Dream a Little Dream

Chapter 23

Breakfast at the Quartermaine house on Tuesday morning was relaxed. Jason had left early for his rescue squad classes. He'd gotten a stern talking-to from Alan and Monica over the incident with Michael, and he'd apologized to AJ, Carly and Michael.

It was Carly, Michael, Morgan, Ned, Dillon, Skye, Alan, Monica, AJ and Tracy at the table that morning. Skye was going to New York City later in the morning, to go shopping for a wedding dress with her mother, Rae Cummings. Her grandmother, Myrtle Fargate, was coming into New York from her home in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, to go with them.

“Sounds like you'll have a good time,” Monica said to Skye with a smile. She was happy for Skye's happiness, and happier still that the mother-daughter time with Rae was far away from Port Charles. Monica would get enough of Rae in the days before the wedding.

“I can't wait,” Skye said. “I think it'll really hit me – that I'm actually marrying Lorenzo – when I see myself in a gown. It still doesn't seem real.”

Carly smiled to smother a sigh. Her wedding to AJ had been a quiet affair, after he'd gotten out of jail. They wanted to avoid the press, so they had it in the parlor with just family and a few close friends in attendance. It was the right thing to do, but Carly loved big, splashy weddings and always harbored a bit of regret that she didn't have one. She was hoping Skye would ask her to help somehow with her wedding to Lorenzo.

“Are you doing anything else in New York?” Carly asked Skye.

“We'll do some mother-daughter-grandmother things,” Skye said. “I'll help Mom and Grandma select their dresses. We've got tickets to 'Spamalot.' And there'll be lots and lots of wedding talk.”

Alice entered the dining room. “Telephone call for you, Mrs. Quartermaine,” she said to Carly. “It's Mrs. Collins.”

“Uh-oh,” AJ said. “She's already starting to panic. She needs the paper bags more than Alexis. I wonder what the big crisis is.”

“Maybe she saw Grandpa Durant dancing,” Michael said mischievously.

Carly tried to look shocked as everyone else exploded in laughter. She gave up, shaking her head with a smile, as she went into the hall to talk with Lucy.

She came back in not smiling.

“Is everything all right?” Monica asked.

“No,” Carly said with a sigh. “One of the nurses broke her foot. She's out. We need to find a replacement, stat. It's the same number as the one Emily and Zander were supposed to be in. We can't lose anyone else, or the number will be ruined. But where are we going to find someone who can do the foxtrot on such short notice?”

Alan, Ned and Dillon looked at each other and grinned. Still grinning, they looked at Tracy. She caught on.

“Me?!” she exclaimed, nearly choking on her croissant. “Forget it!”

“You can foxtrot, Tracy?” Carly asked hopefully.

“Can she ever!” Alan said. “She was the star pupil in the ballroom classes Mother and Father made us take when we were children.”

“Star pupil!” Tracy snorted. “That teacher hated me! She always made me dance with the clowns with two left feet.”

“It's because you were the best,” Alan said smoothly. “You knew what you were doing, and it helped them catch on. I remember the teacher once saying to Mother that you were the main reason many of those boys learned to dance at all. She knew she could count on you.”

“And you taught both me and Dillon,” Ned said. “By the time we were old enough for classes, we were miles ahead of the other kids.”

Carly put on her best pleading face.

“Please, Tracy,” she said. “We're in a real jam here. We lose this, the whole number falls flat.”

The praise, flattery, pleading and evoking of Edward and Lila worked. Tracy looked around at everyone's expectant faces, and capitulated.

“Oh, all right,” she said, sounding remarkably like Edward. “I've gotten out of performing so far, I guess I can't duck it any more.”

“Good for you, Tracy!” Monica said. “It'll be good to have a strong Quartermaine presence – you, Alan and I, Brooke Lynn, AJ and Ned are all performing. Who knows? Emily could still be back in time. And Dillon and Carly will be behind the scenes.”

Dillon looked at Michael and winked. No one outside of Carly knew Michael was in a number. Michael pretended to be absorbed in eating his fruit cup so as not to draw attention.

“Okay, what do I need to do?” Tracy said.

“Hold on, I'll get my notes,” Carly said, going into the hall. She came back with a folder, and leafed through it.

“Here it is,” she said. “Your group is rehearsing tonight, seven o'clock, at the Paget studio over on Ontario Street.”

Tracy nodded.

“I'll be there,” she said. “What about my costume?”

“I'll call Lucy after breakfast and let her know you're doing this,” Carly said. “I'll have her pick up the nurse's costume so a fitting can be done either tonight or in the next few days. She's about your size, so there shouldn't be too much altering needed. Thanks again, Tracy. You've really saved the day.”

“And she'll milk it for all it's worth,” Ned mumbled into his coffee cup.

* * *

John Durant, Mac Scorpio, Marcus Taggert, Ric Lansing and Port Charles FBI field office director Peter Dobbs sat in a conference room of the Port Charles Police Department headquarters.

Marcus had been keeping track of gang-related activity in the city. It was still concentrated between downtown and the Asian Quarter. He gave an updated presentation to John and Dobbs.

“How's your department doing with this?” John asked. “Are you able to handle things in this neighborhood without taking too much from other areas around town?”

“So far, yes,” Mac said. “But if things escalate, we could have a real problem on our hands. The press hasn't picked up on it yet, so we haven't had to face public heat. That won't last. They're going to catch on sooner or later. After Corinthos and the Five Families, there could be a lot of hysteria both from the press and the public. That's why we need to figure out where this is coming from, and fast.”

Dobbs took a sip of his coffee.

“We're working on their New York connections,” he said. “So far, we have nothing concrete to tie them together. This is a pretty smart, cagey group. Corinthos was a gummi bear compared to them.”

“What do you think we need to nail them?” Ric asked.

“We need to catch them together,” Dobbs said. “Best bet would be when a shipment is made here. The mobs that are running these gangs aren't going to trust their run-of-the-mill gang couriers with this project. They'll be sending some big-gun emissaries to keep an eye on things.”

“Sounds like what we need is some surveillance work,” Mac said. Taggert's eyes gleamed. This could be a chance for him to get back out on the street.

“We could also do some undercover,” Dobbs said. John furrowed his brow.

“Anyone but Marshall,” he said sternly. Dobbs bristled.

“She's done some good work,” he said. John shook his head.

“The officers – both your's and the cops – out in the field don't trust her after the Corinthos case,” John said. “There's got to be total trust and cooperation in this, and she'd ruin that. Under supervision, doing things like research and questioning, she's fine. But out in the field, undercover, she goes too far. She loses her sense of the limits. Her attempt to seduce Corinthos nearly cost us the case, and she put a lot of people in jeopardy with that maneuver. I'd prefer it if Marshall stayed off this case altogether, but seeing as we're shorthanded with losing some staff to the Homeland Security beat, I guess she'll have to be involved somehow. But it's strictly in the field office, or backing up on the bust when it goes down. She pulls any stunts, I'll have her tracking salmon poachers in Alaska so fast, she won't know what hit her. She's already given you a black eye once, Peter. Don't let her do it again. I can't protect you if she does.”

* * *

Lucky Spencer looked around with a happy sigh. The sky over him was a brilliant blue, with a rare puffy cloud crossing it. The wind sang softly in the pines. The air was stunningly fresh.

He'd driven to Albany the evening before after his rescue squad shift, staying with his cousin, Sly Eckert. Before dawn, he and Sly were heading up the Northway in Lucky's SUV. Every year, they went on a camping and hiking trip up in the Adirondack Park – six million acres of private and public land that was a paradise for hikers, campers, kayakers, climbers and skiers.

They drove Route 73 into Keene Valley, stopping at the Noon Mark Diner for a late breakfast. From there, it was a short drive to Lake Placid. The first sign of Lake Placid was the looming ski jumps from the 1980 Winter Olympics towering over the trees. It was hard to believe this two-lane road and the quaint village was once the center of the winter sports world. Right along the main street was the oval where Eric Heiden won his five speed skating golds. Nearby was the ice arena where the Miracle on Ice took place.

Lucky and Sly went through the village and into Ray Brook, hooking up with Route 86, and went to the Meadowbrook public campground. They got a cozy camp far away from other campers. He and Sly set to work pitching their tents and organizing the camp.

Sly had been raised by his father Bill's sister, Jenny, and her husband, Paul Hornsby, after Bill had been murdered. Frank Smith's hitmen had mistakenly believed Bill to be Luke. Paul and Jenny had remained in Port Charles. Paul was Dillon's father, but after a bitter divorce and custody battle, Tracy had taken Dillon away from Port Charles and kept him from Paul for much of Dillon's childhood. Those lost years, combined with Paul being wrapped up in the family he'd made with Jenny, led to a frayed bond between Dillon and his father. He saw Paul only rarely.

Jenny's environmental activism had rubbed off on Sly, who had a deep love of nature and conservation. That led to him going to work for the state's Department of Environmental Conservation after finishing college.

It was afternoon by the time camp was set up. Lucky and Sly went on a short hike on the trails near the camp. They'd have three whole days for hiking, then Lucky would take Sly back to Albany and head home to Port Charles. Coleman was running Vagabond in Lucky's absence.

Back at the camp, it was time for supper. During supper, Lucky and Sly discussed their planned hikes. The next day would be up nearby Haystack Mountain. It was a long hike and climb, with great views of the Saranac Lake chain and the High Peaks. The day after that would be a difficult hike up Blueberry Mountain. They would hike Mount Marcy, New York's highest peak, on the third day.

“It's good to get away,” Lucky said, stretching out before the campfire.

“What's been going on?” Sly asked.

“Well, work's been crazy,” Lucky said. “Had a rough time a few weeks ago. Bus crash. A little girl who looked just like BJ had a head injury and didn't make it. Brought back a lot of bad memories. Sam was great – really helped me through afterwards.”

“That must've been hard for Bobbie and Tony,” Sly said. “You, too.”

“Yeah, it was,” Lucky said. “Then there was a party at the Quartermaines'. I told you about Jason waking up from his coma. The party was his homecoming celebration. They had another disaster. Nikolas was caught with his pants down with Emily in the poolhouse ... by her boyfriend, Zander Lewis.”

Sly nearly did a spit take with his beer.

“No way!” he exclaimed. “The Prince?! I never figured he'd go rustling in another guy's corral.”

“I was working, so I didn't see it,” Lucky said. “Mom said the scene in the parlor was pretty ugly. Zander tore Emily a new one, then took off. Stefan and Alexis didn't stick around to back Nikolas up, and I don't blame them. Zander is Alexis' stepson, so she must've been devastated. Nikolas ended up taking a swing at Jason, and got decked. He and Emily left after that. Zander showed up outside Vagabond a few hours later piss drunk. Brian Beck and I had to practically carry him upstairs. He started puking, so I got Karen Wexler to come over and check him out. He's had a real rough time of it. Me, Sam, Gia, Karen, Elizabeth and Robin went over to his place a week later to help him eradicate Emily's presence.”

“Poor guy,” Sly said. “Never figured Emily for a two-timer any more than I figured Nikolas for being so two-faced. Hope Zander gets over her fast.”

“Nikolas and Emily didn't like the cold reception their 'twoo wuv' got, so they high-tailed it out of town to the Cassadine island over in Greece,” Lucky said. “Mom must've been thrilled with that. She hates that place, and hates the thought of Nikolas there, I bet. She thinks the Cassadine evil leaks out of the walls and gets absorbed by people there.”

“Can't believe Jason finally woke up,” Sly said. “Must be great for the Q's, having their son back.”

“It hasn't been easy,” Lucky said. “Jason can't be a doctor now because he sustained some permanent damage from the accident. Must've been a hard blow. But he's taking rescue classes now, and will join a squad when he's done. Sam says she's heard good things about him – aces all his tests, is quick to learn and is helpful in any way he can be.”

“Still, he's gotta be pretty cheesed off at AJ,” Sly said thoughtfully. “All the time he was in his coma, AJ got his life together, married and had kids, and now runs ELQ. Can't make much sense to Jason.”

Lucky nodded.

“I saw Carly last week,” he said. “I could tell by her eyes that something was wrong. She wouldn't say much, but she said Jason has started getting angry at AJ. It's going to be a long road before they make peace. I just hope Carly doesn't jump in and try to manipulate things into working out her way. She's very much a Spencer in playing the angles.”

Lucky drained his beer bottle. He and Sly cleaned up the camp, making sure nothing was left where bears could get at it, then went to bed early.

* * *

Tracy arrived a few minutes early for the Nurses' Ball rehearsal. Lucy was there, and gave her gushing thanks for pitching in.

“You'll be perfect,” Lucy said. “Carly said you're great at this.”

“Glad to do it,” Tracy said, pleased with all the stroking. “Where's my partner?”

“He's not here yet,” Lucy said. “You're the first one. We'll do your costume fitting now, instead of just waiting.”

The costume – a simple spaghetti-strapped dress in golden brown with a swingy skirt – fit almost perfectly. It was a little snug at the bust, but Tracy liked the effect.

“Thank goodness!” Lucy exclaimed. “You look marvelous! Now go get changed and we should be ready for you when you're done.”

Tracy quickly took off the dress and hung it back up. She changed back into her practice clothes – black yoga pants and a short-sleeved blue cotton sweater, with high-heeled dance shoes. She walked back out.

“Ready, Tracy?” Lucy called out. “Your partner's here!”

Tracy looked over to Lucy. Her heart stopped and she somehow managed to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. Coleman!

* * *

Emily Quartermaine stretched blissfully.

She was lounging on a chaise on the private balcony off the suite she shared with Nikolas on the Cassadine island. The afternoon sun felt like it was soaking into her bones. Her skin was a rich bronze, set off with a white bikini.

Their vacation had been pure delight. They slept in in the mornings, eating breakfast in bed or out on the balcony. After breakfast, they went down to the water, either to go out in the speedboat or play on the small beach. Every day, they made love down there, either on the beach, or on the dock, or on the boat. Emily never stopped being amazed at Nikolas' thrilling, passionate lovemaking.

They would go up to the house for a light lunch. Sometimes they made love again after lunch. Afterwards, Nikolas headed to his office to tend to Cassadine International affairs. Emily had the afternoons to herself. Many were spent on the balcony, reading classics she found in the library. With her punishing med school work, she hadn't had time to read for pleasure in ages, and reveled in it. Some days, she took a long nap. She hadn't realized just how school and her double life with Nikolas and Zander all those months had exhausted her.

Evenings were so romantic. They dressed for dinner every night, eating by candlelight in the formal dining room or out on the terrace off the parlor that had a breathtaking view of the water, and often danced before heading upstairs for some more intense lovemaking before dropping off to sleep.

Emily was starting to feel rejuvenated in both body and spirit. She thought nothing of Zander, or her family. Everything was about the here and now, with Nikolas.

Nikolas wasn't so lucky. He felt the pull of the outside world in his work dealings. He'd also heard from his assistant that the tabloids had called looking for comment. Fortunately, he thought, no one knew they were here.

He looked over some paperwork his assistant had e-mailed him. So far, nothing exciting. But in the postscript, there was a message to call one of the board members on an urgent matter. Also, Lucy Coe-Collins had called several times, looking for Emily wondering if she still wanted to participate in the Nurses' Ball. Nikolas checked the clock and calculated the time difference, then picked up the phone and dialed.

The board member, an older gentleman who rarely made waves, was quite agitated. He told Nikolas of the rumor that Cassadine International was withdrawing its pledged support of the Nurses' Ball.

“Is it true?” he demanded. “I won't stand for it, and neither will the rest of the board. It'd be an embarrassment and a public relations nightmare. And we won't have the company punished because of your ... affairs.”

Nikolas was so thrown by the rumor he couldn't pull off his princely, brook-no-arguments demeanor.

“It's not true!” Nikolas cried. “I don't know where that rumor started. I would never do such a thing!”

Mollified, the board member asked if he could relay that to the other board members.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I'll call Mrs. Collins myself to reassure her.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they ended the conversation. Just then, the maid entered.

“Mr. Cassadine, I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but there's something I think you should know,” she began.

“Yes, Marina, what is it?”

“The house boat went to the mainland today to pick up supplies,” she said. “Before it left, Miss Quartermaine asked Andreas to pick up some magazines for her. Andreas did as she asked, and found this at the store. He thought you might need to see it.”

She held out a copy of the gossip rag that Stefan and Alexis had seen. Nikolas looked at the cover in disgust.

“I guess they've started,” he said. “But it's nothing serious. Just throw it in the trash and say nothing to Miss Quartermaine. What is it?” He saw Marina looking uncomfortable.

“Andreas said you should look inside, sir,” she said. “He wouldn't let me look.”

Nikolas opened the magazine. His jaw dropped, and his face turned purple with embarrassment and rage. He flung the magazine away from him.

“Those vultures!” he thundered, then said gently, “I'm sorry, Marina, I didn't mean to frighten you. Thank you for bringing me this, and thank Andreas for alerting me. Tell him he is to say nothing to the other staff. I'll discuss the matter with Miss Quartermaine.”

Marina left, and Nikolas started brooding. He'd thought that his phone call to Lucy was going to be simple, to reassure her of Cassadine International's support of the Nurses' Ball, and to tell her that Emily wouldn't be home for it. But now, he wasn't sure what to do.

It would help his image if they participated in the ball, but it would mean a lot of time in public. They might still face the ridiculous censure from their family and friends. And the gossip rags could be there.

He stood up, retrieved the magazine, then went up to the suite to find Emily.

* * *

Tracy and Coleman stared at each other. Both fought to hide their shock and chagrin over the situation.

Tracy recovered first.

“Coleman,” she said, a faint smile on her face. “This is a surprise.”

Coleman smiled back.

“For me, too,” he said. “Lucy just told me about my ex-partner. So I guess we have some work to do.”

Tracy was relieved – but a little hurt – he was playing it cool. Nobody else guessed at what was going on. No one, that is, except Luke, who was with Laura as part of the number. They had returned from their vacation two days before, and were going to practice with the group tonight before Laura went back to New York the next morning. She'd return a week before the Nurses' Ball for final rehearsals.

This oughta be good, Luke thought, fighting back a smirk.

“Okay,” Lucy said. “We'll take it from the top, everybody. Lucky's out of town, and Sam's working, so we'll go on without them. Ready?”

* * *

Emily was still on the chaise outside, absorbed in a fashion magazine Andreas had brought back from the mainland, when Nikolas walked through the master suite and onto the balcony.

She smiled brilliantly at him. “It's not time to get ready for dinner already, is it?” she asked.

Nikolas sat down on the chaise next to her. “No, not yet,” he said, afraid to look her in the eye. “We need to talk. Something's happened --”

Emily was instantly alarmed.

“What is it?” she cried. “Did someone from home try to reach us? Is everyone all right? Did something happen to Jason?”

Nikolas shook his head.

“No, nothing like that,” he said, and, taking a deep breath, told her about the rumor and then about the magazine. She snatched it from his hand and opened it. She felt cold and sick seeing herself and Nikolas so ... exposed.

“Oh, my God, Nikolas!” she shrieked. “This is awful! What are we going to do?”

“I don't know, Emily,” he said slowly. “That's why I came up here. We have to decide together. I reassured the board that we're going to keep our commitment to the Nurses' Ball. As for the rest, we have a few choices. We can stay here and hope to God things blow over. But we do have to go back eventually – I have to be there for work and you'll have school in another month. We can go back, but if we do, we still have to decide what to do about the Nurses' Ball. Dancing with Zander is out – even if Lucy allowed it, it would make for horrible talk. We could attend the ball together and not perform. Or, I could take Zander's place in the number.”

Emily thought hard. She'd come down from her happy idyll with a thud, and had to make a decision.

“I say we perform, if Lucy will go for it,” she said after a few minutes. “It'd be like our coming out party as a couple. Also, if we treat coming back like no big deal, maybe everyone else – including the tabloids – will follow our lead.”

Nikolas looked around him. The island was so beautiful, so peaceful, so removed from the world. He hated to leave.

“I suppose you're right,” he said. “I'll go call Lucy right now and talk things over with her. We'll get ready for dinner after that. Looks like it'll be one of our last evenings here. I'll make the travel arrangements after I call Lucy. We can leave day after tomorrow. We'll stop in Paris for a day or two and do some shopping, then head home.”

He leaned back on the chaise. Emily stood up and went over to his chaise, straddled him, leaned down and hugged him.

“Everything will be all right, my prince,” she whispered in his ear. She raised her head, and he pulled her down for a deep kiss. He reached around and undid her bikini top, lowering his mouth to kiss her everywhere he could reach. Emily broke away, stood up and removed her bikini bottom. Nikolas gazed at her glowing flesh as she reached down to undress him. The phone call to Lucy was forgotten for a while.

* * *

After wrapping up work for the day, John Durant headed down to Luke's. A cold Saranac would be good, and maybe Hutch would have something for him.

Hutch did.

“The shipments are going to begin soon,” Hutch said. “Small at first – the New York outfit wants to see how the crew here handles things. They're also testing the cops – if they can pull this off, things will escalate fast.”

John nodded grimly.

“I guess the time is coming,” he said. “If we can figure out where they're bringing in the shipment, that would help a lot. I'll have Mac get on that.”

“Better the locals than the Feds,” Hutch said. “Feds tend to be too heavy-handed in their presence. Surveillance could do the trick.”

The door to Luke's opened and in breezed Heather Webber. She smiled at John and Hutch, and sat down where they were.

“Hello, boys!” she said. “John, you look exhausted. I know how hard catching the bad guys is – from the other end of things.”

Hutch grinned. Heather's up-front flippancy about her past always amused him – it reminded him of Luke.

“What can I get for you?” he asked Heather.

“I'll have a martini,” she said. Hutch served it up.

“Actually, John, I'm glad I ran into you tonight,” Heather said. “I'm hearing some troubling things from some of my suppliers. Most of them are off downtown, over by the Asian Quarter. There's been a big problem with break-ins and deliverymen being held up – they're having to hire security, and have had to deal with losses, and those costs are being passed on to their customers. If things don't change and soon, I'm going to have to start raising my prices, and that could hurt my business. I'm wondering if I should talk to Mac about it.”

“You don't have to, Heather,” John said. “He knows. We're working together now to try and nip things. Hopefully, we can do so soon. So hang in there.”

Heather looked keenly at John.

“Gangs,” she said in a low voice. “That's why the Feds are involved. And where there's gangs, the mob is right behind them. Be careful, John.”

“I will.”

The door opened again and Rachel Adair walked in. She looked around the bar and then to the tables. She was meeting Robin Scorpio for a drink.

“Can I help you, Miss?” Hutch asked. Rachel looked his way, liking what she saw.

“I'm supposed to be meeting a friend here,” Rachel said. “Woman about my age, petite with long brown hair. Name's Robin Scorpio. Guess I beat her here.”

“You're a friend of Robin's?” Heather asked. “You must be a new one.”

Rachel smiled. “I am,” she said. “I came to General Hospital recently and work in the Stone Cates Wing with her. My name's Rachel Adair.”

Heather's face turned white, then red. Steven had told her about Rachel after the breakup, then had mentioned recently about her coming to GH. She looked at Rachel with steely eyes.

“I'm Heather Webber,” she said shortly. It took a moment, but then it was Rachel's turn to go pale.

“You're Steven's mother?” she asked.

“Yes,” Heather said coldly. “Come with me, Missy, we have some things to discuss.” She took Rachel's arm and steered her away from the bar. John sensed trouble.

“Heather,” he said in a warning voice. She turned her head and grinned.

“Relax, John,” she said. “Nothing you'll need to prosecute later.” She led Rachel to a far table. Rachel knew Heather's history of ... instability. She hoped those nice men at the bar wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Rachel sat down, and Heather sat across from her.

“So you're the girl who broke my son's heart, then came back to rub it in?” Heather demanded.

Rachel turned red with anger at Steven, any fear of Heather forgotten.

“Is that what he told you?” Rachel said. “What a crock! I didn't even know he was here. And GH came recruiting me, not the other way around.”

Heather looked sharply at Rachel, who looked back at her without flinching. Heather decided to back off, and do some fishing.

“So why'd you come then, if it wasn't for Steven?” Heather asked.

“I'm an immunologist,” Rachel replied. “The Stone Cates Wing is becoming one of the finest AIDS facilities in the country – both in terms of care and research. This is the sort of work I went to med school for in the first place. I didn't know Steven – or any of his family – were working there. I figured his grandmother had retired by now, and didn't know about Elizabeth becoming a nurse, or Steven coming home from Bosnia.”

“What happened with the two of you?” Heather asked. “I heard what Steven had to say. But I know there's two sides to every story, and what it's like to have no one care about mine.”

Rachel gave her a quick synopsis of her side of things. Heather nodded at the end.

“I can see it,” she said. “Steven can be single-minded, like me. And he got that traditional male thing from his father and grandfather. But that still leaves things in a pretty awkward place. What are you going to do about my son?”

Rachel shrugged uncomfortably.

“I don't know, Ms. Webber,” she said. “I just don't want it to spill over into work.”

“Do you still love him?” Heather persisted.

“I – I don't know,” Rachel stammered. “I was so angry after we broke up, I threw myself into work. I didn't let myself think about him. And now, I don't know what to think. I don't hate him, but I don't know if I love him or even like him anymore.”

Just then, Robin walked in. Her eyes widened when she saw Heather and Rachel sitting together. She glanced over at Hutch with a raised eyebrow. Hutch shrugged. She walked over to the two women.

“Hey, Rachel, sorry I'm late,” she said. “Meeting.”

Heather stood up. “I'll let you two get your evening going,” she said. “I'm glad we got to talk Rachel. Good luck with Steven, whatever happens. And stop by my place sometime.”

“I will, Ms. Webber,” Rachel replied.

“Call me Heather,” she said. “Take care, Robin.”

Heather walked back to the bar. Robin took the now-empty seat.

“Whoa!” she said in a low voice. “I'll never figure Heather out. I thought for sure she'd tear you to pieces over Steven. But I'm glad she didn't.”

“I know,” Rachel said. “Steven told me about her, so I almost wet myself when she let me know she knew who I was. But she's okay ... I think. We'll see.”

* * *

Gia Campbell put the supper dishes in the dishwasher. Linc had gone upstairs to get ready for the rest of the night. She smiled as she heard the water running into the large jacuzzi tub upstairs.

After straightening the kitchen, she went upstairs. The bedroom was dark, except for small tealight candles glowing near the bed and on the dresser. The bathroom was aglow in candlelight. An ice bucket holding a bottle of Veuve-Clicquot champagne was chilling on the counter. The tub was filled and the jets on. Rose petals bobbed on the surface.

Linc was wearing the garnet red silk bathrobe Gia had given him. He held out his hand.

“Come on in,” he said with a grin. “The water's fine.”

She stood in the doorway and slowly undressed. Linc's gaze never left her. When she finished, she took his hand and stepped into the tub.

“Ohhhhh, yes,” she whispered. She soaked for a few minutes, then reached for the washcloth. Linc pulled it away.

“Uh-uh,” he said. “That's my job tonight.”

Gia leaned back and closed her eyes as Linc did his job thoroughly. His lips found hers' as his hand and the washcloth slipped under the water. Soon, Gia was panting. Linc eased up a bit for a few moments, then began again. When Gia started moaning, he reached around her and lifted her out of the tub. He set her gently on her feet, and dried her off with a fluffy Turkish towel. Gia's eyes glowed with love and longing. She undid the robe and let her hands roam under it as they kissed. Linc picked her up again and carried her into the bedroom.

Laying Gia gently on the bed, he gazed down at her glowing skin as he disrobed. He lay beside her, his fingers tracing random patterns on her flesh as he slowly teased his way down from her neck. Gia trembled with need. Linc felt it, and decided it was time to satisfy that need. He was rewarded when Gia was moved to tears by their lovemaking.

Linc held her close afterwards. There was nothing to say – their bodies had said it all. But Gia broke the silence.

“Is this worth everything you've had to go through?” she asked softly.

“I'd go through Hell and back for you,” Linc said, punctuating his declaration with several kisses. “Don't worry about work. Marcus and I will work things out in time, one way or the other. But, as I told Mac, you and me being together is non-negotiable. I love you, and nothing will ever change that.”

* * *

The sun was still on the other side of the horizon when Lucky woke up the next morning. He stirred up the campfire, got it going again, and put the coffee on. The rich fragrance woke up Sly, who got dressed and shuffled out to the fire. Lucky wordlessly handed him a cup of coffee, knowing Sly was useless before the first caffeine jolt.

They ate a quick breakfast of fried egg sandwiches made with toast and cheese. A quick clean-up of the camp, and they were off with the sunrise. Both wore baseball caps, long-sleeved cuffed t-shirts and long pants tucked into their hiking socks and boots, to protect them from ticks. Lucky's shirt was from the 2004 Port Charles Race for the Cure. They traveled lightly – trail mix, water, compasses, flashlights, a small first aid kit, and maps were all that were in their backpacks. Lucky had a small digital camera hanging from a lanyard on his neck. From time to time, he'd pick it up and shoot a picture – an interesting lichen, a clump of wildflowers, a fawn peeping out from behind a tree.

“Sam will love that one,” Lucky said to Sly of the fawn picture.

The hike was a long one, so they ate a quick supper of canned beef stew, followed by s'mores, then were off to bed instead of lounging at the campfire. Blueberry Mountain, the next day's hike, was a difficult one.

“I can't believe Sam did that solo,” Lucky panted as he flopped in front of the campfire that night.

Mount Marcy was another long hike, but the views from the top were worth it. The day was warm, but the bracing breeze at the summit cooled them. Lucky snapped picture after picture of the view.

That night was their last one out before heading home. Bone-tired, but happy, Lucky and Sly sat at the campfire late into the night.

“Next year, we could do a week, maybe,” Sly said. “Knock off a few more High Peaks.”

“It'd be kind of cool to be a 46er,” Lucky said, referring to what people who climbed the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondacks were called. “Sam has laid out a plan to have it done within ten years – she's gotten a few climbed already. I remember Elizabeth thought it was a pretty good thing for me to do.”

Sly went for the opening Lucky's mention of Elizabeth gave.

“What's going on with her?” he asked. Lucky smiled, and looked away. He knew what Sly was getting at.

“She's moved on,” he said. “She's been dating Ric Lansing, the DA, for a few weeks. It's okay. I think it's what both of us needed, for one of us to move on.”

Sly looked into the fire for a few minutes. Finally, he broke the silence.

“So are you ready to move on, now, Cuz?” Sly asked. Lucky took a sip of his beer, looking up at the brilliant stars.

“I don't know, Sly,” he said. “I'm happy for Elizabeth, I really am. She deserves someone like Lansing, who can give her everything with his whole heart. I couldn't do that – whether it was Helena, or just time, or growing up, or whatever. So it's good for her that she's gotten over us. But me ... I'm not sure where I go from here.”

“Maybe where you go is closer than you realize,” Sly said.

“What do you mean?” Lucky asked.

“I mean, I think you were over Elizabeth a while ago,” Sly said. “You've only mentioned her twice in passing the whole trip. But you mentioned someone else a lot more – Sam.”

Lucky stared.

“I did not!” he said.

“Yeah, ya did,” Sly said with a grin. “On the trail, taking pictures, you mentioned and thought about her pretty naturally. You two have a lot in common – work, obviously. Also, unorthodox growings-up, a love of the outdoors, a desire to help people and make a difference. Maybe it's something to think about.”

Lucky tried to protest, but didn't know what to say. Sam being a co-worker, and her early standoffishness, had led him to not think of her as a woman so much.

“On that clearly disconcerting note, I'll hit the hay,” Sly said. “Back to the real world tomorrow.”

Sly went to sleep quickly. But his comments had killed any chances of Lucky heading to the Land of Nod with ease. He sat by the fire for a while, trying to put what Sly said out of his mind.

Lucky conjured up images of Sam at her grubbiest, to keep that neutral feeling. But, even remembering her scrubbing the ambulance, he instead remembered the way the damp clothes clung to her curves. The way her lush lips curved into a smile. The tousled hair spilling over her shoulders, smelling faintly of the apple-scented shampoo she used. The easy grace of movement when they rehearsed their Nurses' Ball routine.

He finished his beer and looked upward again.

“What do I do now?” he whispered to the stars.