1.) How are Brenda and Keesha besties?

I don't think Brenda and Keesha ever really had any reason to not get along they just kind of moved in different circles most of their time in PC. I believe that Keesha was actually Brenda's maid of honor (partly because Robin got stuck in PA with Jason and skipped the wedding altogether) when she couldn't marry Jax since Miranda showed up alive. There was also a canon GH scene about eight months before that when Jason was in TBI jerk mode after the accident and attempted to rape Keesha and Brenda walked into that glared at Jason and then went to console Keesha. So in this Brenda and Keesha presumably started to be friends when they were students at PCU in Fall 1994 and then Brenda was the Q nanny and Jason was dating Keesha so she was at the Qs with Jason a lot and hung out with Brenda. Brenda and AJ both supported Keesha when Jason was a jerk after the accident. During some of this time Brenda was dating AJ but when she went back to Sonny she was genuinely excited to see AJ and Keesha become a couple over the summer.

2.) Is Carly actually falling in love with Ned? Or is she just using Ned for his money?

I'm not sure that Carly is really falling in love with Ned or that she may ever truly do this but I think she is starting to care about him and I think she is committed to trying to raise a child with him. Of course, this is complicated by her own insecurity and fear that she will be a terrible mom.

As far as using Ned for his money, I wouldn't say that. However, I do think that the degree of wealth Ned has is a sharp contrast to Carly's childhood in semi poverty in the trailer park and that is a lot for her to process. At times I think Carly is very uncomfortable with the wealth and the privileges of being Mrs. Ned Ashton. At other times she does enjoy it although some of that may be a bit of a distraction technique and coping mechanism around her own insecurity and the general overwhelming nature of the Qs. This is probably a contrast to canon Carly because I do think she has used several guys for their money, and the standing she got on their arm.

3.) Liaison, could it still happen?

Maybe…although in 1997 Liz is fifteen and having slumber parties with Jason's teenage cousins so we're going to have to wait at least a few years.

4.) How can Lucy help Rex take Serena from Scott?

I think the best explanation is that Lucy is at her core someone who does what appears easiest/best for her in the moment. She just doesn't think too much beyond that or consider any of the downstream impacts of her actions. Plus, she did just have a miscarriage at the end of July. In the past Lucy's pregnancy loss was followed by desperation. When she lost Jake Meyers baby, she glommed onto Dr. Tony Jones and BJ so I think it fits that she would see getting Serena as what she deserved in the context of her recent pregnancy loss. Since she is very self-centered, she just doesn't really think about how moving Serena to Serenity will impact Serena, and Scott she just thinks about what she wants.

5.) What if Lily had lived? Would things be better?

That is the question Brenda is still torturing herself with. On canon GH there was still a lot of animosity between Miguel and Lily when she died. I rewrote that and let them have the moment remembering that there was still love between them bolstered by the joy that their son was alive. If Lily had lived, I don't think she and Miguel could have been lovers again. I really think that too much had happened for that. So, I think Lily and Sonny would have been together. Perhaps Sonny would likely be a bit healthier because he wouldn't have the trauma of clink boom. He probably also would have avoided all of his Carly periods which would probably also help his psyche. Also, Lily understood the ways of the mafia. She may have hated them but she understood them and it seemed that she was embracing her position as Sonny's wife which is something none of Sonny's subsequent wives have ever done (personally, I'm not exactly saying I blame them because I couldn't marry into that but perhaps then they shouldn't have either…). Lily also seemed to connect to Sonny's pain (perhaps this isn't the healthiest for her, but it was what she did) and at least when Stone was dying she was soothing to him. So, yes, for various reasons, I think if Lily and her child had lived Sonny would be on a more even keel. If you didn't particularly care for Kristina, Morgan, or Avery then they probably wouldn't exist either.

6.) Will Lois at least figure out how to co-parent with Ned and not set up a scenario where she only reaches out to Ned as the beyond last resort?

Ideally, yes. When I initially started writing GH fanfiction I actually started with a story where Lois brings Brooklyn back to the Qs at age 12 sans SORAS (so set in the context of other early 2007 events) to get her away from the gangs of NYC. Lois doesn't understand the magnitude of exactly what Brooklyn is actually involved in (in parallel Sonny (because he considers Brooklyn a niece) and John Quartermaine (because Ned is his nephew) do figure that out and how the gang ties into the Mancusi and Alcazar crime families and then Lois spends a year beating herself up with guilt only to eventually truly reconcile with Ned as she finally repairs her relationship with her daughter. I think having written that piece may make it harder for me to really be completely objective with this but that is my goal. I guess we'll see how I do. Ironically in that story, Lois and Alexis (who marries Sonny in 2008) become close friends even in the awkwardness of Ned/Alexis's prior relationship (which in that variation on canon was actually only the sham of Ned asserting paternity only they married as well in that context and Alexis feels extremely guilty about all of that) and in this I think that Lois and Carly may end up friends (and perhaps as weird as it is the partner switch evolves out of that to an extent).

7.) Are Liz and Nik the smartest of the 4 Musketeers?

I would probably lean towards Emily and Liz as the smartest of the four.

I channel a lot of Emily Bowen when I write Emily Quartermaine and when originally introduced that character was a very smart, but also kind child. Additionally, I transplanted her into a slightly saner Q Family and skipped over the drug stuff so I think that helps.

Lucky was nowhere near as smart as he thought he was (his father has a similar character flaw) even before the whole Helena brainwashing. His common sense is also sometimes rather lacking especially for someone who is billed as being so "street smart".

Prince Nikolas Cassadine is highly educated and likely has a 130+ IQ. At the same time, he can be gullible and often struggles with practical knowledge. To be fair to him, some of that may be culture and finance shock.

8.) Is Jason just into nameless sex?

There was definitely a period where he was. To be fair, even many Jarly fans will acknowledge that the initial Jarly sex act was very much a ONS without emotional attachment. It grew from there though. Of course, I suppose that begs the question could his relationship with Ally Rescott Alden Bowman also grow? Maybe… [This character is indeed from the City and Loving and coincidentally or perhaps not so….is portrayed by Laura Wright, GH's current Carly Corinthos.]

9.) So, who is Ally Rescott Alden Bowman?

In full disclosure, I never watched Loving or The City. I have watched some clips and watched the final episode of the City. If you're a die hard Loving or The City fan you will see that I have done some canon twisting to suit my purposes, because I don't know better since I never watched, or a mix of both.

For the purposes of our story:

Allison Rescott Alden Bowman:

-Born 11-5-71

-Daughter of Sherry Rescott (and some unnamed father)

-Came to live with her grandmother, Kate Rescott in Corinth, PA at some point during high school and then started her freshman year at Alden University in Fall 1991.

-Was a member of Alpha Chi Omega [after she couldn't pledge Tri-Delt due to a fight with Chyla Leigh Rimers which left her blacklisted there]

-Had a ONS with Alden heir Cooper Alden which resulted in her son Tyler Alden who was born 5-25-93 (at the end of her sophomore year of college). Although she married Cooper (mainly so his grandmother would pay for her expenses) she was still in love with artist turned drug dealer Casey Bowman (and I think on canon Loving had worked out some deal with Cooper where she was still free to have sexual relations with her boyfriend while married to him).

-Ultimately, she and Cooper divorced and she married Casey I think sometime around summer 1994.

-Casey started dealing drugs and was killed in a drug deal gone wrong in March 1995. Ally blamed Danny Roberts (who was also dealing drugs but not responsible) for his death and framed him for rape in a retaliation. Despite this they started dating and she moved to NYC with him in November 1995. **It is my understanding that all of this is true Loving Canon without modification.**

-She started dating Anthony Solieto of the Solieto Crime Family in February 1996. Unfortunately, after Tony Solieto took out Mark Zullo in July 1996 and Ally botched his alibi he was forced to marry his cousin (but no blood relation as she was adopted) Carla Solieto to invoke spousal privilege. The Solietos married 9-1-96 and Ally theoretically was planning to wait for Tony (Gino Solieto was convinced they needed to stay married for at least a year to avoid their marriage being questioned) but she didn't and fell back into bed with her ex Danny Roberts among others. The latter bothered Tony more than he could explain and he ended up sleeping with his wife for some comfort sex. Carla Solieto ended up pregnant from that one night (and the baby really was Tony's—I think Loving did this thing where Ally's ex Danny was the father) and although he had a few trysts with Ally along the way Tony eventually committed to Carla and his daughter Gianna Rose Solieto who's christening was featured in Chapter 54.

-Currently Ally is working as a hapless secretary for her former Uncle (at least by his marriage to her Aunt Ava) Alex Masters who owns Spade & Marlowe , a PI firm. Ally is pregnant purportedly with Tony Solieto's baby (although perhaps he isn't the father as she claims).

10.)Why are the Loving Characters invading Port Charles?

I'll concede this is a valid question. Perhaps it is more valid since I am not writing from a place where Tracy Q was in Manhattan from 1996-1997 so she shouldn't really know any of these characters except for the Aldens because Isabella Alden and Lila Quartermaine go way back. I mainly started adding in some of the Loving Characters because Ally Rescott Alden Bowman will be coming to Port Charles and I think these characters help flesh her out some.

If it helps here are some of the connections to keep in mind:

*The Aldens and the Quartermaines exist in the same US elite sphere [along with the Buchanans, the Chandlers, the Lords, the Tylers, the Baringtons, etc] so:

-Lila Quartermaine and Isabella Alden were friends

-Alden Enterprises did business with ELQ Enterprises

-Lila and Isabella might have thought Ned and Trisha would be good together and he did escort her to her Debutante Ball but nothing ever came of that.

*Trucker & Trisha Mackenzie moved to Port Charles in February 1996 (after their NYE 1995 vow renewal) for a fresh start. Trucker owns Mackenzie Construction and is quite successful.

*Steffy Alden was hired as the Deception Spokesmodel in October 1997.

*Jason Morgan and Sonny Corinthos both have interactions with the Solieto Crime Family [which is one of the 5 Families along with the Zacchara, Camorese, Pozzulo, and D'Angelo families].

*Jason Morgan and Ally Rescott Alden Bowman have been at least having meaningless sex since October 1997.

11.) Is Sarah Webber a sociopath?

So, I really may be assassinating a character because I didn't exist when all of the Ric/Monica/Jeff/Leslie drama was playing out. I know that GH did have Monica take a ton of blame for that but I'm not sure if that was really fair. Although typically women do take blame that isn't theirs so…

That said, I'm writing from a place where Monica married Dr. Alan Quartermaine when she was still a medical student and was married to him throughout her internship and residency. Dr. Jeff Webber was an ex-boyfriend (from like MS1 days) and a co-intern and he took advantage of her compassion. *I tend to think he did that as well as her husband from what I've read but I was not alive then so who knows? Even independent of Monica, Jeff seemed to be a bit of a slacker who used his connections and took shortcuts. He definitely didn't earn any points for the way he ended his relationship with Anne.

So, I think Sarah is a lot like her father…spoiled, entitled, and generally incapable of considering how her choices impact others at all. I'm not sure if she is really a sociopath, but maybe give her time.

***I've been reading over reviews working on some new chapters. Hopefully I will have something to post later this evening or tomorrow. Thank you so much to everyone who has offered feedback of any kind.***