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When Cassadines Fall
Leftovers
"To kill him or not to kill him that is the question..." Maddy misquotes as she looks in the refrigerator. "This is my fault. I had the bright idea to invite Stefan in the first place." She glances down at her watch. It's five thirty now and Nik would be showing up with Stefan at six.
"Who are you talking to?" Lulu asks from the kitchen door.
"We're having company for dinner. And Niknik told them you were cooking." Maddy exaggerates slightly.
Lulu's eyes go wide. "No way."
"This is because we teased him for not being able to cook. It's a dare to make us look bad! Well Ha! Like you'd ever be able to get over on me, Cassadine." Maddy retorts.
"What are we going to do? Where is Nikky?"
"Staying away from me if he knows what is good for him. How was school today?"
"Good. Someone was going to start somethin' but Lucas handled it. Grandma is watching the news and cussing at Peter Jennings."
"Lu?! Where did you go?" Lucas comes into the kitchen to find out what was holding up his little cousin from the videogame they were playing in the study.
Lots of company I guess." Maddy realizes. I'm going to kill Lucky too. I bet I could get a group rate from the funeral home. "Lucas Jones right?"
"Yeah, and you're Maddy." Lucas replies.
There is a tone in his voice that has Maddy looking at him carefully. This kid knows about the BS story that is going round. "You're just in time to help. Both of you wash your hands... with soap." She adds just in case there is any doubt. Then Maddy starts pulling things out of the fridge: left over cranberry sauce from thanksgiving, a package containing two pork tenderloins, easy pour box of chicken broth, and the butter. All of that goes on a counter next to the stove. Then she goes to a cupboard where the potatoes and onions are stored and she pulls out an onion and a selection of potatoes: white, russet and yukon gold.
"All clean." Lulu holds out her hands for Maddy to see. "What do you want me to do?"
"You start scrubbing the potatoes. I don't want to peel them so we have to make sure there is no dirt or anything on them." Maddy goes over to the kitchen table and grabs a chair for Lulu to stand on. "We're going to have to get you a stool." She says absently. She grabs a cutting board, small paring knife and a large ceramic casserole dish from the cupboard next to the stove. "Lucas, as she finishes scrubbing the potatoes start cubing them. Try to get them all one size so they'll cook evenly but don't break a sweat over it." Maddy takes the vegetable brush and running some water in the first sink dumps all the spuds into it. With a firm grip on the brush she scrubs one of the spuds and then puts it on the cutting board she cuts the first one up the way she wants it, spreading it in a single layer on the bottom of the casserole dish. Both of the kids watch her and then she steps back. "Go for it." They take up their positions in the assembly line. Maddy watches as they do their first potato.
When she sees they are handling it she moves over to the other counter. Pulling out another cutting board she opens up the package of pork tenderloins, laying them on the board. She digs through the cupboard until she finds what she is looking for... a heavy iron skillet. Maddy puts the oven on 450 to heat up and then grabs the salt and pepper. She liberally pours it over the two tenderloins rubbing it into the meat. Once that is done she grabs the butter and slices off a few pats putting them in the iron skillet on the top of the stove. She turns up the heat. Maddy glance over to what the kids are doing. "Not enough color." She mutters. Maddy goes over to the fridge and grabs the bag of baby carrots that are already peeled and ready to go. She dumps it into the casserole dish along with the potatoes. "Okay I have brown and red.. you guys have white, yellow and red with some orange. What color is missing?"
"Green?" Lulu guesses with a shrug.
"Green." Maddy nods. She looks around the kitchen and then reaches into one of the cupboards and grabs a couple of large tins of green beans. She tosses Lucas the can opener. Lulu gets down from her stool and searches for a pot for them. She hands it to her cousin who dumps the beans into it. The butter in the skillet has started to bubble and melt. Maddy lays the tenderloins in the skillet watching the butter hiss and sizzle around the meat. Maddy takes over the cutting board that the kids had been using to quickly peel an onion. "Next time you guys get to do this one." She sniffs wiping her sleeve against her eyes. She adds a little bit of onion to the green beans and then leaves the rest for the sauce. She flips the tenderloins over so that the other side will be seared too. As soon as that is done she shoves the whole thing into the oven. "Whoops! Lulu, find me the meat thermometer it should be in the drawer next to the silverware!"
Lulu hops off the chair and races to the proper drawer. "This one?" She holds up a thermometer.
"Nope. That's a candy thermometer. We want one with a pokey thing on the end." Lulu grabs the right one and brings it to Maddy. Maddy grabs the casserole dish, adds some butter to the top of the veggies. She reaches over to the spice rack and adds some green looking stuff kinda randomly. Opening up the oven again she slides the casserole dish onto the bottom shelf of the oven and stabs the tenderloin with the thermometer and then slams the oven door shut again before all the heat can escape. "Okay why did I do that?"
"Because pork that isn't cooked all the way through is nasty." Lucas explains.
"And will make you sick." Lesley says from the doorway. "What smells so good in here?"
"We're making dinner." Lulu explains to her grandmother. "Me, Lucas and Maddy."
"This I have to watch." Lesley takes up a stool on the other side of the breakfast bar.
Maddy looks over at Lulu and mouths..."Pepsi."
Lulu goes over to the fridge and grabs her grandmother a soda bringing it over to her. "Thanks, baby." Lesley pops the top one handed as if she had any other choice. "What is left to do?"
"The sauce and setting the table. You guys are going to have to handle that." Maddy looks over at her assistants. "We're going to have too many people for the kitchen table. Lulu, the placemats are in the sideboard. Will you show Lucas where everything else is?" While the kids are racing around setting the table, Maddy starts making the sauce. She turns the heat on the green beans. This wasn't going to take long. Getting out another pot, Maddy puts in a little more butter and then slides in the remaining chopped onion from the cutting board. She reaches for the rosemary.
"If you're going to use dried you only need half as much." Lesley says out of nowhere.
"I knew that." Maddy says sheepishly as she puts half of the rosemary back in the container. She sprinkles the rest on the onions that are already starting to sizzle and turn clear. Maddy grabs the leftover cranberry sauce and dumps it into the pot along with about half a cup of the chicken broth and then looking around she reaches up in the cupboard and grabs some balsamic vinegar. She splashes some into the pot.
"We're all done, Maddy." Lulu announces.
"That was fast. Here. Get your chair and start stirring this. We want it to be about the same gooeyness as syrup. Be careful though and don't splash. It'll be hot." Maddy goes over to the oven and flipping on the light within squints to see the temperature on the thermometer. Almost there. "Lucas, will you run down to the carriage house and get Lucky and Liz?" Lucas grabs his jacket from the back door and slams out the back door but not before Cinnamon races out with him. "How is it looking, Lu?"
Lulu holds up the spoon and allows the mixture to drip back down into the pot. "Still kinda chunky."
Maddy growls. She takes the temperature of the meat again. It's done already. She pulls the meat out and sets it aside. Maddy transfers the meat to cutting board and starts slicing it and transferring it to a platter. "Stand clear, Lu." Lu hops out the way. Maddy pours some of the drippings from the skillet and then sets it out of the way. "This is taking too long. Get me a whisk." Maddy demands as she turns up the heat. Lulu grabs one from the same drawer as the thermometer was in. "Why don't you go get your grandma's plate? So we can make it up ahead." Lulu looks at Maddy blankly until Maddy starts rolling her shoulder significantly.
"Oh." Lulu runs out of the room.
While Lucas is getting Lucky and liz and Lulu is out of the room Maddy leans toward Lesley. "Nik wanted to talk to you about Dr Jones." She says softly.
"Is there a problem?"
"I'd think so-- if it were my family." Maddy admits but falls silent when Lucas returns with Lucky and Liz. Nik falls in behind with Stefan who he'd picked up at the hospital. Lulu returns with Lesley's plate that she hands to Maddy. Maddy takes a couple of slices of pork and chops them into bite sized pieces and dripples the whipped sauce over the top then hands it back to Lulu who carefully carries it back to the table.
Stefan half hesitates when he sees Lucas there. "Lucas."
"Hey Uncle!" Lucas calls out cheerfully.
Maddy hands him the platter with the main course after pouring the sauce over it. "Drop this and I'll have to kill you. Y'all made it just in time. Lucky, will you find out what everyone is drinking." She puts the spoon in the serving dish of green beans and hands it to Nik then grabs the potatoes.
With Lucky and Liz preoccupied with drink orders and everyone else occupied Stefan looks to Lesley. "Shall we?" He offers his arm.
Everyone takes a place around the long rectangular table. Stefan takes the seat next to Lesley at the foot of the table, leaving the head of the table for Nik. Lulu is across from him and Lucas beside him. Lucky is next to Lu with Liz on his other side. Maddy takes the seat next to Lucas. Nik settles in at the head of the table. "I thought you didn't cook?" He teases Maddy who is seated beside him.
"I don't." Maddy affirms as she places a cloth napkin in her lap. "It's leftovers, and Lulu and Lucas did all the work."
Lucky grins at her. "You lie like a rug!"
Stefan turns to Lucas. "Will there be any problems?"
"Nah. I have my exchanges all worked." Lucas says confidently. But just to be on the safe side he scrapes off most of the sauce.
Maddy pauses in her dishing up. Dang, missed that one. She'd known that Carly's brother was diabetic but blown it off in the midst of preparing dinner.
"What have you been doing lately?" Stefan asks.
"Me and Carly are taking flying lessons. She's going to pick me up from here to go to ground school. And I still go riding all the time 'cause there is a show coming up. Hopefully nobody will get kidnapped off of this one."
"That would be a good thing." Stefan agrees wryly. "And you, Miss Lesley Lu, how was your day?"
"You don't want to know." Lesley mutters. Stefan catches Lesley's comment and looks at Lu with renewed interest.
"Lu, you didn't have more problems today, did you?" Nik asks.
"No, Lucas fixed it." Lulu says softly hating to be the center of attention. But the very softness of her voice draws attention. She focuses on her plate. Lesley eases the conversation around Lulu asking Lucky what he'd been doing. The conversation turns general.
As the meal is winding down, Maddy announces. "Well the kids and I cooked that means y'all have KP! I believe there is a video game on hold. Last one plays winner!" Maddy hops from her seat and races from the table. Lucas is right behind her.
"Not fair!" Lulu protests. She has to come all around the table to chase after Maddy and Lucas.
"Okay that was really weird." Liz forces a laugh.
Lucky looks at Nik, Stefan and then his grandmother. "Not really. I'm getting a mushroom feeling."
"Lets go in the kitchen." Lesley suggests. Stefan rises to assist her.
Liz starts stacking plates in preparation for clearing the table. "You go." She urges them. "Just start without me. I'll take care of things here."
Inside the kitchen, Lucky takes a deep breath and then lets it out. There is something up and he figures he isn't going to like it. To occupy himself he goes over to the coffee maker and starts a fresh pot. "Okay what's up."
"That's what I'd like to know as well." Lesley agrees. "Maddy said you have a problem with Dr Jones?"
"Yes, Grandmother I do." Nik states flatly. "I had concerns before Maddy came to me with yet another reason. I'll start the list and you can jump in at any time." He tells Stefan and Lucky. "a) Tony Jones has a connection to Helena. b) He can't do surgery if it should become necessary. c) Maddy reminded me that Dr Jones misdiagnosed Jason Morgan or at the very least underestimated the degree of his recovery."
Lucky winces. "Oh Damn. I forgot about that one." Part of him wants to come to his former uncle's defense and he has to mentally take a step back. "d) he's screwed over Aunt Bobbie and in a weird way Carly too. He's never screwed over Mom but he is kinda on the Spencer shit list. So what is the plan. You wouldn't be calling this meeting if you didn't have one."
"I was already in the process of drawing up a list of capable neurosurgeons before your mother's accident. Dr Monica Quartermaine has endorsed the top candidate. I leave tonight for Maryland."
"John Hopkins?" Lesley inquires. Stefan nods. "What the hell happened to Tony Jones?! When I left he was hot stuff. Steve Hardy recruited him. He was suppose to be the miracle of neurosurgery, a boy wonder."
Lucky winces. "Well Gram, that kind of all fell apart real fast. It was just before you came back. Tony cheated on Aunt Bobbie with Carly and then lost his mind when he found out that Carly was Bobbie's daughter and the baby she, Carly, was carrying wasn't his. Carly was telling everyone that the baby was Jason Morgan's...."
"And since Dr Jones believed Jason Morgan as a result of his car accident which included significant brain trauma and coma left him an emotionless void and a danger to the community kidnapped the baby from Jason and Carly. Robin Scorpio found out where he was hiding the baby, so he kidnapped her too. Withholding from her necessary medications. When Jason found them.... Tony Jones pulled a shotgun on Jason. Jason disarmed him and then smashed his hand so that Dr Jones couldn't try to injure them again." Nik continues.
Lesley winces. "What a waste."
"Nerve and tendon damage. It is doubtful he will ever recover to the point of being able to do brain surgery again." Stefan finishes.
"And he cheated on Bobbie?" Lesley asks.
Lucky nods. "Planned on kidnapping Lucas too, violated the restraining order to see Lucas and then sued Bobbie for custody. There is still a restraining order."
"Okay. I can sell that to Luke." Lesley agrees. "We leave out how GH got the new doctor-- minimize the Cassadine influence, unless it's to play up Tony's connection to Helena." She suggests to Lucky who nods. Lesley turns to Stefan. "It's a go."
Stefan goes over to the phone on the counter and dials Alexis' cell phone. Nikolas questions him. "Who are you calling?"
"Alexis-- to let her know that she is to cover the hospital with you in my absence and that of Monica Quartermaine who will be accompanying me." Stefan explains. Nik hits the speaker so he can participate in the conversation.
Alexis Davis, extraodinary attorney at law Alexis' hiccup spoils the grandiose self discription. There is the sound of music in the background.
"Alexis?" Stefan frowns. "Are you intoxicated?"
"Is that when you talk too much and can't feel your face?" Alexis replies cheerfully. "Then yep, I'm plastered, drunk, three sheets to the wind, ripped, foxed, soused, sotted, blotto, blitzed, feeling no pain whatsoever..."
"Enough." Stefan cuts her off. "Where is your husband?"
"Getting me another bottle of vodka; Claude! Keeping them coming I'm not driving! And Dara needs another bourbon... a double! Hell buy the round a house. My husband, Eddie Maine, is buying."
"Oh boy. She's at Dad's!" Lucky starts cracking up. Stefan frowns at Lucky's glee.
"Alexis, put Dara on the phone."
"No problem. Dara, my brother wants you." The phone is then dropped and dropped again before Dara comes on the line.
"Dara Jensen." Dara's voice is reduced to a throaty purr. Nikolas and Lucky both lean into the counter to catch every word.
"What in the hell is going on over there?!" Stefan roars.
"Well if you're going to be a party pooper I'm not talkin' to ya." For the first time, the Dara's southern roots come through in her voice and before Stefan can protest Dara hangs up on him.
Nik looks over at Lucky. "I guess court went well."
Lucas glances out the window and sees Carly's SUV pull up to the front of the house. Maddy and Lulu are both laying on the floor fingers flying playing a video game. He quietly leaves and goes to the front door letting in Carly and Jerry. "Maddy and Lu are in the study." Lucas tells Jerry.
Jerry's eyes narrow. The way that Lucas said that means that they will be having a talk tonight about little pitchers with big ears. Jerry knows the way to the study from being in the house on Halloween. "Why don't you get your cousin and get your stuff. Carly and I will wait for you in the study."
"Right." Lucas goes ahead in to the study. "Lu, I have to go. My ride to class is here. I need to get my stuff."
"Kay." Lulu rises off the floor and goes with Lucas up to her room.
Maddy starts putting up the joysticks and turns off the television tucking everything back within the entertainment center. The hair goes up on the back of her neck and she slowly turns around. "Hello Madeliene." Jerry says quietly. Carly shuts the door from inside and leans up against it.