Chapter Seventy
James Craig was irate at Audrey Hardy for her inability to take care of Alan, he should have known better, once you started trusting other people, you were taking a risk of things not working out like you expected them to.
So now he was stuck falling back on the one thing that no one knew about, at least yet. He wasn't going to have a choice though, if he wanted to stay in Port Charles, he had no choice but to play his trump card.
As for Audrey, he was sure she wouldn't rat him out, there was just too much for her to lose, but then again, if she really didn't care, then he would be in a little tighter predicament, but he wasn't one to dwell on the if's and and's, he liked action over thinking. Besides it wasn't like she knew who he really was, and that alone would secure that he had a future. Evil laughter bubbled up from within. He wasn't the man he used to be, but that was just fine, he didn't like how everyone walked all over him before, now he was a force to be reckoned with.
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Audrey was sitting opposite Lucky and Luke, no one said anything, which surprised her, she had gone to the mat on many occasions for Lucky, pleading his case to Elizabeth, again and again and now the little twerp couldn't be bothered to ask why she was there, no of course not…
Thinking back to the moment her life had somehow changed, Audrey cast herself back into her memories, it wasn't a long journey, not really, she had met James Craig about a month ago. But classifying it as something so simple as that, well it didn't really work. He had brought Alexis Davis in, she had suffered an episode, Audrey had worked diligently to get the headstrong woman to calm down enough to sit and let her body relax. Her companion looked honestly worried, so Audrey had offered to watch Alexis if he wanted to go get a drink.
Of course before anything else could happen, Monica had come up to Audrey and not showing much sense as when to have the discussion, Monica started laying in to her about her dismal behavior towards Liz and Jason's and their new son. Having dealt with her in a timely manner Audrey believed she wouldn't have to deal with that any longer, but she had been sorely mistaken.
As soon as James Craig had heard who her granddaughter was and who she was married to, he had become increasingly interested. But the bastard was smart, he didn't bother questioning Audrey in front of Alexis, he waited and bided his time. Just when Audrey was sure everything was going to be okay, he showed up again. Only this time in her home. He must have been waiting for some time, and he had the audacity to look at her like she interrupted him, not the other way around.
Audrey was pulled from her thoughts by Mac, more than happy to flee those horrible thoughts, with effort she concentrated on what he was saying and at first it was hard, but gradually it became easier.
"What is it exactly that you want from me Mac?" Audrey asked, her tone not allowing the fear at her predicament to inflict.
"I think you know what I want, and I think it is about time you start talking, what you did, you must be punished for. I don't think you understand just how much trouble you are in, do you?" Mac asked, his anger inflicting each word he spoke.
"You know nothing police commissioner, you think you have all the answers, but you know nothing." Audrey said, turning away from Mac and ever so slowly taking her seat on the bunk.
Mac shook his head, the damn woman was not going to cooperate, that he was sure of, understanding he had no other choice, he left, but with the plan of finding Craig, then and only then would he return to speak to her, if she wouldn't divulge the information, then she would go down in a lot more than just the kidnapping.
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Emily gripped the small package, trying to determine if what she saw was real, one line no, two lines yes. But how, they had always used protection, she wasn't ready, she had goals she wanted to reach before worrying about being a mother, and while she loved Spencer, she also understood that she was only a extra pair of hands, her and the child had not bonded.
Her tears came unbidden, a simple question that weighted heavily on her mind, refused to be banished. How was she ever going to tell Nikolas, everything between them lately had been strained, now she had to break the news that she was pregnant.
She couldn't understand it, and at the moment, didn't want to understand it, there was just too many things, contingencies that factored in, could she really trust Nikolas to do the right thing, would he still want to be with her, would he want his child. Emily slowly gave into the tears, allowing them to consume her, she fell asleep curled in a ball, her tears still wet upon her face.
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Carly knew right away what the test meant, not bothering to think about it, she grasped the test in her hand and ran down the stairs. Hoping that Jax had not left yet. Whatever he had planned to day as about to be changed.
"Jax, are you still here, we need to talk." Carly said as she came down the stairs.
Jax walked out of the kitchen two cups of coffee in his hands. "I'm right here, do you need something?"
Carly waited till he set the steaming mugs down before passing him the test. She hoped he would be as dense as Sonny had been, when she had given him the little test. Sonny had stared at it, like it was so foreign, that finally in her angst to tell him what it meant that she missed the fact that he was slowly clueing in. He may not watch much television, but he had to have seen enough commercials.
"Is this what I think it is?" Jax asked, not exactly sure, but not stupid either, he was positive Courtney had used one of these when she found out that she was pregnant.
Carly flung herself into his arms, her head nodding almost on its own accord. This was a memory that would forever remain, Jax not only looked happy, he looked ecstatic, tears fell in quick little bursts. Before she could even right her self, Jax was swinging her around, then thought better of it and gentle eased her to the couch.
"We, we're going to be… You, you're pregnant?" Jax said, starting to feel a little wobbly in the knees. The woman I love is giving me a child. With those simple words released, he claimed her lips in a soul-searing kiss.
"Yup, we're pregnant!" Carly Exclaimed, unable to hide the joy.
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Robin looked tearfully at the test, and while she planned on having another one done at the hospital, considering these things weren't a hundred percent accurate, she knew in her heart the true answer. Otherwise, she wouldn't have bought the first test or this the third.
Now it all boiled down to whether she had the guts to tell Patrick, and that alone was a loaded question. They had never spoken about the future and what it would entail. She had always hoped to marry the bullheaded man and have his children, but that was a step that was suppose to be planned, this had not been planned and while she would never think of her child as an accident, in truth that is exactly what it was.
She tried with little success to banish her tears, but they would not heed her plight. She loved Patrick, she really did, but this was huge, the man was already paranoid, feeling trapped once in awhile, what would a child do to their precarious situation?
With those thoughts Robin slowly placed the test in the trash, grabbed her coat and headed to General Hospital. Whatever was going on in their lives, Patrick would just have to deal, the child was conceived, so he would just have to understand, he was going to be a father, for there was no way she was going to terminate this pregnancy.
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After Mac left, Audrey was cast back to her memories. James Craig sitting as if he belonged on her couch, in her home. A scream tried to worm its way out of her mouth, but James Craig's cool and collected voice stilled any and all sound that might have emerged.
"I would suggest you not scream Mrs. Hardy. While I know you are not happy with your granddaughters choice in men, there is another granddaughter that you have nothing but pride for, I would hate to see you do something silly and hurt her." Craig said, enjoying in the shocked expression of the woman.
"I don't know what you think you know, but you cannot bully me, I will not stand for it." Audrey said, no longer swayed by her shock, besides she didn't take kindly to strange men threatening her or her family, although she would be the first to admit, Elizabeth was no longer family, she had taken her life in her own hands, her stupidity would be her downfall.
"That is where you are wrong. I am not here to hurt you or cause you pain, I am here to offer you a trade of sorts. You desperately want your youngest grandchild back in your home, what say you to a bargain?" James Craig asked, his voice sugary sweet, but deadlier than arsenic.
"And why in the world would you help me get my grandson, what is in it for you?" Audrey asked, wary of this imbeciles intent.
"Call it a friend doing another friend a deal! I do this for you, then you will be obligated to do something for me." Craig said, delighting in her obvious conundrum.
"Wh-what would I have to do for you, in order to gain my grandson?" Audrey asked, finally feeling the first twinges of hope.
"You my dear, work at the hospital, you are going to do me the honor or making a file for me, under my real name. That way should anything happen to you, I can remain my true self, here in this wonderfully stagnant city." Craig said, rubbing his hands together, positively pleased with his brilliant scheme.
Audrey wanted nothing more than to scream and yell, but whatever he wanted was good enough for her, so long as Alan came home to where he belonged, she would not sit idly by while Elizabeth bartered her children's life away and all because of some handsome thug. What Elizabeth didn't understand, she was safer with Lucky, Jason would get her and the children killed, it was a very simple fact and one she didn't plan on letting happen.
Except now, here she was, locked in a cell in the P.C.P.D. basement, unable to do anything and more than likely going to take the fall on much more than a mere kidnapping, yes she had done smashingly well planning this one, she was going to rot in a jail cell, and she had done nothing to ensure her grandson's safety.
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Elizabeth entered the living room, expecting to see Robin or Carly even. There was a party tonight, so she had expected the girls to get together to primp and talk. What better way to get ready for a party, really?
What she saw when she entered left her curious, Cameron was sitting on the couch, Alan haphazardly placed on the sofa beside him.
Elizabeth couldn't handle the onrushing fear, she rushed in a blind panic to the couch, glad she hadn't dawdled on her way down, god knows what could have happened.
Once Alan was safely placed in his bassinet, Elizabeth went to Isabella's door, her knuckles hurt from the force of the knock. But before she even had a chance to open the door, the door itself swung inwards carried by the momentum of her pounding.
"JASON!" Elizabeth yelled, once again terrified.
Jason didn't bother with pretenses, he grabbed a pair of boxers and raced down the stairs, when he reached his wife, he saw what she had just previously saw. His heart turned cold at the sight and something inside of him awoke.
"Where is she, I thought we had two weeks, what is going on?" Elizabeth asked, slightly confused, her concern outweighing her fear, at least for the moment.
Jason walked over to the mahogany desk, picked up the house phone and called Sonny. "Sonny, I need to see you soon, we may have a problem, would it be alright if I came over, also is either Stan or Spinelli there?
Jason placed the cordless phone back on the charger, he turned and gathered Elizabeth in his arms. Enjoying the feeling, even though his mind was being plundered by unanswered questions.
"I love you, as soon as I know what is going on, I will be back. Please don't worry, whatever it is, we will take care of it." Jason said, kissing her gently before dashing back up the stairs, in his haste, he almost plowed into his sister.
He contemplated asking her why she looked all puffy, but for the moment, other things needed his attention. He would speak to Em later and get to the bottom of her unhappiness.
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You have all been fantastic with responding. Your feedback feeds my greedy muse, it lives for your comments, and allows me to continue writing at a quicker pace. Thank you again and enjoy. Two chapters in one day, come on, I deserve some feedback, please! lol