If Tomorrow Never Comes

Chapter 18

Sonny paused, his hand on the door of Luke's. He took in a long, deep breath, knowing that Luke would probably want details about Carly and the attack. Gathering his strength he opened the door and entered the club.

"Don't make me fire you, Claude!"

Sonny held back a laugh, shaking his head in amusement as he approached the bar. "Hey Claude."

The bartender turned to Sonny, greeting him with a smirk and the shake of his head. "You know that threat has so lost its impact."

This time Sonny did laugh. "No kidding. What count are we on now?"

"You think I still count?"

"What? You got time to joke with my nephew-in-law?" Luke bellowed, dropping a box of beer when he reached the counter.

Claude rolled his eyes, then grimaced when he heard the clank of the now broken bottles. He picked up the empties, dropped them in the trash, hauled the box on his shoulder and with a wave to Sonny disappeared into the backroom. Sonny smiled, guessing that Claude was praying that Luke was gone when he came back out.

"You know that guy deserves a raise."

"Who? Claude?!" Luke glanced at the door where the bartender had disappeared into. "Man, his lucky I don't fire him." He made a mental note to double Claude's Christmas bonus. If Sonny was lecturing about raises... He turned his attention back to his friend noticing immediately the circles under his eyes. "So. What's up?"

Sonny munched on the beer nuts looking calmly at Luke. "Not much. Why would you ask that?"

"Well, maybe, because my niece was assaulted a few nights ago and this is the first time I see hide or hair of you."

"Luke..." There was a warning in Sonny's voice. Something that told Luke he should let it go. Something told Luke Sonny wasn't up to dealing with what had happened. At least not yet. They stood staring each other down. Neither wanted to give an inch. Luke needed to know that Carly was alright. That Sonny was all right but he knew pushing Sonny wasn't going to get him anything but a wall of silence. So he heeded the warning. "Fine. But could you please have her give me a call?"

Sonny felt the tension leave his body. He simply nodded, taking a seat across from Luke at a nearby table. He fiddled with the drink Luke had set in from of him. "We need to discuss the situation with Sorel."

"I take it he was none to happy about us canceling on him at the last minute. Probably had something major planned and we screwed it up for him."

Sonny shook his head, taking a sip of the scotch, closing his eyes as the liquid spread the familiar, welcoming warmth. He's had to cut down on the drinking at Carly's request but the past few days had earned him a reprieve. He leaned back into his chair before looking up at his friend. " No. He got detained, too, so..." he let the sentence trail off watching Luke closely to see if he thought the same thing that he had.

Silent alarms went off in Luke's head. "Whoa. He couldn't make it either? Why?"

"One of his buildings was set on fire. So, he had to take care of that instead."

"I don't like the sound of this Sonny."

"Neither do I."

Luke rose from chair, pacing the floor in front of the table. "So, you think that the attack on Carly was a set up?"

"See that's what I thought the case was the night she was attacked. Then I heard about Sorel's situation and it just makes it a give in. Except for one thing."

Luke stopped his pacing to look at Sonny. "You weren't supposed to know about Carly being in danger."

Sonny nodded. "Exactly. One of Sorel's building on fire would have immediately been brought to his attention. It was a very public diversion intended to get him there that night and away from the meeting."

"But Carly's attack was done on the down low. No witnesses. No hostage scenario." Luke's voice was so low Sonny could barely make him out. "If Lucky hadn't..." He glanced at Sonny quickly. "Sonny I think someone was setting it up the kill you and Carly."

Sonny acknowledged Luke's declaration with a small nod. "I know. Who, though?"

"I think I have a good idea. Helena Cassadine."

"What?" Johnny had entered the club and overheard the last part of the conversation. "Why the hell would Helena want to kill Sonny or Carly?"

"Hey man." Luke reached over to shake the bodyguards hand. He extended his arm out in an invitation for Johnny to take a seat which he promptly did. He handed Sonny a few files than turned back to Luke. "So?"

"I don't know why she'd go after Sonny but Carly's a Spencer. She's also the oldest of the second generation. I never really thought Helena would give a damn about Carly but I had a run-in with her the night of Carly's attack and something she said stuck with me."

Sonny had been listening intently. So, now he had the Cassadines to worry about, too. "What?"

"We were arguing about Lucky. You know the story about her son Stavros, right?" The two men nodded. "Well, at the time she had promised to exact her revenge. A heir for an heir. That night she told me I was looking in the wrong direction."

Sonny realized what Luke wasn't saying. "You think she's after my wife not Lucky?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "It's a big possibility. Why, I really don't know though..."

"Boss." Claude shad stuck his head out of the office. "Laura's on the phone for you."

Luke excused himself and disappeared into his office. Claude reappeared a few seconds later having been presumably kicked out of the way. "You guys need anything."

Johnny and Sonny waved him off. Sonny watched his right hand look around the club nervously. "Johnny. Relax a little."

"I can't."

Sonny studied Johnny closely. Something was bothering him. The other man was ignoring him so he decided to back off. Looking through his briefcase he found some contracts he had forgotten to give Alexis. "Hey, Johnny. Could you drop these off at Alexis' when you get a chance." Sonny passed the papers to Johnny. He looked up when Sonny didn't make a move to take them away from Sonny. "Johnny."

"Why don't you have Rick drop them off."

Sonny raised an eyebrow, the papers still in his hand. "Since when don't you jump at the chance to..." Sonny cut himself off, noticing that Johnny wasn't looking at him. "What... oh." Sonny finished lamely as it dawned on him why Johnny had been avoiding his floor of the building for the last few days. "When did... I mean... what happen..." Johnny continued to avoid Sonny face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Johnny shook his head, looking down at his hands. Sonny let out a loud sigh. Well if this wasn't a hell of a complication. His right hand was head over heels for his lawyer. Why couldn't his life ever be easy?

Carly rushed out of the kitchen to answer the knock on her door. She smiled a welcome at Alexis. "Hey, where have you been hiding?"

Alexis hesitated at the door, looking cautiously into the penthouse. "Are you alone?"

Carly's smile was replaced by a worried expression. "Of course. Is everything okay, Alexis?"

"No." Entering the apartment, Alexis headed straight for the couch. "I mean, yes, I mean... Damn it." She slammed her briefcase on the table . "I'm sorry."

Carly watched helplessly as the usually unflappable attorney crumbled in front of her. "Oh, Lexi..." she summered soothingly, hugging the other woman gently. After a few moments Alexis pulled back, her face composed into a clam mask of dignity.

"Sorry. I don't usually... you know."

Carly nodded, pushing Alexis hair back and away from her face. "Don't apologize. You've seen me at my worst. Remember my wedding? Trust me, you're fine."

"Good point."

"Hey."

Alexis let out a small laugh, wiping at her cheeks. "Sorry."

"S'kay."

Having gotten herself under control and feeling calm for the first time in days Alexis took a long hard look at Carly. "How you holding up there, kiddo?" She sat on the couch patting the cushion next to her softly.

Carly smiled at the action, glad to have someone to talk to. She surprised herself and Alexis by saying. "Not too good." Taking the seat Alexis had offered her she poured her heart out. She told Alexis everything that had happened that night. All the things she couldn't bring herself to tell Sonny. How scared she really had been and still was. What was going through her mind at the time. How the image of the blood and brains splattered on the ground. The nightmares that were plaguing her sleep.

"Have you told Sonny any of this?"

Carly laughed through her tears. "You're joking, Alexis? You know him. He'll feel even worse than he already does. Hell, he'll leave me for sure then." Carly moved to the bar, pouring herself a stiff drink. She offered one to Alexis silently.

"No, thank you. What's this about Sonny leaving?" Alexis followed Carly to the dining room table, taking a seat next to hers.

"That night... I could tell he was shutting down... convincing himself that it would be best that leaving me and Mikey was the best thing to do. You know Sonny." Alexis nodded. "Well, just take a wild guess what her must have been feeling that night and what his first reaction to it was. If I hadn't... I saw it coming and I put a stop to it. For the moment anyway."

Alexis reached out and caressed Carly's hand. "It's alright. You did the right thing."

"I don't know, Lexi..." Carly shook her head slightly, clearing it of all her worries for the time being. "Hey, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. Do you want to talk about it?"

Alexis opened her mouth to speak but there was a knock on the door and Joseph walked in. "I'm sorry." he said as he noticed the two women in discussion. "I just wanted to let you know,. Mrs. Corinthos, that Johnny asked me to let you know that he gave Zander the package you sent for him."

"Thanks, Joe." Carly waited until the bodyguard had closed the door firmly behind him before turning back to Alexis. She had felt the tension in Alexis when Joseph mentioned Johnny. "What's going on, Lexi?" Alexis smiled slightly at the endearment.

"Nothing."

"Oh no. Don't give me that. You practically jumped out of your skin when Joe knocked on the door. When you saw who it was you looked like you were going to faint from the relief. Then, you got all stiff and red in the face when Joe mentioned Johnny. If I didn't know better I'd swear you were suffering from some the morning after effects." At the look on Alexis face, Carly mouth dropped open. Her hand came up to it. "Oh my God. Lex, you and Johnny..."

"He... and then I.... it was.... oh god." Alexis face dropped into her open hand.

"Well. I really don't know what to say."

Alexis looked at her through her hand. "Good. That's makes two of us."

Zander walked into the visiting room followed by Officer Harris. The rookie was his shadow this days. One of Sonny's men and his only protection from Sorel. At least in here. He looked toward the table expecting Johnny or Sonny. Maybe Alexis or Carly. But what his saw made him stop in his tracks. He pulled himself straight and without a word started back towards the door that headed back down to his cell.

"You can't avoid me forever."

Emily's voice gave him pause. She was right and he hated it. Forcing a mask of indifference he turned back around and took the seat across from her. They stared at each other in silence until he had been probably restrained and they were finally left alone. The smallness of the room seemed even more pronounced now that she was standing in front of him. There were few places his eyes could escape hers.

"You are a jerk."

He let his surprise show for a moment, baring his soul to her for that brief second, a look of pain crossing his face before he was able to mask it again. "Took you this long to figure that out?"

"No. See, I know you and this-" Emily waved her hands at him. "This isn't you. You're sweet and caring. Not cold and indifferent."

"Oh please." Zander rose to his feet but froze when Emily banged her fist on the table.

"No! You're going to sit there and listen to me. You owe me at least that."

He knew she was right. He owed her that a whole damn more. He took his seat again, facing her quietly.

"You will listen to me now. I love you. Do you get that? I love you, Zander. Everything about you. The good and the bad. There is nothing you can say or do that is going to change that. So just accept that. You want to be an asshole. Hey knock yourself. out. But it won't work. I know how you feel about me. I can see it in your eyes." Emily voice lowered and she leaned over the table, her face inches from his. "I felt it when we kissed." Her hands caressed his face. He could only stare at her eyes. Those beautiful eyes that made him yearn for things he never thought he could have. "I know you felt it, too. You're just scared. Of me. Of us." Her hands snaked up his neck, one playing with his curls while the other one moved down to caress his lips. "Of this." Emily lips meet Zanders and the room disappeared around them. All he could feel, taste, and smell was Emily. His fingers twitched to pull her closer. His mouth opened under the sweet pressure of her, their tongues dueling, a sweet honeyed battle. He heard a small groan come from Emily and it was almost his undoing. He gave it in for a second, let himself feel the her love for a time, memorizing it in his heart and mind.

Emily felt him pull back suddenly, avoiding her eyes. "Em, please. I can't. Please."

She heard the pain in his voice and pushed down her own. She understood why he was doing this even if she didn't agree with it. "Fine." She conceded, pushing a hand through her hair and gathering her things from her chair, her eyes never leaving him. His head remained bent, his gaze on his hands that sat on the table. "I'll go. For now." She turned to the go pausing as her hand rested on the door. " I love you." She pulled the door open and closed quickly leaving Zander alone. His head fell on the table, his eyes stinging from the tears he refused to shed. Hearing the door open again, he stiffened. If she had come back, he wasn't sure he could resist her. A throat was cleared and Zander knew it wasn't Emily. Looking up, he was met by a cold blue-eyed stare.

"We need to talk." Lucky declared, taking the seat that Emily had just occupied.

"I've got nothing to say to you."

"Well, that's too bad cause the way I see it you don't have much of a choice. So, you might as well get comfy cause I've got a lot to say."

"Wait a minute. So someone attacked Carly and Lucky saw it happening even though he wasn't anywhere near the place?"

Nik and Juan glanced at each other than nodded at Shari.

"Basically."

"Yeah."

Shari looked incredously at them, shaking her dark head fervently. "That's not possible."

"Actually in PC anything is possible, babe." Juan admitted, looking over at Nik for confirmation. "Take Nikolas here. He's a prince to begin with whose Mom has come back from the dead like twice. Lucky's been dead and brought back himself. Let's not even count all the times Luke's been to the other side..."

"Not too mention the fact that my grandfather tried to freeze the world with this stupid diamond. Would have succeeded too if it hadn't been for Luke and Robert Scorpio."

Shari shook her head not sure what to think. She'd moved to PC for her own personal reasons never thinking she's be walking into the twilight zone. "Okay. So, how is this extrasensory thing that Lucky's got have anything to do with your grandmother?"

Nikolas searched his mind for a possible explanation for his family's strange ways.

"Because that's what psycho granny does."

Gia walked down the stairs in her fennel pajamas, taking a seat next to Juan. "The woman in beyond insane. Sorry Nikolas."

"Don't worry. I completely agree."

"Of course you do." Juan said, looking absently through the ripped CD collection on the table. "You've got all you marbles. My God, Gia do you ever buy CD's?Like from a store?" He looked up at the group who were staring at him with look ranging from amusement to slight irritation. He put the CD's down slowly and smiled at them. "Right. The Lucky thing."

Nik shook his head, then began to pace the floor, looking at the clock often. "Where the hell is she?"

"She stopped off to see Zander, remember?"

"I know. I know."

Shari sat staring silently into the fireplace, watching the flames dance wildly. They seemed to lull her into a trance. She bolted upright in her chair. "Oh my God!"

"What?" Juan asked, looking at her strangely. "Babe, what is it?" He rushed to her side getting worried when she didn't immediately answered. "Shari?"

"I'm sorry. I was just remembering how you told me that Lucky was brainwashed, right? That was the reason he pushed Liz away at first. Right?"

"Right. My grandmother has done something to him but he'd been seeing a Kevin Collins to try and undo whatever Helena did to him."

"Okay but his mind has already been messed with. In order to do that kind of thing a person's mind needs to opened. Parts of it need to be awakened while other parts are repressed."

Gia looked at Shari thoughtfully. "So you think that when they "opened" his mind for the brain washing that, what, a part of his mind awakened. Like a pyshic link or something."

Shari shrugged, seeing the looks of disbelief. "Oh come on. If people can come back from the dead I don' think assuming someone can gain psychic powers is that much of s stretch."

"But if he is psychic, why hasn't he seen visions before this?" Juan asked. It seemed possible to him that Shari was on to something.

"Because nobody he loved needed him before this. Maybe the link has to do with family. DNA, Family blood."

"Would you're grandmother be able to do that?" Gia looked over at Nikolas , a haunted look coming over her face. If Shari was right Lucky might be in bigger trouble than they all thought. "Do you think she might use that part of him?"

"I don't know but I know a way to find out."

"How?"

Juan saw the look of determination on Nikolas face, the truth in his face. "Oh no. No way. Forget it, Nik"

"It's the only way."

"It's insane."

"Whoa. What the hell are you two going on about?"

Nik took a deep breath, looking closely at his friends. "I need to infiltrate the enemy. I'm going to have to go back into the Cassadine fold."