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Shelly took her first steps into the lighthouse and dumped her duffel bag onto the floor. She paused as she watched Kevin walk across the room with Eve protectively in the curve of his arm. She wanted to gag already.
"How do you like it?" Kevin asked hopefully as he looked back at her.
"Well," She said unimpressed, "It doesn't suck."
"Well, I suppose that can only mean you like it," He said with a smile.
"I wouldn't go that far," Shelly spoke as she walked over to a painting hanging on the wall and shook her head as she wondered what her sister had gotten into, "Are you people insane?"
"Shelly, come on. Can't you just can this for tonight? It's been a really long day and I just want to get some rest," Eve said in frustrated tone, "Please," She was practically begging.
Shelly turned back to her sister and crossed her arms, "Fine, but this isn't over. In fact, this hasn't even truly started yet. I don't know what's going on here, but I'm damn sure going to find out what is happening to you, Eve. And I swear that if I find out this guy is responsible, I'm going to bury him."
Eve rolled her eyes, "Come on. I'll show you to your room," She said as she practically manhandled her sister up the stairs.
Shelly smiled as they walked into the room and she tossed her bag onto the bed, "He's lame, Eve. I know there has to be better in this town."
"Shelly, I love him, and he loves me. That's all I've ever wanted or needed in my life. Can't you just open your eyes and see that I'm truly happy here?"
"If you really believed that yourself, Eve, you would have wanted to share this with me. You would have been on the phone telling me how happy you were to be marrying this guy. You didn't do that. And you know it's because you're just settling for him. You can do better and you, of all people, deserve better."
"You're not listening to me. He is a wonderful man."
"Maybe, Eve, but he's not the man you spent your entire life dreaming of. You shouldn't have stopped until you got him. And you shouldn't just give up and settle for this guy when you know that you have had better men in your past and you could have a better man in your future."
"You'll see, Shelly. Kevin is everything I could ever hope for."
"But not everything you could ever love. I see it in the way you look at him, Eve. You're not as in love with him as you want everyone to believe you are."
"Shelly," Eve started to argue.
"Eve, I know you," Shelly said lightly as she stepped over to her sister, "And you are not happy. You want to be and you're trying to be," She paused, "But you're not. I've seen you do this before. Trying to convince yourself that you're in love. I've watched you go through this before and I remember how miserable you actually made yourself."
"It's not the same this time. He's a wonderful man, Shelly."
"But he's not the man of your dreams. Why are you doing this? Why are you setting yourself up for another fall?"
"Shelly, this is not going to be that way."
"I don't hear you denying it, Eve. You're not denying the truth of the matter here."
Eve paused and then shook her head, "I'll talk to you in the morning, Shelly."
"Stop kidding yourself, Eve. You know this isn't right for you," Shelly spoke out after her sister before the door closed behind her.
Eve stood outside the door and took a deep breath as she thought about what Shelly had said. She loved her sister, but she was just wrong this time. Well, maybe not completely wrong, but that wasn't the point. The point was that she really did love Kevin and she was going to be the best wife to him that she could possibly be.
She walked back down stairs to find Kevin on the sofa. He looked over to her and smiled, "Come here."
Eve smiled back to him as she sat beside him and felt him envelope her in his arms, "I'm sorry about Shelly. I had no idea she was coming out here, Kevin."
"It's okay," He said hugging her gently to him as they sank back into the cushions, "I think it's time we met."
"I wanted you and Shelly to meet, but....I had no idea she'd be this way towards you."
"It's understandable that she'd be a little caught off guard," Kevin spoke then paused, "Why didn't we have her at the wedding, Eve?"
"To be honest?" Eve asked as she turned to face him, "Because I didn't want her to screw it up for us."
"Why would she have done that? She's your family and it's obvious that she cares about you very much."
"Yes, but you noticed her reaction to my happiness, didn't you? Anytime I've ever been happy in my life, Shelly has found some fault with it. She wants to pick it apart until I have nothing left."
"Well, there are no faults to find here, Eve. We're together. We have each other and nothing is going to tear us apart," Kevin said as he touched her cheek.
"Not even my persistent bratty little sister?" Eve asked with a light smile as she touched his chin, lightly touching his lips with her fingertips, "I love you, Kevin."
"I love you too, Eve,"
Kevin said with a smile as he drew her to him for a soft kiss.
Lucy sat back in the vinyl diner booth. The burgundy vinyl looked as if once upon a time it might have been red but worn down to a duller color over the passage of time. The diner was virtually empty save Lucy and her companion, the mysterious Roger Tyler.
As she looked him over, Lucy could not fathom how this man was a successful private detective. He looked as disorganized and unprofessional as they could possibly come. His demeanor wasn't particularly pleasant either. How did he ever succeed in finding people with this attitude?
"Look," Lucy started, "Mr. Tyler, I think I've made a mistake here."
"The only mistake you'd be making, Ms. Coe, is if you walk out of here. I can find your daughter if you'll give me the time."
She sighed as she looked back to him, "Forgive me for saying so, but I find it hard to believe that you're the Roger Tyler."
"Why is that?" He asked taking a sip from his coffee cup.
"Because.....well...." Lucy started, "Okay, well, you're rude. And you're unorganized, and you're . . . well . . . "
"Yes?" He asked raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you're a slob," She said making a motion towards his attire.
Roger chuckled softly, "Ms. Coe, why do you think I act, talk, and dress this way?"
"Because you have that kind of charming personality?" She offered with a unimpressed smile.
"You weren't convinced that I was Roger Tyler. Most people aren't. That's my advantage. If people aren't looking for me to be on their doorstep, then they don't know when I'm investigating them. It make it easier for me to get out of the public eye and into the recesses where my marks usually live."
"So this is all part of the job?" Lucy asked in disbelief, "I think the least you could do for a new client is come out of the shadows."
"Would you really rather I break my disguise to meet with you for one night than be able to immediately blend in once I begin my search for Ms. Ramsey?" Roger asked stirring his coffee absently.
Lucy considered it for a moment and then shook her head, "No, I suppose not."
He smiled, "When I bring Christina home to you, I'll be at your door in some proper attire. Would that be acceptable?"
"Now you're just patronizing me," She said pointedly.
"On the contrary, I'm trying to make you an offer you cannot possibly refuse. I'll find Christina. I'll bring her back to you. You pay for my travel expenses, any bribes I may have to make along the way, and you do me the favor of protecting Christina with your life when I bring her back."
"You're so sure you can find her."
"I am positive. It may take a few months, but I will find her, Ms. Coe."
"Lucy."
"What?" He asked thrown off step.
"Lucy...it's my name," She explained, "Call me...Lucy."
"Well, Lucy," Roger said trying out the name, "Why don't we start over?" He said extending his hand, "I'm Roger Tyler, private eye. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, Lucy."
Lucy laughed softly as she shook her hand, "It's nice to meet you as well, Roger."
"Now, isn't that better?" He teased as he plucked a French fry from the plate in front of him, "Are you sure I can't interest you in something to eat? It'll be my treat."
"No, I don't think so," Lucy bowed out with a smile, "I should probably be going."
"Okay, don't eat. At least have a cup of coffee. I promise you that it won't bite," He teased.
Lucy smiled, "Okay, just this one time."
"Why don't you tell me about Christina? Any details you can give me that are uniquely Christina would be helpful. Any birthmarks or scars or idiosyncrasies in her behaviors?"
"Idiosyncrasies? She's a baby. She doesn't have them yet."
"All children have unique personality traits. Does she giggle a lot? Is she a melancholy child? Anything at all will help."
Lucy thought about her little girl and smiled as she remembered holding Christina and playing with her for long hours. Then Christina would take a nap and Lucy would just spend time watching her, memorizing every little moment of being with her. She closed her eyes as she tried to picture those moments with Christina.
"Okay, she does have a few little unique gems about her," She nodded with a smile as she reopened her eyes, "She has a little dimple, and she's just so cute," Lucy smiled.
"You're very proud of her, aren't you?" Roger asked as he watched Lucy.
"Yes," She nodded, "I am. I'm very proud of her."
"I'm not going to stop, Lucy," He said matter of factly, "I will bring her home to you."
Lucy looked back across
the table to Roger and hoped that he was telling the truth. She realized
it was the first time she'd felt hope in quite a few months, but more than
that, she realized that she wanted Christina back more than ever.
Karen sat in the on-call room, shifting through a stack of papers. She had several books opened upon the table along with her files. She shifted papers again and finally slammed the book shut.
She couldn't keep her mind on her work. And it was all his fault. Why had she let herself get swept away like that? She couldn't make that mistake again. Ian Thornhart was nothing but trouble and she couldn't allow herself to become vulnerable to that....to him.
She sighed as she frowned and looked back at the work before her. She could lose herself in that pile of papers before her, but that was how she'd lost herself the last time. That wasn't the answer and she knew that.
The door opened to the on-call room and Chris stepped inside. He looked at the pile of papers on the table before Karen and shook his head, "Don't you ever know when to quit? You're not getting the job back, Karen."
"Chris, contrary to what you may believe, not everything is about you, you egomaniac."
He grinned lightly as he walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug full of the steaming liquid. He walked by her and sat on the opposite side of the table as he put down a chart in front of him and began to read.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Chris looked up to her with a dry smile, "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm checking up on you."
"Checking up on me? Look, Chris, I don't need you to check up on me."
"Maybe not, but as Chief Resident, I have to look out for my staff."
"You really get off on having that title to wave around, don't you?" She asked as she placed her pen on the table.
"Yeah, I suppose I do," He smiled looking back to the chart, "But you did when you had the title to, so don't try to give me any flack about it."
"I wasn't going to. It's your funeral," She commented as she got up to refill her mug of coffee.
"Whatever," He said with half a smile as he looked back to the chart and continued reading.
The door swung open and Joe walked in proudly with his head high in the air. He glanced around to Chris and Karen as if there were subjects in his kingdom before setting his sights on Karen.
"We need to talk," Joe said firmly as he narrowed his range of vision to focus completely on her.
"What about?" Karen asked curiously as she watched him and instinctually knew she had nothing to say to him.
"I think this is best done in private," He suggested as he glanced back around to Chris.
"Oh...don't mind me," Chris smiled, "I'm just part of the furniture in the room," He said looking back to the chart.
Karen was going to have to thank Chris later for just existing before she looked back to Joe, "I don't think we have anything to say to one another that requires privacy."
"Fine," Joe said firmly, "What the hell do you think you're doing with Ian?"
"I don't know what you mean," She said evasively.
"Yes you do. If you think for one minute that you're going to go around this hospital flaunting him in my face, you've got another thing coming," Joe accused.
Chris immediately looked up from the chart before him. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but for Joe to make any kind of accusation about flaunting to Karen....that was just wrong.
"Joe, I am not flaunting anything," Karen defended.
"Yes you are. You take every moment you can get to cuddle up to him and I will not sit back and take it. You can't do that here, not in my hospital."
"Last time I checked," Chris interjected, "It's not your hospital, Joe. You're about the last person that needs to be telling other people what to do, Mr. Probation."
"Stay out of this, Chris!" Joe said turning towards him.
"No," Chris replied, "Karen can do what she wants. But you......you're skating on thin ice as it is. I'd tread very carefully if I were you."
"This is nothing to you, Ramsey."
"As Karen's personal life, last I checked, is nothing to you. Back off, Joe."
"Why are you so interested in this?" Joe said looking back to Karen, "Are you sleeping with him too?"
"If she was, it still wouldn't be any of your business, Scanlon," Chris answered as he stood, "Now if I'm not mistaken, you have patients to see. Get to it."
Joe turned back to Karen, "This isn't over," He said harshly before slamming out of the room.
Chris shook his head, "What a moron."
"Why did you do that?" Karen asked looking back across at him.
"Do what? Tell him off?" He grinned, "It's fun. I just love putting him in his place."
"No, I meant..." She stopped, "Nevermind."
"What? Make him think we're sleeping together?" Chris shrugged, "It's great for my reputation."
"I hate you Chris," Karen said rolling her eyes, "If that gets out around the hospital, I'll kill you myself."
"The only person you really worry about that gem getting back to is Ian. Don't worry. Ian's not going to believe it. He's smarter than that."
"He knows I would never fall for a loser like you."
"No, he knows that you're not my type. I don't want to damage your ego, Karen, but you're way too innocent for me," Chris said with a smile, "Although..."
"Stop while you're ahead here, Chris, or I'll forget that I'm grateful to you for a brief flickering moment," She warned.
He laughed softly as he put the chart back on the table, "It's good work, Karen. Keep it up," He said with a smile as he took his mug of coffee and walked out of the room.
Karen sighed as she
worried about what Joe might do in the future. She placed the books
back into a small pile on the table before taking her charts and getting
back to work, her one refuge from all the turmoil in her world.
Ian stood at the ER admit desk and just stared at the chart in front of him. He wasn't getting any work done, and it was all Joe Scanlon's fault. That man was causing him more trouble than he was worth. If only they were in Nicaragua, he could shoot Joe and blame it on the locals. Ian chided himself for the thought, but on the other hand, he wanted Joe Scanlon to disappear.
He and Joe had been friends....until Karen came back to town. With Joe's HIV status and Ian's growing fondness for Karen's company, the two had been at odds with one another for a few months.
But now Joe was only making matters worse. Why did he feel the need to interfere with Karen's romantic life? Why was it really any of his business? Joe had moved on with several different women, but he still felt the need to keep some type of proprietary hold on Karen, and Ian didn't like it one bit.
Ian glanced back toward the curtain area where Karen was making a note on a chart. He wanted to go talk to her, to tell her that things would be all right and Joe hadn't ruined anything for them. But then again, he didn't want her to think he was reading more into their budding ....whatever it was....than it really was. He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. Spending time in Port Charles had finally taken its toll. He wasn't even making sense to himself anymore.
Ian stood watching Karen, and he smiled as he watched her. There was definitely something magical about that lady. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as he made his study of her. Karen must have felt his eyes as she looked up from her chart, and the two of them instantly locked gazes.
They stood looking at each other with soft smiles upon each of their faces. Neither one spoke a word, but each was saying volumes with just the way they were looking at the other. Karen took the first step towards Ian but made it very slowly.
She wasn't even sure why'd she'd done it. Why did she want to go speak with him? It would only mean that she wanted something to with him and that just wasn't the case. At least she was trying to convince herself it wasn't the case. She sighed gently as she took another cautious step towards him, watching him as he leaned back against the wall and crosses his arms over his broad chest.
He was arrogant that one. Damn him. He was so arrogant, so proud...so sexy. She wanted to smack herself and probably would have if she wasn't standing in front of him with his eyes caressing her that way. And just why was she letting him look at her like that? Well, it was because.....no, not that...anything but that, she reminded herself. She wasn't going to let him get to her.....she chanted her mantra.
Ian watched her and smiled like a pleased animal who was stalking prey. Oddly though, he felt as if he were the one being stalked this time. Karen's eyes were locked on him, keeping him entranced and in place as if he couldn't move a muscle. It was almost as if she was holding him with her gaze, keep him warm with just his eyes.
When Karen stood in front of him, they looked between each other still not speaking a word. Ian reached out to touch her cheek to which she accepted his hand and melted softly into his touch. He watched her lips and smiled lightly as he wet his own lips and slowly began to descend towards hers.
No one was in the hall, but neither one of them would have cared at this moment. This was the perfect moment that had been interrupted before. This was the perfect moment they'd both been waiting for. This was finally going to happen.
Karen placed her hand on his shoulder as she eased onto her tip toes to accept a kiss from him. Ian slipped a hand around her waist to steady her as their breath intermingled slightly from their proximity.
The ER doors slammed open and a woman's voice cut through the silence, "We need a doctor here!"
It was Ian who went rigid as steel this time. He looked up and glanced around the corner towards the ER doors. He snapped his head back as he saw the source of the voice and he looked to Karen with apprehension in his eyes.
Karen noted the look and couldn't remember a time when she'd ever seen Ian Thornhart look worried since she'd known him. But the look in his eyes signaled her that something was wrong, "Ian, what's wrong?"
"It's her."
"Her who?" Karen asked looking around to see the lady as Joe moved in to help her.
"Lindsey Chen. She's a colleague of mine in the Doctors Without Limits program," Ian said with a frown.
"Then what's the problem?" Karen asked as she looked back to Ian, "Do you two not get along?"
"You could say that," Ian nodded, "You see.....She's my ex-wife."
Karen felt as if she'd been floored. She looked back to Ian with shock crossing her features. "Your ex-wife?" She repeated taking a step back.
"Yes," He said somberly, "It's not a fact I'm proud of. Never should have married her in the bloody first place."
"I see," was all Karen could say. "Well," She said clearing her throat, "I have patients to see," She said as she turned to walk away.
Ian caught her arm and turned her back to face him, "Karen, why are you upset?"
"I..." She started then shook her head, "I don't know. I don't have any right to be, but I am."
"Can you tell me why? Is it because she's here?"
"You didn't tell me that you'd been married."
"It wasn't something I was particularly proud of. I was never in love with her. It was a match made in hell from day one, and I never should have went out with her much less married her," Ian paused, "I can assure you, Karen. Her presence here means nothing to us, to what we have," He said, admitting that something was going on between them.
"What we have," Karen repeated, "We don't have anything, Ian. And we're not going to."
"Karen," He said, hearing the sound of desperation in his voice that he hadn't intended to be there, "Karen, please...don't say that. You know that we do have something here."
"No," She said fighting her heart as much as she could though the tears in her eyes were forming already, "No, we can't," She shook her head before turning and taking off down the hall almost in a run.
Ian frowned as he felt
his heart had been plucked from his chest and handed back to him on a silver
platter. And so was his continuing run of bad luck with women.
She sat back looking into the mirror and brushing out her hair. She smiled as she braided the dark strands. He had always liked it that way.
She couldn't wait to see him again. They'd always had such great fun together. Going different places with him, arguing with him, lying in bed with him for hours and hours. She wanted to have that again. She wanted to have him back.
She tucked the end of the braid into her hair and smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. He really wasn't going to know what hit him. She was going to get him back. She had to get him back. After all this time had passed, there had been no one else in her thoughts but him.
They had been so good together. She would make him see that again. She'd always been able to convince him to see things her way before. She knew she'd have to find a way to make him see it again.
What they had with one another was special. It was the only time in her life when she'd felt complete. He brought something to her that she didn't have herself. He brought a light into her world, and she needed that light again. She'd needed it....him...for so very long, but this time, she wasn't going to let him go.