Chapter 5-Juliana's Story

She looked at him for a second wanting to believe that if she went into specifics everything would be the same, knowing it wouldn't be. So many things had happened in her young life she wasn't sure where to begin. Lila and Laura had always told her the best place was at the beginning. Her only problem was, to her the beginning was a mystery. She knew nothing of her real mother.

"You really sure you want to know everything Jasper? You may not like me once you know the whole sordid tale."

His reply was a simple nod and squeeze of her hands which he had taken in his without her actually realizing it. Taking a deep breath she looked into his eyes, hid kind eyes. He wouldn't let things change, knowing this in her heart of hearts she began to tell he story. The whole story, the story only she and her families knew.

"They found me on the steps of the City Hall in the winter of 1975. By then I was five months old. It was Steve Hardy who discovered me wrapped in a thin blanket with just another blanket as a pillow. He took me to GH. It's a wonder I didn't die. No one quite knows why I didn't."

"Where was your mother?"

"Jasper don't interrupt me please if you do I may not be able to get the whole thing out.

"Anyway, the police tried to find my parents but to no avail. The note wrapped in one of the blankets said that Sister Mary Connolly had left me there because I was ill and the orphanage was unable to care for me any longer. When I got out of the hospital I stayed with a number of different foster families. None of whom were willing to adopt me. They either had kids already or didn't want another or they wanted none full time.

'That changed sometime when I was three. The Quartermaines had come to town. Lila took an immediate liking to me and petitioned to adopt me, the court could see no reason to say no, and Juliana Quartermaine was born."

"Where does the Spencer part come from then?" Jasper asked interrupting again.

"Jasper. Alright you want me to fast forward to that it's no problem because there isn't much story. I grew up in the Quartermaine house, AJ couldn't stand me from day one. Used to tell me that his Grandmother only pitied me, and every now and again I'd believe him.

"So I used to go down to the hospital and hang out in the pediatric wing. The kids and I got along real well. One afternoon, I was there later than normal and realized it had gotten dark. I went looking for Alan and Monica but couldn't find them. I ran into Bobbie. She and I became fast friends. She was a like an Aunt to me, and as far as I was concerned she was a better Aunt than Tracy. It was through her that I met my first crush, Luke. Please don't ask me to explain it to you because now looking back I don't think I could.

"Luke treated me like another little sister. I absolutely adored him; in my eyes he could do no wrong. I remember one day, before he was supposed to marry Jennifer Smith I asked him to marry me told him I'd protect him from Frank Smith. He just laughed and told me I already was a Spencer. So it became Juliana Quartermaine-Spencer or Spencer- Quartermaine, depending on my mood."

Juliana stopped for a second to breathe before going on with her story. This was one of the many parts she hated.

"When Luke and Laura went on the run that first summer I blamed myself. Told myself if I had found away to protect Luke he would have stayed. Meanwhile Scott was being a real jerk, and yet I found myself liking the guy. He was kind of cute in that dorky

way, and he was funny. Hence crush number two. Not that he knew then, he didn't find out until years later but I'll get to that."

"Juliana what is it you're shivering. Here take my jacket." Jasper said putting it around her shoulders.

"Won't help, Jasper I'm sorry I can't do this. I shouldn't have come back here it was a mistake."

"Jules wait. Just tell me. It's obvious you need to get it all out. Let me help. You need me now, let me be here for you."

"I can't. I just can't. I'm sorry." With that Jules ran back into the house and straight up the stairs. Jasper was right behind her with Luke Ned and Alan behind him.

"Jax what the hell did you do to her?" Luke asked him.

"She was telling me everything. We got up to her crush on Baldwin and then she shut down. I don't know why."

"Damn that woman to hell." Luke said under his breath.

"Helena?"

"Yeah, tell ya what I'll tell ya this part. Jules never could handle it. How far did she get?" He asked. The party had reached the room where Jules had run to, and Luke made sure she'd hear everything he said so that if she felt the need she could correct him.

"Well you and Laura were on the run. Said she blamed herself for your leaving and then went into what a jerk Baldwin was at the time."

"Well Laura and I were able to defeat Frank Smith. We came back and tried to live a normal life but then Mikkos showed up; him and his dammed ice machine. Well Robert Scripio showed up around the same time. So Laura and I teamed up with him to see what we could do to stop him. We did it alright. I ended up killing him. Hence the beginning of the Spencer Cassidine feud. Now I know your probably wondering what Jules was up to at the time.

"She was having a ball like any kid of six would. It was snowing in July. Winter, up to that point had always been her favorite time of year, so why wouldn't she enjoy getting an extra month of it. See she has never been able to realize there was nothing she could have done to stop that maniac's reign of terror."

"What's that got to do with Helena?" Jasper asked.

"Fast forward to November, my wedding day to be exact. Laura and I had a beautiful ceremony on the lawn of the mayor's mansion. Things didn't go bad until the reception. First Baldwin caught Laura's bouquet then there were rumblings in the crowd that Helena was there. Well, Jules has always felt the need to protect me, even though I'm more than capable of doing it myself. She runs into Helena and tells her to leave or else. Helena just laughed at her. That's probably why she started to shiver. Helena scared her to death that day. Anyway, Helena put a curse on Laura and me for what we had done to Mikkos. Jules hasn't forgiven herself for not making Helena leave."

"But she was only a little girl. Surely she knows it's not her fault."

"Jax that's the way she is. You threaten someone she cares about and she goes for the jugular. Only with Helena she couldn't because she got scared. Now I only hope she doesn't blame herself for our divorce."

"Luke it's crazy. There was nothing she could have done. Didn't you tell her that?"

"Of course we did. But as Luke said it didn't do any good. Jax, this scarred her for a long time. As a child she used to have horrible nightmares about Helena hurting everyone she cared about, not just Luke and Laura." Alan said speaking up for the first time since they had gone upstairs.

"She'd have them once in a while when we were in Monaco. When I'd ask her about them she'd just shutdown. Frightened the hell out of me."

"Can we skip Stavaros , please? I can't handle that." Juliana said coming out of the bedroom. It was evident she'd been crying and she was still shaking. Jasper went to her and put his arms around her.

"It's all over now Jules. She can't hurt you or anyone else now."

"Yeah and if you believe that then you don't know the hag."

"You want to go on or should I?"

"Luke I think I can take it from here. Dad do you mind if Jasper and I stay up here?"

"Behave, you know how your mother and I feel about boys being in your room."

"Right. Okay so where were we? Oh yeah the hag. Anyway, she left and shortly after Luke and Laura got back the whole Stavaros mess happened, which produced Nikkolas.

"While all of that mess was going on Luke had managed to get himself elected mayor. One of the first things he did was to say that I ran Port Charles. I was amazed the city council went for it. See the whole town felt as though they adopted me; and before you say it looking back I wonder why no one but the Quartermaines were willing to adopt me. So they put it into the charter that I ran things. They all figured it was a nothing clause and would never be used. I usually don't even think about it, and the current mayor signed off on it as well."

"Wait, you mean you an honorary mayor, and have been since you were six?"

"No Jasper I run the town. In other words Corrinthos isn't supposed to do anything without my approval. But as I said I never use the stupid thing, though now I'm thinking maybe I should. Oh and it's been in effect since I was seven not six."

"Stand corrected; so then what?"

"Well Luke and Laura left town after Stavaros' "death". I thought about going to visit them and live with them for a while. Things weren't all that great in the Quartermaine house, but then things rarely are."

"What changed your mind?"

"Frisco." Jules said getting off the bed, where she and Jasper had been sitting, and went to the window.