Kristina eyed the town warily as she stepped onto the large wooden porch. It was very early morning and there were barely a dozen people out walking but it was just enough people to talk and get word back to her mother. She knew she had to be discreet about this, if her mother or father found out what she was doing she knew she'd never see the light of day again, let alone trying to find some time to spend with Lucky Spencer. She told herself consequences be damned when she climbed out of bed this morning but standing in front of the door she was at was causing her body to shake.
Last night, when she was lying in bed alone, thinking about how her life was going so unlike the way she wanted it to actually be, she thought up this ridiculous concept. Things always seemed different in the dark and ideas always seemed to work out better in one's mind. It was why she was having such a hard time raising her small fist to knock on the wooden door in front of her. The brightness of the day was what was causing her to doubt every sane thought she conjured up in her mind. She knew that the possibility of things working out the way she planned were slim to none but still, she had gotten this far, she might as well come all the way.
Kristina rapped her knuckles against the door and waited. Her mind was screaming for her to run for the mountains while her feet stood planted firmly on the ground. The thirty seconds it took to answer the door seemed like a lifetime and the smile that greeted her caused some of her worry to melt away.
"Hello Kristina. This is a pleasant surprise."
"I know this is extremely early and I know normal people do not call upon one another at this hour but I took the chance that you were up making breakfast and I'm afraid…" she looked down at her twisted fingers, "I'm afraid that I have a favor to ask Mrs.…"
"Don't ask me by starting to call me Mrs." Bobbie smiled as she ushered Kristina into the boarding home, "I have known you all my life and you have known me as nothing other than Bobbie, even Aunt Bobbie at times, thanks to my niece and nephew. I don't want any of that to change now, do you hear? What you come to ask of me couldn't be so terrible as to forget I've been good friends with your parents all these years."
Kristina hoped that Bobbie's warm smile would at least allow her to be heard out, "I'm afraid that what I'm about to ask you can't be shared with my parents, either one of them. And I know that it's wrong of me to do this but there's no one else in this town that I can go to."
Bobbie stepped forward and took Kristina's hands in her own, "You're starting to worry me, honey."
Kristina shook her head with a small laugh, "This is all sounding so much more dramatic than it actually is. I came here," she licked her lips and hedged on, "I came here looking for a job. I was wondering if you would be willing to pay me to wash the clothes of your boarders. I know that you have all the cooking and cleaning to do and I thought I could be of some help," she sighed and looked back down at their joined hands, "I also know that you run this place for money and what I'm asking you could very well be taking food off of your plate."
"Speaking of food," Bobbie said, "Come with me into the kitchen. We can continue this conversation while I finish breakfast. I have one boarder who is up nearly as early as you and the man demands a fresh helping of eggs and bacon before he starts his day."
Kristina couldn't explain the warmth that filled her body as she walked into Bobbie's kitchen. It was large, much larger than the one her mother used above the mercantile store and it had that latest stove and materials used for cooking. Bobbie kept the space clean and the paint on the walls was a warm yellow, one that reminded Kristina of the wildflowers she saw growing around Emily Alcazar's house.
"Would you mind cracking some eggs for me while I warm up the pan?" Bobbie asked as she lit her stove, "You can also tell me what this is about and how it involves my nephew."
Kristina was so startled that she nearly dropped a whole egg into the bowl in front of her, "This has nothing to do with…my parents do not approve of me spending time with Lucky. I've talked to them, and from what I hear from my Mom, apparently Lucky has been talking to her as well. I just wished he stopped, that only makes her madder but I do know that he means well."
"If you'd like I can speak with Alexis," Bobbie offered with a smile, "Let her know that Lucky is a good man and while he's not following his father's dreams for him it doesn't mean that he's any less of a person. I'm sure that Alexis can understand that."
"It's both of them. My father is against Lucky just as much as my mother is," Kristina sighed as she poured the eggs into Bobbie's pan, "My parents have this vision of me marrying a man who is willing to take over their store. They want him to manage it one day while I work beside him like they do things now. They don't understand that I'm not the kind of person who likes to be cooped up in a house all day."
"Nor do I think that you're the kind of person who likes to be scrubbing dirty clothes out of a bucket in the pre dawn hours of the morning," Bobbie offered, "But you're obviously doing it for a reason and I'd still like to know what that reason is."
"I don't get paid for working in the store," Kristina said quietly, "My parents provide me with all that they can and I'm not going to complain about that. Sometimes I'd like more things however and I think that it's time I go searching for another job, one that won't interfere with the store."
"What kind of things are you interested in?" Bobbie asked as she moved over towards the dough she laid out for the biscuits.
"Well, when Lu had her diner I was wearing one of her dresses," Kristina said, "And it was beautiful and so many people told me that I looked lovely in it but it wasn't mine, it wasn't something that I purchased or my parents purchased for me. I want to be able to buy my own things instead of letting other people do that."
"And these other people," Bobbie said, "Is Lucky included?"
Kristina had a quick denial on her tongue but she decided that it was no use. Bobbie was obviously aware that something was going on between her and Lucky and if there was any chance that Bobbie was going to give her a job Kristina knew that she would have to be honest with her.
"You know that Lucky refuses to do what his parents want him to do and because of that he's forced to make his own living," Kristina said, "He doesn't mind it, not one bit, it's a stupid male pride thing. It doesn't matter to me either. I could care less if Lucky lived in a tent or in one of those fancy houses his parents owned. I just want him to be happy, he deserves that," she moved closer to Bobbie and helped her mold the biscuits, "I don't think it's fair that when we spend time together he's always the one paying with his hard earned money. We don't go to fancy places but still once in a while I'd like to pay for his steak."
Bobbie stopped with her preparations and turned to Kristina, taking the girls arms in her hands, "You know that Lucky will never allow you to pay for a meal if he's out on a…if he's spending time with you," she said with a smile, "And you know that he will probably get mad if he finds out that your losing sleep and wearing yourself thin by adding extra duties to the ones you already have," she leaned over and placed a small kiss on the girl's hair, "But I know why your doing this. I was in love before and while I can't help you sneak around with Lucky I can promise you that I will not tell your parents that you are working for me unless they specifically ask. Don't give them any cause to, okay?"
Kristina nodded eagerly, "Bobbie thank you so much. If you need any other help around here, no extra charge, I promise…"
Bobbie smiled again, "You know my family well enough to know that I do not have to be running this boarding house to support myself. And I would like you to stay for breakfast. I still have a good half hour before the boarders start to rouse and I'd like you to test out the eggs and make sure they're fluffy enough," she raised her hand in the air when Kristina's mouth opened, "Don't argue with me, you can start your washing duties first thing tomorrow morning."
"Thank you again, Bobbie," Kristina said softly.
Bobbie smiled at the young red head, "I can only hope that one day my grandson will find the type of woman that Lucky has found in you."
Elizabeth stood by the window in the front room of the Spencer's home. It was well into midday in the small town of Charlesville and instead of being out and about with the other townspeople she preferred to stay indoors and get more acquainted with the staff. In truth, she was still terrified to face the other citizens no matter how many offers of protections she received from her Aunt and Uncle.
She was now into her second day in their home and she was a little less uncomfortable than the first. It seemed as if Laura and Luke realized that their smothering attentions were just making her want to hide in her room. Lu had offered to bring her friends by to meet Elizabeth but promised that she would hold off until Elizabeth felt she was ready for the company. Elizabeth didn't know how to explain to them that she would never be ready for company, that she wouldn't ever feel comfortable surrounded in a crowd of people again, and that sometimes she wished she was buried with her family, just outside of town in the small graveyard. She couldn't begin to tell them that the only person who made her feel even a little safe was the most feared man in town.
Elizabeth remembered what Jason had told her about being a gunslinger and she brushed it off because what he titled himself as meant nothing to her. He was simply the man that saved her, the one person that would never give up and she wasn't sure if either of them knew why he didn't. Even though she had barricaded herself in the house and refused to even so much as open the door for anyone she still heard the whispers, coming from the staff, coming from her own family, talking about the hardened man who walked the line between good and evil, who feared no one and nothing, who guarded her as if she was his own property, making sure that no harm would ever come to her again.
A tiny of part of her, a part that was buried deep beneath the scars and the rubble of her damaged soul, rejoiced that someone cared so much, that some stranger would protect her with his dying breath. The other part, the terrified woman who had been brutally attacked, was terrified that this man would want more than she would ever be willing to give. It scared her to know that she was already learning to trust him and worse yet; she was leaning on him, allowing him to be the one person who was allowed in.
She knew that she had no right to demand that he stay the first night that he dropped her off at the Spencer home. She was aware that her Aunt and Uncle thought she was a little unstable when she looked at him like he was her whole world. She knew that her eyes were always so sad when she watched him walk out the door even though he promised to return. He had done that yesterday. He had waited around until she woke up in the morning and told her that he had an errand to run and he wouldn't be back into town until late evening. He said he would see her when he returned, and he did, well past the visiting hour for guests. But he still came and with him he brought a reassurance that frightened her to the core.
In the back of her mind it always lingered that some man, any man, could attack her at any time. She couldn't trust anyone, she couldn't be alone with anyone, and she certainly would not allow herself to be victimized by another town again. No, it was much easier to hide away in the beautiful pink room that Laura and Luke put aside for her, it was much easier to listen to Lu's gossip instead of being around to hear it first hand, and it was so much easier to pretend that she didn't care what the world thought because she didn't care anymore either. And while the child inside of her wanted Jason Morgan to be her knight and protect her from the dragons, the other part knew that the more she withdrew from society, the more she withdrew from him, and that was better for the both of them.
Elizabeth wasn't sure what he was looking for when he spent weeks in the desert searching for her but she did know that she would never be able to give it to him. What she didn't take into account was the fact that Jason wasn't a man to give up easily and right now he was making his way up the stairs towards the Spencer's front door.
She moved away from the window, towards the open doors of the family area and watched as Betty, the maid she encountered the first night, allowed Jason to walk in with a smile. He thanked her kindly and removed his hat before he stepped into the room where Elizabeth was waiting.
"Good afternoon," he said with a small smile.
"Hi," Elizabeth said quietly, "Would you like to sit down?"
"No, I'm okay," he said, "I came to see how you were feeling. I saw Laura in town this morning and she said that it didn't look like you were too well. She said that she and Lu asked you to go out but you weren't feeling up to it."
Elizabeth sighed as she turned away and moved towards the window, "I'm fine. I'm just not ready to go out and relive what I did last week. I'm always afraid that I'll…"
"You'll never wind up in the desert again," Jason interrupted, "That much I can promise you, Elizabeth."
She felt her eyes water as his words washed over her. Oddly, she believed him. She knew that he would rather cause harm to himself before he'd let anything happen to her. Why, she didn't know, and once again she was frightened by the feeling of the unknown.
"Really, I'm okay," she said turning towards him, "I know that you are very busy and I'm sorry that you felt the need to come by and check up on me. I feel horrible enough as it is that I made you stay here the first night we got back."
"You didn't make me do anything," Jason said firmly, "And I'm here to make sure that your alright and because there was something that I wanted to show you. There's someplace I actually want to take you."
The panic started to seep into her skin as she thought of stepping out into the daylight, "I'm not sure that I can…"
"It's not that far," he said, "I can assure you that the chances of anyone stopping you or speaking to you are very slim. They're even slimmer since I'm going to be the one walking beside you," he took a step towards her, "I know that I'm asking a lot but I was wondering if you could trust me."
Elizabeth looked down at his outstretched hand. It was nearly two nights ago when he did the same thing, when she came to him and tried to utter a thank you for all that he had done for her. It was hard for her to take it, hard for her to wrap her tiny fingers around his large ones, but she had done so then and she was doing so again now.
Elizabeth followed him as he led her out of the family room and into the foyer before they were heading down the front steps of the house. His steps were quick; his hold on her loose, and her body was next to the wrong iron fences that decorated the front of the expensive homes on the street that the Spencer's lived on. His body was beside hers, blocking on lookers from the street, blocking anyone that wanted to cause trouble.
Before she knew it, Elizabeth was walking up another set of stone stairs, taking her into a house that was directly adjacent to her Aunt and Uncle's home. The door was already unlocked, waiting for them, as Jason led her inside and shut out the world behind him.
She looked down when he released her hand and then looked back up with a gasp as she gazed around the home that she was now standing in. There was a long hallway that lead the way towards three or four different rooms before it turned left and directed you towards the kitchen. To her right there was a beautiful, long white winding staircase which was covered in a rich, pale color carpet. There were enormous paintings hanging from the walls and directly above her head was the most beautiful chandelier she had ever scene.
This home, like that of her Aunt and Uncles, was a direct imitation of an eastern residence, except this one was more lavishly built and decorated. She turned to ask Jason who owned this property and what they were doing in there only to have her mouth close firmly shut. There was something wrong.
He still lingered at the door, his hand tightly encasing the knob as his eyes bore a look that she had never seen before. His normal pale blue eyes were dark, hate filtering through them, as he looked around the place with disgust. He hated where they were, he could barely bring himself to step into the home like she had done, and yet there were still standing here and she had no idea why.
"Is everything okay?" she asked quietly as she moved back towards him, "You don't look like you're very happy to be here," she nibbled on her lip, "Why are we here?"
"This," he said with venom lacing his voice, "This is my home. This is where I'll be staying while I'm in Charlesville," some of the anger diminished as his eyes met hers; "I wanted to let you know where I would be in case you needed a friend."
"Did…did something happen here?" she asked softly, "It doesn't seem that you like this place very much and I'd hate for you to have to live in a place that…"
"This is the place where I grew up," Jason said as he took a large step into the home, "This is the home my family and I moved into when we came from back east. I was young, I barely remember it, but I knew that my parents came here because the west needed doctors and they were the best that were available," he looked back at her as his hand gripped the wooden banister on the stairs, "Kind of like your parents."
When he saw her face pale and she bit back the tears, he wanted to kick himself, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I didn't mean to…"
"It's going to be painful for a very long time," she said as she wrapped her arms around her waist, "They were good people and while we didn't get along very well they were still my family. I think avoiding any conversation about them would only make it worse," she made another step towards him; "I'm assuming that you enjoyed the move out west."
"I thrived here," Jason said with a small chuckle, "I realized that this was the place I was meant to be and there were all kinds of things that I wanted to learn how to do, unfortunately being a doctor wasn't one of them. And when my parents found out that I wasn't going back east to medical school the arguments started, the rebellion happened, and the first day that I brought home a man on a wanted poster was the last day that I lived here."
"They threw you out on the streets?" Elizabeth asked surprised.
"More so my grandfather than anyone else," Jason said as he walked towards the dark family room that was on their left, "My grandmother was visibly upset and Emily couldn't stop crying. She begged my mother to interfere but Monica Quartermaine never crossed her husband, like the demure wife that she was."
Elizabeth watched him as he moved towards the fireplace that was in the center of the room. There were two large brown leather sofas as well as four matching brown leather chairs that looked overly masculine, but comfortable to sit in. There were some dark wood tables for drinks to be placed on and a large clock that stood in one corner. The most dominating piece in the whole room was the painting that hung over the fireplace. It was obviously one done of the family and the Jason that was smiling back at her did not resemble the man that stood a few feet away.
"A present for my grandmother on her sixtieth birthday," Jason said quietly, "I was eighteen years old and it was before all of the chaos began."
"Emily looks so young," Elizabeth said as she came to stand beside him, "You both do."
"She was twelve," he said, "And she had just developed a crush on Lucky Spencer," he shook his head with a sigh, "That's why I can sympathize with your cousin so much. I understand what it's like to want to do one thing and have the people that claim to love you the most forcing you to do another. He took the right road. He made the right choice. He's doing something honest."
"Your doing something honest too," she said, "I mean I don't know that much about what you do but I do know that if it were illegal you would be in jail right now wouldn't you?"
He smirked, "It's a very thin line that I walk."
"And I'm sure that the line you are referring to is according to society," she said, "Does that make me bad? Because I have a feeling that I'm nowhere near the line Jason. I didn't ask to be…and society has condemned me for that."
"You didn't do a thing wrong, Elizabeth," he said.
"And in my eyes, neither did you," she said, "Can we just leave it at that?" when she watched him nod his head slowly, she continued, "I don't think that you should be staying here if it brings back such horrible memories. There must be other places in town where you can stay."
"Bobbie's boarding house but I don't like the idea of someone else cleaning my room and rifling through my things," he shrugged, "It's an old habit. The hotel is a waste of my money and the only place left would be Sonny's saloon," he shook his head, "And no matter how much I hate living here, I would hate it even more if you would need me and have to be forced to walk into a place like that."
"I don't…I don't need you so much," she said softly as she looked down at the floor, "I try not to need you so much. I don't want you putting your life on hold for me, Jason. You did what you had to do by coming and finding me. I can't ask you for anything more than that."
"You aren't asking me for anything," He said, "If you would like me to leave, I'll go. All you have to do is say the word, Elizabeth. If I'm hovering too much, if I'm spending too much time with you, if you think that I need to get out of your way all you have to do is say so, just tell me."
She looked up at him, at the concern in his icy blue eyes, the hatred that was there earlier, seemingly disappeared, back beneath the harden shell that was gunslinger Jason Morgan. He should frighten her like he did the rest of the town but for some reason she felt secure in this man's presence. It was okay to be standing here, alone in a room with him, when she couldn't do it with her own cousin. He was asking her if she wanted to leave and really, what else could she tell him?
"I don't want you to go," she said softly as her sapphire eyes met his, "But I do think that you are going to need to clean this place. You can tell that someone hasn't lived in it in years."
"Two or three, I didn't really ask Emily," Jason said as he looked around at the layer of dust that was settled on the furniture, "I'm not much interested in what they did after they took off. Although, I do wonder about my grandmother from time to time," he sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess I'll go further into town tomorrow and find someone willing to clean this place."
"I'll do it," Elizabeth offered, "It's the least that I could do after all that you've done for me."
"Elizabeth, I don't think that…"
"Aunt Laura thinks that I need to get out of the house," she said.
"I don't think working at mine was her idea of that," he said with a small smile.
"But it's me working, it's me getting out," she said, "You said that your not comfortable with other people going through your things, well you don't have to worry about that with me. I know how to clean, my mother used that as punishment when I was a child, and I could cook a meal or two," she winced, "But only a couple. I wasn't allowed to learn how to cook because she always assumed that I'd have a maid but once in a while I'd sneak into kitchen and learn about everything chocolate...and I'm rambling."
"I'm going to have to pay you," he said.
"Jason, I couldn't…"
"That's the only way I could accept this," Jason said, "I feel bad enough that you want to clean my house for me and possibly cook me a meal. I'm certainly not going to let you do it for free. I also think that we need to talk to your Aunt about this before anything is agreed to."
Elizabeth nodded, "Thank you for allowing me to do this. It's nice to know I have something to look forward to besides a confrontation with my Aunt about when I'm going to leave the house."
"You need to leave it soon," he said quietly, "I'm not saying right away, tonight, tomorrow, or even by the end of the week but you can't…I don't think it's going to help. I think it's going to make it worse and it sure is going to make these townspeople think that have more power than they do."
"I hope that one day I can do that too," she said softly, "But I don't know if I'll ever be that strong."
"Oh you're strong enough," Jason said as he lead the way out of his family room and back to next door, to her Aunt's house. He was also grateful that she was allowing him to stick around so that he could show her just how strong she really was.
"Nice work," Johnny said as Lucky climbed back over the corral fence and joined him, "You're a natural at this. I know that Lorenzo is impressed. Your picking up on things quite easily," he chuckled to himself, "I would too if I stayed the hell out of town."
"I'm sure there's some interesting things going on there," Lucky said as he leaned down and brushed off his jeans, "I heard that my cousin has returned and I hope the town ain't coming down too hard on her."
"From what I hear," Johnny said, motioning back towards the Alcazar home, "Morgan's very protective of Miss Webber. I don't think that any harm will come to her as long as she's with him," he cleared his throat, "There is word spreading like wildfire about your sister however, talk of a wedding coming up."
"A wedding?" Lucky asked with raised eyebrows, "Between her and Michael Corinthos? I bet my father thinks that's a match made in heaven," he shook his head, "Lu wouldn't stay here. She's made it real clear that she's itching to get back east. I guess that means Michael agreed to go with her."
"I guess so," Johnny said as he shrugged his shoulders, "I only know what I hear from the saloons and most talk is that Michael is out all day with Lu until she's do home. Then he spends a couple of hours in the saloon before he heads on up to bed."
"By himself?" Lucky asked with an edge in his voice.
"Can't say," Johnny said, "I tend not to stay too long because I don't want to be tied over when I'm back at the ranch. Alcazar expects a lot out of us and I plan to give it, especially when a young buck like you tries to show me up."
Lucky shook his head and laugh, "This young buck is going to make sure it's okay I head into town tonight. I want to have a conversation with Michael. If he plans on seeing my sister, he better plan on seeing less of that saloon."
"Boys," Lorenzo called out as he approached Lucky and Johnny, "Let's wrap it up," he whistled to the rest of the cowhands that were working with the horses and gave the symbol to call it a day, "How are things going?"
"Very well," Johnny said, "I don't think I should be working beside Lucky, I think I should be working underneath him."
"I wanted to make sure that each of you got a fair shake," Lorenzo said, "Emily and I were thinking about going into town for a couple of days and I was wondering if you two would mind keeping an eye on things while I'm gone."
"Actually," Lucky said, "I needed to head into town myself tonight, something I need to take care of. But I can ride back out as soon as I'm finished; make sure that everything's going okay here while you're gone."
"That's fine by me," Lorenzo said, "You coming along, Johnny?"
"Why not?" Johnny said, "I'll go collect my gear and meet you by the main house in about an hour. That ought to give you and Mrs. Alcazar enough time to have the wagon ready. Lucky and I will hitch up the horses for you."
"I'll go get them right now," Lucky said.
"I'll see you boys in about a bit," Lorenzo said and turned back towards the house.
Johnny turned away from both of them as they walked to their respective places. He didn't want anyone to see the grin that was on his face. He would have to be in town, he wouldn't miss it for anything in this county, the fireworks were going to explode once Lesley Lu Spencer found out that Michael had been warned off. And Johnny O'Brien always loved a good show.
Sonny Corinthos stared at the bourbon that rested between his palms but made no attempt to drink it. He had another hour or two before his doors would open for the evening and the patrons would come in for a good time and a good show. The girls were upstairs getting ready; some of them already enjoying their dinner for the evening, while he sat on a bar stool, in his black pants and opened white shirt, barefoot, contemplating where it all went wrong.
He was known for his mean streak, it was the reason he and Jason Morgan became so close, it was why he and Johnny O'Brien always got along so well. There was meanness in each man, something always lingering just beneath the surface, begging to be pushed, daring to be crossed, and while most times in society they were able to keep it in check, it was the tortured moments that brought it out in them. Most of his moments revolved around Samantha McCall.
Sonny hated the way things turned out at dinner but he hated even more how people were looking at her, like she was a prime piece of meat just off the market, tempting someone to pay the right price so they could sample her goods. She wasn't looked at as the woman he knew her for; she was looked at as the whore he showcased to the small city. It was as much his fault that Samantha was treated that way, just as it was her own.
He gave her all the credit in the world for struggling to survive in the reconstructed Georgia but he often wondered why she couldn't find something else to do, like run a boarding home or being a laundress, even someone's maid, something that would provide her with food on the table and a reputation that she could be proud of. And as quickly as his thoughts drifted that way, they reverted back. Running a boarding home required money, being a laundress would barely support a single woman trying to make it on her own and she was too beautiful to be someone's housemaid, surely her exotic looks would cause chaos in a number of homes. She was forced to do what she had done, to make it as far away as she could from the land she owned and the sacrifice was her own self worth until she could make it to California and become a whole person again.
Sonny knew that he should provide her with the money to do that. He was being selfish keeping her to himself, not allowing her to earn the money she needed to make it towards the state that claimed to hold all the gold. Sam could have been well on her way by now if he had been able to let her go and enjoy the company of other men. But Sonny would always be selfish, he would always want her for himself, and that's what made the knife twist a little more in his gut, was the fact that the woman he was crazy about could so easily turn to someone else for comfort.
He threw Rachel Adair in her face but he had no intention of taking that skinny blond up to bed with him. He wanted Sam to hurt as much as he did when she threw his wife in his face. Every word that she had said was true but it didn't ease the pain he felt when they were lashed at him. And while he drowned himself in the rest of his whiskey, she was drowning herself in a man that he had at one time considered a best friend. He shouldn't blame Sam for finding solace where one was willing to give it and he shouldn't blame Johnny because technically she was a whore and free for the taking. But he did blame them both, and he would continue to, for a very long time.
Deciding that the bourbon was doing no good by sitting there, he brought the glass to his lips and took a very long sip, relishing in the burn that slid down his throat and settled into his empty stomach. Tonight was going to be a long and hazy night.
"I don't know how anyone can get anything done with all that moaning and groaning going on upstairs," Rachel muttered as she made her way downstairs with her stomping feet, "I can't concentrate with all that whimpering…Sonny," she smiled.
"Is there a problem?" Sonny asked as he looked over his shoulder towards Rachel and a stumbling Courtney who was hurrying down behind her.
"No, no problem at all," Rachel smiled as she moved towards the bar, "Can I get you some dinner to go with your bourbon? I bet a nice steak with some potatoes and biscuits sounds real good right about now."
"I'm fine and I'm not hungry," he said, his dark eyes moving past her towards Courtney, "Are you sure everything is alright?"
"Now why would something be wrong?" Rachel smiled as she leaned over the bar towards him.
"Cause Sam is crying in her room," Courtney said from behind Sonny, "You threw a brush at the door and told her to pipe down before you gave her something to cry about. She stopped crying out but I could still hear her whimpering."
Sonny shot up from the bar stool, sending it spinning out from beneath him, "Rachel, if you harmed one hair on her head…"
"We didn't do anything to her, Mr. Corinthos," Courtney said, "Honest. We were in the hallway playing around, me and a few other girls and Rachel and we heard her, and Rachel told her to hush but it got worse until Rachel threw the brush. Then she calmed down a little, like I said, but we didn't start nothing."
"Get ready for opening," Sonny said glaring at Courtney before he turned back towards Rachel, "And you better avoid me for the rest of the evening."
He turned and made his way up the stairs, two at a time, before he hurried down the hall, elbowing his way past the giggling women until he stood before Sam's closed door. He saw the brush lying on the ground a few feet from it and when he twisted the handle he sighed in relief when it opened under his palm. What Sonny saw when he entered the room made his heart break as it did all those months again when he encountered a devastated Southern Belle looking for a job.
Sam had her back resting against the headboard, her knees pulled up tight against her chest, as her fingers rested on them while twisting her dark locks. Her face was tear stained, a fresh path continuously rolling down and falling onto her pale skin. She didn't look up until he had securely closed the door behind him and her brown eyes were lost, stuck somewhere between the past and the brutal present. He made one step towards her, then another, before he stood frozen beside her bedside.
There was always a way they handle the pain that hovered between them. They always knew how to gather one another in each other's arms and make them forget everything but the present, the feelings, the intensity, the passion they aroused within one another. It was a world to which they always escaped, a world which helped ease the ache, a world that Sonny knew and loved so well. He slid down on the bed beside Sam and brought her damp hands to his lips, kissing each one softly.
"Sam," he whispered and felt his bleeding heart skip a beat when her chocolate eyes met his, "Tell me everything."
Sonny knew that she wouldn't be able to tell him all of that in one sitting; he knew that asking for anything was asking for a lot, but he wanted to show her that he wanted to be more than a warm bed companion. He wanted to show her that he cared, that she meant something to him, and that he wanted to ease her burdens just as she wanted to ease his.
"It's the same," she whispered as her damp lips trembled, "It's always the same. Visions of blue coats coming towards my house, taking everything from me, raping my land, raping…" she closed her eyes and shuddered visibly, "They never did that. I allowed them too. I had too. I wouldn't die, not like the way that everyone else did, not like my way of life did."
She watched as Sonny's hands pulled her own into his lap, "My father and my only brother went off to war as soon as it began. My mother begged him not to; she told him that we wouldn't be safe on our own. He told her that Robert E. Lee would never allow the soldiers as far down as Atlanta. He said that he and my brother would never allow anyone to harm us. He died a week into battle, my brother two years later, with whatever pieces that were left of him and all those beautiful beau's that courted after me and promised to spend the rest of their lives spoiling me senseless, they all died to0," she tried to pull her hand away so that she could wipe away the fresh tears on her face but Sonny's hand came with her and her eyes closed on a sigh as the gentle pads of his thumbs ran along her face.
"My mother…" she whispered, "My mother found out about my brother and she took one of my father's rifles and she…she blew her entire head off. There was blood everywhere, in our front yard, it was soaking into the soil and I…" her face twisted in pain and disgust, "I had to take care of everything. I had to clean my mother up, I had to bury her, I had to make sure I had enough food to last me and I had to survive. I had to fight my own neighbors, old friends, to keep what I had and when I thought it was all done and over with they came marching down the road, two of them, sitting abroad their powerful horses, torn blue uniforms and cocky smirks on their faces, telling me that the confederate dollar wasn't worth a dime. And when I told them that I had nothing, that I had no one, no water to drink or food on my plate or a person to turn to…" she opened her eyes and stared at him, "They smiled like a drunken cowboy does here on payday. They knew they had me exactly where they wanted me as did all their other solider friends."
"And I tried, Sonny," she whispered as she clung to his hands, desperation in her eyes, "I tried so hard to survive, to prove that I was better than them, to prove that they were not going to be able to drag me down but I couldn't do it. I couldn't outlast them. There was so many of them and so little of me and I had to run away. I had to leave everything behind and by the time I made my way to Arizona I didn't know how to do anything else but…" she cried as she looked away from him, "But I tried, I tried."
"I know, I know you did," he whispered as he shifted on the bed and gathered her in his arms, "I know that you did everything that you could Sam and I'm proud of you for that," he leaned his back against the headboard and pulled her into his lap as he kissed her hair all the while her tears continued to flow, "It's going to be okay Sam, somehow, someway, it'll be okay."
Johnny slowed his steps as they approached The Devil's Gate saloon. A short while ago they had checked into the hotel for the evening, Lorenzo had settled his wife in, and Lucky had dropped his bags off elsewhere. The three of them decided to go out and have a few beers before they turned in for the evening. Johnny seemingly forgot that the only place to have a real beer in this town was the saloon that Sonny owned.
Not that he was afraid to face his old friend, he'd never back down from Sonny Corinthos, but he thought that it was too soon to step into the other man's domain. As far as he knew, Sonny and Sam could have worked things out or she could have moved out which would have made Sonny even madder. And while pleading off seemed like a great idea he knew that both Lucky and Lorenzo would have questions and Johnny wasn't sure if he was ready to give them answers.
Just when he thought he was going to be forced to enter Sonny's place of establishment, Johnny saw an excuse crossing the street towards him. He picked up his pace and tabbed Lucky on the shoulder, before nodding his head behind him.
"Jason's coming this way and I wanted to have a word with him in private," Johnny said, "Save me a chair?"
Lucky nodded, "I'll order you a beer too."
Johnny was pretty sure he'd never drink the beer that evening but he wasn't going to argue with Lucky. He took turned behind him and took two steps before Jason met him on the boardwalk, the other man holding out his hand for Johnny to shake.
"I heard you were back in town,"
"Word travels fast," Jason said quietly and nodded his head towards the saloon, "Things work out for you around here? I remember you telling me that you wanted to get your name out. I wasn't sure you were interested in ranching."
"I'm interested in a lot of things," Johnny said, "And working at Lorenzo's ranch is one of them. Lucky and I are sharing the duties of foreman. The kid's pretty good, making me feel like I'm an old fool most of the time."
Jason chuckled, "Lucky was like that, always picking up on things pretty easily, at least around here," he looked around before he turned back towards Johnny, "Anything else going on here that I need to know about?"
"Nothing but a bunch of gossip," Johnny said, "They're something in particular you're interested in?"
"I was wondering if anyone was hiring out," Jason shrugged, "Or at least close to home."
Johnny rocked back on his heels as he looked at Jason thoughtfully, "From what I've heard about you, you didn't seem like the kind of man that stuck around town long. I assumed you were just here for a visit with some old friends and then you'd be off."
"They say things about assuming," Jason said, "I'm sticking around town for a while and I'm not one for doing nothing all day. The only for hire sign I saw around here was in the damn bank and I don't think they're ready to hire me on for protection."
Johnny laughed, "I can't picture that myself either," he then shook his head, "I wish I could help but as much time as I spend in town I haven't heard of anything. I know that Lorenzo is always looking for some help around the spread but I'm not sure if you want to be that far out everyday," he looked at his feet before his eyes met Jason's, "I'm not sure how much you're needed here."
"I need to be within hearing distance," Jason said, "That's all anyone needs to know."
Silence hung between them before Johnny dared to broach the subject, "How is she?"
"How would you expect?" Jason asked, "How would anyone expect? She's barely living and I don't like it, not one damn bit, but there's nothing I can do about it. She sulks around the house all day, saying that she's not fit to go outside, just waiting for the town to condemn her and no matter how many times that I tell her, no matter how often I show her, she doesn't realize how beautiful she is, she doesn't realize how strong she has become, she doesn't understand that she is better than anyone else in this town."
Johnny looked a little startled before he shook his head slowly, "And you told her all that?"
Jason's face wrinkled in confusion before he sighed and ran his hand over it, "I have no idea what's wrong with me. I guess I'm exhausted. I haven't had much sleep since I've gotten back. I didn't want Elizabeth to have to face the town her first day so we traveled at night for a while."
"How did you even find her?" Johnny asked quietly.
"In the middle of the desert struggling to survive," Jason said looking down at his boots, "Just like me."
Johnny wasn't sure if he was meant to hear that comment or even if Jason realized he had said it but for the sake of the gunslinger, he chose to ignore it, "And you never met her before this?"
Jason shook his head as he turned slightly and looked back towards the direction of the Spencer's home, "No, I just saw her photograph and went with that."
"If you feel this strongly for her now," Johnny said with a whistle, "I can't imagine what you'll feel for her six months."
Jason looked at him sharply, "I feel bad for her. She's been through hell."
"You feel bad for the woman who was recently widowed and is now raising four boys on her own," Johnny said hypothetically, "What you feel for Elizabeth goes way beyond that," he shrugged as he looked behind him towards the saloon and then back behind Jason, towards the hotel, "Look, I'm not one for advice on women, trust me," he emphasized, "But tread lightly because she's been hurt and I think your in this relationship a hell of a lot deeper than you realize. I have a beer waiting at The Devil's Gate. It's on me," he slapped Jason on his shoulder and moved around the man, making his way towards the place he would sleep tonight.
Jason stood there for a minute, letting the shadows surround him as he contemplated what Johnny O'Brien said. He didn't know the man very well, aside from the fact that he was a friend of Sonny's, but there were some things that he said that made sense. He was getting in deep with Elizabeth, he was spending literally every day with her, and what he felt for the young woman went behind sympathy and pity.
Jason's feelings for Elizabeth Webber had reached the point of no return.
"Hey," Lucky said, offering a friendly smile to Michael Corinthos. "Got a minute? I'd like to buy you a beer."
"Sure," Michael said sliding out from behind the black jack table. He motioned for Courtney to come join him, "Take over for me and make sure some of the slick ones don't try and get over on you."
"I won't, Michael," Courtney giggled, "I'll smile and laugh a lot and if that doesn't work I'll just lean over on the table like Rachel taught me."
Michael laughed as he tapped her on the backside and motioned for the bartender to provide him and Lucky with a drink. Once he grabbed their beers the two of them made their way to a table in the back that was far away from the drunks and touchy girls.
"How's everything going?" Michael asked with an easy smile, "Lu tells me that you seem to be enjoying the ranch. She said she's barely seen you since Lorenzo hired you on," he took a sip of his beer, "I'm glad you finally got what you were looking for."
"I'm glad that Lu's happy for me," Lucky said, "She's the only family member that is. I'm adjusting and I'm sorry that I'm not around to see her more often because I know that she does plan on eventually going back east," he looked over his bottle at the younger man, "However I hear that you've been spending a lot of time with her."
"I have," Michael nodded, "I have a great time with your sister. You know that we were close when I first came to town. We were best friends and well," he smiled, "I never expected for her to come back this beautiful or this charming. Now, I can't imagine a day going by without seeing her or spending time with her. I don't think there's any harm in that."
"There isn't," Lucky said, "And I consider you a friend. You helped even the odds when it was Kristina and Lu versus me," he said with a laugh, "That red head use to get me into a lot of trouble and if it wasn't for you backing me up I would have been in the house a lot more often than I was."
Michael laughed, "That's true."
Lucky took a long drag of his beer and placed it back down on the table slowly, "There is harm however in that," he said pointing to the bubbly Courtney, "At night and my sister during the day. I think if you plan on making things serious with Lesley Lu you back off with the whores."
"I'm not crossing any lines here," Michael said, "Lu grew up in the west and she spent a lot of time back east. I thought she was aware that when a man…" he cleared his throat, "I thought she knew that this is where we spend our time until our wedding night. I'm not doing anything wrong here, Lucky. Two thirds of the men in this place are married and all of their wives know that they're here. You've been here a few times yourself."
"Oh I know," Lucky nodded in agreement, "And that's understandable and have I courted a few women in town and then come here for some relaxation? Absolutely. Morgan does it, O'Brien does it, your father does it, but all those men, they aren't with my sister and that's what counts."
"I'm not a saint," Michael said.
"No one is," Lucky said motioning for another beer.
Michael nodded as he finished his own, "I'll talk to your sister before we make a commitment. I'll be as delicate as possible in telling her how things are if she doesn't understand them already," his eyes met Lucky's, "I wouldn't want to hurt Lesley Lu for anything in this world."
"And that I know," Lucky said, "That's why I'm talking to you. I need your word that if Lu doesn't understand your drop the giggling twit over there."
Michael reached his hand across the table and shook it with Lucky's, "If Lesley Lu doesn't understand, if she's uncomfortable with me being with a whore, than you have my word Lucky. I'll break things off with Courtney."
Lesley Lu Spencer winced when her feet touched the cold wooden floor after leaving the stairs. She had come downstairs for some warm milk after another hazy dream that left her shivering. She saw a faceless cowboy standing along side a faceless man in a fancy black suit, both of them had their arms extended, white roses in each hand, both asking for something she wasn't sure she could give them. And even though their faces were blank, she subconsciously knew the man dressed up was Michael Corinthos and the denim clad cowboy was Johnny O'Brien. As much as she hated it, she was drawn to both of them.
Sighing she turned to head towards the kitchen when she saw the moon reflecting off of a shadow in her living room. Taking a few short steps there she saw that Elizabeth was sitting curled up on the couch, staring blankly into the night. Not wanting to startle her, Lu cleared her throat and offered a warm smile before stepping into the room.
"Do you mind if I join you?" Lu asked.
"It's your home," Elizabeth said softly as she motioned for the chair across from her, "Please sit."
Lu settled down across from her cousin and silence quickly hung between them. She started to swing her legs back and forth before she looked at Elizabeth and offered another smile, "You couldn't sleep either?"
"No," Elizabeth said shaking her head, "I'm not getting much sleep lately. I find it easier to rest for a few hours in the morning. That's all I really need anyone."
Lu knew there was more to it than that but she didn't want to push, "I have a lot on my mind."
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, before facing Lu, "Is it that boy you were with the other night? Was his name Michael?" Elizabeth leaned forward on the couch, "Did he hurt you like they hurt me?"
"Oh no!" Lu gasped, "What would ever give you that idea?"
"I saw you, the other night, you came in the house crying," Elizabeth said quietly as she looked down at her hands, "When you ran upstairs I assumed that he had hurt you. I'm sorry for thinking otherwise."
Lu watched as the tears glistened in Elizabeth's eyes and she couldn't blame her cousin for thinking the worse. This woman had been ripped off of a wagon and brutally assaulted for no other reasoning than the fact that someone wanted to inflict pain on someone else. It was going to take Elizabeth a long time to realize that men make you cry for many reasons and least of all involving physical pain.
"I had realized something the other night that I wasn't too happy with," Lu said with a sad smile as she reached out and squeezed Elizabeth's arm, "I'm sorry that I woke you when I came in. I thought everyone had retired for the evening."
Elizabeth shook her head, "I don't sleep through the night anymore."
Lu looked at her cousin worried, "Elizabeth that's much more than not getting a lot of sleep. Has it been like this since everything happened? Have you been unable to sleep at all during the evening?"
"A couple of weeks after the attack when I was with someone else, other than Jason, I started to sleep a few hours without the nightmares," she said, "There were a couple of days that I went without having one but when…when I was alone again and…" she shuddered as she closed her eyes and let the tears slid down her cheek, "It's been hard. When I was with Jason I had a few but then I could easily cry myself right back to sleep," she shrugged, "I can't seem to do that anymore."
Lu's mouth took the shape of an 'o' of surprise, "Jason makes you feel safe."
Elizabeth shook her head vigorously, "I think it's just the new surroundings that I have to get use to. I've been traveling so much lately," she rubbed her hands up and down her long nightgown, "I know that your mother and father would never allow anything to happen to me and I just have to get use to that. I'm not use to a home anymore. I've been living in the wilderness for a few months now, traveling here and then with…I ramble sometimes."
"You weren't…" Lu stopped when she watched Elizabeth stand up, "Are you okay?"
"I'm going to try and get some more sleep," Elizabeth said, "It was good talking to you. I don't think that I'll be able to see you in the morning like I usually do. I have a job that I'm starting tomorrow."
"You got a job?" Lu smiled as she stood up in front of Elizabeth, "That's wonderful! Doing what?"
"I'm going to be cleaning Jason's home," Elizabeth said quietly, "He moved in right next door and apparently no one has lived there in a few years so it needs to be cleaned out before he can claim it as his own again."
"Jason Morgan?" Lu asked, "He moved in next door? He moved into the Quartermaine home?"
Elizabeth nodded, "I should really retire. I'll see you sometime tomorrow, Lu. Goodnight."
Lu watched surprised as Elizabeth hurried out of the living room as fast as her feet would take her and then back upstairs to the room she was staying. Lu knew that Elizabeth had no intention of getting any sleep that night but she did want to clearly avoid the questions that Lu was throwing at her.
Lu had the oddest feeling that something was going on between Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber and she was just as sure that neither one of them knew it. Elizabeth felt safe with Jason but was unable to admit it while the most feared man in the west moved back into a place he hated just to be near her. It was something most romantics would coo over but those two were not romantics, they were lost souls, desperate to be found.
Smiling slowly, Lu stood up from the chair and forgot about the milk that she was searching for. Elizabeth needed to feel safe, she needed to recover from the traumatic experience she was suffering from, Jason Morgan needed someone to protect, that was his job, his way of life. Lu knew that right now they couldn't be anything more to one another but starting tomorrow she was going to make sure they would be just that.