on Wyndemere. "You got pregnant and married HIM, that's a fact. I had to accept it before I could even think of coming back here."

Laura looks at her hands. "I hope in time you'll forgive me. I didn't do it to turn my back on you or your father..."

Lucky loses his temper. "Stop, Okay?! I don't want to talk about Dad, I CAN'T talk about Dad, not if I want to keep my cool." He sighs heavily. "As far as forgiving you goes, I'm not your keeper. It's not for me to forgive. And even if it were, it's not something I can contemplate now. The best I can do is move on and.. I don't know. Live with it."

"I guess that's the best I can hope for, and more than I expected." Laura walks slowly to the dock's edge so she can see his face. She sees the tension there, the struggle. "What would you like from me? Just name it. I hate to see you so unhappy."

"Just... " Lucky's voices begins harshly, but he takes a breath to soften it. "Just don't make me come to Wyndemere to see you and Lulu. I can't stand that place. And the less I see of Stefan, the better for everyone."

"Okay, that's easily enough done." Laura walks a bit closer and covers his hand on the railing. He flinches slightly, but doesn't pull away. "I love you, Lucky. Don't ever doubt that."

Lucky glances at her briefly then looks back at the water before answering. "I love you, too. Whatever else happens between us, nothing can change that."

Emily is wiping down tables at the Kelly's after the lunch rush when Gina walks in. Emily gives her a cool smile but doesn't stop her work or otherwise acknowledge her. Gina walks up beside her. "Hi, Emily. How's it going?"

"Oh, just fine. We had a busy lunch crowd today so I'm a little beat." Emily blows a strand of hair out of her eyes as she turns to face Gina, who looks picture perfect. Why is it she always looks frazzled and unkempt while Gina always looks like a model straight out of a magazine? Even pregnant, Gina looks glamorous.

Gina shifts from one foot to the other awkwardly. "I want to apologize for being so rude yesterday at the hospital. There's really no excuse for my behavior, it's just that I already feel so fat and ugly with this pregnancy. I guess when I saw Nik with you yesterday, I started feeling insecure."

Emily's smile turns genuine. "Forget it, I already have. Nikolas and I are just good friends. In fact, he was trying to make me feel better about Lucky coming home. And Nikolas absolutely adores you, he doesn't even look at anyone else that way."

Gina seems to relax. "Thanks for being so understanding about all of this. I trust you and Nikolas and I know nothing's happening. Nikolas and I don't keep any secrets from each other. In fact, he's told me all about your relationship with him."

It's Emily's turn to be uncomfortable, in fact she looks downright pale. Gina knows everything? About her crush? About Dorman's death? Emily sinks into a nearby chair. "God, he's told you everything? Then you have to know when I kissed him, it didn't mean anything. It was ages ago and I was stoned and Nikolas.. he wasn't at all interested. I felt so stupid afterwards. I haven't had those kind of feelings for Nik since I started going out with Lucky..."

Emily is so busy rambling on she doesn't see the shocked look on Gina's face. By the time she looks up, Gina has a false smile pasted on her face. "Like I said, Nikolas has explained everything to me," Gina replies quickly, making a point of looking at her watch. "Oh no, I'm late for a hair appointment. I better get going. Nice talking to you, Emily. Bye." Gina rushes out the door leaving Emily staring after her in confusion.