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Chapter 36
"Well look who got a pardon." Diane said walking into the game room of the Morgan house. The ladies were gathering to play poker. The gentlemen were gathering at the warehouse to watch Johnny deal with Logan. Normally as an attorney she didn't want to know these things, but she wanted to know this.
"Why do you think I asked Liz to host?" Alexis said grinning. "I'm tired of looking at my four walls. I did have to agree to this." She pointed to the wheelchair. "However this house is somewhere Sonny won't argue about me coming."
"Smart." Diane said laughing. She was happy to see her friend with a bit of fire. It looked good on her.
"Sure, use me for my medical degree." Liz joked as she hugged Diane. "Let me take that." Everyone was bringing something. The attorney had picked up crab and avocado dip.
"Are we it so far?" Diane said taking a seat.
"Georgie is in the kitchen working on her dish." Liz responded. "I'm still expecting Nadine, Sabrina, Monica, Epiphany, Leyla, and my Gram. If the door rings would you mind answering it if I'm not back?" The guards, which had been tripled for tonight, wouldn't let anyone but those expected up to the house.
"Maggie isn't joining us?" Diane liked Steven's wife very much.
"Steven has the night off, and they are on a date." Liz explained to both attorneys. "Which is too bad. Maggie is always fun to have at a party. She said to have a good time, and she would come to the next gathering of the ladies." Elizabeth passed along before she walked from the room. "How's it going?"
"Good. I'm ready to assemble everything now. I'll dress the salad when we take our dinner break." Georgie explained as she put the cutting board in the dishwasher. "I washed the knife and put it in the dishrack. Johnny said that you should always hand wash them."
"Any other domestic advice you care to pass along?" Liz laughed reaching for a bowl for the dip. Jason had told her the same thing about her knives, so the advice probably came from Sonny.
"Johnny can fold a fitted sheet." Georgie said grabbing her own bowl. "I thought that you could do so was just an urban legend."
"Seriously? I can't do that. We don't have a single fitted sheet in this house for that reason." Liz opened a drawer and grabbed a large spoon. "I had no idea he was so domesticated."
"The first time I went over I was sure the place would be a mess. I've been in his office. While he says he knows where everything is, I'm not sure I believe him." Georgie said smiling. "The house is spotless, and he doesn't even have a housekeeper. I'm neat too so it's fine, but if I was a slob we would probably have killed each other by now."
"I'm glad it's going well." Liz commented putting some crackers on a tray. Her friends had been cohabitating for a week now. They had spent most of that time at home while Georgie began her recovery from being kidnapped. They had been over to the house once for dinner and seemed really happy.
"We just fit." Georgie said still a little amazed at that. "I know it won't always be this easy. I mean if you can call the last week easy." She'd had some pretty rough moments, and nightmares were still disturbing her sleep, but all non-Logan related times were great. "Relationships have their good and bad times, but we have this connection unlike anything I've ever experienced."
Liz just nodded. She completely got it. "Feels amazing, doesn't it?"
"Yeah." Georgie said tossing the salad. "I finally feel like I'm in an adult relationship."
"Like you are where you belong." Liz finished the statement.
"Exactly." Georgie smiled as she looked at her ring. "I'm going to take this into the game room and put it on the table next to the brownies."
"I'll follow you in." Liz said picking up her platter.
Logan was pulled into the back room of the warehouse where he had spent the last week. He had been told this morning his time was up. It was surprising that O'Brien took a whole week to get around to this. Logan guessed Georgie Jones was doing better now. Not that he really cared. She had been a way to get paid, a way that had failed. She no longer mattered to him.
Looking around he spotted O'Brien wrapping his hands. If you were going to snatch someone's girl, you should at least know what that guy looked like. If for no other reason then so that you can avoid him. He saw Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan standing with their enforcer. They were well known across the country. Morgan made grown men break out in a cold sweat just thinking about him. Not that O'Brien was taken lightly. Logan just thought he was going to be the one to get around the Irishman.
"Wait here." Milo told Logan. The young guard had volunteered to go get the prisoner.
"No chair?" Logan asked being a smartass.
"Johnny won't keep you waiting." Milo said before heading over to where the rest of the guys were waiting.
"Thanks." Johnny said as he finished wrapping his hands. He was taking his time and making sure he could hold his temper. Part of him just wanted to walk over and snap Logan's neck. However Georgie deserved more than that. For the way he terrorized her the asshole needed to feel some pain before being dispatched. "I don't plan to take too long. I know you get anxious when you are away from Alexis." Johnny said to his boss.
"Take your time." Sonny told his friend. He was leaning against the wall. "I can always step out to call my wife and return. Worst that happens is I need to leave." He wasn't going to rush his enforcer. "We all know how this will end."
"That we do." Johnny said almost chipper. "Anything you need to ask him?"
"No. We got all the information we could earlier in the week." Jason answered the question. "As far as Logan knows, Trevor didn't contact anyone else. We are keeping security tight in case that isn't true."
"I would think that if Trevor sent anyone else we would have seen them by now." Francis said what everyone was thinking. "While we were focused on getting Georgie back would have been the ideal time to strike. So I'm thinking after tonight this will be over, but staying vigilant never hurts. If nothing else this is good practice."
Johnny just nodded. "Time to get to work." He was in a sleeveless t-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. He tended to dress fairly casually when handing out these types of lessons. "Put him on the hook."
Cody and Milo handled that.
"Seems a bit unfair don't you think?" Logan said not backing down. "Beating a man when he's tied down."
"Seems fitting to me." Johnny said with a smirk. "You laid in wait, and then pulled a gun on my girl. She's not a part of this. A part of what we do. The Lansings were both weak men who didn't have the balls to go after the real targets. But we don't need to worry about them anymore. You should have passed this job up."
"What I should have done was get a sample when I had the chance." Logan wasn't going down sniveling. "She's a pretty one your girl. Really nice legs." He said with slimy grin. "I bet she's a moaner."
Johnny's normally bright green eyes went flat with rage. "That smart mouth of yours is only going to make this hurt worse. But it won't push me hard enough to kill you right away." He finished with a smirk. "So go ahead and keep talking." Johnny ended his statement by punching Logan in the face hard enough to break his nose. Which was just the first of many blows he landed over the next several hours.
"I can keep a man out of prison, but I can't seem to get the hang of this card game." Diane said frowning at the cards in her hand. There was a reason she didn't play poker.
"You can also give an Oscar winning performance as an amnesiac too. Don't forget that." Georgie said grinning at her boss. Both she and Johnny had been floored at the confession.
"I'm good at a lot of things." Diane said with an unrepentant grin. "It's part of my fabulousness."
"But not poker." Alexis said showing her cards and taking the pot. "You suck at poker."
"I don't think I've ever seen you this bad at anything before." Liz said looking over at her friend. She had taken the last pot.
"I wouldn't look quite as bad if the card shark over there wasn't at the table." Diane arched a brow. "She is making us all look bad."
Audrey just grinned. They had played ten hands and she had taken all but the last two pots. And that was only because she was sitting them out to have something to eat.
"Gram plays with the guys. Even they have trouble beating her." Liz said laughing. It had been something of a surprise to learn that.
"You couldn't warn us?" Monica was impressed by her former colleague's skills.
"If we were playing for real cash I would have." Liz said shrugging as she got up to get herself a brownie. She sat back down and shook her head as the next round was dealt. "Since we aren't, I thought I'd let her skills speak for themselves."
"Are you ready to start your new job on Monday?" Leyla would miss seeing her friend in the ER.
"I am." Liz said nodding, a little nervous too.
"You'll do great." Sabrina had been shocked to learn her friend had recommended her for the surgical program.
"I hope so. At least I'm not going into unchartered territory alone. Felix is right next door." Liz was happy to have him close by. She figured they would lean on each other for support as they navigated these new waters.
"I'm sure he's just happy to not have any bedpans around." Epiphany said making all the nurses laugh. "I'm happy to have new nurses coming in since everyone is leaving me." The head nurse said looking at Nadine and Leyla.
"What?" Liz asked leaning forward. "I've been out of the building for a week. What did I miss?"
"We have the newest member of Port Charles's medical school sitting at the table." Monica had written a glowing letter of recommendation and was thrilled to learn of the acceptance.
Nadine's grin gave away her secret.
"Congratulations." Liz got up and hugged her friend. "I knew you could do it!" They had talked about the blonde nurse's desire to go back to school over lunches in the cafeteria. Nadine shared her dream after Liz shared hers. "I have champagne in the fridge. I'll get it some glasses and we'll toast your good fortune."
"Okay." Nadine had no problem with that. Cody had been the one to finally convince her to make the leap. He said he knew she would be an outstanding doctor.
"I'll help you put everything together." Audrey said, and in no time they were back placing glasses on the table.
"None for me. I'll just have sparkling cider too." Leyla told the group knowing what that announcement would lead to.
"No way!" Sabrina said looking at her friend. "We worked together this morning, why didn't you say anything?"
"I was waiting until tonight." Leyla said laughing. "Twelve weeks yesterday."
"How did Marco take the news?" Diane wanted to know.
Leyla rolled her eyes. "His ego immediately began to swell." She told them. "You would have thought he was the first man in creation to get a woman pregnant. Then he went right into Sonny-mode. I am not putting up with nine months of that crap from him." The nurse told the table.
"You won't have too." Alexis said with a wicked grin. "You'll be assigned a guard, so you'll get crap from at least two different sources."
"My mother is coming to stay with us, and probably his mother too. So that guard won't be necessary." Leyla told her friends. "I'm going to be on serious lock down." Her mom, who was super traditional, was already hinting that is was time for Leyla to quit working. Marco's mom, also very traditional, was going to be looking for an engagement ring when she arrived. Should be fun. "You have extra space, can I stay here?" Leyla asked Liz.
"I've met your mother. So the answer to that one is no." Liz said laughing. Nadine and Piph were also shaking their heads no, because they too had met Leyla's mother.
"Thanks." Leyla had to laugh. Her mom could be scary.
"In the meantime let's toast to all the really great things we have going on in our lives." Elizabeth said handing out the glasses. "Congratulations to both you." This was what family was all about. Not meeting some arbitrary expectation, but sharing the good and bad times with one another.
"While we enjoy our drinks Audrey can tell us who that really handsome gentleman she was having dinner at the Grille with last night is." Monica said knowing she was stirring up trouble.
"I'm trying decide if I want to call you a slacker, or admire your pacing." Cody said handing Johnny a drink. "Four hours?"
"I didn't want to rush." Johnny told his friend. It was over now, and Logan was dead. By the end that smart attitude he had been sporting was nowhere to be found. Instead the Texan had been begging for mercy.
"It was impressive." Francis told his friend.
"You have anything to add?" Johnny looked over at his boss.
"I've seen you in action before. It's nice to know you aren't letting your high quality of work slip." Jason said with a smirk. Sonny had left about an hour ago. Alexis had called to say she was heading home because she was tired. The older mob boss didn't trust his wife to behave so he left as well.
"The crew is ready to come in and clean up." Milo said walking back into the room. He had stepped out to go find the guys. "So we need to bug out. Johnny the bathroom is set up for you." When the enforcer was done the crew would sanitize that area as well. Going so far as to scrub the drains to get rid of DNA evidence.
"I'll be down the hall in the office." Jason told his friend. He was driving them back to the house. Johnny wasn't going to be in any shape to drive himself. His muscles would be sore from the workout they'd just been given. If Georgie had been drinking tonight, then Jason would call a car to drive them home.
"I won't be that long." Johnny said heading out. A quick shower here, and then a longer one at home. Maybe his girl would join him.
"So anything exciting happen?" Jason asked as he locked up. Georgie was fine to drive, having only had a few sips of champagne earlier in the evening. "If you broke out the champagne you guys must have been celebrating something."
"Nadine is going to medical school." Liz started there.
"I know. Cody was pretty much bursting with pride when she submitted the application." Jason said turning out the lights as they walked through the house.
"She got her acceptance letter." Liz cleared up.
"Ah. We will have to take them out to celebrate." Jason knew that was how that worked. They would probably do a group meal.
"And Leyla is pregnant!" Liz said as they walked into the pet room. They didn't turn in for the night without checking on everyone. Or without putting up the safety gate so that the rabbits stayed in their room until the morning. "You knew." She said looking at the half grin on his face.
"Marco wasn't keeping that a secret." Jason said laughing. "He damn near floated into the warehouse the morning they found out. Sonny is superstitious so he made us all promise not to say anything. Now that they are announcing it we'll probably be doing something for them as well."
"Alexis's shower is coming up also. We have a lot on our social calendar." Liz said kissing their pets good night. "Should be busy fall since I'm expecting Johnny isn't going to wait much longer to propose to Georgie."
"Any inside information on that?" Jason said leading them upstairs.
"Georgie wants to be a June bride, so I'm thinking an engagement by Thanksgiving, and then wedding planning mania." Liz was looking forward to it. "Somewhere in all the partying we have to make time to meet the man my Gram is dating."
"Audrey's dating?" Jason said surprised. He paused in undressing. "Who?"
"Dr. Phil Brewer, former head of Vision Services at the hospital. He recently retired and is going into teaching. He'll be working with your dad." Liz had grilled her Gram, getting all the information there was.
"I'll run him in the morning. If he isn't good enough for Gram then he has to go." Jason said feeling protective. "How long has that been going on?"
"About a month." Liz had to smile at what her husband said. He might not be demonstrative but he took care of those he loved. "Monica spotted them having dinner the other night."
"Why didn't Gram say anything?" Jason asked as they got into bed.
"She was worried Steven would do something to scare Phil off. Especially since they were working together when the relationship started." Liz said snuggling close. "I don't think she factored you into the equation."
"I will only glare if he has earned it." Jason promised. "Steven will glare because he isn't used to Gram dating."
"Me either, but she deserves to be happy. Sarah and I will keep Steven from wrecking things if it comes down to it." Liz said starting to relax. She had called her sister and the two were both grinning at the news.
"We can talk more tomorrow. Get some sleep." They were going to brunch at Sonny's tomorrow. "Love you." He said rubbing her back.
"Love you too." Liz said slipping into slumber. Being held close by her husband assured she would have sweet dreams.
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