A/N: Sorry for the slow updating--I'm being a bad updater lately. Enjoy! Until next time--ya'll are the best--PCGirl.
Chris walked into the room and stopped in his tracks as he saw Elizabeth standing there with her back to him looking at a picture of him, Jack, and Leslie, "What are you doing here? How did you get in here?"
"I used the spare key," she said turning at him and smiling.
"I have a spare key?" he asked, confused and surprised at her response. "Nevermind—tell me what you are doing here."
"I came by to say hi Chris," she said walking towards him, her hand running along the edge of the leather sofa.
"Hi Elizabeth, Bye Elizabeth," he said turning and going over to the bookcase and began searching for a specific medical journal.
"Oh, come on Chris—aren't you the littlest bit happy to see me?"
"To be honest—not really. I'm busy this week and really don't have time for a chat."
"What I had in mind didn't involve talking," she said as she placed a hand on his forearm before he shrugged it off and grabbed what he was looking for. "Don't act that way, please?"
"Fine—what way do you want me to act? Happy to see you? Ready to join in on a one week romp in the sack with you because you think it's fine to cheat on George, or Harris, or whoever your new boy toy in Los Angeles is? Hmmm?" He didn't hear her talk for a few seconds and a grin appeared on his face, "I've made Elizabeth Barrington speechless—stop the presses!" he yelled through a laugh when he turned to see she was standing there with tears in her eyes.
"Where did we go wrong Chris? When did we become so different?"
"We became different when I became a father, and you decided to still live life like a child."
"You aren't a father though Chris—Leslie isn't yours."
"Leslie is as close to a daughter as one can get. I raised her, I changed her diapers, I helped her learn her ABC's and 123's—were you there for any of those moments with Alison?" he asked and received silence, "I didn't think so. Now will you please leave?"
"Why do I have to constantly go over this? My God—Alison is how old and I'm still treated horribly for the actions I did in her young life. I know what I did was wrong—I've tried to correct my wrongs with her so many times, and nobody wants to take my offering. I had a horrid childhood—how can I be a mother with a life like that?"
"My childhood wasn't easy either Elizabeth, but I got over it—and have raised a pretty good kid."
"You aren't her father though."
"Anyone can be a father Elizabeth, but it takes someone special to be a Dad."
"You are so cruel to me Chris!" screamed Elizabeth.
"I'm not cruel—I'm just stating facts. I'm a facts type of guy—did you know that in every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman shown?"
"That's not a fact, it's random nonsense," she said trying to hold in a laugh at his nonsense.
"Exactly—which is the same exact stuff you came in here to throw at me today. Unless there really is a reason for your little visit."
"I—I didn't want to fight, I wanted to see now that Leslie was gone if you still had feelings for me."
"Nope—no feelings. None whatsoever."
"Are you sure?"
"Fine—what do you want me to do to prove that I don't have feelings for you Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth smiled and walked straight up to him, "Kiss me."
Chris gave out a choked laugh, "A kiss means nothing."
Elizabeth laughed, "Then why do you seem so nervous about doing it?"
"Fine. Fine! I'll kiss you if it'll shut you up," he said as he pulled her towards him, but when he wanted to stop kissing he realized he wasn't able to. He gave a sigh and pushed her away and looked at her, "Fine, you are right—so what?"
"We had some good times Chris."
"I wouldn't have argued with you about that. But life—it changes, and you go your separate ways."
"There's no way our paths can cross again?"
"Not right now Liz-beth," he smiled at her. "But our paths can cross for a couple of Martini's if you want to join me."
"I thought you said things change?"
"Martini's have always been the one constant in my life--that will never change," laughed Chris as he handed the martini glasses to Elizabeth while he went to get the olives.
-----------
Lucy smiled as she watched Christina take the cordless phone into the spare room she was using while visiting Serena and then turned to see Kevin was sitting on the balcony facing the ocean with a sketchbook sitting on his lap. She juggled her bags while opening the sliding door and walked out, "Hey."
"Hi," smiled Kevin as he looked at her bags and absent mindedly placed the sketchbook on the ground next to him. "Is everything ok? I mean normally you buy out the stores down here."
"Oh, I did—I just had them ship most of it up to Port Charles," she laughed.
Kevin sighed and shook his head, "Some things never change, do they? Where are the girls?" he said turning around and not seeing them in the living room.
"Serena had an emergency at the Center she had to get to. Isn't it amazing to see how far she's gone with her dream? I remember her spending that year with Scott down here on the boat—she loved it so much, and when she came back for a visit she wanted to study this, and she accomplished that dream."
Kevin smiled at seeing Lucy so proud of her oldest, "Where is Christina?"
"On the telephone—she said she wouldn't stay on it too long."
"With who?"
Lucy bit her lip—when she'd been out shopping his name had popped up and she immediately had seen a sparkle appear in Christina's eyes, "Daniel."
Kevin's eyes got huge, "Thornhart? Well, I guess I was right—things never change."
"What do you mean by that?" she said as she put down her bags and tilted her head in waiting for an explanation.
"You Coe women have always fallen for Thornhart men—I'll just never understand why," he laughed as she gave him a playful punch into the arm and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her onto his lap and they began to kiss.
------------
Christina pulled on one of her brown curly locks and let go and watched it bounce back while she listened to the phone ring. Maybe he wasn't home—but her thought was interrupted as she heard a sleepy hello on the other end. She hadn't known until now, but his accent was thicker and more enjoyable to hear when he was waking up, "Hey—I didn't mean to wake you. I'll call you back."
Daniel was immediately awake at hearing her sweet voice, "No—don't hang up. I just had a long night last night—it was busy as anything, must have been a full moon."
"It was," she laughed.
"Well, that explains a lot. How is Florida?"
"Wonderful. I haven't had a chance yet to pull out my water colors yet, but I was thinking of getting to bed early tonight and then wake up to see the sunrise."
Daniel smiled—he knew she didn't realize it, but when she started talking about painting her voice got a slight bit higher, and she smiled brighter, "Oh—that reminds me. My friend Brady finally remembered to send me some of his photographs of Ireland."
"Really? That's great—I can't wait to see them," she said excitedly. "I mean if that's ok for me to look at them."
Daniel laughed again, "I didn't have him send them to me for my own use—they are for you to see. Maybe somehow you can imagine it enough to paint from one of them."
"I find it's easier to do a landscape painting if you are there in person. I mean you can paint an area from just a picture, but to see the local people interact with each other, and the sights, and the smells, and hear about the local folklore—it just helps you paint a truer and more perfect painting," she said as she realized she was babbling about painting to him. "Sorry—I'm sure I'm boring you with all of that."
"No, not in the least. I've babbled to you a few times about medical jargon—and besides I kind of like hearing about something you are so passionate about," he said as he realized he was happy she couldn't see him blushing right now after saying that.
"I'm glad to hear that—well, I told Mom I wouldn't stay on too long. Can we meet when I get back in Port Charles?"
"Yeah, that's a great idea—I'll bring Brady's photographs then."
"I'll see you then. Bye Thornhart," she laughed.
"Bye," said Daniel as he hit the off button on the phone and stared up at the ceiling for a moment—a huge smile on his face as he thought about the fact that he'd get to see her soon.