"I can't believe I'm letting you tell her this," grinned Jack as he walked from the kitchen and to Leslie's room.
"Oh come on—I can at least for a small second make Shorty think her worst nightmare is coming true," smiled Chris as he signed a chart and handed it back to Colleen.
"At least let me get on the other phone and listen to this conversation."
"See—you're getting a kick out of this too."
"Whatever. Hey Shorty—telephone."
"Who is it?" she asked as she took the phone from Jack and he wentto his bedroom.
"It's your old man," grinned Chris.
"Hey Dad. What's going on?"
"I just wanted to see how you were doing. Jack said he lightened up on your punishment for the next few days."
"Yeah—he said I can call Lizzie later, I thought she might be you. Have you seen her?"
"No, but I do have something important to tell you about," he said as he heard the faint click of another line being picked up. "You know how every year Elizabeth comes for a visit."
"Uhm—yeah," she said wondering where this was going.
"Well, I've decided I'm not going to fight the inevitable anymore."
"The inevitable?"
-
Shivers went up Delia's spine as she watched the large solid front door of the Manor shake as she walked towards it. She opened the door and had to strain her head back to see the man standing in front of her. His hair was long and black and his eyes seemed to be nothing but black also. She lost her voice for a moment, but then found it and spoke, "Can I help you?"
"I'm here to speak to Caleb Morley," said the large man as he stood looming over Delia.
"I'm sorry—he's having dinner with his wife at the moment."
"I'll wait."
"Fine, the Library is right this way," she said as she motioned towards it and once he was in she shut and locked the doors, though she wondered if it would do any good. She went down the hall and walked into the doorway of the dining room, "Caleb?"
Caleb's head went up immediately and he saw a look in Delia's eyes that he hadn't seen since he had been a child and she caught him with a frog in her kitchen, "Is there something wrong, Delia?"
"There's a man in the Library that is wishing to speak to you—I told him you were having dinner, but he said he would wait."
"Very well, I'll be right back," he said giving Livvie a kiss on the cheek and walking out of the room. Halfway down the hall he felt Delia grab his arm, "What is it?"
"Whatever you did Caleb I'll forgive you, don't forget that," she said as she leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek and a squeeze of the hand before turning and walking away.
Caleb gave a sigh at having seemed to disappoint Delia before walking in, "What are you doing here Marius?" he asked to the large man as he stood in the library studying the bookcase.
-
"When she comes in a few weeks I'm going to ask her to marry me and move back to Port Charles. We'll be one big happy family," he said and received nothing but silence. "Leslie? You there?"
"Dad—I think you need to spend a few sessions with Dr. Collins because you have completely lost your mind."
"But I love her Leslie. Elizabeth is-."
"Stop. Just stop—I can't listen to you starting to spurt out the virtues of a woman that drives everyone up the wall. Please tell me you aren't serious."
"I am—of course she might not be able to leave Los Angeles so we might be moving there—away from everyone," he said as he tapped his pen on his desk.
"Really?" she said as she thought she heard a muffled laugh on the other end and began walking down the hall and towards her parent's room. "So my best friend's grandmother will be my step mom?"
"Yep."
Leslie rolled her eyes as she opened the bedroom door and saw Jack sitting on the bed with the phone to his ear. "You two are so busted."
-
"I'm here for my wife," he said with a smirk on his face.
"Excuse me? No, she is not your wife—that was never part of the deal."
"Well, I've changed the deal—unless you want me to go tell your wife what you've done."
"No, you will not tell anyone what I did—and besides, they won't believe you. I love my daughter, and this has not changed how I feel about her in the least. You want more money—then fine, take it," he said as he opened a desk drawer and pulled out a large stack of cash. "If you come back, I will deny that I know you—if you tell anyone about what I used your services for you can bet that I will make sure Andrew Veener and every other Slayer out there has an easy shot at you."
"You sure seem sure of yourself, Morley."
"Oh believe me I am," said Caleb with a grin on his face and he turned at the sound of the door opening. "Olivia."
"I wanted to see if you needed anything—something to drink, perhaps?" she asked as she looked at the man closely and then to Caleb.
"No thank you my love," he said as he smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"This,"
"I'm sorry—," said Marius as he walked towards Livvie and took her hand before kissing it, "My name is—," he didn't finish as Caleb swiped his hand away.
"I believe it is time for you to be leaving," said Caleb as his eyes went cold again.
"Very well. It was lovely to meet you, Olivia—and keep in mind what I said, Caleb," he said as he began to walk out and Caleb followed him, closing the door to the library.
Caleb grabbed Marius' arm and twisted it, causing Marius to turn and become face to face with him, "Marius—next time you touch my wife, you'll come back with a bloody stump. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good," said Caleb as he shoved Marius out into the night and slammed the door on him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" asked Caleb as he walked back into the library from seeing Marius out.
"I haven't seen this side of you in awhile, Caleb," said Olivia as she leaned back on the arm of the antique sofa.
-
"Whose brilliant idea to nearly give me a heart attack was this?"
"It was all his," said Jack as he laughed.
"You know what this is? It's called cruel and unusual punishment," she said with a half smile.
"Yeah, but wouldn't it be great if that was the truth?" laughed Chris.
"No—it wouldn't be. It would be—it's like I would be living the worst nightmare I ever had over and over for the rest of my life until I go to college and then I'd make sure I was going to University of Alaska for my undergrad so I couldn't come home very much and for my thesis I'd go study the mating rituals of polar bears in Siberia."
"Does Siberia have polar bears, Jack?"
"I don't know—I guess they do."
"Are you two even listening to me?" she yelled.
"Yeah—you said you wanted to study polar bears and live in Siberia."
"NO! I hate the cold—you both know that. I was just saying it because you two are sitting here thinking it's funny to make me believe Elizabeth Barrington is going to soon be my stepmother."
"Like I said it was his idea," said Jack as he hung up his phone. "Now tell him goodbye and go call the Kovich house—I think someone is expecting a call."
"Really?" she said as her eyes got huge. "I love you dad, bye," she said as she hung up the phone quickly and went to her room.
Jack just laughed for a moment before getting up and seeing Jasmine coming in with groceries. "Here. Let me help you."
"What are you so happy about?" she asked.
"Polar Bears."
-
"Excuse me?" he chuckled as he poured himself a drink and looked at her to inquire if she wanted one also.
"No—nothing for me tonight, I want my head to stay clear. Unlike what you obviously did the other night also."
"Are you accusing me of something Olivia? And if so—what?"
"I'm not quiet sure. You've been acting like your old self lately—and I mean your really old self—the one that was conniving and manipulative and sneaky as hell."
"The one you fell in love with?" he grinned as he took a sip.
Livvie wanted to smile but kept her face emotionless and her eyes on him—reading any body language he let slip through what was becoming a tougher exterior everyday, "Yep. That's the one. You've been hiding something from me lately and I thought I was close to figuring it out the other night when you gave me that night of passion, but I decided not to dig anymore. Then tonight our mystery guest comes in, forces Delia into making you speak to him at that moment and then when I come in—you push him out the door as quickly as possible."
"It's late," he shrugged—readying himself for the moment that those last few pieces of the puzzle were figured out by his wife.
"Whatever you've been hiding he knows what it is. What was his name again, Caleb?"
"It's of no significance," he shrugged off as he went towards the bookcase.
"You sure are being smug about this—and your smugness just makes my willingness to get to the bottom of who he is grow. Maybe I'll call Rafe—give him the description of the guy and see if he knows who he is."
"Rafe doesn't know him and there's no reason for you to ever talk to him again," he said as he stared up at the bookshelf and his eye caught the spine of the diaries. "Anyways—he's never going to harm our family again," he said under his breath.
"What did you just say?"
"Hmm? I didn't say anything, my love," he said giving a slight glance back but knowing the moment was near.
"Yes you did. You said he wouldn't ever harm—," said Livvie but froze before the rest of the statement came out. Her face went pale for a moment before she muttered, "Turn and face me Caleb. Turn and tell me to my face that that man was not Marius. That you didn't set up this whole twisted thing."
Caleb turned but wasn't able to look at her.
"Caleb—this is where you are supposed to say that wasn't Marius. That wasn't the man that harmed our daughter. Because if it had been I know you—I know you would have killed him on the spot. WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING!" she screamed and then slipped down onto the sofa and sobbed. "My God Caleb, what did you do? Why was he here?"
Caleb knew better than try to console her at the moment—or deny the truth she'd just come to know. When he finally figured out what he wanted to say it came out as a soft whisper, "Amelia."
"Amelia? What does having Tara turned have to do with our angel?"
"I—I kept thinking of having to see Tara grow old and then having to say goodbye to her just like I said goodbye to Amelia. You of all people should understand that."
"I do—I've thought about that too. But there's a difference Caleb—between now and when we say goodbye to Tara we're going to get to see her fall in love, have children, and love the life she chose for herself. We'll have more memories of her than we can ever imagine. I'm fine with letting her go at the end of her natural life because I know she'll have lived it to the fullest."
"Well, I'm not," he huffed as he walked towards the fire and kneeled down to it.
Livvie's heart broke as she realized what Caleb meant by that, "Are you saying you will not let her go to the Spring when she's strong enough?"
"I will never lose another child of mine—ever Olivia. EVER."
"Oh, well then I was wrong about you. I thought you loved her, but I was mistaken. And I was also mistaken you've changed—you're still a monster Caleb," she said so calm she scared herself as she stood up and walked to the door. "As for losing another child—Caleb, when she finds out what you've done—and she will find out—you'll realize you've already lost her."
He turned on his heel after hearing the door closed and stood up—he knew he was in his castle right now but as he threw the glass across the room and watched it shatter on the closed door he could have sworn he was standing in the midst of a pile of rubble.
