My Life Closed Twice
Chapter 35: Third Time's the Charm
Disclaimer: General Hospital and all its characters belong to ABC, Disney, etc.
Author's Notes: Please see the notes at the end of this chapter.
"So Spencer, are you terminally board yet?" I asked Michael as I walked into his room the next morning.
"Still spreading joy everywhere Quartermaine," Michael said.
I sat down on the edge of his bed. "I like to do my part."
"So why do I rate a visit?" Michael inquired
"I was in the neighborhood," I breezed. Really I had been stuck in a wheelchair in my hospital room for a half hour waiting for Mom and Uncle Stephan to return with the release papers. I finally gave up waiting and wrote them a note saying I had gone to visit Michael. Rather then get in trouble for leaving the wheelchair I had been ordered to stay in; I wheeled my self to just outside Michael's room. They had moved Michael out of ICU and into a regular room located on the same floor I had been enjoying last night. I left the chair right outside the door with Michael's guard, who I think might have been on the dock when Junior and Mr. Morgan brought me in from my swim.
"I was beginning to think you were avoiding me," he groused. So he was worried that I had been scared off.
"No, just spending some time with people more interesting then you," I re- assured him. I stretched out on my side across the end of his bed and propped my head up on hand.
Michael smiled. "Anyone new and exciting?"
"Nope just someone old and stuffy. Uncle Stephan has been located," I told him.
"One down, two to go," he said.
"Actually three down. Nicholas and Gia have been heard from," I told him. "As it turns out they were downed in a storm. As soon as the weather cleared they radioed for help." Mr. Baldwin had actually been right. I was sure this was going to be held over Mr. Spencer's head for a long time. I had heard about the reappearance of the remaining Cassadines from Uncle Stephan and Mom.
"They just got caught in a storm? What about the little old lady in the shoe?" Michael asked.
Helena. I sat up and faced the wall. She had caused so much pain and death. She had held a gun to my head. She had pointed a gun at my Mother. I could still see her face as she fell by my side. Mr. Spencer had been by earlier to tell me that there had been no body found. She might still be out there plotting her revenge or she might be dead. I didn't know which reality to wish for. My hands grasped the blankets. I felt Michael cover my hand with his. "Tell your father not to worry. You were not the target," I told him while never letting my eyes leave the wall.
"What do you mean Kristina? Who was the target?" Michael asked me.
I just looked at him. I could see the realization dawn on his face. "What happened?" he asked in a soft voice.
It was not something I wanted to discuss yet. Not with him, not with anyone. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," I said in a voice that sounded forced even to my ears.
We were silent for a minute. Finally Michael cleared his throat. "So, now that you have all your Cassadines in a row will you be heading back home?"
I turned back toward him. I gave him a smile, half in thanks and half in anticipation. "You don't get off that easy Spencer. Mom has decided to stay here," I told him.
"Has the mayor been warned?" he asked.
"I'm sure Great-Grandfather is calling him right now," I reassured him.
"So, you are going to rent Grandma's empty apartment?" he said.
"We are going to stay there for a while," I admitted. I am sure we could have stayed at Nicholas and Gia's, but none of us wanted to see the inside of Wyndamere for a while. Still, all three of us living at the brownstone would lead to some interesting situations. "Do you want in on the bet?"
"What bet?" Michael asked.
"Uncle Stephan, who I love, but is in creditably straight laced is going to move with us. This means that my Uncle and Mr. Spencer will end up spending a lot of time together. I get the feeling that they have the same healthy relationship that Mr. Spencer seems to share with, well most people," I explained.
"So like any loving niece, you have started a bet on how long until one of them beats the other senseless," Michael deduced.
"I have two weeks. Mom took a week and a half. Ms. Spencer has been the most optimistic at three weeks. What date do you want?" I inquired.
Michael laughed briefly. "Don't do that, it hurts. Put me down for a week and six days."
"Agreed, I will get your money later," I told him.
"I don't want to interrupt, but I just wanted to drop off these magazines," said Mr. Corbin as he came in carrying a stack of 15 magazines.
"That's ok, I have to go anyway," I assured Mr. Corbin.
"See you around," I told Michael as I stood up.
"Back at you," Michael responded.
I gave Mr. Corbin a smile and was just through the door when Michael called out, "You're still crazy, Quartermaine."
I threw him a smile over my shoulder. "And I still don't like you, Spencer."
Outside Michael's room the guard held my wheelchair still while I settled myself back into it. I thanked him and began to wheel myself down the hall. When I came around the corner I could see Mom, Uncle Stephan, Uncle Alan and Aunt Monica all standing around talking. I stopped.
This was what my life was going to be from now on. I was going to have the Q's involved in my everyday life. I would meet Michael for lunch and slowly drive him nuts. I would be the one to play big sister to my cousins like Brooke-Lynn did for me. Mom and I were going to rebuild our lives. It was time for me to start the next chapter in my life.
Mom turned and saw me. She smiled and beckoned me to join them.
I couldn't help but think Port Charles didn't know what was about to hit it. The Cassadine women were back. As I rolled my way over to Mom could practically hear Dad saying, "Go get them."
*******************************The Beginning*****************************
My life closed twice before its close; It yet remains to see If Immortality unveil A third event to me,
So huge, so hopeless to conceive, As these that twice befell. Parting is all we know of heaven, And all we need of hell.
Emily Dickinson (1830-86).
Author's Closing Thanks:
Thanks to my faithful beta reader who stuck with this story even if I did kill Ned off. I also owe a BIG thank-you to the wonderful people responsible for The Gate (http://www.ned-alexis.com/index.html). Without their wonderful transcript sections I could not have gotten the dialog done nearly so well. Also a SPECIAL THANKS to everyone on who has kept reading and sending me comments throughout this entire story.
Yes, this really is the end of this story. Please send me comments (my ego loves them). I know I have left a few plot points dangling. I will probably write a sequel (for my beta reader if for no one else). In the mean time, please check out 'All We Need of Hell', which is this story from Alexis' point-of-view.
Chapter 35: Third Time's the Charm
Disclaimer: General Hospital and all its characters belong to ABC, Disney, etc.
Author's Notes: Please see the notes at the end of this chapter.
"So Spencer, are you terminally board yet?" I asked Michael as I walked into his room the next morning.
"Still spreading joy everywhere Quartermaine," Michael said.
I sat down on the edge of his bed. "I like to do my part."
"So why do I rate a visit?" Michael inquired
"I was in the neighborhood," I breezed. Really I had been stuck in a wheelchair in my hospital room for a half hour waiting for Mom and Uncle Stephan to return with the release papers. I finally gave up waiting and wrote them a note saying I had gone to visit Michael. Rather then get in trouble for leaving the wheelchair I had been ordered to stay in; I wheeled my self to just outside Michael's room. They had moved Michael out of ICU and into a regular room located on the same floor I had been enjoying last night. I left the chair right outside the door with Michael's guard, who I think might have been on the dock when Junior and Mr. Morgan brought me in from my swim.
"I was beginning to think you were avoiding me," he groused. So he was worried that I had been scared off.
"No, just spending some time with people more interesting then you," I re- assured him. I stretched out on my side across the end of his bed and propped my head up on hand.
Michael smiled. "Anyone new and exciting?"
"Nope just someone old and stuffy. Uncle Stephan has been located," I told him.
"One down, two to go," he said.
"Actually three down. Nicholas and Gia have been heard from," I told him. "As it turns out they were downed in a storm. As soon as the weather cleared they radioed for help." Mr. Baldwin had actually been right. I was sure this was going to be held over Mr. Spencer's head for a long time. I had heard about the reappearance of the remaining Cassadines from Uncle Stephan and Mom.
"They just got caught in a storm? What about the little old lady in the shoe?" Michael asked.
Helena. I sat up and faced the wall. She had caused so much pain and death. She had held a gun to my head. She had pointed a gun at my Mother. I could still see her face as she fell by my side. Mr. Spencer had been by earlier to tell me that there had been no body found. She might still be out there plotting her revenge or she might be dead. I didn't know which reality to wish for. My hands grasped the blankets. I felt Michael cover my hand with his. "Tell your father not to worry. You were not the target," I told him while never letting my eyes leave the wall.
"What do you mean Kristina? Who was the target?" Michael asked me.
I just looked at him. I could see the realization dawn on his face. "What happened?" he asked in a soft voice.
It was not something I wanted to discuss yet. Not with him, not with anyone. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," I said in a voice that sounded forced even to my ears.
We were silent for a minute. Finally Michael cleared his throat. "So, now that you have all your Cassadines in a row will you be heading back home?"
I turned back toward him. I gave him a smile, half in thanks and half in anticipation. "You don't get off that easy Spencer. Mom has decided to stay here," I told him.
"Has the mayor been warned?" he asked.
"I'm sure Great-Grandfather is calling him right now," I reassured him.
"So, you are going to rent Grandma's empty apartment?" he said.
"We are going to stay there for a while," I admitted. I am sure we could have stayed at Nicholas and Gia's, but none of us wanted to see the inside of Wyndamere for a while. Still, all three of us living at the brownstone would lead to some interesting situations. "Do you want in on the bet?"
"What bet?" Michael asked.
"Uncle Stephan, who I love, but is in creditably straight laced is going to move with us. This means that my Uncle and Mr. Spencer will end up spending a lot of time together. I get the feeling that they have the same healthy relationship that Mr. Spencer seems to share with, well most people," I explained.
"So like any loving niece, you have started a bet on how long until one of them beats the other senseless," Michael deduced.
"I have two weeks. Mom took a week and a half. Ms. Spencer has been the most optimistic at three weeks. What date do you want?" I inquired.
Michael laughed briefly. "Don't do that, it hurts. Put me down for a week and six days."
"Agreed, I will get your money later," I told him.
"I don't want to interrupt, but I just wanted to drop off these magazines," said Mr. Corbin as he came in carrying a stack of 15 magazines.
"That's ok, I have to go anyway," I assured Mr. Corbin.
"See you around," I told Michael as I stood up.
"Back at you," Michael responded.
I gave Mr. Corbin a smile and was just through the door when Michael called out, "You're still crazy, Quartermaine."
I threw him a smile over my shoulder. "And I still don't like you, Spencer."
Outside Michael's room the guard held my wheelchair still while I settled myself back into it. I thanked him and began to wheel myself down the hall. When I came around the corner I could see Mom, Uncle Stephan, Uncle Alan and Aunt Monica all standing around talking. I stopped.
This was what my life was going to be from now on. I was going to have the Q's involved in my everyday life. I would meet Michael for lunch and slowly drive him nuts. I would be the one to play big sister to my cousins like Brooke-Lynn did for me. Mom and I were going to rebuild our lives. It was time for me to start the next chapter in my life.
Mom turned and saw me. She smiled and beckoned me to join them.
I couldn't help but think Port Charles didn't know what was about to hit it. The Cassadine women were back. As I rolled my way over to Mom could practically hear Dad saying, "Go get them."
*******************************The Beginning*****************************
My life closed twice before its close; It yet remains to see If Immortality unveil A third event to me,
So huge, so hopeless to conceive, As these that twice befell. Parting is all we know of heaven, And all we need of hell.
Emily Dickinson (1830-86).
Author's Closing Thanks:
Thanks to my faithful beta reader who stuck with this story even if I did kill Ned off. I also owe a BIG thank-you to the wonderful people responsible for The Gate (http://www.ned-alexis.com/index.html). Without their wonderful transcript sections I could not have gotten the dialog done nearly so well. Also a SPECIAL THANKS to everyone on who has kept reading and sending me comments throughout this entire story.
Yes, this really is the end of this story. Please send me comments (my ego loves them). I know I have left a few plot points dangling. I will probably write a sequel (for my beta reader if for no one else). In the mean time, please check out 'All We Need of Hell', which is this story from Alexis' point-of-view.