This story started out of a one hour challenge that was posted on Soapzone. I had so much positive feedback for it that I decided to expand it. The time markers at the beginning note the start time and end time according to the challenge
As usual, original characters are mine. Plot is mine The rest belongs to Disney, Abc etc Please don't steal any of my work-Thanks :)
Start time 8:26 Am
"Sit down, cop killer!" Zander Smith winced as he heard the angry words from the bald headed guy. Its seemed that was what he was, but he'd never have a chance to explain his true reasons for the mess he was in. He obeyed the cop, releived that the crushing pressure on his shoulder was gone. As he settled into the chair in the small waiting room at the PCPD his eyes found hers.
She should have never come and she shouldn't stay, he realized. He tried to project his thoughts across the room. Her eyes met his and held, a lover caress passing between their gazes. How had it happened? He had hurt her so badly by keeping her away from everyone she loved, from her life, in Port Charles, from her family. For what reason? A long forgotten legacy that only he remembered.
Darn it, she was still looking at him! Why didn't she go away? He turned his attention to the cop. "Can you please make her leave." He said in a polite tone.
"Sorry we have to question her. She knew the whereabouts of a nasty cop killer and we need to know if she was aiding and abetting him."
They weren't about to pin charges on her, were they? "She didn't do anything. She had just convinced me to turn myself in when you walked up.
Taggert looked up and caught Emily's loving glance toward her former captor. The kid was in over her head, that much was obvious with his first glance. He considered pulling the blinds shut, but then relented. It wasn't as if the kids would have any time together anyway. Zander Smith was going to be sent upriver for a good long time. "That's what you say kid."
"No that's what she says too." Zander replied, squelching his temper. He had to be nice to the cop or he'd never get what he needed from him. "Look, can I have one minute alone with her. That's all I'm asking."
Taggert shook his head emphatically. "Sorry, you kidnapped her. What else do you want."
"I want my phone call, or its equivalent." He said evenly. She hadn't stopped looking at him yet. He was as much releived and comforted by her comforting looks as he was alarmed. She could get hurt in this whole mess. And she was the only truly innocent one.
"So you want her in lieu of calling an attorney or family?" Taggert asked curiously. He was disgusted by the chemistry thrumming through the air but at the same time, it held a tiny bit of fascination for him. He wanted to feel that intensely about someone in his life.
"I do. Five minutes, that's all I need." The relief pouring over the boy's features made him appear to be barely of age.
Taggert sighed. He hated mobsters and cop killers, but for some reason he wanted to give this kid the slightest chance. "Five minutes, no more and I'm right outside the door with a bunch of kids that wouldn't hesitate to break in here and hurt you if they had a reason." He let his threat hang in the air for a long moment before turning to the door.
Emily looked up hopefully as Taggert walked out of the room. "How is he? What are the charges?" she asked as she broke away from Lucky and Nikolas.
"We haven't booked him yet." Taggert replied, then sighed as he ran his hand over his smooth head. "He wants to see you. I told him five minutes and no more, Emily." The look on the young girl's face almost made the man wince. She was bound to get hurt by the kid, and still she wanted to see him. "Take a notebook. You're his one call, so he may ask you to make some calls for him."
"Thanks." Emily replied. She ran a nervous hand over her hair and rushed inside.
Zander's heart had begun racing the moment the cop walked out of the room. When she walked in it was racing uncontrollably and as he stood, a slight bout of dizziness hit him. He couldn't have said if it was due to her nearness or the news he had to impart.
"Oh My God." Emily rushed over and eased him back into the chair. "Sit down. Are you all right? Did they hurt you?" She brushed his hair back quickly.
"No contact!" Taggert's yell easily penetrated the strong door and Emily's hand fell awkwardly to the side.
"I am now that you're here." He confessed shyly. Her vulnerability was so attractive to him; he was aroused by her nearness. "I need your help." He said suddenly as he tried to get his mind on the task at hand. They had so much to do and so little time to do it in.
"What do you need? A Lawyer, I'm so on that." Emily started to pull out her phone before Zander's look quieted her.
"I'll need one later but I need you to do me a really big favor first." Zander began then took a deep breath. "At the bus stop there's a duffel bag in locker 377. There's a note stapled to the handles. Can you follow the instructions in it to the letter? It's really important."
"Sure." Emily said, confused. "But I don't know how that can help you right now."
Zander gave her a gentle smile. "Soon it'll all make sense." He assured. "Do me a favor Emily, and wait for me?"
She flushed and looked down at the scarred table before nodding.
"We're the real thing." Zander whispered as she turned away. "I promise you that."
"I know." Emily was close to tears. "I'll see you soon." She whispered before moving quickly out of the room.
Zander sighed and leaned back in his chair. All he could do now was wait and watch his back. He instinctively knew that Emily would not fail him when he needed her the most.
Two hour later
Luke Spencer rushed into the PCPD and glared at Taggert. "Where's Bubba?"
"Excuse me?" Taggert watched Luke Spencer carefully. The older man seemed harried and stressed, but not especially frightening, and he only stank of cigars.
"I need to see Bubba." Luke repeated slowly. "Bubba the police commissioner. The lesser Scorpio."
Taggert shook his head. "Sorry he isn't here Luke. What do you need?"
What do I need?" Luke looked at the other man as if he was insane. "You have my boy locked up and you want to know what I need? Did Bubba borrow the PCPD brain cell today?"
Taggert gave Luke a long look and cautiously sniffed the air again. No, he didn't smell like alcohol. "Luke, Lucky isn't here. He Nikolas and Emily left a long time ago."
"I didn't mean that boy." Luke explained patiently. "My other boy, my oldest boy is in here."
"He is?" Taggert didn't even know Luke had another son. "Who is he."
"Zander Smith." Luke said firmly as he handed Taggert a small vinyl covered envelope. My son with Jennifer Smith. I'm here with his get out of jail free card."
End 9:18
Chapter 2
"You what?" Taggert asked with a laugh. "You're not that cop killer's father."
Luke glared at the cop for a long moment. "First, my son didn't kill anyone. And second," he said in a near growl, "You will not disrespect my kid. No more Taggert." When the cop didn't back down, Luke continued to stand toe to toe. "Are you taking the evidence that will free my son, or do I have to call Bubba at home."
With an exaggerated sigh, Taggert reached for the envelope. As official papers spilled out, he rolled his eyes.
"Go on, look at them" Luke urged as he clenched and released his fists nervously.
The bald man leaned over and scrutinized the papers slowly. "Hannah can you come over and check out the authenticity of these?" he asked in a strangely tense voice.
Hannah Scott crossed the police station floor and examined each of the documents slowly. As she held them up to the lights and studied the surface and transparency, the suspense became too much for Luke. "Come on, they're all legal. Call the contact numbers and check. I did before I came down here. You guys might not have ever dealt with the WSB before but I sure have."
"We need to make sure that these are one hundred percent before we release Zander." Hannah explained patiently. Luke had had enough. He waved his hands dismissively and walked to the interrogation room. As he stood in front of the clear glass, he studied his new son carefully. The boy's head was on the table; his sooty eyelashes closed in exhaustion. This was his son....his brand new son. Luke felt a sense of loss well up inside him as he thought of what could have been.
Flashback
1980
Jennifer Smith looked at the papers grimly and walked into the Campus Disco. There was Luke, flirting outrageously with that blond witch Laura as usual. He was hers. He was going to marry her. Daddy had said so and daddy was never wrong. She flashed her most innocent smile at Laura and walked Luke into the Disco's back room. "Hello Luke, we have some business to discuss."
"Jennifer I'm busy." He snapped, annoyed. When she waved some papers under his nose, he just looked at her blankly. "What is that?"
"It's a pregnancy test." Jennifer replied as she placed it on his desk to wind her arms around his neck. "Congratulations, daddy."
"What?" Luke backed off with a nervous laugh. "Is this the virgin birth or something cause we never...."
Jennifer pulled some photos out of her purse. "Didn't we though Luke? Look at theses. Now that is me." She said pointing to the nude form curled around the ginger haired man. "And that is you, naked as the day you were born. So don't tell me we didn't create this life."
"We didn't." Luke protested, his anger now rising to the surface. "Jennifer I would have remembered sleeping with you..."
"Not if you were drunk." She replied. "And you were." As she wiped a few stray tears away, she tried to gather her dignity. "If you don't want to help me deal with this, I'll do it alone."
End Flashback
Apparently his shock and anger had caused her to life about their child in the most complete way. She had not aborted him, as she had claimed many a time, but the boy had been born when he and Laura had been off adventuring. He had missed a lifetime with the young man.
"Mr. Spencer?" The slightly sarcastic mocking tone of Marcus Taggert wrenched Luke out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?" Luke didn't like to be surprised.
"We're releasing your son to your custody now."
~*~
Emily hurried toward L&B records, her shoes clattering on the cool pavement. It had been pretty easy to shake Lucky and Nikolas after leaving the PCPD. She had told them she was suffering from a headache and after escorting her to the mansion they had backed off. She had barely gone inside when she left again, armed with a half dozen carrot sticks courtesy of Cook. Someday the woman was going to tire of aiding Emily in her frequent flights from the mansion, but for now she was Emily's godsend. Cook had been the only one to convince Reginald that he needed to drive Emily to L&B right away. Breaking away from a snuggle session with Leticia, the man stood in front of one of the Quartermaine sedans.
"Thanks so much Reggie." She said breathlessly as she climbed in. The car started with a roar and Emily found herself hunkering down in the seat so that she wouldn't be spotted by any family members or staff. The ride took mere moments and soon she was clamoring out of the car. Alexis had to be here, Emily though wildly. She had to help Zander.
Emily burst into L&B and looked around. Nik and Gia were playfully arguing on one couch while Lucky and Liz had their heads together over some pieces of paper. Ned and Alexis were walking up the spiral staircase.
"Alexis can I talk to you?" Emily's voice was breathless both from the cold and the stress of her situation.
"Sure." Alexis said, alarmed by the look on the young woman's face. "Is everything ok Emily?" Conversation ceased as all of the occupants of the record company realized what Emily's purpose at L&B must be.
"Not really. I need your help." She said in a rush. "I need you to represent someone."
"Oh no." Nikolas said as he got to his feet. "Emily please don't do this. You can't help him."
"I can and I will Nikolas." she said in a stern tone. As Lucky started to reply, Emily put a restraining hand up. "This isn't your fight guys. I appreciate the fact that you want to help, but remember, I was the one kidnapped. This is between me and Zander and any lawyers we bring in here." She turned to Alexis. "Can I retain you. There is more going on, I know it. Maybe you can help me find the answers."
Alexis looked between Ned and Nikolas uneasily for a moment, but her eyes were drawn to Emily's pleading gaze. "Alexis you're the best." She stated quietly. "And we need the best to get the answers we need."
"All right." Alexis said as she moved to the young woman's side. She gave Emily a gentle hug. "Let me get my briefcase and I'll go right down there."
"Thanks Alexis." She said as she looked at her friends. "Guys please trust me here. I know what I'm doing, even though it doesn't seem so." She turned and exited the structure with dignity. She would wait for Alexis outside.
~*~
Sonny Corinthos looked at a sheaf of papers and ran a hand through his dark hair. He knew that Zander Smith had been arrested and though he knew that there was more to this story, he couldn't quite figure out what. Zander seemed to have a greater purpose but he couldn't quite figure out what that was. Tired from his efforts, Sonny set his papers aside and walked into the living room.
"Hi Sonny." Carly looked up from a magazine. She studied her husband's expression carefully. "What's on your mind?" She asked, knowing he was unlikely to tell her. When Sonny
settled on the couch beside her and rested his shoulder against hers, her heart sang.
"It's Zander, Carly. He's been arrested, Emily is in a huge mess and something about this just doesn't seem right to me?"
She turned to face him, gathering her legs under her and setting the magazine slide. "What do you think seems strange and how do you know this?"
Sonny flushed. "Johnny's uncle is a janitor over there. He's our source. He just called with the news."
"Oh." Carly smirked. "You've got friends in high places I see."
"Yeah I do." Sonny challenged back. "I married you didn't I?" At the look of outrage that started to pass over her face, he grinned and pulled her onto his lap. "I was kiddin." He declared as his hands found her ribs.
"No Sonny, please don't," Carly begged as his fingers found her ribs. When her pleas reached deaf ears, she struck back, reaching for the sensitive area behind his knees.
"Oh you play rough." Sonny said with a grin. He needed this moment of levity and as usual, his wife seemed to anticipate his needs. He flipped her over, pinning her to the couch and kissed her thoroughly.
Carly sighed against his mouth, deepening the kiss. There would be time to deal with the Zander mystery later. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy her husband's presence and sexual appeal.
~*~
"I hope she's going to be ok." Lucky said grimly as his eyes followed Emily's departure.
"She will be." Nikolas assured. "Alexis will be with her. Remember that she doesn't want our help. We have to be accessible, but not hover. Anyway..." he trailed off and looked between his friends. "Don't we have a movie to rent?"
"Movie?" Gia asked carefully. She was the newcomer to the group and did not usually feel comfortable with Lucky and Liz.
"Yeah." Nikolas said as he warmed to the idea. "Lucky thought that since we'd all be distracted by Emily's situation and all, we could rent a movie and get our mind off the problems. Emily can stop by or call if she needs us."
"And you're including me?" Gia asked in surprise. She had spent so much time at her mother's bedside that she hadn't even tried to be social with Nikolas' friends.
"Yeah we are. Are you coming?" Lucky asked in a teasing tone. He admired Gia's spunk and attitude. In truth, she reminded her of himself before his capture.
Gia looked awkwardly at Elizabeth, then nodded. She didn't need the other girl's approval to do this, though it would be better if she didn't feel awkward around her. "What do you think, Liz, think we can make them get a girly flick?" Gia was borderline sarcastic in tone, since she much preferred a little action among the kisses and cuddles.
"Maybe." Liz smiled faintly. She didn't really want to spend her time with the loudmouth from Brooklyn but it didn't seem as if she had any choice. So much for some quality time with Lucky, she sighed. They had a lot to work out.
"You ok with this Liz?" Lucky asked her in a concerned tone. He didn't care for he tension thrumming between the two young women.
Liz turned to Lucky, noting the endearing way his sandy brown hair tumbled over his forehead and the sapphire of his eyes and all of her protest caught in her throat. "Yeah of course I am. It'll be nice to get to know Gia."
Gia rolled her eyes a little, knowing that Liz wasn't as yet interested in friendship. "Yeah it will be. We can class up these two guys." Her smile came more easily as she linked arms with Nikolas.
"That we can." Emily said with a genuine smile. This might just be fun after all." She realized as she linked her arm with Lucky's
~*~
"Let me go!" V Ardanowski kicked wildly at the man that stood in front of her. He wore a smarmy smirk and seemed to be enjoying her struggles. She tried to pull away, but his bodyguards held her securely. "Sorrel, you'll live to regret this." She growled.
"I don't think so." He said in a creepy way as he watched her kick and struggle. "You have some answers about Zander Smith and I'm afraid you won't be leaving us until you fess up."
"What do you mean?" V asked breathlessly "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Yes you do." The man came closer, tightening his hand around her throat. "Where is he hiding out."
V blinked nervously as she summoned every WSB instinct. How was she going to get out of this? What did Sorrel know? "I'm sorry. I have no idea what you're talking about." She said, trying to remain calm. "And anyway, I've just arrived back in town today."
"Oh?" Sorrel asked in a mocking tone. "Then I guess you and my other guest will have to get acquainted. Boys, take her back with the other one. Maybe she can nurse him back to health."
V's eyes flashed and she mentally considered everyone the creep could have as his prisoner. Even if he suspected her real profession, he would not likely realize her true purpose and connection to Zander. "You're a sick man." She said as she tried to reign in her emotions. It wouldn't do anyone any good if she were out of control.
"Perhaps." Sorrel said, following as she was deposited on the cold concrete floor. A man huddled in a corner groaning in pain. The curly dark hair.... V knew exactly who he was. Fighting every instinct to run to him, she looked at Sorrel calmly. "If you want me to nurse this guy to health, you better leave me to it." She said as the men placed her to the ground.
"Boys let her go." Sorrel replied as he watched the play of emotions over the redhead's face. " She needs to tend to her lover now." He and his goons had barely left the room when V rushed over to the man.
"Oh God." She whispered in an agonized tone of voice. "Honey can you hear me. I'm here now. I'll help you."
Chapter 3
"Mr. Spencer?" The slightly sarcastic mocking tone of Marcus Taggert wrenched Luke out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?" Luke didn't like to be surprised.
"We're releasing your son to your custody now."
Luke swallowed hard and nodded his head. What did a guy say to the kid he never had? Luke doubted that they made a Hallmark card for that occasion. And now that he knew all the circumstances of the kid's arrest what could he say and feel? It was impossible to describe the jumble of feelings swirling around in the pit of his stomach.
"Hey Smith." Zander looked up as the detective motioned to him. He had polished a small bit of the desk for a long time of so it seemed. He had been afraid to hope that everything was finally going to work out and hadn't wanted to keep his eyes on the proceedings outside the small interrogation room.
"Yes?" He said looking at the bundle in the cop's hands.
"You're free to go Secret Agent Man." Taggert replied. He slapped the credentials on the desk and turned to leave. "Don't think this changes anything. You're still enemy number one to this force so if I were you I'd watch my back. I'd be asking for the suits back home for a transfer really quick like. Since you're under twenty-one, I'm releasing you to your dear dad's custody pending an investigation. We have to be sure you didn't forge those documents."
"You know damn well that they're the real thing." Zander said quietly. His eyes moved to the open door of the interrogation room and settled on the middle-aged man leaning insolently against the doorframe.
Luke watched the way Zander dealt with Taggert. With a slight shake of his head, he felt a begrudging pride well up inside him. The kid could hold his own. "You ready to go kid?" he asked in a soft voice. He tried to communicate with the kid that this wasn't the place to have their first meeting. He wouldn't give the cops any more food for their gossip mill.
Zander met Luke's eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Ready to go, dad Thanks for springing me."
He's as much a consummate actor as Lucky, Luke marveled as his son walked up to him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's go." Zander said in a low voice. For a moment, Luke wondered who was in charge, as the younger man seemed to control him as well as the officers of the law.
"Yeah." Luke said with a nod. "If you need us, we'll be at the club," he called over his shoulder. It was an effort to keep his shoulders relaxed until they were out of the prying eyes of the PCPD, but he took his cue from Zander's example and stayed calm. As soon as they had cleared the PCPD entrance, Luke pointed to the garish pink caddy parked in a no parking zone. "Those are my wheels kid." He couldn't spare a glance at the boy yet. To do so would break down the wall of emotion simmering just under the surface and Luke Spencer wasn't about to do that in public. They had to meet in the comparative privacy of his office, on his turf.
"I guess I should explain..." Zander began awkwardly. His hands worked the documents around.
"Not yet." Luke said, reaching out to still the young man's hands. "You don't want to ruin those." He was lost when he looked into Zander's deep eyes.
"My son." Luke whispered reverently as the first tears started.
~*~
"Perhaps," Sorrel said, following as she was deposited on the cold concrete floor. A man huddled in a corner groaning in pain. The curly dark hair.... V knew exactly who he was. Fighting every instinct to run to him, she looked at Sorrel calmly. "If you want me to nurse this guy to health, you better leave me to it," she said as the men placed her to the ground.
"Boys let her go," Sorrel replied as he watched the play of emotions over the redhead's face. " She needs to tend to her lover now." He and his goons had barely left the room when V rushed over to the man.
"Oh God," she whispered in an agonized tone of voice. "Honey can you hear me. I'm here now. I'll help you."
Roy groaned and tried to raise his head. "Zander," he managed before spitting out some blood from his cracked lips. "You have to protect the kid, V." Exhausted, he rested his head on the concrete.
"What did they do to you, Roy?" V asked gently. "And furthermore why?" She asked in confusion. How could anyone have known that she and Roy were seeing each other? He covered his tracks by dating ex-flame Bobbie and she was thought to be deeply involved with Simon.
"Have to get out." Roy groaned.
'We will," V said in a gentle voice. "Relax sweetheart." As he groaned and rested against the cold stone of the floor she assessed his injuries. From the way he was clutching his chest and side, she surmised that he might have some broken ribs. "What hurts beside your side Roy. How serious is it?"
"Just that. They popped me in the mouth." His voice slowly gained strength as the pain faded to a dull roar. "They're after him, V," he said after a time.
"He's ahead of the game, "V shared. "The PCPD telephoned checking his credentials. I'm sure he's gotten to his father somehow." Roy groaned at the news. "What is it? Luke can take care for them."
"Now Luke is responsible for our agent, your partner," Roy said hotly. "That isn't the way it should be. We should be out there protecting him." He struggled to sit up before collapsing back on the ground.
"Stop that right now," V said sharply. "You may be my superior but I will not allow you to overexert yourself. Sit tight Roy. I'll figure it out. Zan will be safe with Luke."
"Yeah but will Luke be safe with him?" Roy shot back between gasps.
~*~
Liz turned to Lucky, noting the endearing way his sandy brown hair tumbled over his forehead and the sapphire of his eyes and all of her protest caught in her throat. "Yeah of course I am. It'll be nice to get to know Gia."
Gia rolled her eyes a little, knowing that Liz wasn't as yet interested in friendship. "Yeah it will be. We can class up these two guys." Her smile came more easily as she linked arms with Nikolas.
"That we can." Liz said with a genuine smile. "This might just be fun after all," she realized as she linked her arm with Lucky's
Gia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with a finger. The evening had started out so well. They had all piled into Nikolas' Jaguar and milled around the movie store. Liz had blushed scarlet as Nikolas motioned to the unrated section. Then, the boys had finally gone off to check the action titles while Gia fingered some of the covers of the latest romantic comedies. That had been where the fun had begun.
"I know you don't want to do this." The voice had come from behind her, causing Gia to whip around in shock.
"Who said that Elizabeth. I think spending time with Nikolas and Lucky will be great." She didn't much care for the other woman, but she'd be nice to her for the men's sake.
"Then why are you butting in to my boyfriend's and my date?" Liz asked hotly.
"Oh my God." Gia sighed dramatically. "Lucky and Nikolas invited me. I'm so sorry that it bugs you but I am an invited guest."
Liz put her hands on her hips. "Then maybe you should uninvite yourself."
Gia glared at the other woman. "Maybe I don't want to uninvite myself. If you have a problem with me why don't you tell Lucky and Nikolas instead of trying to make me be the bad guy?"
"Because you are the bad guy! My God I wish you would just get lost. It isn't enough that Nikolas is all over the place trying to help you because your stupid mother is sick but now you have to ruin my dates with my boyfriend."
Gia had had enough. "Get one thing through your thick skull, pampered princess. You don't call the shots here. If Lucky and Nikolas want to include me in their night you have no right to try to get me to leave."
"They don't want you here Gia. Don't you get that? They just feel sorry for you..." She trailed off when she heard a cleared throat behind her. She whirled around to face the furious blue eyes of her boyfriend. "Lucky," she said with a nervous giggle. "I didn't know you were here."
"I see that." Lucky's tone was clipped. "Maybe we should just go." He gave his brother a long look. "Nikolas, Gia I'm sorry for this. Sorrier than you know." He grasped Liz's arm tightly.
"Why are you apologizing for me?" Liz asked as she struggled out of his grasp. "You know what Lucky? Why don't you just stay with her and Nikolas? You obviously don't understand how she is." She looked at her boyfriend for a long moment, shaking her head at the anger she saw there. "Where did we lose it Lucky?" she asked as tears welled up in her eyes. "We'd never let someone like this come between us before." She shook her head rapidly and backed away. All of them got on her nerves right now. As she started to backpedal, she ran into a strong comforting chest. "Jason." She breathed, looking up at him. "Please get me out of here."
~*~
Alexis watched Emily carefully. Despite the young woman's protests, she had insisted upon stopping at the Port Charles Grille to get her some food. Emily looked positively sick, the dark circles deepening the skeletal look of her body. She was suffering just as much as Zander was in her own way, and Alexis knew that she was at wit's end.
"Please Alexis," Emily said quietly as they climbed into her car.
She sighed when Alexis flipped her cellphone on before starting the ignition. "Give me a second to get my messages hon." She said warmly. Emily sank deeply into the tan leather of the car. While the pose could be termed as one of a sullen teen pouting, Alexis knew that it went beyond a small bad attitude. Emily really cared about Zander; it was evident in her every move. "Just give me a couple of minutes so that I know where we stand," Alexis said as she squeezed Emily's hand.
"Please hurry?" Emily said quietly. Alexis continued to hold the young woman's hand as she dialed her voice mail with her free hand. Maybe there was a message of news about Zander.
The first message chilled her soul. "Lex, it's Roy." The voice reminded her in a panicked tone. "Be careful, keep...safe." The message trailed off on a howl of pain that sent a shudder through Alexis. Thank goodness he understood what Roy was trying to get across to her, but how did that tie into her current situation? She glanced down at her hand squeezing Emily's.
"I'm so sorry Em. That message was pretty intense." She released the younger woman's blue tinged digits.
" Was it about Zander?" Emily asked in a rush. When Alexis shook her head somberly, Emily sighed and collapsed back into the seat.
Alexis bit her lip in trepidation before saving the message. She would have to call Sonny if she could do it without alarming Emily. It wouldn't do the young girl any good to know that a man in the town was in a precarious situation and might need her as much or even more. She took deep breath before listening to the second message.
The voice was unknown and sinister. Alexis barely suppressed a shudder as the man spoke. "I know your secret Miz Davis. And I can destroy your life if I want. Think about what you're doing and put a stop to it before someone gets hurt."
Unable to control her emotions, she flipped the phone off with a strangled sob. "Alexis what is it?" Emily asked, concern evident in her tone.
"Nothing." Alexis tried to take some deep breaths. "We need to make a detour at Sonny's though."
Emily nodded. "Having problems with a client?" she asked sympathetically. Zander was almost forgotten as she tried to reach out to the older woman.
Alexis sighed and turned to Emily, squeezing her hand gently. "I wish it was that easy," she confided as she started the car. Every moment that they sat outside and exposed, she was a target. "This is something very personal and I cannot let them win."
Emily nodded, wondering if Nikolas' creepy grandmother was involved. "If you ever want to talk.... you and Ned have always been there for me and I'll help in any way I can."
"I know you..." Alexis' response was cut off in a scream as a car accelerated toward them. "Brace yourself Emily. He's going to hit us on purpose!"
As usual, original characters are mine. Plot is mine The rest belongs to Disney, Abc etc Please don't steal any of my work-Thanks :)
Start time 8:26 Am
"Sit down, cop killer!" Zander Smith winced as he heard the angry words from the bald headed guy. Its seemed that was what he was, but he'd never have a chance to explain his true reasons for the mess he was in. He obeyed the cop, releived that the crushing pressure on his shoulder was gone. As he settled into the chair in the small waiting room at the PCPD his eyes found hers.
She should have never come and she shouldn't stay, he realized. He tried to project his thoughts across the room. Her eyes met his and held, a lover caress passing between their gazes. How had it happened? He had hurt her so badly by keeping her away from everyone she loved, from her life, in Port Charles, from her family. For what reason? A long forgotten legacy that only he remembered.
Darn it, she was still looking at him! Why didn't she go away? He turned his attention to the cop. "Can you please make her leave." He said in a polite tone.
"Sorry we have to question her. She knew the whereabouts of a nasty cop killer and we need to know if she was aiding and abetting him."
They weren't about to pin charges on her, were they? "She didn't do anything. She had just convinced me to turn myself in when you walked up.
Taggert looked up and caught Emily's loving glance toward her former captor. The kid was in over her head, that much was obvious with his first glance. He considered pulling the blinds shut, but then relented. It wasn't as if the kids would have any time together anyway. Zander Smith was going to be sent upriver for a good long time. "That's what you say kid."
"No that's what she says too." Zander replied, squelching his temper. He had to be nice to the cop or he'd never get what he needed from him. "Look, can I have one minute alone with her. That's all I'm asking."
Taggert shook his head emphatically. "Sorry, you kidnapped her. What else do you want."
"I want my phone call, or its equivalent." He said evenly. She hadn't stopped looking at him yet. He was as much releived and comforted by her comforting looks as he was alarmed. She could get hurt in this whole mess. And she was the only truly innocent one.
"So you want her in lieu of calling an attorney or family?" Taggert asked curiously. He was disgusted by the chemistry thrumming through the air but at the same time, it held a tiny bit of fascination for him. He wanted to feel that intensely about someone in his life.
"I do. Five minutes, that's all I need." The relief pouring over the boy's features made him appear to be barely of age.
Taggert sighed. He hated mobsters and cop killers, but for some reason he wanted to give this kid the slightest chance. "Five minutes, no more and I'm right outside the door with a bunch of kids that wouldn't hesitate to break in here and hurt you if they had a reason." He let his threat hang in the air for a long moment before turning to the door.
Emily looked up hopefully as Taggert walked out of the room. "How is he? What are the charges?" she asked as she broke away from Lucky and Nikolas.
"We haven't booked him yet." Taggert replied, then sighed as he ran his hand over his smooth head. "He wants to see you. I told him five minutes and no more, Emily." The look on the young girl's face almost made the man wince. She was bound to get hurt by the kid, and still she wanted to see him. "Take a notebook. You're his one call, so he may ask you to make some calls for him."
"Thanks." Emily replied. She ran a nervous hand over her hair and rushed inside.
Zander's heart had begun racing the moment the cop walked out of the room. When she walked in it was racing uncontrollably and as he stood, a slight bout of dizziness hit him. He couldn't have said if it was due to her nearness or the news he had to impart.
"Oh My God." Emily rushed over and eased him back into the chair. "Sit down. Are you all right? Did they hurt you?" She brushed his hair back quickly.
"No contact!" Taggert's yell easily penetrated the strong door and Emily's hand fell awkwardly to the side.
"I am now that you're here." He confessed shyly. Her vulnerability was so attractive to him; he was aroused by her nearness. "I need your help." He said suddenly as he tried to get his mind on the task at hand. They had so much to do and so little time to do it in.
"What do you need? A Lawyer, I'm so on that." Emily started to pull out her phone before Zander's look quieted her.
"I'll need one later but I need you to do me a really big favor first." Zander began then took a deep breath. "At the bus stop there's a duffel bag in locker 377. There's a note stapled to the handles. Can you follow the instructions in it to the letter? It's really important."
"Sure." Emily said, confused. "But I don't know how that can help you right now."
Zander gave her a gentle smile. "Soon it'll all make sense." He assured. "Do me a favor Emily, and wait for me?"
She flushed and looked down at the scarred table before nodding.
"We're the real thing." Zander whispered as she turned away. "I promise you that."
"I know." Emily was close to tears. "I'll see you soon." She whispered before moving quickly out of the room.
Zander sighed and leaned back in his chair. All he could do now was wait and watch his back. He instinctively knew that Emily would not fail him when he needed her the most.
Two hour later
Luke Spencer rushed into the PCPD and glared at Taggert. "Where's Bubba?"
"Excuse me?" Taggert watched Luke Spencer carefully. The older man seemed harried and stressed, but not especially frightening, and he only stank of cigars.
"I need to see Bubba." Luke repeated slowly. "Bubba the police commissioner. The lesser Scorpio."
Taggert shook his head. "Sorry he isn't here Luke. What do you need?"
What do I need?" Luke looked at the other man as if he was insane. "You have my boy locked up and you want to know what I need? Did Bubba borrow the PCPD brain cell today?"
Taggert gave Luke a long look and cautiously sniffed the air again. No, he didn't smell like alcohol. "Luke, Lucky isn't here. He Nikolas and Emily left a long time ago."
"I didn't mean that boy." Luke explained patiently. "My other boy, my oldest boy is in here."
"He is?" Taggert didn't even know Luke had another son. "Who is he."
"Zander Smith." Luke said firmly as he handed Taggert a small vinyl covered envelope. My son with Jennifer Smith. I'm here with his get out of jail free card."
End 9:18
Chapter 2
"You what?" Taggert asked with a laugh. "You're not that cop killer's father."
Luke glared at the cop for a long moment. "First, my son didn't kill anyone. And second," he said in a near growl, "You will not disrespect my kid. No more Taggert." When the cop didn't back down, Luke continued to stand toe to toe. "Are you taking the evidence that will free my son, or do I have to call Bubba at home."
With an exaggerated sigh, Taggert reached for the envelope. As official papers spilled out, he rolled his eyes.
"Go on, look at them" Luke urged as he clenched and released his fists nervously.
The bald man leaned over and scrutinized the papers slowly. "Hannah can you come over and check out the authenticity of these?" he asked in a strangely tense voice.
Hannah Scott crossed the police station floor and examined each of the documents slowly. As she held them up to the lights and studied the surface and transparency, the suspense became too much for Luke. "Come on, they're all legal. Call the contact numbers and check. I did before I came down here. You guys might not have ever dealt with the WSB before but I sure have."
"We need to make sure that these are one hundred percent before we release Zander." Hannah explained patiently. Luke had had enough. He waved his hands dismissively and walked to the interrogation room. As he stood in front of the clear glass, he studied his new son carefully. The boy's head was on the table; his sooty eyelashes closed in exhaustion. This was his son....his brand new son. Luke felt a sense of loss well up inside him as he thought of what could have been.
Flashback
1980
Jennifer Smith looked at the papers grimly and walked into the Campus Disco. There was Luke, flirting outrageously with that blond witch Laura as usual. He was hers. He was going to marry her. Daddy had said so and daddy was never wrong. She flashed her most innocent smile at Laura and walked Luke into the Disco's back room. "Hello Luke, we have some business to discuss."
"Jennifer I'm busy." He snapped, annoyed. When she waved some papers under his nose, he just looked at her blankly. "What is that?"
"It's a pregnancy test." Jennifer replied as she placed it on his desk to wind her arms around his neck. "Congratulations, daddy."
"What?" Luke backed off with a nervous laugh. "Is this the virgin birth or something cause we never...."
Jennifer pulled some photos out of her purse. "Didn't we though Luke? Look at theses. Now that is me." She said pointing to the nude form curled around the ginger haired man. "And that is you, naked as the day you were born. So don't tell me we didn't create this life."
"We didn't." Luke protested, his anger now rising to the surface. "Jennifer I would have remembered sleeping with you..."
"Not if you were drunk." She replied. "And you were." As she wiped a few stray tears away, she tried to gather her dignity. "If you don't want to help me deal with this, I'll do it alone."
End Flashback
Apparently his shock and anger had caused her to life about their child in the most complete way. She had not aborted him, as she had claimed many a time, but the boy had been born when he and Laura had been off adventuring. He had missed a lifetime with the young man.
"Mr. Spencer?" The slightly sarcastic mocking tone of Marcus Taggert wrenched Luke out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?" Luke didn't like to be surprised.
"We're releasing your son to your custody now."
~*~
Emily hurried toward L&B records, her shoes clattering on the cool pavement. It had been pretty easy to shake Lucky and Nikolas after leaving the PCPD. She had told them she was suffering from a headache and after escorting her to the mansion they had backed off. She had barely gone inside when she left again, armed with a half dozen carrot sticks courtesy of Cook. Someday the woman was going to tire of aiding Emily in her frequent flights from the mansion, but for now she was Emily's godsend. Cook had been the only one to convince Reginald that he needed to drive Emily to L&B right away. Breaking away from a snuggle session with Leticia, the man stood in front of one of the Quartermaine sedans.
"Thanks so much Reggie." She said breathlessly as she climbed in. The car started with a roar and Emily found herself hunkering down in the seat so that she wouldn't be spotted by any family members or staff. The ride took mere moments and soon she was clamoring out of the car. Alexis had to be here, Emily though wildly. She had to help Zander.
Emily burst into L&B and looked around. Nik and Gia were playfully arguing on one couch while Lucky and Liz had their heads together over some pieces of paper. Ned and Alexis were walking up the spiral staircase.
"Alexis can I talk to you?" Emily's voice was breathless both from the cold and the stress of her situation.
"Sure." Alexis said, alarmed by the look on the young woman's face. "Is everything ok Emily?" Conversation ceased as all of the occupants of the record company realized what Emily's purpose at L&B must be.
"Not really. I need your help." She said in a rush. "I need you to represent someone."
"Oh no." Nikolas said as he got to his feet. "Emily please don't do this. You can't help him."
"I can and I will Nikolas." she said in a stern tone. As Lucky started to reply, Emily put a restraining hand up. "This isn't your fight guys. I appreciate the fact that you want to help, but remember, I was the one kidnapped. This is between me and Zander and any lawyers we bring in here." She turned to Alexis. "Can I retain you. There is more going on, I know it. Maybe you can help me find the answers."
Alexis looked between Ned and Nikolas uneasily for a moment, but her eyes were drawn to Emily's pleading gaze. "Alexis you're the best." She stated quietly. "And we need the best to get the answers we need."
"All right." Alexis said as she moved to the young woman's side. She gave Emily a gentle hug. "Let me get my briefcase and I'll go right down there."
"Thanks Alexis." She said as she looked at her friends. "Guys please trust me here. I know what I'm doing, even though it doesn't seem so." She turned and exited the structure with dignity. She would wait for Alexis outside.
~*~
Sonny Corinthos looked at a sheaf of papers and ran a hand through his dark hair. He knew that Zander Smith had been arrested and though he knew that there was more to this story, he couldn't quite figure out what. Zander seemed to have a greater purpose but he couldn't quite figure out what that was. Tired from his efforts, Sonny set his papers aside and walked into the living room.
"Hi Sonny." Carly looked up from a magazine. She studied her husband's expression carefully. "What's on your mind?" She asked, knowing he was unlikely to tell her. When Sonny
settled on the couch beside her and rested his shoulder against hers, her heart sang.
"It's Zander, Carly. He's been arrested, Emily is in a huge mess and something about this just doesn't seem right to me?"
She turned to face him, gathering her legs under her and setting the magazine slide. "What do you think seems strange and how do you know this?"
Sonny flushed. "Johnny's uncle is a janitor over there. He's our source. He just called with the news."
"Oh." Carly smirked. "You've got friends in high places I see."
"Yeah I do." Sonny challenged back. "I married you didn't I?" At the look of outrage that started to pass over her face, he grinned and pulled her onto his lap. "I was kiddin." He declared as his hands found her ribs.
"No Sonny, please don't," Carly begged as his fingers found her ribs. When her pleas reached deaf ears, she struck back, reaching for the sensitive area behind his knees.
"Oh you play rough." Sonny said with a grin. He needed this moment of levity and as usual, his wife seemed to anticipate his needs. He flipped her over, pinning her to the couch and kissed her thoroughly.
Carly sighed against his mouth, deepening the kiss. There would be time to deal with the Zander mystery later. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy her husband's presence and sexual appeal.
~*~
"I hope she's going to be ok." Lucky said grimly as his eyes followed Emily's departure.
"She will be." Nikolas assured. "Alexis will be with her. Remember that she doesn't want our help. We have to be accessible, but not hover. Anyway..." he trailed off and looked between his friends. "Don't we have a movie to rent?"
"Movie?" Gia asked carefully. She was the newcomer to the group and did not usually feel comfortable with Lucky and Liz.
"Yeah." Nikolas said as he warmed to the idea. "Lucky thought that since we'd all be distracted by Emily's situation and all, we could rent a movie and get our mind off the problems. Emily can stop by or call if she needs us."
"And you're including me?" Gia asked in surprise. She had spent so much time at her mother's bedside that she hadn't even tried to be social with Nikolas' friends.
"Yeah we are. Are you coming?" Lucky asked in a teasing tone. He admired Gia's spunk and attitude. In truth, she reminded her of himself before his capture.
Gia looked awkwardly at Elizabeth, then nodded. She didn't need the other girl's approval to do this, though it would be better if she didn't feel awkward around her. "What do you think, Liz, think we can make them get a girly flick?" Gia was borderline sarcastic in tone, since she much preferred a little action among the kisses and cuddles.
"Maybe." Liz smiled faintly. She didn't really want to spend her time with the loudmouth from Brooklyn but it didn't seem as if she had any choice. So much for some quality time with Lucky, she sighed. They had a lot to work out.
"You ok with this Liz?" Lucky asked her in a concerned tone. He didn't care for he tension thrumming between the two young women.
Liz turned to Lucky, noting the endearing way his sandy brown hair tumbled over his forehead and the sapphire of his eyes and all of her protest caught in her throat. "Yeah of course I am. It'll be nice to get to know Gia."
Gia rolled her eyes a little, knowing that Liz wasn't as yet interested in friendship. "Yeah it will be. We can class up these two guys." Her smile came more easily as she linked arms with Nikolas.
"That we can." Emily said with a genuine smile. This might just be fun after all." She realized as she linked her arm with Lucky's
~*~
"Let me go!" V Ardanowski kicked wildly at the man that stood in front of her. He wore a smarmy smirk and seemed to be enjoying her struggles. She tried to pull away, but his bodyguards held her securely. "Sorrel, you'll live to regret this." She growled.
"I don't think so." He said in a creepy way as he watched her kick and struggle. "You have some answers about Zander Smith and I'm afraid you won't be leaving us until you fess up."
"What do you mean?" V asked breathlessly "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Yes you do." The man came closer, tightening his hand around her throat. "Where is he hiding out."
V blinked nervously as she summoned every WSB instinct. How was she going to get out of this? What did Sorrel know? "I'm sorry. I have no idea what you're talking about." She said, trying to remain calm. "And anyway, I've just arrived back in town today."
"Oh?" Sorrel asked in a mocking tone. "Then I guess you and my other guest will have to get acquainted. Boys, take her back with the other one. Maybe she can nurse him back to health."
V's eyes flashed and she mentally considered everyone the creep could have as his prisoner. Even if he suspected her real profession, he would not likely realize her true purpose and connection to Zander. "You're a sick man." She said as she tried to reign in her emotions. It wouldn't do anyone any good if she were out of control.
"Perhaps." Sorrel said, following as she was deposited on the cold concrete floor. A man huddled in a corner groaning in pain. The curly dark hair.... V knew exactly who he was. Fighting every instinct to run to him, she looked at Sorrel calmly. "If you want me to nurse this guy to health, you better leave me to it." She said as the men placed her to the ground.
"Boys let her go." Sorrel replied as he watched the play of emotions over the redhead's face. " She needs to tend to her lover now." He and his goons had barely left the room when V rushed over to the man.
"Oh God." She whispered in an agonized tone of voice. "Honey can you hear me. I'm here now. I'll help you."
Chapter 3
"Mr. Spencer?" The slightly sarcastic mocking tone of Marcus Taggert wrenched Luke out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?" Luke didn't like to be surprised.
"We're releasing your son to your custody now."
Luke swallowed hard and nodded his head. What did a guy say to the kid he never had? Luke doubted that they made a Hallmark card for that occasion. And now that he knew all the circumstances of the kid's arrest what could he say and feel? It was impossible to describe the jumble of feelings swirling around in the pit of his stomach.
"Hey Smith." Zander looked up as the detective motioned to him. He had polished a small bit of the desk for a long time of so it seemed. He had been afraid to hope that everything was finally going to work out and hadn't wanted to keep his eyes on the proceedings outside the small interrogation room.
"Yes?" He said looking at the bundle in the cop's hands.
"You're free to go Secret Agent Man." Taggert replied. He slapped the credentials on the desk and turned to leave. "Don't think this changes anything. You're still enemy number one to this force so if I were you I'd watch my back. I'd be asking for the suits back home for a transfer really quick like. Since you're under twenty-one, I'm releasing you to your dear dad's custody pending an investigation. We have to be sure you didn't forge those documents."
"You know damn well that they're the real thing." Zander said quietly. His eyes moved to the open door of the interrogation room and settled on the middle-aged man leaning insolently against the doorframe.
Luke watched the way Zander dealt with Taggert. With a slight shake of his head, he felt a begrudging pride well up inside him. The kid could hold his own. "You ready to go kid?" he asked in a soft voice. He tried to communicate with the kid that this wasn't the place to have their first meeting. He wouldn't give the cops any more food for their gossip mill.
Zander met Luke's eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Ready to go, dad Thanks for springing me."
He's as much a consummate actor as Lucky, Luke marveled as his son walked up to him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's go." Zander said in a low voice. For a moment, Luke wondered who was in charge, as the younger man seemed to control him as well as the officers of the law.
"Yeah." Luke said with a nod. "If you need us, we'll be at the club," he called over his shoulder. It was an effort to keep his shoulders relaxed until they were out of the prying eyes of the PCPD, but he took his cue from Zander's example and stayed calm. As soon as they had cleared the PCPD entrance, Luke pointed to the garish pink caddy parked in a no parking zone. "Those are my wheels kid." He couldn't spare a glance at the boy yet. To do so would break down the wall of emotion simmering just under the surface and Luke Spencer wasn't about to do that in public. They had to meet in the comparative privacy of his office, on his turf.
"I guess I should explain..." Zander began awkwardly. His hands worked the documents around.
"Not yet." Luke said, reaching out to still the young man's hands. "You don't want to ruin those." He was lost when he looked into Zander's deep eyes.
"My son." Luke whispered reverently as the first tears started.
~*~
"Perhaps," Sorrel said, following as she was deposited on the cold concrete floor. A man huddled in a corner groaning in pain. The curly dark hair.... V knew exactly who he was. Fighting every instinct to run to him, she looked at Sorrel calmly. "If you want me to nurse this guy to health, you better leave me to it," she said as the men placed her to the ground.
"Boys let her go," Sorrel replied as he watched the play of emotions over the redhead's face. " She needs to tend to her lover now." He and his goons had barely left the room when V rushed over to the man.
"Oh God," she whispered in an agonized tone of voice. "Honey can you hear me. I'm here now. I'll help you."
Roy groaned and tried to raise his head. "Zander," he managed before spitting out some blood from his cracked lips. "You have to protect the kid, V." Exhausted, he rested his head on the concrete.
"What did they do to you, Roy?" V asked gently. "And furthermore why?" She asked in confusion. How could anyone have known that she and Roy were seeing each other? He covered his tracks by dating ex-flame Bobbie and she was thought to be deeply involved with Simon.
"Have to get out." Roy groaned.
'We will," V said in a gentle voice. "Relax sweetheart." As he groaned and rested against the cold stone of the floor she assessed his injuries. From the way he was clutching his chest and side, she surmised that he might have some broken ribs. "What hurts beside your side Roy. How serious is it?"
"Just that. They popped me in the mouth." His voice slowly gained strength as the pain faded to a dull roar. "They're after him, V," he said after a time.
"He's ahead of the game, "V shared. "The PCPD telephoned checking his credentials. I'm sure he's gotten to his father somehow." Roy groaned at the news. "What is it? Luke can take care for them."
"Now Luke is responsible for our agent, your partner," Roy said hotly. "That isn't the way it should be. We should be out there protecting him." He struggled to sit up before collapsing back on the ground.
"Stop that right now," V said sharply. "You may be my superior but I will not allow you to overexert yourself. Sit tight Roy. I'll figure it out. Zan will be safe with Luke."
"Yeah but will Luke be safe with him?" Roy shot back between gasps.
~*~
Liz turned to Lucky, noting the endearing way his sandy brown hair tumbled over his forehead and the sapphire of his eyes and all of her protest caught in her throat. "Yeah of course I am. It'll be nice to get to know Gia."
Gia rolled her eyes a little, knowing that Liz wasn't as yet interested in friendship. "Yeah it will be. We can class up these two guys." Her smile came more easily as she linked arms with Nikolas.
"That we can." Liz said with a genuine smile. "This might just be fun after all," she realized as she linked her arm with Lucky's
Gia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with a finger. The evening had started out so well. They had all piled into Nikolas' Jaguar and milled around the movie store. Liz had blushed scarlet as Nikolas motioned to the unrated section. Then, the boys had finally gone off to check the action titles while Gia fingered some of the covers of the latest romantic comedies. That had been where the fun had begun.
"I know you don't want to do this." The voice had come from behind her, causing Gia to whip around in shock.
"Who said that Elizabeth. I think spending time with Nikolas and Lucky will be great." She didn't much care for the other woman, but she'd be nice to her for the men's sake.
"Then why are you butting in to my boyfriend's and my date?" Liz asked hotly.
"Oh my God." Gia sighed dramatically. "Lucky and Nikolas invited me. I'm so sorry that it bugs you but I am an invited guest."
Liz put her hands on her hips. "Then maybe you should uninvite yourself."
Gia glared at the other woman. "Maybe I don't want to uninvite myself. If you have a problem with me why don't you tell Lucky and Nikolas instead of trying to make me be the bad guy?"
"Because you are the bad guy! My God I wish you would just get lost. It isn't enough that Nikolas is all over the place trying to help you because your stupid mother is sick but now you have to ruin my dates with my boyfriend."
Gia had had enough. "Get one thing through your thick skull, pampered princess. You don't call the shots here. If Lucky and Nikolas want to include me in their night you have no right to try to get me to leave."
"They don't want you here Gia. Don't you get that? They just feel sorry for you..." She trailed off when she heard a cleared throat behind her. She whirled around to face the furious blue eyes of her boyfriend. "Lucky," she said with a nervous giggle. "I didn't know you were here."
"I see that." Lucky's tone was clipped. "Maybe we should just go." He gave his brother a long look. "Nikolas, Gia I'm sorry for this. Sorrier than you know." He grasped Liz's arm tightly.
"Why are you apologizing for me?" Liz asked as she struggled out of his grasp. "You know what Lucky? Why don't you just stay with her and Nikolas? You obviously don't understand how she is." She looked at her boyfriend for a long moment, shaking her head at the anger she saw there. "Where did we lose it Lucky?" she asked as tears welled up in her eyes. "We'd never let someone like this come between us before." She shook her head rapidly and backed away. All of them got on her nerves right now. As she started to backpedal, she ran into a strong comforting chest. "Jason." She breathed, looking up at him. "Please get me out of here."
~*~
Alexis watched Emily carefully. Despite the young woman's protests, she had insisted upon stopping at the Port Charles Grille to get her some food. Emily looked positively sick, the dark circles deepening the skeletal look of her body. She was suffering just as much as Zander was in her own way, and Alexis knew that she was at wit's end.
"Please Alexis," Emily said quietly as they climbed into her car.
She sighed when Alexis flipped her cellphone on before starting the ignition. "Give me a second to get my messages hon." She said warmly. Emily sank deeply into the tan leather of the car. While the pose could be termed as one of a sullen teen pouting, Alexis knew that it went beyond a small bad attitude. Emily really cared about Zander; it was evident in her every move. "Just give me a couple of minutes so that I know where we stand," Alexis said as she squeezed Emily's hand.
"Please hurry?" Emily said quietly. Alexis continued to hold the young woman's hand as she dialed her voice mail with her free hand. Maybe there was a message of news about Zander.
The first message chilled her soul. "Lex, it's Roy." The voice reminded her in a panicked tone. "Be careful, keep...safe." The message trailed off on a howl of pain that sent a shudder through Alexis. Thank goodness he understood what Roy was trying to get across to her, but how did that tie into her current situation? She glanced down at her hand squeezing Emily's.
"I'm so sorry Em. That message was pretty intense." She released the younger woman's blue tinged digits.
" Was it about Zander?" Emily asked in a rush. When Alexis shook her head somberly, Emily sighed and collapsed back into the seat.
Alexis bit her lip in trepidation before saving the message. She would have to call Sonny if she could do it without alarming Emily. It wouldn't do the young girl any good to know that a man in the town was in a precarious situation and might need her as much or even more. She took deep breath before listening to the second message.
The voice was unknown and sinister. Alexis barely suppressed a shudder as the man spoke. "I know your secret Miz Davis. And I can destroy your life if I want. Think about what you're doing and put a stop to it before someone gets hurt."
Unable to control her emotions, she flipped the phone off with a strangled sob. "Alexis what is it?" Emily asked, concern evident in her tone.
"Nothing." Alexis tried to take some deep breaths. "We need to make a detour at Sonny's though."
Emily nodded. "Having problems with a client?" she asked sympathetically. Zander was almost forgotten as she tried to reach out to the older woman.
Alexis sighed and turned to Emily, squeezing her hand gently. "I wish it was that easy," she confided as she started the car. Every moment that they sat outside and exposed, she was a target. "This is something very personal and I cannot let them win."
Emily nodded, wondering if Nikolas' creepy grandmother was involved. "If you ever want to talk.... you and Ned have always been there for me and I'll help in any way I can."
"I know you..." Alexis' response was cut off in a scream as a car accelerated toward them. "Brace yourself Emily. He's going to hit us on purpose!"