Trina stood outside of city hall, waiting for Spencer to arrive. They were supposed to meet and go in to get married. She glanced at the clock and frowned, seeing that a half hour had just passed and Spencer was nowhere in sight. Sighing, she looked at the closed door and decided to just go and wait inside. She didn't know what was keeping him, but she couldn't keep waiting out in the chilly early spring air. Taking a deep breath, Trina walked into the city hall and down a long dark hallway that lead to a door with light spilling through. In the back of her mind, she found it strange, because she had expected to walk into a busy well lit office, not a dark hallway, but she had simply shrugged and continued on to the door.
Not giving it any more thought, Trina twisted the knob and opened the door to a scene she had never expected to see. There, before the justice of the peace, a balding man with a bushy gray beard, stood Spencer dressed in a black tux, and beside him, dressed in all white with baby Ace in her arms was Esme, giving her a self-satisfied smile.
"Hello, Trina. Nice of you to come. Spencer decided to marry me instead so we can be a proper family. Sorry if you thought something else," Esme smirked, cruelty dripping from her voice and gleaming in her eyes.
…..
"No!" Trina cried out as she sat up in bed, her eyes wide with horror. She couldn't believe it! All that Spencer had said and done, all that he had given her, including that ring had been a lie! He was marrying Esme!
"Trina?" Joss was up and next to her, gripping her shoulders. "Trina, what is it? What's wrong?"
"Spencer is marrying Esme!" Trina cried, falling forward into her friend's arms, not processing that she was not at city hall, but in the dorm room that she shared with Joss.
"What?"
"They were getting married and she was so awful and smug!" Trina sobbed.
Getting that Trina was having a nightmare, Joss wrapped her arms around her friend and rubbed her back, the way her own mother had always done for her whenever she was stricken with nightmares. "Hey, that was just a bad dream. Esme's in prison right now and Spencer is at Cam's, spending the night after a night of partying. He's nowhere near Esme, I promise. See, you're here in our dorm and it's nighttime. It was just a bad dream. Probably a bad case of nerves about tomorrow."
Frowning, Trina sat up and took in her surroundings. Relief filled her as she saw that indeed Joss was right. They were in their dorm, not city hall, and Esme was locked away from Spencer. There was no way she could marry him. Not that he would. Not now that he knew what her true purpose had been.
She felt her face heat up with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, Joss. I woke you up and…"
"Hey, don't mention it, alright. I wasn't really sleeping anyway. I was up texting Dex. I'm glad that I could be some comfort to you," Joss admitted. "I was surprised, though. After a night of Titanic and The Notebook, you seemed to be sleeping so peacefully."
"It seemed so real. Esme was so smug…."
"Oh, of course."
"Thank god it was just a dream. I feel totally stupid for even thinking it was real," Trina sighed, the tension from the dream beginning to fade.
"With all that witch has put you through, it's understandable. What I don't get though, is why she targeted you in the first place. I mean, she had been just manipulating Spencer. She hadn't even liked him like that, not really. It was all fake, so why the big jealous girlfriend act? Especially when you had done nothing to deserve it?"
"Maybe she really did like Spencer after all. Or maybe she was afraid that her father's plan would fall apart if Spencer began to like someone else."
"She wanted to isolate Spencer. Keep him from having any friends outside of herself. She knew that we saw through her and knew that the longer Spencer was around us, the more likely he'll see through her as we had. It all makes perfect sense now when you think about it," Joss nodded. "God, I wish Spencer had never gone to that boarding school. He should have gone to PC High with you, me, and Cam. Esme wouldn't have had a chance to get to him, then."
"So true," Trina nodded. "But he had gone to that boarding school and Esme did happen. We can't go back to change it now. We can only deal with the after-effects. Which is, me and Spencer getting married tomorrow and starting a real life together so we can get that baby away from that psycho."
"Cheers to that," Joss chuckled, just as a yawn came from her. She gave an embarrassed smile. "Well, I guess, I better get some sleep in. Big day tomorrow. Are you going to be ok? I can stay up with you for a little while if you want?"
"I'll be ok. It was just a nightmare. I should be good for the rest of the night."
"Alright. I'm over in the next bed if you should need anything. God, I'm going to miss this. These late-night discussions."
"I will too. But look at it this way. You can now have Dex over whenever you want and won't have to worry about me interrupting you."
"I was never worried about that," Joss frowned.
"I know, but it is a perk, right?" Trina chuckled as Joss returned to her own bed and slipped under the covers.
"I don't know. I rather have late-night girl talks with my bestie."
Trina was touched. "I'll keep my cell on so we can at least have late-night texts. Would that be good?"
"That would be awesome," Joss chuckled. "Night Trina."
"Good night, Joss. See you in the morning."
…..
It had been a night at Charlies with Cam, talking and reminiscing about their childhood rivalry over Emma Drake and how funny that they had ended up best friends and Cam was there to witness Spencer find the love of his life in Trina. Cam also confessed to Spencer that after the wedding, Cam would be leaving town to start the spring semester at Stanford. He was leaving Port Charles for good and starting anew somewhere else. Spencer was sad to see Cam go, but he was proud of his cousin and wished him well, and promised that he and Trina would come to visit as often as they could.
Now Spencer was sitting outside on the Webber porch steps, his mind drifting to tomorrow's ceremony. He had gone all day without seeing Trina, and it was killing him. He missed her so much, it was as if he was missing a part of his own body at this point. He wanted to go see her so badly, even sneak into her dorm room if need be...but that would be too creepy, right? Well, they did say that Cassadines had a problem with obsession…
"Hey, why are you out here and not sleeping upstairs?" Cam came out, carrying two cups of warm milk.
Spencer gave a grateful smile and accepted the milk. "I couldn't sleep. I can't stop thinking about Trina. I miss her…"
"And you'll be seeing her tomorrow at city hall, man," Cam chuckled. "You'll survive one more night without her. Just remember, it'll be your last one. After tomorrow, you two will never be apart again. You'll finally get the girl of your dreams. It'll make all the shit you've been through these past two years worth it."
"I just wish that my father could be there. I've wasted so much time hating him and pushing him away. Now it looks like I've finally succeeded in doing so and now all I want is for him to be here."
"I'm sorry, man."
"I don't even know what advice he could give me or what he would even say. Heck, would there even be a wedding at all? I mean, with him here, I definitely wouldn't be fighting for custody. Not anymore. Not after knowing what I know now. God, that Esme. I hate her so much, Cam."
"I know. We all do. She's as evil as they come, which is why it's good you and Trina are doing this. You have to get that baby away from her."
Spencer just nodded and sighed. "You know, Ace isn't the only reason why I am marrying Trina."
"He's not?"
Spencer shook his head. "I agreed because...Trina has lost so much faith in her parents. When it comes to family, she's not sure what's real and what isn't. I can relate, you know? The thing is...I want to give her something real. Something that she knows is true and there's no question of it. She knows that my love for her is real. She knows that she can come to me always, without a doubt. I want to give her a new family. One that she knows is real. One where there are no secrets to tear it apart."
"And she can have that family with you and Ace? I mean...I get what you're saying, but your last name is Cassadine."
Spencer just rolled his eyes. "Not all of us Cassadines are bad. Look at Sam. Look at Molly."
Cam just laughed and held a hand up in defeat. "Alright, alright. You have a point there. I get you, and I'm sure that you can give Trina what she needs. Just remember, always be truthful with her man. Even if the truth may hurt. It'll hurt her more if you lie."
"I get what you're saying."
"Good. Now let's finish off this milk and get to bed. I have to get you to city hall in the morning."
Spencer just laughed and quickly drank the rest of his milk before following Cam back up to his room, where both boys fell into a dreamless sleep.
