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Chapter 16

"That ring really is gorgeous." Nadine said as the two women sat out on the patio. They were finishing up their coffee. Neither one of them was on KP, so they could come out and relax. Jason was inside with the boys who were both finishing up breakfast.

"Thanks. I'm looking forward to calling Emily and telling her the good news." Liz said wiggling her fingers.

"Are you just going to surprise Monica when you get back?" Nadine wanted to know.

"Jason wants to do that." Liz confirmed nodding. "I know she's going to be thrilled so I have no problem waiting."

"A ring and a house. You made out good on this trip." Nadine held up her fist and Liz tapped it. "So wedding date?"

"Hasn't even been discussed. I need to find out what Emily's schedule is going to be. She signed a short service agreement, but I wouldn't be surprised if she extends her stay. This is the type of work she has always wanted to do." Liz knew her best friend was going to excel at it. "I want her here so I'm guessing the wedding will not take place until next year. I'm okay with that." She was secure in her relationship with Jason, at this point the wedding was icing on the cake. "Will you be in the bridal party?"

"Absolutely. I can't wait to see what we are wearing. You are the first bride I know who I don't have to worry about putting me in something tacky." Nadine said rolling her eyes. "I have some serious horror stories."

"Me too. I know the bride doesn't want to be outshined on their big day, but there is no need to be petty. I want you guys to look amazing so that everyone will compliment my good taste." Liz said laughing.

"I can live with that." Nadine nodded as she sipped her coffee. Liz was not going to be a bridezilla, at the same time she was going to be true to her vision of what they wanted. "Are you having something small?"

"As small as possible. I have friends I'll want there, and Jason has friends he'll want there. I'm guessing he will also have folks that need to be there." By that she meant families he had alliances with. "I'm hoping to bring the number in under one-fifty." An over the top spectacle wasn't needed. "I'm thinking at the Metro Court." The hotel was once again owned by the Quartermaine family. Tracy had bought it when Jax decided to move.

"Can I be there when you tell Robin? I think all those carats on your finger will be enough to help her get the message that Jason isn't interested in her." Nadine said with a healthy dose of snark. "One of the good things about being laid off was that I didn't have to deal with her."

"Oh, I plan on making sure she gets a good look at the ring." Liz said grinning wide. "I'm not jealous or threatened." She wanted that clear. "Robin however has been a complete bitch to me. She was rivaling Carly at the height of our dislike." In recent years Liz and Carly had simply ignored one another, it had been working out well. "So she has me shoving my ring in her face coming."

"She certainly does." Nadine said tapping her coffee mug to Liz's. "So what is the plan for today?"

"Playground. It's been a few days without any other kids, so Cameron needs to socialize." Liz said looking out over the water. "With the guys discreetly placed around the park. That's why they are all in blue jeans. So that they don't stick out. Whoever is assigned as the boys guards will get to wear jeans regularly. The same will probably go for me." Or at least she hoped so, she didn't feel the need for the guys to dress up around her.

"I see the guys in jeans back home, are they off on those days?" Nadine wanted to know. She also had another question.

"It's hard to say. Jason relaxed the dress code when he took over. Suits are optional." Liz told her friend. "Some guys are old school, like Johnny, and some like the more casual look."

"If Cody and I get serious will I get a full time guard?" Nadine wanted to know. "It won't be a deal breaker, I'm just curious." The nurse added. She knew Liz would be there to help her navigate the world the guys moved in until she felt more confident.

"Yes, you will, because of where he is in the organization's power structure." Liz started explaining. Cody wasn't just a LT., he was also the head of the guards. So Nadine would be entitled to protection. Jason would suggest it if Cody didn't make the request.

"So Jason is in charge, then its Francis?" Nadine asked her friend. "And if I ask something I shouldn't let me know." Because that wasn't what this was about. She didn't want specifics about what they did, just how things operated. Maybe she was turning a blind eye. If she thought hard enough about it she would get the answers to the question of their activities, but she didn't really want to know. Cody treated her great, and he wasn't his job.

"Francis is the second in command, then it's Johnny who is the head of security." Liz didn't mind helping her friend navigate the new world she was entering. "Then its Marco." He was the organization's enforcer. "Then Cody." In addition to overseeing the guards he backed up Marco if necessary. "And you can ask me pretty much anything. I was in your shoes once and this goes much easier if you have someone helping you out. I was on my own."

"I know there are rules." Nadine got that.

"Yes, there are. They are in place so that we don't know things that will put us in danger." Liz passed along, although Jason talked about some business related things with her. Other things were just off limits, and she respected that. "It can be frustrating." She warned.

"I'm not curious by nature, so I should be okay." Nadine didn't need to know everything all the time. "Plus our training in the medical field makes it so we don't gossip. Much." She said laughing. While nurses were not bound by patient privilege laws the contracts they signed at General Hospital clearly stated they could be fired for sharing that information.

"That will help tremendously." Liz said thinking of Carly, who was always in business that didn't concern her. "Can I make a suggestion? About your career?"

"Sure." Nadine said enjoying the view.

"Have you ever considered becoming a nurse practitioner or a doctor?" Liz wanted to know.

"I don't want to be a doctor. It's just not my passion. The hospital got enough of my time." Nadine said laughing. "A nurse practitioner sounds interesting. I could work pretty much anywhere." What she was thinking was that she could work for Jason if he needed it.

"I know Monica was looking to hire some Acute Care Nurse Practitioners to work at the AJ Quartermaine Memorial Clinic. To take pressure off the ER." The clinic was facing a minor hiring freeze. They needed more doctors but didn't have the any room in the budget. Nurse practitioners would be paid less so they were a good option. Also from a security standpoint it was easier to secure than the hospital. "With your experience you could be certified in no time. Maybe even train on the job. I just got my certification earlier in the summer." And with her retiring she could help out the guys if necessary.

"I didn't know that. Congratulations." Nadine said smiling. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"It seemed mean to bring that up when you had been laid off." Liz said shrugging.

"It's never mean to share good news." Nadine told her friend. "We need to celebrate that too. I'll look into it when we get back home."

"Ladies." Cody said coming out. He volunteered because he wanted to look at Nadine again. "We are ready to head out."

"Okay." Liz said getting to her feet and grabbing her cup. "Let me go find the guys."

"I'll grab the diaper bag." Nadine said standing as well. "Looking forward to the park?"

"Not really." Cody said being honest. "It's a strange park, and it's very open." Security was always his main concern.

"If you mentioned that to Liz she would change her plans." Nadine pointed out.

"She certainly would." Cody knew that for a fact. "She asked me three times if this was okay. Liz is easy to protect. She shouldn't have to change her plans, it's on us to make things like this work. Going early in the day is best, it will be less crowded which is something she knows. This is also a good time to reinforce some skills with the other guys." Cody was always looking for opportunities to train the crew, and make them better. "We will be fine."

"I trust you." Nadine let him know.

"I take that seriously." Cody was going to do everything he could to make sure that never changed. "We should head inside."

"Yes we should. There are slides to go down." She said with a smile as they walked into the house.

"What time is it?" Georgie asked from her position tucked up under Johnny's chin.

"Almost eleven." He said figuring she was about to ask why he let them sleep so late. The phone call had taken its toll. The last two nights she had nightmares. Johnny had not met Georgie until after she had put Diego behind her, but he knew the damage that was inflicted. It had been hard to earn Georgie's trust, but Johnny knew she was worth the effort. So he had been patient while she slowly took bricks out of the wall she put up to keep guys away from her heart. She hadn't ever loved Diego, which was what the lunatic wanted, but she had trusted him.

"Thank you, I needed the sleep." Georgie said snuggling closer. She was still tired, but it was time to get moving.

"You're welcome." Johnny said kissing the top of her head. "Hungry?"

"No, but you're going to feed me anyway." Georgie said smiling. It was good to be loved. After Dillon cheated on her and Diego betrayed her trust she didn't think she would ever get here. So she stopped looking. Then Johnny showed up and wouldn't go away.

"Yeah, I am." He said smiling. "You need energy to beat up on Gina."

"I feel bad about that." Georgie told him. "She should be getting a medal for helping and instead I'm going to be hitting her. You guys are going to be careful with her, right?"

"The guys are taking every precaution." Johnny promised. "I'm gonna be hanging out with you. I have a surprise planned." Which he was nervous about.

"I love your surprises." Georgie looked up at him and smiled.

Johnny dropped her a wink before giving her a lingering kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." Georgie said smiling at him.

"Which makes me a lucky guy. I'm gonna go make you an early lunch or late breakfast." He said before rolling from the bed and leaving the room.

Georgie shifted to her back and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. Hopefully right after the clock struck midnight and tomorrow began Diego would cease to exist. Then everything in her world could go back to being wonderful.

It was eleven at night Seattle time when Liz dialed Em's cell phone. That meant it was eight the next morning in Malta as the small nation was nine hours ahead of the U.S. Em had been cleared to see patients the day before Jason saw Dr. Torres, so they wanted to talk to her before she got busy.

"Dr. Quartermaine." Em answered in a chipper tone. It had only been a few days but she was already feeling the impact from doing this work.

"Hey, you're on speaker and Jason is here." Liz was already smiling.

"Well hello there you two crazy kids. How is Seattle?" Em had been thrilled to get the text message that Jason was going to be okay.

"Amazing. You would love it here." Liz told her friend. While Em had been to California, she hadn't been further up the coast. "The house we are renting for the stay is fantastic. So is the house we will be moving into when we go home." They needed to catch Em up.

"Shut up! You guys bought a house? Where?" Emily wanted to know.

"The farm house that Elizabeth really loves." Jason said joining the conversation. His girl was sitting on his lap so he put his arms around her. They were out on the patio enjoying the warm night.

"That's great! I want a room of my own for when I'm in town." Emily couldn't wait to go home and visit.

"I guess that means things are going well?" Liz was happy for Em, but she would miss seeing her around Port Charles.

"So far, I know it's only been a few days." Emily said to let them know she was staying grounded. "But I feel like I'm make such a difference already. I want to learn as much as I can, I think I can do some good here before I return home."

"So you are coming back?" Jason thought his sister sounded charged up.

"At some point." Emily said smiling. "I think working here will help me be a better doctor when I return to the states. I'm seeing health issues here that are not common where we live. Learning things that I would only read about in books."

Liz and Jason smiled at each other. Emily was changing lives. "I'm so proud of you Em."

"Thanks." The young doctor said laughing at herself. "Milo and the guys have vastly improved security here. They caught the theft the day after I started." A local guy who was selling items on the black market and making a profit on things that the clinic really needed to treat its patients. "So Karen was happy about that. The budget is tight and replacing items drains funds." Em was making a sizeable donation to not only this clinic but the organization as a whole.

"Good." Jason would make a donation when they got back home. "So we have news to share." His sister would be busy soon.

"Other than the house?" Emily asked leaning back in her chair. She would love to hear that they had a baby on the way.

"I'm sending you a picture." Liz said snapping her hand over Jason's.

"OH MY GOD!" Emily said letting her chair fall to the floor as she stood up. "YES! YES! YES! When is the ceremony?" She was doing a happy dance.

"Look at your schedule and let us know when you can come home. We'll have it then." Jason told his sister, he was glad that they were outside. That shout would have woken the entire house.

"I just talked to mom last night and she didn't say a word.' Emily was gonna get her mother.

"She doesn't know yet. We are surprising her with the news when we get home. Also with the house." Liz explained.

"Okay." Emily would stop pouting.

Jason didn't say anything, but Monica already knew about the house. Along with her promise to help plan a party for Liz, his mother was helping him with another surprise. One that involved the farm house.

"Em, will you be my maid of honor?" Liz wanted to know.

"Of course. Pick me out a nice dress." Emily couldn't wait to see what her soon to be sister was going to be wearing. Liz would be a stunning bride. "This is so exciting! Are the boys thrilled? Well I guess only Cameron understands."

"He is so excited, and is already calling Jason dad." Liz said leaning against her guy. They had told Cameron when they returned home from their night away.

"I can't wait to see that for myself. I have so much to look forward to when I return to Port Charles. Oh, have someone record you showing your ring to Robin." Emily said with a wicked grin.

"Behave." Liz said laughing.

"No." Emily shot back. "I'm tempted to fly home to see that in person. I have to go, my first patient will be in shortly. I'm really happy for you guys." She said grinning.

"Thanks Em." Jason was glad to have her support. "Stay safe."

"Yup. Give out lots of kisses to the boys for me." Emily said feeling just a tad homesick. "I love you both."

"We love you too." Liz said before hanging up. "I miss her."

"Me too." Jason said resting his chin on her shoulder. "How about a walk before bed?"

"Okay." Liz said standing up. "We can start talking about who we are inviting to the ceremony." She would plan what she could and then put the rest aside.

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