Once You Love Somebody

In between seeing patients, Kevin Collins lay on the couch in his office staring at the white stucco ceiling thinking of ways to rid himself of thoughts about Lucy as he noticed how slow the day had been dragging by for him as he was consumed by thoughts of seeing Lucy earlier in the day at lunch with Scott and Serena. He remembered how happy she seemed to be with the two of them and he realized that as time went on, there would be no way that he could find a place in her life as he had hoped for when he had seen Sigmund earlier in the day. He let out a frustrated sigh as his deepest fears of losing Lucy forever resurfaced in his head.

"Knock, knock." a voice called out opening the door to the office as Kevin glanced up and saw Eve standing before him. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to barge in on you like this. I can come back later if....."

"No, no it's okay." Kevin replied sitting up quickly and getting to his feet to greet her with a warm welcome. "I was just killing time here anyways so to speak."

"Ah, the word killing gives me the creeps." Eve said as chills ran down her spine. "It's just so morbid considering everything that has happened around here lately with someone trying to kill me and that whole going to jail thing."

"Sorry, no pun intended." Kevin smiled realizing that she was standing in the middle of his office in her doctor's uniform. "Eve, they released you?"

"Yeah," Eve smiled giving him a quick hug before explaining things to him. "The charges were dropped against Julie and after I finished with my testimony, they said I was free to go home."

"So why aren't you there now?" Kevin questioned taking a seat behind his desk and gazing up at her. "You should be resting after the nightmare you've gone through these past couple weeks."

"Come on Kevin. The last thing I want to do at a time like this is be a sitting duck in that apartment waiting for the killer to strike again. After what happened before, I'm afraid that the person is going to come back and try to finish the job they started before." Eve replied moving into a chair across from him. "Besides, I wanted to come see how my friend was doing now that he was back at work in his office again."

"Well, how do I look?" Kevin questioned extending his arms out as he forced a wide teethy grin.

"Honestly?" Eve asked seriously.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Kevin replied lowering his arms down to the desk top.

"You look miserable Kevin." Eve confessed watching his smile evaporate as he began fumbling with the pen on top of his desk. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's quite alright." Kevin insisted shaking his head and letting out a sigh. "At least now I know I'll have to work harder to fool people around here."

"Kevin, I know that it's none of my business, but why don't you try talking to Lucy?" Eve suggested hating to see Kevin suffering like he was. "It might make you feel better."

"Eve, there's nothing more that I would rather do than talk to Lucy and make things like they were, but I can't." Kevin explained to Eve sadly. "She and Scott are lovers again and as time goes on, I see that she has no place for me in her life anymore."

"Kevin, how can you say that? Lucy has been trying to get you back for a while now and I know that she cares for you." Eve insisted hating the words as she spoke them. "Look, you know Lucy isn't my favorite person, but I know how much you love her and how much she means to you. Maybe you should just try to give it one more shot with her just so that you can get some type of closure one way or the other."

"Eve if I went to Lucy right now and told her how I was feeling, I know that I'd end up taking her back into my life because I love her that much, but even if we were able to work things through in this moment, the fact still remains that Scott is a huge part of her life and he always will be." Kevin explained glancing over at the photograph of Lucy he had sitting on his desk. "No matter how hard I try to forget what happened with Scott and Lucy, he'll always be there as a constant reminder of everything and I'm not sure I can live with that."

"Kevin, I can only imagine what you're going through." Eve said reaching out to take his hand in hers. "What Scott and I had was nothing compared to the love that you and Lucy shared, but I feel like my heart as been ripped out of my chest."

"Eve, I'm sorry to bring you down like this." Kevin insisted giving her hand a squeeze as he looked into her sad eyes. "I know this must be tearing you apart right now and it's probably the last thing you want to be thinking about."

"No, I need to face the truth sooner or later. Scott and I will never be together again and I'll have to move on," Eve explained forcing a smile as she fought back tears. "but hey, let's not dwell on this right now, okay?"

"Sure," Kevin agreed leaning back in his chair. "So what else is on your mind?"

"Did you hear about the Halloween bash this evening?" Eve questioned as Kevin let out a chuckle.

"You mean the ridiculous party the hospital is having for all of Port Charles finest residents to dress up and pretend to be social for one night in the name of charity?" Kevin questioned cynically remembering the memo he had received earlier in the day suggesting that all doctors make an appearance since the media was covering the event.

"That would be the one." Eve laughed taking note of the look of displeasure on Kevin's face. "I take it you're not going."

"Not a chance." Kevin answered boldly with another chuckle. "I've made an ass of myself way too many times already in this town and the last thing I want to do is attend a costume party. With my luck, I'd run into Scott and Lucy in each other's arms and do something that I might regret."

"That's too bad. I was kind of hoping that you'd come with me tonight." Eve replied with a frown. "You see I was planning on attending all along if I was released out of jail of course, but I just lost my date for the evening and now I'm all alone."

"Who would be foolish enough to turn down an evening with the ever intriguing Eve Lambert?" Kevin teased as he began to smile.

"Actually, Chris and I were going to go together, but he suddenly found this supposedly hot date, so I told him to have fun. I figured that I'd go alone, but then I realized that I didn't really feel like facing this town without someone at my side considering now that everyone probably thinks that I'm the General Homicide murderer."

"So you decided to invite me to tag along to add to the scandal?" Kevin questioned raising an eyebrow.

"I know you wouldn't think that I was trying to kill you considering you are one of the few people who still believe that I'm innocent." Eve replied with a smile.

"Well, you never know, but seriously..... " Kevin teased making a joke of the situation before turning serious. "Actually I'm flattered by your invitation, but I think that tonight is going to be a quiet night for me at the Lighthouse. Maybe I'll settle in with a good book or something. There are plenty of depositions that I've been dying to get my mind into now that I have all of this free time."

"Sounds exciting." Eve replied sarcastically. "You sure do know how to live it up don't you Dr. Collins?"

"Right now the last thing I want to do is be in a crowd of people who have nothing better to do than harass me about the General Homicide murders or be around those who will want to discuss what's going on between Lucy and I."

"I understand." Eve replied as her pager went off and she stood up. "I've got to go, but I wish you would reconsider my offer."

"Thanks but no thanks Eve." Kevin smiled as she headed towards the door.

"Just think about it Kevin." Eve said turning around to look at him once more before she left. "Call me if you change your mind."

"I'll do that." Kevin agreed watching her leave.

Victor Collins walked around the block in his trench coat and sunglasses watching Scott Baldwin's every move hoping to discover something useful in his quest to find a way to bring Lucy and Kevin together. So far Scott had taken Serena to her grandmother's place and gone into a couple of stores. Victor followed Scott closely while making sure that his identity was kept a secret as Scott entered a Halloween costume shop.

"May I help you?" the clerk behind the counter asked Scott as Victor hid behind a rack of children's costumes listening to every word exchanged between Scott and the clerk.

"Actually, I'm looking for a couple of costumes for a party tonight." Scott confessed watching the clerk's annoyed expression. "I know this is very last minute, but can you come up with something for me?"

"Well, considering that half this town will be attending the big Halloween charity bash going on tonight, my selection is rather limited at this moment in time." the clerk explained gazing Scott over. "I don't have many costumes left for adults. What exactly were you looking for?"

"I need two adult costumes: one for me and another for my lady friend. She's really slender and......" Scott explained as the clerk's face lit up and she headed towards the door into the storage room. "Where are you going?"

"I think I may have just what you need." The clerk explained disappearing into the room and leaving Scott to look around the store.

Scott walked along the front of the store looking at the masks alined up against the far left wall when he was struck by an eerie feeling. He turned around expecting to see someone behind him, but there was no one there. He let out a sigh and began examining the ghastly masks again when he heard a crashing sound from the other side of the room. He turned around and saw a hat rack tumble to the ground as the hats flew all over the floor.

"What the.........?" Scott wearily began moving towards the hat rack as Victor closed his eyes silently cursing his carelessness as he heard Scott's footsteps draw nearer to him.

"I think I may have found something for you." the clerk called out to Scott as she reentered the room and noticed the hats on the floor. "What happened here?"

"Oh, I think the wind knocked the hat rack over." Scott decided turning around to look at the clerk. "So what did you come up with?"

"Well, for your lady friend, I found this cat woman costume." the clerk explained holding up the black spandex cat suit.

"You did say she was slender right?"

"Of course." Scott replied taking the costume in hand and imagining how hot Lucy was going to look wearing it.

"And I'm sorry, but the only costume I could come up with for you was this." the clerk explained holding up a brown costume with long floppy ears.

"What in the world is this?" Scott questioned looking at the costume in disgust.

"It's a shaggy dog." the woman explained quickly. "I know it's not the most desirable costume, but it's all I had left."

"Well, I guess it'll have to do." Scott shrugged taking out his charge card and handing it to her. "Worse things could've happened I suppose."

"Hey look on the bright side, it's a one of a kind, so no one else will dressed like you." the clerk added cheerfully handing Scott his receipt. "Have a nice day."

"Yeah you too." Scott said taking the costumes and leaving.

"Goodbye," the clerk smiled as Victor moved into sight. "May I help you?"

"Nikki, it's me." Victor explained taking off the sunglasses.

"Professor Collins," she laughed glancing him over, "you look like you're on some kind of undercover mission as Sherlock Holmes."

"Well, I sort of am." Victor replied glancing over his shoulder.

"So what's the caper this time?" Nikki asked leaning over the counter to hear all about his latest tale of mystery and scandal.

"I can't get into it right now because it's top secret, but I figured that since I was in the neighborhood, I'd pick up my costumes for tonight." Victor explained watching Scott walk down the street towards his car.

"Sure, I'll go get them." Nikki explained with a confused look. "You know I must say that I'm a bit curious as to why you ordered two costumes."

"One's for my son." Victor informed her as he tip toed towards the entrance of the store in time to see Scott take off in his car. Nikki rolled her eyes with a chuckle and disappeared behind the wall once again as he dialed his cell phone. "Hello, Hawk, it's little do-do bird. The first step in the mission is taken. Everything appears to be on it's way, now it's up to you."

Lucy sat on the couch in her hotel room looking at the flier in her hands as she heard a knocking on her door. She looked at the clock realizing that it would be too early for Scott to be picking her up and taking her to his place. She had just finished packing her suitcases up moments earlier as the knocking continued. She looked around the hotel suite one last time making sure that she had everything in order as she closed the large suitcase which contained most of the things that she had brought with her to the hotel the day she had left the lighthouse.

"I wonder who that could be." Lucy shrugged getting up off of the couch to find Luke standing before her with a smile on his face as he held a red rose out to her. "Luke, what are you doing here?"

"I came over to see how you're doing." Luke explained handing her the rose and giving her a quick hug as he entered the suite. "From the looks of things, it seems like you're relocating again. Don't tell me it's because I've come over to see you."

"Of course not silly." Lucy laughed shutting the door behind him as he took a seat on her bed and looked up at her.

"So what's really going on Lucy?" Luke questioned point blank as he watched her move around the room bustling with her suitcases. "Where are you headed?"

"I'm going to Scott's place." she explained unable to look at him as she spoke.

"Scott? As in Scott Baldwin?" Luke questioned in disbelief. "Please don't tell me you said Scott Baldwin."

"Luke, I'm going over there to be with Serena." Lucy explained looking up at him as she continued packing up a few last things. "She's still recovering from her cornea surgery and she needs me there to help her deal with everything she's going through."

"Of course Scott doesn't play any part in your going over there, now does he?" Luke asked raising an eyebrow as he stood up and walked over towards Lucy who had her back to him. "What does the good doctor have to say about all of this?"

"Kevin?" Lucy questioned wide eyed as she wiped off her dresser top. "Oh, well, Luke, you see Kevin and I are finished. He hardly even gives me a second thought these days."

"Finished?" Luke repeated with curiosity as he noticed Lucy's nervousness. "Lucy, I found the man at the restaurant drowning in thoughts of you. I'd have to say that his feelings for you are far from finished."

"Luke, you just don't understand! Kevin doesn't deserve someone like me in his life. He is a good man who deserves the best that life has to offer him and I can't give it to him." Lucy snapped turning around to face him. "I'm not the woman that Kevin fell in love with all those years ago. I've let him down and he deserves much better."

"Lucy, I'd hardly call you chopped liver. Besides Kevin seems to be rather fond of you. Granted, he's a little uptight at times, but I actually kind of like the two of you together in a strange sort of way. It sure makes for some amusing stories." Luke commented watching Lucy's face grow pale. "What is it Lucy?"

"I slept with Scott, okay? There I told you. You have it out of me. Are you satisfied?" Lucy blurted out in frustration as she waited for Luke to respond.

"You did what?" Luke asked as her words sank in and he reached out to hug her as she started to cry softly. "Oh kid, hey it's okay. Everyone makes a stupid mistake every now and then. I still love you even if you were with someone like that Scott Baldwin. I do have one question though Lucy. Why?"

"I've been trying to ask myself that for the past few days Luke. I keep trying to say that it was a one time thing, but if that was the case, then I wouldn't be feeling the way I do right now." Lucy confessed taking a step back and pulling herself together as she checked her appearance in the mirror. "I just don't know why I've done half the things that I've done Luke. I've been stuck in this confused state with everything running though my mind over and over again as I continue to search for some type of understanding about what I'm feeling and quite frankly, I don't like to think about it anymore. It just hurts too much."

"Hey, it's okay." Luke assured her seriously as he softened his tone. "I came over here to discuss other things with you right now anyways, so listen up. I have a business proposition for you. Sort of an adventure so to speak if you're interested. While it isn't as exciting as other things we've encountered in the past together, I thought that just maybe I could entice you into participating in this little distraction so to speak......."

"An adventure?" Lucy's repeated as her eyes grew wide. "Say no more. I'm in."

"But Lucy, I haven't even told you what it was yet." Luke laughed watching her face light up.

"It doesn't matter Luke. Right now I could use a good distraction from the world around me." Lucy explained shaking her head. "A little adventure would be good for me."

"Now you're making me feel bad Lucy." Luke responded with a frown as she beamed at the idea of embarking upon a new adventure. "As I said before, this one is much more tame than the last couple of things we have done. In fact, this is very mundane now that I think of it."

"What is it?" Lucy questioned swatting at him playfully. "Will we be chasing after gang lords or going undercover to expose someone who's up to no good?"

"Actually, I need a spy at the Halloween bash going on tonight." Luke explained watching a frown form on Lucy's face. "I'd do it myself, but I just don't have the Lucy Coe charm you see."

"You want me to spy on someone at the Halloween bash?" Lucy repeated in bewilderment. "Who do you need me to keep an eye on?"

"Actually what I need you to do is work some of your magic on this man." Luke explained with a chuckle. "He's very important in a couple of things I've been dealing with and recently I've been informed that he's trying to disclose some important information from some friends of mine and I'd like to expose him once and for all."

"So where do I come in?" Lucy asked curiously taking a seat on her chair.

"All you have to do is get him to open up to you and reveal what he's been keeping from everyone. Do you think you're up to it?" Luke questioned with a grin.

"Of course. I'll have to find a way to get this guy to feel as if he could bear his soul to me." Lucy agreed wide eyed as the realization hit in that it had been a while since she had used her charm to get information out of someone. "This doesn't have to do with Stefan, does it?"

"No, I'm afraid not, but I'll find some way to nail that bastard one way or the other in the future." Luke assured her with a smile. "I'll warn you now, the guy you're going to work on tonight is one tough cookie, so you'll have to lay it on thick."

"I suppose that I can do it, but if I go tonight, I'll be bringing Scott since I promised him that I'd stay with him this evening considering that the General Homicide murderer is on the loose." Lucy warned him seriously.

"Well, as much as I hate to have Baldwin there with you, if you have to bring him, then go ahead as long as it doesn't interfere with what you're doing for me." Luke agreed staring into her eyes.

"Thank you Luke." Lucy grinned giving him a hug as there was a knock on her door. "I promise you won't regret getting me involved."

"Hey, I know you're the best. That's why I came to you." Luke insisted as Lucy moved to answer the door. "Wait, let me get that."

"Alright." Lucy agreed thinking of costume ideas for the evening as she heard Scott's voice and she looked up to see him frowning at Luke.

"Hey pal," Luke muttered tapping Scott on the shoulder as he turned to look at Lucy. "See you tonight babe."

"Bye Luke." Lucy waved as Scott shut the door behind him.

"What the hell was he doing here?" Scott questioned curiously.

"I'll tell you later." Lucy insisted picking up a small bag. "What do you say we start loading up the car?"

"Monk, are you sure that I can't talk you into going tonight?" Victor questioned walking out into the living room in his costume.

"Victor I already told you I don't intend upon parading around all night in a costume in front of Port Charles," Kevin began turning around to see his father standing before him wearing a bright yellow chicken costume. "Victor, you look ridiculous."

"I think that I look rather festive." Victor replied flapping his wings and making clucking noises. "Besides, Sigmund has been giving me a few pointers all afternoon and I think I've finally got it."

"Why in the world would you........?" Kevin began stopping himself as he watched his father bobbing around the room. "Never mind."

"Monk, come on, why don't you come along with me?" Victor suggested taking a seat next to Kevin. "I'd feel so much better knowing that you weren't alone tonight wasting your life away like this."

"Reading Freud is hardly something to be considered a waste of time Victor." Kevin insisted picking up his book and opening it once more.

"Monk," Victor began taking the book away, "I'd just like to see you happy again. Is that too much for a father to ask for?"

"Victor, I appreciate your efforts and your concern over my happiness, but it's not necessary. I'll be fine." Kevin tried assuring him as he too the book back. "Really I will be, so why don't you just go and have a nice time?"

"Okay, but there's a costume hanging up in your room if you change your mind." Victor explained picking up his car keys and going to the door. "Are you sure you won't go with me?"

"Positive." Kevin replied seriously as Victor shook his head and walked out the front door.

Kevin listened to the sound of Victor's car leaving and he diverted his attention back to the book in his hands, when suddenly it dawned on him that the book he was holding was the one that Lucy had given him as a present. With a frustrated sigh, he leaned back on the couch closing his eyes and trying to think of a way to keep his mind off Lucy when the doorbell rang.

"I knew you weren't going to let me get off that easily." Kevin muttered standing up and opening the front door. "Somehow I knew you'd be back."

"Kevin?" Lucy questioned in confusion.

"Lucy." Kevin responded lightening his tone as he looked at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came over to pick up Sigmund." Lucy explained as Kevin remained frozen in place at the front door. "Are you going to let me in?"

"Oh, of course." Kevin replied snapping out of his daze and opening the door wider. "Come on in."

"Thanks." Lucy smiled stepping inside and looking things over. "Gosh, this place hasn't changed much since the last time I was here."

"Well things are a bit different now." Kevin insisted watching her move over to the couch and pick up the book that was sitting on it.

"You still have the book." Lucy said holding it and gazing over at Kevin.

"Of course I do. It's one of my favorites." Kevin replied remaining motionless as his heart began pounding.

"I know that's why I bought it for you." Lucy began watching Kevin closely. "I'm just surprised that you're reading it now considering that I was the one who.....oh never mind. So where is our baby.......I mean, Sigmund?"

"He's in the bedroom I believe." Kevin explained to her as the sounds of quacking filled the room and he looked down to find Sigmund waddling across the floor in Lucy's direction.

"Oh Siggy," Lucy cried out sweeping the duck into her arms and kissing him. "Mommy's here now. How are you? Did you have fun with daddy?"

Kevin remained silent watching Lucy talking to Sigmund and he realized how much he missed having her around. He wanted to tell her how much he needed her, but his pride wouldn't let him take the first step, so he remained frozen like a fool.

"You know, Siggy looks happy that he got to spend some quality time with you Kevin." Lucy explained locking gazes with Kevin. "He's missed you a lot since we've left."

"I missed him quite a lot too." Kevin replied taking a step closer to Lucy. "In fact, this house has felt very empty without him here. It's as if the life was taken out of this place when he left."

"Yeah, well he's felt completely rotten being so far away from you all this time." Lucy continued still holding Sigmund as she moved towards Kevin. "In fact I'd say he's been down right miserable. He wishes that he could change so many things that have happened."

"I can relate to that feeling." Kevin agreed closing in the gap between him and Lucy.

"You know, poor Siggy needs you in his life." Lucy explained realizing that there was only about a foot in between her and Kevin. "He feels rotten about everything that has happened and wishes that there was some way to make the past disappear."

"I wish he could do that too." Kevin decided extending out his hand to pet Sigmund as Lucy moved in closer to him. He touched Sigmund's soft white feathers never taking his eyes off of Lucy as he began leaning in towards her. "There's nothing that I'd like better than to hold him in my arms right now and apologize for the mistakes I've made."

"Doc, somehow I get the feeling we aren't talking about Sigmund anymore." Lucy whispered feeling Kevin's breath upon her face as she closed her eyes anticipating a kiss when suddenly the sounds of a horn honking interrupted them.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Kevin questioned snapping back into reality as he took a step back from Lucy and moved towards the window to look outside.

"See Doc, I can explain." Lucy began as she watched Kevin's face cloud over in anger.

"Is that Scott Baldwin in my driveway laying on the horn like that?" Kevin questioned turning around to look at her.

"Well, you see, Scott brought me over here to pick up Sigmund since I'm going to be staying with him and Serena for a while." Lucy explained quickly as she noticed the look of fury in his eyes. "Doc, say something please."

"I think you'd better go." Kevin replied cooly looking around the room for Sigmund's cage.

"Doc, can we talk about this please? You see Serena needs me to be there for her right now considering all that she's been through and both Scott and I agreed that it would be best if we were both with her during this time." Lucy began following him around the room in a frenzy.

"Lucy, I understand everything perfectly clear and there is no need for you to explain things to me." He insisted picking up Sigmund's cage and handing it to her quickly. "What you do is no longer any of my concern."

"But Kevin, I just thought that you should know that......." Lucy rambled on as Scott laid on the horn once more.

"I think you'd better leave now Lucy." Kevin replied stiffening as he spoke. "Scott is waiting for you."

"But......." she began to protest as Kevin moved over to the door and opened it.

"Goodbye Lucy." he said as she lowered her head and stepped outside.

"Goodbye Kevin." she replied sadly as he shut the door behind her.

"Damn it!" Kevin shouted slamming his fist into the wall as he heard the car drive away. He grew angry with himself knowing that he was unable to control his emotions as he realized what had almost taken place with Lucy. "You have to get over this Kevin."

Kevin looked around the room searching for something to keep his mind off of everything, but it was no use, everywhere he looked, he was reminded of Lucy. Finally he decided that maybe some sleep would do him good, but once he was in bed the memories became more vivid and he knew there would be no way to escape her.

"Now what?" Kevin asked sitting up and turning on the television set as the media began their coverage on the pre-Halloween party for the evening. He shifted his gaze from the television set to the costume hanging up on his closet door as an idea popped into his head. He picked up the phone next to his bed and dialed Eve's number.

"Hey Eve, it's Kevin. I think I'm about to go out of my mind here at the lighthouse and I was wondering is the offer still open for tonight?" he asked shutting off the television set.

Chapter 6
The Quest Begins

Kevin answered the front door to the lighthouse to find Eve standing before him with a pink bonnet on her head and a scowl on her face as she looked up at him. With a chuckle, he let her inside and watched her struggle to get the bottom of her dress through the narrow doorway.

"Please tell me Eve," Kevin began unable to contain himself as she managed to push her way inside almost toppling over as she took her first step, "what motivated you to wear something so.........oh how should I put it......something so ridiculous."

"Well Chris offered to pick out our costumes since I've been busy lately between the trial and catching up with work at the hospital. I told him to get me something that wasn't too flashy, yet festive." Eve explained holding a layer of her poofy dress in hand as she grunted. "Ugh, I didn't think the moron would pick out Little Bo Peep."

"So Bo, where are your sheep?" Kevin questioned in laughter as she glared at him. He couldn't contain himself any longer as he threw his arms back in hysterics. "I'm sorry, I know it's not supposed to be so funny, but......."

"Yeah, well enjoy it now and get it out of your system Kevin because when we get to that party, I'm going to need your shoulder to lean on when everyone reacts like you are right now." Eve warned glancing him over in his suit and tie. "Speaking of costumes, where is yours?"

"Hanging up in my room." Kevin explained after his laughter had died down.

"Why aren't you wearing it?" Eve questioned in confusion.

"You know, I was going to, but then I took it off the hanger and I realized that it's just not me." Kevin informed her quickly. "You see Victor picked it out and well........"

"I ran into Victor earlier." Eve interrupted remembering the bright yellow chicken costume Victor was in. "Please tell me it's not any type of fowl."

"No, actually it's something a bit more gallant." Kevin confessed shaking his head. "I've just been thinking that maybe I shouldn't go tonight after all."

"Nonsense." Eve snapped glaring at him. "If I have to go dressed like this, then there is no way I'm letting you back out on me. Do you understand?"

"Do I have a choice?" Kevin asked realizing how comical Eve looked with her hands on her hips and the scowl on her face. He bit his lip to keep from laughing at her as she stared at him.

"No!" She replied shortly adjusting the hoop in her skirt. "Not at all."

"Alright, then I'll go get dressed." Kevin replied making a quick exit to his room where he burst into laughter once more and pulled his costume off of the hanger. He looked down at the dark material and with a sigh began to change out of his clothes.

"I have a feeling tonight is going to be an interesting night." he said to his reflection in the mirror as he finished unbuttoning his shirt.

"How do I look Scott?" Lucy asked as they headed towards the entrance to the Halloween party.

"Lucy, you look spectacular." Scott replied in admiration as his eyes cast along the contours of her slender body.

"Are you sure because today I'm feeling really fat." Lucy confessed touching her sides. "I really need to start working out more often because I can just feel my hips getting wider and this costume seems to just be......"

"Lucy," Scott interrupted taking her hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss it, "I'd have to say that you're the sexiest kitty I've ever seen."

"Why thank you." Lucy replied with her face grew a rosy shade as she looked into his eyes. "You're not so bad yourself pal."

"Well, a shaggy dog wasn't my first choice," Scott laughed playing with his floppy ears, "but I couldn't have picked a better person to be with right now."

"Scott," Lucy began hearing the sounds of howling from inside the building before them as Scott leaned in closer towards her.

"Lucy, don't say another word." Scott insisted surprising her a soft kiss as he pulled her closer to him. When they had parted from their kiss, he looked into her eyes wide with surprise.

"Scott, I don't know if....." Lucy began breathlessly as he touched the side of her face.

"Let's just enjoy the moment." Scott whispered leaning in to kiss her once more when the front doors of the building flew open and music boomed into the night.

"Lucy, boy am I glad to see you!" Victor shouted rushing down the steps to greet her as his costume bopped up and down. "You look absolutely exquisite."

"Thank you Victor." Lucy replied watching him hobble down the steps as she greeted him with a hug. "By the way, nice costume."

"You think?" Victor laughed waddling around on the steps. "I took a few pointers from Sigmund earlier today so that I could get into the character."

"Well, I'd say you're definitely a real bird brain Victor." Scott muttered watching Victor flap around on the steps.

"It's wonderful Victor. You look very nice." Lucy laughed nudging Scott as she watched Victor.

"You know, this is fun and all, but I think I'm going to head inside and talk to Karen." Scott announced rolling his eyes and walking into the party. "I'll see you in a few minutes Lucy."

"Okay, I'll be right in." Lucy called out to Scott as he left her alone with Victor. "So how are you doing Victor?"

"Better now that you're here." Victor confessed glancing over at Scott before he hugged Lucy again. "You and I have so much to catch up on."

"Yes we do." Lucy agreed as she noticed Scott now engaged in conversation with Karen and Joe inside.

"Shall we go inside?" Victor suggested extending out a wing to her.

"Of course," Lucy replied accepting his arm when suddenly a thought popped into her mind and she tugged on Victor causing him to almost lose his balance. "Wait a second!"

"What? What is it?" Victor asked in a panic trying to keep his balance as his costume sent him a bit backwards. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I mean yes, well not exactly. Is Kevin here?" Lucy questioned wondering how Kevin would react to seeing her and Scott together at the party.

"I'm afraid not." Victor sighed sadly shaking his head as a frown formed on his face. "I tried to talk him into coming tonight, but he just wasn't in the mood for a party. It seems like Monk isn't in the mood for much of anything these days."

"I'm so sorry about that Victor." Lucy replied thinking about how upset Kevin was when he had discovered that she would be staying at Scott's place for a while. "I wish that I could take away all the pain that he's feeling right now."

"I know you do. I know that you never meant for any of this to happen." Victor sighed giving her another hug. "He loves you so much Lucy and not being with you is tearing him apart inside."

"I know and I love him too." Lucy insisted looking up at Victor with tears in her eyes. "There are so many things that I've done that I wish I could've changed......"

"Hey, it's okay. We all make mistakes, some bigger than others, but we have to keep moving." Victor spoke up not wanting Lucy to get upset before she entered the party. "Hey, tonight is supposed to be fun for everyone, so why don't we just worry about all of the problems some other time? Besides, I don't think cats cry, do they?"

"I don't know." Lucy paused thinking about it. "I guess I never really thought about it before."

"Oh well, no matter." Victor shrugged nodding towards the party. "Let's just go inside and have fun."

"You're right Victor." Lucy agreed standing up straighter as she looked at the room filled with people. "It's time for me to show everyone that Lucy Coe can still be the life of the party."

"Now that's the spirit." Victor smiled leading her inside as he thought of what was in store for everyone.

"Kevin, I changed my mind. Why don't we go for coffee or something instead of going in there?" Eve suggested tugging on Kevin's arm as they approached the party.

"And miss all this fun?" Kevin questioned looking at the party in full swing ahead of them. "Not a chance. Besides, it's not going to be that bad."

"That's easy for you to say." Eve replied glancing him over in his black costume with his black mask covering his eyes. "No one is going to recognize you."

"Well, I must admit that Victor did pick out an interesting costume. It's very dark and mysterious if you ask me." Kevin decided pulling out the sword at his side and posing. "How do I look fair maiden?"

"You look ready to take on the world Zorro." Eve laughed happy to see Kevin smiling again as he put his sword away. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you looked like you were almost having fun."

"I think I might be." Kevin replied scratching his head as he looked at her. "It must be that I'm just getting into character."

"Are you going to start fighting off bad guys and swooning over beautiful women all night?" Eve questioned raising an eyebrow at him.

"Hey you never know. I just might." Kevin grinned looking at the entrance to the party. "Are you ready for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Eve sighed as she took Kevin's arm and followed him up the stairs.

"So what did Victor want?" Scott questioned approaching Lucy after she had finished talking to Victor and Mary.

"Oh nothing important." She replied turning around to look at him with a smile. "He wanted to see how I was doing."

"It looks like you're doing just fine from what I can see." Scott smiled wrapping his arms around her. "What do you say we go out onto the dance floor?"

"Here?" Lucy questioned wondering what everyone would think seeing her and Scott in each other's arms. "Right now?"

"Well, this is a party right? What better time then now?" Scott suggested leading out onto the dance floor before she could protest any further.

"Scott, I just don't know. Everyone is looking at the two of us." Lucy began as the slow beats of the music began and they moved together as she started gazing around the room.

"Lucy, no one is watching us." Scott insisted noticing how tense she seemed against him. "Why don't you just relax and forget about them?"

"You're right." Lucy began resting her head on Scott's shoulder as the music played.

"May I cut in?" A voice called out interrupting Scott and Lucy's dance as Lucy looked up and saw Luke standing before them wearing a vampire costume.

"Luke," Lucy smiled standing up tall as she noticed Scott's frustration at Luke's arrival. "Scott, can we finish this dance later? Luke and I need to talk."

"Now?" Scott questioned slightly irritated.

"It's very important." Luke spoke up remaining motionless as he smiled at Lucy.

"I promise it will only take a few minutes." Lucy pleaded staring into Scott's eyes.

"Oh alright, I suppose." Scott sighed taking a step back. "I'll go call home and check on Serena."

"Give her my love." Lucy replied as she watched Scott walk over to the bar.

"Lucy, my darling you look good enough to eat." Luke informed her with a fake vampire accent as he pretended to bite her neck.

"Oh Luke, you're too much." Lucy laughed swatting him lightly as she noticed Scott walking over to the pay phone after getting his drink. "I hope he's not upset."

"Forget about Baldwin right now doll." Luke insisted touching her face and forcing her to look into his eyes. "We have other things to worry about at the moment."

"You're right. I need to be concentrating on this guy you need me to work on." Lucy agreed shaking her head. "So where is he?"

"Actually I don't think he's arrived yet." Luke explained glancing around the room when he spotted the target. "Ah, I spoke too soon. He's here."

"He is?" Lucy questioned turning in the direction of Luke's gaze to see the man.

"No Lucy!" Luke insisted reaching out to keep her looking at him. "It's too dangerous for you to look at him just yet."

"But Luke, how am I going to be able to work my charm on this guy if he can't see me and I can't see him?" Lucy questioned in confusion as they continued dancing.

"There are a few important things I think you should know before you take a look at him." Luke explained to her seriously. "Lucy, this man is very dangerous and he's very good at keeping things to himself. He's got some very important information about a deal that's about to go down tomorrow night and I need you to find out where it's happening."

"Sounds easy enough." Lucy decided with a grin. "It should be a piece of cake."

"Lucy, I'm warning you now he's a tough egg to crack." Luke warned her.

"Come on Luke. Have a little faith in me." Lucy insisted confidently as she stood up straighter. "No man can resist my charm."

"You're telling me." Luke teased pulling her closer to him.

"Luke, I'm serious." she began as he gave her a squeeze.

"I know you are and that's why I asked you to do this job." Luke reminded her as they moved around the dance floor.

"Then show me who he is." Lucy spoke up eager to get started on her mission.

"Alright," Luke agreed turning her slightly, "do you see that man over by the bar?"

"Which one?" Lucy questioned looking at the many people standing at the bar chatting away. "The one in the corner dressed like Al Capone?"

"Nope, not that one." Luke answered as she continued to scan the bar.

"The one in that hideous clown suit?" Lucy asked wrinkling her nose.

"No Lucy. Him." Luke insisted nodding in the direction of a woman wearing a Little Bo Peep costume.

"Eve Lambert?" Lucy chuckled realizing how ridiculous Eve looked. "Oh this is classic. She looks terrible Luke. Hold on a second. I have to go over there and say something to her."

"No, you can't do that." Luke began in a panic as he pulled Lucy back towards him.

"Why not?" Lucy questioned glaring in Eve's direction. "After all the things she has done to make a fool of me, I think that I should have the opportunity to say something to her considering how bad her taste is. You know, you'd think that since the media was here tonight, that she's wear something a bit more appropriate, but then again now that I think about it, Eve never really did have any taste to begin with."

"Lucy, you're getting sidetracked here." Luke snapped realizing that Lucy had gone off on another one of her tangents as usual.

"I'm sorry Luke. It's just that she looks so ridiculous." Lucy chuckled unable to contain herself. "Just look at her. You can't help but notice how bad she looks."

"That's fine Lucy, but right now I need you here with me one hundred percent." Luke explained slightly irritated. "If I can't have your full attention, then this mission isn't going to go down tonight. I'll have to cancel everything."

"No Luke, don't do that." Lucy insisted trying to keep her mind off of Eve. "You have my attention now."

"Good, now if you'll direct your attention to the man Dr. Lambert is talking to." Luke informed her as she noticed a man dressed in all black talking to Eve.

"Oh he does look like a shady character." Lucy commented noticing that the man was wearing a mask to reveal his identity. "Look at how he's got his eyes covered."

"Exactly Lucy and that's why it's important for you to be very careful." Luke continued watching her stare at the man intently for a couple of seconds.

"You know there's something familiar about him though." Lucy began wrinkling her brow as she looked at the man closely. "Have I met him before?"

"Lucy," Luke began turning her around quickly, "you shouldn't stare too long. It could compromise our mission if he sees us together like this."

"You're right." Lucy agreed noticing that Scott was returning from calling Serena. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing right now." Luke insisted realizing that the timing had to be just right for everything to run smoothly. "Just wait for my signal, alright?"

"Alright," Lucy agreed feeling her pulse quicken at the idea of embarking upon a new adventure.

"And remember, you can't tell anyone about this........not even Baldwin." Luke warned her as the music came to an end and a new song started up.

"Excuse me, but I believe the DJ is playing out song." Scott interrupted tapping Lucy's shoulder as he glared at Luke. "If you would excuse us."

"She's all yours." Luke replied taking a bow and stepping back. "I'll talk to you later Lucy."

"Goodbye Luke," Lucy waved as Scott pulled her close to him.

"What was that all about Lucy?" Scott questioned watching Luke mingle with other guests at the party.

"Nothing." Lucy replied calmly as she noticed Scott still staring at Luke. "He just wanted to talk about everything that has been going on between him and Laura. He's having a rough time right now."

"Oh yeah," Scott began looking into her eyes wearily, "then why do I get the feeling that he's up to trouble?"

"See it's not so bad is it?" Kevin questioned noticing that Eve was smiling after they had just finished talking to a couple of other guests at the party.

"I guess it's alright." Eve replied feeling her mood lighten up as she realized that half of the people attending the party had worse costumes than hers. She spotted a woman wearing a bikini type costume. "I'd hate to be wearing something like that."

"It's absolutely shameless." Kevin replied mocking her.

"Very funny Dr. Collins." Eve said listening noticing the crowd of people on the dance floor. "What do say you help me make a bigger fool out of myself than this costume has already done?"

"What do you have in mind?" Kevin questioned curiously.

"I was thinking that maybe we should give that dancing thing a try." Eve replied with a smile. "It looks simple enough."

"Why Dr. Lambert I thought you'd never ask. I'd love to." Kevin smiled accepting her offer and heading towards the dance floor when they were stopped by Victor.

"Monk, wait a second!" Victor called out stepping in front of them as he noticed Eve. "Oh hi Eve, nice costume."

"Thanks Victor." Eve replied with a smile.

"What is it Victor?" Kevin asked curious by the look of urgency on Victor's face.

"I need to talk to you." Victor explained glancing at Eve. "Alone."

"Victor, whatever you have to tell me, you can say in front of Eve." Kevin began slightly irritated by his father's bluntness.

"I'm afraid not Monk." Victor insisted shaking his head. "It's a matter of the upmost importance that I get you alone."

"Victor, Eve is my friend and if you have something to say to me, the she can hear it as well..........." Kevin started to protest raising his voice a bit.

"Kevin, it's alright. I need to go powder my nose anyways." Eve spoke up realizing that she didn't want him to get into a spat with Victor over her. "I'll be right back."

"Alright," Kevin replied watching her leave for a moment before turning his attention back to Victor. "Now what is so important?"

"I'm sorry that I had to make Eve leave like that Monk, but I've just finished talking to Detective Garcia and it's extremely important that you talk to him right away about the lead that he found in the General Homicide murders." Victor began hurriedly as his face grew red with excitement. "He doesn't want to talk about it out in the open like this, so he asked me to come find you and tell you to meet him in........."

"Did you just say Garcia found a lead in the case?" Kevin asked in astonishment.

"That's exactly what I said Monk." Victor replied pointing over to the far corner of the room. "He said that he wants you to meet him in the storage building out back."

"The storage building?" Kevin questioned in confusion. "Why would he want to meet there?"

"I don't know. I'm not a psychic." Victor snapped at him. "I'm only the messenger."

"Calm down Victor. I suppose I'd better go talk to him then." Kevin said glancing over in the direction of the ladies room. "Tell Eve I'll be right back."

"You've got it." Victor agreed watching Kevin take off out back before giving Luke the thumbs up sign.

Lucy walked out back in the lightly falling rain towards the storage area as she thought of Luke's assurances that he'd be keeping an eye on her at all times. She realized that this was going to be a dangerous mission, but she was up to the challenge. She hated having to lie to Scott about what she was doing, but luckily for her Serena had paged Scott to say goodnight, so she had been able to buy herself a little time.

Lucy reached the large metal door to the small two roomed building about one hundred yards from where the party was being hosted. She looked over her shoulder once more sensing that Luke was somewhere near by as she opened the door and took a step inside ready to talk to this dark stranger that she was to work her charm on.

"Don't worry." Luke's voice rang out in her head. "My contact talked to him and discovered that the man has been eyeing you all night. All you have to do is meet him out back and chat with him for a little while."

"But isn't it kind of dangerous for me to go out there alone?" Lucy had questioned.

"Don't worry Lucy, I'll be at your back the whole time. All you have to do is talk to him." were Luke's final words before she left outside.

Kevin stepped inside back room of the warm building still thinking about his detour by a drunken Tony Jones who was seeking some type of affirmation about his life choices. Kevin had done his best to cut the conversation short with Tony so that he could meet Garica, and fearing that he may have missed Garica, he had rushed into the storage building. Realizing that Garcia wasn't in the back room, Kevin decided to try the front room which had been dark and deserted before when he noticed the smell of roses in the distance.

"Garcia? Garcia are you in here?" Kevin questioned walking further into the room and stopping dead in his tracks when he discovered a fireplace burning in the corner of the room.

"That wasn't lit before." Kevin thought out loud slowly moving towards the burning flame. "What's going on around here?"

Lucy entered the building noticing the Halloween decorations filling the walls and she realized that something was fishy about the whole situation. The further Lucy got into the room, the more she wondered what was about to take place.

"Hello, is anyone here?" Lucy questioned walking around the dimly lit room as she thought to herself. "Luke, what did you let me get myself into?"

Suddenly her eyes were diverted to the flame rising in the fireplace across the room. She noticed the man in black standing in front of the flames as she adjusted her costume a bit preparing to work her magic on this man. She began her seductive strut in his direction as her heart pounded.

"Hey stranger," Lucy began in a low raspy tone as she moved closer towards the man, "I couldn't help but notice you all night from afar, so when you came out here, I just had to find a way to come out here and talk to you."

"Lucy?" Kevin questioned in surprise as he turned around to find her standing before him.

"How did you.......?" she gasped as he took his mask off. "Oh my God, Kevin!"

Chapter Seven~~Just to hold you once again

Scott Baldwin checked the time and realized it had been a while since he had last seen Lucy and he was starting to worry about her. She had hurried off telling him that she needed to talk to Victor for a moment while he called Serena, but when he returned back to the party, she was no where to be found. He scanned the room wondering where she could've drifted off to when he spotted Victor up at the bar chatting away with Mary Scanlin.

"So I was telling the man that there was no way that I was going to buy into his scheme unless there was a guarantee that......." Victor explained to Mary as Scott rushed over to the bar.

"Hey Victor, where's Lucy?" Scott began interrupting Victor mid sentence.

"How should I know?" Victor questioned innocently noticing how upset Scott appeared to be.

"She said she was going to talk to you for a minute while I was gone." Scott said looking Victor over carefully. "Now I can't seem to find her."

"What ever are you talking about?" Victor asked wide eyed as he glanced over at Mary. "I haven't talked to Lucy since the two of you arrived together, which is, by the way, beyond me why Lucy would show up with such a grouch like you. You know, you should really try to lighten up and have some fun considering that a party is going on around you Scott."

"Spare me the sermon Victor. Where's Lucy?" Scott questioned growing agitated with Victor.

"I have no idea Scott. I've been here talking to Mary this whole time." Victor began suppressing the urge to laugh as Scott's face grew red with anger.

"Quit playing games with me bird brain. I know she came over here to talk to you when I called Serena a few minutes ago." Scott insisted feeling his face grow hot underneath his costume.

"I think you've got your facts wrong Scott." Victor replied quickly turning to look at Mary. "Now if you'll excuse me, this beautiful lady and I were about to shake a tail feather or two out on the dance floor."

"Victor, are you sure you should be toying around with him like that?" Mary questioned as they moved out of earshot of Scott. "He seems a bit upset."

"Mary it was the only way." Victor insisted looking into her eyes. "I know my son well enough to know that he wouldn't have taken this kind of step even though it was needed for him and Lucy to get back together."

"But what if your plan backfires Victor?" Mary questioned glancing back at Scott who was questioning other guests.

"It won't Mary, besides desperate times call for desperate measures and sometimes two people need the initial push in the right direction before they can tackle the matter at hand." Victor explained matter of fact thinking of how smoothly the plan had worked out. "I was merely assisting fate and now it's up to Monk to finish what I started for him."

Both Lucy and Kevin remained motionless looking into one another's eyes as the lightening flashed outside of the small building. Kevin could feel his heart pounding as his eyes feasted on the beauty standing before him. His mind was filled with images of taking her into his arms and making passionate love to her, but he remained frozen in place enchanted by her nearness. When tried to speak, his throat grew dry as he listened to the crackling thunder in the distance.

"What are you doing here Kevin?" Lucy questioned in confusion breaking the thick silence between them.

"I was just about to ask you the same question Lucy. One second I'm supposed to be here meeting Garcia, then you show up." Kevin replied snapping out of his daze as he dismissed the thoughts previously running through his mind. "Why is that Lucy?"

"I was supposed to be meeting someone out here for Luke." Lucy started realizing what was going on. "You see he wanted me to follow someone for him, but I guess that someone is you huh? The more I talk about it, the stranger it is starting to sound. You know, I just don't see why Luke..."

"Luke? What in the world does Luke have to do with this?" Kevin questioned as an idea began formulating in his head. "Wait a second. This is some kind of setup isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked in confusion as she watched the spark of anger flash in Kevin's eyes.

"You and Victor are behind this, aren't you? This is just another way for me to drive myself insane." Kevin began in a frenzy as he threw his hands out in the air. "I can't believe that I was so stupid to think that........."

".........to think what Kevin?" Lucy asked not following him. "You lost me about two minutes ago when you started ranting and raving."

"You two had it all planned out perfectly, didn't you?" Kevin questioned with a laugh as he glanced over at the table across the room. "The fireplace, the roses, the dinner, gosh Lucy, I have to hand it to you it's perfect. What's next Lucy?"

"Woah, wait a second. You think I put all of this together?" Lucy asked in amazement as she looked around the room. "Granted, the decorating job isn't half bad. The lighting needs a little work and maybe some mood music would be appropriate, but it's not my handy work I can assure you."

"It sure feels like it to me." Kevin sighed realizing that he was unable to think clearly the longer he was with Lucy.

"Kevin, look I don't know what Victor or Luke were up to, but maybe they're trying to tell us something." Lucy suggested realizing that this was the first time she had been alone with Kevin in a while. "Maybe this time was meant to show us something."

"Well, I came out here under the impression that Detective Garcia was to talk to me about some lead on the General Homicide murders, but since that was an obvious lie, then I should probably be getting back inside." Kevin replied taking a step forward. "Boy is Victor going to get an earful when I find him."

"Kevin wait!" Lucy called out to him realizing this was her opportunity to talk to him privately about everything and she knew that she would have to seize the moment before it passed. "Can't we just talk for a couple minutes?"

"About what Lucy?" Kevin questioned stopping dead in his tracks.

"About everything." Lucy pleaded feeling her pulse race as she noticed how stiff Kevin appeared to be standing a few feet away from her. "About you...and me and Scott. Kevin we just can't run around town avoiding each other like this. You and I know that it's not supposed to be this way."

"Lucy, there's nothing left to say." Kevin replied feeling his emotions betray him as his mind fought to stay away from her.

"Kevin, what do you mean there's nothing to say?" she asked in frustration hoping to get him to listen to her. "You and I know that this is far from being finished. Feelings like ours don't just disappear over night. I don't care what I have to do to get you to open up, but I'm going to get you to talk to me Kevin. Yell at me, scream and shout if you have to, but let's get it out right here, right now. We need to talk about things and the longer we keep playing these games with one another, the harder it's going to be. Please Kevin."

"I can't Lucy. I'm sorry, but I just can't." he said closing his eyes for a brief moment as he saw the truth in her words. He let out a sigh thinking of how he would like nothing better than to make things right with her, but images of her and Scott popped into his head once more as he took a step forward heading towards the door.

"Kevin Collins, you can't walk away from me like this." Lucy announced sensing that she had hit a nerve with him as she began chasing after him not ready to throw in the towel just yet. "I'm not letting you leave until we get a chance to talk things through."

"Well, it looks like your about to get that opportunity Lucy," Kevin muttered tugging on the door handle a couple times before turning around to look at her in frustration, "because it looks like we're stuck here."

"What do you mean we're stuck?" Lucy questioned wide eyed as she glanced over at the door.

"It's locked Lucy." Kevin explained tugging on the door once more as she moved in closer to him.

Scott remained at the bar scanning the room searching for any sign of Lucy when he noticed a woman on the dance floor wearing a cat woman costume. With a relieved sigh, he moved towards her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"There you are. I was worried about you for a second." Scott announced as the woman turned around to face him.

"Excuse me?" she questioned as Scott realized that she wasn't Lucy.

"I'm sorry." he said taking a step back and moving off the dance floor as his mind began reeling.

"It's alright." the woman smiled at him before turning her attention back to her date.

"Ok, this is ridiculous. Lucy where are you?" Scott muttered getting off the dance floor to continue his search for Lucy. He noticed Luke in the far corner of the room talking to a couple of people and even though it was the last thing that he wanted to do, he decided to see if Luke had any idea where Lucy had disappeared off to. As Scott walked across the room, he didn't pay any attention to where he was going and he ran smack into a woman holding a drink.

"I'm sorry." Scott apologized realizing that the woman had spilled her drink on the floor.

"That's okay." Eve replied turning around to look him in the eye. "Scott."

"Eve, I didn't realize that.........." Scott began nervously as he looked at her. "How are you? I mean........how have you been?"

"I'm alright, and yourself?" she answered noticing his costume and smiling. "Nice costume."

"Yeah you too." he said lifting his hand to touch her shoulder, but stopping himself realizing that it wasn't a good idea. He tilted his head sideways and questioned with a smile. "So, where's your sheep?"

"Oh that's original. Like I haven't heard that one lately?" Eve replied with a light chuckle as the tension in the air remained between them.

"Listen Eve......." Scott began nervously shifting on his feet.

"Scott," she started at the same time as they both let out a forced laugh followed by silence. "Please go ahead."

"No, no please. You go first." Scott insisted clearing his throat as he looked at her. "Really I insist."

"Alright," Eve began shifting her gaze to the floor for a moment before looking at Scott again and feeling an uneasy feeling growing from within her. "I was just going to ask you how Serena was doing since I heard the surgery was a success."

"She's doing pretty good considering all that she's been through." Scott replied with a smile. "You know she's a real fighter and deep in my heart I had a feeling that she'd overcome this."

"Yeah, I thought so too. I'm so glad that she can see again." Eve agreed with a smile. "I really miss seeing her sweet little face."

"She misses you too." Scott confessed thinking of how uncomfortable Eve looked talking to him.

"Scott, I'm so sorry that she ever had to go through any of this." Eve began apologetically thinking of how she had played a part in Serena's accident.

"Eve, none of that matters now." Scott reminded her as he noticed tears forming in her eyes. "The important thing is that Serena is going to be alright now."

"I'm so thankful for that." Eve replied with a sniffle as she looked around the room. "So I suppose you're here tonight with Lucy."

"Yeah, actually I am." Scott answered looking away from her for a second and clearing his throat as he spoke up again. "Eve you know I never meant for...."

"Scott, you don't have to explain." Eve interrupted not wanting to talk about him and Lucy. "It's not like we were........"

"Still Eve, I just wanted to say how sorry I am for hurting you like I did." Scott continued as Eve felt her heart breaking. "You know, if I could go back and time and just..."

"Scott, don't." Eve insisted clenching her fists tightly at her sides to keep herself from crying. "Please just don't say another word."

"I don't believe this." Lucy cried out pulling on the door knob as Kevin took a seat on an empty crate in the center of the room burying his head in his hands.

"Believe it Lucy." Kevin moaned from underneath his hands. "We're stuck in here until someone comes to get us out of this."

"Luke will come for me." Lucy insisted stopping herself as she realized that Luke was behind the whole situation. She turned around to look at Kevin who was now playing with his mask as an idea popped into her head. "I know, I'll use my cell phone."

"You have your cell phone?" Kevin questioned looking up at her curiously.

"Of course I do. It's in my purse right here." Lucy began feeling for her purse as she realized that she had left it back at the party. "Oh that's right. I left it with Scott and oh boy is he going to be mad when I don't come back to him...."

"Scott?" Kevin repeated in disbelief as he looked at her. "You came here tonight with Scott? I should have known."

"Well, what other choice did I have?" She questioned in anger moving towards him. "It's not like you gave me an opportunity to be here with you. There's nothing wrong with coming here with my pal."

"Your pal?" Kevin replied standing up and moving towards her. "Lucy would you quit sugar coating it and call it what it is?"

"Scott is my pal Kevin and I just wish that you could understand that." Lucy insisted watching his face cloud over.

"Understand it? Lucy, you slept with the man and now you're living with him." Kevin reminded her as he tried to keep his anger under control. "I'd say that there's more than just friendship going on between the two of you."

"Kevin, I'm in love with you. You are the only man in my heart. You are my soul mate Doc." Lucy began leaning closer towards him as she placed her hand on his face. "Why can't you see that?"

"I don't believe this." Kevin started backing away from her.

"Doc, why don't you believe me?" Lucy questioned with tears in her eyes. "You are the only man in my heart. I need you so much."

"If that was true, then you wouldn't have slept with Scott Lucy." he reminded her feeling himself growing enraged. "Lucy, love is about honesty and commitment to one another. It's about loyalty and integrity."

"I do love you Kevin." Lucy insisted standing her ground as she stared at him.

"Then you wouldn't be with Scott." Kevin snapped letting loose of all that he had been holding inside as he turned around to face her.

"You didn't give me much of a choice Kevin!" Lucy yelled back upset at how he was attacking her. "You left me on our wedding day Kevin and threw me out, or did you forget that?"

"Lucy, you lied to me." Kevin reminded her.

"And you lied to me too." She insisted clenching her fists as she stared him down. "You led me to believe that you and I never had a chance of getting back together again, when you've really had these feelings for me all of this time. You had me convinced that I never had a shot of becoming a part of your life again until you found me in bed with Scott."

"Lucy, I'll be the first to admit it. I should've tried to work things out with you on our wedding day, but I was so hurt. It's just when I discovered that you lied to me about something like that, I felt as if my heart had been ripped out of my chest. " Kevin replied taking a step towards her. "My life has been filled with nothing but lies from those people who I've opened myself up to and you were the only person that I knew would be completely honest with me. Lucy you were the one person in my life whom I could give open up to and give myself completely."

"Kevin, I just didn't want you to think that I was a horrible person." Lucy confessed choking on the words as she spoke them. "If I had told you the truth about everything, then it would be like I was admitting to myself that I was the one who had hurt Serena, and I wasn't ready to accept that kind of responsibility for hurting someone that I loved so much. Can't you see that if I told you what a horrible thing I had done, it would've made me out to be a horrible person in your eyes?"

"Lucy, I realize that you never meant to hurt Serena. I know how much you love that little girl and I know you well enough to see that you'd do whatever it takes to protect the ones you love. You made a mistake and that's forgivable." Kevin responded lowering his tone of voice as his eyes filled up with tears. "Lucy, I never judged you for the accident. It's the fact that you lied to me that hurt Lucy."

"If you'd only given me the chance to explain Kevin..........." Lucy began sadly thinking back to her almost wedding day. "If only you wouldn't have walked out on me...then maybe we'd be together right now."

"Lucy, I was wrong. God knows how wrong I was and I'm going to pay for it the rest of my life." Kevin sighed reaching out to wipe away the single tear escaping from her eye. "I should've let you explain things to me, but now it's too late to look back onto what might've been."

"Eve, we just can't go on like this." Scott started realizing how deeply he had hurt her.

"Scott, what's done is done and there's no changing it." Eve began with tears in her eyes. "I just hope that you'll still let me see Serena from time to time because I would just die if you kept me out of her life."

"You know that I would never do that to you Eve." Scott explained reaching out to touch her face. "You mean a lot to Serena....and to me."

"Don't Scott." Eve protested turning away from him.

"Eve," Scott called out grabbing her arm and forcing her to look at him.

"Is there a problem here?" Chris Ramsey began noticing the scene taking place as he looked at Eve. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Eve replied still looking at Scott as he released her arm.

"Are you sure?" Chris questioned touching her shoulder.

"I'm positive." Eve nodded trying to keep herself together as she looked at Chris. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the ladies room."

"Of course." Chris smiled as Eve rushed off.

"Eve wait!" Scott called out starting to chase after her as Chris held out his arm to keep Scott from moving.

"You stay the hell away from her Baldwin. You've hurt her enough." Chris warned Scott in a menacing tone.

"Get out of my way Ramsey!" Scott ordered shoving Chris's arm out of the way. "This doesn't concern you."

"It does when you hurt her." Chris insisted glaring at Scott. "I'm warning you now, I won't give you another opportunity to break her heart again, so you'd better just plan on staying away from her from now on and concentrate on ruining someone else's life."

"No Doc!" Lucy snapped taking a hold of his hand and holding it to her heart. "It's not too late for us. Please don't say that."

"Lucy, you're with Scott now." Kevin reminded her sadly as he pulled back from her. "No matter what I feel for you right now, it doesn't erase what happened between the two of you."

"Kevin, Scott and I shared a very frightening experience together." Lucy explained as he moved towards the fireplace. "We thought we were going to die and it was so emotionally intense that things just happened between us."

"That's just it though Lucy." Kevin began facing her once more. "That emotional intensity between the two of you is what keeps drawing you into one other, and how am I ever going to compete with that?"

"Kevin, you don't have to." Lucy insisted shaking her head. "Scott was my past, and you are my future."

"Lucy, you and Scott share a history of experiences like the jungle and even you have to admit that it's in your system. That wild nature you have when you are with him is deep in your blood Lucy and no matter how hard you try to hide it, it's not going to disappear." Kevin replied with his eyes glazed over. "You and Scott are both driven by spontaneous desires and it's that desire that keeps pulling you back into him."

"Kevin, the Lucy I am with Scott is so much different than the Lucy I am when I'm with you." Lucy began to explain to him as she drew in a breath. "When Scott and I were together, he and I did have some wild times and I'll always cherish them. We had fun together and everything was so fast paced up until he left with Serena, but then you walked into my life and you made me face myself Kevin. It was at that moment that I realized that I'd been keeping the real Lucy buried deep inside of me and it was because of you that she came out. You've made me see myself in a way that I never thought possible and it's your love that helped me become the woman I am today."

"Lucy, you slept with Scott in Florida, and you're living with him." Kevin reminded her again. "The two of you had a child together and that bond is always going to be there no matter how much I wish it didn't pose a problem for us. As long as Scott is in your life, then I'll always be questioning if it's me that you really want to be with."

"Kevin, you know that Serena means a lot to me. She may be the only child I ever have in this lifetime and when I couldn't be with her my life was torn apart." Lucy explained with tears in her eyes. "Doc, you have to believe me though, what I feel for Scott and Serena is different than the love I feel for you. What we share is special."

"Lucy, I know you think you believe that what your saying is the truth, but your actions speak louder than the words." Kevin started feeling his heart breaking as he spoke to her.

"Then listen to my actions now." she insisted taking a step forward and reaching out to touch his face. "I love you Kevin Collins."

"Lucy a life with me isn't going to be like the one you have with Scott." Kevin explained closing his eyes and feeling her soft touch against his cheek. "I can't offer you misadventures and danger combined with spontaneity. The only thing that I could offer you is a life that's boring for someone like you Lucy Coe."

"Kevin," Lucy began as he opened his eyes to look down at her, "life with you was never boring."

"Lucy, I don't know if I could ever get past what happened with you and Scott." Kevin began emotionally as he began running his fingers through her hair without realizing it. "I'm so afraid that if I let you back into my life, that I'll lose you to Scott again and Lucy I can't lose you twice. Can't you see that once is killing me?"

"Then say you'll let me back in Doc." Lucy whispered pressing her lips to his in a soft, tender kiss.

"No Lucy!" Kevin snapped backing away from her. "I can't do this."

"Kevin please," Lucy begged as he turned away from her. "I need you."

"Lucy................I just............I just don't............" Kevin trailed off bringing his finger to his lips as the taste of their kiss burned his lips and his body yearned to be next to hers.

Kevin closed his eyes thinking about life without Lucy and he realized how miserable he was without her. Opening his eyes, he turned around to see her sitting on the crate sobbing into her hands at his obvious rejection to her. He moved towards her dismissing everything that his superego was telling him and he let his id take control. Without a word, he pulled her up off of the crate and took her into his arms greeting her with a passionate embrace.

"Kevin," she replied breathlessly as she looked into his eyes burning with desire as he kissed her once more this time with more hunger than before.

"Shh......." Kevin warned her tracing the outline of her swelled lips with his finger tip. "Don't say another word."

"But..........." Lucy began to protest realizing how right things had begun to feel being in his arms again.

"Lucy, if I stop to think about this, then you and I know what's going to happen." Kevin reminded her as he pulled her into his arms once more and they held onto one another yearning to be together as the thunderstorm raged outside.

Eve re-entered the party scanning the room for Kevin as she glanced at the clock realizing how late it was getting as things began winding down. She noticed Victor in the corner of the room chatting away with a couple of guests who were getting ready to depart and she decided to ask him where Kevin disappeared off to.

"Victor," Eve spoke up tapping him on the arm as he turned around smiling at her.

"Oh why hello Eve." Victor replied grinning brightly. "Did I tell you how much I love your costume?"

"Why yes you have, but thank you once again Victor." Eve smiled appreciatively smelling a hint of alcohol on his breath as he stared at her intently. "Listen, I was wondering, could you tell me where Kevin went off to? I've been looking for him for a while now, and I'm starting to worry about him because I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"Funny thing about Monk, he just has a habit of disappearing lately." Victor replied with a sigh snapping his fingers to the beats of the music. "One minute he's here, then poof, he's gone again."

"So then I take it you don't know where he is either?" Eve questioned in concern as her eyes cast around the room.

"Oh I'm sure he's just fine. Eve, tonight calls for a celebration. Would you care to dance?" Victor questioned extending out his hand to her as another song began playing.

"Of course Victor, I'd be delighted." Eve replied as Victor led her out onto the dance floor as the music played.

"You know Eve, there comes a point in everyone's life when they find their true love and sometimes circumstances make it so they have to try a just a little bit harder to make it work with that person. Take Monk for example, he has love staring him in the face, yet he lets his pride keep him from working things through with Lucy even though we all know she's the one thing that he can't live without." Victor explained twirling her around on the dance floor as the music played.

"Well, she did hurt him Victor." Eve reminded him quickly as they moved along.

"I realize that Eve, but haven't you ever made a mistake that you wish you could've just forgotten about? You know, one that started off harmlessly then escalated into something much more?" Victor questioned looking down at her.

"Actually I've found myself in that position a couple of times." Eve confessed thinking about Serena's accident.

"So have I and that's why I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep Monk from making the same kind of mistakes I have when it came to love." Victor explained seriously looking down at Eve. "I care very much about my son's well being and I've always tried to be a good father to him even though I'll be the first to admit that I've made some horrible mistakes."

"I think you're a wonderful father Victor and Kevin loves you very much." Eve insisted assuringly as Victor paused for a moment.

"I just hope he understands why I had to do what I did." Victor replied thinking of how he had deceived Kevin earlier.

"Are you trying to tell me something Victor?" Eve questioned in confusion as Victor dipped her with a chuckle.

"Love is in the air tonight Eve." Victor insisted taking in a deep breath as he smiled down at her. "Can't you smell it?"

"Actually right now I smell alcohol and stale horsdesvours." Eve confessed with a laugh realizing that she was having a good time as she and Victor swayed to the music.

"You know Eve, you're surprisingly light on your feet." Victor decided twirling Eve around as the music picked up. "Not bad for a doctor."

"You're not so bad yourself Professor Collins." Eve smiled thinking about what a charmer Victor must've been in his younger days. "Hey a dancer like you could probably have all the ladies at your feet if you wanted."

"Ah, the dreams of a fool to be adored by millions, but alas my heart belongs to one fair maiden." Victor sighed glancing over at Mary who was saying good-bye to Joe and Karen. "Isn't she exquisite?"

"You should be dancing with her right now, you know." Eve suggested watching Mary wave at Victor.

"And leave you to the wolves after Monk left?" Victor replied shaking his head. "Not a chance."

"So Kevin did leave then?" Eve questioned curiously as she wondered why Kevin hadn't said good-bye to her.

"He needed to talk to Garcia about the General Homicide murders." Victor explained brightly as they moved along the dance floor. "They may have found a lead."

"That's wonderful news Victor." Eve said with a grin wondering if the new lead would get her out of the hot seat. "Maybe I should call Kevin and see how it's going with Garcia."

"You know Eve, I don't think it's a good idea. In fact, it's a bad idea right now." Victor insisted turning very serious as he stopped moving. "I think that right now the last thing Monk would want is to be interrupted when he's so close to having a breakthrough."