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Chapter Seventeen

Elizabeth opened the door and could immediately tell that Johnny was on edge. "Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Forcing a smile, he shook his head. "Shouldn't I be asking you that, momma bear? You're the one that all the leeches caused to collapse last night."

"Leeches? I like that one." Elizabeth teased as she winked at him. After being involved with Jason for so long it was easy for her to pick up on the fact that Johnny was trying his best to not show that he was angry. She had to admit that he was pretty good at it too, but she was a pro at spotting the signs. Looking out the front door before shutting it, she inwardly sighed. "Where are Georgie and Baylor? You should've brought them over too, Johnny. She could have kept me company since Jason thinks I'm on house arrest."

"Maxie and Coop took Baylor to the zoo. I think that they were more excited than she was when we talked to them on the phone earlier. Georgie needed some time alone, or so she said."

"Maybe I should go visit with her."

He shook his head. "Not a good idea, Liz. She hardly slept last night. When I left she said she was going to take a nap before Maxie brought Bay home." He was also hoping that giving her some space would bring her out of the depression that she had been exhibiting since several nightmares had plagued her every time she fell asleep the night before. Johnny hadn't wanted to leave her but knew that he had to update Jason before the boys got home from school. And since he was sticking close to house after Elizabeth's scare last night that meant that Johnny had reluctantly left Georgie to update Morgan on all that he had learned. "Where is Jason?"

"He and OB have been in the den for the last hour or so. I was just getting ready to make some coffee for them. I'll bring you all in some when it's done." Elizabeth squeezed his shoulder. It was obvious that whatever Georgie had confided to Johnny had rocked him. "She'll be okay, John. Having you there supporting her, well, she needs that."

Draping an arm over her slender shoulders, Johnny attempted a smile. "I know she'll snap back to herself, Liz. And you need to focus on you and that baby. I'm tempted to sic my father on Carly after her stunt last night. It'd be so easy. He already despises the hag."

"She's just being the some old, predictable Carly. I shouldn't have let her push my buttons so easily. I know better. It only makes it worse the next time." Kissing his cheek affectionately, she shooed him toward the den. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to the kitchen. Concern for her friend had her wishing that she was sitting in on the meeting, but she knew the men would never go for that. Elizabeth also didn't want to invade Georgie's privacy or break her trust. When she was ready, she would confide what she was comfortable talking about.

Jason held up a hand as Johnny entered the room, cautioning the younger man to remain silent. From the smirk on O'Brien's face, he assumed that the two were starting to somehow deal with some of the troublesome morons that had cropping up in abundance. Although after hearing the conversation, he would have liked to handle it differently. It was too bad really. He knew Morgan dreamed about killing Spencer for all that he had put Elizabeth and the boys through.

"I know that it is not my normal pattern to call you with my concerns, Mac, but Spencer is out of control. Ask Mike. He witnessed him trashed out of his mind when he attacked Elizabeth at Kelly's the other day. He swung at her guard and was so messed up on pills that he hit Georgie instead. Not to mention that she was holding your granddaughter at the time." Lifting an eyebrow at the loud cursing, Jason smiled maliciously while keeping his voice even and filled with concern. "We've been having problems with Spencer approaching Elizabeth and becoming verbally abusive for weeks now. But since he is now involving your family his antics, I figured you should be aware. Especially since I know that Georgie just blew the incident off and had no intention of mentioning it to you."

Less than five minutes later, Jason ended the call and leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms behind his head. A satisfied gleam brightened his normally unreadable eyes. "Well, I think that Scorpio will be taking a really close look at his stellar detective. While I really wanted to take care of that particular problem myself, this way I can't be blamed for anything happening to him. I'd be the first and only suspect if I took the loser out. I'm not willing to risk leaving my family when I can get him where I want him without lifting a finger."

"Especially since the little prick will land himself behind bars soon enough. After that, only too many individuals inside would be willing to finish it if properly motivated," O'Brien agreed. The former guard shifted his weight as he studied the silent younger man. The barely contained anger simmering just below the surface had him relieved that Georgie had come clean.

"Elizabeth seemed to be doing alright after last night," Johnny finally spoke after noticing their stares.

Jason nodded. "She's resilient. I wish that she would've stayed in bed, but her stubborn streak rivals anyone that I know."

"Yeah, well, she's a little too hardheaded. Always has been."

"Like you have any room to talk, OB." Standing in the doorway with an insulated coffee thermos and three mugs, Elizabeth sassily grinned. "You're a piece of work yourself."

Taking the burden from her, he winked as he sat everything on the desk. "I try my best, Lizzie. Glad to know that I am succeeding. I hate to fail at anything I put my mind to."

Playfully smacking his chest, she laughed before nudging Jason with her hip as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Stop admiring my sister-in-law's backside so we can get down to business, Morgan."

Scowling at him, Jason flipped him the finger. "Go to hell, O'Brien. It could be an awfully long swim home to Ireland." Ignoring his amused chuckle, he turned toward Johnny. All humor faded from his features. "How come I get the impression that we've got major problems?"

"Oh, yeah. Georgie's biological father is gonna bite us in the ass. She's Julian Jerome's daughter." Hearing Jason's hiss of surprise, he held up his hand to stop him from responding immediately. "And believe it or not, that's only the tip of the iceberg, Morgan."

"And you couldn't tell me that last night?" Jason demanded as he shot O'Brien a filthy look. "How much worse could it get, Johnny? At least we know why the WSB involved her and we can counteract their moves. And the families would've mentioned this development the other night if they were aware. So we've got some time on that front to plan how to deal with them."

"Jerry Jacks and Helena were actively pursuing her and Baylor when O'Brien was systematically and carefully pointed in their direction. And I'm not convinced that Jerome is really gone. Neither is the WSB. Things aren't adding up."

"Julian Jerome is dead, Zacchara. I had Spinelli searching for proof and he found it. Don't worry though, I never told him why I wanted him to look into it."

The urge to throttle the geek was almost choking him as he growled incredulously. "I'll never trust another damn word that Spinelli says again. He'd be smart to stay the hell away from me or his life expectancy will be severely shortened."

Startled at the rage rolling off of the younger man, Jason exchanged an uneasy look with O'Brien who was just as mystified by the violent outburst. "What are we missing? What could Spinelli have done to warrant your wrath?"

"He's been searching for all the info we requested, John. You need to lighten up. He's doing his best."

"And he's playing you both for fools, O'Brien." Standing and restlessly moving around the room, he finally paused and met Jason's questioning eyes. "The F-ing Jackal knew Georgie was alive and about everything going on with her and all the damn people involved from the time that Diego Alcazar died." The disbelief on Jason's face was priceless, especially considering that most thought he was not capable of emotions. "He's known about Baylor's paternity and Georgie's the entire time. He prodded you, O'Brien, to Rome because Jerry was closing in on her location. The little bastard could've prevented years of her being on the run, alone, and all the torment if he had just opened his damn mouth!"

Not wanting to believe that Spinelli had purposely kept such information to himself, Jason rubbed his temples in frustration. "There has to be a mistake, a miscommunication of some kind."

"Really?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice. "Because Georgie admitted that he knew. In fact, Spinelli flew to South America after Diego died. She said that he told everyone up here that he was in Tennessee for something to do with his grandmother."

Livid at the idea that his young friend could have prevented a lot of the danger that Georgie and Baylor had faced, Jason went still and his voice lowered, a sign for anyone that knew him to know that he was beyond angry. "I'll need to talk to Georgie about this before I confront him."

"I figured as much." Johnny shifted so that he could look at the other man. "My father mentioned Prague yesterday in the park. Georgie gave me an edited version on what happened there. I know that she asked the guard that found her to kill those men."

Green eyes met dark, worried ones. Reading the unasked question, O'Brien was torn. He'd suspected that Georgie would have had a hard time talking about her time held as a prisoner. "Zacchara, you gotta give that girl time. Trust isn't something that comes easily to her now, not after the way that everyone she once had faith in broke that part of her. She'll eventually tell you that what she endured there, what led to her son's death and almost loosing Baylor."

"What?" Jason interrupted, stunned. "Did you just say her son?"

"Georgie was pregnant with twins, a boy and girl."

"Shit! You'd better start at the beginning of what she told you, Johnny, because I'm lost here."

Dropping into a chair and grimacing, Johnny wearily rubbed his face. "Fine and O'Brien can feel free to add anything that he knows too. While I think that Georgie told me basic facts, I also believe that she was holding back details that she didn't want to burden me with." Taking a deep breath, he started to explain about her receiving the text from Robin and what all had went down the night that she had 'died' in December.

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Needing some fresh air, Elizabeth decided that sitting beside the pool in the sunshine might help her mood. Leaned back in the lounge chair with her eyes closed, she took pleasure from the warmth of the rays beating down on her. Between work and everyday life, she was only too happy to spend some time relaxing. She was almost asleep when she heard a throat being cleared.

She blinked and shaded her eyes to see Marco looking apologetic at the intrusion.

"Sorry to bother you, Elizabeth, but Lulu is here."

Worry shot through her. She knew that Lulu was just as worried about Nik's sudden isolation as she was. "Um, thanks. Do you care to send her out here, Marco? The guys are in the office and I don't want our talking to bother them."

Marco grinned as he walked to escort the blond out to Elizabeth. Phrase it however she wanted to, but it was clear that Elizabeth didn't want Lulu to overhear anything that was being discussed in the den. Marco could even guess why. Lulu was a Spencer, with a knack for causing trouble. And she was also a young woman that had hurt Georgie in the past. And with the outburst that had been heard sporadically since Johnny had arrived, there was no way that Lulu should be inside the house to gain any information. Lulu was just a mini Carly in training, in his and most the guards opinions.

"Hi, Lu," Elizabeth greeted the younger woman with a smile as she sat beside her on deck. "How are you doing?"

"I've been better," she confessed sadly. "Nik is still refusing to let me on the launch. Between him and Lucky's behavior, I feel like I'm losing both my brothers. And mom was unable to talk to him either. Alfred told her that Nik was unavailable."

"I know you're worried. So am I. Emily wouldn't want Nik shoving everyone away that cared about him." Elizabeth sat up, purposely evading the mention of her ex. She was still angry at him over his recent pathetic behavior and had no intention of getting dragged into a conversation about him. "I hate to say it, but unfortunately, unless Alexis can convince him to seek help, I'm at a loss as what to do for him."

"That's what Dante said too, but I just feel like I should be able to reach him on some level. Maybe you should try to visit him again."

Catching the odd tone when she spoke of her boyfriend, Elizabeth took a closer look at her. Lulu's eyes were slightly red and puffy. "Are you and Dante fighting?"

"What? No, or at least not really."

Recalling the way that Dante had been giving her, Lucky, and Sam disgusted looks in Kelly's a couple mornings ago, Elizabeth arched a brow but left it alone. Why she would always care for her former sister-in-law, she was aware that Lulu could be as manipulative as the rest of the Spencer clan.

"Aunt Bobbie told me that you and Carly had a misunderstanding and that you were admitted for cramping. Are you feeling okay now?"

"Misunderstanding?" she snorted. "Carly verbally harassing me, you mean. But we're okay. Kelly just wants me to take it easy for a couple weeks."

"That's good," Lulu said brightly. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to you or that baby."

Picking up on the slight edge in her tone, Elizabeth swallowed a sigh. She knew that everyone thought that she was wrong for leaving Lucky and getting in a serious relationship with Jason, but she was happy. After years of putting other's first, Elizabeth was embracing her own dream and not letting anyone else ruin it for her.

Blowing her bangs away from her face, Lulu started to stand. "Well, I was just hoping that you'd be willing to try again to talk to Nik. You're one of his closest friends, Liz. We could borrow the Quartermaine boat and take it over to Spoon Island. You know, surprise Nik and not give him the chance to deny us access to the launch."

Uneasy with the determination that Lulu was exhibiting about her having to be the one to get through to her old friend, she heard Jason's doubts floating through her head. "Um, let me try to call him again tonight. If I still can't reach him, I'll ask Jason to go over with me."

Turning her head, Lulu hid her frown and schooled her features before turning back to hug Elizabeth. "I don't think taking Jason would be a good idea. You know that Nik doesn't like him after all."

Promising that she would call Lulu tomorrow and attempt to get a hold of Nik tonight, she waited until Marco had escorted the blond out before dropping her head back and groaning. Something was up with Lulu. And while concerned about one of her oldest friends, Elizabeth was starting to wonder if Nik was even on the island. And if he was, was he really delusional? Or was all this an elaborate scheme to get her out there? After hearing that Lucky had been in contact with someone in Greece, she was iffy about venturing to Wyndamere. Running into Helena and her merry men of murders and psychopaths was the last thing that Elizabeth needed.

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Taking care to avoid attracting attention, he watched from a distance as the oldest Jones sister held the little girl's hand as they strolled through the crowded park. Three was also there, periodically carrying the tired child. So far he had spotted two of Zacchara's guards trailing them everywhere that they went. Moving back into the shadows, he thought about the possibilities. While he normally would not hesitate to grab a child to get his point across, he was unsure if taking one that needed medicine daily wasn't asking for more trouble than it would be worth.

There was always the option of the young mother, as well as Morgan's woman and boys. His partner was adamant that young Baylor was the best choice to send the message that they were serious. Deciding to take a couple more days to think out the best plan, he cast one more look in the direction of the little girl before quickly leaving the area. If he would be spotted in town, it could ruin his chances of getting close enough to nab any of the people important to Morgan and Zacchara.

"Well?" the icy voice demanded once he had reached the prearranged meeting spot.

"The child is heavily guarded, just as is Elizabeth's boys. Zacchara has placed two guards on Diego's child."

"Hmm. We already have researched young Cameron's and Jake's security as well. I think our best options may be the women themselves. We can get one of the others to cause a scene, distracting their guards, and then grab the lucky girl. Kill their guards for all I care. I just want it done, as soon as possible."

"Which woman do you want me to grab. Georgianna Zacchara or Elizabeth Webber?"

Sinister eyes sparkled with glee at the thought of the chaos that would soon be unleashed. "It doesn't matter. Whichever one that you get the opportunity to grab first, take it. Just remember that Elizabeth Webber is not the weakling that most assume and that Georgianna has outsmarted us once already. Do not mess this up, or you could be found floating at sea yourself."