A/N – Thanks for the comments! Sorry I forgot about posting yesterday. So, I didn't get a chance to write much this weekend. I was just too burnt out from work which means I'm falling behind. I have a few chapters written ahead from before, but since I've been so swamped the last month, I was unable to maintain my lead. Just warning you that I may have to cut the amount I'm posting per week. We shall see.
Chapter 32
Carly knocked on Jason's door.
"It's open."
She entered and smiled when she saw him. "Hey."
"Hey."
She gave him a hug and then sat next to him. "Talk to me. What's up?"
Jason sighed. "I'm stuck and I need someone to talk me down."
"And you chose me?"
"Yes. I don't have a lot of friends."
"Why are you living here now?"
"I left because I felt like I was betraying my mother."
"I really don't think she'd want you to feel that way. She brought you here for a reason."
His jaw clenched. "I have all this anger inside me and I feel like I'm going to explode."
"I know that feeling."
"To make matters worse, I think Elizabeth and I are finally on the same page and I'm pushing her away."
"You cannot screw up your life like this. The Quartermaines love you and I think Elizabeth is well on her way as well."
"I just can't let it go. To me, I'd have to not care about my mother's feelings to make all of this work."
"Jason, you have to figure out a way to reconcile that. Punishing yourself and the Quartermaines is not going to get you anywhere. It's just setting you back. As we grow older, our opinions change. Your mom clearly had a change of heart, or she wouldn't have come back to a place where people were not nice to her."
"I don't want to feel like this anymore."
"Then you need to do something about it.
"Tracy gave me a letter that is supposedly from my mom."
"And did you read it?"
He shook his head.
"Why not?"
"I'm scared."
"Of?"
"Suppose I hate her for it? I don't think I could handle that."
"Everyone screws up from time to time. Your mom made mistakes because she is human. She did the best she could."
"How is taking me away from my father the best thing for me?"
"I know it doesn't seem logical, but maybe everything worked out the way it should be. Maybe all the crappy things you went through made you a better person. You got your dad back when you needed him the most."
Jason closed his eyes.
"I wish I could fix this for you. Read the letter Jason. Maybe it will help you find closure. I have to go."
"Thanks for stopping by."
She kissed him on the head. "Think about what I said."
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Jeff walked towards his wife who was hugging herself in the corner as she sat eerily still. Her eyes were red and she was staring off into the distance. "Andrea."
After a moment, she licked her lips and looked up at him. "Now you know."
"No, I don't. Tell us what happened. Please let us in. If you don't, I don't think we have anything left."
She took a languid breath as she hollowly gazed up at her family. "My dad was a tyrant. He was a powerful man and my mother ate it up. They were consumed with their role in society and expected me to be perfect. By the time I was a teenager, I was beat down. I learned the most important thing was that everyone think you were perfect. As long as they believed that, then I wouldn't be hurt by him. Sometimes, he would yell at me for hours. I was convinced I was nothing, that I was a horrible person. I learned to cover the bruises and I stayed to myself, biding my time as I waited to graduate and get away from them. By the time that I turned seventeen, I was a mess emotionally. There was this boy at school—Chad. He was so sweet. One day, I turned up at his house and his parents weren't home and one thing led to another. We got carried away. I just needed someone to love me." Her voice broke as she struggled to continue.
Elizabeth wiped a tear away and watched as her mother did what she did all too well, suck in her emotions.
"Anyway, I went home and took a shower. I just knew that somehow they were going to find out and he would kill me. The next day, I ignored Chad because I didn't want them to kill him too. I know he probably hated me. Two months later, I was throwing up every morning and my father confronted me on the staircase. I was an emotional mess and he was livid. My mother watched from the landing as he grabbed and shook me. He told me that I was an embarrassment and a whore. He stepped backwards and then smacked me really hard and I lost my balance and fell."
Sarah gasped.
"I lost the baby. I was in the hospital a few towns over for a week, sworn to secrecy by what went down. I just felt empty. He made my life hell for the next year and then I left. I withdrew my sizeable bank account and started over." She turned her attention to Elizabeth. "I know I wasn't emotionally there for you when you lost Sophie. I just couldn't go there because I had never really dealt with what happened to me and I'm so sorry for that. I became them to a lesser degree. I thought that if everyone assumed we were perfect, then it would be alright. If you didn't dwell on it, you'd put it behind you. Since I survived and sucked it up, then so could you because I knew you were strong like me. I failed you, just like my mother failed me and I can never take that back." She started to sob and Elizabeth went to her and held her. Steven held Sarah as they cried and Jeff sat on the other side of his wife and put his arms around them.
"Please don't hate me. I'll do anything to make it up to you. When I saw her, I felt like I was seventeen again and I hate that she can still get to me and make me feel so weak."
"We'll deal with it as a family."
Sarah turned around. "He's right. I forgive you and I'm sorry for what I said."
"Thank you. I'm so sorry Sarah."
"You don't hate me?"
"No. How could I? You are my daughter and I love all of my kids."
Liz got up and Sarah took her place. "What are we going to do about gramzilla?"
Steven smirked. "Would a tranquilizer gun be too much?"
Andrea chuckled through her tears. "She won't go away until I speak to her again, but I just can't right now. I need time to get myself together. I don't want to crack in front of her."
"Then we'll be by your side," Elizabeth said. "Not only are we taking her down, but we're getting dad's job back and this family is going to stick together."
"Liz and I will fix this," Sarah said.
"You can count me in too," Steven added.
"After this is over, we're getting no drama zone t-shirts. I'm so over it," Elizabeth said.
"Nothing is going to tear this family apart again. I forbid it," Jeff said.
They all nodded. It was time to stand together.
"I'm with you too," Audrey said walking forward.
Andrea looked mortified.
"I'm not going to judge you. People make mistakes. I saw what she did and it was evil. I can't even go on vacation for a few weeks and all hell breaks loose."
Liz hugged her grandmother. "I missed you Grams."
"Missed you too. Are you alright?"
"I will be."
Audrey kissed her on the head. "Good. It's time to get this family back on track."
"I agree wholeheartedly," Jeff said.
"Dinner at my house tomorrow night, 7:00 P.M. sharp—no excuses. For now, we pretend to still be divided and let the enemy think they are succeeding."
They all agreed and then made their way back downstairs.
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Sarah walked down the hallway towards the locker room and thought she heard Stefan's voice, she walked towards a cracked door and listened.
"Enough! I'm not going to hurt her."
Helena's jaw clenched. "You listen to me, you agreed to lure her in, no one forced you."
Sarah's mouth dropped open.
"I was a fool. I should have said no to you."
"Are you in love with that little tramp?"
"That is none of your business. She doesn't deserve any more pain." Stefan may have agreed to Helena's ruse in the beginning, but he was falling in love with Sarah.
"You are such a disappointed. I sacrificed a lot to get you to this point. Now I want you to let her go. She is not suitable to be a Cassadine.
Stefan was a broken man.
"If you do not do this, I will destroy you."
When he didn't answer right away, Sarah rushed off and got on the elevator. Tears were streaming down her face. If Stefan really had set out to her hurt, she would be devastated. She rushed out the front door as she texted her sister. "I need you. Please! Meet me at the park across the street in our spot. Hurry!"
She moved forward, thinking the light was green and heard a voice yell.
"Sarah!"
A truck's horn blew as it bared down on her and she screamed. Francis ran towards her, pushing her out of the way right before it slightly struck him, propelling him backwards. Sarah flew into the curb, striking her head and a few women screamed as they ran toward her.
Francis tried to shake it off and was forced back down by the driving.
"Are you people crazy? I could have killed you."
"I'm fine. Sarah!" he yelled.
Several nurses rushed a gurney over and Sarah was lifted onto it. The driver helped Francis stand and he slightly limped towards her. "Sarah, please wake up."
Jolene touched his arm, "Francis, let them help her. How badly are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, please, she needs me."
Jolene pressed the elevator button. "You heard?"
"What?"
"There was another confrontation. I saw her rush off later and she looked really upset."
"That's why she was distracted."
The doors opened up and Elizabeth moved to get on. "Francis? Are you alright?"
"I'm okay. Sarah was knocked out."
Liz's mouth dropped open. "What happened?"
"She was upset and wasn't paying attention and a truck almost hit her."
"Damn. She was texting me."
They walked into the waiting room and Emily approached them.
"Francis, please let Emily look at you. Your elbow is bleeding. Where were you hit?"
"He was almost at a stop. I put my hands out and it hit my legs a little." He knew he was going to be sore in the morning.
"Please."
"Okay, but when your sister wakes up, don't leave her side."
Liz nodded.
Emily led Francis into a bay and cleaned up his cut and dressed it. "You saved her life."
"I just hope that the baby is okay."
"Leo will take good care of her. Okay, drop em'."
Francis head tilted. "That's some bedside manner."
She smiled. He needed a distraction, so she thought she'd try to add levity to the situation. "I need to see your thighs. I can turn around."
He waited for her face the other way and undid them. "Okay."
She knelt down. "You're gonna bruise, but it didn't break the skin. Do you have any shooting pains?"
"No. It's just a little sore."
Their gaze connected. "Would you tell me if you did?"
He smirked. "Yes, because Elizabeth would kick my ass if I lied."
"Good answer. You can pull them up."
"Thanks."
"Take some aspirin for the pain and if it gets worse and you experience any numbness—"
"I know. I will come in."
"Alright."
He walked back towards the waiting room and Elizabeth met him half way.
"Come on, she's awake." She held out her hand and he took it and they walked into the room.
Sarah was crying. "They won't tell me anything about the baby."
Liz grabbed her hand. "It's going to be okay."
Sarah held out the other one and Francis walked around and held it. "You saved me."
"I think you gave me gray hair."
She slightly smiled. "That tends to happen when you hang around with me."
Liz noted the ease of their conversation.
"Maybe I should take out some insurance on you."
"That would probably be wise."
Kelly walked into the room. "Is it okay to talk in front of them?"
"Yes. Is the baby okay?"
Kelly shifted her weight. "Sarah, I don't even know how to tell you this."
Sarah fought a sob, "Just say it!"
"You were never pregnant."
Everyone else's mouth dropped open.
"How is that even possible?"
"Who told you that you were?"
"I got a call from the clinic around the corner. Elaine! That was her name. She gave me the news. Where is my phone?"
Francis took it out of his pocket. He had picked it up. "The screen is cracked."
Sarah groaned and then turned it on. "It still works." She looked at the recent calls and dialed the number. "Hello, this is Sarah Webber, may I speak to Elaine."
"I'm sorry. She quit this morning. How can I help you?"
"She quit?"
"Yes. She said she came into some money."
Sarah's lip quivered. "She told me that I was pregnant, but I'm not. I never was."
"Oh my, let me get Dr. Moss."
A minute later, the doctor picked up the phone. "Ms. Webber, I understand that Elaine gave you some misinformation."
"Then I was never pregnant?"
"I'm sorry, but no."
Sarah started to cry. "You're sure?"
"Positive."
"Thank you." She ended the call. "Elaine lied. She quit this morning and said she came into a lot of money. This has Helena written all over it."
Liz was stunned. "You think that she would go to these kind of lengths?"
"I know she would. I overheard her talking to Stefan. Apparently, she encouraged him to pursue me."
"That jerk!"
"I know. He fought with her and said he refused to hurt me. Blah, blah, blah—he can never say no to that letch. She was probably going to use the baby to control him or something."
Stefan ran into the room. "Sarah! Are you alright."
"Get out!" Liz yelled.
He looked shocked.
"You used my sister, you asshole."
"What?"
"I heard you talking to Helena. She implied that she was the one that asked you to pursue me and clearly you agreed."
His shoulders dropped. "I did, but I fell in love with you."
The words stung and she recoiled.
"You have to believe me. I refused to do anything else. I didn't know she was going to have your father fired. Sarah, I love you and I want to raise this baby with you."
A tear rolled down her cheek. "There is no baby."
"What?"
"Your evil, bitter mother paid someone off to tell me that I was. She probably poisoned me and that was why I was sick."
Stefan's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry. I wanted it so badly. It was a chance for me to have a life."
"I need you to leave."
"No! I won't walk away from you!"
"You don't have a choice. I'm walking away from you. I can't do this. I don't want some crazy bitch stabbing me in my back for the rest of my life or a man who didn't have the decency to stand up to her. This ends now!"
"No!"
Francis stood and walked towards him and decked him. Stefan stumbled backwards. "If you come near her again, I will beat the shit out of you. She didn't deserve what you did."
"I love her!"
"You don't know what love is, now get out!"
Francis was shaking with anger. He couldn't believe that Stefan turned out to be such a wus. Stefan walked out and turned to face Sarah at the last minute. "I didn't pretend to fall in love with you. We were kindred spirits and it was you who gave me the strength to stand up to her. Don't let her win. Give me a chance to love you properly."
"Get out!" she screamed.
