Gratitude: Thanks for all the replies last chapter. They really help. Hint Hint
The Ripple Effect
Chapter 12
~Sud's of Fun~
Such a look of surprise filtered across Nikolas' face that if it wasn't such a serious conversation Elizabeth would have been tempted to laugh. She rarely caught the Cassadine Prince off-guard.
"Let me get this straight," Nikolas began after a minute. "You don't want to go with Lucky's plan."
"Right."
"But you don't want to tell Jason and get his help either?"
"Right," Elizabeth nodded in confirmation.
"That makes no sense."
Turning in the plastic coated chair until she was facing her confused friend she patted his hand. "I know that Nikolas. Ever since Jason got back in town I've been the one arguing the loudest that we should tell him what was going on."
"Exactly."
"And I do realize how painful it was for you to look past your…" pausing she delicately searched for the right word, "obvious distrust and dislike of Jason, to even make the suggestion of telling him. I'm proud of you Nikolas. I don't think you would have been able to suggest going to Jason for anything 6 months ago."
He didn't think he could have suggested it a week ago, but Nikolas wisely kept his feelings to himself.
"I mean it Nikolas, you put your feelings aside and were focused only on doing the smart thing for all of us."
"If I was so smart why don't you want us to tell Jason?" Nikolas asked.
"If you'd made the suggestion this morning, I would have dragged you to Jason before you could change your mind. But I've learned a few things since this morning, things that have me reconsidering whether we should tell him at all."
"Elizabeth what is going on?" Nikolas asked when she abruptly stopped talking.
"Did you know Ted Wilson was engaged?" She focused on him suddenly and her question caused him to look away. "That he is the last of 3 kids, his mother is a teacher, his dad a retired fireman?"
"Stop it," he ordered.
"That he was going to be married on October 13 to his high school sweetheart?"
"Elizabeth," Nikolas shot to his feet and walked away from her trying to block her words. He had made a conscious effort not to think about whom Ted Wilson had been. He knew all he wanted to know about Wilson. The man was an undercover cop who happened to be hidden in his freezer and that was enough. They all felt that way, in most discussions they all referred to Wilson as the body, no one wanted to think of him as a person, and now Elizabeth was forcing him to do just that and he didn't like it.
"Nikolas?"
"Why are you doing this?" Nikolas asked wearily.
"I didn't want to know either," she informed him softly, sadly. "If I had my choice he would still be just the dead body wrecking my life. But he's not and it's time we realize that."
"What does this have to do with Jason?" Turning to face her he leaned against a running dryer.
"I know you think I bury my head in the sand when it comes to what Jason does for a living," she saw his expression and glared at him. "I don't, I'm not stupid. I'm just more accepting of the gray that life has to offer then you are," she waved away his comment before he could speak. "But that isn't the issue. I know what Jason is capable of probably more than you do. If we tell him, he will make Ted Wilson disappear permanently."
"And the problem with that is what? Isn't that what we're trying to do?"
"No we don't want him to disappear, we want the cops to find him, we just don't want the cops to find him with us." Elizabeth explained patiently.
"I disagree, I'm not trying to solve a crime here Elizabeth. We know what happened to Emily, we know who did it, we're just trying to get rid of the body and move on with our lives," Nikolas shot back wearily. "I just want it out of my freezer."
"So you don't care if Wilson is never found? You don't care if his family doesn't ever find out what happened to him?" She took a step closer when she saw him flinch. "You don't care that his fiancée is so torn up over his disappearance that she can't move on until she knows what happened to him? You don't care if his body is never found and his parents are never allowed to bury him?"
"I-I…"
"What if was Stefan? Would you care then?"
Nikolas recoiled from her words. Instantly contrite Elizabeth stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that," she held on but his arms hung limply at his sides. "You know better then any of us, how it feels to not know what happened to someone you love. Can you really keep putting Ted Wilson's family through that, when you're going through it yourself?"
Gradually Nikolas let himself be comforted by her embrace. "I miss him so much."
"I know you do Nikolas, he's your father, even if biology says he isn't. He's raised you and loved you from the instant he knew about you. You want him back," she drew back to look in his sad eyes. "And the not knowing what happened to him eats at you everyday."
Still unused to letting him emotions out in front of others, Nikolas nodded briskly and stepped away, turning his back to her while he brushed at his eyes. "You're right we can't torture his family anymore, we need to end this."
"I agree." Elizabeth sighed, she felt for her friend and wanted to comfort him, but there were times when she felt she couldn't, like now. "Lucky's plan is crazy it will never work."
"We all agreed to it," Nikolas reminded her.
"I know but think about it, moving a dead body from one car to another in the middle of a rave, where people are coming in and out every second? If you honestly think it will work, tell me, and I'll back off," she waited for a response that she knew would not be forthcoming. "That leaves us."
"What about Jason?" Is was a strange place to find himself in. Suddenly he was Jason's supporter and Elizabeth was arguing against him. Life could sure be a confusing place.
Elizabeth went on carefully. "Think about it Nikolas, you don't like him, that's obvious. But there is one thing you know about him, he will not let anything hurt Emily if he can help it."
Nikolas nodded slowly.
"If there is the slightest chance that Wilson can be tied to Emily, do you think he'd risk it?" She wasn't naïve and she wasn't stupid, she knew the sort of man Jason was, and the work he did.
"He'd make sure Ted Wilson was never found by anybody," Nikolas admitted roughly. If the situations were reversed and it was his sister Lulu in Emily's situation he would do the same thing no questions asked. "He wouldn't risk Emily."
"Exactly that's why we can't tell him. I don't want anything coming back on Emily either, but I can't pretend that Ted Wilson is just a body anymore. I can't keep his family in limbo."
"I don't know."
"Nikolas," she touched his arm until he looked at her. "What if someone out there, right now, knew where your uncle was, or what happened to him, but for whatever reason they hid him or his body and never told anyone. Could you handle never knowing? Would the ache in your heart ever fill?"
"You don't fight fair," Nikolas whispered roughly.
"I don't want to fight at all. I just want it over," Elizabeth whispered back.
Patting her hand Nikolas stepped away and stared sightlessly at the spinning washing machine on the wall in front of him. They had been going around in circles for weeks now, it was time to stop the ride. "What do you want to do? Do you even know?"
Nervously wetting her lips, she knew she had Nikolas on her side, she only hoped she still did when she explained her plan. "We need to take care of things. Just the two of us."
"Lucky…"
"Won't even see that his plan is ridiculous," Elizabeth cut him off with honesty. "I'm not saying this to be mean, but because it needs to be said. Lucky isn't helping anyone at the moment, I don't think he can. He hasn't dealt with the kidnapping yet, and because of that he's doing a lot of things he wouldn't normally be doing. Things that can get people hurt. We can't risk that here, we can't risk him."
Unbidden a memory of the bruises Emily was sporting came to mind and Nikolas found himself nodding in agreement. "Alright so we need to do something ourselves." He didn't even bother to mention Emily he knew she was going through enough, he wasn't about to drag her into this, and since Elizabeth hadn't mentioned her either she must agree.
"I have a plan. I've been thinking about it all these nights when I should have been sleeping," jumping up on a washing machine she waited until he looked at her. "And I want you to listen to the whole thing before immediately jumping in and saying no."
Nikolas glanced down at his pants then sighed and jumped up on the machine next to her. "I'm not going to like this am I?"
"Probably not," Elizabeth conceded. "But I have a feeling you'll see that I'm right."
"Then you probably better tell me."
~Kelly's~
"Well hello there stranger," Bobbie Spencer cried in recognition at her latest customer. Moving quickly around the counter she crossed to him looking for a hug. "This explains the smile Monica has been wearing for days now."
Jason smiled at her in affection and gave her the hug. The realization that it was easier for him to accept a hug from her then his mother, came to him, but he brushed it off. "It's good to see you too Bobbie."
"Carly has got to be on cloud nine," Bobbie spoke without thinking. "Sorry sometimes I need to think before I talk, are you okay with everything that has happened?"
Jason waited for her to sit at the table before dropping in the seat opposite her. "Carly and I would never have worked, not in that way. I'm glad she's let go of that dream finally."
"I hate to break it to you, but I don't know if my daughter will ever let go of the fantasy of you, her and Michael being together," Bobbie reminded him gently. Even though she was aware her daughter was falling hard for Sonny, Jason was now, and would always be, her security blanket. She wondered if he knew that.
"That's just a fantasy Bobbie."
"Maybe," Bobbie quirked a smile and let it drop. "I figured you would be back, what with Sonny being arrested. Have you seen Elizabeth yet? I know she's going to be thrilled to see you."
"I've seen her," Jason shifted on the chair to look towards the kitchen. "Is she working tonight? I need to talk to her."
"No she's off tonight, she works tomorrow," Bobbie stood and moved behind the counter to check the schedule. "She's due on at 11:00 tomorrow." She smiled when she saw him stand up. "I take it you don't want anything."
"No I need to talk to Elizabeth," Jason stepped closer to the redhead who had been his first attraction. "It's good to see you."
"Welcome home Jason," Bobbie called before heading into the kitchen.
Jason turned around and froze when he recognized the woman behind him.
~Pine Cone Motel~
V Ardnowski was doing her best to keep her considerable temper in check. She hated to be the clichéd redhead with the horrible temper, but that's what she was rapidly being turned into. Reminding herself that she didn't have her badge and gun to back up her requests anymore, she had to rely on something even more scary … tact.
"So Mr. Alejandro," V tried again. "About July 3rd…"
"It was a hot one, that night. A lot of the air conditioners were on the fritz, so I could only sell about half my units. It's funny how much money it takes to keep a place like this going," he gestured with the hand that wasn't holding the cigar. "As you can see I keep it in tiptop shape."
V glanced around the empty lobby. The puke green couch with the cigar burns in the upholstery, alongside the roadwork orange chairs, particularly stood out to her eye. "I can see that," tearing her eyes away from the hula skirted lamp she focused on her quarry again. "About the man who rented the room, you said you've seen him before. Did he look like any of these men?" V spread out a series of photos on the counter.
Alejandro never even looked down. "Yep it takes a lot to keep this motel running. Time, effort," he blew a puff of smoke in her face, "money."
Waving the smoke from her face V barely resisted the impulse to deck the hotel manager. Somehow she didn't think he would give her any information if she did. "I realize how much time you must put into your motel here that's why I'm very grateful for your willingness to take some time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions."
Alejandro decided that subtlety just wasn't going to work on this tall chica he decided to cut through the crap. "Look lady you want to know what I know, it's going to cost you."
Narrowing her eyes V took the gloves off. "Let's cut to the chase Mr. Alejandro. You have as near as I can tell 15 building code violations in the lobby alone."
"I do no… what do you mean?" Alejandro sputtered.
"Well there's no fire extinguishers that's a violation of Section 312, subsection (a)(4) of the Port Charles Building Code. But there's more. You have an animal problem in this establishment."
"I don't allow pets."
"I don't know many people who consider rats as pets, not to mention cockroaches that can eat the rats as pets, but maybe you do," V drawled viciously.
"Hey I run a respectable motel here…"
"You run a fleabag, one that the building inspectors would love to see. If you don't tell me what I want to know and now, I'll have the County Inspectors in this place so fast, your cigar will be put out by their dust, and just imagine how much money you'll be out then."
"There's no need to be rude, I was going to tell you," Alejandro spoke quickly and pointed to the photo of Ted Wilson. "He rented a room here that night."
"Was he alone?" Thrilled that her first hard negotiating tactic worked, she worked hard at keeping her grin of triumph off her face.
"No he had some chick with him, she looked pretty out of it."
V flipped her notebook open and began to take notes. "Can you describe her?"
~Sud's of Fun~
Pulling the last of her quarters from her pocket Elizabeth placed them in the coin slot and pushed. She had to start doing her laundry more often. Not only was it costly to do 12 loads at once, it also took forever. Habit had her checking her watch, it was already almost 10:00 she'd been here for hours. Glancing at her silent cellphone on a nearby dryer, Nikolas had been gone for almost an hour, and she couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he was still thinking about her plan.
She needed to think about something else, anything else. Well almost anything. If she weren't careful her thoughts would drift back to Jason and the uncertainty of her feelings for him. Sighing wearily she moved to an old beat-up radio that sat on the far counter, and turned it on, searching desperately for something that would attract her attention. For once she wished the Laundromat was busy, but unfortunately for her, she was the only one in it.
When did life become so confusing? Just last week she'd been perfectly happy, grimacing she decided to stop lying to herself. She hadn't been perfectly happy, she'd been perfectly pretending as usual and pretending just wasn't enough anymore. She wanted more, she wanted to be happy and it seemed the only way that was going to happen was if she put herself first.
For such a selfish person, that was surprisingly hard for her to do. Maybe she had reformed too much and it was time to go back into brat mode. When she was selfish she didn't have quite so many problems, she'd had other problems of course but that was beside the point.
So the question was what made her happy? Or should she say who made her happy? The answer was so quick to her lips yet terrifying to say aloud. What if she was misreading everything? And in reality Jason only saw her as a friend. A close friend, yet a friend nevertheless, did she really want to risk the rejection of finding out?
I'm so scared that the way I feel is written all over my face,
When you walk into the room I wanna find a hiding place.
We used to laugh, we used to hug,
The way that old friends do.
But now a smile and a touch of your hand,
Just makes me come unglued.
It's such a contradiction, do I lie or tell the truth?
Is it fact or fiction the way I feel for you?
Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat as the lyrics coming through the scratchy radio washed over her.
It's so complicated,
I'm so frustrated,
I wanna hold you close, I wanna push you away,
I wanna make you go, I wanna make you stay.
Should I say it?
Should I tell you how I feel?
Oh I want you to know,
But then again I don't,
It's so complicated.
Moving closer to the radio Elizabeth felt like the singer was looking right into her confused heart and soul.
Just when I think I'm under control,
I think I finally got a grip.
Another friend tells me that,
My name is always on your lips.
They say I'm more then just a friend,
They say I must be blind.
Well I admit that I've seen you watch me,
From the corner of your eye.
Oh it's so confusing I wish you'd just confess.
But think of what I'd be losing,
If your answer wasn't yes.
Sinking onto the hard plastic chair, Elizabeth felt bereft.
It's so complicated,
I'm so frustrated.
I wanna hold you close, I wanna push you away,
I wanna make you go, I wanna make you stay.
Should I say it?
Should I tell you how I feel?
Oh I want you to know,
But then again I don't,
It's so complicated.
I hate it 'cause I've waited,
So long for someone like you,
Should I say it?
Should I tell you how I feel?
Oh I want you to know,
But then again I don't.
It's so complicated.
"Elizabeth?"
Startled by the soft voice so close to her, Elizabeth jumped off the chair, her head connecting soundly with the person's elbow, making them both groan.
"Jesus Francis don't do that," Elizabeth snapped rubbing her now throbbing head.
"Don't worry I won't do it again," Francis Carnivale snapped back, refusing to rub his elbow even though he wanted to very badly. "What's with you? You were looking right at me, why did you jump?"
"Well obviously I didn't see you."
Recognizing the signs of her temper easily enough Francis tried another tact. "What were you thinking about so hard that got you so distracted?"
"I was thinking that I need to collect some royalties on that song," Elizabeth muttered.
"What?"
"Nevermind," Elizabeth launched herself at him to give him a hug. "I didn't know you were back from vacation. How was it? When did you get back? Did you have fun? Did you bring me anything?"
"Good, today, yes, and no." Francis answered her questions as quickly as she'd asked them.
Elizabeth focused on the most important answer. "No? Why not?" She pouted.
"You're a brat you know that," Francis informed her, before moving over to a washing machine and setting down his duffle.
"I embrace that though," she reminded him with a grin.
Shaking his head he began to pull out his laundry. Elizabeth moved over, grateful to see her friend, and even more grateful to have a distraction from her thoughts.
"Elizabeth why are you here at this time of night, alone?" Francis asked suddenly.
Her eyes widened in surprise at his tone. Peering up at him through her lashes she recognized the expression on his face. "Does Sonny train you guys to all have the same expression?" He frowned at her. "I'm serious, you, Johnny, Jason, heck even Sonny get this look of disapproval on your face and you can pull it out at a drop of the hat."
"Your trying to distract me and it won't work. You promised me you wouldn't do your laundry late at night by yourself," Francis reminded her with a strong look that had her shifting. "Don't you remember the discussion we had just a few weeks ago? A discussion in which you…"
"Alright you busted me. I'm here when I said I wouldn't be. What are you going to do arrest me?" Elizabeth grumbled.
"Don't be like that, you know I'm just concerned. I don't want to tell you where to be or when to be there, but it can be dangerous for a woman at night, especially in this neighborhood." Francis explained as gently as he could.
"I know, I just had to get out of the studio, and I was out of clothes," she smiled slightly. "My laundry buddy went on vacation."
"Hey you've ditched me for several weeks now," he shot back.
"Hence the need to do laundry. I won't do it again Francis I promise. Can we move on now?" Elizabeth pleaded with her eyes.
Barely sparing her a glance Francis put some clothes in the machine. "Put the eyes away Elizabeth they don't work on me." And they didn't at least not anymore. Or at least he liked to tell himself that. Since the first time he was assigned to guard her, she had slipped through his own personal guard, like no other assignment had. Instead of just being a person to protect, she had slid into being his friend. As a man who didn't have many friends it was very surprising, how close they had become.
"I need your advice." Elizabeth handed him the soap.
"I don't do advice."
"Yes you do, besides you're a man, and I need a man's opinion."
"Talk to Johnny," Francis ordered.
"No. You. I know you better, I trust you more, and I like the way the tips of your ears get red when you get embarrassed. Kind of like now," she finished with a teasing grin.
"Don't do this to me," Francis pleaded.
"I'll tell you what, I'll make you a deal. You give me your honest opinion, and I won't question why," she reached into the pile of clothes. "You're washing a purple bra with your stuff."
"Deal." Francis snatched the bra from her hand and shoved it deep in the duffle bag. "What do you want to know?"
Elizabeth tried to figure out a way to phrase the question without giving herself away. "Let's say a friend of yours, a woman, kisses you out of the blue. Would you respond, and then try to let her down gently? Or would you back off right away?"
Panicked his eyes sought her out.
"Relax I'm not going to jump you."
Relieved Francis' mind raced. He knew she was probably talking about Lucky and he wasn't real willing to encourage her when it came to Lucky. The boy had changed a lot since his return, and since he had come back he seemed to excel at hurting Elizabeth. He didn't like that, on more then one occasion he had found Elizabeth upset, or worse crying because of something Lucky had done. The last few weeks, she hadn't been as upset, he'd been hoping that she wasn't seeing Lucky as often.
"Francis?"
He was going to be honest, but if he happened to push her in the right direction at the same time, it could only be for her benefit. "I'd probably respond then let her down as gently as I could. If she was my friend I wouldn't want to hurt her, although I probably would."
Swallowing hard Elizabeth focused on her feet. "I thought so, you're a lot like him, that's probably what's going on." She remembered this morning when he had tried to mention the kiss and she had dodged him. Jason was probably going to let her down then, but she had cut him off.
At one point being compared to Lucky Spencer would have been a compliment but that time had long since passed. Francis kept his opinion to himself, knowing Elizabeth didn't feel the same.
Depressed Elizabeth moved over to her laundry basket and began to fold her sheets. "Do men play games? You know give out fake signals?" She looked up at him when he took a corner of the sheet to help her. "Or is it just because I don't know how to read the correct signs?"
"I don't understand."
"Well first I was too young to know what I was doing, or what to look for. Then after the ra…" she stopped herself before she went too far. "Well I wasn't looking for any kind of attention from anybody. Then Lucky was there, and I was sort of oblivious to anyone else. When he died I shut down again, grief was all I knew for so long."
Francis was quiet, content to listen.
"Now that I'm trying to read and make sense of signals, I realize I don't have a clue. I'm almost 19 and I have no clue as to what I'm doing when it comes to dating. Does that make me pathetic?"
"Of course not. Elizabeth I'm older than you, and more experienced, and let me tell you I've never gotten a signal from a woman right." He shook his head. "I doubt I ever will. Women are tricky."
Giving up on her laundry she moved back to the chairs and sat down. "I guess it doesn't matter now, I was obviously misreading him."
Okay so maybe he wasn't as immune to those eyes of hers as he'd hoped, Francis realized as he found himself compelled to give her an out to cheer her up. "You could always ask him."
"But think of what I'd be losing, if your answer wasn't yes," Elizabeth quoted the lyrics softly to herself.
~Kelly's~
"Mrs. Hardy," Jason said politely then stepped back so the older woman could pass, but she didn't move.
"I didn't realize you were back in town Jason."
"I returned a few days ago."
"I see your already searching out Elizabeth," Audrey Hardy commented coolly.
Jason kept his expression neutral. "I should be going."
"Wait," Audrey held up her hand holding him in place. "When you left last January, Elizabeth said it was partly in an effort to protect her. Is that true?"
"Partially," he didn't normally explain his actions. But he decided to make an effort for Elizabeth.
"Since you're back I assume the danger to my Granddaughter is over? Because she was in danger when you were in town, and she was still in danger even after you left, so seeing you here now, makes wonder, and worry."
"I would never deliberately place Elizabeth in any danger Mrs. Hardy." Jason stated shortly.
"I believe you wouldn't Jason," sighing Audrey clutched her purse tighter in her hands. "I'm not trying to cruel Jason or mean. But you have to realize danger follows you around. You were shot in Robin Scorpio's living room, Robin was almost blown up in your car, Elizabeth had a bomb in her studio, all because of you."
"Mrs. Hardy…"
"Jason I'm not accusing you of deliberately trying to hurt Elizabeth or Robin. I just want to make sure that your aware of the trouble that seems to follow you and those close to you around. I love my Granddaughter very much, and even though she will be no doubt be very angry with me once she finds out about our discussion, I can't help but be worried for her."
"What do you want me to do?" Jason asked wearily.
Smiling slightly Audrey merely shook her head. "I'm not sure there is anything you can do Jason. Elizabeth is very stubborn, and she has made it pointedly clear that she wants you in her life. There's nothing I can say to convince her to stay away from you I know that. I doubt there's anything anyone can say to make her stay away if she doesn't want to. I just want you to be careful with her."
~Dock's~
Glancing at her watch Emily couldn't help but wonder where Elizabeth could be. She wasn't at Kelly's and her studio was dark. There was no answer on her cell, and Emily wasn't quite ready to call her brother to look for Elizabeth.
What if she were with Jason? She still didn't know about how she felt about her best friend possibly dating her brother. She already had too much upheaval in her life, why couldn't things just settle down for awhile?
"Then you wouldn't be living in Port Charles," she grumbled and turned to head for Kelly's. She'd only taken a step when she recognized the person staring at the water at the end of the jetty.
Emily would know that stance and hair color anywhere. She began to walk again, quietly trying not to attract his attention. Her feet came to a stop and she couldn't help but study him. She knew that particular stance. He was hurting and she couldn't turn her back on that.
Saying a mental prayer to Nikolas to ask for forgiveness for breaking her promise to stay away from him, Emily walked down the steps and crossed over to him. "Hey Lucky. What are you doing?"
~Penthouse 2~
"Thanks again for meeting me," Alexis said.
"That's the third time you've thanked me Alexis," Sonny told her, taking the glass from her slightly shaking hand. "I think it's time for you to tell me what it is you've been trying not to tell me since I got here."
"Alright I'll give it to you straight. That's what I'm best at, and that's why you hired me because I cut through all the crap to get to the basics," Alexis began. "I've spent a lot of time researching all the evidence against you with these latest set of charges. It doesn't look good. With the circumstantial evidence conjoined with Carly's testimony this is the strongest case that's been brought against you."
"Carly won't testify."
"At this point Carly could get on the stand and lie and it wouldn't matter. Dara can argue, more then likely successfully, that she is lying either because of intimidation or because she's in love with you. Bottom line if Carly takes the stand your sunk."
"With Carly's history how could that be?" Sonny moved over to refill his scotch.
"You've forgotten your own history. You've beaten a lot of raps because you've had the best attorney on the east coast, or because of some sort of deal I don't even want to know the details of. You might have beaten the raps but the history that you were charged with them is still common knowledge," Alexis pulled her glasses off to rub at her nose. "If it was just Carly's testimony I could decimate her in a second. But if you factor in the evidence, no matter how superficial it is, and you're going to go down."
"That doesn't sound like the best attorney in New York talking."
"Sonny I'm an attorney not a miracle worker, or as like some in my profession claim to be, I'm not god either. I'm telling you with this evidence, if Carly testifies your going to jail."
Strangely the news that he would be going to jail didn't upset him that much. He'd known this was serious, having it confirmed by Alexis only caused him relief at the moment. "So you're telling me that one way or the other Carly can't testify."
"I'm choosing to ignore your phrasing there and will continue on giving you my own hypothetical suggestions. Please bare in mind these are only hypotheticals because I cannot condone nor promote any sort of illegal activity. I'm an officer of the Court and am duty bound to report any such impropriety."
"Of course Alexis. But you are allowed to talk in what if's aren't you?" Sonny knew how to play the game.
Nodding Alexis moved to the chair and sat down. "If Carly were to take a vacation, to some country that had no extradition for a period of 7 years, that would be one way of her avoiding the need to testify. Again this is only a hypothetical situation.
"Of course." Sonny perched on the couch near her. "Any other hypotheticals?"
"Just one," suddenly Alexis didn't know what to do with her hands.
"What's that?" Watching her uneasiness he couldn't help but feel the first flicker of alarm.
She forced herself to look in his dark eyes. "Did you know that a wife can't be forced to testify against her husband?"
~Studio~
"So purple?" Elizabeth began. "I never would have picked you for that color. Green yes, but purple no."
"You said you weren't going to ask me questions about the bra," Francis reminded her.
"Am I asking questions?" Elizabeth teased.
"You promised."
"I said no questions, I said nothing about teasing."
Shaking his head Francis made a mental note to kill someone the next time he saw her. He could only pray that Elizabeth wouldn't let anything slip in front of Johnny or he would never have any peace again.
"Don't drip ice cream on my nice clean clothes," Elizabeth ordered before her own tongue darted out to take a swipe at her cone before the frigid filling could overflow on her hand.
"Judging from the size of the bra you like…." she trailed off when she noticed her partially open door. It was a new door, but she distinctly remembered locking it with a key before leaving a few hours before.
Noticing her stillness Francis looked for the cause. He saw the unfamiliar door where her apartment was, and more then that he noticed it was ajar. Moving quickly he set her laundry down against the wall and pulled her behind him. Crouching he pulled a gun out of his ankle holster. "Stay here."
Her eyes went wide when she saw the gun and she merely nodded but her mind was racing. What if Zander had found out where she lived and was waiting for her? What if he was armed? What if he wasn't alone? What if Francis got hurt? What if she stopped acting like a ninny and moved closer, she told herself and crept up behind Francis.
Francis turned to glare at her and motioned her back, but she defiantly shook her head. Not wanting to waste time arguing with her, he turned back to the door just in time to see it open. Without thinking twice he raised the gun and pointed it at the man standing there, his finger tight on the trigger.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Song Credit: Complicated by Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Author's note: If I could write a song for Liason, this is the song that I would have written. To me it's a perfect description of their relationship, especially in the earlier days. I'm so thrilled I finally found it.