Chapter 42- Battle of the Sexes

Danny and Drew arrived at Wyndemere bright and early. The army lined up on the grounds facing Julian and Jason. Julian was finally out of his wheelchair and ready to go. He noticed a few females this time such as Anna and Felicia. And off to the side Lulu had a pencil, notepad, and her polaroid camera hanging from her neck.

Danny walked over to Jake and Leo.

"Grandma let you join?" Danny asked Leo.

"I don't know if let is the right word," Leo said. "She doesn't know I'm here."

"Oh, boy…"

Jake grinned and made to laugh but nothing came out. Danny sighed. He still didn't seem to gain his voice back. He'd maybe ask Cam about it later.

Danny looked over as Michael shook Max and Milo's hands. "Congratulations. I heard about the double-wedding."

Milo smiled. "It was a small ceremony. Only Alexis, Julian, Elizabeth, and Jason were there. Well, and Father Coates."

Max beamed. "I can't believe we're both married now."

Danny turned as Julian cleared his throat. "I want everyone to start by doing 10 laps. Every five minutes, stop and do twenty push-ups."

Danny groaned. He supposed it was a good thing, but he wasn't in that good of shape…

"Then we'll split into three groups," Julian continued. "Those with last names from A-J will come with me. Those from K-R will go with Drew. And those from S-Z will go with Jason."

By the time Danny finished his laps, he felt like he'd never breath properly again. And he regretted having eggs for breakfast as they sloshed around in his belly. He bent over pressing his hands against his knees. Jake and Leo did the same.

Flash!

A bright light flashed in Danny's eyes as Lulu took a picture of him, his cousin, and uncle.

"Ahem…" Lulu pulled out her notepad again. "How does it feel to be part of Natasha's Army? How do your mothers feel about you joining?"

Jake frowned.

Danny groaned. "My mom…" He breathed deeply. "Wants… me… to… be able… to defend… myself!"

"Interesting…" Lulu jotted that down and turned to Leo. "And how about President Davis? Does she feel the same way?"

Leo's eyes grew wide and his face paled. "Uhh… sure?"

She wrote something again.

GHGHGH

When lunch break came, Danny, Leo, and Jake headed up to the castle for a refreshment. They each grabbed some water and a sandwich, then plopped down on the couches in one of the common rooms. There was one for each of them, and they sprawled out across them.

Danny was about to sit up, when he noticed Jason and Elizabeth walk in, so he sank down again.

Elizabeth let out a deep breath. "You think this is a good idea?"

"I think it's what you want," Jason said softly. "You've been back and forth about it since you saw them. But you can still change your mind."

Jake raised an eyebrow.

"No…" Elizabeth said. "I should give them a chance. Thanks for meeting me here."

Jason tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."

"I asked Steve to come, but he's set on staying away from them," Liz said. "I don't blame him."

"But he's not you. You need to do what's best for you right now. And I'll be right here every step of the way."

"If there's even the smallest chance that they had a really good reason for being gone, then I think I should give them the chance to explain. Plus, there has to be an explanation for how they got here when they're supposed to be in Bosnia."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

A few minutes later, Jeff and Carolyn walked in.

Carolyn smiled. "Hi Elizabeth. I'm glad you wanted to meet."

Elizabeth swallowed hard. "I wanted to give you a chance to explain."

Jeff shook Jason's hand. "You must be Jason."

Jason nodded. "I am."

Jeff turned to Elizabeth. "We never wanted to leave you or your brother or sister. You see, we found out something."

"We met a man at a medical conference in Chicago," Carolyn explained.

"I remember you went there just before you took off," Elizabeth said.

"And we discovered something that would change everything," Carolyn added. "I wish we never found out."

"You see, this man was involved in an experimental mind-mapping project with Helena Cassadine," Jeff said.

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide.

"What was this man's name?" Jason asked.

"Dr. Arthur Cabot," Jeff said.

Jason and Elizabeth exchanged a look, and so did Jake and Danny.

"We found this out," Jeff continued. "Helena and a group of elites plotted to take over Port Charles, and eventually the entire planet."

"Once word got out that we knew… some men by the name Marchesi abducted us and held us on Kailano Island," Carolyn said. "We've been there ever since."

"They mentioned contacting Audrey and Sarah a few times pretending to be us," Jeff said. "Said they told them we moved to Bosnia."

Carolyn stepped closer to Elizabeth and rubbed her arm. "We never meant to leave you. We've been trying all this time to get back to you. It wasn't until a teenaged girl found us and sent us here." She started crying. "I'm so sorry you were left alone and had to grow up without us. We love you."

Elizabeth started tearing up.

"Every day we kept trying to picture what your life was like," Carolyn said. "And Steven's and Sarah's. Is there any way you can forgive us for going to that conference?"

Elizabeth nodded and hugged her mother. "Yes… yes, of course… but I'm still going to need some time."

Jeff smiled and gave Elizabeth's hand a soft squeeze.

Carolyn rubbed her back. "Take all the time that you need. But we're not going anywhere this time."

"So, we've met your husband now," Jeff said. "And you have children?"

"Yes, three boys." Elizabeth pushed away her tears with the back of her hand. "Cameron is 20, Jacob is 18, and Aiden is 12."

Carolyn exhaled deeply and smiled. "Wow… we have a 20-year-old grandson."

"And there was a little girl in your wedding?" Jeff asked. "Is she Steven's or Sarah's?"

Elizabeth frowned. "Actually, she's neither. I found out a few years back, that you have another daughter. With Naomi Dreyfus."

Carolyn's eyes grew wide and Jeff's face paled.

"Well, is she here? What's her name?" Jeff asked.

"She's not here," Elizabeth said sadly. "She died in a car crash."

Jeff sat down on a chair at the desk and Carolyn rubbed his shoulders.

"Violet is her daughter," Elizabeth continued. "I have custody of her."

"What was my daughter's name?" Jeff asked.

"Hayden Barnes," Elizabeth said.

Carolyn's mouth dropped slightly.

Jeff almost fell off his chair. "Say that again?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Hayden Barnes."

Jeff grinned. "She isn't dead."

"What?" Elizabeth asked and Jason wrapped an arm around her.

"She was at that safe house with us," Carolyn said. "She seemed awfully close to that man. Finn did she call him?"

"No wonder she seemed so interested in us after we told her who we were," Jeff said. "I wish she told us."

"So, she's still there?" Elizabeth asked.

"They moved everyone else to the basement and locked them there," Jeff said.

"Only we were left in the upstairs," Carolyn added.

"Who is everyone else?" Jason asked.

"Robert Scorpio and Laura Webber," Jeff said. "Though Laura mentioned she remarried, so I suppose her last name is different now. She didn't say who she married."

"Laura's alive too?" Elizabeth smiled.

"And Robert," Jason said. "That'll mean so much to Robin."

"Hopefully Angelica can help them escape too," Jeff said. "Especially Hayden."

"Do you think we could meet our grandchildren?" Carolyn asked.

"I'll talk to them about it," Elizabeth said. "See how they feel. But I don't want to push them."

GHGHGH

Danny had a lot on his mind after hearing there were others on Kailano Island who weren't dead after all when he answered the front door that evening. His grandparents were coming over for dessert and a card game.

"Where's Leo?" Danny asked as Alexis kissed his cheek.

"He's spending the night at Dante and Lulu's," Julian said. "He hasn't spent much time with Dante since we arrived."

They gathered at the kitchen table while Willow sliced the pie she made at the counter.

"Paper's out already?" Julian asked.

Drew handed it to him. "Yeah, apparently Lulu's doing an evening paper on Mondays now."

Alexis leaned over to look at the paper and gasped, then punched Julian's arm. "Why didn't you tell me you let Leo join the army?"

Julian rolled his eyes. "Because I knew you'd freak."

"He's fourteen!"

"I want him to be able to defend himself when the need comes," Julian said. "In fact, I think everyone on this island should have some self-defense training once a week. Even the children."

Alexis' eyes grew wide. "The children?"

"Yes. What if…" He looked down at Scout and sighed. "What if something happens while the kids are at school? They need to be able to protect themselves."

Sam sighed. "Dad has a point."

Alexis rubbed her temples as Willow walked over to the table with a couple slices of pie.

"Danny, can you please help Willow?" Sam asked.

Danny groaned. "Do I have to?"

Willow set down a couple of slices in front of Julian and Alexis. "It's okay, I don't mind."

"Willow, you don't have to do everything," Sam said. "Danny, you can serve the drinks."

Danny frowned and went to the fridge serving drinks.

"Mmm, this is delicious Willow," Alexis said as they started eating the apple pie.

Willow blushed. "Thank you."

"Willow's been a great help in the kitchen," Drew said.

"Like I keep saying," Sam said. "She doesn't take after Mom or me."

"You're talking like she's a little girl…" Danny mumbled.

Willow chuckled a little.

Sam rolled her eyes. "We talk about all of you like that."

"Carly is opening up a new café soon," Alexis said. "And I haven't had any one on one time with my eldest granddaughter."

Willow's eyes grew wide.

Alexis smiled. "So, Willow, would you be my first date to the new café?"

Willow smiled back. "Yeah, that would be nice."

Scout yawned after she finished her pie.

"I think it's time for this little one…" Sam tickled Scout making her giggle. "To get some sleep."

Scout pouted. "Can't I stay up with Grandma and Grandpa?"

"I'm afraid not, Princess," Drew said. "It's getting past your bedtime."

Sam took Scout's hand and led her to her bedroom.

Danny grabbed the deck of cards and started sorting them. "Are you guys ready?"

"What are we playing?" Julian asked.

"Six-handed Euchre!" Danny grinned.

Sam returned a few minutes later. "Oh, are we starting?"

"How should the teams be?" Drew asked.

"Well, I think we should show these ladies who the stronger sex is," Julian said.

"Oh, you do, do you?" Alexis shook her head. "Fine, bring it on!"

Drew switched seats with Sam so that the guys alternated with the girls and Danny dealt everyone eight cards each.

After playing for a while, Alexis led the ace of diamonds, then Julian trumped it with the queen of spades.

Alexis groaned. "He always trumps in on my aces!"

Julian's eyebrows did a little dance, then he dropped the ten of diamonds and lifted the queen of spades back into his hand. He winked at Willow and Danny. "I was only spoofing."

Willow and Danny sniggered.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Your grandfather is always spoofing…"

Sam played the right bower on the last trick and grinned. "Looks like we euchred you boys."

Willow smirked at Danny. "And that wins us the game."

Danny scowled as his grandma, mom, and sister high-fived each other.

Alexis turned to Julian. "You were saying about the stronger sex?"

Julian smirked. "We didn't want you ladies to get discouraged for the next games we play."

Drew laughed. "Oh yeah, if we beat you every time you wouldn't want to play anymore."