Part IX
"I had nothing to do with this."
"His prints are on the gun."
"Believe me. Please!"
"He has no alibi."
"I would never try to take your life."
"There are no other prints on the gun."
"I love you."
No matter how much evidence Mac presented to her, it paled in comparison to Stefan's words. Alexis covered her ears, squeezing her eyes shut. She paced in circles. The soles of her shoes scraped against the rough floor, the room the size of a closet. She had to escape the interrogation room. She couldn't watch Stefan struggle to move his arms, his wrists bound together by a pair of silver cuffs.
She caught sight of the clock on the wall and realized it had been over ten minutes. Alexis took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping back into the other room. Stefan stood up as she entered. "I'm sorry for the delay," she apologized, smoothing her hands down the front of her skirt as she sat down. "I just needed a moment to sort things out."
"I know this is a lot to take in, Alexis," Mac told her.
"Oh, do you?" Alexis asked smugly, rolling her eyes. "I doubt that, Mr. Scorpio. My own brother is being accused of trying to murder me. But I know who tried to kill me."
Mac cleared his throat. He took the files in his hand and tapped them on the table. "I thought you didn't remember? That you blacked out?"
She nodded. "I did. But not long enough to forget that Helena Cassadine has wanted me dead since before I was even born."
"I'm sorry," Mac told her. "We have enough evidence to keep Stefan here, to charge him. I recommend you hire outside counsel to avoid any further stress and confusion."
Alexis shook her head and reached across the table to grip her brother's hand. "I don't think that will be necessary, Mac. I've always been Stefan's lawyer. This time is no different." She nodded to the door and said, "Can we please have a moment alone?"
As the door clicked shut, Stefan opened his mouth to speak. Alexis clasped her hand over his mouth and said, "I'm going to petition for bail first thing in the morning. I promise you won't have to spend more than one night in here. And don't worry; I'll check on Nikolas."
Stefan could feel how tense she was. He felt that Alexis had the urge to recoil at his touch, that her hand was forcing itself over his. That her eyes were not voluntarily looking at him, that the smile on her face was not real. "Do you honestly believe me, Alexis? Do you honestly believe-"
"How can you ask me that, Stefan? Of course I believe you are innocent. For one thing," she said, leaning back, "the idea that you would work with Helena is just absurd. But most importantly, I know that you could never hurt me like this. Never." Alexis glanced over her shoulder to make sure there were no prying eyes. She moved her chair closer to Stefan and leaned toward him. "I know this is all part of Helena's master plan. She's framing you, Stefan. She wanted me dead and you in jail. Makes perfect sense, huh?"
He nodded slowly. He knew the strength of his mother's cruelty, he knew the lengths she would go to. But her actions still managed to shock him at times. He lifted his hands from the table and brought them back down with force, causing Alexis to flinch and papers to rattle. Stefan shook his head apologetically and said, "Enough! I have had enough. How many times do I have to sit in this dank little room, Alexis? How many times does Nikolas have to watch me be pushed and pulled into the police department for something I did not do?"
Alexis shook her head. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before it could fall. "This will be the last time. I promise. You won't be here for long. I need you," she said, her voice becoming a broken whisper. She held her hands over his wrists, bending down to press a firm kiss against the top of his hand. Her soft lips brushed over Stefan's knuckles and he struggled to move enough to frame her face with his hands.
"Thank you for believing me," Stefan smiled, sweeping his thumb over her bottom lip as he spoke.
"There was no other option. Now I just need you to trust me and listen to me. I'll get you out of this, and we're going to put a stop to Helena's madness once and for all."
He nodded. "Just tell me what to do."
Alexis gently removed his hands from around her face. She leaned back in her chair and whispered firmly, "All you have to do is be honest. You are innocent. But you cannot allow Lucky Spencer's name to-"
"Alexis, the boy-"
She shook her head and stomped her foot to get his attention. "No. You cannot name Lucky. You cannot use him to get out of here; clearing your name is my job now. Mine and your's. Do we have an agreement?"
Stefan pursed his lips together. His eyes studied her face, the crease in her forehead and the way she bit into her bottom lip every few minutes. He sighed heavily and assured her, "Yes, Alexis. We have an agreement."
"Good." She stood up, gathering her belongings. "They're going to take you to a cell in a while. I have a few things to take care of, but I'll be back soon. Hopefully to take you home." She brushed her fingers through his hair, pulling his head toward him as she kissed his cheek.
~*~
The yacht was rocking on the water. Bottles were rattling together and Lucky's game of chess was continually destroyed by the rolling waves. He was convinced the water was unsteady because he had returned, fierce because that was Helena's mood.
"It's getting late," Helena warned him as she strolled into the room, her silk robe swaying between her legs. She carried a bottle of perfume, the scent wafting toward Lucky. She sat down on the small sofa at the center of the room and turned so that her back was to him. "Come help me."
Lucky swallowed the lump in his throat and stood up. He had perfected the art of applying perfume to a woman, yet his hands were shaking this time. The bottle, the crystal, seemed heavier in his hands. "I've always wanted to ask you a question," he said after a long moment of silence.
Helena's eyes scrunched together in confusion. She craned her neck to see him and remarked, "A question? Since when are you the one asking questions and expecting answers?"
"Isn't that how it always was, Helena? You poking and prodding my brain until I just have to ask the right questions, the ones that you're just dying to answer. Things about my father and your children and-"
Helena narrowed her eyes. "Enough," she said coarsely. "I am aware that it will take some time to nestle back into our old ways. Maybe it is best if we part ways tonight, early. Start a new day tomorrow."
"Fine with me," Lucky sighed. He removed the bottle's heavy lid, the tip soaked in the sweet perfume. He pressed the tip to each side of Helena's neck, his fingers brushing her hair away from her skin. Lucky moved to kneel down at Helena's feet. He took her hand into his and applied the yellow liquid to the back of her wrist. "There," he said, carelessly placing the bottle on the table. He stood up, brushing his hands together, and walked away.
When he reached his room, Lucky sealed the door shut and threw himself onto the bed. He could smell her on his hands and in the air around him. It was impossible to escape.
~*~
The PCPD was buzzing with ringing phones, papers being shuffled between officers and attorneys and doors slamming angrily. Alexis felt caught in the middle of everything, standing perfectly still but reeling from the day's events. They had no right to hold Stefan prisoner; they knew as well as she did that he was being framed. They knew he was too smart to plant evidence in such an obvious way, in such an obvious place.
She watched two men escort Stefan to his cell, his stark gray suit exchanged for a pale blue jump suit. It wasn't the first time Alexis had seen him dressed as a prisoner, but it was somehow worse than before. She wasn't responsible for it, and there didn't seem to be anything she could do to help him.
"Excuse me," she called over Mac's shoulder, tapping her knuckles against one of the desks. He turned around and Alexis rolled her eyes. "My brother has been successfully detained and denied bail. There doesn't seem to be anything I can do until morning. Do you need me for anything else, Commissioner?"
Mac opened his mouth to answer her when a young officer leaned over his shoulder and said, "There's been a reported shooting."
The words caught Alexis' attention. She moved closer to the police officer that had just stormed into the room, listening to his conversation with Mac.
"Where?" Mac asked.
The young cop caught his breath and said, "Outside of Luke's club. Right after closing. Apparently the crowd was gone, but an injury report hasn't come in yet."
"Let's go," Mac called out, squeezing through the crowded floor.
Alexis felt her stomach turn, tying itself into knots. She realized there was nothing more she could for Stefan. She had been prepared to go home, but now she was needed somewhere else. She collected her things from one of the desks and broke through the crowd to reach the doors.
~*~
Lucky pulled the covers to his neck. He turned on his right side, then on his stomach and then on his back. The blankets were twisted around his legs and his pillow began slipping down between the edge of the bed and the wall. He let out a frustrated groan and kicked the blankets away from his body. The sound of light knocking on the door was drowned out by his feet hitting the mattress, but Lucky looked up when the door creaked open.
"Is something crawling in your bed?" Helena asked, a lilt of laughter in her voice. She padded over to his bed and sat down on the edge, crossing one leg over the other. The slit in her black nightgown revealed a stretch of pale, creamy skin from her foot to her thigh.
Lucky shook his head. He swept the back of his hand over his forehead, wiping away beads of sweat. "No. Everything is fine, Helena."
"Hmm. You see, I was having a rather difficult time falling asleep. I realized that my idea to avoid each other tonight was... wrong. It might be best to patch things up right now."
He nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see. So you decided you'd rather berate me tonight instead of in the morning? I imagine I don't have much choice either way, so go ahead."
Helena smacked her lips, annoyed. "It seems that during your time away, you-"
"Realized I'm my own person? Yes, I did," Lucky hollered, digging his short nails into the mattress. "Just say what you have to say, Helena. I came back, didn't I? I realized there was no place else for me to go, no life left for me. And I know why you came in here. So I can answer your questions. I didn't have any communication with my family or anyone I knew when I lived in Port Charles. I was alone, all the time. Nobody knew I was there."
She stood up and gathered the blankets from the floor. Helena's thin, pink lips fell into a slight smile before resuming their natural stance; a straight line. She spread the covers from Lucky's feet to his chest, bending down to kiss his forehead. Without another word, she wandered across the room and slipped into the hallway.
~*~
Alexis parked her car at the end of the street, where the red and blue lights were nothing but a distant blur. She was in such a hurry that she had left the keys in the ignition, and the engine running. She didn't realize that the distant humming coming from behind her was the beige Lexus until she was halfway to the club.
Spinning on her heels, Alexis swung the car door open and removed the keys. She dropped them into the pocket of her jacket and felt them banging against her hip as she ran. She pumped her arms at her sides and skidded on the concrete when a police officer held his arm out to stop her. "Excuse me, ma'am. You can't go any further," he warned.
"I'm a lawyer," she panted, raising the briefcase in her hand as though it were proof.
The cop shook his head. "Whose lawyer?"
"Uh," Alexis stuttered. "Does it matter?"
"Yep, 'fraid so."
Alexis looked over the burly man's shoulder to see yellow tape marking a square on the ground. She didn't see any traces of blood on the dirty concrete. She cleared her throat and asked him, "Were there any injuries?"
"I thought I asked you to leave, counsellor. This is not your business."
She stomped her foot, holding a hand over her forehead. "It is," she seethed, grinding her teeth. "It might be," she whispered, the words dying on her lips as she realized how concerned she was for Luke. "Please just tell..."
The cop turned around to listen to Alexis, but she had already taken off. She was dodging cops and bystanders, weaving through the crowd to get to the club. She stopped short when she realized there was no police tape around the club's entrance. No chalk outlines forming Luke's body.
Alexis took a deep breath and opened the door. Soft music was playing from the juke box, music so quiet it could barely be heard over her heavy breaths. She tossed her briefcase on a table and brought a hand to her mouth, nervously nibbling on one of her long, painted nails. She was about to call his name when a figure emerged from behind the bar. Alexis squinted and gasped, "Luke?"
He nodded, slightly surprised to see her. "Hey. Did somethin' happen?" He swallowed the last of his words when Alexis flung her arms around his neck, clinging to his body. He tensed but slowly relaxed and circled his arms around her waist. When she loosened her grip, resting her head against his chest, he asked, "So that's how we're greetin' each other from now on? Just skipping all the banter and yelling, right to-"
"Stop," she scolded him, smacking a hand across his shoulder. Alexis straightened her skirt and smoothed a hand over her wrinkled blouse. She brushed her fingers through her hair and backed away from him. "So," she sighed, acting as though she had just breezed into the club, "why are you still here?"
Luke shook his head, puzzled. He circled around the bar and sat down on one of the stools. "I live here, remember."
"I know, I know. But... did something happen?"
"That was my question," Luke reminded her, leaning back against the bar.
Alexis nodded and hopped onto the stool beside him. She folded her arms across her chest. "There are cops cars everywhere, Luke. I was driving home and saw them. I thought maybe something happened with Helena."
"You don't need to drive past my club on your way home, from anywhere."
"I do to. Just answer my question! Why are you still here if someone tried to shoot you?"
Luke shifted on the stool until he was facing her. "I musta missed somethin'. Someone tried to shoot me?"
"Yeah! Didn't they?"
He opened his mouth, tilting his head back. A deep, throaty laugh erupted in Luke's chest. He snorted and had to wipe tears from his eyes. "You think someone tried to shoot me? That was across the street! Some teenager said he had a gun and another guy called the police, and they fought and no one got hurt. But I'm very touched by your concern."
She rolled her eyes. "I was not concerned about you, Luke."
"Aw, come on, darlin'. You were worried about me."
Alexis couldn't look at him. She could feel his eyes trying to force her into a deep stare, trying to catch her gaze. "I was not worried about you," she repeated.
Luke licked his lips. He slid off the stool until he was only leaning against the seat. He locked his feet around the legs of Alexis' stool, holding it in place. He took hold of her hands and lowered his voice to a raspy whisper, "Then why are you shaking?"
She was going to protest. She was going to deny that she had any concern for him, not to mention visible signs of worry. Her breathing hitched and Alexis held back a quiet groan. She leaned against the bar to put distance between herself and Luke. "I'm shaking," she said, "because my brother was arrested. For trying to kill me."
"What?"
Alexis nodded. She felt his hand tighten around hers and couldn't help but squeeze his fingers inside her sweaty palm. "They found the gun, with his prints, at the cottage. But I know Stefan has nothing to do with it, and he'd never be dumb enough to plant the gun in such an obvious place. I just have to convince the cops of that."
"I'm surprised you don't think I framed your brother," Luke said, crouching to her level. He was facing her profile, his nose almost pressed against her cheek.
When Alexis turned her neck, their lips were almost touching. When she spoke, she could feel her breath wavering between them. She felt her skin become inflamed, a rush of heat warming her body. "I just knew... you did... not."
He let go of her hand and walked his fingers up her thigh. "And you were worried about me?" Luke asked, watching her eyes fall shut. When she nodded, his lips met the corner of her mouth for the briefest moment. "And you came here right away?"
Alexis nodded again. When she felt the slightest contact between herself and Luke, she leaned into the touch. She opened her mouth and sighed as she felt his warm, soft tongue sweep over her lips. He was tasting her, exploring her. The kiss was fierce and soft all at once. She felt herself sinking against and into his body, found that their clothes were a barrier neither of them wanted.
Luke slid his arms around her back. She locked her legs around his waist, her fingers clawing at his chest. She hardly noticed that he stood up and began to walk toward the stairs that led to his apartment. Alexis didn't realize they had been moving until she felt hard, creaking steps pressing against her back. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Luke kneeling above her. His eyes were flashing with lust, but it wasn't as dangerous as it had been before. It was a gleam she had never seen in his eyes before, a look he had never given her. She was pretty sure the same expression was reflecting back at him.
**portions of this chapter have been edited out. if you are over 18, e-mail me and I'll send the rest**