New Beginnings By: Becky Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 Epilogue Part One Year: 1981 “Hi, Amy,” Laura smiled as she walked into her sister’s room. “Mom wants to know if you want anything from the store.” “Nope. But wait!” Amy stood up before Laura could leave the room. “I heard you found out where Scotty was.” “Yeah.” “So when are you leaving for Mexico?” Laura looked at her sister as if she were crazy. “I’m not going to Mexico. I’m going to mail him the papers.” “Figures,” Amy muttered. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Amy sighed. “Nothing, forget it.” “If you have something to say, Amy,” Laura said, irritated. “Fine. I just think it’s not exactly cool of you to divorce Scotty through the mail, okay?” “In case you forgot, I’m getting married in two weeks and I have so many things to do, getting everything in order, making sure everything’s set, so I don’t have the time to go halfway across the continent!” Laura stopped rambling. “What’s it to you, anyway?” Amy rolled her eyes. “I’m leaving now,” she stated. “No! You brought this up. So what? You think I’m doing the wrong thing?” “Yes! I do!” Amy’s voice rose. “Scotty happens to be a friend of mine, and I think you’re just being a big selfish jerk!” “Who asked you anyway?” Laura shouted. “Get out of my room!” “This is MY room, you get out!” “Fine!” “Fine!” Laura slammed the door as she left, hot angry tears pricking her eyes. She kicked the door for good measure. She stormed into the living room, muttering under her breath. Lesley looked on with a bemused expression on her face. “So did Amy want anything?” she asked. Laura stopped talking to herself, and looked up, startled. “What? Oh, no.” “Something wrong?” “I don’t want to talk about it.” “Okay. I’ll be back in about an hour if you change your mind.” Laura started to calm down, and gave her mother a small smile. “Thanks.” As Lesley left, she sunk into a sofa, lifting her legs and hugging them to her chest. She laid her forehead on her knees, and sighed. Amy was right. That was the problem. It wasn’t fair to Scotty. But she didn’t WANT to go to Mexico. She didn’t want to face him. It was hard enough talking to Gail and Lee, but him... And would it help, really? What would she say? Hey, Scotty, just need you to sign these papers so I can marry Luke, thanks a lot, and sorry about the whole cheating on you and destroying our marriage thing? Yeah, right. She stared at the wall, a million arguments running through her mind, two little voices going back and forth, back and forth… She got up slowly, and walked back to Amy’s room, hesitating before finally knocking on the door. “Come in!” Amy called. “Oh, it’s you,” she said as she saw Laura. “What do you want?” Laura’s temper almost flared again, but she stopped herself from retorting. “I just wanted to know where the phone book is.” “What for?” “I need the number for the airport, all right?” Amy stared at her big sister for a bit, then broke into a big smile. “In the kitchen. Here, I’ll show you,” she said, getting up. They walked to the kitchen without saying anything. Amy handed Laura the phone book, and pointed to the phone. “There’s the phone.” “I know where the phone is, you brat.” Amy grinned. “Just making sure.” Laura looked up the number, and picked up the phone, dialing. “A little privacy, please?” As Amy hesitantly left her alone, Laura breathed in deeply, and exhaled, her stomach in knots. “Hi, yes. I need to go to Tijuana, Mexico. Your earliest flight, please. Yes, I’ll hold.” Part Two “Señor Baldwin,” the bartender greeted the now-familiar man. “Hola, Pedro,” Scotty replied, walking clumsily to “his” stool and sitting down. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Pedro served him the first shot without even asking what he wanted. It was always the same. Scotty smiled thankfully, and took the shot, the tequila burning its way down his throat. Another day… He looked around the dirty bar, straining his eyes through the faint light. It was practically empty, except for the usuals. He was one of them now, a usual. How long had he been here? He stared at the amber liquid in the small glass. “My mom called today,” he told Pedro. The older man didn’t understand a word of English, but it didn’t matter. It was just a way of getting everything out. But Pedro managed to catch a word. “¿Su mamá?” Scotty nodded, taking a second shot. “My dad – my papá – he told my wife where I was.” He nearly choked on the word. Wife. Not for long, sucker. “Not that it matters,” Scotty continued out loud. “It’s not like she’ll come here.” For some reason, he found the image of Laura in this bar highly amusing and started to laugh. “Never,” the laughter had subsided, and the word came out full of anger and sadness, mixed. Pedro simply nodded. He didn’t understand the words, but the look he had seen countless times before, and the bitter tone in the voice was also familiar. The wound was still fresh here, that much was clear. “So there’s no point in thinking about it, right? Everything will be okay,” Scotty repeated the words his mother had told him, still not believing them. He took another shot. He could hear Gail’s voice on the phone, her distaste and disapproval over Lee’s actions obvious. She hadn’t mentioned the wedding, of course. As if he didn’t know. She hadn’t even said her name. Your father told her… As if by not naming her he could just pretend she didn’t exist and everything would be okay. He laughed shortly, humorlessly. If only… He didn’t tell his mom about the dreams, and certainly not about seeing her sometimes. Finding himself calling her name out on the street, only to be given those looks he’d become accustomed to. Crazy gringo. “I’ll be getting the papers soon,” he deduced. “Maybe even a personal note with it. To sign or not to sign, that is the question.” He looked up at Pedro, and shrugged. “Shakespeare. Sort of.” He took yet another shot. “What do you think?” Pedro heard the question in the slurred voice, and felt the need to say something. “No hay mal que por bien no venga.” It was always true, he thought, regardless of the problem one might be facing. “All right,” Scotty said. “Thanks.” His eyes started to blur, and he knew it was time to go. He laid the money on the counter. He stepped off the stool, and took a moment to orient himself. “Un momento,” Pedro said. “La comida.” The food. Hey, if he stayed here long enough he might become bilingual. Pedro came back with the usual covered plate, as he had started doing for the past week or so. “Gracias,” Scotty said, taking it. He didn’t know who made it. Maybe Pedro. Maybe Pedro’s wife. Maybe he had found the secret to happily ever after. He walked slowly back to where he was staying. It wasn’t far. There were two old women sitting on the stairs of the building, chatting. They stopped as he walked past them, towards the entrance. “Lo esta esperando alguien arriba,” one of them said. Scotty just smiled and nodded. He climbed the two floors, resting every now and then to stop the slight spinning. He finally arrived at his door, not noticing that it was already unlocked. He pushed the door open, and stopped. “Laura…” He expected the image to dissolve as soon as he spoke her name, as it always did. But instead, it talked back to him. Laura’s smile was weak. “Hi, Scotty.” Part Three Laura felt her heart thumping at high speed against her chest every time there were footsteps outside the door. Half of her wanted it to be him, and just get it over with it. The other half was scared to death and wanted to hide somewhere. Not that there was much choice for that here. There was only a bed and a nightstand in the room, and she couldn’t even bring herself to sit on the bed. Not because it was dirty; that she could handle. It just seemed… presumptuous. So she stood. After thirty minutes of standing, her legs began to ache, so she started pacing. She noticed his clothes and other items scattered on one side of the floor. She bent down and picked up a shirt without thinking, folding it neatly. For a moment she was back at their old apartment in Port Charles, and a familiar pang of regret shot through her. She shook herself out of the past. There was no point in going back there. She let the shirt fall back onto the pile, stepping away from everything Scotty. She heard footsteps again and froze in the middle of the room, her gaze locked onto the door. She saw the doorknob turn, and forgot to breathe. She couldn’t help but stare. He looked terrible. There were bags under his bloodshot eyes, his clothes were stained, and he was obviously drunk. She heard him say her name, and felt herself reply. The gentle look in Scotty’s eyes turned hard as he realized this wasn’t an illusion. He closed the door, and walked past her, setting his wallet and the plate of food on the nightstand. “I didn’t think you’d come,” he said, his back still to her. Laura dropped her eyes guiltily, even though he couldn’t see her. “Yeah, well…” He turned to face her. “So what do you want?” he asked coldly, knowing perfectly well what it was. Laura opened her mouth, but no words came out. Scotty came to stand in front of her, close enough for her to smell the alcohol on his breath. “Well?” he asked. Laura turned her head; she hated the smell of liquor. He grabbed her face with both hands and turned it back towards him. “Am I offending you, Laura?” She tensed immediately, a trapped, fearful look appearing on her face. His hands fell, and he stepped back as if he’d been hit. He ran his hands through his hair, taking a deep breath. “Did you… I would NEVER hurt you.” “You’re drunk,” Laura said simply. “Yeah,” Scotty sighed, a pained look on his face. “Yeah, I am.” He kept the distance between them. “Tell me what you want.” He wanted to hear her say it. To tell him to his face that she was here to end their marriage, once and for all. “I…” Laura still couldn’t manage to say anything coherent, the words stuck in her throat. She had even rehearsed what she was going to say on the plane, but things weren’t turning out the way she’d planned. Scotty’s head began to ache, and he rubbed his temples. He spoke slowly. “I’m tired. I’m going to take a nap. You can stay here if you want.” Laura didn’t mention that it was barely 4 o’clock. “Thanks.” The word sounded so hollow, even to her. Scotty sat on the bed and removed his shoes. “Don’t…” he stopped, trying to make his voice sound as if he didn’t care one way or another. “I wouldn’t go outside at night. It can be dangerous.” Laura nodded. She realized he wasn’t looking at her, so she said, “Okay.” She stood silently for a few minutes, until she was sure he was asleep. She slowly made her way to his side of the bed. It was still the same side. She looked down, a soft smile forming as she took in the sleeping figure. There was the Scotty she knew. The hard lines had disappeared, making him seem younger than he was. And much more forgiving. Her hand came up to his face, one finger tracing his jawline and feeling the unfamiliar prickle of his facial hair. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she withdrew her hand, confused. She wasn’t supposed to be feeling like… whatever it was she was feeling. She loved Luke. Yes, she loved Luke. As soon as Scotty woke up, she was going to ask him what she had come here to ask. And then she would go back to Port Charles. Simple as that. Part Four Scotty awoke three hours later to complete darkness. His first thought was that it had all been a bad dream. There was the usual soft throbbing in his head. Not enough to be especially painful, just really annoying. He sat up, running his tongue over the bad taste in his mouth. He needed to brush his teeth. And if his shirt sticking to his body was any indication, he also needed a shower. He walked with his eyes closed to the light switch, flipping it up. He winced at the brightness of the light, but eventually his eyes focused… to a Laura sleeping at one corner of the room. He almost felt guilty seeing her curled up on the hard floor, using her small luggage bag as a pillow… almost. He grabbed a towel from the clean pile, and headed to the bathroom. He caught his reflection in the mirror, and grimaced. He hated that she had seen him like that. He tried to clear his mind while in the shower, but it was unnerving him to think of her just on the other side of the wall. ‘Don’t get sucked in, Baldwin,’ he thought to himself. ‘She’ll be leaving soon to go back to Spencer, and you’ll be the chump left in the dust again.’ He stepped out of the bath and dried his body, then wrapped the towel around his waist. “You’re awake,” Scotty said to an awakened Laura as he walked back into the bedroom. She was now sitting on the floor, massaging her sore, stiff neck. Actually her whole body was sore and stiff. And she was filthy and starving. She looked up to see Scotty standing a few steps away from her, half-naked. She immediately cast her eyes down, feeling herself blush, and mentally cursing herself for her idiotic reaction. She’d seen him completely naked before, so why should she be embarrassed? Scotty smiled at her obvious discomfort. He grabbed some clean clothes and disappeared into the bathroom again. He reappeared minutes later, fully clothed, and headed straight for the plate of Mexican food. “I’m going to eat. Do you want some?” he offered, as he settled comfortably on the bed. Laura shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” As soon as she’d spoken, her stomach betrayed her with a loud grumble. Scotty silently tossed her a wrapped burrito. Laura smiled in thanks, practically stuffing the whole burrito into her mouth. In less than a minute, all she had in her hand was the plastic cover. She tried to avoid eye contact with Scotty, who was eating his dinner in a much more proper manner, but she could still feel his intense stare fixed on her. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore and she turned her head in his direction, saying more sharply than she intended, “What?” “I was just wondering if Luke knows that you’re here,” he replied mildly. “That’s none of your business.” “Laura code for no,” Scotty said knowingly, not surprised, and very much pleased to hear he had been right in his assumption. “I’ll only be gone one day, what would be the point?” Laura explained, though he hadn’t asked her to. “I don’t care, Laura. And I know you didn’t come here for the company,” Scotty said, the note of bitterness clear in his voice. “So tell me what you want from me, and we can end this happy reunion.” Laura was determined not to stay mute this time. She opened her purse and took out the folded papers. She got up from the floor, wiping the dust off of her clothes. “I need you to sign these papers.” “What papers are those?” Scotty asked. He’d be damned if he was going to make this easy for her. Laura finally lost her temper completely. “You know damn well what papers they are, Scotty! Why are you doing this?” Scotty’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. “You really have to ask?” “Fine. You want me to spell it out for you, I will. I need to make our divorce final so I can marry Lu--” “Do NOT. Say. His name,” Scotty cut her off, his voice dangerously low. Laura glared, not particularly caring at that moment if she’d struck a nerve or not. “Why don’t you just sign the papers then, so I can leave and you won’t have to see or even think of me any more?” “That’s right,” Scotty sneered. “Run away when it starts getting too hard for you. You’re good at that.” His voice rose until he was finally shouting. “Leave someone else to pick up the mess you make, and take no responsibility for the damage you do to people!” Tears welled in Laura’s eyes as his words cut into her, but she managed to steady her voice. “Are you going to sign them or not?” Scotty stood up and walked towards her. “Yeah, I’ll sign.” He took the papers from her outstretched hand, and scanned through them quickly. He looked back at her, his face taking on a peculiar look that Laura had never seen before. “After you do something for me.” Laura looked warily at him. “What?” “Stay with me here for a week.” Part Five Laura’s mouth dropped open. It took a few moments before she regained her ability to speak. “What did you say?” “I said stay with me here for a week, and then I’ll sign these papers,” Scotty said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. Laura balked, “I can’t stay here!” “Why not?” “I’m – I have to get back to Port Charles!” “Why? You’re not getting married for another two weeks.” Laura didn’t ask how he knew that. She took a deep breath, and tried again, trying to make her voice as calm as his. “I can’t stay with you, Scotty” “Of course you can. I’m your husband,” he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, which hardened. “I’m not asking for forever, Laura. Been there, done that, got stepped on. Just one week.” “What would… I mean, do I… are you…” Laura couldn’t complete the sentence. Scotty shook his head, knowing what she was trying to say. “I’m not asking you to sleep with me.” “I see.” She really didn’t. It was as if she were looking at a complete stranger that occasionally reminded her of someone she’d known. And she knew the change was her fault. “So what to do you say?” “Blackmailing someone doesn’t give them much choice, does it?” Laura snapped. “I’ll need to use a phone to call Port Charles.” Scotty took a moment to answer her. He was shocked that she had agreed. He’d expected her to storm out, insulted. To go crying to Luke, and have him handle mean, bad Scotty. “I can take you to one,” he finally said. They walked in silence to the small store where they could make a direct call. The darkness and the unfamiliar sounds of the Mexican street made Laura uneasy, making her walk close to Scotty. He kept himself from pulling her even closer. Laura self-consciously ran her hands over her hair as they entered the store, knowing she must look a mess. But she stopped. Who was she trying to impress, anyway? The owner spoke English, and gave Laura the needed directions so she could use the phone. “Are you going to listen to my conversations?” she asked Scotty, who was standing behind her. Scotty put up his hands, and backed away, taking a seat on one of the benches. He shook his head, the reality of what he’d impulsively started sinking in. What had he gotten himself into? He knew there was still time for him to change his mind, to tell her he was just kidding. But he didn’t say anything. Fairly certain that he couldn’t listen from where he was sitting, Laura dialed the first number and waited for someone to pick up. “Hello?” “Amy, I’m glad it’s you.” “Laura! How’s it going?” “How’s it going? How’s it going?!” Laura started to shout, but caught herself, and lowered her voice. “Oh, it’s great. I can’t thank you enough for convincing me to come here. But I’ll make sure to repay you someday.” Laura’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. Amy ignored her. She’d get the gossip once Laura was back in Port Charles and had cooled down. “Are you on your way back?” “No, there’s been a slight change of plans.” “What do you mean?” “I mean I’m staying here,” Laura took a moment to glare at Scotty across the room, who simply smiled in a way that only served to anger her more. Amy wasn’t sure if she’d heard right. “Huh? Why? How long?” The questions fell one on top of the other, and Laura chose to answer only the last one. “A week, it seems.” “Are you okay?” Amy asked, beginning to get concerned. Laura sighed. “Yeah, I am, don’t worry. I just wanted to call you before I called Luke. I’m going to tell him I’ve gone out of town to get some wedding stuff.” “That’s pretty lame, Laura.” “Just don’t tell him where I am, okay?” “I won’t,” Amy promised. “I’m serious, Amy. You can’t tell him.” “I won’t! Do you want me to wire you some money?” “I hadn’t even thought of that!” She definitely didn’t want to depend on Scotty to cover her costs while she was here. “See, I am good for something,” Amy said, proud of herself. Her voice got serious again. “But you’re really okay, right?” “Yes, I’m okay. I promise. I just have to… straighten some things out, that’s all. I’ll tell you everything once I get back, okay? I owe you one, Amy.” “No problemo! Have fun!” “I will, thanks.” After Amy hung up, Laura muttered, “I’m sure I’ll have a blast.” Part Six “So how did Spencer take the news?” Scotty asked once they were outside again. Laura shrugged, “Okay, I guess.” She wasn’t about to repeat the rather abrupt conversation she’d just had with her future husband. “What did you tell him?” There wasn’t much light out, but Laura could still see the amused look on Scotty’s face. “No, I didn’t tell him the truth.” Scotty’s smile broadened. “Do you want to get something to eat?” Laura looked at him as if he were stupid, but then changed her expression. If he wanted to pretend like this was just a friendly visit, that’s what she would give him. “Is there a store where I can buy some clothes first, please?” she asked sweetly. Scotty’s smile faltered slightly, her quick change in attitude catching him off-guard. “Uh, yeah. I’ll just hail a cab.” They got to the store in a short time, neither saying anything while in the car. Laura walked through the place in a leisurely pace, examining each article of clothing, even if she didn’t have the slightest intent on buying it. Scotty grew impatient as the minutes passed by, knowing full well she knew that he hated waiting while she shopped, and that was exactly the reason she was taking her time. But he wasn’t going to let her get to him… or at least, he wasn’t going to let her know she was getting to him. Finally, Laura made her decision and bought some clothes and miscellaneous items. She walked up to Scotty and smiled. “I’m ready to eat now.” Scotty returned her smile while gritting his teeth. “Great, let’s go.” They continued with the falsely pleasant small talk through their meal, and on their way back to Scotty’s apartment. By the time they got there, they were both silently seething, and ready to blow up. Scotty gallantly opened the door for her, and they walked in. Laura stayed rooted by the door, unsure what to do, her confidence wavering as the door closed, leaving just her and Scotty in the small room. “Make yourself at home,” Scotty said. “Go to HELL!” Laura finally erupted. She was drained, completely frustrated, and tired of this stupid game. Scotty didn’t miss a beat, more than ready to let out his own frustrations. “I already am!” “Don’t yell at me! I’m not--” “Not what? Not my wife?” Scotty challenged angrily, daring her to deny it. “I was going to say I’m not a child.” “That’s a matter of opinion.” “I’m not sleeping on the floor,” Laura informed him out of the blue, ignoring his last comment. “Are you coming on to me?” Laura scoffed, “Don’t flatter yourself. I just don’t see why I should have to sleep on the floor when you’re not going to be using the bed.” “Who said I wasn’t going to sleep?” He actually wasn’t very tired, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. “How much do you sleep?!” “As much as I want,” he retorted. “The way I see it, you have two choices. Sleep on the floor. Or sleep with me.” “Are you coming on to me?” Laura mimicked his earlier words. “It doesn’t matter to me where you sleep.” Laura wasn’t sure if she was thankful, disappointed, or insulted. She looked at the hard floor and was reminded of the stiffness in her neck. She looked at the bed and was reminded of things she’d rather not be reminded of. Scotty watched her mentally debate her options, not sure which decision he was hoping she’d make. Laura turned to Scotty. “I’m going to take a shower.” “Do what you want. I’m going to bed. I’ll just leave the extra blanket here,” he said, placing it at the corner of the bed. Laura grabbed her bags and headed for the bathroom, closing the door with a weak slam. The adrenaline from the long day was fading, and the exhaustion setting in. She turned on the water and took off her clothes while she waited for it to heat up. It would feel so nice washing all the grime off herself… After her shower, Laura hesitated at the door, until she gathered the courage to open it. The light from the bathroom illuminated the darkened bedroom. Turning it off quickly, she tentatively made her way to the bed. She took the blanket he’d left for her, and slowly eased her way onto the bed. Scotty wasn’t asleep. He’d tried, but the sound of the shower brought with it images that did not encourage sleeping. He’d struggled to think of anything else, but his imagination returned to images of water drops sliding down her curved naked body. And now she was lying right next to him. Laura sighed happily as her body molded to the soft cushion, almost forgetting where she was for a moment. Her leg came into contact with Scotty, bringing her back to reality and causing her pulse to react. She froze for a second, not moving an inch. She slowly moved so that she was no longer touching any part of him, but her heart kept beating so hard she was afraid he might hear it. They both lay awake, keeping painfully still, and each aware of the slightest movement the other made, every breath taken. Scotty decided then he was being a glutton for punishment. Tomorrow he would sign those damn papers and tell her to leave. Part Seven Laura opened her sleepy eyes and stretched, frowning at the unfamiliar surroundings. She stopped and looked around the room for Scotty, but he wasn’t there. She got up and quietly tip-toed to the bathroom. She let out her breath once she saw that he wasn’t there, either. She shook her head. This was insane. “What are you doing here?” she asked herself out loud. “He’s forcing me to, I have no choice.” ‘And you’d rather be here than with Luke.’ Laura looked from side to side, suddenly afraid that someone had overheard her private thoughts. She shook her head again, and grabbed a shirt and jeans, then tied her hair up into a bun. The unwanted thoughts kept sneaking up on her as she showered and changed, as they always did when she found herself alone. She and Luke had been fighting more often than not lately. Sometimes she got the feeling they’d be happier together if they were facing mortal danger again. Luke and Laura against the world. Luke and Laura, married couple. She laughed a hollow laugh. That was supposed to be the end to the fairy tale, wasn’t it? Happily ever after? Scotty chose that moment to walk in, packages in hand. “Hi, Laura.” Laura just looked at him. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t snarling at her, either. And she wished he were. It would make life so much simpler if she could hate him, if he wasn’t a constant reminder of her mistakes. “I brought some stuff.” He placed the small paper bags on the bed next to her. “We need to talk,” he paused. “I’ve been thinking…” He stopped again, looking at her. “Are you listening to me?” Still Laura said nothing. Scotty couldn’t believe this. “You’re giving me the silent treatment now?” He grabbed Laura by the arms, and pulled her up. “What’s the matter with you?” “Leave me alone,” she said, twisting out of his grasp. Scotty stared at her resentful face. “I was just going to ask if you wanted some lunch,” he lied. “I’m going out again, so I wanted to check.” “You’re going to leave me here?” “You can come with me or stay here, it’s up to you.” Laura grabbed her purse and followed him out. If she stayed by herself, she might go crazy. ~*~ ‘Idiot, idiot, idiot,’ Scotty kept repeating silently to himself as they walked to Pedro’s bar. He’d had every intention of signing those papers, but she’d made him so mad with her childish attitude. “Señor Baldwin,” Pedro said. “Hola, Pedro.” Scotty motioned to Laura. “This is Laura.” “Hola, señorita.” “Mucho gusto,” Laura said, shaking the man’s hand. Pedro smiled, despite her horrible accent. “¿Habla español?” “Uno poco,” Laura answered. Scotty could see that Pedro was already charmed. He hadn’t even served him his first shot of tequila. “Pedro, where’s my tequila?” Laura put her hand on Scotty’s arm, shaking her head. “Are you telling me I can’t drink?” “Yes. No,” Laura amended. “I’m asking you not to. Please.” “All right,” Scotty conceded. He waved away the shot that Pedro had served. “No, gracias. We’re leaving. Adios.” “Un momento,” Pedro said, turning his attention to Laura. “Mi familia,” he waited for Laura to nod her understanding and continued. “Vamos a tener una fiesta esta noche, empieza como a las ocho,” he put up eight fingers to clarify the time. “Estan invitados.” He grabbed a napkin and a pen, and started writing. Scotty may not have understood much Spanish, but he knew the word ‘fiesta’ meant party and he could see that what Pedro was writing was an address. He leaned to say in Laura’s ear, “I don’t think so.” Laura turned sharply at him. “Scotty, it’d be rude not to go! Besides, he seems like a really nice man.” “Fine,” Scotty agreed. The man *had* been very kind to him. Pedro handed the piece of paper to Laura, and looked from Scotty back to Laura. “Vendrán?” Laura smiled widely. “Sí, gracias.” Pedro nodded, pleased. They said goodbye, and Scotty and Laura left the bar. “I need to get some more clothes,” Laura told Scotty. “Oh, no,” Scotty shook his head. “I’m not going shopping with you again.” “You don’t have to. I can find my way around.” The town looked much less threatening in daylight. “Are you sure?” “I can take care of myself.” “I know that. I’ll see you back at my place, then.” Laura nodded and Scotty watched as she hailed a cab and disappeared around the corner. He shook his head. “Idiot.” ~*~ Amy settled into the sofa in front of the TV with a bag of chips in her hand. “Come and knock on my door, come and knock on my door, we’ve been waiting for you, we’ve been waiting for you … where the kisses are hers and hers and--” A loud knocking from the door interrupted her singing. She was the only one there, so she had to answer it. “Hey, Luke,” she said. ‘Uhoh,’ she thought. “Three’s Company’s just starting, so...” “I just wanted to know what Laura’s up to.” “She called you,” Amy pointed out. “Yeah. And she told me that she was getting ‘some wedding stuff’. I told her to do what she wanted, she never asks my permission, anyway. She sounded weird on the phone, and I know you talked to her, too.” “It’s a surprise, that’s all,” Amy told him. She turned her head with little subtlety to remind him that she was missing her favorite TV show. “Come on, Amy,” Luke persisted. “You know you want to tell me. After all, I’m your future brother-in-law.” Amy leaned in closer to him. “Can you keep a secret?” “You know it, darlin’,” Luke grinned. Amy smiled. “So can I.” She’d always wanted to use that one! But with her big mouth, she hadn’t had the chance until now. Luke’s smile faded. “I gotta go. See ya, Amy.” “Bye,” Amy waved, and chuckled once she had closed the door. “Hope you’re having fun, sis.” Part Eight Laura and Scotty arrived at the party at 8 o’clock on the dot, not wanting to be late. Or maybe not wanting to be alone. They knocked on the door, and waited. A little girl opened the door for them, smiling shyly at the two strangers. “Hola,” Laura said. “Me llamo Laura.” She pointed to Scotty. “Él es Scotty. Está Pedro?” The girl nodded and turned her head, yelling, “Abuelito! Lora y Escoti estan aquí!” Pedro came up to the door, and the little girl ran off giggling. “Señor Baldwin! Laura! Pasen, pasen.” Pedro led them through the house, and into the crowded kitchen. One of the women came to stand by him, wiping her hands on her apron. “Está es mi esposa, la que le hace su comida,” Pedro told Scotty. “It’s his wife,” Laura translated. “She’s the one that fixes your meals.” “Gracias,” Scotty said to the woman. “No hay de que,” she said. She turned to her husband and asked him to take their guests outside, and offer them something to drink. “Están en su casa,” she told them with a warm smile. They followed Pedro to the door leading to the backyard, where there were lots of tables, and a large empty space in the middle. Mexican music was blaring, and they were the only ones there except for the children running in and out of the house. Pedro showed them to their seats and gave them both Coca-Cola to drink. Satisfied that they were comfortable, he excused himself. “Uh, where are the people to fill up all these tables?” Scotty asked. “I don’t know…” Laura answered, looking around the empty yard, just as confused. They sat there, sipping their drinks, listening to the music. Scotty couldn’t help but stare at Laura, the way the soft breeze caught her hair, brushing it past her bare shoulders. Laura looked up at the darkened sky filled with stars, trying to ignore the reactions her body was having to his steady, penetrating gaze. It was a while before people started trickling in. In an hour, the whole place was filled with food, people, dancing, food, talking, and more food. Scotty and Laura enjoyed the homemade meal, and settled to watching everyone else have a good time until one of Pedro’s sons came up to them. “Mr. Baldwin?” “Scott,” Scotty corrected him, thankful that someone here spoke English. “Scott,” the young man smiled. “I am Luis. My father, he did not know if this lady is with you?” “She’s my wife,” Scotty said, emphasizing the last word. “Oh! Perdón. I am sorry. Enjoy the party.” Luis turned and walked back to his table. He didn’t think it would be wise to ask why neither of them had a wedding band on their finger. Laura turned to look at Scotty. “So we’re just going to sit here, then, dearest?” Her voice was sugary sweet. “Don’t start that again. I’ll dance with you, one dance.” The instant the words came out of his mouth he regretted them. Laura stood up before he could change his mind. They walked to the dancing area, neither of them quite sure how to go about actually dancing to the fast-paced Mexican music. They looked at the other couples, and tried to mimic their moves. It didn’t work. They moved at the wrong beat and stepped on each other’s feet as they took the wrong steps. They looked more like they were wrestling than dancing. They stopped moving suddenly and stared at each other, bursting out laughing at the same time. “We suck!” Laura laughed. “We?” Scotty said with a lopsided smile. “We who?” Laura laughed even harder. The humor of the moment passed and they stood looking at each other, neither sure what to say or do next. There was a warmth in Scotty’s eyes that Laura had been longing to see without even knowing it. Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Scotty,” she whispered. It was an odd moment to say it, but it was the only truthful one they’d had since she’d gotten there. Even if Scotty hadn’t heard her, he could see the sincere apology reflected in her watery blue eyes. They didn’t see the mariachi lining up and everyone else sitting to listen. They only heard the music begin again, this time with a slow beat. Abrázame (Take me in your arms) Y no me digas nada (And don’t say a word) Solo abrázame (Just take me in your arms) Me basta tu mirada (I have enough with the look on your face) Para comprender que tu te iras (To understand that you’ll leave) Without a word, Scotty stepped closer to Laura, taking her by the waist and pulling her to him until they were touching. Laura’s hands came up to rest on his shoulders. Abrázame (Take me in your arms) Como si fuera ahora la primera vez (Like if it were the first time) Como si me quisieras hoy igual que ayer (Like if you loved me today the same as yesterday) Abrázame (Take me in your arms) They swayed gently to the soft music. Si tu te vas (If you leave) Te olvidaras que un día (You’ll forget that one day) Hace tiempo ya (A long time ago now) Cuando éramos aun niños (When we were kids) Me empezaste a amar (You began to love me) Y yo te di mi vida… si te vas (And I gave you my life… if you leave) Laura held Scotty tighter. Si tu te vas (If you leave) Ya nada será nuestro (Nothing will be ours) Tu te llevaras en un solo momento (You will take in only one moment) Una eternidad (An eternity) Me quedare sin nada si te vas (I’ll be left with nothing if you leave) Scotty breathed in her scent, and imagined she was his. Abrázame (Take me in your arms) Y no me digas nada (And don’t say a word) Solo abrázame (Just take me in your arms) No quiero que te vayas (I don’t want you to leave) Pero se muy bien que tu te iras (But I know very well that you will go) Laura closed her eyes as if to stop time. Abrázame (Take me in your arms) Como si fuera ahora la primera vez (Like if it were the first time) Como si me quisieras hoy igual que ayer (Like if you loved me today the same as yesterday) Abrázame (Take me in your arms) “Come home with me,” Scotty said, his warm breath caressing her ear. Part Nine Rated NC-17 Scotty and Laura somehow made it back to his place after Laura accepted his invitation with a soft, “Yes”. Neither had bothered to say goodbye as they left, still lost in their own secret space. Neither spoke a word as they entered the room. There was no tentative first taste. Scotty’s mouth covered Laura’s in a hungry kiss as soon as the door closed. He wanted, needed to taste her, and she opened her mouth eagerly, meeting his tongue with hers. A soft, breathy moan escaped Laura’s mouth, making Scotty hard in a second. His hand trailed up from her hip, until he cupped her breast, squeezing it through the fabric, making her gasp. He pressed against her, and a rush of warmth pooled in between Laura’s legs. She rubbed against him in a primal response, wanting more. She pulled his shirt out of his pants, her hands dipping under to feel his skin. Her touch burned into him, and his mouth left hers despite her whimper. He took off his shirt in one swift move, the craving in her eyes making him want her even more than he thought possible. Never breaking eye contact, Laura pulled down her blouse until it fell at her feet. She stepped out of it, and kicked off her shoes. Scotty moved to her, claiming her mouth again. He couldn’t get enough of her. They moved to the bed, the remaining clothes falling to the floor with every step. Laura felt the edge of the bed hit the back of her legs and climbed onto it, Scotty doing the same, until he was poised over her. He stroked his way up her body, paying special attention to her sensitive spots. Laura’s head arched back, as she moaned her liking. Scotty couldn’t resist leaving wet kisses on every inch of her exposed neck, as his thumbs played with her nipples, rolling them until they were tight peaks, sending waves of pleasure through Laura’s body. His mouth moved to her breasts, the mixed sensation of his rough beard and soothing kisses making Laura ache to touch every part of him. Scotty bit one of her nipples gently, causing Laura’s nails to dig into his shoulder. She pushed him onto his back, a mischievous smile on her face. Any words of protest were lost on Scotty’s lips as Laura teased him, her tongue swirling patterns on his chest, her hair adding delicious friction that was driving him insane. Her hand lowered to stroke him, and he reacted instantly. He had to have her now. He flipped them over so she was underneath him again, settling himself between her legs. He dipped one finger into her, her wetness making him groan. She wanted this as much as he did. Her eyes were half-closed, her mouth parted and panting. She had never looked more beautiful. Scotty’s mouth lingered just above hers, barely touching. “Look at me, Laura,” he demanded. Their blue eyes met, and Laura pulled Scotty’s head down into a deep kiss just as he thrust into her, filling her completely. Their cries mingled in their open mouths. Scotty began to move in and out of her with precise slowness, enjoying the feel of her tightening around him. Laura tried to move against him, but he held her hips still. “Scotty, please…” Laura breathed. The pleading in her voice ended his already weakened self-control. He began to drive into her faster, Laura wrapping her legs around his waist to take him in even deeper, bucking against him with urgent need. Their sounds of pleasure grew louder as they got closer to the edge, until one last thrust pushed them over, leaving them a mass of trembling and satisfied limbs. Once they had calmed down, Scotty silently covered them with the blanket, taking Laura into his arms, wrapping them possessively around her. Her body molded naturally to his, her head resting on his chest, listening to the now-steady beat of his heart. It slowly lulled her to a peaceful sleep. He placed a tender kiss on her hair, and tried not to think of what tomorrow would bring. For tonight, they still belonged to each other. Part Ten Laura stirred from her sleep, blinking her eyes a few times to focus them. The events of the night before came rushing back to her as she felt the rise and fall of Scotty’s bare chest under her hand. She had a leg draped carelessly over his, and one of his warm hands was curved around her hip. She carefully disentangled herself from him, watching his face as she did to make sure she hadn’t woken him up. She slid slowly out of the bed, the panic getting stronger and overriding every other emotion within her. What had she done? That was a stupid question. She knew exactly what she had done -- every single moment of their night together was etched in her mind. The real question was how she had let it happen. She gathered her clothes, dressing hastily as she tried to find a way to rationalize her actions. But there was nothing and no one that she could blame this on, except herself. “I love Luke,” she kept repeating, as if saying it would magically erase what had happened and make her forget that he had been the farthest thing from her mind last night. That she had wanted Scotty, had been more than a willing participant in their lovemaking. “I have to get out of here,” she decided, somehow convincing herself that it would be best for everyone if she did. Her voice was barely above a whisper. If Scotty had been asleep, he might have missed everything she said. He might have woken up to an empty room, with only her smell lingering to prove to him that it hadn’t been just another dream. But he heard her words as clearly as if she had shouted them at him. Disappointment took a hold of him without warning, quickly followed by a growing anger and disgust at her, for choosing to leave like a coward, and himself, for letting her get close enough to hurt him again. He sat up, finding it almost comical that she didn’t realize he was looking at her as she tried to sneak out. He waited until she walked to the door before saying, “Going somewhere, Laura?” Laura stopped cold, her hand freezing just above the doorknob. She slowly turned around. She couldn’t deny it, and she didn’t even try. Scotty got out of the bed, and Laura averted her eyes. “I think it’s a little late for modesty, Laura,” Scotty said, putting on a pair of pants. “Don’t you?” Laura returned her gaze back to him, not being able to quite decipher the look in his eyes or the tone in his voice. “Before you leave, aren’t you forgetting something?” Scotty asked, his voice falsely cheerful. “I’m sure I have a pen here somewhere.” Laura didn’t comprehend the meaning of his words at first, but they finally sunk in as she saw him show her the divorce papers. “What do you..” her voice trailed off, not really wanting to hear his answer. “I mean I’ll sign your papers, and you can be on your way. You can consider your debt to me paid in full.” Scotty’s smile turned into a leer. “And, I have to say, you were great.” “Stop it, Scotty,” Laura said, shaking her head, a sick feeling forming in her stomach. “We’re both adults here, Laura. We both got what we wanted.” Laura tried to keep her voice from shaking, but couldn’t. “And what you wanted was to fuck me so you could know that you got one up on Luke, right?” Scotty evaded her question by asking one of his own. “How do you think Spencer would react if I told him what happened?” he pondered. “I can imagine he wouldn’t be thrilled.” “Would doing that make you feel like a man?” Laura forced a bitter smile. “Maybe I should be proud that I had the power to turn you into this.” “Get out.” Laura was able to open the door and leave before the tears fell from her eyes like waterfalls. She blindly made her way down the stairs, clutching her bags to her body to keep from completely falling apart. In his room, Scotty took the documents that were still in his hand and shredded them, crumpling the torn pieces of paper in his tightly closed fists. It didn’t make him feel better. He shut his eyes, the pain evident in his face now that he was alone. He spoke at the empty air. “Why, Laura?” There was no answer. Part Eleven Amy was just about to be kissed by Jack Tripper when a light tapping noise cut through her dream state, waking her up. As she became semi-coherent, she moved from being seriously annoyed at the interruption, to frightened about the weird noises coming outside her window. Grabbing a high-heeled shoe from the floor, she crept towards the window, moving the curtain just enough to see who it was. She tossed the shoe aside when Laura’s face appeared, breathing out in relief. She opened the window and took Laura’s bags, while Laura climbed inside the room. “I don’t know if you’ve heard,” Amy said, “but there’s a new invention called the door.” Amy frowned as she got no response from Laura, who didn’t seem to even realize she was being spoken to. She touched Laura on the shoulder. Laura turned around, and Amy could have sworn she seemed surprised to see her, which only worried her more. Before Laura got lost in her own thoughts again, Amy started to talk. “I thought you were staying in Mexico longer. What happened?” Laura flinched at the question. “Can we talk about it tomorrow?” she asked. “I’m really tired.” Amy had the suspicion that wasn’t the whole truth, but she didn’t press. “Yeah, sure.” She grinned. “Come on, we’ll have a slumber party.” Laura smiled faintly at that. They got into Amy’s bed, facing each other. They hadn’t done this in years, since they were kids. Amy watched her sister carefully. It didn’t take a genius to see that she wasn’t going to be able to sleep. And if she knew Laura, she would spend the whole night replaying whatever had happened in Mexico in her head. But she also knew a sure-fire way to keep her from doing that. “Hey, Laura,” she said, to catch her attention. Laura looked up. “Hmm?” “I was having this really great dream before you rudely interrupted me,” Amy informed her. There was a light hint of amusement in Laura’s eyes. “Oh, yeah? What about?” “Settle in and I’ll tell you a story of a beautiful girl named Amy, and a dashing boy named Jack.” “Jack?” “Jack Tripper. You know, from Three’s Company.” “Oh, I like him with Janet.” Amy mock-glared. “Shut up, and let me tell this story. Where was I? Oh, right. So Amy and Jack went out on a date, after much begging on Jack’s part. They went to the finest restaurant in town, of course…” ***** “Señor Baldwin?” Scotty could see the surprise and confusion in Pedro’s eyes as he walked into the bar and took his usual spot. “Hola, Pedro.” Pedro’s eyes kept looking towards the door as if he were expecting someone else to walk through it at any moment. Scotty’s was glad he didn’t have to tell him why Laura wasn’t coming. “Tequila?” Pedro finally asked, as if there could be any other reason that Scotty was there alone. At Scotty’s nod, Pedro served him the drink. Scotty raised his glass as he made a silent toast. He tossed the fluid down his throat, feeling it readjust to the harsh, bitter taste. Scotty put out his glass, and Pedro served him again. After a few of these, he might be able to convince himself that it was just another day. Almost as if the past two had never happened… Part Twelve Amy sat cross-legged on the bed, every now and then poking Laura. They had finally gone to sleep, but Amy’s curiosity had woken her up early. She nudged her sister again, this time with a little more pressure. “Amy, poke me one more time, and I will hurt you,” Laura mumbled without opening her eyes. “You’re awake, good!” Amy clapped enthusiastically. Laura groaned, “You’re not going to leave me alone, are you?” “Nope. So get sit up.” Laura did as she was told, resting her head against the headboard. “Okay, ask away.” Amy fired the first question without hesitation. “Why did you stay in Mexico?” “Because Scotty said he’d only sign the divorce papers if I stayed with him for a week.” Amy’s eyes widened. “He blackmailed you??” She frowned, confused. “But you didn’t stay a week. What happened?” “I, uh… I slept with him.” Amy gasped. “You did NOT!” “Oh, but I did.” “How was it?” “AMY!” Amy grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, it slipped out. Wow.” “Yeah.” Amy cocked her head to the side as she thought of something. “Why are you here, then? I mean, if…” “When I woke up… the next morning,” Laura ignored Amy’s pathetic attempt to not smile, and continued, “I freaked out. And I was going to, you know, leave. But he caught me.” “And then?” Amy prodded. This was better than the romance novels she kept hidden under the bed. “And then,” Laura’s face distorted at the memory. “He told me that he’d sign the papers because he’d gotten what he wanted from me.” Amy shook her head in disbelief. “So he signed the papers and you came back,” she filled in the missing piece. Laura blinked at the statement, just realizing that he hadn’t. “No…” “No?” “I left before he could… I didn’t even think about it until now.” Laura shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, anyway.” “Don’t you have to get the divorce finalized before you marry Luke?” “I’m not going to marry Luke.” Amy was becoming more confused. “Huh?” “How can I marry him, Amy? I cheated on him. God, I must have some genetic defect or something.” “Or maybe you’re just horny?” Amy suggested. Laura grabbed a pillow and swatted her sister on the head. ***** Scotty stared at the ceiling, contemplating the ups and downs of his short life in the middle of a rare philosophical mood at five in the morning. He took a break every now and then to count the number of stains. The day would soon start, and he’d drag himself out of bed to get something to eat, then back into the bar he would go. He was the poster child for that Jimmy Buffett song, how did it go?… “Wasted away again in Margaritaville… Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt… Some people claim that there's a woman to blame…” He shook the song out of this head. He couldn’t go on like this. He was throwing away what was supposed to be the best time of his life. More importantly, he couldn’t give Laura and that curly-haired freak the satisfaction. And, he thought with a touch of spitefulness, if he disappeared again, it would make things just a little harder for them to get hitched. He became energized as the idea started to take shape in his mind. He jumped out of the bed and went straight to the bathroom, a million questions popping into his head. Where would he go? It didn’t really matter, really. He would figure that out along the way. He finished showering, and threw on some clothes. He was really doing this. He grabbed the one bag he’d brought with him after he’d left Port Charles, and stuffed all his belongings into it. He scanned the room to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything and paused as he got to the nightstand. He walked to the door, opening it, but then stopping and turning back. He walked to the nightstand and opened the small drawer. The only thing in it was his golden wedding band. He took it out and put it in the pocket of his jeans. After all, he couldn’t be expected to change everything overnight. Part Thirteen Laura sat at the table where she had arranged to meet Luke during his lunch break. She fiddled with the napkin, going over what she would say. She had chosen a table away from the crowd, but close enough to give her a sense of security. “Hey!” Luke’s loud greeting echoed through the diner. Laura stood up to meet him. He aimed for her mouth, but she turned her head, his mouth landing on her cheek. “Hi, Luke.” She sat back down, and he found his own seat next to her. “I need to talk to you about something important.” “Shoot,” Luke said, grabbing one of the menus, and browsing through it. Laura took the menu from him. “This is important, okay? It isn’t easy for me to say.” She paused, giving him time to focus on her. “I can’t marry you, Luke.” “Is that some kind of joke?” Laura shook her head. “No, I’m serious. I’m sorry.” “You’re sorry? I’m going to need a little more than that, Laura! What the hell brought this on? I know we’ve been fighting a lot lately, but--” “I slept with someone else.” It took Luke a full minute to recover from that one. “You what? Who?” “I lied. I wasn’t shopping for any wedding stuff. I went to get the divorce papers signed. And I slept with Scotty.” Luke pushed himself violently away from the table, an incredulous look on his face. “BALDWIN? That’s a big leap there, Laura!” Laura looked apprehensively around the room, where people were beginning to pretend they weren’t straining to listen to every word. “Luke, I know you’re angry…” she tried to make her voice calming. “I can’t believe this!” “You can’t?” Laura asked, almost laughing. “Why not, Luke? I cheated on him with you.” “That’s different!” “How? How is it different?” Luke didn’t answer her. His mind was beginning to fill with images of her and Baldwin. “So that’s it, then.” Laura nodded. “Goodbye, Luke.” “Yeah. Sayonara, sweetheart,” Luke bit out. Laura watched him storm off and waited for the overwhelming pain and loss to fill her. But she only felt a vague sense of sadness and guilt. She calmly stood, and walked away. ***** News of the canceled nuptials spread like wildfire through Port Charles. People could talk about nothing else. Rumor had it that Mikkos Cassadine had frozen Luke’s “assets” and he couldn’t perform, so Laura had dumped him. Others claimed that they had heard from a friend who had heard from a cousin’s friend that it had something to do with Laura’s husband, Scott Baldwin. It wasn’t long before Gail heard about it. She and Lee were getting ready for bed, and she turned to her husband. “I’m calling Scott tomorrow to see how he’s settled into his new place.” “Good,” Lee nodded his approval. It was good to see the boy making a new start. It had pained him to know that Scott was drowning in the same drug that he himself had turned to at the low points in his life, and being able to do little about it. “So have you heard?” Gail regained Lee’s attention. “About Laura and Luke?” Gail nodded. “Hasn’t everyone?” He spoke the question he knew Gail was asking herself. “Should we tell him?” Gail had indeed been thinking about that all day, and she shook her head slowly. “I don’t think so. He’s just started this new life, finally getting himself together. What good would it do to tell him? It’s better this way.” “He’ll find out eventually,” Lee reminded her. “I know. But hopefully by then he’ll be able to make a good decision on what to do with the information.” “I guess you’re right,” Lee agreed. “Good night.” “Good night,” Gail replied, turning off the lamp beside her. They fell asleep, secure in the feeling that they were doing the right thing. Part Fourteen Laura flipped randomly through the channels, not really paying attention to what was on the television. A knock on the door stopped her pointless surfing, and she got up. “Who is it?” “It’s your fairy godmother, who do you think?” came the reply from the outside. Laura smiled as she opened the door. It was true. She had been avoiding everybody except her sister for the past week. She knew other people were worried about her -- namely Lesley and Rick -- but she didn’t know what to tell them. She didn’t even know what to tell herself. Amy came in, holding up the square shaped boxes she’d brought with her, along with her favorite magazine. “Hungry?” “Chinese food,” Laura said, her smile widening. “I love you.” “I know. I rule the world.” Amy tossed her winter clothing on the table by the couch, and they both settled on the soft cushions. Amy handed Laura one of the boxes and a pair of chopsticks. “Thanks. So how’s life on the outside?” Laura asked before she eagerly attacked the food. Amy regarded her sister carefully. She knew everyone would be surprised to know that Laura was not the picture of a broken-hearted woman crying her eyes out while watching a movie like ‘Love Story’ and stuffing her face with junk food. Lesley kept asking her how this could have happened, but Amy just shrugged her shoulders and said nothing. Who knew she could be so discreet? But as far as Amy could see, Laura had made the right choice, and she didn’t need anyone telling her otherwise. But she also couldn’t hide here forever. “Same as always,” she replied. “You know you’ve got to get back out there, Laura.” “I know. How could I forget? You tell me that everyday.” “That’s ‘cause everyday it’s true.” “I really don’t know what to do with myself, Amy,” Laura said. “It just seems like now that I’m not running head-on into marrying Luke, I have no clue where I’m going, or what I’m doing.” “That is why I brought Seventeen!” Laura raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Seventeen is going to help me solve my issues?” “It’s a magazine, not a miracle-worker.” “Ha. Ha.” “They have this game, and we’re going to play.” “Why not? I don’t have anything better to do.” “You flatter me.” They placed their food on the table and settled back onto the couch. “All right,” Amy began. “I say a word and you tell me the first thing that pops into your head, ‘kay?” “Got it.” “Close your eyes and clear your mind,” Amy said with a deep, pseudo-mysterious voice that made Laura laugh. “Ready?” “Yep,” Laura said. “Okay, here we go. Color.” “Purple.” “Friend.” “Monica.” “Food.” “Chinese.” “Black.” “White.” “Love.” “Scotty.” Laura’s eyes popped open, and covered her mouth as if to keep it from saying anything else. “AHA!” “No… I don’t…love him.” “Don’t you?” Amy asked sincerely. “Oh, my God…” Laura proceeded to pound her head on the table while Amy happily munched on her fried rice. ***** Scotty stared at the calendar he’d bought the first day he’d arrived in Chicago. Aside from it’s practical purpose, it was supposed to be sort of symbolic, the start of a new life for Scott Baldwin. But really, it was mostly a reminder of how much closer it was getting until the wedding day. Two days now. Scotty looked around his bedroom. Everything he’d bought was in its place now, except for a few odd items scattered about. He’d started looking for a job, and he was feeling pretty good about life, about himself. He sighed. But if he was really going to make a new start, he had to deal with his unresolved past. And his unresolved past had a name: Laura. He had shredded the divorce papers she had gotten, but he could easily draw up some new ones, give them to her, and finally close that chapter of his life for good. And that was exactly what he was going to do. Part Fifteen “I still don’t see why you have to leave,” Bobbie said unhappily. “I told you, Barbara, I gotta split from this hole.” Luke couldn’t take one more second of this gossiping town. Every time he thought of HIS angel, rolling around with… It made him sick to his stomach to even think about it. A loud knock interrupted his dark thoughts. He turned to Bobbie, a scowl still on his face. “Get that, will you?” Bobbie got up from the bed, left the bedroom, and made her way to the door. Her eyes lit up as she opened it and saw Scotty, but she turned apprehensive as she realized the possible disaster in the making. She didn’t quite let him in. “What are you doing here?” she said in a whispered voice. “I went to La--” Scotty began. “Who is it, Barbara?” Luke called from the bedroom. Before Bobbie could say anything, Scotty yelled, “It’s me, Spencer!” Luke appeared in a blink of an eye, a decidedly uninviting look on his haggard face. Bobbie wasn’t sure if she was glad to be in between the two men. “What the hell do you want?” Luke barked. “Is Laura here?” Scotty’s tone was not friendly, either. The look on Luke’s face turned downright murderous, as he took Scotty’s innocent question as an intentional taunt. Bobbie knew Scotty better than that, and she stepped towards her brother, placing a calming hand on his chest, then turning her gaze back towards Scotty. “You don’t know.” “Know what?” Scotty asked, a note of impatience in his voice. Bobbie glanced up at her unstable brother, and decided it would be best to take the conversation someplace else. “We’ll just be outside, Luke,” she said, as she pushed Scotty out the door. “What’s going on, Bobbie?” “Laura broke things off with Luke,” Bobbie told him, the disdain for her formal rival clear. Scotty kept his lips from spreading into a smile, and he simply asked. “Do you know why?” Bobbie shrugged. “Why does Laura do anything?” And why does my life always end up discussing the self-serving, fickle bitch? she wondered to herself. Scotty’s mind was already somewhere else, and he simply nodded. “I have to go, Bobbie. I’ll see you later, okay?” Bobbie stared wistfully after him, then sighed, “Yeah, bye.” She turned and walked back into her brother’s place, preparing herself for his sure-to-come rants. ***** Scotty headed for the Webber’s house. He’d gone to Laura’s apartment before going to Luke’s, but she hadn’t been there. If she wasn’t at Lesley’s, Amy would know where she was. Amy knew everything. He knocked on the door, and in a few moments his sister-in-law appeared. “Hi, Am--” The door was shut in his face. But Scotty hadn’t come all the way here for nothing. He knocked again. “Go away, loser!” Amy yelled, still not opening the door. “I’m not leaving until I talk to Laura!” “Why? Do you love her?” “Amy, can we have this conversation without yelling through the door?” “Answer the question!” Amy demanded. “Okay! YES! I love her!” Amy opened the door. She smiled. “I just wanted to make sure.” “Can I come in now?” Amy shook her head. “Nope.” “Amy,” Scotty warned. “In about five seconds I’m going to break down the door. So just let me in.” “You could do that. But it’d be kinda stupid considering Laura’s not here.” Scotty rubbed his temples in exasperation, a headache starting to form. “Why couldn’t you just tell me that from the beginning?” “This way was much more fun,” Amy grinned. “And I had to decide whether or not to keep you.” Scotty ignored her nonsensical remark, and chalked it up to Amy speak. “Where is she?” he asked, not expecting an answer. “Mexico,” Amy said, surprising him in more ways than one. “She left an hour ago.” She closed the door. Part Sixteen Laura leaned her back against the door, sitting in a crossed-legged position on the floor in front of Scotty’s apartment. She had knocked on the door, but there had been no answer. She had thought of asking to be let in, like last time, but she had decided it against it. She didn’t have much of a plan. All she knew was that she had to tell him, in person, that she loved him. The way she figured it, she’d either end up feeling like a complete fool, or ready to live her life. Or maybe both. “Laura.” The familiar voice lifted her head up. She saw him, and stood up, a nervous smile on her face. “Déjà vu,” she said softly. They stood awkwardly in the hallway until Scotty stated the obvious. “We need to talk.” Laura nodded. She turned to go into the apartment, but Scotty stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t live here anymore.” “Oh.” It was strange how a simple touch could feel so intense. Scotty removed his hand, affected by their closeness as much as she was. They sat at the top of the stairs, each at either end. Neither said anything for a few minutes. “I’m sorry,” Scotty finally broke the silence. “I didn’t mean what I said before, when you were here… after we made love.” Laura smiled. So it hadn’t been just sex to him, either. “I’m sorry, too… for trying to leave like that...” There was so much more to say between them, but they both felt better having crossed the first bridge. “So where are you living now?” Laura asked. “Chicago.” “Oh… Then how did you know…? Amy,” Laura answered her own question with a soft laugh. Scotty laughed with her. “Who else?” There was another silent pause, but this one much less uncomfortable. “And speaking of Amy… the reason I was in Port Charles…” Scotty unfolded the papers in his hand. Laura had seen them right off, knowing what they were. “Divorce papers.” “I thought you might need them.” “To marry Luke.” “Yeah.” He looked at her directly. “But you’re not.” “No.” The “Why not?” was at the tip of Scotty’s tongue, but he didn’t ask. Instead he handed Laura the papers and told her, “I’ve already signed them.” Laura took the papers, scanning through them but not really looking at them. “I’ll sign them…” She lifted her gaze, a hint of playfulness in her eyes. “If you let me stay with you for a week.” A small crease of confusion appeared on Scotty’s forehead. “What are you saying?” “I love you.” Scotty stared. Had he moved on to auditory hallucinations now? “Yeah, caught me by surprise, too,” Laura said, her heart beginning to pound in her ears. “I just had to tell you,” she continued when he didn’t say a word, just kept looking at her with those blue eyes. “That’s why I came here. You d--” “I love you.” Laura bit her lip. “What now?” Scotty asked after another moment of silence passed. “You’re asking me?” “We can’t just pick up where we left off... can we? “I don’t know.” “Our track record…” “I know.” “I’ve just moved to Chicago…” Laura nodded. “I’ve decided to go to college.” Scotty started in undisguised surprise. “College?” “You don’t think I can make it?” Scotty smiled at the flash of defiance in her eyes. “I know you can.” He looked down at the papers still in her hand, then back at her. “So a week, huh?” “Yep. That’s the deal.” Scotty got up and held out his hand. Laura smiled and took it. Epilogue “I like Terri,” Amy decided, as she snuggled deeper in her blanket. The phone rang, and Amy threw her head back in defeat. “Why doesn’t anyone let me watch my show in PEACE?” she shouted at the ceiling. She grabbed the phone, and said none too happily, “What?” “Hello to you, too,” Laura’s amused voice replied. “Laura!” Amy quickly forgot about her show. “So how did it go?” “How did what go?” Laura asked innocently. “LAURA! Did you tell him you loved him? Did he tell you he loved you? Did you do it?” “Amy!” Laura tried to sound chastising, but ended up laughing. “I just wanted to let you know I’ll be staying with Scotty for a few days, so you don’t have to worry.” “Ooh,” Amy said suggestively. “It’s not like that,” Laura told her. “Oh,” Amy said, not a little disappointed. “So tell me again why I’m missing my show to talk to you?” Laura laughed. “I also wanted to say thanks… for everything.” “Any time. Bye.” Amy smiled triumphantly as she hung up the phone. “I did it. I did it all!*” ~The End… but really only the beginning :)~ P.S. Amy insisted on having the last word * And okay, I ripped off the last lines from my favorite movie ever, “The Philadelphia Story.” So sue me. But please don’t! I’m a broke college student. Back to Laura & Scotty: Fan Fiction