Show: General Hospital
Title: Change is Good 2
Disclaimer: I own them all... really I do! Hmm... I guess it's also time to admit I'm a pathological liar.
PLEASE READ A/N!
A/N: I'm sorry… well, depends on which side of the fence you sit, that the pleas not to have Carson romance have won our little vote (Yay!). However, I will be sympathetic to the train wreck that was the many marriages of Sonny and Carly, so Carson fans, don't fear. However, I won't be shoving it down your throats. Onto another topic, to answer the question of one reader who was curious about the relationship between Sonny and Alexis, as to whether they were a couple or not. The answer is: no, they were not a couple per se. Alexis used to be Sonny's attorney and his close friend (best friend I like to think) and actually it was Alexis who encouraged Sonny to marry Carly the first time to prevent her from testifying against him in court. Things soured between them after they took their friendship to another level, Carly drove herself over a cliff and the war between Sonny and Luis Alcazar ended up with Alexis's sister Kristina being caught in an explosion when she went to his warehouse to tell Sonny the truth about baby Kristina's paternity. Comprende? Any more questions or comments, drop me a line. Enjoy! BTW: Big kiss to Caraluna for her glowing review of chapter 4 – you had me blushin' girl!
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CHAPTER 5
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Alexis felt like she was a dog walker with twenty rowdy dogs on a leash. Instead, she was getting a lesson in dexterity, holding a large picnic basket over her shoulder whilst being practically dragged to a grassy spot beneath the shady trees with a plain view of the kid's playground by two dark-haired little girls who were practically chomping at the bit to get their private party started. She laughed as Joanna tugged her under the tree and Kristina tugged her other hand almost making her lose her balance and fall on her butt to the leafy ground. "Wait a sec," she admonished. Taking a blanket from the basket, she spread it out quickly, one cursory eye keeping an eye out for ants' nests, before she continued, "Now we can sit." The two girls simultaneously tugged on her hands and within seconds, her butt indeed did hit the blanket and all three giggled as they flopped back and looked up at the cerulean sky through the green leaves of the tree. Alexis locked her arms around both little girls' shoulders and hugged them close to her.
"Aunt 'Lexis," Joey said softly, rolling to her side and smiling down into that beloved face. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Makin' me feel better."
Alexis instantly knew what she meant, and she tucked a lock of dark hair, so much like her own daughter's, behind Joey's ear. "I bet you'll feel better when you see what you've got for this party."
"What?" an ear-to-ear grin split her face.
Kristina sat up, her own grin bringing two deep dimples into play. "It's a surprise! C'mon, Joey," she said, grabbing her friend's hand and standing up. "Let's go to the swings!"
Alexis sat up. "Be careful!" she called out as the two girls raced towards the swing sets, their sable hair - Joey's impossibly curly and Kristina's wavy - flying behind them. She'd more than done her good deed for the day.
It happened every time he passed the park. He paused to hear the joyful sounds of children at play, hearing their childish shrieks of laughter, the smell of candy, the mindful eyes of the parents and their cautious warnings. Each time, he was filled with a sense of longing and his heart broke for the children he might never see in person again.
Something caught the corner of his eye and he turned to see a woman being dragged under a tree by two dark-haired little girls. The corners of his lips tipped up in a smile as they tugged her off her feet to a hastily spread blanket on the leafy ground. In the split second before the three collapsed in giggles, he recognised none other than Joanna Lewis and Alexis Davis. The other companion he recognised as Alexis's little girl, Kristina.
The little girl he'd once thought and hoped was his....
As was the case whenever he came into contact with or saw her, he studied her. The dappled sunlight shining through the trees glinted off her luxuriously rich dark hair; her skin was a smooth olive tone and he didn't have to venture closer to know her eyes were the soft dark brown of a Hershey's Kiss - like her mother's.... He also didn't have to go any closer to know that when she smiled, two impossibly deep dimples suddenly appeared in the apples of her rosy cheeks. She was a beautiful little girl - even more beautiful to him than his own beloved Joey.
Sonny's eyes followed the two little girls as they stood up and barreled towards the swings, their hair flying behind them, their laughter floating towards his ears on the balmy summer breeze.
Oh, how his heart ached.
Morgan would be turning five at the end of the year. He knew that he would probably have been great friends with Joey at least, despite the usual apathy towards the opposite sex at that age. Michael would have taken his duty as big brother seriously and taken them all under his wing. He missed his children terribly.
Inadvertently, his gaze swung back to the trees to Alexis and, for the second time in as many days, he found himself observing her. Her chestnut hair had been pulled up into a ponytail, making her look for all the world like a college co-ed instead of a high-priced lawyer. Her skin was still the same golden tone, standing out sharply against the lily-white of her dress shirt that was about a size too big and rolled up to her elbows over a coral tank top. She was wearing a pair of faded Levi's that molded to each feminine curve and made her already long legs seem impossibly longer and on her feet, she wore a pair of flat brown leather slides. She sat with her back to the tree, designer sunglasses perched on her nose, her watchful eyes no doubt on the two children.
Sonny didn't think he'd ever seen Alexis so relaxed. Even during their short interlude in Puerto Rico so long ago, although she'd literally let down her hair and her newfound fondness for rum had loosened her tongue and her hips, she'd still been taut with the sexual tension between them.
Even in his bed months later... under him, over him, beside him.... It suited her.
As if feeling that she was being watched, as he had the night before, she turned to him and he imagined - he couldn't be sure because the lenses were impossibly dark - that her eyes met his. Much like the night before, he was filled with an emotion he didn't dare try to analyse or put a name to. Instead, he simply nodded curtly and continued on his way, Johnny a step behind him.
X-X-X-X-X
Catching sight of Sonny made Alexis nervous as hell. She breathed a sigh of relief when he simply acknowledged her and walked on. Johnny was much more polite - the guard had given her a small, friendly smile. As she watched them walk away, heading no doubt for the warehouse, she wondered how long he'd been there. Had he been watching them, or had he simply caught sight of her as he walked by? She prayed it was the latter although, with her luck, the former was the more likely of scenarios. No doubt he'd seen Joey and, of course, Kristina.
That made her decidedly antsy. She didn't like her daughter to be in any contact with her sire, especially since she looked like him more and more each day and was growing decidedly more curious each and every day. Kristina was at that age where she realised that her home life wasn't quite like other children's. Even though Joey's was a little unorthodox, it certainly was a lot more 'normal' than Kristina's had ever been. Alexis had felt like a deer caught in the headlights the first time Kristina had asked about her father. She - the verbal master - had been at a loss for words, literally tongue-tied. She hadn't a clue what to tell her.
So, she'd fudged and fluffed and just barely managed to fumble her way through a pitiful jumble of words that she'd masqueraded as an explanation.
She'd grudgingly described him to her... ironically enough, both physical and emotional descriptions could have matched Ned - the man the general public knew as Kristina's father, although he'd given up his parental rights five years before - and Sonny - Kristina's biological father - the man Alexis had gone to so much trouble to ensure would never know the truth.
But there would come a time when Kristina might not be quite so easy-going or understanding. There might come a time where she would choose to ignore the obvious distress the matter caused her mother and decide to seek out her father. Then the whole spiral of lies would begin anew and Alexis would really be up shit-creek without a paddle.
For now...(sigh) she would bask in the ignorance of youth and do what she'd been doing since finding out she was pregnant with Sonny's child - stay far, far away.
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Port Charles, March 2004
The penthouse was eerily quiet when Emily woke the next morning. A quick inspection of the spacious rooms confirmed her suspicion that she was indeed alone. Taking a leisurely shower before dressing, she made her way to Jason's kitchen and wasn't too surprised to find the sum total of the contents in her brother's refrigerator equaled three cans of Budweiser, a half-eaten Snickers bar and a bottle of milk that was way beyond its expiry date.
Resigned to having to go out for breakfast, Emily had just swung open the door to the apartment when Max seemed to appear out of thin air.
"Good morning, Ms. Quartermaine," he said politely.
Placing a hand to her racing heart Emily replied, "Good morning..." her brow wrinkled as she tried to place his face, "Max?" she asked, not sure.
"Yes." Max stepped aside and allowed Emily to exit the apartment.
Making her way to the elevator, she realised that she was being followed. Emily turned around and looked in confusion at Max who paused in waiting. "Let me guess," she began knowingly. "My brother's idea?" Max smiled sheepishly and Emily barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was a good thing she wasn't planning to stick around PC much longer.
The drive towards the docks in one of the numerous black sedans available to her brother was quiet and uneventful and she grudgingly realised that Max faded into the scenery, his infinite politeness - opening doors for her etc. - the only reminder that he was there.
Elizabeth's smile was the first thing she saw when she stepped into the warmth of Kelly's and the delicious breakfast scents clearly emphasised the fact that she was starving.
"Mornin', Em," Elizabeth called, making her way over to her friend. "Hello, Max," she continued with a friendly smile.
"Ms. Webber," he replied politely. Without another word, he stationed himself at a table just behind Emily, where he could give her her privacy but still keep an eye on her.
"Let me guess... Jason's idea?"
"Yup."
"Has he faded into the background yet?" Elizabeth continued knowingly.
"You know it."
The two friends shared a laugh before Elizabeth took her order and poured coffee for both Emily and Max. Things were going remarkably well considering the baggage and old wounds that had been reopened the day before.
She knew she had spoken too soon when the bell above the door jingled heartily and Nikolas stepped inside the diner. For a few indeterminable seconds they stared at each other, sorrow and pain in his eyes; she was afraid to give a name to what might be in hers.
Perhaps only a total of five more seconds passed before Nikolas's gaze dropped to his feet. He took a shuddering breath, struggling to inhale around the huge rock of despair that was lodged in his chest and turned his back on Emily and swallowing a lump of misery in his throat, made his way to the counter, not knowing that would be the last time he saw her.
Emily was surprised to see moisture dripping to her breakfast plate and lifted her hand to her face in wonder to realise that she was crying.
"Ms. Quartermaine, are you alright?"
Emily looked up to see Max had made his way to her table with remarkable haste and was gazing at her with an expression of concern as he held out a snowy white handkerchief to wipe her tears. She didn't know whether to nod or shake her head. But she certainly hadn't expected her newfound 'independence' to hurt so badly.
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Port Charles, July 2008
"Emily!"
The surprise was highly evident in his voice as his eyes took her in for the first time in four years. They took those few precious seconds before she would reply to look at one another. He looked much like the old Nikolas, yet he'd changed in so many ways. There was a newfound air of maturity that was not simply echoed in his looks but also in the way he carried himself. The cloak of authority that he'd always exuded was still very much in existence and it suited him better now that he was a few years older than it had before.
She too had changed, she knew; she also knew that he was busy processing these changes. She'd lost a few more pounds over the years, and had a new haircut - a sleek chin length bob - to go with her new willowy form. For some unknown reason, part of her wondered if he liked the changes he noted.
Gia watched their silent appraisal with a growing sense of panic, and the seconds continued to stretch without any of them saying a word. The moment could not be any more awkward if she snapped her fingers to jerk them from their seeming reverie.
Emily seemed to catch herself in time to reply with an equally surprised "Nikolas!" (read:- Gia's sigh of relief, 'Finally!', although the awkward situation was bound to increase in leaps and bounds.). Emily's gaze toggled back and forth between Nikolas and his companion. She'd changed as well - she was even more beautiful and exotic than ever if that was possible, with smooth cafe au lait skin, tilted brown eyes and a fiery aura that was all woman. "Gia."(read:- obviously less enthusiastic greeting.)
Gia's smile was frosty. But better the blast back to the Ice Age that every bearer of two X-chromosomes understood than the obvious glare of petulance that even the most dimwitted of the male-species would have picked up on. And dim Nik was not. "Emily."
Inwardly, Emily arched a brow. Obviously, time had not changed some things, a fact made all the more evident since, some where in between her departure from Port Charles and now, Nikolas had shacked back up with the ex-supermodel, a fact that Elizabeth had failed to mention.
Eager to defuse an already awkward situation, Nik still couldn't help himself. She looked beautiful. A thought that, after all this time and all the heartache that they'd caused each other, he had absolutely no right to be thinking. A thought that was a little ticking time bomb where Gia was concerned.
"This is a surprise," Emily said, in an attempt at breaking the ice. "It's been a long time."
"I'll say," Gia cut in. (read:- "Not long enough.")
Nikolas coughed lamely. "Did you come for Joanna's birthday?" he asked.
"Yes," she nodded her head slowly. "Did you?"
"Yes." Nik shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels.
"Oh. You missed the party," she pointed out.
"The flights from Boston were delayed," Gia explained hurriedly. (read:- "Cut the small-talk and get lost.")
"Boston?" Emily asked, surprised.
"Yes," Gia answered again. "We live there together." Emphasis on the 'together'.
"Oh." (read:- "Someone's a bit possessive.")
Before their conversation could go any further, Georgie Jones strode up to the threesome. She looked hot and harried and not in the mood for small talk. "Hi guys, it's great that you're catching up and all, but it's July and you're letting out what little air-conditioning there is."
Only then did Emily realise she was standing in the doorway of the diner and Nik was indeed holding the door open. The intimation of Georgie's statement basically was 'in or out, just shut the damn door!' and though left unsaid, was as conspicuous as a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.
"Right, sorry, Georgie," Emily apologised for them all.
Nikolas pushed the door open further and they sidled past each other.
"So, I'll see you around?"
Gia barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes in disbelief at the hope in the other woman's voice.
"Sure," Nik replied, hoping it seemed nonchalant.
Emily smiled in acknowledgement and strode away.
Nikolas stood there and watched her walk away. Gia scoffed in displeasure and abruptly pushed past him into the diner. Her sudden actions startled Nik who turned to her questioningly. "What?"
Gia's eyes narrowed slightly. "Nothing," she muttered. (read:- "As if you don't know I'd like to wring both your necks, you little shit!")
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Corinthos/Morgan Coffee
Jason was downstairs in the main body of the warehouse conferring with their foreman about the impending delivery of a shipment of coffee beans from Brazil. Sonny sat upstairs at his desk in the office they still shared despite all the years. He stared unseeingly at the charts spread before him, his mind not the least on financial projections or expense reports.
He was thinking of her.
And her daughter.
A dangerous combination....
No matter how he tried to point out the folly of feeling anything but indifference or contempt towards Alexis Davis, the more his mind seemed determined to ignore him, to replay vivid images of the scent of gardenias, that hitch she made in the back of her throat when he stroked her cheek, the carefree laugh that erupted when he joked with her... the hopeless devotion and fierce love she held for her daughter... a love that had driven her to kill the man that had already taken so much from her. Not that he wouldn't have done the same.
In those few moments of quiet, he used the time for reflection.
Reflected on how he'd been a coward, how he'd allowed her to push him away so easily... how it fired his ego to think that, despite their differences, she had come to him to help her battle Luis Alcazar. How it further fueled said ego to turn her away because it had been bruised when she'd seemingly run straight from his bed back to Ned so many months before.
If none of those things had happened, maybe Kristina would be calling him Papa.
And Morgan would never have existed, a voice in the back of his mind pointed out.
Morgan.
His biological son. A boy he hadn't seen in person since he'd been a few months old, a boy who probably would pass him on the street without so much as batting an eyelash in recognition.
Sonny grit his teeth and rubbed the fatigue from his eyes. Damn it! He knew better than to walk through the park!
The sounds of children and their carefree happiness always made him remember what he'd had and would, most likely, never have again.
Footsteps and a brisk knock.
Sonny swiveled in his chair to see Jason leaning his head around the corner at the door. "I'm out to the Q's for lunch with Grandmother and Monica."
Sonny plastered a smile on his face. "Say hello to Lila for me, Jason. And bring back some of those little tea sandwiches," he teased.
Jason rolled his eyes. Sonny would never let him forget the time his Grandmother had suckered him into attending a full English afternoon tea, complete with silver tea service, delicate teacakes, scones and cucumber sandwiches. "Whatever." Jason rudely saluted in reply by flipping the bird and turned to head back down the stairs.
The minute his friend's footsteps down the staircase faded away, the smile dropped from his face and his head dropped back. Sonny stared up at the ceiling and proceeded to count down the minutes until he could go home and hope for his day to get progressively better.
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Portland, Oregon
Portland was the latest in a long list of cities they'd occupied in the past several years. It was an architecturally gorgeous city with its many bridges and homes along the river and awe inspiring rose gardens. While it certainly didn't have that panache when compared to Paris or Rome, London or Toronto, its laidback Northwestern charm was refreshing and for now, it was home. They'd been running in a sense... not to the point when they were concerned for their well-being and needed to disappear in some hovel in the middle of small-town America.
Certainly not.
And, brain-damaged or not, small-town America certainly did not appeal to Mrs. Caroline 'Carly' Spencer-Corinthos.
They were there for two reasons: one, because New York City was much too close to Port Charles for comfort and two, because Portland, while certainly no New York, possessed one of the country's finest hospitals specialising in oncology.
A fact that, when finally revealed to her, made Leticia's blood run cold.
She had the house to herself that morning. For once, in what had certainly been years of devoted service, Carly took her own sons to the park... alone, leaving Leticia in peace to go over the bombshell that had been dropped on her.
As she sifted through the wreckage that was her psyche, everything fell into place - little occurrences, cryptic conversations... it all made complete sense.
She'd awoken that morning as usual in the past two months that they'd been there, at six o'clock. She usually lounged in bed until six-thirty at which time she'd get up, take a shower and dress in her work clothes - jeans and a T-shirt - before heading down the hallway to the boys' bedroom. By this time, it was probably just after seven o'clock and, as they were light sleepers, they would both crack open their eyes the second she pulled open the drapes at their windows. As they'd taken a shower right before they went to bed and had slept in air-conditioning, they didn't need to shower, instead, they talked and joked with her as she helped them dress then helped Morgan brush his teeth and harassed Michael into brushing his unruly red hair which had started to darken to a gorgeous shade of auburn and was a riot of curls on top his head.
It was usually eight o'clock by the time they'd finished, and they would march down the stairs, past the wall of windows that offered an awesome view of the Willamette River near the junction with the Columbia, into the kitchen where, more often than not, she'd pour them all a bowl of Count Chocula and they would have breakfast watching morning cartoons on the kitchen television. The boys would be spread out on the floor in front the TV in their play room by the time Carly strolled downstairs from the master bedroom around ten or so, still in her robe.
That morning, it was different. She'd gasped in surprise when she'd turned up on Carly poised outside the bedroom door watching Michael and Morgan sleep. Michael, as usual, had kicked the sheets away from his body and was lying flat on his back, one leg bent at the knee, the other outstretched, his head facing away from the door and his mouth slightly open. Morgan, on the other bed, was wrapped up tightly in a cocoon, his curly hair the colour of a crow's wing, the only visible thing.
"Mrs. C?" Leticia asked tentatively, watching the reflective look on her employer's face with curiosity.
Carly turned to her sluggishly and seemed surprised to see her standing there. "Leticia..." she trailed off and turned back to her sleeping sons.
"Are you alright, Mrs. Corinthos?"
Leticia should have been alerted when Carly seemed to pause as if contemplating the question. To her surprise and great unease, she watched the older woman's eyes begin to fill with tears. "No," Carly said, her face crumbling. "I'm not alright."
In a move she never would have dared before, Leticia reached out and wrapped Carly in her arms, rocking her back and forth as she was prone to do whenever she comforted either or both of her charges. Tactfully, Leticia tucked Carly's head in her shoulder so her sobs were muffled and she angled her hand for the doorknob and shut the door so that they would not accidentally wake the boys.
After a few minutes, Carly finally lifted her head and stepped away. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping frantically at the remnants of tears that still slid down her cheeks.
"It's fine," Leticia said, her voice full of concern. She was more than curious to find out what had caused her boss to behave like this, but she wouldn't be disrespectful and pry. "Would you like some tea, Mrs. C?" she asked softly.
Carly shook her head vigorously. "No, I'm fine. You should wake up the boys."
Leticia bit her lip, her concern for Carly to speak up more important than the simple need to satisfy her curiosity. "Are you sure? They won't complain if we let them sleep a little longer."
The two women took stock of each other. Leticia had worked for this woman her entire adult life - more than ten years. In that time, she'd seen her in all moods of the psychological spectrum, but never like this. Carly took a deep breath before nodding her head in acquiesce and allowed Leticia to gently lead her down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Carly sat at the breakfast bar while Leticia quickly and efficiently set the kettle to boil and when it did, made two cups of tea - Chamomile to calm Carly down and English Breakfast to perk her up. She'd made toast while the kettle boiled but, although she'd set it in front of Carly along with the tea, Carly ignored it.
"How old are you, Leticia?" Carly asked softly.
Leticia was taken aback but she tried not to show it. "Twenty-eight, Mrs. C."
Carly nodded and took a deep sip of her tea. When she next spoke, her voice was thick, "I'm thirty-four. Thirty-five in four months, actually." She looked across to the woman that had always taken care of her children, who some people considered to be more of a mother figure to them than their actual mother. "How long have you worked for me?"
"Ten years," Leticia answered, not sure where this was all leading to.
"And you never had the desire to leave, to do something else with your life, to fall in love and get married and have children of your own?" Carly asked, her tone slightly incredulous.
"Well," she began bashfully. "I've always enjoyed working with children and I love Michael and Morgan. As for falling in love and getting married... of course. I'm young... I still have time," she continued thoughtlessly.
Leticia's words brought a fresh crop of tears to Carly's eyes and she was instantly regretful, trying desperately to figure out what she had said wrong.
"Don't say that," Carly was mumbling. "Don't ever say that! You never know how much time you have."
"Mrs. C, what are you talking about?"
Carly looked up, her dark eyes brimming with tears, filled with pain. There was a pregnant pause and when she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. "I have pancreatic cancer and it's inoperable. I'm dying, Leticia."
Alone in the quiet house gave Leticia time to think. How must Carly feel knowing she would die so young, that she would never get to see her sons reach manhood; how would the boys deal without their mother? Leticia started to cry. How could she break this news to Mr. Corinthos?
TBC...
A/N: I didn't realise how long this chapter was. I hope that you enjoyed! Drop me a line or two.
