For the record the guy in the store wasn't Johnny, in fact the looking at Georgie wasn't supposed to be more than a throwaway that leads to something that will become part of Carly's custody case. Thanks to the two ladies who asked, I placed Johnny in part of the story. Not real sure why since I was planning on running with some angsty Dillon and Georgie for a while.
Switching Places
Chapter 32
Carly was going over her list, then checking it twice. Just like a good Santa would do. Then she went straight to the shopping mall. All that she had left to do was get a present for Sonny from Michael. The problem was that she had no idea what to get the man, not when all she really wanted was to give him a lump of coal.
Wandering the crowded mall, she finally gave up and went to get some magazines to read while eating some lunch. Paying for her purchase, she started back to the food court excited at the idea of pizza and one of the large cin-a-bon cinnamon rolls, but just as she got in line, the man behind her hit her arm, sending her reading material straight to the ground.
]
Gathering them up, she found that the front page of one of them had been ripped along with the a few inside pages. Grabbing at it, she saw the inside article about the new editor for Couture magazine. Slamming it shut, she said no way in heck.
Forty minutes later, she pulled the magazine out from the bottom of the pile and looked at it again. The she slammed it shut, saying to herself, that she wasn't that mature, yet. Sonny had deliberately hurt her and Kate Howard was a co-dependant yes woman even more than Carly had ever dreamed of being to Sonny.
Two hours and four shopping bags later, she looked at it again, maybe for father's day, she smirked.
Elizabeth had spent the morning helping out in the children's wing, when she left she was tired but happy. Going straight to her grandmother's office, like requested she saw that Audrey was holding her hand up for her to be quiet. "Certainly, I would love for you to come home for the holidays. Tommy too."
Then she saw Audrey grimace and say, "I will think about it, let me talk to Elizabeth first." As the elderly nurse hang up the phone she said to her granddaughter, "That was Tom, he can't make it home until at least February, he wanted us to come and visit for a few weeks."
"I thought he was in Africa." She said confused.
"He is, but they are going to be in Morocco for the holidays. It would be no further to travel there then to visit Greece, closer actually."
"Grams, if you are thinking of not going because of me, don't. Get yourself on that plane, or I will have Jason's men kidnap you and put you on it." She teased. "You haven't seen Tom in years and Tommy in an ever-longer time. I will miss you, but go. I have Jason, and the rest of the insane members of this town to keep me company."
"But Elizabeth, I have been here for every single Christmas party since I was a young nurse, myself." She told her granddaughter.
"I will be there for you. Jason intends to come and I want to be here. After all this year I don't have to wear the costume." Then thinking on it she asked with a blush, "Grams I don't suppose you have a spare on lying around that I can keep?"
Audrey was still looking at her calendar trying to figure out if she had anything important before Elizabeth's party, so when she heard her question she said "You always hated that thing, I had to force you to wear it, why would you want one of those things."
Blushing Elizabeth said with a straight face, "For my memory box."
Audrey looked up and saw the blush and said "I don't even want to think about why my sweet innocent granddaughter would want to wear one of those old things." Handing one of the garment bags to her granddaughter she said with a wicked smile, "Your grandfather would have liked the hat as well."
Elizabeth whispered thanks, then rushed towards the door but stopped to turn and say "There are a few things I had never wanted to know about my grandparents, also, I mean it I will have Max kidnap you and send you to Morocco."
"I love you, now go and make sure that I get that garment bag back when I return."
Rushing into the studio as soon as her shift ended Elizabeth was painting and singing along to the Christmas music when Carly and Emily entered arguing about something. Seeing Elizabeth was painting, Emily slipped behind her rather obvious friend and made faces that had Carly and now entering Alexis laughing.
Pretending she didn't see them, Elizabeth continued on until she saw that Alexis was practically falling down laughing. "Emily Bowen Quartermaine, if you don't want me to arrange for Nik to receive a rather racy painting of you for Christmas in front of your family, stop!"
"You wouldn't dare?" She asked her best friend. The idea of Nik getting the painting was even worse than the idea of her family seeing her half dressed.
"I think that Edward keeling over having a heart attack might be the best way to have an enjoyable holiday. At least for some of us." Said Carly as she told them about the private investigator. "AJ warned him off but we both think that it is only going to take a few more days for something else to crop up."
Emily said sadly, "He keeps trying to control things, but the more he does, the less control he has. Carly does he ever change?"
Carly thought about it and carefully said "He does change a little bit, but I hate to say that it take losing so many people close to him."
"Why are we here?" Asked Emily trying to ignore the idea of losing people.
"I have something on my mind. There is this woman that Sonny knew as a boy. I don't want to let her close, mainly because she was there when Michael was shot, and then paid the man to go away. I just can't help thinking that she might be the best way to deal with Sonny."
"No, I don't agree." Said Elizabeth. "Carly until he gets some help, lets try and not alter his timeline too much. We agreed that as soon as he is out of the mob that we would try and get him to accept his problem. You know first hand how he gets when he has a new woman around."
"I agree with Elizabeth." Said Alexis. "Let's just deal with Sonny's medical issues first."
Carly had hoped that would be their decision, but could not help wondering about what would happen to Sonny if they didn't get him out of her life. She was still worried that somehow she would get shot when giving birth to Morgan.
Skye was helping Lila hang the last of the ornaments when Sage came into the room and said that her uncle was not going to come for the holidays. Then she placed the presents he sent under the tree. "Do you mind if I go to Kelly's?"
"No, in fact would you be so kind as to take the order form for the cakes to Bobbie. She is spending the day getting the orders together." Said Lila. Watching as she left, Lila said to Skye, "Sage likes Dillon, his going to this dance with the Jones girl is hurting her."
"I know, after the holidays are over, I'm going to look for a new place to live and take her with me, I think that it will either help her get over the crush or even do something about it. What do you know about Georgie Jones?"
"Wonderful girl, she is a smart young lady who has worked as a candy striper at GH since she was twelve. I think that Dillon has found a wonderful young lady, unfortunately at the expense of Sage."
"She got them together, I think she is hoping that it won't work out."
"She might be right. While I think it could work out, I get the feeling that he is not going to like having to have his girlfriend home by curfew time, nor that she has to put her grades before him."
Brooklynn had been about to join her grandmother and Skye, but went instead to find Sage. She wanted to observe the girl with her uncle. She liked Georgie better, but Sage was growing on her.
"Well if it isn't my favorite group of ladies." Announced Bobbie as her daughter entered with Elizabeth, Emily and Alexis.
Elizabeth went over to talk to Penny and found out that her friend was graduating for sure, that she had a new job in Atlanta as soon as she was finished with school. After hugging Elizabeth handed her the card she had gotten for her and wished her well.
When Georgie and Maxie came into Kelly's after school, they pitched in to help along with Lucas as the crowd four days before Christmas started to overwhelm the staff. Elizabeth was told to sit and relax by Bobbie as the red head came around the counter with their dinners.
"So what are you plans tonight?" Asked Emily.
"Michael is performing tonight at school, but they are only allowing each parent two tickets. Jason is coming with Sonny and Elizabeth with me." Said Carly looking a little upset.
"Wow, are things going to be okay?" Asked Emily.
"Yes, we are going to keep a safe distance from each other." Assured Elizabeth. Jason and her had discussed this at lunch; he wanted to keep Sonny under his watchful eye since they were certain something would happen tonight.
"What are you big plans?" Asked Alexis. "I will be at the concert too, Georgie is singing in the choir and Mac invited me along. Maxie is acting as an usher so she is going to already be there."
"I intent to watch cartoon holiday films and pig out all over Jason and Elizabeth sofa. Then paint my nails before going to bed. What an exciting life I lead." She said tossing her hair back like she was a model.
Ric made the deal with his father, knowing that he was making the deal with the devil. "So can you do it?"
"Why do you care what happens to this trailer trash?" He asked his son as he read the file.
"Sam McCall is going to help me make my brother pay. Then I will disappear and it will all fall on her shoulders." He said with a smug grin. "She will be earning her keep as well. As soon as I have her out of jail I have lots of plans for the girl."
Trevor looked across the dining room to where the closed door sheltered his crazy client as he screamed at his own son. Fathers and sons, he thought. Ric still didn't see the big picture, but as long as he was taking little bites out of his brother it allowed him to tackle the real way to deal with the gangster.
Once his son had left, he lit up a cigar and leaned back to smoke it. "Disgusting habit, you might want to put it out, my father hates the smell of those things." Said the bruised young man leaving the room and locking the door behind him.
"What did your father want this time?" Asked Trevor already knowing since he was the one who had wound up the old man.
"Nothing any different than usual, before he passed out in his own vomit. I'm out of here, you work for him, you arrange for the clean up." He said before grabbing his coat and heading out the door. Seeing the taillights up ahead, he climbed into his super charged muscle car and said to himself "Let's see the real reason you got my father like that, Trevor."
Entering the auditorium, Carly saw Jason standing there with Sonny and grabbed Elizabeth's arm as the brunette was making sure that the camera was working. Once seated she saw Alexis entering with Mac as the officer made sure to hold onto the attorney while escorting her down the sloped aisle.
"Alexis how about sitting with us?" Asked Elizabeth as they moved in.
Mac tried not to smile at the idea of his being comfortable sitting with the wife of the new mob boss and his attorney. No wonder the mayor had been upset with him earlier. Appearances were everything to the new mayor. Not that he actually cares about fighting crime it was only the appearance of doing so that was important as far as Floyd was concerned.
As they watched Michael as the little drummer boy and several of his class mates as the wise men, Jason saw that Mac had taken over the camera for Elizabeth when a tall man had sat down in front of his wife. Seeing the man turn around and talk to Elizabeth, he watched and waited to see if there was a problem, but his wife only laughed at what was said and went back to watching the kids.
Sonny had been frustrated when he was told that he could not just exit after the elementary kids, and had been grinding his teeth while the high schoolers performed. Seeing Brooklynn perform as a solo, he was impressed with Ned's daughter, but when she left the stage afterwards to hug her great grandmother, he found himself wishing that Michael had come to greet him.
When it was time to head out, he found his son and told him he did a great job but was furious when Michael said that he had heard his uncle Jason and AJ had once been the drummer boys as well. How dare anyone mention AJ to the kid? This is why he didn't want Carly to let him go over to that rat-infested mansion. They would slowly drag Michael into their world.
Walking out the door, he ignored Carly's invite to Kelly's and went straight home and called Ric Lansing. The attorney suggested that they meet the next morning. Then hanging up the phone decided to make sure that this fight between his brother and Carly was more permanent. Turns out helping Sam had been a brilliant idea. She had been furious with Sonny over her child, she wanted to make him pay as well.
Once at home, Jason removed his tie and went upstairs to see if Emily was still awake. Seeing his sister was sleeping he went downstairs and asked how his sister was doing on the doctor search.
Elizabeth was still next to the desk removing her shoes and hairpins when she said "We found one, but the problem is she won't budge on telling the family until after the holidays. I understand why, but I just wish she would let them in on it."
Jason loosely pulled Elizabeth into his arms as they walked up to bed; both too tired to do anything more than fall into bed after showering together. "Jason, do you mind if we go over to see Audrey tomorrow, she asked for us to come since she is flying to Morocco in the evening?"
"Would she be upset if we offered the jet?" He asked as they slowly fell to sleep.
Audrey was still packing the next morning when Elizabeth knocked on the front door of her house on Maple Drive. Opening it she said to her granddaughter, "You know you never have to knock here. Come in, Jason you too." With that she led the way into the classically decorated room.
Elizabeth gave her the bag with the presents she had gotten for Audrey and took the one her grams had given her. She saw that the box on top had Jason's name on it and showed it to her husband who was shocked that the woman had gotten him anything.
"Elizabeth, don't forget to take care of the Poinsettia's while I'm gone. They just need these water planter things filled every two days. I will be back the day before your party. Merry Christmas, I love you. Jason I hope that the holidays are happy ones for you to." She said.
Jason returned the sentiment and offered to carry the luggage to the car waiting for her. "Thank you, by the way when I return I really need to talk to you about this attorney Ric Lansing."
Seeing Jason's interest as they walked to the car, she said. "I am well aware when someone is trying to hard to butter me up and this man is starting to annoy me." Audrey had received two visits from the man since he had introduced himself to her. "Merry Christmas my dear." She said as she got into the vehicle and drove off to the sight of her granddaughter waving to her.
Walking back to the house, Elizabeth secured everything and then handed the bag to Jason, "Have you ever been to Morocco?"
Chapter 33
Carly came down the stairs as her brother was getting his picture taken with Brooklynn Ashton. The dress ball was starting in two hours and between the Jones girl calling every ten minutes and Lois Cerullo, who was here with her daughter, the place was bedlam. When you tossed in Michael vowing to anyone who would listen that he would never dress up in a green tux for a girl it was even worse.
Hearing her cell phone ring, Carly grabbed it quickly and retreated to the relative quiet of the hallway, "Alexis what's up?"
"I need some help, Maxie and Georgie are almost ready, but Georgie's hair keeps coming down from the knot." She said as she watched the older sister try and help Georgie.
"What is she using to keep it pinned?" Carly offered some advice then suggested that Alexis come over to the Brownstone for the evening. "I guarantee popcorn, ice cream and Scrooged. We also have Home Alone; It's A Wonderful Life and even A Christmas Carol."
"What no The Nightmare before Christmas?" She laughed then took the glass of juice that Mac had offered to her. "No thanks, I have plans right here."
"Would those plans have anything to do with handcuffs and the police commissioner?"
"No, they don't." She said blushing at the mental image, then laughing as she superimposed her rather large pregnant body onto her mental image of herself.
Sage thanked Skye as they went into Radio City Music Hall; the woman had brought her into the city and told her to bring her fancy dress. They had spent the day shopping and getting spa treatments, while it wasn't a school dance, her first one, it was one of the better days of her life.
Just as they were getting ready to go to their seats, she saw that her phone was ringing, answering it she listened to her uncle and smiled as he gave her the news. Hanging up she told the woman with her that he had solved the business problem now all he had to do was get the visa needed for the visit.
"Two months from now, he is going to be free of the mess my dad created; I will finally get to have a real home." She told the red head. "Living with your family has been great, but they are just that, your family not mine."
"I understand, more than most. I told you about what happened with my parents and me."
"But you are close to them now. Even Monica and you seem to get along."
Skye told her about Elizabeth and the baby, explaining the bond they had shared. "She wanted to come with us, but was called into surgery."
Jason was reading the report that his accountant had handed to him. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, Ric is the son of Trevor Lansing. On the surface a well-respected attorney with lots of influence, but underneath he is the lawyer for the Zachara Crime family. When you look even further back you can see that Adella Corinthos was once the lover of Trevor Lansing. Their affair ended and Ric was born almost seven months later."
"What about Trevor what is his interest?"
"He blames Sonny for losing his mistress. We know that he approached the Cassidines to offer money to shore up the damage done by Helena." Said Benny. "We think it was a way to get to the local shipping lanes and docks that family owns."
"Johnny you said that Lansing is visiting Sam a lot more than is required by the case, could he be planning on using her in some way against Sonny?"
"She knows nothing about our business, from the report I gathered in Puerto Rico, she came down as arm candy for another man, but was left behind when he found a newer model. Sonny slept with her; she showed up here, my guess is armed with as much information about him as she could get. She had no real contact with the business."
"I still don't like it, what is Lansing really up to. What does he want?" Asked Jason while thinking that Carly had to stop dancing around the subject and tell him what she knew. Deciding to take the night to follow up on Lansing senior himself, he called Elizabeth to let her know he would be working late.
Sam found herself being transferred to the PCPD, her doctors having given the police permission to move the prisoner. Seeing Lucky Spencer standing there in his uniform while she was fingerprinted and photographed, she gave him a smile. He had been an easy con, just let him rut between her legs and he would do anything she asked.
Seeing the bald detective snap at Lucky and order him away, she meekly followed the bald man to her cell and asked once again to speak to her attorney. She knew that Ric was out of town getting the information they needed to put their plan into action, but she had promised to make it look good.
As the metal clang of the doors closed behind her, she flinched; even knowing she would not be staying it was a terrifying sound. Mentally going over the plan, she laughed with glee at the idea of taking what she wanted and having someone else to take the blame.
As the dance progressed, Georgie sighed in disappointment. While he was handsome, Dillon was just not that smart. Not that he was dumb, but he seemed to have little on his mind other than movies and actors. Everything was compared to reel life instead just enjoying the real world.
Seeing Maxie who was dancing with Kyle she glared, the young man was still not someone she trusted but Maxie said he regretted what had happened. She could not help wondering if he regretted getting caught instead of what he did to her sister.
Then there was Brooklynn, they had been talking and getting along, but tonight she seemed distant and told her that it was nothing, but it obviously was something. Telling Dillon she would be back, she followed her friend out of the ballroom and into the bathroom at the hotel owned by her family.
"Please stop lying to me, why are you mad at me?" She asked the other girl.
"It really isn't like that. I'm not made at you, just upset with Dillon."
"Because he came to the dance with me." She asked slowly. "Do you object to our going out, we are just here as friends?"
"That's not it, see. Sage is the one who told him to ask you. Which he did after promising to spend the evening with her, because he likes you. I just feel bad that Sage got hurt in all of this. She really does like him."
"Then why did she tell him to ask me out?"
"So that he would get wanting to date you out of his system by the time she had moved out of the mansion. I hate to say it but I don't think the two of you will last either. Dillon is too tied to Tracy, his mother. She is not going to let the two of you date. I just don't want to see you go through the same thing my parents did when I don't think Dillon is capable of being faithful."
"Why not? If he truly liked the girl." She said. "I like him, I kind of thought he likes me."
"He does, but frankly you deserve someone much better than my uncle. I have watched him with both Sage and you; I think he likes both of you and won't want to choose between the two of you. I don't want him dating either one of you."
Elizabeth entered the mansion and stopped to visit with Lila before going straight up the stairs, Emily hadn't been feeling good and had come over here to spend the night. She was trying to keep Elizabeth from worrying but her hiding it only made her worry even more.
As she talked to Lila about the dance, she answered Jason's call. Telling him she understood she went back to the living room where Tracy was arguing with her father. "Mr. Quartermaine, do you have a minute?"
Once alone, she asked him to sit for her, so that she could finish the last of the pictures that Lila had requested. As she listened to him bluster, she was happy when she could finally tell him she was done.
Taking the photos that his wife had arranged for her, she went back to the kitchen and joined Monica and Alan in some dessert. As she told them about the trip that Audrey was taking she had to laugh at the predictable offer to spend the holidays with them.
"Jason and I are going to stop over for a while, but we sort of have plans." She said blushing.
Meanwhile out at the dance, Dillon was sitting at the table along with Lucas when a pretty blond joined them. "Hey, cousin, how did you get in here."
"I still have my student ID, which was all they asked for once I got past the ticket takers." Said Lulu.
Dillon was introduced to the blond and grimaced when he found out she was Lucky Spencer's little sister.
"I heard you went to some fancy boarding school."
"I did, but I didn't want to stay. A Spencer knows how to get what she wants." She assured the handsome blond. "Do you dance?"
"Yes, but my date is in the ladies room."
"She will be in there forever, we girls love to get together to gossip, do you have any family locally?" She asked as she dragged him onto the floor.
"My mom is from here, we have been traveling in Europe, plus my family is all from here." He said leaving out he was a Quartermaine since he had no intention of getting involved.
When Georgie and Brooklynn rejoined Lucas, she asked her cousin where her date was. He pointed onto the floor where she saw Dillon dancing with Lulu and smiled slowly. Fine, she had gotten the date she wanted, and it looked like Lulu was getting to dance with the boy who had told her he didn't dance.
Waiting until they returned she said to Lulu, "Why don't you join us, since I'm sure you crashed."
"Thanks I will, do you know Dillon?" She asked.
"Yes, he is my date. I'm glad he danced with you, so what do you think two left feet or not?" She asked while looking into the embarrassed eyes of the man who had lied to her.
"Not at all, in fact he was a great dancer." Lulu said not realizing she was killing any chance Dillon had with Georgie.
Dillon asked his date to dance, regretting that he had been too worried about stepping on her toes, now Georgie would think he had been lying for another reason. At the end of the evening after Lulu had taken over the table, Brooklynn and Georgie joined Maxie getting their dress coats.
"Why did you let Lulu do that, now she is going to chase after the guy you like?" She asked her sister.
"Let her, this night has been illuminating. Brooklynn, can I talk to you for a second?" Telling Maxie to wait she went off to the side with her friend never realizing her sister hadn't heard her.
"You were so right about Dillon; it's a shame I think we could have been great." Brooklynn could not believe the way that Dillon had hung on every word that came out the blonds mouth. She wanted to tear out the hair of the talkative girl and stuff it down her throat.
"I am going to tell Dillon I need to go home with Maxie; I will see you at the hospital the day after tomorrow." Said a soft-spoken Georgie. So much for her first crush it hadn't survived their first date.
Waiting until after Lulu had left, she told Dillon she was going with Maxie and would see him later. "Thanks for coming with me." She said and then walked away from the confused blond.
"What did I do?" He asked his niece.
"You danced with another girl after lying to your date about two left feet, you then spent the rest of the evening hanging on the word of another girl. One who you only meet tonight. If I could I would get a ride from Maxie." She said tossing her hair over her shoulder and walking away from her date as well.
Jason was following Ric himself, the man had visited an estate in Crimson Point again, after calling Bernie and telling him to find out everything he could about the owner he started to follow Ric when he realized that the attorney already had another tail. This one was reckless. Getting the license plate number he added it to the list of things that Bernie was checking out with Stan.
Once Ric arrived back at Kelly's, the car following spun off, heading toward the hospital. Jason waited until his men said they had audio surveillance on the man before driving over to see if Elizabeth was at the hospital still or had gone to the Q's house.
Leaving the hospital he saw the young man sitting on the bench across the street holding his ribs before he entered GH. He followed closely and saw Bobbie working. "Would you do me a favor and let me know what you can about the guy they just took in curtain two."
When Bobbie returned she was a little upset, saying "Mr. Smith has two broken ribs, severe bruising on his back and from the x-rays this isn't the first time for broken bones. Jason who is this guy?"
"I don't know, how did he pay?"
"Cash, I talked the attending out of calling the police, did you do that?"
"No, in fact, I had never seen him before tonight. Thank you." He said as he left before she could say that the beating looked like it was a regular thing.
Georgie went looking for Maxie, not finding her she called only to hear music and her sister say she was at an after party since Mac had agreed they could stay out to midnight. "I will see you at home."
"Yeah, see you at home." Said an upset Georgie. Walking down the hallway to the elevator, she got inside and saw that she was not alone. Seeing the other couple kiss the entire ride down from the upper floors, she was wiping tears away as she walked to the door of the hotel, past AJ who was entering with his boss.
Thinking on what he saw he called out the Jones girl only for her not to hear him. Worried he called over to the mansion and reached his cousin. "She is getting a ride from her sister; I totally screwed up the date. She won't even answer my calls." Said Dillon dejectedly.
AJ walked back to the door, something was wrong. There was no sight of Georgie and no cars had pulled up to pick up a passenger. Calling over to the Scorpio residence he asked to speak to Alexis not wanting to get the girl in trouble with her father.
Alexis distracted Mac and called Maxie who said she had left before Georgie. After hanging up on the woman, Maxie went to get Kyle and said she needed his help.
Two minutes later, she told Mac that she thought they had to check on Georgie. "Her date didn't go that well and she was upset. Maxie thought she left with Brooklynn and from what AJ just said she left the hotel alone.
Jason watched as the younger man went back to the bench and seemed to be ripping up something, when he walked off, he went over and removed the papers from the trash. Seeing the ripped up prescription, he knew that whoever had used the kid for a punching bag had done it before and was connected to this house of horrors.
He started to follow wanting answers when he saw Lucky Spencer sauntering his way; the younger man was in the company of his brother. Nik looked embarrassed as Lucky made an ass out of himself.
As he tried to keep from punching the kid in the mouth, they all heard the scream just as Mac and Alexis drove by.