HARDY RESIDENCE
As Audrey prepared for for the day, she was looking for a way out of her trip this afternoon. Unfortunately she was the keynote speaker. Elizabeth told her that no matter what comes out today she wanted her to go. That with everyone around her, she felt like she would be fine. Audrey wasn't only worried about her granddaughter, she was worried about her potential grandson. She knew that Elizabeth would welcome Damian, if he was her brother, after all she had welcomed him into her home as only a close friend of Jason's.
She was awaiting Monica and Bobbie, they were bringing over the results from the lab. Bobbie had insisted on coming after Monica had told her about the conversation that was happening this morning. She had said they she owed it to Elizabeth to be there, that she wanted to be a support for her. The problem was that Audrey wasn't sure just how many people were coming, Jason had called to let her know that Luke needed to be there, and that Tracy would probably want to be there as well. Francis had decided that he was the only guard who would be inside the house. Max was going to be running the command center. Young Mr. Giambetti was going to be with the Lulu and the boys at Elizabeth's house.
She watched as the two women walked up and knocked. Too nervous to answer the door she asked Francis to to do it. He had already arrived very early this morning. As they entered Diane walked up, and entered as well. She had insisted on being here, Audrey liked that she had intimidated Jeff, more that the guards by the time she was finished with him the day before. As Monica handed Audrey the letter, the foursome stood quietly while she opened the lab report. Audrey released her held breath, Damian was Elizabeth's full brother. Annie and Jeff were his parents as well. She handed the results to Diane and then informed the others, "Yes he is Elizabeth's brother. Jeff is not to know until I want him to. He doesn't deserve to know until after Elizabeth does."
They quickly got rid of the letter as Luke arrived with Leo Julian and Tracy. Leo informed them he was only dropping the patient off, and then handed him and his nitroglycerin pills off to Monica. After trying to get himself a cup of coffee and getting smacked by his wife and threatened by the medical personnel in the group he settled for the juice and fruit that was offered, promising himself to make a quick trip to the kitchen there had to be some liquor here, even if it was just cooking sherry. When Elizabeth arrived with Jason and Damien, Audrey was surprised to see how calm she was, but when asked by Bobbie, Elizabeth said, that Helena isn't after me. I know it, there is something missing.
"What do you mean?" inquired Luke.
"Something is off with this, Luke, she doesn't leave calling card unless she is finished or wants to send you in the wrong direction. Why be so obvious, so early in the game, especially when she seems to be playing with someone other than you. Also why hasn't she tried to kill you yet? We are missing something."
The others in the room where afraid that what they were missing was what Jeff knew.
Finally the guest of honor arrived escorted by a few of the guards. When he arrived at his mother's house,he was surprised to see the crowd waiting for him. "I thought this was supposed to be just family, why are all these people here?"
"If it was just my family, they would be here, you wouldn't." was his daughters response.
Jeff stepped back at the venom in his daughters tone, leaning onto the door, he was started at the loud knock. He turned and opened it and in walked the laughing hyena and the blond owner of the hotel where he was staying.
"Carly what are you doing here? Jax take her away." Jason was furious, why the hell did Carly show up.
"Can't I have been having the staff monitor Dr. Webber's room, calls and packages. He received a few things today. Jason I don't think it is a coincidence that he worked in Russia and then the Ice Queen arrived. It's my children in danger, I won't back down. Besides we were invited, by Elizabeth."
"Jason, for once I think Carly's right. If my father has something to do with this, she has a right to know for Micheal and Morgans sake. She's not the only one, I called Alexis, as well, after we talked this morning, she should be arriving too. By the way Carly remember those notes, please let me deal with this, he's my father, it's my life so keep your opinions to yourself."
As they pulled chairs in from other rooms Alexis arrived, she was startled at the size of the crowd. Even more shocked to see Carly and Elizabeth in to corner talking with no blood shed, she just about passed out as they came over to greet her together. As she looked around she saw a man on the sofa, sitting by himself reading through some papers. So that was Elizabeth's father. He didn't look like a man who would callously abandon a child, but then Ric hadn't looked like a kidnapper.
"Alexis, how are you? I'm not going to pretend to be broken up about Ric, you would not believe it, but how are the girls taking it?" asked Carly.
"As well as can be expected, they are actually with Sonny right now. I didn't send Kristina to school, the thought of Helena scared me to death." she found herself shocked to be having a civilized word with the blond. She thanked Elizabeth for inviting her.
"Don't thank me, somehow my father is involved in this mess, I don't know how but we know that he is."
"He isn't what I expected, I thought he would be more like your grandfather, I guess."
"No, Jeff takes after my grandmother."
"He doesn't remind me of Audrey, either." said Carly as she looked around, she saw Jason and Jax talking in the corner, as her husband explained about the packages and the messages that had been left at the hotel for the doctor.
"No, Audrey is his stepmother. Grandpa Steve was married before."
As they started to settle down, Audrey asked Elizabeth if she was sure she wanted these people here. "Yes, if it gets too personal we can take that part to the kitchen with just Jason, Monica, dad, you and me."
"Lets get started Father. Where do we need to start Grams?"
"Let start with Sarah's birth, shall we Jeff, then continue on from there."
Jeff looked up at his daughter to see the hard look in her eyes, and realized that it was more than likely too late, all he could do is explain the best he could and hope that someday she would forgive him for the pain he had caused to their family and especially to her through his own arrogance and then later through his cowardice and stupidity.
"When I moved to Colorado and meet Carolyn, I had just ended another bad relationship. Monica, Diana, Heather they had all ended badly, so I was determined to raise Stephen and be a single father. After working at the lab for about six months I started to miss treating patients, but in order to move over to the other side of the hospital, I needed to get another research doctor to join me in the experiment I was running.
The only available candidate was Carolyn. So were started working together and then spending time after work together. She was a cold analytical person, but she was easy to deal with. She had no intention of ever falling in love, and I had no intention of ever letting anyone else in. So we rationally decided to have a child and we would basically exist in the same house. Things were fine, we decided we wanted a daughter, so we arranged for a colleague to help us with in vitro fertilization. We wanted to make sure we had a girl so being scientists we used the most efficient method to insure that.
When she was pregnant I started to see a different side, a less stable side to her. We signed a prenup agreement working everything out. Sarah was about six months when I had to go to Atlanta for two weeks. They were showing a new procedure using lasers to help cancer patients, while there I got involved with an old girlfriend. She and I would then meet a weekend a month, until I would finally leave Carolyn. I had been concerned about how my leaving would affect our project, so I stayed until we were ready to present it to the Medical Association. Then one night our project disappeared. Completely gone."
Francis knew the doctor was leaving out the type of project and since it was important to the story interrupted and informed everyone "The Drs. Webber were working on a project involving cryogenics."
Luke and the others stiffened and tensed realizing that this was how Helena was involved.
"I was angry and accused Carolyn of destroying the project because I was leaving her. She told me that when she had applied for the extra funds, the hospital hadn't come through so she had went to an outside source, someone she knew that would be interested in our project. She had turned to her godmother, at the time that was all I knew.
When I was in Port Charles with Stephen and Annie, she wanted to keep our relationship quiet until my divorce came through, so I supported her through her pregnancy as a friend, that was all she would allow. No one knew that her baby was mine. After she gave birth she started to have what I thought was postpartum depression. Unfortunately it wasn't.
She almost killed you Elizabeth, I wanted to protect you and so I made it look like she had actually done so. I overreacted but after what Heather had put me through with Stephan, I just didn't want to lose you. After she fled, I arranged with Lee Baldwin to create adoption papers so I could take you with me. We arranged for a new birth certificate to be filed listing me as your only parent. Then I returned to Colorado to fight for custody of Sarah. Things were going well, then something went very wrong.
While I was operating on a patient we lost the electricity, I severed an major artery killing the patient. In spite of the mitigating circumstances the family court judge gave Carolyn custody of Sarah and visitation of Stephen. She agreed that if I returned home, and we took up where we had been, to reverse the order. She loved the idea of you, she had no idea that you were my biological child. She thought you really were a friend in needs child. You looked just like Annie, who she had never meet.
Then about five years later, Annie found me. She was finally free of her problems, it turns out she had been injured and the resulting pressure on her brain had never eased, It increased the pressure on her frontal lobe. When she had tried to harm you it was a result of the that. Instead of staying though I had fled and created the mess we are now in. She was bitter and felt like I had used her to have another child, at first she wanted you back, then when she saw you, she saw you were happy and well adjusted so we made a deal.
I would donate the genetic material so that she could have another child. She would allow me to keep custody of you, we agreed to send pictures and copies of any important events. The day she called and informed me she was pregnant, she informed me that while she still wanted to be in contact about you, I was never going to see the child she was having.
As time passed it was easier to deal with, then one day when you were about twelve the house of cards fell apart. You were hurt ice skating and broke your leg, Carolyn was at the hospital, the doctor had to wait for me to arrive to operate since you have the same rare blood type as me. Carolyn of course figured out that you were mine. She never forgave me, and then started to take it out on you. It got even worse until you would not let me close.
I was arranging to divorce her, but something came out. Carolyn had adopted you, but since my adoption was never legal, and I technically stole you from Annie, she had all the legal rights, I had none. We were in the middle of a nasty legal battle, then her godmother came to town. I was given a choice, back off or lose you, so I decided to back off on the divorce.
Her godmother had located Annie and our child. I was told to either go along with what she wanted or else she would send you with the Helen and Annie's child would disappear. To protect all of you, I agreed.
Sarah was shipped here, originally they wanted to ship you here, I fought with Helen about it, Carolyn wanted to send only Sarah, which worked in my favor. I had no intention of letting them plan your life. Sarah was different, she just obeyed her mother, never arguing and that woman had me scared for you. You are so stubborn I was afraid if you didn't do what they wanted... I just was scared.
So we had a court date, made everything official. Sarah came here, you were supposed to go to boarding school. I was not allowed to keep in contact. Then the agreement was broken, you were left at the Smidts, never actually sent to school. I only learned of this when Audrey called to tell me you were here. I wanted you away but Audrey refused to send you away. She hung up on me every time I tried to get her to return you to Colorado.
The thing was your being here made Helen happy, she wanted her grandson to get to know both of you. Then I realized that Carolyn had essentially sold either you or Sarah into marriage with Helen's grandson. I learned he was dating Sarah, so I kept my mouth shut. I would receive pictures of you, and your sister. When I tried to arrange for you and Sarah to get out of town, I received another picture, you in a red party dress, the next ..."
At that point Jeff got up and walked out the back he needed a break, he wasn't sure how to tell his little girl in a room full of people that it was his fault she had been raped. That if he had stayed away from them and stopped looking for his younger child, then she would never have been attacked.
Elizabeth started to put the pictures together. Helen of course was Helena. Tom Baker had been hired to take photos of her, that was how he found her, how she ended up raped. She doubted that Helena had arranged that. She would not have wanted her harmed, she would have wanted her a virgin. So Tom's attacking her had nothing to do with Helena.
She knew she had to tell her father that to relieve some of his guilt, but right now she wanted to shout at him for what he did, but hadn't she done the same thing to Jason. Taken away his right to know she was carrying his child was no different then what her father had did.
Jason knelt in front of Elizabeth, he knew she was feeling anger and that she had to be in pain. When she looked at him and said she was sorry, he was confused, then he knew she was comparing herself to Jeff. "Don't you are not your father, don't even think that." He pulled her into his arms and sat back on the sofa still holding her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Carly rolling her eyes at his holding Elizabeth, one more thing to add to the discussion they would be having very, very soon.
Luke knew he had to be the one that brought Webber back in, he was the only one that understood the guilt and blame the man was feeling, so he nodded his head at Bobbie, she was the only one who understood what Luke was going to do.
As he joined the doctor outside he said "Liz's rape wasn't your fault, Helena didn't order it, whatever she may have told you, if she had really wanted one of the girls for the Dark Prince she would never have ordered them harmed. At least, until they were under her control. You need to come back in and finish this, get it all out and allow that young woman to heal."
Jeff numbly followed Spencer back into his father's house and sat back down in the chair that his daughter had previously sat in.
"I know that Tom was the one that attacked me, it wasn't your fault father, so can we continue." Elizabeth gained strength from Jason as she sat next to him on the sofa, she listened as her father continued.
"I was told to stay away or the next time would be worse. Then something happened and Helen lost control, or she just lost interest I never knew, but Sarah came to us in Bosnia, then we received the call about Lucky dying, Carolyn reminded me that she could still arrange for you to be shipped away, that until you were 18 she still had control. So I stayed away. Then when you started college, I checked to make sure that the money in your trust fund would cover it. You had never touched it, Carolyn told me that she had won, that you wanted nothing to do with us, that in fact you had refused the money.
So I stayed away I thought that you didn't want me in your life, that I had inflicted too much damage. Next thing I knew you were getting married, and then were divorced with a child on the way, I tried to once again contact you, but when the letter I wrote was returned shredded I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. So I stayed away, I later learned that Helen had a local contact shred the letter before it got to you, she had paid someone a lot of money to do this.
When we took the job in Russia, I told your sister the truth about the past. You were married to a cop, so I thought you were safe from reprisals and I had no idea how to locate my other child, so I decided to protect Sarah from her mother. When Sarah disowned Carolyn, I learned a lot. It turn out the child that they had been sending me pictures of was some random child, they had no idea where Annie was. She had also frozen your trust fund, that she was still trying to punish me, using you. The child I had been trying to protect, no one knows where is. So all of it had been for nothing.
"Why is Helena here, dad?" Elizabeth felt sorry for the man, the pain in his face, had gotten to her.
"I don't know, she turned up at the prison where I volunteer two days a week. I don't even know how it it possible for her to be here. She had only six weeks to live. She was released under a compassionate discharge. She is dying of Cancer of the Heart, it had started to spread to her spine."
"That bitch doesn't have a heart."
"Well then the muscle were the heart is, Spencer. She is really dying. She was getting chemo when I left Russia, as an outpatient somewhere. There is no doubt of the diagnosis she has less the a month to live. Why would she bother to come here?"
"Revenge, Elizabeth you were right you aren't the target, well the main one anyhow. Luke is, and may be me." with that Alexis sat back and watched with detachment as her hands shook.
The room was silent, then Luke asked Jeff "What about you, will she go after you?"
"No, I think I am safe. She was the one who told me what had happened between my daughter and Lucky. She is in a rage one minute and calm and collected the next. She said she had one goal, before she died, that she wanted to make sure that the Cassidine legacy lived on. That's why, I don't think you are her target." he told Alexis.
"She was upset about there not being heirs of blood. That Mikkos had two granddaughter and that was all, something about a fake one, trying to steal her family money. She wanted to bring someone to justice, that was how she phrased it. She said that she needed to locate a child.. That she had misplaced your oldest child and was now paying for the arrogance. I gather her grandson is suffering from a brain tumor, and is without an heir. Something about a great and powerful family reduced to illegitimate heirs.
She ranted about someone playing her, promising to take care of things then stealing the position for herself, if that is any help."
Jeff looked at Elizabeth and asked her if she wanted to ask him any questions before they finished with what he had to tell her.
"You finish, then I will let you know."
After I talked to Audrey, I informed Carolyn that she was on her own. I gave her the divorce papers I had refiled for every year at the beginning of November. Like I had since your 18th birthday. She tried to get Helen to help but like I said, she was in no shape to help. Carolyn threatened to tell Sarah and Elizabeth that I was the one who set it all up, until I showed her the files and notes that I had gathered over the years. That was the package that arrived today.
One was my divorce papers, the second the files I had kept in a safety deposit box, in Colorado, the third the papers that officiate removed me as an employee with the medical group I had been working for. I have not been able to locate anything about Annie for years, so our child is out there. The last folder is all I have on Annie and my child."
"Father is the child a girl or boy?"
"I don't know, Annie never told me. The pictures that Helen and Carolyn showed me were of a boy though. Stephen has an open ended DNA search going though. When I told him a couple of years ago, he wanted me to come home then. I was too scared of what they could do to you or your child. The child would be about 21 now, if he or she is alive."
Audrey knew that Spinelli had figured out that Jeff was his father, but he sat there stunned, looking at Elizabeth then their father, not saying a word. She knew she had to act. "Damian please help me in the kitchen I need some tea, and you look like you could use a break."
As they entered the kitchen she hugged the boy, Elizabeth and Jason followed. "Grams, is this the test you had ran, is he my brother?"
"How did you know about the test? Yes, he is your brother."
"I found the name when I was running some insurance names into the computer. Damian Webber, sounds a little weird, what do you think Spinelli?" Elizabeth walked over and leaned against the counter next to him. He still hadn't said anything " Hey are you alright?"
"Yes, Maternal One, it's just always wanted a family, now I learn I have one, one that wanted me. It's, it feels weird. I mean you suffered because he was trying to protect me, do you blame me? You should, I mean if I hadn't been born..."
Elizabeth saw they had a very large guilt complex in common. She embraced the younger man, and said "YOU are not at fault for this. My, rather our father is, and the woman who claimed to be my mother is, and Helena is, not you."
Jason watched the siblings and tried to figure out how he missed their similarities. The same blue eyes, the same slight build, the same habit of rambling, at least with Elizabeth he understood her. He laughed as he realized he had a part of Elizabeth all along this past year. He had her brother, who was going to be part of their lives forever. The idea made him want to laugh. He watched as the siblings talked quietly and then Audrey asked if they wanted to tell Jeff or just keep it quiet for now.
"Let's get it over with, that way when he starts to throw a fit abut my working for Stone Cold I can say it's all my big sister's fault."
"I think your getting the hang of this already. Jason would you please ask my father to join us, never mind we should just do this in there."
As the foursome walked back into the room Luke was going over the files that Jeff had with Alexis and Diane, Francis was talking to Jax about the security measures in place. Monica and Bobbie were trying to be nicer to Jeff, but they still felt a lot of resentment for his treatment of his daughter. Carly was standing at the wall looking at pictures from what appeared to be Liz's childhood.
She stepped in closer, the took a picture off the wall, looked at it huffed and then hung it back up muttering "of course, they would have known each other, I will probably learn they knew each other since she was born." she slammed her way back to her chair glaring at everyone.
"I have an announcement to make" Elizabeth waited until she had everyones attention "Grams figured out about Annie's child years ago and she found the child recently, actually Spinelli found the child for you Father. Dad I would like you to meet Damian Spinelli, Spinelli this is Jeff Webber, your father."
As Elizabeth watched first confusion then sorrow and then happiness cross her fathers face. She wanted to be angry about the fact he had done all this, but she knew he was her father, and that she would have done it differently but she had made mistakes as a parent. She had no business holding a grudge, if he ran away again, then she would be resentful and angry. For now she was going to accept things the way they played out.
She wanted to get to know her brother as more than Jason's friend. She also wanted to try and accept her father, for now he was going to have to accept that she needed time.
Seeing that Jeff and Spinelli needed a little privacy Bobbie headed over to the wall to see what had her daughter's bloomers in a knot. She looked at each picture then saw the one that had her daughter fuming, crooking her finger at Monica, she pointed out a GH Christmas photo of Steve as Father Christmas with the children of various members of the staff. "Audrey how long has this picture been up here, I never noticed it before?"
"They have always been up, why?" she asked as she walked over curious as to why pictures, that had been hanging in her house for years, was generating this much interest. As she looked at the picture they were pointing to she was astonished, how had she forgotten taking this photo. She laughed and told Monica, "I supposed you want a copy of it?"
"Oh, I think so," the women laughed and handed the picture around to the others in the room. Jax looked and passed it on, it looked like all the other photos he had ever seen of the party.
Luke looked at it, and recognized some familiar faces, two especially, he wanted to laugh but instead he pointed them out to Diane and Alexis. Diane just smiled and made plans to call Kate and tell her about the picture. It gave her an idea. Alexis just groaned and then laughed. Tracy recalled what Luke had said about fate, he was definitely right. They were fate, who know maybe the whole truth about Elizabeth's past with their family could come out now. As the picture made it over to Jason and Elizabeth she just looked at it casually, showed it to Jason who did the same and started to hang it.
She stopped when Carly said, "What no comment on how you have known Jason forever, or how he clearly liked you?
"Carly, what is your problem, have you lost your mind. What are you talking about?" getting up she stalked over to Elizabeth.
"That!" With her finger pointing out something in the photo, Elizabeth really looked at the picture she had walked by and glanced at for over ten years, and started to laugh. "Jason is always trying to steal my hat."
The man in question had been listening, he was worried about Carly keeping her promise to Liz, to try and get along, so when he saw them at the wall together, he had been concerned now he was confused. Getting up to join them he glanced at the photo that seemed to have Carly in knots. He stared at it and started to distinguish features until he figured out what it was he was looking at.
A picture of what looked to be a young version of Jason Quartermaine getting caught stealing a five year old Elizabeth's Santa hat. He started to laugh and then he pulled Elizabeth off into the hallway. He did what he had wanted to do then, when he took the hat eight years ago, he pulled he into his arms and kissed her.
Fifteen minutes later, Tracy had drawn the short straw, Monica, Diane and Spinelli had out right refused to go and get the lovers. They were not about to let Jeff, and the guard, Luke and Jax had been concerned about pissing him off. Carly just keep saying something about already needing her eyeballs replaced. So her and Alexis had been chosen. Alexis had let her take the lead then fled back into the great room leaving Tracy to interrupt them.
As she came around the corner she found the two engaged in another simple sweet kiss wrapped in the other's arms, she sighed and announced. "After the big production in there, I expected to find you out of your clothes, since your not, can I at least tell Carly you had your hands under her shirt?"
With that Tracy walked back into the other room, followed by the embarrassed couple.
As they all started to take turns questioning Jeff, the only thing they knew for sure was that Helena was in town, and she had an agenda, and was dying. They started to head out after coming up with nothing new. Jeff asked Elizabeth and Spinelli if they would have dinner with him that evening, he then asked Elizabeth about meeting his grandsons.
"Dad, I do want that but there are ground rules, the same rules Grams and the Quartermaines live with. If, after we explain them to you, you may meet the boys but only if you agree to obey them. We still need to talk first. As for dinner I need to arrange for a babysitter first, Grams is usually my first choice. My other regular sitters are college girls with full time jobs, candy stripping duties, and boyfriends, so they are not always available. I will try for tomorrow but I make no promises.