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Diversion
Delicious diversion or Perfectly Porter or
Positively Porter.
Port Charles, New York-- August 2011.
"Davis and Jensen. How may I direct your call?" Maxie
Jones replies to the caller in a professional manner. Working the
phones is part of her summer job. The most boring part. Maxie
connects the call to Dara and goes back to reading at the
receptionist job. Sure it had sounded cool at the start of summer.
Work at the L&B building. Meet some rockstars. Maybe learn a
little skiptracing from V so she could get a head start in the
family business. But the L&B business all happened out there.
The major day to day business at the reception desk was for Dara
and Alexis, the hottest legal duo in Port Charles.
A petite brunette in a flattering suit walks through the doors.
She is carrying a satchel rather than a brief case but of the
finest leather. "Hello, I'm here to see Alexis Davis."
She asks to the top of the bored receptionist's head.
"Do you have an appointment?" Maxie continues looking
down at her appointment book.
"Porter, Rita Porter."
Maxie looks up in shock. "Rita?"
"Hey Maxie."
"Oh My Gosh! When did you get back from Tulane? Are you
staying in town? You look great!" Maxie
comes around the table to give her old friend a hug. Very old
friend. They'd had classes together back in elementary school. By
middle school Rita had switched to Queen of Angels after she'd
been kidnapped with Emily Quartermaine.
Rita returns the hug. "I'm back. Passed the bar and
everything."
Maxie's eyes go wide. "Passed the bar? You're the same age
as me!"
"You've got to remember that I've been studying the law with
my dad since I was a kid. And I kind rushed things through high
school and college. Trimmed some time off. Is Alexis here?"
"Sure." Maxie leans over the reception desk and grabs
the phone calling upstairs. "Rita Porter is here to see you."
Maxie hangs up. "She's on her way down." There is
already the sound of footsteps on the staircase. Not only Alexis
but also Dara.
"Rita!" Alexis gives her a hug and then steps back.
"You look great! Johnny said you were driving back from New
Orleans. You must have made great time!"
"Piece of cake." Rita sighs. "But I think I don't
want to sit down for at least a week. It was a long trip."
"Where are you staying?" Dara asks.
"With Dad and Cookie for now, until I get my own place. But
I'm being so spoiled being home I may never move out." Rita
opens up her satchel and pulls out two documents. The first is
her diploma from Tulane's law school and the second is the
results from the New York Bar giving her license to practice.
"So when do I make partner?" Rita grins.
Dara gives her a hug of congratulations. "Don't push it. I
was here for five years before Alexis and I finally admitted that
we were partners and not just using the same law library! We have
to celebrate."
"I think Ned left some champagne here from his last launch
party." Alexis goes back to the minuscule kitchen and
returns triumphantly with a magnum and some coffee cups. Popping
the cork without spilling a drop, she pours everyone a mug.
"Here is to graduating law school!"
"Here is to passing the bar!" Dara adds.
"Here is to coming back to Port Charles!" Maxie offers
up her mug.
"Here is to being home." They clink their mugs together
and then take a long sip of the bubbly.
"Tomorrow is soon enough to start work." Alexis
declares. "So tell us all about New Orleans. You didn't just
hit the books did you?"
"No, Poppi and Granny Sophia made sure I had fun."
Dara snorts. "Robideau."
"You still do that!" Alexis protests. "You're not
working for the DA's office anymore. You haven't in a decade. You
didn't get involved in his business did you?"
"No." Rita says emphatically. "Poppi just did for
me what Daddy did for Ricky. Had me over for Sunday dinners,
which I cooked by the way. Made sure that there were no problems.
He didn't even mess with my dates-- Granny Sophia did that."
"She still carrying that .44?" Dara says in fond memory.
"Oh yeah. And it's as scary as ever. The thing is bigger
than she is." Rita laughs. "Being across the hall from
her was a trip. I soon figured out there's nothing she hasn't
seen or done... and no way of getting over on her. Not that I
tried too often. But I want to hear what is going on here. Catch
me up!"
The four women take seats on the couches putting the magnum of
champagne on the coffee table in the middle. Alexis starts.
"Well you know Monica left Emily the house in her will.
Johnny moved in and started running it. Alan moved back in.
Edward finally retired from ELQ."
"Yeah, right." Rita shakes her head.
"Well he pretends to be retired. But mostly he stays as
close to Lila as he can."
"How is she?" Rita asks with some concern.
Alexis shakes her head. "She isn't even getting out to her
gardens anymore. Reggie is keeping them up for her so she can
enjoy the fruits of his labors, but even sitting up in the wheel
chair is becoming too taxing. Edward doesn't want to waste a
minute of the time they have left. She saves her strength for
when Johnny is doing his cooking show."
Rita nods. "Em called me and told me he was doing the show
for PBS but had gotten picked up by the Food Channel too. It's
really impacted on book sales."
"Sales would be even better if he toured, but he doesn't
want to leave Em right now. Not with everything the way it is
with Lila. Em has her hands full with EBQ. She and Johnny decided
to start their family too."
Rita nods. "It's to let Lila know that everyone is settled
in their own ways-- taken care of--Ned, Jason, AJ and Em. Are you
and Ned still living in the Gatehouse?"
Alexis nods. "Ned wants to stay close. He and AJ go head to
head over at ELQ for old times sake but their hearts aren't
really in it. AJ is still CEO."
"Carly told me."
"And Ned is part time there and part time here. Luckily he's
always been able to juggle his crisises. But you probably know
all this from talking to Johnny, Em and Carly." Rita nods in
agreement. "Hmm well Stefan took a year off the year Nikolas
turned 25 and took a honeymoon in Africa-- Uganda if you can
believe that."
"Didn't Dr Ryan used to work over there?"
"Exactly. He might have been taking a vacation but his wife
was taking more of a sabbatical. I think he spent most of his
time on the internet playing chess with Maddy. And a little
wheeling and dealing. Helena had always been more into dealing
with the Sudan or Libya. Stefan wanted to open the doors of the
more... progressive African countries to the Cassadine estate."
"Sounds like he made it a working vacation too." Rita
turns to Dara. "What about Maddy?"
"Doing the power behind the throne thing." Dara says
bitterly.
Alexis rolls her eyes. "You know she's proven to be powerful
asset to the estate."
"Yeah, and it's a good thing that Nik appreciates her. Cause
otherwise it would be total BS. Maddy had her own business, her
own interests."
"She still does." Alexis argues.
"Princess Di is dead." Dara snaps back. "And it
was a thankless job to start with having to put up with looney
tune relatives and then getting dumped for the long time mistress.
Having her face plastered on every tabloid and every hat
critiqued for God's sake."
"Nikolas and Maddy don't work that way and you know it."
Alexis retorts. "She's just a little pissy cause a
papparazzi jumped out at Maddy's last gyno appointment."
Alexis explains to Rita about Dara's attitude.
"Oh yuck!" Maxie and Rita exclaim and shudder. Rita
continues. "What happened."
"Luckily it wasn't during that part of the
appointment. It was in the waiting room afterwards when she was
checking out. Maddy grabbed the camera, smashed it to smithereens
and then filed a restraining order on the guy." Dara says
with a glint in her eye.
"And then Nikolas bought the paper that the guy had been
working pretty exclusively for and dried up his gravy train."
Alexis answers. after the guy disappeared off of the face of
the civilized world. Nikolas is the epitome of the perfect
prince, except where Maddy's safety is concerned. Then every
violent instinct of his cossack forefathers rises to the surface.
"Why would some reporter show up at Maddy's gyno
appointment?" Maxie wonders.
"They watch her like a hawk. Not just the press but all the
extended Cassadines wondering when she is going to cough up an
heir for them."
"Dara..."
"Oh not you. And Stefan tries not to but the rest of them."
Dara shudders. "I swear they started counting from the day
of the wedding. And started sending Maddy business cards of
fertility specialists on the 270th day."
Rita looks at Alexis questioningly. Alexis says kinda sheepishly.
"It's true. She showed them to me."
"Oh man. No pressure." Maxie shakes her head. "What
about you? How is your family doing?"
"Well Daddy finally got his federal judgeship. These two
already knew that one." Rita nods in Dara and Alexis
direction. "That was when Justus Ward got promoted to Judge...
to fill the vacancy Daddy left. Luckily it's in the same general
district, So Cookie can keep tabs on the restaurant whenever
Johnny is tied up."
"What about your sister?"
"She married this guy named Phillip Kiriakis. Son of a greek
Tycoon. I guess since she couldn't get Nikolas she went with one
of the home grown guys with money. But Granny Sophia is right."
"About what?" Alexis wonders.
"Marry for money and you work for every penny. I've been
expecting a call from her since the day they got married for me
to work out how to overturn the pre-nup so she can take him to
the cleaners." Rita replies shaking her head.
"The day of the wedding?"
"Oh yeah, Most Grooms would be looking at the bride coming
down the aisle... you know like Johnny did Em... this guy was
looking at one of the guests-- an opera singer. Got a whole
Aristotle/Maria Callas thing going on and Vicki is no Jackie O,
you know?"
"Kiriakis... Kiriakis." Dara snaps her fingers and
points at Alexis. "EBQ is in competition with them. Kiriakis
is the name of the people who run Titan Enterprises. Titan and
Emily are both big in publishing and media." While Alexis
and Dara both do Quartermaine legal work, Dara is better at
getting along with AJ and handles the bulk of ELQ leaving Alexis
the preferred job of working for Emily at EBQ, the company she'd
built up from Deception and the Modeling agency her grandfather
gave her for her eighteenth birthday.
"Yeah, so you might say I'm bringing my first case to the
firm. I have copies of everything. The marriage license, the
prenup and all the reports that the private investigator sends."
"Private investigator? It's gone that far?" Dara
wonders.
"Oh yeah. Vicki is paying for it out of her allowance.
She hired him after the honeymoon was over."
"Ouch." Maxie shakes her head. She looks up as the door
opens to the offices. V Jacks walks in. She is dressed in jeans
and a tanktop and could easily pass for a much younger than she
is.
"Did you get it?" Dara jumps to her feet.
"Oh yeah." V grins and gives a thumbs up. "Got him
on tape. He is so screwed."
"YeS!" Dara raises a fist. "Come on." V and
Dara head up to her office to watch the tape.
"What was all that about?" Rita asks.
"Dara does business stuff for the bread and butter part of
the partnership but she does civil rights stuff to keep her edge."
Alexis explains. "She's working on a housing discrimination
case."
"And Alexis is still doing some criminal work but spends
most of her time on the Cassadine Estate." Maxie expands.
"What are you interested in?" Alexis asks curiously.
"What is your passion?"
"Well I like criminal law fine except for the whole drug
thing and then even possession I can handle but dealing..."
Rita shakes her head. "...at that point I'm about ready to
swap sides and nail their asses to the wall. Living cross the
hall from Granny Sophia and listening to all of her stories-- I
got to hear about all the things Maddy went through when she was
coming up why she chose to get emancipated when she was fifteen.
I want to be an advocate for children-- do family law."
"You've done it again." Emily shakes her head ruefully.
"This is really going to make the quarter but are you trying
to drive me nuts?"
Ricky leans back in his chair and crosses one leg over one knee.
His hand rest on the arms of the chair easily, comfortable.
"Drive you nuts?"
"You go out and pluck these plums and then I have to make
them fit into the company and run them."
"I'm on board for acquisitions. That's what I do."
Ricky reminds her with a shrug.
"But you play dirty."
"Not as dirty as I could." Ricky admits. "I
wouldn't want to offend your sensabilities. Hey you want to give
it back?"
"Oh hell no! They were messing up big time driving
themselves right into the dirt. There is a lot of talent in the
company but the front office is tying their hands. You knew when
you found it that I wouldn't be able to just leave it be."
Emily sighs. "I have already started looking to where I can
farm out some of the bean counters. But a production company,
Ricky? What do I know about making movies and television shows?"
Ricky shrugs. "You've taken over for Miz Lila funding the
theater. They film Johnny's cooking show right there in the
mansion kitchen. That Reggie guy who is a bane to the old man's
existence-- he writes, right? So I figure he knows a good story
when he reads one. Hell it will give the Old Man something to
read to Miz Lila at night."
Em bites her lip and her eyes get glassy with tears for a minute
but she sniffs back the pain of Lila's increasing fragility.
"You're right. Grandmother adores movies especially the old
good ones. We used to watch videos together to avoid going to ELQ
board meetings."
"You got all those table waiting actors down in the city...
you got the cheaper production cost of filming up in Canada. You
got magazines to promote and market the movies. L&B has
worked with some of the best video directors out there-- so I'm
sure Ned could come up with some names of people who are ready to
break out. Hell! He would probably put out the soundtrack for you.
Lots of little place to trim off the dinero." Emily glances
at her watch and then standing up starts gathering up her
paperwork. "Am I boring you?" Ricky asks.
"No, but we're going to have to finish this in the car.
There is a family dinner over at the Porter's tonight. You are
going right?"
Ricky looks blank for a minute and then the realization dawns.
"Rita's back. Damn, Little Rita's back." A slow grin
dominates his face. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. I
haven't seen her in too long. I was suppose to go to her
graduation...."
"But your mother was freaking out in Europe." Emily
remembers.
"Yeah, I had to go, but I just don't have the patience for
her drama anymore. I compare her to Cookie."
"There is nobody like Cook." Em warns. Comparing anyone
to Cookie just wasn't fair.
"True-- and they both have their moments of drama. But Mom's
are about not getting the reservation she wants on the Cote de
Azur and Cookie's is about going after a guy breaking into the
Ward House women's shelter on the day she was there cooking."
Emily winces. "I've never been able to look at a marble
rolling pin the same since."
"Lucky for the guy the handle came off-- she only hit him
once. If it had been one of her skillets... or her filleting
knife..." Ricky shudders. "There wouldn't have been
enough left of the guy to haul off to jail." He takes
Emily's briefcase and holds the door of her office for her.
Em stops at her secretary's desk dropping off the work she'd
completed for the day. "I'm done for the day. My sister-in-law
is back in town. So unless there is a fire don't call me."
"You got it."
JD sets the table. Looking up from what he is doing he glances
around the old house. He'd been here since before Vicki was born
and now both of his girls are all grown up. Vicki married and
living out in the midwest and his baby had graduated top of her
class at Tulane. Okay so it wasn't Yale or even Harvard but
Tulane had been Rita's choice and only fair since Ricky had gone
to college here in Port Charles. She'd worked her butt off both
in school and to pass the bar the first time through the gate.
Robideau had been much more low key in his smoothing of Rita's
path than Cookie had ever been for Ricky.
Cookie shoves the kitchen door open. "Are you going to
finish that table or are you going to stand there daydreaming?"
"Um... I thought I'd do both." JD grins at her. He
comes over to his wife and wraps his arms around her. "Rita's
back. And she's all grown up."
"And already lining up her job over at Davis and Jensen. She
ought to be clerking for you."
JD shakes his head. "Rita will never be a judge. We talked
about it years ago. She doesn't want to referee; she wants to be
the one in the ring duking it out. Dara and Alexis are a good fit
for her. Who all is coming tonight?"
"Well Johnny and Em, Carly and AJ are going to drop the kids
off and come over, You, me and Rita. Em just called and said
Ricky is coming too. That will round out the numbers."
"I wish Vicki was here." JD says sentimentally.
Cookie snorts. "She showed up for the graduation. That's
enough. Vicki's got her hands full with that husband of hers and
keeping an eye on her in-laws."
The ringing doorbell interrupts Cookie's rare support of Vicki.
Cookie had spotted Phillip's distraction at the altar too and
thought that Vicki should have kicked him in the balls rather
than marrying the bounder. JD goes to answer the knock at the
door. "Is she here yet?" Carly demands as she walks in
right past JD.
"Sorry." AJ shakes his head as he walks in after Carly.
"Carly, she dropped off her stuff, showered, changed and
headed over to L&B."
"No grass under that kid." Carly laughs. "Isn't
she going to take a vacation at all?"
Cookie looks a little guilty on that one. "Well she actually
did take a vacation. After she graduated she went to a little
island in the caribbean. She studied for the bar on the beach."
"And she actually studied!" JD shakes his head. "She
passed the bar on the first try!" JD says proudly.
"Trust Alexis to snatch her up first thing." AJ groans.
"I could have used her over at ELQ."
"Well if she is working for Davis and Jensen, she will be
working on ELQ business." Carly reminds. She hands Cookie a
veggie tray. "You knew I would bring this one. I still have
the two company dishes..."
"Veggie dip or cookies." Cookie laughs. "Where are
the children?"
"Michael is having a sleepover at friend's house. Miss Ally
Jean is over at her uncle Jason's for the weekend." AJ
answers her.
"I get my own kids back tomorrow for their riding lessons."
Carly sighs. "I swear I have to make an appointment. How
does the curse go-- May you have a child just like you?"
"And you are counting your blessings 'cause Ally is just as
horse crazy as you and Rita were."
"Yes, I am." Carly admits.
Johnny knocks on the door and enters in the same motion. He looks
at the two couples talking in the entry way. "I guess this
means Rita isn't here yet?"
"She should be home anytime." Cookie tells him. "Your
wife called. She is on her way and bringing Ricky." Everyone
heads into the kitchen. Cookie has mellowed to the point where
she can have others in the kitchen as long as they are on the far
side of the breakfast bar and don't get in her way. "So
Carly, have you heard from Lucas?"
Carly sighs. "He's still ticked at the world and the Naval
academy in particular. They wouldn't take him because of his
diabetes even though he had the grades and the skills to be an
ace for them. So instead he is out in Idaho of all places putting
out wildfires. He pours on the fire suppression stuff on it from
the air and drops in the smoke eaters." Carly shudders.
"I couldn't do it."
"Well I'm glad someone can." Johnny says quietly.
"It's been a bad summer for fires. If it keeps up we won't
have any forest left."
"Yeah, well the Olympic equestrian coach is ticked but
biting his tongue. He knows Lucas is one of his best shots of a
medal next year."
"The Coach and Carly are on a first name email basis..."
AJ tells the others. "...After the good showing Lucas and
Rita had in the trials for 2008 Beijing Summer games. He's held
clinics down at the riding academy but he boards his own horse
with us when he is in town. I think he's keeping an eye on Ally
and Michael."
"Ally maybe." Carly's eyes narrow. "Michael loves
to ride, he'd ride anything, but he isn't into competing.
Exploring yes, competing no."
"Where is everyone?" Emily calls from the front door.
"We're in here!" Cookie calls out. Em and Ricky come
back in the kitchen. Em goes over to Johnny who gives her a kiss
and a hug which is actually his way of checking for stress.
Finding the knot in her shoulder, he turns her around after the
embrace and starts kneading it out automatically.
Emily groans and her head slumps forward to give him better
access. "You have the best hands in the world. Remind me to
insure them."
Johnny looks over Em's head to Ricky. "Why do I think you
gave her this one?" Ricky gives him a half grin and shrugs.
"I guess this means you scored on your trip out to the land
of milk and honey."
"LA's a bitch this time of year." Ricky agrees. "As
soon as Lucas gets done in Idaho he'll probably be heading there
to put out fires up in the canyons. It makes the smog even worse
if that is possible." He goes over to Carly's veggie plate
and snags a carrot quickly dipped before Cookie can smack his
hand. "So where is the munchkin?"
"On her way, I'm sure." JD starts pouring iced tea for
everyone.
Rita approaches unnoticed and a calm comes over her. This is it.
This is what she'd been missing for those long years down in New
Orleans. Sure, she'd come home on holidays and such but this is
it. This is home. AJ pulls Carly down on his lap by the kitchen
table. Carly laughing at something Daddy is saying. Johnny going
from rubbing Emily's shoulders to nuzzling on her neck, wrapping
his arms around her waist. Daddy holding a glass of ice tea for
Cookie to take a sip while she's got both hands busy in some dish
she's making. And Ricky, leaning against the fridge watching the
whole thing too. She catches his eye and gives him a little wink.
He offers a silent toast with his glass of tea waiting for the
others to notice.
"RITA!!!" Suddenly she is surrounded by all the people
who love her best. Hugging and passing her around. The questions
and comments come from all angles with no real answer expected
except a nod and a smile.
It doesn't seem like much. Just a moment's pause in the in the
reunion when Ricky again finds her gaze. "Welcome home,
munchkin."
"Not a munchkin anymore." Rita half teases leaning her
head into her father's chest but maintaining eye contact with
Ricky. She has her arm wrapped around her dad's waist and his is
around her shoulders.
"I noticed."