August 2008
"If your father threatens any of my family ever again…I will be forced to tell Jason about you and your brother's involvement in Michael's shooting"
As soon as the words are out of his mouth he regrets them. He hates himself for putting that look in her eye…the one that lets him know that he has wounded her…he never wanted to do that, be another person in her life to make her feel that way…but in a strange way he hoped she could understand…understand what family meant.
The hour is out of joint
Black sun has risen
And the river of words
Is flowing on through
The cages of tradition
They're handing out emptiness
We'll take it, cos it's given
Free with this plastic innocence
And these standards of living
His words were worse then a punch in the gut, and she felt them stinging on her skin long after they were off his lips. She wanted to hate him for them, wanted to tell him off and walk away…but she understood the words too well. If anyone had threatened John she would do the same thing.
"My father will not bother your family again" she said before turning on her heel and walking away.
She would not reveal herself to him, to let him know that he could take a dagger to her heart that easily.
Questions, lighted questions
Burnin' holes into my head
Hanging like shadows o'er the sun
Staring out like the eyes of the dead
And sometimes my soul flickers
As the wind of change blows cold
Over the mire of repetition
Down the corridors of rigmarole
As soon as she was gone he wished he could run his head into a wall. There was no reason to feel badly, no reason to hate that look in her eyes…he barely knew
her…and yet somehow she had crawled up inside of him, and looking in her eyes was like looking into the darkest part of him.
She waltzed into Greystone like she owned the place announcing, "You, me, sex, now"
Sonny looked up from his paperwork but a very feminine voice spoke, "You will have to come back for that later, Sonny is otherwise occupied" Alexis Davis said walking through the door Sonny's daughter holding her hand.
Watching she saw his face light up, "Princess"
"Daddy" she responded her brown ponytail bouncing as she jumped into his arms.
Claudia watched as he twirled her around both of them matching dimples beaming back at each other, the sick feeling in her stomach almost overwhelming her as she ran back out of the door.
When she finally came to her building she slammed at the elevator buttons. The whole day had gone to shit from the start; she should have just went to Jakes and found some pretty guy to put her to bed.
The elevator dinged and she kicked off the red heels, ready to pour herself a brandy and wait until it was dark outside. Zacchara's were much like vampires, lurking in the shadows, thirsting for blood…why should she be any different.
Walking through the door she knew this wouldn't be the peaceful day she had hoped for.
His phone vibrated across his desk and he picked it up no recognizing the number, "Nikolas Cassadine"
Do you find it there
In the sea of faces
That drowns you every day
Or in the silence and rubble and empty spaces
Where children and rottweilers play
Is it buried in the praise
Given so cheap
With a meaningless movement of the jaws
In the looking glass
That flatters you
"You need to come to my Penthouse, now"
She clicked before he had any time to question her, but the tone in her voice made him believe it was serious.
"What happened" she hissed after clicking her phone.
Lulu sat trembling on the floor, slowly rocking herself back and fourth. Johnny and Maxie exchanged a telling look.
"Tell me now" Claudia barked at them.
Maxie sighed, "Logan came in the office today all pissed and spouting nonsense…Lulu told him she was glad I slept with him, because she met Johnny…he finally left but when Lulu left home, he came back…and he started to say these things, and rip at my clothes…the last thing I remember was going across Kate's desk, and hitting my head…I remember Logan looking at me…and I was so scared…anyway I guess he stopped because he saw Lulu looking out the window…and he came after her"
Blind circle, moon and sun
Body willing, mind undone
One pain ending while another begins
Lies, ruin, disease
Into wounds like these
Let the truth sting
Rocking back and forth the blonde girl encircled her knees with her arms…Claudia just shook her head, girls like Lulu were trouble, she had tried to warn Johnny since the beginning. Then he went and fell in love…love was for suckers.
The knock on the door caused them all to jump in anticipation.
"Claudia it's Nikolas, open up"
Lulu's head jerked upwards hearing her brother's voice. Claudia walked to the door and Nikolas walked in slowly.
"You sounded urgent over the phone, is everything…what the…Lulu"
It was the first thing to get her off the ground, in a moment she was wrapped up in his strong arms…and as Claudia looked into his deep brown eyes…she knew a part of them was the same.
His hand stroked through her blonde tresses, hushed whisperings falling upon deaf ears…her sobs shook her small body and he remembered when she was a child…it seemed that they grow up so fast, and yet not nearly fast enough.
"Nikolas…I…I…killed him" she said through tears.
Nikolas looked to Claudia and she wished for a moment she could take it away for him, tell him it wasn't true…instead she shrugged sadly.
Maxie caught eyes with the prince, "Come on Lulu, let's go sit in Johnny's room" she said touching her arm.
I feel it from the pit of my stomach
Into the ditch of my mind
Inside the chambers of my heart
As I stare half blind
At these walls of cardboard
At this space that I've rented
At your beauty that is crumbling
Though you try so hard to prevent it
"No, no, no" Lulu said shaking her still buried head.
Easing her eyes to look into his, "Lulu, go lie down…please sweetie"
Johnny stepped up, "Yeah come on Lu"
Turning to him she nodded, "O…Okay" she whispered.
He waited until he saw them disappear in the back of the Penthouse.
"What in God's name happened here?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Rubbing her hands over her face, "All I know is what you know…I come home hoping to relax and see your cuckoo for cocoa puffs sister crying over a dead body"
"Please do not hurl insults at my sister" he asked his voice steady.
Shaking her head, "Well you asked" she said matter of fact.
She watched his shoulder's sag…she had never seen him like this, even when he was injured he wasn't this vulnerable. She knew the feeling well…not knowing how to protect someone you love…someone who depends on you…it was enough to eat away at you inside.
Through the borderline
In front and behind
Down the road of thorns
Between the barbwire and the soul
Bitters and chains
Is all that remains
Where the wheel has rolled
"We should call the police"
"No"
"What?"
Their eyes met, "We can't call the cops Nikolas…Scotty Baldwin is the DA, and Logan's father…Lulu has a past history of violence towards him…he will railroad her"
Words seeped into his brain and when he looked into her dark eyes a part of him couldn't disagree with her…and yet a part of him could…couldn't agree with her because that meant he trusted her…and he didn't give his trust away easily.
"What are we proposing to do" he asked.
Biting her lips she wondered how it had come to this point…revealing herself to someone she hardly knew…it was against the code, against everything she had been taught…and yet she found the words spilling forth, "We have to cover this up"
"No, no, I won't do it"
The silence in the room became deafening as the two wills battled each other. Sounds of whimpers came from the back room as Maxie opened the door and walked out.
"She's really freaking out"
Nikolas nodded to the young blonde, "Thank you Maxie"
As she walked back into the room he once again stared into dark eyes, "Do you really think she is strong enough to handle this?"
Her words pierced at him, "Just trust me Nikolas, let me take care of this"
In a moment that would change his life he nodded, "I trust you"
But here watching the night
As it opens like a flower
And the day starts to rust
Feeling time pound
Like a silent hammer
On this empire of dust
And I'm thinking about the bullet
And the TV screen, the dollar, and the clenched fist
And if we're searching for peace
How come we still believe
In hatred as the catalyst
He took Lulu home, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she finally fell asleep. He thought of what his mother would say…he should have been able to
protect her from this…but he had been exorcising his own demons and didn't notice the kind of trouble his little sister had found. He would make this right for her…make it okay, even if it killed him.
When it was all done she found herself on the launch the crisp sea air flapping her hair around. She hated that she had dragged him into this…,maybe her father had been right all those years.
"Sluts like you destroy everything they come in contact with"
Shaking the memory off she walked into Wyndamere. He stood there swirling around a glass of brandy. Coming up next to him they stood shoulder to shoulder.
On and on
Body willing, mind undone
One pain ending while another begins
Lies, ruin, disease
(Let the Truth Sting – David Gray)
"It's done" she said.
"Is it ever really done" he asked.
Her hand touched his and he pulled her fingers in between his.
