Port Charles and Chapparal County Assistant Prosecutor, Dara Jensen, exhaled deeply as she accepted that she might be about to commit career suicide. Somehow, she could live with that more than the alternative. Perhaps it really was that simple; except eight years on both sides of the aisle had shown her that nothing was simple. But after another deep and cleansing breath she knocked on her boss's door.
"Come in," Port Charles and Chapparal County District Attorney Abigail Mitchell called.
"Oh, Dara, I was about to email you," Abby said when Dara stepped inside.
"You were?" Dara questioned.
"Actually, I was going to forward you an email from Mayor McClintock regarding the Tiffany Peterson case. While the Mayor appreciates that the evidence is a bit thin, he is very uncomfortable with us not following through with rape allegations from a minor who he feels has been steadfast and unwavering in her story. So, I told him that we would present the full case file to the grand jury and that we would afford the victim an opportunity to share her truth with the grand jury. New York law also allows the accused an opportunity to testify and I understand that he will. For that reason, to avoid this becoming a literal he said, she said; I think that presenting all of the evidence will be critical to allow the grand jury to do their job."
"If I present all of the evidence, then if the grand jury has even half a brain, they won't be able to return a true bill on the indictment," Dara said.
"That is certainly possible," DA Mitchell said.
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Ned Ashton had an uneasy feeling as he stood at the long island counter in his own kitchen chopping vegetables. Carly had turned down his offer of going out to lunch which was a big change. If he was more egotistical, like Jasper Jacks for example, he could have allowed himself to believe that his omelets were just far superior to anything that the PC Grille, or the Outback had to offer. Fortunately, or unfortunately he supposed depending on perspective, he had a bit more humility and was quite certain that while his omelets weren't bad; Carly was just desperate to get home and go back to bed. That concerned him; he just wasn't sure how to broach that topic without stressing her out further.
Peels from his cell phone pulled him from his thoughts and he glanced down to see a Manhattan area code and a familiar exchange. That surprised him slightly since he thought he had Julia Barrett's number saved in his phone as a contact but, as he picked his phone up off the counter, he realized that the last two digits were different. "Hello, this is Ned Ashton," he said.
"This is Simone Torres, Carly's friend."
Ned heard the uncertainty in her voice. "Yes, of course, Carly went upstairs to rest. Could I have her call you later?" he said.
"She can call me later, but I was really just trying to RSVP for her baby shower. I got the invitation, but it wasn't clear if this was supposed to be a surprise, or not," Simone said.
Ned got the impression that the shower was supposed to be a surprise. Although the more he thought about it, that seemed like a bad idea. "I can let Brenda know that you're planning on attending. Or at least I hope you're planning on attending, I'm sure Carly would love to see you," he said.
"Yes, I am, I tried to call her, but apparently her voicemail mailbox is full," Simone said.
Ned chuckled and shook his head. He wondered if Brenda was avoiding listening to voicemails from her sister or Jax. "I'll mention that to her as well," he said.
"Is Carly doing ok otherwise?" Simone asked.
Ned hesitated. Although he sensed that Simone was his wife's best friend, he also sensed that, even with Simone, she was guarded. He was uncertain how much she would want him to share.
"Your silence actually speaks volumes. So, I'm guessing that everything is not ok but you're trying to figure out what you can share without betraying Carly's confidence. Don't worry, I've sensed that there was something wrong, I was just waiting for Carly to tell me and I can wait. I'm not looking for the latest scoop; I'm trying to support a friend. I'm just glad she has you and maybe she is even letting you in a little. Just try to be patient with her, none of this is easy for her, either," Simone said.
"You mean with the pregnancy?" Ned asked.
"I more meant that Carly has a lot of trust issues which also makes it hard for her allow anyone in. Although I suspect you're right and the pregnancy adds another layer of vulnerability to all of this. I haven't exactly been there or done that so to speak, so I can't quite imagine that," Simone admitted.
Ned hadn't either. Or at least not literally. Maybe that was another piece of the problem. "Well, I'm a guy, so…"
"Touché!" Simone said with a laugh.
"In all seriousness, I'm glad you're coming to Carly's shower and if you wanted to stay for a few days afterward I could certainly arrange that. She has started to get closer to one of my cousin's wives, but I think a few days with her best friend might really help a lot."
"I planned on staying Sunday night, but I'll have to go back to the city Monday afternoon because I am working early on Tuesday," Simone said.
Ned decided that offering to fly Simone back and forth on the ELQ Jet was a bit much. "Ok, well, I guess we will see you then. I presume you will stay here Sunday night, but did you want me to arrange for a room at the hotel Saturday?" he offered instead.
"Actually, I will have to take the train up Sunday morning. I have to work the graveyard shift on Saturday night. It was the only way I could get Monday off," Simone said.
"Oh, well, what if I arrange to have someone pick you up at the train station then?" Ned suggested.
"Now that could be helpful! Can I call you tomorrow once I've figured out what train I take?" Simone asked.
"Of course, and I'm glad you're coming," Ned said.
"I am too," Simone said.
After he had terminated the call and returned his attention back to making omelets, Ned considered Carly's looming baby shower. When Keesha and, somewhat surprisingly, Brenda had suggested it, he hadn't thought much about it. It was kind of a rite of passage. Of course, Lois's Quartermaine Baby Shower had been anything but pleasant, at least from Lois's perspective. But Carly seemed more comfortable with his family than Lois had been. Or maybe Carly was just more vulnerable and afraid to express her true feelings. He was afraid of that.
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Lucy Coe Stanton opened one eye halfway and glanced at the clock. It was almost one o'clock. Yikes! How had she slept so late? She had promised herself that she would make it into the office as she had already missed the first two days of the traditional work week. She started to sit up, but when the nausea returned full force and her head started to pound, she quickly collapsed back onto the mound of pillows Rex insisted on keeping on the bed each night. Perhaps it was best if she just stayed home another day. Pregnancy was definitely kicking her butt, but it would be so worth it when the baby came.
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Sarah Webber frowned at the red "see me after class", Mr. Murty had scrawled across the top of her paper. She hoped he was just concerned that the paper which she had borrowed, from some file Alison Barrington's sister had, wasn't up to her usual standards and hadn't figured out that she hadn't actually written a word of it. She wasn't quite brave enough to take that chance.
For at least a minute, Sarah pretended to intently focus on whatever Gee Sung Yoo was saying. Then she took a few quick gasping breaths and doubled over clutching at her stomach. "Oww," she moaned.
"Sarah! Are you ok?" Lucky Spencer's voice rose above the rest of the class.
"My stomach really hurts!" Sarah wailed.
"Perhaps, one of your classmates would like to escort you to the nurse," Mr. Murty offered.
"I will!" Lucky insisted as he stood and quickly grabbed up his own books.
Sarah rocked a little as she continued to clutch at her pain free abdomen. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure what is wrong with me. I spent most of last week in the hospital for the same thing I thought it was finally over," she said.
"If you're sick, there is no need to apologize," Mr. Murty said.
As she fell into Lucky's embrace, Sarah wondered if she was reading too much into Mr. Murty's word choice. Was he actually questioning if she was truly sick?
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Rex Stanton rented an office suite in Executive Park. This provided a front of legitimacy to Stanton Ltd, his private brokerage firm. As of late, it also provided him with a place of solitude when he just needed silence to figure out his next move. He certainly hadn't been finding that at home since Lucy Coe had invaded his hotel suite. He might have invited her, but her presence still felt like a bit of an invasion. Even more so since she had informed him that she was pregnant. Clearly, he should have added some birth control pills to her champagne along with the tranquilizers!
Rex feared that oversight might have cost him everything. To put it mildly, he hated children! He would force himself to tolerate Serena because that would give him access to her trust fund. But he fully intended to pack her off to boarding school as soon as possible. Lucy's child wouldn't be eligible for boarding school until fall 2003 which he couldn't imagine or face. There was no way he would survive more than five years with a small child. There was only one option; he would need to convince Lucy to terminate the pregnancy!
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As Carly Benson Ashton watched her husband load her dishes into the dishwasher and wipe down the counters, she was struck by three thoughts. Ned Ashton was a far better man than she deserved; even Mary Elizabeth Johnson would be jealous of the house she was currently living in; and she was pretty sure she was unable to stand up from the table much less make her way back upstairs.
Perhaps Ned sensed that because when he had finished cleaning and started the dishwasher, he came back to the eating nook of their kitchen, sat back down at the table across from her and laid a hand over hers. "I am so sorry that this pregnancy is so hard for you," he said.
Carly nodded. She wasn't really sure what to say.
"Is it my imagination or are you feeling worse than when we first came home?" Ned asked.
Carly nodded again.
"I was afraid of that. I'm going to call Dr. Meadows and see if she wants to readmit you. Alan was saying IV Iron is a lot safer now since they changed the molecular weight of the formulation or something like that," Ned said.
Carly had no idea what any of that meant.
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Theodore Murty slid a stack of papers into his brief case and reflected on the events of his sixth period English 11 class. Unfortunately, Sarah Webber had been stricken with disabling stomach cramps just as class ended. So, Lucky Spencer had jumped forward to offer to escort her to the nurse and the conversation he hadn't been looking forward to in the first place had been delayed by at least another twenty-four hours. He had a feeling that Sarah was hoping the conversation would be delayed indefinitely. Perhaps it should be. He doubted Sarah was going to admit to anything and he couldn't prove that the paper she had submitted was not her own work, although he highly doubted it was.
Beyond the academic integrity issue, something else about the scene stuck with him. The dynamic between Lucky Spencer and Sarah Webber, seemed to be unhealthy at best. It had to be, it reminded him far too much of the dynamic he and his ex-wife, Eleanor Cassidy, had shared at similar ages. On the surface it might seem sweet. He was clearly devoted to her. But beneath the surface, it was quite clear that while Sarah might be mildly entertained by his devotion, she didn't return his feelings. Eleanor had never returned his. Although, ironically perhaps, in retrospect it was clear to him he had been much more in love with the idea of being in love with Eleanor than actually in love with Eleanor. Perhaps that was Lucky Spencer's story as well. Perhaps…