Chapter 14
As things in Port Charles settled down from dealing with Peter Taylor, Elizabeth found herself dealing with a few other problems. The main one being where to live. While Jason and she would have liked to have remained at the cottage, even she had to acknowledge that it was a little small.
Hearing her husband calling out her name as she left GH, she turned as he pulled her into a kiss and hid what was in her hands. "Are we keeping secrets?" he teased.
"Only this one and only until tomorrow. Did you have any luck finding Spinelli today?"
"No, we still have no idea what happened to him and what it was he wanted to tell me about. Do you want to grab some lunch at Kelly's. We can grab the boys a little early and then maybe go for a walk down by the water?"
"Fine, I will call grams, you can find out if those to large cargo ships are still in town that fascinated Cameron last night." she said as they got into the SUV.
Once they had picked up the boys and admired the Lego castle that Steven had helped them build, Elizabeth hugged her brother knowing he was leaving town the next morning. "Are you sure you can't stay?"
"I would love to, but I have work and a certain young red headed nurse with a wicked serve to play tennis with this weekend."
Laughing she gave him a hug and told him not to be a stranger before they pulled out on their way to eat. Hearing her phone, Elizabeth grimaced then told the person on the other end to meet them at the diner.
"Who was that?" he asked as they pulled into the courtyard.
"Alexis, she asked to stop in and talk to me and she is bringing Molly and Kristina with her."
"What about Julian?" he teased as they walked into the small diner.
"I hope not, I am actually starting to like him, but when Alexis and he are together, it gives me a headache." she said as she watched him holding onto Jake's hand while Cam ran ahead to the door with their guard.
"Are you sure you are okay with this?" he asked seeing the look on her face.
"This is only about the boys and her daughters." she replied, she still couldn't bring herself to refer to them as her sisters, in spite of Alexis' bringing the girls to GH after explaining to Molly and Kristina the truth.
Kristina had insisted she was wrong, that Sam was her sister, but that wasn't the problem. Elizabeth who was normally a very trusting and kind person could not bring herself to get close to the girls.
Jason saw the new waitress and getting her attention hoped that Alexis would stop pushing this and let things happen naturally. Seeing Rebecca entering he felt that same shiver he always got when he saw his sister's face on the other woman.
Alexis explained to the girls once again that they were going to see Elizabeth. Molly was excited but Kristina was still sullen about things. The attorney had come to realize that she was jealous of Elizabeth, something she had never been with Sam but she did not know how to address the situation. Lainey said it was normal sibling rivalry, but it felt like something different to Alexis.
When they were all seated around the table with the kids next to their mothers, Kristina saw Jason was there and went to greet her father's friend. "Hi Jason." she said with a smile and hug.
"Hello, why don't we join your mother?" he said.
"Don't' want to." she said stubbornly. "I don't want to sit with that man stealer."
"What?" he asked shocked when she stomped and refused to move any closer. Picking her up, he escorted her outside and sat her down saying "Kristina what is going on?"
"She stole daddy away."
"Who?" he asked getting a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"Elizabeth. Sam told me that she was why daddy didn't come around as much."
Jason sat down shocked, then said "Your father didn't leave because of Elizabeth, he was ..., Sonny didn't die beca-"
"Not that daddy, Daddy Ric. When Mommy was sick, he left and didn't come around any more. Sam told me..."
Sam strikes again. thought Jason, "Kristina, Sam was wrong. Ric didn't leave because of Elizabeth, she had nothing to do with it."
"Sam said she stole something precious away from her. That what happened was why Ric left and Mommy cried all the time."
Not sure what was going on with Sam's convoluted story, Jason let the little girl continue. When Kristina had given him enough information, Jason was fuming even as he called inside and had Alexis join them.
When the older woman heard her little girl's story, she sat down and said "Kristina, that is not what happened. Remember when I told you that Sam was sick, that she had a sick mind. That was her telling you one of her untrue stories. Elizabeth didn't have anything to do with Ric leaving."
Once back inside, Jason gave Elizabeth a condensed version, and his wife sighed. Sam was still poisoning things even after her death. Jason and she were convinced that whatever had caused Spinelli to disappear was connected to Sam as well.
Julian was reading a file in Anna's hotel room, trying to help her figure out what was going on with the TMK case when the phone rang. "Devane's room."
"Er, um, I am looking for a woman named Anna, my boss as the diner said she wanted to talk to me about Mr. Lansing?"
"Yes, can you hold a minute." he said before placing the phone down and going next door to Robert's room, knowing it was going to cause a ruckus but that Anna had wanted to talk to this girl. Getting no answer after pounding on the door, he called her cell phone.
"I'm meeting with Mac, in the restaurant, can you get the information for me." she asked. Julian talked to the girl and after getting the answers, rushed up to interrupt the family reunion.
"What did you learn?" she asked seeing his expression.
"The two women, didn't know each other, but one of them is here, get this; Rebecca Shaw stayed on the Island, she shared the house, but the two girls didn't know each other outside of that. Also, this Rebecca arrived a few months earlier than this Jessica did."
"What else, because you look like you won the lottery?"
"She is coming here, I arranged for a car to pick her up. She gave me some very interesting news, both Rebecca Shaw and her were patients at a mental institute in Boston before moving there. Trevor paid all their bills, they think of him as a kindly benefactor, they never actually meet the man. It was only after his death that they learned who he was."
"What?" she asked.
"There is more, turns out the doctor who treated them, lost his license a few years ago, for messing with his patient's mind. He screwed with a few heads, from using drugs and electric shock treatments to simply manipulating their minds. He believed he could create the perfect woman, but then he had a car accident and died about six months ago. Right about at the same time, Rebecca came here, telling Jessica she felt some kind of pull to this place."
"You think the treatments wore off, don't you?"
"I think that our daughters are correct, I think that Rebecca Shaw is Emily Quartermaine." he said with a grin. "And I think I have a way to prove it. I traced a bit of the money that Trevor embezzled, it leads back to that hospital and doctor. His records were seized at the time of his death."
Robert and Mac went to get a court order while Anna went to make a few contacts. "Anna, one more thing, I think that the girl I talked to, I think she is Mac's daughter. The record of payments work out to it being so."
Stunned, she said, if we find proof of that, then more than likely Emily is this other girl.
As the meal progressed, Elizabeth saw the jealously in Kristina's eyes and tried to assuage her feelings of being pushed to the side, but she could see her concern having once been there herself. Whispering to Jason, she asked Kristina to go for a walk with her. "Alexis we will be right back."
Once they were walking, the young girl asked "What do you want?"
"Nothing, I just want to show you something." she said letting her up the stairs to her old studio. Seeing the mess, she sighed, then turned to the little girl and said "This is where I fled to, back when I was feeling bad."
"Why would you feel bad, Sam says you always get everything you want."
"Sam, honestly, Sam was a liar. I know that you are more aware of things than your mom wants to face, so lets get the facts out in the open. I was married to Ric, but that was when you were still a baby. It was a mistake, I know he was good to you, but he did terrible things. Did you know he locked Carly in a room for months?"
"Yes." she said. "But he was always nice to me. And you aren't nice. You were mean to Sam!"
"Kristina do you remember hearing about being kidnapped when you were a baby?"
Seeing the nod, she said "Do you remember being held at gunpoint?" Seeing her fear, Elizabeth knew that asking a ten year old this was wrong, but this girl needed to face a few facts.
"Sam, saw my son get kidnapped, then came and told me that he was dead and that I needed to get over it. She lied to me. Do you ever recall anyone who dated your dad being mean to you?"
Seeing her once again nod, "Did Carly treat you differently, or Kate, or even Claudia or tell anyone she wished you were dead?"
"No." she said softly. She could recall hearing Sam saying something about wishing someone named Jake dead, but she had thought she meant something about the bar that daddy had mentioned, not the little boy she had been introduced to a few days before.
"She hired two men to terrorize my sons with guns in the park. Now, I am not saying Sam wasn't good to you, but this idea that I was the reason Ric left your mom, is wrong. Sam did something and your mom forgave her just like when you do something wrong. Its what we do as parents, we forgive."
"What did she do?" she asked fascinated that this adult was not avoiding the subject.
"As for that, that is your mom's business, she will tell you a few years from now, maybe."
Kristina used the brain that was so much like her mothers and thought things through. Her mom only avoided two subjects, her job and sex. Thinking on it, she asked Elizabeth stunned. "Did Ric have sex with Sam, is that why he left?"
"You need to talk to your mom, but that isn't why I brought you here. I know what is it like to feel left out. My parents, the ones who raised me, my dad loved me but my mother wanted a boy. Dad and she left me, when I was fourteen alone in Colorado because my mom found out the truth about my bio parents."
"They didn't like that Mob/Cassadine thing, huh?" she said knowingly.
"Something like that, do people give you a hard time about your parents?" she asked worried.
"Not really about their job, but about how my dad had so many girlfriends and wives." she admitted sitting on the sofa. "For the most part, my friends just think it is a little weird, but they think the bodyguards are cool."
Elizabeth sat on the bar stool, knowing the insight she was getting would be helpful for once the boys were in school. "Elizabeth can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead." she said.
"Are you married to Jason, because if you are, that means you know my brothers."
"A little, why?" she asked.
"We haven't seen each other in so long, when Michael was awake, we got to play together, but now we don't even see Morgan at all. Can you ask Carly to let us see him."
Elizabeth suggested they return to the diner, thinking on the subjects she had discussed with her and telling her she would see what she could do about Morgan. Shocked to realize that it was the first time she had thought of them that way, she asked Kristina, if it was weird having her for a sister.
"No, but it is weird being an aunt. Mom said that we were Cam and Jake's aunts."
Taking Alexis to the side, Elizabeth hated the way the woman's eyes lit up at the private moment with her. "Alexis, Kristina asked about Morgan and Michael, she wants to visit Michael and play with Morgan. There is going to be a play date this weekend, I know you aren't going, but would you let me bring the girls to see him."
"Carly and I have tried to schedule things, but it is hard because Molly doesn't understand why she can't come."
"Why wouldn't she be allowed?"
"I will call Carly, then ..."
"Ask me what?" said the blond as she walked up with shopping bags.
Explaining, Carly agreed, then suggested that Alexis bring them over for the get together. "I didn't invite you because you normally say no."
"Because of Sonny." she replied. "We will be there, you aren't cooking are you?"
"No, Jax is." she replied "Besides according to rumors you aren't much better in the kitchen yourself."
Elizabeth walked back inside and saw Robin and Anna talking with Jason while Julian was calling someone.
"Elizabeth, we found proof. Do you think you can get close to Remily, find out if she has any scars."
"Don't bother, they would be gone." said Julian as he came over. "Does the name Ian Devlin ring any bells."
Giving them the story of his plastic surgery on patients for less than ethical reasons, Elizabeth said "There are ways to remove scars but not chemo treatments."
"Rebecca had them too, remember."
"Yes, but Emily took the drugs and natural remedies from Mexico the first time. They leave a trail. Robin, can you find a reason to draw some blood?"
"Yes, I will run the tests myself. Mom, why are you so frantic?"
"Nothing, just something I hope plays out. Elizabeth, I need a word for a minute with Jason and you."
Once outside Anna and Julian explained about Georgie/ possible Jessica. Then Julian drew them off and said "I know you are looking for a place to live, I might have an idea. I have to meet this girl when she arrives in two hours, but can you follow me."
Arriving at the house, Julian showed the around explaining. "I bought this place, because it was close to town. I know you have been looking at a place, but instead if you like it, I want to do a trade. This place for my fathers old place."
As they wandered the second floor, looking at the bedrooms, Elizabeth drooled over the large corner shower before admiring the three extra bedrooms.
"If we need extra bedrooms we can have the bonus space remodeled." said Jason.
Elizabeth smiled at the likely hood of that, then said "We can turn the room over the garage into an apartment for Spinelli."
"I was thinking we could turn into an art studio for you." he said. "Spinelli, needs to be on his own, if he returns."
"Jason..." she said looking up but seeing the set expression on his face she got the feeling that Spinelli had done more than she was aware of. "Well, then I will see about what else needs done while you handle having the security checked out."
"So you think you can handle living here?" he asked as they walked down the curved entrance way staircase.
"It is a little big." she said but when Julian joined them, she asked how big is it?
"A little under 8000 square foot. So do we have a deal?"
"I think so, but why do you want that old monstrosity."
"I am thinking of turning it into an old folks home for retiring mobsters." he joked, then sighing said "I really don't know. But when I bought this place, it was to be a thank you present to Cheryl as a thanks for helping me. But in truth, it was more like a way to stick it to Robert. Things change."
Jason was avoiding his old penthouse, he had the feeling that the answers to Spinelli were there though, so as he went through what remained of his stuff, he found nothing to indicate where the geek had done. Hearing a pounding on the door, he opened it to see a young girl standing there. "Where is he?"
"I assume you are talking about Spinelli." he said amused as she forced her way in.
"Where is that pathetic excuse, how dare he. I told him I didn't want a thing from his sorry, excuse offering butt."
"Okay, how about you settle down and tell me what you are talking about."
"This." she said thrusting the bag in his direction. Opening it, Jason found a large sum of money all in small bills. "Tell him he can take his blood money and shove it where the sun doesn't shine."
"Why would he feel it was necessary to give you that kind of money?"
"I think he wants to wash away the sins of that soul sucking, titty waving whore who stole all my dad's money and who left me on the streets. I know who you are, I know that you are another one of her cons, a stupid one at that. According to the newspapers, you let her live with you for years."
"Okay, how about we start at the beginning and for the record, I have not been with Sam in several years and regret the time I was involved with her. So why don't you tell me exactly what she did to you."
Sitting down, Jason listened to her story, his jaw tightening when he found out that Spinelli had attended her funeral. Then hearing how the younger man had tried to excuse her behavior shamed him. At one point he had been forgiving when she had told him about her brother Danny. Now looking at it from the other side, he saw that men where not the only victims and that money was a lot more than she had explained.
"I am sorry for what happened to you." he said feeling helpless. "I can replace ..."
"I don't want your money any more than his." she said getting up to leave. When he stopped her, she said "Look, you listened very nicely, but I could tell that none of this was a surprise to you. Let me guess, you thought she was doing something wrong but for a good reason. Yeah, right." she snorted. "You men are all alike, let you get your knob wet and polished and you never stop to think about the innocent victims. As far as I am concerned, you are no better than she was."
Jason felt the shame at that one, but knew he couldn't let this girl just wander the streets. "Where are you staying?"
"I live at this diner and work downstairs." she said "So you can see I don't need anything from any of you."
Jason watched her leave then sat down feeling sick and more than a little dirty as he realized she was correct. If he hadn't slept with Sam, he would have reacted with scorn for what she had done. Feeling a whole lot older as he called Cody with the latest, grabbed the bag he had packed and left the penthouse.
Julian had calmed down the young girl, then went to call Anna. When she arrived she caught her breath at the blond hair and small scar. "What happened here?" she asked touching the scar.
"No idea, why am I being held here?" she asked.
"We are going to put you up at a hotel in town, I just need you to promise not to leave for now."
Nodding, she was soon in a hotel room with several books and orders to call for room service as the couple left her alone. Once outside, Anna asked Aidan to keep an eye on the blond then went to see Robin, having her run the tests, she was excited when they were confirmed to be sisters.
"Mom, what is it?" she asked.
"I promise, I will tell you tomorrow. Right now, I have to talk to someone." Outside she called Kevin Collins back and listened to his advice. "So what you are saying is to tell them. But to have Lainey ready to treat them."
"No, if she is connected to their alter egos it won't work. You need someone new, someone they don't know as well. What about Rae Cummings or maybe try Audrey Hardy's grandson, Tom. Both know the town and the mess it is and can still be distant enough to treat them."
"I am not so sure on Georgie, I think Tom dated Felicia at one point." she replied, "But I will look into it."
Anna started making plans for the next day even as Spinelli was returning home. Arriving on the train, he felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Jason would have read his letter by now and he knew he would have lost a friend. Hearing his name being called he turned astonished to see Maxie waiting for him.
"I thought you were in New York with your fancy new job."
"Dad asked me to come down for the weekend, that it was important. So since I knew you were coming in today from your letter, I drove up tonight. We need to talk about you blowing your hold world apart, for what? A need to apologize to Elizabeth "I'm so perfect' Webber, please do you really think she didn't get pregnant on purpose to trap Jason."
Spinelli looked down then his eyes shot up and looked at Maxie "How do you know what I did?"
"I took the letter, I am not going to let you toss your life away like this." she said with her hands on her hips.
Spinelli groaned as he realized Jason had no idea why he had left. "Where is my letter to Jason, Maxie?"
"Here. You don't have to be so mean." she said thrusting the crumpled letter at him. "I was only trying to help."
"No, you were interfering because you still want to hurt Elizabeth. Maxie, go back to New York. There is nothing left for you here. At least not with me." he said walking away and ignoring her offer of a ride. "I would rather walk the fifteen blocks."
Spinelli went to Kelly's to see if there was a room available. The woman behind the counter told him that Mike had quit a few days before agreed to rent him a room. "Your name."
Telling her what she needed, he took the key and said "Thank you Penny." before heading up the stairs the weight he was carrying around feeling even heavier. He looked at the time, hesitated, then called Jason.
"Morgan." he heard.
"Jason, I need to talk to you." he told his former boss.
Stunned to hear Spinelli call him by his name, Jason said to meet him at the warehouse in an hour. Turning to his wife, he saw she was putting away the last of the dishes. Ruefully explaining, he saw her smile and then she said "Find out if he is alright. I know you have been worried about him."
He hadn't told her about the girl, his own shame not allowing him to. The young woman had hit a nerve and Jason was still trying to work through his feelings on things. When he arrived at the warehouse, along with Cody Spinelli sat down in front of the desk and said.
"I left you a note at the Penthouse, but for some reason Maxie found it first." Thrusting it at Jason, he looked down.
"Is this about the girl who ended up on the streets because of Sam?" he asked. "She came looking for you, refused to take the money you left for her."
"I was afraid of that." Spinelli said. "Jason, there is more. I did something that I never told you about."
"Just spill it." he said.
"When I saw that you were upset after breaking up with Elizabeth last year after your surgery, I went to Sam, hoping that the two of you would work things out. I just, I just thought she was a better fit in your world and that if she was around you might decide you wanted to see Jake. I mean, it..."
Jason was gripping the edge of the desk and Spinelli saw that. "..it just seemed like things would be back the way I thought they were meant to be. I mean you only started seeing Elizabeth that way after finding out about Jake.." he stopped talking when he saw Jason standing and moving around to his side of the desk.
Leaning in closely, Jason said softly "You know nothing about my feelings for Elizabeth. Nothing at all. You have barely lived here. You only saw the end of things, you heard Sam and Lulu's version of the facts. Both of whom had their own agendas. Well let me give you a clue, if Elizabeth had come to me at any time in the last eight years and said "I love you, we would have been out of here."
"But you didn't leave last year..." he protested.
"Only because I blamed myself and knew that Sonny would not let things rest. Spinelli, you know nothing of my life with Elizabeth and of our past. I think it might be a good time for a parting of the ways. You can stay at the penthouse for now, but by the end of summer I want you out. You have your PI business and I talked to Cody, here. He is going to come in in place of Sam. But you being in my business and my life, we are done. You went too far this time."
Walking out, Jason knew that Cody would take care of the kid. Sonny had been correct, in the end, Spinelli had been a mistake.
TBC
Once more chapter left, the play date at the Jacks and another one at the Scorpios, as well as a small shingdig at the Quartermaines.
TBC