Part 53
David flew back to Port Charles for the weekend, just before Zander was to return from London.
He saw Cameron in the Port Charles Hotel Bar.
He went over. "Well, I guess we can skip the comments about each other being here," he said to Cameron, hopefully.
"I guess so," Cameron said dryly. "consider it all stated already."
"OK."
"There is something I want to ask you."
"OK," David said, a little leery, but willing to deal with it.
"Well, don't get all defensive. Think how you feel about your ex-wives. OK, now about mine. It's this. What could you possibly see there? I mean, a guy like you - how, especially then, did she have enough personality to intrigue one like you? Was it just her looks? You don't seem like the type for that. I'm genuinely curious. Don't take it all wrong."
"You must have been working way too hard. See, her personality takes some time to get to. Now you were married to her, so I'd have thought you would have had the time to find it. That surprises me, but on the other hand, it makes sense. You didn't take the time."
"OK, I hear you. But she must have hidden it from me, anyway. She didn't choose to reveal much."
"Your loss, but then again, could be that gentler type of personality would never gain any respect from you. You're such a hard ass, Cam. You'd need somebody really, really, tough. My last ex-wife, maybe. Oh, you met her, didn't you?"
"Very attractive woman," Cameron agreed.
"Somebody like that, who would never try to placate you, who would argue with you and be able to beat you at it half the time."
"Thanks for the advice," Cameron said, slightly amused.
"Any time." David went upstairs.
Jackie Baldwin was sitting with some friends in the Port Charles Hotel Bar. She noticed Cameron at the bar. A little while later, she saw a young man go up to him.
Jackie went to the bar to buy a drink and partly on purpose to see if she could hear anything. She was curious, it was a public place, and she suspected the young man might well be the Difficult Alexander.
"You don't have two fathers," she heard Cameron saying. "You have a father and a sperm donor. Look Alexander. I've thought about this, and its been said and it's probably true. I have been too easy on myself. I really shouldn't have let you handle a gun."
"Because I'm too stupid and irresponsible!" the young man said, vehemently enough to turn a few heads in his direction.
"No, I don't mean to imply that," Cameron said, evenly, "I'm trying to-"
"Sure you do. What else would you mean? You never mean anything else, Dad! Shut up!" The young man stormed out.
"I couldn't help overhearing," Jackie said, going over to Cameron. "Was that him, Alexander?"
"Yes," Cameron said.
"He is very hostile."
"Do you think I said something wrong?"
"No, I see what you were trying to do. He didn't."
"That's our history. I say a thing and it has the wrong effect. Other than what I intend."
"I can see that would be very frustrating," Jackie said.
The young man came back.
"I'm sorry, Dad," he said, suddenly reasonable and calm. "You were actually making a concession and I cut you off."
"You're not used to it," Cameron said, mildly. "That's what I was trying to say."
"OK."
"Anyway, it was my fault, too. Mostly my fault. I see it now. Maybe I didn't soon enough. But go ahead and go home. This is enough stress for one hour."
"I can handle it, Dad!"
"I don't want you to try. Enough for now. I won't look for you. You can look me up if you want to tell me something else."
"All right." The young man left, looking back a couple of times, as if he weren't sure he really had seen and heard what he thought he had.
"Not totally hopeless," Jackie said, to Cameron. She had been sitting next to him at the bar and the young man hadn't noticed her.
"That's the first time anyone has ever thought that," Cameron observed.
David dropped by Donna's room.
"Cam is downstairs," he said. "True to ex-husband sensibilities, he asked me what I saw in you."
"I'll be kind enough not to ask you what you told him," Donna said. She laughed.
"That's kind, but it wasn't like that, really. I told him my ex-wife would have been a lot more his type."
"The chief of police? I don't know her, but as a fellow woman, I've got to defend her. Cam would be too much of a punishment, don't you think? After you broke her heart. I'm sure that was the way it was. It's impossible that she broke yours."
"Of course it's impossible. That had already been done long before."
"Oh, shut up David!" she said laughingly. But he looked so struck, she felt sorry right away. She went over and put her arms around him impulsively. "OK," she said.
He let her hold him like that for a few seconds.
But when she went to let go, she hesitated a second, and felt his hair touch her face, and a long forgotten feeling swept over her, so that in the next second they were kissing as if the last twenty-three years had not gone by yet; urgent and desperate, like it was their last chance, as it had seemed to be then.
Finally, she tore herself away and laughed, turning away from him. "It's like being taken back 23 years! Did you hear an old song?"
"No."
She stopped laughing and felt suddenly sad. This extreme sort of swing in her emotions was another thing that was familiar, but only from that time so long ago. "How can it feel the same like that?" she asked, as if asking the air, still turned away from him. "That same desperate quality. There's no reason for it. We could stay here all night, and nothing would be in the way of it."
Then they were both struck dumb, realizing they were both remembering their old dream; the one thing they never got to do and always wanted to do was being able to wake up together.
"Maybe that wasn't the reason for it," he said, like those thoughts had been spoken aloud.
"You created a good trip down memory lane," she said, trying to laugh it off.
There was a knock at the door.
So relieved she thought she'd be glad even to see Cameron standing there with his worst scowl, Donna opened the door.
It was the one person on earth best suited to show up at that time.
Zander stood there. "Oh, I'm glad you're here," he said to David. "I just talked to Dad, and I thought -"
"Come in sweetheart," Donna ushered him in, taking his arm.
She glanced at David and stopped cold.
David was looking at Zander. There was a light in his eyes, which was a light that should have showed up in Cameron's eyes, and never did, even if he was looking at Peter.
For a few seconds, she felt in a rush, a flash of what it must feel like to in love. In these few seconds, she loved David like it was meant to be, in all the old songs and all the old stories her mother and friends convinced her were false.
This momentary feeling had overwhelmed her, so that she stood dumb. David had already taken up the slack.
"I saw him too," David said to Zander. "Did he come up to you?"
"No, I went over to him. I saw him and just thought I would talk to him. I remembered about how it was better if I talked to him when he didn't expect it. We started in as usual, then he sort of said – I could hardly believe it. Anyway he said something like he shouldn't have let me have a gun. I got mad, walked off. Then I went back and he didn't want me to have any more stress." Zander spilled these words out to David in a rush.
"Sit down," David said to him.
"At first I thought he was just insulting me again. He was saying the accident was his fault too, but I thought he meant it only because I was so stupid he shouldn't have let me handle a gun. I still think that's why he might think it's his fault, but I said something like that to him and he said it wasn't that way."
"Brenda said something to him, like that, when I was first here, Alexander," Donna said, recovered. "I've told him that too, since. Not putting it that you were too stupid, but that he's the one who said you were – well anyway, that he was the adult and should have been supervising better."
"Yeah, Mom, he made some reference to it having been said."
"Are you sure he was admitting it?" Donna asked. "Or just referring to me or Brenda being wrong suggesting that?"
"He seemed like he was admitting it," Zander said. "I walked outside for awhile and calmed down and went back and said I was sorry, and I realized he was trying to make a concession. That's when he said I had enough stress. And said he wouldn't look for me, that I could look for him."
"That's all good," David said. "You're finally getting somewhere with him." David patted him on the back.
"I hope so," Zander said, sounding more relaxed. "It's starting to feel like I imagined it."
"Let's go up to Brenda's," David said. "I'll walk with you, in case Cam happens to be in the elevators."
"OK," Zander said.
"Sorry, Mom," Zander said.
"Never say that!" she hugged him. "You did right to come here."
"OK," Zander said. "Thanks," he said to David.
Donna watched them out, then closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief.
There was another knock. It was Brenda.
"Oh, Brenda!" Donna said. "Come in. Or, don't. Alexander and David are on their way to your room."
"You're OK?" Brenda asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I have," she said. "But it passed. Go ahead, I'll call Alex and tell him to wait for you."
"OK. You're all right, aren't you?"
"Of course, sweetie. Don't worry about me. Alexander talked to his father again, it's all right, but he'll tell you about it."
"Cam?"
"Yep."
"Poor Zander. OK. I'll see you later. Call me if you need me."
"Thanks, sweetheart," Donna said, watching her off.
When Brenda had disappeared into the elevator, Donna went out, determined to find Cameron.
Part 53
David flew back to Port Charles for the weekend, just before Zander was to return from London.
He saw Cameron in the Port Charles Hotel Bar.
He went over. "Well, I guess we can skip the comments about each other being here," he said to Cameron, hopefully.
"I guess so," Cameron said dryly. "consider it all stated already."
"OK."
"There is something I want to ask you."
"OK," David said, a little leery, but willing to deal with it.
"Well, don't get all defensive. Think how you feel about your ex-wives. OK, now about mine. It's this. What could you possibly see there? I mean, a guy like you - how, especially then, did she have enough personality to intrigue one like you? Was it just her looks? You don't seem like the type for that. I'm genuinely curious. Don't take it all wrong."
"You must have been working way too hard. See, her personality takes some time to get to. Now you were married to her, so I'd have thought you would have had the time to find it. That surprises me, but on the other hand, it makes sense. You didn't take the time."
"OK, I hear you. But she must have hidden it from me, anyway. She didn't choose to reveal much."
"Your loss, but then again, could be that gentler type of personality would never gain any respect from you. You're such a hard ass, Cam. You'd need somebody really, really, tough. My last ex-wife, maybe. Oh, you met her, didn't you?"
"Very attractive woman," Cameron agreed.
"Somebody like that, who would never try to placate you, who would argue with you and be able to beat you at it half the time."
"Thanks for the advice," Cameron said, slightly amused.
"Any time." David went upstairs.
Jackie Baldwin was sitting with some friends in the Port Charles Hotel Bar. She noticed Cameron at the bar. A little while later, she saw a young man go up to him.
Jackie went to the bar to buy a drink and partly on purpose to see if she could hear anything. She was curious, it was a public place, and she suspected the young man might well be the Difficult Alexander.
"You don't have two fathers," she heard Cameron saying. "You have a father and a sperm donor. Look Alexander. I've thought about this, and its been said and it's probably true. I have been too easy on myself. I really shouldn't have let you handle a gun."
"Because I'm too stupid and irresponsible!" the young man said, vehemently enough to turn a few heads in his direction.
"No, I don't mean to imply that," Cameron said, evenly, "I'm trying to-"
"Sure you do. What else would you mean? You never mean anything else, Dad! Shut up!" The young man stormed out.
"I couldn't help overhearing," Jackie said, going over to Cameron. "Was that him, Alexander?"
"Yes," Cameron said.
"He is very hostile."
"Do you think I said something wrong?"
"No, I see what you were trying to do. He didn't."
"That's our history. I say a thing and it has the wrong effect. Other than what I intend."
"I can see that would be very frustrating," Jackie said.
The young man came back.
"I'm sorry, Dad," he said, suddenly reasonable and calm. "You were actually making a concession and I cut you off."
"You're not used to it," Cameron said, mildly. "That's what I was trying to say."
"OK."
"Anyway, it was my fault, too. Mostly my fault. I see it now. Maybe I didn't soon enough. But go ahead and go home. This is enough stress for one hour."
"I can handle it, Dad!"
"I don't want you to try. Enough for now. I won't look for you. You can look me up if you want to tell me something else."
"All right." The young man left, looking back a couple of times, as if he weren't sure he really had seen and heard what he thought he had.
"Not totally hopeless," Jackie said, to Cameron. She had been sitting next to him at the bar and the young man hadn't noticed her.
"That's the first time anyone has ever thought that," Cameron observed.
David dropped by Donna's room.
"Cam is downstairs," he said. "True to ex-husband sensibilities, he asked me what I saw in you."
"I'll be kind enough not to ask you what you told him," Donna said. She laughed.
"That's kind, but it wasn't like that, really. I told him my ex-wife would have been a lot more his type."
"The chief of police? I don't know her, but as a fellow woman, I've got to defend her. Cam would be too much of a punishment, don't you think? After you broke her heart. I'm sure that was the way it was. It's impossible that she broke yours."
"Of course it's impossible. That had already been done long before."
"Oh, shut up David!" she said laughingly. But he looked so struck, she felt sorry right away. She went over and put her arms around him impulsively. "OK," she said.
He let her hold him like that for a few seconds.
But when she went to let go, she hesitated a second, and felt his hair touch her face, and a long forgotten feeling swept over her, so that in the next second they were kissing as if the last twenty-three years had not gone by yet; urgent and desperate, like it was their last chance, as it had seemed to be then.
Finally, she tore herself away and laughed, turning away from him. "It's like being taken back 23 years! Did you hear an old song?"
"No."
She stopped laughing and felt suddenly sad. This extreme sort of swing in her emotions was another thing that was familiar, but only from that time so long ago. "How can it feel the same like that?" she asked, as if asking the air, still turned away from him. "That same desperate quality. There's no reason for it. We could stay here all night, and nothing would be in the way of it."
Then they were both struck dumb, realizing they were both remembering their old dream; the one thing they never got to do and always wanted to do was being able to wake up together.
"Maybe that wasn't the reason for it," he said, like those thoughts had been spoken aloud.
"You created a good trip down memory lane," she said, trying to laugh it off.
There was a knock at the door.
So relieved she thought she'd be glad even to see Cameron standing there with his worst scowl, Donna opened the door.
It was the one person on earth best suited to show up at that time.
Zander stood there. "Oh, I'm glad you're here," he said to David. "I just talked to Dad, and I thought -"
"Come in sweetheart," Donna ushered him in, taking his arm.
She glanced at David and stopped cold.
David was looking at Zander. There was a light in his eyes, which was a light that should have showed up in Cameron's eyes, and never did, even if he was looking at Peter.
For a few seconds, she felt in a rush, a flash of what it must feel like to in love. In these few seconds, she loved David like it was meant to be, in all the old songs and all the old stories her mother and friends convinced her were false.
This momentary feeling had overwhelmed her, so that she stood dumb. David had already taken up the slack.
"I saw him too," David said to Zander. "Did he come up to you?"
"No, I went over to him. I saw him and just thought I would talk to him. I remembered about how it was better if I talked to him when he didn't expect it. We started in as usual, then he sort of said – I could hardly believe it. Anyway he said something like he shouldn't have let me have a gun. I got mad, walked off. Then I went back and he didn't want me to have any more stress." Zander spilled these words out to David in a rush.
"Sit down," David said to him.
"At first I thought he was just insulting me again. He was saying the accident was his fault too, but I thought he meant it only because I was so stupid he shouldn't have let me handle a gun. I still think that's why he might think it's his fault, but I said something like that to him and he said it wasn't that way."
"Brenda said something to him, like that, when I was first here, Alexander," Donna said, recovered. "I've told him that too, since. Not putting it that you were too stupid, but that he's the one who said you were – well anyway, that he was the adult and should have been supervising better."
"Yeah, Mom, he made some reference to it having been said."
"Are you sure he was admitting it?" Donna asked. "Or just referring to me or Brenda being wrong suggesting that?"
"He seemed like he was admitting it," Zander said. "I walked outside for awhile and calmed down and went back and said I was sorry, and I realized he was trying to make a concession. That's when he said I had enough stress. And said he wouldn't look for me, that I could look for him."
"That's all good," David said. "You're finally getting somewhere with him." David patted him on the back.
"I hope so," Zander said, sounding more relaxed. "It's starting to feel like I imagined it."
"Let's go up to Brenda's," David said. "I'll walk with you, in case Cam happens to be in the elevators."
"OK," Zander said.
"Sorry, Mom," Zander said.
"Never say that!" she hugged him. "You did right to come here."
"OK," Zander said. "Thanks," he said to David.
Donna watched them out, then closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief.
There was another knock. It was Brenda.
"Oh, Brenda!" Donna said. "Come in. Or, don't. Alexander and David are on their way to your room."
"You're OK?" Brenda asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I have," she said. "But it passed. Go ahead, I'll call Alex and tell him to wait for you."
"OK. You're all right, aren't you?"
"Of course, sweetie. Don't worry about me. Alexander talked to his father again, it's all right, but he'll tell you about it."
"Cam?"
"Yep."
"Poor Zander. OK. I'll see you later. Call me if you need me."
"Thanks, sweetheart," Donna said, watching her off.
When Brenda had disappeared into the elevator, Donna went out, determined to find Cameron.