Chapter 3: Shattered Dreams
Port Charles Grille…"Here, you go, my dear," Edward said gallantly as he pulled a seat out and motioned for Rinoa to sit. "Why don't you sit by me?"
"I don't think so," Skye scoffed. "Rinoa, let me tell you something about this man. He might seem nice and friendly, and like the perfect grandfather, but he's not- it's all an act. The man's a vicious old goat who'd sell a baby if the price was high enough."
Edward glared at Skye. "That was in the past, and I've changed since then!"
Changed into an even more deceitful old man.
Rinoa smiled sweetly at Edward. "Thank you, Edward, but I think I'll sit by my mother and brother, if you don't mind." I have to get to know Courtney and get her to trust me.
"Well, as long as you're not sitting by Skye," Edward huffed.
Skye returned Edward's sneer of contempt with a sneer of her own.
"AJ, are you sure it's alright that I'm here with you all?" Courtney whispered softly into AJ's ear. "Shouldn't this be a private family thing?"
"Aww, don't worry about it," AJ reassured Courtney. "Besides, when you get right down to it, Skye, grandfather and dad aren't even related to Rinoa. So long as they're welcome to the dinner, so are you."
Courtney is just like you, Rinoa. She's a newcomer to Port Charles, and, upon her arrival here, was reunited with her father. That's just like how I was reunited with Monica. Courtney met an older brother she never knew she had just like how I met an older brother I never knew I had. Courtney's trying to forge a life here just like how I'm trying to forge a life here. She's caught in the crossfire between her brother and AJ just like how I plan to be caught in the crossfire between Edward and AJ. Courtney and I ought to hit it off because we're both in the same situation.
Courtney slid into the seat AJ had pulled out for her. "Thanks," Courtney beamed at AJ.
Rinoa hid a smirk as AJ pulled out a seat on the other side of his seat and motioned for Rinoa to sit down.
"Thank you, AJ," Rinoa said appreciatively. She slid into the seat beside AJ, and watched with feigned happiness as Monica took the other seat beside Rinoa.
What a fun night this is going to turn out to be. Edward sitting across my way will be harping about how he built ELQ out of nothing and how an unnamed family member stole it from him. Skye will counter by talking about senile old men who cheat on their innocent wives. Alan will tell the two of them to can it. Monica will keep reminding me that I am not a Quartermaine and that I do not share blood with either Skye or Edward. AJ will keep trying to smother me with loving brotherly attention, and Courtney's too far away from me to have some nice girl chat with.
"I can't believe they followed us here," Courtney said, her voice filled with disgust. With her index finger, Courtney pointed at a dark corner of the restaurant.
Sonny Corinthos- the infamous gangster brother and the new rising enemy to my little brother. And that makes him my enemy too.
"You'd think Sonny would have learned by now that I am not going to stop seeing you just because he orders me to," Courtney seethed. She defiantly turned away from Sonny and Carly. "If they have nothing better to do with their lives, then fine. They can stalk us as much as they want, but I refuse to be intimidated by them."
AJ chuckled softly. "Me neither," he agreed. He smiled warmly at the spying, protective older brother and his ex-wife. He waved towards them in the friendliest manner that he could muster. He had to play the role of the mature, better guy perfectly.
Rinoa watched this entire exchange with great interest. According to her sources, there was no love lost between AJ and Sonny. Supposedly, Carly had lost her and Sonny's unborn baby during a fight with a drunken AJ. Why Carly would argue and fight with a drunken AJ, Rinoa had no idea, although her sources believed that the death of the unborn baby had been more Carly's fault than AJ's. But, still, AJ had been given the entire blame for the death of the unborn baby.
"I'm so hungry," Rinoa said perkily. She opened her menu and looked at its contents. "What do you guys suggest I order?"
*******
Hotel lobby…"I can't believe they're doing this to us," Alexis sighed. "This is a set-up, Jax. You know it, and I know it."
Jax tucked his cell phone into his jacket's pocket. "Well, Alexis, there's not much we can do about it, is there?"
"We could go to the studio right now, catch them in the act of faking a business emergency, and then drag their sorry behinds with us back here for dinner," Alexis growled. She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "You know, this is just like them. To do something so transparent, so obvious, so annoying… I really think we should confront them and tell them we're on to their little scheme."
Jax chuckled softly to himself. "Just what did Kristina say to you to convince you to this double date? Because if it's anything like what Ned said to me, then you should have been onto their plan from the very beginning."
One of Alexis's eyebrows cocked upwards. An embarrassed smile popped onto her face. "I'm guessing they gave you the same story that they gave me."
"Go out with Alexis to save her from Sonny," Jax said with a grin.
"And they asked me to help you free yourself from Skye's clutches," Alexis smirked. "And, of course, who was I to turn down such an offer?"
"Your feelings about Skye, right. And my feelings about Sonny and how he's not good enough for you-"
"You mean not good at all," Alexis corrected. Alexis chuckled. "So what do we do from here, Jax? You know as well as I do that this date is a sham."
Jax shrugged. "Well, so long as we both know that nothing will result, and so long as we keep the trash talking about the respective person we were supposed to replace, then I say we enjoy our night out."
*******
Courtney…I can't believe Sonny had the gall to follow me here. I mean, who does he think hr is?! My keeper?! He treats me like I'm his dog, and like I'm on a leash or something. I can't see my father, I can't see AJ, I can't do this, I can't do that! God!
Ugh- and he's with Carly, of all people. That woman is so transparent. I can't believe my omnipotent brother hasn't yet seen Carly for the creature she really is.
How can Sonny see evil in AJ and not in Carly? AJ's a saint compared to that witch Carly. AJ… look at him and how he treats his sister Rinoa. It's so sweet! Why couldn't Sonny be like that? Why does Sonny have to treat me like a pet, like something he has to control and order around?
*******
AJ…I hope Sonny's getting a good view of all this. First, Courtney reached out and held my hand, not the other way around. Sure, she probably did that in spite. Well, at least partly in spite.
Normally, I would have asked Courtney to dance. But Rinoa's the new girl in town, and I have to play the protective older brother with her. First take her out to the dance floor, look for suitable guys to be with her, and then ask Courtney to dance.
And then it hits me. It hits me as Rinoa and I are walking to the dance floor. I look over my shoulder and back towards the table. Courtney is smiling at us- she's happy to see me treating my sister with respect. But then I look past our table to the one beyond it. Sonny's got his eyes trained on Rinoa.
He has to know who Rinoa is. Unlike Courtney, whose family ties had been kept under wraps because of Sonny's enemies, Rinoa's family ties have been announced in the newspapers and the news. Sure, the Quartermaines had their enemies, but no one crazy enough to attack the newest member of the family. And Rinoa wasn't even a Quartermaine, if one became technical about it. There was no reason to hide Rinoa's heritage, unlike for Courtney.
And that meant that Sonny knew who Rinoa was. That meant that Sonny knew that Rinoa was my long lost younger sister. And that Rinoa was in the same situation Courtney had been, and still is. Except Rinoa and I were obviously on good terms, while the tension between Sonny and Courtney was so thick that it could be cut with a knife.
Would Sonny take advantage of Rinoa the way I had had taken advantage of Courtney? My feelings for Courtney, as much as I'd hate to admit, have been growing stronger and truer. Would Sonny try to steal my sister and seduce her away the way I had originally planned with Courtney? Would he succeed as I have succeeded?
I don't want my sister to fall for Sonny. But Sonny has this dangerous aura about him; kind of like a rebel without a cause. Except darker and more dangerous. And girls can't resist it.
Emily fell for the wrong guy. He was beneath the Quartermaines, but that was the one she had set her heart on. And look where it had taken her- a one-way trip to some secluded spot to hide from Sorel's goon. Zander was the original rebel without a cause, and Sonny's the seasoned, darker, older version of Zander.
Skye had fallen for the heroic white knight. And look where that led her. Or where it had left her. Despite all my warnings about Jax, Skye wouldn't listen and here she is now on her own with the rest of the family.
I won't allow Rinoa to fall for Sonny. I won't let another sister fall for the wrong guy. I'm not going to let Sonny hurt me. For once, I'm going to be the winner. I'm going to keep Courtney, get Michael back, and protect Rinoa.
I've got to warn Rinoa about Sonny.
*******
Sonny…I know AJ's trying to provoke me. I'm trying to restrain myself from going after him and from confronting Courtney and taking her back with me. But it's hard, you know?
Carly's at my side, and she thinks that we should attack AJ's sister. Not Skye, but the other sister, the younger and innocent sister, Rinoa Lockhart. If she's anything like Courtney, she won't pay any heed to warnings about the danger a person represents.
I would have asked Carly to the dance floor with me, but I doubt she'd want me to cut in with Rinoa and then leave her alone with AJ. And so I went alone.
I felt Courtney's eyes on me. I could even feel her worry and concern that I was about to cause a scene and attack AJ. But I don't work that way. Courtney would know that if she had actually given me a chance and had given my warnings due attention.
I walked up to AJ and Rinoa calmly. Courtney's at my heels and she appeared right behind me as I tapped on AJ's shoulders.
I introduced myself to Rinoa and asked her if I could cut in. It's obvious AJ doesn't like the idea, but, before he can say no, Rinoa accepted. She released AJ's hands and stepped towards me. She turned back, and, with a delighted grin on her face, said that Courtney has perfect timing as we're about to change partners.
The look on AJ's face was priceless. He can't argue with Rinoa and order her not to dance with me, because that's not the side he wants to show to Courtney. He wants Courtney to see how he's such great older brother- protective yet not smothering.
Believe me, I have no plans on seducing Rinoa the way AJ was seducing my sister. That's not my style. I don't play with little girls, and, although Rinoa is older than Courtney by a good few years, she still was too young for me.
No, I've approached Rinoa for one and only one reason. To appeal to her and ask her to help me reach Courtney.
*******
Alexis…I knew this had been a bad idea. I had known it the moment I had agreed to the double date. I had known it when I had started preparing for the evening. I had known it when Jax came by to pick me up. I had known it when Ned and Kristina had called with that sorry excuse about being tied up with business. I had known it when Jax and I had stood out in the lobby considering our options. I had known it when we had entered the restaurant and had been shown to our seats. I had known it when Jax and I ended up sitting at a table next to Carly. I had known it when Carly said she was with Sonny, and that Sonny was on the dance floor with AJ's sister. I had known it when both Jax and I looked, expecting to see the impossible sight of Skye and Sonny dancing together. I had known it when, instead, we saw Sonny with that new girl, the one whose picture had been in the paper, Rinoa Lockhart.
And, again, I was struck with the thought that Rinoa Lockhart seemed strangely familiar to me, as if I had met her before in the past.
But that last thought didn't stay with me for long. Skye Chandler Quartermaine had joined our table. And it didn't take a psychic to realize how upset she was with Jax and I.
*******
Jax…It worried me, it really did, to see Sonny with yet another impressionable young woman. Just how many women's lives was he going to destroy and ruin in his lifetime, anyway?
Her name is Rinoa Lockhart, and she's the newest semi-addition to the Quartermaine family. I say semi-addition, because she isn't really a Quartermaine but she is the daughter of a woman married to a Quartermaine.
It's obvious that the two of them are talking. Sonny has his usual smile on his face. It hides what he's really thinking and feeling, but I doubt Rinoa knows that.
Brenda, Carly, Angel, Skye, Alexis… and I'm sure the list goes further. Rinoa won't be the newest edition to the list. I won't allow it. I've done all I can to keep Courtney from falling into AJ's grasp. I may have failed with her, but I won't fail with Rinoa.
And that's when I realized that someone is now standing by our table. Someone who's terribly angry and upset.
I turned my gaze away from the dance floor and looked up into a pair of furious, blazing eyes.
*******
Skye…I don't know what upset me more: seeing Jax walk in the restaurant with Alexis on his arms or seeing him stare after Rinoa. His heroic radar sense had undoubtedly keyed in on yet another woman he had to protect and save. And where am I on the radar? Nowhere, because I'm not in danger and I have no need of his protection.
I should have known that this was what Ned had been alluding to this entire week. All the veiled hints and insults. All the questions about how Jax was doing and if he seemed happier. All the questions about how Alexis was doing or if I've seen her recently. That stupid Neanderthal Fred Flintstone wannabe.
I pushed my chair away from the table and stood up. I marched myself to the corner that Alexis and Jax had been ushered to. I ignored the smug and snide look on Carly. Normally, I'd give her a similar look and egg her on about Sonny with another woman, my brother's sister, but I'm too hurt, too focused, on another task.
Jax felt my presence. He shifted his gaze from Sonny and Rinoa to me the minute I had reached his table. I looked into his eyes, and he looked into mine. I saw no sorrow, no denial, no repentance, or no fear at being caught red-handed. And why should he have had any of these looks on his face? I had no claims on him, the same way he had no claims on me.
I don't know what it was. Wounded pride? Shattered hopes? I must have known that a white knight like Jax would never fall for a person like me. Heck, I told AJ the very same thing ages ago. Jax didn't care what his business partners were like, or how ruthless they were. It was in his friends, his lovers, that he expected more. And there was no way I would ever rise to those expectations.
So what was I going to say to him? To Alexis? Was I going to show how much he hurt me? How much it hurt me to see that he had ignored my calls and invites, even just as friends, to go out for dinner only to go out with Alexis?
I didn't want to show how much it hurt. I wanted to pretend that I was a fortress, and that my heart was impenetrable. But what I want and what I do often do not match. And it didn't match once again.
Jax and Alexis were saying something, I don't know what. Alexis, the constant peacekeeper, tried to explain but I had no wishes to hear anything she said. To me, it made too much sense. Sonny had returned to Carly, and so Alexis had went to Jax. It was like what that news reporter had said: Jax and Alexis had switched partners with Sonny and Carly. And now they had switched back yet again. And that left an outsider like me alone.
I knew the Quartermaines were watching me. I knew Monica and Edward wanted to watch me make a fool of myself once again. I knew dad wanted to keep me from getting hurt.
The words wouldn't come to me. I looked away, gathering the strength to tell Mr. Jacks and his date exactly what I thought of them. And that's when I saw them.
AJ and Courtney. Sonny and Rinoa. They were watching me, gauging my actions. They were judging me.
I've lost so many times already, so many times that I can't even remember how many times I've lost. And somehow, Jax had always come out the winner. He's always been the one feeling as if he's lost nothing.
AJ's felt this way too many times before. I'm his older sister, and, for the first time in a long time, I decided that I was going to stop thinking of myself. I was going to stop living my life to please myself. If I was going to be a born loser, someone, who no matter what she tried, was destined for failure, then, fine. Life can do whatever it wanted to me.
But if I can't be a winner, then AJ will. I wasn't going to screw things up for AJ. I would help him get everything, from Courtney to Michael to Rinoa.
My lips curved up into a small smile. I looked down and I saw Jax smile back at me. What was he smiling at? Did he think I actually bought any of Alexis's bull?
I turned to the side and snatched a bottle of champagne from Carly's table. I popped open the cork as Carly was voicing her complaints. It's been a while since I've last drunk, and the aroma of the champagne tempted me, but only briefly.
Can Jax tell what it is I'm about to do? I looked back towards AJ, and I saw he knew what I was about to do. I was about to throw the ball back into his court.
I turned the bottle around and dumped its contents on top of Jax's spiked up blond hair. All with a smile, of course.
Before they could get a word in edgewise, I wished both Jax and Alexis a delicious dinner. I told the waiter to put the tab for the champagne on Mr. Jack's bill, rather than on the Corinthos' bill. And then I turned around and left the restaurant.
I felt their eyes on me as I left. I hoped I was the image of heartbreak. If I played it out right, then Rinoa would know better than to let Jax in to her life. And, if AJ read my message well, he'd follow me out the restaurant and further prove to Courtney how he's such a great older brother.
*******
On the dance floor…"Looks like Skye needs you," Courtney told AJ, motioning with her chin towards the departing Skye. "I think Jax just upset her again."
AJ frowned. The last thing he wanted to do was desert Courtney and leave her in Sonny's grasp. "You'll be okay if I go?"
"Of course I will," Courtney smiled. "I'll just go back to the table and wait for you."
"Yeah, sure," AJ muttered. He shot a dark look towards Sonny. Skye was putting him in a hard place. Unless… "Can you take care of Rinoa, too? And explain to her what happened?"
Courtney shook her head. "But I don't know what happened."
"Just tell her that I'll be right back," AJ told Courtney. He leaned in slightly and gave Courtney a small kiss on her cheek. "I'll be right back."
*******
Hotel lobby…"Skye! Skye, wait up!" AJ called out to his older sister. "Skye!"
"Good, you got the message," Skye muttered. She pulled her jacket over her shoulders and straightened the arms out. "You tell Courtney and Rinoa that Jax the jerk upset me, but that I'll be fine and that I just needed some time to cool off."
"Wait a minute," AJ pulled on Skye's elbow. "Are you really hurt? Did Jax do something to you?"
It was strange, although very comforting, to see such concern and worry emanate from another person toward her. Jax used to look at her like that, but that had been mostly because of his need to play white knight, and not because he had actually cared for her. "I'm fine," Skye answered stiffly. "Jasper Jacks cannot hurt me, AJ. Not now, and not ever. You go back in there, and you tell Courtney and Rinoa, you warn them how and what Jax is really like. And don't tell them to stay away from him the way you did to me, cause, AJ, that'll only make Jax seem more tempting. You tell them how Jax played with my feelings and broke my heart. You tell them how they should stay away from him, because no matter how special Jax makes them feel, they're nothing to him. You tell them that. And then send them to me for referral."
"You're really upset that he's with Alexis," AJ said, surprise evident in his voice.
"It's called pride, AJ. My pride was shattered tonight, nothing else." Skye forced a smile to her lips. "Now, I am going to go out and forget that I ever thought Jasper Jacks had a human side to him. You, go back in there and make sure Sonny's not influencing Courtney or Rinoa."
*******
Ladies' bathroom…"So who was he to Skye?" Rinoa asked innocently. She put down her brush and looked questioningly at Courtney. "Were he and Skye dating?"
"Not that I know of," Courtney shrugged. "I really don't know what they were to each other."
"Skye looked upset to see him with the other woman," Rinoa commented. "You had your back to them, but I saw them clearly. Skye was very upset when that man walked in with the other woman."
"That other woman would be Alexis," Courtney sighed. "And Alexis is my brother's lawyer."
"And your brother is Sonny, the guy I had been dancing with." How much longer must I pretend to know nothing?
"Yeah, that's the guy," Courtney answered.
"And the other blond at the nearby table? The one who was practically laughing at Skye?" The bitch whom I'll ruin for laughing at Skye's pain.
"Carly, my brother's ex-wife. And the mother of AJ's son, your nephew," Courtney said with a small, tired chuckle. "It gets so tangled up and so confusing, I've given up trying to figure things out."
Wonder what you'd think the day you find out I am both AJ's sister and Nikolas Cassadine's sister. But by then everyone, including Sonny, will think you did run that red light. And Nikolas and his fiancée will be safe from you, your lawyer, and Sonny.
"I hope Skye's alright," Courtney mumbled. Maybe she and Skye hadn't started off on a good foot, but AJ had helped them change a relationship of one of hostility to one of friendship.
Courtney stared at her reflection. Jax had bared his soul to her once. Well, at least parts of his soul. In all likelihood, the woman he had been talking about had been Skye. If that had been how he had felt about Skye, then why was he now with Alexis?
"Let's go," Courtney said suddenly. "I'm hungry. Maybe our food has arrived."
*******
At the docks…Skye's head was, quite literally, in turmoil. Flashes of images from the past flooded her mind. The trip down to Louisiana. The meetings and plans to steal ELQ from Edward. The comforting shoulder Jax had provided when Edward had fallen to a heart attack.
There's very little I'm capable of giving. I'm not ready to fall in love with anyone and I never will be able to.
That what Jax had said. That's what Skye had known. So what had possessed her, what had made her arrogant enough to think that she could make Jax fall in love with her? And why did her heart choose him, of all men?
You know the definition for insanity? Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different outcome. That should apply to one of us, don't you think?
Helena Cassadine's words of wisdom. Well, Skye Chandler Quartermaine was not going to act like an insane woman anymore. She wasn't going to run after a man who didn't give a damn about her. She wasn't going to pin her feelings on a guy whose only need in life was to play some stupid white knight.
I over E. Intelligence over emotion.
She had forgotten that, what AJ had reminded her, but not anymore. She was going to let her brain do all her thinking from here on. Besides, everyone already thought she was some heartless piranha. It was time she started acting her role out.
Nobody gets to make me feel worthless. Not some two-bit crime lord and not some billionaire playboy.
That's what she had said. And she intended on making it true.
Skye was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice the man following her every footstep.