Switching Places
Chapter 70
Elizabeth smiled when she saw the mural; it was just perfect. Lions, tiger and bears. Oh my! She thought as she straightened the curtains. Hearing the sound the heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, she turned as Jason came in with the rocking chair that Lila had insisted they place in their daughter's room.
"That is the perfect fit." She said as he sat it down under the window. Picking up the small pastel knitted blanket that Epiphany had given her, she folded it in half then in half again, before placing it on the top of the changing table. Looking around the pale green room with safari animals and small feminine touches she could feel the rightness of it all.
Jason walked over to the bookshelf and picked up the pink lion and joked that he had never seen a lion this color when he had been in Africa. "Don't you know all girl lions are pink? Asked Elizabeth as she went over to embrace Jason.
"Is this more wisdom according to Maxie Jones?" He asked dryly.
"Of course, in Maxie's world the whole thing is color coordinated with matching patterns." She said.
"I have finally figured out why Mac pulls me into interrogation, he wants some peace and quiet." He joked. "Between Maxie, Alexis and Kristina he must be begging for peace and quiet, Even Georgie when she gets comfortable with someone never stops talking."
Elizabeth laughed at how wrong he had that one. "With Georgie she talks when she is nervous."
Jason thought back on the last month when Georgie and Brooklynn had come over to paint in the outline of the mural and was stunned. "She was nervous the entire time she was here?"
"Yup, no that's not true. She was fine unless it was just the two of you. YOU make her nervous, strangely not because of your job, either."
"The why?" He asked intrigued by this anomaly.
"She thinks you are very pretty." Said a laughing Elizabeth as he realized she wasn't going to tell him the truth. Picking her up, he growled as he carried her back to their bedroom and sat her down on the bed.
"I have my ways of getting to the truth." He said. "Even from a seven and half month pregnant woman."
"Do you worst, but make it quick. I have to meet Emily at the hospital in a little while." She said drawing him down, after scooting into the middle of the bed.
"What I have in mind needs more than twenty minutes, so you are escaping for now. Don't make any plans for later, I have every intention of making you talk." He said as he joined her for a small make out session, hearing the sound of the clock alarm minutes later, he asked "Are you sure you can't stand her up?"
Carly left lunch a little behind for her meeting with Jax. She had talked to him about working of the interior of the new hotel. She had been shocked when without prodding he had followed the last time line and bought the property to build a hotel.
"Carly, I am running a little late. Can we make this quick, I have to fly to Singapore. My brother was sighted at one of my buildings there." He said joining her at the table outside of Kelly's when she walked out of the diner.
"I was on my way to see you." She said. "What did you think of my plans?"
"For the most part, they were good, there were a couple if issues, we want to use American companies as much as possible so if you could fine a marble company here, the same for the fabrics and glass."
"That will cost quite a bit more." She warned.
"Get me some figures, and then send them to me." He said handing her the list of contact numbers. "This is a guy I used in Corning for glass before. See what he thinks of your drawings. There is some master glass worker in town, he wants to talk to us about the project. Something about the lighting in the lobby."
"Elizabeth drew that." She said.
"Fine, take her with you." He said getting ready to leave.
"Jax, she is almost due, Jason hates to let her go to work, let alone across the state. Can I get this guy to come here?"
"Go for it, my guy said they would be coming to the area for some kind of conference at Lake Placid. Deal with the small things, but other than that, I love what you have got. See you later." He said as he quickly left.
Carly waited until there was no one around and did a victory dance.
"I would walk on past and not ask, but frankly I am just too nosy." Said AJ as he leaned against the building.
"The plans for the hotel. We are going forward."
"Great, I never want to see that again, or at least keep Michael and Morgan from seeing, the therapy bills are going to be big enough without them seeing you try to dance."
Making a face at him and sticking out her tongue, she said "So how was your lunch date?"
"Rotten, I kept forgetting her name. I called her Emily and Elizabeth several different times." He admitted with a laugh.
"That is what you get for going out with someone named Elektra. I mean it sounds like the name of a stripper not someone with a PHD. Seriously AJ, I mean who names their child Elektra?"
Emily and Nik parted at the elevator as he went up to see Lainey Winters about Mary Bishop. Now that he had his memory back completely he felt guilt about the woman who was still locked up in the hospital psych ward.
Watching as her mother came down the hall, Emily could not help recalling the confrontation between Elizabeth and her parents last month. She had been just as shocked as Elizabeth to learn that her parents had been harboring a huge secret about the past.
The idea that Elizabeth's biological mother hadn't been Carolyn had stunned her friend. Instead her mother had been a nurse here at GH named Annie. A woman that Elizabeth had been told she looked like. Monica told her what had happened. How Annie had been dying, but chose not to get treatment, wanting to deliver Elizabeth instead.
How Jeff had swooped in and took Elizabeth back to Colorado, after her mother's death. Elizabeth had always believed that the reason her parents had been estranged from those here in Port Charles had been the acrimonious divorce between Jeff and Monica. Learning that she had been lied to by her father and step-mother had devastated her.
Skye had been the one to tell Elizabeth the truth. Not out of maliciousness, but because after the fire she had been dealing with demons of her own in regards to parentage. Skye had confronted Alan Chandler the man who had raised her with her own hurts and had wanted to make sure that Elizabeth had known that even if Carolyn hadn't wanted her, others had.
"What has you thinking so hard?" Asked the woman starring in her thoughts.
"You and what could have been. We could been raised together. Shared clothes, fought over boys." Said Emily still stuck in her mental fantasy. "We would have been sisters, legally."
""I'm glad we weren't" said Elizabeth. Seeing the hurt, she said "That means that Jason Quartermaine would have been my brother."
"Good point." Said Emily putting away her fantasy. "So are you ready for this?"
"Yes, but you have to let me do the talking." Elizabeth had been working on getting the drawings done for the new children's wing. Since she couldn't paint them, Edward had been insisting on delaying them.
"I am all for that, so let's go find grandmother. She is meeting with dad about the grand opening of the new wing. Have you reached you dad, yet?"
"No, he is playing least in sight. Or at least Carolyn is keeping him from talking." She said as they went to join the discussion in the conference room.
Alexis and Mac sat down with Diane and said "What happens now?"
"Dr. Webber has been blocked. The thing you might want to consider is telling Elizabeth, she is your friend. I think finding out she has a little sister might be something she considers important."
"We thought about it, but with all the current revelations coming out. I want to wait until things have settled down a little. She was still angry at Carly and I for knowing as long as we did that it was a possibility.
"Fine, but she is your friend. Now what about that other item?"
"Maxie is over eighteen. She can agree to it on her own. Felicia is fighting it."
"How is it you had custody of these girls all this time and never adopted them?"
"I didn't want to take the idea of Frisco away. It's as simple as that."
"Well, the fact that you have been both girls primary guardian counts, as well as the fact that Georgie wants this. When is Felicia returning?"
"May, if all goes well." Mac wasn't sure he wanted her to return. Between Georgie keeping secrets, ones that she had no idea they knew and the fact the girls had been bonding with Alexis it was going to be a difficult visit even before they added in the adoption.
"We can serve the papers when she returns. Anything else?"
"Anna just needs you to file the papers having her declared alive."
"Already taken care of. I sent them out already. I understand she is getting married."
"Some doctor in Pine Valley.
Georgie took the key out and opened the box. Grabbing both packages, she went out to the car. Still stunned to have it. Mac had just about flipped when he had seen it. She claimed it was part of the rather large present from Mrs. Barrington, who had died mere weeks later.
Sitting in the soft leather seats, she still was shocked to realize she was driving an expensive sports car. Even more that it was in her name. The day it had turned up at school and she had been called to the office to receive the package with keys and papers in her name. She had been stunned.
"So, are we going to actually move?" Asked Lucas from the passenger seat. "Why do you have a post office box?"
"Nothing too important, just letters from a friend." She said pulling the silver Porsche Boxster from the parking lot. "Why are you working tonight?"
"Since Lulu is at her anger management class, I agreed to cover the shift."
"I still can't believe she hit Sage. I thought Sage slapping her back, was great. Every since the fire, she has been on her case." Deliberately not mentioning all the other things that had come out since the night.
Lucas had no such delicacy. "Well, Lucky went apeshit; shot three people killing one, then died. We find out he was committing robberies, was stalking Elizabeth to the point of those pictures. Toss in the drug addiction. No wonder she is in pain."
"Yes, but she is playing it for all she is worth."
"I know; then there is this program they have her in. Two years of probation on top of that and if she doesn't stay out of trouble jail. She is walking a tightrope. I don't excuse her behavior; I just have to accept that she is related." He shrugged.
Georgie dropped him off then drove over to Vista Point, and opened the letter. Seeing the post card for Singapore, she tried to recall where she had heard it mentioned recently.
As she read the letter, she smiled at the descriptions of the people and food, then took out the small square disk he had asked her to keep with the others. It was difficult not to read them, but she would not betray his trust like that.
Answering her phone, she told Maxie she was on her way and headed home for dinner wondering if she should pick up something to eat before hand. Maxie was taking a cooking class and they were expected to eat her homework.
Jason listened with a growing frown. "So Lansing is getting messages out of the prison. Find out who is doing this for him. Johnny step up looking for Maria Zachara. She has answers to these questions, that Elizabeth is asking. Also see how Anthony is doing?"
"Besides being nutty than a pecan pie?" He said.
"Yes, I do. Things have been quiet, let's keep it that way. Bernie, what are you doing for Sonny?"
"He is still looking for this Dante. He thinks he is his son."
"Okay, look, but don't pull resources off of the main business. Even he admits that he overreacted when talking to this Olivia. When is Brenda leaving?"
"Monday. She is heading back to Paris." Reported Johnny from the chair. "What are we doing about the other stuff, I mean with Homeland Security tightening it's grip, we have to find a new way of hiding money."
"I have an idea, one that I have been fighting, but it looks like the coffee shop is a go." He said grimacing like he was in pain. "We can use the space at the Cannery. The shops are supposed to begin opening this summer. WE can go ahead then."
Hearing a knock on the door, Jason called to Milo. "Sir, its Luke Spencer."
"Let him in. Get this taken care of. Max see what you can do about the security. I want things kept under wraps." Seeing Luke entering he said "Spencer, what can I do for you?"
"Nothing, I just want you to drop the lawsuit, the publicity it's getting is making things difficult for Lulu."
"The same Lulu who has been accusing me of murder every time I see her?"
"Yes, look, I know you have good reason, but I am asking as a parent." He said.
"Luke, I want some thing in return. I want you to get her under control. She is now on the edge of the cliff, you know that. Elizabeth still worries about her. The lawsuit against Baldwin, will be dropped too. I know that part kills but it can't be separated." Elizabeth and he had already discusses this, so they were giving him nothing really.
"I know; I talked to her already. She thinks that Lulu needs to face what Lucky had been doing. Lainey agrees; Leslie is staying in town, since I can't let her be on her own."
"She is still refusing to live with you?" He asked. "Have you tried to work with Carly?"
"I don't want my daughter hanging around her. Carly has done things that I don't want Lulu even considering."
Elizabeth was leaving the hospital when her phone rang. "I was thinking we could eat out tonight."
"Adella's?" She stated as the baby started craving a cannoli "I am coming as I am.
Jason just laughed and said "Why don't you meet me there and we can have an early night."
"Good, then after we eat with Sonny we can go home and have some dessert."
Closing her phone, she heard Steven behind her saying "I hope that means something rich and sinful like a piece of chocolate cake."
"Or something similar." She smiled slyly.
"I don't want to even think about." He said shuddering.
"Steven, I am as big as a whale, how do you think I got that way?"
"This is not a discussion I want to have. By the way, the witch is now turning my calls away as well."
"What do you expect, her lies about gaining sainthood, about how she lost the fellowship because she was pregnant with me fell apart. The truth came out and she looks even worse than she did before. Dad too. Wait what are you doing here. I thought you were heading to Paris?"
"I had a meeting with Noah Drake's son. He is the male version of Robin Scorpio, add in that he thinks he is the wish of women every where."
"Fun times?"
"Fun times, when you called the other day, he said that you sounded hot and asked if I have slept with you, then wanted me to rate you so that he knew whether it was worth the bother to try and meet you."
Laughing she said " Well, what did you say?"
Grinning he said "I told him that if you were the last woman on earth and the only other choice was the grizzly bear at the zoo, I would sleep with the bear first."
"The simple answer of saying I was your sister didn't occur?"
"I got the feeling it wouldn't deter him. I don't think your being married to Morgan would deter this guy."
"Great, why don't you try and set him up with Robin?"
"They have already crossed swords he said he would rather sleep with me than her."
"Run, Steven. Run." She said. "When do you leave for Paris then?"
"I postponed it, for a couple of days. Why, do you want me to bring you back some more of that chocolate?"
Robin crossed the airport parking lot trying to find her rental car. Tossing her bag in the back seat, she decided to work on her to do list this trip Knowing that Mac and Alexis would let her stay, she decided to head to GH first. This Dr. Webber needed to know that when ordered to come to Paris, he should get on a plane and come to see her. Who did he think he was leaving that message on her e-mail yesterday?
Seeing the exit for GH she pulled off and went to park, seeing the expensive sports car in Tony Jones spot, she shook her head at the mid-life crisis he must be in. She would have thought that sleeping with Carly would have cured him of that.
"Steven Webber please." She said to woman manning the information desk.
"Dr. Webber just left with his sister. You could try him at home."
"Thanks, is he still staying with his grandmother?"
"No, idea. I don't exactly move in the same circles as the Webbers."
"Robin?" She heard as she started to walk out.
"Georgie, are you working tonight?"
"No, Maxie burnt herself cooking dinner. I brought her to GH for treatment. Monica admitted her since her heart started racing. Of course that could be because of the handsome police officer that was our escort. This Jesse Beaudry is cute. Does Mac know you are here?"
"I just got in, I was hoping on staying with you guys. I forgot about the hotel."
"You can use my room; I can crash at Sage's. "
"I thought the house has six bedrooms?"
"It did, the master bedroom, Kristina's, Maxie's the two downstairs and mine. Viola uses one and Maxie has turned the spare one into a sewing room."
"Oh, I can just call Sonny and stay with him on his estate."
"Are you sure?" She asked feeling slightly guilty as they crossed the parking lot to the rental car.
"Yes, I am. Do you need a ride?"
"No, I have my car. See you later, Robin."
Jason and Elizabeth slipped into the back room and joined Sonny. "I already have the food laid out." He said to the woman who had grabbed a basket full of bread on her way into the room.
"Good, I am starving." She said sitting and grabbing her glass of juice.
"I think you only come here to eat." He joked.
"Sonny, don't get between a pregnant woman and her food." Said Jason who had almost lost a finger when removing his breakfast from the skillet the other morning.
"Just because your daughter was craving peppers, it isn't my fault." She said winking at Sonny.
"I love how when you are doing things like stealing food, she is my daughter." He said sitting down next to her.
Sonny was watching the two of them, envying the closeness and the obvious love. Brenda was observing his sadness from the doorway, so she reached over and grabbed his hand on her way in.
"So, are you going to save some for me?"
"Brenda, I thought models ate lettuce and celery, is Italian food allowed within eyesight. When I was modeling Elton had a fit about what I would eat."
"You know, what I don't care. I am finished for the week. Kate Howard can stick her rules up her well-toned rear end." Said Brenda grabbing a bowl of French Onion soup covered with extra cheese and some breadsticks.
"I hear she is a nightmare, The Devil wears Prada type nightmare."
"She can be. She can also be very generous, to her workers; it just depends on her mood. You know I have wanted to ask how on earth did you manage to get two sets of Hermes shoes, purses and scarves. I mean I know people in the business that have had to beg."
"When I worked for Chloe, there was this up and coming designer. Chloe and I helped her finish get her collection ready for a showing, the one that got her the job working for Hermes. She sends me stuff all the time. Most of it, I give to my grandmother, or mother for Christmas. It's really not my thing. So I called her and asked for a small favor. She took their info and moved them to the top of the list."
"It takes years to get a Kelly and you just called over. I so want to meet your contact." She said enviously.
"Too late, Carly and her are now best buds." She said laughing at the crestfallen look on Brenda's face.
Sonny and Jason just shrugged, neither could understand why when it was almost the end of April and those presents were still drawing interest.
When the meal was almost finished, Elizabeth and Brenda went out to the dining room to give Jason and Sonny some time to talk privately.
"So, what did you find out?"
"Nothing. Stan has looked at every single private flight as well now. There is nothing. "
"What about the roommate who went missing at the same time?"
"Located, he was the piano player from the PC Hotel. He is in Singapore looking for his mother. He didn't help him leave. We talked to him. He did give us a name. We are checking it out, but so far it is panning out."
"I have to find out if he is my son." Said Sonny. "Olivia was right; I would have been a lousy father back then, but things change. If I had kept my temper instead of blowing up. Lainey and I have been working on this and what I need to do."
"I know that Providence has been having problems, have they been in contact."
"Meetings this week. In neutral territory. Lake George. Are you worried?"
"About an interest here, no. Do you want us to send someone with you?"
"No, it should be fine. A truce is being declared. I am just helping them set up the rules." He said. "Could you keep an eye of Mike? He is getting in deep again. I just paid off a large debt."
"I told our people not to take any bets from him. Who did he go to?"
"You are not going to believe this, the Internet. Georgie Jones oh so helpfully taught him how to play computer games so that he could play with Michael. Then Mike found Internet poker."
"Sonny, he is an addict. Yes he slipped but this is something we can deal with. Have Bernie cut off his credit cards."
"I asked him to earlier today. He just moves from one addictive behavior to another."
Jason knew all about it. AJ had gotten a call earlier in the week from Mike, needing help. AJ had called him and Max and Milo had taken Mike home.
Brenda and Elizabeth were splitting a piece of cake and laughing at the cluelessness of Sonny and Jason about women when Robin entered Adella's. Seeing her best friend sitting with Jason's mistake, she gritted her teeth and slipped around the restaurant to listen in without being seen.
Francis had seen the doctor entering and her maneuvering closer to Elizabeth. Moving in himself he kept an eye on her and watched, as she seemed to eavesdrop.
"So are you ready for the baby?" Asked Brenda.
"We finished the nursery this morning. Jason brought over this rocker from the Quartermaine's. Its hand carved Oak. From Lila's family. It's beautiful."
"The one from the old nursery. I recall it. How are the Quartermaine's acting. Driving you crazy yet?"
"No, they try but I have a secret weapon, Lila. She keeps the insanity to a minimum. They are a bit busy anyhow dealing with the latest Tracy drama."
"I heard about that. She knew Luis' brother from Europe. Came home to make trouble for Skye."
"More than that. She wants to take over at ELQ. The problem is that Skye is thinking of letting her. Edward is being his usual self over it."
"Trying to pit them against each other." Said a knowing Brenda.
"Of course, this is Edward. He is already waiting for us to chose a name for our daughter so that he can had an ELQ nameplate printed up."
"What about AJ? What is his position in all this?"
"He is buying in at the shipyard. So Edward is out one more male heir. Ned is still running L&B so he is out of it."
"You that much of a loser, that you have to stand around listening to others conversations or are you that desperate for some small part of Jason's life that you have to listen for the crumbs." Sneered Carly as she sidled up behind Robin.
"Still chasing after Sonny, I see. Or is Jason again. Or maybe another kid with AJ?" Said Robin turning around. "I am here to see Brenda and Sonny. I was being polite by waiting for them to end their talking."
"If you were being polite you would be at the bar, but no you were eavesdropping. How pathetic can you be? Why are you in town this time, what is your excuse?"
"Carly, you are paranoid. I am here on clinic business, just like last time."
Laughing Carly said "Sure, what ever you say. I see my dinner date, so if you will excuse me."
"Bringing a date to your ex-husband's restaurant. Talk about pathetic."
Carly walked over to where Elizabeth and Brenda were watching them and said "Elizabeth, do you have a couple of minutes, that man is here about the chandeliers you designed for me. Do you have time to talk to him?"
"Sure, who is he?"
"I'm not sure, his assistant told me to meet him here. I saw his picture on the brochure but I forgot to bring it. Dane, David, something like that."
"Mrs. Corinthos, your party is here." Said the hostess as she joined them. Elizabeth took one look at the man standing next to the table and down at her maternity dress and flats, then turned to whisper to Carly "I am going to kill you, they are going to find your body years from now, buried under Lila's rosebushes."
Swallowing her nervousness, Elizabeth held out her hand and said "It's an honor to meet you Mr. Chihuly. I am a great fan of your work. "
"Dale, that's his name. Dale." Said Carly triumphantly. Seeing Elizabeth look at her like she was insane, she said "what?"
"I'm sorry, sir. My friend isn't too knowledgeable about glass. Please sit down." She said to the man who had work handing in the Kennedy Center among other importance places all over the world.
"Thank you. I was intrigued by Mr. Jack's proposal. He showed me the preliminary drawings; I liked their Italian influence. So are you the interior designer?"
"No, that would be my companion. This is Carly Corinthos. She designed the restaurant." She said waving her arms around.
"So Mr. Jacks told me. I don't do the actual work on most of the work; I would only be working on the main lobby. That would these drawings, I understand. May I ask what your connection is?"
"Sorry, this is Elizabeth Morgan, Elizabeth took one look at our blueprints and listened to my ideas, then drew the sketches for me."
"Are you a professional artist?" he asked wondering about the strong Italian influence in the drawings.
"No, in fact I am a nurse working on a further degree, but I studied art and worked for Chloe Morgan designs. I still keep up with it, but drawing and painting is a release for me."
"She is quite good." Said Carly.
Elizabeth was wishing that they could go back to Carly hating her artwork, it would be better than her telling the premier glass worker in the world that she was good. "Not really."
"You are. Stop talking down about yourself. You should see some of her artwork." Said an enthused Carly, as Elizabeth wanted to slide under the table while wondering if she could fit under it.
Nik was reading the file when Emily came home. "So what are we studying tonight?" He asked as she joined him on the sofa.
"The skeletal structure of the body. What about you?"
"The file on Conner Bishop. I was hoping your brother's men could locate the man. I have too much on my plate to deal with him."
Getting cozy, Emily said "How did it go today?"
"She is going to get committed. Justus agreed to it after she attacked that nurse, claiming she is being kept from Conner."
"What about you, how are you doing?"
"I still feel guilty. For what happened to her. When I regained my memories, and Lainey told her, it was one of the scariest things I have ever seen. It reminded me of Lucky shooting Stefan."
"You remember?" She asked sitting up so that she could see his face.
"That was my surprise, I got all my memories back. I wish I didn't. I can still see him falling; I can still see the look in my brother's face when he was vowing Elizabeth's baby wouldn't live. Helena caused that; she took so much away from me."
"I know, but even you have seen that she is only partially responsible for Lucky."
"Yes, but how do I openly admit that my own mother is partly to blame? Luke, as well. I mean, we have lost so much to this feud. It would be so easy to be like Luke and blame Helena, or like Lulu and blame Jason. The fact is, Lucky had the chance to get help for his problems and chose not to. Can we talk about something more exciting, our wedding?"
"So you want to marry me?" She giggled.
"No, not really, but I promised Michael he could still be my best man and I have to marry you to keep that promise." He said as he took her textbook and tossed it with the file on the table, and pulled her over on top of him. "Now what were you saying this morning about needing practice at something."
Jason and Sonny left the office after concluding their business, seeing Robin with Brenda, Jason looked around for his wife. Elizabeth was with Carly and looking like she needed an escape he walked over in time to hear Carly bragging on Elizabeth's paintings and caricatures.
"Elizabeth, we are going to have to head out, if we want to see Lila before she heads up to bed." He said knowing his wife wanted out of there.
"Thanks, for reminding me. Mr. Chihuly, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you take this project on."
"Thank you, Mrs. Morgan. I hope we can get a change to talk about your designs. I will be in the area for a couple of weeks, setting up a demonstration in Lake Placid."
Jason got his wife out of there, smiling as she told him who the man had been. He had seen his work during his travels and had always been reminded of Elizabeth.
Robin thanked Sonny for the use of his gatehouse, saying she was only going to be in town for a couple of days. "We can fly home together."
"Sure, we can stop off in New York on the way." Said Brenda enthusiastically. "What did Carly say to you?"
"Nothing important, just Carly being Carly. I will see you later; I need to see Mac and Alexis to let them know where I am staying." Said Robin. Walking out the door, she watched as Jason drew Elizabeth into his arms and kissed her.
"I love you." He whispered. "Francis, go ahead and go home. We are just stopping to see Lila then heading home."
"Do you want me to check on Mrs. Bishop?"
"No, Nik is arranging for her treatment. I agreed to let him deal with her."
"See you tomorrow." Said the guard as he watched Jason and Elizabeth pull out. Turning to Robin, he said "I will be watching you. Don't take a step out of place, I will not let you get close to her. We just got rid of Spencer, I am sure that if you step out of place, something similar can be arranged for you."