Dream a Little Dream

Chapter 34

“Ready to hit the mall?” Robin Scorpio asked.

Sam McCall looked up from where she was sitting in Kelly's and smiled.

“Ready,” she said, downing the last of her coffee with a gulp. They left Kelly's and walked to Robin's car, parked a block down. Robin had just gotten off work, and Sam had worked an early shift. They were going shopping for Karen Wexler's birthday that weekend.

“I have no idea what to get her,” Sam said as Robin pulled out of the parking space and headed towards the mall.

“I know, I'm drawing a blank, too” Robin said. “Karen's a tough one to shop for. She works, and then she goes home to her apartment. Other than going out with us and spending time with her family, she really doesn't do much. It's just her and Bucky at home.”

“Bucky?” Sam asked. “Is that a cat?”

“Her iguana,” Robin said.

“Her iguana?!”

“Yep,” Robin said, grinning.

“Wow,” Sam said. “Karen seems pretty straight-laced, I wouldn't picture her having such an ... exotic pet.”

Robin laughed.

“Yeah, we were surprised, too,” she said. “Karen wanted a pet, but she's allergic to dander. She saw an ad on the bulletin board in the hospital cafeteria one day. Some orderly's iguana had babies, and he couldn't keep them. So she went over to check them out, and brought Bucky home. He's a perfect pet for her, she says. He doesn't need to be walked twice a day, there's no hair all over everything. She just feeds him a bowl of greens every morning, and cleans his cage at night. You should see his cage – six feet wide, three feet deep and five feet tall. He just hangs out in there all day under the ultraviolet lights. When Karen comes home, she brings him out of the cage and he'll just hang out – walk around the apartment, sit on his window perch, lounge on her lap on the couch.”

Sam laughed.

“Danny would be fascinated by him,” she said. “He loves reading about animals.”

“How's he doing?” Robin asked.

“Really good,” Sam said. “Things are smooth at the group home. I'm off the next two days, so we'll spend tomorrow together. I'm going out house-hunting with the Realtor day after tomorrow.”

“You must be so excited,” Robin said.

“I am, and a little scared,” Sam said. “It's a big responsibility. But the idea of having a home, a place for me and Danny, is so amazing.”

“Will he come live with you?”

“No,” Sam said. “He needs the supervision and structure of the group home. Also, it allows him to feel more independent. But he can come spend days off with me when I get a house, and holidays. We really can't do that with me living over Kelly's. It's usually too noisy for him – he gets agitated in crowds and noise.”

Robin turned the car into the mall parking lot.

“I say we hit Wyndham's first,” Robin said. “If nothing else, we may get ideas there.”

“Sounds good!”

* * *

Elizabeth Webber scanned her mail as she stood in the entry of her apartment building.

Cable bill, car insurance bill, a Victoria's Secret catalog, a credit card offer. She unlocked the interior door and headed to her apartment. A long, slim white box was propped up against the door. Elizabeth smiled radiantly as she went inside.

The mail was dumped on the couch. Elizabeth opened the box – inside were a dozen fragrant pink roses.

“Oh!” she gasped, lifting one to her nose and sniffing. She rummaged under the sink and found a vase, then snipped off the ends of the stems, stripped some of the leaves, and put them in. She opened the card.

“Thanks for making me so happy,” the card read, with Ric's signature. Elizabeth's eyes grew moist.

“You've done the same for me,” she whispered, laying the card next to the vase.

She got together a quick dinner – bowtie pasta with peas and crumbled sweet Italian sausage, topped with fresh shavings of Parmagiano Reggiano. She sat on the couch to watch the news while eating. There was a big storm named Katrina heading for Florida.

The dinner dishes were washed, and nothing was on TV. After calling Ric's voicemail – he was working late – and leaving a message thanking him for the flowers, Elizabeth grabbed the Victoria's Secret catalog and headed into the bedroom, snuggling down under the covers. I need to update my nighties now that someone's going to see them, she thought. The PCHS t-shirt she was wearing, with the holes under the arms, was not exactly conducive to romance.

She turned the pages, marveling at how the bras – and what was in them – seemed to defy the laws of physics. Then came the nighties. She saw a pretty pink slip with a matching sheer robe trimmed in some sort of fluffy feathery stuff. Cute, she thought. Then came a sapphire blue floor-length gown, cut on the bias with a plunging neckline trimmed in sapphire lace and beading. Whoa, she thought, that's a show-stopper. She turned the page.

There was a bright red satin and lace bustier with a matching garter belt and thong. “Knock his socks off this Valentine's Day,” read the copy.

Valentine's Day ... Valentine's Day ... Elizabeth's breath came quickly and her face went white. No, she thought, don't go there. Don't go back to that night...

* * *

The warm evening drew Anna Devane and Stefan Cassadine out into the streets along the Waterfront District.

“We're not going to have many more nights like these,” Stefan said.

“No,” Anna said with a sigh. “I always throw something at the TV the first time the weatherman says 'lake effect' each fall.”

Stefan laughed.

“I know,” he said. “It was a major adjustment after all those years on the island in Greece.”

“Fall is lovely, though,” Anna said. “I love when the air gets that little bite in it, and the foliage drives. And the apple cider at the orchards.”

“How about a leaf-peeping trip?” Stefan said. “We can go up to the Adirondacks.”

“Marvelous!” Anna exclaimed, squeezing Stefan's arm. “I know just the place! The Sagamore over on Lake George. The view is lovely, the food is scrumptious, and the ride out is gorgeous.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Stefan said. “I'll make the arrangements. We can take a long weekend.”

Anna glowed. She loved having something like this to look forward to. They turned the corner and headed to Vagabond for supper.

* * *

Sam and Robin stood in the misses' department at Wyndham's, looking perplexed.

“Well, we've been through housewares,” Robin said with a sigh. “Maybe we'll have better luck here.”

Ten minutes later, Sam spoke up.

“You were saying something about better luck?” she asked dryly.

“Jeez,” Robin said. “You'd think no one under 60 or over 18 shopped here. It's either a frumpfest or designer hootchiewear. The downtown store is better.”

“I'd have a hard time picturing Karen in this,” Sam said, holding up a pair of chartreuse knit pants with an elastic waist and perma-pleats. Robin made a gagging noise.

“Or this,” Robin said, pointing to a midriff-baring t-shirt that said, “Easy, but not cheap.”

“Great message for the girls, there,” Sam said. “And that one next to it – 'Carpet matches drapes' – my mom would never have let me out of the house in that, not that I would've wanted to wear it.”

“Pretty crass,” Robin agreed.

“Let's look in accessories,” Sam suggested. They headed over.

“Not bad,” Robin said, holding up a bronze metallic satchel-style bag with big buckles. She opened it up and checked inside.

“It's nice,” Sam said. “And it has the little cell phone pouch.”

“Hey, girls,” Brian Beck said. He and Lucky Spencer were standing about ten feet away.

“Let me guess what you're doing here,” Robin said, laughing.

“Yep,” Lucky said. “Any luck?”

“I'm going to get this,” Robin said, holding up the bag. “Let's see if there are any nice scarves.”

“Hmmm,” Lucky said, standing next to Sam as they looked over scarves and hoping she wouldn't notice his pounding heart. “What about this?”

He lifted up a long, narrow silk scarf striped in rose, purple, blue, yellow and pale green. The ends were fringed.

“That's cute,” Sam said, hoping Lucky wouldn't notice her slight breathlessness. “Get it.”

“I'm set,” Lucky said.

“There's nothing else here,” Robin said. “Let's get these and hit the other stores so Brian and Sam can find stuff.”

* * *

Karen Wexler smiled at Bucky, sitting in his cage waiting for his dinner. She chopped up some fresh dandelion greens, then added some frozen mixed vegetables and sprinkled calcium powder on top.

Bucky clambered down from his perch under the UV lights when Karen put the dish in the cage. As he ate, she made herself a salad and sat on the couch. She turned on the TV, and checked her DVR. There was a travel show on South Beach. Karen had gone to Miami for a medical convention a few years ago, and had gone out to dinner once in South Beach. She'd been promising herself ever since that she'd go there for a real vacation, but somehow things never panned out. Work was busy, she didn't have time to plan, family events were going on.

She watched as the gorgeous hotels, with their Art Deco style, were toured. She gazed at the warm water and sandy beaches. She marveled at the close-ups of the delicious food. As the show ended, she thought, that's it. Enough dreaming. Time to plan. She went into the second bedroom – where she kept a bed for when her sister Serena stayed over, and a computer desk. Getting online, she looked into airfares and hotel rates. January would be perfect, she thought. I'll put in for the time off tomorrow. She booked the flight, rental car and hotel room – a suite overlooking the ocean. Just as she printed everything out, Bucky ambled into the doorway, jealous over her lack of attention. He let his displeasure be known with a splat.

At least he did it on the wood floors instead of the rug, Karen thought, as she went to the linen closet for the disinfecting cleaning wipes. Bucky then got lots of attention as Karen gave him a bath. Afterwards, she wrapped him up in a towel and they cuddled together on the couch.

Karen thought about the coming trip. Guess I better get used to going solo, she thought. After she and Jagger had divorced and she returned to Port Charles, Karen had dated Joe Scanlon, a fellow intern at the time, for a while. They had been old childhood friends, but the romance was lacking. Joe's brother, Frank, had pursued her for a while but she wasn't interested. She had dated little since.

I wonder where all the nice guys are, she thought. Someone honest, decent, unthreatened by my work and its demands. Can I get that, and tall, dark and handsome, too?

She put Bucky back in his cage. It was time for him to go to sleep. She turned off the lights and went to bed herself.

* * *

Anna and Stefan placed their orders at Vagabond – she got the crab cakes in red pepper sauce, he got a filet mignon with roasted asparagus and herbed fingerling potatoes.

“It still amazes me,” Anna said, taking a sip of her pinot grigio. “When I ... left, this was part of the seediest area in town. No one wanted to be caught here after dark. And now, it's one of the nicest neighborhoods.”

“It was about time people realized what a treasure they had down here in the waterfront,” Stefan said. “Hopefully, other areas of town can be reclaimed in time.”

“I remember feeling like a stranger in a strange land when I came back here,” Anna said. “So much had changed. I'd missed so much. This news about Faison brings it all back.”

Stefan looked at her. Anna's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her face was pale.

“The news from Spencer had to be hard,” he said.

“It was,” Anna said in a brittle voice. “I still have holes in my memory from that time. But I remember the terror – not just for me, but for Robert, Robin and everyone back here. And feeling so alone out there after the boat had blown up. I don't remember much after that for a long time, except Bart taking care of me. My memories jump around and are hazy until Alex had me brought to Pine Valley and I started getting my memory back.”

“I think about what I was doing, and going through, all those years, and it makes me realize what you lost,” Stefan said, taking Anna's hand in his.

“What Faison took from me, from Robin, and from Robert,” Anna said. “All that time, he was out there doing God knows what, then he teamed up with Helena and took Lucky. He has to be stopped. I wish I could be there to do it...”

“But you can't leave Robin,” Stefan finished for her. She squeezed his hand.

“No, I can't,” Anna said. “I have to protect her. But this has also stirred up a lot of hard memories for her, too. We talked about it the other night. I owe Mac, and friends like Felicia, so much. Robin and I are so lucky now. We have each other. But we thought Faison was in our past.”

“And now Faison is using my mother's money to do ... something evil,” Stefan said with a grimace. “I hate to even imagine what those two cooked up.”

“Hopefully, Frisco will find him soon and he and Luke can put an end to him and his work once and for all,” Anna said. “We've wasted enough of this beautiful night talking about him. Let's enjoy the night, and the company.”

She looked at Stefan with a gentle smile. Just then, the waiter arrived with their dinners.

“Despite our hard times, we're very fortunate,” Stefan observed, swirling the cabernet in his glass. “We have things like family and friends to appreciate. Look at this night – we can sit here on the water and soak it all in. And we can share it with open hearts. Those are things people like my mother or Faison could never truly enjoy.”

“We have each other, too,” Anna said softly.

“That's something for which I am especially grateful,” Stefan said, smiling tenderly at Anna. “I never expected to be so happy with someone again.”

“Me, neither,” Anna said. “I was just so grateful for my life – being with Robin, working, having a place in the world – that I didn't think about a relationship. But then ... that day. I saw you – really saw you – for the first time. And I realized I wanted that part of life again. It's been so amazing, Stefan. I didn't think it would happen for me again ... but I've fallen in love.”

Stefan went slack-jawed – well, as slack-jawed as a Cassadine can. Anna withdrew her hand from Stefan's. “I'm so sorry,” she stammered. “It was too soon...” Stefan snatched her hand back.

“No, it wasn't,” he said, looking into her eyes. She stared.

“You feel – you feel the same?”

“Yes,” Stefan said. “I knew we should take it slow, so I didn't want to push you.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “It shows how right I am about you.”

The waiter came and cleared their tables. He offered a dessert menu, but Stefan waved it off. Anna raised an eyebrow after the waiter left.

“Dessert's back at my place,” Stefan said. Anna grinned.

“Good,” she said. “I've got a sweet tooth tonight.”

* * *

Sam, Lucky, Robin and Brian sat around a table at the mall food court. They'd finished their shopping. Sam had found a set of brightly colored cutting boards for Karen's kitchen. Brian bought a fringed chenille throw in a soft champagne for her living room.

The four talked and laughed over dinner. Sam and Brian got pizza. Robin got stir-fry and Lucky got a meatball grinder.

“Where are you looking with the Realtor, Sam?” Robin asked.

“Out towards the station, between it and Beecher's Corners,” Sam said.

“Nice neighborhood,” Lucky said. “Nice neighbors, too.”

Sam laughed. “That's true,” she said. Good, she thought, keep it light. He'll never guess.

Lucky felt his heart do a thrilling flip-flop at the thought of Sam living so nearby. I think I covered it well, he thought.

“What sort of house are you looking for?” Brian asked.

“I don't need a big one,” Sam said. “Danny's going to stay on his own at the group home. As I told Robin, it's the best place for him. I figure three bedrooms would be nice – we'd each have our own room, and I'd have one for working out, or an office. A bath and a half, I think, would work. I want it on a quiet street, with a little yard between me and the neighbors. I don't want to have to do a lot of work right away, because so much of my savings has to go to the down payment.”

“Have you worked out your budget?” Robin asked. Sam nodded.

“I'm pre-approved for a mortgage, and I know what I want to spend,” Sam said. “It's just a matter of finding it.”

“Be glad to help in any way,” Brian said. “Let me know if you need help moving and stuff.”

“Ditto,” Lucky said.

“Thanks, guys!” Sam said. “I don't have much, but it's good to know you'll be around if I need you.”

Brian looked at his watch. “Better get going,” he said. “I have an early shift tomorrow.”

“We might as well get home, too,” Robin said. “See you Saturday?”

“We have to be there by 5:30, right?” Lucky asked. Robin nodded.

“Yes,” she said. “And park your cars over at the middle school so she won't see them.”

“Got it,” Brian said. “Ready, Lucky?”

“Yep,” Lucky said. “Thanks for the shopping help, girls. See you Friday, Sam.”

* * *

Elizabeth tried to focus on breathing, but it wasn't working. She huddled under the covers, trembling, as the memories of that night washed over her like waves of boiling water.

The park, pretty with the snowfall. The moment of confusion when she was grabbed. The next instant, where she knew something awful was about to happen. Crawling away, battered and feeling like there wasn't enough water in the world to wash the stain away. Then, Lucky's face...

She hugged the pillow, curling into the fetal position. Her breath came in gasping gulps. Finally, the terror passed and she lay there on the bed, limp and sweating.

Damn! Elizabeth thought. It was years ago! I can't let it do this to me anymore!

She sobbed into the pillow for a long time. When she finished, she thought about Ric. She wondered how to tell him. Then she remembered Lucky's face again.

I can't have Ric looking at me like that, she thought. I'd lose part of what makes being with him so wonderful. I don't have to be Brave-and-Strong Rape Survivor with him. He doesn't see the stain. And he never will.

That decided, Liz turned off the light and went to sleep.