Show: General Hospital
Title: Change is Good: Chapter 6
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: Thank you very much for last chapter's comments. For those of you who might be wondering, I'll try to have a new chapter for LVdlC2 by the end of this week or in the early weekend (I haven't forgotten it, just trying to get some thoughts into order.)
*~*~*~*~*~*
For the second time that day, Emily awoke in a strange bed. She swung her feet over the side of the bed, but paused, trying to orient herself, before leaving the bed and heading downstairs. She cleared the last step to see her big brother nursing a beer in his beat up Lay-Z Boy absentmindedly watching a basketball game on his huge Plasma TV.
"You really should consider getting rid of all this clutter, Morgan," she quipped sarcastically, indicating the practically sterile living room.
Jason actually smiled at her attempt at comedy. "Very funny." He paused, running his blue eyes shrewdly over her from head-to-toe. "You feeling better?"
Emily ducked her head in mild embarrassment and fiddled with the long sleeve of her sweater. "I'm fine. Starving though. I suppose it would be wishful thinking to wonder if you actually have anything edible on those shelves in the room some folks like to call a kitchen."
He knew she was trying to deflect his concern for her with comedy, but it didn't bother him too much; she would talk when she was ready. "As a matter of fact, Ms. Sarcastic, I do happen to have food in the place some folks like to call a kitchen, as if you would know what a kitchen actually was, what with the privileged life you led out on the Quartermaine Estate," he shot back good-naturedly as he set his beer on the floor and headed over to the kitchen. Jason opened the fridge and took out the soup Elizabeth had brought over that afternoon before taking the sandwiches from the breadbasket that had been left behind when Alexis Davis moved out. "Elizabeth stopped by and brought us lunch," he explained.
"That was sweet," Emily said, watching as he unwrapped the sandwiches and set one on a plate and pushed it towards her and he placed both portable containers in the microwave to warm up the soup. Emily hungrily bit into the sandwich – Turkey Club – as she realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast at seven thirty that morning, a full twelve hours ago as she glanced at her watch.
After eating her fill, Emily pushed her empty soup bowl away and continued to fiddle with her sleeve. "You know," she began softly, "if you'd been anyone else, you would've been bugging me to find out what happened ten hours ago."
Jason smiled softly. "You'd let me know what was going on when you were ready."
Emily's doe-like brown eyes met her brother's ice-blue gaze. He had such a disarming way of looking at her. He never made her feel uncomfortable or scared, though; he always looked at her with love and caring and genuine respect and most importantly, he never judged her – he treated her like an adult, like she had actual working grey matter between her ears. "I'm ready."
As he listened to her pour her heart out, he absentmindedly reached for her hand, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. At one stage, the other had reached out to wipe away the tears that sluiced down her cheek from the corner of her eye. As she completed her story, her eyes begged him for understanding.
Jason wasn't exactly the best person to seek advice on love from, what with his disastrous track record where the opposite sex was concerned. All the women he'd been with had burned him because he couldn't be someone they'd wanted him to be; Brenda exempted of course, because, technically, a marriage of convenience didn't really count. But for the sake of his sister, he tried his hardest to be objective; though he would rather she forgot about both of them and enter a convent.
"Have you told either of them what you told me?"
Emily shook her head in bewilderment as she wiped her face. "Are you kidding me? The mere mention of Zander's name sends Nikolas into a fit and Zander… well he hates me, with good reason."
For all his faults, Jason didn't think Zander hated Emily. He told her so.
"Well, if he doesn't he should. He was right; I was selfish. I should've thought about what hooking up with Nikolas would've done to him. "
"Emily, staying in a loveless marriage wasn't the right answer."
"It wasn't a loveless marriage," she defended. "I loved Zander; I just loved Nikolas more and I broke my marriage vows, Jason. That was unacceptable. I *hurt* him. And I was so captivated with the thought of being in love with Nikolas that I didn't even think twice of what it was doing to Zander. Nikolas tries to make it seem that Zander is a grown man and he's in charge of his destiny and he's just a big loser because he acts out and does stupid things, but don't we all? Don't we all lose rational thought when we're hurting?"
"Are you trying to tell me that you think all of Smith's shenanigans in the past are your fault?"
Emily buried her face in her hands, "I dunno, Jas. I just don't know *anything* anymore. All I know is that I'm tired and so damned confused my head hurts."
Jason awkwardly squeezed her hand. "You should try to get some rest."
"No," she shook her head stubbornly. "I've slept enough today to stay awake for a week."
"Ok," he replied. "Well, let's go do something. Ice-skating or something," he suggested.
"You? Ice-skating?" she asked incredulously.
"Maybe not *me*, but I could watch you."
"No," replied Emily, finding a giggle bubbling to her lips.
"So what?"
"Let's go to Jake's."
Jason lifted an eyebrow, not sure that was the best place to take his sister to cheer her up, but at the pleading look in her brown eyes he relented. "Sure, why not?"
It was only as he paused to open the door to the bar for her did he remember that Zander worked at Jake's as a bartender.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Emily realized her mistake the second she laid eyes on the man behind the bar. Zander was engaged in animated conversation with two bottle-blondes at the counter. One of the blondes laughed at something he said and she threw her head back giving him a view of her ample cleavage, while the other one trailed a blood red claw-like nail along his collar.
Zander must have felt her eyes on his because he turned to the door only to stare in bewilderment at Emily standing just inside the threshold of the door. Once again, Zander felt the pain that had become the norm whenever he was around her, but also the flood of guilt when he thought about their confrontation that morning. He knew he should but he couldn't. that was, until the blonde with the claws reached out to stroke his cheek and turned his attention back to her.
Emily wasn't sure how she felt. She felt the guilt, sure and also the tingling awareness that had begun to manifest itself since she'd seen him half-naked at breakfast and her mind couldn't help but remind her that she knew the body so well. But she was absolutely unprepared for the jealousy that barreled through her as she watched Zander throw himself back into the conversation with the two busty blondes, a mask of indifference where his soon-to-be-ex-wife was concerned. She was prepared for the guilt, even the anger, but definitely not the jealousy.
Jason shrewdly watched the eye contact between the former couple. He lifted a comforting hand to his sister's shoulder. "I don't think this is such a great idea, Em. We should leave. It completely slipped my mind that he bartended here."
"No," Emily shook her head and turned to her brother. "I'm not going to leave just because Zander works here. We came here to have some fun!" she hung her coat up on the rack and confidently strode fully into the bar, her brother reluctantly behind her. As he passed the bar, he caught Zander's eye and frowned.
All night Jason watched them.
Zander's conversation with the two women was obviously growing more suggestive whilst Emily wrapped practically every other man around her finger, pretending to be a novice, then absolutely kicking ass in pool. Jason watched from a corner, there to step in incase someone got too rowdy or tried to overstep their bounds, but he basically left her alone and watched with detached amusement as both tried to act as though the other wasn't there.
As he nursed his beer and kept an eye on the game in which Em hadn't even let the guy take a shot yet, his cellphone rang.
"Morgan," he said Borg-tone.
Imagine his surprise when he heard the voice say: "Hi."
It was Elizabeth.
"Hi… this is a surprise," he said slowly, after getting over the initial surprise.
"Yeah, I figured," she replied. Back in her apartment, she was twirling a wavy lock of hair around her finger, trying to keep from smiling like a giddy schoolgirl. She cleared her throat. "Well, I was just calling to check in on Emily," she lied, when in reality, she'd called on a spur of the moment to just hear his voice, even if he did answer Borg-style. "How is she?"
"She's fine," he replied, keeping an eye on Emily. "Though, I don't think you'd ever guess what she's doing now…" he trailed off suggestively.
"What?" she asked.
"Guess," he invited playfully.
"Tell me," she begged, flopping on her couch, unable to keep the smile from spreading across her face.
"Guess," he invited.
"I dunno! I give up!"
"Well, technically, it's only called giving up if you attempt to do something."
Elizabeth paused. "Did you just make a witty comment, Jason Morgan?" she asked.
"I do believe it was a bit of a joke, Elizabeth," he deadpanned.
Elizabeth guffawed and on the other end Jason flat-out laughed, ignoring the baffled looks of alarm from the people as the watched the Corinthos Enforcer laugh. Emily looked up in mild surprise and Zander looked as though he'd spotted an alien. All were wondering who it was on the other end of that conversation that had that effect on him.
When she'd calmed down some she asked, "So, are you going to tell me or not?"
"She's at Jake's, playing pool."
Elizabeth's initial reaction was: "*Emily* Quartermaine at *Jake's* playing pool! Get out, Morgan!" Only when she'd taken a few more seconds to analyse Jason's statement did she continue, "Oh, crap! Zander bartends at Jake's, Jason. Taking her there wasn't exactly the wisest thing to do."
Jason had calmed down some and his look told the others to back off and mind their own business. "I know that now. But they're completely ignoring each other… well at least trying to," he explained.
"Is it working?" she asked.
"I don't think so. I keep waiting for one of them to throw a tantrum."
Elizabeth giggled. "Someone's on a roll."
"I do try," he deadpanned yet again.
"Well, at least they're not at each other's throats."
"Yet."
"Try not to be so positive, Jason," implored Liz sarcastically. The two paused. "Anyways, I gotta go," she rushed unsure of what else to say.
"Sure."
Before they hung up she asked. "Coming in for breakfast tomorrow?" Elizabeth practically held her breath.
Reluctantly, Jason answered. "No, Sonny and I have a breakfast meeting with our partners. But… it'll be through by lunch," he added.
He could actually hear the smile in her voice. "Great, tomorrow." She hung up before he could say anything else.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Zander good-naturedly shoved the two blondes from the bar into the snow, chuckling as Sabine, the bustier of the two, blew him a sloppy kiss and professed her undying love for him, whilst trying to keep her drinking partner, Patsy, from falling to the snow. He shut the heavy door and locked it, turning back to the only remaining customers, Jason and Emily, playing pool at one of the tables.
Emily had made a fortune that night but her luck wasn't holding out with Jason – who'd taught her to play in the first place. Wiping his hands in his towel, Zander couldn't help but watch the concentration on her beautiful face in rapt fascination.
Emily cursed softly as she missed her shot and Jason grinned as he stepped up to the table to sink the eight ball easily.
"Game over, folks," called Zander.
Jason and Emily looked around in bewilderment. They hadn't been aware that they were the only ones left.
"Sorry, Smith," Jason actually apologized, taking Emily's stick and his and leaning them against the wall.
Zander shrugged. "No prob."
"It's late, Em," said Jason, checking his watch. It was just after one in the morning. "Let's go."
Emily nodded. All night she'd barely caught fleeting glances of Zander. He ignored her as completely as before as he tallied the night's earnings. Emily accepted her coat from her brother and followed him as Zander directed them to the back of the bar and held open the door for them. Jason moved past without a word but some reason Emily paused and finally met his gaze. She could see the tendon pulsing in the side of her neck. There were suddenly so many things she wanted to say to him, and indeed she opened her mouth a few times to voice those thoughts but, in the end, instead she whispered, "Good night, Zander."
He didn't even nod or bat an eyelash in acknowledgement. He simply stepped back and quietly closed the door in her face.
TBC...
A/N: Don't forget to review! Also, as I do with LVdlC2, if you wish for me to update you when the new chapter's been posted online, just leave your email address and I'll make sure I let you know!
Cara
Title: Change is Good: Chapter 6
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: Thank you very much for last chapter's comments. For those of you who might be wondering, I'll try to have a new chapter for LVdlC2 by the end of this week or in the early weekend (I haven't forgotten it, just trying to get some thoughts into order.)
*~*~*~*~*~*
For the second time that day, Emily awoke in a strange bed. She swung her feet over the side of the bed, but paused, trying to orient herself, before leaving the bed and heading downstairs. She cleared the last step to see her big brother nursing a beer in his beat up Lay-Z Boy absentmindedly watching a basketball game on his huge Plasma TV.
"You really should consider getting rid of all this clutter, Morgan," she quipped sarcastically, indicating the practically sterile living room.
Jason actually smiled at her attempt at comedy. "Very funny." He paused, running his blue eyes shrewdly over her from head-to-toe. "You feeling better?"
Emily ducked her head in mild embarrassment and fiddled with the long sleeve of her sweater. "I'm fine. Starving though. I suppose it would be wishful thinking to wonder if you actually have anything edible on those shelves in the room some folks like to call a kitchen."
He knew she was trying to deflect his concern for her with comedy, but it didn't bother him too much; she would talk when she was ready. "As a matter of fact, Ms. Sarcastic, I do happen to have food in the place some folks like to call a kitchen, as if you would know what a kitchen actually was, what with the privileged life you led out on the Quartermaine Estate," he shot back good-naturedly as he set his beer on the floor and headed over to the kitchen. Jason opened the fridge and took out the soup Elizabeth had brought over that afternoon before taking the sandwiches from the breadbasket that had been left behind when Alexis Davis moved out. "Elizabeth stopped by and brought us lunch," he explained.
"That was sweet," Emily said, watching as he unwrapped the sandwiches and set one on a plate and pushed it towards her and he placed both portable containers in the microwave to warm up the soup. Emily hungrily bit into the sandwich – Turkey Club – as she realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast at seven thirty that morning, a full twelve hours ago as she glanced at her watch.
After eating her fill, Emily pushed her empty soup bowl away and continued to fiddle with her sleeve. "You know," she began softly, "if you'd been anyone else, you would've been bugging me to find out what happened ten hours ago."
Jason smiled softly. "You'd let me know what was going on when you were ready."
Emily's doe-like brown eyes met her brother's ice-blue gaze. He had such a disarming way of looking at her. He never made her feel uncomfortable or scared, though; he always looked at her with love and caring and genuine respect and most importantly, he never judged her – he treated her like an adult, like she had actual working grey matter between her ears. "I'm ready."
As he listened to her pour her heart out, he absentmindedly reached for her hand, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. At one stage, the other had reached out to wipe away the tears that sluiced down her cheek from the corner of her eye. As she completed her story, her eyes begged him for understanding.
Jason wasn't exactly the best person to seek advice on love from, what with his disastrous track record where the opposite sex was concerned. All the women he'd been with had burned him because he couldn't be someone they'd wanted him to be; Brenda exempted of course, because, technically, a marriage of convenience didn't really count. But for the sake of his sister, he tried his hardest to be objective; though he would rather she forgot about both of them and enter a convent.
"Have you told either of them what you told me?"
Emily shook her head in bewilderment as she wiped her face. "Are you kidding me? The mere mention of Zander's name sends Nikolas into a fit and Zander… well he hates me, with good reason."
For all his faults, Jason didn't think Zander hated Emily. He told her so.
"Well, if he doesn't he should. He was right; I was selfish. I should've thought about what hooking up with Nikolas would've done to him. "
"Emily, staying in a loveless marriage wasn't the right answer."
"It wasn't a loveless marriage," she defended. "I loved Zander; I just loved Nikolas more and I broke my marriage vows, Jason. That was unacceptable. I *hurt* him. And I was so captivated with the thought of being in love with Nikolas that I didn't even think twice of what it was doing to Zander. Nikolas tries to make it seem that Zander is a grown man and he's in charge of his destiny and he's just a big loser because he acts out and does stupid things, but don't we all? Don't we all lose rational thought when we're hurting?"
"Are you trying to tell me that you think all of Smith's shenanigans in the past are your fault?"
Emily buried her face in her hands, "I dunno, Jas. I just don't know *anything* anymore. All I know is that I'm tired and so damned confused my head hurts."
Jason awkwardly squeezed her hand. "You should try to get some rest."
"No," she shook her head stubbornly. "I've slept enough today to stay awake for a week."
"Ok," he replied. "Well, let's go do something. Ice-skating or something," he suggested.
"You? Ice-skating?" she asked incredulously.
"Maybe not *me*, but I could watch you."
"No," replied Emily, finding a giggle bubbling to her lips.
"So what?"
"Let's go to Jake's."
Jason lifted an eyebrow, not sure that was the best place to take his sister to cheer her up, but at the pleading look in her brown eyes he relented. "Sure, why not?"
It was only as he paused to open the door to the bar for her did he remember that Zander worked at Jake's as a bartender.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Emily realized her mistake the second she laid eyes on the man behind the bar. Zander was engaged in animated conversation with two bottle-blondes at the counter. One of the blondes laughed at something he said and she threw her head back giving him a view of her ample cleavage, while the other one trailed a blood red claw-like nail along his collar.
Zander must have felt her eyes on his because he turned to the door only to stare in bewilderment at Emily standing just inside the threshold of the door. Once again, Zander felt the pain that had become the norm whenever he was around her, but also the flood of guilt when he thought about their confrontation that morning. He knew he should but he couldn't. that was, until the blonde with the claws reached out to stroke his cheek and turned his attention back to her.
Emily wasn't sure how she felt. She felt the guilt, sure and also the tingling awareness that had begun to manifest itself since she'd seen him half-naked at breakfast and her mind couldn't help but remind her that she knew the body so well. But she was absolutely unprepared for the jealousy that barreled through her as she watched Zander throw himself back into the conversation with the two busty blondes, a mask of indifference where his soon-to-be-ex-wife was concerned. She was prepared for the guilt, even the anger, but definitely not the jealousy.
Jason shrewdly watched the eye contact between the former couple. He lifted a comforting hand to his sister's shoulder. "I don't think this is such a great idea, Em. We should leave. It completely slipped my mind that he bartended here."
"No," Emily shook her head and turned to her brother. "I'm not going to leave just because Zander works here. We came here to have some fun!" she hung her coat up on the rack and confidently strode fully into the bar, her brother reluctantly behind her. As he passed the bar, he caught Zander's eye and frowned.
All night Jason watched them.
Zander's conversation with the two women was obviously growing more suggestive whilst Emily wrapped practically every other man around her finger, pretending to be a novice, then absolutely kicking ass in pool. Jason watched from a corner, there to step in incase someone got too rowdy or tried to overstep their bounds, but he basically left her alone and watched with detached amusement as both tried to act as though the other wasn't there.
As he nursed his beer and kept an eye on the game in which Em hadn't even let the guy take a shot yet, his cellphone rang.
"Morgan," he said Borg-tone.
Imagine his surprise when he heard the voice say: "Hi."
It was Elizabeth.
"Hi… this is a surprise," he said slowly, after getting over the initial surprise.
"Yeah, I figured," she replied. Back in her apartment, she was twirling a wavy lock of hair around her finger, trying to keep from smiling like a giddy schoolgirl. She cleared her throat. "Well, I was just calling to check in on Emily," she lied, when in reality, she'd called on a spur of the moment to just hear his voice, even if he did answer Borg-style. "How is she?"
"She's fine," he replied, keeping an eye on Emily. "Though, I don't think you'd ever guess what she's doing now…" he trailed off suggestively.
"What?" she asked.
"Guess," he invited playfully.
"Tell me," she begged, flopping on her couch, unable to keep the smile from spreading across her face.
"Guess," he invited.
"I dunno! I give up!"
"Well, technically, it's only called giving up if you attempt to do something."
Elizabeth paused. "Did you just make a witty comment, Jason Morgan?" she asked.
"I do believe it was a bit of a joke, Elizabeth," he deadpanned.
Elizabeth guffawed and on the other end Jason flat-out laughed, ignoring the baffled looks of alarm from the people as the watched the Corinthos Enforcer laugh. Emily looked up in mild surprise and Zander looked as though he'd spotted an alien. All were wondering who it was on the other end of that conversation that had that effect on him.
When she'd calmed down some she asked, "So, are you going to tell me or not?"
"She's at Jake's, playing pool."
Elizabeth's initial reaction was: "*Emily* Quartermaine at *Jake's* playing pool! Get out, Morgan!" Only when she'd taken a few more seconds to analyse Jason's statement did she continue, "Oh, crap! Zander bartends at Jake's, Jason. Taking her there wasn't exactly the wisest thing to do."
Jason had calmed down some and his look told the others to back off and mind their own business. "I know that now. But they're completely ignoring each other… well at least trying to," he explained.
"Is it working?" she asked.
"I don't think so. I keep waiting for one of them to throw a tantrum."
Elizabeth giggled. "Someone's on a roll."
"I do try," he deadpanned yet again.
"Well, at least they're not at each other's throats."
"Yet."
"Try not to be so positive, Jason," implored Liz sarcastically. The two paused. "Anyways, I gotta go," she rushed unsure of what else to say.
"Sure."
Before they hung up she asked. "Coming in for breakfast tomorrow?" Elizabeth practically held her breath.
Reluctantly, Jason answered. "No, Sonny and I have a breakfast meeting with our partners. But… it'll be through by lunch," he added.
He could actually hear the smile in her voice. "Great, tomorrow." She hung up before he could say anything else.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Zander good-naturedly shoved the two blondes from the bar into the snow, chuckling as Sabine, the bustier of the two, blew him a sloppy kiss and professed her undying love for him, whilst trying to keep her drinking partner, Patsy, from falling to the snow. He shut the heavy door and locked it, turning back to the only remaining customers, Jason and Emily, playing pool at one of the tables.
Emily had made a fortune that night but her luck wasn't holding out with Jason – who'd taught her to play in the first place. Wiping his hands in his towel, Zander couldn't help but watch the concentration on her beautiful face in rapt fascination.
Emily cursed softly as she missed her shot and Jason grinned as he stepped up to the table to sink the eight ball easily.
"Game over, folks," called Zander.
Jason and Emily looked around in bewilderment. They hadn't been aware that they were the only ones left.
"Sorry, Smith," Jason actually apologized, taking Emily's stick and his and leaning them against the wall.
Zander shrugged. "No prob."
"It's late, Em," said Jason, checking his watch. It was just after one in the morning. "Let's go."
Emily nodded. All night she'd barely caught fleeting glances of Zander. He ignored her as completely as before as he tallied the night's earnings. Emily accepted her coat from her brother and followed him as Zander directed them to the back of the bar and held open the door for them. Jason moved past without a word but some reason Emily paused and finally met his gaze. She could see the tendon pulsing in the side of her neck. There were suddenly so many things she wanted to say to him, and indeed she opened her mouth a few times to voice those thoughts but, in the end, instead she whispered, "Good night, Zander."
He didn't even nod or bat an eyelash in acknowledgement. He simply stepped back and quietly closed the door in her face.
TBC...
A/N: Don't forget to review! Also, as I do with LVdlC2, if you wish for me to update you when the new chapter's been posted online, just leave your email address and I'll make sure I let you know!
Cara