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Alexis smiled and Luke released her from his grasp. "I'm sorry." he told her. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm fine." she insisted. "No harm, no foul. I mean, it didn't mean anything other than us displaying our feelings for each other. Our feelings of friendship."

"A deep friendship." he said, correcting her. "Thanks for cheering me up."

"What are friends for?" Alexis joked. "Besides occasionally letting me represent you on murder charges."

"You're a pretty good friend for a Cassadine." he commented. "I know that I can always count on you."

"Do you?" she asked.

"Yes."

Alexis nodded. "Then, prove to me that I can always count on you." she said softly. "I want you to prove to me that bloodlines don't mean a damn thing."

"I'll do my best." he said.

"Sign right here and you're done." Ric told Skye.

She signed on the dotted line. "There you go."

"Thank you." he said, taking the paper from her hand and placing it in his briefcase.

"You know, Alexis was a very good attorney, I put my faith in her and she came through for me." she said, trying to evoke some sort of reaction from him.

Ric smiled. "Yes she is."

"Alexis, is a really interesting person. If you ever get a chance to spend any personal time with her, you should, she could teach you a thing or two law."

"I'll keep that in mind." he said, blushing slightly.

Skye was pleased from the responses that she received. "Is there anything else I can do for?" She asked.

Ric smiled. "That's it." he said, standing up. "Thanks again, Skye."

As Ric left the Mansion, Skye hurried up the stairs and into her bedroom, she quickly got ready and then headed for the Haunted Star.

When she got there Luke was standing behind the bar, making sure all the liquor was stocked. He turned around to see her standing at the bar, her hands placed on either side in front of her.

"Oh my." he murmured, under his breath. "What brings you down here?"

"I work here." Skye reminded him.

"I thought you didn't want to see me?" he asked. "Did you change your mind?"

"Now, what makes you think that?"

Luke walked around the bar to where she was. "You came all the way here and your dressed in that." he pointed out. "Do you really want me to believe that you just came to work?"

"You can believe whatever it is that you want." she said, softly. "I came here to work." she walked over to one of the tables and began counting the chips. "Where's our not so silent partner?"

"Who?" Luke asked.

She looked over at him and smiled. "Faith."

"Oh." he breathed. "Her. I'm not so sure." he answered, never taking his eyes off of her.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, feeling a bit nervous.

Luke shook his head. "Are we just going to pretend this whole thing never happened?"

"What thing?"

"The prison thing, the abandoning you in your time of need thing." he explained. "The whole conversation at the hospital the other night."

"I guess so." she said simply. "You pretend like things never happen all the time."

"That's not true." he said, defending himself.

"It doesn't matter. I came here to work, not to fight with you."

He walked over to her and took the chips out of her hand. "Stop avoiding the inevitable, darlin'."

"The inevitable." she repeated. "Tell me, Luke, what exactly is the inevitable?"

He stepped closer to her. "You know."

"No, no I don't." she challenged.

Luke sighed. "I'm sick of playing cat and mouse with you."

"Well, Luke, I thought you liked a little adventure, a walk on the wild side, constantly being on the edge?" she asked. "Isn't that what the almighty Luke Spencer is all about?"

"That's true to some extent, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that..." his voice trailed off. He thought about confessing how he truly felt, but he wasn't exactly sure how he felt. Did his knowledge of Skye being a Cassadine change things? Did it make him hate her? He struggled with his conscience. A Cassadine. Skye was a Cassadine. It doesn't matter, he thought, he liked her before he ever knew she was a Cassadine. This didn't change things.

"Luke?" Skye called out, trying to get his attention. "Hey, where did you go?"

He snapped back to reality. "I'm here." he breathed, "What was I saying?"

She smiled weakly, she knew that she could never fill even a pin point in his heart. "You're sick of playing cat and mouse." she reminded him.

"Yes, it's gotten very old." he told her, his heart sinking. "I think we should put an end to all of this."

"I couldn't agree more." she said. "Friends."

"Huh?" he asked, dazed.

"We'll agree to be friends and nothing more." she repeated. "I'll see other people, you'll see other people and we'll remain friends."

"Agreed."

Alexis knocked on the door of Ric's apartment and patiently waited for an answer. "What I am I doing here?" she muttered to herself.

The door opened. "Alexis."

"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked.

He opened the door of his apartment, "No, please come in."

"Thank you." she said, stepping inside. "This is very forward of me, but would you like to go out?"

Ric smiled. "Go out?"

Alexis nodded. "To the Haunted Star."

"Sure." Ric answered without having to think about. "Let me get my jacket." he said, picking it up from across the couch. "Ready?" he asked.

Twenty minutes later they entered the Haunted Star, which was completely packed.

"Would you like to get a drink?" he asked her.

"Sure."

They walked over to the bar and sat down.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked.

"Two glasses of your finest Chardonnay." Ric told him.

Within seconds two glasses were placed in front of them.

"Thank you." Alexis said, taking the glass from Ric.

Skye came out of the back and into the main room, she headed over to the bar to get a club soda. She was in a world of her own as she poured the contents of the bottle into a whiskey glass.

"Skye." Alexis said, alerting her.

She looked up. "Alexis, are you enjoying your even at the Haunted Star?" she asked, monotonously.

"Yes." she answered, slowly. "Is anything the matter?"

Skye flashed a bright smile, a fake one, but a bright one none the less. "Everything's just peachy." she insisted, trying to sound a little more delightful this time around. "Can I get you anything? Ric?"

"No, we're fine." he answered. "I'm surprised to see you back at work so soon."

"Well, the only other alternative was spending the evening with the Quartermaine's." Skye replied, glancing across the room. "Well, it must be my lucky night, here's my lovely family now."

"I thought you liked the Quartermaine's?" he asked, confused.

"I do." Skye responded. "It's just that they're treating me like I'm a porcelain doll."

They're concerned." Alexis pointed out. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes." Skye breathed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do my Hostess-ly duties."

"Skye, wait." Alexis said as Skye made her way across the room to her family. Alexis got up off the bar stool, ready to follow her.

Ric lightly touched her arm. "She'll be fine." he assured her. "She will be."

Alexis sat back down and as soon as she did, Ric's phone rang.

He took his phone out of his jacket pocket. "I'm sorry, I have to take this."

"Go ahead, I'm going to slip to the ladies room." she told him, getting up.

While Ric took his call, Alexis made her way down the hallway of the boat. Luke's office door was slightly cracked open. "Luke." she said, softly, pushing the door open.

"Evening Natasha." he said, cheerfully. "I was just heading out to the Casino."

"Can you and I talk for a few minutes?"

"Sure." Luke said, reclining back in his chair. "What do you want to talk about?"

She sat down on the edge of his desk. "Skye."

"Oh, yeah, that."

"Oh, yeah that, what?" she asked.

"Skye and I have agreed to be just friends." he informed her.

"Just friends?" she asked. "You both agreed on this?"

"Yes." Luke said. "I was about to tell her how I felt, you know, how lost I was without her and how much I missed her, but then a small little detail entered my mind and I just couldn't get rid of it."

"What's that?" she asked, intrigued.

"She's a Cassadine."

Alexis just looked at him. "Yeah, Skye's a Cassadine and she has been her entire life, why does this make a difference now?"

"I don't know." he confessed. "I was standing in front of her and I just couldn't get past the fact that she was a Cassadine, no mattered how hard I tried. Maybe you were right, maybe that was all I need to stay away from her."

"Your sick, twisted and bitter obsession with the entire Cassadine Family needs to come to an end and this is the best way to settle it."

"I hate Cassadine's!" Luke yelled. "I thought it would be immaterial, but I keep thinking back to how Laura was Stavros and Stefan and then about Nikolas and everything just spins together. The Cassadine's are poisonous and pure evil." he yelled again. "With the exception of you Natasha." he added. "I just realized that I can't do it, I can't be involved with one of those demons."

"You know, I know that Skye's no angel, she's nowhere close, but to call her a demon is just outlandish." Alexis snapped. "Had I never told you she was a Cassadine this would have never been a problem."

"I would have found out eventually." Luke said. "Skye may have wanted to find her birth Father."

"I don't know, I think she has all the Father she wants in Alan." Alexis argued. "And that's besides the point Luke, Skye wasn't raised by the Cassadine's, she doesn't hold any of their unspeakable qualities."

"Why are you trying to push us together?" Luke asked.

"I'm not trying to push you together. You're my friend, I love you, I want you to be happy and it's rather obvious that Skye makes you happy. Throw in the part where she's my sister and I should want her to be happy and it's all a given."

"I don't know, maybe it's not the Cassadine thing." he said. "Maybe I'm not meant to be with anyone other than Laura."

"Stop using Laura as a cop out!" Alexis yelled. "Everything you do comes back to Laura. She's sick Luke, it's irreversible and it's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault. I know that you loved her, that she was your everything, your angel. She still is, but you just have to face the facts that she's not coming back. She would want you to be happy, to move on with your life and if not with Skye, then with someone else."

"Why are you pointing all this out?" he asked.

"Because, I'm trying to prove to you that this Machiavellian plot with trying to kill all things Cassadine is getting a little ridiculous."

"I can't be in love with a Cassadine, it goes up against everything I stand for." he argued.

"No, Luke, you won't love a Cassadine. You won't allow yourself to admit what everyone already knows that you feel for Skye. You won't admit the truth because of her parentage, which is completely absurd. It's time to let the Spencer-Cassadine War die and this is the way to do it." she shot back. "Don't pretend you just all of the sudden have morals either."

"Never."

"When I first told you this the other day you said it didn't matter."

"I didn't think it did." he replied, honestly.

"How long did it take for it to settle in your brain Luke?" she asked. "A few hours? Or was it when you actually seen her that you made the connection between Skye and Cassadine?"

"Alexis, it doesn't matter, she's a Cassadine."

"You keep saying that as if your hiding behind it. What is it Luke, are you too scared to commit? she asked. "You've had this complete one eighty."

"I feel how I feel, Natasha."

"Well, then." she started. "I don't want you anywhere near my sister."

"Why are you so defensive toward her?" Luke asked. "You two don't have any sort of deep relationship but yet you feel the need to play gatekeeper. Why don't you just go ahead and tell her she's a Cassadine? Then Helena can wipe her out like the plague and your entire problem will be solved."

"I don't want her to know, Luke!" Alexis yelled. "Can't you understand that? Or don't you want to?"

"Let's just forget the entire thing." he suggested.

"Alright." she agreed. "But when Skye starts dating other men and she will, then don't whine and mope around because she's not spending her time with you."

"Fine!" he shouted.

"Now, if you'll excuse me I have to get back to my date."

"Who's your date?" he asked, trying to make sure that he didn't piss her off entirely.

"Ric Lansing." she shouted, heading for the door.

He shook his head, "That's a poor choice."

She turned back around. "Well then I guess Skye and I do have something in common."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" he asked, somewhat interested.

"We both have atrocious taste in men!" Alexis opened the door to leave and discovered Skye standing on the opposite side.

"What's all the yelling about?" Skye asked.

"Nothing really." Alexis told her. "Just a disagreement."

"How long have you been standing out there?" Luke questioned.

"If you're implying that I'm spying on you then you're out of your mind. I just walked up to the door and no I didn't hear any of your conversation." Skye snapped. "I just came to tell you that I'm leaving now. Daddy and Monica are insisting that I rest so that I don't have another episode like I did the other night."

"Okay." Luke said simply. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

Skye glared at him for a few seconds and then walked off.

"Gee, Luke could you be anymore compassionate?" Alexis asked, sarcastically.

He opened his mouth to say something.

"I don't want to hear it." she yelled, storming down the hallway, trying to catch up with Skye. It was too late. Her eyes's searched the main room for her sister, but she was no where to be found. Alexis made her way back over to Ric, who was now finished with his phone call. "Have you seen Skye?"

"She just left with Ned." Ric informed her.

"Damn!" Alexis muttered. She took a few deep breaths. "Let's hit the blackjack table."

Ric handed her a glass of Chardonnay. "I think that's an excellent idea."

They both took a seat at the blackjack table. Alexis placed her chips down and continued to play hand after hand, winning almost every time.

"You're pretty good at this." Ric commented.

"It's all in how you play the game." Alexis told him. "Why don't you give it a try?"

"I don't know, I'm not really that good at gambling."

Alexis smiled. "There's nothing to it."

"All right." he agreed.

Alexis placed a few chips down for him and then the dealer gave him two cards. Ric pulled the top of the cards off the table. He had a six and a nine.

"Good." Alexis commented.

"Hit me." he told the dealer.

The dealer tossed another card. Ric turned it over along with his other two cards. "Twenty."

The dealer flipped his cards over. "Nineteen."

"See, you did it!" Alexis said, excitedly. "I told you there was nothing to it."

Ric laughed. "Yeah you did."

A few more rounds of blackjack and a half a bottle of Chardonnay later, Alexis and Ric were back at his apartment. He searched his pants pockets for his keys. "What did I do with my keys?"

"Allow me." she said, slipping her hand into his jacket pocket. She pulled his keys out of his pocket and held them out to him. "Here."

He reached for the keys, his hand covering hers "You have a very good memory counselor."

"Oh, you have no idea." Alexis breathed.

Ric inched closer and closer to her, never letting her hand go. "Do you remember this?" he whispered, brushing his lips against hers. As he started to pull away, she grabbed his shoulder. Her lips crushed his and they engaged in the most delicious kiss.

Luke climbed up the trellis on the side of the Quartermaine Mansion, he leaned over and opened a window, praying to God the entire time that he didn't fall. He successfully opened the window and climbed inside. He looked down the hallway, he wasn't sure he was in the right wing of the house, everything looked so much alike.

Voices could be heard coming out of one of the rooms on the left. As he walked further and further he noticed that the voices were those of the Doctors Quartermaine. He continued to walk because he remembered Skye telling him before that her room was next to Tracy's.

Finally he came to the right hallway, or so he hoped. Quietly he opened the first door on the left. The entire room wasn't very well lit. "Skye?" he whispered.

"Last door on the left." Ned responded.

"Thanks." he said, shutting the door behind him. He made his way down the hall and opened the door, closing it softly behind him. "Skye?" Luke called out as he made his way over to the bed. "Skye?"

Luke sat down on the side of the bed. "Skye?" he called again.

She turned over toward him. "Luke, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"I'm in the bed." she groaned.

"Take it easy, it's only ten thirty." he replied. "What are you doing in bed so early anyway?"

"I was told to rest. What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you." he said.

"About what?" she asked, sitting up and turning on the light

His eyes traveled over her body promiscuously. She was wearing a black negligee and from what he could see of it, he knew that there wasn't much more fabric concealed beneath the blankets. "Do you always wear that to bed?" he asked, uneasy.

"Well, I don't real see anything appealing about flannel pajama's." she pointed out. "Is that why you're here, to discuss my choice of bedtime apparel?"

"No. I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier at the Haunted Star." he said, softly. "I was acting like a total jerk."

"It's fine Luke, you don't have to apologize." she said, just as softly. "How did you get in here anyway?"

"I climbed up the trellis and through the window. I went into the wrong wing and almost walked in on Alan and Monica. You could imagine the look on their faces?" he asked, laughing and then seen the look on her's. "I'm sorry, bad mental image."

"Yeah." Skye agreed.

"Ned pointed me in the right direction." he told her. "So here I am."

She smiled. "Here you are."

"You know earlier that the Haunted Star, Alexis was trying to convince me how great you and I could be together."

"She was?" she asked, surprised.

He nodded. "So, do you think we could we try this out? This together thing."

"That's a really big step Luke." Skye whispered. "What if it doesn't work out?"

"What if it does?" he countered. "We could take things slow, you know, play things by ear. A day at a time."

"Luke, I don't know if that's such a good idea, I mean..."

He moved closer to her and cupped her face in his hands. "Skye, you have no idea how much it took for me to come over here. So please, please don't turn me down."

"Luke." she said, softly. "Are you sure you're not going to change your mind tomorrow?"

Luke moved forward, softly brushing his lips against hers. Skye slid down, resting her head against the pillows, pulling him down with her. He looked into her eyes for several long seconds before covering her mouth with his. He took her bottom lip between his and then her right. Their lips met again and again in a series of fervent kisses. Her mouth opened to his and he graciously accepted the invitation, allowing his mouth to plunder hers. Skye's lips were full, soft and sweet, they were made for kissing.

Skye's arms wrapped securely around his neck, pulling him down even further on top of her, she was melting into him. Luke's hands tangled in her thick red tresses. He trailed kisses down her neck, his breath warm and his mouth even hotter as he tasted her ivory skin. His actions provoked her to verbally expression her gratification.

"Luke." she gasped

He continued the sweet assault on her neck, her hands roamed over his clothed back. Once again their lips met in another explosive kiss, their tongues tangled together furiously. Luke reached for the thin, black strap of her lingerie, Skye pushed his hand away and broke their kiss simultaneously.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We can't." she breathed. "I won't"

TBC...