Switching Places

Chapter 10

Family Guy: Everything I say is a lie, except when I tell the truth.

Jason looked into the room currently holding Elizabeth, expecting her to be upset, only to see a look saying these people are crazy. As he listened to Sonny explaining what was going on, he plotted to make sure that Elizabeth was out of there immediately.

As she watched Jason walk across the room a smile broke out on Elizabeth's face, confusing those who hadn't seen the enforcer enter the room. "Elizabeth, are you okay?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms.

"Yes, I'm fine except for having to be here." She grumbled as the lawyers were arguing.

"Could you please decide who your attorney is so that I can get rid of some of these people?"

"Alexis, can you handle this?" She asked the other woman.

"Now that you have settled that." Mac decided to start with Edward Quartermaine who was blustering as Justus back into the bullpen. "Mr. Quartermaine, just what is your connection to this mess?"

"I got a call demanding a ransom for Courtney, I thought it was a scheme orchestrated by my grandson, but his lack of interest in finding his missing wife, let me know that he wasn't involved. If AJ had been involved, he would have overreacted to the mess. He didn't even pretend to understand what I was talking about."

"How do you know that Elizabeth wasn't behind the kidnapping herself?" Asked Scott, wanting to ruffle a few feathers, but even he knew that the Webber girl hadn't done this.

"Two things, Elizabeth has repeatedly turned down help paying for school, as well as refusing to let her grandmother help pay for that disaster of a studio, there is no way she would ever kidnap someone for money. As for the ludicrous suggestion that she was jealous of Jason's friendship with Courtney, I can't imagine a young woman who is self assured enough to deal with Carly, worrying about the Matthews girl."

"Thank you Edward. Now if you will excuse us, I still need to find out why Elizabeth was at the cemetery."

"I can answer that." Stated Carly proudly. "We were having a picnic." Alexis groaned trying not to laugh as virtually everyone in the station stared at the blond. "What? Haven't you ever had a picnic before?

Mac looked at Carly and said. "I will arrest the next person who opens their mouth and tells anything but the truth."

"Elizabeth could you please tell us what you were doing at the cemetery. Without commentary from the rest of you."

"If one of your officers would go to the car I was in and grab my portfolio, I can answer your question." Elizabeth was thinking on her feet and knew that for this to work she had to pull Lizzie out. The officer returned and handed her brown leather bag to Mac. Grateful she had the rest of the pictures that she had sent to Emily to make her laugh, she decided to use them to get out of this.

After opening it Elizabeth pretended to hesitate, then said to Mac, "Can we please do this without all of these people?"

Scott knew that he would not let this happen without him, so he said "Elizabeth, if we do this in private it will look like you have something to hide."

Taking a deep breath, she acted like she was reluctant then pulled the sketchpad out of her bag and said "Fine, but I would like it if only Alexis and you viewed this. Mac as well."

Alexis took the book from Elizabeth and laid it one the table, opening it she started chuckling when she saw the first picture. By the time they had gone through the entire sketchbook, the three of them were all laughing and looking around the room at various people and chuckling some more.

Looking at Alexis he glared at his attorney as she just wiped the tears away. "Elizabeth, I don't understand what this has to do with anything." Said Mac as he closed the book.

"I was finishing the last drawing for the series at the cemetery. I sent Emily the first group today. The picture I was finishing up was one that she suggested. I didn't want to use a cemetery here in town, not for something like this. So I asked around and was told about that one by a customer, in fact the man who tried to kidnap us when we were out there." She said with a single tear fallen on her check.

Mac looked at Alexis and saw the woman glaring at him but he was still not sure why but he got the feeling she was lying about something. "Why were Carly and Alexis with you?"

Elizabeth decided a version of the truth would work well, "Every since she woke up from her car accident, she keeps following me around, saying how she wants to be my friend, and that if we don't try bad things will happen. Same thing with Alexis. She keeps insisting that we have to all get along. I was just humoring the woman. She really thought we were going on a picnic, at least that is what I told her when she came to my studio and saw me leaving." Elizabeth said with a straight face.

Carly just stared, she was good, but the muffin was genius. Hearing Mac ask if it was true, she nodded in agreement not trusting herself to speak.

"So let me get this straight, Carly is stalking you, why?" Taggert heard himself asking, knowing he didn't want to know the answer.

"She woke up from this accident and she thought it is 2008, for some reason. Ask Bobbie, according to Carly she is married to Jasper Jacks there." Luke walked out to the bullpen, not wanting Mac or Taggert to see the laughter in his eyes; she was good, he wished that his Cowboy hadn't realized too late that he lost the perfect girl.

Taggert recalled hearing something about that, but that idea was even stranger than the two of them being friends. "Why is Courtney lying to us?" He asked just wanting to get rid of the whole group.

"I have no idea, the last time I saw her; she was knocking on Jason's door asking if we could hang out. I told her we were going for a ride, she wanted to join us, but we were taking the bike."

"I think I can answer what is going on with my sister, Quartermaine, get over here." Said Sonny. "A couple of weeks ago, Courtney was mugged. Jason stopped the guy from getting away with her purse. Every since then, she has kept turning up at my place, supposedly to get to know me. The night in question, she called and told me that AJ was going out of town and she was scared to be alone.

I offered a guard, but she refused claiming that the only one of my people she knew was Jason, and if he couldn't do it, she didn't want a guard. I invited her to stay with me since I was hoping to get to know my sister. She then chased after Jason once he left with Elizabeth for the night."

"Where you going out of town?" Mac asked AJ.

"No, in fact I have been trying to get time off of work, so that I could spend it with my wife. I was aware that she was feeling alone and developing a crush on Jason. The night in question, she told me that Sonny was having a hard time dealing with losing Carly and had asked her to come and stay. She hates living in our apartment, so I knew it was just that she wanted to stay someplace better."

"Thank you. Elizabeth, do you want to press charges against Courtney?"

"No, Mac. She was locked up for days and no one even knew she was missing. You might want to have Kevin talk to her though. I mean this story she told didn't make any sense at all. Have you heard how Zander is doing?"

"Zander is pretty sick; I can't understand why he got so sick for only helping Courtney out of the crypt."

"Mac, Zander was locked in the crypt as well. There was a strong smell of gas when my guard got the door opened. What about the men who tried to grab us?"

"One is dead, but Mr. Rosco is in serious condition at GH."

"What will happen to them?" She asked not knowing the blond standing in the back was curious as well, but Johnny who was watching her knew why she was. Faith listened intently as the man answered.

"He will be charged as soon as he is better. Elizabeth, do you need medical attention?"

"No, may we go now?"

"Certainly. Just think about your choice of friends." He said as he looked at Carly. "Also your potential friends.

Jason helped her to the car, after she promised to visit her grandmother the next day. Telling Milo to drive them to GH he insisted of getting her checked out. "Jason, I'm fine. I just want to go home and lock the doors."

"After Monica says you can go, we will head out to the cabin." He said kissing her forehead as she curled up in his arms.

"Jason, what is Sonny going to do about Courtney, he seemed really upset when we left?"

"He wants to get her back to the hospital, and then tomorrow he is going to arrange for her to get some help." He told her leaving out what was in the file he gave his boss. As long as Courtney stayed away from Elizabeth, he would let her past stay that, but the minute she came after his girlfriend, all deals were off.

Sonny thanked Alexis for handling Courtney's release, telling her that Justus had agreed to temporarily represent the business interests. "Good, I agreed to stay on as Jason's personal attorney, I'm glad you are dealing this like you are." She said lamely not wanting to say anything about the future.

""We-I made a mistake; I turned to you because I was lonely, ruining our friendship in the process. If you ever need anything..." he trailed off, regretting the mistake that cost him the best attorney he had.

Seeing the blond coming out of a small office, Sonny told her they were taking her to GH where she would be getting admitted over night. "Why? There is nothing wrong with me, except that once again Elizabeth Webber managed to get me in trouble."

"Courtney, I was there. Elizabeth was not responsible for your getting kidnapped." Said Alexis as they entered the limo.

"Yes, she was, the kidnapper said so. I heard him, he said that she was too well protected so they grabbed me instead. They were going to kill me." She sobbed.

Instead of asking her why she had lied like he wanted to, Sonny shook his head and arranged for a longer checkup then first agreed with Gail Baldwin. Alexis' file was right, Courtney had major issues that needed to be dealt with.

When he returned home alone, he grabbed a glass of whiskey and the file that Benny had gotten about his sister. Reading it over, he started to call Jason, but getting his voicemail instead, he went out to Johnny and asked if he knew where Milo and Marco were.

"In Jason's. He asked them to set up a security system like you have here."

"Come with me." He said entering his partner's apartment. "Marco, what did you find in Atlantic City."

"We just confirmed what Alexis and Benny found out. Courtney is Mike's daughter, her mother Janine has had repeated arrests and convictions. During her jail stints, Courtney was in foster care. She didn't finish school, dropping out to move in with her boyfriend. He left town suddenly two years ago, but by that time Courtney had moved to the shore."

"What was she doing there?"

"We can't find any evidence she was doing anything more than living with this garage band drummer. Neither one of them had a work history and they were kicked out of a few different places for not paying their rent. The drummer boy is in jail down in Texas, seems like he tried to cross the border with an illegal drug shipment."

"Why did she come here, what did Janine's sister tell you?"

"Just that Courtney was fired from her job at IHOP, she took some money from the cash register. Then Janine told her sister that her daughter took the thousand dollars she won playing the ponies and disappeared. The next time she heard from the girl was when she called to tell her she married. AJ."

"Jason thinks that my sister might be rather troubled, and after what I witnessed today I agree. I was someone to keep an eye out for her at all of our interests. I think she may be planning on betraying us, especially if there is something in it for her."

Chapter 11

Naval proverb: Just because the surface is calm and the day clear doesn't mean there isn't a storm brewing.

Carly enjoyed the warm August sun, thinking back on the last couple of months. So far her plan was working well. Jason was with Elizabeth and they seemed to be getting closer every day. There were days when it hurt to not call and have him solve her problems but she knew that it was important to her future.

Seeing Alexis walking with her sister across the Wyndemere courtyard, she had to laugh remembering Sonny's expression when he had heard the attorney was pregnant. He had hounded the attorney about the child's father until she publicly announced during the forth of July picnic that she had used a sperm bank. That the father of her child was a doctor, healthy and intelligent. That that was all she knew about the man. That it was all she wanted to know.

She had held her breath when the time approached for the explosion of the warehouse, worried about letting it happen, but knowing she couldn't change everything. At least this time there had been no casualties. The smell of burnt coffee had lingered for days, turning even the hardened coffee drinker off the stuff.

Watching as her son played chase with Lucky and Nik, she was grateful that her Momma had agreed to her suggestion of a picnic to help deal with the disappointment of Laura's illness. When the woman had been taken away, she had felt sick that she had done nothing to prevent what had happened.

Alexis strangely enough had pointed out that even knowing the truth would not make much of a difference there, because Laura became ill when she couldn't face the truth. Carly laughed when she saw Lulu turn the water gun on her brother and help Michael escape with the ball. This had been for that little girl. She had wanted to get close to her niece before she started down the wrong path that led to Johnny Zachara and Logan Hayes.

Jason stopped the bike, and helped Elizabeth off as they arrived at the cabin. He was eager to get out of their hot clothes and swim away their worries. This Luis Alcazar's people had finally shown up and while he didn't want to believe Carly, he was concerned enough to have Macro and Francis staying close to Elizabeth.

Walking towards the dock, he saw her removing her clothes, when she got to her underwear, he reached over and pushed her in. "Jason, you are in so much trouble." She said when she came up to the surface laughing. "Just what was that about?"

"I'll be right there to explain." He said diving in while still wearing his jeans.

"Ummm!" She said when they stopped kissing. "Okay, stop trying to distract me, now explain."

"I was hoping to peel them off." He said with a sly grin.

"No way, last time they floated away and the caretaker found them." She said swimming away, knowing he was a faster swimmer but hoping to at least reach the soft sand.

When they were relaxed and sated, she sighed and giggled. "You know we need to start keeping extra clothes here. What am I going to wear back to town? Without any underwear, my dress will cling."

Jason groaned at the mental picture and pulled her close. "I have no problem with that."

"What about when we get home and I have to cross the lobby to get into the elevator, then through the hall to get to our door." She said with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine, next time we are headed this way, we drop off a bag of clothes. When are we going to talk about those brochures?" He asked leaning on his arm and looking down into her face.

"I'm not sure." She said. "I mean, I want to but it means dealing with my grams and your parents. Plus what if I'm lousy at it?"

"You won't be, as your only patient other than those kittens, I would say that you will do fine. But are you doing this because of what Carly said or because it's what you want?"

"About half-and-half. Jason with my nursing degree I can make a difference, but I can still paint in my free time. Unless you have changed you mind about the future?"

"Not in this lifetime or the one that Carly dreamed." He said firmly. "We are going to be together no matter what."

"So you won't mind playing patient to my nurse?" She said purring and pulling him close.

"That depends." He said as he pulled her on top of him. "Are you planning on serving me soup?"

AJ looked at the divorce decree and then signed it before handing it back to Justus. "Thanks man. I can't believe I'm getting my second divorce."

"AJ, it is for the best." He said as he put away the file.

"I know that; it's just I want to help her. She needs it. Corinthos is just letting her be she is still working at Kelly's and living in one of the studio apartments."

"She refused to get the help that Gail recommended. How are things going with Carly?" He asked touching on a delicate subject. Jason had agreed with Carly's allowing Michael contact with Monica and Lila, but had been just as upset as Sonny when Edward and Alan had crashed the visits on more than one occasion.

"Good, I make sure that I'm not there, Grandmother and Mom are enjoying the visits. I can't believe that this is working. Who knows maybe someday he will be allowed around me."

Justus knew that Jason had a wait and see attitude but that Sonny had threatened to take Carly to court over the visits. Only when Jason had warned off Edward and Alan had he relented about Monica. At least with the whole house in an uproar about Tracy leaving her son and taking off along with Skye's wedding the visits were being kept low-key.

Courtney tossed the dirty plates into the bus pan and brought it back into the kitchen telling Penny she would be right back. Following the man out the door she asked "May I talk to you?"

"What may I do for you beautiful?" Asked the man with the eyes that never went any higher than her breasts.

"I heard you say you were hiring. I am looking for work. Work I can do without anyone knowing it and make some cash."

"Here, this is the address of my club; stop in let me see what you have got. Then I will let you know."

Zander stood in the shadows, watching in disgust. "Do you have any idea what he does?" He asked as he walked into the courtyard. "Courtney what were you thinking?"

"I need the money and he can help. That's all. What are you doing here?" She said.

"I'm here for lunch. Listen, I have to go and see what Ned needs, then can we talk tonight?"

"There is nothing to talk about; Look the only reason I was nice to you at the hospital was that I was alone. That is all. Find someone else to be your friend." She said walking away. Shame he didn't have a penny, she thought, he sure was loyal.

Sam got off the city bus, wishing she could stay at the hotel across the way, she thought idly. However for this con to work she had to stay at the dive down on the waterfront. Entering the hotel she applied for a job knowing that her target ate her frequently. She had followed him plenty of times.

After getting turned down she returned to the diner in time to see a help wanted sign placed in the window and a petite brunette setting up tables. "Hi!" She said to the woman as she eased up onto a chair.

"Hello, what may I do for you?" Asked Elizabeth as Carly entered the diner. Seeing the woman Elizabeth was talking to she thought she looked familiar but nodded at Elizabeth that she would be in the courtyard.

"Bobbie said to talk to you about getting a key, my name is Sam, Sam McCall. I was also curious about the help wanted sign it wouldn't be for a waitressing job would it?"

"Okay, here is the key, as for the job; yes it is to waitress. I'm leaving at the end of the month to go back to school. Bobbie wants me to find, hire and train my replacement. Are you sure you are up to waiting tables?"

"Don't have much of a choice, the father was a one-night-stand. I know whom he works for, which is why I'm in town. I am hoping to find the jerk and get some help."

"Well do you think you can start tomorrow?" She asked.

"Don't you want to know my references?" She asked stunned at how easy it had been.

"Bobbie's former son-in-law will take care of that, I just will start you until he gets the okay from his people. Now the shifts are days. From 8 to 2 sometimes 4.

"I can handle that. See you in the morning, Elizabeth." She said with a smile as she went to her room.

Elizabeth grabbed two iced teas and then pulled the help wanted sign down as she sat down. "Momma should fire your rear, sitting down on the job." Carly teased as she grabbed the cool glass and almost drained it.

"Who else would put up with you and the rest of your crazy family? Not that it will be my job after the end of next week. I will be a full-time nursing student." She said sticking her tongue out when the blond said whoopty do.

"Then shouldn't that sign be in the window not under your drink?"

"I found someone, a tenant from upstairs. She is pregnant and needs some help."

"Saint Elizabeth to the rescue." She snarked. "How was the ride?" She asked.

"How was the picnic?" She asked back.

"I guarantee you had more fun that we did." Said Alexis as she sat down. "Nik and Lucky tried to fake not worrying for Lulu, but with Luke taking off and Laura in the hospital, it was ugly."

"Is he still out there looking for Laura?" She asked feeling sorry for the man.

"Yes, plus he is blaming himself. Carly, why are we here?"

"We need to find a way to meet in the next couple of weeks in private." She said knowing the other two would get the reasons why.

"The studio is out of the question; Jason is having work done on it. I wonder who it was that complained to him Carly?" She said glaring at the blond.

"Elizabeth, that place is a death trap." Seeing Courtney entering the courtyard the women stopped the blond and asked how she was doing?

"I'm fine, I wish you would all just leave your false concern at home. I don't want nor need it." She said entering the diner to finish the evening shift. She had asked to work a split shift to get her divorce finalized so that she could move ahead with her plan. Getting hired by Coleman was the second step in getting Jason's attention away from little miss perfect. Next had been moving out of Kelly's and into the same studio building that Elizabeth had her studio in.

Now that she had taken care of that, all she had to do was make sure that someone told Jason where she was working. Someone other than her backstabbing so-called friend Carly. Seeing Milo guarding Carly, she smiled at the guard, knowing women easily flustered him, but all he did was nod at her. Frowning she wondered if Sonny had warned the guards against flirting with her. This might be a problem.

Jason looked up from the manifest, telling the foreman to check the rest of the coffee and went to pickup Elizabeth as Kelly's. Since it looked like rain he grabbed one of the SUV's and drove off cursing Carly and her idea of a coffee shop. All it had done was give them a place to hide a bit of money, not enough to make up for the aggravation.

Seeing the three women he hid the grin that seemed to come to the fore when he saw them together, they all still denied being friends, but they certainly got together like friends. "Elizabeth, we are going to have to get going there is a storm coming up." He said "Do you ladies need a ride?"

"I have Milo and we can drop Alexis off, it's on the way to my place. Sonny has Michael for the night."

"See you tomorrow."

"Jason?" They all heard Courtney and hoped she had the sense to stay away. Jason had made it clear she was too stay away from Elizabeth outside of work. "Can you help me? There is a new tenant and she can't get her window to shut. Lucky isn't here and I can't get it closed either."

Not wanting to help her, but knowing that it was more than likely the truth, he grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her back into the diner just as the rain fell. He saw Carly and Alexis rush to the waiting car as Elizabeth asked if it was for Miss McCall.

"Yes, she said you hired her to work days, we have--" Courtney was talking to thin air when she turned around, hearing footsteps she said "What a bitch!"

"Sam?" Elizabeth asked as she knocked on the door, "We came to take care of your window."

"I got it for her." Said Lucky as he came out of the bathroom with a towel and drying his hair. "I was coming in when I heard the blond bimbo."

"Thanks, Lucky. See you later. Hey, if you see Sam could you please let her know that she can get something to eat for free. I forgot to mention it when I saw her earlier."

"I'll take care of it." He said ignoring Jason. While he was getting along better with Elizabeth, he still blamed the blond enforcer for his losing his true love.

Walking back down the stairs, Elizabeth answered her phone, agreeing with Bobbie she told Courtney that they were closed for the night. "They are predicting hail, so go ahead and close. I will take care of things in the morning as far as the deposit. Bobbie asked me to take the money with me."

"Fine, one less thing for me to do. We will be talking about this new girl getting the morning hours, which should be my shifts."

"Bobbie said no, that it is easier to find someone to fill in when you don't show up at night that in the morning." Said Elizabeth taking the bank bag with her and locking the door.

Elizabeth raced Jason up the stairs to their bedroom, letting him catch her just outside the door. Four hours later with the loss of the electricity she suggested creating some more friction of their own. Jason was just about falling asleep when he heard the chirp of his cell phone.

Looking at it he saw it was Courtney again, what did it take for the girl to get the message he thought. She called three times a day. Elizabeth didn't worry about it, but he did. He was more worried about when the calls stopped. That would mean she was moving into more dangerous territory.

Pulling Elizabeth closer, he whispered I love you.

Alexis thanked the delivery boy giving him a huge tip for coming out in this weather. Grateful for the generator she curled up and watched old movies and ate her salad, thinking about her daughter and the son who would some day return.

Hearing the phone ring, she started to ignore it but knowing if it was Carly she would just keep calling she answered only to hear that it was GH and that there had been an accident.

Carly looked over her secret list, crossing off one thing and highlighting another. They had to find a way to get Brenda home, but Jax had to marry Skye first. She knew that his regrets about Skye was what led to his problems with Brenda which in turn had lead to Courtney.

Jason was aware of the Alcazars and she was watching for the day that Lansing turned up. She was going to enjoy taking that slim ball down. Thinking about Sonny she shuddered at the idea of sleeping with him again but wanting her son. She gave herself a half pat on the back; she was finally able to see where she had screwed up in life.

Sonny Corinthos was only the symptom, but she had caused the disease herself. The cure was standing on her own, and it seemed to be working. Pulling out the picture of Jax, she swore she would get him back.

Seeing the lights flicker she lit a candle and watched the storm out the window, trying to recall what she had been doing the first time around. Stopping Jason from spending time with Elizabeth, she thought.

Sam walked across the lobby and asked for Sonny Corinthos. "Mr. Corinthos isn't available; may I ask what this is about?"

"No, I just was hoping to ask him a few questions, I meet someone who works for him on his Island and was hoping to locate the person." She said lightly touching her stomach, aware that the camera would catch the movement.

"Try his warehouse, he never conducts any business at home." The guard said.

Courtney saw the lights flickering and grabbed the flashlight, wondering how Elizabeth could stand to spend time here. When it was dark, she went to see if it was the fuse box or if the electricity was out. Reaching for the door handle she opened it, only to feel a male body standing there. She began to scream when she heard "Courtney; it's me, Zander. I was worried about you. I knew from when I was dating Emily that the lights can go out easily here."

Twenty minutes later, AJ walked into the diner and saw Lucky talking to some big breasted woman with dark hair who was soaking wet. Waiting until Spencer handed the woman a towel he said "Lucky have you seen Courtney?"

""Aunt Bobbie sent everyone one home because of the storm. Do you want some coffee it's fresh, I wasn't aware the new tenant couldn't have any." He said tossing an arched look at Sam.

"Sure, make it two. I heard she got a studio where Elizabeth used to live. I will go and check on her, she hates storms."

"Here." Lucky said, trying not to let his saying Elizabeth wasn't living there to bother him, not with the hottie sitting across from him.

"Thanks, see you later." AJ knew he was a fool, but he was still in love with the blond. Walking up the steps he saw the glitter on the name for mailbox 4C and knew where to find his soon to be ex-wife. Seeing the door partway open he started to call out when he heard the moaning and grunting, not wanting to see anymore he started to toss the coffee when he heard Courtney call out Jason.

Freezing, he felt his heart harden and walked back to the door ready to confront his brother when he saw that man with her had black curly hair not blond short spikes. Feeling sick he backed away and then realized he was cured. He was over the blond who was even now screwing another man and calling out his brother's name.

Luis checked on Brenda, they would be joining his yacht in Port Charles in a few days, Taking out the needle, he said to the former model. "I have the drugs, Dr. Gomez said to let him know if this helps if not he may have to increase the dosage"

"Thank you, I love you for this" she said as he tenderly kissed her unaware that he had just gave her a smaller dosage than usual so that she would have withdrawal symptoms. He would do anything to keep the woman he loved with him.

Alexis slid down the wall, crying as Jax tried to comfort her. Kristina was dead, a drunk driver had crossed the barrier and took out her and left Ned lying in a bed breathing through a tube. "Jax. Just leave me alone get away!" She screamed. "I-I-I Need Carly." Was the last thing she said before she collapsed. Audrey rushed over to help Monica as Amy Vining called Dr. Meadows for the woman.