Chapter 72 & 73
GH2005.72 Awkward Meetings
Gina walks out of Scott's bedroom after dressing and takes a deep
breath. Thinking to herself, she begins to worry. I can't believe this
is happening. What can I possibly say to her? Hey Karen, how are Joe and
the kids? Oh by the way, I know we discussed my dating your father and
all, but well I'm sleeping over now. Yeah, that'll go over really well.
This is a nightmare..no, a nightmare is far better than this. This is a
total disaster. I wonder if Lucky felt like this, when Nikolas cornered
him leaving my room? Why am I thinking of Nikolas and Lucky when I'm
about to deal with my lovers daughter..the daughter who used to be my
sister-in-law? Man, I thought these kind of relationships only happened
in the hills. Okay, I can do this. I'll just take another deep
breath..and crawl into a hole and die. No, stop that..I've dealt with
worse situations than this..yeah right.. when have I ever been more
mortified than I am right now? Okay, enough, I can do this.
Karen stands in the kitchen staring at the contents of her father's
refrigerator and thinks to herself. Not that I really needed to look in
the fridge; Dad always has the bachelor basics..soda, cold pizza, some
Chinese takeout Frank could use in his science class, and oh man, what
in the hell am I going to say to her? Okay-- remain calm. I mean, Gina
and I are both adults. This isn't a big deal. I mean, I knew she was
dating Dad. Heck! I was pretty cool about it. Ick, she's had sex with my
father.. don't go there Karen, you just ate. Okay..I can do this. It's
just one of those funny little things that's awkward at first, and
eventually becomes very funny. Of course they're funny years later, when
we're both really old, and my father stops having sex with her. Oh
gross, she's having sex with my dad. I'm too old for this to be
bothering me. I mean, I am adult. I have three kids of my own; this is
not a big deal. I'll just smile at her, have a friendly little
discussion, threaten her with bodily injury if she even glances at my
father again..oops went to far, Scanlon. Breathe..just breathe..
Gina walks into the kitchen and clears her throat. "Hi Karen."
Karen wheels around from the fridge and smiles at Gina. "Hey
there..sorry, I was just looking in Dad's fridge."
"Find anything interesting?" Gina laughs uneasily as Karen grins. An
embarrassing moment of silence follows until both girls speak at once.
"I am so sorry.." Karen says just as Gina says. "I can explain."
Karen shakes her head. "No, really, this is my fault. I don't need an
explanation. When no one answered when I knocked I should have just
left."
Walking into the living room, Gina replies anxiously. "No, you have a
key, Scott wants you to feel comfortable here. I was in the shower, so I
didn't hear you knock. I shouldn't have been here. I mean-- this is
Scott's house..."
"And you're his girlfriend. Oh, man, is this as awkward for you as it is
for me?" Karen smiles at her as Gina busts out laughing.
"More so. Karen, I don't know what to say. I don't think there's
anything to say really."
Karen sits on the couch with Gina and shrugs her shoulders. "Oh flip
it-- it happened. I mean, so what? You and I are friends, and adults.
It's not a big deal."
"So, basically, we just never speak of this again, especially to Scott."
Gina extends her hand, which Karen shakes firmly.
"You got it. We tell Dad, he'll tell Joe and they'll never let us forget
it. So, um hungry? I brought food."
"Real food? If I see another slice of cold pizza, I'll go postal in a
Pizza Hut."
Evan tip toes out of Ian's room and breathes a sigh of relief. He had
run out of stories to read him.
Emily giggles at him, as she lounges in the recliner. "Tough time
getting him down for a nap?"
Flopping down on the couch, he waves up his hands in defeat. "Okay, you
win, no more cookies anytime near nap time. He couldn't stay still. I
have to buy some books for his room."
"Hmmm, well why don't you ask Felicia and Mac if they have any of
Georgie's old books? I'd offer to call Ned and Lois, but they'll be
using theirs for years." Emily giggles as she thinks of Ned surrounded
by five teenage girls all wanting the keys to a car to meet their
boyfriends. The picture is just too amusing.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, just thinking of Ned in eight years. So, Daddy, we still
dining with my folks tonight?" Emily laughs as a look of fake horror
crosses his face.
"Dinner at the Mansion? With your parents? That's tonight? What about
Ian?"
"Bring him along. Seriously, I told Mom and Dad all about him, and they
really want to spend some time with him. I think the idea of spoiling a
little kid and then sending him home to someone else just amuses the
heck out of them. Besides, It's been awhile since we dined with them.
They miss you." She watches with amusement as he scoffs at her.
"They hate me. Okay, I take that back, you mom likes me. You dad scares
me. You notice how he sharpens his scalpels everytime I'm over there?"
Evan shudders as images of surgery with no pain killers dance through
his head.
"Oh, relax, Dad hasn't tried to kill anyone in years. So, the way I
figure, Ian will be up in two hours. If we feed him a snack, give him a
bath, and take turns showering in between we can make to the mansion by
6pm."
Evan takes her hand in his and pulls her to him. "Em, babe, we'd save
time if we just shower together."
"Right, that would really speed things up. Down Tiger, let's just stick
with my plan." She giggles as he nuzzles her neck.
"But my plan is so much more fun. Wait, did you say we have two hours
before Ian wakes up?"
Evan grins at her mischievously. "Race ya to the bedroom."
Jason sits in his wife's office at General Hospital, his hand wrapped
tightly around his cell phone. "I don't care, Joseph. I want every one
of our allies to spare some people to look into this. Spread the word--
anyone not cooperating with our search to find the drug smugglers will
move to the top of the "we're probably guilty" list. They don't want to
be on that list.... Right, did you and Pete get your suits pressed?...
Good, I want some show of support for Drake at the funeral.... Yeah, I
know, but he will get through it. I appreciate that, as I'm sure he
will.... Yeah, go ahead and sit with Adam tonight too, if you don't
mind. Alexis says Mark hasn't been sleeping, so he needs to crash
tonight.... Benny's handling that end. So far nothing has turned up.....
No, I want you and Pete handling Chinatown. Robin's safety is at risk
until things are under control there.... Fine, I trust you to handle it.
I need to tend to some family business right now, so keep in touch."
Jason hangs up the phone and walks out of the office. He calls out to
Alan. "Alan! I need to talk to you for a minute."
Alan turns to face his son, beaming. "Jason, how are you? Monica was
hoping you and Robin would join Emily, Evan and us for dinner tonight."
Jason ponders it for a moment then nods. "That'll work. I need to talk
to you and Monica about the red tape involved in taking in a kid that
isn't your own."
Alan glances at him, curiously. "Are you thinking of adopting?"
"No, Alexis and Tom are trying to become permanent Foster parents for a
kid that works for me. His girlfriend died during childbirth, and the
state wants to take the baby away from him. I was wondering if you could
give me some tips on Selena Bivens. She was the case worker for Emily--
right?"
"Yeah, Monica and I can discuss that with you tonight. I read about the
young woman. Tom filled me in on the rest. If you need any help with the
young man.."
Jason shakes his head. "If you can give me information on Bivens then
you'll have done more than you know. I'll see ya tonight."
GH2005.73 "Goodbye, My Love"
Jason and Robin Morgan sit next to a somber Mark Drake. The cemetery is
hauntingly beautiful, as the flowers of fall and multicolored leaves
decorate the small cemetery. Alexis and Tom Hardy sit behind the
Morgan's. Joseph and Pete sit with Carly Roberts and Benny. Robin
squeezes Mark's hand as the preacher begins the funeral service. The
somber young man looks at the casket that holds his Crystal and feels
the life begin to drain out of him. How will he make it without her? His
mind begins to drift back to the day his mother died..
Flashback 2004
Kneeling by the headstone, Mark succumbs to tears as he runs his fingers
along his mother's name. Nothing had prepared him for the pain
overwhelming him. The backpack slung over his shoulders holds the only
possessions he truly cares about. He knew he'd never go back to his home
for it was only with his mother's presence that it truly was his home.
His stepfather had managed to overcome his grief in the arms of a red
hair waitress. Anger fills his veins as he thinks about his stepfather
bringing that woman to his mother's funeral. If not for the respect he
had for his mother, he'd have killed the SOB on the spot.
Lost in his own thoughts, he doesn't notice anyone near him, until a
rose is placed by his feet. "I'm sorry, Honey."
Looking into the comforting eyes of his lover, Mark is able to utter his
first words since he was told of his mother's death. "I didn't say
goodbye to her."
The words are choked out, as a stream of hot angry tears glide over his
face. Crystal kneels next to him and wipes a tear away with her finger.
"She knows how much you loved her, Mark. Mothers always know more than
we give them credit for. I saw the way she looked up at you, with all
that pride and respect. You earned that from her, and she knew that you
loved her."
Her words cut into his already torn heart, finally he breaks down and
let's the grief of the last two days out. Crystal wraps her arms around
him. Holding him close to her, she continues. "Mark, I know you think
you're alone right now, but you're wrong. You'll never be alone, not as
long as I'm around. I love you, and I'll always be here for you. You
don't have to face this alone. I know how painful it is to lose a
parent, but the pain begins to dull eventually. I'll help you until it
goes away." She kisses his cheek and rocks with him, as he just holds on
to her and allows the grief to run it's course.
A nervous man knocks on Nikolas Cassadine's office door. Walking in, he
looks at his boss, carefully trying to determine his mood. Nikolas
looks up at the man with impatience. "What?"
"Sir, you wanted us to inform you of Mrs. Quartermaine's whereabouts."
"And?" Nikolas notices the man's hesitation and erupts. "I pay you to
keep me informed on the people I care about. Stop wasting my time, and
tell me what you have to tell me."
"She spent the night with Scott Baldwin-- at his home." The man watches
as the color drains from Nikolas face. If he'd been in a bad mood
before, he was now in a mood that could only be described as dangerous.
"That will be all." After the man exits softly shutting the door behind
him, Nikolas pulls open his desk drawer and picks up his wedding
picture. Shaking with rage, he screams at it. "I warned you! I took the
chance of losing what could very well by my child, and you sleep with
the bastard anyway? What in the hell is wrong with you? Why do you doubt
my word? I never lied to you.."
Scotty lays the freshly cut flowers at Dominique's grave and smiles.
"You're hating me right now-- well hating my actions. I know you never
approved of my scams, but Dom, I have to do this. I lost your fortune in
a stupid business deal. A fortune that was to provide for Serena. I
still have her trust fund, but the bulk is now gone. I will not look her
in the eye and tell her the fortune, the legacy her mother left for her
was ruined at the hands of her idiot father."
He hears the sky rumble and smiles. "I know, you never cared about the
money. I'm not like you, Dom. You always knew that. I owe it to our
daughter to retrieve that fortune. It was Cassadine's fault that I lost
the money; it's only fitting that he repay me."
Rain begins to pour down, but Scotty stands his ground. "Very Funny, It
may not have been Nikolas Cassadine, himself, but his representative
cost me a fortune and I will reclaim what is Serena's."
The rain softens as He runs his hands over her grave. "I still miss you.
I keep waiting for the pain to go away, but it never truly leaves me. I
see so much of you in our daughter. Lucy sees it too. That's another
thing, I need you to keep a little more careful eye on Luce. You know
how she gets when those hormones start kicking in. I love you,
Sweetheart, you left me too soon--too damn soon." Scott pats the
headstone one final time, before walking away.
Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared 'neath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye
Nikolas tosses his wedding picture across the room and steps over the
pieces of broken glass, as he leaves Wyndemere.
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Jason and Robin walk away from Crystal's grave, as Mark falls to his
knees beside it. Clutching his dozen of roses, he sobs at her graveside.
"You were supposed to stay with me, forever. Forever doesn't end this
damn fast. Crystal!"
Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I the king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all
It's my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance
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