Chapter 15- Tiny Dancers

Scout squeezed Drew and Sam's hands tightly as they walked up to the dance studio. Scout had finished daycare and Danny had finished school for the summer. He wanted to take summer school even though he ended with straight As, but Sam convinced him to get back into swimming instead. He and Scout would also be attending Lila's Kids three days a week while Sam was working.

"Are you excited, Princess?" Drew asked as they walked inside.

Scout nodded "Uh huh. I'm gonna be a dancer."

When they walked inside the older class was just finishing up. Aiden, dressed in black shirt and black tights, was the only boy amongst five girls doing ballet.

Elizabeth and Ric and the only other mother there clapped loudly as they bowed for their parents.

"Wow, Aiden!" Elizabeth smiled proudly at him. "You were amazing like always."

"Great job, buddy," Ric said.

"Thanks," Aiden said. "I think I'm getting a little better."

Ring. Ring.

Elizabeth pulled out her phone. "It's the hospital. I better take it." She slipped out to the hallway with her phone.

Aiden smiled. "Hi Scout. Are you going to dance too?"

Scout nodded. "I'm gonna be a ballerina."

"Awe little Gayden can't make friends his own age so he's friends with the babies," one of the girls in his class said in a baby voice and the other girls laughed.

Aiden frowned and shrunk his shoulders.

"I'm not a baby," Scout said. "And his name is Aiden."

"Girls, be a little nicer," Ric said.

"Yeah, don't call people names," Drew said. "That's not cool."

"But boys don't dance," said another girl. "He doesn't ever talk at school and always does girl things."

"Yeah like bake cookies for the class," said the first girl.

Aiden stared at the floor.

"Boys can dance and bake," said Sam. "There are a lot of famous male dancers and very successful bakers."

"Are you just going to stand there?" Drew gestured to the mom of the first girl. "Let your daughter bully a kid?"

The mother grabbed her daughter's bag. "Let's go, Abby." She prodded her out the door.

"I don't think Gayden will ever have any friends," said the second girl. "He's too quiet and weird!"

"He's not weird and I'm his friend!" Scout kicked her leg. "You poopy head!"

Sam's eyes grew wide.

"Ow!" The girl cradled her leg and hopped on one foot.

Elizabeth returned out of breath.

"Mom…" Aiden said in a soft voice as he walked over to her. "Can we go home? I don't want to dance anymore."

"Not dance?" Elizabeth frowned. "We'll talk about this later, okay? Ric… can you drop me off at the hospital and take Aiden home?"

Ric scrunched his face. "Sure… why?"

"Hayden and Finn were in a car accident. Violet was in the back seat…"

"No car!" Scout shook her head and backed up towards the wall. "No car! No car!"

"Oh, Scout, sweetie," Elizabeth said. "I'm sorry."

"Scout, you're okay," Sam said. "You're safe."

"Yes, Princess." Drew smiled at her. "Don't you want to dance? Mommy and Daddy have been looking forward to watching you."

Scout breathed in and out heavily but nodded. "Yeah."

GHGHGH

"Well, I think you are a super duper fantastical dancer!" Drew said as Scout bounced on his shoulders.

"Will you come to my restical, Daddy?" Scout asked.

Sam laughed. "You mean your recital."

"I most definitely will!" Drew said. "And I'll be cheering the loudest, Princess. It'll be the perfect way to end the summer."

As they walked up to Kelly's, Spencer was dressed in a suit and pulled a chair out for Emma at the outside table. Emma, wearing a pink skirt sat down and he pushed it in for her.

"Thank you, Spencer," Emma said.

Spencer sat across from her. "At last we're alone. No Josslyn. No Trina. And most of all, no Cameron."

Emma shrugged. "I guess."

He reached for her hands. "Emma, you have really grown into your beauty. Your primly smooth hair. Your sweet and luminous brown eyes. I adore you."

Sam cleared her throat as they walked closer. "Hi Spencer."

"Sam!" Emma smiled brightly and dropped Spencer's hands.

"Oh, hello," Spencer said sullenly.

"How are you, Emma?" Sam asked.

"Good. It's nice to be back in Port Charles. Closer to Grandma and Grandpa. And my old friends." She smiled at Spencer.

Drew, Sam, and Scout found a seat inside Kelly's and ordered three burgers and three milkshakes.

Scout slurped on her milkshake.

"How does it taste, Princess?" Drew asked.

"Super yummy!" Scout said.

Drew smiled. "Good to hear!"

"Ugh, I can't stand Spencer!" Cameron's voice announced his presence as he walked in with Jason and Jake.

"But he's our cousin," Jake said, but then scrunched his face. "Well he was… No, he's Aiden's cousin."

"He assumes I'm going to steal Emma from him, and this is just their real first date!" Cameron said.

Scout's eyes grew wide and her chest moved up and down quickly. Sam expected the worst, then Scout just scowled at Jason.

Jason nodded at Sam then he sat at a table with Cameron and Jake. "Did you boys enjoy the game?"

"Yeah, I'm glad our team won," Jake said.

"Thanks for the tickets…" Cameron said.

"Well, thank you for inviting me," Jason said. "I thought you'd take your mom or Aiden or one of your friends for the third seat."

Cameron shrugged. "Mom and Aiden aren't really into football. Besides, he has dance on Wednesdays. It was Jake's idea."

"Would you like anything else, Princess?" Drew asked.

"A cookie?" Scout asked.

Sam smiled. "I think we can manage that."

"What kind of cookie?" Drew asked.

Scout smiled. "Chocolate chip!"

"Well, I mean the game was fun and all," Jake said. "But I wanted to ask if you'd help us with something."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Help with what?"

Jake looked at Cameron.

Cameron cleared his throat. "With getting rid of Ric."

Jason leaned forward. "What do you mean get rid of?"

Cam shrugged. "Whatever means possible to free Mom of him."

Jason pursed his lips.

"There's something really off about him," Jake said.

"Has he hurt either of you?" Jason asked.

"Not exactly," Cam said.

"But he came close a couple of times with Cam," Jake said.

"I can handle him," Cam said. "As long as he doesn't try to do that to you or Aiden."

"Do what?" Jason asked.

"Nothing," Cam said.

Scout took a bite of her cookie and looked over at Jason once more. "Is Danny's daddy gonna take Danny away?"

Sam sighed.

Drew locked eyes with Sam. "Should we tell her?"

Sam nodded. "I know this is hard to understand… but you and Danny have the same Daddy." She placed a hand on Drew's shoulder. "We thought Jason was his dad, but your daddy is his daddy too."

Scout smiled. "Are we going to be a family like the pictures?"

"You mean our family pictures when you were a baby?" Sam asked.

"Yeah."

"Well…" Sam said.

"We will always be a family whether we live in the same house or different houses," Drew said. "And your mom and I will always be there for you and Danny."

"I don't know if I can be much help breaking your mom and Ric up," Jason said. "But I do think she'll be able to think a little clearer if she can be away from him for a bit."

Ring. Ring.

Jason pressed his phone to his ear and scrunched his face. "Ric? What? No. I think the boys should come home with me. Until Elizabeth gets home. Okay. Okay." He slipped his phone away.

"What's going on?" Cameron asked.

"Well, I want to be honest with you boys," Jason said. "Your aunt was in a car accident with your cousin Violet and Dr. Finn."

Jake's mouth dropped slightly. "Are they okay?"

"Hayden and Finn are in critical condition. It seems as though Violet will be fine, but she has to stay over night for observation. Your mom is staying with her tonight."

"Oh my gosh…" Cam said.

"Do you boys want to come home with me tonight, so you don't have to stay with Ric?" Jason asked.

Cameron looked at Jake.

"Maybe," Jake said.

Cam shook his head. "You go with Jason. I don't want Aiden alone with Ric."

Jake looked between Jason and Cameron. "I'll go home too. To protect Aiden."

"Are you ready to go home, baby girl?" Sam asked.

Scout yawned. "I want Daddy to come too."

Sam locked eyes with Drew and smiled. "What if he comes to help tuck you in?"

"Yeah and we'll read your favourite bedtime story," Drew said.

"Yeah!" Scout lit up.

"What is your favourite story?" Drew asked.

"Paperbag Princess," Scout said.

He tapped her nose. "Then let's read that."