Spencer woke up far too early. He was tempted to lay back down and go back to sleep, but the sight of his sleeping girlfriend kept him awake. He just laid there and watched her, enjoying how her face was so relaxed and at peace, the worries of the world far far away. He wished that he could keep them away, but he knew that was impossible. As soon as she wakes up, the worries will be back in full force.
After half an hour of watching Trina sleep, Spencer couldn't take it anymore. He needed to get up and get some kind of exercise. But what exercise can he do? His Uncle had ordered him to stay inside, so jogging was out and he had no weights or a treadmill here. Sighing, he just shook his head. Whatever. Skipping a few days of exercise won't hurt. He'll just go down and make breakfast for Trina. That should keep him busy.
Kissing his sleeping girlfriend's cheek, he slipped out of bed, got dressed in the same clothes he wore the day before because he has nothing else to wear, and slipped down to the kitchen to find Dex at the oven and a laptop.
Great. Just what he didn't need this early in the morning.
Closing his eyes, he tried to push back against his annoyance and tried not to see Cam's heartbroken face in his mind's eye. He knew that this situation was going to call for both of them to be civil, but he didn't know if he could do it.
"So are you going to come in or just stand there like a statue?" Dex looked at Spencer with arched brows.
"I was just going to get a bowl of cereal. It won't be long," Spencer replied coolly. He tried to keep his eyes off Dex, knowing that just looking at the guy pissed him off because he looked so smug and not sorry for what he did to Cam!
Dex sighed. He didn't like this kid, but he was Joss's friend, and the four of them were stuck together for god knew how long. Plus he was the boss's nephew. They should at least try to clear the air.
"Look. I know that for some reason, you don't like me, and believe me, the feeling is mutual. You're the last person I'd want to go into hiding with," Dex began, deciding to try to make a way for peace. Whether that peace lasted, well that wasn't up to him.
"Well, I can't deny that. I don't like you."
"What I don't get is why? What have I ever done to you to earn your hatred?" Dex turned off the stove and turned to face his nemesis.
Spencer pursed his lips and closed the refrigerator door. He turned around to face the girlfriend stealing, Uncle betraying bastard.
"Ok. Here it is. You moved in on Joss when she was still with Cam. You saw that she had a boyfriend and went after her anyway. I mean, what is that? Have you no code, man? How could you go after another guy's girl and have no freaking remorse, especially when the other guy is the sweetest, most honest guy in the world who would have rather died than hurt her? I could see it if Cam was a bastard to Joss, but he was good to her man! What you did, was inexcusable!"
"Ok. So you hate me for what I did to your friend. But that's between the three of us, man. It has nothing to do with you."
"I hate seeing my friends in pain. I hate people that put them in pain. You put Cam in pain, so…," Spencer shrugged, making his point.
"That's it? Joss left Cam for me and that makes you hate me so much? I'm not buying it. There's something else. Something that you're not saying. Look, we're stuck with each other for...who knows how long. We're going to have to find a way to get along because I'm not about to spend all my time and energy fighting with you and I know you don't want Trina to spend all her time and energy breaking up fights between us. We need to lay all of our cards out on the table.
"I don't like you because you're always a dick towards me. But otherwise, it's not that serious. See? Simple."
Spencer sighed and then shrugged his shoulders. He turned around and met Dex's eyes full-on. "Alright. I don't trust you with my Uncle Sonny. If you can betray a guy you don't know, there's no telling what you're capable of with my Uncle."
"Have I done anything towards Sonny that even says I'm not trustworthy? Name one thing!"
"I overheard a conversation between you and Joss's brother, that's what! Neither of you saw me, you were in a staircase and I was trying to hurry to a doctor's appointment, but neither of you saw me. I heard you both plotting against my Uncle!" Spencer folded his arms and openly glared at Dex. "The same Uncle that's helping you hide from Selina Wu right now!"
Dex blinked in shock. "What the...and you never told him?"
"He won't believe me. You have my Uncle Sonny snowed and he knows that I have the tendency to be...overly dramatic and that works against me. I'm very much aware of that. So I know if I accused you of anything without proof, which I don't have, he'll just say I'm being jealous and ignore me. But I know what you are up to and I have my eye on you, Dex! I'm not going to let you get away with setting up my Uncle Sonny!"
Ok. So things were making sense now. Spencer knew about the plot to set up Sonny. He knew that he wouldn't be believed if he went and told, so all he could do was show his intense dislike. How could he fix this? Could he fix this?"
"If it makes you feel any better...it wasn't personal. Micheal had hired me for a job. He...he was angry with Sonny because…"
"Because Uncle Sonny isn't with his mom anymore, I know. What a childish...let's just say people call me childish and immature, but at least I own up to it. I know I am. But Micheal wants to act like he's an adult and his motives are pure when he wants to betray Uncle Sonny because his mommy and daddy aren't together anymore!"
"Ok, you have a point. But he's changed his mind. He doesn't want to set Sonny up anymore. Willow talked to him and she wanted him to make peace, so he called me off...trapping me in a world that I really don't want to be in, but can't walk away from."
Spencer frowned. "Why can't you?"
Dex rolled his eyes as if the answer was obvious. "It's the mob, Spencer. I know too much! Sonny's not going to simply let me walk away! To quit working for Sonny, I'll have to leave Port Charles, which means leaving Joss...which I can't do."
Spencer opened up the refrigerator door again and took out a pitcher of milk. "Really? My Uncle is a reasonable man. He's not like the other mob bosses. If you go to him, tell him that you want out, because Joss doesn't want her boyfriend in a life of crime, most likely he'll let you go. But YOU have to ask him. Not Joss, not me or Micheal or anyone else. It has to be you."
"I don't know man…"
"I know my Uncle. He didn't want you dating Joss, but when he found out, what did he do?"
Dex bowed his head. "Shrugged and let it go, because I had saved his life."
"Right. So doesn't that tell you something? Besides, he let Jason go, but he came back. He had let Milo go. Those were men who had worked for him a lot longer than you. Just tell him you want out so you can at least try to give Joss the life she deserves."
Spencer had a point. Dex was just assuming that Sonny wouldn't let him go, just like he had assumed that Sonny would have him killed for dating Joss. Sonny hadn't had him killed though. In fact, he didn't even care. What would happen if he asked Sonny to let him out? Would the mobster understand? Or would he want to have Dex killed after all? Did he dare to find out?
"I don't know. Maybe you're right."
"Besides, why are you so against Uncle Sonny? He's not the most evil man in Port Charles. In fact, he's keeping a lot of the bad stuff out."
"I see that now, alright and I've grown to like and respect the man. As I said, what Micheal had me doing wasn't personal and I was even beginning to hate it."
"So you're no longer trying to set him up?"
"I'm no longer doing that, Spencer. I just want to get out so I can live my life with Joss."
"What is this we see?" Joss came in with a yawning Trina behind her. "Are you two actually having a civil conversation?"
"I knew that you could do it," Trina walked up to Spencer and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Someone this pretty can do anything."
"Hey, I'm not pretty. I'm more...handsome," Spencer chuckled, leaning down to give his girlfriend a good morning kiss.
"We're just clearing the air between us. Figured that you two wouldn't want to spend your time breaking up fights between us," Dex explained as Joss claimed his lips for a kiss of her own.
"You got that right," Joss smiled into her boyfriend's eyes, feeling grateful. Hopefully, this meant the end to the tension in the house.
Everyone froze as the door was suddenly opened and in walked Sonny, followed by Laura, Taggert, and Carly.
"Mom!" Joss flew into her mother's arms.
"Grandmother!" Spencer immediately went to Laura.
"Daddy! You won't believe what Mom did!" Trina immediately went to hug Taggert, determined to tell her father everything. "She is so awful!"
Sonny stood back and smiled, watching the reunion as his man brought in the suitcases of clothes that the adults had packed for the hiding young people.
"This was nice of you, sir," Dex went to stand next to his boss.
"Well, these are good people. They deserved to know what was going on with their family. They brought some of their clothes and Frank and I stopped at your apartment and packed some of your belongings for you as well."
"You didn't have to do that, sir…," Dex stared at his boss, stunned. He had always been alone, all of his life and no one had ever thought to do anything like this for him, until now. First Sonny took him in and saved his life, now this. Guilt filled Dex as he realized that Spencer was right. Sonny didn't deserve all the plotting that had been going on against him. He was indeed not an evil man.
…..
It was now late afternoon and it was nearing time for the older adults to head back to Port Charles. Sonny gathered everyone into the living room, where they sat together.
"Uncle Sonny, thank you so much for bringing Grandmother to see me. I just wish I was able to see Ace again. Too bad Esme won't let him out of her sight for long," Spencer smiled, thankful for the time he got to spend with Laura.
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Corinthos. This means a lot to me," Trina leaned against Taggert, again thinking that he was the only parental figure she could trust right now. There was Curtis as well, but she didn't want to put him in the position of having to lie to her mother. Their marriage was already rocky enough. Curtis didn't deserve the drama lying to Portia would bring.
"So, I guess we stay here until everything gets taken care of, right?" Joss asked, knowing that she too should thank Sonny but couldn't bring herself to. Judging by how her mother was looking at her, she knew that Carly was not happy, but didn't say anything.
"Actually...I have a proposition for you guys. It was your mother's idea really. This house is too small for the four of you to stay in indefinitely. So...what she was thinking was how about I send the four of you to the island. You'll have more room to spread out. Can enjoy the beach and will be perfectly safe from Wu and Portia's hitman brother?" Sonny put the option out there, not knowing how everyone would react.
"You mean your island in Puerto Rico?" Spencer's eyes widened with delight. Just thinking about Trina on the beach, in the sun in a bikini...it made his heart race. He began to smile, but the smile faded when he caught Taggert's glare.
"Yes, that's what I'm talking about," Sonny chuckled.
"Wow, Mr. Corinthos...that's...wow...I don't know what to say. Joss?" Trina looked at her friend.
"As long as I'm with Dex, I don't care," Joss shrugged.
"Daddy...I know that you're going to worry, but don't. I'm fine. Spencer is the perfect gentleman by the way," Trina caught her father's glare. Then added an "Unfortunately" under her breath.
"He better be," Taggert kissed her forehead. "You take care of my little girl, Cassadine. Bring her back from that island in one piece."
"Yes sir," Spencer gulped, giving an overly enthusiastic nod.
"The same goes for Joss. I want her back happy and suntanned and bullet free," Carly addressed Dex who could only give a solemn nod, sensing that Carly did not like him, which he couldn't blame her. After all, he was putting her daughter in danger.
"Baby girl, are you sure that you don't want your mother to know…," Taggert began, hating that the relationship between Trina and Portia could now be considered nonexistent. Why couldn't Portia listen to him? Why was she so determined to destroy all hopes of reconciliation?
"I am positive. What she did by sending Uncle Zeke after Spencer was not only evil...it was disrespectful. She doesn't respect me or my choices. She wants to just run all over my boundaries, so I can't have her in my life at all anymore. This is the way it has to be."
"I understand. I just wish that it hadn't come to this," Taggert hugged his daughter one last time before pulling away. "By the time I see you again, we'll have those results. I can promise you that."
Trina's smile was sad. The results of the DNA test were not even that important to her anymore. She had the love and support of both of her potential fathers and that was what was important to her.
"Okay, it's time for us to fly," Sonny announced, heading for the door. "Kids, be ready to fly out first thing tomorrow morning."
"Goodbye, kids. Stay safe," Laura kissed Spencer's cheek and gave Trina's hand a supportive squeeze.
"Yes, stay safe and do everything Sonny says. No arguing," Carly sternly looked at Joss before hugging her goodbye.
Five minutes later, it was just the four runaways left, looking at each other awkwardly.
"So...we're going to get a free trip to Puerto Rico. I don't hate it," Trina folded her arms across her chest, leaning against Spencer as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "We're actually running away from home. It seems so much more real now."
"At least it won't be so cramped anymore. Sonny's island is a nice size and there's even a hotel. You're going to love it, Trina," Joss gave her friend an encouraging smile. "This is so much more fun than backpacking across Europe."
"I'm going to make dinner. It'll be our first and last dinner together here," Trina forced a smile, trying to look at things brightly. She was with the love of her life and her best friend. They were going to have a summer in paradise. There was no reason to be sad. This was going to be a summer to remember. Despite the circumstances that they were under.
