Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada….
A/N: I am so sorry for the delay, guys- family emergency. Sorry. Anyway, this is the last chapter, so I hope you all enjoy!
--Chapter Sixteen--
--Metro Court--
Noah, Patrick, and Robin stepped out of the elevator car and into the Metro Court Hotel's dining room, three pairs of eyes immediately scanning the room for their dinner companions. It wasn't difficult to spot Jason, Liz, Cam, and Audrey- the group had pushed two tables together to accommodate their large dinner party. Though none of them said anything, the trio was quite happy to see that Audrey had decided to join them- her presence meant that she wasn't going to leave Elizabeth's life, a fact they were all grateful for on Liz's behalf.
As her father, brother, and friend neared, Elizabeth stood, pulling Jason up with her. Jason took Cam out of his high chair, holding him with one arm while holding Elizabeth's hand with his free one. Audrey took her place beside Liz and held her granddaughter's other hand as they watched the rest of their family approach. Smiles a mile wide were pasted on everyone's faces- young Cameron's included, though mostly because he was just happy to see new friends- and the group all exchanged hugs. When Patrick and Noah got to Audrey, they each whispered their thanks that she had been there for Elizabeth the past decade and would continue to be.
As they all took their seats around the two combined tables, Carly stepped into the room- not surprising since she did own the place- and realization dawned on Elizabeth that though people gathered around her were her family, they weren't her only family- Carly, along with Jax- who had joined Carly along with Michael and Morgan- were a part of that family because of Jason. As much as she disliked Carly, she had to admit that the stubborn blond did have her good points- chief amongst them was the fact that she loved her boys more than anything, something Elizabeth could understand because she felt the same way about Cam and her unborn child.
Carly, Jax, and the boys wandered over to one of the free tables, about to settle in for a nice family dinner. Elizabeth leaned closer to Patrick and Noah and whispered something to them that Jason wasn't able to hear- which, he figured, was probably a good thing. Father and son nodded, surprisingly proud smiles on their faces, and Elizabeth stood and walked over to the table Carly and family had settled at.
A genuine smile, unlike any she'd ever given Carly before, graced her face as she spoke, her words sincere and pleasant. "Would you all like to join us for dinner?" Her eyes locked on Carly's as she expected the blond to answer.
"It seems to be a family dinner," Jax replied hesitantly- he'd heard that Elizabeth was Noah Drake's daughter and could honestly say he was happy for the other man. He'd heard enough of the rest of the tale to know that it was truly a happy ending for the Drake family. However, he had no clue what had made Elizabeth wander over to their table.
The brunette nurse shrugged and leveled a look at Carly. "You're family to Jason- which makes you family to me," she said. Her words stunned nearly everyone in the nearly-empty dining room- except Noah and Patrick because she had asked them if they would mind if she invited Carly and company to join them. Jason, who until that moment had been watching his girlfriend and best friend with apprehension, felt his chest swell with pride. He knew Elizabeth and Carly would never be best friends and that was alright- what mattered was that Liz was making it clear that she had accepted Carly's place in Jason's life, in their life.
Shock registered clearly on Carly's face, and several seconds passed in silence as she waited for the punch line. When it became clear to her that Elizabeth was serious, she couldn't help the feeling of respect for the woman before her that she was hit with- Maybe, she thought, Jason's finally found himself a keeper after all. Maybe Little Miss Perfect here is actually worthy of him. Shaking herself out of her reverie, she nodded, accepting Elizabeth's offer.
Though he was stunned by his fiancé's response, Jax had to admit he was pleased with the idea of Carly calling a truce with the woman her best friend was obviously in love with. He stood and, along with an equally surprised Jason, added a third table to the two that had already been joined together.
Before they had all managed to take their seats again, a bickering Sonny and Brenda stepped out of the elevator car. Noah gave a dramatic sigh as he stood up from his seat, having noticed as his daughter's bemused glance flickered between the arguing pair and himself and Patrick, silently asking her question once again- his family just seemed to keep growing, he thought with an amused grin.
Noah motioned for Sonny to grab one side a nearby table and, though the mobster quirked a curious eyebrow, he and Noah together moved the table so that it joined the other three.
Carly, unable to keep the disdain from her tone, asked no one in particular, "Alright, I get the whole Sonny being family thing, but Brenda? Really?"
Not surprisingly, it was Elizabeth that answered in a tone similar to the one she used with her son when trying to explain something. "Brenda is family to Robin," she told Carly, deciding it was better not to bring up the fact that Brenda was also important to both Jason and Sonny.
"And Robin is family?" This time, Carly's tone was just curious, and she resigned herself to the knowledge that an era had come to an end- though she didn't like that she was now supposed to consider both Robin and Brenda family, as she had been accepted by Elizabeth who seemed to be welcoming all of Port Charles into the folds of her newly formed family, she accepted her fate because Elizabeth was not going to try to force Jason into picking between them and seemed to really love her best friend and want him to be happy.
"She is," Elizabeth told Carly as casually as if she were stating the weather conditions outside as she eyed her brother and his girlfriend. Patrick gave her his signature smirk and Robin- though she visibly cringed at the idea being related to Carly in any way- accepted it just as Carly had for Jason, Sonny, and Jax's sake. Everyone knew that there would still be fights- they were, after all, well aware of the easily sparked tempers the women around them were more than well-known for- but some level of peace had been reached.
Just as a waitress came to take their drink orders, Elizabeth burst out laughing, drawing inquisitive glances from everyone around her. The now hysterical brunette simply pointed at a very confused Quartermaine/Spencer clan. Gathered in the elevator were Edward, Luke, Tracy, Alice, Dillon, Lulu, and a baby none of the large group seated at the extended table recognized, though Carly figured it had to be Laurie from her conversation with Lulu earlier.
Everyone around her was now laughing as two more tables were added to accommodate the group. Not entirely sure what was going on, Luke shot his gaze to his former daughter-in-law, his eyes filled with confusion and silently asking what was going on. The answer he got- from Liz, Carly, Robin, and Brenda in unison, nonetheless- was not the one he had expected, though he wasn't entirely sure what that was to begin with.
"You're family." The answer, coming from those four women who all said it so simply as though it explained everything, made Edward, Alice, and Tracy frown in confusion; Dillon and Lulu gape in shock- after all, Brenda, Liz, Carly, and Robin had just agreed on something; and Luke throw back his head and howl with laughter.
The unlikely quartet had never uttered truer words, he mused, as they all took their seats- dysfunctional though it was, this group was family… Not only were several of them biologically related, but ties of friendship and love bonded all of them together somehow.
As Carly and Brenda hurled insults at each other, Edward and Tracy grumbled about having to eat with a couple of mobsters, Robin and Patrick teased each other, Lulu and Dillon made silly faces at Laurie, Liz and Jason smiled contentedly at one another; Morgan and Michael played with Cam; and Sonny, Jax, and Alice all sat back and wondered what alternate universe they'd stepped into, Luke shared a knowing smile with Bobbie and Noah- this crazy group, along with a few other missing people who'd been roped into working and weren't there at the moment, was their family- people they'd fought with, cried with, laughed with, and loved with over the years; people they would continue to do all of those things with in the years to come.
There's no place like home; nothing like the love of family. The thought echoed through the minds of every adult at the table, all of them fully aware of the significance of the evening's events.