Switching Places
Chapter 74
Francis slipped in the side doors, then went down to see his informant. "Did you get the file?"
"Here, she will be released later tonight. Mac checked with Colorado, worried about a lawsuit."
"Thanks, I owe you one." He told the man.
"Good, I like that idea." He was told before the man in the blue uniform walked off.
As he started to put the pieces of the puzzle together, he finally figured at least part of it out. If he was correct this bombshell would explain what had not only happened in the past but also some things about Trevor Lansing.
Calling Johnny he told the enforcer that he was going to give their contact the go ahead to take out Lansing. "I got what I was looking for; I have one more person to talk to. You were correct about your suspicions."
"Jason is a little busy so I will deal with the Bishops." Johnny went to the old bridge and met up with their friends from the state of New Jersey. Seeing how much the tied up man in the back looked like Cassidine, he nodded okay, then handed over the file.
"So you are going to deal with Lansing like requested." Said the man from the passenger seat.
"We are arranging it, now. Tell you man to be in position to watch tomorrow evening."
"I wish I could be there to see the bastard fry. What about the doer?"
"He is in for six consecutive live sentences. He will die and his kid gets money for college from you. Just like agreed."
"Good, tell Morgan it was a pleasure doing business with all of you. I do have a question; rumor is he is downsizing Port Charles, why? If he wanted he could take over the upper East half."
"He isn't a greedy man, just wants what he has."
"My boss likes the new arrangement. Things have been stable for a well, so far no worries except petty squabbling between families. It's about time Port Charles had that stability. It makes all of us more secure."
"When will you deal with your end?" Asked Johnny nodding at the package in the back.
"As soon as your men arrive with the wife. We have it all set. Did your man alter the tapes?"
"Taken care of." Seeing the car coming up the road, he said to Marco as he got out. "Tony Jones is going to be pissed when he find out his car has been stolen." Mary was unconscious in the passenger seat.
Looking at the small diesel sports car, he said "True, but I think a man of his age should just accept getting old. Besides what ever happened to buy American."
The two groups loaded the couple into the car and rolled it into the electrical junction box. It burst into flames, but Johnny waited until they heard the fire engines coming there. "Okay, get out of here."
Turning on the police scanner as they drove away, Marco smiled as they announced they had the fire under control. "Two bodies for transport."
"Let's get back to the warehouse, I want to be there if the police show up."
"Card game is already in play. We might be searched." Warned Marco.
"There is nothing to find at the warehouse, we are more than covered." Announced Johnny as they drove to the old building nearby and went through the tunnels to the warehouse.
"So how much am I losing?" Asked Marco as he sat down in what was his usual chair.
"For once you are winning, you might want to have the kid play your hands more often." Announced Bernie.
Francis waited patiently, then he saw the woman leaving. Nodding to their guy in the cab, he picked up the fare and instead of taking the woman to her requested destination, he drove her to an old abandoned warehouse. "Dr. Webber."
"Who are you?"
"Tomas Smiles, I work for someone you helped out before. He is the reason you are out as soon as you were."
"Why should I believe you?" She asked suspiciously.
"Because I am one of the few people who knows about your mistake. At the convent, the babies."
"I-I d-don't know what you are talking about."
"Really, you truly screwed up. You killed the wrong girl. So Trevor had your husband informed about his daughter. Ringing any bells?"
Sitting down she said "What do you want?"
"Not much, we need you to get a message to Trevor. Here is the paperwork; you will be visiting him at Pentonville tomorrow."
"Why does this say I am his wife?"
"Tomorrow is the day for conjugal visits the only place they don't tape visitors."
Francis walked into the warehouse and dragged Johnny over to a corner. "We have to make sure she is taken care of, I set it up with the Jersey boys."
"Good, now how bad is this?"
"Good news is that the Zachara isn't the whack jobs kid. We can also tell Jason that Elizabeth is Jeff and Annie's daughter. Bad news is Carolyn Webber killed the real Zachara daughter thinking it was Elizabeth, I ordered tight security on Lia, I am on my way over there now."
"I wish we could take her out tonight."
"We need to get Trevor; this is the only way. Let the boys in Jersey deal with her. We also have to tell Jason, he is going to be pissed we kept him out of the loop."
"That's what he has me for, to keep things calm. Telling him while Elizabeth was pregnant would have made him even more on edge."
"You are still more than likely in for a broken jaw." Warned Francis as he left.
Nik went over to the closet doors, opening them he sighed and then said "Get dressed" to the scantily clad woman hiding in there.
"Oh, my handsome prince, show me your skills, I will vote for you." She purred to the annoyance of Emily who was standing in the doorway. Since they had left the station several different women had approached Nik, in spite of her being right there.
"Look, I am not interested; this was a practical joke, now leave!"
Running her hands down his chest, she found them gripped tightly as the dark haired man took a robe from his fiancee and wrapped it around her. Walking her down the stairs, he escorted her to his security team and said "I'm so glad that she isn't my grandmother, I would be dead. Deal with this."
"Is that anyway for the man wanting to be voted most eligible bachelor to act?" Huffed the woman as she stomped down the stairs.
"You know we should seriously consider suing the paper." Said Emily.
Are we going to sue Elizabeth as well?" He asked dryly.
"No, but she couldn't have kept her revenge private?" She asked plaintively.
"You mean as private as you kept Jason and her fight?" He asked as they walked back up the stairs.
"Oh, shut up." She said crossly. "It's not funny Nik, people think I am weird."
"Er...Em, you are weird."
Elizabeth was sleeping when Jason woke up to the sound of Lia whimpering. Reaching into the bassinet he asked "What may I do for you." As he held her close to his chest. When she started moving her head and smacking her lips, he finally caught on. "Sorry, but only your mom can help you with that.
Elizabeth had woken up when their daughter had, but kept her eyes half closed to watch Jason and Lia. Hearing his comment, she giggled slightly and said "I think she needs her mother."
As Jason helped Elizabeth arrange things to that she could feed their daughter, he asked "What does that feel like?" While he watched fascinated.
"It's strange, the first time it hurt a little, until I got used to it. Now it feels like I am doing something incredible. Something no one else can do for her." She said looking up. "At the same time I am scared of making a mistake, or not having enough milk to supply what she needs."
Alan was walking down the hallway wanting to check on his newest grandchild, seeing the private moment, he stopped Monica who was coming down the hall, saying to give them a couple of minutes.
"I have always wanted this for Jason, his own family. Now he has it." She said. "When we learned the truth about Michael, we were so angry with him, but I saw how much it was hurting him to let that little boy go."
"That is the past, we have all moved on. AJ told me when Morgan was born, that he hasn't blamed Jason for what happened in a very long time. He said he understood why, though he wished Jason's solution had been to drop him off at rehab and force him to stay there."
"Now all we can do is be happy for them, we are grandparents. I don't feel old enough to be a grandmother of three. When I called Jeff, he said he felt old."
"If I were married to Carolyn, I would feel ancient."
"I still can't believe she was once my friend. Her anger about Jeff not wanting her back then has eaten away at her."
"She got what she wanted; to be Mrs. Dr. Jeff Webber, and it wasn't what she had dreamed that is what broke her. Jeff still loved Annie; his marriage was all about giving Steven and Elizabeth a mother."
"Too bad his choice this time was even worse than Heather."
"I never thought I would hear that. How are things with Jason and you?" She asked knowing he was still shocked at the questions Jason had asked about his mother and the past.
"I tried to tell him the truth. I knew going in I wouldn't look good from his point of view. I just was worried about how he would look at Susan. She may have done some terrible things but she was still his first mother."
"I know, I sometimes think about what we could have done differently back then, but I have to say I wouldn't trade Jason for a tranquil marriage, ever." She said. "Susan died alone, because of he-"
Alan turned to see what had distracted Monica and had to keep from laughing as Carolyn Webber looking a little worse for the wear ran into Epiphany Johnson. "No one is allowed on this floor after seven o'clock. You will just have to come back tomorrow."
"Do you have any idea who-?" She asked trying to maintain her dignity while standing there in the same suit she had worn onto the plane in Moscow two days before.
"Is that supposed to mean something? Now I would suggest you leave before I have one of those muscle bound menaces that work for Mr. Morgan toss you out. This is a maternity ward; we have rules here. The next visiting hours are tomorrow morning between eight and ten."
"You will regret this." She said before turning to leave. Heading down the staircase, she waited until she could no longer hear the woman's heavy footsteps and went back to the maternity floor. Carolyn knew she wouldn't get close to the kid.
Messing with the kid, would not do, she just wanted to make sure that Elizabeth understood that marrying money did not make her any better than the bastard child of a bastard herself.
She sidled up to the doorway and was opening it when she felt something solid grabbing her wrist. "What do you think you are doing?" Asked the muscle bound Irishman.
"Get your hands off me." She whispered.
"Johnny let her in. Would you please take Lia to Jason, he is with his parents."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, but be sure to let the guard outside know that when I ask I want her removed." She said leaning back against the pillows as the guard wheeled the bassinet out the door. "Hello Carolyn, why are you here?"
"To see my daughter of course, I mean that is what is expected when your daughter gives birth."
You are not my mother, and don't worry about keeping up appearances here. I was asking why are you in Port Charles, I can't think of a single person who actually cares about you here."
"I came to track down who got me fired, since my dim-witted, illegitimate; whore of a stepdaughter managed to get herself knocked up with a gangster's kid. Right about what I would expect from you." She sneered.
"Carolyn, you can't hurt me. Let me tell you how I see it, I am happily married to a man who runs a successful coffee empire but also the Quartermaine's, something that eats at you. Especially since he is rich, something that bothers you since Sarah keeps sleeping with men who don't have a ruble to rub together.
I am a nurse who is also still an artist, so that means I am achieving my dreams and am happy while doing so. That must piss you off. After all you are married to a man who is still in love with my late mother. You have limited access to his money thanks to the pre-nup and Sarah inherited what little there was from your parents and spent it already.
"You seem to have all the answers; I wonder what your husband would think if he were to find out what a whore you really are. I mean after all you had sex in the park then called it rape when you were caught, I could tell him anything and you would be out."
"I think that you are a sick twisted soul who hates me for even living and I know that Jason loves me. He has known me for years and is well aware of EVERYTHING in my past. So go ahead, tell him. While you are at it, you should mention how you were a saint who had to give up a fellowship to give birth to me. Wait, we all know that wasn't the truth, so lets see, how about how I smoked and drank." She said with a slight smile.
"You think you are so smug, there are things I know that would destroy this precious marriage of yours, what do you think of that?"
"I don't know what Elizabeth thinks of it, but I know what I do, I think that you have overstayed your welcome. Elizabeth would this be whose tacky matching luggage is in the middle of my living room." Asked Audrey as she entered the hospital room wearing scrubs. "You were presuming an awful lot, thinking I would let you stay, weren't you?"
"That house was left to Jeff upon your death." She said to her mother in law.
"You have no idea what yo-wait, Sarah was playing Nosy Nellie, and she found Steve's old will. I am happy to report that Steve and I revised that will not long before his death. Steven and Elizabeth inherit equally, since Sarah received that nice inheritance from your parents."
"Now if you will excuse us, Grams could you check on Lia, she is with Jason. Greg, could you please escort Carolyn out of the hospital? She is not to return."
"You are nothing more than a mistake, who married another mistake."
"You can leave at anytime, but I would head straight for the airport, Serbia is nice this time of year." offered up Audrey.
Jason waited until Elizabeth had fallen asleep and asked his father to stay with them until he got back. "Sure, I can stay. Your mother is a little busy." Audrey and Monica had left here not long before, but Alan was well aware of the focus of their anger.
Jason was kissing Elizabeth, but looked up and said "Tell Monica not to worry, Luke Spencer and Mac are up to something. Spencer won't tell me what, but made it pretty clear that he would take care of her."
Stopping outside he told Milo to keep alert; "I will be back in a little while. Greg and Geoff are here as well."
Entering the chapel, he saw Johnny and Francis looking grim. "Did something go wrong?"
"No, the Bishops have been dealt with. That isn't why we are here. We have piecing together a puzzle that we need to tell you about. It's big." Said Johnny.
"Jason, John Zachara isn't Anthony or Maria's kid. We think that he is Alexis'. There is more, I need to tell you all. When Annie Logan was a nurse here at GH she dated Jeff Webber; they broke up when he believed she killed Diana Taylor, who had bought Steven on the black market. That is a separate story. "
"Okay, Jeff left town and returned a few years later, to meet up with Annie. We can't find out too much about the relationship, Jeff won't talk. He leaves, Annie finds out about her pregnancy and the cancer all at the same time."
"One more thing. Lucille March, her adopted mother and Audrey Hardy's sister was involved with an organization that helped abused women escape their spouses. Annie was also involved. Along with Steve and Audrey."
"How did you learn this?"
"The guard we have on Carly, she has been looking into this for a while. Now Annie is working the psyche ward, meets a patient who is under a false name. Her real name is Maria Zachara, she helps her escape. Maria had fled her husband out of fear, but also of Trevor, who wanted her for himself."
"Annie and her stay in contact, when it is close to time to give birth, she asks your parents to adopt Elizabeth. She joins Maria at a convent in the Catskills, where they both go into labor. Along with a young girl whose stepmother sent her there. Helena arranged for Alexis to give birth there."
Johnny continued. "The simple fact was it was a coincidence, one that would not have been noticed by Trevor, except someone else was there, a doctor Trevor arrange to be there to deliver the baby for Helena, one without any direct connections to him. Get this, Carolyn Webber. We found a connection between them. It's faint but we finally located it.
Carolyn was at Columbia she had money troubles. Her parents were comfortable, but not wealthy and Carolyn worked as a medic for the mob. For Joe Sully."
"The man that brought Sonny in?"
"Yup, there is no direct connection, in fact it is all a coincidence that they were connected. We are still looking into that part." Admitted Francis. "Now Carolyn recognizes the doctor who is there to deliver Annie and Maria's baby. A man involved with the same organization as Annie. Dr. Noah Drake, who ends up delivering Alexis' son as well somehow."
"She tells Trevor, who agrees to make sure that Annie's baby dies. But Carolyn is the impatient sort, she decides to do the deed herself. Only things went wrong. There was a man there visiting his grandchild. WE know that man. Old school Mafioso from Chicago, he was retired at the time, had been for years. Never claimed his daughter, but Trevor knew who he was. He backed away from the murder realizing he was about to be caught.
"It looks like he was planning on leaving both Maria and Annie there, but Carolyn killed the wrong baby. She killed Anthony and Maria's child. "
"The former don's grandchild?" He asked.
"That's just it, Maria never knew who her father was, she is the daughter of Julian Canto."
"Lansing knew. We only found it while looking into Maria's missing daughter."
"Okay, so Carolyn killed Maria's daughter."
"Yes, which is why the baby was misidentified. Trevor buried the body on the estate. Now we know that Trevor brought down Anthony telling him that Maria had been kidnapped, but he took the baby that Alexis gave birth to since Elizabeth was born with blond hair, and passed him off as Anthony's son."
"And Carolyn was forced to take Elizabeth, by Trevor. Your parents always assumed that Jeff took the baby, when in fact he didn't know until the call from someone who worked for Trevor. Carolyn lied to him and said that Annie had asked her to protect Elizabeth when he showed up. That is why the man kept quiet all these years, he thinks he is honoring Annie's request."
"What about Annie?"
"The official version has her dying of the cancer, we think that Trevor told Anthony that Annie was behind the kidnapping. That is why she ended up dead, instead of going for treatment."
"Was it still an option?"
"She would have been very sick, but lived. We spoke to someone close to her case here; she would have had a fifty-fifty chance."
"So Johnny is Alexis', Elizabeth is Annie and Jeff's; the dead baby was Maria and Anthony's." He said wanting to have it straight in his mind."
"Yes, Dr. Drake started drinking around then, he had lost his friend, and he blamed himself for her death."
"When are you taking care of Trevor and Carolyn?"
"Trevor tomorrow evening, Carolyn is going to be outted for murder."
"We can't allow that to happen." He said grimly. "We have to arrange for her to-"
"Jason, we can't. She was heard at the police station, she confessed to your sister in front of a cop."
"We have to let this play out. Let Justus and Mac deal with her. I will let Jersey know they are willing to wait until she is inside."
Jason reluctantly agreed. He was still angry at what his guard had overheard while Carolyn was visiting Elizabeth, and knew he was reacting with that anger, instead of his usual calmness.
Carly waited, she knew that Carolyn Webber would find someplace to stay eventually. Max had agreed to let her know the where as soon as he found out. In the meantime she was going to have a little fun herself, she thought laughing. Picking up the newspaper, she looked at the list for most eligible bachelor and gave an evil chuckle.
"Carly, what are you up to?" Asked Bobbie grabbing the last piece of pie.
"Have you seen the list?"
"What do you intend to do, and why do I know I am going to be helping?"
"Well, thanks to Liz, Nik will be getting most of the votes. I thought I would prop up a few of the other candidates."
"Who do you have in mind?"
"I'm not really sure, but I was thinking Taggert since he is on the list."
"What does it say?" Asked Bobbie after closing the kitchen door.
"Good looking single police lieutenant, needing a new hobby. Then it says he is good with kids and dogs, and mentions his being neat and organized. She went on to write he has been without a steady relationship in years."
"So far it doesn't sound that bad."
"Well in the comment section, she wrote that you had to give credit to a man with the courage to stay away from Hair club for Men. That his baldhead gives him a touch of originality in a man so young. "
"Are you sure Elizabeth wrote this?" Asked Bobbie.
"Yes, she has been setting this up for days. She wouldn't tell us what she was up to."
"Who else is on the list?"
"Jax, AJ, Sonny, Dr. Thornheart, Steven, Scott Baldwin." Carly said laughing. "Nik, of course. One of Sonny's guards, Johnny O'Brien. O'Brien called me earlier thinking I was in on it and thanking me for the date offers he has gotten as a result. Justus made the cut as well."
"So whom are you going to make miserable using this?"
"AJ and I was thinking Steven as well as Taggert."
"You are playing with fire, Steven is fine, but AJ and you know how Marcus will react."
"Yes, AJ. In fact I am thinking of running an anti-campaign against Scott." She told her mother.
Early the next morning, Nik tried to bribe the Billboard Company who told him they had signed a contract with Mrs. Morgan and that they had to honor it. Seeing the billboard for the first time, as he drove by, he could not get what there was that was making all these women chase him. Pulling into the hospital parking lot, he saw Jason's guard, the one who was also on the list waiting for him.
"I thought you might want to know, Mary and Conner escaped last night. We have a guard on Emily as soon as she leaves the Island. Do you want security?"
No, he didn't. He wished he could say he accepted what these men did, but it still made him uncomfortable knowing they would kill someone without losing sleep over it. "No, are you looking for them?"
"Yes, we got the call this morning from a contact here." Johnny was mainly covering for show, he hated knowing Emily Quartermaine would be worried, but they did not want to end up in prison. "The police are looking for them.
Nik entered the hospital to see Tony Jones pacing back and forth, angry. "Dr. Jones, what is wrong?"
"I am just trying to reach Lucas. He wanted to borrow my car last night, I told him no, but it was missing this morning."
"Was it here?"
"Yes, why?"
"You might want to contact the police; Conner Bishop showed up last night and got her out of here. Morgan and his people are looking, but my guess is that they helped themselves to your car."
Wincing at the message he had left Lucas, Tony called Mac who said they might know what happened to it. "Do you still keep the spare key under the tire well?"
Thinking about what his insurance company was going to say, Tony said "Yes."
"There was an accident last night, two bodies, at least we now know whom to look at. The car was silver but engulfed in flames when the rescue teams responded, but they said it was a diesel fire."
Elizabeth could not wait to get home, Dr. Meadows was going to allow her and the baby to leave, and so far all tests were fine. Seeing the doctor entering, she smiled and said "Well?"
"You and Lila Audrey are just fine. I am going to give you a prescription for vitamins and we are going to be discussing switching to formula in about six weeks."
"I had been planning on following the guidelines and breast feeding longer."
"We are a little worried about your weight, so I would recommend only breast feeding for so long, Elizabeth. Your own body is going to need nutrition too. Not that you are underweight, but we have discussed with you before how you can't gain weight."
"I will do like you recommended. I want Lia to have the best." She said. "Besides, this way Jason can feed her too."
"Elizabeth." Said Jason as he entered, "We have to file the birth certificate, how do you want to be listed. Imogene or Webber in the middle."
Smiling, she waited until he had joined her as they finished the last bit of paperwork. "Can we go home now?"
"Yes, I have a car waiting and Francis is back outside."
"Good, has anyone seen Emily?"
"I'm here, I had to wade through the gold diggers hanging around, and all of them seem to be sure that Nik would be interested if he only gave them the chance." She said with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, he is Prince Charming." She said with a laugh.
"You are in so much trouble; we had a woman end up in our closet last night. In see thru panties and bra."
Carly got the call she had been waiting for, and went over to see the woman who had her curious, "You know I thought you would look harder, more mercenary."
"Who are you and what do you want?" Asked Carolyn from the doorway of her room.
"Nothing just wanted to take a look at you. My mother said you always reminded her of a hungry barracuda, I can see the resemblance. I do have one question, though, why Kelly's?"
"There was no place else with a room." She said while looking around with a curl to her lips.
"Well, I am here to serve you an eviction notice; one night is all you are allowed. Now pack your things, and get out of town."
"I paid for a week; I will be staying a week."
"Did you know that Bobbie Spencer owns this place, she has the right to refuse service to anyone she wants, so consider yourself refused."
"Let me guess you manage this hovel for her?"
"No, I am her daughter, Carly. Now pack up, you have ten minutes before I have one of the busboys downstairs come up to help." She said pulling the door shut. "Remember, ten minutes." She called out loudly.
Johnny was waiting at the overlook when the Zachara kid arrived. "What do you have?"
"You are not Anthony's kid. Nor is Maria your mother. We figured it out; the baby that was identified as being your little sister was in fact the real Zachara heir."
"So I am not Anthony's son?"
"No, but we need you to stay just that for the time being. If you don't, things could get ugly quick."
"I understand. Do you know who I might be?"
"We have an idea, but we don't know for sure. We also might have a lead on your sister; she would be about seven if the information we got from Trevor is correct."
"So that gives me something to go on. I found Maria, she sent me away, but I know how to get in touch."
"Let her know, but only about her baby. Not you." Seeing the look, he said "She is correct, someone is keeping an eye on her."
"Who?"
"A retired don, we are looking deeper into it. Also, I know that you have a man in the prison with Trevor, if you want verification, pay attention. We are taking care of him tonight."
Carolyn walked through the gates and shuddered at the clang. "First time, honey?"
"Excuse me?" She asked the woman in the loud colors standing next to her.
"First time visiting your man, it gets easier. My Toby, he has been here for years, I come to give him a little slap and tickle once a month, it does get more routine, the guards, the searches, even the leers from the ones not getting any."
Stiffening, Carolyn handed the guard the papers and went inside the small room with only a sink and a bed. Wrinkling her nose, she saw the man entering and said "We need to talk, your man told me to come, or else."
"Good, I need your help. That little stepdaughter of yours is becoming a valuable commodity. Her marriage to Morgan and their whelp will help me get exactly what I want, and you are going to help. Did you bring the papers?"
"Here, they are page twelve in the book."
Trevor took the note, unaware that Francis had turned his man and read, "Good, we are all set. You need to get undressed; I only have another twenty-five minutes."
"I'm not having sex with you?" She said almost throwing up in her mouth.
"Of course not, you are not my type, but the guards will be checking on us, soon. They seem to enjoy the power of making us know they are outside. Now get in the bed."
Jason held his daughter as they exited the car, then handed her to Elizabeth. Walking to the elevator, she saw Milo and two of the younger guards close by and once up to their floor two more. "Jason, why all the guards?"
"I will tell you once we are settled." He hated to lie to her, but unless Emily left he had no choice.
"Okay, so who finished all of this for us?"
"Carly and I did. We brought down the daybed, stocked up the diapers and stocked the refrigerator."
"So I have lots of ice cream and frozen pizzas. Is that what you are saying?"
"No, muffin, I went to Sonny and had him stock you up some so-called real food." Said Carly from the doorway with Alexis. "So when can I hold the mini-muffin?"
"Stop referring to our daughter as a breakfast food and I might consider letting you hold her." Said Jason.
"Jason let her hold the baby." Said Elizabeth as they handed Lia off to Carly. Then Alexis.
"She smells so good." Said Emily when she got the little girl again. "I want one of these, but only if it's a girl." It was only five minutes before Jason took her away and sat down next to Elizabeth holding their daughter.
"Doesn't work like that, Em. You don't get a choice." Said Alexis.
Georgie was getting ready to toss her backpack into the seat, fed up with school for the year. Looking at the sign handing between the two poles, she admitted to herself that maybe, just maybe she was sick of being alone. Everyone else had a date, but her. Lucas was going with Brooklynn, Sage with Dillon; even Lulu had a date.
Her friends were avoiding discussing the dance in front of her, but she was getting fed up with that too. What she needed was someone who would go with her understanding that it was only friendship.
Only friendship, wow, her life sucked. She was in love with someone that according to everyone else she shouldn't be at a time when all her friends and her sister were coupled up. Leaning against her car, she just bowed her head wishing there were a way for it to be better.
"Hey, how is the car running?"
"Johnny" she said looking up with a smile on her face. "The car is great, thank you. Do you have any idea how many boys and some girls in this school envy me."
"So I guess that means you like it."
"While it's a great car. I love how connected to you I feel when I drive it." She admitted. "Are you sure it is safe for you to be here?"
"Yes, I learned something today. Anthony is not my biological father. Morgan's people don't want me to tell anyone, but I had to tell you." He said. Moving next to her he was careful not to touch her, but he decided to lean against the Boxster.
"What does that mean?" She asked reaching out to touch his arm. She saw his eyes flutter and knew that it affected him as much as it did her, so she back away just a bit.
"It means, I am not going to end up in a padded cell someday, who really knows what it means. I'm just glad to have heard it. I have to head out, but I just wanted to see you and let you know I am okay."
"You aren't writing as much, Johnny. Don't let them stop you."
"That's just it, it's wrong to be doing this. Francis was correct. You are so young, maybe not in the ways that matter, but I still hate the idea of my world touching yours. Can you come over to the truck for a minute?"
"Sure." Walking over, she watched as he opened the black duffel bag and pulled out the some letters.
"I have only been sending one out for every three I write." He admitted.
Leaning up Georgie hugged him, then watched as he pulled away still watching her from the rearview mirror.
"So Georgie Jones has a secret friend, wonder what your father would think of that." Said Lulu from the other side of the row.
"That you have nothing better to do that eavesdrop, what's wrong Lulu, jealous?"
"No, I mean what kind of guy wants you. The black truck is cool, but lets face it, if he is spending time with you, he must be as nerdy as you are."
Elizabeth had gotten Lia down for her nap, after Jason had changed her. They were both looking forward to the morning, so that they could bath her. Jason had finally fallen asleep as well, so after moving the baby to the bassinet she was walking down the stairs, she laughed as Carly and Emily stood there watching as Alexis cleaned up the penthouse.
"Elizabeth needs her rest; she should not have to clean things up. We have to work out a schedule for helping."
Carly said "Can't we just hire her a maid, or offer that woman who works at the mansion some money to come over here once a week."
"Why not do it ourselves?" Asked Alexis.
"Because I hate to clean, plus I have a hotel to plan for, Emily's wedding and the huge Christening party for Lia."
"My wedding? I thought my mother and grandmother were taking care of that. Oh, by the way, we have set a date. It's September first, that way Michael can go to camp, and Skye will be back from her trip with Lorenzo."
"Plus I am sure that you want to take advantage of the early fall colors." Said Alexis knowingly.
"We have decided to go with red and cream, the only white will be my dress."
"So that far away." Said Carly. "That should work out well. The hotel is opening in October and we all have to attend the Haunted Star reopening next month on the 29th."
"I tried to get Mac to revoke his gambling license but he refused to go to the state assembly over it."
"Good, I want Luke occupied, that way he is here for Lulu. Emily how is she doing?" Asked Elizabeth as she came down the stairs to finally join them.
"Where is Jason?"
Elizabeth gave a slight smile then said "Taking a nap."
"I thought you went upstairs to put Lia down, not Jason." Teased Carly.
"He hasn't had any sleep in three days. What took so long was prying Lia out of his hands while he was sleeping. He woke up for a minute, then released her. I put her in the bassinet in our room."
"Ah!" Said Emily at the mental picture. "Shouldn't you be getting some sleep as well?"
"I just needed a few minutes, I have an itch to paint and it is consuming me. I have this painting in my head and until I have the preliminary sketches, I can't do anything. Carly, which sketches, are you using for the chandeliers?"
"Jax and the glass blower decided on the free flowing flower design in white and silver. But to answer your earlier question, Lulu is still attending her classes. There was a guy there that we were worried about, but he was sent to a different county foster home so she shouldn't have any contact."
"Good, I just wish she would stop attacking Georgie." Said Alexis.
"What about now?"
"Anything and everything. I picked up dinner at the diner last night and they were both there leaving. Lulu was harassing her about her grades, her car and even her wardrobe. Plus this dance this weekend. Georgie doesn't have a date."
"I know; Lucas was talking about it to Brooklynn. Guy asked Georgie to go with him, but she told him no."
Alexis knew what was going on, but hated to ask Elizabeth for her help, staying to help do some cleanup she managed to get Carly and Emily to leave.
"Alexis, what is it?"
"We, Mac and I were hoping you would talk to Georgie about this Johnny Zachara, not tell her to stay away, but be a sounding board."
"Will she talk to me?" Asked the skeptical Elizabeth, who knew that years ago she had not wanted to talk about her blossoming relationship with Jason.
"Maybe, you know we all have an idea, but what happened when Jason and you finally got together."
Elizabeth suggested they sit and went to get some iced tea. Sitting down she pulled a throw pillow into her lap and said "The first time I ever saw Jason, was at the Q's. He was visiting Lila..."
She then explained about Brenda, the wedding that wasn't. The boxcar and painting it for Lucky. "So anyhow, at the time I was still emotionally a wreck, but looking back, I can still see him eyes when he glanced over at me while telling Lucky about the change in businesses."
Then she went into the garage, the fire, Sonny catching her that day. "I went into Jake's looking for trouble and boy did I find it...." The bike rides, finding him shot. "That was when I first started to realize my feelings were deeper than I had wanted to admit."
Jason was sitting on the stairs, having awoken with the sound of the front door closing, but could not resist listening to Elizabeth telling Alexis about their past. "So anyhow, he was staying with me, he had a gun shot wound and my mind kept wandering to what he would look like without his clothes on."
"So you wanted him then," she said laughing.
"Partly, but I also wanted to draw him, or maybe paint him in oils. He was sleeping one day, the sun was coming in the window and fell across his body, I drew a small sketch, never went any further with it, but I so wanted to."
She told Alexis about the bombing on New Years, goodbye turning into see you later.... His showing up later when she needed him. The next year the fact she had feelings for Jason but everyone wanted her with Lucky and how she had felt torn between obligation and love. "It took everything in me to turn around and return to Lucky. I thought I owed him. When I found out he was gone, I was devastated. I hated myself for that."
"But you are together now."
"We might have kept dancing if it wasn't for Carly and her time line. It took a lot for me to realize what pleasing other people had done to me. I kept listening to others, Jason is dangerous, stay away from Jason, and be with Lucky. I didn't want to be with Lucky, not really. The thing was, I knew what I wanted and that Jason was the right one, but I became a people pleaser after my rape."
"We told Georgie and Johnny to stay away from each other." Admitted Alexis. "I talked Johnny and Francis into it, saying it was for their sake. But she is miserable, I feel guilty and worried all at the same time."
"Alexis, if she asks, I am going to tell her to follow her heart." She warned. "Too many people kept telling Jason and I to stay away, but the fact is we need each other. We are complete by ourselves, but together we are stronger. The proof is lying in a bassinet in our bedroom."
"I get what you are saying. Strangely enough, Mac thinks all we can do is support her no matter what her choices are."
"That's all you can do. When I think about the story Carly told me, I just want to travel to this other timeline and ask myself who are you, because you are not me, you are not Elizabeth Webber. I refuse to accept things happening that way. Jason and I will fight for our happiness, no matter what. I think if I had stood up for myself instead of letting things happen I would have been happier."
"I agree, I mean I married Ric Lansing, what was I thinking. Accepted my daughter back after she slept with my husband while I had cancer. Elizabeth, there is one more think I have to tell you, you're going to be angry but I, we decided to wait until you had Lia."
"What is it?" She asked as Jason wondered the same from the stairs.
"The sperm for Kristina, the bank made a mistake and used sperm meant to run experiments on aging and a man's ability to father a child." She stopped when she saw Elizabeth's eyes widen in recognition.
"Jeff, somehow you ended up with Jeff's donation." She said delicately.
"Yes, he doesn't know. I wanted you to know but waited until you had your daughter."
"Kristina is my sister?" She asked still stunned.
"Yes. I have to ask are you going to tell Jeff?
TBC