Chapter 3 "Why are you here little Emily?" Sonny drawls, taking a long gulp of scalding coffee. "I want you to come back to Port Charles and take back your old job." Emily answers crisply. "Without you everything is gonna go to hell and you know it!" With her arms folded across her chest Emily studies Sonny carefully, using her years of training with the Quartermaine's to discern any weaknesses or flaws. Ignoring Emily, Sonny glances in Rinaldo's direction. "She serious?" "Hear her out." "And don't talk as if I'm not here!" Emily protests angrily. "Look. You're the one that got Jason into this mess, it's only fair that you get Michael out of it. If no one takes over, all of your low life associates like the ones that killed my brother are going to war for it. And what if they think that getting rid of Michael might help? Or me?" Stunned by the lack of emotion on Sonny's face Emily presses harder. "So you're feeling guilty? Good. What are you going to do? Just sit here and drink yourself to death? Sit and fish while everything Jason worked so hard for goes right down the drain?" Some of the residual emotion escaping through her tirade, Emily continues. "Jason put everything he had, everything he COULD have had on the line to pick up after you when you slithered out of town. He put himself and his son in the line of fire! Why? Because you asked him to!" "I never asked Jason to do anything!" Sonny replies, slamming down his coffee mug. "He offered. He wanted that life!" Whirling on him Emily's fists are clenched at her sides. "Is that how you justify it? Is that how you sleep at night?" "I don't sleep at night!" Ignoring his outburst Emily continues. "You've convinced yourself that you don't owe Jason a damn thing! How selfish and cowardly is that? You are every bit as responsible for Jason's death as the men that ran him off the road! And now you want to look me in the eye and tell me that you don't owe him anything? Not even the safety of his son? The person Jason would have died protecting? You know what it's like to lose a child to this life you've chosen, now you're leaving Michael to his own devices?" Seeing the look of rage, and anguish combined on Sonny's face, Rinaldo grabs Emily's arm. "That's enough Em. Lay off." "NO! I don't have time! If I hit a nerve so what? I am fighting for Michael's life here and if I step on the great Sonny Corinthos' toes while I am at it, TOUGH!" Emily stands toe to toe with Sonny. "Look, I was there. I was at Queen Of Angels when Jason stood before the priest and witnesses and named his son after you. You know why? Because he loved you! Because he trusted you! Because he knew that if anything ever happened he could rely on you to do the right thing! Well, in case you don't recognize the right thing when it bites you, this is it. This is where you put your money where your mouth is. How good a friend are you? How honest a man are you? Do you have any honor left in that empty shell?" Grabbing her arm tightly Sonny uses his other hand to force her chin up, so that they are eye to eye. "Listen kid. I'm sorry about Jason, sorry in ways' you'll never know. But I can't go back to Port Charles. I've got enough blood on my hands to last me the rest of my sorry life." With that Sonny stumbles to the door, and Emily drops down on the bed. "What am I going to do now?" ****************************************************** The airstrip. "We're clear to take off." The pilot announces crisply. "We should be back in Port Charles by dinnertime. Seeing Emily with her face turned towards the window, Rinaldo begins to curse Sonny's very existence. Even though he'd suspected Sonny would refuse, it still cut. Pushing the thoughts from his mind Rinaldo focuses on the things he can change. The first priority being Michael and Emily's safety. He doesn't worry about the Quartermaines. Worse comes to worse He'll just take Michael and Emily somewhere that the Quartermaines would never be able to touch them. His mind begins to work over figures, and numbers wondering how much cash he can get for liquidating all of Jason's assets at once. But his thoughts are interrupted at the sound of someone banging on the plane door. Quickly he motions for Emily to put her head down, and approaches the door with his weapon drawn. Calmly Sonny takes one look at the murderous look in Rinaldo's eyes and promptly drops his duffle bag and raises his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender. "Don't shoot! I'm one of the good guys." Considering his words, he cocks his head to one side, "Figuratively speaking of course." Rising unsteadily from her seat Emily stares at Sonny with her mouth agape. "You're coming back?" "Yeah, maybe it's cause of your sweet talk. Maybe I miss Ruby's chili, maybe I miss seeing Lucy Coe half naked at the Nurse's Ball every year." Sonny pulls himself onto the plane, closing the doors behind himself. "And maybe I want to put my money where my mouth is. I owe Jason everything. He gave me his life and his loyalty. It's the least I can give him." Suddenly feeling more hopeful for the future, Rinaldo presses the intercom and orders the pilot to take off. ****************** Wyndemere Living Room Weary of the book he's reading, Stefan rises from the sofa to pour himself a glass of port. As always at this hour, his mood is reflective. He is a contented man this evening. For the first time that he can recall, his future is falling into place. Nikolas, the son he adores more than life, has just become THE Cassadine after years of preparation. Now Stefan is free to pursue his own future unhindered by the constant demands of being Regent. Many speculated that he would fight giving up his power as Regent, or that he would be lost without the money and prestige of the position. On the contrary, he is looking forward to it with relish. What mattered to him most, he still retained: the respect of the business community which he had earned with his business acumen. No, Stefan is more than content with his comparatively modest holdings. He has carefully prepared for this transition for years, slowly amassing his own businesses on the side as Nikolas had taken more and more responsibility at Cassadine Inc. And now he has something else to look forward to. His most ambitious acquisition to date. The lovely Corrinne Gibbons Lance, a mature and elegant woman any man would be proud to have at his side. The opportunity to marry her had practically fallen into his lap. As his philosophy had proven over and over, the best things come to him when he is "invited". The invitation came, ironically, from her ex-husband Samuel Lance, a man he had met six months ago while trying to procure some permits for a new business venture. Stefan wasn't particularly fond of the arrogant politician, his manner too friendly and overbearing, the kind of politician that likes to slap backs. But because Sam held the power to make or break this business venture, Stefan had no choice but to do business with him. It hadn't taken long for the slick politician to get to his hidden agenda. He wanted help controlling his vitriolic ex-wife, Corrine, or Rina. From Samuel's description, Stefan had expected a viper, hell-bent on destroying her ex. Sam was worried that Rina would destroy his political career once and for all. She had been threatening to for months, only stalling because of Sam's financial buy offs. And Samuel was convinced that Stefan was just the kind of man she would be attracted to. The deal went like this: Keep Rina occupied and happy so that Samuel could sail through the reelection campaign for state senator and Samuel would grease the governmental wheels so that Stefan's project would move forward ahead of schedule and under budget. The whole idea disgusted Stefan, but he couldn't use his influence as Cassadine Regent since this was his private venture. This deal, repulsive as it seemed, would be the easiest means to an end. Fighting back the bile in his throat, Stefan shook hands with Samuel to seal the agreement. He found Rina Lance exactly where Samuel had said she would be, at the local Albany hospital helping run the fund raising campaign to renovate the pediatric wing. As was his custom before meeting his quarry, he had a routine background check done on her. What he found was a very different story than Sam Lance painted. Corrine aka Corey aka Rina Gibbons married Samuel Lance five years prior as a result of a whirlwind courtship. Shortly after, Samuel successfully ran for the State senate seat. She had been an valuable asset to his campaign, giving the rakish candidate the reputation of being a family man rather than a womanizer. Then about a year ago, after four years of marriage, Rina became pregnant. Exuberant, Rina went in search of her husband to tell him the wonderful news. Unfortunately she found him at his office with his naked secretary sprawled over his desk in a clinch. In short order, Rina miscarried and ended up in a mental institution for a month. A few months later, they divorced. The idea of fooling this poor woman, using her to gain his own selfish ends, did not give Stefan pleasure. Yet, as he reviewed his options, there was no better course of action. The best he could do would be to treat her like a queen and make every effort not to hurt her further. As Stefan recalls his first meeting with Rina, he smiles. Simply said, she was a beautiful, slender woman with dark brown hair that carried herself with class. She was outwardly charming, yet aloof. The epitome of a socialite, and yet she couldn't completely hide the sadness in her eyes. He remembers playing his part perfectly. On behalf of the Cassadine family, Stefan made a sizable donation to the pediatric wing. He lingered afterwards to charm her further, and when she gave her sales pitch about the fund raising ball that was scheduled for the end of the week, he agreed to buy a ticket with the hope that she would grace him with a dance. The Ball had gone better than planned. Sam Lance, never one to play it safe, decided to attend the Ball with his latest conquest. Rina, in self-defense, had quickly latched onto Stefan and never let go. Surprisingly, not only did he find her company enjoyable, but her dancing exquisite. The night went so well he almost forgot the deal with Sam. Now, after months of courtship, they were engaged to be married. He couldn't be more surprised or pleased; she would be the perfect wife for him. The realization had dawned on him slowly, first fed by the ridiculous Samuel Lance, who was so thrilled that Rina had taken to Stefan, that he offered major political favors if Stefan married her and removed her from the Albany political scene. When Samuel Lance mentioned marriage at first, Stefan had balked violently. He would not prostitute himself in such a base manner. But once introduced, the thought of marrying Rina couldn't be banished. More and more he found himself comparing her qualities to the qualities he wanted in a wife. And each time, she measured favorably. Foremost was her loyalty, already proven at a social function they attended together. When some guests had snubbed him as being an unsavory "Cassadine", she had risen to the occasion and enlisted her considerable social influence to his defense, despite his protests that he didn't care what anyone thought. Her actions, however unnecessary, touched him deeply. Their lovemaking had caught him by surprise. She was a different woman in bed. Instead of the tightly controlled fairly aloof and proper woman he had come to know, she was warm, responsive, eager to please and be pleased. And while he had always considered her attractive, it wasn't until he made love to her a few months into their relationship that he found her irresistible. Unfortunately, she had shut him out shortly after, shocking him by breaking off their relationship. That was when Stefan decided to marry her. He was weary of being alone, especially since Nikolas had left. Up until he had met Rina, he thought he hadn't minded his solitude. But her presence had made it painfully obvious what he was lacking. Wooing her after the breakup hadn't been easy, but Stefan wasn't to be deterred. He slowly and methodically wore her down with combination of relentless logic and quiet charm. In the end, she hadn't stood a chance. And so, in a few days time, he would marry Rina. For the first time ever, he is in complete control of his life. A life with a future that was his and not his son's, a future with the promise of happiness. Nikolas would return tomorrow to meet Stefan's fiance and celebrate their nuptials. Stefan couldn't be happier; it had been too long since their last visit. Numerous times in the last few years, Stefan had attempted to lure Nikolas back to Port Charles. All to no avail. To see Nikolas, he had been forced to fly to him, and even then Nikolas made sure their visits were short and impersonal. It had taken Stefan's impending marriage to get Nikolas to agree to set foot in Port Charles again. But none of that mattered now. All that mattered was that his son would be coming home. Chapter 4 The Queen Of Angels Cemetery. The day is sunny, in spite of the somber, black mood. Several black limousines are lined up throughout the cemetery. The last to arrive pulls to a slow, smooth stop in front of the gates. Rinaldo is the first to get out of the front, and he moves around the side to open the door for Emily. She is dressed in a simple black dress, black heels, and a pair of sunglasses to protect her eyes from the sun, and hide the swelling and redness. She's followed out of the limo by Sonny. His presence causes a great deal of commotion as reporters and onlookers try to catch a glimpses of the infamous gangster. "Don't turn your head, even if they call you by name." Sonny whispers darkly into Emily's ear. "Don't give them any notice at all. Parasites." Once past the gates Emily approaches the small plot Jason and Carly had selected with a heavy heart. "Emma!" A sad sniff is Emily's only warning when a small projectile hurls at her knees. "Emma!" "Michael!" Dropping gracefully to her knees, Emily gathers her god-son close. "It's okay baby. I'm here. I'll take good care of you Michael." She croons into his blondish/red hair Walking slowly towards Sonny and Emily, Bobbie Jones reaches out and hugs both Emily and Michael. "I thought the two of you might need each other. So I had Lee call the judge and get Edward's court order reversed. " "Thank you Bobbie." Returning the older woman's embrace, Emily sends a killing glare in the direction of the Quartermaines. "What are they doing here?" "When they showed up I figured it was better to just let them in instead of causing a big scene in front of the press." Bobbie explains tiredly. "I'm not up for a fight, not today." "She's right Em." Sonny agrees. "Today isn't the day to pick fights. Let 'em go. For now." *~*~*~*~*~ And she had, she'd focused on Michael and Michael's needs during their short, simple and moving service. Jason and Carly were laid to rest with honor, dignity, and love. Until the reception afterwards. Taking a deep breath Emily slips into the back room, slips off her shoes, curls one leg underneath her, and settles comfortably on the velvet couch. As the soothing quiet of the empty room allows the days events to weigh heavily on Emily's young shoulders, she bites back a small cry, swiping at the tears that had threatened all day. "Don't give it up yet kid." Sonny's unmistakable drawl is grudgingly respectful. Without waiting for an invitation he takes a seat next to her. "I don't know what you mean." With forced politeness Emily turns her gaze to Sonny. For the past several days she'd been dealing with the enigmatic, unpredictable man and was still baffled by him. At times friendly and attentive, at other times so distant and cruel, like a different man altogether. Sonny takes in Emily's worn and shell shocked expression. "Listen, since Jason died, you've been holding it all together. All you have to do is stay tough for the rest of the day. Fall apart later." "What's this? The gospel according to Corinthos?" Fighting the rising bitterness, Emily shakes her head. "I can see how well holding back your emotions has served you!" "Nice kid. Real nice." Sonny downs the rest of his drink, rises and offers his arm to Emily. "Ready to go back out there?" "It's almost over." Emily mutters, slipping back into her shoes, taking a deep breath and Sonny's arm. "It's almost over." The two leave the back room just as Edward, Alan, Monica, and AJ are leaving the club. Monica has a hold of Michael's hand. "Where do you think you're going?" Emily asks, keeping her voice easy, so as to not upset Michael. "Emily, we just thought. . . . " Monica stammers red faced like a child with her hand caught in the cookie jar. "Michael, why don't you and Sonny go into the kitchen and see about getting some food to take home?" Sonny casts a venomous glare at the Q's. Placing his hand on Em's shoulder. "You okay?" "Don't worry about me, I can handle myself." Emily responds softly. "I have to now. No one's here to do it for me." Turning back to the Quartermaines Emily takes a deep breath and slowly releases it. "Okay, I've had enough. So far I have been very accommodating about this sick obsession with Michael. But not any more. Michael is not a corporation. He's not a thing, he's not a toy. He's a real living, breathing human boy who's just lost his mother and father, and will miss them every day for the rest of his life. I should know. Jason didn't trust you with Michael. He trusted me. He asked me to do what is right for his son, to make Michael as happy and well adjusted as possible. You know? I used to think that included this family. That the more people who loved him, the better off he would be, but after the past few weeks, I don't think that's true. It's not the quantity of people that love a child that matters. It's the quality." "How dare you speak to us this way young lady?" Edward's bluster increases in volume. "We are your family. And we are the only logical guardians for the child. Not some half educated ex-model." Refusing to yell, Emily lowers her voice even more. "Listen to me grandfather. You are never going to have custody of Michael. I will take him and go into hiding until the day he turns 50 before I let anyone in this family hurt him. You will not see him, you will not speak to him, and if I ever find out that you pulled any more sneaky little tricks, Michael and I will be on a plane to Tahiti before you know it." Seeing the sadness in Monica's eyes, Emily bites her tongue. "Look, just consider the next three months a probation. If you do what I say, and lay off Mike, and leave us alone I'll think about letting you see him and maybe even be a part of his life." "Emily! How can you do this to us?" Through her tears Monica sniffles sadly. "First we lost your brother, and now you want to take Michael away from us!" "Mom, Michael isn't a Quartermaine. Not any more than Jason was. You just refused to see that. That's why he loved me. Because I never thought of him as one of us. I never demanded anything from him. I just let him be. Maybe if you do that now, if you learn now what you couldn't figure out with Jason you have a chance at fitting into Michael's life." Bone weary from the fighting, Emily holds open the door to the club. "Now go. Get out before I change my mind and get restraining orders against all of you." *~*~**~*~*~**~*~*~** Nikolas' Jet. Settling himself comfortably in the plush leather seat, Nikolas studies the portfolios before him in disgust. "These numbers are unacceptable. Your management staff is obviously incompetent to handle the menial details of day to day business. I want them all fired." Holding the phone with one hand and tapping the desk with the end of an expensive fountain pan, he is the picture of the ruthless billionaire. "I don't care what was promised them when Cassadine Inc. bought the company. Unless the promises come from me they are worthless. Get rid of them or I will find someone to do it in your place." Flipping his cell phone shut, Nikolas removes his reading glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose. The day was not going well at all. Companies being bought and sold by the dozen and yet he felt distracted. Setting aside the stack of paperwork on his lap, Nikolas moves to the bar, pours himself a generous drink, and begins to ponder what lies ahead. Port Charles. Oh he'd seen Stefan over the past few years. Business trips mostly. Alexis' wedding. Meetings. Nothing personal had been discussed, nothing meaningful spoken of. Stefan had tried his best to break through Nikolas' icy demeanor but had been sidestepped at every turn. Just an icy wall of reserve where there had once been the deepest love, respect and admiration. Deep in his heart, Nikolas had searched for a reason to set aside the hostility, the anger, and most importantly the secrecy of the past. There were other pains in Port Charles. Ones that not even reconciliation with his father would alleviate. A broken heart. The night he learned the truth of his parentage, he'd vowed to leave Port Charles, and had proposed to Robin Scorpio. Practically begging her to join him. To love him, and to build their own family. Her refusal was harsh and painful, not because of her delivery, but because of the message. She had preferred waiting for Jason, a happily married man, than to be with him. That rejection heaped upon the jagged edges of his parents' betrayal sent Nikolas spiraling into a place so close to Hell he'd been able to feel the flames licking at his heels. So he'd run through the park. It was lush and green with the aftermath of a spring storm. The air heavy with moisture, the ground soft, and the wind whipping itself into a frenzy. As a final act of destruction in the piteous cycle, he'd ravaged one of the most tender friendships of his life. The one person who'd never pretended anything with him. The one person that he could rely on. Emily. She'd followed him through the park and finally caught up with him under the small footbridge in the middle of the park. Her hair hanging loose around her sweet face, eyes filled with concern and worshipful love. He hadn't been able to take that.,, the unconditional love and sympathy. Instead he regarded it as pity and threw her feelings for him back in her face, feeling too raw himself to deal with any emotions other than his own. "Nikolas? What's wrong? Are you all right?" Placing a soft hand on Nikolas strong arm, Emily's face is set with worry. Laughing bitterly Nikolas doesn't really answer, feeling as wild as the wind stirring around them. "Oh, I'm just fine. Now leave me alone Emily. I don't want you here. Go away." Biting her lip Emily stubbornly refuses to move. "No. You're my friend Nikolas. I just want to know if there's anything I can do for you? If you need anything." Blinded by his own anguish and misery Nikolas reached out like a drowning man clasping for a life preserver. His arms encircle Emily's waist, pulling her to him. His voice is husky and deep. "Make me forget." "Nikolas?" Her voice uncertain, Emily tries to pull free of his embrace. "Show me what kind of friend you are, Emily." Nikolas whispers, his lips hovering a scant breath away from hers. With the next splash of lightning across the dark sky, his mouth descends upon hers, leaving Emily without resistance. She'd dreamed of kissing Nikolas for so long. . . .Wrapping an arm around his neck, Emily clings to Nikolas with all of her strength, struggling to give him what he needs. What she senses he is searching for. A connection, feeling, love. . .whatever it is he needs, in that moment she is more than willing to give it. "Emily." Biting back a groan, Nikolas is caught off guard by her head- long response, and what had begun as a brutal invasion turned into a passionate seduction. Feeling his legs tremble, Nikolas eases Emily back against the bricks and presses his body close, savoring the close contact. "Emily." Smoothing her hair away from her cheeks, Nikolas takes Emily's hand and brings it up to his lips. "I need. . . ." Breathless and thoroughly dazed, Emily's lips brush against Nikolas' chin, cheeks and eyes. "Oh Nikolas. It's okay. It's going to be all right."