Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine:
Bad Medicine

The Golden Horseshoe Motel

Emily sits in the middle of the bed, cross-legged. Her journal is in her lap, pen in hand, and she stares hard at the page in front of her. She stopped using the word ''diary'' after the whole Dorman debacle. Part of this involved not actually writing half the things that happened in her life. The last entry she wrote in the journal was the night she met Hannah… though she didn't mention Hannah in the entry. It was a non-event at the time. However, a part of her brain that insists the journal to have some sort of continuity and for that reason she's stalled at the sentence “I'm writing this in a motel in Canada”, unable to find an easy explanation for that one.

The door opens and she gratefully drops the book onto the bed, tucking the pen into the spine. She looks up to see Lucky and smiles at him brightly.

Em: I have a question for you… (She stops dead, seeing his face) Oh God. What now?

Lucky: Uh… It's not that bad.

Em: But something happened.

Lucky: Yeah. (Deep breath) We gotta move. (Emily stares at him)

Em: Now?

Lucky: We can stretch it to tomorrow, you could use another recovery day.

Em: (getting nervous) Did someone find us?

Lucky: No.

Em: Is someone going to find us?

Lucky: Probably not. (He shakes his head suddenly, realizing that was a request for reassurance) No. No, that's not why we have to go.

Em: (slowly) All right. Then why?

Lucky: We have to go to New York. (Emily stares at him blankly)

Em: (finally) Ok. I can tell you know how this conversation is going to go. You're going to keep telling me stuff and I'm going to keep asking you why, so you might as well just EXPLAIN it all to me right now.

Lucky: (crossing the room) Nikolas wants us to go to New York. (Emily waits for more information, but it doesn't come).

Em: Once again, WHY? (Lucky flops down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling)

Lucky: Because he's going to be there.

Em: (getting annoyed) You're just determined to play this out this way, aren't you?

Lucky: I ran out of change, Em. I'm not sure exactly what… I mean… He wants to talk to me, and he doesn't want to do it over the phone, but I don't really know why. I don't know exactly what he's thinking. (Emily mulls this over)

Em: Well… How did he sound?

Lucky: (tersely) How should I know? Like Nikolas. (Pause) Sort of. (He stares at the ceiling a long moment, trying to figure out why this is all the information he feels like passing on. After several moments he looks over at her) He thinks Helena has left Port Charles. (Emily sits back suddenly, sucking in her breath)

Em: What?

Lucky: That's what Stefan said.

Em: What does that mean? (She looks at Lucky) Why do I get the feeling that's not good news?

Lucky: I don't know what it means yet… But at least she's not near my family.

Em: Does that mean she might be near us?

Lucky: If she is, she won't be for long. (Emily covers her face with her hands. Ok. Not the answer she was looking for, but it's something. She takes a deep breath, then looks back at him)

Em: Ok. So… How does this work, how are we getting there?

Lucky: Train.

Em: Train.

Lucky: Well… I don't think we need the car anymore. It'll just be a hassle.

Em: How long do you think we'll stay there? (Lucky doesn't answer) Lucky?

Lucky: That's still up in the air. (Emily sighs)

Em: Ok. Have you looked into the train schedules?

Lucky: (by rote) Via Rail, departing from Niagara Falls at Ten p.m., arrives in New York at eight the next morning. (Emily blinks)

Em: Sounds pretty good.

Lucky: Yeah, well, to fly we'd have to go to Toronto, and it's not worth it. (He sighs, going through other details out loud as he straightens them out in his head) Most of our funds are in American, so that's not a problem. So we just have to do stupid stuff like laundry… That's pretty much it. (He looks over at her and smiles) We can actually go SEE the Falls if you're up to it.

Em: (with forced lightness) Sure. I guess we should do that while we're here.

Lucky: We don't have to.

Em: (resigned) What else are we going to do with our time? (They fall into silence. After a moment, Emily gingerly lies down beside him, laying her head on his chest and winding her arms around him. Lucky closes his eyes, and they both take a moment to digest this sudden change of plans.)

Lucky: (quietly) How are you feeling?

Em: Ok.

Lucky: Didn't try any gymnastics while I was gone, did you?

Em: I'm not doing that again, believe me. (She looks up at him) But I'm not feeling totally awful.

Lucky: You wanna try this walking thing again?

Em: In minute. (Lucky laughs softly)

Lucky: I sort of thought you'd be anxious to give it another shot.

Em: (distressed) I really don't want to find out I still can't stumbled three feet. (Lucky looks down at her)

Lucky: What happened to that optimism?

Em: I don't know. Maybe the car knocked it out of me in the accident. (Hearing the tone in her voice, Lucky sits up. Emily slides away from him, returning to a sitting position as well)

Lucky: Is this getting to you?

Em: No.

Lucky: You can tell me, you know. It gets to me, too, sometimes.

Em: How? You've been doing this your whole life.

Lucky: This is different.

Em: Yeah, I guess it is. (She takes a deep breath) Is it getting to you right now?

Lucky: (shrugging) Action helps me. I don't like standing still.

Em: Yeah, I can see that. (She frowns, searching for a bright side. She locates it and looks up giving him an unconvincing smile) Well… Even if I'm still a total spaz on my feet, at least I'm gonna have a new ceiling to stare at. (Lucky shakes his head at her, aware that she's getting close to sinking into a mood that probably isn't a good idea).

Lucky: (standing up) Ok. Come on.

Em: What?

Lucky: We might as well find out where you stand on the “Spaz-o-meter”. (He holds out his hands to her. Emily looks at him warily, then finally takes his hands and allows him to pull her to her feet. Once standing, she can already feel a slight different. The room still feels unsteady however)

Em: (vexed) You'd think that I'd at least be used to being dizzy. Like how you get sea legs? (Lucky smiles slightly, not letting her change the topic)

Lucky: Ready? (Emily looks down at her feet, then back at him)

Em: As I'll ever be. (Lucky kisses her forehead, then backs away from her, moving to the far wall. She concentrates on feeling the earth beneath her).

Lucky: You can do it.

Em: (a little daunted) Because I have to be able to do it.

Lucky: Don't think about it like that. (Emily steels herself, looks up at him, and starts across the room. It sways around her but it's much less violent than before. She takes three steps then stops. She feels ill. However, she's still on her feet, and the next step isn't even something she feel like she has to think about the same way. No. This time it's just a nauseous sickly feeling. She looks at Lucky who is looking at her without expression. She grits her teeth, telling herself that it's only six more feet. She looks up at him, and meet his eyes with hers, pained. Lucky smiles at her, and she feels the knot in her stomach lessen a bit. She takes a deep breath, and starts to walk again, not stopping to feel the dizziness, or the nervousness in her gut. As she walks she realizes that…even feeling as awful as she does… she's still making progress. It's like there is a break, finally, between what she feels and her ability to push through it. It honestly feels no better to be on her feet, but she can still move without loosing all sense of where the floor is. Emily reaches Lucky and stops. The room sways around her, but she still doesn't feel like she's going to fall. She puts her hands out in a gesture of mild celebration, still feeling like, as big a deal as this is, it's a minor victory at best. Lucky reaches out and pulls her into his arms. She gratefully sinks against him)

Em: (laughing slightly) Ok. Mission accomplished. Now what? (Lucky takes a moment to answer, combing his fingers through her hair a moment before pulling back)

Lucky: Breakfast, probably. (He disengages himself from the embrace.) Can you eat? (Emily nods, still feeling a little disoriented. She's not sure what she was expecting Lucky's reaction to be, but somehow, this isn't it)

Em: (distantly) Sure. Whatever. (She looks back at the bed, suddenly wanting to retreat to it, return to sleep, a more pleasant place to spend time. She's not sure why, but she suddenly feels caught in the grip of some kind of foreboding feeling. Like there is something else going on here… and if there isn't, then there WILL be. She turns carefully, pulling away from Lucky, and walks unsteadily back to the bed. She crawls back into it and curls up, pulling one of the pillows against her chest as some sort of shield. Lucky watches her a moment, aware that this isn't a good sign.)

Lucky: It's going to be ok. You know I won't let anything happen to you, right?

Em: (rolling onto her side) I know. I think… I just need to adjust a minute here. (She closes her eyes) Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be fine.

Wyndemere, The Docks.

Nikolas, having finally released himself from the worry of trying to deal with Lucky, is occupying himself by going through long neglected Tai Chi sets. He can't remember when he got so preoccupied with other things that he let this slip. But it's coming back to him with a comforting familiarity as he moves through his paces, the energy falling into balance, the focus offering itself with the same intensity that he's been able to channel since he first learned these skills as a child. He stares hard at the light on the water, slowly moving through warm up exercises. Everything is falling into place. It seems clear to him now. And nothing has seemed clear to him in years. But he knows what he has to do. And as far as getting to Lucky is concerned, he knows exactly how to do it. He hears a noise behind him and doesn't flinch, doesn't turn around. The familiar scent of cigar smoke is all the information he needs.

Nik: You're late.

Luke: You noticed.

Nik: (careful, measured) Twenty-seven hours. I kept track.

Luke: Come to any decisions?

Nik: Nothing has changed. Not for me, at least.

Luke: Look… I've had a long couple of days. I'm not here to play any games with you. (Nikolas, having completed his action, returns to the starting position and, not wanting to bother continuing with the program with this distraction, begins to repeat the action, moving his hands up into position in the middle of his chest, then slowly extending them into the next position.)

Nik: (dully, as if not engaged) That's a switch. (Luke narrows his eyes, watching Nikolas' movements).

Luke: Are you going to stop that?

Nik: Is there any reason to?

Luke: I like to look my marks in the eye.

Nik: If I stop… I'll have to start over again. And I don't care to do that. (Luke shakes his head. This is bugging him more than he cares to admit. He paces the dock, and finds a post to lean against, so that he is behind Nikolas, out of even his peripheral line of sight. He pulls a cigar out of his pocket and rolls it between his fingers as he watches Nikolas' movement. Nikolas completes the exercise a second time, and starts into that third repetition, aware of what Luke is doing… intimidation by leaving Nikolas' imagination up to it's own devices. He's beginning to loose his focus so he takes a steadying breath and find his spot of light on the water again, continue his execution.)

Luke: That help you with something, or you just enjoy communicating with the water fowl?

Nik: Whatever it is you think I know about Lucky, I suggest you ask your questions quickly.

Luke: What, your guards planning on making an appearance?

Nik: Well, seeing as you didn't dock, I'm presuming you've already knocked out a few.

Luke: Presume whatever you want. That's not what I'm interested in.

Nik: Then what is it you think I can help you with?

Luke: Help? No. No, I just wanna know a couple of things.

Nik: (returning to start again) Such as?

Luke: What do you want with Lucky?

Nik: (resuming the action) Nothing.

Luke: You were spending a whole lot of time with him for “nothing”, Nikolas. (Nikolas, well aware that he has to play this carefully, decides he's had enough of this game. He lets his arms fall and turns to face Luke)

Nik: What I wanted from Lucky I already got. Whatever happens from here is not my concern.

Luke: And what was that?

Nik: What do you think I've always wanted where Lucky was concerned? (Luke lowers his head, looking into Nikolas' eyes intently, trying to read them. He sees nothing but a blank stare. And people keep trying to tell him this kid is human). I want him to stay out of trouble, I want him to stop putting Lulu and Laura at risk. Well, he's done that now, hasn't he?

Luke: You're saying all you wanted was for him to leave.

Nik: Well… I'll admit, so far… It's worked out pretty well for me. And I'm not in a big hurry for him to return. So if you'll excuse me… (Nikolas starts to walk away, but Luke is on him in no time, grabbing him by the shoulder and spinning him around)

Luke: (viscously) Listen to me, kid. From the minute you showed up here, your continued good health has depended on ONE thing… You remember that. What happens to Lucky, happens to you. He hurts, I got no reason not to hurt you.

Nik: And what do you think my mother will think of this?

Luke: Man… For a kid raised without maternal intervention, you sure spend a hell of a lot of time clinging to her apron strings, don't you?

Nik: (ignoring him) You keep implying that I know where Lucky is. Or I know how to find him. I don't. I don't know anything about it. He left. We're all probably better for it.

Luke: (stepping towards him) Watch your step, boy. I wasn't born yesterday, I know what I've been seeing… you've been there every time Lucky turns around lately… now what is that? Something you were doing out of the goodness of your cold black heart? Or is there something else going on here? (Nikolas feels any relaxation he achieved from his exercises vanishing as his jaw tightens. He's so sure he knows him, knows what's going on in his head, in Lucky's head. And he can't face anything as basic as the notion that he actually gave a damn whether or not his brother died. Or suffered. It was hard to muster a whole lot of pity).

Nik: (methodically) I can tell you why he left, if that's what you want to know.

Luke: (amused) Oh, you got a theory?

Nik: (flatly) It's not a theory. (He lowers his head, looking Luke dead in the eye) He had a problem, and this is the way he decided to solve it. I don't really blame him. I mean, if he was desperate enough to come to me for help, then he really must have had nowhere else to turn. He sure as hell couldn't go to you. (Luke's eyes go absolutely ice cold with rage. He closes the distance between him and Nikolas, toe to toe, and hisses at him)

Luke: You don't know a damn thing about Lucky and what he can get from me.

Nik: I know that Lucky has been working for Jason Morgan since last summer. I know that he knew who my father was for two years and he never breathed a word of it to anyone. I know he keeps secrets almost as well as his mother. And I think I finally understand why.

Luke: YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!

Nik: (taunting) I know why you're so upset. You know. You know that Lucky was being completely self-destructive and I knew all about it before you did. And you want to make that my fault. My fault… That he didn't think he could go to you. That he didn't think you'd be able to “handle” this, not the way he wanted. As far as I can tell, Luke… Your family doesn't feel like they can tell you much of anything. And you sure as hell can't lie that at my feet. (Luke lunges at Nikolas, who fights hard not to let any feelings of triumph show on his face, instead occupying himself with trying to fend the elder Spencer off. He hears a noise above, and as such, allows Luke's momentum to push him into the lake. As he plunges underneath the water, he hears the sound of Stefan descending the stairs and a shout. Nikolas lets himself sink until the moment of buoyancy, then swims back up to the surface, breaking through the crest of the water. He comes up on the expected scene, Stefan, irate, tossing Luke aside and Luke in turn, grabbing Stefan from behind and throwing him down on the dock. They move from view, and Nikolas reflects, treading water, that this feud really does reach ridiculous heights at times. He swims over to the edge of the dock, satisfied at the complete predictability of these men, and pulls himself out of the water. Stefan and Luke are locked in mortal combat, and Nikolas does feel a twinge of remorse, noting that Stefan does appear to be attempting to sedate Spencer long enough to come to his rescue. Stefan breaks out of the hold Luke has him in and turns to run to the edge of the dock, but stops short, seeing Nikolas kneeling on the dock in front of him.)

Stefan: (stricken) Nikolas! Are you all right? (Nikolas looks past Stefan, glaring at a panting Luke)

Nik: I'm fine.

Luke: (regrouping) Strong swimmer, huh? (He slaps Stefan on the back, hard. Stefan jerks around to face him again. Luke snarls at him) Told you that you were over-reacting.

Stefan: (outraged) You have gone after my nephew for the last time!

Luke: NEPHEW! Remember who you're talking to, here.

Nik: (childishly) Will you just leave us alone? I told you what you came here to find out, if you still want to use my paternity against me, go ahead. You can't change who my mother is Luke… that's the part you've always wished wasn't true. (Luke's eyes darken)

Luke: Listen you little demon spawn, you try… (He advances on Nikolas again, but Stefan blocks his path, having regained his composure, and pushes Luke back)

Stefan: You are not welcome here. I have guards descending from the house and if you have not departed by the time they appear…

Luke: (withering) Please. (He turns to Nikolas) You won't get another chance, Cassadine. Not with my son… And not with my daughter. (Nikolas' heart, previously detached and unfelt to him, suddenly leaps into his throat) You're done with the Spencers. For good.

Stefan: Your threats are idle and meaningless, Spencer.

Luke: Yeah? Go ask your family tree about that. (He turns and heads down the dock, and off the end under the stairs, heading off to where his boat was pulled ashore on the other side of the island. The guards appears at the top of the stairs and hurriedly descent.

Stefan: (pointing after a now-out-of-sight Luke) He departed in that direction. Ensure he makes his promised exit. (The guards nod and take off after Luke. Stefan turns to Nikolas, and crosses to him.) Are you all right?

Nik: (laughing slightly) Not a scratch.

Stefan: (angrily) What did he want?

Nik: He's angry. About Lucky… And of course he attacked me for it.

Stefan: He's a barbarian. (Nikolas puts his head down on his knee and takes a long shaky breath, then runs his hands over his face and through his hair, brushing away the droplets of water dripping down his face. He has a sneaking suspicion that Lucky wouldn't have approved of that. But Luke wasn't really his target… just his pawn. He shakes his head, sending droplets of water flying off in all directions. Interesting to be on this side of the table. He looks up at Stefan, his face emotionless. Stefan is looking back at him with concern)

Nik: Don't you get tired of this? Of constantly being attacked and vilified?

Stefan: I've accepted it as my lot. But don't be concerned, Nikolas. He shall not make another move against you…

Nik: How can you say that? I mean… (He takes a deep breath) I don't doubt your sincerity, Uncle. But honestly… How can that be a promise you can make? He's always around. I saw him yesterday too. He appears out of nowhere, rants at me, and then disappears again.

Stefan: Yesterday?

Nik: At the apartment, before I came here.

Stefan: And why didn't you mention this?

Nik: Because… At this point, it's not even news. He hates me. Now that Lucky's gone… He can't face his own culpability. (He looks up at Stefan) I told you Lucky kept the secret from him too.

Stefan: Yes.

Nik: The whole family, conspiring because they know that he'd do something like this. Or worse.

Stefan: Nikolas…

Nik: You know… (He looks up at Stefan) At one point, I have to admit, I let myself think that Lucky might have kept that secret because he didn't want me to suffer for it. That maybe, some part of him didn't want me to be hurt by it. (Stefan's face darkens) Don't worry, I'm finished with that delusion. I'm finished with all of them. Lucky kept the secret from Luke to protect Laura. Just like his father would have done in another situation. I know that Lucky… You said that he was Luke's son in every way.

Stefan: He will only hurt you, Nikolas

Nik: No. He won't get the chance. (Nikolas pulls himself his feet.) Never again. (He starts past Stefan, up to the stairs, then stops and turns back. He studies Stefan's posture, but it betrays nothing. He clears his throat, delivering his last lines as insurance) Lucky, at least… He had the decency to leave town when he came across something he couldn't face. Luke. Luke will still be there every time I turn around. I can't escape that. (Nikolas turns and walks up the stairs, his face grim. Stefan does not follow, left with his thoughts).

The Quartermaine Mansion, living room.

Monica stands at the French doors to the living room, staring out at the grounds, deep in thought. She hears someone enter the room behind her, but doesn't turn. Alan observes her from the doorway, then walks over to the couch, sinking onto it.

Alan: I thought you were going to the hospital.

Monica: (heavily) I begged off. (She turns around) I've been in every day since Emily left, I thought that I should take at least a day to breathe. Besides, it's a weekend.

Alan: Where were you, then?

Monica: I went to see Laura Spencer.

Alan: Ah. And?

Monica: She's… Not herself. She was very quiet, but she seems to believe that Lucky has Emily's best interests at heart…

Alan: Of course she does. She's the boy's mother!

Monica: Believe it or not, Alan, I find that comforting. Whatever you think of Luke Spencer, Laura… And admittedly, it's hard to just surrender to the idea of our daughter being in love with… I don't even know what to call him. (Monica laughs, sitting down on the couch) She couldn't just go for some angry rebel without a cause, could she? No, she ends up with… Well, from all accounts, a very troubled young man.

Alan: Did Laura have anything else to say?

Monica: She made it sound like Lucky wasn't being very open with her… It sounds as if he's been about as communicative as Emily has been. She did say that he had been dealing with Nikolas Cassadine…

Alan: CASSADINE! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?

Monica: When did you start paying so much attention to people's last names? Nikolas and Emily have been friends for years.

Alan: I don't mind the name Cassadine. I just hate to hear it mentioned anywhere near the name Spencer. (Sighing heavily) I don't need any more help thinking of ways she could have ended up in this situation. Laura Webber Baldwin was living a… Well, a comparatively normal life before she ran off with Luke Spencer. I just can't help entertaining visions of mob hits and abductions to Mediterranean islands.

Monica: Did it ever occur to you that perhaps Luke and Laura should have sat LUCKY down and advised him against getting involved with OUR family? We're standing in a glass house, Alan. Watch where you throw those stones.

Alan: You have to admit, there is a big difference between Quartermaine family feuds and Spencer Family Feuds.

Monica: Why, because we draw less blood? Because our scars are all beneath the skin? Alan… Let's stop and think about this. I mean, really think, without the gut reactions of fear and hysteria… Two years, Lucky treated Emily as well as we could ever hope she'd be treated She was happy, we can't ignore that. They one day, out of the blue, everything changed. And even when they got back together… They weren't that happy teenaged couple anymore. Something else was going on. And Emily isn't a doormat! As much as we wanted to dismiss this as an… Infatuation, a desperate teenaged love affair… Something she'd grow out of… That's not what it's been. Something else has been going on here. But I have no idea who turn to in an effort to find out what.

Alan: What are you saying?

Monica: We have to remember who we're dealing with.

Alan: We're dealing with an eighteen-year-old boy who tried to frame our son for arson.

Monica: I can't sleep at night if I continue to define him that way! I have to think of the person who came to see Emily in the hospital, who was crying at her bedside.

Alan: He damn well better cry! He was the reason she was there!

Monica: There is absolutely no proof of that.

Alan: It's not that far-fetched an idea!

Monica: There are a MILLION things that could be behind this. And we don't have even the slightest clue of what those might have been.

Ed: (entering) Only because you refuse to listen to me!

Monica: (warningly) Edward…

Ed: Look. What I'm saying is simply this: We have absolutely no proof whatsoever that Emily is in any danger…

Monica: Her aunt was killed!

Ed: YES! And the police want to round up your son for that particular crime! And they want to pull in her boyfriend for additional questioning! I've been giving this a lot of thought, and I'll tell you, only one thing makes sense to me! That Lucky Spencer's in this whole thing a lot deeper than Emily wants us to know… and HE'S the one in trouble, not her! Emily just runs off with him because of some romantic notion…

Monica: Edward, spare me!

Ed: You mark my words! That boy is following in the footsteps of his father, and he's going to end up in just as much trouble because of it!

Monica: May I remind you that Luke Spencer was once MAYOR of this town?

Ed: Humph. For about five minutes. How much time did he spend executing hits, laundering money, or God knows what other activities he was involved with BEFORE he dragged his whole family all over the globe trying not to get killed? And now, in case everyone's forgotten, Emily is in EXACTLY the same place as Laura was back when she was Emily's age!

Monica: (putting her head in her hands) My God… And to think a few weeks ago I was having a heart attack because I found birth control pills in her bedside table.

Alan: WHAT?

Monica: Oh, come on, Alan!

Alan: You never mentioned this to me!

Monica: No! Because it was handled between Emily and I. It didn't concern you.

Alan: Oh, I see.

Ed: I have to say…

Alan: I don't CARE what you have to say! (Turning to Monica) This has always been the problem with your parenting style, Monica.

Monica: MY parenting style!

Alan: You make all these decisions unilaterally, you have never consulted me on anything!

Ed: And in addition to that…

Monica: SHUT UP, EDWARD! I don't want you putting your two cents into this anymore than I wanted you to before. Especially not now!

Ed: What? Now that my granddaughter is off running from the police with her mobster boyfriend?

Monica: For the MILLIONTH time, the idea of Lucky being involved with the mob is absolutely RIDICULOUS.

Alan: I don't know if I'd go that far.

Monica: (dramatically) Has everyone lost their mind?

Ed: Have you lost yours? We're QUARTERMAINES! We don't have to stand around and wait for results like other people! We can make our own results.

Monica: For the last time, Edward! I do NOT want you doing something ridiculous and dangerous for Emily. We have to trust her and God help us, that means trusting Lucky too.

Ed: Never! Never… I knew that kid was bad news from the first time I laid eyes on him.

Monica: Oh, Edward! Come on, you used to like him!

Ed: I did not!

Monica: I don't CARE! Do you understand that? You can keep ranting about unsubstantiated claims, but I can't listen to it anymore. I believe the boy loves her. And I won't be defending that at every turn.

Ed: You're a fool Monica.

Alan: FATHER! Don't you DARE talk to my wife like that! (Monica looks over at Alan, a little shocked)

Ed: And you're just as bad as she is! Trust Lucky Spencer! Sit tight and hope for the best! No. That's not the way to do this!

Monica: That is the ONLY way to do this! (Fixing her eyes on Edward) I don't want you making any decisions, Edward. I don't need your influence here and neither does Emily! Don't get any ideas. (Edward starts to respond then stops, his eyes going dark)

Ed: So that's what you plan to do. Nothing.

Monica: And it had better be what you're planning too!

Ed: (turning away) You'll regret this. (Monica opens her mouth to answer him, then sags. She just can't keep this up anymore)

Monica: And when I do I'm sure you'll be right there telling me how wrong I was. (Alan looks at Monica, and her defeated, exhausted stance, and starts across the room. He puts both hands on her shoulders, rubbing them gently)

Alan: Monica… It's been a long day, and it's not even noon. Why don't we go take a walk around the grounds, I'm sure you'll feel better. (Monica looks back at him, then nods, tired)

Monica: Yes, all right… You're right. I need air. (She turns and walks out, Alan following close behind. He stops to close the doors after them, and gives Edward a nasty look as he does so. Edward raises his eyebrows slightly. He waits a moment after Alan has exited before heading to the phone, muttering under his breath. He picks up the phone and dials.)

Ed: Hello? Ah, yes. Its Edward Lewis Quartermaine calling, I'm afraid I need to organize a press conference. Yes. Yes, for tomorrow afternoon if at all possible. It's time my family saw the kind of results the Quartermaine name can get.