Christine's Poems & Stories

Kick back, relax, and read these great poems and stories written by my good friend, Christine. There is quite a wonderful variety to choose from: a touching poem about motherly love, a humourous script about an overbearing Granny Clampett-wannabe, and several separate, more serious scenes. But don't just take my word for it- read them for yourself and see!
Please direct all comments re: fanfictions to Christine! Click here to email your thoughts and compliments to the wonderful author!

A Poem for Baby Skye, From Rae
Baby so tiny, so fragile, so fair
taken from me as if I didn't care
Ripped from my arms
But also my heart
By someone who
wanted to keep us apart
I thought you had died
so I grieved and I cried
but the one who had stolen you
had really just lied
What was taken from me was so precious
So rare
The joy of a daughter, the love and the care
How I missed you my baby
How my heart felt so cold
My arms so open
But no baby to hold
My heart held your cries
Right along side of mine
But hush now my baby
Mama's got you this time
I will rock you and love you
and sing you to sleep
and make sure you're safe
In my arms there to keep

NEW!!!
Skye is lying on the couch with her eyes closed. Her therapist is sitting on a chair next to her.
(from here on "T" will stand for therapist)
T: What do you see, Skye?
Skye speaking from her inner-child self
S: I see me.
T: How old are you?
S: Seven
T: Is anyone with you?
No response
T: Skye....
S: My daddy, I see my daddy.
Starts to cry
T: What's the matter, Skye?
S: He doesn't see me!
T: Why don't you go up to him and let him know you're there?
Scene switches to what Skye is seeing in her mind We see a beautiful little girl looking scared and a man standing just a few feet away from her. The man's back is to the little girl.
S: I'm scared.
T: It's okay, Skye, I'm right here with you, you can go up to him.
In a small voice
S: Okay.
The little girl very timidly goes up to the man and tugs at his suite jacket. The man doesn't respond. The girl starts to cry and the more she cries the farther away the man moves from her, not even turning to look at her.
S: He won't listen! He won't even look at me!
T: Make him listen, Skye. Don't give up.
Very upset and crying hard
S: No, I can't, I can't! He'll never listen to me!
T: That's not true, you just think that because with your first daddy you never felt listened to or heard but right now I'm just asking you to make your daddy listen can you try and do that, Skye?
With her eyes still closed and tears streaming down her cheeks she violently shakes her head no.
Very gently but firmly encouraging
T: Yes, you can, now c'mon, Skye, it's time to try again.
In a pleading voice
S: But I'm scared.
T: You can do scary things, C'mon, I'm right with you. You can do this, you can make him listen.
We see the little girl again. She moves toward the man. This time as she reaches him he turns around to smile down at her.
S: Hi, daddy.
Alan: Hello, Skye. How's my little girl?
With voice all choked up.
S: I missed you, daddy, I missed you for my whole life.
Her father reaches down and lifts her up; she wraps her arms around his neck and rests her head on his shoulder as she sobs and he holds her.
The scene switches back to the grown-up Skye. Her arms are wrapped around herself as she gently soothes and rocks herself.
Back to the little girl being held by her father
S: I was so lonely, daddy, why didn't you ever come and get me?
A: I'm so sorry, Skye. I was a very young and scared daddy at the time and I did the wrong thing. I'm sorry that you were hurt and lonely and I wish that I could have the chance to do it all again.
S: You mean you wouldn't of left me?
A: No, I would not have left you. If I'd had another chance I would have done everything I could to have kept you with me, safe and protected. I'm sorry, Skye, I'm sorry that I didn't do better for you. I love you, sweetheart, daddy loves you.
Scene back in the therapists' office
Therapist places her hand on Skye's arm
T: Skye, can you open your eyes now?
Skye opens her eyes and slowly begins to sit up as she releases the grip of her own arms around herself. She looks vulnerable. The therapist hands her a box of tissues
T: How are you feeling?
S: Relieved, I think.
T: You've done some really important work here today, Skye. You allowed yourself to be vulnerable and to say from the point of view of the child that you once were how it felt to have been left by your father.
S: Yeah, it was strange, I mean it was as if my father were really there and I felt just like a little girl again. He was comforting me and telling me that he loved me and that he was sorry for having left me.
T: You were telling YOURSELF the words that you need and want to hear from HIM.
S: Yeah, I guess so.
T: Have you ever spoken honestly to your father, from the heart about the hurt that you still have surrounding what happened to you as a child.
S: He knows.
T: How? I mean have you talked about it?
S: Well, not exactly but I think he knows.
T: Maybe he has a general idea but to have a real conversation with him about your feelings and the hurt that still lives in you about that is crucial if you ever want to develope a close relationship.
S: But why, it's all in the past anyway.
T: It may have happened in the past but it's still very much a part of your present. Skye, those feelings of abandonment and distrust are touching and affecting your present day relationships. As long as you keep all of this unresolved with your father you will continue to have problems with your relationships especially with men.
S: But I just don't see how talking to him about all of this is going to help.
T: It will because you still don't have closeure. You need to let your father know that you WERE lonely, that you WERE hurt, that you DO feel anger at him for having abandoned you. You need to know that he hears you and understands; you need to give him the chance to tell you he's sorry and then, Skye, and then you need to forgive him.
Skye looks very pensive as she takes in the words of her therapist and wonders if perhaps this was indeed just what she needed to do. Deep inside she knows what the answer is and what she needs to do.

Skye and her mother Rae are visiting. They are alone in Skye and A.J.'s hotel room suite.

R: How are things going between you and Jax?
Feigning innocence
S: What do you mean? There's nothing between me and Jax.
R: Oh, c'mon, Skye, I know that when we spoke around the holidays that you were trying to get him to notice you.
With an exasperated sigh
S: Well, he's noticed me alright.
R: what do you mean? Exactly what's been going on?
Skye dramatically throws her head back against the sofa and lets out a deep breath.
S: Oh, that man is driving me crazy!
R: Well just what is he doing?
As if accusing Jax of a great sin
S: He kissed me!
Rae smiles at her daughter and looks at her as if waiting for more detail.
R: And?
S: And I liked it okay! I liked it alot.
R: Well, then why do you seem like he gave you kooties instead of a kiss that you say you liked?
In a whinning tone
S: I don't know.
R: Skye!
S: Well, I "don't" know. I waited so long for that kiss and when it finally happened I....I felt panicked! I felt like I was just losing myself.
R: What do you mean losing yourself?
S: I don't know, I just don't want to lose control. I don't want to be emotionally dependent. I don't want to be in-love, I want to be in charge! Oh, I'm just so confused!
R: Whoa! Slow down, Skye. Take a deep breath.
S: But that's just it, I can't slow down or be calm, not when it comes to Jax. Oh, why did he ever have to come into my life anyway! I was perfectly fine before Jax!
R: You've really got it bad don't you?
Skye looks at her mother with pleading eyes
S: Well, you're supposed to be the expert, so what do I do?
R: Honey, first you have to figure out what it is that you want.
S: I want Jax! No! I mean.... oh, I don't know what I want anymore!
R: Skye, let's just say for the sake of arguement that you "do" want Jax. What is it about him that you want, that attracts you to him?
S: Are you kidding?
Skye continues on in a dreamy tone with a far off look in her eyes.
S: You mean aside from the fact that he's absolutely gorgeous and that he's built like some sort of a greek-god? He's got this cute little way that he turns his mouth when he smiles and his chest ...
R: Okay, got the picture here! He's a stallion! Now, aside from the physical, what else about him do you like?
S: He's all power. Nobody had better mess with Jasper Jax, not if they know what's good for them.
R: So he can take care of himself.
S: Yes, but it's more than that. I mean he's not like a Sonny Corinthos type where you're afraid that he's going to get his goons to break your legs if you don't do what he wants but Jax is more subtle than that. Like with Grandfather when he wanted to have me and A.J. tossed in jail and Jax had something on him and he didn't have to get tough about it the way that Sonny would. No, Jax has power but it comes with class, with charm and I like that.
R: Okay, so the guy is hansome beyond belief, he's rich, powerful and charming but you're not sure you want him, do I have this straight?
S: Yes.
Rae rolls her eyes and whacks Skye with a sofa pillow
S: Hey!
R: Well, you need to have some sense knocked into you, Skye!
S: Fine therapist you turned out to be!
Laughing
R: Oh, Skye, "what" am I going to do with you?
Skye flops her head against Rae's shoulder
R: All kidding aside, why are you afraid that if you let yourself get involved with Jax that that has to mean losing control?
S: Because what if I become weak?
R: Why would you become weak?
Tears well up in her eyes and her voice begins to break
S: I don't want him to know that I can be weak or feel so scared and unsure inside.
R: Honey, we all feel that way sometimes but if we're in a relationship with someone who cares about us then they understand that. Nobody is strong and secure one hundred percent of the time. That's why we all need someone to love who loves us back, in order to have that safe place where we can be vulnerable and show when we hurt. Why are you so afraid to trust that Jax can be that for you?
Still crying
S: I just don't believe that anybody can be that for me.
R: Baby, you've gotta trust somebody sometime because if you don't you'll always be alone; just you and your fears trying to keep anybody from ever getting close enough to see the real you.
Rae wraps her arms tightly around Skye as Skye lets out her cries
S: But I'm so scared, I don't want to get hurt again!
R: I know, honey, I know. I can't promise you that if you let yourself get into a relationship that you'll never get hurt again but I know that if you don't at least try that you'll end up very lonely.
S: What should I do?
R: I think that you should start off by talking to Jax. You need to have an honest conversation with him about how you feel, about why you're afraid to start a real relationship with him.
S: Sounds pretty scary.
R: You can do it, Skye.
S: Well, I guess I don't really have much of a choice. What I've been doing up to this point hasn't gotten me anywhere.

Next scene opens with Skye pacing back and forth in her suite. She has called Jax telling him that she needs to talk to him and she is nervously waiting for him. Door-bell rings and Skye practically jumps out of her skin. She opens the door and Jax is standing there.

J: You wanted to see me?
Nervously
S: Yes, come in, Jax.
Jax with a grin on his face
J: What's this about?
S: Us.
J: Us?
S: Yes, us. That is the us that there might be.
J: Skye, what are you talking about?
S: Jax, how do you feel about me?
Jax eyes Skye suspiciously
S: The other day when you kissed me if I hadn't stopped you ....Jax, I know what I want from you but I want to know what you want from me.
J: What I want from you? Skye, you are the single most confusing woman that I've ever met. You say that you know what it is that you want from me and if that's true then I wish you'd be gracious enough to let me in on it because....
In mid sentence Skye puts her hands on Jax's face and presses her lips to his. Though taken by complete surprise, Jax responds to the kiss. Their kiss is long and passionate. When it finally ends Jax speaks
J: I thought you didn't want this.
S: I did, Jax but I was just afraid before.
J: And now you're not?
S: No, I still am but now I'm willing to at least tell you why I'm afraid.
J: Alright.
S: Jax, I'm just afraid of being hurt.
J: Do you think that you're the only one with that fear?
S: You? Afraid? But why?
J: Skye, so far you have done nothing but tell me lie after lie to try and manupulate me into getting me to do what you want. Don't you think that that might cause me at the very least some apprehension about letting myself get involved with you?
S: I guess I never thought about "you" being scared.
With a smile
J: Well, think about, Skye. The idea of getting involved with you can be very scary.
S: Gee, I can go all day with a compliment like that. Better not get to close to me, Jax, I might give you nightmares.
J: All I'm saying is that you haven't got the market covered when it comes to fears about being in a reationship. There are risks for both of us. I can tell you this though, I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, Skye.
Skye stares at him dreamily.
J: Well, where do you want to take this?
S: Jax, just shut-up and kiss me.
Jax obliges.

Misadventures with Aunt Mamie
Intro...
Edward Quartermaine has an older sister. She is 80 year old Mamie (picture Granny Clampet here). Old Aunt Mamie has never married but she's raised tons of kids for distant relatives back in Mississippi where she moved to back when she was about 21. When Allan was just a boy he used to spend summers with his Aunt Mamie and couldn't stand it because she'd have him up at 4:30 in the morning to milk cows, feed the chickens, slop the pigs, etc. Aunt Mamie was tough and no nonsense. The Quartermaines haven't seen Aunt Mamie for decades but the scene opens with Edward just hanging up from a phone call and looking distressed and rather annoyed.

A. What is it, Father?
E. Allan, I just got off the phone with Mississippi. Your Aunt Mamie's farm has been forclosed on and she and needs a place to stay.
A. Aunt Mamie? Is she still alive? Why, I thought she had one foot in the grave when I was a boy and used to have to make those dreadful summer visits to her.
E. Well, you're right, she "should" be 6 feet under by now but she refuses to die and now she's coming to stay with us.
A. With us? Why with us? Shouldn't she be going to a more appropriate setting like a nursing home?
E. Allan, if you remember your aunt at all then you should remember how stubborn and unreasonable she can be. The person that I just got off the phone with was Phillip Dayton, he's with Social Services and apparently your aunt assaulted a police officer when they tried to have her admitted into the Happy Golden Days Home for the Aged. The officer didn't arrest her because of her age but Mr. Dayton says that if someone from the family can't take her in then they'll have to take her by force and you know how ugly that will turn.
A: Yes, but Father how can we take care of her?
E: I'm not sure but we'll have to figure it out because she'll be here the day after tomorrow.
Allan looks at Edward with dropped jaw.
2 days later Aunt Mamie arrives. She is an 80 year old, tough as nails, hard of hearing, half senile old lady. Aunt Mamie looks fragile but she is anything but. She learned boxing in her youth and still remembers all the moves. She is used to being the boss and in charge; no back talk to Aunt Mamie unless you want to feel the back of her hand. Aunt Mamie views anyone under the age of 65 as a youngster and when she meets Skye she will be under the perpetual notion that skye is about 15 years old.
Edward, Allan & Monica, AJ and Skye are all waiting around for the arrival of Aunt Mamie. AJ is looking out the window and announces:
AJ: She's here.
Edward goes to open the door. Mamie is standing outside the door and he goes to hug her.
E: Mamie, how are you? Great to see you, you look wonderful.
M: You're smothering me! She yells as she pushes her brother away.
A: Hello, Aunt Mamie. Remember me? I'm your nephew Allan.
M: Oh, yes, the lazy one. Always wanted to sleep in 'til 5 in the morning. Well, I hope you've outgrown that! Sleeping half the morning away!
Allan tries to ignore the comments and goes on talking.
A: Well, yes Aunt Mamie, I'd like you to meet the rest of the family. This is my wife, Monica (Monica nods her head at her), my son, AJ.
AJ: Hi, Aunt Mamie.
A: And my daughter, Skye.
Skye gives Aunt Mamie an obligatory smile.
S: It's really nice to meet you Aunt Mamie.
Then to Allen:
S: Dad, I have a date that I need to get ready for.
A: Yes, certainly, go ahead, Skye.
Aunt Mamie being hard of hearing did not hear any of this and when she sees Skye walking out of the room she says:
M: Hold on there, Missy, where do you think you're going?
S: Aunt Mamie, I'm going on a date.
Aunt Mamie looks shocked. She turns to Allan.
M: You let this youngen date? At her age?
A: Aunt mamie, Skye's over 21.
Aunt Mamie miss hears what Allen said.
M: Oh, so she's only having fun!
Turning to Skye:
M: Who's going to chaperone you and your fella, Missy?
Skye rolls her eyes and looks incredulously at Allan.
S: Dad, well you....
A: Aah, Aunt Mamie, Skye will be fine. AJ, why don't you help your aunt with her bags. Aunt Mamie, AJ's going to show you to your room.
Aunt Mamie shakes her finger at Skye.
M: I'm going to be keeping my eye on you, Missy.
Two weeks later...
AJ and Skye talking to Allan.
S: Dad, you have got to do something about that old woman! She's half out of her mind; she handed me a list of "chores" that she says she expects me to get done. And if she calls me "Missy" one more time.....
AJ: You? What about me? She came in my room at four this morning asking if I planned to sleep all day.
Both Skye and A.J. are now talking at the same time giving complaint after complaint about Aunt Mamie. Aunt Mamie enters the room.
M: Oh, there the 2 of you are, I was lookin' all over for you. This house is just too big.
A: Aunt Mamie, we need to talk.
M: I haven't got anytime to talk and neither do these two.
Aunt Mamie gestures toward Skye and A.J.
M: C'mon you two you've got your chores to finish up.
A: Aunt Mamie, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You see there's no need for Skye or A.J. to have any chores because we have servants that take care of things like that so you see...
get's cut off by Aunt Mamie.
M: Servants?! Servants, did you say?! Why that's what's got these 2 so soft and lazy and spoiled too! You don't need all those servants when you've got to perfectly healthy kids that can do most of that work.
Aunt Mamie squints her eyes and focuses her attention on Allan.
M: What chores do you do around here, Junior?
Just then Allan's pager goes off.
A: I'd love to stay and discuss it with you, Aunt Mamie but I've got an emergency at the hospital, um, Skye, A.J. you listen to your Aunt Mamie!
Allan beats it out of there to save his own hide, sacrificing Skye and A.J. to drill seargent Aunt Mamie.
AJ: Dad!
Skye: Dad! Dad, come back!
Aunt Mamie to A.J.
M: Here's a grocery list, Boy, I need you to fetch a few things from the store for me today.
A.J. grabs the list and runs out of the room.
M: You, Missy, are spending the moring cleaning out that oven.
S: Listen here, Aunt Mamie, I am NOT cleaning out any ovens or scrubbing any floors or doing any of those other chores on your precious list.
Aunt Mamie glares at Skye through her squinting eyes. Skye's stomach starts to go in knots.
M: You're not to big for me to take a switch to, Missy!
Skye gulps down a breath of air and is speechless for a minute.
S: Well, I guess a little housework never hurt anybody.
Skye rushes out of the room.

Untitled Scene
Skye is back at the hotel because she has been told by her father that she is no longer welcome to live in his home. She is cradling a bottle of wine to her chest debating on whether or not to allow the liquid inside to soothe her. She just doesn't know what to do with her feelings. She had really wanted to believe that her father loved her and wanted her but after what he said to her today she felt betrayed, discarded and not valued by him at all. When Alan Quartermaine looked at his daughter and told her that he wanted her to move out of his home Skye felt a cold panick rush through her veins. She couldn't even understand it herself; afterall, she was a grown woman with her own money and fully capable of living by herself and taking care of herself but somehow to have been accepted into her father's house, to be under his roof, dysfunctional as it was, made her feel some kind of connection. It was something that she'd searched and yearned for since she was a little girl. But now the hope that she had harbored of knowing that she was loved, accepted and understood was brutally taken from her. It was taken by the one who she needed it from.
As Skye thought about everything she allowed herself to cry. Her shoulders shook with her heavy sobs. She couldn't contain her pain and the hurt just corsed through her body against her will. She felt so out of control. She needed help, she needed someone to hold her and say that she mattered and that they loved her. Holding the wine bottle ever more tightly against her chest Skye cried out.
S: Daddy, Daddy, why did you hurt me!
Skye slowly opened the wine bottle. If she could only think clearly but all she could do was feel the pain and all she wanted, all she needed was relief. She slowly and delibertly swallowed the wine. She took in the liquid comfort. She did not stop until the bottle was empty of it's contents. It did the job. Skye was now numb to her pain. She fell into a deep, hard sleep.

Edward Quartermaine lay in his hospital bed unconscious as his son, daughter-in-law and grandson watched over him.
A: Somebody should call Skye
M: Why?
A: Well, Monica, because despite everything this "is" her grandfather.Now, I don't know, she may decide that she doesn't want to be here but I think that we should at least give her that choice.
AJ: I'll go and see if I can reach her at the hotel.
A.J. gets connected to Skye's room. The ringing phone wakes her out of sleep.
S: Hello?
AJ: Skye? Skye is that you?
S: Who's this?
AJ: It's me, A.J. Skye, you sound kind of funny are you alright?
S: What is it A.J.?
AJ: I was calling to tell you that grandfather's in the hospital. They're not sure if he's going to make it and the family thought you should know.
S: Is he in any pain?
AJ: No, no he's unconscious.
S: Damn.
AJ: Skye, I wouldn't blame you if you don't want to come.

Back in Edward's hospital room Alan and Monica are talking when A.J. enters.
A: Well, did you reach Skye?
AJ: Yeah.
A: And?
AJ: Well, I really don't think she's coming.

Back at Skye's hotel room she is slowly coming back to life after A.J.'s call. Her head is splitting and anger washes over her as she starts to remember why she gave in to the temptation of the wine last night. Fueled by anger Skye gets dressed and ready to pay her grandfather a visit. When Skye reaches the hospital and enters her grandfathers room she sees him there alone. She stares down at him looking so lifeless in his unconscious state.

S: I hope you die, Grandfather but before you do I want you to "suffer!" Alan walks in to hear Skye yelling at the helpless old man. With clenched jaw Skye speaks each word slowly and becomes louder with each one until she is shouting.
S: I...."Hate".....YOU!!!
She begins to pound on the old man's chest. Alan rushes up to stop her. He grabs her arms and pushes her away from his father.
A: Stop!
Skye is startled still but only for an instant. Her breathing is heavy like a boxer in the ring fighing for his life. She can't hold in her fury, she's pregnant with rage and can't help but unleashing it in full force.
S: I want him dead! I hate him and I hate you too!
A: Skye, stop this at once!
S: No! You're going to listen to me! Do you have any idea what you and this old man have done to me?! Do you know what it's like to feel like nothing? I was the little girl that everyone abandoned, that nobody wanted!
Pointing to Edward.
S: That old man sold me, Dad! "SOLD" me, his own flesh and blood! I was raised by an alcholic that would rather hold a bottle than to hold a lonely little girl! Do you think that those kind of scars just go away?
A: Skye, I'm so sorry....
S: No! No, you're not! You knew about me, why, why didn't you ever try to find me; to see if your little girl was alright, was being treated well?
With tears rushing down Skye's face she quietly looks up at him and in barely a whisper she asks:
S: Why didn't you love me, Dad?
Alan is filled with pain watching his daughter in such agony. He wishes he could reach back in time and do it all over again. With his whole being he wants to stop her suffering, he wants to help her. Alan grabs Skye.
A: Skye, listen to me.
Skye tries to pull away but his grip is firm and he's determined not to let her go.
A: No, don't try and run away because now it's your turn to listen to me. Skye, there is nothing that I can do to change the mistakes that I've made in the past. You have every reason to hate me, you have every reason to hate your grandfather. We have both let you down. Skye, I made the wrong choice and I never had the guts to try and go back and make the right choice. I was afraid. I thought that if I could just live and act as if you never existed that that would make everything alright. But, Skye, I was wrong, I was dead wrong and I made you suffer all the more for it. I am so sorry for what we did to you, Skye; for what "I" did to you. I know that I have no right to ask this of you but I'm asking anyway, Please forgive me. Forgive me for having been a coward, for hiding, for denying you with my silence all of these years. You're right, Skye when you say that I never loved you; not because I didn't feel a love for you in my heart all of these years even though I never knew you but because I never put that love into action and to feel it but do nothing about it is the same as not having loved you. But I want to show you that love now, Skye.

Skye tries to pull away again.
S: It's too late for all that now.
Alan hugs Skye tighty.
A: No, it's not too late and as long as there is breathe in me I am going to spend the rest of my life proving that to you. My love is here for you "NOW" Skye. I know it wasn't in the past but I can't go back to the past, believe me if I could I would. I'm here now, Skye, you're daddy's here now and I love you.
Skye stops resisting and allows herself to fall into her fathers arms. Alan's shirt is soaked with her tears and he's happy for those tears because he knows that with them his daughter is giving him a precious gift; a second chance to be a father.

Untitled FanFiction
Chapter 1
The Quartermaines have just been informed that Edward is in the hospital. Skye is stunned. Fear, guilt and anger wash over her all at once. She can still taste the bitter words that she spoke to her grandfather when she last saw him and the sting from his verbal assault on her is still fresh on her mind. They all automatically start for the door to leave for the hospital. Alan stops in front of Skye.
A: Where do you think you're going?
Skye looks puzzled.
S: To the hospital of course.
A: No! Why would my father want you around him when it was you who put him in the condition that he's in now. The nurse that called said that she'd gone to visit him and when she was leaving you appeared and started a fight with him. So help me, Skye, if my father dies....
Skye interrupts him.
S: I was defending myself! You have no idea the cruel and vicious things that he was saying to me!
A: So you fought back with him! Knowing about his heart and you still continued to pick and fight at him!
S: You can't blame me! What about all the times that you've fought with him? If he'd had a heart-attack any of those times would that be "your" fault?
A: Yes, yes, it would, Skye! But this didn't happen to him when he was fighting with anyone else did it? It happened when "you" were fighting with him!
Skye begins to tremble with anger and fear. Anger that she is being blamed for somehting that wasn't her fault and fear that perhaps it "was" her fault after-all. She can't believe all the anger and blame being directed completely at her.
S: What about Grandfather? Doesn't he share in any of the responsibility? It takes 2 to fight.
A: I can't believe you, Skye. My father is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life and all you want to do is blame him for what you think is "his" part in the matter? If anything happens to him I blame you!

It's just too much for Skye to deal with. Even though a part of her knows that it wasn't her fault, the fact was that her grandfather COULD die and the heart attack happened after they had fought. Skye was scared and at the same time furious with the old man. It seemed to Skye as if she were only defending herself against his cruelty toward her and now because he'd had a heart-attack nothing wrong that he had done to her first would ever matter; only that he'd had a heat-attack after they fought.. This wasn't fair! Skye thought. He hurt me first! but that just did not matter now, at least not to her father. Skye knew that there was nothing that she could say to him to make him understand her side. She felt so confused and all she wanted to do was get away from all the hate that seemed to be coming at her from her father. Almost an hour later Skye was back in her hotel room. Her hand shook as she dialed the numbers into the phone. She heard her mother's voice on the other end.
R: Hello, Rae Cummings. Hello, is anyone there?
Rae heard a barely audible voice.
Skye's voice was mixed with tears as she tried to speak. S: Mom?
Rae wasn't even sure that it was her daughter because the voice on the other end almost sounded like a little girl.
R: Skye, is that you?
In a stronger and more desperate tone
S: Mom, I NEED you!
R: Skye, what's wrong!
S: Please come, Mom!
Rae tried to keep her voice calm for her daughter's sake but she felt Skye's urgency and as her mother, felt a sense of panick.
R: Skye, listen to me, honey, I will take the next plane out but talk to me, sweetie, can you tell me what's wrong?
Skye burst into heavy sobs.
Rae was really worried; afraid that her daughter was hurt or in some kind of danger.
R: Honey, Please try and talk to me. Are you hurt?
S: No, not in the way you think. Mom, please just come, I can hang on 'til you get here.
R: Alright, Skye, I'm leaving right now.
When Rae walks into her daughter's hotel room Skye's face is puffy and her eyes bloodshot. Skye is sitting on the sofa and next to her sits a bottle of wine.
R: Oh, Skye no, you havent' been....
Skye interrupts Rae and in a slow and depressed tone she says, S: No, not tonight. I was going to but decided to wait for you instead.
R: Skye, what's got you so upset?
S: My father despises me.
R: What are you talking about? Your father does NOT despise you, Skye.
S: Yes, he does. Did you know that Grandfather was in the hospital and that Dad blames me?
R: Edward's in the hospital? Why what happend?
S: We got into an arguement and when I left he was fine but appartently afterward he had a heart-attack and Daddy thinks it was caused by our fight so he blames me.
R: Oh, that ridiculous, Skye. That wasn't your fault. If his heart was as bad as all that then anything could have triggered it.
S: Yes, but not just anything "did" trigger it, it was me, it was that fight.
R: What were you fighting about?
Skye's eyes well up as she remembers her grandfather's cruel words. Rae looks at her daughter seeing her obvious hurt at the thought of the encounter with Edward. In a gentle voice Rae says,
R: C'mon, Skye, you can tell me.
Skye's air was now coming in and out in quick and short breaths as it would in a child that's been crying too long.
S: Well, I said some bad things too.
Rae moves in closer to Skye on the sofa until she is right next to her. She puts her arm around her and Skye instantly rests her head against her mother's shoulder. Still in her gentle voice Rae says,
R: I wanna hear what he said to you, Skye.
Skye allows her tears to flow, this is the first time in her life that she's been held and comforted like this by her mother and she feels safe in her arms.
S: He told me that I was always a mistake. He said that I was a mistake from the begining and that I was still a mistake. Rae's cheeks feel hot with anger. She squeezes Skye tightly against her then loosens her grip and lifts Skye's chin up to face her.
R: Skye, you listen to me and you listen good. YOU ARE "NOT!" A MISTAKE. You are MY child, You are your FATHER'S Child and you "ARE" supposed to be here.
Skye is still crying
S: But where do I belong? I don't feel like I fit anywhere or with anyone!
R: Oh, Skye, You "do" belong sweetheart.
Rae puts her hand over her heart
R: You belong right here and that's where you're gonna stay. I'm sorry that your grandfather said such an awful thing to you but you must never believe that because it's absolutly not true.
S: What about, Dad?
A: Well, I plan on having some words with him myself. Honey, he's just upset because he's worried about his father. People say things that they don't mean when they're really upset.
S: And sometimes they say things that they "do" mean.
R: Hey, I'm your mom and I want you to listen to me. I'm tellin' you that you're no mistake. You got that, kiddo?
Skye looks up and smiles at Rae
S: I got it.

The next day Rae goes to see Alan. Alan walks into the room where he's been told that Rae is waiting to speak with him.
A: Hello, Rae.
R: Don't you "hello, Rae" me Alan Quartermaine.
A: I see you've been talking to Skye.
R: Alan, how could you have blamed her for your father's heart-attack?
A: How could I have blamed her? Well, let's see, since she's been around she's managed to get ELQ away from my father, almost got away with having him think that he had cheated on my mother and then to top things off she picks a fight with him which was a direct result of his heart-attack. Take your pick, Rae.
R: Alan, that heart-attack was not her fault and you know it. He could have been arguing with anyone and had that attack, it was just Skye's bad luck that it happend when it did so that you could put it all on her.
A: Rae, I'm blaming Skye because Skye is to blame!
R: No, Skye is NOT to blame! What if Edward had been arguing with you or Monica or even Lila? What if he'd had that argument with Skye and not had the heart-attack but later had been arguing with a bell-boy at the hotel and "then" had the attack? Don't you see, Alan, it could have happened at anytime with any person, it just happened to be Skye. He had a heart-attack because he has a heart condition not because of Skye!
A: I guess that's true. It "could" just as easily have been me that he was arguing with, Heaven knows we do enough of it.
Rae breathes a deep sigh of grateful relief like a teacher who has finally gotten through to her worst student.
R: Thank goodness! And now you have really got to speak with Skye because she really believe that you just hate her.
A: I must admit that's the way that I was coming across when I first heard about Father.
R: Well, you've gotta fix that, Alan. Skye can't take anymore rejections. Do you know that she was this close to taking a drink last night because she blamed herself?
Alan shuts his eyes and shakes his head.
A: I ought to be ashamed of myself for how I treated Skye and what I said to her. Why do I keep doing this Rae? Why do I just seem to have a talent for driving all of my children away?
Rae looks at him with compassion.
R: You haven't lost Skye yet, Alan. There's still time to fix it. I think you both need to forgive each other because you both need each other. She loves you, Alan.
A: And I love her.

Back in Skye's hotel room.
A: Skye, I need to apologize for blaming you for Father's heart-attack. You were not to blame and I'm truly sorry that I made you feel as if you were.
Skye is still angry at her father and feeling very wari of him. She just looks at him and shows no signs of wanting to accept his apology.
R: Skye, did you hear what your father said?
S: I heard him.
A: Aren't you willing to forgive me?
S: Forgive you for what? For throwing me out of your house? For not listening to my side of things, for blaming me for Grandfather's heart-attack? For making me feel like less than nothing? Which one of those things exactly do you want forgiveness for?
A: Skye, I understand that your angry....
Skye lets out a loud laugh.
S: Do you honestly think that I'm wasting anymore energy being angry at you or Grandfather? You obviously don't want me in your lives and I'm through trying to fit in and get your approval. I'm not angry anymore, Dad. You have to care to be angry and I just don't anymore.
R: Skye, you know that isn't true.
S: Oh, it's true alright.
R: Why don't you let your dad know just how angry you really are with him, Skye?
Skye is trying really hard to stay cool and appear unaffected but her shell is starting to crack.
S: What! Well, you please stop saying that? I am not angry or hurt or anything else anymore because I don't care if I'm accepted or wanted or anything else anymore.
A: Skye, I "do" accept you and want you.
S: No! you only pretend to but when it really counts you're not there! When it really counts you abandon me!
Skye is getting close to tears and she doesn't want to cry in front of him; she doesn't want to need him. With a cracking voice:
S: Look, why don't you just leave okay? It really doesn't matter anyway. A: It matters, Skye, YOU matter.
Now the tears are falling and she can't hide them.
S: No, I don't, I never have and I just don't care anymore! Allan goes up to Skye and hugs her to his chest while Rae stands behind her and gently talks to her.
R: Skye, sweetie, we know that you "do" care. Say what you need Skye, tell me, tell Daddy.
Skye allows herself to sob hard.Her face is buried in her father's chest like a little girl seeking protection.
S: I need to hear you say that I matter, that I mean something to you!
Both Alan and Rae:
A: Skye you "do" matter, I love you.
R: Oh, sweetheart, you matter, you're my sweet and precious daughter and you absolutely matter.
A: We both love you very much.
Skye cries and cries tears of relief, slowly surrendering anger in every tear drop. She allows herself to be comforted in her fathers arms and lets herself take in love from them both. Rae and Alan continue to affirm their love for their daughter and visibly see her body relax as she accepts the messages that they repeat to her. This is the beginning of a family healing.

Chapter 2
Skye had felt such a sense of relief after she, Rae and Alan had had that emotional scene in her hotel room. Now, days later she just felt really confused. Skye didn't like allowing herself to be vulnerable with anyone and even though at the time she'd felt like that's what she had needed to do, now she was feeling almost embarassed to have been seen so emotionally out of control.
Skye hated feeling this way and it made her irritable. Rae had volunteered to stay in Port Charles for a while to be with her and Skye found herself acting resereved and even snappy with her. Rae took a room in the same hotel as Skye's to be close and of support to her daughter. The scene opens with Rae on the phone to Alan.

A: How is she? R: Well,
frankly, pretty moody. A: Is she telling you what's bothering her?
R: No, but I think I can figure it out.
A: Well, what do you think it is?
R: Alan, our daughter has so much that she keeps buried inside herself. What she showed us the other night, that was just scratching the surface. It really took alot of guts for her to have allowed us to see her like that and now she's just trying to take back some of the control that she feels like she's lost by having shown us that hurt part of herself.
A: I want to help her but I don't know what I'm supposed to do if she just wants to distance herself.
R: I think that we just have to allow her to come to us and to be available for her when she does.
A: Do you think that she will? Come to us I mean?
R: I think that if we just keep reminding her that we really want to be there for her and that we're not going to be scared off by her moodiness then yes, I do believe that she will come to us. She's feeling unsteady right now so we need to be solid enough for her to feel that she can lean on us if she needs to and that we won't let her fall.
A: I hope your right.

Since the encounter a few days ago with her parents Skye is feeling and remembering alot of things from when she was a little girl being raised by Althea. She used to be angry with Althea alot when she was little and now, though she couldn't understand why, she seemed to be transfering those angry feelings onto Rae.
A knock at the door and Skye goes to answer it. It's Rae. She and Skye had agreed to have morning coffee together. Skye opens the door and Rae enters.
R: Goodmorning, Sweetheart, how are you feeling today?
Skye answers pleasantly enough.
S: Oh, I'm fine. I've got the coffee ready.
R: Oh, great, I'm dying for a cup.
The two sit silently at the table having their brew. Skye breaks the silence.
S: This kind of reminds me of when I was little and I used to sit and drink coffee with Althea.
R: She'd allow you to drink coffee when you were a kid?
S: Well, I was about 11 and anyway it was just alittle coffee mixed in with alot of milk, didn't do me any harm.
R: Oh.
More Silence. Then:
R: Were you and Althea close when you were little?
Skye answers guardedly:
S: Sometimes.
R: Tell me about her, about you and her and your relationship.
S: Why? What does it matter now?
R: You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Skye.
S: Well, I don't and besides it's none of your business anyway.
Rae nods her head as if to agree that Skye is right. Skye lets out a deep breath.
S: Look, I'm sorry, it's just that I've been feeling so confused the past couple of days. First the fight with grandfather and then Dad blaming me for his heart-attack and then that whole thing with the 3 of us the other night. I don't know, I just don't normally have all these kind of feelings coming at me all at once.
R: I understand, Skye, it's alot to deal with. Skye feels some of the pressure off and alittle more in control.
S: I guess I don't mind talking about Althea alittle.
R: Okay.
S: Well, she just always seemed to be sick. At least that's what I used to think when I was really little and then as I got older I realized that she wasn't sick but drunk. I used to take care of her alot; you know clean up after her when she'd be passed out drunk and cover her with a blanket when she couldn't even make it to her bed. I used to do most of the shopping and cooking for us, stuff like that.
R: That must have been hard on you.
S: No, that was the easy part.
R: What was the "not" so easy part?
Skye looks deep in thought as if she is remembering something that she'd rather not. S: I never seemed to have any friends because I was afraid to have anyone meet her. I just didn't want to be embarassed by her you know?
Rae nods in sympathy.
S: Well, anyway when I was about 13 I'd made a few friends in school. I'd spent the weekend over at their homes and they were asking about when they could spend the weekend at mine. One weekend I knew that Althea was going out of town and the day before she was leaving I asked her if I could have a few of my frineds over just overnight. There was a neighbor lady, Mrs. Mcintosh who was going to being staying with me and Althea said that if Mrs. Mcintosh agreed that it would be alright. Well, everything was arranged and my freinds came over the next evening to spend the night. I just remember feeling so happy because I FINALLY had friends that I could spend time with and do normal things with like have a sleep-over...
Skye's expression starts to get tense.
S:Well, I should have known better. I should have realized that Althea wouldn't be able to allow me to just have friends and be like any other kid. No, she had to ruin it for me.
R: What happened, Skye?
Skye takes in a deep breath.
S: My friends had only been there for about an hour and we were laughing and having a good time. All of a sudden my bedroom door flys open and stumbling in, clearly drunk was Althea. She starts yelling, "who the hell said you could have freinds over?" I got up quick and went up to her to try and get her to leave my room. I yelled for Mrs. Mcintosh but Althea had sent her home. I just kept trying to get her to leave my room and my friends were just standing there with their mouths wide open. I felt so humiliated. My friend's ended up having to call their parents to have them pick them up. I was so angry with Althea and when everyone was gone I just started yelling at her, asking her why she hadn't stayed away.
R: Why "had" she come back?
S: Her flight had been delayed so she decided she'd have a drink while she waited and with Althea it's never just "one" drink. Anyway, she ended up missing her flight altogether and she was so drunk that someone just put her in a cab and she ended up back home. Anyway, I was shouting at her trying to make her understand how much she'd humiliated me in front of my friends but that was stupid because you can't "make" a drunk understand anything. I was so mad I just went into my room and went to bed...
Skye is trying really hard to keep her voice steady and her emotions under control as she continues to tell Rae about this awful memory.
S: The next thing I know I'm being pulled out of bed by my hair. Althea is screaming at me about not showing her any respect and who do I think I am to talk to her like I did and at the same time she's slapping and hitting me in the head and face and she hit me so hard that she actually knocked one of my teeth out. I was so dizzy from her hitting me in the head and all I remember is the mixture of tears and blood and shouting.
Rae feels horrified at the picture of her daughter being abused like this. She wants to save and protect that little girl from the past, she wants to make Althea stop brutalizing her daughter and feels so angry at her helplessness, at her inability to save the child that Skye was.
R: Skye, I am so, so sorry that I wasn't there to protect you.
Now it's Rae who is struggling to keep her emotional composure but it's a losing battle. Her throat is tight and now her eyes are filled with the tears of a mother powerless to help her child.
R: I'm so sorry, my baby.
Both mother and daughter are in tears now. Skye realizes how helpless her mother feels and she wants to protect her. Through her tears trying to be reassuring:
S: It's okay, Mom, I'm alright now. That was a long time ago.
Rae is touched that Skye should be trying to comfort and protect her and though the tears are still falling she feels a strength rise up in herself, a determination to be strong for her daughter. She doesn't want Skye to have to feel like she has to hold back her own feelings because of her.
S: Skye, I "am" sad and angry that that happened to you but you don't need to take care of "me." Right now I want to be here for "you." Rae can see Skye trying to keep herself from crying anymore.
R: Skye, don't try to hold back your feelings.
With Skye still sitting, Rae rises up and stands next to Skye lovingly stroking her back and in a soft voice:
R: It's okay to let it out, Skye.
Skye lets herself speak from the feelings of her former 13 year old self. With tears freely flowing:
S: Why didn't anybody protect me, why didn't anybody love me?
These words pierce through Rae's heart like a knife but she knows that Skye needs her strength and not her guilt right now. As she cradles Skye's head against her chest and strokes her hair she says:
R: You "should" have been protected and loved, Skye. What happened to you was wrong and you didn't deserve to have been treated that way.
In an almost child-like voice:
S: I didn't?
R: No, Skye, absolutely not. You deserved to have been safe and well taken care of and most of all loved.
Still crying:
S: I never felt like anybody loved me.
Rae takes Skye's face into her hands and looks at her daughter straight in the eyes:
R: Oh, Sweetheart, I am so sorry for that, but I want you to know without a doubt that I love you; I love you with all my heart, Skye.
S: I wish you would have been there for me, both you and Dad, I "needed" you!
R: I know, Skye, I know. Go ahead, you can tell me.
Skye looks down obviously trying to hold back from saying anything further.
R: Don't be afraid Skye, I'm not going to leave you, you can say what you need to say.
S: I'm so mad at you and Dad! I needed you, I needed you and you both left me!
Then in a very soft and barely audible voice:
S: Everybody always leaves me.
R: I'm sorry that we weren't there for you, Skye. I wish that we could all go back and do this from the begining, from the moment that you were born. I wish that I could have held you in my arms and never have let go. I wish that I could have been the one to have raised you and that you could have grown up knowing your father. I'm so sorry that I missed out on knowing and loving you. I don't know how good of a mother I would have been but I wish that I'd gotten the chance to find out. I missed out on all those years but Skye, I don't want us to miss anymore. I know that you're angry with me and angry with your father but we want to be here for you now as much as we possibly can be if you'll let us.

Skye does want to trust and believe that she can be loved but a part of her feels like she doesn't really deserve to be loved; like maybe there "was" something wrong with her that made parents abandon her or a mother drink or a grandfather call her a mistake. She felt so confused. When she listened to Rae's words she knew that they were sincere but at the same time she still felt vulnerable to possibly losing that love.

R: What are you thinking, Skye?
S: I don't know, I just feel so sad.
R: We'll get through it, Sweetie. We'll get through it together.
Skye hoped with all her heart that this was true.