Instinct (Read 5,371 times)

[sudsyclassix]

If this thread looks a lot Sweet Schemes, that's because it's the same framework. I sort of wrote myself into a corner and frankly, I don't like that draft very much. The idea has been a pet of mine, though, so I've been reworking it with a more fleshed out background and some scenes that weren't in the last one  (because I hadn't thought of them yet.) This first post is going to be a multi-post, because I want to get the first three chapters, and then I'm caught up to where I stopped posting on Fanfiction. That will make it easier to simulpost in the future. 

[sudsyclassix]

She was in Kyle’s apartment, watching as he gaped at the open safe. "You think I'm an idiot, don't you, Paige?"
"No, of course not! I don't know what you're talking about."
"You think I don't know that JJ is hiding right behind the counter about to turn me into the Feds. I really don’t want to hurt anyone, so it’s a good thing this will be painless.”
JJ slumped to the ground, shot. “Paige…”
“NO!”
“Paige, wake up!”
Paige Larson tried to even her breathing. As images of her bleeding ex faded from her vision, she focused an unsteady gaze on her worried roommate.
“Daphne…did I wake you?”
“Nope, I just got back from that party across campus. I would’ve invited you, but you’ve been kind of MIA lately.”
“Right,” Paige sighed. “So, why are you back so early. I mean, it’s barely after midnight.”
“Not soon enough, there was this drunk jerk who couldn’t keep his hands off of me. Look, if you’re sure you’re okay, I’m going to get ready for bed.”
“You don’t need to worry about me, “ Paige assured. “But I have plenty to worry about,” she thought, as the shower began to run in the next room. She wondered who had the unpleasant task of cleaning up after her mother before she born. Mostly likely, it had fallen to Grandpa.
“That’s it!” Paige snatched up her cell phone.
To GRANDPA: SOS! Mom’s at it again, and I think somebody’s in trouble this time. Big trouble!

Shane Donovan rubbed his temples tiredly. “Gotten yourself into quite the fix, haven’t you, Eve?”
“I woke up and you weren’t there,” Kimberly growled seductively, wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck. “And it looks like you’ve been up for hours. What was that about Eve?”
“Look for yourself.”
Kim took the tablet from Shane and came around to join him on the sofa. “Dealing meth out of the Horton Center? That’s just not possible, it’s libel. Tom and Alice Horton must be turning in their graves.”
“I know.”
“And you think Eve did this?”
“I wouldn’t put it past her, would you?”
“No, no I wouldn’t.”
“Paige seems to think there’s more. Apparently, JJ Deveraux’s turned DEA. They love people like him, dealers who have gone straight, but still look like they belong on the drug scene. It’s an awfully thin, awfully dangerous line to be walking, especially when you think about what might happen if the secret got out…”
“Eve might as well pull the trigger herself. Have you talked to Roman about this?”
“No, but I think I’d better,” Shane sighed, scrolling through his contacts until Roman’s information appeared. He put the phone on speaker, the three subsequent rings echoing through the Donovans’ living room.
"Brady here."
"Roman, it's Shane."
"Shane, I'm glad you called. Look, we have a situation here in Salem."
"I understand that. Eve did it, I'm afraid."
"Eve did what? Are you talking about the article in Sonix?"
"Unfortunately. Eve also has Paige under the impression that she's put your UC in jeopardy. And for the record, I believe her. She and her mother have their issues recently, but she's a level-headed girl."
"So Kay tells me. I'll look into it right away."
"Out of curiosity, what did you think I was talking about?"
"Ma's in the hospital," Roman answered.
"Caroline's in the hospital? What on earth for?”
"She had a stroke. I’m sorry, Shane, but I’ve got to go. The place has been a zoo lately. I’ll do that, bye.”
Roman waved a waiting Rafe into his office. “Detective, I need you hold down the fort.”
“Sure thing.”
“And Rafe, I’ll be watching you, so don’t let me down this time.”
This was no news to Rafe. After helping cover up Gabi’s involvement in Nick Fallon’s murder, he was pretty sure he would be on the commissioner’s radar for a long time. “Yes, sir.”

[sudsyclassix]

“Don’t even answer it, JJ,” Jennifer groaned, as a knock sounded from the foyer. “If the reporters want a statement from us they can call the Horton Center, and Aunt Maggie will tell them that I’ve already resigned from the board.”
“You did? For God’s sake, Mom, that makes it look like you think I’m guilty or something!”
Jennifer was horrified, as she took JJ’s hand and led him to the couch. “Of course not. You know that your sister and I are behind you one thousand percent, you know that. Hopefully, now that I’ve resigned, the press will accept their pound of flesh and let the center get back to the important work my grandparents had in mind.”
A muffled “I’m sorry, Mom,” issued from JJ’s slumped form, but Jennifer shook her head as the doorbell rang again—more impatiently this time.
“You shouldn’t be. This is not your fault. Do you understand me?”
“They’re not going away.”
“Oh, yes they are!” Jennifer threw the door open with more force than necessary. “For the last time, we have no comment!”
“Good, keep it that way,” Roman advised, entering the house behind Hope. “I’d ask how you were doing, but that would probably be a stupid question.”
"Probably," JJ agreed. "Can we just cut to the chase? You wouldn't be here if it wasn't important."
"No, I wouldn't. Hope is the lead investigator on the drug surge. She's here to arrest you."
"On what charges?" Jennifer gasped.
"Possession with intent," Roman answered, gripping JJ's arm. "Make it look good," he hissed. "The house is bugged."
JJ sighed but allowed Hope to lead him outside.
"Do I need to get a lawyer?" Jennifer demanded, chasing Roman as he wandered into the living room. "Hey, you need to start talking!"
Roman put his finger to his lips. He kneeled down, taking inventory of the baseboards. Recognition swept across Jennifer's face. She swept her fingertips across the mantel, moving picture frames out of the way.
"Here!" she mouthed, giving Roman a glance of the object in her hand, before crushing it under her shoe.
"If this is the only way you can keep my son safe, it sure as hell better work."

[sudsyclassix]

Vanessa Lennox lifted the driver’s side visor, as she parked the driveway of the Donovans’ Los Angeles estate, pausing to wave to Thatcher, who had taken up the position of Donovans butler three years ago (after even Simmons couldn’t deny that a second broken hip in as many years was cause for retirement).
The brunette woman in the driver’s seat of the tinted car was an athletically built twenty-six-year-old rookie ISA agent, who had a background in education that made her well suited to tutor the three DiMera children while helping to protect them from whatever vengeance Stefano had planned for their mother. Though, as far as Vanessa was concerned, Sami DiMera had done the ISA a big favor by running off with the crime lord’s fortune.
“Everybody out,” called Sami.
“Finally. Aunt Hope doesn’t make Ciara sit in the back.”
“And who told you that, Johnny?” Vanessa laughed, as she helped Sydney unbuckle the car seat.
“See, Johnny, I told you she was bragging again.”
“I’m going to have to side with Allie on this one,” said Sami. “You and Ciara will both be able to sit up front when you turn twelve.”
“It’s still a stupid rule,” Johnny muttered. “And that’s two whole years from now.”
Vanessa shrugged “If you want to be an agent like me when you grow up, you should get used to rules.”
“Especially the stupid ones,” sighed the bearded man who opened the door. “Party’s out by the pool. Ambiance and sunsets and stuff.”
“That’s nice, Uncle Steve, but why did we all rush over here?”
“Donovan has news.”
“You do?” Sami turned to the head of the table.
“Well, yes, Kim talked to Kayla this morning.“
“Is Grandma Caroline okay?” Allie asked.
“Don’t worry about a thing, honey,” Kim smiled, tapping Allie’s nose. “Aunt Kayla said she’s going to get stronger every day, and we’re going to check on her as soon as we get back to Salem.”
"We?" repeated Sami. "We who?"
"Kimberly and I,” Shane replied. “We'll be leaving tonight."
"You won't be here for Labor Day," said Johnny sadly.
"Well, we'll just have to swim tonight then, won’t we?" Kim said.
"Can we, Mommy?" the three kids chorused.
Sami nodded indulgently. "Go get your extra suits from the guest wing."
"Yay!"
"'Yay!' Uncle Shane can I talk to you inside for a minute?” Shane excused himself and held the sliding glass door open. When they had stepped into the living room, he said, "What can I do for you, Sami?"
"I'm going with you."
"That's out of the question."
"The kids might in the dark, but you and I both know that my brother was almost killed when that Xander Cook guy decided it was a good idea to take Eric and Nicole hostage. Although, I could’ve told Eric that woman would bring him nothing but grief.”
Shane couldn’t help but let out an animalistic groan of frustration. “Are you seriously trying to tell me that you see Nicole Walker as your biggest threat right now.”
“Oh come on, Uncle Shane. Stefano wouldn't hurt me.”
"Wouldn't he?”
“Not it meant leaving Giovanni and Sydney orphans. La Famiglia is too important to him.”
“Be that as it may, Stefano isn't our only risk."
"The ISA has no proof that Andre is even alive!"
"If that were true they wouldn't have seen fit to call me out of retirement to partner with Steve or to give you such an elaborate cover story as a Hollywood movie deal with Phillip Collier’s production company. A cover complete with an ISA-trained nanny. Now, we've confirmed movement at a known DiMera medical facility, and we’ve traced a seven-figure money transfer from Stefano himself to an offshore account there.
“Good, I have a few things I want to say to Andre too if he shows his sorry face. So when do we leave?”
“Good God, Sami! Since you obviously haven’t been listening to a bloody word I’ve said, I suppose—” Shane took a measured breath. “I suppose the only thing left for you to do is say goodbye to the children.”
“Throw Nessa next,” Sydney giggled, as she landed with a splash a foot away from Steve.
“Me?” Vanessa stuck her tongue out at the girl, making Kim and Allie laugh.
“They’re back,” Johnny called, as two lengthy shadows rippled across the pool. “What’s wrong, Mommy?”
“There’s something I need to talk to you about. Before we left Salem, I made a promise to Uncle Eric that if he ever needed me really badly, I’d come back right away. And we know how important promises are, right?” The kids nodded. “Well, now that’s a promise that Mommy needs to keep, so I’ll be going to Salem tonight too.”
“Without us?” asked Sydney, her lip trembling.
“You have to stay here, but Uncle Steve and Vanessa will be here too, and I’ll call you every…who’s phone is that?”
“Uh-oh, speaking of calling.” Kim quickly draped herself in a towel. “Don’t hang up, don’t hang up, hello? `Oh hi. When was this? No, you stay right there, I’ll come right over. Bye.”
“Patient emergency?” said Shane knowingly.
“I’m afraid so. When does the flight leave?”
“Four hours.”
“Well, gang, it looks like I'm staying here, too.”

[heroicmuse]

Great start sudsyclassix. I enjoyed this the first time and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it now!

[Kpatch]

Great scene setting, descriptives, and dialogue!

[sudsyclassix]

Thanks, guys. I was afraid the beginning would be so similar that people wouldn't want to read it. One of the biggest differences is that Vanessa (envisioned as Rebecca Budig) won't just be floating around anymore. She has a definite purpose, which you'll just have to see.

[sudsyclassix]

Fun Fact: The title chapter of the new incarnation.
Kim stood silently in the back doorway watching the hunched silhouette of her former brother-in-law.
“Pictures really do last longer,” Steve said softly.
“Guess I’m caught. I just never pegged you for a stargazer, Steve Johnson.”
“Well, I am a man of mystery. Are the kiddies asleep?”
“Like little angels. As a matter of fact, Mr. Mysterious, I happen to know that as much as you’re pretending to be out of your element, those children can’t get enough of you.”
“Is that right?”
“Oh, yeah. Not that I’m surprised.”
“No?”
“Not a bit. I saw you with Max when he was growing up. When I was working with him on his speech, you were one subject, probably the one subject he wasn’t shy about. ”
“Here we go with the speech.”
Kim started, taken aback by his sudden change of tone. “What speech, Steve?”
“The whole ‘Steve is great with kids, as long as he gets to be the cool uncle, but when it comes to dealing with his own kid…no, that’s too much responsibility for the dude to handle and he runs away.’”
“That wasn’t what I was going to say at all. Actually, I understand you more than you think I do.”
“And now you’re going to explain me to me. Are these billable hours?”
“I’d forgotten what a kick you get out of being frustrating! Now, since you’re the one who brought it up, do you want to hear what I have to say or not?”Steve beckoned impatiently. “It’s instinct to want to protect your children, any parent would want that, and for an agent, a lot of times, that means keeping your distance. Adventure’s not the only drug in the ISA, there’s distance, detachment, numbness. That pragmatic lack of emotion, it’s appealing to some people, but it’s going to be different this time. There’s a good chance this mission will put you in Kayla’s orbit again, and Steve, this time, you won’t be able to run.”

Sami turned down the volume on the car radio. “Even with the time change, we missed visiting hours at the hospital.”
“I know the waiting is agonizing, but none of them—Caroline, Eve, Eric, Paige—none of them are going anywhere.”
“You never finished telling me about Paige, is she my cousin?"
“If only Frankie were her father," Shane sighed.

[heroicmuse]

I wonder who will turn out to be Paige's father in this story.

Loved the Steve/Kim scene!

[sudsyclassix]

That's a storyline I mishandled that I intend to flesh out.

[donovanfan]

I really enjoyed the first iteration. So glad you are going to revisit and continue!

[sudsyclassix]

Sami gazed at her grandmother’s still form through the closed blinds of Caroline’s hospital room. “She looks so peaceful, I’m almost scared to wake her.” She yawned. “I’m having a little trouble staying awake myself.”
Shane nodded in agreement. “Shall I search for something caffeinated?”
“I could really go for some coffee.”
“You’ve got it.”
Sami tiptoed into the room and took her grandmother’s hand in her own. “Hi,” she whispered, as Caroline’s eyes fluttered open. “I’m home.”
“No,” said Caroline. “You’re—you’re dead. Colleen Brady is dead.”
“Grandma,” Sami called frantically as the monitors began to beep. “Grandma!”

“Hey, Daniel.”
Daniel Jonas looked up from the chart Maxine was showing him. “Eric, you look good, man, after…”
“After what Xander put us through. I’m all right, just thought I’d come by and take Mom out to eat.”
“And there’s no one with whom I would rather keep company,” Marlena smiled. “Maxine, if anyone comes looking for me would you call me on my cell. We’ll be over at the pub.”
“Sure thing, and make sure to tell Dr. Brady to take her sweet time. I thought Hope might arrest her if she didn’t agree to eat some real food.”
“Good for Hope,” Marlena sighed. “This has all been especially hard on Kayla.”
“How’s Grandma doing?” Eric wanted to know, but a rapidly beeping monitor drowned out Daniel’s answer.
“Oh dear,” breathed Marlena. “That’s Caroline’s room.”
“She’s seizing,” Daniel snapped. Maxine, Marlena, and Eric rushed after him. As he rounded the corner, Eric froze, gazing dumbstruck at the sight in front of him. “Uncle Shane! Sami!” The blonde accepted a handkerchief from Shane and turned her tear-stained face toward her mom and her brother. She waited no less than a beat before rushing into Eric’s arms.
Marlena rubbed Sami’s back in circular motions. “Oh, my darling girl. You don’t know how glad I am to see you, both of you.”
“Reunite later,” ordered Maxine. “How did this happen?”
“It seems Sami startled her," Shane replied. “Excuse me, my granddaughter’s calling.”
“I didn’t mean to!” Sami spluttered. “I was talking with her and then the machines…they started freaking out. Mom, she—she called me Colleen.”
“She is forgetting names more often lately,” Marlena reported sadly. “Look, the best thing we can do for Caroline right now is to give Daniel and Maxine their space. She’ll need rest more than anything.”
“Why don’t we all go to the pub and make this a real welcome home,” Eric offered. “Uncle Shane?”
“What? Oh, yes, that’s fine, but I wouldn’t expect your father or Hope to join us. Two bodies just turned up in the square.”

[heroicmuse]

Wow! This was so emotional, and on top of that I am very curious about these bodies in the square.

Thanks for the chapter sudsyclassix

[sudsyclassix]

“Move on, move on, nothing to see here!” Abe Carver was shepherding crowds of onlookers away from the taped off crime scene where Serena Mason's body had just laid. “Except you, Eric, your dad wants to see you at the station. I’m sorry to tell you this, but Serena…she was one of the victims.”
“Abe, you don’t think Eric did this?”
“Hello to you too, Sami. Not necessarily, but Eric knew Serena best.”
“Except for Xander,” Eric countered.
“Hope is at the Kiriakis mansion as we speak,” said Abe, “and someone’s questioning Nicole as well. Officer, can you take Mr. Brady to the station, please?”
“Yes, Mr. Mayor.”

“Can we get you a ride back to your dorm, Miss Larson?”
“Don’t worry, Commissioner Brady, I’ll walk.
Roman shrugged. “Take care of yourself,” he called, before turning to Eric. “Appreciate you coming in like this, son. Close the door, will ya?”
Eric complied, while Roman placed a recorder on the table. “This is Commissioner Roman Brady questioning Eric Brady, the ex-boyfriend of victim Serena Mason. The date is August 27, 2015. All right, Eric, let’s start with where you were last night.”
“I was at home.”
“Talk to anyone who can back you on that?”
“I texted Belle back.”
“Your younger sister Belle Brady?”
“Yes."
"Do we have permission to obtain your cell phone records."
Eric knew it was just a formalty, but his father had to do things by the book, especially when he would otherwise be assused of nepotism. "Of course I’ll help you any way I can, just promise me you’ll find out what happened to Serena.”
Roman paused the recorder. “From where I’m standing, it looks drug-related. She was found in an area frequented by known dealers. As far as you know, was she into anything other than diamonds?”
“That doesn’t sound like Serena, but neither did diamond smuggling. She wasn’t the girl I knew in Africa.”
“That much seems clear,” Roman agreed. “Go catch up with the family. Tell your sister I’ll be there as soon as soon as I can.”
“I will. Rafe.”
“Eric,” Rafe greeted as he entered the bullpen.
“Autopsies,” Roman guessed, taking a folder from Rafe’s hand. “Did you question Nicole?”
“Alibi checks out. She’s not good for it.”
Roman leafed through the reports. “Neither vic has genital trauma, but Kyle Southern had drugs in his system."
"Big surprise," Rafe scoffed. "Weed or something stronger?"
 Molly, hey...look at this, a congenital heart condition. Explains the dealing, all those medical bills. He finds Serena’s body…”
“…and is literally scared to death,” Rafe finished, “but then, who killed Serena?”

[heroicmuse]

I love the twist of Kyle having died of somewhat natural causes.

I am very curious as to who killed Serena.