Falter

"Luke?" Skye whispered.

Alexis nodded. "Yes, he's said that he's on his way back and that he'd be here soon."

"I can't believe this." Skye mumbled.

"He was in locked in a sanitarium, the one where Laura was." she told her. "He didn't know about what happened to you."

"I knew that he didn't just abandon me without warning. I knew that something bad had happened to him." Skye said, thinking back. "I can't believe no one thought to check the sanitarium."

"It was too obvious. We still don't know who put him there, Skye, just like we don't know who set you up for Ross' murder."

Skye nodded. "Well, when you see him, tell him that I'm glad he's alright."

"Don't you want to tell him yourself?" she asked. "After all these months apart I thought you'd be knocking down doors to get to him."

"You actually think that it would be a good idea for me to be around Luke? That's why I was in this entire mess. I wanted to turn myself in so many times, I wanted to call the cops after I found Ross dead on my livingroom floor, but Luke kept talking me out of it." she explained. "You of all people know that the last thing I need is to see him."

"I told Luke that it would be best for you to have some space." Alexis said, agreeing with her. "And he eventually agreed."

"Do you think he'll stay away?"

Alexis shrugged. "I don't know. This is Luke we're talking about, he doesn't listen to anyone but himself."

Skye looked back out the window.

"I thought you were in love with Luke?" Alexis asked.

"I thought I was." she confessed. "I was just looking for something secure, someone I could count on and that was Luke, that was until he disappeared and after sitting in Pentonville for a while I realized that relying on someone just isn't love, it wasn't with Ned and it's not with Luke."

"Your eyes."

"What?" Skye asked, turning her head to face Alexis.

"Your eyes." she repeated. "They used to light up when his name was mentioned, I noticed that the last few times I visited you in prison that the glow had faded."

"I just gave up." Skye told her. "Luke's a really great friend and I love him, I'm just not in love with him."

"He wanted to see you."

Skye shook her head. "I don't want to see him."

"He's going to find a way to see you, Skye."

"Luke told me that he was falling in love with me." Skye said, barely audible. "He said that's why Laura was coming after me."

"That was a really big step for Luke."

"Yeah." Skye commented. "A huge step and I sure hope he's changed his mind or that he was drunk and confused."

"Luke wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it." Alexis argued.

"What do I do?" she asked. "Are Luke and I suppose to start over?"

"Right now, Skye, the only person you need to be concerned about is yourself, everyone one else, including Luke should come second."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Skye asked. "We took a one eighty in our relationship, we used to constantly be at each other's throats."

"Just over Kristina."

Skye held her head down. "I know I've told you this before, but I'm really sorry. I just got caught up in everything, I thought I was protecting Kristina, I thought you were sick and I only wanted what was best for her. I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Alexis said, softly.

"I just felt a strong connection to her, I can't explain it."

Alexis smiled weakly, she knew what the connection was, Skye was Kristina's aunt. "Well, the truth is that you love Kristina and love is a strong connection."

"I'm sorry." Skye sobbed. "I'm sorry I tried to keep her away from you." she said, going from sobbing to a full blown outburst of crying.

Alexis was taken aback, this woman who had been so strong during a murder trial and conviction was now sitting in front of her bawling like a little child. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around her sister. "Everything's okay now." she whispered, stroking Skye's hair. "That's in the past."

"I'm sorry." Skye repeated over and over, sobbing uncontrollable into Alexis' arms.

"Skye?" she said, softly. "Skye?"

She continued to cry.

"What's wrong?" Alexis asked, but Skye never responded, she just continued to cry. "Skye, let's get you into the bed."

Skye complied but her cries never lessened.

"I'm going to get Monica." Alexis told her. "I'll be right back.

She made a beeline down the stairs and into the Quartermaine den. "Monica?" she said, out of breath.

Monica looked up from where she and Brooke Lynn were playing with Kristina. "Alexis, what is it?" she asked, standing up.

"There's something wrong with Skye."

Monica bolted for the stairs with Alexis only a few steps behind her. She made her way into Skye's room to find Luke sitting on the edge of the bed. "What are you doing here?" Monica asked him.

"I came to see Skye. I thought..."

"I don't care what you thought." Monica said, cutting him off. "I want you out of my house, now!" she yelled. "If Alan finds you here he's going to kill you."

Monica sat down on the bed beside a still crying Skye. She placed the back of her hand over Skye's forehead. "She's cold and clammy." Monica noted. "Skye? Can you hear me?"

"Why are you here Luke? I thought you agreed to stay away from her." Alexis commented. "You need to go."

"What's wrong with her?" Luke asked.

"All the stress is getting to her, I think she's having a breakdown." Monica said, accessing Skye the best she could. "Luke, leave!"

"Go!" Alexis ordered. "I'll keep you posted."

Luke left the same way he came in, through the window.

"Alexis, my bag is down the next hall in my room, can you grab it for me?" Monica asked. "It's on the chaise."

"Sure." Alexis said, disappearing.

"Skye, you've got to talk to me." Monica told her, taking her hand. "You've got to tell me what's wrong."

She was silent and her eyes were clamped shut.

Alexis returned several seconds later with the bag and handed it to Monica.

Monica continued to access her. "How long has she been like this?"

"About few minutes before I came and got you, I thought she was going to stop." Alexis told her. "It was like she was in some sort of a daze."

"Did you notice anything different about her when you got here? Did she say anything out of the ordinary?" she asked, looking up. "Anything at all."

Alexis quickly scanned her memory. "No." she breathed. "Other than when I asked her how she was doing she said that she was out of prison but only physically."

Monica looked back down at her stepdaughter. "Skye, you're going to the hospital so we can run some tests. Skye?"

There was still no answer although the crying had subsided.

Alexis returned home a few hours later, she placed a sleeping Kristina in her crib and then started to undress as she walked down the hallway and into her room. She didn't bother to flip the light on as she slipped her shirt off, throwing it on the bench in front of her bed and then unzipping and stepping out of her skirt.

"You're late." A deep voice murmured.

She nearly jumped out of her skin, she stumbled to turn on the lamp. "Luke, what are you doing here?"

"You told me you'd keep me posted on Skye." he said, tossing Alexis her robe.

"I just got home." she replied, slipping the robe on over her slip. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough."

Alexis sat down on the bed beside him, she reclined back against the headboard. "Skye's at General Hospital." she said softly. "She had a little breakdown."

"Why?"

"Why?" she repeated. "Because she was in prison for a few months, convicted of a crime she didn't commit, she went through a murder trial. Her Grandmother died. I could go on and on."

"I get your point." Luke said, before she could continue. "Is she going to be alright?"

"They're keeping her under observation tonight. The Quartermaine's don't want you anywhere near her." Alexis told him. "They're probably standing guard at the door."

"Alexis, I really need to see her." Luke said softly. "I feel terrible about what happened, I should have been here to protect her and I wasn't. If I explain everything to her, I can make her understand what..."

She stopped him mid sentence. "Skye doesn't want to see you."

They were both really quiet for several seconds. "614." Alexis mumbled.

Luke practically leaped up off the bed. "Thanks Natasha."

Luke peered down the hospital corridor, Alan Quartermaine had just left his daughter's room and Monica was walking toward him. He watched as they talked for a few minutes, glancing in the direction of Skye's room occasionally and then they finally walked down the hallway together.

He crept down the hallway and slowly made his way into her room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Skye was laying in bed, she appeared to be asleep. Luke slowly walked over to her and sat down on the bed beside her. "Skye." he said softly.

Her eyes opened and she focused them on Luke, but before she could speak he placed his finger to her lips. "Shh. Let me do the talking. I'm sorry, I didn't know what happened, but whoever set you up locked me in the sanitarium, it's all connected, we just have to figure out who. Who could have done this?"

Skye took his hand and moved it away from her face. "No." she said, firmly. "You and I aren't going to be figuring out anything, that's why there are law enforcement agencies. You and I playing Nick and Nora Charles is what got us into this mess. No more. I've been released and I'm ready to move on with my life, even when that means doing it alone."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that everybody was right, Edward tried to tell me that you would only cause trouble and I didn't want to listen, instead I put my faith in you. It was a big mistake and now I think that it would be best if we went our separate ways, I'll sell my share of the casino to Faith."

"Skye..."

She cut him off. "Look Luke, if you want danger and adventure, then Faith's your girl."

"I don't want Faith." he argued.

"Then settle for her, settle for Faith the way you settled for me when you couldn't have Laura." Skye told him. "Please, Luke, let me move on with my life."

"But Skye...you're focusing on the bad." he objected. "Can't you remember any of the good? Fixing the Haunted Star up or surviving the fire in the hotel."

"You know what I remember Luke?" she asked and then answered herself. "I remember fighting. Fighting about the casino and fighting in the hotel as it burned down around us."

"Why don't you want to remember the good times?"

She sighed, weakly, "Because there weren't any."

Luke searched his mind for a good memory."What about dancing on the Haunted Star?"

"What about you bringing Faith into the business?" she countered.

"What about the rooftop kiss?"

"It was a kiss goodbye." she argued. "Please, stop." she told him, softly. "For every good memory, there are ten bad ones."

"What do you want from me?" he asked, point blank.

"I want you to go." she said, softly. "Just leave me alone. I already told Alexis that I didn't want to see you and if my Father or my Grandfather, catch you in here they're going to hang you."

"Nothing like a little murder conviction to get the family to rally around you." he commented.

"They are my family." she replied. "We not be lovey dovey, but when push comes to shove we stand up for each other. I need the Quartermaine's, I don't need you." she whispered through tears. "Please go."

He nodded. "If that's the way you want it."

"It is." she breathed, wiping her eyes.

Luke got up off the bed and walked toward the door. "If you want or need anything."

"I want you to go." she repeated.

He opened the door and walked out, but he turned back around. "I'll never give up on you." he said, barely audible and then closed the door behind him.

The next evening Alexis walked out of the courtroom, her briefcase in hand.

"How did it go last night?" Ric asked as he approached her.

"How did what go?" she asked, confused.

"At the Quartermaine's." he reminded her, as they continued to walk.

"Oh." Alexis breathed. "That. It went okay."

Ric stopped walking and grabbed her arm to halt her. "Alexis, what's wrong?"

She gave a quick smirk. "Nothing, it's just that I didn't get in until late last night." she confessed.

He just looked at her. "Well." he finally said. "You promised me dinner."

"Yeah, I did." she recalled. "How's tonight?"

Ric was taken a little aback. "Yeah, tonight, tonight's good. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Okay.' she agreed, walking off.

Ric and Alexis had cocktails and then dinner and had decided to

"I had a good time tonight." Alexis told him.

"Me too." he agreed. He took her hand in his as they continued to walk, he was actually quite surprised when Alexis didn't jerk away from his touch.

He lead her to a bench and they both took a seat. "Alexis, I know that we argue a lot and that we always don't get along, but right now, sitting here with you in the park, it's like we're two completely different people."

"I try to show professional behavior." she offered.

"Do you enjoy spending time with me Alexis?" he asked. "Because sometimes I can never tell."

"Yes." she admitted. "Tonight was fun and I even like to banter with you. It's intellectually simulating."

"I'm trying really hard to move forward with my life. I'll do anything to get you to believe in me, you may not think so now, but I really like you and I'd like to see where this thing between us goes."

Alexis nodded. "I'd like that."

"Yeah?" he questioned.

"Yeah." she repeated with a smile.

Ric moved closer to her, he looked into her eyes and then slowly inched forward until their lips brushed together. Alexis' hands grasped his forearms as their lips met again and again. Ric brought his hands up to her face, he looked at her with such depth. She moved forward once again, their lips touched ever so softly and then Alexis' parted slightly, Ric took the opportunity to deep their kiss. He licked her bottom lip and then masterfully invaded her mouth. Their tongues dances together fiercely as he pulled her closer and closer to him.

They pulled apart after a few minutes.

"I should really get going." Alexis said, softly.

"I'll walk you home." Ric suggested.

"Thanks, but. I'm going to stop by the hospital." she said. "I need to talk to Skye."

Alexis entered Skye's hospital's room. "You're up late." she commented as she closed the door behind her.

"And you're out late." Skye noted. "Did you have a sleepless night or a hot date?"

Alexis took a seat in the chair beside her bed. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"Well, Alexis, I'm waiting, which was it?" she teased.

"What?" she asked, trying to avoid the question but blushing slightly.

"Ah ha. It was the latter wasn't it?" Skye asked with a wicked smile. "Who was the hot date?"

Alexis was silent.

Skye cocked her head to the side."Okay, I'll guess then. Was it Mac Scorpio? Or Lorenzo Alcazar or maybe Lucky?"

"You're not going to like it." she warned.

Skye chuckled. "Since when does that matter?"

Alexis nodded. "It was Ric."

"Lansing?"

"Yes." Alexis replied.

"That's nice." Skye offered. "I thought you hated him?"

"I thought I did, but once I got to know him, I realized that he wasn't all that bad."

"He is a smooth talker. He apologized to me a billion times yesterday morning after I was released, assuring me that he was going to find the real killer." Skye told her. "It's the PCPD, so I'm not going to take anything too seriously. Anyway, let's here more about Ric."

"There's nothing to tell." Alexis responded, shifting nervously in her chair.

Skye smiled. "I'm sure there is."

"Nothing worth mentioning." Alexis said. "Not yet anyway. Have you seen Luke?" she asked, changing the subject.

"He stopped by last night." Skye answered casually.

"Luke said that he wanted to explain things to you, did he?"

Skye nodded. "Yeah. He explained about the sanitarium and then I basically told him that I didn't want anything to do with him. That us being around each other only lead to trouble and that I wanted him out of my life." she said, sadly.

"Then why do you sound like you just lost your best friend?" she asked.

"Because I did." Skye breathed out.

"I think that after things settle down with you, you'll have a whole different prospective on Luke and your relationship with him." Alexis told her. "Like I told you before, you have to concentrate on yourself first. "

Skye nodded.

When are they releasing you?" Alexis asked.

"Tomorrow." she answered. "Hopefully."

"Well, it's pretty late, so I guess I'll get out of here." Alexis said, standing up. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." Skye said as she watched her leave.

The next afternoon, Alan brought Skye home from the hospital. He went back to work as she decided to relax around the house. She was told to avoid stress at all costs, so she sat in the den, flipping through a magazine. She heard the terrace doors open and then felt the breeze blow through, but didn't bother to see who is was, figuring it was Edward.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that you were in here."

Skye looked up.

"Do you remember me from the park?" Heather questioned. "It was during your murder trial."

She nodded. "Yes, I remember. What are you doing here?" she asked. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Actually, your Grandfather is letting me tend to Lila's rose garden." Heather replied with a smile.

Skye was a little unnerved, but bit her tongue. "That's nice." she commented.

Tracy walked through the den. "Yes, that's what it is. Nice." she said, heading for the bar. "Let me catch you up to speed Skye. Heather here is trying to worm her way into this family and into my Father's bank account."

"Is that true?" Skye asked.

"I'm just trying to be a friend." Heather argued.

"My Father doesn't need friends like you." Tracy snapped. "His judgement is a little clouded right now, but when he comes around, you'll be out of here so fast, your head will spin."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Heather argued. "I actually listen to Edward. Losing his wife was hard for him and he needs someone to confide in. Someone to be there for him."

"I want you away from my Father." Tracy said, simply.

Skye looked uncomfortable, the conversation at hand was a little vexatious.

"That's not up to you." Heather mocked. "Besides, Edward likes having me around. He told me."

"You know what, that's enough." Tracy said stopping her. "My niece was told to avoid stress and it's clear that you're upsetting her, so be gone."

Heather glared at Tracy for a few seconds and then glanced at Skye before walking out the terrace doors.

"Now, that was interesting." Skye commented.

"Nobody asked you." Tracy said, sipping her brandy. "And before you get all warm and fuzzy, I wasn't defending you I was just trying to get Heather out of my house."

"It's Monica's house." Skye said. "Daddy gave it to her."

Tracy rolled her eyes. "I am so freaking tired of hearing that."

"Good afternoon, ladies." Ric said as he entered the den.

"What are you doing here?" Tracy asked.

"I came to speak with Skye." Ric replied. "It's about Ross Duncan's murder."

"Am I a suspect again?" she asked.

"No, but I'd like you to answer a few questions for me. It's kind of like an evaluation." Ric explained.

Skye nodded. "Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

"I can't believe you're offering tea and biscotti to the man who sent you to prison." Tracy scoffed.

"I can't believe you're still alive after you gave them hard evidence to put me away." Skye shot back.

Tracy flipped her hair back, in true diva style. "That a nice thing to say in front of the district attorney."

"I didn't hear a word." Ric said.

Skye ignored Tracy and turned her attention toward Ric. "Shall we begin?" she asked as Tracy stormed out of the den. "You'll have to excuse Aunt Tracy, she can be a bit shrewd."

"How well I know."

Ric opened his briefcase up on the coffee table, he took out a slip of paper, which he handed to Skye. His hand lightly brushed against hers, shocking her.

"I'm sorry, too much static electricity." he said, smiling.

Skye laughed, lightly. "That quite alright."

Alexis entered the Haunted Star to find Luke sitting at the bar, going over some paperwork.

"All alone?" she asked.

He turned around to face her. "We don't open for a few more hours."

"I thought one of your partner's would be helping you out." she said, taking a seat beside him. "When I came home last night I was surprised not to find you sitting on my couch or lurking in my bedroom."

Luke shrugged. "I was busy."

"Are you sober?" she asked.

"Stone cold." he replied, continuing to work on what was in front of him. "What can I do for you?"

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked. "Do you want me to get you a drink or something?"

"No, I don't want a drink." he answered, looking up.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about." Luke replied.

"I talked to Skye."

"That's nice." he commented, going back to what he was doing.

Alexis sat there, watching his strange behavior for a few more minutes. Then she got up and walked behind the bar, turning on the radio, she sat the dial to a classical station. She took the pen out of his hand and led him over to an open area.

"Alexis, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm trying to cheer you up." she said. "Please, just humor me."

He agreed and they began to dance, weakly at first and then picking up the pace a little more. By the end of the first song his mood had elevated and he began twirling her around. Their soft laughter filled the entire room. They danced perfectly in sync, moving gracefully together. At the end of the second song he dipped her and he pulled her back up tightly against him, too tightly.

Their laughter had subsided and things were completely silent as he held Alexis in his arms. He looked into her dark eyes and for a moment he seemed to be lost, as did she.

TBC......

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