~Complicated Ch.17~

I disclaim

~~~

Emily leaned against the park bench, and relived her conversation with her brother. He wasn't exactly thrilled with her new relationship, but Jason being Jason, said very little and just looked disapproving. He was much more vocal about the Scott's little plan.

She wasn't allowed to stay in her apartment tonight, because Jason had a sweeper team coming in to check for bugs, because as he said with a very unJason like look on his face. 'I trust you, and so that means I trust Jagger, but no one could make me trust Baldwin.' Of course explaining to Jagger why their quiet dinner at home was now being held at the Port Charles Hotel, was going to be tough, not as tough as trying to get a room with her Grandfather breathing down her neck, but just as time consuming.

" Emily."

She looked up at the sound of her name being called, and froze; standing not more then three feet away from her was the man that started it all. " Zander."

" Liz told me you were back, how've you been?"

" Good." It was really strange, she thought she'd hate both Zander and Elizabeth for the rest of her life, and now it seemed that she only felt that Liz, for Zander she just didn't seem to strum up enough emotion to care either way. He wasn't the deceitful friend that played with her friend's lives; he was just some guy she once dated, a little like Juan, except that him she still liked. Thinking about her first boyfriend she reminds herself that she owns him and his wife a phone call.

" Em."

She came back to reality to find Zander waving a hand in her face." I'm fine."

" You sure, it seems like you left me for a little while."

" Sorry my mind wandered."

" To one of your cases." He gave a slight smile at her look." I hear you're a lawyer, I know how much you wanted that congratulations."

" Thanks." A silence settled over, them, and both unwilling to break merely stared at each other, until Zander looked away.

" This is weird."

" Not really, we use to date, and now we're trying to be civil, it's tough."

" Just trying to be civil, I thought we were trying to be friends, at least that's what you said last time we talked, are we no longer trying that?"

Emily looked at him closely, once upon a time, she found everything about him hard to resist. The wayward hair that keep falling in front of his eyes, the hesitant look on his face like he expected to be let down, and the most of all his voice, it always made her feel a little light headed. Now he was just a guy, cute, if he was her type, but he wasn't, and the things she knew now didn't even encourage her to seek out a friendship. " Sorry Zander, it's just too much."

" So you have changed."

Emily rolled her eyes, at his head nod, an anger starting to invaded her senses, what made him and his twit of a girlfriend think they knew her enough to recognize a difference in the first place." No, I haven't changed not really. I've always been this way, the things I'm doing and saying are things I've always wanted to do and say." "No you know what maybe you and Liz are right, maybe I have changed, maybe I found my backbone." " And while I got it out, let me just say, how unforgiving and hypocritical it was of you to decide that my brother didn't deserve to keep his rights to Michael, that right only belongs to Carly, and I almost sure it wasn't her idea to lock him in a meat locker, and while I know that A.J. lied and that you didn't pour vodka down his throat I also know that you where there, and that's enough to convict you in my mind." " That coupled with the fact that you didn't respect me enough to leave the business that put me in a wheelchair, cemented my resolve to get away from you, and the two instances when I thought we could be friends you also ruined." At his look of confusion, she continued." The first when you betrayed Sonny, now I know it seems ridiculous when I just condemned you for following Sonny's orders actions, but that A.J. thing I understood it was a Sonny thing to do, but your selling him out to a rival boss, who was one of Sorrel's men, one of the same men that tried to kill us showed again your lack of respect for me, it also showed your intelligence and inability to be trusted, which kind of explains the second one when you sleep with Elizabeth, and didn't bother to tell me." " Thank God, Gia decided to fill me in before I mistakenly let you in my life again in any capacity."

" Ms. Quartermaine you okay?"  Det Taggert stepped up behind the heiress, his grin prominent. He had been watching the scene from a nearby tree, and herd the lashing the women had given her ex, and while he couldn't understand her constant loyalty to people like Corinthos, he was glad she had finally cut at least one of her idols down to size. " Smith not being a bother is he?"

" Nope, we're just getting closure." And it felt surprisingly good, she had felt a slight pang of guilt for not telling Zander, she knew the truth, but it was all out now, and she could smile with relief, she didn't have to think of him ever again.

"Aha." Taggert steps in front of Zander ignoring him completely. " Where you on your way to see my partner?" He made a mental note to thank Joan from dispatch for filling him in on the office gossip, which was apparently right going by the blush that highlighted Emily face.

" Yes, I was."

" Well, may I offer my services as a personal escort?" He shoved Zander out of the way, with one arm, and offered the other to Emily.

" Why not." She placed her hand on his arm, and gave Zander a slight nod to acknowledge him, before the tall detective lead her toward the precinct." Bye Zander."

~~~

"Cowboy." Luke looked up from his paperwork, and grinned at the sight. He son was smiling, and seemed to have a bounce in his step that he hadn't seen in a long time. " Someone in a good mood, can I ask the reason?"

" I'm in love."

" Yeah, I know, how is my little Darlin?"

" Yeah about me and Emily…"

The grin faded from Luke's face, and he jumped from his seat pointing an accusing finger at his son." What'd you do?"

" Nothing, Emily and I decided…."

" You two decide nothing, I DECIDED long ago the way it was going to be and neither one of you will deny me my dream." The older man face changed and he eyes took on a far off look." I have it all planned out, us up at the Q Headquarter on Christmas, you and Little Darlin' bouncing little Luke Jr. on your knee, while I flirt with lovely Lila as Lulu fleeces Ned and Alan of all their money in a poker game, as Edward watches on his face all purple, with that vein popping out of his neck." He wipes a tear form his eye." It's so beautiful."

" How, bout this dream Dad." Lucky moves to stand in front of his father, and waves a hand at an imaginary screen." Me and Georgie Jones bouncing little Luke Jr. on our knee, while Lulu corrupts Jack, and Mac AND Frisco, look on in horror."

"Cowboy, two jack asses, do not make an Edward Quartermaine, I wanted Eddie."

" Oh come on Dad, Edward will be outraged no matter what I do, as long as I still call his granddaughter my friend, and he will hate you forever but this way you also get to play with Frisco and Mac, and I know how you love to play with Bubba."

" Are you telling me, I can't have Little Darlin."

" You can, you just have to fight Jagger Cates for her."

Luke eyes widen at the name, and his shakes his head." A cop, poor Little Darlin' lowering her standards and dating one of Port Chuckles worst."