CHAPTERS 9 & 10

 

 

Chapter 9 Traveling

"Yes, that was his last known location..." Stefan says into the phone while he looks at his watch. "As of an hour ago. Do this job right, Leo, and all past transgressions will be forgiven. I don't have to tell you the consequences if you fail. Email me a report once you reach your destination."

Stefan hangs up the phone and is startled to hear a noise behind him. He turns swiftly to find Laura standing behind him. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I'm not spying on you, Stefan. I know you have business that has nothing to do with me." Laura says mildly, meeting his eyes as she steps closer. "Actually there's something I wanted to discuss with you."

"Shall we sit then?" Stefan offers, reaching for her elbow to guide her to the couch.

Laura pulls back. "No, for this I want to stand." She takes a deep breath and continues. "It's about us. I've noticed a disturbing trend these past few days and I want to nip it in the bud. it seems whenever we get close to having a disagreement you manipulate the situation so that I can't confront you. You make your point then either walk out or abruptly change the subject without giving me a chance to respond. You did it again this morning."

"I see." Stefan visually deflates, his shoulders slumping slightly and his eyes dulling. He takes a seat on the couch. "I will admit that I have been attempting to avoid arguments with you. Especially over topics that I know we won't agree on. This morning's argument was one such argument."

Despite her previous statement that she wishes to stand, Laura finds herself following him to the couch. "It's true the arguments have been about things we won't come to an agreement on. But even so, I don't want to spend our marriage in guerrilla warfare, where we ambush each other then set it up so the other can't fight back. We'll come to resent each other."

"You're right, of course. It isn't fair." Taking one of her hands, Stefan folds it in between his. "What would you suggest?"

"Let the argument run it's course, even if it gets a bit ugly. I realize that you find arguments between us distressing, so if it gets to be too much, just say so." Laura puts her free hand on top of his and squeezes it reassuringly.

Stefan gazes down at her rare display of affection, and suppresses the spurt of joy he feels in this small gesture. Everything is fine, more than fine. The bond between them is stronger than ever. He smiles indulgently. "Very well. I will try my best."

Mid afternoon at Kelly's. Benny enters the diner with a spring in his step. Taking a look around the relatively deserted diner, he heads back to the kitchen where he finds Carly standing over the sink scrubbing the huge stock pot she uses for chili. Her hair has fallen out of it's pony tail, adding to her harried and tired look.

With a grin on his face, Benny tiptoes up behind Carly and whispers in her ear, "I can take you away from all of this."

Carly tosses a grin over her shoulder before returning to the half clean stock pot. "Promises, promises."

Benny waves three plane tickets in front of her eyes."Tickets to Puerto Rico. You, me and AR. We can leave tonight."

Carly looks at him like he's insane."Tonight?! You can't be serious! I have the diner to deal with, my shifts at the hospital, and AR. Has someone been spiking your water?"

"Nope. I just thought you needed some rest and relaxation. Working two jobs and taking care of AR would burn out any normal person." Benny moves behind her again to whisper. "Imagine running along sun-soaked beaches in just shorts and a tshirt, making sand castles with AR, swimming in the ocean..."

Carly stops scrubbing the pot and turns around to give him her full attention. "Sounds divine, but what's the real reason for the sudden trip plans? It's not like you to make all these plans without even discussing it with me. In fact, it's darn right presumptuous."

Benny throws his hands up in defeat. "You're right, it was. But I have a good reason. Jason asked me to take you and AR out of town for a few weeks. He had a meeting with some of his associates and he expects some major fallout to hit the streets of Port Charles. He figures the area around the diner will be hardest hit so he wants you and AR out of harm's way.

Carly wipes the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand in obvious frustration. "Much as I want us to be safe, I can't close the diner for a few weeks or I won't have a diner to come home to!"

"Jason says he'll put his people in here and run it for you while you're gone." Before she can protest he stops her. "In fact it helps him out because his people can be around here without looking suspicious. And then, when it's safe again, you can come back and run things as usual."

Carly turns around to finish scrubbing the pot. "Okay, one problem down. What about my shifts at the hospital? No way is Bobbie going to sit still for me dumping my shifts all of a sudden to run off on some fancy vacation. She'll have a fit."

"You won't know until you ask her," Benny points out. "And I would think she'd see it as more important for you and AR to be safe." He walks up behind her yet again and kisses her on the back of the neck softly. "Come on, isn't the idea of a few weeks playing on the beach the least bit inviting?"

A reluctant smile crosses Carly's face. "Of course it is. It's not that I don't want to go...let me talk to Jason and Bobbie before I say yes. But if you want to get out of here by tonight, you're going to have to help with these dishes!"

Benny chuckles and shoves her gently away from the sink. "I'll do you one better. You go talk to Bobbie and Jason and I'll clean up this kitchen."

In a dark and smoky bar out in the middle of nowhere, Lucky sits alone at the bar counter finishing a beer. Dressed in jeans, a tshirt and a leather jacket, he blends with the locals easily. The sounds of Country western music and men laughing and playing pool can be heard in the background.

The front door to the bar opens, temporarily blinding the customers with the bright setting sun. The friendly banter ceases abruptly when the patrons stare at the unlikely sight of a tall thin elegantly dressed gentleman standing in the doorway.

Lucky, curious to see what or who has caused such a stir, turns to look at the gentleman. The man appears to be uneasily gazing around the room at the intimidating clientele. When his eyes come to a rest on Lucky and the barkeep, he makes his way over to them. He addresses the barkeep in a rich German accent. "Perhaps you have a phone I could use? It seems my vehicle has broken down and I need to call for assistance."

The barkeep points to the payphone in the far corner that's surrounded by a half dozen burly men drinking beer. "Phone's right over there."

The man gulps nervously and thanks the barkeep. The men around the phone disburse to a short distance away as the man approaches. Lucky watches the man make a phone call, which soon turns into an argument with the person on the other end. Finally the gentleman hangs up the phone dejectedly and returns to the bar to sit a few stools away from Lucky.

"Didn't have any luck?" Lucky asks the man politely.

The man shakes his head sadly and motions to the barkeep to pour him a beer. "The man at the nearby garage says the tow truck can't be here until tomorrow morning. And frankly I don't hold out much hope that they can do anything with the car anyway. I fear it is beyond repair."

"I'm pretty handy with cars, you want me to take a look?" Lucky offers.

The gentleman looks at him hopefully. "You would do that? Any kind of help I could get would be most helpful."

Lucky throws a couple of bills on the bar to cover his tab and the man's beer. "Sure, I don't have nothing better to do anyway. And if I can fix you up, you can buy me a beer to celebrate." Lucky holds out his hand to the man. "Name's Lucky."

The man smiles and shakes Lucky's hand firmly. "And you can call me Leo."

Benny, Carly and AR sit on commercial airplane waiting for take off. AR, happy to have his favorite blanket and teddy bear, has by some miracle drifted off to sleep. Carly reaches over and squeezes Benny's hand and smiles at him. "Thank you."

"I knew it would all work out," Benny replies, bringing her hand up to his lips.

"I can't believe how quickly Bobbie agreed to let me out of my shifts, it was almost as if she knew...." Carly pauses thoughtfully. "You think Jason called her?"

Benny shrugs. "It wouldn't surprise me if he did, Jason really wanted you and AR to be safe. And he does have a way of smoothing out bumps, doesn't he?"

Carly leans back in her seat and closes her eyes. "He sure does... and so do you. I would never have made on this plane tonight without you helping me. You're amazing."

Benny closes his eyes as well. "All part of my charm. And now all we have to worry about is having fun."

Chapter 10: Historical References

Morning in a roadside diner, Lucky and his new acquaintance, Leo, have just finished breakfast. Leo looks crisp, fresh and wide awake while in contrast Lucky is rumpled and slumped in the corner of his booth half asleep, sipping hot coffee. "Morning is not your time of day I take it?" Leo comments politely.

"Nope. But it can't be helped. Need to be on the road at a decent hour because I want to get to Sioux Falls by sunset." Lucky takes a sip of his coffee and grimaces as it burns his tongue. "Sorry about your car, Man. That engine was beyond hope. It's a miracle that it got you as far as it did."

"I appreciate you saving me the time and expense of calling a tow truck. The least I could do is buy you breakfast." Leo sips his tea silently. "What is in Sioux Falls if I may ask? Family?"

"Nah, just want to see it is all." Lucky rubs his eyes and sits up. "How about you? Where you headed? Maybe I could give you a lift, there's plenty of room in my Caddy."

"That is the thing, I really don't have a destination," Leo explains smoothly. "All my life I've lived in Germany and dreamed of touring America by car... to see the sights and meet the people. I started my trip three weeks ago and so far I've seen most of the eastern seaboard. I was on my way west when my car stranded me here. Now I suppose I will have to end my trip and go home. I doubt I have sufficient funds to buy another car."

Lucky gulps down his now lukewarm coffee. "It'd be a shame to cut your trip short just because of some transportation problems. You're welcome to bum a ride off me as long as it's convenient for both of us. Foster and I could use the company anyway. Gets kinda lonely after a while."

"Foster?" Leo asks curiously.

"My dog. Unless you try to fight him for the front seat you have nothing to worry about. He's an old softy." Lucky drains the last bit of coffee and gets up. "So, you interested in visiting Sioux Falls?"

"That would be splendid, Thank you," Leo replies enthusiastically. "Give me a moment to retrieve my luggage and we can be on our way."

Carly and Benny walk hand in hand along the beach near his parents' home in Puerto Rico. Carly, having shed her winter clothes, is now wearing shorts and a form fitting tank top while Benny is clothed in cutoffs and a muscle shirt. They both raise their faces to worship the warm sun. Waves crash on the sand with regularity and lap teasingly at their bare feet.

Impulsively, Carly runs away from the water and flops down on the hot white sand. "This is so incredible, Benny. I could lie here forever. Miles and miles of deep blue ocean....it always brings me peace."

Benny flops down beside her. "Glad you like it. You know, I almost followed my mom and pop here when the retired. But Jason offered me an opportunity I couldn't refuse."

Carly turns on her side to face him. "You mean you were in too deep to leave?"

A breeze blows a lock of Carly's hair in front of her face and Benny tucks it behind her ear. "Nah, even now I could walk away from the business if I wanted to. That was my stipulation for going to work for him when Sonny died... that I be kept on the outer fringes. I do research, record keeping, and creative bookkeeping for him and in return I get to do the kind of work most hackers only dream of."

"You know, most of the time I don't think of the fact that you actually work for Jason's organization. You don't seem like the type. And your mom doesn't seem to know what you do for a living either."

Benny smirks. "I suppose you're referring to the fact that I don't wear suits. As for my mom, she doesn't really know what I do, and she's learned from all the years living with my dad not to ask. She's just glad I'm working and getting a decent paycheck. Before I went to work for Jason, she thought I was just playing around on the computer and I'd never amount to anything."

"But your dad knows because he worked for Jason," Carly surmises.

"And technically still does," Benny explains. "Pop keeps an eye on Jason's interests here. He actually introduced me to Jason a few years back when Sonny came out of hiding. Jason needed something to do since he felt out of sorts not running the organization anymore. So we hooked up and were instrumental in recovering the Puerto Rican holdings for Sonny. In fact, Sonny gave them to Jason to run afterwards."

"Is it hard living in your father's shadow?" Carly asks. "I mean, you both have the same name and work in the same business. Must be hard being compared to him all the time."

Benny shakes his head. "For the most part it doesn't matter. Except for a few select people, I don't really care what people think or say about me. But enough about me and all this serious talk. We're supposed to be playing on the beach."

Carly leans back so she's lying face up again. "I could lie out here all day."

Benny leans over and kisses her nose playfully. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're getting a sunburn."

Carly groans. "Figures, just my luck. First day on the beach and I'm already a lobster."

"But you're a beautiful lobster." Benny puts an arm around her waist and rolls her towards him so that her body is against him. They kiss deeply, slowly exploring each other's mouths and enjoying the taste of each other. Carly wraps her arms around his neck and pulls herself closer still, so they are molded together intimately and one of her legs is between his.

"My God, Caroline, you are so sexy..." Benny whispers into her mouth. His hands roam her body, his kisses becoming more urgent. Frustrated by her tank top, he starts to remove it.

Carly stiffens and quickly grabs his hands. "Wait! I can't!" She protests, still panting from the effects of their lovemaking.

Benny rolls his eyes and flops back on the sand with a heavy frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry, I thought you were ready to go the next step. Was I wrong?"

"Yes, I mean no.." Carly winces as she hears her lame answer. "What I mean is, I want to make love to you, more than anything, but I can't, at least not right at this moment."

"If this is about birth control, I have that taken care of," Benny replies softly.

"No, it's not about that. It's about AR. I don't feel right leaving him with your parents while I make it with you on the beach." Carly winces again. "I'm sorry, I'm not explaining this very well. What I mean is, AR's probably up from his nap by now or will be in a few minutes. He's my responsibility."

"My parents don't mind," Benny points out. "My pop adores your son, and my mom loves all little kids."

"But your dad doesn't do diapers and I don't feel comfortable imposing on your mom." Carly lays her head on his chest. "Please understand. I want our first time to be perfect, not rushed and stressful."

Benny sighs again. Burying his hands in her hair, he lifts her head to look at him. "I do understand. I'm frustrated as hell, but I understand." He guides her lips to his for a long searing kiss that leaves them both breathless. "I hope you're as frustrated as I am."

"Believe me, I am," Carly replies drily. "C'mon, we better get back."

Laura is standing at the living room window gazing out when Stefan enters the room. He's come to recognize what the look on her face means: she's worrying about Lucky. She tries her hardest to hide it most of the time, but he often sees this look in her face whenever he finds her alone.

Laura, sensing another presence in the room, turns and smiles slightly at Stefan. "I didn't hear you come in."

"You seemed lost in thought, I didn't want to disturb you." Stefan crosses the room to stand beside her. "Thinking about Lucky?"

Laura nods sadly. "Yes, did you know he called Lulu yesterday? On one hand I'm relieved because I know he's alive and healthy, but then it hits me how much he must hate me...."

Stefan puts a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "I wish I had let the assault charges against him stand. If I hadn't asked the district attorney to drop them, Lucky would still be in town. And If I thought tracking him down and bringing him home would accomplish anything positive..."

"No, you did the right thing," Laura replies. "It would have been worse for Lucky if he'd been forced to stay here because of some criminal charges. Much as it hurts to have him push me away, I know he needs time to sort things out. I don't think he can do it here, running into hurtful reminders every time he turns around. As for tracking him down, he'd just hate me more and make himself harder to find next time. And this way he'll keep in contact with Lulu and we'll get news that way."

Outside of Kelly's Diner, Emily gives Lois and Ned one more hug good bye. "Thanks for everything, guys. You two are the best."

"You call us if you need anything, you hear?" Lois says sternly, like a mother hen instructing her chick. "Or just call to say hi 'cause otherwise I'm going to be worrying sick about you."

Emily smiles at Lois' mothering. "I'll call every day until you get sick of hearing me whine about Lucky."

Ned kisses the top of Emily's head before releasing her. "Sounds like a plan. Oh, do me a favor and call your parents tonight? They're worried sick and they'll go easier on me if they hear from you."

"Sure. Thanks again for everything." She waves cheerfully as they drive off before entering the diner and heading upstairs. Anxious to get to her room, she takes the steps two at a time with hardly a glance into the diner itself. She stops dead when she sees Rinaldo waiting in front of her door. "Oh my God, what happened to Jason?!"