"Please let me go back, please!" she begged, pain apparent in her voice.
"I'm sorry, kid. I can't, it's out of my control now," said Ed his hands clasped in front of him. "But, Rafe, he went back last August, you let him, please let me,"
"Rafe went back under special circumstances, he was saving the lives of the people of Port Charles."
"Let me save MY life, I want to live again."
"I'm sorry, Kitten. It just can't be done. I am sorry, Casey."
"I'll give up anything, I'll give up my wings...I...I'll even give up my place in heaven," she whispered.
"Casey, we just can't make it happen. Don't worry, time flies up here, you'll see Ricky one day, I promise," and then he disappeared.
Casey sighed, it wasn't like Ricky even cared about her anyway, his very last words to her had been a refusal to say he loved her. He had refused to utter the three words that would have meant everything to her. Her heart had been broken, just as she knew it was going to be, and she shouldn't care if she ever saw him again, there was only one problem, she DID care.
Ricky gulped down the shot of tequila and ordered another one. The more the merrier, her reasoned. It had been six days since Casey had left and he found that he spent 80% of his time at some bar or another, trying to forget her. But every time he thought he had drunk enough she was still on his mind. And when he passed out and shouldn't have dreamt he woke up remembering a picnic or a night in bed that had only happened in his mind. No matter what happened he couldn't forget her or how she'd whispered his name as she disappeared. The stricken look on her face, the heart break, the disappointment, the pain. He could never forget her face, ever.
"Hey, what's your name?" asked a girl sitting down beside him. She was blonde, and pretty, but not as beautiful as Casey, never could anyone be as beautiful.
"Ricky," he said finishing off yet another shot.
"How about I buy you a drink?"
"Sure," he said half-heartedly.
"Two beers please," she said to the bartender who filled her order.
Ricky gulped down the beer, nothing was strong enough to get her out of his head.
"I'm Chelsea, and you're cute."
"Thanks," he said smiling. Before he would have come up with some charming, witty remark to flatter her but he couldn't bring himself to do anything but sigh.
"You look like you could use some company, how about we go back to my place....well I'm sure you can fill in the rest," she said smiling, her hand brushing his arm.
Ricky looked at her, nothing else made him forget, maybe this would, if he could only get her face out of his head for a moment.
"Okay," he said grabbing his coat.
They got back to her apartment and he waited while she poured him a drink. She came back into the room wearing nothing but a T-shirt that went to mid-thigh.
"Here you go," she said sitting down beside him.
He drank as her finger trailed over his thigh. When he was done she kissed him.
Ricky tried to get into it, touching her skin, playing with her hair but it was Casey he felt, Casey he kissed and it felt like his soul was on fire. Before he knew what he was doing he pushed Sheila, or whatever her name was, off of him and he ran out of her apartment. When he got outside he bent over breathing heavily aching for someone he would never see again, never touch, never feel. He collapsed on the pavement and for once in his life he cried. He didn't know how but he made it into his apartment and fell into a much needed sleep.
"I wish I could stay with you forever. I love you." She said touching his face and kissing him softly on the lips.
"Casey, stay, don't go back, stay with me," he begged grabbing her hands as if he'd never let go.
"You know I can't but I'll be with you...forever," she said laying her hand on his heart.
"Forever," she whispered walking away, each step taking her farther into eternity and away from him.
He reached out a hand to grab her, pull her back to him. "Casey!" he yelled at her retreating figure.
"CASEY!" yelled Ricky sitting up in bed in a cold sweat, his hand outstretched as if to draw her to him.
Ricky calmed his breathing when he realized that it was a dream, that Casey hadn't come back to him, it wasn't real, nothing more figment of his imagination. He put his head in his hands wishing she were real, and with him.