September 16, 2006

 Wyndemere: Foyer

Samantha McCall had made her living as a con artist in a life that seemed so far away from the one she lived now. She’d been a drifter, had participated in a number of felonies and she’d learned everything she knew about manipulation, conning, and depending on no one but yourself from her father. Or the man she’d believed to be her father.

Three short years after she’d crashed landed in Port Charles, she had a different life and somehow it was supposed to be fit–she was supposed to fit. But she was never more certain that she was the odd piece in a jigsaw puzzle than when she was standing beside her elegant mother and her handsome stepfather in the middle of the gothic foyer of Wyndemere.

She was sure, that at any moment, someone was going to pop out and laugh at her, tell her that it had all been a mistake and that her real mother was some trailer trash from West Virginia–because at least that made sense. But for as long as this dream existed, as long as she had a family, she would hold on to it with both hands.

As out of place as Sam felt, she was sure that Emily felt even more so. The willowy brunette stood apart from the Davis-McCall-Lansing bunch and was settled looking out at the view of lake from one of the arching front windows. She was unsure why Nikolas had invited his ex-wife to the first dinner party he was throwing with his new wife, but she was sure Nikolas had his reasons.

Alexis touched her arm and Sam looked up at her, still unfamiliar the idea of a maternal touch and even more flustered by the easy affection in her eyes. Was it really that simple? Had finding out that they shared blood just created that bond, that warmth in her eyes? Had it really negated the previous two years?

“Thank you for taking Kristina to school this morning,” Alexis said. “She loves spending time with her big sister and getting to show you off.”

Sam smiled and looked for her sister, currently climbing all over Ric and tugging at his coat, trying to get his attention. “I love spending time with her as well. And Molly.” Her eyes found Emily again and she wondered why she would have accepted Nikolas’s invitation. Wouldn’t she feel uncomfortable in the same room as Robin?

Alexis followed her gaze and sighed softly. “Nikolas has a penchant for damsels in distress,” she said softly. “It’s going to steer him wrong one day.”

“Hm, I’m not sure I know all the rules but isn’t kind of…rude to invite your ex-wife to the first dinner with your new wife?” Sam asked curiously.

Emily turned her head towards the mother and daughter, narrowing her eyes. “No less rude than gossiping and creating problems where they don’t need to exist, Sam.” She folded her arms tightly and stared down at the shorter woman. “Nikolas and I are friends. That doesn’t change because we were married once.”

“Right, of course.” But Sam didn’t apologize because part of her still felt that Emily’s presence was unfair to Robin and she thought that her loyalty should be with Robin now. Robin was family. They were the new kids in the Cassadine family and she felt obligated to put herself in Robin’s camp.

Robin descended the stairs, a warm smile in place to greet them. She was always thrilled to see Alexis and Ric and get the chance to see Molly. But her smile faded when she saw Emily standing just beyond Alexis and Sam. She faltered and paused on the steps for just a small moment, but everyone present saw it. Understood it.

She cleared her throat and smiled again. “I’m sorry, Misha just refused to go down for the night. And Nikolas was held up in town, so we’re running just a little late this evening.” She stepped off the stairs. “Dinner isn’t ready yet–”

“We should wait in the conservatory,” Emily spoke up. She stepped forward and smiled at Robin, a smile that made Robin clench her teeth and tense her shoulders. “It has a beautiful view of the gardens. I had them redone during my short time in the house.”

She started towards the conservatory, clearly expecting everyone to follow her. Kristina, not really understanding, automatically followed Emily and Ric, throwing an apologetic glance at Robin, took Molly from Alexis and started after her.

“My nephew can be thick,” Alexis proclaimed, patting Robin’s shoulder before following the others.

“I guess you didn’t know about the surprise guest then?” Sam asked Robin as they hung back for a moment.

“No,” Robin said slowly. “But I’m not surprised. Nikolas had made it clear that he wants Elizabeth and Emily to still feel like part of the family.” She twisted her wedding ring. “I just–we haven’t spoken much today.”

“Right,” Sam nodded. “Well, I suppose we should join them before Emily accuses me of more bad manners.” She smiled faintly. “It gets easier right? This family thing?”

“That’s the rumor,” Robin said dryly.

Wyndemere: Conservatory

Alexis and Ric settled themselves on the sumptuous sofa as Kristina crawled into her mother’s lap to play with the strands of her mother’s hair. Ric put Molly on the floor and helped her into her walker. The ten-month-old haltingly stumbled around the room, with a grin.

“I can’t believe how big she is,” Robin remarked, getting on her hands and knees to watch Molly play. “Or that she’s almost a year old.”

“I know, this last year had gone so fast,” Alexis remarked, glancing at Sam with a smile. “But so many wonderful things have happened.”

Sam returned the smile nervously and flicked her attention to Emily who had seated herself in an elegant Victorian style chair at the right of the sofa, looking for all intents and purposes, as the hostess of this group. She wasn’t sure what Emily’s goal was but she was pretty sure that she was being rude.

Robin cleared her throat and smiled thinly at Emily. “How is your last year of medical school going?”

“It’s fine,” Emily said absently. She glanced at the doorway that led to the dining room. “It’s unusual that Mrs. Lansbury is so late with dinner. When I lived here–”

“Dinner is on time,” Robin interrupted, trying not to let her frustration with the situation show. “Nikolas had a meeting and it ran late. We’re holding dinner for him.” She flicked her eyes to Alexis, as if begging for some help.

Alexis, bless her soul, took the hint and set Kristina on her feet. “Remember that song you showed Mommy and Ric after school yesterday? Why don’t you show the girls?”

Kristina, always looking for a reason to be center of attention, nodded eagerly and then proceeded to launch into a high pitched version of John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. After the first few rounds, Emily quietly slipped out of the room and headed back towards the foyer.

Wyndemere: Master Bedroom

It had been more than a year since Emily had been inside this room, and then it had been decorated in lighter, welcoming colors of green and yellow. This room reflected the rest of the mansion now, with the dark reds and intimidating browns.

She blamed Robin for this, of course. Robin had made Nikolas change, to go back to the way he once been–proper and reserved. He’d been happy with her, Emily told herself. Robin was a convenience, a mother for Misha and nothing more. When Emily told him that she wanted him back, it would all be okay again.

She was doing everyone a favor. Everyone would go back where they belonged. Emily and Nikolas would be together, Robin could go back to Patrick and then Elizabeth would need Lucky when he returned and everything would be the way it was supposed to be.

The vanity table caught Emily’s eye and she frowned at it. There had never been one in this room before her and this wasn’t the one that had matched the furniture during her tenure.

The table in question had makeup neatly arranged to one side and a jewelry box to the opposite. Emily could just make out some of the Cassadine jewels before she realized that it was Robin’s vanity table and that this must be Robin’s bedroom as well.

“Emily?”

She turned to find Nikolas emerging from the dressing room, fastening his cuffs and frowning at her. “What are you doing up here?”

“I–” Suddenly, she couldn’t find the words. She looked towards the dressing room that he had just merged from. She could see a few dresses from her vantage point. Emily gestured towards the vanity table. “Why–why is that in here?”

Nikolas blinked. “Robin’s table? Where else would it be?”

“I…” Emily cleared her throat. “I thought–I didn’t realize–you’re sleeping together?” she finished, her voice rising with each word.

Nikolas opened his mouth and then closed, not understanding the question. “We’re married,” he said slowly.

“But–” Had the idea of convenience just been in her head? Had she made it all up to suit her purposes? Emily shook her head. “But you don’t love her.”

“Emily…” Nikolas began but he trailed off as if he himself couldn’t find the words. Emily only wished she knew what he wanted to say. That he did love Robin? That it was a marriage of convenience that happened to have been consummated? That it was all a terrible mistake and that Emily should come back to him?

The tense awkward silence was more than Emily could bear. “I just came to tell you that I can’t stay for dinner,” she said after another moment. “Robin clearly didn’t know I was coming and I just–I can’t–it’s wrong. Good bye.”

She turned on her heel and was in the hallway before Nikolas could protest.

If he even wanted to.

Wyndemere: Dining Room

Sam shifted in her chair and gradually tuned out the sound of Kristina chattering to Nikolas about the pink teddy bear that Daddy Ric had won for her at the carnival last week. Nearly half an hour after Nikolas had made his entrance and Emily had mysteriously disappeared, the newlyweds did not appear to be speaking to one another and Sam couldn’t really blame Robin. After all, if Jason had invited an ex-girlfriend (or an ex-wife) to dinner mere weeks after the wedding when said ex was clearly not over the new husband, Sam would have kicked him in the teeth.

Better not to think about Jason, Sam told herself. He was in her past, he had a new life, she had a new life. It was time to move on and she would. She had a new family, one that was embracing her (even if she didn’t really understand why) and starting tonight, she was going to make the most of it.

When Kristina had finally stopped talking and concentrated on the plate of chicken that the maid had set in front of her, Sam cleared her throat. “Ah, I wanted to make an announcement if that’s okay.”

Nikolas nodded. “Of course.”

Sam nodded and smiled nervously at Alexis–at her mother. “I received the results of my GED exam this afternoon.”

“You passed?” Alexis asked, but she asked with a smile because she was sure of the answer. Was that something else that came with the maternal gene? The belief that your child could do anything she set her mind to? The very idea that because they shared some biological strain, that her mother would automatically find this well of love and affection…Sam wasn’t sure if she was ever going to be comfortable with that.

“Ah, yes, I passed. With a pretty decent score,” Sam answered. “So, I may not have a high school degree, but I have something almost as good and who knows? Maybe I’ll take some college classes.”

“That’s really great news,” Robin said warmly. “Congratulations.”

Nikolas raised his glass of wine. “A toast,” he said, standing. “To my new cousin, Sam.”

“Here, here,” Alexis agreed, raising her glass. Robin and Ric followed suit.

“To Sam,” they echoed.

Sam’s cheeks felt hot and she smiled nervously. “I can’t wait to see what you guys do if I manage a college degree.”

After Nikolas had reclaimed his seat, he sipped his wine. “Have you thought about what you might like to pursue from here?”

“Give her some time to breathe,” Alexis said. Once again, that maternal smile was directed at Sam, who just glanced down at the table. She was never going to get used to the idea of having a mother like Alexis Davis. She only hoped she didn’t find a way to destroy this, like she had so many things in her life.

Port Charles Woods: Boxcar

The boxcar was a dilapidated shell of itself–not that it had ever been a palace but once upon a time, it had served as her haven and her shelter from a world that seemed too scary to face. She had fallen in love within these walls and experienced that first perfect kiss outside.

Was it any wonder that it had taken nearly a decade to let go of that love? Lucky had made her feel safe in her own skin when she was too afraid to peel the bedspread away in the morning. He had picked the broken pieces up from the snow and helped her put them back together.

She had loved him for more than half her life and she was sure that if not for her sweet Cameron, if not for that tragic accident, she would still be in that marriage fighting tooth and nail for the boy she’d fallen for outside of Kelly’s with the bracelet his little sister had made him wrapped around his wrist.

Today, Elizabeth Imogene Spencer had received the documents that finalized her divorce from the love of her life. It was her third failed marriage to her second husband and somehow, this one hurt more than the first. Admitting to herself that she just couldn’t make it work with Lucky was more difficult than saying that Ric had too many insecurities for her to live with. Lucky was her white knight and saying goodbye to him was saying goodbye to a chapter of her life that she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to close.

But it made no difference really–Elizabeth had other responsibilities, other loyalties. Cameron came first now. First, last and always. His happiness, his safety–that would always be more important than hers and in the end, she knew Lucky had accepted that. He had not fought the divorce and it had been over in a matter of months. All that was left now was taking the step to change her name from Spencer to Webber, though she wasn’t sure she wanted that. She’d dreamed of bring a Spencer for so long that she couldn’t break that last tie, she couldn’t leave that family.

She heard soft footsteps behind her and Elizabeth turned to find Jason entering the clearing. “Hey,” she greeted softly.

“Lulu said I could find you here.” Jason tugged on his ear. “She wanted to pass along a message to you.”

“Oh?” Elizabeth asked. “What’s that?”

“You can change your name and divorce her brother all you want, she’s still your sister and you’re going to have to work a lot harder to get rid of her.”

Elizabeth laughed softly. “She always was a strange one. I suppose we’ll see how that goes now that the papers are final.” She hesitated. “That’s why I’m here–just saying goodbye. I’ve been divorced three times from two different men. I’m starting to catch up to Carly.”

Jason just continued looking at her with that steady gaze. “Are you all right with it? Not having second thoughts?”

“Second, third and fourth thoughts,” Elizabeth admitted. “But every time I feel myself weakening on the subject, I remember the day I found Cameron lying in a pool of his own blood. I remember the hours I waited, praying for Patrick to perform a miracle. I remember that scar and how my little boy had to grow his hair back. And then I remember why I made the choices I’ve made. My son is more important.” She cleared her throat. “You were looking for me?”

“I just wanted to give you a heads up that I’ve been called out of town on another assignment. I’m not sure when I’ll be back or–”

“If you’ll be able to call,” Elizabeth finished. “I remember.” She leaned up and hugged him tightly. “Just be as safe as possible and come home in one piece. Good friends are hard to come by these days.”

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