Author: Missy Ann (WhiteDove)
E-mail:
Rating: PG There is one or two swear words in this.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them.
Feedback: Please? With a cherry on top? Good, bad, and ugly welcome.
Pairing: Johnny/Lulu
Summary: A different take on the first meeting of Johnny and Lulu.
Comments: I was thinking of the scene where Johnny and Lulu meet on the pier before the opening of The Haunted Star and I got to wondering "what if they had meet on the docks?" As I have always had an affinity for writing AU meetings I thought Why not?! This is a one shot for now. If I think of a good plot I might turn it into a longer chaptered story. If anyone has any ideas or wants me to continue please leave me a review telling me.
Waves splashed against the dock, soft and graceful in the dark of the midnight hour. Some might call the night quiet and peaceful but then, silence was a thing of perspective. To most the crash of the wind driven water was background noise, not registering on a conscious level, but to some the simple splashing of the water calmed troubled uneasy thoughts and gave the mind a focus that it would have otherwise lacked.
Such was the case for the one lone woman leaning against the rail, seemingly mesmerized as she watched the waves break again and again with the ebb and flow of the tides. Her blond hair blew gently with the summer nights wind. Moonlight reflected on the wavering locks making her look ethereal. Her countenance was sad, almost melancholy as tears carved glistening trails down her pale cheeks.
Night birds sounding the occasional call as they fished the harbor for their nightly feast seemingly unaware of all around them except for their prey. Early summer heat still gave way to chilly nights keeping the fish close to the surface of the water. As the wind blew softly it caught the mist from the breaking waves and carried it on its journey towards the shore causing goosebumps to appear on the lone intruder of the harbors nightly ritual. Her white knee length dress getting slightly damp and causing her to shiver against the almost tender assault of the wind.
Staring out as the pitch black of the water she saw the occasional speck of white as the night birds dived into the water looking for the foolish fish that swam too close to the surface. Her mind noting the act and relating it to her own foolishness and lack of care. Such trusting actions for such a dangerous place. She related to the fish more than she wanted to admit but the similarity was there nonetheless. She had trusted her with heart but she should have guarded it against hurt. In her lack of suspicion she had left herself open to the treachery of her own brand of night bird.
A predator to be sure, yet he had given off the look of the prey. She had trusted him with her heart because she had thought she had seen something about him that was beautiful, honest. Even though she had known he was dangerous she had given him a part of her heart and now she stood here trying to make sense of the tattered pieces of her shattered illusions and broken heart.
So lost in her reverie she didn't notice that she was no longer a lone observer of the night until she caught the angry cries of the protesting night fowl. Turning toward the now apparent sounds of footfalls on the wooden planks of the dock she was shocked when a tall dark haired man approached. Curious as to whom this other lonely soul was she waited as he approached.
As he walked closer she studied him, taking in every detail she could see. He was a few inches over six foot tall, dressed in jeans and a dark t-shirt with a blue or black coat protecting him from the moist chilly air. He was clean-shaven and his features were hard and soft all at once, his lips sensual and at the moment curved in a sexy smile. His nose straight and his hair dark and short, but it was his eyes that held her interest. Even in the dim light of the full moon she could see their intensity, she could almost feel them on her body as he looked at her. They looked brown but something told her that in the clear light of day saying they were brown wouldn't do them justice. Shockingly she felt an intense need to see what they looked like filled with laughter.
"What are you doing her all by your self?" asked her unexpected companion once he reached her.
She sighed, looking up at him for a moment then looking back out to the water, "Thinking," she replied. She thought another moment then laughed a little, "Actually that's not true. I'm trying not to think."
Her masculine companion laughed lightly at that and turned out to watch the water as well. He leaned up against the rail with her before saying, "I know exactly how that feels."
They stood in silence for a long moment before her companion turned to her and said, "What's your name?"
The woman thought for a moment, debating on whether to tell this stranger her name. After a long moment she shrugged and said, "Lulu."
The guy smiled and said, "Well Lulu, it's nice to meet you, I'm Johnny." He said her name like he was savoring it and the tone caused shivers that had nothing to do with the weather, to dance along her spine. She took the hand he had held out and shook it the feel of his slightly rough skin causing even more shivers to trail down her back. After a short second she let go of his hand and then they both just stared out at the vast emptiness and let their inner thoughts travel on the night air.
Johnny had enjoyed the fell of Lulu's hand in his. He had started out this night just trying to get away from his crazy father and had ended up meeting one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Driving had always been an escape for him. The faster he drove the more he felt in control of his life. Knowing that one wrong move could end it all gave him a great rush but also the satisfaction that if he did die that way, at least it would be by his own choices and not something that was dictated by his father or his father's lawyer, Trevor Lansing.
So much had been taken from him, his mother, his sister, his freedom; it was nice to take something back for a change. So he had climbed into his yellow and black muscle car and took off down the high way as fast as he could go. He had driven for hours, burning gas and burning away some of the restlessness that ate at his mind, burning off some of the loneliness that seemed to etch it self on his soul.
He had been about to turn around and go home when he had passed the Port Charles pier. Visible from the road he had spotted a figure standing on the docks. Her white dress and blond hair making her stand out as the moonlight shown down on her. At first he was shocked and he slowed down to a crawl as he watched the wind catch her dress causing the silver threads in it to simmer, and making her hair shine but then he was curious. What was she doing there? Who was she? So he had stopped completely and joined her.
From the other side of the dock he could tell she was sad. Her shoulders were slumped and every now and then she let out a forlorn sigh, as if the sadness just couldn't be contained inside her. He had been struck by a feeling of deep protectiveness that had caused him to stop short in shock. As he stood there trying to figure out what the heck was going on with his emotions he had been struck by the angelic ness of her beauty. He had started walking toward her before he quite realized what he was doing, until he was standing before her looking into her beautiful green eyes.
Now that he was here he didn't want to move anytime soon. Her presence filled him with a strange peace and made his heard beat a little faster just by standing next to her.
Up close he could see that she had been crying, still wet tear tracks glistened on her face and that made his heart ache for her. Someone or something had hurt Lulu very deeply. The feelings of protectiveness grew even stronger and he had to fight to control his urge to gather her in his arms and hold her.
"Why come here to think?" Johnny asked softly, not wanting to disturb the atmosphere of peace that surrounded them.
"I had a fight with my boyfriend...ex-boyfriend," she explained a little, "I walked out and I just kept walking till I ended up here. I thought he might come after me but I kept walking. But that's ok, I like walking, the weather is nice this time of year. The chill reminds you that even if it gets 90 during the day you can still cool down at night." She stopped talking and then flushed slightly with embarrassment at her slightly babbling response.
Johnny smiled at her response, her views refreshing and welcome. Her statement about her ex made him want to beat the shit out of a guy dumb enough to hurt her though.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him in response to his smile.
"I was out driving. I saw you standing down here all alone and I wondered what someone was doing out here all by themselves in the middle of the night. So I stopped and came down to see," he shrugged as if it wasn't important before noticing that she was shivering slightly in the cold. Wanting to warm her he shrugged off his coat and laid it across her shoulders. "Here, you're shivering," he said gently as he put the coat on her.
Lulu started to protest but he shushed her gently. "But you'll be cold," she told him.
Johnny shook his head, "I'm fine," the night air not really bothering him at all.
That was all they said for a long time. Staring out at the water Lulu lost herself again in her thoughts until Johnny spoke up again, "Want a ride home?"
Lulu smiled and found herself trusting this handsome stranger. With her physical safety anyway. "Thanks. I'd like that."
With that Johnny led Lulu to his car and helped her in. Getting in the other side he started it up and said, "Where to?"
Lulu looked around and said, "Anywhere. Just drive." She just wanted to get away for a while, to not think about the heartbreak that awaited her when she got home.
Johnny lifted a brow at that but didn't comment. Instead he pulled onto the road and just drove...
The end (for now)