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It had been one week since Spencer had revealed himself to Trina, and he had yet to hear from her. He wasn’t surprised, really. He had expected her anger and feelings of betrayal. He knew that it might be some time before she’d even want to set eyes on him again! It probably would be best if he just packed up and left town now. Leave Trina in peace. But then, he remembered the promise he had made not to leave without seeing her again. So he stayed. He even made contact with his grandmother, Aunt Lulu, and cousin Charlotte, letting them know of his survival. It had been a happy reunion, and his Aunt had given him great advice about Trina.
“Give her time to be angry and let her come to you. From what Mom says, you two had something really special. I don’t think she’ll give that up out of anger. Not with the love you two shared. But she needs to be angry, and she needs to work through it. She needs time for that. Give it to her,” Lulu had advised, her eyes full of empathy for her regretful nephew.
“And stop being stupid. You’re a Cassadine. We’re supposed to be smart,” Charlotte chimed in.
“I’m afraid the smart Cassadines are the women, though. But hey, that’s why Spencer is the lucky one. He has us to guide him down the right path. Which means, no more stalking,” Lulu gave her nephew a fond wink.
The right path. Spencer sighed, wondering what path that may be, because not seeing Trina, while in the same town, was driving him to distraction. At least, when he was stalking her, he had eyes on her. He could just bask in her beauty, her presence, even though she had no idea that he was even alive. But now that she knew and had banished him from her presence...it was wearing on him. Maybe he should go back to stalking her. Just follow her around, remaining out of sight...what harm could that do? She’d never know…
But he would. He’d know, and the guilt would eat at him. Plus, it’d be going against Trina’s wishes, and he just couldn’t do that. He’d give her the world if she asked, but all she had asked for from him was time and space. So that’s what he’ll give her and wait for any sign that she was ready to talk.
Entering Bobbie’s, Spencer’s eyes swept the room, almost hopeful to find Trina there, but unfortunately, she wasn’t. The restaurant was nearly empty now, the lunch rush now over with. He walked up to the counter, feeling hungry. Despite being in town for sometime, he still hasn’t had his usual. He cleared his throat as a young man who reminded him of Cam came from the back and began wiping down the counter.
“Excuse me, can you take my order?” Spencer caught the young man’s attention.
“Oh. Sure,” The young man grinned, pulling out his order pad and pencil. “My name is Gio. I will be taking your order. What will it be?”
“A BLT and an iced tea, please,” Spencer ordered. “I haven’t seen you before...are you new here?”
The young man known as Gio grinned. “Well, I’ve been in Port Charles for nearly two years now. But I’ve been working here at Bobbie's since the summer ended. I was a lifeguard at the Metrocourt, but that was just a summer job. I kind of like it here more, though. The customers tip better.”
Spencer chuckled. “I bet.”
“Let me go put in your order,” Gio grinned, heading back into the kitchen.
“Wow. I heard that your death had been greatly exaggerated. Happy to hear it,” a female voice spoke beside Spencer, who looked up in surprise, then turned to see a girl with long brunette hair and teasing brown eyes, who looked familiar.
It took a few seconds for him to recognize her, and he nearly lost his voice when he did, but he found his voice and his smile. “Emma Scorpio-Drake? What a surprise to see you here in Port Charles!”
“Well, I’ve been back for a couple of years, but it’s definitely a surprise to see you! Joss told me that you were back,” Emma laughed and went in for a hug that Spencer readily returned.
“Should I be worried?” Gio came out and stopped, shocked to find his girlfriend hugging his new customer as if he were an old friend.
Emma pulled out of the hug and laughed as she turned to her boyfriend. “Nothing to worry about at all! I’m just greeting a long, thought to be lost, friend! Gio, this is Spencer Cassadine, an old childhood friend of mine. Spencer, this is Gio Palmineri. He’s actually your cousin. He’s the love child of Brooklyn Quartermaine and Dante, which means he’s Sonny’s grandson. Sonny, who is your uncle.”
“Wait...Spencer Cassadine? As in Trina’s Spencer?” Gio stared, his eyes wide in shock. “Dude, everyone thinks you’re dead, especially Trina!”
“You know Trina?” Spencer stared in shock, something in his stomach sinking. He stared at Emma, hoping that she hadn’t shared any embarrassing stories with the love of his life. “What did you tell her?!”
“Yes, Trina’s a good friend of ours. Don’t worry. I didn’t tell her anything about you. Lucky for you, I had a bad case of foot in mouth syndrome, so I just didn’t bring you up, because I didn’t want to upset her any more than I already had.”
“What did you do?”
“It’s been so long ago, I don’t even remember. Mainly, it was just me giving Joss a hard time after what she had put Cam through. But now things are great, and Trina and I are pretty close,” Emma explained.
“Does Trina know that you’re alive? She was really grieving for you when we met,” Gio piped in.
“She knows now...even though...she’s kind of mad at me...and asked for space.”
It was at that moment that Trina entered Bobbie's with baby Taby in her arms. She froze in place at the sight of Spencer at the counter, talking to Emma and Gio. Spencer found himself also frozen in place at the sight of her. He frowned as he failed to read any hint of emotion in her eyes. It was like she was standing behind a brick wall, and there was no way to get to her.
“She definitely doesn’t look too happy to see you,” Emma arched a brow, causing Spencer to frown.
“Definitely not a good sign,” Gio agreed as he watched Trina finally make her way to the counter.
“Maybe I should take that order to go,” Spencer got to his feet, feeling that maybe sticking around would be a bad idea.
“I’ll go get that prepared for you then,” Gio nodded at Trina before disappearing into the kitchen.
“Am I interrupting something?” Trina asked as she reached the counter.
“No. Not at all. I was just introducing Spencer to here to his new cousin, Gio,” Emma explained reaching over to tickle the smiling Taby, whose smile seemed to be focused on Spencer. “Why hello, Tabyana. Aren’t you cute today! Look at that smile! It looks like she likes Spencer, here.”
Spencer couldn’t tear his eyes away from Trina, who was the very definition of pretty in pink in her pink mini dress with sheer sleeves, and her braided hair was pinned back so her lovely facial features were on full display. She was so pretty...it made Spencer’s heart beat ten times faster. He swallowed hard and smiled.
“Hi…”
Trina sighed, not smiling, but her eyes shone with something Spencer couldn’t read. “Hi.”
Their greeting. Something that was theirs alone and made Spencer feel a tiny spark of hope.
“It looks like Taby likes Spencer, here. Seems like he has a way with the Robinson girls,” Emma teased.
“She’s beautiful. Just like her sister,” Spencer couldn’t help himself.
Trina looked down as she felt her cheeks heat with a blush, like they always did when Spencer complimented her. He had always told her how beautiful she was, unlike Kai. She couldn’t remember him once complimenting her on her looks, as Spencer had throughout their relationship. She hadn’t realized just how much she had missed that until now.
“It’s another mic night at Charlie's tonight. You should come,” Trina met his eyes once again.
“Charlie's has a mic night? Since when?”
“Since it reopened. Trina and Gio are regular performers,” Emma answered, her eyes shining with pride. “You should hear Gio perform the violin, even though he prefers the guitar nowadays…”
“Emma’s right. You really should see Gio play the violin. He’s a prodigy. He doesn’t play it often, but he probably would for you,” Trina nodded, siding with Emma.
“Is that why you want me at Charlie's? To hear Gio play the violin?” Spencer blinked, not really getting it.
“What’s that about the violin?” Gio returned with Spencer’s order bagged and ready to go.
“We were telling Spencer that he should hear you perform the violin sometime. Maybe you can play during mic night,” Emma happily smiled, always happy whenever she could get her boyfriend to play the instrument he loved so much but had made it a habit to avoid.
Gio blushed and rolled his eyes. “Maybe someday...but not tonight. Besides, it’s Trina’s night to sing tonight. Now that is something he’d probably enjoy a lot more.”
Spencer’s smile grew. He had heard Trina sing before, at the Nurses Ball, right before they had been shipnapped by his crazy Uncle Victor. Trina’s singing voice was soulful and captivating, and he had been hoping to hear it again. “Well then, in that case, I’ll be there.”
Trina smiled for the first time, her brown eyes just as pretty on her as they were on her baby sister. “I’ll see you there then.”
“Count on it, pretty girl. Well, I better grab my meal and go. I’ll see you later,” Spencer smiled, his eyes never leaving Trina.
Trina simply nodded, not saying anything more. She bit back laughter as the smiling Spencer backed up and nearly fell over a chair, too busy looking at her than turning around to watch where he was going.
Emma did laugh, though, and waved. “Careful, Cassadine! Don’t want to miss her performance because you broke a leg falling over tables and chairs!”
Spencer just rolled his eyes at Emma and winked one last time at Trina before turning around and making his way out of the restaurant.
“So...are you two back together?” Gio asked, taking out a towel to begin wiping down the counter once again.
“Not yet...but soon,” was Trina’s answer as she turned her attention back to her friends. “After tonight...most likely.”
Emma smiled knowingly at her friend. “It never hurts to make him squirm, though.”
Trina smirked, happy that Emma was understanding her plan. “He deserves to after what he did. But...he’s my person.”
Reminded of the conversation she once had about her relationship with Gio, when it had been so new, Emma understood where her friend was coming from and placed a supportive hand on Trina’s arm. “I’m glad that he came back for you, Trina. You deserve to have your person, too.”
…..
Charlie's was packed by the time Spencer got there. He took in the crowded venue, admiring all the changes that had been made. The spot had come a long way from the dive that it used to be.
“Spencer? Daddy said that you were back!”
Spencer turned around to see a smiling Kristina who gave him a welcoming hug. “Cousin Kristina! It’s good to see you. You’ve done great things with the place.”
Kristina laughed as the hug came to an end. “Thank you! It’s been a journey from a firebombing to rebuilding, but finally, this place has come together the way I wanted it to. It’s a dream come true. We even have a weekly mic night. Hey, Trina’s singing tonight. I bet you’re here to see her, right?”
“Guilty as charged,” Spencer chuckled. “I’ve heard her sing before. I’m glad that there’s a place where she can make it a habit now. Trina’s such a passionate person. She gives her all to the things she loves, art and now singing…”
“Well, the girl definitely has a voice that matches her beauty. You’re a lucky young man. That is, if you two are back together...you are right? That Kai guy is off to DC, so she’s free…”
“Well...that remains to be seen. But hope rings eternal, right?”
“Of course,” Kristina smiled.
“Spencer! Over here!” Emma called out, waving him to a table where both she and Gio were settled.
“Well, you’re being summoned. We’ll talk soon. Have a great time and good luck with Trina,” Kristina gave him one last hug and headed back to taking customer orders.
“Hey, guys,” Spencer greeted as he headed for the table that Emma and Gio were occupying. “Is Trina here yet?”
“Backstage getting ready,” Emma grinned. “Gio’s joining her. He had agreed to play the violin for her number, so you’ll get to hear him play.”
Gio simply rolled his eyes. “It took some convincing, but the girls talked me into it.”
“Like you still hate playing the violin. It’s still your instrument. Plus, both of your grandfathers are looking forward to seeing you play your gift,” Emma nodded to where both Ned and Sonny were being greeted by Kristina.
Gio blushed and grabbed his violin case. “I...I'd better get up there and get ready. She’ll be out in a minute.”
Emma grabbed his arm and gave him a soft, encouraging smile. “Hey, you’re great. Remember how much you love this. This is your talent, not anyone else's. So no need to be nervous.”
“I love you,” Gio smiled, giving her a lingering kiss before pulling away and heading onto the stage.
“I take it there’s a story about Gio and his violin?” Spencer questioned.
“Long story about paternity and inheriting talent and identity and all of that. You probably know all about that with what you went through with Trina.”
“She told you about all of that?” Spencer arched a brow, surprised.
“Yes. Trina and I’ve become really close friends. We have so much in common. Like, both of our moms are badass doctors.”
Spencer chuckled, pleased. He loved it that Trina had found a good friend in Emma. Really, it didn’t surprise him. Everyone who wasn’t Esme, liked Trina. It was the Trina Robinson effect. “I’m glad. Trina deserves all the friendships that come her way.”
“Well, it’s impossible not to like her. She’s a great girl. Oh, here she comes. Be prepared to be blown away,” Emma turned her attention to the stage, where Trina came out wearing a familiar red dress. The dress she had worn that night in Paris, in that restaurant. The dress that Spencer remembered peeling off her as they made love for the last time on that long-ago night.
His breath was taken away by the sight of her, and he completely lost all sense of time and space as she began to sing, accompanied by the soft notes of Gio’s violin.
Lift me up
Hold me down
Keep me close
Safe and sound
Lift me up
Hold me down
Keep me close
Safe and sound
Lift me up
Hold me down
Keep me safe
Safe and sound
Burning in a hopeless dream
Hold me when you go to sleep
Keep me safe
We need light, we need love
Trina's eyes had held on to Spencer throughout the song, making it clear that she was singing directly to him, giving him the message that all was forgiven. That she loved, wanted, and needed him in her life. That they shared a connection that was still there and that they would never be so closely bonded to anyone else, no matter how much time had passed.
Applause rang out as the song came to an end. Spencer had silently got to his feet and headed for the stage, but all motion left as Trina was soon in his arms, and their lips met in a passionate kiss as they clung to each other, neither willing to ever let the other go ever again.
The kiss ended, and Trina buried her face against his chest, breathing him in, absorbing his presence and his love.
“Don’t ever leave or stay away from me again. Never again, Spencer. I love you so much, I needed you so much….please...I wouldn’t be able to stand it,” Trina sobbed, her tears of love and forgiveness soaking into his shirt.
“I love you too, Trina. I promise, wild horses won’t be able to keep me away, never again! I’m so sorry...I’m sorry...please forgive me,” Spencer sobbed tears of his own, his heart beating for this beautiful girl. He was fully and completely hers. There would never be anyone else!
“I forgive you...I love you,” Trina sobbed happy, relieved tears. All the heaviness of the past two...heck, nearly three years was gone. Now she swam in an ocean of light and happiness, held down and lifted up by the love that she and Spencer shared. A love that could never be copied or replaced.
Joss arrived and happily smiled to see the reunion that was being witnessed by the denizens of Charlie's. She joined a smiling Gio and Emma, who were just watching Spencer and Trina drown in the reunion, that had been a long time coming.
“Now that’s Sprina,” Joss sighed in happy relief.
“Sprina?” Gio arched a brow, amused.
“I get it. Spencer and Trina. Their names smushed,” Emma nodded and gave an adoring smile to her boyfriend. “Just like you and I are, Gemma.”
“Oh god,” Gio laughed, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend. “Girls.”
“You love us,” Emma smiled.
“I love you,” Gio sighed, pulling her into a kiss of their own.
Joss sighed, watching the love between her friends, and gave a sad smile. It had been a while since she had someone of her own. It had been a while since she had even felt like a solid part of her friend group. It made her sad, but she was still happy that her friends were held down and lifted up by the love that they shared. Perhaps someday, she’ll find that love of her own once again. But for now, seeing it take shape for her friends was enough.