Dara scanned the forensic reports for her upcoming murder case when a gentle knock at her office door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in!" she called, not lifting her gaze from the paperwork.
Marcus smiled as he shut the door behind him, "Dara! It's almost ten! What are you still doing here this late?" he chastized playfully.
Dara gave a tired smile, "I need to get this done before I put Garcia on the stand tomorrow and I just got the report from Forensics and I need to go over the findings."
Marcus frowned as he took a seat at the couch that sat adjacent to her desk, "I thought Robbins was going to cut a deal for his client."
"Robbins isn't stupid, just stubborn. He doesn't like losing or taking pleas, but I think after Garcia's testimony tomorrow, Robbins will be begging for Manslaughter 1."
"Well, I'll wait for you to finish, then I can walk you out to your car."
Dara arched her eyebrows in surprise, "Marcus, you don't need to do that. I can have security walk me out, I've done it before."
"I know, it's just that, there are more things to worry about than muggers or carjackers. You're in a public position and I'm a little worried about what I'm getting from the streets.
Dara sat back, her surprise now replaced with a more serious tone, "something big going on I should know about?"
Marcus tilted his head thoughtfully, "I've been hearing some stuff from a few of my more reliable snitches."
"Oh, what about?" Dara asked, leaning forward in her seat.
"Apparently there are some rumblings going on in the Moreno family. You know that Francis Vitali, before he died, ran the old Moreno territory right?"
Dara nodded, "I remember his widow Theresa more, on the evening news, weeping about her wonderful husband who never hurt anybody. Too bad she never saw how many murders her husband was linked to. What's going on now?"
"Well, after his death, Moreno, his brother in law, took over the territory and made some sort of oath to take care of it properly, just like Vitali did. Well, over the last fifteen years, Port Charles has been passed around to a lot of bosses. Smith, Rivera, Corinthos, Morgan and now Moreno. It looks as though now, the power might shift once again to Vitali's youngest son, Danté."
Dara shuddered at the memory of Danté Vitali, a murderous young man, and at 24, he'd certainly inherited his Father's reputation for committing swift and permanent punishments to those who stood in Moreno's way. A loud, obnoxious creature with agressive and impatient tendancies who hurled threats to anyone who attempted to stand up to him. She prosecuted a few meaningless drug traficking and harrassment charges against him and his stooges. Dara eyed the menacing photos from his various arrests, newspaper clippings and surveillance photos and skimmed his rap sheet. Moreno was bad enough, but Danté Vitali controlling Port Charles was a horrifying thought.
"So there's a power struggle going on now?" Dara asked, concerned.
Marcus nodded, "apparently Danté's not happy with Moreno anymore and wants the entire territory to himself. Moreno doesn't want to give up fifteen years of him working to get this area and is fighting back. Moreno has his allies but Danté, who was his right hand man, has the backing of many others wanting a different leader. Just yesterday, one of my sources told me Danté's gearing up to attain permission from one of the families to remove Moreno."
"Oh my God," Dara whispered, hardly believing what Marcus was telling her.
"But, there is even more speculation that many members of Moreno's crew are unhappy with either choice and want someone new to come in and take over."
Dara's heart jumped slightly, "Sonny Corinthos?"
Marcus shook his head, "funny, his name comes up as a dead end choice. He has a lot of backing if he chose to come back, but most of my guys have told me Corinthos doesn't seem interested."
Dara relaxed slightly, but frowned slightly, something was missing. "There are two sons aren't there? Danté and his older brother," she asked and Marcus nodded and handed her the second file.
"Dominik Vitali, he's 27 and nothing like his brother. He is apparently seeking to take his Father's business into the legitimate forum and leave the illegal one behind."
Dara nodded as she examined the file on the striking young man. He certainly was a looker. She'd seen him many times on the evening news, usually answering questions while coming to and from the courthouse. Although he appeared to be startled and unprepared when pounced upon by the media, he surprised most with his calm demeanor and cool, almost soothing voice. He was polite, well educated and patient and although he'd been arrested several times due to his links with the Moreno crime family, he'd never been charged or even been considered a viable suspect in most cases.
"Well, Adam hasn't reported anything to me and neither has Mac but thanks for the heads up," Dara said sincerely as she closed Dominik Vitali's file and gave Marcus a reassuring smile to ease the noticeable concern on his face.
"I'll tell Trevor to expect your call for a walk out then?" he asked and Dara nodded, "I promise I won't go out there without him."
Marcus stood and nodded, although slightly unhappy that she was working so late during this tense period going on in the Moreno crime family, he knew that Dara was headstrong and would not barter with him about escorts and additional security. She hated giving off any indication that she was ever scared and Dara would never run and hide or adjust things in her schedule because it was more 'safe' for her. She knew her job and the risks that came with it, she would never back down from any challenge issued her way.
"Okay, just call me when you're safe in your place okay?" Marcus asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.
Dara simply gave him her most winning smile before she once again resumed her work as he shut the door behind him. A few hours passed before she'd completed her work. She quickly packed her leather briefcase and tidied up and within ten minutes she was downstairs in the main lobby of the building.
"Trevor? Hello?" she called down the main hallways where the elevators were located. Dara went around the front desk and sighed impatiently, it was nearly midnight and Trevor was nowhere to be found.
"Screw this," she muttered and pulled out her keys as she unlocked and then locked the front door behind her. The cool midnight air caused Dara to shiver as she walked briskly across the deserted parking lot to her vehicle. As she neared the driver side door, she suddenly noticed in the north end of the lot, a sleek black limousine. Its headlights weren't on, but the engine was definately running.
"Sonny," Dara murmured with annoyance. Defiantly she jumped into her car and drove out of the parking lot towards the main road. As she glanced in the rearview, the black limousine had turned its headlights on a proceeded after her. "Okay, you want to play games with me Corinthos? Let's take this ride back to your place 'cause I'm not letting you come any closer to mine." As she took the route, she checked every few moments in her rearview to ensure the limo was still behind her. Damn him! Nearly a week had passed since their last encounter and as far as she could tell, he hadn't come near her since. Dara's face fell slightly at the admission, the disapointment was overwhelming. He'd dropped her just like she asked and hadn't made a move in her direction since. You wanted it that way Dara, she reminded herself. It was easier this way.
And yet, not a single night had gone by that her dreams hadn't drifted to the one night she and Sonny had spent together, and she would relive the night over and over again. Feeling his lips taste every inch of her, his fingers roam her, his voice and words making her shiver with pleasure, his limbs encircling her, holding her close as she clung tightly to him and cried out his name, and then relaxing in the afterglow, feeling safe and happy against him, his strong arms secured around her. She would awaken at this point, her own arms searching the bed for him before she realized he was not there. The hurt and sadness would fill her and she would huddle under the covers, feeling the coldness until she drifted back to sleep, only to repeat the dream again.
Dara snapped out of her thinking as she roared into the guest parking spot at Sonny's building. She jumped from the car and slammed the door before rushing to the front door of the building. She watched as the limousine slowed in front of the building, before it glided past her and drove off into the night. "Bastard," Dara muttered as she marched into the building and took the elevator to the top floor. Johnny jumped slightly with surprise as Dara's heels clicked loudly against the floor. "Ms. Jensen," he stammered.
"Is he in?" she demanded and Johnny, knowing it was safer not to argue with her nodded and opened the front door. Dara stormed in as Sonny rose from his seat at his desk. Wordlessly, Dara grabbed Sonny and roughly, but passionately kissed him. Although taken completely off guard, Sonny quickly responded, but before he could wrap his arms around her, she viciously pushed him from her.
"Is that what you were looking for?" she shouted angrily. "Have one of your boys follow me, after a week of nothing, just so I'd come to you and we'd end up in bed which is what almost happened last week!"
Sonny licked his lower lip, she was pissed, but he was completely confused as to how or why it was his fault. Nevertheless, his ears pricked up at the words 'follow me'.
"Someone followed you?" he asked cautiously as his eyes flickered to Johnny's. Johnny shook his head quickly, it wasn't one of their guys.
Dara gave Sonny a hollow laugh, "oh so now you've conveniently forgotten about it? Listen you piece of shi-," she began hotly before Sonny sharply interrupted her.
"Dara! I'm telling you right now that for the last week, I have not once had you followed going to or from anywhere. What happened?"
Dara stood, taken aback by his statement. "A limousine followed me from work, I thought it was you. It wasn't you?" she asked, her voice seizing with fear.
Sonny shook his head slowly, "I give you my word it wasn't me. You sure it was following you?"
Dara nodded as she began to pace the room slowly, "it was waiting for me, it was hidden and the headlights weren't on but I still saw it. I thought it was you so I came over here and it followed me. It slowed down when I stood in front of the main door to this building but then it drove off. I thought it was you, I thought you wanted me to come back," she whispered, her voice shaking with fear.
Sonny walked to her until he was standing directly in front of her. Gently her cupped her face with his hands. "It wasn't me, but I'll find out who it was okay?" he said softly as he stared into her dark chocolate eyes.
Dara, feeling suddenly secure as his warm eyes promised his words, nodded. "Stay here tonight," he said gently.
Dara shook her head and took a step back from him, "I won't be scared by some limousine, I'm going home," she said firmly, in a no nonsense tone.
Sonny opened his mouth to protest, but chose a counter measure instead, "let Francis drive your car and I'll take you in *my* limousine."
Dara sighed softly, she knew she probably shouldn't, but after her scare, his suggestion sounded awfully good. "Okay, that sounds alright."
The drive to Dara's building across town was a quiet one. Dara, still a little shaken by her encounter, kept her gaze to the passenger window. She thanked Francis as he handed her the keys and within a few minutes, unlocked her front door. As soon as Sonny had locked the door behind him, he flicked on the hallway lights and swept the apartment quickly. Before he could get to her bedroom, Dara quickly cut him off, "I'll check my room," she said quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up as he flashed his dimples at her before nodding gently and headed to the small kitchen. Dara quickly examined her room before shutting the door behind her. Her home was safe and untouched. A wave of relief washed over her as she kicked off her shoes and removed her jacket, dropping it on the leather recliner in her living room. Sonny emerged from the kitchen, two freshly opened bottles of beer in each hand. His eyes wandered the walls after he'd handed one to her. "This your Mother?" he asked, pointing to a framed picture near her bookshelf. Dara nodded, "yeah, she was Mama," she said.
Sonny nodded as he took a swig of beer, "you an only child?" he asked, his gaze turning to her. Dara nodded again.
"Yeah, me too," Sonny noted softly. Dara watched as a wave of sadness seem to come over him, as if he was going back to a place in his past. She knew the look, she'd seen the same pain reflected in her own eyes many times.
As if trying to read her, Sonny tilted his head to the side, "Dara, do you want me to stay?"
Dara gave him a surprised look, "what do you mean?" she asked, hurt at what was on him mind.
"I don't mean that," Sonny deadpanned, "I mean, stay on your couch, just for tonight."
Dara took a deep breath, "oh Sonny, that's very nice of you but I don't want you to do something you feel obligated to do," she began before her voice trailed off. His offer sounded too good to be true, she really didn't want to be all alone tonight.
Sonny shook his head gently, "it's no obligation. I want you to feel safe Dara."
Dara smiled, a genuinely relieved and happy smile. "I have to go make a phone call, there are extra sheets, pillows and blankets in the linen closet. I'm sorry there's no bed for you but the couch is pretty comfortable." Dara stopped before speaking again, this time, her voice soft and sincere, "thank you Sonny, I really mean that."
Sonny simply nodded and gave her another warm smile before he removed his cell phone from his pocket, "I'll let Francis know," he said as he quickly punched in the numbers.
*****
Sonny awoke to the sounds of a woman moaning gently. Dara? His eyes snapped open and he quickly padded across the cool floor to Dara's bedroom door. Yes, it was definately Dara's voice, but she wasn't in pain or scared. Sonny waited beside her door, he wanted to but he didn't want to frighten her by opening her door. He pressed his ear against the door to get a better grasp of what she was moaning.
"Ohh, Michael," came Dara's breathless voice, almost a whimper and instantly Sonny's eyes widened. He remembered *that* voice like nothing else. He remembered asking her to call him by his real name and she complied, crying it over and over throughout their night of passion. And now he was hearing it again. At that moment, Sonny wanted nothing more than to throw open the door, take her in his arms and do it all over again, but something was stopping him. Her voice from the Grille, she had said good bye and he had silently vowed to respect her choice. He couldn't go in there, she didn't want him. Suddenly the moaning stopped and was replaced by what sounded like rustling sheets. Sonny took a chance and gently rapped on the door.
"Yes?" came Dara's slightly frantic voice.
"Dara it's me Sonny, I heard some moaning noises, is everything okay?"
Dara nearly gasped as she shrivelled under her covers. He'd *heard* her calling out for him? God, what else had he heard? What did he think? Her mind raced with questions but she composed herself enough to answer him. "Everything's okay, sorry I woke you."
"It's okay, I just wanted to check," he responded.
Dara waited, both hoping and fearing that he'd open the door to her bedroom, but he didn't. "Well, if you need anything, I'm right out here," he said, his voice sounding slightly strained.
"Thanks, goodnight."
"'Night"
Dara rested gently against the bed and pulled the covers up around her tightly. She wanted to go out to him, to fall asleep in his arms again, but she knew she couldn't. Not ever again.
Sonny nestled against the sheets on the couch, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep. He could hardly believe that she had called out to him, the *way* she had. She was having the same dreams he was but instead of her calling out to him, he was calling out to her, waking up each time to find her gone. She was haunting him, during the day she crept into his thoughts and at night, into his dreams, but his mind would always scream back that she didn't want him anymore.
But maybe, just maybe, she was changing her mind.