Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Seven:
Home Fires

Wyndemere.

Alexis is sitting on the couch, her elbows on her knees, hands laced together. She stares at the opposite wall, deep in thought. The phone rings. She picks it up without even turning to look at it.

Alexis: Stefan?

Stefan: Yes.

Alexis: I've been trying to contact you for hours. Where are you?

Stefan: Venice. (There’s a pause) This is a dead end. (An ever so slight tremor enters his voice.)

Alexis: (going cold) What do you mean?

Stefan: It appears Nikolas was either robbed, or… (Alexis stands up)

Alexis: All right. I'm coming, stay there.

Stefan: (quickly) I can't.

Alexis: Stefan.

Stefan: I am not going to stand still while my son is missing! (The strain Stefan is under becomes clear mid-sentence as his voice cracks. Alexis shakes her head)

Alexis: Then where the hell do you think you're going to go? Back to the island? Or just wander the earth until you find him around a corner? (No response) Stefan. Listen to me. You're not thinking clearly. You're upset. We're all upset. And if something really has happened to Nikolas… and I'm not suggesting that it has… then you can not ask me to stay here.

Stefan: No. I need you in Port Charles.

Alexis: You need me where I can do the most good. (She moves to her briefcase and pulls out an address book) You have the jet, so I'll have to take a commercial flight. I'm certain, if I make enough noise, I can be in Italy by morning. (Stefan says nothing, silently staring at the wall, still at the police station, tears gathering in his eyes) You aren't going to stop me. (Again, silence) Stefan.

Stefan: He is all I have. He is all I've ever had. The only thing of any importance, in this whole world.

Alexis: (Nods, pressing her lips together) I know. I know. (She lets out a shaky breath) You do have one other thing, though.

Stefan: Alexis.

Alexis: You have me. I'll be there in a matter of hours. (She hangs up, not waiting for a response, and begins to dial the number of the airport).

The Campsite.

Emily kneels on the ground, spreading the wrinkles out of a sleeping bag. She settles down on it, crossing her legs, and opens up a bag, pulling out the low maintenance food she bought before leaving Athens. She opens bottles, unwraps items, and places it beside her, glancing around at the camp. She's settled them a good distance from the car, near a couple of trees, and has spread the three sleeping bags around a small pit, dug mostly with her hands, outlined by a group of rocks she's circled around. There is a very slight breeze blowing, and she lifts her face to it, feeling a little bit more human. It's easy to forget here. Much more interesting to focus on the adventure. If she squints her mind just right, this can even seem fun. Emily opens a bottle of olives with a pop and hears a sound behind her. She smiles.

Em: Any luck? (Lucky appears behind her, carrying the log, having assigned Nikolas the easier to handle twigs)

Lucky: Nikolas found wood. He's better than a divining rod. (Emily turns to look at Lucky oddly, then at Nikolas)

Em: That bordered on a compliment.

Nik: (ruefully) I found it by tripping over it.

Em: Ah. Well, that explains it. (Lucky drops the log aside of the pit, and stops and looks at the surroundings, then back at Emily)

Lucky: You did this? (Emily taps her temple, smiling at him)

Em: Good memory. (Lucky nods, looking at the pit)

Lucky: And then some. (Emily reaches behind her and produces a box of matches)

Em: Here.

Lucky: Great. Paper? (Emily nods to the bags, piled together a few feet away) Great. I'm on it. (Lucky heads over to the bags. Emily looks up at Nikolas).

Em: How are you holding up? (Nik shrugs)

Nik: Still in one piece. (Emily smiles at him warmly) What about you?

Em: Achieving normalcy. Or my version of it.

Nik: You look better. (He blinks, realizing how that sounded) Not that you looked bad. Just…

Em: You look a bit better yourself.

Nik: Oh. I'm not. I tripped. (Emily laughs a little)

Em: So you said.

Nik: Well. I never do things like that. So it's a bit… Novel. I never would have done it if I'd been… Fencing or something. But walking seems to be escaping me.

Lucky: (returning) Is he still making excuses?

Em: No. (Emily continues to go through the bag) Just explaining himself. (She looks back at Nikolas) I grew five inches in six months. I was black and blue the whole year I was thirteen. Falling up stairs was a specialty. Murder on my shins.

Nik: Falling up stairs. Well. I guess it beats falling down them. (Lucky sighs heavily, turning his attention to the fire, scowling)

Lucky: Are you guys done comparing injuries? Can we move on? (Nikolas turns to look at Lucky in confusion, while the reason for his mood swing dawns on Emily. She bites her lip and looks up at Nikolas, noting that he wasn't referring to what Lucky seems to think he was referring to. Man, she thinks. There's just no navigating these two. She sighs and continues messing with the food.)

Em: Yes, sir. (Lucky exhales heavily, aware that he came across more harshly than intended, but drops down to the pit, instead of clarifying the already messy topic).

Lucky: Have you done this before? (It takes Nikolas and Emily a moment before they realize which one of them he's talking to).

Nik: Done what?

Lucky: (tearing paper) Built a fire. Try to keep up.

Nik: (fighting irritation) We have fireplaces.

Lucky: Not the same thing. (He moves the log aside.) Here. I'll show you. (Nikolas starts to glare at Lucky, then stops, making an effort to look at what Lucky's just said another way. He shakes his head and drops down on the other side of the pit, handing Lucky the twigs.)

Nik: Ok. Show me.

Back room, Luke's Club.

Carly is sitting cross-legged in the center of the pool table, deep in thought, her chin rested in her hands. Luke is tossing darts with deadly accuracy a few feet away.

Carly: You're nuts.

Luke: Glass houses.

Carly: I'm not nuts. A little pathological, maybe.

Luke: Right. Crazy like a fox. (He turns around) Coming to any conclusions over that?

Carly: besides the fact that this is not going to work? Not really.

Luke: Hey, all I need to do is get in there.

Carly: You're asking me to lie to Jason. This is not smart.

Luke: I'm not asking you to lie, I'm asking you to distract him.

Carly: right. And how the hell am I supposed to do that? (Luke raises his eyebrows. Carly stares at him) Oh, wait a minute, you freak! If you're suggesting what I THINK you're suggesting my mother is going to skin you alive… If I've left her anything!

Luke: Good Lord, Caroline, calm down! (He continues with his darts) You just never see the big picture, do you? Now, if you've uh… Relied on certain attributes you possess just a little too heavily in the past, I'm sorry Darlin', but that has nothing to do with me. And frankly, I'd like to keep it that way.

Carly: Then what are you suggesting I do?

Luke: See… You got gifts you aren't even looking at.

Carly: If you're suggesting I take Michael back there, you're going to see those darts used in all kinds of new ways. (Luke throws a dart, stumbling over the end of the delivery, and having it drive into the wall just under the board. He turns back to Carly, giving her a look of amused surprise)

Luke: Not that I wouldn't like to see you try, little girl, but I got other plans.

Carly: Do tell.

Luke: See… The thing you seem to be forgetting, Carly, is… (HE smiles, moving closer to her) People don't like you. You're loud. You're crass. You upset their perfect little world just by existing.

Carly: Gee. Thanks.

Luke: Hey. I like to think nothing rattles me, but you sure as hell get on my nerves some times.

Carly: You have a REALLY interesting way of asking for favors.

Luke: It's a gift. One I've been told I possess myself. We bug people. A lot. Some of 'em, the more rigid ones? They are so offended by our existence that they get all flustered and red in the face… And all you really gotta do is enter a room and maybe forget to the use the ashtray. (Carly laughs outright)

Carly: Ok, ok. I see your point. But Jason is not rigid.

Luke: What planet are you living on? The boys got more rules than Canadian Football. And you can probably recite them chapter and verse… Not to mention the fact that you've already broken most of them.

Carly: (musing) True. (She makes a face) Ummm one problem, though.

Luke: Again with the negative. (He sighs) What this time?

Carly: (wincing) I've got this thing… A conscience? (Luke snorts)

Luke: When the hell did that happen?

Carly: Uh… I don't know. It kinda showed up with Michael. I mean… Don't get me wrong… it'd make Jimminy Cricket look like a giant, but…

Luke: It's all warm and squishy over Jason.

Carly: It is NOT! It's just… God. Luke? I all ready screwed him over once.

Luke: You screwed AJ over a couple of dozen times, that didn't stop you with him!

Carly: AJ is different.

Luke: No warm squishy…

Carly: Knock it off! AJ… AJ and I, we've got a history of hurting each other ok? Jason has… It's different.

Luke: Its one afternoon. Out of a lifetime of misdeeds, baby… you can join a convent after this if it'll make you feel better (Carly looks at him like he just punched her in the stomach) Doesn't matter to me! I just wanna get into that apartment and find out what that boy knows.

Carly: Renaldo.

Luke: (giving her a withering look) I can break into Wyndemere on a whim, I can get passed Renaldo.

Carly: Renaldo is actually good at his job.

Luke: I'm better.

Carly: (after a moment) HE let me in without announcing me last time. Maybe… (She stops and bites her lip, thinking). Ok. There's a shot. I admit that.

Luke: (grinning) That's all I've ever needed.

The Campsite.

The fire is going, a respectable, but not overwhelming display. Lucky is sitting beside Emily, on her sleeping bag with her, while Nikolas sits on the other side the of the fire, all managing to escape the smoke blowing off to the south. They are sitting in a disturbingly comfortable silence, eating a combination of the food Emily was laying out… its all finger food… Flat bread, grapes, olives, tomatoes and feta. Emily, having cut her chunk of tomato into pieces and placed it with the feta on the bread, breaks off a piece and pops it into her, mouth, glancing around at the scene before her. She smiles to herself. Lucky glances over at her.

Lucky: What are you smiling at? (Emily laughs a little, swallowing her food)

Em: This is so domestic… Cook would be proud.

Lucky: I thought Cook tried to behead you any time you tried to feed yourself.

Em: (patiently) She has some issues, Lucky.

Nik: (Looking over at Emily) Is this that same woman who had a fit in the kitchen at that dinner?

Em: Oh, yeah. (She frowns) Which dinner?

Nik: That ill-fated one when Alexis and Ned were seeing each other.

Em: (laughing) Oh, right. (She shakes her head, recalling the night) The dinner party from hell. I remember that.

Lucky: When was this?

Em: (elbowing him) Think about it.

Lucky: (after a second) I'm tired, ok? (Emily smiles at him)

Em: You know, you ruined that party and you weren't even invited. (Lucky shrugs)

Lucky: Talent.

Nik: I don't think you can really say it was ruined. (He makes a face) All I remember clearly about the food was that there was a high concentration of spinach.

Em: (smiling a little) She was mad at Monica. She does that. When you tick her off she makes all kinds of things you hate. If you're lucky.

Nik: If you're unlucky?

Em: She throws things at you.

Nik: Your family is very… Odd.

Em: (nodding) Lucky calls them crazy.

Lucky & Nik: (overlapping) You should talk. (They stop, looking at each other a moment. Lucky turns away, shuddering with exaggeration)

Lucky: Ok. We're all spending way too much time together.

Nik: Either that, our the Quartermaine insanity is a universally accepted fact.

Lucky: Good point. (Emily looks back and forth between them.)

Em: Great. You both find something to agree on, and it's how messed up my family is. I should have known. (She smiles wryly and takes another bite of her dinner. Lucky watches her, noticing a cloud descending in her eyes.)

Lucky: Hey. Are you ok?

Em: I don't know. (She smiles a Lucky a bit, putting down her piece of flat bread, and rests her chin on her knees) I'm not thinking about them much. Or I wasn't. (Lucky and Nikolas say nothing a long moment)

Nik: My father is probably having a fit at this point.

Lucky: Fit? He's probably morphed into General Patton, barking out orders to scour the whole earth for you. (Nikolas nods in concentration)

Nik: Probably. But it's not any worse than what your father is doing. (The words are out before Nikolas even has time to register that he probably shouldn't have said that. Emily tenses and raises her head. Lucky blinks.)

Lucky: (flat) My father knows I can take care of myself. (Nikolas studies Lucky's face, not liking the total lack of emotion on it)

Nik: (slowly) Yeah… (Emily reaches over for the bag, containing the food.)

Em: (clearing her throat) Umm… I have halve, if you're interested.

Lucky: He's not worried.

Nik: No. He's terrified. (Lucky looks up at Nikolas sharply.)

Lucky: What the hell would you know about it?

Nik: He came to see me. Several times. (Lucky looks into the fire, staring intently)

Lucky: (voice dead) He just found out you were Stefan's son. Why wouldn't he?

Nik: That's not why. (Lucky says nothing) He was looking for you. (Lucky flinches. Emily stares down at the ground, feeling a bit queasy)

Lucky: He won't find me. (He looks up, focusing on the sky, and lets out a long breath) Give him a month, he'll forget what it was he wanted to do to me, anyway. (Nikolas stares at Lucky a long moment)

Nik: I think he just wants you back.

Lucky: (laughing slightly) Nikolas, do me a favor. (He looks back at him) Shut up.

Nik: Fine. Done.

Lucky: (a bit too quickly) You don't “get” Spencers, do you? I mean… It doesn't really matter, right? Outside the murdering and general lawlessness, who cares right? As long as we don't get in the way for any plans for world domination, or kidnapping, or whatever the hell else you're up to. The idea that maybe we have ideas about loyalty and honesty… that's just a little too “out there” for you. Just because it's not the way everyone else is doing things. Don't try to tell me what my father is thinking, I don't need you to explain it to me. I know him better than anyone else on this planet, I know how he thinks and I know exactly what he's thinking right now. Doesn't matter what you think you're seeing when you look at him, doesn't matter what he THINKS he wants right now… You can't get it. You can't understand it. So don't insult me by acting like you can. (Nikolas stares at him a long moment.)

Nik: (darkly) Us and them.

Lucky: Exactly.

Nik: Do you feel better now? (Lucky tenses)

Lucky: You can't grasp this one, can you? Don't talk about my father. Don't talk about our families. You push this, you can WALK to the island for all I care, ok? (Lucky gets up, tossing the remains of his dinner aside, and walks off into the darkness. Emily and Nikolas stay in silence a long moment)

Em: (quietly) He won't talk about Luke. (She looks across at him) At all.

Nik: (watching after Lucky) Yeah. I can see that.

Em: Don't push him. (Nikolas shakes his head slightly, then looks at her)

Nik: Don't you think… On some level… He has to know? I mean… Why does he want to pretend Luke hates him?

Em: Because. It's easier to accept than to think about him loving him. (Nikolas frowns, not liking the sound of that at all.)

Nik: God. This has to tear him up…

Em: It does. (Nikolas sighs, looking down at the ground)

Nik: (quietly) He'll never tell me why he did it, will he?

Em: Maybe. Maybe not. But I don't think it's that hard to figure out. (She stands up) I have to go after him. (Nikolas nods, staring at the fire. Emily looks at him, feeling a mixture of frustration, anger, and compassion towards Nikolas. She runs a hand through her hair. Not once, not for more than ten seconds, has she really been able to feel one hundred percent angry with him. And in a strange way, though she's not going to say it out loud, she's actually really glad he pointed those things out to Lucky. She smiles wanly and runs her hand through her hair) Don't go anywhere, ok?

Nik: (distantly) I won't. (Emily nods slightly, and turns away, following after Lucky. It doesn't take her long to spot him, standing away from the fire, but not so far that he can't see it… just down from some more Cyprus trees. Emily stops and watches him a moment, sadly. She heads over to him, coming up behind him. She stops, standing still a moment, before speaking)

Em: Hey.

Lucky: Don't ask me to… (He stops when he feels Emily's arms slide around his waist.

Em: I'm not. (She kisses his shoulder through the cotton of his T-shirt). I'm not going to do anything but hold you. (Lucky closes his eyes, and puts his hands over hers)

Lucky: How the hell did I end up with you, anyway?

Em: (smiling a little) Luck.