Chapter 18 "Mac!" Felicia screamed. "You didn't have to hit him." She smacked him on the shoulder. "Yeah, you didn't have to hit me." Frisco said from his spot on the floor. He rolled over and stood. He started to brush off his clothes. "What is with you two? I can't come here without being knocked down?" The girls and Robbie came rushing in to see what happened. "Mom? What's going on?" Georgie asked. "Mac just punched your father dear. Go get a steak from the freezer. He's going to need it for his eye." Felicia said in a calm voice. "Take Robbie with you, he shouldn't be here." "I'm going with them." Maxie said before shooting a dirty look at Frisco. "I want to talk with my daughters." Frisco said. He looked over at Georgie and Maxie, who were standing behind Felicia and Mac. "Hi Dad, bye Dad." Georgie said unemotionally as she grabbed Robbie's hand and led him into the kitchen. Maxie didn't say anything but walked on. Mac folded his arms across his chest and glared at Frisco. "Looks like they don't want to talk to you. Leave." "You're like a big old guard dog. I'll leave only after I've spoken with them." "Dad, leave!" Maxie said from the kitchen. "You're going to leave anyway." "See, Frisco, they don't want anything to do with you." Felicia said as she gently rubbed her stomach. Mac came by her and laid his arm across her shoulders. "You poisoned their minds against me!" Frisco protested against the sight of their united front. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Felicia and Mac were happily married. He was using the girls as a way to avoid it. "We didn't have to. You did it all yourself! You never wrote, you never called, you never came to see them." Felicia counted off her list on her fingers. "You lied to me." Maxie finally stormed out of the kitchen. "You acted like you were home to stay and all you are here to do is… mess with our heads!" "Maxie?" Felicia looked at her daughter questioningly as tears started to roll down her face. Maxie bit her bottom lip to try and stop herself from crying. "Mom, he told me that he's not staying in Port Charles. He's just…'passing through'. You're right. He doesn't care about us." "When did he tell you this?" Mac narrowed his eyes. The tears stopped flowing and Maxie's eyes widened as she realized what she inadvertently revealed. She took a hesitant step backward. "I, uh, Georgie probably needs some help with Robbie. You know how they are at this age." She laughed slightly. "Such a handful. Later!" She ran back into the kitchen. Mac sighed and rubbed his temples. "We'll take care of that later." He spoke quietly to Felicia. He turned to Frisco. "You've caused enough trouble for today. Why don't you leave?" "No." Frisco said stubbornly. "Look, the girls want you to go, *my* wife wants you to and I want you to. Do I have to call the cops to get you out of here?" Frisco held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, I can tell when I'm not wanted." Felicia snorted. "Could have fooled me." Frisco threw her a look. "I am not giving up on this." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Mac said as he closed the door behind Frisco. He turned to Felicia. "What are we going to do about him?" "I wish we could just ignore him." Felicia said. She sighed. "What are we going to do about Maxie?" "A few more days added to her grounding." Mac suggested. Felicia shook her head. "No, that's not going to work. She'll just sneak out again. We'll have to be a little creative." ~*~*~ Victor charged around his hotel room in a rampage. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He roared. He threw a glass against the wall and was delighted to hear it shatter. Higgins stood in a corner and swallowed his fear. He had never seen Victor this enraged before. "She laughed in my face. She dared to believe I am not her father. Where did she go afterwards?" He demanded to know. Higgins gulped. "She was picked up by Corinthos and taken to his penthouse, sir. She returned to the Brownstone later on… only to grab a few bags and your grandson." "She has taken my grandson to a gangster's home?" Higgins nodded. Victor pushed down the urge to scream. "I will not stand for this! Forget the girl. I just want the boy. He is all I need." Higgins asked quietly. "Sir?" Victor looked at Higgins. "I am changing the plans. We are going to take just my grandson." Higgins nodded. He knew that this was coming. "Yes sir." "Higgins, is the house ready?" Victor asked. "Yes, sir it is." "Good, good. Pack up my things. I won't be staying here anymore." ~*~*~ Carly closed the book on England with a soft thud and brushed the hair back from Michael's forehead. "That's all for tonight, Mr. Man. We'll visit England again tomorrow." Carly had just finished up the nightly ritual that Jason had started. Every night before Michael went to bed he was read to. It was never a fairytale but always some book about a country, animals, or motorcycle repair. Carly wanted to carry on Jason's tradition as a way to remind her and Michael that Jason had really been there. "Could we go there some day, Mommy?" Michael asked sleepily. "Sure." She whispered. "Maybe next year, during the summer. I'll take some time off and we'll go. We'll visit the Queen. She can't wait to meet you." Michael giggled. "Can Uncle Alex come too?" "Why not?" Carly said as she slipped off of Michael's bed. "And Uncle Sonny?" Carly stopped short. "Uh, he might be busy and uh…" Michael hadn't paid attention to her. He continued on with his list. "And Grandma Bobbie and Jerry? And Lulu and Brooke Lynn?" Carly narrowed her eyes. "I see what you're up to, mister. Quit stalling, it's time for you to go to bed. Say your prayers." Michael folded his hands and said. "God bless Mommy, Uncle Alex, Grandma Bobbie, Uncle Sonny, Jerry, Lucas, Uncle Luke, Aunt Laura, Lulu, Lucky, Aunt Emily, Brooke Lynn, all the Quartermaines, and every one else I forgot. Please take care of Daddy and Grandmother Lila. Oh, and please bless Mommy's daddies." Michael smiled brightly at Carly. He seemed very pleased with himself. Carly on the other hand was very upset. She pulled the covers up for Michael and asked. "'Mommy's daddies?' I don't have any daddies, hon." "Yes, you do. I heard Uncle Luke and Grandma Bobbie talking about it." Michael said. Carly groaned. "Michael, what have I said about not listening in on adult's conversations?" "But, Mommy, they were loud! I didn't do it on purpose." Michael protested. "I know." Damn Bobbie and Luke. "I'm sorry." Michael toyed with his blanket. "Mommy… how come you have two daddies and I got none?" Carly looked away. "Um…" "Cause it's not fair!" He said. "Honey, I know it's not fair. But you know what? I don't have two fathers. Grandma Bobbie and Uncle Luke are wrong, okay?" Michael looked at her with doubt on his face. "Really?" Carly nodded. "Really." She leaned down and kissed him on his forehead. "Now go to sleep, okay?" "Okay, night Mommy." Michael turned on his side and Carly watched as he drifted off to sleep. He always amazed her in the way he could just fall asleep so quickly. Unfortunately she didn't have that talent. She plugged in his nightlight, turned off the lamp by his bed, and softly closed his door on her way out. She stopped in her room to undress and put on her "nightclothes": a tank top and boxers. She then padded down to the living room. She was too wired to try and go to bed. She curled up on the couch and waited. Seconds later Sonny came strolling down the stairs dressed in his black silk pajamas. "I didn't know you still had those." She gestured towards his outfit. Sonny looked down. "These are new." He dropped down on the couch beside her. He reached out and ran his finger across her shoulder. A chill ran down Carly's back. She swallowed and said, "Space, please." Sonny nodded and scooted away from her. Not that far away though. He was trying to take things slow but not that slow. "Is Michael asleep?" He asked. "Of course. He was a little wired. He's very excited to be staying at Uncle Sonny's again. But as usual he went right out." "I envy the kid." Sonny said. "Me too." She dropped her head and rubbed her neck. "He knows about Stefan and Victor." "How does he know?" Sonny asked, alarmed. "My family tends to have big mouths with loud voices. He overheard Luke and Bobbie arguing." "What did he say?" Carly laughed without humor. "He thought it was unfair that I had two 'daddies' while he had none." "Carly…" Sonny reached over to take her into his arms and she went willingly. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I wish that today had never happened." She murmured. "Just the finding your father parts right?" Sonny had to ask. He wasn't regretting his declaration of love and he didn't want her to either. "Whatever." Carly said. "When I needed a father, where was he… them? I don't need a father. After Frank Benson…" Carly closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back. Sonny stroked her hair and wondered what made her stop. She never spoke of her adoptive father before. "Carly?" She shook his head. "The only time I've ever needed a father was when the bill collectors were knocking down our door. That's all. I've lived most of my life without a father and I'm not about to let some Cassadines change things." "You don't want to talk to them?" He asked. "No!" Carly exploded. "Why should I? They ignored my existence for how many years? I can do the same." "One day you will have to talk to them." Sonny said quietly. "Well that day isn't coming any time soon." Carly said with finality. ~*~*~ A Few Days Later (I just have to move this story up) Nikolas was exhausted. He had been called out of town for a whirlwind business trip. He wasn't sure of what city he'd been in. All he remembered seeing was the walls of his hotel room, the conference rooms, and the papers…God, all those papers! He never wanted to see another sheet of paper for as long as he lived! He wearily opened the door to his bedroom and flopped down on his bed. He covered his face with his hand and thought, I'm never leaving this bed again, ever. "Uuuhhhh." The sound a loud female moaning shocked him into sitting up. "Uuuhhhh." There it was again. A pounding drum followed it, low and sensual. Nikolas realized that the music was coming from his bathroom. Suddenly he heard the lilt of a female voice humming along. He frowned. Who was in his bathroom? He rolled off the bed and slowly headed towards the door. I would die for you I would die for you I've been dying just to feel you by my side To know that you're mine I will cry for you I will cry for you I will wash away your pain with all my tears And drown your fears He flung it open and was shocked at what he saw. The lights were turned low and the bathroom was filled with scented candles. The smell tickled at his nose. His large bathtub was filled to the brim with bubble bath and sitting right in the middle of it, humming along to the song, and lazily soaping her long legs was Emily. "Emily?" He gasped. She looked up with a slow smile. "Nikolas, you're back." She tossed her sponge back into the water. "I… yeah. What are you doing here?" He asked confused. Ahhhhhh Ahhhhhh Ahhhhhh Ahhhhhh I will pray for you I will pray for you I will sell my soul for something pure and true Someone like you "Waiting for you, silly." She grinned at him. "Hand me that towel." She gestured at the large white towel not far from the bathtub. Nikolas stared at her, dumbfounded. Emily sighed and shrugged. "Guess I'll just have to get it myself." Nikolas watched in amazement as she rose from the tub. She stood still for a minute as Nikolas let his eyes roam her body. See your face every place that I walk in Hear your voice every time that I'm talking You will believe in me And I will never be ignored "Like what you see?" She asked. She started to step out of the tub but Nikolas suddenly moved into action. He grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her body. Emily threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks." She lightly rubbed her body against his. "Emily!" He exclaimed and reached around to remove her arms from him. "What?" She asked innocently. "What are you doing!" I will burn for you Feel pain for you I will twist the knife and bleed my aching heart And tear it apart Emily sighed. "Didn't I just answer that question? What's with all the talking?" She stepped out of the bathtub. "We are going to play by my rules and my rules are: no talking." "But Emily…" Nikolas protested. "Hmmm, okay." Emily licked her lips. "I think I like the sound of your voice too much. Forget the no talking rule." She reached for his hand and lead him into the bedroom. Nikolas went along willingly. "This is wrong." He said. Emily stopped in front of the bed and dropped the towel. Nikolas swallowed hard. I will lie for you Beg and steal for you I will crawl on hands and knees until you see You're just like me Emily scoffed. "Who cares if it's wrong. It's so much better when it's wrong, don't you think?" "Emily…" Nikolas said slowly. Violate all the love that I'm missing Throw away all the pain that I'm living You will believe in me And I can never be ignored "Shut up." She reached for him and kissed him hungrily. Nikolas finally gave in and returned the kiss. "Yes… much better… Let's get you out of these clothes." In the background Nikolas could hear his phone begin to ring. He tried to ignore it as Emily pushed up his shirt and Nikolas whipped it over his head. I would die for you I would kill for you I will steal for you I'd do time for you I will wait for you I'd make room for you I'd sink ships for you To be close to you To be part of you 'Cause I believe in you I believe in you I would die for you "We could have a lot of fun, you and I." Emily said as she lay back on the bed. "But first you have to answer the phone." Nikolas paused. "Huh?" "Answer the damn phone." She said as she raised herself up on her elbows. The ringing began to get louder and louder. "Get the phone!" Nikolas groaned and reached blindly for the phone. He was going to kill whomever it was that had interrupted his dream. "Yes." He growled into the phone. "Well good morning to you too!" Samantha chirped into the phone. Nikolas wearily rubbed his face. Right now he wasn't in the mood for Lucky's girlfriend's cheerfulness. "Hello, Samantha." He grounded out. "I can see someone's not a morning person." She said. "I'm not. What is it?" He sat up in bed. "Lucky wanted me to remind you that you're having lunch with us today." "I am?" He frowned. He didn't remember any of this. "Yes, you are!" Samantha insisted. "12:30 at Kelly's, don't forget." "Yeah, okay." Nikolas agreed. Anything to get off the phone with her. "12:30, okay?" She repeated. "I won't be late." He said. "Okay and it just won't be you alright? Emily and Sly will be there also. See you then." Samantha hung up and grinned at Lucky who frowned at her. "Why'd you say Em and Sly were going to be there?" He asked. "So he wouldn't suspect that we're trying fix him and Elizabeth, of course." She shrugged. "Of course now I do have to invite them." "*We're* not trying to fix them. *You* are. I'm staying out of this." Lucky said. "Don't you want your brother to be happy?" "Yes but it's his business. Not mine." ~*~ Nikolas stared at the phone in his hand. While he had been agreeing with Samantha, he'd been trying to think of some sort of excuse he could use later on to get out of the whole lunch thing. But the moment she'd mentioned Emily he knew he had to go. He hadn't seen Emily since Monday. Okay, he had seen her since them but only in his dreams. Every night he would dream about her. Sometimes they were in Wyndemere or at her apartment or once in the park. Sometimes she was the aggressor and sometimes he was. And they were never as tame as the one Samantha just interrupted. There was nothing Nikolas would have liked better than to roll back over and try to recapture his dream but he knew he had to get up anyway. He had a lot of work to do if he was going to clear some space to have lunch with the gang. ~*~*~ Nikolas arrived at the breakfast table and was surprised to see Stefan sitting there. "Good morning, Uncle." Stefan barely looked up from his newspaper. "Good morning." Nikolas reached for the plate Mrs. Landsbury had waiting for him. "Is everything okay? Have you spoken with Carly yet?" Stefan had told him all about the disastrous meeting at the Brownstone. Stefan snapped his newspaper close angrily. "No I have not! She is still holed up at Corinthos' apartment. She will not speak to me at all." "I'm sorry, Uncle." Nikolas tried to look sympathetic. "Well…the only good thing about this is Victor has seemed to disappear. There hasn't been any word from him since Monday." "Do you think he has left town?" Nikolas asked as he began to butter a scone. Stefan shook his head. "No I believe not. He is probably just lying low for a few days. For what reason I cannot fathom. He has been incredibly determined to get his hands on Carly and Michael and now that his 'plan' has blown up in his face, so to speak, he runs and hides? I cannot comprehend what he is planning next. All I can hope for is that it doesn't end up hurting Carly or Michael." *song credit* #1 Crush by Garbage (from the William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack)