"What do you like on your pizza?" Brenda asked, pulling the phone book out of Alexis' desk drawer.
Skye made a face and glanced down at her manicure, " I'm not really the pizza and beer type."
Brenda rolled her eyes, "I'm sure I can rummage a glass of wine up for her highness, but pizza is all I can offer… Alexis doesn't cook and I haven't been to the market."
"You've actually been inside a grocery store?" Skye asked appalled at the idea.
"Yeah, you know it's not as atrocious as it sounds, sure the parking is nightmare, the lines are long and the express checkout is always closed… but you might find you actually enjoy it… how do you survive?
"It's called room service and a maid."
"Hmmm, figures… everything on it?"
"No anchovies… or onions!" Skye interjected as Brenda rattled off the order over the phone.
"You want that drink now?" Brenda asked, hanging up the phone and heading for the kitchen.
"Make mine Perrier."
" I was only kidding about the drink, I'm sure I can fine a bottle of wine floating around here pre-pregnancy."
"No it's not that… I don't drink." Skye watched for Brenda's reaction, when she was met with an understanding look that perturbed her, " that's right the Quartermaine family tree has two alcoholic losers, you know…two for the price of one."
"Is that how you see yourself…as a loser?"
"I've been told it enough… maybe it's beginning to rub off." Skye replied, suddenly uncomfortable.
"For what it's worth… when I first met you, I saw someone with a lot of guts who doesn't back down from a challenge and loves her family despite their flaws…that's not a loser by a long shot."
"You could say the same thing about Carly."
"No, No, No… Carly is in it for Carly, you on the other hand… you might start out scheming, but you have heart and conscience, I can see that."
"Well, thank you for the vote of confidence… I wish the men in my life had noticed, all they saw was a constant screw up, not to say I didn't… but they never saw me for who I really was, for what I really wanted in life."
"All men, or just Jax?" Brenda asked the question, to be met with an icy smile.
"Is that why you asked me to stay? So you can pick apart my relationship with Jax for the sheer purpose of pumping your ego over the fact that nobody ever mattered to Jax more than you… well, you've won Brenda, it's true he never got over you, you were always the one that he wanted and now your together… so why don't you just leave me the hell alone!"
Brenda bowed her head and glanced up, "your still in love with him aren't you?"
Quartermaine's
"Don't say a word AJ, or I'll slap that stupid smile right off your face."
"Oh honey, this smile is firmly planted, not ever a slap from your un-manicured hand could erase the revelry of knowing you screwed up big time and it's all your own fault… yep it's a glorious night to be AJ Quartermaine."
"Ned won't stand for you treating me like this."
"Like what?" AJ asked in mock surprise, " we're just one big family here, haven't I welcomed you home yet?"
"Shut the hell up AJ!" Carly screamed, she tried walking away only to have him block her path.
"Now you know how it feels to sink to the bottom, and have nobody to turn too… you took pleasure in torturing me, taking my son away, accusing me of murdering your unborn child… and why, because Carly wanted her way… and now… now Sonny's finally gotten tired of picking up after you and cast you out, to get this, to be with his attorney! And how can we forget St. Jason, the one person that turned on his family for the sake of some cheap trash, he's finally seen you for what you always were… worthless."
"I can't believe I ever considered you a friend." Carly spat.
"Friend? I was your friend… I must've blocked that out, like you tried to block my memories of the night we conceived Michael… I don't think you understand the true definition of friendship."
"I think you need to watch your step AJ, because I will always have the upper hand when it comes to you."
"What are you spouting off about, you've got nothing left."
"I've got ammunition that will destroy your miserable life once and for all."
Memories of Puerto Rico.
"When were we supposed to meet Brenda and Jason?" Alexis asked as they strolled through the doors of the terrace, "because I'm not sure I want this night to end… at least not yet."
"I called Jason, we'll meet them tomorrow at your apartment."
Alexis nodded, and then stopped, " what time, because I'm having breakfast with Zander."
"I know Zander reminded me this afternoon, so we'll meet them later."
"Have I thanked you for talking to him, " Alexis asked thoughtfully, " he really cares about you…"
"I care about him too… you know if I could go back I would handle things differently with him…"
"And I know that, and on some level Zander know that too… give him time."
"What about you, how much time will you need to forgive me?"
Alexis remained silent, approaching the fountain, " don't you realize that by coming here tonight, by doing half the things I've done since Kristina's death, are because of you? I won't lie and say that it still doesn't hurt or that I'm not still angry at some of your choices… but, I can tell you this, I see that your remorseful, I see that you want to make it up to us and for me that says a lot… I just can't lose myself in this Sonny, I won't give up my independence, even for you."
"I wouldn't want you too…that's part of what I love about you Alexis, it's the way you stand up for what you believe in… and you stand my the people that matter to you."
"You matter to me… that hasn't been easy for me to admit, I didn't want to and I fought it to the highest degree… it was Kristina's constant badgering about my feelings for you that led me to the brink of insanity… then that night when you called for the hit, I knew it was now or never… I had to stop you, before you stopped what we had, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."
Sonny's eyes were damp, " I hated the fact that you mattered that much to me too Alexis, I fought it, and when you came there that night with the ultimatum of a lifetime, it wasn't the thought of losing my attorney I was scared about… it was the idea of losing you for good, my friend, my confidante, a person I trusted more than anyone in my life."
"I needed you to tell me how you felt about me, and I hated that I wanted to know, " Alexis replied, wrappingthewrap around her shoulders as the late September breeze blew around her, " when you told me that I mattered to you, that I could walk out that door and we continue our dance indefinitely… I knew if I left, I might never get the chance to express how much… " Alexis looked away and then back again, " how much I love you."
Apartment in the Skye
Skye was alone, Brenda had walked into the kitchen after asking the very question she'd been asking herself… was she still in love with Jax or was it the idea that he'd moved on so quickly that had her reassessing her feelings for him?
Doodling on a piece of paper, she was surprised when she realized Brenda was standing beside her, " your really good, are you a designer?" When Skye began to rip it up, Brenda took it from her, " that's a great looking dress."
"It's a doodle, that's all." Skye said shrugging; she reached for her Perrier, " thanks for the drink."
Brenda continued to study the design, " have you ever designed clothes before?"
Skye laughed, " Me? Why work when I can live off my families money?"
"You ran club 101."
"Jax wanted to keep me busy, as a way to keep me out of trouble… plus he knew it would annoy Carly."
"Oh… I forgot Carly helped start that club, how the heck did Jax get caught up in her spider web?"
"That's a question, you'll have to ask him… personally I think it was his way of getting back at Sonny… he rode in and offered Carly a new start, one away from bullets and bodyguards, he never imagined that Carly was using the club to start another mob war."
"And away to run Alexis out of town."
Skye nodded, " it's odd I always thoughy of Alexis as on of the enemies… she's not as bad I made her out to be… besides her bad taste in men."
Brenda made a face, " she' s been great… I mean look at me, I came crashing back into Port Charles, her sisters murdered by a man I was with and she didn't hold it against me… she actually offered me a roof over my head, and now she's agreed to represent me."
"Why are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Actually… I've just made the first step in starting my life over, " Brenda said smiling, " I'm buying Deception out."
Skye raised a brow, " Deception, as in Laura Spencer's Deception?"
"That's the one."
"I wasn't aware it was for sale, though it does make sense, "Skye said, " Luke is obviously in no shape to take care o fit, nor would he want to be responsible for running a women's cosmetic company."
"I was really sorry to hear what happened to Laura, " Brenda said sadly, " I know she'd hate to see Deception bought out by strangers, so I thought why not me, Lucy and I started it, I know the business, I've been a model and I have a total love for clothes and cosmetics."
"Clothes?"
"That's right, first call to order of Deception is clothing line!"
"You've certainly thought of everything haven't you?"
"Not everything…but I'm getting there." Brenda smiled, hearing the knock on the door she jumped up, " Pizza's here!" swinging the door open to greet the delivery boy she was surprised," Hey!"
Zander stood there holding out the pizza, " is Alexis here?"
"Since when do you deliver pizza?"
Zander shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes, " he and I were headed in the same direction, I thought I might as well save him the trouble."
"You just wanted the tip didn't you?" Brenda winked, welcoming him in, " Come on, pull up a chair and grab a slice."
"No, no… I really need to speak to Alexis." Zander pleaded.
Skye had witnessed the expression on Zander's face before, " Hello Zander."
Zander who'd been focused on Brenda, met Skye's inquiring gaze, " I didn't see you there."
"I noticed… what's wrong?"
"You know what's wrong…I need to speak to Alexis."
"Hey, hey, hey, " Brenda said reassuringly as Zander tried to make his way to Alexis room, " remember she's with Sonny tonight… you helped set it up?"
Zander frowned and sighed, " Yeah, yeah I forgot that's all… I just need to ask her a favor."
"Maybe Skye and I can help."
"Skye wouldn't help me… she's already knows what this is about!" Zander shouted, glaring across the room.
Skye stood, " you know about Emily."
"Yeah I know, sorry if that disappoints you!"
"Hey Zander, I just found out myself… Alan and Monica left late last night, they went to see her."
"Where is she?"
"Zander…"
"Tell me!" Zander shouted, he was on the brink" I've got to see her… I've got to explain to her how much I miss her… how much I still need her… she can't move on like this, without saying goodbye to me first!"
Brenda eyed Skye, who looked back worriedly, "she's in California."
"Then that's where I need to go… I'm going to talk to Alexis."
"You can't do this Zander…not tonight, what are you planning to do?"
"Why do you care, we barely know each other and that one there, she hates me as much as all the Quartermaine's do."
"Zander come on, your not thinking logically, you think by barging in on her engagement party is going to win points with her?"
He remained quiet, and then spoke softly, " I just want to talk to her… I want her to explain how she went from loving me to forgetting about me."
"And what you think Alexis is going to do, she's going to tell you to calm down…she won't want to see you hurt anymore than you already are." Brenda said.
Skye recognized he pain in his eyes, she knew all to well what it felt like to be loved and tossed aside, she approached him and handed him her keys, "take me for a drive Zander."
"I don't have time to be your chauffer Skye"
"Even if it means you'll be one step closer to seeing Emily?"
"Your… your going to help me?" Zander asked shell-shocked.
"You drive and I'll call the airport, I can have the Quartermaine ready to roll in less than an hour."