The Place Earth

The year 2200

"Emily I'm going to die!" Lucky Spencer said frantically as he looked at his girlfriend with wild eyes. They were in the apartment over his father's club and were supposed to be alone for the evening but everything was falling apart.

"You’re not going to die Lucky, I’m going to get out of here before your dad catches us, and we’ll meet at my brother’s place." It had been stupid for them to think that they could spend the evening anywhere near his family and not get caught, but they had been willing to take the chance just to be together. "You know Jason will make sure no one finds us. Now help me out of the window, or else we will get caught. I want to be able to see you before we’re both 80."

"It's not safe to be on the streets this late is it?" Lucky worried as he dug through his father's things quickly. "I think dad keeps an extra laser gun here. Are we talking the hovercar or do you have your fancy jet pack in your bag today?" Lucky let out a long breath. He and Emily had been in love for two years now, and the sneaking around they'd had to do had become as tedious as it was legendary. "I wish our families would give up their battles Em. It's driving me crazy"

"I’m not taking a laser gun, I’d stun myself fumbling to use it before I’d fend off some would be crook. I’ve got the jetpack, which will put me there in a matter of minutes once I’m out of here. Which needs to be in the next 3 seconds if we’re going to pull this off." Emily leaned in and kissed Lucky one last time before starting to push herself out the window. "I do too, but just think of the stories we’ll have to tell our little brood of bootleggers as they’re growing up. They can only keep us apart in their little closed off worlds Lucky. You and I, we’re always going to find a way to be together. We don’t have that much longer before we can tell them all to jump off the nearest galaxy and do our own thing."

"Hey." Lucky grabbed Emily's wrist as she started to float away. "Be careful ok? I love you. I'll get rid of whoever's at the door and hotwire something to get over to Jason's. If I'm not there in an hour start worrying ok?" Lucky leaned in and kissed Emily deeply before letting her writs go. "Be careful. That means no in air acrobatics. Taggert caught you last time and gave you a ticket didn't he?"

"I love you too." That they could say that freely, without having to worry about the consequences of being caught was an amazing rush. "He did, and I got out of it. That was before Jase souped up my pack. He can’t even keep up with me now. Almost better then transporting, but much more fun." The look on Lucky’s face was enough to make her laugh, "Oh come on Spencer, you’re the one who turned me into a dare devil. Before I met you, I was just a mousy bookworm." She blew him an air kiss and jetted off, knowing that it would be less then an hour before she started to worry.

"You're crazy." Lucky said in a low voice as he watched Em depart. "But you're mine." He shook his head as he moved to the door, flicking the holovision off and brightening the lights. When he opened the door he started to worry. "Lieutennant Taggert what can I do for you?" Taggert had been a thorn in Lucky's side for many years, starting when he had left home after a large-scale quarrel with his family. Taggert had brought him into the police compound many times in those three weeks and while the men respected one another, they were conscious of their very different status in life.

"Spencer, mind if I come in?" Marcus Taggert said pushing his way in, flashing a warrant after he crossed into the apartment. "I think that we can both save ourselves a lot of trouble if you turn the young lady in question over, and let me take her home to her parents. She is here isn’t she?" He asked, picking up two crystal glasses from the table. "You are harboring a runaway minor right? I’m not at the wrong Spencer house am I?" He asked cockily.

"Actually Taggzie." Lucky started, matching arrogance with arrogance. "The Spencer house is a few miles away. There is no young lady here. I was thirsty." He let out a careless shrug and smiled innocently. "You want to search the place go ahead but Commissioner Buchanan won't be very happy with you."

"Maybe not, but I’ve got two extremely worried parents waiting for me to track down their errant daughter, and the only name that they could utter, in their distress, was yours Spencer." Taggert didn’t particularly relish the job of tracking down the kid, but her parents were always more then willing to make it worth his while to turn up poor spoiled little Emily. "And it would be a shame if I didn’t find her here. Then I’d have to take you in for questioning about the disappearance of Emily Quartermaine, and I’m sure your folks would hate to have to come bail you out of jail for helping a runaway that you’re not even supposed to be seeing."

"Why don't you check other places? You can't take me in under a suspicion that I might know something about someone I haven't even seen in days. You're letting your dislike of me color your professionalism yet again Taggzie. What comes next, you get in my face and yell? I don't think so! I have rights too and I know you don't want to be hauled in front of the Intergalactic ethics board again for misconduct do you? You might earn a year on Pluto after your next offense."

"Threatening an officer, not very smart Spencer. I don’t like or dislike you, I happen to believe in the system, and that is why you’re coming with me. I don’t need to yell I’m completely in my rights as a law officer to take you in for questioning in the disappearance poor Emily. That is unless you want to tell me where she is." Taggert had no problem giving the kid one last chance, because he knew Lucky wouldn’t take it. When the boy didn’t offer up any kind of explanation, he smiled a little wider. "You know the routine Lucky. Am I going to have to cuff you to get you down to headquarters without any problems, or will you be a good boy and come along quietly?"

"Cuff me. I love the way your little critter works." Lucky gave Taggert a brazen smile as the small furred animal on Taggert's shoulder approached and slipped titanium handcuffs on him. "Good boy." Lucky said trying to pat the creature and shrugging when it growled at him. "It inherited your attitude I see."

"No, just my sense of justice," Taggert called his partner back. "Let’s roll Gretta, we’ve still got a girl to find it this delinquent won’t help us out just yet." He gave Lucky a push to get him moving. "You will help us out before the end of the night Spencer. I’m willing to put money on it." It was more of a growl then a promise, but Lucky Spencer would talk, if his name was Marcus Taggert.

~*~

Felicia Jones poured some tropical drinks and marveled at the crowd at Luke's club. For a dwelling that had been closed by the law countless times they were doing a booming business. Of course, the club was the only place a resident of the tri-cities could get real alcohol anymore.

Half the town always seemed to be here or in the adjoining restaurant, The Outback. Among the couples gyrating on the dance floor were Alex Devane and Edmund Grey, Kevin Buchanan and Kelly Cramer, Anna and Robert Scorpio, Karen Wexler and Chris Ramsey and was that Frisco dancing with Lucy Coe?

A frown creased Felicia's face before disappearing as her husband walked onstage to introduce the band. The days when Frisco would play music every night had faded but occasionally he'd join the house band onstage for a few songs. Felicia smiled as she caught sight of her husband standing between two men. The blond bore a striking resemblance to him, while the darker haired man resembled her father in more subtle ways.

"Here they are." Frisco's voice rumbled in the sudden silence as Felicia turned down the robotic DJ. "The WSB boys, featuring Connor Olivera Donely and Rob Jones will be doing a hundred minute set so enjoy yourselves." Frisco gave his son a huge grin before bounding offstage and over to Felicia.

"Hi there. I'll have one of you." Frisco teased with a smile.

"You’ve already got one of me, and another on the way," Felicia teased, rubbing her slightly rounded stomach. "You’ve never struck me as a glutton for punishment, so just how many more of me do you want?"

"Well let's see I have Maxie, Georgie and you. I just need one or two more." Frisco grinned as he wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and rocked back and forth with her in time with the music. "Rob's quite the singer huh?"

"How about a little boy this time instead? After that you have no say in how many more, because this is it. I know I said it after Georgie, but I really mean it this time Frisco." Baby Jones number three was a pleasant surprise, the result of a second honeymoon to go along with their second marriage, but she was much to old to be having anymore babies. "We’ll just have to wait for Rob to settle down and provide us with some grandkids to play with this little one. Once he’s done reliving his father’s life by attempting the rock star life. He’s good, but I still prefer having you at my beck and call for a private concert."

Well I think another one or two would make a nicer family still Felicia." Frisco tried to look injured as she pushed him teasingly. "A boy would be nice, very nice." Frisco's tone turned wistful. "I never saw Rob grow up so yes a boy would be wonderful." Frisco said as a happier smile transformed his face. "And as for grandchildren I'm far too young to be a grandfather talk to me after I reach forty years of age, woman."

"Is it my fault you bloomed young love? If I weren’t so content right now, where we are, I’d probably be jealous that Alexis had you first. But since I like her and your son so much, I’ll just have to settle for the place of the mother of your other children." She could never be truly jealous of Alexis or Rob, but it was quite a surprise to have a fully-grown step-son this time around. "And I still contend you’re going to have to treat me very very nice if you want another one. I just don’t see it happening. The girls are practically grown up, and we’re just starting over again. I’m not sure I want to do that with another passel of children playing at our feet."

"It would give me time to see our children growing up." Frisco reminded gently. The WSB had called him away liberally when his girls were younger. He'd missed out on so much time with his older children and wanted to recapture that somehow. "You don't have to say yes, just think about it."

"When you put it like that, how could I tell you no? Maybe one more, but there has to be one condition," she added before he got too excited. "My father is going to have to promise that he’s not going to be shipping you all over the world this time. I’m not going to raise another child by myself. Sean is just going to have to live without his right hand, or be the one doing two a.m. feedings, which I’m sure Tiffany won’t appreciate at all, having her own little ones to watch after."

"Well Felicia make that point abundantly clear to dear old dad." Frisco motioned to Sean who was watching his eldest son with wide eyed enthusiasm. Connor had inherited his musical genes from his mother for sure and Sean always seemed surprised that one of his children had musical talent.

"Don’t worry, I’m planning on it, and I have back up this time. His granddaughters love having their father and brother home with them, and Tiffany is enjoying playing family matriarch. She doesn’t want to see you leave town anymore then she wants to see Sean go. I don’t think she much cares to listen to me complain about you being gone either." After years of secrets, she and Sean were finally able to come out of the closet about their relationship, and instead of treating him like a favorite uncle, she could finally call him dad. "If I have my way, your roaming days are over my love. I want you here with me and out little brood."

"Well that's really where I want to stay Felicia. I've traveled too much and seen too many planets. I want to put down roots again, with you and the kids."

"Did I just here you say the R word without choking on it? Where oh where did my young lover go, the one who couldn’t ever think of roots and house payments." She asked, turning into Frisco's embrace. "Not that I’m complaining, I think I like this older and wiser Frisco. Just as handsome as when I first met you, but with a sense of responsibility. A very sexy combination, if I may say so."

"Well thank you and this combination is property of you Felicia. Now and always." Frisco held his wife close and rocked slowly with her as the music washed over them.

~*~

Hold on tight Ned, this is going to be a tight one" Jax warned over the screeching of the power rockets that were propelling them quickly towards earth. "We've got no brakes, no reverse propulsion systems and I don't think that we're going to find a big net to catch us." This was bad, and he wasn't going to lie to his partner. Of course it was Ned's fault for not getting everything fixed at their last stop. "This wouldn't' be happening if you hadn't of been so cheap to think you could just get the basics done and fix the rest when we pulled into Port Charles."

"Me? You were the one that didn’t want to wait a week. We have to get home to see sweet princess Alexis." Ned mocked in a sarcastic tone. "Jax you told me this thing was space worthy when I got the essentials cleared up on Amazonia. I just think you wanted to leave too quickly due to all those women that wanted you for dinner. As the main course." Ned cracked a small smile before turning to the business of getting their bird landed.

"Do we have any chance of landing this thing or should we go for water?" Their craft had a multitude of options and Ned intended to use all of them before giving up. "Jax get the periscope readied. We’ll just cut the engines and go for a water landing ok?" Ned had no intention of dying just as his space pirate reputation was growing by leaps and bounds.

"Wouldn't you want to rush home if you had the luscious princess waiting to join you for a romantic and very pleasurable weekend? How was I to know how incompetent a mechanic you really were?" How he had ended up with Ashton in the co-pilot seat, he'd never know. And. And why he didn't lock him in an escape pod and eject him was another mystery better left unsolved. But at this point in their mutual journey, he was going to have to just put up with his former nemesis and try to not let them both end up dead. "At least those women liked me enough to want to capture me Ned. They thought you were too feminine to service them before cooking you up." Jax growled as he cut the engine. "This had better work, I'm way to young and handsome to end up dead right now.

‘The princess used to wait for me." Ned pointed out through gritted teeth as he adjusted the pressurization and oxygen filtration system in the craft’s cabin to reflect earth’s atmosphere. "And Jasper if you recall, I didn’t do the repairs. Your Amazonian girlfriend Chloe did. Though why she plays with the Amazonians is a mystery to me." Ned pondered for a moment. "I wonder what Alexis would think of your fluffball on the side Jasper."

"She did, but then she realized she didn't need to settle for the likes of you when she could have me," That coup was a huge one, seeing that Ned and Alexis had been about to wed when he stepped in and saved her from life living as an Ashton. "But I promise, I'm keeping her very fulfilled Ned. Something you apparently couldn't do or she'd still be with you. As for Chloe, she has talents you wouldn't even begin to believe. But she's nothing but a little diversion when I've been away too long." Jax checked the gages on the control board in front of him. "The engines going helped some, but we're still coming in to fast, we're looking at impact in 45 seconds if something doesn't change real quick."

Ned wanted to answer all of Jax’s comments but there simply wasn’t time. As he vowed that he wouldn’t let their conflict die away, he began bracing for the inevitable crash. When it happening with a sickening jolt that propelled his pilots blond head against the controls, Ned’s world faded into inky blackness.

~*~

"I don’t like your little…whatever it is!" Lucy Coe gestured to a flyer that her partner Erica Kane had handed her. "I don’t like the idea and Serena and I still own 47% of the Deception/Enchantment stock so you can’t do it without me and I say no!" At times like these Lucy wondered what supreme being had possessed her to enter into a merger with that she-wench Erica Kane. The woman was evil incarnate and Lucy had seen enough evil to last a lifetime. Or two or three. After all there had been the Luciferian’s invasions of ’79, and ’84 and then those evil Guzaites had invaded starting in ’96. The little tenacious trolls seemed unlikely to ever leave.

"Will you please stop your incessant whining? Just the sound of your voice causes my skin to wrinkle, and I've done a lot of work so I don't have to look like you at my age Lucy," Erica countered, closing her eyes again and allowing her massage therapist to go back to work on

her shoulders. "Now, it's just a little specialty advertising, trying to increase sales amongst the sub-beings of this planet. I know you can commiserate, being one of them, but if we keep losing money the way we are, your 47% won’t be worth the air you use to say no. Now be a good girl, and run that to the ad agency for me. They're expecting you."

"I am hardly a gofer." Lucy said with a small laugh. "Get one of your toyboys to do it Erica. You have a whole harem of them don’t you?"

"No, I suppose you're not. You're paid to much to be just a gopher, but I keep you around for the comedic value not just for your errand running skills." Erica snapped her fingers, and the relaxing music that was playing softly in the background was turned up louder. "Of course I do, but if I sent them off on pointless trips to the ad agency or to get my slippers, they wouldn't be here to play with. That's the wonderful thing about having such an enthusiastic minor partner."

"You have Stefan Cassadine how many men do you need?" Lucy asked in a sardonic tone as she tore up the ad copy. "Do it yourself. I was having a great time at Luke’s club before you beamed me out of there. That was very rude." Lucy said as she glowered at the teleporter that had pulled her out of Luke’s club and into Erica’s office in a split second.

"If you have to ask Lucy, you needn't concern yourself with the answer, you'll never understand." Erica didn't open her eyes when she heard the tearing of her copy. "You'll regret that Lucy, you might be a stock owner, but remember who is the majority share holder here, which technically, makes me your boss. I understand that you're a woman of limited brain resources, but I would think you could at least comprehend that small fact."

"We won’t make money on your little harebrained scheme." Lucy shot back. Having had enough of Eric’s inherent cattiness, Lucy motioned the robo masseuse and marched to the restroom. She put on industrial sized gloves and scooped up a heaping cupful of water from the toilet and handed it to Erica, watching with satisfaction as Erica drank deeply. "Taste good darling?" Lucy asked.

"Of course we'll make money, anything I put my hands on turns a profit. It's only when I listen to one of your hair brained schemes, that we lose everything." Erica took a sip of the water she was handed, and immediately started coughing. "What is this? This is not the water I have brought in from the smallest moon of Jupiter! Lucy, what did you just do? And why aren't you taking that copy off to the agency? I have another copy on my desk, knowing how badly you'd react to it in that first instant you realized that I again out created you."

"I hope you flushed Erica." Lucy said gaily as she walked to the teleporter and stepped in. It was too bad everyone couldn’t afford a teleporter. They were just too expensive "Luke’s club please." Lucy said into the microphone that connected the computer.

Erica sputtered, she wasn't going to let Lucy Coe get the best of her. "Oh no you don't, computer freeze her." She screamed as she scrambled off of the massage table, lunging for Lucy. "I can't believe you, no one gets away with doing that to Erica Kane and then sneaks off without a fight."

"I just did. Bye bye Erica. Or should I call you chicken?" Lucy said cattily as she glanced over Erica’s petite frame as she disappeared. "Luke’s club here I come."

~*~

"That doesn't sound very good, are you sure we should go in?" Serena Baldwin asked her co-conspirator Jessica Buchanan. "Lucy sounded awful mad, and take it from someone who knows her, when she's mad you don't want to get in her way."

Jess ran her hands through her shoulder length blond hair and sighed. "Erica called us so I suppose we should. I just wonder what we interrupted." She gave Serena an apprehensive look and squared her shoulders as she prepared to knock.

"Hello ladies." Stefan Cassadine saw the two young blonds conversing in front of Erica’s door and smiles slightly. Either would be an excellent match for young Nikolas "How are you both this evening?"

"Yeah, I guess we should. I just don't like it. If our plans to go to the club tonight get ruined, I'll just scream." Serena said with a frown, until she heard the voice of Stefan Cassadine, and thought that this might just be their ticket out. "We're fine Mr. Cassadine. Erica just called us up for some sort of meeting; We're hoping that it won't take very long. There is this great band playing at Lukes, and we thought we might be able to get out of here and go dancing.

"Oh? She called me as well." Stefan improvised quickly. His relationship with Erica was at the present time still a secret. She wanted it that way, fearing his influential name would improve her business dealings. It was of supreme importance that she make her name on her own. "Shall we enter then ladies?"

Jess glanced over at Serena and rolled her eyes. The company’s worst kept secret were Mr. Cassadine’s visits to Erica.

"Of course, we wouldn't want to keep you here any longer on your business then we have too." Serena smiled, knowing exactly what Jessica was thinking. "I'm sure you have other things to be doing then hanging out here with Erica. Especially when she's in one of her moods.

Stefan just nodded regally. "After you ladies."

~*~

Vicki Carpenter looked around at the assemblage of people materializing in the Port Charles Herald holopaper office. "Hello everyone. I’m sorry to disturb your night." She said as her employees looked around for a few moments before orienting themselves." I trust the festivities at Mr Spencer’s club made for a good night for you. I am terribly sorry to cut it short but we have a breaking story. Where is Ms. Kanelos. I summoned her as well."

"I'm here, just a running a little behind." Courtney called out from the back of the room. She hadn't ever thought, when taking this new position that she would be interrupted whenever the boss got a bug up her butt. She'd been having dinner with Neil when the transporter pager had summoned her, and she had to get ready and grab her equipment. She couldn't look like she didn't have a clue what she was doing her first week on the job.

"All right. Thank you for coming Ms. Kanelos. I understand you have a young son that needs looking after." Vicki said as she looked around the room. "Edmund, Kelly, Kevin thank you also for interrupting your activities. We have a big story here people. We just received a beacon from the Port Charles Harbor. A spacecraft has crashed there and the beacon appears to be that from a craft of the Golden Raider Piracy holdings. We need to get as many of you down there as we can, to cover the story and interview the victims."

Edmunds mouth dropped open. "You’re telling us that the most notorious space pirate of our times just crashed here? Does WLPC holonews have any idea? If so, we’ll be fighting Tiffany Hill and Tad martin for the story."

"I don’t think they have any idea." Vicki said with a small smile.

"If this is such a huge story, what did you bring me here for? You've got all your big shots, I'm just a cub reporter, and I’m hardly in the same league as anyone else here." Courtney wasn't sure if she was supposed to tag along and watch, but it seemed like a huge waste of time.

"Terrific learning opportunity for you." Edmund answered. He knew Vicki’s motives, having known and worked with the elder stateswoman of journalism on and off for his complete professional career. "I will supervise and do damage control, Kevin and Kelly can write and photograph and you can take notes on your impressions of the crash scene and we’ll as that as a sidebar to the main event." When Edmund was done, he glanced at Vicki and let out a small breath as she nodded. He was only the editor in chief of this paper and he often forgot that he had to defer to Vicki as publisher.

While everyone else was chatting, Kelly leaned in close to Kevin. "What do you think of this? This is huge." She said in an excited tone.

"Hey, you two are the bosses, who am I to argue with that." Not exactly what she had in mind when taking this job, but she needed the money too bad right now to argue. "Maybe I'll even turn something up that all you hardened professionals would miss." Courtney gave Vicki a self-assured smile even though she knew she was in far over her head.

"I think," Kevin said pulling Kelly closer to his side. "That we're going to have to be doing our job and Courtney's, or at least babysitting her a bit." He didn't like the newest member of their tight knit team, but he couldn't figure out why. "But you're right, this is going to be huge, we're going to show Tiffany Hill that her group isn't as good as she thinks they are."

"We most likely will or maybe Edmund will. I mean there’s no reason for him to go with us Kev. They know we’re good writers and can handle this." Kelly snuggled in close to her fiancé but pulled away quickly. "This is going to be an interesting night for sure."

~*~

Chris Ramsey sipped his red wine and tried to look anywhere but at his dinner companions. He could hardly believe that he was sitting across a dinner table with bootlegger Sonny Corinthos and his high strung bride. Somehow, Carly and Eve had become friends and this dinner of horrors had become a weekly occurrence for both couples. Sonny didn’t look as if he was enjoying himself any more than Chris was which was some consolation. "So Sonny how’s alcohol production?" Chris asked offhandedly.

Carly looked at her best friend’s boyfriend in shock and put her hand on Sonny’s knee in a gesture of caution. Chris Ramsey did tend to speak without thinking but this was too much. She bit her lip and fiddled with her long blond hair as she waited for Sonny’s answer.

Eve couldn't believe that Chris had just asked that. "Of all the stupid things you could have asked Chris, that would have to be the number one question. You don't see Sonny asking you about that botched surgery do you? Can't you at least act like you've got a brain in that empty head of yours?"

Sonny leaned back in his chair and smiled, enjoying Eve's tantrum. "Eve, it's fine. Now that I know about Ramsey's inadequacies, I probably will bring them up. But I honestly wouldn't know how the production is. I know there are rumors out there that I'm behind the alcohol flow,

but it's not me. I couldn't tell you how it's going, just that I know how to get it. I don't see you turning down what I have to offer."

"Freeze out Eve." Chris said using one of the popular slang expressions of the day. Chris glanced at the wine with slight distaste. "I don’t like owing anyone anything." He muttered with a glower. He couldn’t believe Eve had sold him out that easily.

"Ok everyone calm down." Carly said with an edge in her voice. She was usually the one having to be calmed and this was a new experience for her. ‘This is supposed to be fun so can we at least try?"

"Who isn't calm babe?" Sonny asked his wife, still grinning. He couldn't believe a two bit con like Chris Ramsey had the nerve to try and call him out in his own home. "I'm just sitting here enjoying the charming company we have. You know how much I adore Eve."

"And I adore Chris." Carly said with a smile and a wink. She rubbed her nylon-clad foot against his leg teasingly and smiled when he blushed and gulped more wine.

Eve took a sip of wine to try and hide her chuckle, "See, at least someone likes you right now. Maybe you can sleep on her couch instead of mine tonight. What do you think Sonny?" She couldn't stop the laugh when she saw the look on his face. "Oh come on, Chris might not be the brightest crayon in the box, but he's not that bad. You two would get along if you tried."

"Maybe we don’t want to." Chris said with another scowl. His head snapped up as the door flew open.

"Sonny where is Jason?" Emily asked in a wild panic. She shut the door and rushed in looking at the dinner patrons. "Oh my gosh you’re having dinner. I’m sorry. It’s just, I had three policemen following me and I think they caught Lucky. He was meeting me here at Jason’s place. Can I hide out here?"

"Cops? Following you? What on earth did you do Em?" Sonny was moving before he comprehended what she said. "Of course you can stay here. Did you say that Lucky got arrested?" This didn't sound good.

"I don’t know." Emily said as she expelled a long breath. "Things are bad and they’re about to get worse." She said as someone started banging on the door.