Chapter Two
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AJ storms into his office and slams the door. He yells through the door
" JEANETTE!"
She runs into the office.
" Yes, Mr. Quartermaine."
" Get the head of ELQ Security up here..NOW!"
She leaves his office in a hurry.
AJ walks around in front of his window, contemplating his next move.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
" Come in!"
A man walks through the door.
" Mr. Lathrop."
" Mr. Quartermaine. You asked to see me?"
" Yes. Please sit down." AJ waits for the man to take a seat. He is silent for a few moments before he speaks up. "I know that you are brought in for ‘special’ jobs. I need one of those jobs. Discretion is of the utmost importance."
" That goes without saying."
" Good. I will need for you to obtain some information for me. "
AJ outlines to Lathrop what he needs.
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Laura outstretched her arms and did a catipillar move across the bed. God, how she loved the feel of the satin sheets beneath her skin. She rolled around in them allowing them to slink all over her body. She sat there, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about today’s events.
She didn’t even know when it had happened, but, it did. She was in love with Stefan. But, she knew the moment when she had to change her life. She and Lesley had a conversation in the garden. Another one where Lesley repeatedly told her how much her life needed Luke. How much she needed Luke. And, Lesley of course, put so much of the blame on Stefan. Laura remembered what she had told Lesley.
" Mother. I know you mean well. I know you love me. I know you love Luke. You want us together. But, sometimes, things aren’t meant to be. Even without a Stefan, my marriage to Luke would have fallen apart...because of the lies and mistrust of one another. Stefan was an easy scapegoat. Hell, I used him too. But, it’s not true. Luke and I broke up because we broke up. The fraying really began when we arrived back in town years ago. Long before Nikolas came to town. Long before Lulu got sick.
Then, Lucky died. And, I thought I needed Luke more than anything. I thought THAT could bring us together. You were so sure. So, I went to him, like you said. I never told you this, but, I found him with another woman. Yes, Mother, another woman. He didn’t need me. He had her. So, I pushed on. And, I worked through it. Then, Helena attacked and I broke down and wound up in the hospital. I was in my bed, and one time, I woke up, and Luke was there. He was looking at me with his eyes. Those eyes. And, all the love that I felt for him, I saw in those eyes.
We talked. We cried. We shared. I thought.. ‘Maybe we’re connecting’. Maybe, all could be well. I was on my last thread. We spoke of Lucky, and we were in this ‘zone’ together. And, Luke suggested something...and, I offhandedly and naturally, said something about Nikolas agreeing with him, and Mother, it was instantaneous.
The disconnect. I could see it in Luke’s eyes. At the mere MENTION of my son, he went cold. We went through some pleasantries. Some niceties, but, when I kissed him, I knew my marriage was over. Even the death of Lucky didn’t soften Luke’s attitude about Nikolas."
" But, Baby, eventually, he would have come around."
Laura laughed. " Eventually? Eventually? I left my son for that man. I abandoned my child for him, and still, Nikolas is barely human to him....which goes back to why I didn’t tell Luke about him in the first place."
" Stefan, he.."
" No, Mother. Don’t. Please, don’t tell me that I don’t know Stefan Cassadine. That I don’t know what he’s capable of. That I don’t know his capacity for deception, treachery and ruthlessness. Please, don’t tell me that. Please don’t treat me like I’m a child, and that I don’t know every rotten thing the man’s done. I do. You’re going to have to get in line with everyone else, and understand ...that I KNOW who Stefan Cassadine is..the dark and the light. Perfect, or nice all the time, he’s not. The man is deeply flawed.
I’ve wanted to hate him. I did hate him. And, yet, I didn’t. Mom, I love you. I really do. But, my marriage to Luke is over."
" And, you’re just GOING to HIM?"
" No. Not yet. I’m going to need some time for myself. I’m going to take it slow. I can’t forget Luke. It’s impossible to forget him. Luke called our marriage a ‘rotting corpse’. He was right. It’s been my practice to wait for others to decide things, and I’ll react to them. Not this time. This time I take my life and my daughter’s life into my hands. Do what I want. What I want, is to be Laura...whoever that is.
And, if, after all is said and done, I’m with Stefan, so be it. If I’m not with him, I can handle that too. The prospect of being alone doesn’t scare me. The prospect of being an adult in a relationship as a single woman no longer terrifies me either.
I would hope that you loved me enough to accept my decisions. And, that you will respect me too."
Laura goes over and kisses Lesley and leaves her there, speechless.
Laura thinks of the pain that she went through when Lucky died. She hadn’t believed Bobbie when Bobbie said that she could make it through. She didn’t think she had the strength. She thought she would die. The hole is still there. But, she WANTS to feel now. She WANTS to live now. Letting the demons and pain go was what she had to do for Lucky. She realizes all the mistakes she made with Luke. But, she had to go on. She couldn’t believe all she had to look forward too: her job..trying to live the life of a divorcee....seeing how a relationship with Stefan would go....she had even called Bobbie for another one of their divorced Moms dinners..lunch with Nikolas and Elizabeth. Her life was continuing.
One day at a time.
Laura got up to take a shower....the bubblebath she had planned ..was for two.
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When Stefan arrived in the Conservatory, Alexis was already waiting.
" I told Mrs. Lansbury you were expecting me."
" What is it, Alexis.", Stefan growls.
Alexis opens her purse and hands Stefan a disk.
" What is this?"
" This is what Helena wanted me dead for, Stefan."
" What is contained on the disk."
" I don’t know."
" You don’t know?"
" No. I meant it when I said that I had no interest in the Cassadines anymore. I hope Helena understands this. I know myself. If I found out what was on the disk, I would be compelled to continue on a quest that got nearly cost me my life. But, that doesn’t mean that I want Helena to get away with whatever she’s done. Since you are interested in the Cassadine fortune, I thought that it would be better for you to have it. "
" Why should I trust you?"
" You shouldn’t, because you don’t. It’s up to you, Stefan, whether you use it or not. I don’t care. But, you accused me of not loving Nikolas, when you know that’s not true. But, I recognize that in my rage, I endangered Nikolas in your eyes. And, for that, I am more sorry than you’ll ever know. You were my everything, Stefan. You were. I love you. Even now, as enemies. We’re enemies out of necessity, not because I hate you. I tried hating you, and the person I became wasn’t worth knowing. Natasha isn’t a nice person. Alexis Davidovich is mostly who I am. Alexis Davis is the best woman of all. I wish you would have gotten to know her."
" Yes, well, is that all?", Stefan says with a haughtiness in his voice.
Alexis smiles sadly. " I think so." She picks up her purse and walks over to Stefan, hesitating, then putting her hand gently on his cheek. " I truly hope you find what you want, Stefan. It’s really all I’ve ever wanted for you."
Stefan stands there stoically, until Alexis leaves. He goes through the house until he comes upon the place where he decides to store the disk until his return. As he is about to leave the house to catch the launch, his phone rings.
" Stefan Cassadine.... No. We cannot meet tonight.....I said no....Allright. I will give you some time. Yes, I know where that place is. This better be worth the discomfort you are causing me.", Stefan growled as he flipped the phone off.
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Carly is waiting for AJ in the Quartermaine living room when he gets home. She has on a sikly robe and gown. She comes over to him and gives him a kiss.
" Well, Carly..what did I do to deserve this?"
" You’re my husband. Is it against the law for a wife to kiss her husband?"
" I don’t know...is it?", AJ inquires.
" No. It’s not. AJ..", Carly croons as she begins to nuzzle him..." Michael’s down for the night..we could enjoy ourselves."
" You know what, Carly? I’ve had a long day. You wouldn’t believe what I had to listen to today?"
" Grumpy businessmen?"
" Oh, yes. Someone got the business run around them...but, luckily today, it wasn’t me. See you in the morning."
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" You know something, Ashton? You could have made a living as a professional masseuse. Your hands are absolutely divine.", Alexis says while grabbing one and nibbling on the fingers.
" Ah..ah..ah", Ned admonishes. " These fingers are presently for walking all over your muscles. Their other uses will come later." Ned motions some more in Alexis shoulder. " You are in knots..I thought the meeting with Stefan went well."
" It did. But, that doesn’t mean that it was any less painful. Ned, I love him."
Ned leans over and kisses him. " I know. I joke about it, but, who am I to quarrel with you loving someone difficult, with the family that I have. Come to Nedly, and see if he can use some of his ‘tricks’ to help get your mind off of things."
" Oh...how I love your ‘tricks’."
Ned turns her over and begins to apply some of the ‘tricks’, when they hear a banging on the door. They look at one another and are silent until they here,
" ALEXIS! I know you’re in there. I bribed the waiter who brought you room service."
" Jax?!" , Ned asks.
" Alexis..open the door.", they hear from the outside.
Ned and Alexis both put on robes and go to the door. They barely open it a crack when Jax bursts it open and walks in.
" Jax, you better have a good reason for being here.", Ned growls.
" Is murder a good enough reason for you?"
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Sonny is staring up at the ceiling. Hannah has her arm wrapped aroung his stomach and her leg climbing up and down Sonny’s leg.
" Sonny, that was great."
" Sure, baby. Don’t you have to be somewhere."
" Nothing that can’t wait. We can be together all night long, tonight."
" Well, I wasn’t planning on you staying here. I invited some people over."
" Oh..who?"
" People."
" Sonny. I’m an independent woman. I don’t need to be warming your bed all night long."
" See. We agree. So, let’s get dressed. I’ll shower first."
Hannah waited until she was sure that Sonny was in the shower before she got out of bed. She went over to his drawer with the false bottom and opened it. She found that he had put some more entries into his book. She flipped out her camera and snapped them, carefully putting back everything into its proper place.
She was barely covered in a sheet when Sonny came out in a towel. She went over to him, losing the sheet.
" Sure I can’t interest you in joining me for my shower? You could get extra clean?"
Sonny kisses her. " No. Hurry up."
She goes into the shower and he gets dressed. He is already down in the living room with a drink when Hannah bounces down the stairs in her outfit. She joins him at the bar for a drink, making sure to linger long enough for the introductions when Johnny opened the door. Benny, the main union guy, and someone Hannah had never seen before. She smiled and left, with no introductions.
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Laura Spencer was fast asleep. She was remembering Nikolas’ birthday...a place where she had all her children together. She remembered how handsome Nikolas looked. How happy Lulu was to be with both her brothers and enjoying their company. How together Lucky looked, and in love he was with Elizabeth. Lucky clinking glasses with Stefan, them coming to a mutual understanding. But, the best part, was the ability of both of Nikolas’ parents to be with him on his birthday, openly sharing it with him. She was at the part where all three of her children helped blow out the candles to the cake when..
Laura was awakened by a pounding sound. A fierce wind had blown open the window, and a gust of cold air had given her goosebumps. She had seen warnings about a storm...she could tell that it was about to begin.