CHAPTER SEVEN

SONNY AND CARLY came floating safely down to earth, but while Sonny landed on his feet with feline grace, Carly’s parachute got stuck on the limbs of a tree and she was like a marionette hanging by its strings. ”Sonny!” She yelled to him. “Get me down from here.”

He looked up and examined the situation. “Carly, I think the best way to get you out of this tangle is if you unfasten your parachute.”

“Are you nuts!” She spat. “If I do that I’ll fall.”

“Don’t worry.” He yelled up to her. “I’ll catch you.”

“I don’t know...” She was uncertain. “What if you miss and I hit the ground like a sack of wet cement.”

“You’ll just have to trust that I’ll catch you.” He threw back at her. “You’re the one whose been lecturing me about spilling my guts to you and trusting you with my innermost secret thoughts and feelings. Not it’s time for you to put your money where your mouth is. Either put up or shut up. Carly.”

“All right, fine.” She snarled as she unfastened her parachute. “But if you don’t catch me there’s going to be hell to pay, Buddy.” She came flying out of the tree the minute she was free of her parachute. Sonny did manage to catch her, although her momentum knocked him flat on his back and Carly landed on top of him.

“You know this is a very interesting position were in.” Sonny gasped for air. “And any other time I’d take full advantage of it. But now isn’t the time. Do you mind getting off me.”

Carly climbed off of him and looked around in amazement. “We made it.” She started giggling hysterically in relief. “My god, Baby, we actually made it.” She jumped into his arms and began to kiss him hungrily.

It was some minutes before Sonny got the strength to pull away from her. “Whoa, Sweetheart, take it easy.” He cupped her face in his hands. “We’re safe now. It’s all over.”

“I can’t believe we actually made it.” She wrapped herself tightly around him. “I thought we were going to die for awhile there.”

“So did I, but we didn’t.” He looked up at the sky. “I don’t know how much night we have left before the sun rises again and I don’t have any idea of where we are. I think before we even try to get back to Port Charles we should find some kind of shelter to keep ourselves safe. Maybe there’s a cave or something around here.” He takes her by the hand. “Let’s go.”

“Do you think my mother is all right?” She asked as they began to make their way through the woods the forest they landed in.

“I’m sure she’s fine.” Sonny assured her. “Sorel needs her to make me do whatever he wants me to do, so I’m sure he’s keeping her in good shape.”

THE SUN WAS shining in the windows at Wyndemere when Bobbie woke up to see Stefan sitting at her bedside. “Stefan, what are you doing here?” Then she looked around at her surroundings. “Where am I?”

“You’re at Wyndemere.” Stefan informed her. “I rescued you from that Sorel creature, last night. Do you remember anything about that?”

It all starts to come back to her. “I was walking along the docks minding my own business when someone grabbed me from behind.” She recalled. “The next thing I remember was waking up in this strange room Then Sorel came in and he said the craziest things to me.”

“Such as?” He was immediately intrigued.

“He said Carly was a vampire.” She told him. “That Sonny was a vampire and that he was a vampire, too. And that he was.” Her hand immediately went to her neck where a bandage was covering the two puncture marks on her neck.

“What else?” Stefan prodded.

“That’s all I remember.” Bobbie lied and Stefan decided not to press her at the moment.

“Well, I’ll leave you alone.” Stefan sighed as he headed towards the door. “I just thought I should stay with you until you woke up and I was sure you were going to be all right.”

“As you can see I’m just fine.” She forced herself to smile. “Thank you for saving me.”

“You’re welcome.” With that he walked out of the room, while Bobbie forced herself to get out of bed and as weak as she was she managed to make her way over to the dressing table sitting at the other side of the room. Slowly, she peeled the bandage away from her neck and looked at the puncture wounds on her neck in growing horror. “My god, it’s true. I didn’t dream it. Sorel really did those things to me.”

“Get a grip, Bobbie.” Bobbie tried to curb the mounting panic she was feeling. “There are no such things as vampires. I’m sure there’s a rational explanation for those marks on my neck.” Then she was overcome with hysteria. “Like what? My god, he said he was going to make me what he was. He said he was going to come back to me and do those things to me all over again. Am I even safe here. What am I going to do.” She began to sob hysterically. “Dear god, I don’t want to be a vampire.”

Downstairs Stefan was mulling over the little bit Bobbie had told him. She said Sorel told her she’d given birth to a vampire. That her daughter was a vampire. Until this moment he never thought of what it meant for Carly to be the vampire the knew her to be. For Carly to sleep with a vampire that would mean Bobbie had been impregnated by a witch. But who?

What did it matter to him who Bobbie had slept with. It was none of his concern. Yet his witch instincts were kicking into overdrive and telling him otherwise.

He could understand why Sonny was chosen as the male vampire to create the all-important vampire-child his mother needed to make Helena’s nefarious plan work. He was a very powerful figure in the vampire community. He was founder of the Brotherhood. He was the obvious choice for the chosen male vampire. But why had his mother chosen Carly to mate with Sonny. What was so special about her that made her the chosen female vampire that would give birth to the vampire-child? There must be something about her he was unaware of. Which was more than enough reason for him to discover who the witch was that helped bring Carly into the world.

TRACY WATCHED FROM the table she was sharing with her father at the Port Charles Grille as Faison dragged himself on to a barstool and ordered himself a drink. “He looks like he’s been through the war.” She commented.

“You would too if you had to bed Helena.” Edward replied. “Now is as good a time as any, Tracy. Go over and tell him he’s Ned’s father.”

“Daddy, this is a mistake.” She tried one more time to reason with him. “If we reveal the truth to him we’ll be getting more trouble than we’re asking for.”

“I don’t care.” Edward declared stubbornly. “All that matters is that we get him to turn on Helena and help us plot against him. Once he serves his purposes we can always dispose of him.”

“That might be easier said than done.” She retorted. “He’s a very powerful witch. That’s why you hand-picked him to be Ned’s father. He may be too powerful for either of us to deal with.”

“Maybe we won’t have to.” Edward mused. “If we can get him to double-cross Helena, she won’t take his betrayal laying down. Perhaps she‘ll destroy him for us.” He added. “Divide and conquer, Tracy, my girl. Not get to it.”

“This is a bad mistake.” She warned him. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Get.” He shoved her in the direction of Faison.

Tracy reached deep down inside herself for the bravado she needed to pull this off. With a very brazen attitude she slid on to the barstool next to him. “Hello, Cesar, what are you doing here?”

“Drowning my sorrows.” He replied as he downed his drink in one gulp. “I’m not in the mood for company. What do you want.”

“You don’t have to continue what you’re doing with Helena, Cesar.” She told him. “You don’t have to mate with Helena to play a role in Damian Smith’s plan for the witch and vampire communities. You already do.”

“What are you talking about?” He looked at her coldly.

“You’re Ned’s father.” She announced. “Ned and Alexis’ child is your grandchild. You will be the great grandfather of the vampire-witch child. You don’t have to continue to demean yourself with Helena for whatever role in the power play that she’s promised you. You already have one.”

Faison reached out and grabbed Tracy’s arm. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before.” He seethed.

“Cesar, you’re hurting me.” She tried to free herself from his punishing grip. “Let me go.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” He snarled. “Why have you kept from me all these years that Ned is my son.”

She finally managed to yank her arm free of his grip. “Just when would I have told you?” She asked as she rubbed her arm. “In between your obsessions with various mortal women over the years. Anna Scorpio being your latest.” She added. “A better question you should be asking yourself is why hasn’t Helena told you.”

“Helena knows?” He roared.

“Yes.” Tracy smiled. “She knows all about it.” With that she walked back to Edward’s table.

“Did you tell him?” He asked eagerly as she sat back down in her seat.

“Yes, I told him.” She snapped. “And as a reward the bastard almost broke my arm. I don’t envy Helena. I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes for anything at this moment.”

“So you told him she knows?”

“I went one better.” Tracy replied. “I made him think Helena has always known.” She added ominously. “I doubt with the mood he’s in that he’ll even give her a chance to explain she only found out the truth recently.”

LUCK WAS ON Sonny and Carly’s side. Just before sunrise they found a cave to hide out in until sunset. After spending most of the day catching up on some much-needed sleep they finally awoke a little before sunset. “I think the sun should be going down soon.” Sonny commented as he stared out of the entrance of the cave. “Then we can get moving and finally make our way back to Port Charles.”

Carly sat staring out in space as she rubbed her stomach. “Why would anyone care that we were having a baby together?”

“We don’t know that what happened on the plane had anything to do with the baby.” He replied.

“Sonny, don’t ask me why?” She sighed. “I don’t know if it’s female or vampire instincts but I’m sure we were almost killed because I’m pregnant with your child. “ She turned to him. “Have you ever heard any folklore about two vampires having a baby together?”

“I’m not much for vampire folklore.” He told her. “So you’re really asking the wrong person.”

“When we get back I’m going to check into it.” She decided. “Sonny, you don’t suppose we’re the first vampires to ever have a child together, do you?”

“No.” His voice lacked conviction. “I’m sure it must have happened sometime in the past.”

“Sonny, you and I haven’t really given this pregnancy much thought.” She pointed out. “We’ve been so selfish thinking only about what we wanted. We both want this child and damn the consequences. But we’ve never really given it any thought to just what we might be bringing into the world. Sonny, we’re both vampire. Just what will this child be like when its born. Together a witch and a mortal made us, but what will two vampires together conceive.” She began to rub her belly uneasily. “What if there’s some kind of monster growing inside me.”

Sonny placed his hand over her hand to still it’s nervous rubbing motion. “I don’t believe that, Carly. “ He declared with a conviction he felt down to his marrow. “People say we’re monsters because they don’t understand us, but we understand each other and we know that isn’t true. People may say the same thing about our child, but we’ll love him and understand him and he’ll never be a monster to us no matter what he may be.” He added. “Just hang on to the fact that you gave birth to Michael and he is perfectly normal and our baby will be born exactly the same way.”

But inside Sonny’s head he could hear a voice taunting him that that was different. AJ wasn’t like Carly the way Sonny was. AJ wasn’t a vampire. What he and Carly were would be doubled in their child and there was no telling just what kind of fruit his and Carly’s loins would bear.

“Sonny,” She wailed. “Why did we have to be born like this. Why couldn’t we be normal like everyone else. We can’t even have a baby together without fearing it’ll be some kind of inhuman monster.”

“I don’t know, Carly.” Sonny pulled her into his arms and tried to soothe her. “I don’t know. But at least we’ve found each other and we’re no longer alone.” He added as he kissed her hair. “It makes it so much better not being alone.”

STEFAN FOCUSED ALL his mental power on Bobbie. He could feel how upset she was. She was terrified of what Sorel had done to her. Of what he may have turned her into. He willed her to be overcome by sleepiness and to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep, then he entered her bedroom.

He could have taken the long and tedious way to discover just which witch had sired Carly. But since Bobbie was already in his home he decided to cut to the chase and get Bobbie to tell him what he wanted to know.

Stefan sat down beside Bobbie on the bed and placed his hand on her forehead. “Barbara, deep down a woman always knows just when she conceived her child. Despite how many men you may have been with at the time you remember which one is your daughter’s father. Show me. Tell me. Remember the moment you conceived Carly and show me who her father is.”

Visions appeared before Stefan’s eyes and what he saw horrified him. The man in the visions was him. He was making love to Bobbie. He’d completely forgotten about the encounter. Bobbie had been one in a long line of women he’d bedded in his wild youth. He was the witch who had sired a vampire. Now it all suddenly made sense to him. That was why Carly was the chosen female vampire to mate with the chosen male vampire. It was because she had Cassadine blood flowing through her veins. How insidious of Helena. She obviously knew Carly was his daughter and Helena’s grand daughter. The question that remained was now that he knew what was he going to do about it.