Chapter Twenty Nine

Jason went home and found his family preparing dinner. Kissing Elizabeth, then turning on the tree lights, he brought Cam into the living room so that he could use the lights to get him to sleep.

Hearing Elizabeth entering the room, he held his finger to his lips, then when their son was fast asleep, he returned him to his crib and rejoined Elizabeth. Kissing her, he moaned as he started to run his hands up her back.

When his cell phone rang, he just went to turn it off, only for the house phone to ring. Looking at the caller ID, knowing he had to answer it, he pressed his finger on her lips and said "Hold that thought."

"Morgan."

"It's John. I know what is going on with my father and Elizabeth, and you won't believe it. Hell I doubt the families will in spite of knowing of his illness." he said shaking his head still unable to believe it himself. "Try the Hallmark movie "A daughter for Christmas."

Jason said rather inelegantly "What?"

"Ask Elizabeth if she can find a copy." he said. "In it, a sterile couple who have lost their son to a long illness find a baby girl on their doorstep. The couple are named Anthony and Maria, the little girl... care to guess?"

"Elizabeth?" Jason asked closing his eyes then feeling Elizabeth's hand on his arm. Opening his eyes, seeing the concern in her, he said "So he saw this movie and what? Thinks that Elizabeth is his daughter, that this is based on his life?"

"From what I just heard, yes." he said still trying to wrap his mind around what ever the hell was going on in his father's head. "Oh, and in his mind he is moving to New Zealand to be closer to my mother."

"New Zealand?" parroted Jason.

"My mother always wanted to go there. I couldn't tell you why, but from what I heard them talking about, they never got to go thanks to Trevor." Johnny said as he got into his car and drove away from Crimson Point.

"Thanks for letting me know. Are you going to make the call or do you want me to?" Jason asked, getting that the families might be a little more accepting if the news came from Johnny.

"I will, actually I am on my way to meeting with Don Blanchardo." Johnny said not happy at spending the night away from Georgie.

Jason hung up then looked at Elizabeth before saying. "The meeting tonight it was about Anthony Zachara. For some reason he went to the families to protect you as one of his children."

Stunned, she said "But I mean, I know who my parents are and he isn't my father."

"It seems there is a movie called A baby for Christmas." he said as he began to tell her the storyline.

Groaning, she stopped him and said "The first time Anthony was at the hospital, he was there being treated for his illness and was placed in a room for several hours. That was the movie that was playing on the television I turned on for him at his request. He was rather engrossed by it when I told him he was free to leave, he wanted to stay. To see the end, I thought it was odd at the time but since he has brain issues, I didn't give it a second thought." she said her mind on the shocking news.

"John is on his way to a meeting with the head of the families about it. I just felt you should be aware just in case Anthony should approach you." Jason said as his arms went around her waist and his lips began to lower to hers.

With a slightly regretful smile, Elizabeth said "Hold that thought, there is something I need to tell you about. Laura stopped over yesterday and with everything else, I forgot."

"Why do I think I am not going to like this?" he asked as he led the way to the sofa only for Elizabeth to free her hand from his and go to the desk by the window and pick up an envelope.

"What is that?" Jason asked as he looked at the rumpled manila envelope as he turned it over and over in his hand.

"A file that for some reason Scott Baldwin had. Laura found it in her stuff when she went through things in preparation for her move to England. Its about Susan Moore."

"My biological mother?" he asked sitting up surprised. "I barely know anything about her. I am sure my alter ego did but when I became Jason Morgan, I let it go."

"I understand that, but Jason this is the woman who gave you life. I think you owe it to her to at least read the papers." she said gently then said "I am going to make myself a cup of tea, if you need me I will be in the kitchen."

"I will wait for you to come back. We can go through it together." he said. Seeing her surprise, he said "It just feels important that I have you with me."

With that Elizabeth quickly brewed herself a cup of tea and grabbing a cold bottle of beer from the refrigerator brought it back to where Jason was sitting. Handing him the bottle, she sat down want waiting for him to open the package.

Slitting open the flap, Jason pulled out the tight fitting paperwork. "These look like legal files."

"I asked Gail about it when we talked about grams today, she said first Lee then Scott represented your mother. It was how Scott got close enough to try and loot your trust fund when you were a baby." she told him.

"Your grams, is something going on?" he asked wanting to delay the inevitable.

"Gail just wanted to apologize for her behavior and to tell me she had ran some tests that showed no abnormalities, that whatever grams did, she was responsible for it." she said. "Now stop delaying, Jason."

Jason opened the top folder and found the deed to a house with papers transferring it into his name. "This must be where my mother lived. This isn't that far from the Quartermaine mansion."

"That must have been uncomfortable for your mother." she said. "Monica too."

With a sigh, Jason said "Yes, I am sure it was. Kind of like Sam and Carly, looking back, Carly should have kicked my ass for that one. Sonny's too. That was one of the few times where she was truly the victim."

"I hate to say it but when I heard about things, I winced on her behalf and for the boys." Elizabeth admitted. "Seriously, could Sonny have been more blind or more selfish than moving his pregnant ex mistress in across the hall from his family. You were a bit of a berk too."

Jason just turned to the next bit of paperwork, his mother's will and papers containing to the custody battle between Scott and the Quartermaines. Then in the back was an old bank book. "I wonder if this is still active."

"You should call, find out." Elizabeth said getting up and going over to the desk. Finding the one eight hundred number she handed it to him. Jason said "The account number might have changed after all this time, though."

"What is the harm." she said with a laugh.

Jason made the call, expecting to be told to call back the next morning but instead reached a human being. "I uh, I found this bank book belonging to my late mother. A savings account."

Jason listened as the man in India gave him the information that the account was now in the name of Jason Morgan Quartermaine and was still active. "How active?"

Shocked, Jason said "Can you have a freeze put on that account and tell me where the activity is taking place?"

Listening then hearing that there was another signatory in the account, he stiffened and said "Thank you for the information. Would you please fax that to (315) 555- 3475."

Hanging up he stood, then looking at Elizabeth said. "You are not going to believe this one. Scott Baldwin has been using this account."

"What?" she asked stunned putting down her hot cup of tea worried about spilling it at the news he was imparting. "But... how?"

"He has all my personal information. I need to contact Diane." he said then taking out his cell phone called the red head. "Diane, I am having some bank account information faxed to you, turns out Scott Baldwin has been illegally using an old family account in my name."

Diane promised to take care of it then went to make a few calls herself while Elizabeth and Jason slowly went through the rest of the file. "I guess that is my mom."

"She was beautiful." Elizabeth said as she sadly read the end of the file about how Susan had died.

Reading the press clippings, both felt for all three of the adults involved in the mess but Elizabeth felt more for the innocent little boy caught in the middle of the mess Alan had created. "What was your dad thinking?"

Shrugging a little he said "He clearly wasn't. He ruined his marriage with Monica, if only temporarily, from what is in here it is clear he hurt my mother badly as well. Still, I don't get Scott Baldwin and how she could get involved with him."

"Really?" she asked with a knowing look. "JASON, look at what happened with us, you got involved with Courtney, I got involved with Ric. It happens. We were hurt and someone was there, saying all the right words. It doesn't matter that we learned later they were false, at the time it soothed our pain."

With a sigh, he got what she was trying to say. "Still Scott Baldwin, he is a slime ball."

Thinking back on all she had heard over the years, she said "He wasn't always the man we see today. You need to remember, at one point he was a happily married man, whose very young wife was raped. We all heard what happened from Laura's side, but we tend to forget Scott's side in this. He was a victim of Luke too."

"What are you saying?" Jason asked trying to get what she was saying.

"Scott changed, I mean think how you would feel if suddenly I was hurt, then chose to make you the villain of the piece and marry my rapist. It more than likely twisted something deep inside of him." she said trying to explain. "We both know how the Spencer family plays the victim, we have both seen it first hand."

Jason thought about what she was saying then made another call to Diane. "Call Baldwin, have him meet me in your office tomorrow if he wants his money." he said then hanging up, lifted Elizabeth's tea cup, his now empty beer bottle and took them to the kitchen.

Returning, he clasped her hand, then said "That you have the ability to forgive is why I love you so much. You are able to see things, I miss."

"Jason, the only reason I know so much about this, is my father and grandfather used to talk about it when I was a child. I didn't understand completely but now, I do. I am also not saying Scott doesn't need his rear end kicked, he does. Just... well deal with him knowing all the facts."

Edging her towards the stairs, Jason said "So my brilliant and very sexy wife, what do you say to use heading up to bed early?"

With a wicked smile she said "Depends, on whether or not I can get you into that Santa Suit a day early."

"Well why don't we find out." he said as they hurried up to their room.

Johnny was let into the study of the very powerful man and sat down. "My father's delusions regarding Elizabeth Webber, I have found out where they come from."

"Explain." said the older man.

"I arrived home and my father was speaking to my mother." he said wincing as the man nodded then motioned for him to continue. "I was unaware that my mother had been pregnant before they had me. There was a very scary miscarriage at four months. Apparently my father while in the hospital being treated by Elizabeth Webber was watching a Hallmark movie about a couple who lost a child then had a little girl left on their front porch."

"Anthony is for some reason under the impression that it was a memory, isn't he?" When Johnny nodded astounded at the other man getting what was going on, the don looked at him with some pity in his expression.

"I remember your mother's miscarriage, your father was shot in the head, her fear was what led to the accident causing her to miscarry." he said with a heavy sigh. "Okay, I will honor the promise made to your father. Elizabeth Webber was already under our protection from the moment it was known of her friendship with Mr. Morgan, so this is just an extension of that."

"Thank you, Don Blanchardo." he said. "I would also like to apologize for interrupting your holiday."

"The holiday doesn't actually start until tomorrow evening. Now, I saw you with your young woman the other day. Ms. Jones another very remarkable young woman, very much like Ms. Webber. You have good taste, Mr. Zachara. I wish you well and Merry Christmas."

With that, John left and went to call Georgie, hoping she was free for a little bit. He really just needed some sanity in the middle of all the craziness going on.

Georgie woke up, then looked at the clock, hopping out of bed, she went to shower and head over to Elizabeth's house.

Arriving just as Jason Morgan was leaving, she was told there was fresh coffee in the machine and that Cam was still asleep then he asked if she had a car seat in order to bring Cam to the hospital for the party.

"Yes, Elizabeth had dad put it in the back seat of my car when I first began working for her." she said with a smile and a yawn.

Watching as the younger girl went towards the kitchen, Jason heard his wife coming down the stairs carrying her purse and cell phone. "Are we ready?"

Nodding, she said "I just need to speak to Georgie real quick." she said with a smile as she took the to go container full of coffee then went to speak to the young woman. "Are you sure you have time to keep Cam today. That it won't interfere with your job?"

"I am actually done." she said yawning even as she took a sip of the coffee. With a happy sigh as the caffeine began to flow, she said "Sorry, Johnny called late last night and we were on the phone for a while so I overslept and have had no coffee."

"Then we will see you at the hospital around four." Elizabeth said then went to join Jason in the garage. Resting her head on the seat for just a minute, she said "Its only a four hour shift, but afterwords Emily and I are taking care of some unfinished business."

"Just remember, if you need to dispose of her body, call me first." he said with a smirk.

"Jason, if I end up killing Brenda, I will just call Diane and have her call Mac, claim it was justifiable homicide. Maybe I can get a two for." she said with a contemplative smirk. "Have Carly show up, let them shoot each other, wow, the more I think about it, that sounds like a good idea."

As his wife entered the hospital ten minutes later, Jason sat there, then made a call. "I think Elizabeth and Emily are planning on killing Brenda, you might want to get her out of town before then."

Jax chuckled at what he was hearing in Ned's office then said to his best friend. "Well that just might solve all my problems, no one on earth would ever think if those two killed her it was murder."

"Jax, stop being a coward, deal with Brenda." he ordered then called his daughter to see if she was finished shopping and to tell her her mother was attending the party that afternoon.

"So, are we going to deal with her?" asked Emily as Elizabeth joined her at the hub wearing her dark green scrubs with a white long sleeve turtleneck underneath.

"At the end of my shift. How is Nadine, has anyone seen her this morning?" she asked.

"She is attending to rounds." said Nurse Johnson then gave Elizabeth her schedule. "You are working a simple plastic surgery case today."

Emily heard the buzz on her phone and went to join her fellow interns for rounds all the while singing Christmas carols that were echoing in her head.

Across town, Carly was not happy to be told that Sonny's last wishes were going to happen, that yes, there was another Corinthos child and that no, there was nothing left for her to have. "But I am his wife."

"Yes, you were." said Diane evenly. "I will be sure to let the creditors know that so you can take care of his final costs."

Standing, Carly left, furious with the attorney, with Jason who had ignored her calls, with everyone who was making her life difficult. Returning to the bar where she was now living, she went up to her room and heard a voice that was now on her last nerve.

"Carly, where were you. Did you forget that someone had to tell Morgan and Michael that their father was dead?" snarled AJ. "I had to do it, with Bobbie. Do you even give a damn about them."

"What do you want AJ?" she sneered. "And why on earth would you have anything to do with my mother telling my sons about their father's death." she snapped.

"Someone had to be there for them, for Kristina when Alexis brought her over. Now it is barely ten AM. What could have been more important that those children?" he snapped. "Let me guess, should we call that attorney, where you there, already picking at the bones of the dead man."

"Get out of my room." she snarled. "And stay away from my son. I can't legally keep you away from Michael but there is absolutely no reason for you to be around Morgan."

AJ left, passing an older looking man speaking to Coleman then heard footsteps as he followed him out the door. Once outside, he watched the man looking at upper windows and shaking his head as he got into his car and drove away.

In paradise, Courtney was not having a good day. She was staying on someone's sofa, her money now off limits and tomorrow was Christmas. "What am I going to do?"

Picking up her phone, she called her bank, hoping they could get her problems figured out. "Ms. Matthews we have been dealing with Carly Corinthos, unless the letter she gave us is fake."

"No, it is real." she said. "I asked her to take care of things for me since I am out of town for the foreseeable future. I was hoping to get a wire transfer, is that possible."

"On the check you had Ms. Corinthos deposit." he asked. Then looking at things, said "I see a lien here from a hotel, is that what this is about?"

"Yes, they said my credit cards were maxed out." she cried as she explained.

"Well, I will make arrangements that before the money is transferred out of the account to pay that bill and can have ten thousand dollars the maximum amount wired to you at Western Union." he said.

Courtney was happy as she hung up. The man from the Immigration department was glad, he had hoped to get her into bed, but clearly she thought herself better than him, so he would take her to the correct office, get her her funds and then dump her off at his cousins hotel.

Courtney made a few calls, was pissed to find out the only rooms available were not even up to Kelly's standards but took what she could as she went to get her money.

Settled into her new home away from home until things were feed up at the hotel, she decided to spend the day on the beach as she wondered what Santa would bring here. Or rather what her brother would have arranged.

Across the small port town, families were gathering with their loved ones as the holiday began. Stores began to close for the day, businesses began their annual slow down so that their employees could gather together. Even the police department was planning on a reduced staff for the evening and next day.

Mac saw that it was almost time to head over to the hospital when he got a call. "Sir, can you please come down here to the mall. There is a man... dressed as Santa Claus."

"And that is unusual how?" he asked as he slipped on his jacket as he left his office.

"Sir, he is passing out money to people in the mall. Now I wouldn't care normally but sir, I was assured by the Health Department that the reindeer are a health code violation." said the nervous man on the phone.

"Did you just say reindeer?" he asked as he started his car and drove the fifteen miles to the mall just outside of town. Parking in front of the nearly empty mall, he hurried in and saw what had caught the attention of the mall director.

In front of him was an old fashioned large sleigh with eight reindeer harassed with bells in front of it. That alone was astounding, but the part that had him rubbing his eyes was what was in front of that, a slightly smaller reindeer, with a bright red nose. Walking around it, seeing the large velvet bags tied with gold strings, he was beginning to wonder if he was losing his mind when he heard the sound of high heels crossing the marble floor.

"Mac?" Turning to see Diane Miller, he just waited for what he knew was coming. "I gather my client called you again?"

"Where is he?" he asked not sure he wanted the answer.

"I am not sure, I called Johnny but he was delayed." she said not telling him what the other man had said. "I think we need to track down Anthony."

The nervous man who called showed up and said "Sir, I am glad you are here. He is in the Macy's at the furniture department."

Diane and Mac hurried to Macy's and took the escalator up to the fourth floor. They had just arrived outside the men's bathroom on that level. "Sir, he is in there."

Mac and Diane hurried into the small well appointed room and never noticed the sound of of retreating footsteps. "Should we wait for him to come out of the stall?" asked the lawyer after Mac spied the thick shiny black boots in a stall a bit of a ways down.

Stepping back outside, Mac said "There is no place for him to g-"

Groaning as the lights went out, Diane looked at her thin gold watch and said "What time is the mall supposed to close today?"

"One thirty, why... nevermind." said Mac now scowling as he went back into the bathroom. "Mr. Zachara if you don't come out of that stall by the count of ten, I am kicking in the door."

"Don't you think that is a bit excessive?" asked Diane from the doorway.

"Well how about this, have you heard a single sound from in here, let along a man breathing?" he asked. Seeing her frowning, he said "Unless I am wrong, there is no one in there, only an empty pair of boots."

Kneeling Mac confirmed this then looking at Diane said "I think this was more of his matchmaking nonsense."

"Lets get back the concourse." she said glaring as they walked back to the main part of the store. Seeing the emptiness, the still escalators and the dim lighting, she said "Are you saying we are locked in here?"

"I am really hoping I am wrong about this, but something Johnny said just came to mind. Are you aware your clients own this mall?" he asked and saw the answer dawning on her.

"I am going to strangle that manipulative old man when I get a hold of him." she said as they hurried down the escalator and crossed to the gate that was now closed. "Tell me you have some kind of police gizmo that can get us out of here?"

"I do." he said with a grimace then skipping a beat showed her the special key. "Problem is, it works on that small silver box right there."

Diane heard the tone of his voice then looked at the box, the silver box OUTSIDE of the gate and said "Does anyone else have one down at the station."

"No." he answered and resting his head against the cold gate said "Do you have your cell phone on you?"

"Where is yours?" she asked.

"In my police car." he answered. "In the parking lot."

Pulling out her phone, she triumphantly raised it to show it to him and then hit the call button only to get nothing, no reaction out of it. "What is going on?"

Taking the phone, Mac began to shake his head then went around the cosmetic counter in front of him to try the store phone. Sure enough, all he could hear was electronic noise. "When we get out of here, I am going to kill your client."

"I will represent you pro bono, I swear, what is that man thinking?" she asked then said "Will anyone notice you are missing. I was supposed to be on a flight to St. Thomas."

"Not until this evening. I told Georgie there was a chance I wouldn't make it to the celebration at the hospital." he said. Then looking around said "I say we go back upstairs."

"Why?" she asked as she pouted.

"Because the furniture department has sofas, chairs and blankets up there. In case you haven't noticed, it is getting colder in here. My guess is the heat was turned to the base temp until after the holidays." he stated.

Muttering as they walked up the stairs, they missed the sound of jingle bells as the sleigh left the mall, standing at the double doors was the mall director, shocked at the check for fifty thousand dollars in his hands.

AT GH, Jason saw Georgie getting off the elevator with Cam in her arms while Johnny was following behind with a large shopping bag. "How about I take him for you?"

With a chuckle, Georgie said "Jason, stop making it sound like you are doing me a favor, we both know that you just want your son."

Winking at her, he said "So I see no Elf costume this year."

"I refused, said I was too busy with work." she stated then hearing her name being called greeted Robin and Patrick. "Merry Christmas. Jason, have you met Robin's husband, Patrick. Patrick this is Jason Morgan."

Greeting each other, Patrick saw that Maxie had shown up and pulled his wife off. "So, what is the big deal with this party. Robin was so excited to attend, almost like she thought Santa was going to be giving her a present."

Jason said "Its a tradition that goes back to when the hospital was first opened. Excuse me, I see my wife."

Patrick watched as Jason went over to greet Elizabeth astounded at what she was wearing. "What on earth?"

Hearing the sound of jingling, he turned to hide his laughter when he saw her sister, his sister and two other nurses dressed up in the green elf costumes. Leaning down, he kissed his wife and said "I thought you hated wearing this. Cam, I think your Mommy has completely lost her mind."

"Well, they had such a hard time getting people to wear the costume, Emily, Sarah, Nadine and Leyla offered when I asked if they would help." she said twirling around, then feeling air suddenly hitting the top of her head demanded "Jason give me my elf hat back."

"Make me." he said never seeing Carly's narrowed eyes as she saw a repeat of the year she lost Jason playing out before her eyes. The only difference was that this time he was holding that brat they were saying was his son. When Elizabeth pulled Jason's head down into a kiss, then he replaced the hat on her head, she said "How was that?"

Just about to wrap his right arm around her waist while his other held their son dipping his head to steal another kiss when he was stopped by the sound of Santa Claus. He was surprised to see that it WASN'T Anthony like he had expected but Tony Jones who after Alan told the Christmas story began to pass out presents.

Brenda was watching the joyous celebration from the corner of the room, her heart aching at being alone this holiday season. So far, Jax had been avoiding her, she had shown up at the hospital determined to force a conversation, but she had yet to see him as the party began to break up.

"Brenda, he isn't coming." said the blond in the elf costume. "He said if you showed up to tell you to go to the new hotel. He will be waiting to speak to you there."

The dark haired model was gone like a shot, while Emily glared darkly at her and then asked why Nadine had even bothered to pass on the message. "She wasn't going to give up Em, she won't until she hears it from him."

That night as lights twinkled and gaily wrapped presents were placed under trees, things were looking like a holiday post card as snow gently fell in the clear sky.

At the Hardy residence, Audrey who had refused to leave town to join the Baldwins, was blaming Elizabeth for her being home alone as she watched her neighbors gathering to see Christmas carols, forgetting that it was an open invitation. That she was standing there in front of her tree, by herself was no one's fault but her own.

Looking at the presents under the tree, she pursed her lips annoyed to see that there was one from Elizabeth, surely purchased with dirty money, with mob money. Vowing to not open it in the morning, she turned off the lights and went up to bed, not able to believe that thanks to Elizabeth she was feeling lonely for the first time since she moved to this town.

Scott was still in shock as he looked at the file from Diane Miller. Jason had ordered the bank account closed, had told him he had reported the money to the IRS but that was the only penalty he was going to be required to pay.

With a sigh, he went to bed, his mind on the time he would spend with his children on the holiday. Then on all he had lost thanks to Luke Spencer. He never heard the man downstairs, removing his presents with his name on them, replacing them with coal as he moved quickly and quietly sending the presents courtesy of Scott to the nearest homeless shelter.

The Quartermaines were ecstatic as Michael and his little brother opened presents at the mansion, tomorrow Cam would be there, Alan couldn't help thinking that Santa had dropped their gifts off early this year when he heard Michael telling Brooklynn that this was one of the best Christmas' ever.

Seeing AJ's red eyes as his son wiped away his tears, Alan rubbed his shoulder then said "How much longer do we have you tonight?"

Looking at the clock, he said "We should be heading to the Brownstone, the boys still believe in Santa Claus. Plus, we have Carly coming tomorrow, as awkward as that is going to be."

Brenda was sitting in the dark of the gatehouse, her anger growing at the dismissing tone in Jax's voice as he told her he had no intention of taking her back, that he had known for months that she had been conned out of her fortune.

When she had asked him what she was supposed to do now, he had suggested since she was too old to model anymore, maybe she should consider lowering her life style expectations and get a job. A real job.

Her pride still hurting, she was vowing to win him back to prove to everyone who told her that she was too old to model, too much of a has been that they were wrong about her.

Thinking on the offer she had gotten before coming to town, she was beginning to think that the man was right, her only chance for funds was to have a ghost writer tell her story, from small town girl to big time model who had lost everything due to her love of a mobster.

Making the call and leaving a message, she had no idea that the man had found someone else, a woman with a better story about the mob. Kate Howard, editor in chief of Courture magazine had once been a Bensonhurst girl and a girl from that tough neighborhood with her story, it was much more juicy.

Brenda looked at her tree, then made the call up to the main house. "Alice, I need you to bring my presents up to the house, I am planning on celebrating with my family."

Alice looked at the happiness in the other room, the happiness that would be still going tomorrow when Mr. Morgan brought his wife and child and lied. "Ms. Barrett, I will come down tomorrow, the family isn't celebrating until the afternoon so that the various grandchildren can join them."

Frowning a bit, Brenda finally just sighed and said "Fine, but please come and get them first thing."

At the Scorpio residence, Maxie and Georgie were a bit upset to see that their father wasn't home yet. "He must be still working."

Felicia was trying her best to bridge the gap between her children and her, but she wasn't getting anyplace. "So, Maxie, who was that boy you were speaking to?"

"Oh, Dante Falconari. He is in town because of Sonny's death. Turns out he was his son. His mom didn't tell him until he was dead." she said with a shrug. "He is cute, but kind a short."

That got Georgie's attention, everything from Maxie had been about Jesse, this was the first time she had expressed interest in another man in ages.

"Georgie, where is Johnny tonight?" asked an entering Robin, her arms laden with packages as she set them under the tree.

"He is chasing down his dad. Mr. Zachara is really sick and shouldn't be out in the cold, but he is too stubborn to listen." she said. "He is leaving town the day after tomorrow. Johnny wants to spend time with him before it is too late."

"Too late?" asked Patrick as he came into the room with a glass of eggnog.

"He has an inoperable brain tumor." she said her mind on the two men as she stood at the window, then with her eyes narrowing, shook her head.

Rubbing her eyes, she said "Maxie, come here a minute."

The blond did as requested, then said "Do I see someone dressed as Santa Claus at Elizabeth's house?"

"That is what it looks like." she said. "Isn't Cam a little too small for them to hire someone to dress up that way."

"Maybe it is Jason." said Patrick to the loud amusement and denial of all four women, if only they knew...

As Christmas Eve slowly became midnight, Port Charles was full of activity. Santa Claus and his reindeer were making visits leaving presents for the good boys and girls, taking away gifts from the naughty on his list.

About to enter one of the last houses on his life, Anthony chuckled at the sound of Elizabeth and Jason speaking softly to one another. Looking across the drive, he decided to hit the Scorpio house first, then come back. Hopefully by then Santa and the Elf will have gone up to their room to get their freak on, he thought to himself.

TBC