| Chapter 35 Saturday evening, Mikkos took everyone out for dinner and I mean everyone. He even invited Robert, Johnny, Josh, Emily and her mother. No one knew what Mikkos was up to even Victor, who normally knew everything about what Mikkos was cooking up. Robert declined and so did Monica and Emily. Monica wasn�t up to a night out and Emily wanted to spend the night with her mother. Mikkos picked the newest restaurant in town the one he helped build a Port Charles version of the Russian Teahouse. �Why are doing this?� Luke asked as Laura and him got dressed. It wasn�t having dinner with Mikkos that bothered him. It was going to the Russian Teahouse. Luke hated that place and hated going there. �Luke, just deal with it for tonight. I don�t know what Mikkos is up to but he really wants all of us there,� Laura pleaded with him. �Ok,� Luke growled figuring he wasn�t going to get out of it. So, he might as well put up with it. ********************************** �Stefan, do you have any idea what Mikkos is up to?� Bobbie asked as they got dressed. �I have no clue but he has been in a good mood all day. I caught him singing an Old Russian ballad this morning,� Stefan said as he raised one eyebrow as he turned to look at Bobbie. �Mikkos?� Bobbie said wondering if Mikkos could carry a tone just as bad as Luke could. �Yeah, my father singing. It wasn�t something I would brag about,� Stefan said laughing. �That sounds like Luke,� Bobbie said giggling. �What can�t sing?� Stefan asked Bobbie. �No, he can dance but he can�t sing,� Bobbie said laughing. ********************************* �Come on Johnny we are going to be late,� Josh said as he knocked on the bathroom door. �I�m coming. God, why are we invited,� Johnny snapped. �Because Lucky is my best friend that�s why and I�d take it as a complement after what happened with Claude,� Josh said as he went into his bedroom to finish getting ready. �Josh, I don�t like this,� Johnny said as he walked out of the bathroom. �Like what?� Josh asked. �Being invited going to dinner with Mikkos and the others. I know we go to dinner with Luke and his family but that is different. Luke is a lot easier to get along with and he doesn�t want anything in return,� Johnny said as he went towards his brother�s room. Josh glared groaned as he said, �I wish you would get off this kick. Look, Mikkos isn�t trying to buy me. Lucky isn�t trying to lure me into anything dangers by letting me drive his car. Can�t we just go out this one night without getting into this?� Johnny nodded his head and said, �Ok, I�ll drop it.� �Good,� Josh said and both of them went to get ready. ******************************************************* Mikkos picked Ruby up about six. �You ready?� Mikkos asked her as he walked into the now closed diner. �I guess,� Ruby said looking down at the dress she wore and feeling very out of place. Mikkos had bought it for her for this night. He even dug out the same jewels she wore the night of her last engagement party. �Well you relax,� Mikkos said noticing the fear written all over Ruby�s face. �Things are going to go great.� �I hope so,� Ruby said taking Mikkos out stretched hand as they started for the door. �I know it will,� Mikkos said kissing Ruby as he grabbed the door for her. ******************************************** Everyone was seated at one of the tables at the restaurant that evening. Luke kept eyeing Ruby closely and wondering why she was decked out. Mikkos had waited until everyone ordered their meal and the drinks arrived before he decided to make his announcement. Mikkos took his fork and hit his wineglass to get everyone�s attention. �I have two things to say. The first is more a personal dream of mine. Back when communist Russia finally fell. I started planning on buying the last piece of family property that I didn�t own. The main estate where the crown princes used to live and a few days ago that has happened and I�m now revamping the place back to her old glory.� �They let you?� Victor said knowing how much trouble his brother had getting the place. �They let me,� Mikkos said grinning. �Congratulation�s father,� Stefan said holding up his glass to Mikkos. �Hold that thought,� Mikkos said smiling. �I have one more thing to say,� Mikkos said and he grabbed Ruby�s hand. �Before all this mess with Damion and his cohorts happened. I asked Ruby a question but she just didn�t give me an answer until yesterday. Ruby has agreed to marry me.� Luke�s jaw dropped open. Bobbie was just as stunned as he was. They were the only two that didn�t get up and congratulate the couple. After hugging everyone, Ruby turned looked at Luke and Bobbie and asked, �Not happy?� Luke shook his head and said, �No, I�m stunned. I thought you said you would never get married again.� �Yeah, ho w many times were you asked?� Bobbie said remembering how many men that asked Ruby over the years. �I said no to them because I didn�t love them. I have loved Mikkos. I just never told you. I thought he was out of my life forever. It wasn�t until I knew he could actually try and get alone with you,� Ruby said looking at Luke. �That I said yes.� Luke smiled and said, �Don�t wait for me. You want get married that is fine.� Luke got up and hugged Ruby. Bobbie did the something. She really didn�t care if Ruby got married to Mikkos or not as long as she was happy. �So, when is the date?� Alex asked. �July 25th,� Mikkos replied. �Why then?� Bobbie asked puzzled. �That is our wedding date,� Ruby said smiling. �It was her idea,� Mikkos said pointing to Ruby before anyone could blame him. �But since she picked the date. I picked the place and it will be in Russia on the estate. It will be ready by then and we are spending the summer there.� �We are?� the group said in unison. �We are!� Mikkos said sounding very much like the prince. ************************************************** As the Spencer�s headed home after the dinner with the family, Lucky leaned forward and asked, �What do you think about the upcoming trip?� �I don�t know. I was going to fight him on it but Ruby seemed too happy to destroy it for her. I figure that I would deal with Mikkos on the summer thing later. I get for a few weeks but the entire summer?� �I don�t know,� Lucky said sitting back. �It might not be a bad idea. I mean, it would get us out of this town for a few months.� �You want to leave for awhile?� Laura asked. �I don�t know. After everything that we been through since that report first showed up, it might not be a bad idea,� Lucky said. Luke thought about this for a moment and said, �Well, we all winter and most of the spring to think about it. If you want to go and you think getting away for awhile will help then well go.� Lucky knew what his father wasn�t saying and he appreciated it. He hadn�t thought about Alice at all today at least until now. Kevin had said the more he went on with his life and the more he stopped dwelling on things the better things would be. Lucky knew he was right but this was the first time he actually believed it. ************************************* Mikkos had another reason for everyone being together that night. Today was Damion�s funeral and he was secretly celebrating Damion�s special demise. Damion Smith woke up with a splitting headache. He reached for his head but his hand hit a box of some kind. His eyes opened up and found total blackness. He moved his hand around for a bit and felt a tank. It didn�t take Damion long to realize where he was and what was happening. �You didn�t!� He thought kicking the coffin in fear. Damion�s hand hit something and a voice came over the box. �Welcome to your last moments,� Mikkos voice said. �Where in hell are you Cassadine this isn�t funny!� Damion yelled fighting the fear that was treating to take him over. �Damion, you buried my grandson alive and now I�m paying you back but no one is trying to save you. In fact, you are dead to the world and in about a few hours you will be dead. I hope you enjoy hell and by the way say hello to Helena and Fasion for me.� The recording of Mikkos� voice ended and Damion was left alone in silence. Damion laid there listening to the dead silence. He didn�t know how long he had but he wasn�t about ready to give up. He fought for a long time until the air got thick and he found it harder and harder to breathe. Damion�s last moments weren�t long from that point on. He finally gave up about midnight about the same time Lucky was pulled out of his own grave just days back. Mikkos and Victor sat in the den drinking a toast at Damion�s last hours. �Well, it looks like that is one snake that isn�t going to show his ugly head again.� �Yeah, good bye to one last snake,� Victor said grinning as the two brothers raised their glasses. ********************************** Emily and Monica didn�t spend time at home that night. They went to the hospital to a meeting. As they drove home, Emily sat beside her mother not saying a word. �What�s wrong?� Monica asked Emily. �I think it is time I talked to dad,� Emily said. �You sure?� Monica asked. �Yeah, I�m sure. This meeting was about facing things and they were right. It is time I faced what he said and deal with it,� Emily said sighing sadly. �Ok, you want to do it at home just us or with Kevin?� Monica asked. �Kevin,� Emily relied. She wanted to make sure it was handled right. �Ok, I�ll call him,� Monica said and she reached over pulled Emily to her and hugged her. *************************************** Lucky was leaving Kevin�s office when he spotted Emily, her mother and father sitting in the hallway. �Good luck,� Lucky said winking at Emily before leaving the room. He knew Emily was nervous enough the way it was. She didn�t need him making matters worse by sticking around. Emily just smiled at Lucky as he walked by. She got up and walked into Kevin�s office with her parents. They were nervous as well for their own reasons. Alan had no idea what Emily was going to say to him and Monica was hoping that this was a start, a start for Emily and Alan to start healing from all this pain. �Sit down,� Kevin said pointing the three chairs that were seated across from his desk. The group sat and Kevin moved to the front of the desk and leaned on it. �Before we begin,� Kevin said, �I want to lay down some ground rules. We let the other speak. This is not the Quartermaine living room,� Kevin warned both Monica and Alan. He heard their fights and didn�t want to play referee. �We understand,� Monica said smiling. �Agreed,� Alan replied. �Ok,� Kevin said looking at Emily. �You�re the one that wanted this so, you start,� Kevin told her. Emily nodded and she looked at her father. �You keep asking me why I�m mad. I say why not? I mean up until a few weeks ago. You didn�t bother even talking to me unless you had a complaint about me,� Emily said coldly. She was gripping the chair tightly. It was the only way to stop her hands from shaking. �You hated my friends, you can�t stand how I dress and you hate my music. That is all you ever say to me. You never asked me how school was or if I had a good day? What is worse when I really needed you, you told me to get lost! My mother wasn�t there. I went to you when AJ hit me but you told me to get lost!� Emily was crying by that time. It still hurt hearing Alan tell her to go away when she knocked on his door that day. She was standing there hurting wanting one of her parents to hold her but they weren�t there. Alan eyes watered and said, �I didn�t know. I know that this is lame but I didn�t know that he had hit you. Hell, I didn�t know until later on from mother that he hit you. He was long gone and so were you. I tried finding you to see if you were all right but the Cassadines wouldn�t let me near you. I�m sorry Em. I really am. Please forgive me?� Alan asked her reaching out to him. �Emily?� Kevin said looking at her. �You have anything to add?� �I�m sorry is lame. I have tried so many times to get your attention but all I got was yelled at. You hate Lucky for what a reason I never understood. I felt that I had to lie to you to see him. And you want to know something? Well, if it weren�t for Lucky I would have done drugs. I would have tried to figure out what you got a kick out of. He knocked them out of hands and beat the crap out of the dealer. He did it for me! He worries about me! All you worry about lately is yourself,� Emily said snuffling. �Why didn�t you tell me?� Monica asked. �I didn�t want to worry you. You had enough to deal with. I got desperate,� Emily cried. Alan reached for her and she didn�t back away. He held her close as she cried. This was what Emily wanted. She wanted to feel the love not just hear it. Kevin watched from his desk. He knew they had long way to got but this was a start in the right direction. Chapter 36 Back to Trials of Love |