When Cassadines Fall

Friday, Friday, Friday!
 

Maddy checks the slow cooker and then glances up at the clock. She was running a little late in picking up Lulu over at Luke's. The red beans are about ready wouldn't take more than an hour... or an hour wouldn't ruin it which ever way you want to look at it. She pulls some potatoes from the bin and scrubs them up and then pops them in the in the preheated oven. Whistling for Cinnamon she grabs her jacket and heads to the van.

 

Over at Wyndemere:

"It's unacceptable, Alexis!" Stefan roars.

Alexis winces shaking her head. She knew that this would be a headache. "You had to tell him, didn't you?"

"Well I knew you couldn't." Nikolas tells her.

"How could you let this happen!"

Alexis looks over at Mrs. Lansbury who is hovering by the door. She holds up three fingers and mouths aspirin. Mrs. Lansbury nods and goes back in the kitchen. "Madeliene is not my client. Jerry Jacks didn't come to me. The only inkling I had that this might be coming was a conversation with V."

"Jacks is your client!" Stefan's eyes narrow. "And your receptionist is sleeping with his brother. She warned him. Fire her. This is the second time she has interfered in our protection of Madeliene."

Mrs. Lansbury comes back with the bottle of aspirin and a large glass of water. "Here you go, Ms. Alexis."

"Thank you." Alexis says gratefully. She shakes out three and then shrugs and adds another one. She chases each one with a swig of water. It allows her time to gather her thoughts. "I am not going to fire V. She is a friend as well as a capable investigator. She has contacts in the courthouse and the police station that make my job infinitely easier." Alexis holds up one finger. "V gave me exactly what I needed to clear Madeliene's Aunt." Alexis holds up a second finger. "And if, and I do mean if, she warned Jerry to not come to me then she saved me a huge ethical dilemma. Because if Jerry had come to me then I would have had to probably turn him away and still not tell you about it."

"You told Maddy you could fight it." Nikolas reminds her.

"Yes, and I told you both-- I would lose."

"How can you be so sure?" Stefan leans back in his chair.

"The law is built case by case each on top of each other. The courts do not overturn paternity. For example... in the eyes of the US courts, Nikolas is Stavros' son. He is the product of the legal union of Laura and Stavros. Stavros could rise from the dead to deny it, and the courts here wouldn't care. In Maddy's case there was no legal union to muddy the waters."

"What about Martin Grah?" Stefan asks remembering the fake name Lisette had put in for Madeliene's father.

"He never stepped forward to claim her and he didn't pay for her support. Jerry did."

"Where did he get the money?" Nikolas asks. "I thought the FBI cleaned him out after the money laundering. And he lost his right to trade. He just got it back."

"You want to answer that one?" Alexis looks at her brother and grins.

Stefan growls. "I fail to see the humor, Alexis." Nikolas looks at Stefan questioningly. "I gave Jacks a task... one that paid exceedingly well."

"He had Jerry skim off five million from the accounts when he thought that Helena was going to take over managing the estate." Alexis reminds Nik. "And then Luke stole the stolen money and gave it all to dubious charities. How much did you pay Jerry for that one?"

"Not as much as he placed in Madeliene's educational trust."

"But it was seed money." Nikolas nods. "And if there is one thing that Jerry knows how to do it's make money from money."

"I don't get the big deal." Alexis says bluntly. "Maddy is over the age of eighteen. Jerry has as much say in Maddy's life as she is willing to give him. And there is a silver lining in all this."

"And what would that be...."

"It's not Jax."
 

"Liz, where in the heck are we going?" Lucky says wryly as he makes the next turn at Liz's demand.

"Down to the Christmas tree lot."
"We still have plenty of time." Lucky denies. "Christmas isn't for a couple weeks."

"Maddy is bringing Lu over for dinner and to spend the night. I think it's the perfect time to decorate the house and apartment for the holidays. Do you think Nikolas has anything to decorate the tree?" Lucky just looks at her. "Maybe we should stop at Wyndams first."

"Maybe." Lucky pulls a u-turn and starts heading the opposite direction.

"How is the shopping going for the kids Christmas party going?"

"I'm already done." Lucky says smugly. "Did the whole thing online. They're going to wrap and deliver everything to the house. Found some great stuff for Lulu and Lucas while I was at it."

"Wow. That's really great." Liz says admiringly. "I'm doing a girl's day out with Em, Maddy and maybe even Carly next Thursday. I think we'll be able to knock out all our shopping then."

"Maddy and Carly on the same trip? With everything that is going on? Good Luck." Lucky pulls into the crowded parking lot of Wyndams. "Man, what a zoo!"

"And it'll be even crazier the closer we get to the holiday." Liz agrees. "It's a good thing you're already done."

"Oh man-- you have got to be kidding me!" Maddy's jaw drops. "How much laundry can you and one kid generate?"

"Sheets... towels..." Luke shrugs. "I wasn't exactly keeping up on the housekeeping before I went down to North Carolina." He hauls the bundle of clothes that is almost bigger than he is and about three times as wide to the van. Actually he'd thrown all the clothes into the middle of the sheets off of the king sized bed and then knotted the corners together. Maddy opens up the sliding van door and Luke tosses it in on top of Cinnamon who barks her protest before wriggling out from under. "Light starch on the shirts, Light of my life."

"Oh I'll light up your life." Maddy mutters shaking her head. "Lu, you got what you need?"

Lu climbs in over the clothes and back to the bench seat next to Cinnamon who laves her face joyously causing her to giggle. "Yeah, I got my stuff."

"Then we're out of here. Buckle up." Maddy slides the door shut. Luke walks her around the van. "Any word on your wife from the specialist?"

Luke frowns. "Yeah, I should tell the cowboy and Lesley."

"And Nikolas." Maddy reminds. "I made red beans. Swing by when you're ready for a dinner break. BYOB-- nobody in the house is over 21 except Lesley and she isn't driving. And I told Stefan off limits for tonight."

"I'll call before I come over."

Maddy shrugs. "Do what you got to do; you don't have to." Maddy climbs into the drivers seat. "See ya Later." She glances back in the rearview to make sure that Lulu is secure. "So you ready to learn how to do laundry?"

"Sure! Mama never lets me help. What's for dinner?"

"Baked Potatoes. Stuffed anyway you want. I got all the fixings-- chili, cheese, broccoli, sour cream, bacon bits. The works."

"Yum!"

Nikolas glances down at his watch. "I should be getting back to Wyndemere."

"Yes, Madeleine told me that your sister is spending the night." Stefan agrees.

There is an awkward moment. "I..." Nik begins.

Stefan waves him off. "I have a prior engagement this evening."

Alexis pauses in putting on her coat. "Oh wait back up... a prior engagement. You have a date... as in dinner... a movie... um movie optional?"

"It is not so unusual." Stefan protests.

Alexis pulls out her day minder and makes a note of the date. "Who is the lucky woman?"

"Dr. KC Ryan." Nikolas answers for Stefan. "Maddy and I saw them holding hands on the docks." Alexis makes another note in her dayminder.

"Enough!" Stefan tires of their teasing. "Leave me."

"I guess we're out of here. I'll walk you to the launch, Alexis." Nik takes Alexis arm. "Don't stay out too late." Nikolas winks at Stefan.

"Be Gone!" Stefan growls and waves a hand.

Alexis and Nik start laughing and make their way down to the docks to meet the launch pilot. Alexis gains control of herself as they step onto the launch. "So what do you know about this woman?"

"She's not blonde."

"YES!" Alexis raises a fist to the air.

Maddy comes into Wyndemere Lite with Luke's laundry on her back. "Get the basement door for me, Lu." Lu flies around her and opens the door up. Maddy backs up to it and then releases the oversized bundle letting gravity do the work. Cinnamon goes racing after the bundle barking and nipping at it as it tumbles down the stairs. "Silly dog. Come on! Aren't you hungry?"

Cinnamon comes racing back up the stairs and sits in front of the cupboard where her food is kept. Lu slings her backpack on the kitchen table and shoves around Cinnamon to get in the cupboard. "One scoop?"

"Yeah, she'll eat as much as you give her. And she'll want more when we're eatting anyway." Maddy agrees as she goes over to the oven to check on the potatoes. She checks the timer. "I've got time to spare on these." Lulu gives the dog a scoop of dry food which Cinnamon makes short work of. "Why don't you put your stuff up in your room and check to see if Granny Lesley is home from the clinic?" Lulu goes racing off into the main part of the house.

Lucky and Liz come into the kitchen weighed down with packages. "Grab that!" Liz demands as she is shuffling packages.

"What did you guys do?"

"Bought Christmas decorations for the house." Lucky answers.

Maddy looks in the bags. "Gees. How much stuff did you guys get?"

"Tons. There is more out in the truck." Lucky turns around to get the rest.

"I thought it would be fun for the guys and Lu to decorate the tree." Liz explains.

"You bought a tree too?"

Liz holds up three fingers. "One for the living room... one for the apartment and and a little Charlie Brown for Lulu's room. Lucky and I already have a lot of decorations for our apartment tree. Stuff I made the first Christmas we were together. And we got starter sets of lights from Wyndams. Nik will probably need more if he's really going to do it up right. Look I got these for Lulu's tree."

Maddy looks at them and then up at Liz. "They're mini Barbie's."

"Aren't they great?!"

'You're going to hang Barbie from a tree."

"Too sexist? Too stereotypical?" Liz worries.

"Too twisted." Maddy shakes her head. "Whatever. What did you get for Nik's tree?"

"Well I was thinking Victorian... so..." Liz pulls out some wooden apples, garland of wooden cranberries, porcelain angels, toy soldiers and for the top of the tree a Victorian style angel.

"Oh she's beautiful." Maddy checks it out.

"Either that or this." Liz pulls out a traditional star. "And I was thinking we could make paper snowflakes and chains. Maybe string some popcorn. It'll be great."

Lucky comes in with a second load of packages and drops them on the kitchen table. He heads straight back out to start moving the trees to the mudroom so they'll have time to adjust from being outdoor to being indoor trees. After the third trip he drops into the chair at the table. "Okay I'm done in."

Liz pours him a cup of coffee from the vacuum pot. "Oh Baby... we haven't even started. Decorate the inside of the house tonight... and then you and Nik can do the exterior tomorrow. I bet if Nik called Larry... he'd let him borrow a ladder maybe two."

Lucky groans and rests his head on his arms almost getting his hair in the cup of coffee. "You're as bad as my mom."

"Oh yeah." Maddy leans over the counter. "Your Dad is going to stop by tonight to let you and Niknik know what the specialist had to say about your mom." While she lets them process that she starts pulling things out of the fridge for the potato buffet and sets some water to boiling for the broccoli.

"What did he say?" Lucky worries.

"Just that he is going to stop by."

Stefan stops by KC's suite at the Port Charles Hotel. He knocks on the door. She opens it up. "Hello."

Stefan takes in her appearance at a glance. From her hair pulled smoothly back to the fine wool forest green jersey scoop necked dress that follows the supple lines of her curves. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. Would you like to come in?" KC steps back giving Stefan some space. "I feel like I haven't seen you forever."

"Your choice." Stefan reminds her as he steps in shutting the door behind of him. "I tried to get hold of you... but you always seem to be... unavailable."

"Oh woman of mystery-- that's me." KC grins. She waves a hand. "It's a matter of style. I'm not the type to stick her little toe in to find out if the water is warm. I jump right in. And that means I was spending most of my time at the hospital getting to know everybody."

"I work at the hospital." Stefan reminds her.

"Oh you're admin. You don't really work there." KC dismisses. "I mean the folks in the trenches. Did you want something to drink?" Stefan shakes his head. "I made a reservation for someplace called Porter's? I've been hearing nothing but good things about it from the grapevine at the hospital. I hope you don't mind."

Stefan internally winces but it could have been worse. "As long as it isn't Luke's."

KC gets serious. "I think there were a few things you left out when you were talking me into coming up here. Your family's relationship with Luke Spencer being one of them."

"They were irrelevant. Laura was in need of the best and you are that."

"Yes, I am." KC says confidently. "But is your mother really as..."

"Has she contacted you in any way?" Stefan interrupts grabbing her by the arm. "You will move to Wyndemere. The security here is an abomination."

"I guess she is." KC realizes. She puts a hand on top of Stefan's. His grip eases. "No, she hasn't contacted me." KC reassures quietly.

Stefan removes his hand slightly flustered by his reaction. "I apologize."

"Everyone who mentions her gives her the characteristics of a runaway train. Feel free to grab me when I'm in the path of one." KC dismisses the apology as unnecessary.

"Then you will move to Wyndemere."

"No. Same reason as before. It would be unprofessional and in this case it would compromise my ability to care for Mrs Spencer. But I will keep my eyes open. And I'll let you know if your mother contacts me... deal?"

Stefan sighs. "You will let me know immediately."

Maddy comes up from the basement just as Nik is coming in the back door. Lulu follows her. "Hey Nikky!"

"Lulu. How you doin'?" He gives his little sister a hug.

"You're just in time for dinner." Maddy goes over to the sink and washes her hands. Hooking a step stool over with her foot, she makes a significant glance at Lu.

Lu comes over and scrubs her hands too. "Maddy is teaching me how to do laundry. We just finished sorting."

"You might want to stay out of the basement for awhile." Maddy warns. "We've kinda got a system going."

"What's with the Christmas trees out back?" Nik sheds his coat and boots. With Maddy's habit of going around either barefoot or in socks, he'd started to do the same.

"Lucky and Liz's contribution to the evenings entertainment. They're in the front room now... visualizing with your grandmother."

"After dinner we're going to decorate the house!" Lu declares. "Lucky got me my own tree for my room. And we'll make hot cider or chocolate and popcorn and put on carols and it will be a party!"

Nik looks over Lu's head to Maddy. Maddy explains wryly. "Lulu and Elizabeth have bonded as Christmas Nazis. You might want to save Lucky before Elizabeth has him talked into going up on the roof to lay out a runway for Santa's sleigh."

"Can Lucky do that? That would be so cool!"

"I'll let Lucky know who put that idea in her head." Nik grins.

"Go tell them that dinner is as ready as it's going to get." Maddy directs.

Nik walks into the living room. Sure enough Liz has Lucky moving the couch to make room for the tree in front of the main window in the living room. "Dinner is ready."

"Thank God you're here." Lucky mutters dropping the end of the couch. "It's about freaking time." Nik offers and arm to Lesley. They are followed from the room by Lucky and Liz.

Maddy has already started slicing the baked potatoes in half. "Granny Lesley, what do you want on yours?"

"Miss Porter?!" Stefan stares at the child at the podium of the restaurant. She is dressed in a white tuxedo shirt with black slacks and a red sash. Her short curly hair is pulled back with a velvet headband.

"Hi Mr. Cassadine! When are you and Nikolas going to come riding again?" Rita chirps cheerfully. Then she grows serious. "Do you have a reservation? We're really booked up tonight."

"It's under Ryan." KC lets her know.

Rita finds the reservation and breathes a little sigh of relief. "That's great." She picks up a couple of menus. "If you'll just come this way." Rita leads them to an out of the way table and steps aside as Stefan seats KC. As soon as Stefan takes his seat she offers them the menus. "Your server will be right with you. But let me tell you what the specials are for tonight. The prime rib is excellent. Johnny is also offering a seafood medley of fresh north Atlantic salmon, shrimp and scallops. And for the pasta, there is a great spinach penne carbonara with prosciutto and wild mushrooms." Rita smoothly fills their water glasses spilling not a drop and then steps back from the table taking one last look to make sure everything is fine. Rita looks over at KC and gives her a hint. "Save room for dessert."

"She's cute." KC says to Stefan as Rita returns to the podium after notifying the server of the new additions to her section.

"She's much too young to be working." Stefan shakes his head.

"She has the same last name as the restaurant right? And the specials sounded wonderful. Now I'm really torn." KC peruses the menu.

Luke knocks on the back door of Wyndemere Lite. Liz is in the kitchen making hot chocolate and hears him. "Hey Mr. Spencer. Maddy said you'd be stopping by."

"Elizabeth, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"Right. Luke would you like some hot chocolate? Or there is coffee in the vacuum pot. Maddy made it right after dinner. She thought it was going to be a long evening. She just left to check on her kiosks."

"Coffee." Luke agrees. Liz pulls down a mug and pours Luke a cup of coffee handing it to him across the breakfast bar. It was kind of like still being at Kelly's. She goes to the crock pot and stirs the chili. It wafts in Luke's direction. "And a bowl of that."

"Okay." Liz draws it out with a little warning in her voice. Before she dishes a bowl of chili she goes over to the fridge and fills a glass with ice from the door and tops it with chilled water. Then she fills another large glass this time with milk. She sets both in front of Luke. "The chili is great... over potatoes, over rice. On it's own... Maddy's chili could give Kelly's lessons in heat." She sets small dishes of shredded cheese and diced onion in front of Luke.

"Just dish it up. I'll be the judge." Luke is confident of his cast iron constitution.

"I warned you." Liz dishes up a healthy portion of the chili from the crock pot. "I'll go tell the guys you are here." She really doesn't want to see the first bite. Liz walks out to the living room.

Luke adds the cheese and onions to the steamy dish. Then stirs them in. Gathering his first bite, he samples. And then exhales breaking out into a sweat. He reaches for the milk with a gasp. He might have a cast iron stomach... but he couldn't say that for the roof of his mouth... or his esophagus. "HOLY SHIT!" He is just bringing his breathing under control when Nikolas and Lucky with Lesley and Lu all come into the kitchen. Liz goes back to working on the hot chocolate. Luke takes another bite after clearing his throat. This had to be the sweet young thing's revenge for the laundry trick.

"Hi Daddy." Lulu climbs up on the stool next to her father. She glances at the chili. "That was too hot for me. I ate my baked potato with broccoli and a lot of cheese sauce. I ate a whole one..." She stretches her hands apart like she is telling a fish story. "...This big."

"Maddy's red beans makes you not mind it's winter cause the first thing you want to do is go out and roll in the snow to cool off." Nikolas agrees.

"Nah, it's not that hot." Luke lies as he takes another bite swallowing fire. Lucky just hands his father a napkin to wipe the sweat from his brow and then pours himself a cup of coffee. Lucky leans against the counter on the sink side. Lesley pulls up a chair at the table as does Nik. "So I suppose all of you want to know what Doc Red had to say." He sees he has their undivided attention. "She did find a spot on Laura's CT. That's the brain x-ray, baby." Luke explains to Lu.

"Does she want to do surgery?" Lucky asks.

Luke makes a so-so motion with his hand. "She doesn't like where it's positioned. She'll go in if she has to. She's still hoping your mom will come out of this on her own with the sensory stimulation. Ryan is ordering another round of CT to see if there is any change. If the spot gets any bigger she'll have to go in."

"When is the CT scheduled?" Lesley asks.

"Monday. I told her you'd want to see the results. She said something about using the first one as a baseline." Lesley nods. "And that you'd be able to get a better picture if you had two to compare."

"So mama needs an operation? To help her wake up?" Lulu asks.

"Maybe, baby." Lesley answers.

"She's going to book a room for Monday afternoon just in case." Luke explains further. "We'll know by noon."

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