Jason can’t hide his frustration or his disappointment as they head out from the apartment building into the street.
“I’m sorry,” Mike says softly. “That has to be one of the few times I’ve been to that apartment and no one was home.” He feels helpless against their fear. “Why don’t we try some of the other places that Juan hangs out. He might be on the boardwalk or one of the piers along the beach.”
Sonny nods. They spent most of the night before checking the places the street kids hung out hoping to spot Emily without having to contact Juan. But after watching Jason’s concern grow all night as he saw how these kids survived, Sonny had determined that if Juan Santiago could use his connections to find Emily, than they would find Juan.
Carly noted Sonny’s somber expression. “This isn’t your fault.”
“I’m not so sure about that. After Lily died, I pretty much forgot the kid existed. Lily and Miguel visited him once or twice after they found him, but they both agreed that the less disruptions in his life the better. If I had kept track of him better, maybe he wouldn’t have run away.”
“No wonder you and Jason are friends,” Carly drawls. “You’re both so damned good at the blame game. It’s no more your fault that Juan ran away from home than its Jason’s fault Emily left. You didn’t know anything was wrong. If you had known, you would have done something to stop it. I know it.”
Sonny wondered why he had never noticed how pretty Carly was before this. He smiles at her and starts to say something when he hears his name being called. He looks up in shock to see Lucky approaching.
“Lucky?”
“It’s Spence,” Lucky says with a quick check to see if anyone is listening.
“Do you know where Emily is?” Jason says quickly. “Have you found her.”
“Shh. Quiet down,” Lucky rolls his eyes. “Honestly Jason maybe you should take a few lessons from my old man before you try any undercover work.”
Carly starts to giggle but the look Jason shoots her stops her.
“We need to talk,” Lucky says. “Alone.”
Sonny gets the hint. “We’ll meet you back at the hotel room.”
Once they are alone, Jason turns to Lucky. “Okay Spence,” he emphasizes the name, “tell me where Emily is so I can get her and bring her home.”
“You can’t.” Lucky says. “You can’t take Emily back to Port Charles. Not now.”
“Give me one good reason why not,” Jason’s voice is hard and clipped.
“Because if you drag her kicking and screaming back home, she will turn around and leave again the first chance she gets. And next time you won’t find her. She’s not ready to go home and to be perfectly frank I don’t blame her.”
Jason’s eyes narrow. “She told you. She told you who the bastard is who is beating her.”
Lucky nods.
“Tell me and I’ll take care of the problem.”
“I can’t. I gave my word.” Lucky looks down. “But you can’t send her back until she’s ready to tell you and everyone what’s wrong. Send her back to Port Charles now and you’re just sending her back to be hurt again.”
“She can stay with me.”
“She’s a minor Jason. Legally you have to give her back to parents.”
“Oh hell, it’s one of the Q’s isn’t it?” Comprehension dawns in Jason’s eyes.
“God I was hoping it was some one at school or ...I don’t know what I was hoping. But if she won’t tell the authorities, they’ll put her back in that mansion.” Jason swears. “But she can’t stay here. It isn’t safe. She can’t live on the streets like this. She wouldn’t make it.”
“She’s tougher than she looks,” Lucky says. “But I agree with you.” He hesitates. “If I can get Emily to agree to seek you out for help, is there someplace she can go where.....”
“They can’t reach her.” Jason nods. “Sonny has a villa in the Caribbean. She would be safe there.”
“And it would give her a chance to think things through. It sounds good. I’ll talk to her.”
“Wait a minute. Just tell me its Dorman so that I can order him taken care of.” Jason’s voice is without emotion. Lucky shakes his head. “I wish it was that easy.”
“I want to see her.”
“She can’t see you or she’ll panic and take off again.”
“Agreed, but I need to know she’s okay.”
Lucky hesitates and then tells Jason where Emily will be singing later that afternoon. Lucky is about to leave, when he hears a familiar voice.
“Spence,” Juan says with a fake smile. “Who’s your friend?”
How the hell does the guy manage to sneak up on him so easily? Lucky wonders.
“Juan,” Lucky says coolly. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” He sends a brief unspoken message to Jason to keep cool. “Emily was looking for you to spend some time with her.”
Juan’s eyes lit up and he smiled, this time it was a genuine smile. Then he glanced at Jason again. “You still didn’t tell me who your friend is?”
“Actually, I’m really glad that you came along because I wanted to introduce you.” Lucky turns to Jason. “This is the Santiago fellow I was telling you about. The one who’s been letting me stay with him until the pressure cools off and I can complete that delivery for you.” Please God let Jason play along. “Juan, this is Jason Morgan, Sonny Corinthos’s partner. Jason, Juan Santiago.”
Jason smiles. “Mr. Santiago it’s a pleasure to meet you. Spence has been filling me in on just how helpful you have been to him and I’m sure my partner and I would welcome the chance to express our gratitude in person.” Casually, Jason removes a business card from his jacket and writes a hotel name and room number on the back. “Perhaps you could join us for a small dinner party in our hotel suite tonight.”
Juan grins from ear to ear. “It would be a pleasure Mr. Morgan. I can’t wait till I tell Emily, she’s going to be so excited.”
“Emily?”
“My girlfriend.”
Jason tried to make his clenched jaw not so noticeable. “This is a business dinner party. I’m sure your girlfriend would find it boring.” Juan nodded. “But don’t let us keep you. Spence and I have much to discuss.”
As Juan walked down the street, Lucky turned to Jason. “Maybe you don’t need any lessons after all.”
“Just tell me how the hell Emily ended up with him and why he calls her his girlfriend.”
“It’s a long story.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Lucky sighed and began.
“Are you going to tell me why you are smiling?” Emily asks with a smile of her own as she and Juan sit by the water, her head resting quietly on his shoulder.
“It’s a surprise.”
“I don’t like surprises.”
“It’s a good surprise.” Juan says. “By this time tomorrow things will be different. I won’t be just a street kid or some social outcast. I’ll have a job and a future.”
“You’re joining the army.” Emily teases.
“Not quite.” Juan tightens his arm around her. “Now stop asking questions. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
“Are you leaving Miami?”
“Would that be so bad?”
“For me, yes. I would miss you.”
“What if you came with me?”
“Came with you?” Emily stuttered.
“Why not?” Juan tried to ask the question nonchalantly. “We are good together. I care about you more than I care about anyone else. I want to protect you. You can’t stay here without me and you sure the hell can’t go back home, so come with me.”
“We’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks,” Emily shakes her head.
“I know what I need to know. You’re brave, beautiful, strong, caring, and I’m starting to fall in love with you.”
“In love...”
“Since the minute I saw you get off the bus.”
“I don’t know what to say...”
He turns her till she’s looking straight at him. “Don’t say anything,” he whispers to her as he pulls her close and claims her lips as his own. In the last two weeks he has held her, comforted her, slept next to her, and except for a gentle soft kiss once in while when he’s sure she’s asleep, he hasn’t been able to work up the nerve to really kiss her. Not until now. The kiss is deep and long, but he is careful to keep it controlled and respectful. He’s had sex many times, with her he wants it to be different and he wants her to know it. She’s still way too good for him, but he’s all she has and he won’t let her face the world alone.
Emily is stunned to find herself on the receiving end of her second passionate kiss in as many hours. She finds herself returning this kiss too and wonders what that says about her personality. Nothing too bad she hopes.
After a few minutes, Juan pulls back but doesn’t stop his hands from running up and down her side.
“Do you see how good we can be together?” Juan asks her. “Don’t answer me, right now, okay? Just think about it. Promise me you’ll think about.”
“I don’t see how I can think of anything else after that kiss,” Emily replies without really thinking and Juan laughs gently at her blush.
“C’mon querida,” He pulls her to her feet. “Time for you to go to work.”
Emily’s eyes darken, her happiness of the moment before forgotten. “Don’t you mean both of us? I know that you are using me to steal from those people and I don’t like it.”
“You don’t know what you are talking about,” he tells her flatly. “You are too innocent to understand.”
“I know that you are using me. How does that make you different than my family.”
“How can you say that? I care about you Emily. You know that. Haven’t I proven it over and over again these last few weeks.”
Emily looks at him quietly. “I care about you Emily. I love you Emily. That’s what my mother used to say after she beat me.”
Juan watches her walk away, stunned. One minute he was on top of the world, sure that his introduction to Morgan and Corinthos was going to turn his life around and make things possible for him and Emily. Now she was walking away from him. What the hell had just happened?
Lucky catches Emily before she gets ready to singing. He is aware of Juan nearby watching, so he is careful to keep his stance casual and seemingly disinterested.
“I think I have the solution to your problem.”
“Murder is not an option,” Emily says alternating between ignoring Juan and glaring at him in return. “Never mind,” she says at Lucky’s puzzled look. “What solution? Or maybe what problem?”
“You don’t want to go back to Port Charles, do you? So don’t. Jason has to have places for you to go to besides Port Charles. Maybe somewhere there is no extradition so that you can’t be forced to go back to Port Charles.” Lucky smiles when he sees a glimmer of interest in Emily’s eyes. “Someplace where you can live in a decent house and maybe go to school and build a future. Where you don’t have to live on the streets and sing for your supper.”
“I don’t know. I’d still have to tell Jason the truth.”
“Not necessarily. Jason trusts you. He’d do anything for you. There’s no harm in asking him is there.” He cajoled. “Or at least thinking about it.”
Emily looked over at Juan. A place to start over. Someone to start over with. The thought appealed to her. Then she looked over at Lucky and found herself staring into his eyes, lost for a moment before she looked away again.
“What’s up with Romeo?” Lucky asked casually.
“His name isn’t Romeo. It’s Juan,’ Emily said absentmindedly as she saw Zane approach with his guitar case and the nerves in her stomach picked up again. “He kissed me”
“What?”
I am not going to blush, she told herself as she looked at Lucky. “He kissed me. That’s all. Oh, he asked me to go away with him and we got into a fight.” She added as if in afterthought.
His reply is barely coherent and she mistakes it for embarrassment for what they shared earlier.
“Don’t worry about kissing me earlier. I know it was just an act. I haven’t given it a second thought.” She blithely lies. “I’ve got to go.”
Lucky watches her walk away. What if it wasn’t just an act?
Jason and Sonny are walking down to the location Lucky gave Jason earlier. Carly had decided to stay behind and call AJ to fill him in.“So Juan seemed to be eager to join our organization.” Sonny says.
“Yeah. He practically jumped at the chance to meet you.”
“What did you think of him?”
“ Lucky says he’s smart. A leader among the street kids. Lots of potential. He seems to be taking good care of Emily.”
“Alright, that’s what Lucky thinks. What does Jason think?”
“The kids a pickpocket living on the streets who calls my kid sister his girlfriend. He’s a punk.” Jason looks at Sonny. “No offense to Lily.”
Sonny smiles. “None taken.”
“Are you going to tell him who you are?”
Sonny shakes his head. “I don’t want to confuse the kid. I want to find out what made him run away and then I’ll go from there. I think we should go along with his plan to join us at least so that we can get him to Port Charles. You going to let Emily take off for the villa? You know she can use it for as long as she wants.”
“I have to trust Lucky. Besides there’s no way I’d sleep at night if she was with either Monica or Alan after what Lucky said and there’s no way that I can let her stay with me legally.”
“It’s a plan.”
They were now within a half block of the beach and Jason stopped, smiling. “Listen.”
Sonny heard. “That’s your sister?”
I cried a tear, you wiped it dry
I was confused, you cleared my mind
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me
And held me up and gave me dignity
Somehow you needed me
On the beach, Lucky was watching Emily as she performed. All he could think
about was what she had said about Santiago. He remembered the two of them in that bed,
Emily curled up trustingly in Santiago’s arms. She allowed Santiago to comfort him and
pushed Lucky away. It occurred to him that if she took Jason up on his offer, he wouldn’t
see her again for a long time. He’d be back in Port Charles, going to class, hanging out at
Kelly’s and she’d be on some island alone. Who would be there to help her through her
nightmares? He moved closer to the front of the gathering crowd, only to find himself
standing right next to Juan.
She looked up at the tall man in a black suit and sunglasses approaching her.
The problem was that the man they had sent to take care of the princess looked like he
was also prepared to take care of her if she didn’t cooperate.
Diego Jimenez nodded at the girl and listened to her explain what his target
looked like and where she was. This was going to be easy. One shot and Jason Morgan
would be too busy grieving his lost sister to worry too much when the Santos family
began to make inroads into his territory in the Northeast.
He turned and handed Celia a thousand dollars. “Here’s your money as agreed.
You did good.” His eyes traveled up and down Celia’s body. “You want a job, you come
looking for me and I can set you up nicely.’
Celia shivered at the ugliness in his tone and in his look. “No thanks.”
“Suit yourself,” Checking to make sure that his pistol was loaded and the safety
off, Jimenez continued on his way.
Celia watched him go. She could yell or scream or do something to stop him. The
beach was crowded, just yelling gun would throw enough of a panic into everyone that it
might stop Santos’ man.
She does and says nothing and a few minutes later she walks in the other direction,
not towards Sanctuary but towards the bus station.
As Emily sings, her eyes fluctuate between Lucky and Juan. She feels a surge
of relief when she realizes the later is just standing and listening to her, nothing else. Her
opinion of him matters to him, she realizes. He really cares. She remembers the passion
that flowed between them and realizes that she could really fall hard for him if she let
herself. Her eyes drift over to Lucky and she realizes that he must care about her to, to
have come all this way for her must mean something. Maybe they can really be friends
again, best friends like they used to be. She remembers the feel of his lips against hers.
Was that all that she wanted, to be Lucky’s friend? Could she really move forward with a
relationship with either of them if she kept running and running from what happened in
Port Charles? But did she have the strength to go home and tell the world what Monica
did and watch the reaction on the faces of those she loved most?
Juan Santiago felt a huge wave of relief wash over him as he realized that Emily
was smiling at him. She wasn’t mad at him anymore. She must have figured out that he
wasn’t stealing from the people listening to her, even though Zane was sending him
you’re crazy looks and his fingers were itching at the sight of some of the more well
dressed tourists hanging around. But if Emily needed proof about how he felt, he would
give it to her. Then tonight he’d meet Corinthos and get himself a job with his
organization. Tonight would be the beginning of the future for both himself and for Emily.
God, she looked beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. He was just about to move closer to her
when, from the corner of his eye he saw a flash of metal.
She was beautiful. How come he had never seen it before? How had he let the
Sarah Webbers of the world distract him from seeing the grace and elegance that was
Emily? The softness in her eyes that seemed to see right through him. Strong. Vulnerable.
Steel. Velvet. Suddenly Emily was a little bit of everything and everything he needed at the
same time. He saw the look in her eyes when she was looking at Santiago and he realized
that without even knowing what he had, he had lost her. Then she looked at him and he
was surprised to see a sudden flare of warmth in the depth of her dark eyes. He was afraid
to read too much into it, but his heart refused to not have something to hope for, so he
found himself smiling at her. Maybe I should tell her how I feel? Before she leaves for
Jason’s villa. Before I go back to Port Charles. Maybe I should be honest. And if she
laughs in your face? You tried the honest approach with Sarah and look where it got you.
Emily is not Sarah, he told himself. No it would be worse if Emily laughed at you because
Sarah was just a crush, Emily could be something more. While he is arguing back and
forth with himself, he becomes aware of a growing murmur in the crowd and turns.
What happened next, happened too fast for Jason Morgan to stop and not fast enough
for him to ever hope to forget. He was just at the edge of the crowd surrounding Emily
when he heard someone yell gun, saw the flashes of fire in the direction of the center of
the crowd and heard the echoes of the gunshots. He hears Sonny yell, sees the gunman
turn towards Sonny, sees Sonny fire, and the gunman fall, but he pays little attention to the
gunman, his focus is on the center. He is aware of frantic voices, young and old, yelling
for someone to call 911 and someone else to call the police. He makes his way violently
through the crowd, not caring one bit who he has to shove to the side in his desperation to
find out what had happened. He stops when he reaches the edge of the circle.
In front of him, at the center of the now grief stricken crowd, one teenager lies
died, another lies seriously hurt, and the third has fallen into a shattered silence
You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
And I can't believe it's you
I can't believe it's true
I needed you and you were there
And I'll never leave, why should I leave?
I'd be a fool 'cause I finally found someone who really cares
You held my hand when it was cold
When I was lost you took me home
You gave me hope when I was at the end
And turned my lies back into truth again
You even called me "friend"
You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
I cried a tear, you wiped it dry
I was confused, you cleared my mind
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me
And held me up and gave me dignity
Somehow you needed me
You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
And I can't believe it's you
I can't believe it's true
I needed you and you were there
And I'll never leave, why should I leave?
I'd be a fool 'cause I finally found someone who really cares
You held my hand when it was cold
When I was lost you took me home
You gave me hope when I was at the end
And turned my lies back into truth again
You even called me "friend"
You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
You needed me, you needed me
The End.
