CHAPTER 35

PCPD

As the blond limped into the station, she was furious, she had been held against her will, Jason Morgan had ordered her kidnapped. When she was finished with filing her report, he would not even think of grabbing anyone else like he done to her she vowed. "I would like to see Special Agent Lakes, please." she asked the desk sergeant.

He knocked on the door to the office that Agent Lakes had taken over. When he explained to the Agent and his commissioner, why he was interrupting them, they walked over to the room. Agent Lakes took the lead asking Mac to wait outside until he was needed. She knew what had happened, Scorpio had told her what had gone on this morning, and she wanted to have a little fun, her day had been frustrating, with no real suspect, just a profile of the killer.

"Miss Spencer I understand you wanted to see me. How may I help you?"

"I want to report a kidnapping, I was held against my will and my cell phone was taken."

"Were you taken across state lines Miss Spencer, or are you a minor?"

"Of course not. Why are you asking me these questions." Lulu was pissed the bodyguard had been so rude and mean telling her that she was a fool. He told her he had been told to keep her out of town until after Helena was dead or in jail. When she had said that she needed to get back, her boyfriend was kidnapped,the guard had said that he had seen Logan at Kelly's with his sister and that the Zaccarra kid seemed to have his hands full with the Jones girl. So what boyfriend was she talking about. He had been even ruder that the guard who had taken her to the house they had tried to lock her into.

"Well Miss Spencer, if you weren't taken over state lines or are a minor, that makes this a local problem. I will arrange for Mac Scorpio to come and and get your statement, by the way do you have any witnesses to your accusation? We will need two unbiased witnesses, can you provide that." the Agent stood and walked out the door, finally understanding the reason people in this town acted like they do. They were all insane. Who in their right mind walks into a police station and reports that the man trying to keep you alive had kidnapped you. Lulu Spencer was a trip.

Mac entered the room, he was still in a pissed off mood about his daughter getting kidnapped and Lulu was wasting their time. He had heard Morgan and knew that he had done what he had to protect the ungrateful brat in his station.

"Lulu, let me save you the trouble. I won't be arresting Morgan or the guard, if it wasn't for them you would have been brought down here and placed in a holding cell under a material witness order. Which would you have preferred? Now if you are finished wasting my time, I will arrange for an officer to take you to the Quartermaine's, that is where you are living right now?"

STUDIO

Johnny was feeling frustrated as he climbed up the steps to the studio, Georgie had been delayed at the park with Robin. As he came out of the stairway he saw the door. What was being kept behind it that required that much security? At the sound of footsteps Johnny looked and saw Elizabeth Webber and one of the guards.

"Miss Webber, do you want me inside or out?" asked Marco as she started to unlock the door.

"Marco, go where it is warmer, this hallway has always been drafty. I will be fine with Mr. Zaccarra." Elizabeth smiled warmly at Johnny, who was still standing in the hallway. "Please come in, there isn't much furniture, so just relax while I get the heat going."

"Do you need any help?" as he watched her abuse the old radiator.

"No me and this radiator are old friends, instead why don't you tell me how you are handling this forced marriage."

At his surprised look, she explained. "Georgie told me this afternoon. She needed someone to talk to, besides I have been dealing with the Ice Queen for the last eight years of my life, but she has been butting in my families business since before I was born. She is the reason I just met my younger brother. Her threats."

"I'm glad Georgie has someone to talk to, this is just crazy, she is crazy like my father. Well the man I thought was my father. Do you know my mother?" he asked.

"Alexis, yes I know her, we used to be friendly but when Sam started messing with my life, Alexis defended her and I still haven't gotten past it. She is a good woman though. A good mother to her younger daughters. Do you know that you have two little sisters, Kristina and Molly. As for Helena, you are wrong, she isn't crazy and that is what makes her even more dangerous."

Jason listened to the conversation as Elizabeth tried to explain Helena to Johnny. Georgie rounded the corner and stopped to assure the officer escorting her that she would be fine with Jason and that she would be sure to get a ride home. He let her enter the room in time to hear Elizabeth explaining about faked deaths, frozen bodies, blood feuds, kidnappings, and brainwashings, and how his maternal grandmother had died?

"Let's try and figure this out." Jason ordered as he handed out coffee to Johnny and cocoa for Georgie and his fiancée. When he had there attention and listened as the younger couple explained Helena's demands, he tried to find a way out for the two of them. "Georgie, she said Father Coates is to perform the service right, maybe we could arrange a fake service, he is a decent guy."

"No that is one thing we agreed on, we are going to go through with the marriage, we won't risk our families." said Johnny.

"Well then have the two of you gave any thought about your wedding, and what you are going to do about the reaction you are go to receive." asked Jason.

Elizabeth informed the two that it would look more realistic if they made it seem like a romantic spur of the moment thing.

"How do we do that?" asked Georgie what had been silently sitting next to Johnny since they had started.

"We use the resources available to us, Georgie I called Kate this afternoon, she got you a dress, something she had seen when we going through them earlier. Johnny do you have a dark suit? Then we get some flowers maybe arrange for a small dinner afterwards. Diane is going to take care of the needed paperwork tomorrow. Some rings and a few close people, that is all there is to it."

Johnny recalled what Georgie had told him about her brief first marriage, and how she had gotten married. He was wondering the reason they had gotten divorce, all she had said was that they had married too young. As he listened to Georgie and Elizabeth discuss the other needed arrangements, he was once again wishing that this wasn't being rushed.

Elizabeth and Jason got ready to leave, and were surprised when Johnny asked if he could stay and talk to Georgie for a few minutes. Giving him her keys, Elizabeth told him to drop them off at the hospital in the morning. Jason walked out confused as to why she had agreed so quickly. "Jason they need some time where no one knows where they are."

Inside the studio, Johnny asked Georgie to sit down and then started pacing himself, he could not believe how nervous he was about this, he wasn't sure what she would think about the rings, he wished he understood women better.

"Johnny, are you changing your mind, if so don't worry we can find another way to solve the problem" as her words penetrated his confused fog, he sat down and said:

"No I just am, look this is going to sound weird but I picked up rings for us this afternoon, and an engagement ring. I wanted this to be as realistic as possible." Grabbing his jacket in a hurry the boxes, fell out and landed in Georgie's lap, when he went to grab them he grabbed her leg instead in his nervousness. They both tensed and then she picked up the boxes and handed it to him. He pulled out the rings and placed the simple platinum bands in his lap and struggled to get the engagement ring out of the box, his left hand shook a little as he slipped the elegant diamond ring on her finger and found himself bringing it up to his lips before he could stop himself. He leaned in and kissed her lips, saying he was sorry she had been dragged into this by his family.

"It's not your fault that Helena wants to control our lives" she whispered back to him, pulling his head down into another kiss.

KELLY'S

Jason had enjoyed the walk to Kelly's, he had found excuses to stop and kiss her as they strolled along the docks. He was fulfilling a small part of a fantasy, that had a few different endings, some ended at the bridge, another at Vista Point, the one involving her studio, was one that he planned on fulfilling this summer, because the fantasy had always involved the red sun dress. Elizabeth stopped and watched the scene exploding in Kelly's from the window, then she knew she needed to deal with her ex-sister in law.

"Lulu, Maxie, what is going on here?" Elizabeth separated the two girls and asked what the problem was. Lulu screamed as she tried to get to the other blond.

"She told Logan that I was trying to seduce Johnny, he broke up with me, telling me that he isn't going to wait around and be second best. She is such a bi--" Lulu's mouth was covered by Carly who had came into the diner and seen her cousin screaming.

"Well if you could keep your clothes on and out of strange beds, it's such a shame your fell asleep in the wrong bed you slu--" Elizabeth covered her mouth, telling the two girls that there were children in here and to stop this immediately.

"Maxie, if you are going to Coop's room, go or go home. NOW!" ordered Elizabeth "Lulu, are you working right now?"

"I was supposed to be before your boyfriend had me kidn--" Carly put her hand over her mouth again. She was pissed, Jason had called her earlier warning her about the loose cannon that Lulu was turning into, that she reminded him of her" She was hoping she hadn't actually acted this stupid but was getting the feeling she had.

"You are coming home with me tonight and we are going to discuss this. Now Jason gave my your phone after you lost it at the cottage, so watch who you are accusing about what. Jax, will you grab our takeout, I need to get her out of here. Elizabeth, Jason." she watched as the other couple sat down at the counter after greeting her, then escorted her cousin out.

Mike was furious, he had been stuck here all day and now his only waitress had just been escorted out to keep her from ruining the business any more than she did while waiting tables.

Maxie walked back down the stairs, timidly asking Mike for her order, then looking around sighed, grabbed an order book and pitched in. After things had settled down she apologized for the mess, saying she had wanted to find out where her sister was, not start a fight.

That she had came here to breakup with Coop, not cause Logan to break up with her, though she really wasn't all that upset that Lulu had been dumped. As she finished out the shift she watched as Jason and Elizabeth talked about their boys and the tree lighting.

"Do you think they are done at the studio? We need to go get the diary?" asked Jason.

Elizabeth groaned, she had forgotten they had intended to get the blond bimbo's diary to use against Sonny. "We can walk by and check." The twosome paid their bill and headed back to the studio, to find it dark. Jason quickly grabbed the diary out of the fan duct and Elizabeth stuck it in her purse as they headed home for the night.

SONNY'S

Sonny sat in the dark contemplating the scene he had just witnesses over at Kate's house. Dr. Webber taking care of Kate's sprained ankle again, he had been wrapping it and telling her to keep alternating with the hot and cold to help the swelling go down. Kate had thanked the man then invited him to stay for coffee.

Sonny had seen the look on her face, she had enjoyed the time spent with the man. He had as polite as long as he could be, but he had finally offered to have one of his men drive the doctor home, he wanted him gone, the two of them had discussed Jason and Elizabeth's upcoming wedding this spring.

He didn't bother to tell them he doubted the wedding would take place. Elizabeth would runaway just like before, when faced with the realities of their world. Once before, he had shown her that their world was a world of secrets, she was fine until the secrets were kept from her.

Besides he had already seen evidence, Jason making him go outside instead of sending her upstairs was the first proof he had seen. He needed to play nice until he got the stock, then he would slowly start to marginalize the relationship until it happened again.

Kate stood outside the window watching the man she had starting seeing again. For the last year, she had seen the boy she had left standing alone on that corner in Bensonhurst. Now she was seeing the real reason she had not shown up to meet him. She had wanted a life outside of being Mrs. Corinthos, monitored and ordered around.

She was grateful for the afternoon spent listening to the mundane problems of those ladies yesterday. Thanks to that gossip, the fog she had be living in had cleared. She was going to explain to Sonny that a commitment wasn't what she needed right now, try to let him down easy.

Sonny opened the door and stepped back to allow Kate to swing her legs in, she was maneuvering around on the crutches in the snow. "Why didn't you call me to come over, instead of coming out into the cold?"

"I needed to talk to you, and didn't want to do it there. Sonny, I have been doing some thinking and I think we need to spend a little less time together. At least until I get my magazine running back into tip top shape. After you left I started to go through the proofs, and found that Couture is worse off than I thought. At this point my staff here consists of Clarice, and two very green assistants.

I still have to finish up my community service, so I need to find the time someplace. It's pretty sad that I had to call in a favor to have Elizabeth's father stop in on his way to work to check my ankle, I need to cut back on my socializing. When I was living in New York, I worked around a hundred hours a week, and soon I am going to be doing that again."

"So how can I help you, make this easier for you?" he offered. He had finally found her again, this time he was going to keep her in his life.

"By giving me the time to do what I need, to be understanding when I have to cancel plans at the last minute. " Kate was going to slowly ease him out, until it was too late for him to notice just like she had done with Trevor Lansing when she had ended things with him.

JACKS HOUSEHOLD

Jax was helping Morgan pick out his clothes for the next day when he felt Micheal's eyes on him from the door. As the tired young boy said his prayers and went to bed, Micheal waited impatiently, as they went into his room, he was nervous but Jax had offered to help with his project as needed. Micheal sat down on the chair at his desk and pulled out his list and knew it was all for nothing, he couldn't do this.

"Micheal what's up?"

"I can't do this, I thought I could do as Emily asked, but I can't lie to Uncle Jason, what if he asks me about his motorcycle, I can't lie to him." he explained to him.

"Do you really think your uncle is going to suspect you?" asked Jax, surprised.

"No, but he will get mad at whoever he thinks took it, what then, I need to call Elizabeth and ask her to take over, I can't do this."

"Fine, I will talk to her tomorrow at the hospital. I think you are worried over nothing though. the notes and the bike are not being done maliciously Micheal, I think if your uncle finds out that this is being done for your Aunt Emily, he will understand. Now get your stuff ready for school, if you still feel this way tomorrow, I will take over." Jax messed up the redheads hair, Micheal had taken to trying to keep his thick messy hair gelled back, but it was too stiff and Jax liked to mess it up, it looked better that way.

SCORPIO RESIDENCE

Robin was talking to Mac as Maxie walked into the house through the kitchen door, she had finished helping Mike clean the restaurant, he had talked to her, suggesting that Lulu and her needed to bury the hatchet, she had promised to think about it. She would do that. think about burying the hatchet right in the middle of the man stealing witches head. She wasn't going to let her hurt her sister again.

She had seen the way that Johnny looked at her sister, and it was not innocently. He wanted Georgie, not Lulu.

As she listened to Robin telling Mac that Georgie had ignored her when she had tried to warn her away from that Zaccarra guy, Maxie had finally had it. She wanted to pick a fight with someone and Elizabeth Webber had prevented her from doing in Lulu, so Robin was a handy substitute.

"What is your problem, how is Johnny any different than your relationships with Jason and Stone? They were in the same business, and don't you dare say that you are trying to prevent Georgie from making the same mistakes you did. You are just being bitter because you really came home hoping that Jason still wanted you, didn't happen and his replacement Patrick isn't interested any more.

I saw you at the hospital when Jason was doing his community service, you were trying to flirt with him all the time, he just treated you the same way he had all along. You thought that since Sam was gone, you stood a chance. You made a fool of yourself asking those guys to father your child, because you secretly wanted Jason to step up, no matter what you say. Jason loves kids and you thought you stood a chance, didn't work he already had a kid with Elizabeth, and is in love with her.

So get over it and stop trying to run our lives. Go find your best friend Brenda, there is someone who needs someone to run her life. " leaving Robin speechless.

Maxie slammed the refrigerator door she had been holding and took her water to her room after hugging Mac and saying "I'm sorry."

"Robin, I love you but you need to consider what she said. I don't like the way she said it but, with the way you have been acting to both the girls it was coming. As for Georgie dating Johnny, I am not fond of it, but I have seen him with her, and asked around. He never wanted to be in this business, I am hoping if he is serious about my little girl he will consider getting out.

Even if he doesn't it's her call, just like you said when you were involved with Stone and Jason. So you need to accept that. Jason by the way, is very much in love with Elizabeth. If Maxie is right and that is why you came home and stayed here, you need to understand that you don't have a future with him." Mac tried to be as gentle as he could in how he phrased it but since he had found out about her probation, he had been worried that she still was in love with the mobster.

Mac headed upstairs to bed, wishing all three of his girls were happy but right now it seemed none of them were.

Maxie was letting her argument with Coop bother her, and he still hadn't found out what had caused it.

Georgie had came in earlier acting peculiar, first she had removed her gloves and then quickly pulled them back on going up to her room with them still on, When they had talked earlier she had hugged him so tightly, he had worried she was acting like she would never see him again. She had came downstairs about a half hour later, looking for a pair of her shoes and was acting like she always did.

Mac grabbed his phone, and called long distance to Texas, his girls needed their mother, and it was time Felicia put those girls first. As he got her voice mail, he left a message damn sure to bring the absentee parent home.

OVERLOOK POINT

Johnny leaned against the bridge at the overlook, he was feeling sick at how easily he had arranged for Anthony to be killed. He had gotten a call from Ferncliffe telling him of his father's demise from a heart attack, he had thanked the director and hung up, driving up here to clear his head. He had done the right thing but it felt like it should hurt worse, that he shouldn't be numb after this.

"Here it looks like you can use this more than I can." Luke offered the younger man the bottle of bourbon. Johnny took a sip without even looking up.

'I know that look, it's guilt. I hope over leading my daughter on, but I would guess that she did most of the leading." he joked.

"I thought of her as a friend, nothing more, she seems to think because I protected her from Anthony it was more. It wasn't. I was feeling alone, and she was fun to hang around with, but if she had been a guy I would have been the same way. She went too far yesterday."

"I heard, Elizabeth Webber called and asked me to try and rein her in, but she is like an unbroken colt, she doesn't take well to restraints."

"I understand that, I have been that way in my life, but her behavior can get me killed and she doesn't seem to care that I have told her to stay away from Georgie and I."

"You have real feelings for the Jones girl, you know Mac isn't thrilled but is going to stay out of it for now." he offered.

"I barely knew her a week ago, now she and the future are all I seem to think about." he answered.

"Don't let the Ice Queen get to you, she is a mean cold hearted bitch, but she is dying. You are her way of trying to control things from the grave. She won't win. With her death the feud dies, Nik doesn't care, I don't care. Ten years ago I wanted him destroyed, now he is an extension of his mother for me. Lulu looks like her, Nik acts like her, and Lucky unfortunately has all my bad traits, just a few superficial resemblances to his mother.

You know, Natasha stopped by to see me this evening, she told me that the blood tests show you are her son. Her feelings were hurt when she found out you knew as well but never approached her."

"I didn't see her, I know that I will tomorrow though. I had no idea she wanted to meet me tonight. How well do you know my mother?" he asked.

"Well enough to plan a murder together." Seeing the surprise in the younger man's eyes, he chuckled." Natasha is more than just a good mother, and a great lawyer who had kept my ass out of jail a time or two, she is a strong woman, she had to be to survive in the cell pool that surrounded Helena, the things I could tell you about your family."

"Elizabeth gave me the basics, feuds, deaths, freezing the world, I think that my new family is more insane then my old one."

"Your wrong and that is a mistake, they were never crazy. Ambitious, and amoral but never crazy."

"She said the same thing. How do I keep Helena from controlling me from the grave?"

"By playing along, until you find her whip, whatever she is holding over you to get you to marry the Jones girl. Don't look so surprised I have been dealing with this since before you were born. After the files I found in the basement, I knew what she is up to. She got lucky though, you are in love with the girl already."

"I know, but I don't want her to be forced into anything. I don't know what to do afterwards."

"You live a good life, that is the best revenge against darkness, living the good life that you want." with that Luke announced "I need to get back to the hospital before my jailers caught on that I escaped, since you only drank a sip of the bourbon, dump it out and give an old man a lift."

MORGAN HOUSEHOLD

Jason watched Elizabeth sleeping, he was wide awake for the first time since he had moved in with her, even if it wasn't official he had moved in. He could not get the diary out of his mind.

How had he been so blind. Courtney had played him, she had known he still loved Elizabeth and set out to get him into her bed, on advice from his so called best friend that if he slept with her, she would be able to control him. that that was how Carly had guilted him into doing what she wanted when she was younger.

Thing was Jason was starting to doubt his sleeping with her had been willingly that night. Something about the entry was off to him, she had been too triumphant about it. Too smug. As he read about how she had used his guilt to get him to buy her that loft, and then how she had thrown it into Elizabeth face all the time about their relationship.

He was wishing she was still alive so she could be added to the list of people who needed to pay for what had been done to Elizabeth and him. Sonny and Carly were all that were left. Carly had never tried to hide her disdain and and dislike. She had been honest about her feelings but she was wrong as well.

Jason felt truly sick at reading Carly's part in this. he had always known that Carly was manipulative but her part in this would not go unanswered, he knew what she was like, why had he not roped her in back then, why had he allowed all this to go on. He knew the answer but it made him want to die.

The fact that Sonny had been paying Courtney to be Carly's friend gave him the proof he needed to start dismantling Sonny's empire. He had wondered at the time about the missing funds but Sonny had said he used them to pay off Mike's gambling debts.

Tomorrow he had to deal with his so called best friend. Tonight though he was going to take the time before he started his private war, to enjoy holding his lovely fiancée and making plans to try and make up for his mistakes.