Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"A New Beginning"

"Well, that's the last of it," Marcus Taggert declared breathlessly as he placed another of the marked boxes down in what would be the living room.

"Thank you so much, Dad," Trina Robinson exclaimed as she threw her arms around her father's neck. "I am officially moved into my very own apartment! My first official place! Can you believe it?"

Trina's enthusiasm was slightly tempered when she caught a glimpse of her mother, Dr. Portia Robinson. Trina's mother had always been her inspiration because, in her, Trina saw a strong, poised, and intelligent woman. Portia had recently been named chief of staff of the hospital, so striving to be the very best in whatever she chose to do was well-instilled in Trina. As a result, Trina was quite struck when she saw the tears in her mother's eyes.

"Mom," Trina said as she made her way over to Portia. "What are the tears for? This is a big day, Mom!"

Portia nodded with a half-smile, while wiping her tears away. "I know. I know it is, sweetheart. But you're my baby. And you're leaving the proverbial nest. So, I just need a few weepy moments to wrap my head around that idea," Portia responded as she gave her daughter a warm hug.

"I get it Mom, but this is a natural next step for me- especially if I'm to get my career off and running. Having my own place and my first real job just go hand in hand. These are good things, Mom. They're what you both raised me to strive for and achieve," Trina assured her mother.

Portia beamed with pride. "We are so proud of you, Trina and we know that this is just the beginning for you. But of course, we will miss seeing you at home," she said.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll definitely call and text as much as I can. You're not getting rid of me completely," Trina chuckled, as all three joined together in a family hug.

*****

As the elevator opened up, Trina took a deep breath. Her first day on her first real job at one of the nation's top businesses had arrived and she was excited, anxious, nervous, and... ready. But at that particular moment, nervous was the main emotion at play.

"Just breathe and know that you've got this. You are more than ready," Trina said to herself as she made her way to Human Resources.

"And now I'll just introduce you to the rest of the department, after which you'll be all set to get started on your first day," said Ned Ashton, the company's president.

They walked down to a conference room where several people were gathered.

"Good morning, team. It's great to see the hardest working department gathered this fine early morning," Ned said in quite a welcoming manner.

Based on Ned's tone and the relaxed happy looks on the faces of the employees, Trina's nervousness and anxiety went down quite a bit. She had a good feeling about her new workplace.

"We have a new team member who I wanted to introduce to everyone. So, is everyone here?" Ned asked.

"Not everyone, Mr. Ashton. Everyone's here, except..." a young woman close to Trina's age replied.

Ned shook his head and smiled slightly. "Wait. Don't tell me. Let me guess. Young Mr. Cassadine?"

The young woman nodded.

"Why am I not surprised? Hmph. Could you step out and ask him if he could stop long enough to pop his head in and meet our newest team member, please?" Ned asked of the young woman.

"Yes, sir," the young woman replied as she left the conference room quickly. She walked towards the young man's work area just as quickly, until she got closer to his desk. Then all of a sudden, she stopped. And at that point, she seemed to just start watching... no more like staring at him. He was seated and appeared to be doing some research on his computer. The young woman's eyes were transfixed on the young man who she had been tasked with summoning to the conference room. Her eyes took note of his hands as he typed on his computer, his eyes and lashes as they zeroed in on the computer screen, and his lips as he wet them while he worked. Feeling herself getting warm from her visual scan of the young man was what prompted her to remember her assigned task. So, she went closer to his desk and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, but Mr. Ashton needs you in the conference room... now," the young woman said in an obviously too quiet tone because the young man did not stir. So, she tried again, with more bass in her voice.

"Spencer. Mr. Ashton needs you in the conference room now," she said, getting his attention that time.

He looked up from his screen, appearing slightly perturbed at being interrupted.

"Alright. I'm coming," the young man answered as he got up quickly from his desk. He zipped by the young woman and grumbled, "I really hope that this will be quick!"

After his speedy departure, the young woman was slow to move. She stood there and appeared to sniff the air around her. She was taking in Spencer's scent. "Gravite. He wears it well," she said softly to herself.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Getting Acquainted"

Spencer stopped where he was and shouted back to the young woman. "Aren't you supposed to be coming, too?"

And with that, she headed back towards the conference room to join the others. She had to resort to a slight jog in order to arrive back at the same time as Spencer, who hoped that the faster he got there then the faster he'd be able to get back to work.

"Thank you, Spencer for joining us," Ned said, as Spencer opened the door.

"Sir, I do ap-..." Spencer started to explain.

Ned put up a hand. "No need to explain, Spencer. I'm fairly certain that you were working on the Scorpio account. Am I right?" he asked with a smile on his face.

"Yes, sir. I was," a relieved Spencer replied, relaxing... only slightly.

"Well, don't worry. You'll be back to it in just a few shakes," Ned assured him. "I just wanted the entire team to be here when our newest member was introduced."

"Alright, then. Everyone, this is Miss Trina Robinson, our newest team member. She comes to us as a recent PCU grad and fresh from an internship at The Jerome Art Gallery. And as you all know, we've done work with the gallery before, and hopefully, we will again. So, Trina comes to us with a wealth of knowledge all set to be put to good use. Additionally, she is eager to get started," Ned stated, as he gave Trina a warm smile.

"So, Trina. Do you have anything that you'd like to say?" Ned asked.

Trina looked out at everyone, really feeling encouraged by all the welcoming faces... all except for one. One uninterested, almost annoyed, looking face stood out among the many. That face belonged to the one who had to be personally reminded to even come to the meeting. However, Trina refused to let that dampen the positivity that she was feeling from everyone else-especially one in particular. The young woman who had gone to get Spencer seemed particularly welcoming, as she gave Trina as warm a smile as Ned had given her.

"I'd just like to thank you for the nice welcome, and I look forward to getting started and being a part of the team," Trina replied.

"Alright, everybody. Thank you for your time and let's get back at it," Ned declared as the conference room began to clear... and it was definitely not soon enough for one Spencer Cassadine.

Ned walked Trina over to a desk and work area that would be hers. "And I'm leaving you in good hands here with Esme. Esme Prince, Trina Robinson. Esme, I'm sure you'll get Trina off to a great start," Ned said, as he left the two new co-workers to start their day.

"Trina, it's so great having you here. You're going to love working here. It's a great company. Mr. Ashton is the best and there's never a boring day," Esme shared.

Trina smiled. "Well, I feel really lucky and I'm more than ready to get started," she responded.

After they exchanged pleasantries, Esme showed Trina the ropes of the basics of her job. Then, a project manager came over and worked more intensely with the new hire.

"Do you have any plans for lunch?" Esme asked as she came over to Trina's desk.

Trina looked up as if she was caught off guard. "Lunchtime? Already? I didn't know so much time had passed," a surprised Trina stated. "But now that I think about it, I guess I really am hungry," she chuckled as she patted her stomach. "Oh, and to answer your question, I don't have any plans."

"Would you like to join me? There's a new little spot that opened about a month ago. It's really good," Esme replied.

"Sounds good. Let's go," Trina said eagerly, as they set off for lunch.

As they walked, Esme made sure to steal a glance at Spencer, who was still hard at work and unfazed by a little interruption called lunch.

Once they ordered and waited on their orders, Trina and Esme made small talk. During that small talk, Trina, without knowing, ended up sharing more about herself than Esme did about herself. Although Trina did learn that Esme was originally from Canada and made her way to Port Charles after she finished school. Additionally, Trina learned that Esme was orphaned at an early age and was raised by her grandmother, who had just recently died.

"Yeah, so I'm all alone," Esme replied, as she finished sharing- just as their food arrived.

Not really knowing how to move on from that conversation, both young women were grateful to have their lunch to eat-no talking required.

With just a few minutes left, Trina had one last question for Esme. "Esme, thank you so much for your help this morning. I know that I'll be asking more questions for the next few weeks, until I get the flow of things. But before we go, I do have another question."

"Sure. What is it?" Esme asked.

"The guy who you had to get this morning to come to the conference room, I'm not sure of his name, what's his deal? He... he didn't seem quite like everybody else. He seemed a little bit more reserved, for lack of a better word," Trina inquired.

"Spencer. His name is Spencer Cassadine. He's very ambitious and dedicated to moving on up and... out. I don't know if he'll be in our department much longer," Esme began. And as she spoke, Trina was unable to see Esme's hands as they were hidden by the table. They were busy twisting her napkin tighter and tighter, as if in response to what she had just said about Spencer's possible departure in the near future. A departure that she most certainly was not ready for at all. And even though Trina was unaware of what her new co-worker's hands were doing, she definitely noticed when Esme stopped talking and no longer appeared focused on their conversation. Where had her new office friend gone?

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"After Hours"

"Esme!" Trina called out.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Trina. I was just trying to think of the best word or words to describe him to you," a quick-thinking Esme cooly lied. "He is quite singularly focused on his work-nothing more."

"So, I take it, he doesn't have a girlfriend or is dating anyone?" Trina asked.

Esme answered with a flat, "No."

"Well, I can almost identify with that. You see Esme, I think that that's how I'm going to approach my role here, too. My mom has achieved quite a bit. So, I think, at least for a while, my social calendar is going to need to be put on the backburner. Hearing Mr. Ashton this morning, I could tell that he values and sees a lot in Spencer. I want that one day, too. To be a team star," Trina shared.

Realizing that Trina would be no threat to her crush, Esme smiled and praised Trina for her ambition. "That's great, Trina and I do hope that you will achieve that. Hard work, long hours,"

"Absolutely! That is my focus," Trina finished Esme's sentence. "Nothing or no one will hinder me."

"Well, we better get back so you can get started on that hard work," Esme said, as she and Trina headed back to work.

When they returned, Esme noticed Spencer still hard at work. Although he appeared to be downing an apple as he worked. Trina, eager to get back to work didn't notice him at all, as she had her own work to focus on.

"Trina, do you want to walk out together?" Esme asked, as the workday ended.

"Uh, sure. I'm at a good stopping point... for today," Trina replied, as she gathered her things.

And as the two new friends left, almost everyone was heading out... almost.

"Good night, Trina. I heard some good things about your first day," Ned told her as he was passing by.

"Good night and thank you!" a pleased Trina replied as she beamed to Esme.

"Great job, Trina!" Esme replied as she looked back at Ned who appeared to be heading towards the work area of one employee who was not quite ready to end his day.

"I promise, Spencer. It will all still be waiting for you when you get in tomorrow... way before anyone else," Ned teased. "Now, go home, rest up, and enjoy your night."

Spencer nodded, albeit begrudgingly, and began making his way out.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. And Esme, thanks for everything," Trina said.

"You're welcome, Trina! It was no problem at all," Esme replied. "Have a good night."

***

"Honey, I'm so glad that you had a great first day. And it seems like you may have also made a new friend," Portia said as she and Trina caught up during a late evening talk.

"Thanks, Mom. It felt really good today and I'm really excited to begin making my mark at the company," Trina replied happily, as she released a slight yawn.

Portia chuckled. "Well, if that yawn is any indication, you'd better get some sleep, so you'll be all set to make that mark, baby girl."

"That's my next move, Mom. I love you and have a great night," Trina said, as she plugged the charger into her phone and got into bed for what she hoped would be a good night's sleep.

***

Spencer sat down at his kitchen table to eat his first real meal of substance for the day. Breakfast was always quick and light so that he could start his day earlier than everyone else at work. He had used his, hidden to most, charm to get the custodian to let him come in early each day. He liked the silence and the feeling of being alone to put his all into his work. Spencer was all about doing excellent work and proving himself to be invaluable to the company. "And one day, the letters, C-E-O, will follow my name," he thought as he began eating his dinner, all the while jotting down notes for the next day of work.

***

After her dinner, Esme took out her sketch pad and started looking over her last few drawings. Her eyes were intense as she looked at the various sketches she'd done of her one and only subject: her co-worker, Spencer Cassadine.

She smiled as she reviewed each one, frowning only once when she saw a stroke that she felt (and only she would be able to notice) was out of place on one of them. She tried her best to fix what she saw as a major blemish to Spencer's image on the pad. And the harder she tried, the more intense she became-ultimately causing her to tear out that one sketch and crumble it up. It was clear to see that Esme Prince had more than just a passing thing for Spencer. And one day, she would make a move that would let him know that... in a big way. Until then, she turned to the next clean page in her sketch pad to begin another drawing to replace the ruined one... that lay balled up on the floor.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"A Growing Friendship"

The next day, Spencer once again arrived early... way before anyone else. And he got to work immediately... trying hard to continue his climb up the corporate ladder.

Trina and Esme arrived at about the same time, just a few minutes before the actual workday began.

"Good morning, Trina."

"Good morning, Esme."

"So," Esme began as they walked on in. "Are you ready for Day Two at Quartermaine Industries?"

Trina smiled and replied, "Absolutely. I hope that I can get a specific assignment today and really start learning the particulars of the business."

Esme returned the smile, and as they got off the elevator she responded to Trina's hopes. "Well, I truly hope that you get what you want, Trina."

And no sooner had she said that, than her eyes started scanning the floor. Scanning for Spencer, her eyes darted all around, until she caught a glimpse of the object of all her desires. It was just a quick one, however, because Spencer was on the move, no doubt working to finish up a task.

"Well, have a good morning, Esme," Trina said, regaining Esme's attention before they went off to start their day. A day in which Trina spent most of her day with a project manager who was quite impressed with her eagerness to learn.

"I will definitely let Ned know that I already see the beginnings of great things from you, Trina. You're asking smart questions and you're noticing the right things. That will take you far," Nina Reeves encouraged. "In fact, I've only been this impressed this early only once since I've been here."

"I really do appreciate that, Ms. Reeves. Perhaps I can learn something by speaking with them... I mean if they were willing," an eager Trina replied.

Nina chuckled before responding. "I'm not so sure how that would work, Trina. Even though this young man was super ready on Day One and has grown into, don't tell him I said this, our best associate in the department, I don't see him signing on to be a mentor. He's much too laser-focused on his tasks at hand for that, and since that's why he was hired, Ned tends not to upset that reality."

"Oh, so I guess you're talking about Spencer Cassadine," Trina said dejectedly.

Nina nodded. "Yes, Spencer is a great asset and perhaps one day he'll want to be more of a team player. But until then, we can't deny that his work ethic works well for him, as well as for the company. Don't worry, though. With your own work ethic, I'm sure that you'll be able to learn from any number of the dynamic associates we have."

"I'll definitely do my best," Trina assured her as they got back to work.

At lunchtime, Trina and Esme met up and went to another spot. When they were almost finished, Trina asked Esme if anyone had ever tried to work with, befriend, or talk to Spencer. "It just seems like he has so much going for him that he could be sharing his knowledge and helping to develop stronger associates in the company."

Esme could feel her anger coming on. "Why does she keep bringing up Spencer? He's not hers, but he will be mine. She just needs to stop!" she thought to herself. "Remember to breathe."

"A few have tried, but none worked out. So, I would just advise letting Spencer be... Spencer. Besides Trina, you've got goals of your own, remember. You'll do fine and you won't have to deal with assured rejection from Spencer. Trust me. You've got this," Esme more than convincingly persuaded her new friend, who after that day, never mentioned Spencer again. And for Esme Prince, that was mission accomplished.

Fueled by Nina's encouragement, Trina decided that she would become the hardest working associate the department had seen... since Spencer Cassadine. She made sure to get to work on time, although it was never as early as Spencer. She continued asking questions, completing assignments on time, and making it obvious that she was all about her work... just like Spencer.

However, unlike Spencer, Trina made time to become a team player. If she was needed to assist a colleague or if she could offer her time in any way, Trina was there. In addition to that, Trina made time for work buddies. One buddy, in particular, became a friend. That friend was Esme. While they didn't tend to work together on projects, they had a standing daily lunch date which allowed them to stay connected. And in their conversations, Trina realized that Esme was somewhat of a loner, who never really seemed to want anyone else to join in on their lunch dates. Recognizing that allowed Trina to conclude that Esme was more likely a loner outside of work, too. Knowing that motivated Trina to be even more of a friend to her, as Esme had welcomed her so warmly when she first came to the company. Also, since her best friend Joss was away, due to some work and school commitments, Trina appreciated having someone around her own age who was living a life similar to her own. It gave her a feeling that she wasn't alone... and that made Trina glad.

And for Esme, the friendship meant a needed distraction. Trina was kind to Esme and Esme appreciated that. Esme also appreciated having someone to eat lunch with every day. Before Trina arrived, Esme had not connected so well with anyone else at the company. But there was something about Trina that made her easy to talk to and to get to know. The friendship also helped Esme to focus on more than just her growing... "crush" on Spencer. And knowing that her new best friend was not a threat to her future romance with Spencer made Esme value Trina all the more.

Yes, the friendship of Trina Robinson and Esme Prince was mutually beneficial and solid. It had all the earmarks of a lasting bond... that was until...

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"An Interesting Partnership"

"Did you get the text from Mr. Ashton last night?" Trina asked Esme, as they both arrived at their usual same time one morning several weeks after Trina's first day.

"Yes, I did. I wonder what "the big announcement" is? A raise would be nice," Esme laughed, as they made their way to the conference room.

After a few minutes, everyone, including Spencer, was assembled and ready for the big news. Privately, Spencer was hoping for a promotion. That was his goal, so he was eagerly anticipating Ned's arrival.

"Good morning, everyone," Ned said heartily as he entered the conference room. "It's great seeing everyone here this morning," he continued, as his eyes zeroed in on Spencer.

"I'm sure that you have all been hearing rumblings about a new potential account that we were in the running for," Ned said, noticing the head nods of each employee.

"Well, the rumblings are true. We will be getting the chance to do a campaign with the established brand of which I'm sure you're all familiar with in these business proposals that you're receiving now." Ned was quite pleased to see how excited everyone was as they began perusing the particulars of "the big announcement". He even waited a few moments to give them a chance to become truly engrossed in their company's next big challenge.

"Just the kind of excitement I was hoping for!" Ned exclaimed. "Now, let's get into some specifics, shall we?"

Spencer could hardly wait. Another project to hopefully prove himself worthy of an advancement was just what he wanted.

"Because of the importance, as well as the depth, of this project, I've decided on a unique plan of action to get the job done," Ned stated, as most team members took to their laptops to record the details of their assignments.

"Rather than assigning tasks to individuals, you will be working in pairs. This will allow relatively extensive tasks to be more manageable, resulting in the best results for each task with pairs signing off on their assignments. Plus, this is a way for us to build our team and teamwork more organically. So, how does that sound?" a clearly enthused Ned asked. His question was met with several head nods, smiles, and positive responses from just about everyone... everyone except Spencer Cassadine, who looked as though he had been gut-punched.

"Working in pairs? How can I show that I'm ready to lead and how can I stand out if I have to work with someone else? Either I'll do an amazing job, of course, and the other person will benefit from it, or the other person's poor work will bring my amazing work down. Either way, I won't get to show Mr. Ashton that I'm ready to move up!" Spencer thought to himself, as his co-workers were all eager to hear the pairings.

"Trina, I really hope that we've been paired. I think that it'd be great for us to work together. Even though I've been here longer, I know that I could learn a lot from you," Esme told Trina while they waited. Trina smiled and nodded, as she was more than ready to begin that next big project.

"Alright, here we go. After I name the pairings, I would suggest that each duo get together to map out a plan for completing their assignment, which will have multiple components. Alright?" Ned asked, as he started calling out the pairings.

After several minutes, there were four names left-two more pairings to go. The odds appeared high for a Trina-Esme pairing, although Esme was secretly hoping that Trina would be paired with Kristina Davis. Because if she was, then Esme would be paired with the last man standing... Spencer. As Ned playfully stretched out the announcing of the last two pairs by asking for a drum roll, Esme crossed her fingers and made a silent plea in her mind for Spencer's name to be paired with hers.

"The next pairing is my final all-female duo... Kristina Davis and... Esme Prince," Ned announced to a quartet of varying facial expressions. Kristina, a true team player, smiled politely. Trina, though disappointed, sighed and nodded. Spencer's expression of disgust from the beginning since hearing about the pairings didn't really change. And Esme... well Esme proved herself quite the actress when Kristina walked up to her after the announcement. After uncrossing her fingers, Esme's hand formed a tight fist, with her nails digging into her palms, while she put on the biggest and fakest smile she could muster.

"Esme, I think we'll do some good work together," Kristina said, as she made her way toward her partner.

"Which leaves our last pairing, Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine. Now, all of you, go forth and be great," Ned declared as he left the conference room to allow the new partners to make their initial contacts with each other. And most did... except Spencer.

Despite seeing his newly appointed partner head his way, Spencer went after Ned to discuss a concern. Once he got to Ned's door, he knocked on it- despite it being open.

"Mr. Ashton, could I speak with you for a moment?" Spencer asked, somewhat anxiously, as he poked his head inside Ned's office.

Ned let out a slight chuckle when he saw one of, if not, the best of his employees at his door. "Sure, Spencer. My open-door policy hasn't changed. As long as it's open, you all are always welcome," he answered. "Although I must say that I am a little surprised."

"About?" Spencer asked.

"Well, I thought that you and Trina would be hard at work on your part of the marketing plan and campaign. You know with you being one of my best and brightest, not to mention most eager associates, and all," Ned replied, as he motioned for Spencer to come in and have a seat.

"Uh. You see, that's what I wanted to speak with you about, sir. I was wondering if there was any way that I could... possibly work alone? I believe that that will allow me to do my very best and I guarantee you that I will work twice..." Spencer began imploring, before Ned stopped him, mid-sentence.

"Spencer, I'm going to stop you right there. In no way do I question your abilities. Could you do the assignment alone, with no partner? I believe you probably could," Ned declared quite confidently.

A grin came across Spencer's face upon hearing Ned's praiseworthy words. Yet, it was short-lived, as Ned was far from finished.

"Emphasis on probably, Spencer," Ned continued. "But I also know that you have aspirations beyond this floor and this department. I am well aware that becoming a V-P is definitely a goal of yours. And that could be in your future, your near future... perhaps. However, to be an effective leader of any kind, in my opinion, you're going to have to know how to work with others. And the only way that can happen is for you to actually... work with others. Hence this new assignment."

Spencer, while not liking the direction of the conversation, hung on every one of Ned's words.

"Think of this as a test, if you will. Part of your V-P application process. And, not for nothing I picked your partner for a special reason, as well," Ned shared.

"Yeah, about that too... she's your last hire, isn't she?" a frowning Spencer asked.

"That she is and there's still a lot that she needs to learn. I'll definitely be watching to see how you are able to help her with that. However, there is not another person who matches your will and determination more so than your new partner, Trina Robinson. I want to see you help her use that to advance her skill levels. I really think that she can learn a lot from you, with you being able to learn from her, as well," a hopeful Ned replied.

"Me? Learn from her? Pardon me for sounding arrogant, but what could I possibly learn from her... sir?" Spencer asked, seemingly confused and completely arrogant.

"Humility, perhaps. The ability to work well with others. She has just the personality needed that will or at least could help you with both. Those are abilities that I will want in a future V-P. So, I hope that I've given you some food for thought, as well as encouragement to see the uniquely positive situation that you're in right now. I just need to see that you can be someone who can be a leader who can inspire others and be one for whom others will want to do their best," Ned responded, as he walked Spencer to the door. "I look forward to seeing your partnership with Trina develop, Spencer."

Although not entirely convinced nor inspired, Spencer was determined to get that V-P position and to move up the corporate ladder. So, he headed back to find his partner. When he got back to the conference room, he saw that Trina was the only one still there. All the other partners had gone off together to get started on their assignments, so Spencer knew that he would have to find a way to explain his absence.
"Um. Sorry, I'm just now getting here, I..." he started, quite unaware of the look on Trina's face.

"I'm going to stop you right there. I know exactly why you were MIA, and I know exactly what you, obviously unsuccessfully tried to do. You went to Mr. Ashton, and you tried to convince him to either change your partner or, more likely, to convince him to let you work by yourself. And let me guess. He told you no and sent you on your way. So now you come here with some prepared BS that I have absolutely no desire to hear. Look, I am here to do a job and that's what I'm going to do. And whether you like it or not, part of doing that job will need to be doing it with you. So, if you don't mind, can we please cancel the BS and get to work?" a forceful Trina asked.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"A Tale Of Two Partnerships"

Spencer Cassadine stood there in apparent shock. When you think of yourself as the "golden goose" and so above everyone else, it's quite surprising to hear someone call you out, as opposed to being impressed by your mere presence. He also tried to figure out how he and his new partner would be able to work together based on his views, as well as Trina's obvious strong personality.

"Work. That's why I'm here," Spencer replied as he snapped out of it. "Look, if you give me a half hour or so, I can peruse our assignment and type up how we can split the work, come together, combine it, and have our final task all set to turn in according to the timeline. That way it's set out and done. With neither of us scarred too badly. So, I can get started on that now, Tina and you can come back in..." a clearly condescending Spencer declared.

And once again, the look on Trina's face revealed every inner emotion she was feeling. But rather than unleashing on him instantly as she had done before, Trina took a few calming breaths. Once she felt they had done the trick, Trina addressed her new partner once more. "Based on what you just said, I can totally understand why you prefer to work alone."

And for his part, Spencer was all set to stay unfazed and ready to rebut anything thrown his way. "Oh, can you now? Enlighten me... please!"

"First of all, my name is not Tina. It is Trina, T-R-I-N-A, the "r" is NOT silent! And I would love to enlighten you. You don't know how to talk to others, which means you have no friends here! And if you have this same kind of arrogantly obnoxious personality in your own personal life, I would hazard to guess that you don't have any friends in that realm either! But lucky for you, we don't have to be friends. We just have to work together and get our jobs done... together. Oh, and by the way, while you were out trying to get out of this, I took it upon myself to peruse our assignment myself. And if you aren't too cocky to listen and to look over it, I would actually like to share my ideas for us with you," a suddenly cool and collected Trina responded.

Spencer had a lot to absorb from Trina's words to him. She was right about him having no friends at the company. But Spencer preferred it that way. "Why become friends with the competition? I must have the advantage if I'm going to become a V-P" are the words he would use to often justify his lonely breaks and lunches. However, he did have one very good friend, who often took time to let Spencer know about himself... in much the same way that his new partner had just done.

Yet, despite that epic read from her, Spencer was quite excited, albeit secretly, to see Trina's initial breakdown of their task. He needed to see if her words could be backed up by her work.

Further down the hallway was another pair of partners who had been getting used to their newly assigned task. Although one partner was not fully concerned about the business at hand.

"Esme. Esme! Did you hear what I said?" Kristina asked after realizing that her new partner was not at all invested in what she had just said.

And Kristina Davis could not have been more right about that. Esme Prince had lost all interest in anything not related to Spencer Cassadine. She had gotten so, so close to having him... as her partner. But instead, it was her friend Trina who was the lucky one. Lucky because she would get to spend hours with Spencer. Spencer... Spencer Cassadine the object of Esme's desire, known only to Esme. And Trina wasn't even interested in him. A fact that Esme hoped would not change. So, Esme stood there in a daze over a lost chance proving that her being preoccupied was an understatement.

Snapping out of it after hearing Kristina's voice, Esme had to think fast to cover her tracks. "Oh, Kristina. I'm so sorry. I wasn't feeling very well, so I was just trying to be still and quiet to see if that might help," she lied easily.

"Esme, I'm so sorry. Do you need something for it? An aspirin, perhaps?" a genuinely concerned Kristina asked.

"No thank you, Kristina. I'm just going to go to the ladies' room for a few minutes to see if I can get to feeling better."

"Oh sure. Take your time, Esme. I'm just going to jot down a few more ideas that we can address for our task."

And take her time she would. Esme made her way past the restroom and down to the conference room where she had left Trina, whose partner had left as soon as Ned ended the meeting. That's where, minutes before Trina and Spencer's confrontations, Esme found her friend in a chair with a slightly defeated look on her face.

"Trina, are you ok? Where's Spencer?" a very curious Esme asked, herself somewhat defeated since "her" Spencer was nowhere around.

"I'm fine. I'm just waiting to see if I'm going to keep my partner or be reassigned," a disheartened Trina answered.

"Reassigned? Spencer needs a new partner? Is this my second chance?" a weirdly hopeful Esme thought to herself in response to her friend's situation.

"But you know what? I'm not going to let that happen, Esme. Spencer Cassadine will just have to accept that we will be partners," Trina replied as she was completely unaware of Esme's lack of focus on her. She opened up her laptop and the folder with the particulars of their tasks... and began working.

Seeing her friend suddenly over her impending defeat was what brought Esme back that time. "Trina," she began.

"Esme. There's something that I really need to do before Spencer gets back. I'll talk to you later. Ok?" a focused Trina said, without really looking up as she responded.

"O... k. If you're sure," Esme said, leaving reluctantly to go back to her new partner.

*****

"Well... your thoughts... Spencer?" Trina asked after she finished sharing the ideas she had come up with while he was off trying to get out of their pairing. When he just sat there holding the outline in his hand, without saying a word, Trina wasn't quite sure what was going on. So, she tried another approach. "Or do I need to call you Mr. Cassadine?" Trina asked sarcastically.

Spencer took one last glance at Trina's ideas and then looked up at her. "What?" Mr? Uh, T- I mean Trina, this is... not half bad," Spencer remarked apparently oblivious to anything Trina had just said.

Trina, not really sure how to take the backhanded compliment she'd just receive, pursed her lips and furrowed her brow before responding.

"Gee. Thanks so much for the rave review, Cassadine," Trina replied, sarcastically, once again.

"Now, of course, I see some details that need some tweaking and fine-tuning. But I..., I mean, we can definitely take care of them. Plus, I think I have some ideas that will compliment what you've laid out here... Robinson," a clearly focused on the job Spencer replied.

"Of course," Trina replied wearily, as she nodded her head. At that point, Trina realized that working with Spencer Cassadine was going to be... different. Listening did not seem to be high on his list of priorities. But she knew that he knew the business and understood what was going to be expected of them. And since she was just getting started at the company, she was willing to put up with... different, if it meant learning the business.

"But, Robinson?" she asked.

"Cassadine for you. Robinson for me, right?" Spencer asked as he collected his things and headed towards the door. When he looked back and saw Trina still in her same spot, he frowned. "What's the problem? We've got work to do. Let's go, Robinson," an eager and motivated Spencer said as he headed out the door.

Trina just shook her head and said, "Different," before gathering her things and heading out the door... not too far behind her new partner.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Lunch"

When lunchtime arrived, Esme couldn't get away from Kristina fast enough. She had to see how things were going for Trina. And by doing so, she'd also be able to be near Spencer again. She went to Spencer's work area, but she didn't see him... or Trina. "Where could they be? They should be... here. Working," Esme thought to herself. And as she stood there wondering where her friend and the object of her desire were, Esme Prince let her imagination begin to run away with her. Her brow furrowed, as her heart rate began to escalate. Her nails began to dig into her palms as she contemplated their whereabouts. "What if they've gone to lunch together and Spencer's opening up to Trina and falling for her? Why? I've never been out to lunch with him! And now, in almost no time, Trina's out with him. I thought she was my..."

"Esme. Are you ok?" a concerned Trina asked as she saw her friend looking quite distressed.

Esme was taken by surprise and jumped slightly. "Trina. I didn't see you and I..." Esme started.

"Are you bleeding?" Trina asked, as she noticed the blood on Esme's hands, which she had unclenched.

"Oh," Esme said as she closed her hands once again. "That's nothing. Just a little accident with an open pair of scissors. I just need to get to the restroom and take care of it."

Trina nodded her head slowly and said, "Ok."

"Umm. I thought that maybe you had already left for lunch with..." Esme began.

"With whom? Surely you weren't going to say my new partner, Spencer. Hmph. He almost blew a gasket when I even said the word "lunch". "Lunch? Can't you just eat an apple or a sandwich at your desk?" That's what I got in response to me telling him that I was heading out for lunch," Trina replied as she shook her head and pursed her lips.

Esme, feeling so much better after realizing that her best friend and her crush were still as distant as they had been, let out a slight laugh.

"And what did you say in response?" a relieved and suddenly relaxed Esme asked.

"I told him no, but that I hoped that he would enjoy his. Oh, and then I told him that I'd be back after I had a real lunch," Trina revealed with a smile. "Oh, and then I left. So, go take care of that cut so that we can go get that real lunch."

"Give me two minutes and I'll be all set," Esme replied as she moved quickly to the restroom feeling completely satisfied and oh so ready for lunch.

"So, have you and Kristina gotten much done today?" Trina asked after taking a sip of her iced tea.

"For the most part, we've been reading over some research material that should help us with the first few tasks that we want to tackle," Esme replied.

"Well, that's good. Kristina seems like she's pretty sharp. You two are sure to do some amazing work. Plus, she seems to have a personality, unlike Cassadine," Trina mused.

Esme raised an eyebrow. "Cassadine?"

Trina chuckled slightly. "Since he, for some reason couldn't, or who knows wouldn't, say Trina, Robinson seemed to be easier for him to connect to me. So, Robinson for him and Cassadine for me," Trina shared, with the hint of a slight smile. Esme met that smile with quite a forced and fake one of her own.

As they ate, Trina made small talk to which Esme smiled and nodded... just enough to keep Trina from noticing if anything might have seemed off with her. Because underneath her pleasant smile, Esme was desperately trying to convince herself that she hadn't "lost" Spencer to Trina and that using last names was very impersonal. "Him not even caring enough to remember or to say her name is very telling. He has no interest in her at all. And besides, Trina's my best friend. She wouldn't betray me like that," she thought to herself.

And with that reassurance, all unbeknownst to Trina, Esme was able to eat and join in the conversation.

When they got back to work, Trina was met with quite the surprising welcome from a most surprising co-worker.

"Robinson, how long does it take you to eat lunch? I expected you back way before now. Come on. I think I've got an idea for those bullet points we were discussing before you felt the need to..." Spencer started.

"Eat? How dare I? Whatever was I thinking?" Trina replied sarcastically, as she frowned at her partner.

"Must you take everything so personally? Look, I'm just glad that you're back, Robinson. I really think that you're going to be excited, too once you see what I'm talking about. So, now that you have relaxed and eaten... can we get back to work... please?" a more than eager Spencer requested.

"Well, how could I not be ready after such a thoughtful request?" Trina replied teasingly, as Spencer was already heading down the hallway, barely acknowledging her response.

Trina turned to Esme and smiled warmly. "Thanks for lunch. I must say it's been the bright spot of my day. But I better get going before he comes back with more orders," she replied with a light chuckle.

And at that moment, as if on cue, Spencer turned around and shouted, "Robinson, let's go!"

"Too late," Trina said as she waved and made her way down the hall to catch up with her over-eager partner.

Esme, as she watched her friend go towards the man she desired, felt herself getting warm all over. Yet, she had no time to react because her very own partner, Kristina, walked up at the same time.

"Did you have a nice lunch, Esme?"

"Uh. Lunch. Yes. It was, but I think something might not have agreed with me. So, I'll be right back, and I'll be all set to get back to work, Kristina," Esme replied, as she quickly made her way to the restroom where she promptly locked the door. She went to the sink, looked in the mirror, and let out a silent scream. And a minute later, she joined her partner and was all set to get back to work- all the while wondering... what was going on with her best friend and her... crush?

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"The Best Partner You Never Knew You Wanted"

The next few hours went by at different rates for the newly assigned pairs. Trina's time couldn't help but go at lightning speed. She learned within her first hour of working with Spencer that idleness and "at your own pace" had no place at all. He was at one hundred and ten all the time, and even though Trina had developed a strict working code and ethic, she realized that hers had nothing on Spencer Cassadine's. And because of that and because she wanted to give him no reason to question her as an equal partner, Trina pulled all that she could from herself to keep up.

Esme, on the other hand, found herself fixated on the time and the prospect of how Spencer and Trina were doing. As a result, Kristina spent much of the day repeating herself and motivating Esme to do her part for what they had been tasked to do. Luckily for both of them, Esme found her focus and timing just as the end of the day drew near.

"I'd say we ended strong, Esme. And if we both start the day tomorrow with the fire you had during the last hour or so, I know we'll continue strong and get some great work done," Kristina said as they got to a stopping point for the day.

Esme managed a polite smile. "I will... definitely bring the fire, Kristina. Have a good night," she said quickly as she gathered her things to go.

"You..." was the only thing Kristina managed to get out before Esme was headed down the hall. She knew that Spencer and Trina were using the conference room, so that's where she was headed. When she got there, the door was ajar and she stayed just outside, waiting to hear... something. But she didn't. And when she pushed the door open more, all she saw was two individuals on laptops working on a project. Inside, Esme breathed a sigh of relief. "No sparks!" she thought to herself.

She stood there and cleared her throat to get Trina's attention. However, both Trina and Spencer were so caught up in their work that neither heard nor noticed Esme.

"What about this?" Spencer asked Trina as he showed her something on his laptop while pointing at a paper by Trina's laptop.

Just as she was about to look at and answer Spencer, Trina finally noticed Esme at the door. "Hi, Esme," she said cheerfully.

"Hi, Tr-..." Esme attempted.

Attempted because Spencer abruptly put an end to the greeting. "Robinson, I need to know what you think," he said, ignoring Esme's presence altogether.

"Yes, I know. But I'm not just going to ignore someone... Cassadine," Trina said bluntly.

Spencer let out a heavy, aggravated sigh. "How can you ignore someone who you just had lunch with mere hours ago? Do the two of you have to say "Hi" and "Bye" every time you see each other? I mean there's work to be done," an exasperated Spencer fumed.

Esme saw that Trina was also about to blow, so she decided to try and diffuse the situation.

"Well, actually the workday is over. That's why I'm here. I thought you might want to walk out together... like we usually do, Trina," Esme stated, hoping that that would keep both of the partners calmer and cooler.

Trina looked at the clock and was genuinely surprised. "I didn't realize how late it was. I guess it is time to..." she hesitated as she looked at Spencer who looked quite disgusted. Trina could feel both his displeasure and judgment. And even though she was tired and so ready just to go home and relax, she knew that she couldn't. Doing so would only play into Spencer's mindset that he could do better without a partner. She couldn't have him questioning her work ethic and commitment on Day One. She would have to prove to him that she was more than a capable partner and that there was no need to go back to Mr. Ashton and ask for a chance to work alone. So, despite what she wanted to do, Trina decided to do something entirely different.

"Um. Esme, since this is our first day, I think that I want to work just a little bit more and get to a good stopping point. So, you go on without me and I'll see you tomorrow. OK?" Trina said kindly, as her eyes went from her friend to a still scowling Spencer.

Esme did not know how to respond, so she stood there baffled momentarily. "Are you sure?" she asked, desperately hoping that she wasn't and that she would not be with Spencer after hours... alone.

"Yes. It's ok. I won't be making it a habit, though," Trina replied as she walked Esme back towards the door. "Good night, Esme."

"Good night, Trina and good night, Spencer," Esme replied, although he probably didn't hear a word after the first good night.

And as Esme reluctantly made her way to the elevator, she could hear Spencer in the background.

"So, once again I ask, what do you think, Robinson?" Spencer inquired, refusing to let any personal "stuff" creep into his work life.

And with that, Trina and Spencer spent an additional two hours in the conference room working. And it would have been longer if Ned, on his way out, had not stopped in.

"The two of you do realize that your workday ended a couple of hours ago, don't you?" a smiling Ned asked, all set to his end his then.

"Well, sir. It's just that we..." an eager Spencer started.

"You both... need to go home now and get some rest. You are two of my best and brightest, so I need you back fresh tomorrow to pick up wherever you are in, what I am sure is the beginning of, some fine work. So, go home. In fact, because I'm not so sure that I trust you, Spencer, let's all walk out together," Ned insisted.

Inside, Trina was secretly relieved. She wasn't quite sure how much more she could have given. Plus, by walking out together, she didn't have to face an awkward good night with Spencer. The three got to their cars, said good night, and went their separate ways.

***

"Good morning!" Esme said as she caught up to Trina, who was about to head in to work.

"Hi," Trina said groggily as she looked to greet Esme.

Esme was taken aback for a moment when she saw her friend. "Trina, you look exhausted. Did you not sleep well?" she asked.

Trina gave a weak smile. "I slept... but sometimes when you're so tired, it keeps you from getting really good, really deep sleep. But after a few more sips," Trina declared, as she held up her coffee cup, "I'll be just fine."

"So... were you and Spencer here long last night?" Esme asked, trying her best not to sound too concerned, as they waited on the elevator.

"Two hours?" Esme remarked. "Well, hopefully tonight won't be as bad for you... especially since Mr. Ashton stepped in last night."

"Fingers crossed. Well, I'll see you later. Have a great day!" Trina replied as she quickened her pace to get to the conference room. And when she got there, she saw a wide-awake and already busy Spencer hard at work.

"Hi," Trina said, as her mouth remained open from the shock of seeing Spencer already getting things done.

"Hi," he said, barely raising his eyes from his laptop.

Trina quickly opened her laptop and took out a folder with notes from their first day. Yet, as she took her seat, she couldn't resist asking Spencer a question.

"Uh. So, how long have you been here?"

Spencer looked up briefly, ran his fingers through his hair, and appeared to think about his answer.

"Maybe an hour... or two?" he shrugged, as Trina's eyes widened.

"An hour... or two?" a truly bewildered Trina responded.

"Yeah, something like that. Whatever it was, it was long enough for me to research and add on those numbers we talked about last night," Spencer replied.

Trina's brow quickly furrowed. "But I was going to do that when I came in," she said.

"It's fine, Robinson. I know that you were, but I was here, so now it's done. It's not as if there isn't plenty of work left for the both of us. Speaking of, take a look at this and let me know what you think," Spencer said as he made his way over to Trina's space.

And as he made his way over, Trina knew at that moment that she had to make some changes... if she was going to prove to her partner that she was just as capable and qualified as he was. If he was an early arrival, she'd be one, too. If he worked late, she would, too- with no complaints. And after work, she would stop to buy a lunch tote, along with lunch items. "No more lunches with Esme... after today... for at least a little while," Trina thought as she took a deep breath and prepared to be the best partner that Spencer Cassadine never knew he wanted.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Changes and An Olive Branch"

The next morning, much earlier than she had ever done before, Trina arrived at Quartermaine Industries. It was a strange feeling. She was used to more "busyness" going on, and most of all she was used to seeing her friend, who usually arrived at just about the same time as she did each day. Trina definitely missed seeing her friend. But she knew that this was what she had to do. She had to show... no she had to prove to Spencer that she was just as serious about her job as he was. She had to prove to Spencer that she was just as determined and as capable as he was. Trina, although she'd never tell him, aspired to be like Spencer-in the way in which leadership viewed him. She remembered both Ned and Nina being impressed with him early on when she arrived... and it had continued up to the present day.

"That's what I want. I want the appreciation and acknowledgment of those in high positions. That will help me move up in my career, allowing me to follow in my mother's phenomenal footsteps one day," Trina thought to herself about what... and who she would have to sacrifice. "She'll understand. She's, my friend. Esme... Esme will understand."

When he heard the conference room door open earlier than it ever had, a hard at work Spencer was quite startled.

But if Trina had any illusions of her partner showing even the slightest appreciation or being slightly impressed by her solely voluntary early arrival, they were quickly dashed by said partner.

"Oh, it's you. Whenever you're ready, I've got some notes on the projections that were included. I'm pretty sure that they should help us with that marketing idea you had," a very focused Spencer said as Trina stood there in the doorway. When she didn't move after his "greeting", Spencer looked at her quizzically. As a result, realizing that no true greeting nor appreciation would be forthcoming, Trina quickly got herself situated and went over to Spencer where he was all set to "talk numbers"... and nothing else.

By the time lunchtime approached, Spencer looked at his watch. "I think we're making some good headway with this, Robinson," Spencer said from his end of the conference room. Trina, despite their bleak start from the morning, felt the same.

"I think so, too. Do you..." an invigorated Trina started.

"Look. I know it's about time for you do your lunch thing with... with what's her name, so I'll keep on working and just catch you up on what I get done once you get back," a clearly disapproving, although passive-aggressive, Spencer interrupted.

And there it was. The condescending arrogance that, for the most part, had been absent for most of the morning had reappeared and it affected Trina in the same way it had the first day she and Spencer worked together.

"Excuse me?" Trina asked pointedly.

Spencer's brow furrowed. "What?" he asked, as he looked at his watch again and then at Trina. "Isn't it time for you to...?"

"That part. Look Cassadine, up until," Trina started as she "looked" at the non-existent watch on her wrist. "Just a few minutes ago, we were working together... pretty well, I might add. But then you had to start doing my thinking for me when I'm more than capable of doing it for myself! I'll have you know that I am more than capable of knowing when to stop for any break or lunch I want to. And right now, I just need about five minutes and then I'll be ready to keep this going. If you're ok with that?" she asked sarcastically before walking out, preventing Spencer from offering up any comeback.

By the time she walked down to Esme, Trina was calm enough to let her friend know that she'd no longer be able to go out to lunch each day.

"It's just that... he... Cassadine moves at a hundred and ten all day long, and if I'm going to keep up, there are certain things I'll have to sacrifice for now," Trina told a visibly disappointed Esme.

"Like eating?" she asked.

Trina chuckled. "No. I'll eat. I just won't leave or take as long... giving him nothing to complain about. Although knowing him, he'll try to find something anyway."

"But... but when will we get a chance to catch up on our days? Lunch was our time for that. We really didn't get a chance this morning since you were already here. And after work is out since you're both staying past the end of the day. Has your new partnership replaced our friendship, Trina?" a dejected Esme asked. And if it had, Esme would definitely not be pleased, so she had to know.

"Of course not, Esme. It's just what I have to do right now. But how about you meet me at The Savoy at about eight tonight and we'll get caught up, just in time for the weekend?" Trina offered realizing that these changes to their friendship and routines would be hard for Esme.

"The Savoy at eight?" Esme asked, still stung by Trina's news about no more lunch dates. "Alright, Trina. I'll be there."

Trina smiled and said, "Great! I'll see you then. Make sure to come looking fabulous. We deserve a fun and fabulous girl's night out," before rushing back to the conference room... and Spencer. She slowed her pace as she neared the door because she didn't want to let him know that she was rushing back because of him.

When she walked in, Spencer was, of course, hard at work. And as she made her way back to her laptop and project materials, her partner kept his head and eyes down- laser focused on the task at hand. Yet he did offer a tiny sign that, perhaps, he realized that he had a partner who was more than capable... although it would be quite some time before he would say those actual words.

"Do I what?" he asked before slowly looking in Trina's direction.

"What?" a surprised Trina asked.

Spencer cleared his throat. Saying it the first time was hard enough, but to have to repeat himself would take a moment. "Hmph. Before you... left, you were about to ask me do I want to do something. So, I was just asking what it was," he replied.

"Oh. It was about looking at some images that might give us some ideas about the overview brochure we're going to do to close out the first component of our task," Trina answered.

Spencer nodded. "That makes sense. We're at the perfect point for that. Good call, Robinson. Let's do it!"

And did it they did. And before their day ended, Spencer and Trina were able to get a few more tasks done for the project.

It was a little after seven, over two hours since most of their co-workers had left for the day to start their weekends when Spencer and Trina were all set to finish. As Trina gathered her things, she decided to extend an olive branch to her partner. She felt that by ending on a positive note that they could have a brand-new fresh start on Monday.

"Umm. So, do you have any big plans for the weekend?" she asked, hoping that that simple question wouldn't lead to another blow-up.

Spencer, somewhat taken aback, looked at Trina quite shocked. "Me? Uh, not really. Remember, nobody likes me. I've got no friends," he answered.

Trina felt a twinge of guilt and was all set to apologize when she noticed a slight grin on Spencer's face. Trina smiled slightly in response.

"Actually, I'll probably spend some time with my best friend, Cam. And you? Plans with what's her name?" he asked.

Trina shook her head. "Her name is Esme and, yes, I'm meeting her after I leave here."

"Well, I'm just about all set. Why don't you go ahead?" Spencer asked, possibly extending his own olive branch.

"No, we're partners. So, I'll leave whenever you leave," Trina replied to a somewhat taken aback Spencer.

Spencer sighed. "Alright, Robinson. Let's go," he replied.

Afterwards, they walked to their respective cars.

"Have a nice weekend, Cassadine," Trina said, getting into her car.

"You, too Robinson. Enjoy your night," he replied, as he got inside his car, as well.

And as they both drove off in different directions, Spencer and Trina were feeling just a bit better about the direction of their new partnership... just a bit.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"To Monday and a Walking Masterpiece"

"Esme. You look simply beautiful. You are an absolute vision," a completely mesmerized Spencer said as he took Esme's hand to twirl her around... slowly. "I want to see you at every amazing angle. Umm. Gorgeous... head to toe, front to back. I really don't know if I'll be able to take my eyes off of you tonight. Tell me, is there any way that you can get out of your thing tonight with... what's my partner's name again? Tina?" Spencer asked as he let go of Esme's hand and continued to marvel at her in her new little red dress.

An over-the-moon Esme giggled. "Oh, Spence. You know your partner's name. It's Trina. And she also happens to be my very best friend," she purred, as her eyes shone bright.

Spencer's eyes lit up, as well. "Oh, I just love it when you call me... Spence. It's something just between the two of us and I just love it," he said.

"Well, I'm yours and you're mine. We have to keep some things for ourselves. That's what makes you and I so very special. But, back to tonight," she smiled, "Don't worry. Trina and I won't be too long. You know all she thinks about is work-just like you did, before..." Esme replied.

"Before the best thing that ever happened in my life... and that's you, Esme Prince," Spencer interrupted.

Esme's smile widened even more before finishing her parting words to the man she had finally won over. "Not long at all, Spence. So, you just stay here, think about me, and when I get back, we can pick up right from here," Esme said as she went in close for a kiss...

"Beep, beep, beep!" went the alarm on Esme's phone-just in time to end her dream about a future with Spencer. After work, she came home and decided to take a nap before heading out to The Savoy to meet Trina. Once she shut off the alarm, Esme lingered in bed a bit longer before getting up to get dressed. As she lay there, she couldn't keep from smiling about the dream she'd had. The dream, much like the many dreams she'd had before, centered on a future when Spencer would finally take notice of her at the office and decide that he had to have her.

"One day, Spence. One day, and... soon. My dream... will become my reality," Esme said to herself as she finally rose from her bed to prepare for her night out with Trina.

***

When Trina arrived home, she was almost tempted to text Esme and cancel their night out at The Savoy. But she didn't for two very different reasons. One was because she knew that a night out could be fun. She could listen to some good music, while enjoying a nice fruity mocktail. She also loved to dress up and for The Savoy, she would go all out. The second reason was more of a way to forget. To forget about the week that was. And more specifically, to forget about her partner- the arrogantly, obnoxious and rude Spencer Cassadine. The man who had given her no slack and no grace ever since Ned had assigned them to be partners. Yes, going to The Savoy, dressed to the nines, would definitely help Trina to have a good time and to put one Spencer Cassadine out of her mind... at least for a little while.

She knew that she didn't have much time, so she took a quick shower and dressed. Her dress of choice was one that she knew was very flattering. And Trina needed that. She needed to feel pretty and special-two things that she had not felt during that whole week.

And with a dab of her favorite fragrance, Beautiful, applied in all the key places, Trina was all set for a, albeit short, night on the town with her friend, Esme.

***

"Cam! How's it going, buddy?" Spencer asked, as he walked into The Savoy.

"I can't complain, my friend," the young man Spencer had addressed replied. As the two shook hands and gave each other a slight hug, the young man looked at Spencer with quite a puzzled look.

"What's that look?" Spencer asked.

"I thought I told you to really dress for this place, man," Cam said, seemingly annoyed.

Now it was time for Spencer to look puzzled. "Dude, what are you talking about? I am dressed."

"For work! Not for after work. Not for the weekend... and definitely not for this place!" Cam chastised.

Spencer shook his head. "Well, I'd say all is good. Security let me in. So, if you're done with your best and worst dressed list... can we go in? And by the way, what is this place? And why this place?"

"This place happens to be the hottest nightspot in town, my friend. Something you would know if you ever ventured away from Quartermaine Industries," Cam replied, as they were escorted towards a table near the back. Spencer sat, with his back towards the door, facing Cam, who wanted to see any and all who entered.

"I was really expecting something a little more low-key, like Charlie's, our usual go-to spot," Spencer said, as he seemed to struggle to relax.

Cam just looked at his friend and shook his head. "Dude, you are wound much too tight, especially for the start of the weekend. This..." an animated Cam said, as he gestured his hands in Spencer's direction, "This is why low-key was not an option for tonight, Spencer. You've been on edge all week, especially the last three days, complaining about that new partner of yours and how partnerships are not what you signed up for, and on and on and on."

Spencer frowned at his friend and sighed. "Well, excuse me for thinking that I could share my troubles with my best friend, especially those troubles that could hinder my cl---," Spencer began.

"Your climb up the corporate ladder. Yes, Spencer, I know. And of course you can talk to me about those things. But that's also why you can expect me to try and figure out ways to help take your mind off work-which is why The Savoy was the only choice for tonight. You, my friend, needed this. So, if you can, sit back, enjoy a drink or two, listen to some good music, and..." Cam replied.

"Alright, alright. I will definitely try because you are most certainly right. The work week is done, and I can put Trina Robinson and that partnership out of my mind... at least for a couple of days," Spencer said, as he took a sip of his drink and finally... exhaled.

***

"Esme, you look great!" Trina said as she approached her friend at the door of The Savoy. "Your hair, that dress-it's really your color! The men here tonight won't be able to resist you, my friend."

"Well, if they look at you, they absolutely will, Trina," Esme replied as she was so relieved that Trina never came to work looking the way she did there at The Savoy. Her long black hair flowed, as it never did at work. Her figure, which was fully on display due to the figure-flattering multi-colored mini-dress she had chosen, was never shown off like that in Trina's modest blouse and pants combos that were her usual style. "Even though he'd never cheat on me, especially with my best friend, Spencer might be a little distracted if he ever saw Trina like this... and there's absolutely no way that I could ever let that happen," Esme thought menacingly, as she eyed her best friend.

Trina, unaware of her friend's thoughts, laughed and said, "Well, let's just go in and both be irresistible!"

When the two friends walked in, a hostess let them know that she'd be able to seat them at a table in just a few minutes. "Or, if you want, you can wait at the bar," she offered.

"No, we can wait," Trina answered as she smiled when she heard the familiar beat of a favorite song come on. That beat was one that always, instantly, made Trina move from side to side, with a few additional moves thrown in.

Esme, who had never seen her friend let loose in such a way, was quite surprised. "Trina, you never told me that you were a dancer."

And at that moment, Trina stopped and laughed... before continuing. "I wouldn't say that I'm a dancer, but there are certain songs, certain beats that I just can't resist. And this is absolutely one of them," Trina replied as she continued to let her body move to the beats.

Unbeknownst to Trina, someone else besides Esme was quite impressed with her dance moves, as well as some of her other... attributes.

***

"Oh... my! Incoming!" a very taken Cam exclaimed as he caught sight of Trina at the doorway.

Spencer looked at his friend, somewhat puzzled. "Incoming? What are you talking about, Cam?" Spencer asked.

Cam, without taking his eyes off of the woman by the door, cleared his throat before answering his friend. "I'm talking about a face and a body that I have a feeling most guys would give up a month's pay for. Simply stunning. Spencer, she's like... like a walking dream," Cam replied in a voice that gave away how very much he was taken by the one who had captured his attention and who Spencer had yet to see.

While women and relationships were not his priority at the moment, Spencer Cassadine was still a vital young man with a healthy appreciation for women, especially the kind his friend had just described. So, he turned around to see who had mesmerized his best friend. And when he did, he too had quite the strong reaction. In fact, his reaction was two-fold.

The first reaction was much like Cam's. Spencer was completely taken by the woman on her way to being seated. "Simply gorgeous! Her face... flawless. Her body is making that dress a walking masterpiece. She is absolutely..." Spencer stopped mid-sentence, resulting in his raving coming to a sudden halt.

Cam chuckled as his friend turned back around to face him. "I know, right? After only a few moments, she just takes your breath and any words away," he replied, while trying his best to refocus his attention on his friend.

"No... no, Cam. It's not that. I... I know her," an obviously rattled Spencer replied.

Still not gauging his friend's true feelings about the young woman, Cam kept on.

"Oh, I'm sure that you'd like to, but..."

"No, Cam. When I say that I know her, I really do... know her. As a matter of fact, ... I spent the whole day with her," Spencer declared.

"You mean...?"

Spencer nodded his head slowly. "I mean that that's Trina, the "r" is not silent, Robinson. That walking dream is my new partner."

Although Spencer had no idea how his friend would react or what words he'd offer up, it's highly unlikely that he would have guessed Cam's next responses.

Without missing a beat, Cam exploded into... great laughter. "The partner you've been complaining about every day since your boss made the assignment? The one who's told you off on more than one occasion in a single day? And the one you've been a complete tool to? That's her? That's who that beauty is?"

Spencer shook his head and frowned, once again, at his friend. "Yes, but why is that so funny?" he asked brusquely.

"I can't get over thinking about how it must feel for you to know that you will never ever have a chance with her!" Cam laughed once more, before continuing. "Especially... once I go over and take my shot!"

And as Cam started to get up, Spencer took his arm and quickly said, "You will not!"

Cam chuckled as he sat back down, never fully intending to go over anyway. "Fine. So, are you going to go over? Because honestly, I'd love to see just how she'd read you for filth."

"Really, Cam?"

"I'm kidding. So, go on over. I'll wait."

Spencer's brow furrowed. "Are you serious? You're not going over there... and neither am I."

Now it was Cam's turn to look confused. "So, my genius friend. You're just going to hide out over here until... until she leaves?"

Spencer appeared to be giving Cam's question some serious thought, before he nodded his head. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"You're an idiot-you know that, right?" Cam responded to his friend's "plan".

"So, what would you have me do, Cam? Go up to her and say, "Excuse me, Trina, but I know that I've been a real jerk this week. But I had no idea how gorgeous you were, on top of being smart. So, can you forget who I've been and let me buy you a drink?"

"Well, it sounded pretty good and sincere to me," Cam replied.

"Maybe, but it may be just a little too late," Spencer sighed.

Cam looked at his friend and then he looked over at Trina who was smiling and appeared to be having the time of her life. When he looked back at Spencer, who had taken another drink, Cam realized something. Despite Spencer's bravado, he was his friend. And his friend wasn't always that happy. It typically took a lot to convince Spencer to do more than just hang out at home. Seeing that there was a pretty, intelligent young woman now in his orbit, Cam knew that this was a good sign, and that Spencer needed to make the most of it.

"Well, you know what you have to do, buddy," Cam announced.

"Do? Do about what?" Spencer asked, his curiosity slightly piqued.

"My advice to you... while we sit back here like Secret Service agents with you determined to hide out, is to use next week to revamp your whole relationship with Trina. You had this gem right up under your nose but hadn't a clue. That's why you needed to come out tonight. See what happens when you put work to the side for a little while? You discover the beauty that life has to offer," Cam replied, as Spencer stole another quick glance at his partner.

Cam smiled as he noticed. "That is a woman who won't be available for long, Spencer. And while climbing the corporate ladder is an admirable goal, having someone to enjoy it with is equally as laudable. Don't you think?" he asked sincerely.

"I... I guess so," Spencer replied. "But how do I even begin to figure out a way to get her to forget about the ass I was for the last few days?"

"Well, you're just going to have to approach this as you would a major project. Think about the steps needed to reach your goal and just be prepared to put them into place Monday morning," Cam said as he held up his glass to make a toast.

"To my best friend, who has a lot of thinking and planning to do by Monday morning."

Spencer, finally let a slight grin creep out before adding, "To Monday!"

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

Operation: Revamp

Monday. Monday morning to be exact... arrived much too soon for Trina's liking. It was especially hard for Trina since she had to get up at that ghastly earlier hour that she had decided on in order to keep up with Spencer. As she showered and dressed, she tried to fill her head with positive affirmations to get her through the day. "You are an intelligent woman capable of great work." You bring so much to your partnership, and it will be recognized."

Before she got out of her car, Trina took a deep breath and exhaled. Last week had been difficult, so that exhaling was her way of releasing all the negativity that it brought and allowing only positive energy going forward.

"Now, if only my partner would do the same," Trina thought, while shaking her head at the possibility... despite the olive branches they had extended to each other on Friday.

When she got to the conference room, Spencer, of course, was already there and already hard at work. So, she walked in and said, "Good morning". And she honestly did not know how that simple two-word greeting would be received. She assumed it would be returned, without Spencer even looking up at her. Or, she'd get another, "Oh, it's you." But no matter, Trina was determined to let nothing get in the way of her joy and her work. So, she proceeded towards her space and was somewhat stunned by the reply from her partner.

"Good morning, Robinson," Spencer replied, with an actual, albeit quick, glance up at Trina before getting right back to working on whatever he had been doing.

Momentarily shocked, Trina wasn't sure what to do. "Should I press my luck and ask him about his weekend?" she thought to herself. "Or should I just take this one step and see if it was just a fluke, with the real Cassadine reappearing in just a little while?"

But before Trina could decide on how to take Spencer's unexpected greeting, her partner surprised once again.

Spencer cleared his throat and took his next step in revamping the image he had unfortunately made for himself last week with Trina.

"So, umm. How was your weekend? You... you were going to meet up with what's her name, right?" he asked, as he made sure to continue working. He couldn't risk looking too eager.

"What's her name? There's the Cassadine I know," Trina thought before answering him.

"It was nice, actually. We didn't stay out long, but the time we had was fun," Trina replied.

Spencer flashed back to Friday night and seeing how stunning Trina looked, as well as stealing occasional glances at her laughing, talking, and dancing at her seat... while he and Cam waited for her to leave The Savoy.

"Oh, and her name is Esme," Trina reminded Spencer, as he brought his attention back to the present.

He nodded. "Great. So, are you ready to get started, Robinson?"

"Sure. But before we do, did you get to spend time with your friend? Cam, wasn't it?" Trina asked.

"Dude, she remembered Cam's name! Are you kidding me? Cassadine, you better hope that your plan works because she is amazing! Who remembers names?" Spencer marveled to himself before responding.

"Yeah, Cam. That's right. Uh, we just hung out," he answered before handing his partner a folder. "Let's get to work, shall we?" Spencer asked as he allowed his eyes to make brief contact with Trina's. And in that split moment, something happened between Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine. Neither knew what, but a quick return to work helped them to move on from it... for a while.

***

Closer to the time for most Quartermaine Industries employees to arrive, Kristina Davis had made sure to position herself as close to the elevator as possible-without looking like a stalker. When she left Friday, she knew that she would have to figure out a way to "encourage" her partner, Esme Prince, to become more focused on their assigned parts of the project.

"Mom, I really think that Esme could be a great partner but..." Kristina had told her mother during a phone call Friday evening.

"But what, sweetheart?" Alexis Davis asked her daughter.

"But she just seems so preoccupied with her friend Trina and what's going on with her and her partner. So preoccupied that when I get to work, she's already found her way down to where Trina is working. I mean, sure say "Good morning", but keep it moving. You know what I mean? So, then I have to get her to come to our space, where it takes a while for her to refocus. And then when we start to make a little headway, it's time for lunch. And never have I seen someone move so fast!"

Alexis couldn't help but to chuckle.

"Mom. It's not funny," Kristina whined. "Then when she gets back, it's more refocusing and a rinse and repeat of the morning. Headway is made, but then the end of the day comes... and once again, she's darting out like Usain Bolt at the Olympics. No time to reflect on the day's accomplishments, meager as they may be, or to come up with a plan for the next day. And Mom, I know that it's only been a couple of days, but I'm really worried that this is how she's going to be the whole time. So, please tell me, what can I do?"

Alexis took a beat before answering. Her daughter had finally found something careerwise that she was interested in and enjoyed. And Alexis wanted things to stay that way, so she advised her accordingly.

"Get to her before she has a chance to get to her friend."

"Have an agenda all set up for the entirety of the day."

"And lastly, leave the last twenty minutes for reflection and prep time for the next day."

"Doing all this will leave Ms. Prince with zero time to focus on anything or anyone other than your partnership or you."

And so that was what had led Kristina Davis to stake out the elevator and wait for her partner, as if she were the predator and Esme the prey.

"Good morning, Esme! I can't wait for us to get started today. Shall we?" an eager Kristina said, as she gestured for her partner to lead the way to their work area-negating any need to head towards Trina... or Spencer.

As Esme walked in the opposite direction of her intended first stop, she fumed inside. Yet she knew that she couldn't... or at least shouldn't offer up any resistance.

"It's too early to object. But if she thinks that I'll be kept away from my best friend and my soulmate, then Kristina Davis will have to find out the hard way that I don't like things... or people getting in my way," Esme thought, as she kept a frozen smile on her face.

With both pseudo-leaders of both partnerships coming in with new plans of action, the morning for all four was quite different from the week before. Kristina was feeling quite empowered having gotten to Esme first thing that morning with a greeting and an agenda of items to accomplish. And as she knew, Esme was rather effective in doing her job.

Spencer was feeling cautiously optimistic and on-guard. He was pleased with how the day started with Trina and their greeting. Yet, he was on-guard once they began working. He did not want to revert back to being the condescending, arrogant tool he'd been last week. Trina was smart and beyond capable; that he knew. "So, just let her do what you know she can do. That way she'll forget about last week and see you as... someone worth more than just tolerating," he thought to himself as the morning went on.

Trina also felt optimistic from the morning, as well as on-guard. She had appreciated Spencer's efforts but couldn't help but to wonder when it all might change. "I think lunchtime will tell me everything I need to know-whether this morning's Spencer reboot is here to stay or if Spencer 1.0 was just having a brief out of body experience," a cautiously guarded Trina wondered.

When he noticed that it was almost Trina's preferred lunchtime, Spencer made another surprise move. "Uh. I noticed that you didn't go out to eat on Friday with what's her name. I... I hope that it wasn't on my account," he said with quite a bit of surprising sincerity.

Trina was floored by that almost apology. As for another "what's her name", Trina chose to let that one go. Rather, she was focused on how she should respond.

"Well, it seems as though you're a working lunch type of guy, and since we're partners, I thought I'd do likewise," Trina replied, realizing that this was really the first time since they became partners that she had actually looked at Spencer without rage or disgust. She also realized that Spencer Cassadine was quite attractive. Tall and well-built was obvious, no need for a long look. But his face, especially his eyes, put him right up there with one of the most attractive men she'd ever seen. So much so that she had to make sure not to get lost in them as they spoke. He was the one who had been an overbearing jerk to her ever since they were partnered up last week. "Yes, but people can change, can't they?" she thought, just as she realized that her partner appeared to be responding to her statement.

"But if you want that time to take a break, by all means do, Robinson. I promise that there will be plenty of work waiting on you when you get back," Spencer surprisingly joked.

Trina chuckled slightly. "Well, I've got my lunch for today, so I'll just stay put for today. But tomorrow, who knows?" she replied with just enough lightheartedness for Spencer to smile... for a quick moment.

Trina got her lunch tote and began to pull out its contents: a bottled water, a chef's salad, some fruit, and a snack size of gingersnaps. "What made me get those?" she asked aloud, as she tossed them to the side.

Spencer couldn't help but notice, as he reached for his apple. "Not a fan of gingersnaps?" he asked.

"Not really. Why, are you?" Trina asked, as she retrieved the pack and handed it to him.

"Well, I am. But I don't want to take your lunch," Spencer answered.

"A part of my lunch that I have no intention of eating. So, please take them and add it along to your... apple; because I refuse to call an apple lunch," Trina replied.

"Alright, Robinson," Spencer said, as he took the cookies and began eating. And that would mark the first, but most definitely not the last lunch that the partners would share.

***

When Trina noticed people beginning to leave for the day, she excused herself to seek out Esme. She'd seen her friend only once that day at lunchtime. They were able to speak briefly upon Esme's return from her solitary lunch and Trina's quick stop at the restroom.

"Hi, Esme. I can't believe that this is the first time that we've had a chance to connect today," Trina said as she gave her friend a warm smile.

"I know. Kristina was literally waiting for me when I got off the elevator this morning. And we've worked non-stop," Esme replied.

"She sounds like quite the taskmaster. But I'm sure that her disposition is a little more... polished than Cassadine's," Trina joked.

"There's that Cassadine again. Why can't she call him Spencer like everyone else? They're partners, not a couple. No need for cutesy nicknames-I don't care for whatever reason! Spence is the only one he'll need, and I'll be the one using it!" Esme thought to herself, as she tried to make sure that her face didn't give away those secret thoughts.

"Kristina's pleasant enough, I guess. But enough about her. How's your day been so far? How's Spencer?" she slipped in.

Trina thought for a moment before sharing. If she hinted at the, for now, improved working conditions between her and Spencer, she knew that Esme would want details. But she had work she needed to get back to. So, she made a decision. But Kristina's arrival negated its implementation.

"Hi, Trina!" Kristina said, as she came and stood by Esme, who went back to frozen-smile mode. "I hate to break the two of you up, but lunch helped me to zero in on some more ideas that I just can't wait to share with my partner here.

"Of course, Kristina. I've got to get back, too. Esme, I'll try to touch base with you at the end of the day before you leave. Ok?" Trina asked as she departed with a smile, leaving Esme to head back with Kristina for continued work.

So, when Trina saw Esme among the many preparing to leave for the day, she wished her a good night.

"Another long night?" Esme inquired.

"Probably so," Trina replied. "And... and hopefully we can talk more sometime tomorrow."

And it was another long night- yet not as tiring or overwhelming as the ones from last week. But why?

Trina knew why. That day was the first day that she actually felt like an equal partner. She and Spencer were open to and traded ideas and really listened... to each other.

And as they were all set to depart for the night, Trina could only hope that the day had not been a dream or a fluke. Rather, she hoped that she and Spencer were on their way to a most productive and wonderful partnership... as just co-workers... of course.

"Well, thanks for all the good work today, Robinson. Most impressive, indeed," Spencer said, as they approached their cars.

Trina couldn't believe what she had just heard but she was quite ready to bask in some appreciation... at last.

"You, too. I... I guess I'll see you in the morning," Trina replied, giving just a hint of a smile.

Spencer caught it and returned it. "I guess you will, Robinson," he replied, as he left her at her car to continue on to his. But he couldn't help but to steal a glance at her as she got inside her car.

When Spencer got into his own car, he took out his phone to text Cam.

Operation: Revamp: Activated
Step 1: Successfully executed
Step 2: We'll see... tomorrow

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"What a Difference a Day Makes"

"Mom. Mom, are you there?" Trina asked when she heard no response on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm here. I was just... just waiting."

A confused look came across Trina's face in response to her mother's words.

"Waiting for what?" a puzzled Trina asked.

"For the problem, to be honest. When you called, you told me that I wouldn't believe what your partner had done today. And then you preceded to tell me that he greeted you when you came in, asked about your weekend, consulted with you on everything project-related, and walked you to your car. All things which seem quite pleasant and cordial to me, which gets me back to my "issue". Trina, honey. What's the problem?" a truly stumped Portia asked.

Trina had to chuckle. "Well, when you put it like that, I guess it would be hard to see a problem in or with any of what I told you," a conciliatory Trina answered. "I just guess that it seems so different from everything he did last week when he was an overbearing jerk to me at just about every turn. I mean, he seemed to even resent that I was taking in the same air as he was, Mom! And now today, it was as if an entirely new Spencer Cassadine came to work this morning. But why? That's what's got me looking at it sideways. No one makes such a huge change unless..."

***

"Did you get Mr. Ashton to reassign me to another partner so that you could work by yourself?" Trina demanded when she entered the conference room early the next morning.

"What?" a perplexed Spencer asked.

"You heard me, Cassadine! Yesterday, you turned into Mr. Personality after days of being completely devoid of one, and I'm not supposed to suspect something behind such a change? And that's when I realized, when I was talking with my mother, what had to have been behind such a complete 180. You were on Cloud Nine and didn't mind being nice to me because you knew that you wouldn't be working with me much longer! I can't believe that I almost..." an enraged Trina stopped when she saw two things.

One was the ever-so confused look on Spencer's face in response to her indictment of him. And the other was a latte, along with a blueberry muffin set up on the other end of the table at her workspace. After seeing both, Trina came to a conclusion, one that resulted in her feeling physically flushed and emotionally embarrassed and quite foolish. And when she turned to look back at Spencer, who now had a "Don't you feel small?" smirk on his face... which after a moment or two turned into a slight warm smile, Trina realized that she had made up an entire scenario in her head.

When her flood of words seemed to dry up, Spencer decided to say a little more than "What?". And what he said surprised a shamed Trina even more.

"As someone who could rarely be called " a people person" or "warm and fuzzy", I absolutely know what it's like to speak out of turn or quite honestly, to put my foot in my mouth- my behavior on last week: Exhibit A. So, how about we just start this day all over?" a more than understanding Spencer asked an all-too eager Trina.

"I'd say, I'll be right back," Trina replied as she went back to the door and walked out, inhaled, then exhaled- before opening the door to do a re-do of the morning.

She was more than grateful that Spencer wasn't just standing there and waiting for the re-do. He, as was the normal, was hard at work.

"Good morning," Trina said, as she walked back into the conference room.

"Good morning, Robinson," Spencer responded as he glanced up quickly before returning to work.

When Trina got to her work area, where she'd already seen the latte and muffin, she oh so expertly feigned shock.

"Umm. Cassadine. What's this?" she asked.

Spencer looked up and shrugged. "It's no big deal, Robinson. I treated myself this morning and then remembered that I had a partner, so I... I decided to be a nice guy... for once. Don't tell anyone, ok?" Spencer replied, with another slight grin.

"Well, I'll keep your secret. But for the record, I think I could get used to Nice Guy Cassadine," Trina responded as she took a sip of her latte.

"That's the plan, Robinson. That's the plan," Spencer thought to himself as he got back to work.

So, for a second morning, Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine worked together as a well-oiled machine, accomplishing quite a few of the tasks they'd mapped out for the day. In fact, they were so hard at work that neither noticed when Ned walked into the conference room.

"I hate to do this because I see some really good things going on in here. But I do need to speak to the both of you," Ned said, finally getting the attention of his hard-working employees.

"Oh, good morning, sir! I'm sorry that we..." Spencer began before Ned immediately cut him off.

"For what, Spencer?" Ned chuckled. "Sorry for doing your job? Sorry for working so hard on a major project that you didn't see me come in? Or sorry for looking like a seasoned pairing and making it look so easy?"

Both Spencer and Trina couldn't help but to feel a sense of pride after hearing Ned's positive words.

"Thank you, Mr. Ashton," Trina replied.

"Yes, thank you so much!" Spencer co-signed.

Ned smiled and nodded. "Well, I guess I'll join the "Thank You" brigade and add my own "Thank You". But before I do, I have to admit that you two were the pair that I was the most concerned about, while also the pair that I was expecting the most from- although, I'd never let the others know," he teased. "So, to see you two like this and from what I've heard from my eyes and ears on the floor, I can only say thank you. Thank you for proving my instincts right when I decided to pair you two together. And thank you for doing such a good job, so far. I can't wait to see even more from both of you."

When Ned finished and was preparing to leave, he looked back. "But be warned. When we need to have a mass meeting, know that we will meet here... but I promise that you two will get "your" space back," he said with a smile before leaving.

When they were sure that the door was closed all the way, Spencer and Trina both let out a booming "Yes!" and exchanged the biggest smiles.

"Now that's the way to start a day!" Trina replied, as Spencer was still so amped up that he didn't know what to do with all that adrenaline. That was until he looked at his partner, who he knew had to be feeling the same way.

"What's that look, Cassadine?" Trina asked when she saw him looking at her without saying a word.

"I'm sorry, Robinson, but I've got to do it!" Spencer exclaimed as he impulsively picked up his unsuspecting partner and swung her around before gently placing her back carefully on solid ground.

Trina was left stunned and speechless, while Spencer let out one last "Yes!" before taking a breath and then handing Trina a folder. "So, are you ready to get back to it?" Spencer asked, hoping he hadn't overstepped and that things could get back to their "new normal".

And with a, "Sure, let's do it," Trina let Spencer know that business could proceed as normal.

***

Meanwhile, Ned was making his way down to see another set of partners, who had gotten off to a much less auspicious first few days.

"Esme, were you able to finish researching those numbers we discussed yesterday?" Kristina asked her partner, who seemed to be focused on something... something that had nothing to do with numbers or their project. No, Esme, who had been greeted by Kristina as soon as she got off the elevator once again that morning had her mind on other things- or rather, people. Losing time with Trina was bad enough, but losing time to see Spencer as a result, was much too much for Esme Prince. She had to figure out a way to get around the albatross around her neck, namely one Kristina Davis. "I have to figure out a way around her. I just don't know how... yet. But I will," Esme was thinking as she failed to notice that Ned had come over to where she and Kristina were "working".

Kristina could only stand there and say "Good morning" to Ned, as she saw him looking at Esme with a concerned look on his face. "So," he cleared his throat loud enough to bring Esme back to the conversation, "What numbers would those be, Kristina... Esme?"

"Oh, good morning, Mr. Ashton. You're asking about... about numbers? The numbers. Oh, the numbers from yesterday," she rattled off as Kristina just stood there hoping that things didn't look as bad as she thought they did.

"Yes, Esme. I believe Kristina had asked you about researching..." Ned began.

"The numbers from the marketing outline. Here they are and I'm working on them now," Esme said, trying to cover up her less than productive start to the day, which was really now close to the middle of the day.

Kristina breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least Esme knew what Ned was referring to and could place her hands on the numbers.

"Well, good. I'll stop back by in, oh say an hour, so that we can all take a look at them. Alright, ladies?" Ned asked as he looked over at Kristina.

"Of course, Mr. Ashton. We'll both be ready," a quite anxious Kristina replied as Ned left. When he was out of sight, Kristina gave Esme quite an accusatory stare.

"Esme, that was completely embarrassing. What's going on with you?" an irritated Kristina asked.

Esme put on a clueless face as she looked at her partner. "What do you mean, Kristina? I had the numbers, didn't I? We've got an hour to finish researching them, don't we? I mean I think that you're making the proverbial mountain and really taking things too far. So, if you wouldn't mind, I've got work to do," Esme said confidently as she began her research.

A dumbfounded Kristina wasn't quite so sure what to do, so she just left Esme to her task, while she continued working on another key part of their project. However, as she worked, she had to keep an eye on Esme, lest she find her focus drifting away... once again.

When Ned did indeed return an hour later, Esme was ready with the numbers, while Kristina was able to provide Ned with an update on her and Kristina's progress up to that point.

"These look good," Ned replied, as Esme gave Kristina a self-satisfied smirk, as if to say "Checkmate!".

But that self-satisfaction wouldn't last long once Ned continued.

"But I am a little concerned with where you all are at this early stage in your assignment. I've also heard from my eyes and ears on the floor that there have been a few instances where you two have not been in-sync with each other," Ned said, as Kristina could feel her blood beginning to boil.

"I know that both of you are beyond capable of being one of my top pairings. I just need to see that come out in your work and your interactions. Alright?" Ned asked calmly and non-intimidatingly, as he left once again.

Realizing that talking to Esme would be of no use, Kristina just shook her head and went back to work-knowing that something had to change.

The rest of the day for the two sets of partners proceeded in completely different directions. Kristina and Esme, after she returned from lunch, worked in near silence- speaking to each other only when absolutely necessary. Both young women's minds were busy trying to figure out how their partnership could continue as it was presently.

Meanwhile, aided by that unexpected high from Ned's visit and positive feedback, Trina and Spencer were even more productive than usual. The only slowdown came at lunchtime, when Trina took out her tote. That signaled to Spencer that it was time for his apple. However, he was in for a nice surprise. Before Trina started eating, she walked down to Spencer's space and left two things before walking back: another pack of gingersnaps and a sandwich. "Now, you can call it a lunch," she said, as Spencer nodded in appreciation.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Your Partner, My Partner"

Since Trina wasn't able to really talk to Esme that day, she made it a point to call her friend that night. Another night that ended with Spencer walking Trina to her car and saying goodnight, while stealing that one last glance as she got into her car. Another night with Spencer feeling encouraged about his attempt at a revamp with Trina.

"Hi, Esme," Trina said when her friend answered the phone.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't get a chance to see you today. We got started early and got on a roll. And once we start rolling, there's no way that Cassadine's going to stop," Trina said lightheartedly.

"Cassadine. Oh, please!" Esme thought to herself. "I just can't!"

"I'm sorry, too. I really miss our lunches and our talks, Trina. I gained a partner, but I seemed to have lost a friend. And believe you me, there's no comparison between the two of you," Esme sighed.

"Esme, you haven't lost me. It's just that work probably won't be the place for us to have our little talks and check-ins anymore. We'll have to do more girls' nights, like we did Friday. I really enjoyed that, plus we were able to let our hair down and just let loose. So, how about it? The Savoy? Friday night? Same time as last week?" Trina asked.

"I did enjoy us just hanging out," Esme replied. "And if it's the only way I can make sure that I get to spend time with my friend, then I'm all for it!"

"Great. Friday it is!" Trina exclaimed. "And now that we've got that taken care of, can we go back to what you said about a partner? Are you and Kristina not getting along?"

At first, Esme did not respond. The mere thought of Kristina annoyed her greatly. "Let's just say that you aren't the only one with partner problems," Esme replied. Upon hearing that, Trina felt somewhat guilty. Esme had no idea that her partnership had started to take a more positive turn, and Trina wasn't sure that now was the time to tell her. Rather, Trina wanted Esme to be able to confide in her, as she had last week.

"Did something happen?" Trina asked, moving past any talk of her own partnership.

"Kristina has control issues. I mean, she's nice enough. But underneath that team player facade is a control freak, Trina! As soon as I got off the elevator, there she was... all set to march me down to our workspace. Honestly, I don't need a guard or a baby-sitter. And now she wants to basically map out every... single... moment of the workday. I wouldn't be surprised if she has times for the bathroom posted tomorrow! I mean, where is the trust, Trina?" Esme vented.

Trina wanted to support her friend, but having an agenda for the day wasn't necessarily a bad thing-especially when you're working on a project with several parts and deadlines. In fact, that was one of the things that she appreciated about Spencer, even before he found a personality. Every day and, yes, almost every moment, is intentionally planned and mapped out. "Work with intention and a plan for optimal results" was a mantra that Spencer spoke and lived. And Trina was convinced that that was why he was as successful as he was. "But how do I support Esme, while letting her know that Kristina isn't all wrong?" Trina thought to herself.

"Maybe you could let Kristina know that you want to help in planning the agenda for the day. That way you might be able to find a little more flexibility in the schedule for the day. Just let her know that you want to be equal in your partnership. And I'm sure that she'll be ok with a compromise," Trina suggested, trying her best to sound positive.

"Maybe, I'll try it. After all, something's got to give," Esme said as she prepared to change the subject to her favorite subject of all: Spencer.

"Ok, I shared my partner horror story; now, it's your turn," Esme encouraged as she worked on her latest sketch of Spencer. "Is Spencer still being impossible?"

Once again, Trina didn't want to lie, but because Esme was having partner issues, she didn't see letting Esme know about the thaw that had begun between her and Spencer. "Maybe I'll tell her Friday night," Trina thought.

"Well, Cassadine is Cassadine, you know? And I've just tried to go in and focus on the tasks at hand. That way, I don't have to fight any additional battles. And on that note, I better go to bed now since I get up at that ghastly earlier hour now," Trina said, expertly redirecting the conversation without giving anything away.

"That's right. Well, when these pairings end, you won't have to do that anymore," Esme replied before saying good night.

"That's true. Good night, Esme," Trina said before ending the call.

The rest of the week continued in much the same way for the partners. Kristina tried her best to police Esme's movements, while Esme always seemed to do just enough to avoid any accusations of not doing her job. She was doing it, but not one thing more.

Spencer and Trina's pairing continued to improve every day. The work component had been strong, so it only got stronger. Spencer was beyond impressed with Trina's business acumen, while Trina was learning so much from just the little details that marked Spencer's work and his work ethic. Working alongside him was like getting a one-on-one masterclass in business. And seeing him in action like that daily was causing Trina to see Spencer Cassadine in a whole new light- which she felt she needed to keep dim... for now.

And as far as the interpersonal component, things between the two had improved exponentially. The greetings were easier and pleasant, while always accompanied by actual eye-contact and a smile. Treating himself to something from the coffee shop became a daily thing, which meant Trina got treated, too. Lunch also became a time for more sharing. While Spencer still had his trusty apple every day, Trina made sure to have a little extra something for him- like a sandwich or a salad, so that he would have a "real" lunch. Although, neither would admit that they were doing anything special for the other. "Why wouldn't I get my partner something? No big deal!" Spencer would say. "A footlong cut in two makes for two sandwiches, and besides gingersnaps were on sale. No big deal!" Trina would say.

The walk to their cars after work got slower, as they found topics of interest to discuss on the way. And when they got to Trina's car, they'd say good night, with Spencer always getting that last glance at Trina.

When Friday came around, the topic would inevitably get around to weekend plans, or so Spencer hoped. And he wanted Trina to be the one to bring it up first, though.

"So, plans with Cam again?" Trina asked, trying not to sound too curious.

"Yeah. We'll probably hang out," Spencer replied, trying not to sound too eager.

Then a silence fell over the conversation, both waiting for the other to extend an invitation or to encourage a chance meeting. And since Trina had already spoken up, Spencer decided to speak up next.

"So, what about you? Do you have plans with what's...?" he started.

"Esme," Trina corrected before he could finish the rest.

"Yeah, ok. But do you?" he reiterated.

"As a matter of fact, we're meeting up at The Savoy in a few hours. It's a really nice spot. You and Cam should try... hanging out there... someday... soon," Trina said, regretting having said just a little too much for fear of sounding too pushy. "Eager much, Trina? Why'd you have to say that?" Trina thought to herself, while she waited on Spencer's response or reaction.

Spencer chuckled, picking up slightly on Trina's embarrassment. "Perhaps we will... someday... soon," he replied, just as they arrived at Trina's car.

"Well, enjoy your weekend, Robinson."

"You, too, Cassadine."

And with that, they parted ways, Spencer got his last glance, and both drove away hoping that they wouldn't have to wait until Monday to see each other again... but only time would tell.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"The Gentleman in the Back"

Cam knew who the incoming text was coming from, and he couldn't wait to read it.

Back to The Savoy. See you in a bit.

"Well, I guess the revamp has been a success," Cam laughed, as he began making preparations for another night on the town.

When Spencer got home, he remembered Cam's dress code directive from the previous week and was all set to follow "orders". "Robinson looked like a walking dream last week, so I've got to up my game, without question. If I want to have any chance of getting her to see me as more than Cassadine, I've got to give her a visual reason. And I think I know exactly what will do the trick," Spencer said to himself as he spotted the perfect outfit for the night.

"Does this meet with your approval, friend?" a sharply dressed Spencer asked, as Cam arrived at The Savoy.

Cam's face told Spencer everything he needed to know. That, coupled with a head nod, let Spencer know that his outfit was "Cam"-approved. So, with that out of the way, Spencer and Cam went inside, where Spencer specifically requested the same table in the back as last week.

Cam's face looked puzzled. "Dude, why the back again? Don't tell me that you got all dressed up just to play "Hide-Out" again. Isn't the point for her to actually see you?" Cam asked, clearly confused, as they sat down.

"No, nothing like that again. But I don't want to seem too eager. Plus, I've got a move or two planned out," Spencer answered quite confidently.

"Hmm. Consider me intrigued and prematurely impressed," Cam replied. "This, I definitely want to see."

When Trina got home, she darted inside to get ready. She had made sure to lay everything out before she left early that morning. Letting Spencer know about The Savoy was always part of her plan for today... sounding too obvious and pushy was not. "Well, you can't go back and unsay it, Trina. Focus on getting dressed and looking fabulous... just in case a certain partner of yours happens to be among The Savoy crowd tonight," Trina said aloud as she hurried along.

And just as Trina added the last little touch that she felt would take her and her look to the next level, her doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" she thought as she went to the door.

"Joss, is that you?" Trina asked excitedly, after looking through her peephole.

"Well, if you'd open up, you'd find out, bestie!" the young woman on the other side of the door shouted out.

"Joss! I didn't know you were coming tonight! I thought it would be later on next week!" a shocked Trina exclaimed as she opened the door and hugged her friend.

"Surprise!" Joss replied, as she whistled at Trina once she saw her full look.

Trina giggled slightly, while Joss frowned. "Trina, I'm so sorry. You're going out, aren't you?" Joss asked as Trina led her to a seat.

"Don't worry, Joss because you're going, too. So, you've got about ten minutes to make it happen before we're out of here!" Trina declared.

Joss, who was never shy about going with the flow, did just that. Within ten minutes, she was all set to go with Trina, who told her all about The Savoy and her previously mentioned friend, Esme.

And within no time, they were outside The Savoy where Esme was already waiting.

"Hi, Esme! You look great! This is my friend, Joss, who I've mentioned before and who was also a complete surprise to me this evening," Trina said, as she hoped her two friends would get along.

Esme immediately had to activate her frozen fake smile expression after realizing that it wasn't going to be just Trina and her that night. "An interloper... destroying ladies' night for us," Esme thought as she and Joss shook hands.

"Joss, it's really nice to meet you. Are you in town for long?" Esme asked, just as it was time to go in.

"Well, that's the plan-if all goes well. Plus, I need time to catch up with my bestie!" Joss said playfully, as she looked at Trina.

"Your bestie? My bestie! You bi---" Esme thought, until the hostess came and showed them to their table, which happened to be the same one as last week.

As Trina sat down, she couldn't help but to scan the room. Even though she knew that it was a long shot, she was secretly hoping that Spencer might be there, especially after she had name-dropped The Savoy.

"Trina, are you looking for someone?" Esme asked, as she made sure to sit between Trina and Joss, who she saw as an intruder on her time with her best friend. Joss, for her part, took it in stride and smiled.

"Umm. No... no. I was just getting the vibe of the club tonight," she replied as she smiled at Esme and Joss- once she refocused her attention on them.

"Trina, this place is amazing! I wish it had been here when we were still..." Joss started.

"It really is amazing, especially for our second time. Isn't it, Trina?" Esme interrupted, as Joss gave her a subtle side-eye.

Trina, who was still hoping for a Spencer sighting, just smiled and nodded to both of her friends.

"So, Esme. Trina tells me that you work in the same department. Do you enjoy what you're doing?" Joss asked, trying to play nice by making small talk.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Now, Trina's told me that you... that you're... umm. I'm sorry, Joss. I guess I didn't quite understand exactly what it is that you do... do," Esme replied in the most mockingly condescending tone.

That, Trina did hear. She also saw the look that had sprung up on her oldest friend's face. And Trina knew that look very well. It was a look that she had seen whenever Joss had to or felt that she needed to tell somebody off. As a result, she knew that it was up to her to intercede before their ladies' night out unraveled before it had really started.

"Joss is interested in a variety of careers and, as such, she's had several opportunities to explore them in some school-sponsored programs and internships. And now she's back in town looking to, perhaps, begin her senior year at PCU in the liberal arts program, which will open up several additional avenues for her," a quick-talking Trina clarified to keep a possible war of words at bay.

"Well, I guess that clears everything up. Thank you, Trina," Esme replied, while giving Joss the fakest of all smiles.

While that was being taken care of, the women had failed to realize that a server had returned with drinks for the table. And as she began putting them on the table, Trina was the first one to respond.

"Oh, we didn't order these. There must be some mistake," Trina said gesturing towards the drinks.

"No, ma'am. They are from the gentleman in the back," the server replied, as she looked towards the back.

And when Trina looked to see from where the drinks came, she was secretly thrilled... while understandably stunned and speechless. Joss, on the other hand, wasted no time in getting a drink, holding it up as if toasting and taking a drink. Dealing with Esme was proving quite the challenge, so having a drink was definitely seen by Joss as a plus. After her drink, both Joss and Esme turned to see who had sent the drinks over. To say that Esme was just as stunned and speechless as Trina was an understatement.

"I can't believe it's finally happening! And in such a public way, too," Esme thought to herself as she saw that "the gentleman in the back" was none other than... Spencer Cassadine. "How sweet of Spence. He couldn't work up the nerve to approach me at work, so he does this. How lucky am I?"

Trina, finally figuring out a response, took a page from Joss's book and took a glass and toasted it towards Spencer. Once he had received that acknowledgment from the intended recipient of his gesture, Spencer returned the toast with a smile. Esme, completely oblivious to what was happening between Trina and Spencer, hurriedly took up the third glass for a toast and a drink.

An observant Joss caught the glance exchange between Trina and "the gentleman in the back" and couldn't wait to comment.

"Umm, Trina. Who is the gentleman, no scratch that, who is the hottie in the back? He certainly seems to know you... and he seems like he wants to get to know you even better. So, spill," Joss requested.

"Oh no, Joss. It's nothing like that. That's my Spencer... No, no... I mean that's my partner, Spencer... from work!" a quite tongue-tied and increasingly flushed Trina replied.

Joss smiled at her friend's apparent slip of the tongue, while Esme seethed inside.

"That's your partner? The jackass you told me about? I find it somewhat strange, Miss Robinson, that you left out how attractive and hot your insufferable partner is," Joss replied, while Trina felt the need for another sip, or possibly gulp, from her glass.

"Attractive? You think so?" Trina asked, trying hard to play dumb.

Joss pursed her lips. "Trina, don't even think about trying to tell me that you never noticed that you were working side-by-side with a good-looking guy like that."

As Trina began to grin slightly, Esme was quick to end the lightheartedness.

"I really don't think that you should be talking about our co-worker like that, Joss. In our corporate environment, we strive for respectful interactions. Objectifying Spencer as a "hottie" is quite disappointing," Esme lectured in quite a holier than thou tone, as her fingernails gripped the seat of her chair.

And while Joss was all set to jump on Esme's remarks, she controlled herself when she saw Trina's partner headed towards their table.

"Hi," Spencer said as he got to the table with eyes only for Trina.

"Hi," Trina, whose slight grin, had widened into a smile, replied. Because standing there before her was a Spencer she'd never seen. He was dressed in a black turtleneck, which showed off the hardness of his upper body. She had never realized how big his arms were. He also had on black slacks with just the right fit to emphasize his other... attributes. Hottie didn't do the man she was seeing any kind of justice.

Meanwhile, Spencer, as this was the first time that he had been that close to Trina dressed and made up as she was, temporarily lost whatever words he had planned to say. Her eyes, her face... everything up close and personal was almost too much for Spencer Cassadine. After a moment or two, however, he was able to recover and proceed.

"I saw you over here with your friends and I just thought that you might like a drink," Spencer shared rather shyly. "And I know for a fact that you worked hard today, so I... I just thought that ... I mean, I hoped that you'd like the drinks."

When Trina didn't answer immediately, as Spencer's eyes, his body, his... everything had her quite taken in, Joss was quick to chime in and help her friend out.

"She does. Don't you, Trina?" Joss asked, helping to bring her best friend back to reality.

"Yes. Yes, I do. It was very thoughtful. Surprising, but thoughtful," Trina replied.

Spencer smiled. "I'll take that," he said.

"In addition to taking that, wouldn't you like to take Trina out onto the dance floor? This is her song, plus she's got a new dress to show off!" Joss encouraged, as Esme's breathing quickened.

"Well, I'm not really much of a dancer," Spencer replied.

That's when Trina was motivated to speak out for herself. "That's ok. It's all about having fun," she said as she rose from her chair and reached out for Spencer's hand. "Besides, it'll be nice having you follow my lead for once," she giggled.

Spencer took her hand and replied, "Ok, Robinson. By all means lead the way... lead the way."

And as Trina led the way, Spencer followed, getting a chance to appreciate Trina's dress up-close. The song playing had a great beat and was a fast track- no need for much body contact. Yet somehow that was perfect for Spencer and Trina. It allowed them both to see each other as more than their serious work selves. Smiles were on display, laughs were shared, and for good measure, Spencer took Trina's hand and threw in a fun twirl.

"Cassadine, I never know you had this in you!" Trina replied, as they continued their dance.

"Well, it doesn't come out often, but I'm glad I can pull it out when I need to," he responded. And just as they were enjoying themselves more and more, two things happened that would bring the evening to quite an eventful end.

The first was a change in the music playing overhead. The up-tempo track with an amazing beat and hook ended, just as a much slower slow jam began. The sudden switch came as quite a surprise to both Spencer and Trina. In that moment, the two partners were faced with a big decision to make. To dance or not to dance, which based on the song playing, really meant to hold each other close or not? As their eyes locked, while nervous smiles indicated the decision-making thought process, it was clear that Spencer and Trina were headed in the "hold each other close" direction.

So, as they both smiled and exhaled, they each edged just a little closer to one another. Spencer was the first to put his arm around Trina's waist. Then with his other hand he reached for hers, as he was all set to pull her close. The moment was upon them... or at least it was until the one who looked upon Spencer as her own had another idea...

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Chivalry's Not Dead"

"Esme!" Joss shouted as Esme, after standing briefly, fell to the floor.

Upon hearing, and then seeing, what had happened, Trina broke away from Spencer's embrace and ran over to her friend.

"Joss, what happened?" a frantic Trina asked, as she knelt down and reached for Esme's hand.

"I'm not really sure. For some reason, she stood up and just as quickly, she started to fall, faint, or whatever!" Joss responded, as she went to get some water for Esme.

"Esme! Esme! Wake up! Are you ok? Say something!" Trina implored her friend as she stayed by her side.

"Here's some water. See if she can drink some," Joss said once she returned with the water.

"Thanks, Joss. But shouldn't we try to get her up or at least sit her up?" Trina asked, as she looked around for help with that. "Spencer! Spencer! I need your help!"

And with that, Spencer wasted no time in rushing over. "Please help me get her up," Trina requested.

"Of course," Spencer replied as he started to pick the fallen young woman up.

"Finally, I'm in your arms, my sweet Spence. And it couldn't feel more right," Esme thought as she kept her eyes closed and her body limp.

"Here, let me put her arms around you," Trina said as she tried to make sure that her friend was ok.

"Umm," Esme started to moan, as Spencer tried placing her in a chair. "Tried" being the operative word since her arms appeared to be locked around his neck.

"Umm. Trina, could you help with... with her arms... please?" Spencer asked.

"Oh sure," Trina replied. But before she could, Esme's arms suddenly unlocked, and her eyes opened.

"What... what happened?" Esme asked groggily as she "came to". Seeing her securely seated, Spencer stepped away and let Trina take over.

"Shh. First things first. Here, drink," Trina instructed as she gave her the water from Joss.

Esme drank the water, as her eyes slowly searched... for Spencer. When she didn't see him, she looked at Trina. "Ok. Tell me now. What happened?" Esme asked.

"You stood up, for some reason, and then you went down," Joss answered.

Ignoring Joss, Esme kept her gaze on Trina. "So how... how did I get here, in this chair?" a "confused" Esme asked.

"Oh, Cassadine... Spencer helped you up," Trina replied, as she looked over at him with a smile.

He returned the smile before heading back to his table with Cam.

"Is everything ok?" Cam, who had kept an eye on things from a distance, asked.

"Uh. Yeah. What's her name from the office fainted, I guess," Spencer replied rather nonchalantly.

"Well, is she ok?" Cam asked, showing more concern than the fallen woman's own co-worker.

Spencer, who had his eyes on Trina, didn't respond.

"Spencer! I asked if she's, ok?" Cam repeated.

"What? Oh, yeah. She's fine- I guess. I mean she was talking and drinking water when I left, so she must be," Spencer answered without a hint of any concern at all in his voice.

Cam snickered and shook his head.

That reaction didn't go unnoticed by Spencer, who finally turned around completely to give Cam his full attention.

"What's with the disapproving look? I'm the one who picked her up and put her in a chair. You should be applauding my chivalry-especially since the only arms I wanted around me were..." Spencer started.

"Do you hear yourself, Spencer? Yes, it was very gallant of you to help someone up from the floor... AFTER SHE FAINTED! But to go from that to thinking about how that got in the way of getting closer to your partner, who's surely concerned about her friend, takes away any chivalrous cred, my friend," Cam said in a most disapproving tone.

Spencer frowned and let out a deep sigh. "So, what else should I have done, Cam? Trina's..." Spencer asked, as he finally understood Cam's point.

"She's Trina's friend, which means I need to be there for Trina," Spencer said, as Cam smirked and nodded.

"Alright, then. Let's go," Spencer said as he left money for the drinks on the table.

As they approached, both Trina and Esme smiled. Trina was glad to see that Spencer hadn't gone AWOL, while Esme assumed that he had returned for her.

"Is... is everything ok, now?" Spencer asked Trina, who was seated in the chair next to Esme, with Joss on the other side.

"Yes, she seems to be feeling better," Trina replied, just as Esme let out a slight groan.

Spencer nodded. "But she definitely needs to get home. So, I..." Trina began.

However, Joss jumped in to interrupt, knowing exactly what her kind-hearted friend was probably about to say.

"And I am sure that Spencer's friend here," Joss started, gesturing towards Cam.

"Cam," Cam volunteered.

"I'm sure that Cam can make sure that Esme gets home," Joss offered, which led to a variety of facial expressions. Cam's was pretty normal and unchanged. Both Trina and Spencer's showed relief, while Esme looked as though she'd just eaten some bad sushi.

"What is her problem? She's not even my friend. She shouldn't be deciding anything! Please Trina, talk your nosy friend down," Esme thought as she tried hard to hide her obvious displeasure with Joss's idea.

"Sure, I don't mind. That is, if she's ok with it?" Cam, ever the gentleman, asked.

All eyes were now on Esme. "I... I'm not sure. Besides, what about my car?" Esme asked, sure that she'd found a way to stop Joss's plan before it got any more traction.

"No worries! I'll drive you in your car and Cam will follow us in his. We'll get you inside and make sure you're good. Then, Cam can give me a ride back," an ever-so helpful Joss offered.

"Joss, you don't..." Trina started.

"Trina. It's fine. Besides, I'm sure you won't be long," Joss winked as she got up to go.

Trina, torn between loyalty to her friend and a desire to see where things might go with Spencer, looked at Esme for help.

"Esme, are you ok with that?" Trina asked softly.

Spencer, realizing where things might be going, intervened. "Let Cam do this for you. He was a Boy Scout, so he lives to be... chivalrous," Spencer said soothingly, glancing quickly at his friend, who just shook his head. "Here, let me help you up."

And that was all the convincing that Esme needed. "Thank you so much, Spence...-r," a completely enthralled Esme said as she let Spencer take her hand to help her up. "I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm ready," she replied, as she gave Joss her key.

"Get some rest, Esme and I'll talk to you..." Trina started.

"Tomorrow!" Spencer and Joss both said in unison, as Esme allowed Cam to escort her out of the club.

Trina watched until the trio was out of sight, and then she sat down at her table. Spencer followed suit. He realized, with Cam's voice in his ear, that he needed to let Trina and what she needed and wanted dictate the rest of their evening together. So, he just... waited.

Trina looked at Spencer and smiled. "Thank you so much for your help with Esme. I really do appreciate your coming to her rescue," Trina teased, as she felt herself calming down from the night's excitement.

"You're welcome, but it was no big deal," Spencer assured her, as he put his hand on the table.

"How humble, Cassadine," Trina replied, as she placed her hand on top of his. Why, she wasn't sure, but she knew that it felt right... and good.

Spencer's eyes moved from Trina's eyes down to her hand, and then back to her eyes- all with a quite delighted look on his face.

"So... umm, what do we do now?" Spencer asked, as he used his other hand to get Trina's other hand.

With that move, Trina could feel herself getting quite warm. And although she had hoped that she would see Spencer there tonight, she wasn't sure exactly how she had wanted things to progress.

"I'm not sure. I mean is it right that we stay, while Esme's on her way home?" a slightly conflicted Trina asked.

Spencer used his fingers to rub Trina's hands in an effort to calm her anxiety. "Remember, you're taking the lead on this, Robinson. I'm following," Spencer said softly, as his gaze pierced through Trina-rendering her temporarily speechless.

Using her silence to his advantage, Spencer continued. "Although I would love it if your next move had me following you back out on the dance floor," he said smoothly... just as another slow jam came on overhead.

***

"Esme, how are you feeling?" Joss asked, as she drove along towards Esme's place.

Esme, however, was still taken by the fact that Spencer had held her and comforted her that night. "It's really starting to happen. Soon, everyone will know that..." Esme's thought was cut short when Joss asked her again how she was feeling after receiving no response.

"Oh. I'm ok. I just really need silence. I'm sure that can only help," Esme said, basically letting Joss know that she needed no other words spoken between them.

"Of course," Joss replied, as she was more than happy to not have to "make nice" with Trina's new friend.

When they pulled up to the apartment complex, Cam was right behind them. Once they got to her apartment, Esme stopped short of letting them in. "This is fine. The door's unlocked, the lights on, and I'm all set just to unwind. Thank you both so much," a quick talking and equally fast-moving Esme said, as she stepped inside and closed the door.

"Ok. That was strange. But you know what? The night's too young to worry about strange. So, let's see. How about you take me for a bite to eat?" Joss boldly suggested.

"You don't want to go back to The Savoy or to Trina's?" a slightly confused Cam asked, as they headed towards his car.

"Well, I hope that your friend and my friend are still at The Savoy, getting a chance to finish their dance. But if they aren't and decide to go to Trina's, it's probably best if, once we're done, I head over to my mom's. So, a bite to eat and some conversation?" Joss asked again.

"Food and conversation work for me," Cam replied as they got in his car and took off.

***

"Now, I believe that I was just about to do... this," Spencer said, as he took his second hand to put in Trina's to pull her close to him for their dance.

"Nice move, Cassadine," Trina said as she looked up at him looking down at her.

"I'm glad you like it because I've got quite a few more that I hope to get to show you... soon," Spencer replied softly in her ear.

"Oh, believe me, you will, Cassadine. You will," Trina replied, as their bodies moved to the slow rhythm pulsating through the club. "But before you do, can I show you one of mine?" Trina asked softly.

"By all means," Spencer replied, when he felt Trina's hands reach up to his face to pull it towards hers. She stopped short of allowing their lips to touch, instead taking the moment to look at him and him at her. And when the moment was done, their lips came together and a first soft, tender kiss was shared... there on the dance floor.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth"

"That was nice," Trina said, as their first kiss came to an end.

"Very nice! Would you like to go for amazing?" Spencer asked, as they remained in their embrace.

"Well, we both strive for excellence. So, let's go for amazing," Trina said in the most seductive voice that Spencer had ever heard her use.

And with that, Spencer and Trina kissed once more, only this time it was a longer, deeper, and all together more passionate. The fact that they were not alone on the dance floor, did not faze them one bit.

"Did we reach our goal?" Spencer asked breathlessly, as they came out of that kiss.

Trina, with her eyes still closed, smiled and said, "Without a doubt... amazing."

Spencer couldn't help but to smile warmly at the woman standing before him- eyes closed and all. "Hey," he said softly, as he lifted her chin gently.

With that, Trina opened those oh-so pretty eyes to a quite pleased and mesmerized Spencer.

"Hey," she responded softly.

And without another word, Spencer took Trina's hand, and they walked towards the exit.

"Well, this is you," Spencer said as they arrived at Trina's car.

"Yes, it looks like it," Trina replied, as she and Spencer held hands- as if neither wanted that to be the end of an eventful night.

"So," Spencer said, his eyes fixed on Trina.

"So," Trina replied, in turn.

Spencer took a deep breath and exhaled. "Remember, Robinson. You're the lead for the night," he reminded her.

Trina chuckled, "No, that was for the dance floor. It's your call now, Cassadine," Trina said.

"Hmm. Interesting. My call, huh?" he asked, as he playfully rubbed his chin with the one hand he removed from Trina's.

Trina raised an eyebrow and nodded... slowly. "So, what's it going to be... partner?" she asked slowly and with a most alluring smile.

***

When Trina and Spencer got to her front door, they could hardly control themselves. On one hand, they found it difficult to keep their lips apart. That one sweet kiss turned passionate kiss had so captivated them both so much that not kissing proved quite difficult. So, as Trina had her key out to open the door, Spencer's desire for her kisses served as a barrier.

"Cassadine, you said that you wanted to see my place," a breathless Trina was able to state- in between kisses. "Umm. I... I thought you meant the inside, not just the front door."

"Robinson, trust me. I want to see it all," an amorous Spencer replied, while letting up just long enough to allow Trina the opportunity to open her door.

And with that, they were inside, where Trina turned on the lights. "Come, let's sit," she said as she led him to the sofa. They made their way over and sat as close as they possibly could.

"Now, where were we?" Spencer asked as he leaned in for another kiss. The sounds of the wetness of their kisses, the gasping for air, and the sounds of pure satisfaction permeated in the small area they shared there on the sofa. Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine had truly found a natural and easy rhythm, just as they had on the dance floor of The Savoy, as their kisses increased in passion and duration. However, after being there for just a few minutes, Spencer slowly pulled away from Trina's lips. The move surprised not only Trina, but Spencer himself, as well. He suddenly sat up straight, ran his fingers through his hair, and cleared his throat.

Because it was not her idea to stop, Trina sat up a little slower and much more confused than Spencer. She tugged on her dress, as she straightened herself up on the sofa. Then she looked at Spencer to see if his eyes might provide a clue to the sudden halting of the kissing, which she had assumed was just the first step of a few others that would result in them getting even closer. When she saw none, her mind was all set to jump to some far-reaching and just plain wrong assumptions.

Luckily, Spencer was all set to let Trina know of his apparent change of heart. So, he took one of her hands and looked straight into her eyes- her perfectly expressive doe eyes. "I could get lost in your eyes, right here, right now because you really are such a pretty girl," he said as he once again kissed Trina. It was soft, but it was quick. Just the kind to set the tone for what he wanted and needed Trina to know.

"Well, why don't you? We've got all night," Trina reminded him softly, as she placed her hand on his face gently.

"I hope that one day I will, Trina. But I don't think it's going to be tonight," replied a suddenly serious Spencer.

"Ok. You certainly have my attention," Trina said, as she prepared herself for what she was about to hear.

"Hmph," Spencer chuckled. "First things first. For the record, there's nothing more that I'd rather be doing right now than going to your bedroom, helping you get more comfortable, and exploring all the ways our bodies could come together... all night long."

Trina felt flushed all over when she heard Spencer's preferred plans but knew that she had to stay focused on what he wanted to share- no matter how hard it was.

"But, in getting to know you this week and sharing what we did on the dance floor, I know that you are someone I want to know even better. Robinson... no, Trina, you are quite simply amazing. You're unbelievably smart and on your way to being a top businesswoman. Who knows? Maybe one day, in the very distant future, you might give me a run for my money," he teased, while Trina giggled and shook her head.

"And on top of that, you are ridiculously gorgeous," he added.

Trina blushed. "Well, I'm glad that you got a chance to see me outside of work and liked what you saw," she replied.

"Well, you see Trina, that's it. Tonight's not my first night seeing you like this," Spencer confessed.

Trina's brow furrowed, as she wasn't quite sure what Spencer had meant.

"Spencer, what do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean that I saw you before... last week when you were at The Savoy with what's her name. Cam had me meet him there and we were at that same back table as tonight. I'd never been there, so it was all new to me. And after we'd been there a while, Cam couldn't believe the stunning woman he saw walk inside the club. And when I turned around, I couldn't believe it either. Not only was the woman an absolute stunner, but she was my partner. My partner who I'd been a miserable ass to for days. My partner who I couldn't believe was the same person I'd seen hours earlier."

"So, you were there last Friday night at the same time I was? But you never came over? Why, Spencer?" Trina asked sounding rather serious.

"I... I didn't know what I could have said to you at the time. To be honest, I wasn't sure if you have thrown a drink in my face or read me for filth-either action which I would have absolutely deserved," he responded in as sincere a way as possible. "Trina, I didn't deserve to talk to you last week. I needed to earn that right. Someone as smart, as pretty, and as kind as you didn't need to have the me from last week in your orbit. You deserved so much better. So, I... with encouragement from Cam who hid out with me until you left, decided that a major revamp was in order," Spencer further confessed.

Trina nodded and got an all knowing look on her face, as she reflected back on the week that was. "Now I see what was behind the actual greetings in the mornings, the lattes, and the pretty good conversations on the way to our cars after work," she said.

"Yes. All of it was to help me let you see another part... a better part of me- which is what I hoped you did," Spencer replied.

"I absolutely did, and I liked it- so much so that I brought you home with me tonight. But I have to know, why did you decide to tell me about last Friday and the revamp? The odds are high that I wouldn't have found out. Cam seems like a reliable secret-keeper. So, why? Why tell me just before we could have...?" she asked.

"Good question," Spencer chuckled, as he took Trina's hands again. "Trina, getting to spend time with you and learning more about you has been really nice. And I know that making love to you would be... will be very nice, but not with me keeping something from you. Trina, I can honestly see us getting closer and being together. And a few minutes ago, when we got oh so close to being together, I knew that, for it to be as special as I know that it could be, I had to be completely honest with you."

"And now I have a question for you. Trina, did my need for honesty just cost me my chance with you?"

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"A Proposition and Monday Morning"

As soon as Esme secured her door and made sure that Joss and Cam were gone, she headed to her bedroom. And once she switched on the lights, she moved towards her bed. There atop her pillow lay her sketch pad and a journal. With quite the smile, she reached for the journal and began to record the events from the night.

"The night, the moment I've been waiting for finally happened-tonight! While I never gave up hope, I often wondered why things weren't developing for us, Spence and me. And tonight, I found out why. Spence didn't want us to be a secret. He wanted everyone to know... about us! The drinks, me in his arms- all out in the open for everyone to see. It's clear that it's just a matter of time before we're having lunches at work and making Friday nights at The Savoy our thing. Yes, soon. Soon things are going to change, and no one will be able to get in the way of any of it."

And as she put down that last period, Esme smiled and put her journal to the side. Then, she turned to a blank page in her sketch pad and wrote a title at the top: "Dancing At The Savoy". Afterwards, she began to draw an image of Spencer AND HER on the dancefloor at The Savoy, even though it was exactly the way that Spencer AND TRINA had looked only a few hours earlier.

"Soon, Spence. Soon," she thought.

***

After their bite and conversation, Joss and Cam contemplated more but decided against it... for now. Neither was looking for anything serious or, as a matter of fact, anything at all. They exchanged numbers and said good night, as Cam dropped Joss off at her mother's.

"Hopefully, we'll get to see each other soon when Spencer and Trina head back out to The Savoy," Cam said as Joss prepared to get out of the car.

"I look forward to it," Joss replied as she walked off towards the front door.

And as Cam kept watch until she was safely inside, he couldn't stop thinking about his friend. He knew how much Spencer wanted things to work between him and Trina. He was excited that the revamp had worked, and that Trina looked at him differently, in a more positive light now... or so he had hoped. Cam just hoped that neither Spencer nor Trina had let anything get in the way of them moving forward in their burgeoning relationship. Little did Cam know that all of that was being addressed...

...At that moment, Trina removed her hands from Spencer's, and she began to search his eyes. She searched for anything that would give him away. Anything that might suggest that his "honesty" or the reason for it was not genuine. And it didn't take long. She saw and she knew. She knew that his honesty was real. He took a big chance by being honest and, in that moment, while looking in his eyes, Trina knew that Spencer Cassadine was the real deal. And because of that, Trina wanted to nurture what they could have and what they could be to each other.

"Well, Trina. Did my honesty...?" Spencer began before his question was cut off with a kiss from Trina. It was a kiss that matched the passion of their "amazing" second kiss from the dancefloor.

As she released his lips from hers, Trina's smile told Spencer everything he needed to know. But he still needed her to verbalize it- to say it out loud.

"Your honesty, Spencer, made me see you in a whole new light. After this week and tonight at The Savoy, I felt that there could be more to you than I thought and that it would be nice to have some good times with you. But putting on the brakes like you did once we got here, in order to make sure that there were no secrets between us? Spencer, that tells me that you think a lot of what we could be together. Doing that lets me know that you think we can make something of this - you and me. And not just something physical. Because if it was just about that, talking would be the last thing that we'd be doing right now. Doing that lets me know that you... that you respect me. And that, in turn, makes me respect you. And where there's respect, so much more than a physical relationship can be built. So, I have a proposition for you if you are so inclined to accept," Trina said with a slight gleam in her eyes.

Spencer, feeling rather relieved that Trina could see them as an "us" and a "we", smiled and said, "Let's hear it!"

"I want us to spend the rest of our time as partners growing what we've started. By that I mean let's continue getting to know each other better. What I know, I like. But I want to know so much more and there's so much I want you to know about me. Let's go out and be together, taking time to just enjoy being together. And by doing all these things for the next few weeks, when we finally get to the moment when we want to share ourselves with each other, I promise you that it will be well worth it," Trina said softly.

"Trina Robinson, you had me at that kiss," Spencer chuckled. "Once you let me know that I had a place with you, I was nothing but golden. And spending time together and getting to know you with us ending up back here with a different result? Oh. I'm all in. I'll use it as an incentive to work even harder and faster at the office come Monday. So, get ready!" Spencer teasingly warned.

Trina smiled her biggest smile of the night upon hearing Spencer's answer. "Well, since I had you with a kiss, let's end tonight with another one. And let's make sure that it's a good one because it's the last one... for tonight," she replied.

And Spencer did just that... he made it a good one. Afterwards, when Trina walked him to the door, very little else needed to be said. They went their separate ways for the night and realized a sobering thought- they were in this for real and for the long-haul. What a daunting, yet satisfying, end to an eventful night.

***

"So, do you think that you have it in you to wait to be with Trina?" Cam asked Spencer the next day when Spencer shared what went on between him and Trina the night before.

"Hmph. Cam, when I told her the truth about last week, I wasn't sure how she'd take it. But I knew, no I know, that she's special and worth taking the time for. So, I know that I have it in me. You forget how disciplined I am when it comes to getting what I want out of life. And even though most of what I've wanted has been about my work and career, I'm going to put that same focus, attention, and determination towards building onto what Trina and I have started. She's definitely worth it," an impassioned Spencer professed.

Cam leaned back in his chair and just grinned. "Well, when you say it like that man, I have to believe that you will do this and that you and Trina will make it to that next level," he replied, seeming to be genuinely hopeful and proud of his friend.

***

"I think it's great, Trina. You two are obviously superstars at work. So, the project will be done in no time, with the added benefit of you two being closer in the end," Joss replied giving Trina's plan a ringing endorsement.

"Thanks, Joss. This job is giving me the career I've always wanted, and it may end up giving me the man I never knew that I wanted, especially after our first few days as partners," Trina quipped.

"So, how will it work when you're at work? Will you keep things secret or be open?" Joss asked.

"Well, at work our goal and our focus is our project. And there is no way that Spencer is going to let anything, including us, keep him from turning in the very best work possible. And of course, neither will I. So, work is going to keep us busy and focused. But we're not going to work overtime to hide it," Trina responded.

And so, all was set for another work week to begin. Spencer and Trina knew what they wanted inside and outside of the office- perfect performance evaluations on their project tasks and time to build their relationship. And Esme was all set to begin the work week renewed in the fact that she had finally won over her secret office crush: Spencer Cassadine.

***

After a weekend of envisioning her life with Spencer, Esme floated into work Monday morning on Cloud Nine. She was so happy that seeing Kristina as soon as she got off the elevator didn't even dampen her mood.

"Good morning, Kristina," Esme said cheerfully.

Kristina was quite caught off-guard by such a cordial greeting. It contrasted sharply with Esme's obvious annoyance at her presence at the elevator last week. So, she had to do a quick readjustment to her prepared greeting.

"Good morning, Esme. I would ask how your weekend was, but from the sound of your voice to the look on your face, I don't think that I need to," Kristina replied, hoping that whatever or whoever was responsible for Esme's cheeriness would carry over to her work.

"Let's just say that, soon, I'll be able to share news of a very special someone with you and everyone else," Esme teased.

"Oh, an office romance? Sounds juicy! But until then," Kristina segued, realizing that she didn't want to lose Esme's momentum. "Let's get to work!"

And to work they went, although Esme so wanted to go in the other direction to check in on "her Spence". "Soon," she thought. "Soon."

After a few hours of relatively focused work, Esme excused herself to the restroom.

"Ok. But Esme, please don't take too long. We're on a good roll right now," Kristina implored.

"I won't. Don't worry," Esme said, as she left.

Kristina frowned. She'd heard that before. The thought of spending another week policing an adult did not appeal to her at all, as she had told her mother Friday night.

"So, did my suggestions not work?" Alexis asked after hearing the frustration in her daughter's voice as they spoke.

"To an extent. But Mom, doing all that was really exhausting-mentally. I basically had to do two jobs- the one I'm actually getting paid to do and the one where I play watchdog over my partner. And I really don't know how much longer I can keep it up," a dejected Kristina replied.

Again, knowing how much this job had helped to ground Kristina, Alexis didn't want all the gains from it lost because of someone else. So, Alexis came up with another set of suggestions for her daughter to try-only this time, they were much more radical.

After she had shared her suggestions, Kristina was left dumbfounded. "Mom, that's bold. Really... bold. I'm not sure if I could do that," Kristina responded.

"Honey, I know that it seems drastic, and maybe harsh. But, if she at least knows that this could be your next step, she might choose to do what's expected or face the consequences."

"Well, I'll think about it, Mom," Kristina replied, as she said good night to her mother.

And as she waited and waited for Esme to return from her "quick" restroom break, Kristina pulled up a document that she had started after talking to her mother. She drummed her nails on her desk as she once again, waited... and waited. And finally, when Esme still hadn't returned, Kristina began typing and adding on to the document.

Meanwhile, Esme, after using the restroom, made her way closer to the conference room, which everyone now knew was headquarters for Spencer and Trina. She tried her best to appear as inconspicuous as possible, standing near the copier. But the urge to go farther and closer to the door only grew. And just when she wanted to do just that, the door to the conference room opened.

"Trina!" Esme said when she saw her friend.

"Hi, Esme! I'm so glad to see that you look as good as you sounded when we spoke this weekend," Trina replied as she gave her friend a warm smile.

"Has your day started off well?" Esme asked, hoping that Spencer would emerge from the conference room, as well.

"Uh. Yeah, I'd say so. I mean nothing eventful," Trina replied.

Esme nodded. "You know we never got a chance to catch up on how your partnership with Spencer was going... with everything that happened Friday night. I mean Joss practically forced you out on the dancefloor with him before we even had a chance to chit-chat," she said as she pursed her lips when she said Joss's name. "So, now that we've got a moment, how is everything going with the two of you?"

And before Trina could respond, the door opened. Even before it opened completely, a voice rang out. "Trina, have you gotten those copies made?"

It, of course, was Spencer. When Esme saw him, her eyes brightened, and she could feel a smile coming on. As soon as Spencer caught Trina's eye, she turned her gaze to her friend. And Spencer followed suit. "Oh, hey... you. Are you feeling better?"" he asked.

Even though Esme knew that he could only be talking to her, she did a quick look around to make sure before responding. "Yes. Yes, Spence...-r. I am. And thank you for helping me," she replied sheepishly.

Spencer nodded at Esme, but his eyes were intently on Trina. "Umm. Trina, the copies?" he asked again, before going back inside.

"Yeah. The copies, right. Esme, I really need to get these done. So, we'll talk soon. I promise. Ok?" Trina asked, as she went over to the machine.

"Of course. I've got to get back, too," Esme replied as she started to head back. But as she was making her way back, Esme had a sudden realization-one that eventually stopped her in her tracks.

"Trina. He called her Trina. Again. I heard him say that at The Savoy, too. What happened to Robinson? Robinson was impersonal and detached. But Trina? That's personal and much... much too close."

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Rising Tensions and a Meeting"

"Thanks for that," Trina said, as she came back inside the conference room.

"What?" a slightly confused Spencer asked as he took the copies Trina handed him.

Trina smiled at Spencer when he looked at her after putting the copies in the folder. "That with Esme. Actually, asking her about how she was feeling," she replied.

"Hmm," Spencer replied as a self-satisfied grin came on his face. "So, Miss Robinson, is it my understanding that you are basically thanking me for being... a nice guy?" he asked mockingly.

Trina let out a slight laugh and teasingly rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess stranger things have happened. But you actually acknowledging her feelings was quite the nice gesture, Mr. Cassadine," Trina replied as she edged closer to him, which he did not seem to mind at all.

And when they were as close as they could be, they leaned towards each other and shared a kiss. While Spencer could have lingered in their kiss a little longer, Trina pulled away gently.

"A thank you and a kiss? I better find another occasion to be nice to what's her name, so I can get another one," Spencer chuckled as he went back to his folder.

"Her name is..." Trina started, before Spencer surprised her with a kiss of his own for her. And this time, it was Trina who wanted to linger longer in the kiss. But Spencer pulled away that time.

"Trina, the only name I care about is yours. And, while we're at work, Mr. Ashton's. So, let's get back to work so that we can soon have a finished product for him... which will lead to big things for us," Spencer said, as he handed Trina a piece of paper with their next item to complete.

"Big things, huh?" Trina said, eyeing Spencer up and down, with a slight mischievous grin. "Alright then. Let's get back to it," Trina smiled as she took the paper and headed back to her laptop.

Before Esme could think more about Spencer calling Trina "Trina", rather than Robinson, Kristina was heading down the hallway. "Esme! Where have you been?" Kristina asked as she turned back and started walking back towards their work area. Esme, seeing the speed with which Kristina was heading back, realized that she should probably hurry, as well.

"Oh great! Now she's turned into a one-man search party! Another lecture, I'm sure, is on its way," Esme thought as she sighed heavily as they got back.

But in a preemptive move, Esme quickly headed to her laptop as if to continue their work from before her extended restroom break. However, Kristina just stood and looked at her partner. Esme could feel Kristina's eyes on her, so she finally looked up.

"Kristina, do you have something that you want to say to me, or are you just going to stand there and glare at me? I mean, we do have work to do," Esme said calmly.

Kristina's brow furrowed, as she let out a cryptic laugh. "Work. We have work to do. Esme, are you serious right now?" an extremely annoyed Kristina asked.

Esme just sat and looked confused. "About my work? Kristina, I'm always serious. So, I really don't understand why you would even ask such a question," she replied without an ounce of irony.

While Kristina's first thought was to get upset, she thought better of it. Instead, she decided to let Esme know her next steps.

"Esme, this job is very important to me, and I want my work... our work to reflect that. However, I don't get a sense of urgency from you about our work. While you have shown a certain level of capabilities, at times, you have not brought your "A" game. You seem to have other things or people on your mind, which get in the way of you delivering your best," Kristina unleashed to an outwardly calm, but inwardly incensed, Esme.

To keep her initial instincts at bay, Esme took a few deep breaths before responding. Afterwards, she was all set to address Kristina.

"I'm sorry, Kristina, but I didn't know that you had taken over my performance evaluations. I didn't realize that, at some point, you stopped being my partner and became my boss. Oh wait. You didn't. Kristina, until Mr. Ashton tells me that my job performance is lacking, I will continue to assume that I'm doing just fine and not change... a thing," Esme declared.

"Hmph. It's funny that you would bring up Mr. Ashton," Kristina replied, just letting that statement hang there for a moment- in order to elicit the biggest reaction.

And Esme took the bait. Kristina must have had a reason to bring up Ned, and Esme both wanted and needed to know why.

"Really? What's so funny about it?" Esme asked, trying not to sound bothered or concerned at all.

"Well..." Kristina started, until she checked an incoming text message.

And at almost the same moment, Esme received one, as well.

As a matter of fact, all the associates in the department were receiving the exact same text message at the exact same time from the exact same person, Ned Ashton, company president.

After reading the message, Spencer and Trina looked up at each other. It was as if both were waiting on the other to speak. And after just a moment or so, Spencer broke the silence.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked, slightly anxious but somewhat excited.

Trina gave a hint of a smile before responding.

"I think it could be good news. But I also think we'd better brace ourselves for anything," Trina replied, just as Spencer did, both anxiously and with muted excitement.

Spencer nodded.

"Oh, we better straighten up and move our work so that the conference room will be ready for the meeting," Trina said as she started to gather their reports and folders.

"Ok," Spencer replied, as he began to help. "I just hope that whatever the meeting is about that it won't take long. We were on a roll, which means we're getting even closer to having some brilliant work to turn in to Mr. Ashton. And getting closer to being together."

As each associate started to arrive for the meeting in the conference room, Ned offered a reassuring smile. He didn't want anyone to think that bad news was coming. In fact, they would soon find out that it was quite the opposite. Since they were already in the conference room, Spencer and Trina were already seated next to each other when Esme arrived. And when she did, her eyes went straight to Spencer... and then to Trina. She wanted to see the dynamic between the two. She needed to see if she could figure out why "Robinson" was now Trina. But because both Spencer and Trina knew that work came first at work, Esme only saw two colleagues on their laptops, seemingly working and discussing... work. So, for the moment, Esme was appeased.

"Hello, everyone," Ned greeted his employees. "Thank you for assembling for this, I promise Spencer, brief meeting," Ned joked as he grinned in Spencer's direction.

Spencer let out a slight laugh as he looked at Ned... and then at Trina, who was smiling warmly at him. And at that moment, both women who had their eyes on Spencer Cassadine came to their own realizations about him. For Trina, she realized that Spencer was so much more... and different from the man she first saw a few short months ago... in that very room. And Esme realized that Trina and her partner were getting along a lot better than they had been... and she was not ready for that.

As a result, it was hard for Esme to focus on most of what Ned was saying. She did make out some words and phrases such as, "the brand", "excited", "moving ahead sooner", "tomorrow", and "today". It was only when Esme saw people begin to leave that she realized that the meeting was over and that if forced to recap the highlights, there was no way she could. Kristina could tell that Esme had not paid any attention at all. She could only shake her head, roll her eyes, and get up to leave. She uttered out a quick, "Let's get to work, Esme", and waited for her partner to accompany her.

When they got back, Esme's mind was full. She couldn't get over seeing Spencer and Trina looking quite friendly together. "Maybe Spencer realizes that he has to play nice in order to move up in the company, so he's using some reverse psychology or something. Because it can't be... it couldn't be anything else.... Trina's my best friend," Esme thought.

"Esme!" Kristina exclaimed, realizing once again that her partner's mind was nowhere focused on such a pesky little thing like their work.

Esme immediately snapped out of it and was faced with a disapproving look from her partner.

"Yes, Kristina?" Esme asked, quite subdued.

Kristina shook her head once again. "Esme, you have got to get your head in the game. Did you hear anything that Mr. Ashton said at all? Because I have a feeling that you didn't," Kristina replied.

And at hearing Ned's name mentioned, Esme remembered something else... from just before the meeting. "Mr. Ashton. You were going to say something about him before we got the message. What was it?" Esme asked.

Even though Kristina wanted to let Esme know what she was referring to, she had a feeling that it would lead to a long, drawn-out conversation that they had absolutely no time for. No, that would definitely have to wait.

"Oh. I was just going to say that I had a feeling that Mr. Ashton was going to call a meeting soon... and he did," Kristina lied in order to move on.

Esme pursed her lips, not sure if she believed her partner. But she assumed that what Ned had said was important based on the buzz and the movement of everyone, including Kristina.

"Esme, it's crunch time. We have to be ready to meet with Mr. Ashton tomorrow, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd focus on our project and nothing and no one else. Ok?" an exasperated Kristina asked, as she began looking over her notes to see what their next steps should be.

"Ok. But, uh, what about Mr. Ashton tomorrow?" Esme asked.

When Kristina heard that, which was absolute proof positive that Esme had not paid any attention to Ned at all, all she could do was to drop her head. "If only bodily harm was legal," she thought, not realizing the weight of those words for future events between her and... her partner.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"An Ending and the Last Time"

"This is it, Trina. It's time for us to tighten up any remaining parts and to add on any concepts that we still have time to tackle by tomorrow," a quite energized Spencer said once the conference room was cleared out.

"I'm ready. What we've done so far meets and exceeds the expectations outlined in our packet. And once we do that tightening, I'm pretty sure that we can do those bullet points we were talking about earlier," an equally invested Trina replied.

When Spencer heard her bring up specifically what they should work on next, it was as if he'd been slipped an aphrodisiac. Because in that moment, his urge to kiss Trina was one that he could not overcome. So, he moved quickly to the door and locked it. Trina wasn't so sure why, but it didn't take her long to find out. Spencer came up to her and walked her backwards toward the secured door. And once she was up against it, with Spencer up against her, Trina understood the need for the locked door.

Spencer's eyes seemed to be burning through Trina's as he breathed heavily. "Not only are you amazingly gorgeous, but you have a brilliant mind, Trina Robinson. And that is a sexy combination," he whispered to her, as she began to struggle to maintain her composure.

"And even though I would absolutely love to forget all about our agreement and make love to you right here, right now, I won't... for two reasons. One, I'm a man of my word; and two, we've got an almost finished finish line to cross. But," he moaned, "I am going to kiss you right here, right now. And then I'm going to excuse myself to the restroom, where I will make sure that I'm all set to come back and... finish strong... with our work. And now, that you know my plans, is that ok, Trina Robinson?"

However, before she could even open her mouth to answer, Spencer had pressed his lips to hers and gave her the hungriest kiss she could have imagined. One that she was only more than willing and happy to receive and return. Afterwards, his trip to the restroom, as well as one for her, brought both Spencer and Trina back down to the tasks at hand. And the fact that they were both able to, after several passionate moments, return to work was a testament to both Spencer's and Trina's great work ethic and even greater self-control.

"So, are we doing this?" he asked, as he pulled up the details that needed fine-tuning first. Trina, as she walked over to unlock the door, replied, "Yes, we are."

And for the rest of the day, the two partners were laser-focused on making sure that when they met with Ned the next day that they'd have nothing but brilliance to show him.

***
After Kristina had to basically replay the whole meeting for Esme, due to Esme tuning the whole thing out, the two were at least able to decide where they needed to start, in terms of tightening things up. Unfortunately, in looking over some tasks that they had done, the partners found some details and requirements either lacking or missing. That meant that the amount of time they'd have to get to what would be considered a major section would be limited. There was even the chance that it might not happen at all. As they were making these decisions, Kristina's level of dislike for Esme grew and grew.

"This and her utter lack of regard for me and this work is why Mom was right. But I have to just get through today. Tomorrow, before the meeting, I'm going to see Mr. Ashton," a highly upset Kristina fumed inside.

Esme, on the other hand, was all set to get to work. "Even if I have to wait, I've got to talk to Trina to make sure that she isn't betraying me with... Spence," a motivated to finish Esme thought.

Once they figured out what needed to be handled first, Esme and Kristina got to work. Kristina, of course, felt the need to keep an eye on her less than dependable partner. And in order to keep her from "disappearing" at lunchtime, Kristina ordered lunch for them both. So, as they had a working lunch and stayed focused on the tasks, Kristina and Esme were able to perfect the work details that were in need of the "tightening up" that Ned had talked about in the meeting.

Unfortunately, by the time they finished up with them, they'd already gone an hour over their workday time. "There's no way that we could tackle even one of the smallest tasks from our packet. Not at this late hour," Kristina lamented.

"Are you sure? Spencer and Trina usually..." Esme started before Kristina shot her the iciest of glares.

"What?" a surprised Esme asked, in response to the glare.

Kristina let out the biggest and most aggravated sigh. "Esme. I really don't know where to start with you," Kristina began, shaking her head. "I really don't! I can't say that you're incompetent, because you're not. Early, early on and just today, you showed that you are a capable associate. But there's something... something that I just don't get. But I know one thing for sure and that's that your work, which is now our work, is not your priority."

"Is that so?" Esme managed to interject.

"Of course, it is! Think about it, Esme. I say we don't have time to do more for the biggest project either of us has ever had and your response? Not how we can find a way, not a solution- no, nothing like that do you offer. But rather, you bring up the names of the two people who are absolutely your priority! Spencer Cassadine, a self-centered braggart, who's only interested in climbing the corporate ladder and Trina Robinson, a much too kind for you soul who's not long for associate-work, either- they are your priority, Esme! And you've been distracted by them ever since we started this project. I don't know if it's him or her... or both, or if it's obsession or delusions... or both. But it's something. It's something, Esme that I can't deal with or work with anymore," Kristina declared, as she had gotten increasingly more subdued about her concerns. And as she was releasing everything that had been on her mind, she started to feel lighter... because she knew that the end was in sight. But little did she know that a literal end was on its way for her.

***

"So? Does this meet with the Spencer Cassadine perfection checklist?" Trina asked as her partner looked over the completed work that they had put together for their meeting with Ned the next day.

He didn't answer right away. In fact, he didn't say anything at all. His eyes darted across the screen, the outline, the numbers... everything. He was being so methodical as he reviewed their work. Nothing escaped his keen eyes. The mere sight of watching Spencer in his element was both educational-from a business standpoint and titillating. Trina needed him to answer her before her face got any warmer.

"This is it! This is nothing but an amazingly researched, thought-out, and thorough product that meets every specification laid out by the client and the company," Spencer finally replied, still with his eyes on their work.

Trina couldn't help smiling at her partner slash, could she say it yet, boyfriend? as he was filled with pride over something they'd created... together. Once again, Trina couldn't believe how much Spencer had changed since she'd first met him. That Spencer was standoffish, rude, arrogant, and selfish. He was only interested in working by himself and he had no need for others. Yet now, they had created a wonderfully productive partnership, which had allowed her to get to see a whole different side of him- one that she hoped to get to know better. She was so caught up in how far they'd come and so hopeful as to where they were headed that she almost missed more of what Spencer was saying.

"I do believe that my path to becoming a V-P is going to be a lot clearer after Mr. Ashton sees this," Spencer had continued. "Not only is the work immaculate, but I did it with a partner! I learned how to play nice and work with others, just like Mr. Ashton..."

It was only then that Spencer finally looked up. And that's when he saw Trina. And when he saw her, he saw nothing but hurt on her face, and the beginning of tears in her eyes.

"Trina, I..." he tried to begin... to explain, but Trina spoke over him.

"You what, Spencer? You got exactly what you wanted and needed from this little partnership experiment of Mr. Ashton's, didn't you? You played nice and umm... I... I guess I was the "others" that you played with, so that you could get closer to that V-P position and away from the lowly associates you met and had to deal with along the way," Trina sniffed, clearing her throat to try and hide the pain and betrayal that had overtaken her so quickly.

"Well, even though I lost a great deal of my dignity- although I didn't know it at the time of that convoluted little arrangement that I thought I had so masterfully brokered for "our future"- I'm glad that I could help you get the only thing that you really wanted," Trina replied as she gathered her things to leave. And when she got to the door, she turned back to look at Spencer. "Oh, and don't worry, Mr. Cassadine. When it's time for Mr. Ashton to meet with us tomorrow, I'll play nice again... and for the very last time!"

And with a slam of the door, she was gone, and Spencer, with a single tear streaming down his face, was once and again... alone.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"I'm Spencer"

But he was determined that it wouldn't be for long. In their short amount of time together, Trina had brought a light to his life. While work remained a priority, Spencer had realized that being with Trina was something that he definitely wanted to prioritize. And in order to do that, he had to rectify what his ill-chosen words had managed to damage: Trina's belief in him.

So, he darted out of the conference room with all the urgency of a man running for his life, hoping to make it to the elevators in time. But he didn't. The doors had just shut when he got there. "The stairs!" he thought, as he took off once again. Trina could not leave before he had a chance to explain. He knew that if he did not make it right before she left, his chance at that future with her would be gone. And as he ran down the stairs, he kept repeating the same words: "Don't be too late! Don't be too late!"

When he arrived breathlessly at the lobby, he ran over to the elevators and looked up. He needed to see that one, the one carrying Trina, was still on its way down. And to Spencer's great relief, it was. So, he just prepared to wait... for Trina, once the doors opened up. And in almost no time at all, they did and there she was. The hurt Spencer had felt only minutes earlier when Trina walked out on him was only compounded when he saw her. The tears that she had managed to hold in in the conference room had obviously been released on the ride down. Her face was tear-stained, and her eyes were red. She was so upset with herself when she saw Spencer standing there. "Dammit! I didn't want him to know that I cried over him," she thought, as she got off the elevator and tried to move past him.

"Trina, please don't go. Please. I need to explain, and I need you to believe me... and to forgive me," Spencer pleaded somberly.

"Explain? Believe? Forgive? Spencer, I heard you! Your words were quite clear and the meaning behind them even more so! So, I really don't know what else I need to hear from you," Trina replied, once again trying to move past him. "Spencer, I want to get to my car, and you are keeping me from doing that. Do I need to yell for help?"

Spencer, desperate to have his side heard, sighed heavily. "No, Trina. You don't, but would you please let me walk out with you?" he asked.

Trna, knowing in her heart that she didn't want to lose Spencer before she really had him, acquiesced and allowed him to walk beside her. And even though he was desperate to talk, Spencer realized that he had to let Trina lead this moment. So, he said nothing and hoped that he would get a chance... a chance to make things right. But as they got closer and closer to her car, Spencer's hope for a, not second but third, chance diminished by the moment.

"Well, this is me. You can go now," a still hurt Trina replied, as they stopped at her car.

"No, Trina. I can't," Spencer said as he remained unmoved.

"Hmph," Trina responded. "Ok, Mr. Cassadine, I'll bite. Why not? I meant what I said about tomorrow. I'll play along and put on a united front with you with Mr. Ashton. So... I really don't know why we can't end this day right now!"

"Spencer," he replied.

Trina frowned. "What?"

"I'm Spencer, Trina. Not Mr. Cassadine... at least not in the cold way you just meant it," Spencer replied, as he looked in Trina's still hurt eyes. He was looking for some reaction to verify what he'd just said. But at the moment, the Trina who told him off on their first day was in complete control. Absolutely no emotional reaction was shown.

After failing to get that reaction, Spencer was at least slightly hopeful since Trina was still there. So, he continued.

"I'm Spencer, the one you've spent the last several days getting to know better. And up until a half hour ago, the Spencer you seemed to like pretty well. I'm Spencer, the one you shared a slow dance with, followed by, if I can say, two amazing kisses- or at least one," he teased, once again looking for any sign of a thaw from Trina. And even though it was a small one, he did notice her frown beginning to change shape into, not as yet but on its way to, a grin. But he knew that he had much more to say, and he needed to say it. There was no way that he was going to let the phenomenal woman before him walk out on him.

"I'm Spencer, the one who took a chance and was completely honest with you, when the Spencer from before you would have kept that first Friday night to himself... all for the sake of spending what I'm sure would have been an incredible night with you," he replied as his voice got softer.

"I'm Spencer, the one who is waiting, somewhat patiently, to be with you once our project is done. And for better or worse, I'm Spencer, the idiot who just said all the wrong things in the wrong way," he said.

"How so? Wrong because it was wrong? Or wrong because I heard it?" Trina asked stoically.

Spencer didn't respond right away, which concerned Trina, who still had her defenses up. "Really, Cassadine? No response or are you just trying to figure out the best story to tell?" she asked accusingly.

Spencer looked at Trina immediately, hoping that she could see his sincerity. "Trina, I don't want to tell you a story. I want to tell you the truth. Yes, that work is going to probably help me on my V-P track. It's strong work. But it was strong work that I was only able to do because of a most brilliant partner, who is equally deserving of any and all praise and recognition that will surely be doled out on tomorrow and beyond. That partner," Spencer said as he reached for Trina's hands, which offered no resistance, " That partner is you, Trina. And you did indeed help me to learn how to work together with someone. I think that we could both agree that I'm most definitely not that same inconsiderate, arrogant ass that I was when our partnership began."

"I guess that, maybe we could," Trina replied, as her grin was transforming into a fuller smile.

Spencer sniffed and chuckled. "Alright, I'll take that. And there is no doubt that you helped me to learn how to... play... nice," he said, much more seductively.

Trina took her hands away from Spencer in order to put her arms around him., which he was more than ok with. "Well, I guess that's true, but we've got a lot more playing that we still need to do," she said seductively, as she pulled Spencer in for a kiss- which, once again, he was more than ok with.

After several moments, Spencer and Trina released each other and smiled. "So, are we... ok?" Spencer asked anxiously, even though he was feeling cautiously optimistic after their kiss.

"Oh, we're better than ok... Spencer," she replied sweetly. "I'll see you here bright and early tomorrow morning," she said, as Spencer opened her car door for her.

"Could I pick you up instead and take you out for breakfast?" Spencer asked. "It could get us pumped up for our meeting with Mr. Ashton and we could do a quick run-through of some key points that we'll definitely want to highlight. Plus, it'll give me a chance to take my girlfriend out on our first date."

Trina couldn't control the wide smile that emerged upon hearing the words, "girlfriend" and "date".

"You most certainly can. I look forward to it," she replied, as he nodded, and she started her car and drove away.

"Well, alright then! I guess it's a date!" an elated Spencer said to himself as he headed back inside to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything in his mad dash out. And as he did, he couldn't help but to notice...

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"The One in the Back"

"So, what exactly do you mean by that, Kristina? Can't deal with or work with anymore?" Esme asked anxiously.

Kristina shook her head wearily and debated whether or not she should tell Esme about her plans. While she wasn't quite sure that she wanted to show her whole hand, Kristina did want her partner to know... just enough. "I mean just that, Esme. I plan on asking Mr. Ashton, that if the project continues beyond tomorrow, to pair me with someone else," she replied bluntly.

It didn't take her current partner long to react. "All because I've taken a few extra minutes in the ladies' room? Because I occasionally like to talk to a fellow associate, who also happens to be my best friend? And because, believe it or not, I'm not perfect? I mean, that next step of yours will require a lot more than what a veteran businessman like Mr. Ashton would need to see before making drastic partner swaps, like what you're proposing," Esme responded.

Kristina only nodded, offering no verbal response at all. However, Esme did notice Kristina's eyes take a quick glance towards her laptop and a legal pad. And that's when her own eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. "Have you been keeping tabs on me, Kristina? Recording my movements, my actions, my work?" an astonished Esme asked, as Kristina walked over to her computer. She closed it and then placed the legal pad in her case.

"Esme. Let's just say that when I speak to Mr. Ashton, I do believe that I will be able to make and present a very strong argument for getting a new partner," Kristina said confidently as she started making preparations to leave for the evening.

A shocked Esme could only stand by and watch. If Kristina went to Ned, she feared that he'd do more than switch her as Kristina's partner. Depending on what she had on her computer or that legal pad, he might actually consider firing her. And as that idea began making its way around in Esme's mind, she grew panicky.

"I can't let her do that. Kristina can't meet with Mr. Ashton tomorrow. I need my job. Of course I need my pay, but if I lose my job, I could also lose Spence. Just as we were getting closer, things have gotten in the way. Although I'm not sure when or how, but Trina may have taken an interest in my Spence. But it can't be that. Can it? She's my best friend. But still, I have to know for sure. However, that will have to wait because I've got to fix this... this thing with Kristina! And I've got to fix it tonight," an irrational Esme thought to herself.

"Esme!" Kristina shouted, after trying a few times without a raised voice, to get her partner's attention.

It was enough for Esme to snap out of it and acknowledge Kristina. "Yes?" she asked.

"I'm really sorry that we couldn't make this work. But I needed to be upfront with you about it before going to Mr. Ashton tomorrow," Kristina revealed. "I'm just going to make sure that everything's in place for tomorrow, so there's really no need for you to stick around."

Had Kristina not been completely over Esme she might have noticed quite the strange look that had come over her partner's face. But she didn't. She didn't see her partner's eyes turn blank and bare... if only she had...

As Esme gathered her things aimlessly, Kristina continued her last-moment prep and gathering of her things. She had also done it to avoid the awkwardness that would surely have accompanied her and Esme on the way out to their cars had they left together. So, she was prepared to wait a few more minutes to give Esme time to leave.

As she left, Esme was so concerned and overwhelmed by the prospect of Kristina seeing Ned the next day that she didn't even think about going to the conference room to see if she could catch a glance of Spencer... and Trina. Rather, she walked to the elevator and got on. And by the time she got off and began walking to her car, she had started mumbling, out loud to herself. In doing so she was oblivious to all her surroundings and those within her surroundings. In fact, that even included Spencer, who had just seen Trina off. While he saw her and noticed Esme appearing to talk to herself, she didn't notice him, nor did she notice him noticing her.

Had Spencer been closer, he could have made out what Esme was saying: "I can't let her do that!" "I have to stop her!"

But as it was, he could only tell that she was walking and talking... to herself. And because he thought, especially from Friday night, that something might be a little... strange about her, he chalked what he had noticed up to some eccentricities. "Hmm. My girl's friend definitely has a thing for the dramatics," he chuckled as he headed back inside. And by only a few moments, he just missed Kristina exiting the elevators, as the doors of his closed.

Kristina, feeling even lighter from just being open and telling Esme about her plans, got to her car and buckled up. She decided that she didn't want to wait to get home to call and tell her mother the news about Esme and Mr. Ashton. So, she reached for and got her phone and was just about to call... when she felt a cord wrap around her neck. And when she dropped her phone to reach for the cord, she felt the cord tighten and tighten... until her hands dropped, and she felt nothing else at all. Kristina was dead.

Afterwards, the one in the back with the cord was quick to secure Kristina's computer case, which included of course her computer and a legal pad. For good measure, the one in the back with the cord, checked Kristina's purse for a wallet, which they also secured. It had to look like a robbery-murder.

Then, with the keen eyes of a cat and the quick moves of one, as well, the one in the back with the cord stealthily exited Kristina's vehicle and made their way over to another car. The car was the one belonging to Esme Prince... the very same Esme Prince who had been the one in the back... with the cord.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"That Night and a New Day"

If there was one thing that Alexis Davis could count on like clockwork, it was a nightly phone call from her daughter, Kristina. The timing of the call might not have always been the same, but the call was always made every night. But that night, the hours got later and later. At first, Alexis chalked it up to the project that had Kristina partnered up with a less than cooperative partner. "That Esme probably disappeared again, leaving Kristina to handle the work alone," Alexis had first thought when the hour seemed later than most times. But when she realized that it was time for her favorite primetime news analysis show to come on, Alexis Davis was truly concerned. Although she had tried calling her daughter's number earlier, she decided to try it more frequently. She also sent texts. None of which were answered or responded to. The nonexistent communication was too much for Alexis, so she decided that additional action was needed.

"That's strange. I don't see her car where she usually parks it," Alexis said to herself as she arrived at Kristina's apartment complex. And even though there was no sign that Kristina was there, Alexis went to her daughter's front door and let herself in with a spare key. When she opened the door, it was dark, with no signs of anyone being at home. Still, Alexis turned on the lights and checked every room. And as she checked each room and saw nothing to indicate Kristina's presence, Alexis Davis grew more and more concerned... although not concerned enough to contact anyone else. Or maybe she thought that if she contacted someone that that would mean that this was really bad... and Alexis was not ready for that.

When she arrived at the parking garage where she had once met Kristina for her to show her her new place of work, a sick feeling came over her. She didn't know why, but she knew, in that moment, that something was wrong...

"Good morning, beautiful," Spencer said, when Trina opened the door to her apartment.

"Good morning, handsome," Trina responded as she pulled him close for a sweet kiss. "Do you want to come inside before we go to breakfast?" she asked, opening the door wider.

"Hmm. As tempting as that offer is, Miss Robinson, I must decline... regretfully."

Trina pouted playfully, as she pulled the door behind her and locked it. "May I ask why?"

"The last time I was inside your apartment, I talked about ending up back here with a different result. And since we've yet to finish our project, a part of our agreement, I want to stand by that. When I finally do go back inside," Spencer said softly as he pulled Trina close to him, "I plan on doing to and with you all those things we didn't do on my last visit."

Trina looked up at him and blushed, "I can hardly wait," she replied.

Halfway through their breakfast, both Trina and Spencer received a text alerting them to a need to avoid parking in a certain area of the parking deck and to an emergency meeting at nine a.m. sharp.

"I wonder what that's all about," Trina asked.

"Me, too," Spencer responded. "Although I do hope that whatever it is that it won't keep us from speaking with Mr. Ashton because we are beyond ready!"

Trina smiled but still felt concerned. "I hope that everything's ok, though. You know parking decks and parking garages can be dangerous. I just hope that there wasn't any problem like that," she said.

Upon hearing that, Spencer's brow furrowed, and he gave no response. That didn't go unnoticed by Trina.

"Hey, what's wrong? It looks like something's on your mind," she said, as she rubbed his hand.

As if coming out of a trance, Spencer shook his head and refocused his attention on Trina. "Hi," she said. "Hi," he replied.

"So, what's going on in that brilliant mind of yours, babe?" Trina asked, catching herself off-guard with that last word.

Spencer smiled. "Babe. I like it," he replied.

"I'm glad. So, what is going on in there?" Trina asked again.

"Oh. The parking garage. Last night after we said good night, I went back to the conference room to make sure that everything was in place and that I hadn't left anything," Spencer started.

"Right, because you came after me. How gallant you were," she giggled.

"Yes, well you bring it out of me," he replied. "And on my way in, I saw what's her name heading to her car talking up a storm."

"You mean Esme?" Trina asked.

"Yeah, what's her name," he replied, showing yet again that he had no need to use or to remember Esme's name.

Trina rolled her eyes and chose to ignore that part... once again, but she did circle back to another part of what he had just said.

"Who was she talking to? Kristina? Maybe they were trying to hash out their problems, you know, because..." Trina started.

"Trina, she wasn't talking to Kristina. No one else was around," Spencer replied, as Trina looked confused.

"Well, if no one else was around, then who was she talking to, Spencer?"

"No one, Trina. She appeared to be in a full-blown conversation... with herself."

"Babe, I'm sure she's fine. Don't worry. If someone was lurking around, I'm sure that seeing her talking to herself probably would have scared them off," Spencer said trying to reassure his girlfriend that her friend was ok.

Trina nodded. "I hope you're right. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to her that much lately, so I really need her to be ok," she said as they got on the elevator.

Based on the text, they had decided not to come in too early, especially since the conference room was going to be used for the meeting. So, when they got off, they headed to the conference room where only Ned and Nina had gathered.

"Good morning, Spencer, Trina," Ned greeted them rather somberly. He was not his typical positive self and Trina and Spencer noticed that right away, as they took a seat... to wait for the meeting to begin.

After a few moments, more associates had arrived for the meeting. But the one who Trina was most interested in, had yet to show up.

"Spencer, she's not here. What if something happened to her?" Trina asked anxiously, as Spencer took her hand to comfort her.

"Let's just wait and see," Spencer said comfortingly, still holding Trina's hand.

At nine a.m. sharp, Ned greeted everyone again. "Good morning once again everyone. Thank you for coming in on time and resisting the urge to go and fine-tune your presentations for today, which we will go forward with those who still want to after this meeting."

An excited Spencer squeezed Trina's hand in response, as she stayed focused on Ned's words.

"Now, I'm going to turn the meeting over to..." Ned started, until he saw someone else trying to enter the conference room. "Oh, good morning, Esme. Come on in and have a seat."

Trina's eyes lit up upon seeing her friend come in and take a seat nearby. As she sat, Esme couldn't help but to notice Spencer's hand on Trina's... briefly. But she couldn't think too much about that until she knew what the meeting was about... although she was pretty sure that she already did. And once Ned was finally able to turn the meeting over, Esme knew for sure that the meeting had to be about last night and... Kristina.

By the time she reached her apartment, Esme was beginning to fully realize what she had done... what she never wanted to happen. When she got to her car, she couldn't stop thinking about the next day and what Kristina was planning to do. The words she had mumbled to herself were now loud reminders in her mind: "I can't let her do that" and "I have to stop her". They were the reminders that pushed her to her next actions.

She saw Kristina's car and made the decision to go to it and wait for her. Before she went, she got her charger for her laptop. Why? She wasn't sure, but she did. So, she looked to see if anyone was around. Once she saw no one, she went to the car. Then, using her sleeve, she tried opening the door and was successful. Afterwards, she got in the back and waited. As she waited, what to do kept going back and forth in her mind. But in the end, she knew there was only one way out- and that was making sure that Kristina wouldn't be able to talk to Ned about her.

With that realization upon her, Esme could only shake her head. But after a few moments, she collected her things, as well as Kristina's, and went inside. She thought briefly about where to hide her things before deciding on the perfect place. However, the legal pad pages were ripped into many, many pieces.

Once she felt that everything was taken care of, Esme flashed back to Kristina's desperate hands just before they went...still. "It had to be done," she said as she took a sleeping pill which she hoped would get her through the night. And it did, almost a little too well, which was why she had barely made the nine-a.m. sharp time.

"Detective Falconeri, the floor is yours," Ned said as he turned the meeting over.

In short order, Detective Dante Falconeri had informed the room that the part of the parking garage they were prohibited from using was now an active crime scene. And the crime committed involved one of their own. The one of their own was Kristina Davis and the crime was... murder.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Detective Falconeri and a Poorly Kept Secret"

There were audible gasps throughout the conference room when Detective Falconeri announced that a co-worker, Kristina Davis, had been murdered. While he let the news set in and allowed the victim's colleagues to react, Dante Falconeri was well at work and on the case. For in those minutes, Dante was reading the room. He was looking at facial expressions. He was watching for expressions of grief, fear, shock, and numbness. But he was also looking for expressions that shouldn't be there. But if they were, they could definitely point to a lead or two. Calm, acceptance, and satisfaction were signs he was looking for... because if he saw any of the three, he might very well find a murderer.

"Spencer, I can't believe this!" Trina said, as she got up immediately to go over to Esme.

Esme, because she had the visual of the murder in her mind, was able to feign a pained look of shock over hearing the news about her murdered partner.

"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to take your seat," Dante said with authority, as he pointed to Trina's chair.

"But I just..." a shaken Trina started, as Spencer gently pulled on her hand to get her to sit down again.

"Trina, there will be time for that... later. The detective has to do his job right now, and we have to let him. Ok?" Spencer asked as he gave her a sweet smile and went back to holding her hand.

While Dante was taking control of keeping everyone in place, Esme was able to notice the looks and touches shared by her best friend and, in her increasingly delusional mind, her boyfriend. And she was not pleased. Yet she knew that she had to stay focused on drawing no attention to herself so the pained look on her face from seeing the betrayal from a friend was just the right look to convince a detective that her partner's death had hit her hard.

After a few minutes, Dante shared only sparse details of the case. Kristina Davis was found dead in her car the previous night by her mother, Alexis Davis. Once again, he let that detail and its effect linger to draw out any surprising or unusual reactions.

"When the PCPD arrived on the scene and saw the manner of death, our officers knew that they were definitely looking at a homicide," Dante stated, concluding all that would be shared... for the moment.

"Detective Falconeri will want to speak with a few of you, one at a time, here in the conference room. So, please cooperate when it's your time to speak to him. Oh, and Spencer and Trina, make sure that you have what you need from the room since it will probably be in use for the next little bit," a somber Ned replied, while still managing a hint of a smile. He knew that as the leader he had to show strength, despite their loss.

Upon hearing their names, Dante looked up. "Spencer Cassadine and Trina Robinson?" he asked, looking back in his note pad.

"Yes, that's us," Spencer replied as he placed a comforting hand on Trina's waist.

Once again, Esme saw another sign of betrayal. And while she began to fume inside, she knew that she couldn't react... then. As Kristina's partner, she knew that she would be questioned, so she had to play it cool... even though she was raging inside.

"Oh, I'll need to take statements from both of you; so, please wait outside," Dante requested.

"Of course, Detective. But if I may ask, why do you need our statements?" a protective Spencer asked as Trina's hand found his free hand to squeeze.

"Mr. Ashton gave a me a list of names of people who are normally still here past the ending hours for the day. And there were only two, Spencer Cassadine and Trina Robinson," Dante shared, as both Spencer and Trina nodded.

"I would like to start with you, Mr. Cassadine. So, Miss Robinson and Miss Prince, if you would wait outside... and please try to refrain from speaking to each other. I don't want any statements muddied," instructed the detective who was ready to get down to business.

"Ok," Trina replied as she released Spencer's hand. "But I'd like to give Esme a hug because I know that this has to be the hardest for her since Kristina was her partner... if that's ok, Detective," a genuinely compassionate Trina asked.

While based on protocol, it really wasn't ok, Dante nodded his approval. Once again, he needed to see any and all reactions.

So, Trina went over to Esme and immediately went in for a hug. Because of what she'd witnessed between her friend and Spencer, Esme was a little slow to return the embrace. But she saw Dante's eyes on her, so she went into grief mode. She slowly moved her arms to accept the embrace and let out a slight whimper which she hoped she could follow up with tears. And as she put her head down on Trina's shoulder, an unseen eyeroll indicated Esme's true feelings.

When Trina released Esme, she offered her another smile before walking out just before the "grief-stricken" partner.

When everyone was gone, Dante invited Spencer to have a seat and to tell him about the previous night.

"I walked Miss Robinson to her car at about seven p.m."

"Do you always work that late, Mr. Cassadine?"

"Yes, I never leave at five. It's usually seven or even later, depending on the work we have at the time."

"So, based on the lateness, I'll assume you have something big that you're working on now?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. All of the assigned partners were... are to meet with leadership today to present our progress with a major campaign project."

Dante nodded.

"So, when you walked Miss Robinson to her car, did you go to yours and leave then?

"No, I needed to go back inside to make sure that everything was all set for... today."

Dante looked up from his note pad, with a slightly puzzled look. A look that he held on Spencer for several increasingly uncomfortable moments. Yet he again needed to see reactions in real time. And although Spencer was wondering why there was such a pause, he didn't do anything to draw suspicion.

"Why wouldn't you have checked when you and Miss Robinson left?"

"Because we didn't leave together," Spencer started as he cleared his throat. "Um. Well, I don't know if anyone in the company knows just yet, but..."

"You and Miss Robinson are involved. Is that it, Mr. Cassadine?"

"Yes, it is, but how...?"

"How did I know? Although I think that I'm a pretty good detective, I didn't have to reach far into my bag of tricks to figure that one out, Mr. Cassadine. In fact, if the two of you were trying to keep your togetherness a secret, I have to say that you failed miserably. The closeness, the handholding, and the hand on the waist were quite... obvious."

Spencer nodded. "Um, so we had had a little disagreement, and she walked out on me. I couldn't let our night end like that, so I went after her and apologized. Luckily, she forgave me, we made breakfast plans for today, and I went back inside, double-checked everything, and came back down and left," he summarized.

"Did you see or notice anyone or anything unusual when you headed back in or when you left?"

"One thing stood out on my way back in because it was really odd."

"What was it?"

"It was Kristina's partner, umm..." Spencer snapped his fingers as if trying to remember a name that he had never taken the time to know in the first place.

"Esme Prince?"

"Yes. Yes, that's her."

"You noticed Esme Prince and that was "really odd". Why?"

"She was walking towards the cars, and she was talking quite a bit."

"Walking and talking? Why would you classify that as "really odd", Mr. Cassadine?"

"It was really odd because... she was talking to herself. No one with her, no phone, no Air Pods, nothing. She was moving forward, alone, and talking to herself, and no one else."

"Just one more, or maybe two, things before we wrap up."

Spencer nodded.

"You saw Miss Robinson drive away?"

"Yes."

"Did you see Miss Prince get to her car?"

"No. I'll assume that that's where she was headed, but I didn't watch."

"Oh, and one more thing. Did you ever see Miss Davis?"

Without hesitation, Spencer shook his head and answered, "No."

With that, Dante extended his hand to Spencer who reached out and shook it as he got up.

"Thank you and I'll be in touch if I need anything else from you."

"Of course. So, are you going to want Trina next?" Spencer asked as he reached the door.

"Actually, I don't think I'm going to need to speak to her at this point. Your answers covered most of the ground of which I would have covered with her," Dante replied. "No, I think that I'm quite ready to talk with the victim's partner, Miss Prince."

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Questions, Questions, Questions"

When Alexis Davis spotted Kristina's car, that initial feeling she had never went away the closer she drove towards it. And when she pulled up in a spot one over from Kristina's car, Alexis looked straight ahead, even though the car was to the side. Something was holding her back and for a few moments, she let it. But she couldn't not look at a certain point. So, she slowly turned her head, and she saw Kristina. She was still. "She's been working so hard lately that maybe she fell asleep," she tried to bargain in her mind. "Yes, sleep. It has to be that," Alexis thought as she took slow, hesitant steps toward her child's car because, in her mind, she knew. And when she got to the door of the car, Alexis saw that it was just as she had thought. Kristina was asleep, but it was a sleep that she would not be waking up from. She could see the mark around Kristina's neck, and she knew. She placed her hand on the window and sobbed. And when she could sob no more, she slid down on the side of the car and found the will to dial 9-1-1.

After speaking with the responding officers, Alexis pleaded with them to find the person responsible. She wouldn't be able to rest until the monster who had killed her daughter was found, tried, and convicted.

***

When the door to the conference room opened, Trina rose up from her chair. Esme didn't move at all.

"Miss Prince, you may come in now. I have some questions for you," Dante informed a sitting Esme. As she got up and walked towards the door, she saw Trina give her a smile. She offered a weak one in response and went inside.

"Are you alright?" Trina asked Spencer as they embraced. At that point, neither cared who saw such a public display. A young woman had been murdered. They were just two people building a relationship.

"I could stay wrapped up in you like this from now on," a relieved Spencer told Trina.

"Me, too. But," she said, slowly breaking from the embrace, "Please tell me. Are you alright?"

Spencer looked at Trina and for a moment he couldn't believe it. Just months ago, he was the self-assured loner who was more than satisfied with being with and needing no one. Now here he stood with an incredible woman whose only concern at that very moment was him. How lucky was he? The one thing he never knew he wanted or needed was bringing him so much peace after what could only be called an interrogation.

"I'm fine. Let's go somewhere and talk," Spencer replied as they headed towards Trina's original work area.

"Well. How did it go?" Trina asked as they settled down to talk.

"The detective asked about last night, us walking out together, me walking back in again only to come back out again, and if I saw anything unusual during that time," Spencer reported.

"Did you tell him about... Esme?" Trina asked hesitantly.

"Oh, you mean about her walking and talking to absolutely no one? Of course, I did. I think that that was the epitome of unusual and needed to be shared," Spencer answered, as he saw the concern in Trina's eyes.

"Now, it's my turn. Trina, are you alright?" Spencer asked softly, while taking Trina's hand.

"I... I don't know, Spencer. When you told me about the walking and the talking, I guess I didn't think that much about it because my thoughts went straight to Esme being ok in the parking garage last night. But now that I know that she's ok and that Kristina was murdered in that same parking garage, I have to wonder," Trina replied, stopping short of saying what else was on her mind.

"You have to wonder if she saw something or if she was on her way to do something. Is that it, Trina?" Spencer asked bluntly.

Trina looked directly in Spencer's eyes because she was about to trust him with something that came into her head as she had waited for him. Although she and Esme weren't allowed to speak, Trina had kept her eyes on her friend. She wanted to be able to go to her quickly if emotions got too much for Esme. Finding out that your partner was murdered and that you might have just narrowly escaped being a second victim would probably unnerve even the strongest of individuals. But when Trina looked at her friend, she didn't see that. Yes, she saw tears and heard sniffs, but there was one major thing that she didn't see. And that one thing was: real emotion- in her tears, she saw no real sadness, and in her sniffles, she heard no overpowering angst or fear. So, the absence of those simple human emotions was what had Trina Robinson... wondering...

***

"I'm wondering, Ms. Davis, if you have any idea who'd want to hurt your daughter?" Dante asked Alexis as he prepared to go to Quartermaine Industries for some interviews about last night. Speaking to a victim's mother before he'd had a chance to fully begin his investigation was not what Dante had planned, but she was there, and he couldn't ignore her presence... or the anguish on her face.

"Kristina has a small circle of family and friends. And from that circle, there's no one who want any harm to come to her. No one," Alexis sniffed.

Dante, checking his watch and realizing that nine a.m. was fast approaching, followed up with one last question and a statement. "Ms. Davis, I'm heading over to Quartermaine Industries in just a few minutes, but I do want to ask you one more question. Did your daughter get along with the people at her workplace?"

"She had and she did until she was assigned a partner, who wasn't very focused on their work together. In fact, Kristina came to me on more than one occasion asking for advice on dealing with her and trying to make the partnership work," Alexis shared, as Dante scribbled into his notepad.

"Did your advice work?"

"Well, the last bit of advice that she had decided to take was a little drastic, but her partner left her with no choice," Alexis replied somberly.

"So, what was she going to do?" Dante asked.

"She had been documenting all of the issues she'd been having with her and was going to share it with Mr. Ashton and ask to get a new partner," Alexis shared.

"That indeed is drastic, with several possible implications. One of which could lead to a write-up, reprimand... or dismissal for the partner if everything was valid," Dante said, almost forgetting about the time.

"Everything was," Alexis retorted, defending her daughter.

Dante nodded. "Of course, Ms. Davis. So, your daughter was going to speak with leadership about her partner?"

Alexis nodded.

"So, Ms. Davis could you give me the name of your daughter's partner?"

"Of course I can. Her name is Esme Prince."

***

"Have a seat, Miss Prince," Dante offered as Esme came into the conference room. "Do you need anything before we get started?"

Esme took a breath and wiped away a long-gone tear from her face before responding.

"I'm not really sure, Detective. I've never been questioned in a crime investigation before. Do I.... do I need a lawyer?" Esme asked innocently.

"Hmph. At this point in the investigation, Miss Prince, we are simply on a fact-finding mission. Finding out facts about what happened last night and how, down the line, we can use those facts to figure out what happened," Dante replied. "You are not under arrest. I just need to know about your last interactions with Miss Davis... and the parking garage."

Esme nodded and said, "Of course, anything to help the investigation."

"Alright, could you tell me about the last time you saw Miss Davis?"

"I'm not really sure, but it was much later than I would have normally seen her because of our project."

"You mean the project that had you two partnered up?"

"Yes. Today's the day when we were to meet with Mr. Ashton to give an update."

"So, you were late because there was work to do?"

"Yes."

"So, I know that you said that you didn't know the exact time, but was it closer to six or seven?"

"I'd say closer to... six."

Dante looked up from his note pad. "Really?" Six?"

Esme thought for a moment. "He's clearly trying to trick me by using a technique from those procedurals on every night. But he can't fool me. No one else was in that parking garage, so no one knows that it was closer to seven, except... me," she thought.

"Yes, six."

"Ok. Why didn't Miss Davis leave when you did?"

"Oh, she had taken on more of a leader's role in our partnership, so she wanted to stay a little longer to make sure everything was all set in place... for today," Esme said softly, as she began to sniff, and her eyes teared up. She didn't like where the questioning was headed, so she needed a diversion to regroup and ready herself for the rest of the questioning.

Dante closed his note pad and asked Esme if she needed a break.

"I... I just need a moment, that's all."

And as she took that moment, Dante kept watch over her, but nothing stood out during Esme's "break".

"Alright, Detective. I'm ready. It's just hard to think about what happened to Kristina," Esme said as she cleared her throat.

"Yes. I'm sure it is. Now how would you describe your relationship with Miss Davis?" Dante asked, wondering if he'd get a truthful answer this time.

This one was tricky for Esme. She didn't want to draw any suspicion on herself by telling Dante that they didn't get along. But she had shared with Trina how she and Kristina weren't getting along well, even characterizing Kristina as a "control freak".

"And I now know that Trina can't be trusted, not after trying to steal Spence from me. She's sure to tell the detective any and everything I ever said about anything!" Esme fumed inside. "Just tell him... enough, so he won't go digging."

"Unfortunately, our workstyles didn't necessarily mesh well, Detective. I'm more relaxed and confident in my work, whereas Kristina was a little less sure of herself, which caused her to need to be in control of everything at all times. However, I just tried to take things in stride," Esme answered, hoping that it came across believable... enough.

Dante wrote a little more in note pad, nodded, and then looked up. "Well, Miss Prince, I think I have everything I need for now," Dante said as he got up from his chair.

"So, I'm done? Are you sure?" Esme asked, as she started to get up, as well.

"Yes... for now. I may circle back to you in a few days when we will hopefully know a lot more," Dante answered as he made his way to the door.

And as she headed out, Esme Prince hoped once again that she had done enough to not be suspected of anything.

Once he closed the door of the conference room, Dante Falconeri looked at the last few words he scribbled in his note pad- words that could be the key to finding a murderer: "Esme Prince- one lie and a half truth".

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Congratulations and Confirmation of a Betrayal"

Before they could discuss Esme anymore, Spencer and Trina were interrupted by Ned.

"Excuse me you two, but I wanted to know if you would like to meet with me to share what you've done so far with the campaign assignment. I've already met with a few partners while you were with the detective. Even though this is an extremely tough day, putting your mind on business can almost be a therapeutic distraction, if you will. So, I'm leaving it up to you. We can meet today or..."

"Today!" Spencer and Trina said in unison before Ned could even offer the second option.

Ned grinned. "Why am I not surprised? Let's meet in my office in about ten to fifteen minutes. Will that be enough time for you to prepare?" Ned asked.

Without hesitation, Spencer and Trina looked at each other and nodded. "We'll be ready, Mr. Ashton," Spencer answered.

"Excellent! I'll see you then," Ned replied as he left.

"Well, it's almost showtime. Let's make sure we bring our A-game to the table. The work is spot-on, we just need to make sure that our pitch and presentation are, as well," Trina said to Spencer as she opened up her laptop and handed him a folder.

And for just a moment or two, Spencer just watched Trina prep for a most important meeting with ease and confidence. To say that he was both impressed and turned on would be an understatement.

"Have I told you lately how much I love it when you take charge, Trina Robinson?"

Trina, taking only a quick moment to respond, looked at Spencer and smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment, since I've been learning from the best," she replied as Spencer blushed slightly. "So, let's do this, shall we?"

When their time was up, Spencer and Trina gathered their things and headed towards the elevator. And when they approached it, they saw Esme coming out of the conference room. Trina's first instinct was to go over to her, but the elevator door opened at the same time. Spencer got in immediately and was taken aback when Trina didn't join him.

"Trina, this is us. Mr. Ashton is waiting on us," a disbelieving Spencer said from inside the elevator.

A conflicted Trina looked at Spencer and then she looked at Esme, who by now had spotted Trina. She was truly torn. Meeting with Ned and presenting alongside Spencer was what she had been working towards since Day One. However, Esme had been her friend since Day One. A friend, Trina regretfully thought, she had let down when the project began. And she couldn't help but to wonder if her not spending that time with Esme had led to something so bad that she didn't even want to consider it. "She even told me about issues that she was having with Kristina, and I didn't really offer any help. What if in doing so...?" Trina wondered to herself, until her thoughts were interrupted by one word: her name.

"Trina!" Spencer exclaimed as he kept his finger on the button to prevent the door from closing.

Hearing her name and seeing the intensity on her partner's face brought Trina back to reality and she made her choice...

Ned sat in silence for a few moments after Spencer and Trina had made their presentation. And while the partners felt pretty good about it, they both needed to hear and receive validation from Ned. Only then would they be able to exhale and react.

"I wish that I could say, after many, many years as a businessman, that I had a few suggestions for the work you just shared. You see, my number of years at my family's company is greater than either of your ages; yet you two have compiled and presented one of, if not, the best marketing projects I've ever seen," Ned said, quite impressed.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Ashton. We absolutely tried our best," Spencer replied, feeling quite accomplished. "And, if I may, I'd also like to thank you for pairing me up with one of the best associates you have here. Trina brought so much to our partnership that I was not expecting, and it helped me to raise my own game. The work, the presentation... everything was a collaboration."

Trina, trying to maintain her professional decorum, was beaming and nearly bursting inside hearing Spencer speaking so highly of her.

"I'm so glad that that was the case and that my instincts to pair you two up achieved the goals that I had in mind," Ned replied. "Trina, you have indeed been a welcome addition to the company. And Spencer, I foresee another future meeting between the two of us where we discuss your next steps in the company."

Spencer's eyes lit up, as he and Trina exchanged quick glances at each other.

"So, I will definitely be letting the brand know about what the company, in particular the two of you, has put together towards their campaign. That will help determine any adjustments to our timeline for the project," Ned said as he got up from his desk. "And because of that, along with of course the tragedy of the day, you two have the rest of the day off... to do whatever you want and whatever you haven't had a chance to do since this project took over much of your lives. But make sure to enjoy it because I see a lot more work in your future."

"Thank you, Mr. Ashton," Spencer and Trina answered in unison, as they shook hands with Ned before exiting.

"Oh, one more thing. Another thank you to you, Trina, in advance," Ned said as he stopped the exit.

Trina's brow furrowed, as she asked, "For?"

"If I had given Spencer the day off this time last year, I'm sure that he would have found a way to sneak back in and keep on working. But I have no doubt that he will take advantage of this day off and actually enjoy himself. And I have a pretty good feeling that it will be because of you, Trina," Ned answered with a smile.

Spencer and Trina looked at each other and then at Ned, before saying good-bye one last time.

While they were both filled with pure joy and pride from what Ned had said about their work, neither Spencer nor Trina wanted to make too much of a scene- especially considering the night's tragedy. So, they walked to the elevator and waited for it to open. When it did and the door closed, they both let out a loud "Yes!" and embraced. That embrace was followed in short order by a kiss, which they managed to end right before the elevator opened.

As they got off, Spencer was all set to discuss how they might spend their free day. But Trina had not forgotten that she needed to do something before they could start their day.

"Spencer, I can't wait for our "day off" to begin, but I've got to see Esme and talk to her first, otherwise she'll be there with us in spirit," Trina said in response to his eagerness.

Spencer knew Trina well enough to know that if she planned on doing something that she was going to do it. So, rather than try to change her mind, he took her to the side and offered up just one sentence to her: "Be careful and I'll wait right here for you."

"I will and I won't make you wait too long. Count on that," Trina replied sweetly.

Trina, then made her way towards Esme and Kristina's workspace where she did indeed find her friend. Esme was sitting and appeared to be looking over some notes. When she saw Trina, she put them away to give Trina her full attention.

"I wanted to come and check to make sure that you were ok. I saw you come out of the conference room a while back, but..." Trina began.

"But you were needed elsewhere, I take it?" Esme asked.

Trina, not quite sure what Esme meant by that, sat down, as well.

"Well, yes Spencer and I did meet with Mr. Ashton to present our work so far, but..." Trina was interrupted again.

"Spencer and you. You and Spencer. Presenting together today," Esme said dryly.

"Yes. We... we had to. My plan was always to come to you and see how you were," a concerned Trina replied.

Esme nodded. "Trina, don't mind me and my ill-chosen words. It's just that this has been a lot in a short amount of time. But I am glad that one of us ended up in an effective partnership," Esme responded.

And at that moment, Trina wondered whether she should tell Esme about her and Spencer so that they could move on, and she could ask her more about Kristina and last night. But with Esme's next words, Trina realized that she wouldn't have to.

"And based on what I've noticed, it's been so effective that it seems to have gone beyond just a business partnership... hasn't it, Trina?" Esme asked, as if making an accusation.

With that, Trina knew that there could be no denying or hiding what was going on between her and Spencer. And honestly, she was glad. She and Spencer were at the beginning of something good that she knew they could build on, so why not let it be known.

"Yes, it has. It wasn't, to be cliche, planned or something we went looking for. Working together for so many hours put us in a position to start to know each other better. And once we did, I saw a part of Spencer that he hadn't shown anyone here before- a part that complimented the stand-offish loner persona that he puts on here," Trina reflected, her voice growing more and more gentle as she described the man she had fallen for.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. And to think that it's from my best friend, too. Early on, I told her to just let Spencer be. But no, she had to find other sides and change him for her sake. And now she sits in front of me letting me know that the man I've known for longer and who I've wanted longer is somehow... hers! What a betrayal," Esme thought as she listened to Trina and tried to maintain a neutral expression on her face.

"But Esme, that's not what's important right now. How are you doing? Hearing about Kristina must have been a shock," Trina said.

"It truly was. She was perfectly fine when I left yesterday around six while she was preparing for today," Esme replied cooly.

Trina's face looked puzzled. "Six?" she said, somewhat shocked.

Esme nodded. "Yes, we were a little later than normal, but Kristina was even later... unfortunately," she replied.

"Umm. Did everything go ok with Detective Falconeri?" Trina asked, trying to get something from her friend, like perhaps why Spencer saw her walking and talking close to seven and not six. Yet, she didn't want to be the one to bring up that information.

Esme looked at Trina squarely in the eyes. "Of course it did. Would there be a reason for it not to have?" Esme asked, with a hint of annoyance.

"Of course not! And Esme, I'm sorry if I sounded as if there could have been. I just know that you must be feeling a variety of emotions after losing a partner and being questioned," Trina responded.

"Yes, it's a lot. But I think that work will help. By the way, you weren't questioned. Do you know why? I mean you and Spencer BOTH worked late. Yet only he was questioned and immediately afterwards me... not you," Esme said, as she once again looked directly in her friend's eyes.

Trina, feeling some tension, decided that for now it was best that she leave. "I'm... I'm not sure. Maybe because Spencer and I were together until I left last night, Detective Falconeri realizes that his timeline of events would be the same as mine," Trina said as she prepared to leave. "Please, when you feel up to it, call me. I want you to know that I'm here for you."

Through a forced smile, Esme replied, "Thank you, Trina. I know that you are."

And when Trina was no longer in sight, Esme's frozen smile was quickly replaced with a bitter frown. She thought about Trina and what she had confirmed. Then, she looked back at the notes she was reviewing when Trina arrived- notes prepared by Kristina.

"Kristina was all set to betray me and to take away my job. I couldn't let such a betrayal stand. Now, Trina, my best friend confirms to me her betrayal of taking away the only man for me... Spence. Can I let that betrayal stand?" Esme thought to herself as she couldn't get images of Spencer... and her out of her mind.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"A Day Off"

Spencer was right where he said he would be when Trina left from talking to Esme. As she approached him, he put away his phone to give her his undivided attention. Speaking with Esme and sensing some tension, not to mention hearing that lie about six o'clock, had unnerved Trina somewhat. So, seeing Spencer in all of his six feet and more handsomeness quickly brought a smile to her face.

"How did...?" Spencer's attempt at a question was cut off quickly when Trina came up to him and pulled him in for a kiss. The fact that there were a few co-workers still around made no difference at all. Despite the tragedy that had occurred and the friend who might be in need, Trina had a reason to celebrate... a reason to be happy. And the man whose lips were on hers was a major reason why. Working with him, as an equal partner, had brought her praise and recognition from the company's president. And getting to know him as more than a co-worker had allowed her the chance to begin a relationship with him. So, Trina was going to focus on those things and him for the rest of the day. Anything else would get no attention from her.

And just when she was about to release Spencer from the kiss, Trina playfully pulled out of it, only to place two more quick kisses on him... before letting him go.

Spencer looked at Trina and then licked his lips which were now cherry-colored from Trina's lip gloss. "Mmm. Cherry, my new favorite," Spencer remarked.

Trina gave him a soft smile and licked her lips, as well. "I'll keep that in mind," she said seductively as she pushed the down button for the elevator.

In the few seconds that it took for the elevator door to open, neither Spencer nor Trina said anything else. It was as if they wanted the magic of those moments and that kiss to linger and help build the anticipation for what was to come. Once the door opened, they walked in together, hand-in-hand. Silence remained the constant. When the door opened again, they walked out to Spencer's car... both of them fully aware of the area of the parking garage that was still roped off. That was the only moment since they'd kissed and embraced that brought a darker mood to their togetherness. But Spencer gave Trina's hand a squeeze as the scene came into sight, and that was enough for her to be strong enough to continue walking alongside him to his car.

When they got to Spencer's car, they didn't stop holding hands until Spencer opened Trina's door for her and saw her safely in. "What a gentleman," Trina said playfully.

"For you, of course!" Spencer replied, as he kissed Trina's hand before closing the door.

He then made his way to the driver's side and got in. He buckled up and was all set to start the car, until something stopped him. Spencer removed his hands from the steering wheel and turned to look at Trina.

When he didn't say anything immediately, Trina wasn't quite so sure what to make of it. "What's wrong? Did you forget something?" Trina asked.

"No, no... nothing like that. It's just that... umm... it's just that I want to be clear about something," Spencer replied.

"Oh, ok. What?" Trina asked anxiously.

Spencer took a breath and then exhaled. "I know that when we made our agreement that it was based on us being finished with our project tasks. But," he hesitated, "But based on what Mr. Ashton said earlier... I, I would imagine that it would be safe to think or to say... that... umm, that we've pretty much proven to Mr. Ashton that we are up to any additional work that the brand might still want from us."

Trina couldn't keep a delighted smile from coming across her face. Neither of them had discussed exactly how they would spend their day off, but it seemed as if they would be doing that now.

"I would think so," Trina agreed, as she nodded her head.

That elicited a grin from Spencer, along with a head nod. "Yeah... so, I... uh... I was thinking that, well since I picked you up anyway that we would... that we could go back to your place. I mean unless you'd like to do... I mean go somewhere else, instead," Spencer stammered.

That time Trina grinned and giggled at Spencer's nervousness. It was just another surprising side of him that she was glad to discover.

Not wanting him to have to continue to squirm and struggle, Trina came to his rescue. "Spencer, I would very much like it if you would take me back home... and join me inside, so that we can enjoy our day off together," Trina said sweetly as she gave him a quick kiss before saying, "Now, please start your car and let's go!"

And with no hesitation at all, Spencer took off... all set to enjoy a day off with his partner both in and out of work.

*****

"The rest of the day off? But I haven't presented our work to you," Esme replied when Ned paid her a surprise visit to let her know that she had the rest of the day off.

Ned gave Esme a warm smile. "Esme, I appreciate your wanting to try and present today, but there's no way that I could let you do that. You'd be presenting work that you had collaborated on with someone who was murdered last night-information you only found out a short time ago. No, Esme. You need to take the rest of the day to decompress and give the news a chance to sink in. And if you feel like it, come back tomorrow and we'll look at your work. Or, if you need another day, that will be fine. And "no" is not an option for today, so I'll see you tomorrow, Esme," Ned said as he left to go back to his office.

"The rest of the day off. What to do? What to do?" Esme thought as she drummed her nails across the desk. While her first inclination was to contemplate her next steps as far as Trina and Spencer were concerned, she realized that there were some loose ends that she needed to tie up at her apartment.

When she got home the night before, she made sure to bring everything in with her- everything being Kristina's wallet, phone, and laptop. Those items had to be taken in order for robbery to be a motive. Destroying the evidence was a must, but Esme wanted to do it when it got darker, but she wondered if the police might come to ask more questions or even search her home. So, she took small steps to cover her tracks. She took the small amount of cash from Kristina's wallet and put it into her own. Then she took out every card and form of identification from the wallet and began to cut them one by one. A trip to the incinerator later on would finish that evidence off, along with the wallet. As for Kristina's phone, a hammer would be needed to begin its destruction.

"But as for you, I need to get in and see exactly what else my dearly departed partner might have put in about me. I'm sure that what she had on her legal pad is also somewhere on her computer. I just have to find a way in and get rid of it. And lucky for me, Kristina wasn't very careful about things like passwords," Esme chuckled, showing no remorse at all.

So, for the next few hours, Esme went through files and documents that she felt might be incriminating towards her, as well as files and documents that would be useful for her when it came time to present to Ned. "After all, I still need to show that I am a valuable employee who can produce, even without a partner," Esme said to herself as her fixation on covering her tracks took precedent over a fixation that she was sure to get back to before the day ended. That fixation being Spencer and Trina.

*****

"Well, welcome back," Trina said as she and Spencer walked into her apartment.

"Thank you. It's good to be back. I'm hoping to see a little more of your place than I did the last time, however," Spencer said with a gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, there's no need to hope, Spencer. You most certainly will," Trina replied as her smile widened and she took his hand. "In fact, there's one room in particular that I'd love for you to see. So, shall we?"

Spencer, with Trina holding on to his hand, allowed Trina to lead him past the room they were in the last night they were there. They walked a little further until they got to another room... a bedroom... Trina's bedroom. "Well, is this the little more that you hoped to see?" Trina asked, as they walked inside.

"As a matter of fact, it is Miss Robinson," Spencer answered.

They walked over to Trina's bed, where she pulled back the comforter adorning it, and then gestured for her guest to have a seat. As they sat, their hands stayed locked together while their eyes remained locked on each other. To break the ice, Spencer casually looked around and said, "Nice room."

Trina smiled and let out a slight giggle. "I tried. But don't tell me that you're nervous, Cassadine. I would have expected something a bit more... romantic or even, who knows, spicy from you," Trina teased.

"Spicy?" Spencer could hardly hold back a laugh as he placed his hand against Trina's cheek. "Ok, will let me try again. That one was just practice."

With that said, Spencer moved even closer to Trina and leaned over as if preparing to kiss her on the lips. However, just as his lips were about to meet hers and her eyes closed in great anticipation, they changed course. His lips made their way to Trina's neck and her slight gasp of shock was just the reaction that Spencer had wanted. And with that, he began to slowly place kisses on her neck. They began at the top of her neck, then gradually went down, ending at her collarbone. When he stopped all of a sudden, he was more than happy to see Trina breathing heavily, with her eyes still closed and basking in the aftermath of his kisses. Not wanting to break the moment for too long, Spencer returned to her neck, briefly, before he began nibbling ever so gently on her ear. That move, as she felt the slight touch of his tongue, elicited the most vocal response yet from Trina.

"Ooh, Spencer. Don't stop. Please do... not... stop," Trina moaned before she decided to return some kisses to him. But she chose a different course, of which Spencer was perfectly fine with. Trina's mouth went straight to his. She started off with a sweet gentle kiss before opening her mouth to invite a more passionate one, which Spencer was more than ready to accept and reciprocate. At that point, they put their arms around each other as their kisses only intensified in passion.

When they both felt the need to just breathe, they gently broke away from each other. Neither could hide the happiness, nor anticipation, that they were both feeling in those very moments.

"I'm so glad that we made it back here," Trina replied tenderly.

"Me, too. Even though I thought for a second that I might have blown my chance to come back," Spencer chuckled as he held Trina's hand.

"Hmph. Believe it or not, that may very well go down as one of your most romantic moves, Spencer. You being honest with me, when you didn't have to. You agreeing to my proposition, even though it seems as though we didn't have to wait as long as we thought we would. Thank you for that, Mr. Ashton," Trina laughed. "All of that just reinforced what a good guy you are. A good guy that I've definitely gotten to know better since our first days as partners. Now, could we stand to get to know each other a little more before "enjoying our day off together"? I think so," Trina said as Spencer's brow furrowed, thinking that things might be about to take a sudden and unexpected turn... just as they had that night.

"But," Trina said as she placed a sweet kiss on Spencer's lips, "Am I going to wait for that time to come and pass? Absolutely not!"...

*****

"Let's see. Is everything taken care of?" Esme thought aloud as she played everything from the last twenty-four hours or so back in her head.

"No witnesses, check. Plus, my six o'clock timeline should be enough to keep that Detective Falcon away."

"No fingerprints. I was very careful about that," she said as she remembered using her sleeve for any contacts. "Check."

"My charger... what I guess would be called the weapon of choice," Esme thought, as she tried to blank out how it was last used. Wiped down thoroughly... more than once." Getting rid of the charger altogether was a thought, but one that she discarded quickly. "If they ever wanted to see my laptop and the charger was missing that might stir up some questions and attention that I don't need. Hide it in plain sight and they'll never have a reason to wonder or question. Check."

"That just about does it for everything except for those incinerator-bound items: pieces of a phone, credit cards, identification cards, a wallet, torn pieces from a legal pad, and a destroyed computer inside its case," Esme thought as she got a big black trash bag in which to deposit the "evidence". And while she had thought that waiting until dark would be best, she decided that burning things in the middle of the night would be arguably more suspicious. So, she got the trash from the kitchen and headed out with both bags. Just a regular young woman with trash to take care of in the middle of a perfectly normal day. Who would ever think anything different?

Esme, once she came back in, realized that getting rid of evidence was a tiring activity. So, before she would think about Trina's act of betrayal, she decided to take a nap.

*****

"I could really get used to this," Trina said softly as she lay snuggled up in Spencer's arms, her head resting on his bare chest. Not long after they'd made love... again, Spencer and Trina had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Trina was only now waking up and realizing that the last few hours had not been a dream.

Spencer standing up from that last sweet kiss had not been a dream. Him reaching his hand out for Trina's to help her up had not been a dream. Every part of their time together, like each of them removing their clothes slowly and in front of each other, had been real and oh so wonderful. Them sharing one last passionate kiss before turning back the sheets had felt like a dream, but it too was real. And that was the moment that Trina was remembering as she smiled and thought about the man who was there beside her. The man whose heart she felt beating, just as she had felt it when he was on top of her as they made love for the very first time that day. That first time. Their first time was everything she had hoped and imagined that it would be. Feeling Spencer's mouth all over her body as he tenderly explored every inch of her brought Trina to levels of ecstasy that she had never felt before. Levels that would continue to rise as their bodies joined together to make love. In no time at all, they moved together in an amorous rhythm that eventually brought them both to orgasmic bliss...

After that first time, they remained wrapped in each other's arms as their pulses raced from the peak they had reached. Yet they would, as Trina continued to remember, make love yet again and again, taking time to explore each other in a variety of ways.

As Trina found herself giggling quietly about their last time, Spencer began to stir and placed a tender kiss on Trina's head. That prompted Trina to sit up and look at him. Her eyes shone as she looked at the one she had found a true connection to and realized that their day was far from over.

"You continue to amaze me, Trina Robinson," Spencer said softly. "I mean is there anything you can't do well?" he asked as he placed a kiss on her hand.

Trina's smile let Spencer know how much that meant to her. "Well, let me think," she teased. "I guess you'll have to stick around for a while to see if you can find anything."

Spencer, with a suddenly more serious expression on his face, sat up as well. Trina wasn't quite sure why, but she was definitely curious to find out.

"So, you want me to stick around. Uh, do you mean here for the rest of our day off or... or do you mean something else?" Spencer asked, slightly anxious.

Trina, slightly surprised, was quick to answer. "Well, our day off still has a few more hours to go. So, naturally, you have to stick around for that. And now that we've shared what we've shared, there's no way you're getting rid of me and there's no way I'm letting you go. That is if that's ok with you, Mr. Cassadine," Trina replied sweetly and playfully.

"Oh, that's so much more than ok, Miss Robinson. So much more," Spencer said as he and Trina leaned in for another kiss... which was quickly interrupted by a knock at the door.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Who Can It Be Now?"

"Ignore it," Spencer said as he was all set to press his lips against Trina's.

"I... I can't," a less than convincing Trina replied as she feebly attempted to resist Spencer's mouth.

"Of course you can. Let me show you," Spencer said lustfully, as he opened his mouth to kiss Trina passionately, with no resistance offered at all. Savoring the taste of each other's lips and tongue, Spencer and Trina could have continued like that for the rest of the day... if only that knock on the door would just... stop!

"Baby, uh... I'm... I'm sorry. It must be something, uh... important," Trina moaned as she broke away from Spencer's mouth and embrace.

"Trina, do you really think that it could be more important than... this?" a naughty Spencer asked as he pulled back the sheets to reveal that, after his nap, he was all set for more... fun.

Despite her eyes widening and delighting at the sight, Trina got out of the bed and found something to cover up with quickly before heading to the door.

"I promise. I won't let this take long," Trina replied, as she walked out, clad only in Spencer's shirt.

"Looking like that, you better not, Trina Robinson," a breathless Spencer replied.

Once she left her bedroom, Trina made quick work of the path from her room to the front door. She had a beautiful man in her bed all set to do all kinds of wonderful things to her... again, so she needed to take care of whoever had so rudely interrupted their day off.

"Joss?" Trina asked as she looked out her peephole.

"Trina! Are you ok?" Joss asked frantically. "Open up!"

Despite the fact that she so wanted to get back to her bed and Spencer, Trina knew that something had to be going on. Joss wasn't one for overreacting, so she needed to find out what had brought her over.

When Trina unlocked the door, Joss wasted no time in coming inside. "Trina, I just heard..." Joss started until her best friend's attire caught her eye. And that's when she gave her friend a look as if to say, "What's going on?".

Trina, ignoring the look, needed her friend to go on. "You just heard what, Joss? What's going on?" Trina asked as she gestured for her friend to have a seat.

Although seeing that Trina was ok meant the world to her, a curious Joss needed to know something else before she could answer Trina's question.

"Yeah. Sure. But before I answer that, can you tell me one thing?" Joss asked.

Trina let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Joss. What?"

"Is that Spencer's shirt you're wearing?"

Trina, suddenly remembering and feeling slightly embarrassed, tugged at the shirt in question, cleared her throat, and mumbled a soft, "Yes".

Joss broke out into the biggest smile and responded, "Good for you!" before having a good laugh.

"Joss!" an increasingly annoyed Trina shouted. "Why are you here right now? And what did you just hear? I'm in the middle of something, so could you just please get on with it?"

"Fine. I never want to stand in the way of... love in the afternoon," Joss quipped, much to Trina's continued annoyance. "But seriously, I was truly worried when I heard."

"Heard what, Joss?" Trina exclaimed, apparently so loudly that a half-dressed, boxers-only, Spencer rushed into the room.

"Trina, what's...?" he began before he noticed a grinning Joss on the sofa.

"Hi, Spencer. Remember me?" Joss asked teasingly, relishing in their embarrassment.

Spencer nodded and looked at Trina for some clue as to what was going on. She shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea what's going on. My best friend has gone from frantic to quite pleased with herself," Trina replied.

"Look... Joss. Trina and I..." Spencer started.

And it was at that point that Trina was secretly hoping that Spencer, the rude and thoughtless ass who she met on Day One of their partnership, was about to make an appearance and expedite Joss's departure. But there was no need. Joss had had enough fun at their expense and was finally ready to be serious.

"I promise that if you give me two minutes, I'll disappear even faster," Joss declared, as Spencer and Trina nodded. "There was a breaking local news report on channel seven about an investigation taking place at a local parking garage connected to Quartermaine Industries. There was also the mention of a victim, with no other details. Once I heard that, I called you immediately, but your phone went straight to voicemail. Since your parents are at work, I figured that they might not have heard, so I didn't want to upset them for possibly no reason. And then I called Cam, but it went to voicemail, too. So, that's when I decided to come and check here-going to the crime scene didn't seem feasible. But," Joss finally stopping for breath, "I can see that all is more than well."

"Thanks, Joss, for being so concerned," Trina replied.

"Of course. But, if I could before I go, ask, what happened?" Joss inquired.

Realizing that a topic as somber as murder deserved some respect, Trina and Spencer excused themselves to put on more clothes before filling Joss in.

"The poor girl!" Joss said after Spencer and Trina told her about Kristina being murdered.

"Knock, knock"

"Now who in the world is that?" a frustrated Spencer asked as more knocking was coming from Trina's door.

"Oh, it's probably Cam. In my message to him, I said that I was coming over. Sorry," Joss replied as she caught Spencer's side-eye directed at her.

So, Spencer not even waiting for Trina's permission, went to the peephole and threw his hands up in the air. "It's Cam. Do you want me to let him in? After all, Joss knows everything, so she could..." Spencer began.

"Spencer!" Trina shouted. "Let your friend inside."

"But baby, that's the point. If he's really my friend, he'll want Joss to leave and you..." Spencer tried once again before Trina shot him an icy glare that made it quite clear that he would not be getting his way.

"Fine!" Spencer huffed as he reluctantly opened the door and let Cam inside. And as Cam entered, Spencer exited.

"Spencer. Where are you going?" Trina shouted out after him.

In no time at all, he came back inside. "I just wanted to see if there was anybody else waiting to come and knock on your door who would need to be invited in," Spencer answered sarcastically. "Who knows? Maybe what's her name is on the way," he replied as he walked over to a chair and plopped down like a big baby.

"What's wrong? Joss left a message, but I was on a conference call," Cam shared, before Trina, with no help at all from Spencer, filled him in on everything they'd shared with Joss.

"But you guys are, ok?" a concerned Cam asked.

"Yes, buddy. We are fine and we really do appreciate your concern," Spencer replied as he got up and walked towards the front door.

And despite reprimanding him earlier for his poor manners, Trina was glad to see him implementing an exit plan for their friends.

"Yes, it means a lot," Trina replied, as she joined her boyfriend at the door.

Joss and Cam looked at each other and grinned, as they made their way to the door.

"We'll talk... later," they said before leaving.

"Yes, we will... much, much later," Spencer replied, as Trina giggled.

And as he shut and bolted the door, Spencer turned to Trina and picked her up into his arms. "Now, where were we?" he asked, as he carried her back to her bedroom... where they would continue to enjoy their day off.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Fancy Seeing You Here"

"Mm. This day off is going to spoil me into thinking that every day can be like this," Trina said as she came out of another kiss with Spencer.

"Well, that might not be possible, but this day isn't over. So, let's just get back to doing what made this day so very special... until we have to prepare to go back to the real world tomorrow," Spencer replied gently, as he caressed Trina's face.

Trina smiled and closed her eyes delighting in Spencer's touch once more. "That sounds nice. Besides, even though every day can't and won't be like this, today has brought us as close as we can be. And I think that that will allow us to put work first when we're at work and to put us first... everyplace else," she said softly, as she pulled him closer so that they could make love once more.

And while Spencer and Trina were continuing to delight in a passion-filled day together, they had no idea of all the things happening around them that day and evening that would have huge impacts on them in the coming days.

*****

Detective Dante Falconeri sat at his table at Bobbie's in apparent deep thought. In his hand, his pen. A pen that he kept using to write the same thing over and over again, surrounded by question marks. "6 or 7? 7 or 6? 6 or 7? 7 or 6?"

Those two times, six and seven, seven and six, he couldn't get out of his mind. Those two very different times, six and seven, seven and six, had him puzzled. They had to mean something. But what? He didn't know. "Six, closer to six" was what she said. But he didn't hesitate when he said, "about seven pm". So, who to believe?

Dante was so caught up in trying to figure out who and what to believe that he didn't notice someone standing right behind him. And when his shoulders jumped after he heard someone say, "Hi, Detective!" Dante was greeted with laughter from none other than Josslyn Jacks.

Dante could only smirk and shake his head, while Joss continued laughing at his expense. When it appeared that her laughing was coming to an end, Dante was all set to return her "Hi".

"It's so nice of you, Joss, to make the decision to sneak up on me like that," Dante retorted as Joss took a seat at his table.

"Just testing out those detecting instincts of yours, Dante. And I've got to say, they seem to need just a bit more work," Joss joked.

"Thanks for the evaluation. I'll keep that in mind," Dante replied sarcastically.

"Please do. But seriously, what has gotten my favorite PCPD detective so consumed that you couldn't even finish your pie?" Joss asked.

When he didn't answer, Joss tried again and made sure to speak louder. "Dante, what's got all of your attention? Is it a case?" she asked.

Dante looked up suspiciously. "Perhaps, but you know that I can't discuss it with you," he replied.

"Hmm," Joss replied, as she nodded. And it was at that point, that Joss thought about something. "Wait a minute! Are you investigating whatever happened in that parking garage? Something to do with Quartermaine Industries?"

Dante's brow furrowed. "And just what do you know about that, Joss?" he asked, tempted to put on his detective cap for the moment.

"Well, at first I only knew the very little that I got from the local news," she began. "But after talking to Trina and Spencer, I..."

At the mention of those two names, names he had scribbled down in his notepad, Dante straightened up in his chair almost immediately.

"Dante, what is it?" a confused Joss asked, quite surprised by his reaction.

"Do you mean Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine?" Dante asked, remembering those two names from not so many hours ago.

"Uh. Yeah. Trina's my best friend and she works there. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned her before at some point when you've been around," Joss answered.

"Maybe... and Spencer Cassadine? You know him, too?" Dante asked.

"Not well. He's Trina's boyfriend, so that's how I know him. They work together at Quartermaine Industries. And that's why when I heard the report, I had to make sure that Trina was ok," Joss shared as she took a sip of water from the glass that the waitress had just brought over for her.

"So, how do you know them, Dante? Are they your primary suspects?" Joss laughed as she finished another sip.

Dante just looked at Joss, revealing nothing in his face or expressions. That lack of emotion helped to temper Joss's carefree laughter. And after a few moments, her demeanor turned more serious, as well.

"Look, Dante. I'm no detective and I'm not really that big a fan of true crime shows, but I do know one thing. There's no way that either Trina or Spencer could commit a crime. I don't know Spencer well, but if Trina trusts him, then I trust him. And he seems cool, if just a little bit arrogant. No, if you're brooding over one of them being a suspect, you might as well go back to Square One, Detective," Joss assured him.

"Well, I will definitely keep your testimonial in mind. Oh, and to make sure that I've done my due diligence as a detective, is there anything else that you'd like to add to a case that I may or may not be working on?" a cagey Dante asked, trying to see if he could get more out of Joss without her actually realizing that.

Without skipping a beat, Joss's eyes lit up. "Oh, write this name down in your little pad there," she said eagerly. "Esme... Esme Prince!"

"Esme Prince?" Dante asked, without letting on that she had been on his mind as Joss had come in. "Uh... tell me more. Starting with, who is she?"

And that's when Joss gave Dante a run-down on all things Esme Prince, from facts to opinions. She told him that Esme worked with Trina and Spencer at Quartermaine Industries and was pretty close with Trina-facts. She then went on to tell Dante about the night she met her. "Territorial" as far as Trina was concerned, "self-righteous" as far as Joss remarking on Spencer's looks, and "something's just a bit off" as far as the whole fainting and ride home afterwards. Those were the opinions formed and shared by Joss that, without telling her so, piqued Dante's interest as he thought back to his questioning of her hours earlier.

"Hmph. So, tell me what you really think, Joss," Dante chuckled after her completed expose on Esme Prince.

Joss grinned. "I'm telling you, Dante. There's something off about her. Now, whether or not she committed a crime, your crime... I don't know. But I do know that if I were you, I'd keep my eye on..." Joss stopped when a new customer walked into Bobbie's. And that new customer was none other than... Esme Prince.

"Joss, cat got your tongue?" Dante asked, as he did not see Esme's entrance.

When Esme came inside Bobbie's and saw the young woman she disliked at first sight sitting with the detective who had questioned her hours earlier in a homicide investigation, her first thought was: "Why are those two together?" followed by "Could they be talking about me?" Her next thought, one she knew she couldn't act on, was to immediately turn around and leave. "That b**** already saw me. So, I've got to go in," Esme thought to herself as she took a breath and proceeded further on inside.

"Esme! It's nice to see you again. How are you?" Joss asked enthusiastically.

"Hi, Joss. Same here. I'm fine, as are you; I hope," Esme replied with her frozen smile in full activation mode, as she neared the table.

"I am. And let me introduce..." Joss began before Esme interrupted.

"Detective Falconeri, we meet again," Esme replied as she smiled in Dante's direction.

Caught completely off-guard, Dante didn't quite know what to say. It was as if his stop at Bobbie's had brought him to a full one-eighty, in terms of thinking about his case.

"Miss Prince, indeed, we do," Dante replied, trying his best to not let on that he had just been learning more and more about her just before she walked in.

"So, you and Joss are... friends?" Esme asked casually.

"Yes. Family friends," Joss quickly offered. "And how exactly do you know Dante?"

Esme eyed Dante before responding. "As you may know, my partner, Kristina was killed last night and Detective Falconeri was on site this morning, looking into things," Esme began. "And, because anything else, I'm sure, would fall under some type of confidentiality code, I'll leave it at that, and wish the two of you a very good rest of your day and evening," Esme replied, as if giving off a warning shot and reminder.

Once Esme walked away, Joss gave Dante quite the glaring side-eye. "So, I guess I can say that I've been played... No make that well-played, Detective," Joss said sarcastically.

Dante, still maintaining reactionless expressions, just looked at Joss. Although, as if giving her a signal to say no more, he shook his head slightly and clenched his jaw. Fortunately, it appeared as though Joss understood and said no more, opting for more water.

After just a few moments, Esme was headed out with her order. Dante looked at Joss as if he needed an all-clear signal to let him know that Esme was gone. It didn't take long for Joss to give him a slight nod which suggested that the proverbial coast was clear.

"Well?" Joss asked, as she looked at accusingly at Dante.

"Well, what, Joss?" a still cagey Dante countered.

"So, that's how you're going to play it, Detective? You let me go on and on about Trina, Spencer, and that one when you knew full well that you'd questioned her and that that case was indeed yours!" Joss exclaimed.

"Joss, as far as I'm concerned, you were just telling me about some friends of yours and I provided a listening ear. Anything that you want to read into that is absolutely all on you. And with that, I've got to get back to work. See you, soon," Dante replied with a slight grin before heading out the door.

Joss, still at a loss as to what had just happened, realized that she really wasn't even supposed to be in there. After she and Cam left Trina's, they had gone and grabbed a quick bite. Afterwards, she went home for some time and made plans to go for a run, which she was in the middle of when she spotted Dante.

"Well, I guess I better finish what I started," she thought to herself as she finished her water and got up to leave. Even though she had a ways to go and it would probably be getting dark by the time she finished, Joss was determined to complete her run.

After a while, her run took her to one of the most isolated parts of her trail-isolated in terms of foot traffic but not trees and wooded areas. And it was that isolation, along with her AirPods in that kept Joss from hearing the slight footstep sounds behind her. And it was her having run that trail numerous times before that allowed her to feel safe enough to stop for a breather, despite the onset of darkness approaching. And it was a mix of that isolation, those AirPods, and Joss's false sense of security that allowed her to be struck from behind. And as Joss fell to the ground from that blow to the head, she had no idea that the perpetrator was all set to deliver yet another, potentially more damaging, blow. That was until she heard someone behind her.

"Oh, believe me E., you don't want to do that," a calm, yet forceful voice called out.

Recognizing the voice, Esme turned immediately and said, "What the hell are you doing here...?"

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"I Know What You Did Last... Night"

"Could this day... now almost night, have been any more perfect?" a deliriously happy Trina asked, as she snuggled up closer in Spencer's arms.

At first, Spencer didn't respond. He was still so amazed and grateful that he had found a way to begin again with Trina after those first few rocky days. Days he thought would never allow him to be there with her experiencing and sharing what they had the whole day. "If there's anything that could have, I'm sure I don't know how, Trina Robinson," an equally happy Spencer replied.

Trina chuckled. "Today was literally the best day I've had in... ever!" Trina continued to gush, sounding almost as if she was a schoolgirl, as she placed a kiss on Spencer's hand.

Spencer returned a kiss to the top of her head. "Me, too. And I really can't believe it! If someone had asked me just six months ago if I thought I'd be here... with you, I would have told them that they were crazy. My work comes first, next, and last. My work is all I need to be satisfied. Those were my mantras, and only a sprinkling of what I would have said," Spencer began, as a telling grin came over his face before he continued. "But then one day, I got a partner assignment... and you came into my life, Trina. And you made me see so much beyond what I had been focusing on. I could be ambitious and excel in my career. But I could also be more than that and have someone by my side... for it all. You became an invaluable and equal partner at work, forcing me to fall for that brilliant mind of yours. And then you did the unthinkable. You made me fall for the rest of you. And I really want to thank you for that, Trina Robinson."

Spencer didn't quite know what to think when Trina failed to respond to his words. Words that he couldn't believe that he had said but was oh so glad that he had. Yet, it didn't take long for him to figure out why. He could feel the wetness on his chest. Wetness that had come from the tears that Trina had shed in response to what Spencer had just shared with her. And all he could do was to hold her even closer.

After a few minutes of just being together in silence, Trina slowly sat up beside Spencer. Neither could contain the joy they felt in that moment. But they both also knew that time inside their day off bubble was about to end.

Trina sighed both a weary and a happy sigh. "It's back to the real-world tomorrow. And while I'm excited to see what's next for our project, I am a little concerned," she replied.

"About?" Spencer asked as his fingers ran gently across her shoulder.

"Esme... and something she said," Trina replied.

Upon hearing that, Spencer immediately began scowling. "Trina, do you really want to bring what's her name into bed with us? You must really be ready for me to go home," Spencer said as he began to get out of bed. "Baby, if you really want to talk about her, let's go out first. I won't have what we've shared in here today tainted with talk of... your friend." Deep down, Trina felt the same way. That bed, that room, that space... all of that was much too special now. All of it was for her and Spencer alone.

So, after separate stops in the bathroom, they both got dressed and headed for the living room where they could talk. "Ok, tell me. What did she say that's got you concerned?" Spencer asked.

"She said six," Trina replied somewhat cryptically.

"Six. Six what?" a clueless Spencer asked, with no retort to follow.

"She said that she left around six that night... the night Kristina was killed."

Spencer's brow furrowed. "Six? In what universe or time zone? If she left at six, then she must have come back just to leave again at seven because that's exactly when I saw her. Not only did I see her at seven, after we'd said good night, but I saw her having a gabfest with no one but herself!" he exclaimed.

Trina nodded her head. "I know. So, why would she say that?"

"You mean, why would she lie?"

"Yes, lie. I mean, do you think... that... that she could have seen... or done something?"

Spencer sighed heavily. "Trina, I can't say for sure. But that was not normal behavior that I saw last night."

"And even though I told you earlier that that behavior made me wonder, I'm wondering even more now that I know that she..."

"Lied, Trina. She lied! And if she lied about the time, I have to question what else she might be lying about."

*****

"...Kai?" an angry and seemingly annoyed, rather than scared, Esme asked the young man behind her.

"Hmph. Trying to keep you from making yet another mistake, E.," the young man answered.

"Oh, believe me. Getting rid of her would be no mistake. She's got a big mouth and she's nosy. She's just the type of person I don't need around," Esme hissed.

The young man shook his head. "So, killing her is your best and brightest idea, E.?" he asked, with quite the familiarity of a friend... or someone even closer.

Esme looked at the young man who she had called Kai icily before responding. "Dammit, Kai! My name is Esme, not E.! And..." she paused all of a sudden. "What do you mean... another mistake?"

Kai gave Esme a cryptic grin and nodded his head slowly. "Alright, Esme. Let's just say, to borrow a phrase, I know what you did, maybe not last summer, but last night," he replied bluntly.

Upon hearing his words, Esme's face began to turn pale before she attempted to talk it away.

"Kai, I don't..." she began.

Kai quickly put his hand up to signal her to stop before she tried going any further. "Save the lie or lies, E.," he said, emphasizing the E and letting her know that she held no power in the situation anymore. "I saw what I saw, and I know what I know. Now, let's take care of this and get out of here."

Esme, feeling cornered, could only listen and comply as Kai laid out instructions.

"You gave her a pretty good whack, so she'll be out for a while. Hopefully, someone will stumble upon her soon, but not too soon. We've got to go first," he said, as he reached his hand out for Esme's latest weapon of choice. "May I?"

Having no choice, she handed over the unusually large rock that she had secured to take care of her latest problem.

And as she and Kai began to walk back, he looked around and threw the rock as far as he could away from the trail on which Joss now laid.

"Why...?" Esme started, until Kai quickly stopped her.

"Not another word. You will walk us to your car with no more words. Any and everything we say can be said there or, if I decide differently, your place. Now, go!" Kai demanded, as Esme begrudgingly obliged. As they walked, they tried their best to avoid the few others they saw. And if they came across anyone, they would begin to either powerwalk or jog, so as not to stand out. By the time they reached Esme's car, they had no idea that someone had already come across Joss's body.

As they got in and drove off, Kai let Esme know that they could talk once they reached her apartment. That only made her fume more intensely inside as she drove, but she knew that she couldn't do a thing about it... for now. So, she just... drove.

When they arrived at her apartment and went inside, Esme let go of any trepidation that she was feeling. She turned to Kai, with eyes like daggers. "Now, could you please tell me exactly what you THINK I did last night... other than went home, ate, showered, and went to bed?" Esme asked.

Rather than answering, Kai looked around the room they were in and then chose a place to sit. When he decided on a spot on the sofa, he sat and put his feet on the table there in front of him-although with his longer than long legs, he did strike somewhat of an unusual pose. Then, having made himself quite comfortable, he patted the spot beside him and looked at Esme. Again, realizing she held no power at the moment, Esme walked over and sat down, avoiding touching her most unwelcome guest. She turned to look at him and asked, "Well, what did I supposedly do last night?" She was hoping against hope that he had been bluffing, but she found out quickly... that he had not and was not.

"So, to summarize, I was in the parking garage waiting for you. It took a lot longer that I had expected, but I waited. And I saw a guy and a young woman saying good night, I guess," Kai shared, as Esme fumed knowing that that had to have been Spencer and Trina. "She left, he went back inside, and at about the same time, you came out. And you were doing that talking thing you do whenever you're upset or plotting something... or both. That's when I decided to keep my presence to myself. I mean, why spoil whatever little mission you must have been on?" Kai continued as Esme rolled her eyes. Ignoring that, he went on. "You went to your car, got something, and then you did the strangest thing. You went to another car entirely... and got in. But the funny thing is or maybe funny isn't the right word, is it, E.?" Kai antagonized, just to be met with additional eye rolling. "Whatever the word, you didn't get in the driver's seat. No, you got behind that seat... and waited for the woman who actually owned the car. And I guess the fact that minutes later you got out, but she never did... that is until I suspect the coroner came, would be more than enough to for the police to deduce that you had more than just a small part in ending that young woman's life," Kai replied, as he yawned and took a big stretch. "Now E., did I answer your question?"

*****

Trina looked at Spencer, quite unnerved. "Spencer, you don't think that she could have..." Trina stopped herself from saying the words, too horrified to think it.

"Had something to do with our co-worker being killed? I wish I could say that I don't think that she could... but why lie? Lies are told to keep the truth out of the way. So, there must be some truth that your friend doesn't want the good detective to know. And since the only truth he's interested in is who committed a homicide, I can't think of anything except her being involved in what happened last night," Spencer replied somberly.

Trina looked at Spencer as if she had remembered or realized something else.

"Trina, what is it?" Spencer asked, taking hold of her hands.

"Why would Detective Falconeri not call you back in after Esme's questioning when she gave contradictory information regarding an answer of yours- seven being the time you left?" Trina asked, her face beginning to show her worry. "Clearly he knew that one of you had to have given the wrong time. So, why not check into it again? Not unless..."

"Not unless what, Trina?" Spencer asked more anxiously than Trina had ever heard him speak before.

Trina nervously bit her lip. "Not unless he's already decided who he thinks is lying. I mean he didn't question me, and I could have easily corroborated the time that you told him. Because that's basically why I thought he didn't... but maybe... But maybe he thought anything I said might have been just to support you and that even though I said seven that might..." Trina's words started becoming scrambled the more she went on.

"Trina, take it easy. Calm down. What are you saying?" Spencer asked soothingly.

"Spencer. I'm saying what if he believed Esme. What if he's trying to connect you and that seven o'clock time to Kristina's murder? What if...?" Trina asked until her last question was cut off by her phone's ringtone. She and Spencer both looked at each other and then the phone, not sure what to do- Trina's questioning had rattled both of their nerves.

"Answer it," Spencer advised, as Trina did just that.

"Hello. Ms. Spencer? It's Joss's mom," Trina mouthed to Spencer. "She what? Where is she now?" Trina asked frantically. "Ok. I... I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Trina, what is it?" Spencer asked, as Trina grabbed her keys.

"It's Joss. She's in the hospital. Please take me to see her. She's hurt!" Trina replied, as Spencer nodded and took her hand, leading her towards the door.

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"Night Moves"

"Good afternoon, Ms. Davis. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," Dante said as Alexis opened the door for him to come inside her home office.

Alexis, who had obviously been crying, wanted to talk to Dante in private, away from her visiting family and friends who were in the living room gathered together.

"Now please, sit," Alexis said as she gestured towards a chair. "So, Detective. Do you have news about my daughter's case?"

Dante leaned forward in his chair to address Alexis. "As a matter of fact, I do. That's why I'm here. I wanted to deliver the news to you personally," Dante replied, getting straight to the point.

Alexis put her hand over her mouth, as she gasped. "I... I didn't expect anything so soon, Detective. Do you have a substantial lead?" she asked, trying not to get her hopes up too high.

"Ms. Davis, it's more than a lead," Dante began. "You see, we've made an arrest. And the suspect we have in custody is almost assuredly the person who murdered your daughter. Everything we have points to this person. There's just one small detail to verify and that's when the case will be exactly like we like them... airtight."

Alexis just sat for a moment, alternating between disbelief and relief, saying nothing. And after a few moments, she only had one thing to say. "Detective Falconeri, who killed my daughter?"

"The suspect is a co-worker of Kristina's, Ms. Davis," Dante replied.

Upon hearing that, Alexis did not seem shocked at all. After leaving the police station yesterday, Alexis had hoped that letting the police know about Esme and what Kristina had been planning to do would be helpful in figuring out who killed her daughter. And with a suspect already taken in, she assumed at that moment that it had been.

"A co-worker. Of course, Esme Prince," Alexis responded wearily.

"Esme Prince? Your daughter's partner?" a puzzled-looking Dante asked.

Alexis nodded.

"No, Ms. Davis. Esme Prince is not our suspect. The person being charged with your daughter's murder is... Spencer Cassadine."

ABOUT FIFTEEN HOURS EARLIER

"Ms. Spencer, how is she?" a breathless Trina asked when she and Spencer arrived at the hospital after getting the call about Joss.

"Trina," Carly said as she gave Trina a hug. "I'm so glad that you're here! The doctors are with her now, so hopefully there will be an update soon. All I know is that a jogger saw her on the ground on one of those trails that she used to run almost every day. I... I guess she was getting back into running." Carly's voice went silent for a moment.

Trina, needing to know what happened to her friend, gently pressed for more information.

"So, did she trip and fall?" Trina asked, hoping to get Carly talking again.

"Fall? What? No, Trina. She didn't trip and fall. It wasn't an accident. Joss was hit on the head with something and whoever did it just left her there and walked away," a tearful Carly replied, as Trina hugged her once more to offer whatever comfort she could.

Spencer could only stand nearby and watch. He would be there when Trina needed him, but for now he knew that Trina needed to be there for her friend.

"Ms. Spencer, I'd like to talk to you about your daughter's condition, if you'd please come with me," the doctor on call said as he emerged from the area where he had been working on Joss.

"Of course," Carly replied, as she squeezed Trina's hand before leaving.

Trina immediately turned to Spencer, who was all set to take her in his arms and embrace her. "Spencer, Joss is my best friend. I can't stand to think that someone would want to hurt her... on purpose. Who could be so cruel and heartless?" a disheartened Trina wept.

*****

"Cat got your tongue, E.? Did I answer your question thoroughly enough or do I need to describe exactly what you were wearing when you exited that woman's car at approximately 7:15-7:30 pm Eastern Standard Time?" a quite pleased with himself Kai asked.

And when Esme failed to come up with an answer or a reply, a smug Kai got up from the sofa and went to Esme's kitchen. "So, what do you have to drink around here?" he asked. Not waiting for an answer, Kai opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water and returned to the sofa.

"Well?" he asked as he looked at a defeated Esme.

Esme didn't say a word. She gave Kai the most scornful look, accompanied by the hardest slap she could deliver across his face.

"Hmph," Kai replied, as he rubbed his face. "I guess I have my answer."

And just as Esme was about to deliver another slap, Kai grabbed her wrist tightly. It was his turn to give the scornful look, accompanied by some choice words. "That first one, E., was free. Your secret isn't a secret anymore. But that first one was also your last one," he hissed, as he jerkily released her wrist. "Remember that!"

Esme got up, rubbing her wrist. "So, what do you want, Kai? I don't have any money, and I don't have a way to get any money because no one I know has any money. So, I ask again. What do you want, Kai?" Esme asked.

"I want you to come with me and start our lives all over again... together. Enough time has passed for any and all suspicion to have faded. When you left, I made sure that nothing could point to you even though some were resistant to that idea. And because of that, you can come home again, E." Kai replied as he got up from the sofa and moved towards her.

He gently took her hand and began to rub her wrist softly and gently, while keeping his eyes focused on her. Receiving no resistance, Kai took her wrist and placed kisses on it, as Esme let out a slight moan. She hated that he had always had a way to tear down any walls she put up.

"You know that no one will ever have your back like me. So, what's your answer, E.?" Kai asked softly, as Esme reached for his neck to pull him down for a kiss, which he readily accepted. When she released him, she knew that he wanted more. And because she knew that she would need him because of what he knew, she took his hand and led him to her bedroom.

*****

"So, what did the doctor say?" Trina asked anxiously once Carly returned to the waiting area.

Spencer stayed close as Trina held on to his hand.

"Oh, Ms. Spencer, this is Spencer Cassadine, he's my..." Trina started, realizing that she hadn't introduced him.

"Boyfriend. I know," Carly smiled weakly. "Joss told me. "Hi, Spencer, it's nice to meet you."

"Hi, Ms. Spencer. Likewise, and I'm sorry about Joss," he replied.

"Thank you. She's doing ok. She's got a big bump on her head, and she might have a concussion, but they won't know until she wakes up," Carly replied. Seeing the panic on Trina's face, Carly took her other hand. "And Trina, the doctor firmly believes that she will wake up... at some point, with all her faculties. We just have to wait."

"Wait for what?" a familiar sounding voice asked upon entering the waiting room.

And when Trina and Spencer turned around, they were both completely surprised to see Detective Dante Falconeri coming in and embracing Carly.

*****

As Kai and Esme lay in bed together after getting reacquainted, Esme needed to know how Kai could help her.

"You know that I can't just leave town now, right? It would look too suspicious, and it might cause some concern. So..." Esme began as she kissed Kai's bare shoulder, "How do you think you can help me?"

"When the time comes, you'll know, and I'll be all set to show you. But until then, let's get reacquainted just a little more, as he rolled over to face her. She pulled him in for a hungry kiss, as she positioned herself on top of him to continue ... getting reacquainted.

*****

"I trust Chase to leave no stone unturned, literally," Dante told Carly after she filled him in on what she knew about Joss's condition.

"I'm just so glad that you heard about it on the police scanner. But how did you know that it was Joss? They didn't report her name, did they?" a curious Carly asked.

"Uh, no they didn't," Dante replied, as he thought back to seeing Joss not long ago, fresh from or in the middle of a run. "I had just seen Joss at Bobbie's and the timing seemed right. So, it was a lucky hunch."

"Oh, Dante. This is..." Carly started, all set to make introductions.

"Carly, I met Miss Robinson and Mr. Cassadine this morning," Dante replied, as he nodded in their direction.

"Alright. Well, I'm going to go and see if I can find out when Joss will be moved to a room," Carly said as she walked out of the waiting room.

"Twice in one day," Dante remarked. "What are the odds?"

"Detective Falconeri, we're here because my best friend is hurt. Nothing more. But," Trina began as she looked at Spencer. "There is something we wanted to let you know. That is, if you have the time."

"Is it about the Kristina Davis case?"

"It is."

"I'm listening."

And once Spencer and Trina reminded Dante of who and what he had seen and at what time, Trina revealed what Esme told her, which of course she assumed Esme had told Dante.

"So, her saying that she left at six is an absolute lie," Trina reiterated, as soon as she and Spencer finished sharing what they felt Dante needed to know.

Dante had listened and when they finished, he nodded. "I will definitely keep what you said in mind," he replied.

"Thank you, Detective. And while it's hard for me to fathom that Esme had anything to do with what happened to Kristina, I... we just needed to make sure that you knew that of the two people you questioned today, one was absolutely lying," Trina responded, as she and Spencer exchanged warm smiles.

"Well, thank you. I want to follow any and all leads. And on that note, could you let Carly know that I had to leave and that I'll be in touch?" Dante asked, as he prepared to leave.

"Of course," they replied.

"Well... what do you think?" Trina asked.

"We shall see. We shall see," Spencer sighed.

*****

As a scowling Esme looked over at a sleeping Kai, she was startled by a knock at her door.

"Oh great! Another unwanted visitor," she grumbled as she went to the door. When she looked through the peephole, she saw a badge.

"Miss Prince. It's Detective Falconeri. I'm sorry for the late hour, but I need to ask you a quick follow-up question from this morning," said the voice from the other side of her door.

Esme wasn't quite so sure how to respond. He knew that she was in there, so opening the door was the only option. Yet after that, she had no idea.

"Yes, Detective. Won't you come in," Esme offered as she gestured for Dante to come in.

"Thank you, Miss Prince. And I do promise not to take up too much of your time," Dante said, as Esme nodded.

"I needed to check on the time you gave me this morning," Dante started as he looked back in his notepad. "Let's see... you said that the last time that you saw Miss Davis was at about six. And that that was the time you left work. Is that right?"

Esme gulped, but didn't hesitate. "Yes... six," she replied, as she waited for... something more from Dante.

"Now, you see. That's the issue. Someone reportedly saw you in the parking garage closer to seven, Miss Prince. And the person is rather insistent about that time. So, is there any way that you can explain that?" Dante asked as he closed his notepad.

Esme, unsure of what to say, stood silent for just a moment. And when it looked like Dante would have a reason to believe Spencer and Trina's thinking, the silence was broken... but not by Esme.

"Of course she can, but if for some reason you can't take her word for it, I can," said a voice coming into the living room.

Dante's brow furrowed, when a tall and slender man joined Esme at her side.

"And you are?" Dante asked.

"I'm Kai Taylor, a very close friend of Esme's. And I know for a fact that she was nowhere near any parking garage yesterday at seven... because she was right here... in bed with me."

Chapter Text

This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

"What a Difference a Day Makes"

"Detective Falconeri, we weren't expecting you again today. Do you need the conference room for more interviews and questioning?" Ned asked as Dante, along with two other officers came through the doors. Everyone in the department was gathered there, per Ned's request. He had wanted to touch base and make sure that everyone was ok. Ned was somewhat surprised to see Esme come in, thinking that she might need to take more time off. But he didn't say anything. Spencer and Trina, despite a late-night at the hospital, were there all set to see what work challenge they'd be given that day.

"No, Mr. Ashton, and I do apologize for not giving you a heads-up," Dante replied.

"Heads-up about what?" Ned asked, as Spencer and Trina exchanged glances, while Esme grew flushed.

Dante cleared his throat before making his announcement. "We're here on official business, Mr. Ashton, regarding the murder of Kristina Davis."

"Well of course, if you need..." Ned began.

"That won't be necessary," Dante said as he walked past Ned, along with the two officers. All eyes stayed on Dante as he walked, until he stopped... right in front of Spencer.

"Mr. Cassadine, I need you to stand up," Dante directed.

Spencer's brow furrowed, as Trina shouted out, "Why? What's going on? What do you want from him?"

"Miss Robinson, I need you to let us conduct the business that we're here for," Dante responded as he nodded to one of the officers.

And as that officer began to take out his handcuffs there in front of him, Spencer stood up in complete disbelief. The officer then took Spencer's wrists and began to place the handcuffs on them, as both Trina and... Esme looked on horrified.

"Spencer Cassadine, you are under arrest for the murder of Kristina Davis. You have the right to remain silent. Anything..." Dante began as he and the officers led a completely shocked and uncharacteristically speechless Spencer away.

Trina's eyes followed Spencer's until he was out of sight. And just as soon as he was, Trina went straight to an equally shocked Ned.

"Mr. Ashton, I have to... I need..." a distraught Trina tried to say.

An understanding and equally concerned Ned nodded and put his hands near Trina's shoulders. "Trina, of course. Go and be with him. I'm sure that this has to be a misunderstanding," Ned replied as Trina exhaled. "And Trina, please let me know if there's anyway, I can help."

"Thank you, Mr. Ashton," a grateful Trina replied, as she went to gather her things before leaving. As she headed out, a quick but somewhat tense, glance was exchanged between her and a visibly stunned Esme.

As Ned tried to restore order among his remaining employees, Esme began to approach him.

"Mr. Ashton. If it's ok with you, I think I want to go back home. You were right yesterday. I need another day. It's too soon, and now with what just happened... with Spencer, it's just making me think too much about," Esme sniffed, "Kristina."

"Of course, Esme. Take the time you need," Ned said as he tried to take in everything that had just happened.

Esme, meanwhile, gathered her things and rushed to her car. "That's not what was supposed to happen! That's not what was supposed to happen!" she shouted out once she got inside her car. Once she started the car and began heading home, her mind began racing. "This can't be happening! My poor Spence handcuffed and taken away!" she exclaimed. "Why is this happening? Why...?" and at that moment, while stopped at a light, Esme began to breathe heavily, as a menacing look came across her face. "Kai... this is all his fault!"

*****

"May I help you, Miss?" an officer at the front desk of the PCPD asked Trina as she rushed in.

"Yes. I need to find out information about Spencer Cassadine. He was just wrongly arrested at Quartermaine Industries," Trina replied anxiously.

The officer looked up and replied sarcastically, under his breath-or, so he thought, "That's what they all say."

Trina, who had spent the whole way over thinking about Spencer's face as he was led away and about the Spencer she had grown to care about more and more, was not in the mood for any snide remarks. And him being an officer made no difference and would not save him from the perfectly worded read that Trina Robinson was about to give him.

"Excuse me... Officer Heller, is it?" Trina asked, reading his badge. "I didn't quite catch what you said."

"Oh, it was nothing. I..." the obvious novice officer began.

"Really? Nothing? Because it sounded, to me, as if you, someone bound to uphold the law, seemed to be ignoring a key tenet of said law. I'm sure that you're familiar with it seeing as though it looks like you just graduated from the academy, oh I don't know, maybe four or five weeks ago. You know the one that says innocent until proven guilty. But if you say it was nothing, Officer Heller, I'll take you at your word and try my request one more time," Trina replied not taking a breath. "Now, I need to find out information about Spencer Cassadine... thank you!"

A visibly flustered Officer Heller stood with his mouth open until he knew that Trina was quite finished. And once he was completely sure that she was, he cleared his throat, nodded, and typed something into his laptop, which allowed him to provide Trina with a much better and more specific response than what he first gave.

"Spencer Cassadine is being held in Interrogation Room Three at the moment, Miss," Officer Heller replied cordially, fearing another verbal dressing down by the petite young woman standing before him.

"And is he being questioned... in Interrogation Room Three now... without that counsel mentioned in those rights that were read to him in front of his co-workers and boss?" Trina asked bluntly, yet oh so politely.

Starting to feel little beads of sweat forming on his forehead, Officer Heller excused himself with the promise of returning with an answer and "perhaps someone more familiar with the case". And while he was gone, Trina took a seat and continued to think about Spencer and all the time that they still had to share. "Don't worry, Spencer. This will not be a part of our story," Trina thought as she continued to sit... and wait.

*****

That thought, of Kai being the reason for Spencer being arrested, served as fuel for Esme to get to her apartment faster than she ever had. When she got inside, the object of her ire was sitting casually on the living room sofa... seemingly without a care in the world. However, when he heard the door slam, he was slightly startled.

Yet, he quickly recovered when he looked at his watch after seeing the ominous glare on Esme's face. "Back before the workday is over, E.? Whatever is the matter?" Kai asked mockingly.

"You, Kai! You're what's the matter!" Esme raged as she just stood in place and fumed.

The young man let out a deep sigh. For this, standing before him, was the Esme... the E. he knew and remembered. This was the Esme who always acted before she thought. This was the Esme who always got in her own way... and had to have someone come in and save the day. So, Kai was all set to brace himself for whatever she had put in motion... this time.

"Ok, E., I'll play. I'm the matter because...?" Kai asked from the sofa.

Ignoring him, Esme just walked closer, shaking her head. "I never should have trusted you to take care of things! Never!" she exclaimed.

"By things," Kai replied, as he rose from the sofa, "You mean the fact that I kept your secret, gave you an alibi, and... oh, wait a minute, kept you from being arrested last night. Those things, E.?"

As he was speaking, Kai had gotten closer and closer to Esme. But when he finished by posing that question, he threw his hands up in disgust and walked away.

"Those things, Kai, were supposed to get me off. They weren't, however, supposed to get Spencer arrested!" Esme shouted, as she took a seat on the sofa. "Now, how am I going to get him out of this mess?" she thought to herself.

A getting close to being over all things Esme, Kai looked at her with the most puzzled look on his face. "Who the hell is Spencer?" he asked in disgust.

"Uh..." Esme began, realizing that she didn't want to give too much away about him. "He's a co-worker of mine at Quartermaine Industries. That Detective Falcon and two of PCPD's less than finest arrested him for Kristina's murder right before I left." She then looked at Kai, in as casual a way as possible to gauge his reaction. "And of course... I know that he didn't do it... that's all."

Kai's poker face was not betraying him at all. Esme had absolutely no idea what he was thinking... and that was killing her inside. So, she just had to wait and see if he would believe her... that she just felt bad for a falsely accused co-worker.

"And," Kai started as he walked back to the sofa. "Why, if it gets you off, does it have you so worked up, E.? I mean, if not you, it was going to have to be someone. So, why not this Spence guy?"

Hearing someone other than herself refer to Spencer as Spence infuriated Esme... inside, but on the outside, she knew that a cool and calm demeanor and response was needed.

"I... I just don't think they'll be able to make it stick, that's all. Spencer's one of the top associates there. He's on track to becoming a V-P one day. And he's one of the most business savvy individuals I've..." Esme replied, stopping only when she noticed the expression on Kai's face as he was looking at her.

"Oh please, do go on, E. I'm enjoying hearing all about your latest... crush," Kai responded with just enough disdain in his voice to let Esme know how he was really feeling.

*****

After a little while, Officer Heller returned... complete with back-up, Dante.

"Miss Robinson, my officer said that you were wanting some information about Mr. Cassadine. How can I help you?" Dante asked.

"Umm. Maybe you could start off by letting me know why you arrested him. Or you could let me know if you followed up with Esme last night and if she somehow concocted a strong enough lie on top of the one she had already told to convince you to arrest Spencer. So, yeah, Detective Falconeri, either one of those would be fine to start from," a quite determined Trina responded.

Dante exchanged a glance with young Officer Heller, who could only sigh and shake his head, as if telling Dante, "You see why I had to come and get you?"

"While I can't address any of that with you, Miss Robinson, due to this being an ongoing investigation, I can do something that you might appreciate," Dante replied.

As Spencer sat in the interrogation room, he couldn't help but be reminded of how much of a whirlwind the last forty-eight hours or so had been. And while sitting in a police station falsely accused of murder was absolutely the lowest point of that whirlwind, he was trying to stay comforted by the highs- all of which had one... person in common, Trina. With Trina, he had helped to execute a brilliant marketing project that had impressed his boss. With Trina, he had learned about humility and the importance of having someone like her in his life. And with Trina, he had made the kind of love that he had always thought others would get to make... but not him. Yet, just a day ago, he experienced lovemaking in its purest form. He and this beautiful woman made the kind of love that kept people together... forever. And as he sat, that's what he realized he wanted with Trina... forever.

He was so caught up in his thoughts focused on Trina that he almost didn't notice that he had company in Interrogation Room Three.

"Hi," she said, as she sat down in the chair opposite his.

"Hi," he replied, as he found a way to smile despite their surroundings. Because despite those surroundings, he had her there with him... now. And for a while, that's all that mattered.

Hoping that the officer in the room wouldn't notice or care, Spencer and Trina found a way for their fingers to meet. And while the touches were slight, both of them felt a strong sense of peace from those touches.

Despite the circumstances, their smiles were intact and on full display. Both feeling the need to mask any fear or anxiety they might be feeling in order to boost the spirit of the other.

"Hmph. What a difference a day makes, huh?" Spencer finally offered, breaking the silence.

"No truer words spoken, Cassadine," Trina replied playfully.

"Cassadine. What days those were," Spencer replied. "How far we've come."

Trina, beginning to see a crack in Spencer's facade of being ok, took a bolder step to comfort him. "And believe me Spencer, we've got a lot further to go... together," Trina said sweetly, as she held his hand in hers.

Spencer's smile was now just a little weaker than before. "You saying it almost makes me believe it, Trina... almost."

"Don't do that, Spencer. We're going to get out of this. Mark my words."

"Trina, you don't..."

"Shh. Yes, I do, Spencer. I have to be here. I have to support you. And I have to figure out how to get you out of here and get the one who needs to be in here... in here."

*****

Esme rolled her eyes and scowled. "Crush? What are you talking about, Kai? Spence... I mean Spencer is a co-worker. Nothing more," she replied, as the tone of her voice grew higher by the second, as she turned her head away from him.

Kai let out quite a chuckle, which prompted Esme to quickly turn back around. And when he just... looked at her as if he could tell exactly what she was thinking, Esme could feel herself getting more and more annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Kai. But I guess I missed the punchline. What's so funny?" Esme asked curtly.

"Me, you, us. That's what's funny, E. Me for actually thinking that you would follow through with the promise you made to me about coming back with me and us being together. And you for falling for yet another out of your league guy who probably doesn't even know your name," Kai replied in disgust, as he shook his head.

"You really don't know what you're talking about Kai, and I don't have the time to explain it to you, either. All I know is that Spencer can't stay in jail... and I can't go, either. I told you that I'd go back with you and I will... as soon as we get Spencer out of jail," Esme replied as she leaned towards Kai and kissed him hungrily.

Quite taken by her kiss, Kai exhaled and looked at Esme, trying to determine if he should take yet another chance with her. And as he had done so in the past, Kai Taylor made his choice.

"So, you want me to figure out a way to get your... co-worker out of jail," he said, as he accepted another kiss from Esme, as she whispered, "Yes" in his ear before letting him go.

"Ok. But I need something from you first," Kai continued.

"Now?" Esme asked, seemingly annoyed.

"No, not that. At least not now," Kai replied.

"Well, what?" Esme asked anxiously, as she hated thinking about Spencer being in jail.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Look, E. I've already lied for you and given you an alibi for the other night... no questions asked. Basically, putting myself on the line. And now you want me to help you with another lie? A lie to help another guy, no less! So, I think that I've earned he right to know exactly why I'm doing all of this. I mean, did this Kristina have something going with "your" Spencer and you wanted to get rid of her?"

Esme was slow to respond once Kai finished explaining his request. She was not one who was easily fooled or manipulated, so she needed to know a little more before she would even think of "telling all" to Kai, even though he had never let her down before. So, she got up from the sofa and asked a simple question: "Umm. I don't remember this question coming up last night, Kai. So, I have to ask, why now?"

"Hmph," Kai replied, shaking his head. "If I'm not mistaken," he said as he reached for her hand to guide her back onto the sofa, "I do believe that you were so grateful after the detective left that we... picked up from where we had left off earlier. And as a result, discussing the details of why you murdered a co-worker wasn't really on my mind."

"Uh huh," Esme replied, as her eyes went from his eyes to his shirt, and back again to his eyes and then to his shirt... his buttons in particular. And without saying a word, she ripped off his shirt, as if expecting to see something... other than his chest.

"Calm down, E. I thought you said... Wait a minute. Did you think that... that I was wearing a wire? Really, E.? That's where we are now?" Kai asked, as if he was truly offended, as he got up from the sofa. Esme quickly got up and got him to return to the sofa beside her.

With a girlish pout, she looked at Kai and apologized. "I'm sorry, Kai. It's just that I'm really on edge right now. Forgive me?" she asked as she gave him one of her fakest smiles.

He nodded and said, "Of course. Now... tell me... why?"

Esme exhaled and began. "Fine. It had nothing to do with Spencer, who actually is dating my so-called best friend. It all started when Kristina decided that she was going to ruin by career... and that's when, as I got in that back seat and waited on her, I knew that I was going to do it. I was going to kill Kristina... and I did," an emotionless Esme detailed, with no sign of remorse in her suddenly cold blank eyes. And as if a switch had been pulled, Esme was just as she was before and all set to begin a new plot.

"So, now that you know, can we please figure out how you're going to help me get Spencer out of jail?"

And at that moment, there was a knock at the door.

Eager to hear how Kai was going to help her, Esme rushed to the door to open it, forgetting all about her peephole.

"Detective, what are you doing here?" Esme asked, wondering if it was news about the case.

"Well, I just heard that you wanted to figure out a way to get Spencer Cassadine out of jail. And I wanted to let you know that we, with the help of your own "alibi" over there, have found the perfect way, Miss Prince. And believe it or not, it's your very own words," he said as he held up a recording of her confession to Kai only minutes earlier.

A dumbstruck Esme turned around slowly to face a now standing Kai. "You miserable bastard! I should have tried to get rid of you last night on the trail, instead of..." she began with pure venom in her voice.

"Instead of what, E.? Letting me keep you from killing that blonde you'd already whacked on the head? At least I kept you from adding another homicide to your rap sheet!" an equally heated Kai replied. "Oh, and by the way Detective, when we get to the station, remind me to tell you all about the unsolved murder of one of our fellow citizens back home. You remember that case, don't you, E.?"

"You miserable...!" an enraged Esme shouted as she lunged for Kai, who just smirked as the accompanying officers stepped in and subdued her before she could attack her intended target.

"Cuff them both. And when you're reading Miss Prince her rights, make sure that she knows that the charges are for the murder of Kristina Davis... and the attempted murder of Josslyn Jacks."

*****

"So, that Spencer Cassadine that Detective Falconeri told me about... he wasn't the one who killed my daughter?" a puzzled Alexis asked Chase.

"No, Ms. Davis. He didn't. Detective Falconeri had to arrest Mr. Cassadine to put his plan in place to catch the real killer. And he couldn't risk any slip-ups, so informing you had to be a part of the plan... in case you made any more inquiries at the station like you did yesterday.

Alexis nodded. "As someone who has worked closely with law enforcement, I'm quite familiar with subterfuge as a tactic for catching the seemingly uncatchable," she replied wearily. "I just never imagined that it would be used... as a way to catch my own daughter's killer."

*****

"You know, even though we haven't figured anything out, it's been really nice of them just letting me stay with you this whole time," Trina said as she and Spencer continued waiting for the next steps in his arrest.

"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to sit in here, too. I'm going to ask what's taking so long," Spencer replied.

And just when he was all set to ask the officer about the delay, there was a knock at the door's window. When the officer went to open the door, the other officer said, "Detective Falconeri's on his way in. Bring him out."

"Alright, Mr. Cassadine, let's go."

"Where?"

"Detective Falconeri will explain when he gets here. So, let's go. You too, Miss."

Trina walked out first, followed by Spencer and the officer who just directed him to stand and wait.

And as they stood, it was Trina who noticed her "friend" coming in ahead of Dante... in handcuffs.

"Detective, what's going on?" Trina asked anxiously.

"Mr. Cassadine," Dante began, "You are free go, with our apologies."

Spencer's mouth dropped open. "I can... go and get on with my life?" he asked.

"Absolutely. We've got a confession and our murderer."

Trina frowned and looked at Esme. "Esme, why? Why would you do that?"

"I did what I had to do," Esme replied blankly, as the officers started to lead her to an interrogation room. "Oh, and while I'm gone, do take good care of Spence for me," Esme smirked, her delusion now full circle.

Trina turned to Spencer who took her in his arms. "I just don't know how I could have been so wrong about her, Spencer. I just..." she started again before Spencer released her just long enough to give her a kiss.

"Trina, forget about what's her name," Spencer replied sweetly. "Because I think we can still make it to the office for a couple of hours... at least," Spencer said excitedly.

Trina's brow furrowed. "You mean you still want to try and work today?" she asked.

"Sure. When Mr. Ashton sees how dedicated we are, he's bound to give us another day off," Spencer replied as he winked and took Trina's hand.

"Like I've said before Cassadine I love the way your brain works. Now, give me another kiss."