If you watch General Hospital and like the Ethan Lovett character…..give this a shot.
If you don't watch General Hospital and you have no idea who Ethan Lovett is…..give this a shot.
I love the Ethan character on GH but I found they didn't have the right leading lady on the show that I wanted him to be paired with…..SO I created my own.
Everything belongs to General hospital creators EXCEPT for the character of Jade & her circumstances which are my own creation.
I started this awhile back and posted it on another site but since I have an account now here at ….I wanted to post this story over here.
I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 1
"I'm here"
"Punch in the password?"
"Come on, you know it's me- now just tell me what the next mission is Billy"
"I don't make the rules sunshine, either you punch in the code or all you're going to hear is a dial tone"
"Sometimes, I really hate you" was the last thing Billy heard before he started to hear a beeping sound. As the code was being verified by his buddy Dean at the adjacent desk from his own, Billy leaned back in his chair glancing to his right where he continued to watch the blinking red dot on his computer screen pacing back and forth on the docks of Port Charles.
Dean gave him a nod for the clear signal, while Billy swung his legs on his desk as he continued staring at the blinking red dot with a smile in place. He couldn't help it, with Jade on the line, his good spirits always returned. Clicking a button, he spoke into his headset.
"How's the fresh salt air treating you?"
"Oh, just fine, but I'm pretty sure your old bones wouldn't be able to take it. You really should think about retiring, hell I'll even book you a room in a retirement home in good ole sunny Florida. And if you're good I might just visit." Jade laughing replied into the phone.
"Oh really, and hear from Dean how you've made a muck of things and getting yourself in situations that only an expert can help you get out of." Billy retorted back as he took his legs off his desk, reached towards his bottom drawer and took out his favorite lighter.
"Just because I've been in a couple of binds here and there, and you've been the one to come and lend a helping hand, doesn't mean I can't run an efficient operation" Jade defensively replied back as her spine straightened, ready to go at with Billy over the phone. Even though she was the youngest on the team, hadn't meant she didn't pull her own weight around.
Billy noticing the blinking red dot halting still as he fiddled with the lighter, knew that Jade was ready to defend her skills and capabilities in another second or so, if he didn't diffuse this topic of conversation.
"Happy Birthday"
Jade was ready to go full steam ahead, but got the wind knocked out of her sails as she heard those two words spoken very gently into her ear. She didn't want to admit it, but it felt really good knowing that at least one person remembered this was the day she was born and graced the world with her presence.
Swallowing hard, Jade pushed back the emotions that were ready to spill out on the subject of her birthday. Blinking back the moistness in her eyes that she refused to believe were tears, Jade pulled up the collar to her leather jacket covering her vulnerable neck from the cool wind that was acting up around her.
Watching the wave's crash against the docks Jade cleared her throat before saying "Thank You Billy" and continued on with a deliberate carelessness to her voice "but you know birthdays don't really mean a thing to me"
"I know, but it's the big 21…you are legally allowed to do anything now." "On the plus side, we can stop faking your age on the ID now."
"Your always seeing the positive in things aren't you Billy, but this also means if I get caught by the lovely police for my con ways- its not juvenile detention, it's the real thing."
"Jade, you never let your feet leave the ground do you"
"Number one rule: Never leave your head in the clouds. That's what you told me when I joined the team Billy. Are you really going to hold it against me now that I live by it" Jade asked
Rolling his eyes at the blinking red dot that had once again resumed its pacing back and forth. He really hated it when Jade threw his own words against him. She was so young, it was a shame she didn't believe in dreams. He knew Jade preferred reality as her domain. She liked control. With dreams she thought it was a waste of time that was a useless activity.
Jade bit her bottom lip waiting to hear Billy's response. She knew he was going to go into emotional territory at this point, but she really couldn't take it right now. Instead, she decided a change of topic would be for the better.
"Since it's my…birthday Billy, why don't you wire a couple grand or so in my bank account or even better- send me a credit card with unlimited credit"
"I thought you didn't care it was your birthday"
"I don't, but I was hoping bringing it up would make you more generous in the funds department. I mean two hundred dollars is hardly enough."
"What's rule number two Jade?" Billy asked as he stared at the flame ignited by the lighter in his hands. There was something about a flame that always intrigued & entranced him.
Jade rolled her smoky grey eyes in annoyance. Billy going into teacher mode was definitely something she could do without right now. "I know the rules, they've been literally etched into my brain cause of you."
"Rule number two Jade" Billy simply repeated
Sighing, Jade turned around spying a bench a few paces behind her. Deciding to walk over and take a seat, Jade recalled from memory the second golden rule.
"Live, breathe, and Feel the con" Jade retorted back
"Exactly" Billy replied happily. He always did love when a pupil paid attention.
"I was an ace in drama"Jade commented.
"Acting and feeling the reality of your circumstances are two different things Jade"
"I Know that" Jade groaned into the phone, really getting sick of the superiority Billy held over her head about everything and all things related to running a con.
"Obviously you don't" Billy barked back, losing his patience. He adored Jade, but sometimes she could really be a pain in his ass. Taking a deep breath Billy once again posed a question to Jade.
"What part are you playing?"
Resolved to the fact that Billy was going to continue this path of conversation. Jade decided to answer short and sweet to move it along a little faster.
"A drifter"
"Right, and drifters have limited funds. They work for their keep until they get bored with what their doing and move on to the next town"
"I know the drill, I played the part before. Not just for pretend but for real"
Yes you have Billy thought. Guilt swamped him as it always did when he thought what Jade had gone through after her parents had died. She hadn't had an easy life and he would always regret not checking in on her once John and Veronica Malone were discovered dead in their hotel room during one their adventures.
His gaze settled upon the frame on his desk which held a picture of the old gang; John and Veronica stood right in the middle. Veronica with her blond sunny hair and her beautiful grey eyes looking up at John who with his shaggy jet black hair was laughing up a riot. Billy couldn't remember the joke but he sure did remember the good times. God rest their souls Billy thought as he closed his eyes for a second.
Pulling himself to together he cleared his throat and decided that memory lane needed to wait for the moment. He needed to give Jade the details of what she needed to do.
"Jade, listen to me carefully. You still have the package I gave you with the papers and passport and Fake ID right"
"Yup, I got it here in my bag, by the way- why is it that you have Taylor in place of Malone for my last name. I thought it was always wise to keep to the truth as much as possible- it is rule number three"
"True, but when we have a person who may know that name living in town, its best to deviate from that particular rule"
Instantly curious, Jade sat up straighter from her slouched position on the bench. "Who exactly would be interested in the Malone name"
"Right now the details aren't important. All you need to know is that you need to get over to the Haunted Star and find yourself a job there. The owner is s guy named Luke Spencer he's an interesting fellow…not your usual buttoned down business man"
"Okay, but you do realize that its 12:30 am, I'm pretty sure the place is closed"
"Wrong again my dear, it's a casino"
"Really" Jade replied excitedly
"Yes, but your not going to go there to gamble" Billy replied already knowing where Jade's thoughts were.
"Oh come on, it will be my first time setting foot in a casino where I can legally actually gamble"
"You've gambled before"
"Yeah, but this time, I'm legit…I'm twenty-one, I want to see if I'm still going to get the same thrill I did before. Knowing its illegal always added another thrill to things"
"Trust me, that wont change. Age is just a number. The thrill comes from knowing you just pulled one over the fellow beside you."
"True" Jade replied with a small smile on her face remembering the wallet she stole at the airport just before getting on the plane to come here. Airports are always the easiest place to grab a wallet, everyone's always in a rush with their mind wandering on the next thing to do. Of course, she knew flying could be an ordeal for some, that's why she took out the few couple of bills that were in the wallet and instead of throwing away the rest, decided to hand it over to the lost and found desk. She did have a heart, even though it was a slightly immoral one.
"Okay, fine. No gambling. I'll find this Luke guy and get employed by him."
"Good, now since it's late, I suggest you book yourself a cheap motel, but tomorrow you get over to Kelly's and ask for Mike. He rents out rooms that are above the diner, ask if he has a spare room, which he does."
"Okay, get a job at Haunted Star and rent a room at a diner named Kelly's…you going tell me anything else about this operation"
Your not going to like this, but for the moment that's all I have to give you"
"Billy!" Jade exclaimed. "You can't be serious, I've been a good sport about this up until now but you're leaving me on a raft with no oar here- you realize that right?"
"Look kiddo, that's all I have right now for you…once I know more I'll fill you in. Keep your cell phone close to you Jade. It'll let me know where you are at all times"
"I still haven't gotten use to the GPS you've installed in my cell phone…its kind of weird knowing you can track me down anytime you feel like it.
"Its for safety reasons, everyone has them" Billy explained
"I know, its just weird…I always thought me disappearing was my own special talent, now with this tracking device…you'll know my every move"
"Is that such a bad thing Jade"
Thinking it over Jade realized it wasn't so terrible. "No, I guess I can live with it, for now" Jade answered.
"Good, look I got Kevin on the other line, I need to go kiddo" Billy explained as Dean gave him the thumbs up for the clear signal.
"Okay, that's fine, I guess I'll be hearing from you" Jade stated as she stood up from the bench and walked leisurely over to the edge of the docks where the water from the ocean crashed against the wood to spill over on the surface in font of her. Jade could make out an Island from where she stood, but not so clearly since it was pitch black with only the moon for her consolation- no stars in sight.
"Yes I will, be safe, act smart, and don't blow your cover and get caught"
"I won't. My cover has never been blown and it's going to stay that way. Oh, and by the way…can you forward a message for me to Kevin on my behalf since you'll be speaking to him in the next few minutes"
"Yeah sure"
"Tell him, when he sees me again- he better run because he's going to get his sorry ass beat"
Letting out a tired sigh Billy asked "What did he do"
"Let's just say, I remembered something from our last mission together"
"And you don't like what you remembered"
"Not one inch" Jade declared as she recalled Kevin's tongue shoved inside her mouth.
"That's all I'm getting from you" Billy muttered
"Yup, unfortunately that's all I can disclose at the moment- I'm afraid if I told you any more, you might be tempted to compromise Kevin's position"
"That bad?" Billy asked
"Bad enough" Jade answered
"Well, I'm going to hang up now and try to get some answers from Kevin…you got me all curious" Billy proclaimed, Knowing Jade wouldn't utter one more word on the topic.
"Good Luck, but remember if the story he spins makes him look good, it isn't true. Kevin's a liar through and through"
"All cons are kiddo"
"Yeah, but he takes it to another level and by the way you can drop the kiddo, you know I hate it when you call me that" Jade said
"Talk to you later, kiddo" Billy replied with a smile she could hear in his voice.
"Later, grandpa" Jade said sarcastically into the phone.
"You really need to start getting better comebacks kiddo" Billy retorted with irritation laced in his voice as he disconnected the phone. Billy glanced one last time at the red blinking dot that was Jade before turning his full attention to his next waiting call.
Jade on the other hand laughed to herself quietly as she flipped her phone closed and slipped it into her bag. She knew Billy had gotten riled up with her grandpa remark, it never failed to hit its remark.
Billy was young at heart and any reference to his aging body usually annoyed him because he didn't like the fact that there was maybe another decade or so left in him.
He was the type of man who thought of himself indestructible, but when the knees start hurting and the sores and aches in the muscles take longer to heal- one usually has to face their mortality.
Jade brought up Billy's aging status jokingly every once in awhile, but she mostly did it to remind Billy that he needed to be more careful and that he needed to take it easy…let the others on the team take more risk and responsibility, but Billy was stubborn. He only took orders from himself and no one else.
Jade glanced down at her watch and saw that it was close to 1:00 am. She decided that the Haunted Star would have to wait. She was going to walk back a block where she had seen a blinking motel sign.
Jade grabbed her duffle bag that was deposited at the steps of the dock and was turning around as she knocked into a hard chest, which felt like a steel post.
What the hell Jade thought to herself in confusion as she got her balance back just as two strong arms gently eased her away from the warm and unfortunately for her strong muscular chest that her face had collided with a second ago.
"Sorry about that love, didn't see you there"
Jade grasped onto to the strangers forearms to steady herself as he held her from the waist. Looking up, she could hardly see much, but she definitely had heard an Austrian accent.
"You should really watch where you're going next time there Aussie" Jade hissed as she lifted her right hand to ease away the sting her nose was experiencing.
""Well next time, maybe you should wear bright neon colors while wandering in the dark little girl"
Jade dropped her hand from her own throbbing nose and looked up to the partly shadowed face hovering over her as she exclaimed "I am not a little girl"
"Well you do have a point, I mean You sure don't feel like one" she heard from the husky Aussie's voice just as his fingers grazed over her hip bone, exposed by her shirt that had ridden up slightly in the collision.
Jade was stunted by the strangers actions and wasn't quick with a response before the stranger decided to lean a little more closer and whispered in her ear "But you sure as hell act like one"
Livid from his ridiculous words and actions Jade pushed out of the strangers grasp and widened the gap between them. "You have no right to talk or touch me like that"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I was merely helping you catch your balance."
"Oh really" Jade sarcastically replied
"Seems to me someone has trust issues"
"I don't have trust issues, I do have a problems with perverted guys" Jade replied as an image of Kevin instantly came into her mind.
"Well lucky for you I'm a trustworthy guy with no perverted intentions"
Jade relied and trusted on her instincts. And from what she could pick up- he wasn't someone who wanted to cause her harm, but he also wasn't someone who was really trustworthy. And the fact she could only partly see his face annoyed her.
From what she could tell he had slightly longer hair then what other guys sported. His eyes were dark, she really couldn't tell the color. He was taller than her 5'6 frame. He seemed to have a long lean face with a strong jaw line and had an Austrian accent.
Jade had a weakness for accents, since she neither had the talent for picking them up and was horrible at imitations, she envied individuals who had the natural ability of sounding enchanting even when they were hurling insults in your face.
Surprised by the encounter and really not in the mood to talk any further, Jade decided to go.
"Look, I was just leaving, so if you can please get out of my way, I would be thankful" Jade said as she felt the jetlag starting to kick in. She grabbed her duffle back from where it had landed and looked up to see that Aussie had moved out of her path. At least he knew how to listen she thought.
Letting out a tired sigh she walked past him ready to leave, but was stopped when she heard the Aussie call out "Ethan Lovett"
Turning around she raised her arched eye brow questioningly.
"That's my name, I knew you were wondering"
Jade saw the smug smile placed on Ethan's face as he spoke to her.
"That's great, but I really don't care" Jade plainly stated. Turning to leave she was once again halted as Ethan asked "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
Without thinking she said "Strawberry shortcake"
"Strawberry your first name and Shortcake your last I'm presuming" Ethan stated with a smirk she could hear dripping off his voice.
"Yup. Now can I leave or are you going to continue to ask who is a complete stranger to you ridiculous questions, in the dark by the way"
"I like the dark, brings about intimacy between two individuals, especially on a night like this one with the moon shining to its full glory with no stars to distract"
"Okay, your babbling and I'm jetlagged so goodbye…hope I never run into you again- literally" Jade said as she turned around and walked off.
Strange dude, nice accent Jade thought to herself at the odd encounter.
Ethan Lovett stood at the spot where Shortcake had left him. He laughed quietly to himself allowing this surprise encounter ease out the tense muscles he had carried with him all day.
Those smoking grey eyes were definitely something. They pierced right through you. Captivating in fact. If luck was on his side, he would see Strawberry Shortcake real soon and if it wasn't he was pretty sure shortcake would be looking for him.
With satisfaction Ethan took at the freshly stolen wallet that he had just taken. Looking inside he was happy to see the two hundred dollars, but disappointed to find no identification. Seems like the name Strawberry Shortcake would have to do for now.
She was intriguing Ethan thought to himself.
With that final thought he turned around pushing the wallet into his jacket as he brought his hands up to drag down his tired face and started to walk the opposite direction of Shortcake.
