The hospital elevator was full when Monica stepped
on to take it to the fourth floor. It was usually busy every morning
when she came in to work, but today was different for her. Many days
had passed since Monica heard from Jason and she was now getting worried,
but if he had any news he would call. It wasn't like Jason to go
for days and not call her, something was wrong. She went about her
busy day as usual trying not to bring attention to the fact she was in
a panic about her daughter and grand-child. Not knowing was the worst
part of this situation. The hospital had called her in last night
for an emergency surgery and it had been a few hours since she checked
her messages, so maybe he did call her and she was unaware of it.
Monica could only hope and pray that they were alright. She knew
Sonny would protect them, but Emily was with child, if she needed medical
attention...no, she couldn't think like that...Emily was fine and right
now, she needed to focus on work and her patients. Work was the only
thing keeping her sane right now. This whole situation with Sorel
and Zander had really put her off keel and she need to focus and concentrate
on her work to get her through the day.
Monica made her way to her office and as she passed
the nurses station she stopped off to get any messages that may have been
left for her while she was in surgery. There were no messages from
Jason, but she didn't think there would be, he would call her cell and
not the hospital. Monica opened the door to her office and took a
seat behind her desk. She laid the medical charts she had in her
hands down on the desk and started flipping through them. In one
quick instant a thought came to her...a baby shower. Emily was now
a little over seven months and Monica knew because of the incident with
the apartment she was sure Emily lost everything she had bought for the
baby. A baby shower certainly would be a surprise for Emily when
she returned home. She needed to make arrangements and she knew just
who to call.
As she reached for the phone to make a few calls,
her cell phone rang. Monica shuffled through her bag to find her
cell. She flipped it open and said "Hello, Dr. Quartermaine."
She was praying to God it was Jason with news. She was surprised
when she heard the voice respond.."Mom, it's me..." Shocked at hearing
the voice hesitated with her response..."Emily...where are you? Oh, honey
we have been so worried about you.." "I know mom, but I'm fine really.
Jason told me tell you that he is sorry for not calling, but he figured
that you would rather hear this from me..." Emily replied. A million
thoughts ran through her mind when she heard her daughter say that...good
and bad ones. "Tell me what?..." Monica replied not knowing how to
prepare herself for this news. "Mom, we're coming home...Sorel is
no longer a threat to us and we are coming home." Emily said with a sigh
of relief. Monica was so happy to hear that...her daughter was coming
home. After weeks of being away, she could finally embrace her daughter
once again. "When Emily...when are you coming home? And where
are you going stay now that you don't have your apartment?" Monica inquired
as she felt overcome with joy that things were alright. "Sonny got
us another place to stay and he has taken care of everything, so you don't
have to worry about where I'll be living. As soon as we get there
I'll call you." "Alright, I'll wait to hear from you later today,
then. And Emily..I love you." Monica replied as she flipped closed the
file she had been reading. "I love you too, Mom..I'll talk to you
later.." Emily replied as her end of the conversation went dead.
Monica flipped her cell phone closed and stuff it back in her bag.
If her daughter was coming home today, the baby
shower needed to be arranged. There were so many things to be done
and now so little time. Monica picked up the phone receiver and pressed
a number into the key pad. "Chloe..it's Monica. Could
I meet with you?" Monica said as the call was answered on the other end.
"Great...I'll see you in a few minutes.." she replied as they made arrangements
to meet at L&B momentarily. Monica gathered her things and closed
the door behind her. She headed for the elevator when she saw Alan
standing at the nurses station retrieving his messages. "Alan..."
she shouted from across the way. "Monica, what is it..did something
happen to Emily.." he replied as he rushed over to where she stood waiting
for the elevator. "No this is good news...Emily and Zander are coming
home. The Sorel situation has been taken care of....their coming
home." she replied as she embraced him tightly. "Oh thank God....when?
When she coming home?" he replied as his strong arms tightened. "Sometime
today...she said she'd call me when they got back and settled in their
new place." she replied as she broke the embrace. "New place?...what
new place?" he inquired as the elevator signaled it had arrived.
"Sonny got them a new place...but I'm late to meet with Chloe about a baby
shower. I'll explain later." she replied as she turned and stepped
into the elevator. "Okay..call me.." Alan replied with a smile and
the doors to the elevator began to close.
***********************************************************************************************
Zander and Emily had packed all their things in
duffle bags Jason had brought for them weeks prior. They were just
waiting for him to come pick them up to take them back to Port Charles.
They were relieved that the situation with Sorel was finally over and that
they could now live without the notion of looking over their shoulder every
second of the day. Zander's dealings with Sorel and his organization
could finally be buried in the past where it belonged. It was time
to move on to bigger and better things. Emily was soon going to deliver
a baby boy, they had a new place to live, and Zander was moving deeper
into Sonny's organization. They didn't live a normal life, but it
was normal for them.
It was now around noon as Zander noticed a limo
pulling up to the house and observed as Jason stepped out from the back
seat. Zander gathered the duffle bags in his hands and placed them
at the bottom of the stairs as Emily grabbed her back pack and slid her
arms through the straps. They were finally going home. After
almost four weeks of being away from Port Charles, and living in the safe
house, it was the only thing they had thought about the last few days.
Sunshine, and fresh air. Two things that they had not been exposed
to for quite a while. Jason strutted down the stairs to where Zander
and Emily stood waiting for him. "So, it looks like the two of you
are ready to go home?" he asked as he reached down for the duffle bags
that lay at his feet. "And it's about time...it's a nice place to
visit..but I don't think I'd want to live here." Zander said as he turned
and looked at Jason. "Do ya's have everything?" Jason said as he
seemed to be speaking to Emily. "Yes...I have all of it packed..but
wait.." she said as she dropped her back pack on the sofa. "Now what?..."
Zander questioned he noticed she did so. "I gotta go to the bathroom
before we go..." she replied as she turned and quickly walked towards the
bedroom door. "You just went...no more than 5 minutes ago.." he shouted
to her "I know...but I gotta go again.." she shouted in return with
a giggle. "Women!" he replied.
Emily returned a few moments later as Zander noticed
her fixing her blouse so she looked just perfect. "Okay..let's go
before I have to go again." she replied as she slid her arms through
the straps on her backpack. She was now experiencing the truth of
pregnancy. It seemed she was in the bathroom every five minutes.
She couldn't help it, when she had to go..she had to go. The three
of them loaded their gear in the trunk and Jason opened the back door for
Emily so she could step into the limo. She took the seat along the
window so she would have room to sprawl out on the seat. Her back
had been bothering for a while now, and the trip home was just gonna kill
her if she had to sit in one position for very long. Once they were
all in, Jason knocked on the partition for the driver to head back to Port
Charles.
The drive wasn't terribly long, but it was long
enough. For Emily it felt like forever since she was in Port Charles.
She missed her friends and her family and she desperately want to see them
again. She was not concerned in the least about the new life that
was about to begin. Her and Zander had waited a long time to be happy
and now with Sorel out of the picture it looked like their happiness was
about to become a reality.
Zander and Jason discussed quietly what lied ahead
for he and Emily. Jason had expressed his ideas about allowing Zander
to proceed with the responsibilities Sonny had offered him. The offer
would of brought Zander into the business dealings of the coffee business
as well as being more involved as Jason was. Emily had also expressed
her feelings about this decision and had felt that it would be a good move
for Zander. He had been involved with the organization for more than
a year and had already moved quickly through the ranks. Sonny trusted
him completely and Zander knew it. He would never disappoint or betray
Sonny again. He learned his lesson the first time and knew that Sonny
would do anything to protect he and Emily. The organization was their
life. For the exception of Sorel, this life had been good to them.
It had brought many things to their life, he would of never been able to
provide his wife if he had worked a regular nine to five job. He
started out that way working in the warehouse and he worked hard to become
an intricate part of Sonny's organization. It may be a dangerous
lifestyle to lead and it can turn deadly...but this was the life that became
normal for he and Emily. He was now her protector and he promised
never to have harm come to her. The three of them have vowed to keep
her safe and she deserved everything life had to offer. He knew she
would be just as happy without many of the expensive things, cause she
was just like that. She didn't need money to make her happy...she
only needed him. He made her happy and she had him from that night
in the motel room. Looking back on it, he didn't realize it then,
but he does now...that he saw something special in Emily that night and
knew she would be the one to change his life.
The long black limo drove past the Port Charles
city limits sign and Emily became anxious at the thought of seeing her
family and friends. The driver seemed to know where they were going
as he made a left turn at the first stop they came to. Zander and
Emily knew about the new apartment Sonny had leased for them since they
lost everything when the loft exploded over a month ago. The limo
slowed it's speed as they came upon a fairly tall building. It had
one of those canopies on the front and a doorman who was gracious enough
to open the door of the limo as the stopped in front. "You're home..."
Jason said as he exited the limo. Zander and Emily looked at each
other a little puzzled, because the building they had pulled up to was
the Port Charles Towers. "Sonny has arranged for the two of you to
live in one of the apartments on the 20th floor. He has paid the
lease for three years so take this as a welcome home present from him and
Carly." Jason added as he grabbed the bags from the trunk. The three
of them entered the hotel and wandered towards the elevators. Zander
and Emily not knowing what to say about Sonny's gift, and for the first
time speechless. Sonny and Carly had done so much for them already,
they didn't have to do this too. As the elevator came to a stop on
the 20th floor, Jason led the way to their new home. The halls of
the hotel were lit with beautiful sconces that held a cone shape bulb,
the walls were beautifully wallpapered with a intricate design and a dark
wooden molding about half way down meeting the wooden slatted sections
to the floor.
Jason took the key out of his jeans pocket and
unlocked the door of the new apartment...2020P. Emily and Zander
stood in awe of the appearance of the apartment. It was spacious
and it was very beautifully decorated. They set the bags in the so
called foyer and wandered into the living room area. Emily fell into
the sofa that was of leather material as Zander meandered through the other
lower areas of the apartment. There was a short staircase that led
up to the two bedrooms and the main bath. It was certainly something
they would not of expected. The kitchen was done in black and stainless
steel, the countertops in a gray granite, and he noticed a center island
that contained a stainless steel sink with a wooden rack overhead filled
with bottles wine and crystal glasses. He turned and wandered back
into the living room area where Emily was peering out the window that overlooked
the city below. Jason stood in the foyer observing their every move
about the apartment waiting for them to say something. Finally the
moment of truth was spoken as Zander turned to him and said "Would you
tell Sonny that we appreciate the welcome home gift and ask him how we
can every repay him for everything he had done for us.." "No need
for thank yous..." Jason replied as he placed the apartment key on the
table by the door. "Sonny wants the two of you to be happy now that
Sorel is no longer a threat....so enjoy it. The two of you deserve
this." he added as he turned to leave. "Jason..." Emily cried out.
"I know..." he said and closed the door behind him.
Zander and Emily stood in their new apartment
for a few moments embracing each other and looking forward to their new
beginnings.
*******************************************************************************************************
Monica wandered into L&B as Chloe came out
from her office sketching a design on her sketch pad she held in her hands.
Chloe heard the door open and noticed Monica walk in and remove her coat.
"So, what can I help you with, Monica?" Chloe asked as she laid the sketch
pad on the conference table. "A baby shower!" she replied as they
walked towards each other. "A baby shower for Emily?...what a great
idea?!" Chloe answered as she and Monica went to sit down on the sofa.
Monica hadn't told anyone that she and Zander had been living elsewhere
but since they were coming home today, she saw no reason to keep their
whereabouts a secret. "She and Zander have a new place to live..thanks
to Sonny and I thought it would be high time Emily had a some happiness."
Monica said as she got comfortable in her seat. "Sounds like fun...what
do you need?" Chloe replied as she got excited about making the plans.
"Well, everything. I've been so busy at the hospital, I was hoping that
between you, Elizabeth and myself we should be able to pull this off without
Emily finding out. "Oooh a surprise baby shower..I like it!" she
replied as Elizabeth came down the stairs. "What's a surprise?" Elizabeth
replied as she made her way over to the conversation. "Emily's baby
shower...wanna help?" Chloe said as Elizabeth took a seat in the chair
closest to them. "Do you even have to ask? Sure I'll help what do
you need me to do?" "Well, Monica figured that between the three
of us, we should be able to pull a great party together." Chloe responded.
"I was thinking of the PC Grille. It's neutral." Monica said as Elizabeth
and Chloe were in thought about the plans. "Okay, the PC Grille...now
invitations and the guest list." Chloe suggested as Elizabeth got up for
a pad and pen to write this all down. When she returned to the conversation,
she started writing a list of invitees.
As Elizabeth made a list of guests to invite for
the baby shower, Chloe and Monica discussed the other arrangements.
What was supposed to be a few moment discussion turned into a few hours.
Monica wanted to make Emily's baby shower special and with the help of
Chloe and Elizabeth, it would be. Elizabeth finished with the guest
list and started to rattle off the names she had thought of. "Okay,
we have the following on the guest list...speak up if you want others added
as well...the three of us who sit here...Lila..Gia..Alexis...Carly...Bobbie..and
Felicia...anyone I'm missing." Chloe and Monica repeated the names
to themselves and responded simultaneously "No." "Good, then
we can get these in the mail sometime tomorrow. Now we have a little
problem...of when we are going to spring this on Emily." Monica and Chloe
both took their date books in their hands and flipped through their calendars.
"How bout two weeks from now?" Monica replied as she pointed her finger
to a Saturday two weeks from today. "Sounds good to me...I have plans
the following week in Milan but I'm free that weekend." Chloe replied agreeing
with Monica's suggestion. "I'll call the PC Grille before we make
it definite." Elizabeth said as she rose from her seat and walked towards
the phone on the desk. "Great!...We'll see you then!" Elizabeth replied
with a huge grin on her face. She hung up the phone and re joined
Chloe and Monica. "The PC Grille would be glad to have us that day.
So things with them are set. The shower was really coming together
as Monica's cell phone rang. She reached in her bag to pull out the
phone. She flipped it open and said.."Dr. Quartermaine.." "Mom, I'm
home!" the voice replied. "Oh my God...Emily! You're home! Where?
Can I come see you?" she replied with joy and excitement to hear from her.
"Mom...I'm at the Port Charles Towers...Apartment 2020P." she replied.
"Well, would you like some company? I have Elizabeth and Chloe here
with me...I'm sure they would love to see you." Monica answered as the
three of them held hands across the table hoping Emily would say yes.
"Sure..I'll see you guys in a few minutes than." she replied getting excited
about seeing her family and Elizabeth again. "Okay..we'll be there." Monica
replied as she hesitated than flipped the cell phone closed.
***********************************************************************************************
While Emily was on the phone calling Monica, Zander
had taken the bags upstairs to the bedroom. He was gone for a little
while so she too headed upstairs to check on him. "Zander..." she
called. "In here, Em..." he responded from the master bedroom.
She wandered in the direction of his voice and she noticed the second bedroom
door was ajar. Her curiosity got the best of her as she sneaked a
peak inside. She stood in awe at the site of the beautifully decorated
nursery. She had everything she could ever want for her new baby.
The walls had baby zoo animals scattered about in a neutral color and it
had a neutral color wall to wall carpeting. She noticed a mahogany
crib in the corner and a mahogany rocker sat next to it with a mint green
baby quilt draped over the back. Tears filled her eyes as she was
looking into the nursery where soon their precious baby boy would sleep.
"Zander..uh..Zand.." she began as a stray tear fell from the corner of
her eye. He heard her call him and he came up from behind her and
wrapped his strong arms about her. "Who did all this? " she said
quietly to him as she looked up at his face. "I don't know..honest
I don't. But who ever did this...they did a really nice job." he replied
As they stood in amazement of the decorations in the room, there was a
knock at the front door. "I'll get it.." he whispered as he leaned
in close enough she could feel his whisper against her neck. "Okay..It's
probably my mom.." she replied as she watched him walk down the few stairs
towards the door. Emily stood a few moments listening to who was
at the door before she wandered downstairs to greet her guests.
The apartment was situated at the end of a long
hallway and Jason had already assigned a new guard at their door.
Zander had gotten only a few feet from the door when Antonio opened the
door and announce their guests. Antonio was a muscular brut who had
been working for Sonny in Puerto Rico for a while. He was a tall
man with a darker complexion, deep set eyes and soft dark brown hair. Monica,
Chloe, and Elizabeth noticed Antonio as they passed by him when they entered
the apartment. The three ladies certainly couldn't resist the temptation
to look at the handsome brut who announced them. Monica noticed Emily
descend from upstairs as she politely nodded to Zander who stood by the
door when they entered. Emily ran quickly into her mother's arms
as Chloe and Elizabeth followed with an embrace as well. The four
of them had so much to talk about and Zander knew this was his time to
vacate a room filled with women. "Zander.. where you going..." Emily
said as she notice he was trying sneak away quietly. "Who...me? Well,
I thought..uh..I give the four of you a chance to talk without me hangin
around." he replied as he turned cause he knew he was caught sneaking out
of the room. "Stay...please." Monica replied as she turned and walked
over to him. "Come..on. We promise no girl talk." she added as she
led him by the arm to the sofa. Zander confused by the invitation
to sit with four women..but beautiful women they were. "So...when did ya's
get home?" Elizabeth asked as the four sat in the make shif living room.
The living room was really in the center of an open area between the stairs
and the kitchen area. "About an hour ago..we really had no idea this
is what we would come back to." Zander replied as he and Emily sat together
on the large leather sofa. "So who's the new guard..." Chloe asked
as she glanced towards the door. "He is Antonio. Sonny arranged
for him when we got home." Emily replied as she noticed it peaked Chloe's
interest.
They visited for a while before Monica looked
at her watch and noticed she needed to get back to the hospital.
"Well, I gotta get back to the hospital and I'm sure Chloe and Elizabeth
want to get things done for Milan, so I think we will say thank you for
allowing us this visit." Monica said as she rose from her seat. "Mom,
you don't need my permission to visit with me. None of you do..just stop
by." Emily replied as Zander assisted her in getting up off the sofa.
Chloe noticed that Emily wasn't having it easy getting up or down now that
she was late in her seven month. "I swear if I get any bigger, I
will need to stay permanently on the sofa." she added as she followed the
group to the door. "Aw..Em...You'll be find out when you hold your
baby boy in your hands that it will all be worth it." her mother replied
as she kissed her softly on the cheek. "I know..but I would like
him out sooner than later. The kicking the ribs is the worst..he certainly
has great timing." Emily giggled as she looked at Zander. He knew
right away what she meant. The baby has been kicking her lately during
their quiet moments in bed. Zander is hoping that he will grow out
of this little habit once he joins them in the real world. He opened
the door for the ladies as they all said their good-byes and again noticed
Antonio outside the door standing guard. Antonio closed the door as Emily
and Zander were overcame with a sigh of relief.
"Okay, that went well..." he said as he made his
way back to the sofa. "Didn't it though?" she asked as she sat down
beside him. "What do you want to do about dinner?" he asked as he
looked at his watch which read four o'clock. She looked at him and
grinned..."How bout pepperoni pizza and Pixie Sticks?!" Just the
sound of that made his stomach churn. "Eww. God..where do you come
up with these things..." he replied with a corny look on his face. "What
no Pixie Sticks?" ...she replied as she turned and looked at him.
"No...pepperoni pizza.." he responded with a little chuckle under his breath.
"You don't like pepperoni pizza? You're kidding right?" "Plain will suit
me just fine..." he said as he reached for the phone that sat on the coffee
table. "Okay..plain pizza with Pixie Sticks.." she replied with a
giggle. "Em...I don't think the kitchen will have Pixie Sticks..."
"No..but the corner store does.." she replied hoping the hint would get
Zander to go get her some. "Okay...I got the hint..I'll be right
back." he said as he kissed her on the cheek.
Zander got up and walked towards the door as looked
back at her with a grin. "Grape!...make sure their grape." she said as
he reached for his keys. "Grape..gotcha. The whole box?" he answered
as he turned and waited for her response. "If they have it..Get them
now, it'll save you a trip tonight!" she replied. With that Zander
walked out the door headed for the corner store for Pixie Sticks of all
things. As Zander walked out the door, Emily made a phone call to
the local pizzeria for take out. By the time he would return with
her grape Pixie Sticks, the pizza should be here. She thought about
how
long it has been since she had a piece of pizza. It had been quite
a while, since the first few months of her pregnancy any sight or smell
of food made her sick. But now, she was hungry all the time.
She couldn't believe her craving for grape Pixie
Sticks...of all things. But Zander was such a sweetheart to go down
to the corner store and buy her some. She hoped he would remember
to buy the whole box if they had one...cause these cravings usually lasted
all night. One wouldn't be enough.
Zander returned the apartment with a whole box
of grape Pixie Sticks in his hands as Antonio noticed he needed help opening
the door. Before he closed the door behind him, the pizza delivery
guy was waiting for his tip. "Antonio.." Zander said as he nodded
to pay the man. "Yes sir.." he responded as he dug deep in his pocket
for the exact change.
Zander walked into the apartment and set the box
of Emily's pixie sticks and his keys down on the table by the door. "Ah...pixie
sticks!" Emily yelled with glee as she saw the purple box sitting there
on the table. She noticed that Zander had turned and was holding
the pizza she ordered. Emily got up as fast as she could and rushed
over to get her hands on the box before he conned her out of them.
He was good at that...making deals with her..however she was always the
one who ended up with owing him. As he turned to come back into the
apartment, he noticed she had the box in her hands and walking back towards
the sofa.
"Hey...where you going with those.." he said jokingly.
"With what?" she replied as she almost had the box opened. "With those
pixie sticks...what you ain't sharing..again?" "What do you mean..again?"
..she questioned. "Do I have to remind you of those pixie stick fights
we have had..?" "Oh, those..well if you want some come getcha some!"
she replied tempting him. They laughed and playfully wrestled on
the sofa for the pixie sticks...until it turned into something more than
pixie sticks they wanted. They came nose to nose with each other
and he drew her closer and planted a playful kiss on her purple lips.
It seemed that she was holding out on him, and had eaten one already from
the box. "Now, who's holding out on whom?" he replied as he broke
the kiss. She licked her lips trying to remove the grape color from
them and replied.."Who...I didn't eat one.." knowing full well he tasted
the grape sugar on her lips. "Oh..you didn't...then why do you have
grape sugar on your upper lip?" he asked. "Where..?" "Right...here.."
he replied as he kissed her lip where the grape sugar glittered.
Neither of them realized that their dinner was getting cold. There
was nothing that could tear these two apart when they got like this.
The two of them sprawled out on the sofa in relaxing
positions and just enjoyed each other's company for a change. Zander
and Emily could finally have a peaceful night to themselves. And
they were going to take full advantage of it. "Antonio.." Zander
yelled towards the door. "Sir?" he replied as the door opened.
"No visitors tonight..okay." "Yes..sir." Antonio replied as he closed
the door once again.
The sun had gone down on Port Charles and the
stars twinkled in the night sky as Zander and Emily stood in front of the
window. He stood behind her as she peered out looking across the
tall buildings towards the bay. He wrapped his arms around her and
leaned in and kissed her on the temple. They stood there just counting
the stars in the night sky as well as counting their blessings for everything
they held dear.
Chapter
12