CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

NED ARRIVED AT Helena’s yacht to find it in a frenzy of activity. When she spotted Andreas, he grabbed him by the arm. “What’s going on?”

“The child has been born.” he announced.

“What!” Ned asked in horror. “When!”

“Sometime during the night.” He announced. “None of us were prepared. We, of course, knew it could be at anytime, but we just didn’t think it would be this soon.” With that he rushed off.

“Neither did I.” Ned muttered under his breath. Great, now what was he going to do! He saw Helena entering carrying a bundle in her hands. “Is it true? The child has arrived?”

“Here she is.” Helena showed him little Michele Corinthos. “Now all that’s left is for Alexis to hold up her end of the deal and all will be well.”

“What about Sonny and Carly?” Ned asked. “What are you going to do about them?”

“We’ll know soon enough.” Helena announced. “I’m having them brought to me at any second.” She added. “As I told you what Mr. Corinthos decides, will decide what will be done with them.”

“I’d consider it a privilege if you’d allow me to dispose of them for you.” Ned offered.

“My aren’t you bloodthirsty.” Helena cooed. “Not to mention a brownnoser.”

“You finally made me your apprentice.” he replied. “I’m just offering to do what a good apprentice would do. Why should a woman of your stature be bothered with getting rid of the vampire trash. That‘s what I‘m here for.” He added. “Besides, I’ve never been able to stand Corinthos. It’ll be my pleasure to dispose of him for you.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Helena told him. “Whatever happens I intend to deal with Mr. and Mrs. Corinthos myself.” She added. “But thank you for volunteering, anyway.”

Any further argument on Ned’s part was ended when Sonny entered carrying Carly in his arms. “I can’t believe you insisted on Carly getting out of bed. She just gave birth only a few hours ago.”

“Time waits for no man, Mr. Corinthos.” Helena replied unsympathetically. “You have a decision to make.”

Carly looked at Sonny. “Sonny, what is she talking about.”

“My dear, didn’t you oh so delectable husband tell you about what we discussed while the doctor was examining you.” She tsked tsked Sonny. “He’s such a bad boy, isn’t he?”

“Sonny, what is she talking about?” Carly repeated her question, but this time there was an edge to her voice.

“She offered to spare me if I agreed to become her lover.” Sonny answered.

“What!” Carly glared at her grandmother in fury. “You’ll touch my husband over my dead body.”

“That’s exactly what I was planning to do.” Helena smirked. “Well, Mr. Corinthos, what is your answer.”

“I’ll do it...”

“Sonny, no!” Carly exploded.

“I knew you’d come to your senses, Mr. Corinthos.” Helena purred lethally.

He cut across both of their outbursts. “But I have one condition and it’s not negotiable.”

“Sonny, you can’t!” Carly protested. “Not after what he just did!”

Sonny ignored her. “I’ll agree to be your lover on the condition you let Carly and our daughter go free.”

“That’s completely out of the question.” Helena retorted.

“That’s the only way you’ll get me in your bed.” Sonny returned.

“Is that your final word on the matter.” Helena asked. He nodded. “Then so be it.” She waved her hand in their direction and they both disappeared.

“What have you done with them?” Ned asked.

“I put them some place where I can deal with them as they deserve to be dealt with.” Helena told him. “After I deal with them, I’ll be presenting the child to Damian. I want you to go home to Alexis and make sure she stays happy and healthy until she delivers your child.”

“But I can help you with Sonny and Carly.” He insisted.

“The only help you can be of to me at the moment is to go home and take care of Alexis.” With that she vanished with Baby Corinthos in her arms.

A few minutes later Stefan came bursting on to the yacht followed by Alexis. “Ned, I tried to stop him from coming here, but as soon as I told him what your plan was he insisted.”

“You’re plan is stupid.” Stefan declared. “It will never work. Do you honestly believe you can dispose of two of the most powerful witches as easily as you think you can.”

“Stefan, you’re right.” Ned exploded. “It was a stupid plan.”

“Ned, what’s wrong?” Alexis asked in concern.

Stefan looked around the room. “Where is my mother.” He asked. “She’ll hand over Sonny and Carly to me or she’ll rue the day she ever crossed me.”

“She’s gone.” Ned announced. “It’s too late.”

“What are you talking about?” Stefan wanted to know.

“Carly had her baby.” Ned revealed. “Things happened too fast. I wasn’t able to stop them.”

“Where are Sonny and Carly?” Stefan fired at Ned. “Where’s my grandchild. Where’s my mother.”

“They’re all gone.” Ned sighed. “Your mother made Sonny and Carly disappear before my eyes, then she disappeared with the baby in her arms. There’s no telling where any of them are. It’s too late.”

“That is unacceptable.” Stefan declared. “If I have to search from one end of this earth to the other, I’ll find them.”

“But will you find them in time.” Ned threw at Stefan’s departing back. “For all we know Helena has already killed them both.”

“If I know my mother.” He turned back to Ned and Alexis. “And I do. It won’t be a quick and easy death. She’ll prolong it. And if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to go to them in time to save them.”

HELENA WATCHED HOLDING little Michele while Sonny and Carly were staked to the ground before her eyes. Sonny looked over at her. “Where are we?” He asked. “Where have you brought us.”

“Your in Death Valley.” She informed him as she looked up at the sky. “Even at this late at night, it’s still warm. Can you imagine how it’ll be at dawn. When the sun rises in a few hours you and your beloved will be burned alive. A most fitting end for a couple of vampires, don’t you think.” She came over and leaned down to Sonny. “You know, it’s not too late for you to change your mind. Agree to my deal, and you can raise your child with me.”

“I won’t live if Carly dies.” He declared.

“Don’t say I didn’t give you a way out.” She gathered her men together and they all disappeared. “Enjoy the time you and your wife have together before you both fry out in the sun.”

Carly looked over at Sonny. “You could have agreed to her deal.” She told him. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you did.”

“If our situations were reversed would you?” He asked.

“Maybe I might have before we went through the vampire marriage ceremony.” She admitted. “But now I don’t think I could go on living if you were dead.”

“I feel the same way.” He told her. “But I could have done what Helena wanted if I knew both you and our baby were free of her clutches.”

Carly reached over to Sonny so she could hold his hand. “You know what’s funny?” She asked.

“What?” He answered.

“I don’t mind dying.” Carly admitted in wonderment. “Everything we’ve shared together in the past 24 hours is more than a lot of people have in a lifetime. We attained a closeness with each other the couples only dream of sharing and together we brought our baby into this world. If I have to die now, I can do it, happily. Even staked to the ground the way we are, I still feel happy just because I‘m with you. You‘re my happiness, Sonny. You make me happy and without you my life wouldn‘t be worth living.” She added. “Actually maybe it’s for the best that were going to die now when we’ve attained such incredible happiness and closeness together. After everything we’ve shared, it would have probably been downhill after this, anyway. I mean, what we‘re feeling now probably wouldn‘t have lasted forever, anyways, right?”

“You may have a point.” Sonny agreed. “I feel the same way you do. Better to die now when were completely happy, then to live and watch what we feel right now diminish over time.” He sighed happily. “Do you know that since you came into my life I’ve experienced things I always dreamed I’d feel, but I never thought I actually would. You’ve given me so much, Carly. More than I ever thought I’d have. So if we have to die now, I’m at peace with it. You’ve given me everything I’ve always wanted, and there’s nothing more I want.”

“I love you, baby.” She squeezed his hand tighter.

“I love you, too.” He replied, as he looked to the east and saw the sky was already beginning to turn light.

“IS IT TRUE?” Damian asked as Helena entered carrying the baby in her arms. “The vampire child has been delivered.”

“Yes.” Helena placed Michele Corinthos into Damian’s arms. “It happened last night.”

“And what of her parents?” Damian asked as he examined the child.

“As we speak,” Helena purred. “Their staked to the ground in the middle of Death Valley just waiting to be turned into so much desert dust.”

“Excellent.” Damian smiled. “Olivia.” He beckoned to his bride. “I want you to put together an impromptu party. Helena will be our guest of honor as we celebrate the birth of the vampire child.”

“How delicious of you, Damian.” Helena cooed. “Celebrating while the child’s parents are being slowly incinerated in the sun as we speak.”

THE SUN WAS slowly rising in the east. Any second now it would be shining directly overhead from where Sonny and Carly laid staked out in the sand. “I wish we were close enough to share a last kiss.” Carly sighed as she watched the fireball in the sky get closer and closer to them.

“I wish we’d been able to make love one last time.” Sonny laughed. “If my hands were free that’s what I’d be doing to you right this minute. I’m horny to the last, aren’t I?”

“But. Sonny, we did make love, last night.” She reminded him. “And it was the most satisfying experience I ever shared.”

“I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it.“ He pointed out. “But last night would have been perfect if we could have made love with our bodies, as well. I’d been planning to do just that when you went into labor.”

“Maybe we can make love, mentally.” Carly suggested. “Ever since we did the ritual, last night, the mental link we share has grown even stronger. It’s something we never tried before.” She looked up forebodingly at the sun. “Seems like if we want to try a new experience, there’s no time like the present to try it out.”

“I don’t believe this.” Sonny laughed. “We’re both about to be fried, and all we can think of is having sex together, even if it’s only with our minds.” He added. “I’m even getting turned on by just thinking about it.”

“Me, too.“ She smiled. “I guess it’s just further proof that we’re meant for each other.” She told him. “Besides, if we’re going to go out, let’s do it how we lived.”

They laughed in unison. “By boinking our brains out.”

She gave it a try. “Did you feel that?” She asked.

“Oh, yeah.” He groaned. “Sweetheart, you’ve got a real dirty mind. Lucky for you I have just as dirty of one.” He paused. “Do you feel that.”

“That was incredible.” She moaned. “Do it again.” So he did. Back-and-forth they kept teasing and tormenting each other mentally as they tried to forget what was about to happen to them, until they suddenly realized the sun was shining directly on them.

“Sonny, shouldn’t something have started to happen to us, by now.” Carly asked looking up in dread.

“Yeah, it should have.” He agreed. “It did when we were on the plane and we were flying into the sun.” He suddenly asked. “How do you feel?”

“I feel fine.” She responded. “What about you?”

“I feel fine, too.” He couldn’t understand it. “Carly, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” She replied in wonderment. “But for some reason the sun is having no effect on us.”

Stefan suddenly appeared before their eyes. “Thank God I found you two in time.” He declared anxiously. “I thought I wouldn’t get here in time.”

“You wouldn’t have.” Sonny told him as he untied him. “But for some strange reason the sun is no longer effecting us the way it should.”

Carly turned to her father as he untied her. “Do you have any idea why?”

“Not a clue.” Stefan replied. “But to be on the safe side I’m going to take you two back to Wyndemere, then I’m going to go after my mother and get your child away from her and return her to you where she belongs.”

“Do you have any idea where she is?” Sonny asked.

“Oh, I know exactly where she is.” Stefan replied. “She’s down in hell collecting her accolades for having delivered the vampire child to Damian.”