Chapter Seven: Invitations
Carly's apartment
a few days later
Lucky reached up to press stop on the VCR and turned around as protests echoed from three throats. "Uh-unh," Lucky said, shaking his head. "I can't take anymore. In just a minute the birds are gonna come sweepin' down, and they're all gonna run into the house, and I'm not going to be able to go to the park for a week."
Emily laughed, and rolled over on her stomach to poke Lucky in the ribs with a finger. "What a wimp! And, this from a guy who once stayed up all night and forced me to watch every single on of the Friday the 13th movies. I had nightmares for a week afterwards; you laughed the whole darn night through!"
"Yeah but that was funny," Lucky insisted, dodging the volley of pillows coming at his head. "I feed the pigeons in the park!"
"Okay, so you can handle a guy with a chainsaw murdering a bunch of kids at camp, but you don't do attack birds?" Emily laughed and rolled her eyes, propping her head up on the back of the couch. "You get stranger and stranger the longer I know you, Lucky Spencer."
Carly unfolded her legs from underneath her, and sat up on the couch, looking down at the teenagers with a grin. "Spencer males, Emily. Big and bad on the outside; total and complete chickens on the inside. Lucky's just takin' after his father," she stood up, nudging Lucky teasingly with her foot. "Speaking of Spencer boys, I'm gonna go check on Michael, since we seem to have paused the movie and all."
"No, let me," Marcus Taggert stood up, stretching his arms, and looking at Carly. "You sit down; you had a long day. I'll check on the kid," he smiled softly at Carly, and looked down at Lucky. "That way, you know, if any pigeons decide to go wacko and force their way in the front door, I won't be in the direct line of fire."
"Go ahead, make fun," Lucky called, as Marcus left the room, laughing. "Like the birds are gonna come to me first, anyway, with your shiny, bald head as a target!"
Emily burst out laughing again, then stood up, shaking her head, as Carly sank back down into the cushions, after aiming a swift kick towards her cousin's posterior. "'Scuse me; I need to use the restroom. Carly?" she looked at the other woman questioningly.
"Through the kitchen, first door on your left," Carly gestured, watching Emily walk out of the room before turning back to Lucky. She looked at him a long moment, seeing an ease in him she had never seen before. Of course, she had never really known him, before. The Lucky she knew was guarded, and quiet, and haunted. The boy on her floor tonight was none of those things. And, as little as Carly liked crediting Emily Quartermaine with anything, only thing she could figure was that what she was seeing in Lucky was because of her. "You look good," was all she said, looking down and into Lucky's eyes.
"Thanks," he sat up, crossing his legs Indian style, and brushing his hair back out of his eyes, meeting Carly's with a gaze that could almost pass for clear. "Things are finally starting to, I don't know, click into place, I guess." He shrugged. "I'm startin' classes at PCU next month, I'm sleeping through most nights, I can finally see my life again. Not exactly normal," Lucky's lips curved up in a quick smile, "but close as we Spencers get, I guess."
Carly drew her legs up, tucking them underneath herself. "'Bout time," she said, lightly. Carly sighed dramatically, "I was really gettin' tired of being, you know, the only 'normal' Spencer," she looked at Lucky with a straight face.
"Car-o-line," Lucky said, in a very Luke-ian drawl, "one thing you'll never, ever be is normal. The fact that you think you are makes me question your sanity. More than I usually do, I mean," he added, with a grin. She tossed a pillow at him; he caught it and tossed it back deftly as Carly burst into laughter, sticking out her tongue at her cousin. Lucky studied her as she laughed. "You look good, too, Carly. Less -- lonely." He hesitated, then plunged ahead. "Is it 'cause of Baldie in there?"
Carly stilled on the couch. "No," she said finally, her face quiet. "It's because of me. I'm trying to figure out a way to stand on my own feet, you know. And, let that be -- enough. 'Bout time, huh?" she repeated, with a small, wry grin.
"Yeah," Lucky said, softly. He cleared his throat, standing up as Emily came back in the room. "Guess we better go," he said, as Emily moved beside him. They didn't so much as graze fingers, but Carly was struck by how comfortable they seemed together, how right. Lucky caught Carly's bemused gaze and smiled, widely. "You know, we should make movie night a regular thing. Only," he held up a finger, "next time, I get to pick the movie."
Carly groaned, as she stood up, walking over to the door with the teenagers. "Since you're not into The Birds, I guess that means we're gonna be watching some sappy Disney movie, huh?" she shook her head. "Maybe you can raid Lucas' video collection," Carly teased. She turned to Emily, still smiling. "You're welcome to come back, if you want. I mean, not just to watch a movie, but to hang out with Michael. I know you see him at AJ and Eve's, but if, you know, you just want to spend time with your godson, whenever, that would be okay."
"Thanks," Emily said, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. "I mean that, Carly; thanks. I had a good time; thank you for including me, tonight," she added, taking the olive branch Carly was extending firmly in hand.
Carly shrugged. "Any friend of Lucky's -- yadda, yadda, yadda." There was only so far down the road of polite behavior Carly was willing to travel, even for Lucky's sake. She turned to her cousin, hugging him. "Be good, you," she said, her tone light, as she ruffled his hair. Lucky lifted two fingers, giving her a sharp salute as he and Emily headed down the steps, walking towards her apartment. Carly watched them a moment, before stepping back inside. She paused for a moment, then headed towards Michael's room, a puzzled look on her face; Marcus was taking a long time checking on her son.
She paused in the doorway to his bedroom, leaning against the doorjamb, her face softening. Marcus was perched on the edge of her son's bed, and Michael's small hand was twined with his, as he slept. "Hey," Carly said softly, and Marcus lifted his head to look at her. She tilted her head towards the door, and Marcus nodded. He leaned over, kissing Michael's forehead lightly, and detangled his hand, standing up and following Carly out of the room.
~I try to find you, see you in my life She paused in the hallway, studying Marcus' face for a long, quiet moment, then Carly stood up on her toes, cupping his face lightly in her hands, and pressing her lips to his gently. When she pulled away, Carly laughed quietly at the look on his face, then answered the question she saw there. "I liked the way you held my baby's hand," Carly said softly. "And, Lucky and Emily -- watchin' them made me want what they have. So I started thinking that maybe the way to get that is to reach out for what's right in front of me. Which would be you," she grinned, then looked at him, waiting for whatever came next.
Marcus slowly slid his hands down Carly's arms, linking his fingers loosely with hers. He jerked his head towards Michael's room. "It wasn't entirely unselfish," he said, softly. "Watching Michael, I mean. It was like -- a glimpse into the child you were once. Watching your son sleep, I could see you in his eyes," he let go of her hand, to trace her eyes gently with his finger, "and the way he creases his forehead, right," his finger drifted upwards, to draw a soft line, "here."
~I see a house "Do you like what you see?" Carly asked, backing up into the wall behind her, tilting her head to look into Marcus' eyes, wanting this man to want the woman in front of him, the woman she was in the process of becoming.
"Carly," Marcus Taggert grinned, cupping her chin in one hand. He shook his head, once. "Look at me; you really need to ask that question?" he asked, one hand braced on the wall behind her. Marcus leaned down as if he were going to kiss her, and instead spoke softly, his mouth very close to hers. "I like what I see very much," he murmured, his eyes soft and dark.
Carly quelled the name that popped into her mind, unbidden, in that moment, of another very different man with dark eyes. She slipped out from under his arm, grinning up at him with a smile like wildfire, determined to think only of . "Then maybe you should ask me out, like on a date," Carly suggested. "There's this thing comin' up, big party, lots of dancing and singing, good cause. It's called the Nurses' Ball; maybe you've heard of it?" she prompted. "And, you know, I don't have a date. Yet..."
~I look around me, I take it all in Marcus grinned, then went along with what it was obvious she was waiting for. "Carly Benson," he laughed, as she batted her eyes at him, "will you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Nurse's Ball?"
"Yes, Marcus Taggert, I will," Carly grinned back, then took his hands in hers, lightly, manipulating him down the hall and towards the door. "But, now, tonight, time for you to go. Too much of a good thing," she lifted her hand to his cheek, with a smile. "Besides, I wanna do this right, take it slow. Pick me up on Friday, right here."
"I'll be here," he murmured, reaching behind him and opening the door. Marcus squeezed her hand lightly and turned to go. He paused, then turned back quickly, stepping forward and covering Carly's lips with his, in a long, gentle kiss. He stepped back a moment before he felt Carly start to pull away. "Sometimes slow is over-rated," Marcus whispered, smiled quickly, then disappeared out the door.
Carly stood a moment, watching him walk down the stairs to his own apartment, part of her wanting to call him back, part of her relieved that he'd left. She lifted her hand to her lips, the smile fading from her lips. Because despite how much she had meant every word she said, how much she really did want to spend time with Taggert, when he kissed her, she couldn't get Sonny's lips out of her mind.
~I try to find you, see you in my life outside Emily's apartment
Emily stopped, as she and Lucky approached the stairs to her building. "Oh," she said, gesturing towards a motorcycle parked outside. "Looks like Jason's here. Instead of coming up, maybe we should just hang out for a little while," she suggested, delicately.
Lucky lifted an eyebrow and sat down on the steps, waiting for Emily to join him. "Isn't that a little weird?" he asked. "Your brother and your roommate -- seems kind of awkward."
"It was, at first," Emily replied, as she sat down, leaning back against the railing. "But, it just, I don't know, feels right now. Jason and Lark are good together; they make each other more tolerable. I mean, if you think Lark has a temper now, you should have met her before she and Jason hooked up," she smiled, wryly. "And they're usually pretty, um, discreet." Emily was grateful for the cover of night as a blush crept up in her cheeks. She pressed one hand against her cheek, turning away slightly.
"That's good," Lucky said, shifting slightly beside her. They were both silent a long moment, neither quite meeting the other's eyes. "So--" Emily and Lucky both broke the silence at once, speaking together. "You first," Lucky laughed, gesturing at her, the momentary awkwardness fleeting.
"I was just thinking that maybe you'd want to come to the Nurse's Ball this Friday. With me." Emily rushed her words as she saw Lucky's face still. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to; it's no big deal. I just -- I'm singing this song and I thought maybe you'd--"
"Emily," Lucky reached over, laying a hand on her arm. "It's just, you know, I don't do crowds so well. Still." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'd love to hear you sing, anytime, any place, but -- I don't know if I'm ready to face Port Charles en masse, yet. I'm tryin' to get there, but it's hard."
"It's okay, Lucky," Emily tilted her head so that she could see his eyes. "Like I said, it's really no big deal."
~Do I set you on a pillow or hold you in the air "No," Lucky protested, leaning forward, "no. You know what? It is a big deal. The Nurses' Ball is a big deal, and you singing in it is a big deal. I would love to go with you, Em." He grinned suddenly. "Besides, who could pass up a chance to see Lucy Coe in her underwear. Again."
"Lucy Coe-Cassadine," Emily corrected. Lucky shook his head; that was one he hadn't absorbed yet. However, from what he understood, he wasn't alone on that one. Lucy's marriage to Stefan Cassadine had thrown half the town for a loop. She glanced up at her apartment, and seeing all lights were off, stood up. "It's probably safe now," she nodded towards the door. "So, I'll talk to you later, about the Nurses' Ball. It'll be good, Lucky, I promise. Thanks," she paused, then leaned forward, intending to kiss him on the cheek.
~Do I hide you in a closet or shut you in a drawer Lucky tilted his head as he rose to meet Emily, not intending to do anything other than move closer to her, and their lips met, in a sweet, completely unintentional, soft kiss that surprised them both. Neither pulled away, and Lucky's hand slowly slid to Emily's lower back as he tilted his head further, bringing his lips into alignment with hers. Finally, it was Emily who pulled away first.
She bit her lower lip, looking at him, then spoke, her voice very soft. "So, I'll see you Friday?" Emily asked. Lucky nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak. She stood still a moment longer, then slipped inside, hurrying quickly up the stairs and to her dark apartment.
When she pulled the windowshade aside and looked down, Lucky had disappeared, and Emily slowly let the shade fall out of her fingers. She closed her eyes, leaning against the wall, as a small smile slowly spread across her lips.
I try to find you, see you in my life Sonny's bedroom
Alexis reached across Sonny, pulling on her blouse and starting to button it. She leaned down, her body against Sonny's, and kissed him, long and lingeringly. "I have to go," she murmured regretfully against his mouth.
Sonny's hand slid up her back, pressing her against him for a long moment, before releasing her. "I know," was all he said; Sonny didn't ask women to stay with him anymore. He watched her as she dressed, sitting up as Alexis perched on the side of the bed, drawing one of her legs up underneath her. He reached out, twining one of her hands in her hair, still loose and tousled on her shoulders. Sonny slid his thumb over her lips. "It was a good night," he said softly.
Alexis nodded, smiling softly, the moonlight dancing across her face. "That it was. Even if I still don't know what this," Alexis gestured across the moon-lit bedroom, "thing between us is." She spoke with a slight questioning note in her voice, as if she wanted him to define the elephant in the room, the thing they still hadn't talked about, even though they had been seeing each other for several weeks now.
Sonny slid forward, looking at her. "You mean, what are we? Where are we going?" He shook his head. "I don't know the answer to those questions, Alexis. But, I was thinkin'," he slid his hand down her shoulder to her arm, "maybe we should take the first step towards figuring that out. The Nurses' Ball is this Friday; would you like to go with me?" he asked, softly, something almost vulnerable in his eyes.
Alexis hesitated, then looked down, her fingers splayed across her lap. "Sonny, I -- I don't know if I'm ready for that. For making this public."
~Not as I planned and not as you see Sonny's hand dropped off her arm, and his voice lowered, almost dangerously. "What are you sayin', Alexis? That it's okay to do what we do behind closed doors, long as no one knows about it? I'm, what, not good for business, is that it?"
Alexis looked at him, her eyes flaring. "That's not fair, Sonny, and you know it. This is complicated; pretending it's not is just that, pretending." She pulled her hair into a low knot on the back of her neck, using that as a pretext to give her fingers something to do. "There are no rules for this; I'm making up what's okay and what isn't as we go along. Can I just -- think about it? And, let you know in the morning?"
Sonny shrugged, laying back on the pillows. "Whatever," he said, his voice a study in unconcern. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, then." He drew his hands up behind his head, watching her as she stood, gathering her purse and her shoes, sliding them on her feet.
Alexis looked at him. "Sonny," she started to say, then broke off. She bit her lower lip, a million thoughts running around in circles in her head, but in the end, didn't say anything, except, "Good night." She paused again, her hand on the doorknob, then slipped out of the room silently.
~I try to find you see you in my life Sonny let out the breath he'd been holding in as the door closed behind her, and threw the pillow under his head violently across the room. He sat a very long time in the dark, staring at the ceiling, his bed cold and empty. And, the woman running through his thoughts, the one woman who'd never tried to change him or make excuses for who he was, was not the woman who'd just left his bedroom.
~Where am I gonna put you in my
Try to put you in my chair, see you in my light
Somehow it fades and it dims in my sight
Where am I gonna put you in my life~
I see a light
I see a little chair set just right~
Then I start to look again
Where am I gonna put you in my life~
Try to put you in my chair, see you in my light
Where am I gonna put you in my life~
Do I put you on a shelf and dust you with care~
I really don't know what to do anymore~
Try to put you in my chair, see you in my light
Where am I gonna put you in my life~
The things we are, are things we can be
Wavering left, and I'm wavering right
Well I'm losing strength and I don't want to fight~
Try to put you in my chair see you in my light
Somehow it fades and it dims in my sight~
Where am I gonna put you in my
Where am I gonna put you in my life~*
