A/N: Sorry this took so long! I had a few ideas and didn't know how to incorporate them all. My only issue is that I feel like the more I write, the more Out of Character I'm making everyone. Oh well. But Chapter 6 is already started. I don't think you'll be TOO disappointed LOL

Chapter 5: Meetings

"Logan is supposed to meet me here any minute," Lulu said to Carly as they entered The Metro Court's lobby.

"Not that I'm a huge fan of the guy, but are you sure this is what you want?"

"More than anything."

"You better know what you're getting yourself into." They made their way to the elevators. "I'm going to go up to my office. After you take care of business, we'll discuss how to proceed."

"What kind of business," came a voice from behind Lulu and Carly. They turned to see Logan standing behind them.

"Just something Tracy asked me to do for my dad," Lulu covered smoothly. "Listen, let's take a walk to Kelly's for some coffee. I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure," Logan answered, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Carly," he said in acknowledgment.

"Logan." Her voice was chipper, because she knew exactly what Lulu was planning to tell him.

The elevator doors finally dinged to announce their arrival. Just as they were opening, Carly said, "When you're done, just come up to my office… " She trailed off as all three of them saw Johnny in the elevator vestibule. Tension as thick as sludge fell across the room.

First thing Johnny noticed was Logan's arm around Lulu's shoulder. Despite his dream from earlier, a jealousy he couldn't explain raged through him.

Lulu noticed that Johnny's naturally tan skin was strangely pale, and he just didn't look… right.

Carly noticed the same thing. "Good afternoon, Johnny. Looks like the Jack didn't agree with you last night," she said with a grin. That grin faded as he shot her a look that said more than words could.

"What the hell is he doing here," Logan said with copious amounts of animosity.

"It's my hotel," Carly answered. "I can let whoever I want to stay here. Like if I really wanted to, I could have you thrown out in less than a second."

Lulu ignored the two of them. "Johnny, are you alright? You don't look so hot –" she started to say, but Johnny cut her off.

"You leave me the hell alone," he snarled as he stormed off the elevator. Lulu flinched at the malice in his voice.

"What a gentleman," Logan snapped. "I told you he was bad news."

Carly could see Lulu tense up immediately. Before Lulu could retort, she said, "Sweetheart, why don't you go have your talk with Logan. I'm going to have a word with Mr. Zacchara over there."

"Don't waste your breath on that loser," Logan said. "He's not worth your time."

"Oh and you are," she retorted. As she walked away, she leaned down and whispered in Lulu's ear, "Despite the mob thing, Johnny is definitely an upgrade from this – what does Spinelli call him – neanderthal." Lulu just smiled as she led Logan out of the hotel.

It took Carly a minute to catch up to Johnny. He was standing in the front of the hotel, barking orders in his cell phone for someone to pick him up.

She stalked up to him, grabbing his arm to turn him around.

"Okay, Johnny, what happened after I left last night? Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"

"For all intents and purposes, I did."

"What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath. "I had a dream last night…" Johnny paused, thinking that maybe telling Carly wasn't the best idea. "Just a bad dream," he finished, lamely.

"Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, too, and he told the whole word," she snapped. "Now what's going on?"

"Nothing that involves you."

"You listen to me, Zacchara, if it has to do with Lulu, it has to do with me. You want to keep her safe, right? Then tell me what's wrong?"

"I can't even keep her safe in my dreams," he yelled, finally pushed to the breaking point by Carly's incessant badgering. "Okay? I had a dream she was shot and died in my arms and I was covered in her blood. Are you happy now?"

"Johnny," she said, immediately softening, "it was just a dream. It didn't happen."

"Well, it sure felt real," he replied bitterly. "And if things continue, it probably will."

"You don't know that."

Johnny gave Carly a suspicious look. "What happened to keeping her safe, huh? Distancing myself?"

She swallowed nervously. "I'm just saying things like that aren't necessarily going to happen. It was just a dream."

Johnny rubbed his hands over his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. I'm too tired right now to deal with this. Just do me one favor."

"What do you need?"

"Promise me you'll help keep her away from me. I can't chance that ever happening to her. Promise you'll make her stay away."

Carly just looked at him. "Have you ever known Lulu to do what people tell her?"

"Please." He was almost begging.

She sighed. "I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best. I can't control what she does, but I will definitely stay on her case, okay?"

"I guess that's all I can ask for," he replied. At that moment his car pulled up. As he was getting in, Carly stopped him.

"If anything else happens, dreams or otherwise, let me know. Just because."

"'Just because'?"

"Because you're not half bad, Zacchara. Underneath that rough exterior, you're actually quite a decent fellow."

He let a small grin flash across his features as he nodded his head goodbye and got in the car. As it sped away, Carly put her head in her hands. I promised Lulu I'd help her get Johnny; I promised Johnny I'd keep Lulu away. What the hell have I gotten myself into?