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When Cassadines Fall
Waking Up
Stefan wakes after only hours of sleep fully alert and cognizant of where he is. A curse of his nature and history of insomnia. No matter what time he goes to sleep he wakes at the same hour. He hadn't taken the time to check out the room the night before and looks around. Unlike Wyndemere, this house doesn't have the element of gloom. Eccentric yes, like all victorians, but not gothic. The furniture is antique in most cases but the use of color and pattern in the accents give the room a comfortable quality rather than the feeling of sleeping in a museum. Stefan goes into the attached bathroom and turns on the shower. Instant heat. Another modern convenience. Nikolas has done well in this endeavor.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Maddy curses as she wipes the sleep from her eyes. Dressed in her thermals with an oversized sweatshirt over the top and the required fuzzy socks, Maddy reaches for the coffee pot. Her alarm had gone off as if she was going to work. She'd forgotten to turn the damn thing off. The kiosks were on a holiday schedule. The PCU wasn't even open cause of the school break. "I don't even have class today." Maddy groans in complaint. Cinnamon looks at her quizzingly. "I could have slept until noon." She whines.
"We still could." Nik reaches around Maddy blocking her against the counter to get to the coffee pot. He snuggles in even closer.
"Mr C is upstairs." Maddy reminds. "So behave. What are you doing up anyway? I'm up because I forgot and set my alarm by accident."
"Bed was cold. I wish you hadn't gone to your room last night." Nik admits. "I think I'm getting spoiled."
"Getting?" Maddy looks over her shoulder up at Nik. "You think you are getting spoiled?! Ha!" She takes a sip of her coffee but leans back a bit into Nik. She can see out the big picture window to the backyard at the carriage house. Maddy frowns. "Isn't that Carly's rig? What is she doing here? Em says she doesn't wake before like ten unless there is some big sale at Wyndams."
Nik steps away to walk over to the window. "Yeah. I think it is."
The phone rings. Maddy looks at it and then at Nik before picking up. "Casa Cassadine."
"Maddy, I saw the lights come on. Put Nik on the phone. If he's not awake wake him up."
"Lucky?"
"It's important, Madeliene."
"It's for you. It's Lucky." Maddy hands the phone to Nik. She makes no pretense of not listening.
"Yes?"
"Mom was in an accident last night. Grandma Lesley was hurt too. Dad flew down there early this morning."
"Lulu?" Nik worries.
"She called Dad. That's pretty much all the details. All we know now. Carly stopped by to tell me. Dad is suppose to call later with an update once he gets to the hospital."
"When did Lulu call?"
There is a brief conversation on the other side of the line as Carly fills in that info. "2am. Everyone was still up playing poker over at the Brownstone when the call came through. AJ just got back from dropping Dad at the airport and brought Carly over here to tell me."
"They should have called us to go too!" Nik protests. He looks at the clock on the stove. "That was over three hours ago. Lulu has to be scared crazy."
"You aren't saying anything I haven't already said longer and louder." Lucky says angrily. "Damn him for not calling last night and Damn her for being down there in the first place. She should have been here in New York."
"Let me think." Nik protests. "I can call the airport. We can fly down there."
"Yeah. That'll work. I want to wait a couple more hours... see if we can get hold of Lulu or my dad. See what the update is."
"I'll make the arrangements." Nik agrees. He hangs up the phone. "You heard?"
"Your little sister is okay though right?" Maddy cuts to the chase.
"As far as I know. Lucky wants to wait until there is word from Luke." Nik's tone tells how he feels about that.
"Where is your mom at exactly." Maddy asks. Stefan answers from behind her. Maddy grabs the phone book to make sure of the area code and then dials information for North Carolina. "Yes, I'd like all number of all the hospitals in..." Maddy names off the town and then starts writing down the numbers. Starting at the top she goes through them until she finds the hospital where Laura is listed as being a patient. Nik is on her cell phone calling the airport to arrange for the jet to be readied. Maddy starts getting flustered with the run around about them giving out info over the phone, but Nik is busy on the other phone. "Look this is her daughter in law okay?" Maddy lies easily and convincingly. "Her son and his brother are making arrangements to get down there as soon as possible-- I need to know what to tell them on how she and her mother are doing... and where their sister is. Thank you. You've been a big help." Maddy says with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Nik pulls the phone away from his face. He was on hold while the office tracked down a pilot. "What did you find out?"
"Your grandmother is already out of surgery and out of recovery. Lulu is staying in her room. Both of them are sleeping. Your mom is still in surgery so they are calling her condition critical."
"My God. Laura." Stefan mumbles. He sits down at the kitchen table.
"****" Nik swears. The timing of the guy on the side of the line couldn't suck any harder for the poor peon. Nik starts taking out his worry on him. Maddy goes over behind Nik and starts rubbing his back getting him to tone it down a notch. Nik takes her hand and squeezes it hard.
She gets his attention. "I'm going to go pack you a bag." Nik nods and releases her. Maddy runs up the stairs to Nik's room. When she'd moved his stuff from the cottage she'd put away enough to know where things were stashed. She quickly puts together a couple days worth of stuff. Anything more Nik could pick up down in Carolina. She goes into Nik's bathroom and puts together a toileries case sweeping through the counter with sure fingers. Packing out in the middle of the night was one of her specialities. She is back downstairs just as Nik is hanging up from talking to the airport.
Nik looks at Maddy holding his overnight bag. "You can't go can you?" It might be in the form of a question but his tone is sure.
Maddy shakes her head no but her words deny the nonverbal answer. "I can if you want. I don't have classes until Em gets back all I'd have to do is call Johnny to cover."
"No, the other business, your aunt, Larry, heck even Cinnamon." Nik counts off all the reasons why Maddy can't go.
"Candy, you need me there... I'm there."
"I need to know you're going to be here when I get back."
"Yeah, I'll be on the cell 24/7."
Nik looks to Stefan. "Grandmother will use this."
"Agreed." Stefan nods.
"Is she shows up here...." Nik fades off.
"I'll invite her in for tea just like I did before and if she pulls a knife I'll throw her out on her boney butt."
"Yeah, I bet you would." Nik grins but it falls away fast. "Keep Cinnamon with you."
"Always. Don't worry, Niknik. Look, call Lucky. I'll drive you guys to the airport."
"No, we'll take my truck." Lucky says from the back door. Liz holds the cordless phone in her free hand. "We can leave it at the airport for transportation back."
"Lucky, I can go with you guys." Liz offers. "I'll forward the calls to Maddy if your dad should call."
"We're not going to be there long." Lucky says grimly. "Best case or worst just long enough to collect everybody and bring them back here."
Nik takes in the backpack on Lucky's shoulder. "You're not going to wait for Luke's call?"
"What's he going to say? Don't come?" Lucky lifts a brow. "Yeah right. Like that is going to work." Lucky looks at Maddy holding his brother's overnight bag. "I don't think that either of us is going to buy into that one."
"Let's go." Nik agrees. He takes the bag from Maddy. "Keep it frosty while I'm gone, Madeliene. No troublemaking."
"Scuse me, buddy. I think you have me confused with Miss Carly. I don't cause problems. I solve them. And keeping things frosty will be a piece of cake around here." Maddy quips with a mock shiver. She reaches up to cup Nikolas' face. "Call me if you need me. Promise."
"I promise." Nik steps back. He turns to Stefan. "Keep an eye on things."
"Always." Stefan nods.
Lucky is giving Liz a hug. This is the first time they've been separated since Liz moved out of Audrey's house. And she'd never flown solo since running away from Colorado to come to Port Charles. Definitely never solo'd since the crap had gone down with Tom. Lucky looks over Liz's shoulder to Maddy. "You guys try to have fun while we're gone. Cats away and all that. Fact is I think you should have a sleepover."
Liz stiffens knowing exactly what is going through Lucky's head. "I'm not a baby, Lucky. I can stay on my own."
"Yeah, well maybe Maddy can't. She's got a lot of stuff going down right now." Lucky covers.
"Oh good. Paint me the wimp." Maddy grouses. "You just want us to be ticked at you before you leave. We'll be fine." She starts pushing Nik and then Lucky toward the door. "We're big girls and the peace and quiet will be a nice change. You two are the actual drama queens. Now go take care of your mother and sister."
Nik pauses on the back porch. "Be here when I get back."
"I already said I would-- now go." Maddy waits until he turns around to go to the truck before shutting the door and then watches as they pull away. Then she goes over to her business book and opens it up to Carly's cell number. She dials quickly as soon as Carly answer she starts in. "I'd like to know what the hell you were thinking telling Lucky and not Nikolas? Damnit Carly! They are BOTH her sons. How'd you like it if something happened to your mother and everyone told Lucas but nobody told you! It wasn't fair. I'm beginning to expect that crap from Nik's mother not you." Maddy finally lets Carly get a word in edgewise. "They both live on the same property. I don't care who had lights on..... Well your uncle is an idiot and I'll tell him so to his face when he gets back. Fine!... Fine!" Maddy slams down the phone.
"FINE!" Carly slams down her cell phone. It takes the abuse only slightly better than her twelfth alarm clock.
"Who was that?" Jerry asks. Carly and AJ had come back to the brownstone after filling Lucky in since Michael is still asleep upstairs.
"That was Maddy. She's hot 'cause I didn't tell Lucky and Nik together." Carly shrugs. "No big surprise there. Just about everyone over there was ready to kill the messenger. Lucky was seriously ticked that he wasn't called straight away. They are not going to be waiting for Luke."
"But you didn't let anything slip..."
"Let what slip?" Bobbie yawns as she comes downstairs fastening the belt on her robe. "What are you two still doing up? Did the game run that long?"
"Red, You need to sit down."
Bobbie comes awake. "Jerry, I'm beginning to really hate that phrase!"
Jerry goes over and takes Bobbie's hand. He leads over her over to a chair. "We got a couple of different things going on."
Bobbie looks beyond her husband do her daughter. "What did you do, Carly?"
"Nuthin'. I swear, Mama. This one is not me. And after all this is all over you're gonna need to get another chorus 'cause I'm about as sick of that one as you are of Jerry telling you to sit your ass down!" Carly retorts sharply.
"Caroline... AJ..." Jerry cuts in. "Go get the boys ready and take them out for breakfast. I need to talk to Bobbie alone." Carly looks like she is about to protest. She really wants the apology. "Now."
"Fine!" Carly stomps off to get the kids.
"Jerry, we'll take Lucas for the weekend. I think we're going to be staying in town. You two come get him when you're ready." AJ tells his father in law. "And might I suggest a cup of coffee or something to give us time to clear out."
"Good plan."
"Jerry..." Bobbie looks at her husband in warning.
"Let Lucas get clear, Bobbie. This is major but for adults only at this point."
Bobbie eases around Jerry to go into the kitchen. Jerry rises to his feet and turns to AJ. "It probably won't be the whole weekend... just a few hours."
"Yeah, but it's there if you need it." AJ tells him. They both turn as the thundering herd comes down the stairs.
"I promised them truckstop." Carly tells AJ. "It's the only thing that would be open this early."
"Works for me. You can buy since you took the last pot of the game." AJ replies. He walks over and starts helping everyone with their coats.
Carly comes over to Jerry. "I've been in this boat... a daughter finding out a couple of decades late who her parent is. You need me to run interference... chill Maddy out... I can do that. You're a great guy, Jerry. I'll make her believe it." She gives him a quick hug before half running to catch up with AJ and the kids.
Jerry walks into the other room. He glances over to the kitchen. Bobbie is standing in the doorway. He can read the worry on her face. "What is going on, Jerry. And don't tell me to sit down again."
"Damn it, Red." Jerry growls. He runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know where to start." He exhales sharply. "Okay I'll start with the thing that is handled already. Laura was in a car accident last night with her mother and her daughter."
"OhmyGod! Are they alright?!"
"Jax is flying Luke down there. Laura and her mother both had injuries, Lesley Lu is fine."
"She was probably in her booster seat. Laura is a fanatic about that." Bobbie says as an aside. Something strikes Bobbie as being off. "Why didn't you fly Luke down to Carolina? There is something worse isn't there? What aren't you telling me?"
"Red, you really should..."
"Don't tell me to sit down! Just spit it out!"
"Lady Jane is convinced that Madeleine Reynolds is my daughter."
"Oh boy." Bobbie pulls out one of the dining room chairs and sits down abruptly. "Oh boy. Yeah, that's a biggy. Wait. Lady Jane is convinced... Why is she convinced and you aren't?"
Jerry comes over to the table and sits down next to Bobbie. He takes one of her hands. "Cause I'm still in the getting convinced stage. I'm only about..." Jerry looks over at the clock. "... six hours ahead of you on this one. Mum was dropping a lot of hints last night but I wasn't picking up on them... unlike your brother. He gathered all the clues and dropped into the middle of the table like a damn nuclear bomb."
"What kind of clues?"
"That I was in New Orleans when Maddy was conceived. That was enough of a clue for him to drop the bomb. Mum started laying out the evidence that she's been collecting after he dropped it."
"What evidence?"
Jerry reaches for the photo album that is still on the table. "This."
"Right. It looks just like that photo over on the prominade." Bobbie agrees. "I told her it was kind of freaky that two photos taken 20 years apart would be so similiar..."
"This girl told me her name was Lisa. Maddy's mother's name is Lisette. Bobbie, I didn't know. If I had known..."
"You would have been there. Jerry, nobody knows better than me what kind of guy you are. We were always straight about our pasts. Neither of us were virgins coming in." Bobbie bites her lip. "It's still not proof. Not blood proof. Jerry, you are great with my kids; you'd be fabulous with your own but I hope it's not true."
"Why?"
"Because everything I know about Maddy and her mother?... Well it sounds like Maddy lived the life I tried to save Carly from by putting her up for adoption. I wanted better for Caroline than the men, booze and yeah, there was a lot of drugs around even though that wasn't my thing. The running out in the middle of the night to not have to pay the rent... the no lights, no food in the house. It took me a long time to work out of that cycle and it sounds like Maddy's mother never did. HELL! It killed her!"
"I didn't know, Barbara."
"I know that, Honey. I'm not trying to guilt you. I'm just saying how I see it. What doesn't kill you is your life. Carly has never forgiven me for giving her up. She refuses to see that I did the best I could. Jerry, she might not want a father. Depending on how bad things were at home... she might despise the idea of a father, of all men. Maddy didn't collect old men back in Louisiana... she collected the grannies."
"Cassadine. She plays chess with Cassadine." Jerry clutches at straws.
"And he pays her." Bobbie reminds and regrets the quick come back at Jerry's wince. "It's probably not that bad. She gets along with your friend Pete. And look how comfortable she was with everyone at her party. Nikolas is sweet on her."
"She keeps things on a cash and favor basis." Jerry realizes. "And always tries to make sure that they are the ones owing her a favor. She never wants to be in debt... especially to a man."
Bobbie nods having been there and done that. "That's a scary place to be... owing somebody and worrying about, dreading, what they're going to want in return. Stefan is probably easy... she knows what he wants-- a chess game since nobody else will play with him. And Pete, well that started out easy enough too... she knew what he wanted... her to take good care of his mother. That gave them time to become friends." Bobbie shakes her head. "She is going to have no clue what to make of you. The only thing she probably has to compare you with, that Lisette provided her with... you shouldn't be mention in the same breath as."
Luke strides out of the elevator and to the nurses station. He leans up against it both hands firm on the counter. "I'm Luke Spencer. My wife, mother in law and daughter are here."
The nurse nods. She'd been with Lulu when she placed the call. She keeps her voice low. As a graveyard nurse, she'd adjusted to keeping her voice down so that the patients could get what sleep they could. There was nothing she could do about the damn squeaky shoes though. "Yes, Mr Spencer." She looks over her shoulder to the dayshift relief who is just reading charts to get caught up as to what happened the night before. "Will you answer the lights? I have to talk to Mr Spencer."
"Sure." The gal looks up from the charts and smiles at Luke.
"Over here." The other nurse indicates a waiting area. "I can give you a general update but you need to talk to your wife's surgeon. Your wife is in recovery but her injuries were very severe and it's going to take some time to find the exact extent of her injuries. The doctor's priority last night was making sure that she made it through the night."
"But she's alive."
"Yes, sir. She just got out of surgery 'bout an hour ago and hasn't woke up from the anesthesia yet." The nurse makes a pre-emptive answer to the question she knows is coming next. "You can't see her. Not until after you've talked to the doctor and he turned right around and had another emergency. This ice storm has been a doozy. He will be back to check on her as soon as he gets out of the OR again. Now your mother in law."
Luke takes a deep breath and shuts his mouth. This woman is confident and there is no way he is getting around her. Barbara Jean would love this gal. "How is Lesley?"
"I'm no expert... but what I think happened was she was slammed sideways against the car door." The nurse reaches out to touch Luke. She broke this bone here in a couple of places and did some serious damage to her shoulder. Do you know if she is right or left handed?"
"Right."
"Dang. Then she is not going to be a happy camper for at least 12 weeks. The doctor had to insert pins to stabilize the breaks she is casted from here to here." The nurse indicates from the middle of her forearm all the way to her opposing shoulder across her whole chest.
"That means her fingers are free."
"Yeah, but the cast is up like this." The nurse holds up her arm from her body. "If it where just the arm... or just the shoulder but because it was both totally immobilizing that part of her body will be important to giving those breaks time to heal. The good news is it wasn't a break of her pelvis or her legs so she isn't in traction. She'll be able to go home if she has someone that can take care of her there. Just about everyone I know can work the remote of a TV off handed and that is going to be about her speed once she gets out of here. But bathing and getting in and out of cars... most chairs... depending on if she likes to sleep on her side. All things she is going to have to make adjustments to and have assistance with."
"And my daughter?"
"Is a precious angel. Everyone on the floor fell in love with her, bless her heart. She didn't have a scratch on her. But she was scared silly tonight. Her gramma was in a lot of pain and her mama was out cold at the accident. She is the one that called 911 and held the phone to her gramma's ear so Miz Lesley could tell the paramedics what the situation was. She didn't really lose it until they took Miz Lesley into surgery and that's when we called you. You calmed her right down and I got a room ready for her and her grandmother. They're both sleeping. But we'll be bringing the breakfast trays around in about twenty minutes. Your daughter in law called a couple of hours ago to check on everyone. And I got the feeling that your boys are on the way down too."
Luke is startled by the comment and about to correct her about Elizabeth's call. When he sees a dark haired little one poke her head out of a door up the hall. "Is that my Princess Leslie Lu?" He calls out in a voice just loud enough to carry.
"Daddy!" Lulu comes running at him. Luke picks her up and hugs her close. "I was so scared."
"I know, baby. But I'm here now."