Chapter One: Advancing Pawns
Sadness runs through her veins as she approaches him. During all the times she had known him, he seemed so powerful. So in control of his life, destiny, fate, and that of the people around him. Even when they were scared children on an island. To her, he was never a child. He was always her hero. Until, they came here.
"Stefan," she gently calls out as she finally stands before him. He turns, his face etched with sadness and contempt. Despite their troubles, she came. It seemed that she always did finally find her way back to the fold, straggling behind others.
"What can I do for you?" he stiffly asks, his shoulders scratching against the awful fabric. That always a question between them. What could one do for the other? His question strikes a blow to her heart. Seemingly, the love that they once shared disappeared. Simply, they served a purpose to one another now.
Natasha Cassadine, couldn't do anything to help him from this. Perhaps, Alexis Davis could help him.
"You need an attorney Stefan, a great one. I'm here to offer my services."
"Well, you have done a stellar job in the past," his venomously spits at her. Her eyes lock squarely on his. There is one things that Cassadines do not do, and that is guilt.
"I have. In fact, I believe that I have gotten you acquitted before." She places her briefcase on the cold cement floor and glances around. "You do not belong here."
"Well, it is hard to run a company and an empire from a holding cell at the PCPD," he quips, rubbing his hand over his brow. "I assume Helena has attempted to regain control once again."
"I've blocked her petition and filed my own."
"Does it not tire you Alexis?" Stefan asks with desperation. "You make the same predictable moves every time. I thought that you renounced all things Cassadine after an epiphany in the desert with your former husband?" he sneers.
"I did. It is simply my prerogative to change my mind. Despite what I may feel about your actions, I do love you, and I do feel that you are a better leader for this family than Helena."
"How reassuring that you feel I'm more equipped than a psychopath."
"I didn't mean that," she protests, aggravated that she has played into his game of semantics once again. His question had worked her up. She could close her eyes and picture Ned asking her the same question every time Stefan called or Helena approached her, or Nikolas whined. A sigh slips past her lips. Once a gatekeeper, always a gatekeeper. Unfortunately, there seems to no longer be a gate for her to keep.
"You didn't do this," she explains calmly, detached. Stefan searches her eyes and sees her belief and conviction twined with hurt and distrust.
"I know that I didn't," he simply answers, turning his back to her. He feels her small, warm hand press against his shoulder, jerking his body back toward hers.
"Let me help you."
"It's too late," Stefan sadly responds. "Leave me."
"I can't," Alexis answers truthfully. "You're the only family that I have, and I can't let go of that. I've tried. I simply cannot deny who and what I am. I'm a Cassadine."
He turns and sees the sincerity of her words. Perhaps she has come to this realization because she is just as alone as he is. But, she has made it. She is his. Again.
"Thank you," he whispers, reaching out to her again. "Thank you for not leaving me alone again."
Sonny Corinthos watches the fire with intense fascination. The flames rise and fall, spit widely at times, all while remaining contained within. He always identified with fire. Like the flames, people that got too close tended to get burned. His gaze is firmly transfixed on the natural wonder.
Before him, there it lies. He looks at her smiling face, her soft blond hair, and devoted brown eyes. Carly. His wife, wrapped tightly and possessively in his arms, smiling at the camera. She looked beautiful in her wedding gown. He had carefully selected it for her. As silly as it seemed, he decided to do it after their first wedding, when she wore the gown he had given her on the island. He loved giving her presents. He loved having her as his wife.
He held the photograph in his hands, playing with the edges. Every fiber of his being was commanding him to burn it, rid any trace of her from his life.
While he couldn't believe that his Carly would betray him, to the FBI no less, he had proof. She admitted it to him, then begged for forgiveness.
His head spun with contradictions and irrefutable proof. She didn't even bother to deny it to him. She simply offered her explanation.
Once that failed, Carly disappeared. He gave two million dollars to Johnny and cruelly told him to make sure it got to her. He hasn't seen or heard from her since.
Until, today.
Petitioner Caroline Benson Corinthos is seeking the dissolution of her marriage to Michael Corinthos Jr. The words leapt from the page and smacked him in the face. As angry as he was at her, as betrayed, he couldn't turn his heart off to her. He wants to be able to hold her in his arms, kiss her, make love to her, and tell her that he can forgive. He never anticipated that she would say goodbye. He wanted to be mad at her, he wanted her beg, he wanted to shun her before he could find his heart soften. He wanted the power and the control.
And she took that away from him.
And that scared him the most. Sonny wasn't sure if he could picture a life without Carly in it, or a life with her having complete control.
Elizabeth Webber watched as the ring sparkled in the late afternoon sun. If pressed, she would deny it, but she felt it was a little too flashy. It was elaborate and expensive, lacking the simplicity of the pearl ring that he had slipped on her finger the first time they committed themselves to each other.
"What are you thinking about?" Emily Quartermaine asked as she slipped behind the counter of Kelly's. She noticed the weary, sad look on her best friend's face and she couldn't help but worry. She held back her qualms about the sudden engagement and plastered a fake smile on. "Is it about Lucky?"
Elizabeth laughs as she wipes the counter down and hands Emily a menu. "Do you know what you want?"
"A burger and fries would be good. Liz, what is it?"
"Oh, just silly things. Chloe has been piling things up at work so that she can coordinate her new line with the launch of the Deception line. And then with the engagement�" her voice trailed off, not really enthusiastic to discuss things. She knew that she had to put on a good face for Emily, who believes in the myth of her and Lucky almost more than she did these days.
"Are you excited?"
"More than anything. I've wanted to marry Lucky since I was sixteen years old. Before the fire, it was like we were married. Now�"
"Things have changed. You two have been through hell and back," Emily responded, placing her hand of Elizabeth's. "It's okay to have doubts."
"It's not like we're getting married tomorrow," Elizabeth declares, turning her attention to restocking the napkins. "And I always did think that we would be in this place. It's so exciting being engaged."
"I bet," Emily said in a small voice, trying to mask her disapproval. She wasn't sure what was nagging her exactly. Maybe it was the fact that Jason had just left town not too long ago and all the problems that had been caused between Liz and Lucky. How could they have healed in such a short time, without the fights, or at least, talks? It seemed that everything had been swept under the rug to keep Lucky happy, and now? An engagement?
"How are things with Zander?"
"Wonderful," Emily gushed, well aware of what Elizabeth was doing. She was quickly changing the topic and avoiding the subject all together.
"I'm going to go in the back and see if your order is ready." Emily smiled and watched as her friend slipped into the kitchen.
Elizabeth slide down the wall and collapsed into a ball on the floor. Nikolas had confronted her earlier, demanding that something was wrong with Lucky.
"There is nothing wrong Nikolas!" she hissed, the words tumbling out of her mouth automatically. "Lucky beat Helena a long time ago."
"He attacked Stefan in the stairwell. I saw it with my own eyes. Maybe he even attacked Jason too."
"I thought you didn't believe Jason."
"I didn't," Nikolas says softly, unbelieving of what he was saying. "But maybe I should have."
"Nice Nikolas, real nice. Lucky and I are finally getting our lives together and you want to ruin it with all of these unfounded accusations? Kevin fixed Lucky, end of story." Elizabeth gathered her sketchbook and stormed out of the park and away from Nikolas.
First Nikolas, and now Emily was acting weird. Maybe Lucky was right. Maybe they really did need to leave Port Charles.