Exorcising the Ghosts

Chapter 21

Jason thanked Jagger for the news then left the police station. His morning had started out great, waking up with his family curled up in bed with him, now he had to deal with his anger. He had wanted Spinelli punished for what he had done to Elizabeth, not given the easy way out.

Seeing two officers rushing into the station, Jason turned and looked then saw Jagger coming out in a hurry. "Hey, you need to come back."

"Am I under arrest for something, if not I want to spend the rest of the day with my family." he stated.

"No, but we just found Jerry Jacks." he said grimly. "Or more to the point, our coroner went to put a body in the freezer and found him. He's dead. Someone quite kindly gave us a tape of his death and delivered his corpse."

Looking longingly at his car, Jason followed him back inside where Abbott was dealing with a ranting DA and Special Agent in Charge Raynor. "Morgan, were you aware that Maxiumus Giambetti's second in command was in town?"

"No, I wasn't." he said then asked "Am I a suspect in something?"

"No, we have the killer on tape, Jerry was responsible for Spinelli getting the pills." said the new commissioner.

"Rather convenient wouldn't you say, Mr. Morgan?" sneered the DA, Jason ignored her as he left, feeling like the sun was finally rising on the glum his life had been for the last several years. Arriving at the park, he saw his family on the playground with the guards watching the perimeter and went over to join them.

As they were leaving he made the call to Johnny then went to help load the boys into the SUV.

Johnny used the disposable cell phone to call his sister's uncle who called Sicily. "Thanks on behalf of the Americans."

The large Italian watched as his son and his new bride discussed their future home. Then said "Mr. Craig was a blight on all of us, his punishment was meted out justly. My loose ends were wrapped up and I would like to extend the same courtesy to our American contact."

Johnny took the return call then went to docks, needing to clear his head. His sister was dead, his father gone, his mother long gone. There was nothing but a pending friendship and a business that was doing fine but not spectacular to keep him here.

"Mr. Zachara, a moment of your time please?" asked Mac as he approached the younger man.

"Is Georgie okay?" he asked thinking on the brunette.

"Yes, fine. Actually I want to talk to you about a business arrangement." he said to the surprise of the younger man. "I am reopening my club and agency. I have to admit it is going to be some work to get my club back up and running and that is going to be my first priority, but I would like you to come to work for me."

"I am confused, why? And doing what?" he asked the older man, trying to read his face.

"The one thing that McCall and Spinelli should have had going for them with their agency was the people knew they weren't cops. I need that edge I lost by going to work for the police department." he said "I checked, you have had no convictions, your degree was in business, my guess a sop to your father?" he asked with an inquiring tone. Johnny just nodded in agreement.

"If you are interested, I would like you to come to work for me. I know you have brains, your ability to handle yourself in difficult situations is known and frankly while I am good at the legal ways of getting information, I am sure you have way more contacts on the other side of the law."

Johnny thought about it, then about his fledgling plan to travel and said "Can I think on it until you are up and ready. I am not sure exactly what my future is going to entail."

"Sure." he said then added "If you have an questions, call me."

Mac walked away, wondering if he was doing the right thing, but he knew that the young mobster was cusp of being lost to himself. He didn't know what was up with this need to protect him, but as he had spent time with him, he couldn't help worrying about him.

Jax talked to his crying mother and said "We will meet you in Port Charles tomorrow morning."

Hanging up, he thanked Brenda for her help with the kids then said "Jerry is gone. Lady Jane is a wreck. I have to return, will you come with us?"

Standing, she kissed her old friend's check and said "No, like I told you before, there is nothing left there for me. Now that your nanny has returned, I am heading back to Italy."

Hugging her, he said "Thank you for a being a beacon of sanity in the middle of this."

"You are welcome, now go home, find yourself and raise your kids, okay?" she asked before leaving. Stopping at the hospital, Brenda went to see Carly after bribing a guard. "Hello Carly."

Sitting there, strung out, Carly looked at her and then typed "You won't get away with stealing my family away from me. Jason kept you away before, he will do it again."

"Jason? Really?" she asked with a soft chuckle. "Well, I am sure that he will protect your family. Josselyn, Morgan, and Michael, but you, my guess is not so much. And you are well aware of it. I know Carly, I know about his threat to you. Johnny O'Brien told me when I called the hospital. Jax told me what was going on and he was always one of my favorites."

"Brenda, you are nothing more than a has been model, past your prime and trying to hold on to men who don't want you anymore." she typed misspelling has been in her hurry.

"Carly, Carly, Carly... actually I am married. My husband let me help Jax because he understands, he has had contact with an ex of his and he still helps her out. We just understand how to separate the past from the current, unlike you. I would never end up back in bed with someone, wait, it wasn't a bed was it, it was a limo and say it doesn't matter because we had slept together in the past."

"You are still jealous of our past, but I am living happily with the man I meet when I left Port Charles and got help. We have been married quietly for years and I am having a child. You, on the other hand, Sonny and you ended, he slept with a low rent version of me who he pawned off on Jason. Then there was your childhood best friend, his attorney. His childhood sweetheart then the woman who hurt your son. Yup, Sonny was quite a catch."

"He still loved me to the end." Carly wrote trying to convince herself as much as Brenda.

"Carly, get some treatment, face a few things. Sonny loved one person, himself. Even his love for his kids was a reflection of this. He saw them as extending his legacy to the future, not as kids to be loved."

Walking to the door, she turned and said "Jax, by the way, is going to be just fine. Same with your children. I am going to give him some time, then I am going to help him find true love. Someone who will love him for him, someone who will be a good mother to those children."

Elizabeth let Jason blindfold her while the boys giggled in the back. "You know, they are going to tell me what it looks like."

Looking at Jason, Cam assured him "We will keep the secret from Mommy." Jake just kept saying yup to her amusement. Jason eased back onto the road, driving slowly as he looked for the address. Diane had sent him a photo of the house along with it's specs and he was almost positive it would be the perfect house for them. First however, he knew would have to soften her up.

Showing her the first house, Jason saw the boys liked it's size and hoped that boded well for the house he was hoping she would chose. After they both agreed this wasn't the one, he replaced the blind fold and drove to the next house. When they pulled up, Elizabeth removed the blind fold herself then after looking at it, realized Jason and she needed to talk.

Seeing the boys were occupied confirmed her opinion that they were aware these weren't the house Jason had shown them. Reaching out to stop him from getting out, she said "Jason, just show me the real house, please?"

Looking into her eyes, he said "You are going to have issues, I just..."

"Show me." she said gently. Driving to the stone and wood Tudor, Jason held his breath as they pulled up to the gate then down the small drive. Stopping a bit from the house when he heard her gasp, he looked over to see she was in shock.

Worried, he felt her reach for his hand then listened as she said "Jason, the outside is beautiful."

Pulling around to the garage, he parked between the one attached to the house and the one he wanted to use as a guard station then helped her out. The boys in spite of the cold, rushed over to the swing set while Jason guided Elizabeth to the covered terrace with the wooden trellis on the side.

Calling to the boys, they were soon inside, looking around at the wood interior. As Elizabeth explored the open floor plan she found herself growing enchanted. Finding the four upstairs bedrooms and the well lit room down at one end, she said "A studio."

"Yes." he said kissing her quickly before they went to chase after the boys who were exploring the empty playroom and Elizabeth had to laugh when Cam said "Mommy, Daddy said I had to ask you if I could have this bedroom?"

"We will talk more about it later." she said not wanting to make a promise if they didn't get the house. Seeing the full basement with workout room, more storage and finally a den large enough for a pool table, they were to look at the second garage.

Elizabeth looked around then said "Jason, I love this place. What else is out there?"

"The lake is down about a quarter of a mile, we have a small boathouse and a larger barn off that way." he said pointing. "There is a small gatehouse as well."

"Can it be secured?" she asked quietly then saw his grin and said "Why do I think you checked that out before even showing me this place?"

"I did. The minute I saw it, I knew Diane was right. This is us, this is our home." he said simply. "The upstairs can be expanded, there is space to build at least three more bedrooms."

"Jason, what do we need eight bedrooms for?" she asked laughing then saw his slightly hidden grin. "I do hope you know I was kidding, we are not going to be having that many kids. I draw a limit at four, well maybe five."

Then looking out the window, she said "Six, but that is definitely the limit."

Encircling her waist, he said with a soft chuckle, "Are you sure now?"

Turning in his arms, she said "Yes." then after they kissed said "Well... yes."

"I think I could convince you." he said then leaned down to kiss her again only for Jake to rush in and say "Mommy, I am hungry."

Ethan quickly exited the area around the Haunted Star, the dry dock where it was being dismantled had no security but he still didn't want to get caught. He had overheard the foreman telling a worker to notify the the Mounties they had found something.

He hadn't known what was in the briefcase, but had hoped to find a way inside of it, now all hope was lost. Arriving back at the Brownstone in the states, he packed up his remaining clothes, then went to find his sister. "Lulu, I can't stay here, any longer. I am heading out of town. Do you want to come with me?"

Thinking on it, she said "I have to get my stuff from the apartment first. Where are we going?"

"Not real sure, but grab a traveling trunk, we can send your clothes to your mother in Paris before splitting." he suggested.

Lulu went to the quiet apartment knowing Maxie was at the magazine and soon had her stuff packed. Lifting the order that Maxie had gotten from some judge ordering Lulu to pay her half of the rent until the lease was up and grabbing a tube of lipstick wrote go to hell on it before walking out the door for the last time.

Arriving to her grams house, Elizabeth entered in time to hear her grandmother arguing with someone on the other end. "Grams, is everything okay?"

Turning, she felt sick but knew she had to tell her. "I am on the phone with the Colorado State Police, they stopped the cemetery from removing your grave."

Sitting down, Elizabeth felt slightly dizzy before saying. "Why would you take me there?"

Hanging up, Audrey said "I was going to take the boys there, raise them away from here."

Hugging her grams, Elizabeth was glad that Jason had taken the boys with him to see Diane, she felt unsure of herself right then but knew she had to discuss this with her grams. "May I see it?"

"Elizabeth, why put yourself through this?" she asked gently wishing Tom was here to help.

"I need to see a picture, if you have one." she said insistently. Audrey reluctantly reached into the file she had faxed to Boulder and showed it to her.

Elizabeth read out loud. "Beloved granddaughter, sister and mother. Elizabeth Imogene Webber."

Looking at the slab of granite, Elizabeth wiped her tears then said "It's beautiful, anyhow."

"I had ordered it before we got word you were alive. They called and left a message this morning that it had been placed, I just wanted to get rid of it before you found out."

Touching the letters of her name, Elizabeth found strength in knowing she was alive and hopefully wouldn't need one of these for many years. Hugging her grandmother tightly, she said "I love you. Thank you for caring... loving me and my boys."

Wiping her own tears, Audrey said "I have always had so much guilt when it comes to you. You remind me of your grandfather so much. I tried to hold on to you, tried to push you into what I thought was safe because of that. Seeing that site, the day we put in the temporary marker woke me up to so much."

The two sat there, quietly holding hands when the phone rang to disturb them. Answering, Audrey thanked the man on the other end then hung up. "They are going to remove it."

"Thank you Grams. I do have some good news. We found a possible house." she said then proceeded to tell her all about the Tudor home they had seen.

Audrey listened already missing the noise and feeling of contentment she got when they were living there but knowing that this was going to help Jason and Elizabeth take that final step to being a family.

Georgie was working her first day for Diane when she saw Alexis entering the office. "Miss Miller is waiting for you in the research room."

"Thanks, Georgie. It is good to see you are back." she said smiling at the younger girl before heading to Diane. Entering she asked "What is all of that?"

Looking at the law books, she said "You can find anything you are looking for on Weslaw."

"I prefer to double check certain things in the actual books." she said then settling back into the leather chair said "I heard you were thinking of going to work for ELQ. Why not come to work with me. We would make great partners."

"You have one client and I won't work for the mob again." she said simply.

"You wouldn't be. Jason has mainly legitimate businesses. I would say over ninety percent which is more than most corporations can say." she pointed out. "Elizabeth and he have no problems with it nor does AJ my other client."

Alexis sat down then said "I just don't know. I mean, after all that has gone on recently I am still a Cassadine."

"True, but you are always a very good attorney." said Jason then told Diane. "I left Cam and Jake with Georgie."

"No guards?" she asked a bit surprised.

"They are out there, but their job is to protect not babysit." he said firmly. "I know the same applies for your staff but this will be quick. When will the final papers come through on the house/"

"They already did. You own it free and clear." she said reaching for the file on her desk. "I gather it was a success."

"Yes, I have a building down on the docks, I need a permit to tear it down."

"I will lump it in with the one for Wyndemere."

"Alexis, I hope you consider Diane's offer." Jason said before thanking the red head and going to round up his sons. Georgie waved off his thanks then went back to work just as her phone rang.

Johnny O'Brien made the call then went to pack up what he had that was his. Hearing a knock on his door, he saw the small blond outside. "Maxie, what are you doing here?"

"I heard Robin saying you were heading out. I guess I just well... you have been a friend the last couple of months." she said "I don't have a lot of those that I can afford to lose one."

Pulling her inside, he sat her down and said "Don't sell yourself short. I will be back but I have a few things to take care of, among them getting rid of this face."

Looking into Jason/Johnny's face she said "Now that Jason is back, I can see subtle differences and your eyes are changing again. They are still blue but trimmed with green."

"I want to be me again. I did this because I owed Jason, my life, my very freedom." he said quietly. "I almost cost him his family and that is something it is going to take time for me to deal with."

"No, he did that. I mean he tossed you out there with no backup." she said.

"Jason, had no choice and then I screwed up. There are things in the past, a couple of stupid mistakes I made, that if I hadn't... none of this would have happened. Jason would have probably found happiness with Elizabeth a long time ago." he said quietly. "Do you remember when Luiz Alcazar kidnapped you?"

Seeing her nod, he said "I could have put a stop to him long before that, but I stepped back early on when Sonny was faking his death. I-part of me was hoping he would kill him."

"Wow." she said a bit stunned. "Why?"

"Sonny was lying to Jason, using him. Same with Carly. Jason had save my life repeatedly and I was so pissed at him for becoming this zombie who seemed to do nothing but obey their orders. Also I was a little in love with Elizabeth back then."

"Does every single man in this town have a thing for her?" she asked not really sure she was kidding.

"She has this way about her, a warmth, we are drawn to it. I was, I saw the way the blond twins were treating Jason and should have been there for my friend instead of being a coward and hoping someone else would do my dirty work, that was Sonny's way, not mine."

"Will you come back?" she asked.

"I don't know. I am going to be getting surgery for a couple of months, after that, I will make my decision." he said.

Standing, Maxie walked to the door then closed her eyes and said "Would you come here for a minute."

Moving closer, curious as to what she was doing, he stood there then reacted slightly shocked when she kissed him on the lips. It was only a gently press of warm lips together but he felt something he knew he had no business feeling. "Maxie..."

Opening her eyes, she said slightly sad. "I couldn't do that seeing Jason's face. I just don't find him all that if you know what I mean. Good lucky, Johnny O'Brien, I hope you find what you are looking for."

When she had left, Johnny sat down and looked into the mirror over his dresser and said "What the hell are you going to do now."

On her lunch break, Georgie walked into the hotel and said "I am meeting Mrs. Jacks."

"She is waiting for you, Miss Jones." Marty told the younger girl before directing her to the penthouse suite.

When Georgie was let in, Jane looked at the young girl that her son had held hostage and felt shame. She had known Mac Scorpio for years and to know what Jerry had stolen, made her angry with her wild child. "Thank you for meeting me."

"I hope you don't mind me asking but why did you want to meet me?" she said settling into the chair across from her.

"My son, I heard what he did, what the man he hired almost did." she said sadly. "I just... I saw Alan Quartermaine earlier, told him the same thing. He told me about Emily, his daughter. I had to face you, I had to see for myself what kind of monster my son had become."

Georgie felt guilty for some reason, but she didn't know what to say to her. Jane said "My younger son, Jax and I have tried to help Jerry for years, tried to make up for his mistakes. I went to the station, I was worried about his poor girlfriend. They traced the number."

"Jerry had a girl friend?" she asked "What kind of wo-"

"I know, what kind of woman got involved with a man like him. Turns out it was this Sam McCall woman. He wasn't involved with her in a romantic nature. It was about her controlling Jason Morgan for some reason." she said sadly. "I heard about what she has been doing as well. I just had to atone for my son, to say I am sorry that my burying my head in the sand cost you so much."

Reaching out, Georgie said "What your son did, he did, not you. We all want to see the best in those we love. That is human nature. I have to head back to work, but Mrs Jacks... forgive yourself."

Getting in her car, Georgie called Diane and explained before driving off to find a certain garage. She needed an ear, a clear head and he was the best person to help her achieve that.

Jason and the boys arrived home at the same time as Jeff Webber did. "I know you want to talk to Elizabeth, but we have to run out for a while."

Elizabeth agreed that Jeff could spend the time with the boys while Jason and she ran their errand then asked him what was going on. "Johnny is leaving town and wanted to say goodbye."

Meeting the doppelganger at the airport, Elizabeth looked at the man who had almost lost his life and gave him a quick hug wishing him well.

"I uh, I know this is a little late, but I am so sorry, Elizabeth." he said holding her hands. "I know that I screwed things up, leading to what happened. I only hope Jason and you..."

"We will, we are." she said looking over at the man she loved. Then looking back at Johnny said "I should have known something was wrong. I was floundering and then there was this feeling of revulsion towards Jason. I should have known... I mean, even at my angriest I have never reacted like that to him."

"You thought I was sleeping with the woman who hurt our son." Jason reminded her. "Johnny, I do want to say thank you for giving me the time to do what I had to do."

"You are welcome, even if you really shouldn't be thanking me." he said before heading to the tarmac and the private jet waiting.

Elizabeth kissed the man she loved and said "Let's go home and spend the night with our boys."

"First, I wanted to tell you, Diane filed the papers, the house is ours." he said. "So what is next?"

"Furniture since no one knows where mine is. Johnny said he took the mini van to a storage facility, that has all the boys and my important stuff in it."

"Together?" he asked not positive.

"Yes, together." she said looking into his eyes and seeing his worry. "Jason, what about that room at the Metrocourt, is it free?"

"Yes, but you are going to kill me." he said a bit pissed himself. "I have one more thing to take care of, and it has to be tonight."

Pouting a bit, she gave him a quick glance then said "Tomorrow, then?"

"Tomorrow, but don't make any plans all day. I have the entire day planned." he said thinking on what Diane had set up for him. "One more thing, the bike was crushed today."

Wincing she said "Crushed?"

"I was going to set it on fire, but Cody threatened to save it. He was offering to buy it and almost cried when they returned the small metal box to us." He had explained afterwords the why and his second in command had said "That was what they have industrial strength disinfectant for."

Georgie and Johnny had discussed Jerry and his family, helping clear her head while he worked on a motor. Looking over at his hands, Georgie thought about how they seemed so sure, so safe yet had the ability to make her lose her chain of thought.

Johnny on the other hand thought that the grease was bothering her and said "Do you want me to wash up, I can finish this later?"

"NO!!" she said in a hurry, "Don't stop on my account."

As he finished, he asked "Have you eaten?"

"No, Mrs Jacks had food there for us, but I just couldn't eat." she said then followed him over to the utility sink.

"Would you dump some of that soap on me?" he asked then felt strange that he was aroused from her watching him wash his hands. Shaking it off, knowing he had to get his own head on straight before anything else, he asked her to go upstairs and grab him a shirt while he changed out of his overalls.

Mainly, he didn't want her to see his reaction to her as he got control over his own body. With his back to the stairs, he tossed the shirt he had on underneath into the clothes hamper and felt something hit his head.

Reaching up, he took the t-shirt off his head and slipped it on before turning and finding a longer sleeved one in complimentary colors tossed at him as well. "Let go get something to eat."

"Fine." she said handing him his coat then saying. "We are going to have to take my car, though."

"Why?" he asked stopping at his camero.

"It's Mac's and I promised to drive home and switch out cars with him." she said. "I was going to get mine back from Maxie but she has turned into a pack rat. So she gave me the money she got from the insurance company and I am going to get a new car this week."

"That was your car she turned into the moving van?" he asked. "Nice."

"It was." she said with a sigh. "I just don't know if I want an environmentally friendly car or just a cheap one, though."

At the Scorpio residence, Georgie peeked in then called out to her dad "Is the coast clear?"

"Yes, Lulu and Ethan have Bobbie all upset so Frisco and your mother went looking for them." he said then was amused when Johnny and she entered. "Keys?"

Tossing them to him, she took the ones to the SUV and looking at Johnny said "Did you ask him?"

"Yes, he is thinking on it." Johnny replied with a sideways look at her.

"Georgie, your sister left you a bunch of clothes in your old room, and there is a stew in the kitchen. Anna is supposed to be crashing here again tonight so don't lock the door." warned Mac.

"She could pick the lock faster than turning the handle dad." she said laughing. "Go, I will be fine, but Johnny is staying for dinner. Maybe more."

"It's the more than worries me." he warned as he left to their shock.

"Uh, sorry about that, I wish I could say he has a weird sense of humor, but I have no idea what that was about." she said heading to the kitchen. "Since he was embarrassing me, how about we finish off his last two beers?"

As they ate, Johnny told her about his day. "When they left, I had to pick up all the bolts, but I have to admit, it was fun. It reminded me of the few days I had the Morgan boys."

"I can see you enjoyed being with them." she said then asked "Do you ever think about being a dad?"

"Sometimes. I mean, I know I need to deal with my family issues, spending time with Jason and Elizabeth made that clear, but yes, someday I would love to have kids calling me dad."

Jason looked at the clock and slipped out of Elizabeth's bed and pulled on a shirt. Heading down the stairs, he left the house and called Cody. "Is it taken care of?"

"Yes, AJ should be calling any minute." he said before handing him the file. "Cassadine called his contact, about the diamonds. I thought you were going to use fakes?"

"AJ switched at the last minute. I understand they were confiscated by the Greek government when he went to sell them?" he asked.

"Yes, he is now completely broke. He had already spent the money he had stolen from his brother after killing him." said the bald man with satisfaction. "The other situation was ratcheted up as well. They increased the dosage given to her."

"Thank you, Cody." he said then called his brother. "How is he doing?"

"He is facing a lot, Jason. I think this is going to be good for him, it has been for me. I have been attending the sessions as well." he said. "How are things with Elizabeth and you?"

Thinking on the silent but exciting time they had just spent, he said "We are doing a lot better. I am going to wrap up the rest of this soon. We bought a house, the boys love it."

Taking a deep breath, AJ said "There is something we need to discuss... I think we need to go to Edward, make an offer. He isn't getting any younger and I think if we show a united front, we can deal with this."

"When you return, we will. Right now, with the service for Emily, things are still a little raw." he said. "AJ, there is one more person, who has to pay for their part."

"I know and we will discuss it when we return." he said grimly. "I just want to wait until we are there to make a decision on how to proceed."

Leaving, Jason returned to the Hardy house just as Elizabeth came from the kitchen with a glass of water. With a quick grin, Jason smirked and led her off to the study. "We are going to have to be quiet."

Giggling, as she saw the blankets and pillows on the rock hard sofa, she kissed him as he closed the door.

Audrey came down the stairs an hour later, needing a glass of water and saw Jason's shoes in the hallway outside of the office. Walking closer, she felt her eyes widen and her face blushed before she backed away. Heading back to her room with her water, she looked out the window and said to the stars, "Steve, I think everything is going to be okay."

TBC