Life As It Should Be: Chapter 7
Saturday, 03-Jun-00 11:27:36

4.54.20.250 writes:
Chapter 7

The night was finally over and she was glad. It had been a night filled with tension. With the Cassadines ignoring the Spencers, the Spencers ignoring the Cassadines except for occasional snide remarks made by Luke and Katherine’s attempts to make ‘nice’. The Quatermaines however had spent the night refusing to be ignored, making a spectacle of themselves until AJ, still pretending to be drunk started telling the family secrets, counting of all the people HIS mother had slept with then turning on his father. She had not been aware that Ned Ashton had once had an affair with his aunt! To stop AJ’s ramblings the family had chosen to leave…much to the relief of everyone. The Cassadines had left soon after.

Caroline had said goodnight to the family the moment they got to Wyndemere and headed straight for bed. The night had worn her out emotionally, especially her talk with her grandmother earlier in the park, she was reminded of things she wanted to forget.

Caroline sighed and crawled into bed after changing into her black silk pajamas. No sooner had her head touched the pillow than she was asleep.



They were on his boat…


" Oh come on Caroline Sea water won’t kill you! Let’s just go for a little swim!" he insisted.

" I don’t want to… I like it here! You go ahead I’ll watch you while I get my sun" Caroline waved at him.

" What’s the fun in that… if you are not with me? That’s why you are here, to do things with me!" he shook his head at her.

" I thought it was because you wanted to show of your new boat?" she teased laughing at him.

"Oh yeah that too." He grinned " But you like my boat, so now we are going swimming in the water" he got a sly look and started towards her. She jumped up and moved away.

" Ohh no you don’t!" she started running to the other end of the boat. He just grinned and followed close behind.

" Get away from me you," Caroline giggled running as the dark-haired man chased her around the huge boat. He just laughed and launched him self at her bringing her down with him as he fell to the ground. He rolled her beneath him pinning her to the floor of the boat.
" You can’t get way my dear" he let out a mock growl in an Irish accent as he tickled her. Caroline put up a mock struggle, batting away his assaulting hands. He finally stopped…laughing as he sat up.

He moved his hands to her sides trapping her beneath but leaning up to look down into her face. Caroline looked up at his hypnotizing blue eyes and smiled at the way he was staring at her.
" What? Do I have something on my face?" she teased. He just shook his head still staring.

" No you look beautiful," he answered in awe…stroking the side of her face. " You always look beautiful even when you DO have stuff all over your face" he added with a laugh dodging the punch she sent his way.

" I never have ‘stuff’ on my face" she pouted prettily. His lips lifted to one side of his mouth in a sexy grin.

" Yes, you do," he leaned down to kiss her, before she could say anything. He took her lips and she forgot all about his comment placing her hands behind his head to pull him closer. Letting herself be enraptured by his kiss as he deepened it. She welcomed his tongue greedily and he let out a moan and pulled back.

" Marry me" he asked huskily trying to catch his breath, staring down at her his eyes roaming over her face lovingly then moving to her eyes. Caroline gasped her eyes widening.

" Are you kidding!?" she screamed pushing him to the side and moving on to straddle him as he landed on his back. She looked down at his face unable to hide the love in her eyes, the excitement on her face. " IAN!" she leaned down before he could even answer, kissing him breathlessly in her joy.

Ian looked up laughing " Does this mean yes?" he framed her face with his hands waiting for an answer.

" YES? Yes?!" she jumped up on her feet and clapped her hands once in glee then started dancing around laughing waving her hands in the air. " I can’t believe this!" she came back to him and grabbed his hands pulling him into her dance.

" Can’t believe what?" Ian laughed going a long with her dance… loving the joy and euphoria on her face.

" I can’t believe you asked me to MARRY you!" she let out a squeal "… You did ask me to marry you right?" she stopped and stared at him for a moment and he took her back into his arms, bring his forehead to rest on hers.

" Yes, Caroline IRIS Cassadine, I DID ask you to marry me… you still haven’t answered me though," he grinned down into her eyes. She stared back entranced by the love she saw in them, this man who loved her… this man she loved with everything she was, was asking her to spend the rest of her life with him.

" Yes, yes, yes" she kissed his face happily, and he let out a loud shout lifting her into the air as he swung her around and around. He had expected her to say yes…but to hear the words from her mouth made his heart soar. She laughed down at him let him swing her around, her hands braced on his shoulders. He finally let he down and they stared at each other happily.

" You’ll marry me," he said it out loud with a big grin, " My IRIS will marry me," he began to tease and she frowned at him good-naturedly.

"I will only marry you if you STOP insisting on calling me IRIS!" she poked his chest. She disliked her middle name, it was a silly name and she knew he called her that on purpose. To rile her up.

" Oh come on…Iris goddess of the rainbows doesn’t want me to call her by her name," he mocked and she punched him on his arm.

" Stop calling me that, you’re ruining the moment!"

" But it’s your name…" he taunted with a laugh… he loved to tease her, make her break her cool Cassadine façade.

" It’s a stupid name!" she declared hands now on her hips as she moved towards his now retreating figure. He stopped when his back hit the rail.

" Ok…ok IRIS… I won’t call you Iris, though I personally think it fits you …cause you are as beautiful as the rainbow," he placed his hands in the air as if to surrender though his expression was far from repentant. Caroline had to laugh at his corny compliment.

" As beautiful as the rainbow?" she lifted a brow in amusement.

"More so," his eyes danced as she came into his arms. He leaned down and kissed her and she moaned in pleasure bringing her hand to his bare chest then down to his lower back. His hands spanned her waist then moved upwards moving to take the weight of her bikini-covered breasts in his hands. He pulled back and Caroline let out a moan of protest and looked up to him in puzzlement. He looked behind him at the blue water then turned to look down at her his eyes full of mischief. Caroline recognized that look and shook her head " Don’t you dare!" but it was too late a mischievous grin had spread on his face and he was already lifting her over the rail.

Caroline found herself in the blue seawater and she looked up in disgruntlement at her laughing fiancé. " What the hell was that!?" she yelled treading the water.

" I thought you could use some cooling off!" Ian laughed looking at her expression. He jumped over the rail and joined her in the water. He swam to where she was and took her back into his arms. " I love you," he said seriously as he moved the wet strands of hair from her face.

" I love you too," she smiled…happily " So we’re really getting married?" she asked as she wrapped her hands around his waist.

"Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, be with you every waking day" he said softly…giving her a look of such devotion and love… she would never forget…



The race was about to start…

Caroline was standing next to her husband as he talked to Helena and Stefan. She had a bad feeling… in fact she had had this feeling since she woke up this morning. Ian had asked her what was wrong but she had smiled it off. She couldn’t shake it though.

" Darling, are you okay?" Ian looked down at her in concern. She smiled up at him, but he frowned and sat down next to her.

" What’s wrong?" he asked again brushing her hair gently. Caroline couldn’t help it.

" I just have a bad feeling Ian, I have this bad feeling," she explained.

" Is it the baby? Are you sick?" Ian began to panic moving his hands to the small bulge on her waist.

" No. No it’s not physical. I just... something doesn’t feel right’ she touched the hand that was still touching her stomach.

" You mean like superstition bad?" he raised his brow at her. At her nod he grinned the worry clearing form his face " When did YOU become superstitious…is Anna rubbing of on you? Do you have garlic in your pocket too?" he teased mentioning their over superstitious housekeeper. At his words she had to smile, picturing herself walking around cloves and garlic in her pocket.

" No I don’t" she shoved his hands playfully when he reached to search pockets.

"IAN" one of his teammates called out his name pointing at his watch and he turned to wave at him, to give him a minute. Ian turned back to her.

" You want me to stay with you?" he asked quietly. Her first instinct was to say yes... but she knew how much he had been looking forward to this race… how much he wanted a chance to win it. Sailing was his passion she would not deny him that, just because of a silly feeling. She forced a smile… " No. You go ahead and have fun!" she nodded towards the water.

" Are you sure?" he looked at her face, she could see the eagerness in his face and she nodded. " Go ahead, bring me back a trophy!" she smiled.

" But of course," he kissed her and got up crouching before her. " For you and my little man" he leaned forward to kiss her belly "When I am done winning we shall celebrate" he gave her a sly look.

" Cocky aren’t we?" she gave him the first genuine smile of the day.

" Always" he grinned and stood up kissed her on her forehead and walked away with a last grin. She watched him walk away and instinctively reached out, the dread still there. She put her hand down and let him go.

" My dear are you okay?" her Helena asked with concern. She nodded and gave her a forced smile, which the elder lady frowned at.

The race had been on for twenty minutes…

They could still not see the boats… they were at the finishing line. Just then three sailboats came into view moving side by side. Caroline breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ian’s boat ‘The Iris’ in the middle. He had named the boat after her ignoring her protests. She stood up with the rest of the spectators watching as the vessels cut swiftly through the water. The Iris was in second place…the boat on the left in first. She could see Ian shouting orders to the crew and the boat starting gaining speed pulling away from the other one on the right. The boat on the left stuck to The Iris’ side. The Iris lifted it sails in order to move faster and the other two boats followed suit. Caroline tensed and grabbed the binoculars from Stefan’s unsuspecting hands. She focused on the crew on The Iris she saw him…Ian had a big smile on his face as he shouted out orders, he was obviously enjoying himself she began to relax.

A smile began to creep on her own face when all of a sudden the smile left his face and she could see him tense up… she tensed up too… and looked around the boat nervously. Something was wrong, something was wrong! Ian was pointing at the sails and then at the boat next to them. He looked like he was asking them to slow the boat down… slow it down why? She turned to look at the boat on the right it was moving in fast but at a bad angle.

…The rest was all in slow motion. She watched as the boat rammed onto the side of The Iris tipping it over…they didn’t have room to righted the boat because the one on the left was too close…she turned to Ian and saw him get thrown from the boat with the rest of the crew. Except he didn’t hit the water like the rest of them instead he fell hitting the side of the boat on the left. She watched as his head bounced off the side of the boat and then as his body fell into the water. She knew then… she knew even as she ran towards the water. She was unaware that she was screaming…she didn’t hear Stefan and Helena calling to her… she didn’t hear them running after her. No she was unaware of anything but the fact that she needed to go to Ian… to her husband. She ran calling out his name… pushing startled people out of her way. She made it to the edge of the water before Stefan and Helena pulled her back. She struggled and screamed but they just held on… stopping her from going into the water. When she couldn’t struggle anymore she fell to the ground staring at the wreck before them…watching as the emergency crews rushed out to the water. All she could do is sit there and cry. From a distance she heard Helena telling her that he would be fine…but she knew… she shook her head in denial but she knew…



Jonas was walking around the hall outside Caroline’s chambers checking everything before he retired for the night when he heard the scream… he reached for his gun and rushed into the room. He looked around quickly and then to the bed where she was crying. His heart broke as he watched her struggle and call out in pain. He put away his gun and sat on the bed pulling her into his arms while he attempted to wake her up.

Caroline looked at him with sad tear-filled eyes " My Ian, my Ian" she choked out. " I let him go,.. he promised forever…" she cried mumbling.

" Shhhh" he soothed rubbing her back. She tears rolled down her cheeks silently. He drew in a deep breath. He didn’t need to ask he knew what the dream was. It had been a while but it seemed as if it was back. He held her waiting patiently until she fell asleep. He tucked her in and watched her sadly as she slept. Too much pain for someone so young. As he was about to leave the room he turned to see Mrs. Cassadine standing at the door with what could have been a sad look in her eyes.

Helena had heard the screams from her quarters. She had decided to spend the night at Wyndemere much to the annoyance of her son…but then that had been the purpose. She moved into the room quietly. She nodded at the guard in dismissal and he left silently leaving her with Caroline. Helena went to the bed and sat next to her sleeping granddaughter. She smoothed her hair. " Oh my little one, I wish I could fix this for you," she whispered. It was times like this that she was reminded that she couldn’t do everything, money and position could get you a lot of things but it couldn’t buy you control over nature. She watched her sleep for a while. Then finally stood up to leave the room. She couldn’t do anything about Ian or her other losses but she could fix other things. Tomorrow she would have to pay a little visit to Luke Spencer she thought coldly.



mikmi