Author's Note: OK - here's another one that jumps around. & sorry - no
Rali. I'm sort of cheating here, because basically if I continue writing
during the next - I mean - last arc (boo hoo!) I want to make sure it's
close to what actually happens - since this story is more my version than
anything else. Just please - bear w/me. It's all written, but I need to
stop making myself cry reading Chapter 34 (you'll see why) so I can see the
keyboard to edit!! LOL! I want to make sure the ending is perfect since
it's a bit different than Desire - and no clues, that's all I'm saying ;).
I need to make it fit. BTW - Thx again for the wonderful feedback - y'all
are too, too kind. Knowing you're enjoying the story makes me want to
finish faster. I hope you think it's worth the wait! :-) Gracie
Chapter Thirty-two
Kevin wandered into Elixir - the drugs Joshua had given him nearly out of his system. He had Karen to thank for that. She was such a good friend to him, helping him when he needed someone most.
He thought back to what he had done under Joshua's influence. He'd further fractured his relationship with Lucy - he'd betrayed his own daughter. This whole new version of himself maybe wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Sitting back on a lounge chair, he sipped his drink and felt someone sit down beside him.
"Drowning your sorrows?" Elizabeth asked.
"Seems so."
"Me too."
"What's your problem?"
"Make that plural. Problems. Where do you want me to start?"
Kevin wasn't sure he actually wanted her to start at all. Elizabeth Barrington was quite an attractive woman - when she wasn't screeching like a banshee. Hoping he wouldn't regret it he replied, "Anywhere you wish."
"OK, well Joshua, a monster of my own making, ironically enough, has been stalking my daughter, wanting to make her his bride. She was on her way to see me when he captured her again and now she's being held captive by him."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. It's driving me crazy, not being able to help her."
"I know what that's like. Your fangy husband has my daughter as we speak."
"You know, maybe I should care that he's cheating on me -but who am I kidding? It was never meant to be. I don't think I'll ever experience something like that."
"Like what?" Kevin asked.
"Like what my daughter's lucky enough to have and in their own way, what Livvie and Caleb share too. A love that overpowers everything it touches. Soul mates. Do you know what I mean?"
Hearing her words, Kevin thought of last Christmas and his life with Lucy. "I did. Once."
"I think if you've had it once, you can have it again. It's people like me who never had it at all that will continue to wonder."
Maybe, in her own wacky way, Elizabeth had a point. Now that he was more like himself, he could get it back.
At least, it was worth a try.
**************
Jamal snuck out of the mansion and into the woods. He looked around to make sure he wasn't followed and called out in a loud whisper. "Hey. Casey."
Casey snuck up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
Jamal jumped a foot as he said, "Damn girl. Don't do that!"
"Sorry." Casey giggled, but quickly got serious. There wasn't much time. "What's up?"
"That Josh is one bad dude. He's got plans so sick they would warp your halo."
"Very cute, Jamal. Seriously, what's he doing?"
"All I know is he wants Ali. Bad. He'll do anything to get her."
"Is she alright?"
"No. He somehow made her agree to marry him. I'm not really sure why she's going along with him. Either he drugged her or threatened her. She won't tell me the truth about it whatever it is. But she's miserable. She's not acting like herself at all. We need to get her out of there."
"I'm trying to find Rafe. He's been a hard guy to track down. If you see him before me.."
"I know. I'll try and fill him in."
"OK." Casey's voice filled with concern, "So what about you? You doing OK?"
"I'm cool." Jamal answered, shrugging her question off."
"Are you sure?"
"I can handle this. Let's just get it over with."
"OK. You be careful."
"You too."
"Dude. I'm already dead. What can possibly happen to me?"
"Yeah, well. Be careful anyway."
Casey gave Jamal a kiss on the cheek. As she started to walk away, she turned back for a moment and said, "I will. I'll catch you later."
Jamal sadly watched her run off. "Yeah. Later."
***********
Ian watched Lucy as she slept. He didn't know how to save her, and he couldn't figure out how to say goodbye.
He just knew he had to do something.
He'd at least figured out this much. It was the hot springs, the very thing he'd hoped would cure him was the thing that was killing her. There was only one person who could help him and it was the last person who'd be willing to.
Caleb.
He needed to find him. He was not above groveling. Not when he was talking about the life of the woman he loved.
The alternative was turning her, or watching her die. He couldn't stomach either.
Ian placed a kiss on her forehead and again went out into the night in search of answers, hoping against hope he could find some this time.
************
Karen walked out of the hospital and towards her car, searching for her keys in her bag. She felt someone approach her from behind and twirled around.
"Frank."
"Karen. Going home?"
"Yeah." She answered, her voice tired.
"Can I talk to you? For just a minute?"
"Frank. I really have nothing to say to you anymore. I don't even recognize you."
"It's me, Karen. I'm the same as I always have been."
"You have to be kidding." Karen found her keys and began walking again. Frank grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me." Karen glared at him.
"Not until you listen."
"To what? To you tell me of the virtues of vampirism? So you can tell me what a great lifestyle you're living? No thanks, Frank. I'm not at all interested."
"Karen. We can still have all we dreamed of. You just have to believe me when I tell you."
"Frank. No. I won't ever want to live the life you've chosen. As much as I love you, and I still do despite all this, I won't ever want to live that way. Feeding on others, cursing them with a life of preying on people instead of living amongst them peacefully. I'm a doctor. It's against everything I know, everything I am to harm someone intentionally. I don't think you ever really knew me. If you think I'd want this, I'm sure you never did."
Frank's grip tightened on her arm. "Karen. Don't make me do this."
"Do what?" she asked in horror.
"This." Frank answered as he pulled her close and placed his mouth dangerously close to her throat.
"NO!" Karen screamed. She twisted herself free from Frank's grasp and began to run.
She got to the edge of the parking lot and moved into the street. Turning to check how close Frank was behind her, she tripped and dropped her purse.
Before she could move, she was blinded by light.
First it was the headlights of the oncoming car.
Then, it was a light brighter than she'd ever seen.
She felt the impact of the car, and then, all she felt was safe.
************
For what seemed like the millionth time, Ian broke into Caleb's apartment.
He called out to him, his voice ragged. He was already grieving. "Caleb!"
No answer.
He began to look around, and saw it then, a dusty book resting on the mantle.
This has to be it, he thought.
Taking it down off the mantle he laid it carefully on a nearby table. Turning the pages gently, he found what he was looking for.
A slayer's cure - the blood of an angel.
Years of medical school had not prepared him for this. Years of living in Port Charles certainly had. Committing the page to memory, he knew what he needed to do.
Get Lucy to the hospital - quickly - and find Casey.
His cell phone rang, the sound jarring him out of the near trance he'd been in.
"Hello"
"Ian." he heard a familiar voice, but it was so faint he could hardly hear.
"Who is this?"
"It's Elizabeth. You need to get to the hospital quickly."
"Lucy." He said. He was too late, he thought as the phone slipped from his hand.
"Kevin found her. You need to get there right away, Ian?"
Elizabeth's voice echoed throughout Caleb's apartment but no one was there to hear.
Ian was already out the door and on his way.
Chapter Thirty-two
Kevin wandered into Elixir - the drugs Joshua had given him nearly out of his system. He had Karen to thank for that. She was such a good friend to him, helping him when he needed someone most.
He thought back to what he had done under Joshua's influence. He'd further fractured his relationship with Lucy - he'd betrayed his own daughter. This whole new version of himself maybe wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Sitting back on a lounge chair, he sipped his drink and felt someone sit down beside him.
"Drowning your sorrows?" Elizabeth asked.
"Seems so."
"Me too."
"What's your problem?"
"Make that plural. Problems. Where do you want me to start?"
Kevin wasn't sure he actually wanted her to start at all. Elizabeth Barrington was quite an attractive woman - when she wasn't screeching like a banshee. Hoping he wouldn't regret it he replied, "Anywhere you wish."
"OK, well Joshua, a monster of my own making, ironically enough, has been stalking my daughter, wanting to make her his bride. She was on her way to see me when he captured her again and now she's being held captive by him."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. It's driving me crazy, not being able to help her."
"I know what that's like. Your fangy husband has my daughter as we speak."
"You know, maybe I should care that he's cheating on me -but who am I kidding? It was never meant to be. I don't think I'll ever experience something like that."
"Like what?" Kevin asked.
"Like what my daughter's lucky enough to have and in their own way, what Livvie and Caleb share too. A love that overpowers everything it touches. Soul mates. Do you know what I mean?"
Hearing her words, Kevin thought of last Christmas and his life with Lucy. "I did. Once."
"I think if you've had it once, you can have it again. It's people like me who never had it at all that will continue to wonder."
Maybe, in her own wacky way, Elizabeth had a point. Now that he was more like himself, he could get it back.
At least, it was worth a try.
**************
Jamal snuck out of the mansion and into the woods. He looked around to make sure he wasn't followed and called out in a loud whisper. "Hey. Casey."
Casey snuck up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
Jamal jumped a foot as he said, "Damn girl. Don't do that!"
"Sorry." Casey giggled, but quickly got serious. There wasn't much time. "What's up?"
"That Josh is one bad dude. He's got plans so sick they would warp your halo."
"Very cute, Jamal. Seriously, what's he doing?"
"All I know is he wants Ali. Bad. He'll do anything to get her."
"Is she alright?"
"No. He somehow made her agree to marry him. I'm not really sure why she's going along with him. Either he drugged her or threatened her. She won't tell me the truth about it whatever it is. But she's miserable. She's not acting like herself at all. We need to get her out of there."
"I'm trying to find Rafe. He's been a hard guy to track down. If you see him before me.."
"I know. I'll try and fill him in."
"OK." Casey's voice filled with concern, "So what about you? You doing OK?"
"I'm cool." Jamal answered, shrugging her question off."
"Are you sure?"
"I can handle this. Let's just get it over with."
"OK. You be careful."
"You too."
"Dude. I'm already dead. What can possibly happen to me?"
"Yeah, well. Be careful anyway."
Casey gave Jamal a kiss on the cheek. As she started to walk away, she turned back for a moment and said, "I will. I'll catch you later."
Jamal sadly watched her run off. "Yeah. Later."
***********
Ian watched Lucy as she slept. He didn't know how to save her, and he couldn't figure out how to say goodbye.
He just knew he had to do something.
He'd at least figured out this much. It was the hot springs, the very thing he'd hoped would cure him was the thing that was killing her. There was only one person who could help him and it was the last person who'd be willing to.
Caleb.
He needed to find him. He was not above groveling. Not when he was talking about the life of the woman he loved.
The alternative was turning her, or watching her die. He couldn't stomach either.
Ian placed a kiss on her forehead and again went out into the night in search of answers, hoping against hope he could find some this time.
************
Karen walked out of the hospital and towards her car, searching for her keys in her bag. She felt someone approach her from behind and twirled around.
"Frank."
"Karen. Going home?"
"Yeah." She answered, her voice tired.
"Can I talk to you? For just a minute?"
"Frank. I really have nothing to say to you anymore. I don't even recognize you."
"It's me, Karen. I'm the same as I always have been."
"You have to be kidding." Karen found her keys and began walking again. Frank grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me." Karen glared at him.
"Not until you listen."
"To what? To you tell me of the virtues of vampirism? So you can tell me what a great lifestyle you're living? No thanks, Frank. I'm not at all interested."
"Karen. We can still have all we dreamed of. You just have to believe me when I tell you."
"Frank. No. I won't ever want to live the life you've chosen. As much as I love you, and I still do despite all this, I won't ever want to live that way. Feeding on others, cursing them with a life of preying on people instead of living amongst them peacefully. I'm a doctor. It's against everything I know, everything I am to harm someone intentionally. I don't think you ever really knew me. If you think I'd want this, I'm sure you never did."
Frank's grip tightened on her arm. "Karen. Don't make me do this."
"Do what?" she asked in horror.
"This." Frank answered as he pulled her close and placed his mouth dangerously close to her throat.
"NO!" Karen screamed. She twisted herself free from Frank's grasp and began to run.
She got to the edge of the parking lot and moved into the street. Turning to check how close Frank was behind her, she tripped and dropped her purse.
Before she could move, she was blinded by light.
First it was the headlights of the oncoming car.
Then, it was a light brighter than she'd ever seen.
She felt the impact of the car, and then, all she felt was safe.
************
For what seemed like the millionth time, Ian broke into Caleb's apartment.
He called out to him, his voice ragged. He was already grieving. "Caleb!"
No answer.
He began to look around, and saw it then, a dusty book resting on the mantle.
This has to be it, he thought.
Taking it down off the mantle he laid it carefully on a nearby table. Turning the pages gently, he found what he was looking for.
A slayer's cure - the blood of an angel.
Years of medical school had not prepared him for this. Years of living in Port Charles certainly had. Committing the page to memory, he knew what he needed to do.
Get Lucy to the hospital - quickly - and find Casey.
His cell phone rang, the sound jarring him out of the near trance he'd been in.
"Hello"
"Ian." he heard a familiar voice, but it was so faint he could hardly hear.
"Who is this?"
"It's Elizabeth. You need to get to the hospital quickly."
"Lucy." He said. He was too late, he thought as the phone slipped from his hand.
"Kevin found her. You need to get there right away, Ian?"
Elizabeth's voice echoed throughout Caleb's apartment but no one was there to hear.
Ian was already out the door and on his way.