If Tomorrow Never Comes
Chapter 8
"What about Zander, Emily?" Lucky asked, moving closer to his best friend. Juan noticed the look of annoyance Liz sent Lucky. Smiling to himself, he turned his attention back to the pair of friends facing off. This ought be good. He felt Shari come to stand beside him and looked over at her. She hid a smile behind her hand as they turned to watch the fireworks.
"Well?" Lucky prodded. He'd been worried about Emily ever since the park incident with Zander. He'd wanted to kill that guy for touching her. If it hadn't been for the fact that Nik and Emily had been there, who knew what he might have done.
Emily's mind was a blank. She looked over at Juan, her eyes pleading for his help. "Um."
"She was just filling us in about the incident at the park."
Lucky turned to look at Shari who'd just spoken. "Really?"
"Yep." Juan and Shari replied in unison, pausing to look at each other.
Lucky looked from one to the other. Something was going on. He turned back to Emily smiling softly at her. "So the police don't have any leads on him, huh?"
"Not yet."
"Oh god." Liz whined. "Why is she here?"
Lucky, Emily, and Juan followed Liz's gaze. They noticed Carly walking in the door. Emily and Juan smiled and waved to her in welcome. Lucky nodded at his cousin as she walked by him.
"Hi guys." Carly looked to Liz who was staring at her angrily. Her first instinct was to goad the girl but she stopped herself. The empty headed twit wasn't worth it. "How are you guys?"
"Good." Emily and Juan both replied. Lucky nodded in agreement.
"Well. good." Carly turned away from them upon seeing Tammy. "Excuse me, guys." She walked outside to talk to her.
"God. I can't stand her." Liz sneered. Emily rolled her eyes as she picked up her Coke. Her eyes met Juan's from over the rims of their glasses. He shook his head sending her a wink.
"Why do you hate her so much?" Juan asked, turning to Liz.
"Come on. She's a bitch."
Gia and Nik walked into Kelly's, joining the group at the counter. "Who's a bitch?" Nik asked hoping they hadn't been talking about Gia.
"Carly Corinthos." Liz snarled.
"She seems nice to me." Gia stated, looking out through the window at the blond woman.
"You would think so."
Gia's head snapped around and her eyes narrowed dangerously. " Oh, really?"
"Well, come on Gia. Takes one to know one."
Juan watched as Gia clenched her hands into fists. Oh no.
Zander struggled against the arms holding him, his mind going a million miles a minute trying to find a way out of this. He shoved his elbow into his attacker's chest and was rewarded with a grunt of pain and the loosening of his attacker's grip. He took the opportunity and shoved back as hard as he could. They both hit the ground hard. Not waiting to see what was next, he scrambled to his feet and tried to run, not even bothering to look back.
A hand shot out from the ground and grabbed his ankle, roughly, pulling him down. Zander lost his footing and fell face forward onto the ground, hitting his head on the hard-packed dirt. He closed his eyes as pain ripped through his head. That. had hurt. He rolled over onto his back looking up at the sky that was starting to fade a little more into sunset. A figure stood over him, his features shadowed by the sun at his back.
"Jesus, kid." The man said, as he pulled him up to sitting position. Zander wobbled on his feet losing his balance a few times before he stood up. He turned to look at his assailant who, oddly enough, was now trying his dandiest to keep him on his feet. Zander shook his head gently trying to bring him into focus. He looked familiar somehow but he wasn't sure exactly how. He noticed a glint coming from his ear and realized it was the sun shining down on earring. An earring?
"Hey, kid. Come on. Focus. I'm supposed to take you alive, you know."
Zander looked up at the guy who was holding him by the shoulder. "Huh. Them cartoons were wrong?"
"What?"
"You don't see little birdies." Zander said, as he felt the blackness enfold him. He lost consciousness, falling to the ground once more.
The man looked down at the boy sprawled out at his feet. "Oh hell."
"You found Mike?" Tammy looked up at Carly unshed tears in her eyes.
Carly smiled gently down at the distraught woman. She could see just how much Mike meant to her. "Yes. He's fine, Tammy."
Relief washed over Tammy, making her knees weak. She pulled a chair out and made her way to sit on it. She closed her eyes, struggling to keep the tears at bay. "Is he really okay? Can I see him? Where is he?"
"Whoa. Tammy calm down, okay?" Carly took a deep breath. "He's . he'll be fine. He just needs a little time, alright? So, I don't think it's a good idea for you to see him right now." Carly held her hand up when Tammy began to protest. "Tammy, He's okay but he needs. He needs time to get his head straight. Look, it's hard enough for him that I'm helping him. He'll feel even worse if you fuss over him too." Carly took the other woman's hand in her own. "I promise you. I'll take care of him and the moment he's ready I'll tell you where to find him. Okay?"
Tammy nodded silently, knowing she wasn't going to get anymore out of Carly. Realizing she was right.
"Thank you, Carly."
"My pleasure." Carly said sincerely. "Now, you got any pie?"
Juan looked back and forth between the two girls "Ladies, I don't think this is a good place for a chick fight."
"What are you talking about, my boy! Any place is a good place for a chick fight!" Luke's voice boomed out into Kelly's. Everyone turned to look at him as he strolled out of the kitchen. Luke looked up to see Carly walking in with Tammy. "Ain't that right, Caroline?"
Carly smirked at Luke, "Not if you said it." Suddenly Carly's smile fell and she looked anxiously behind Luke into the kitchen. "Did you just come out of there?"
Luke looked at the kitchen. "Yes." He replied, noticing the looks of fear appearing on everyone faces. "I wasn't cooking." A sigh of relief went through the entire restaurant. Rolling his eyes, Luke brought his attention back to the group of teenagers. "What's going on?"
"Oh. Well, Emily was just telling us how the Hardy Boys over here," Juan pointed to Lucky and Nik, "tried playing cowboys and Indians with her kidnapper and successfully managed to foil his arrest."
Carly stifled a laugh as did Luke. "Teenagers, huh, uncle?"
Luke glanced at Carly, shaking his head. "You don't know the half of it, baby girl." Juan watched as Carly and Luke exchanged a knowing look as Luke walked over to her.
Gia made her way over to stand next to Juan, nudging his shoulder. "Hardy Boys?" she asked when he looked at her.
"What?"
"No, nothing. I just wasn't aware you knew how to read. Well, anything besides a song sheet." Gia teased.
"Hardy har har."
Emily took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. She needed to talk to Zander again before Carly helped him to disappear. She signaled to Juan once she was outside and made motions for him to call her. When he nodded she headed off, passing Bobbie as she went.
Luke noticed his sister enter Kelly's. "Your mama can vouch for me , right Barbara Jean?"
"What are you talking about?" Bobbie asked, hiding her surprise at the fact that Carly and Luke were in the same room and yet they weren't sniping at each other. Maybe there's hope yet.
"Luke was telling me about teenagers. He was telling me how, as soon as my son turns 12, he'll be embarrassed to be seen with me."
"I was explaining that it was hormones."
"That won't be the reason Michael's embarrassed to be seen with his mother." Liz spat out.
"Elizabeth!" Lucky snapped, reaching over to grab his girlfriend in an attempt to stop her but she moved away from him.
Gia, Nik, and Juan stared at Liz as if she'd lost her mind. Bobbie frowned at the girl she'd always defended, not quite sure why she usually did so. Luke only saw Carly's face as her eyes shuttered closed. The girl had tensed at Liz's comment, but to her credit she hadn't reacted.
"What? Lucky please." Liz turned to look at Carly. "She doesn't care about anyone or anything but herself."
Carly turned to look at Elizabeth, her mouth opening, but thought better of it. Liz smirked at her, thinking she was right. "Come on. She slept with Sonny while she still supposedly in love with Jason, then used her child as a meal ticket to hold onto Sonny."
Luke saw Carly flinch at Liz's words. He watched the tears gather in her eyes before she looked away. Luke reached his hand out to her, making her turn her head to look at him. He smiled at her, rolling his eyes at Liz. Carly understood perfectly. It didn't matter what the little twit said. Or at least it shouldn't, but it still hurt. She looked up in surprise when she heard a voice snarl:
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
Chapter 8
"What about Zander, Emily?" Lucky asked, moving closer to his best friend. Juan noticed the look of annoyance Liz sent Lucky. Smiling to himself, he turned his attention back to the pair of friends facing off. This ought be good. He felt Shari come to stand beside him and looked over at her. She hid a smile behind her hand as they turned to watch the fireworks.
"Well?" Lucky prodded. He'd been worried about Emily ever since the park incident with Zander. He'd wanted to kill that guy for touching her. If it hadn't been for the fact that Nik and Emily had been there, who knew what he might have done.
Emily's mind was a blank. She looked over at Juan, her eyes pleading for his help. "Um."
"She was just filling us in about the incident at the park."
Lucky turned to look at Shari who'd just spoken. "Really?"
"Yep." Juan and Shari replied in unison, pausing to look at each other.
Lucky looked from one to the other. Something was going on. He turned back to Emily smiling softly at her. "So the police don't have any leads on him, huh?"
"Not yet."
"Oh god." Liz whined. "Why is she here?"
Lucky, Emily, and Juan followed Liz's gaze. They noticed Carly walking in the door. Emily and Juan smiled and waved to her in welcome. Lucky nodded at his cousin as she walked by him.
"Hi guys." Carly looked to Liz who was staring at her angrily. Her first instinct was to goad the girl but she stopped herself. The empty headed twit wasn't worth it. "How are you guys?"
"Good." Emily and Juan both replied. Lucky nodded in agreement.
"Well. good." Carly turned away from them upon seeing Tammy. "Excuse me, guys." She walked outside to talk to her.
"God. I can't stand her." Liz sneered. Emily rolled her eyes as she picked up her Coke. Her eyes met Juan's from over the rims of their glasses. He shook his head sending her a wink.
"Why do you hate her so much?" Juan asked, turning to Liz.
"Come on. She's a bitch."
Gia and Nik walked into Kelly's, joining the group at the counter. "Who's a bitch?" Nik asked hoping they hadn't been talking about Gia.
"Carly Corinthos." Liz snarled.
"She seems nice to me." Gia stated, looking out through the window at the blond woman.
"You would think so."
Gia's head snapped around and her eyes narrowed dangerously. " Oh, really?"
"Well, come on Gia. Takes one to know one."
Juan watched as Gia clenched her hands into fists. Oh no.
Zander struggled against the arms holding him, his mind going a million miles a minute trying to find a way out of this. He shoved his elbow into his attacker's chest and was rewarded with a grunt of pain and the loosening of his attacker's grip. He took the opportunity and shoved back as hard as he could. They both hit the ground hard. Not waiting to see what was next, he scrambled to his feet and tried to run, not even bothering to look back.
A hand shot out from the ground and grabbed his ankle, roughly, pulling him down. Zander lost his footing and fell face forward onto the ground, hitting his head on the hard-packed dirt. He closed his eyes as pain ripped through his head. That. had hurt. He rolled over onto his back looking up at the sky that was starting to fade a little more into sunset. A figure stood over him, his features shadowed by the sun at his back.
"Jesus, kid." The man said, as he pulled him up to sitting position. Zander wobbled on his feet losing his balance a few times before he stood up. He turned to look at his assailant who, oddly enough, was now trying his dandiest to keep him on his feet. Zander shook his head gently trying to bring him into focus. He looked familiar somehow but he wasn't sure exactly how. He noticed a glint coming from his ear and realized it was the sun shining down on earring. An earring?
"Hey, kid. Come on. Focus. I'm supposed to take you alive, you know."
Zander looked up at the guy who was holding him by the shoulder. "Huh. Them cartoons were wrong?"
"What?"
"You don't see little birdies." Zander said, as he felt the blackness enfold him. He lost consciousness, falling to the ground once more.
The man looked down at the boy sprawled out at his feet. "Oh hell."
"You found Mike?" Tammy looked up at Carly unshed tears in her eyes.
Carly smiled gently down at the distraught woman. She could see just how much Mike meant to her. "Yes. He's fine, Tammy."
Relief washed over Tammy, making her knees weak. She pulled a chair out and made her way to sit on it. She closed her eyes, struggling to keep the tears at bay. "Is he really okay? Can I see him? Where is he?"
"Whoa. Tammy calm down, okay?" Carly took a deep breath. "He's . he'll be fine. He just needs a little time, alright? So, I don't think it's a good idea for you to see him right now." Carly held her hand up when Tammy began to protest. "Tammy, He's okay but he needs. He needs time to get his head straight. Look, it's hard enough for him that I'm helping him. He'll feel even worse if you fuss over him too." Carly took the other woman's hand in her own. "I promise you. I'll take care of him and the moment he's ready I'll tell you where to find him. Okay?"
Tammy nodded silently, knowing she wasn't going to get anymore out of Carly. Realizing she was right.
"Thank you, Carly."
"My pleasure." Carly said sincerely. "Now, you got any pie?"
Juan looked back and forth between the two girls "Ladies, I don't think this is a good place for a chick fight."
"What are you talking about, my boy! Any place is a good place for a chick fight!" Luke's voice boomed out into Kelly's. Everyone turned to look at him as he strolled out of the kitchen. Luke looked up to see Carly walking in with Tammy. "Ain't that right, Caroline?"
Carly smirked at Luke, "Not if you said it." Suddenly Carly's smile fell and she looked anxiously behind Luke into the kitchen. "Did you just come out of there?"
Luke looked at the kitchen. "Yes." He replied, noticing the looks of fear appearing on everyone faces. "I wasn't cooking." A sigh of relief went through the entire restaurant. Rolling his eyes, Luke brought his attention back to the group of teenagers. "What's going on?"
"Oh. Well, Emily was just telling us how the Hardy Boys over here," Juan pointed to Lucky and Nik, "tried playing cowboys and Indians with her kidnapper and successfully managed to foil his arrest."
Carly stifled a laugh as did Luke. "Teenagers, huh, uncle?"
Luke glanced at Carly, shaking his head. "You don't know the half of it, baby girl." Juan watched as Carly and Luke exchanged a knowing look as Luke walked over to her.
Gia made her way over to stand next to Juan, nudging his shoulder. "Hardy Boys?" she asked when he looked at her.
"What?"
"No, nothing. I just wasn't aware you knew how to read. Well, anything besides a song sheet." Gia teased.
"Hardy har har."
Emily took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. She needed to talk to Zander again before Carly helped him to disappear. She signaled to Juan once she was outside and made motions for him to call her. When he nodded she headed off, passing Bobbie as she went.
Luke noticed his sister enter Kelly's. "Your mama can vouch for me , right Barbara Jean?"
"What are you talking about?" Bobbie asked, hiding her surprise at the fact that Carly and Luke were in the same room and yet they weren't sniping at each other. Maybe there's hope yet.
"Luke was telling me about teenagers. He was telling me how, as soon as my son turns 12, he'll be embarrassed to be seen with me."
"I was explaining that it was hormones."
"That won't be the reason Michael's embarrassed to be seen with his mother." Liz spat out.
"Elizabeth!" Lucky snapped, reaching over to grab his girlfriend in an attempt to stop her but she moved away from him.
Gia, Nik, and Juan stared at Liz as if she'd lost her mind. Bobbie frowned at the girl she'd always defended, not quite sure why she usually did so. Luke only saw Carly's face as her eyes shuttered closed. The girl had tensed at Liz's comment, but to her credit she hadn't reacted.
"What? Lucky please." Liz turned to look at Carly. "She doesn't care about anyone or anything but herself."
Carly turned to look at Elizabeth, her mouth opening, but thought better of it. Liz smirked at her, thinking she was right. "Come on. She slept with Sonny while she still supposedly in love with Jason, then used her child as a meal ticket to hold onto Sonny."
Luke saw Carly flinch at Liz's words. He watched the tears gather in her eyes before she looked away. Luke reached his hand out to her, making her turn her head to look at him. He smiled at her, rolling his eyes at Liz. Carly understood perfectly. It didn't matter what the little twit said. Or at least it shouldn't, but it still hurt. She looked up in surprise when she heard a voice snarl:
"Who the hell do you think you are?"