Chapter Fourteen
"Hey," Zander stepped into Wyndemere awkwardly, feeling out of place.
"Hey." Lucky looked at the very least surprised to see Zander standing in front of him, but he let Zander come in anyway.
"Um, Emily asked me to meet her here," Zander explained. He always felt like he had to explain himself to Lucky and he hated that.
Lucky nodded. "She's out shopping with Elizabeth right now, but they should be back soon." Lucky headed for the kitchen and for reasons unknown to him, Zander followed. "Do you want something to drink?" Lucky called out, not realizing that Zander was right behind him. When they entered the kitchen, Lucky pulled open the refrigerator and saw Zander standing there. "Oh." Lucky turned his attention towards the contents in the refrigerator. "Mrs. Lansbury went shopping yesterday, so we have EVERYTHING. Name it, I'm pretty sure we got it. You know, we told her we couldn't pay her anymore and that she could leave, but she insisted that she had more money than she knew what to do with and wanted to stay anyway. So, what do you want to drink?"
"Oh, uh, a Coke's fine." Zander was uncomfortable with Lucky's rambling. They had never gotten along very well, even when they were trying to because Zander was with Emily. Undoubtedly these were the most words Lucky had ever spoken to him. In a friendly matter, that is.
Lucky handed him a Coke and grabbed one for himself. "What are you doing these days?"
"Uh.. Not much."
"You got a job?"
Zander shifted his weight, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. Small talk with Lucky Spencer did not come easy to him. "Well, just a few odd jobs here and there. Nothing permanent."
"Oh. Hey, I'm not trying to pry or anything."
"No, it's cool."
"Cool. Hey, listen, I have a friend who owns a bike shop on the other side of town. He's looking for another mechanic, it's just him and another guy and they could really use some help. I know you're good with cars and bikes, so I thought.." Lucky's voice trailed off, and Zander realized he was trying hard not to offend Zander by offering help.
Normally, Zander would have been offended at someone trying to help him out financially. Zander never rolled in the money but he had always managed to get by on his own. But he knew he needed a permanent job and he knew that Lucky was just trying to be nice. Hard to get offended when someone is being sincerely kind. "Yeah, that's sounds great."
"Cool. His name is Jamal Woods, here's his number." Lucky quickly wrote down Jamal's name and number on a scratch piece of paper. The two young men then heard laughter coming from the living room. They headed in that direction to find Emily and Elizabeth, among several shopping bags.
"Zander!" Emily practically squealed as she leapt to her feet. "I am so sorry! I meant to be here when you got here."
"Nah, it's okay. Lucky and I were just hanging out."
Emily nodded and she and Zander went to another room in the mansion to talk alone. It ended up being Stefan's old office.
"What's up?" Zander asked, taking a seat on the desk.
"Listen. I really think we should talk about the other night."
Zander held Emily's gaze and the tension in the room rose. He didn't speak; he just waited for her to continue.
"Okay, I know you didn't hold AJ down and pour whiskey down his throat. And that was the whole reason we broke up. Because I thought you did."
Zander held his breath, hoping the next words out of Emily's mouth would be that she still loved him.
"But that was almost a year ago," Emily continue. Zander's heart fell. "Things are different now. We're different."
Zander nodded his agreement. "Yes, we are," he spoke quietly. He knew this conversation would not turn out how he hoped.
"I just want to know one thing." Emily hesitated. "Were you there? When Sonny was holding AJ in the meat locker?"
It was Zander's turn to hesitate. "HE called me in at the last minute, to tell AJ to sign away his rights to Michael," Zander admitted. He knew there was no point in denying it. He looked at Emily and saw her disappointment and rage.
"Why would you do such a thing?" she spat, flying off the handle as only she could. "Michael deserves to have his father in his life! To know who his REAL father is!"
Zander stood up. "AJ is a drunk. He is unstable!" he shouted, taking Emily by surprise. "Michael DESERVES to have a stable father, who's in control of his life!"
"AJ is trying to get his life together," Emily said calmly.
"Good for him. But having a child around while he does that is not in the child's best interests." Zander's voice was calm now as well. "I'm sorry I hurt AJ. I'm sorry I hurt you. I was trying to protect an innocent child from hurting."
As Emily stared at him, Zander felt exposed. She could always see right through him. She understood him on levels no one else ever had.
"Zander." Emily's voice was barely audible. Zander cut her off.
"Have we said all we need to?" Zander suddenly was desperate to leave.
"No!" Emily exclaimed. "Zander, I want us to be friends."
Zander looked at Emily cynically. "Really? You want to be friends with me? Even after I told you--,"
"Yes," Emily interrupted. "You were a big part of my life once and it means a lot to me to still be friends with you. Besides, you apologized. You're forgiven."
Zander couldn't help but agree. He knew from experience what his life felt like without Emily in it. Even if he and Emily couldn't be together, Emily could still be his friend and still be in his life.
"Friends?" Emily gave Zander a small, hopeful smile.
Zander smiled back. "Friends."
***
If anyone is still reading this!!! I sure hope so! Please R&R so I know you are there! P.S. Jamal Woods came into this story completely as a surprise to me, but he will not have a big role in the story, nor will any other characters from Port Charles. If you want to read a aGH/PC crossover, I have one called "The Love Between Friends" which is also posted on Fanfiction.net!
"Hey," Zander stepped into Wyndemere awkwardly, feeling out of place.
"Hey." Lucky looked at the very least surprised to see Zander standing in front of him, but he let Zander come in anyway.
"Um, Emily asked me to meet her here," Zander explained. He always felt like he had to explain himself to Lucky and he hated that.
Lucky nodded. "She's out shopping with Elizabeth right now, but they should be back soon." Lucky headed for the kitchen and for reasons unknown to him, Zander followed. "Do you want something to drink?" Lucky called out, not realizing that Zander was right behind him. When they entered the kitchen, Lucky pulled open the refrigerator and saw Zander standing there. "Oh." Lucky turned his attention towards the contents in the refrigerator. "Mrs. Lansbury went shopping yesterday, so we have EVERYTHING. Name it, I'm pretty sure we got it. You know, we told her we couldn't pay her anymore and that she could leave, but she insisted that she had more money than she knew what to do with and wanted to stay anyway. So, what do you want to drink?"
"Oh, uh, a Coke's fine." Zander was uncomfortable with Lucky's rambling. They had never gotten along very well, even when they were trying to because Zander was with Emily. Undoubtedly these were the most words Lucky had ever spoken to him. In a friendly matter, that is.
Lucky handed him a Coke and grabbed one for himself. "What are you doing these days?"
"Uh.. Not much."
"You got a job?"
Zander shifted his weight, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. Small talk with Lucky Spencer did not come easy to him. "Well, just a few odd jobs here and there. Nothing permanent."
"Oh. Hey, I'm not trying to pry or anything."
"No, it's cool."
"Cool. Hey, listen, I have a friend who owns a bike shop on the other side of town. He's looking for another mechanic, it's just him and another guy and they could really use some help. I know you're good with cars and bikes, so I thought.." Lucky's voice trailed off, and Zander realized he was trying hard not to offend Zander by offering help.
Normally, Zander would have been offended at someone trying to help him out financially. Zander never rolled in the money but he had always managed to get by on his own. But he knew he needed a permanent job and he knew that Lucky was just trying to be nice. Hard to get offended when someone is being sincerely kind. "Yeah, that's sounds great."
"Cool. His name is Jamal Woods, here's his number." Lucky quickly wrote down Jamal's name and number on a scratch piece of paper. The two young men then heard laughter coming from the living room. They headed in that direction to find Emily and Elizabeth, among several shopping bags.
"Zander!" Emily practically squealed as she leapt to her feet. "I am so sorry! I meant to be here when you got here."
"Nah, it's okay. Lucky and I were just hanging out."
Emily nodded and she and Zander went to another room in the mansion to talk alone. It ended up being Stefan's old office.
"What's up?" Zander asked, taking a seat on the desk.
"Listen. I really think we should talk about the other night."
Zander held Emily's gaze and the tension in the room rose. He didn't speak; he just waited for her to continue.
"Okay, I know you didn't hold AJ down and pour whiskey down his throat. And that was the whole reason we broke up. Because I thought you did."
Zander held his breath, hoping the next words out of Emily's mouth would be that she still loved him.
"But that was almost a year ago," Emily continue. Zander's heart fell. "Things are different now. We're different."
Zander nodded his agreement. "Yes, we are," he spoke quietly. He knew this conversation would not turn out how he hoped.
"I just want to know one thing." Emily hesitated. "Were you there? When Sonny was holding AJ in the meat locker?"
It was Zander's turn to hesitate. "HE called me in at the last minute, to tell AJ to sign away his rights to Michael," Zander admitted. He knew there was no point in denying it. He looked at Emily and saw her disappointment and rage.
"Why would you do such a thing?" she spat, flying off the handle as only she could. "Michael deserves to have his father in his life! To know who his REAL father is!"
Zander stood up. "AJ is a drunk. He is unstable!" he shouted, taking Emily by surprise. "Michael DESERVES to have a stable father, who's in control of his life!"
"AJ is trying to get his life together," Emily said calmly.
"Good for him. But having a child around while he does that is not in the child's best interests." Zander's voice was calm now as well. "I'm sorry I hurt AJ. I'm sorry I hurt you. I was trying to protect an innocent child from hurting."
As Emily stared at him, Zander felt exposed. She could always see right through him. She understood him on levels no one else ever had.
"Zander." Emily's voice was barely audible. Zander cut her off.
"Have we said all we need to?" Zander suddenly was desperate to leave.
"No!" Emily exclaimed. "Zander, I want us to be friends."
Zander looked at Emily cynically. "Really? You want to be friends with me? Even after I told you--,"
"Yes," Emily interrupted. "You were a big part of my life once and it means a lot to me to still be friends with you. Besides, you apologized. You're forgiven."
Zander couldn't help but agree. He knew from experience what his life felt like without Emily in it. Even if he and Emily couldn't be together, Emily could still be his friend and still be in his life.
"Friends?" Emily gave Zander a small, hopeful smile.
Zander smiled back. "Friends."
***
If anyone is still reading this!!! I sure hope so! Please R&R so I know you are there! P.S. Jamal Woods came into this story completely as a surprise to me, but he will not have a big role in the story, nor will any other characters from Port Charles. If you want to read a aGH/PC crossover, I have one called "The Love Between Friends" which is also posted on Fanfiction.net!
