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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Twenty Seven
Gathering an Ally
Carly and Johnny
Johnny makes his way up to the property above the Deception Spa navigating from the memory of the directions Rita had given him once upon a time. Since he hadn't called ahead he is relieved to see Carly's custom sports utility vehicle there. Johnny pulls up next to Carly's vehicle and parks. Sliding out from behind the wheel, he looks around for activity; any clue where Carly might be. Carly having heard the car come up the drive walks around from the corral. "Hey Johnny."
"Ms. Benson." Johnny starts walking toward Carly.
"Come on, call me Carly." Carly winces. Johnny has never seem to be able to get her name right. "Is this when we're finally going to have that chat about Rita and the queen bitch sister you two share?"
"Well that wasn't why I came up here but we can start with that." Johnny nods. Carly walks back toward the corral and leans up against it so that she can watch Mr. Roberts and Michael. Johnny hesitates but leans up against the corral beside Carly. Mr. Roberts comes up to start nuzzling Carly's shoulder in search of goodies. Johnny takes two steps back from the fence and out of reach of the horse.
Carly looks over her shoulder even as she pets Mr. Roberts strong neck. "Oh you have got to be kidding me. You'll face down thugs with guns but you're a scaredy cat where my big baby is concerned?" Carly grabs Johnny's arm and pulls him back up to the corral fence. "Rita is here all the time; she is totally horse crazy you are going to have to get over this. Scratch right here and you'll have a friend for life."
Johnny reluctantly scratches Mr. Roberts under his chin and withdraws as soon as Carly looks away. "Where is Michael?"
Carly realizes that Johnny is not going to be a fan of horses and relents. "Over here. Michael's on something more your speed."
"You have Michael on a Horse?" Johnny starts to panic and looks at Carly in horror.
"He's almost two he has to start somewhere. Don't worry it's a small horse." Carly taunts.
"Are you insane?" Johnny races after Carly not even noticing Mr. Roberts or the vet student's palomino as he hops the fence and follows Carly.
"Well that is a subject up to debate." Carly admits. Her mental health is something she'd had to develop a thick skin over but not too thick. "Course the last person who asked that question I arranged to have locked up in a prison for 7-15 years. So you might want to rephrase."
"It was a figure of speech." Johnny slams to a halt as he sees Michael and hears his happy chatter.
"I think that this horse might be more your speed." Carly says slyly.
"Haha very funny." Johnny shakes his head taking in the sight of Michael on his rocking horse.
"Michael does ride with me on Mr. Roberts. Once he gets more experience AJ and I will look to getting him a pony." Carly reaches over and peels Michael off of the rocking horse and cuddles him close giving him a smooch. "Does my Mr. Man need a juice?" Michael makes a hand signal. "Apple you got it."
"What was that?"
"Sign language-- just a little. Kids Michael's age do better with sign than they do with verbal language. I read an article."
"You and your articles."
"It seems to work." Carly shrugs. She walks into the office of the stable and Johnny follows checking it out as she goes. "You want somethin'?"
"Whatever you're having." Johnny looks around. "This is nice--homey."
"Thanks." Carly hands Johnny a juice and then hands Michael a sippy cup. She sits on the couch and waves Johnny to a nearby chair. "So tell me about Viki."
"Viki came by the restaurant to pick up Rita. They got into it right there in the backroom. I heard the whole thing. When she wasn't slamming me, you or ma, she was threatening to take Rita's riding privileges away from her. The bastard hoodlum comment didn't annoy me quite as much as the murdering slut one."
"Oh you have got to be kidding me! Does your mother know?" Carly looks up from Michael to Johnny in shock.
"Not yet. Viki thinks she can go to the Judge and he'll cover her ass. Which means he has before."
"That wouldn't surprise me. Viki is his daughter; that's what Daddy's are suppose to do, but not where Rita is concerned. Judge and Rita are tight; he isn't going to put up with this."
"I'm getting the feeling he has so far." Johnny says grimly.
"Or Rita never told him." Carly suggests. "Rita takes care of her father... makes his life smooth. What her father doesn't know, won't hurt him; I'm sure she figures. Hell she packed his bag to go on his honeymoon with your mother. I heard her reminding him she'd packed his sunblock when he came back to Port Charles all crispy crittered. Rita is Daddy's girl she'd do what she could to not rock his boat. Especially if he were in the middle of a big case."
"No longer. I have no problem with Rita being her father's daughter. I like that about her but she will not be abused for it." Johnny retorts sharply.
"Agreed. So what are we going to do?" Carly asks absently cuddling with Michael even as she focuses on Johnny's concerns.
"Make sure that Viki is never alone with Rita. I can cover it with the restaurant. You cover it here if you would."
"You're going to have to fill your mother in. Unless you are planning on moving into the Judge's house." Carly reminds Johnny.
Johnny grimaces. "I think I'm a little old for that. Luckily Viki is adamant about staying on campus."
"Where do you live anyway? I figured you did the superman thing changing in phone booths and always on duty outside of Sonny's."
"The restaurant has an apartment above it. It's one of the reasons I took the building."
Carly stares at Johnny for a long time. He kind of squirms under her focused gaze. Finally Carly asks. "Okay I had to remind you about Rita. So why are you here-- really?"
Johnny rises and starts to pace the small office. "Nevermind that. It wasn't a good idea for me to come here. We have other things to think about-- keeping Rita and my Ma safe."
"We've already talked about Rita and your mother would be insulted that she can't take care of herself. You wanna tell me what is eating at you or should I guess? Would it happen to be one of my in-laws, the only one I have on speeddial, who is one of the few people I trust with my son? Someone that has been hanging around the penthouse since Jason started working for Sonny...."
"Knock it off." Johnny growls running an impatient hand through his hair. "You know who this is about."
"I'm just surprised it took you so long to come to me." Carly gloats. "Emily called me the night of the Judge's wedding. I know all about it." Carly looks down but keeps eye contact with Johnny out of the corner of her eye. With mock seriousness she continues, "I don't know if I should get involved. Why Nikolas Cassadine and I are practically family. My mother was married to his father for about half a second."
"This was a bad idea." Johnny mutters. He gets ready to leave.
"Sit down." Carly insists. "Sit."
Johnny sits down in a huff. His head is in his hands practically tearing his hair out. "This is driving me crazy. It can't happen. I'm too old for her. I was in the organization for Christ's sake. She has no clue what she is doing."
"And I'm not going to do a damn thing to help you get Em or to drive her away until you figure out what the hell you want."
Johnny pops up from the chair again and starts to pace. "What I want and what's right are two different things."
"Sounds like you have been thinking about this." Carly comments encouraging Johnny to continue. She and Michael watch Johnny pace the confines of the room.
"Like I've been able to think of anything else." Johnny says wryly shaking his head. "When I get around her I can't think. It's dangerous, damn it!"
"Dangerous if you were still in the organization, but you're not. You own a small business-- the hottest restaurant in Port Charles. Soon you're going to be expanding into the coffee kiosks on the docks promenade project. Even if you were in the organization, Emily would no more hold that against you than she does against Jason. And old... well sure if we just measure chronologically. I'm sure you figure you were too old for her even if you were the same age-- considering all you'd seen by the time you were her age. Emily is no shrinking violet. She's seen a few things too. And as for the not thinking thing, I think it's mutual."
"You're not helping."
"What --you want me to talk you out of it?"
"Yeah. Talk me out of it." Johnny sits back down and leans toward Carly to catch every word.
Gathering an Ally: Lucky and Nikolas.
(Note to readers. Remember in this reality the fire at the motorcycle shop never happened. Lucky is alive and well and still living above it. Nik has offered Lucky the carriage house of his new acquisition once it is restored.)
Lucky looks up from the directions that Nikolas had given him over the phone to the wrecked shell of a house in front of him. "You have got to be kidding me! I wonder if Gail gives a family discount. Nikolas has lost it this time."
Nikolas who had been expecting Lucky glances out of a hole in the second floor wall where a window used to be. "Lucky! We're up here."
Lucky picks his way over debris that had been tossed out the windows to the open door at the back of the house. Testing his footing he carefully makes his way up to where he had seen his brother. Finally he finds the room, his eyes narrow at the unfamiliar sight of his brother filthy and sweating. Standing next to him is a fashionably dressed man who was brushing his hands off with a monogrammed white handkerchief that used to be white. "This had better be interesting. I was tracking down a pair of cylinders for a '48 Indian that Jason is restoring at the shop. The customer is getting testy. Jason might do good work but he is kind of distracted with his other ventures."
"A what?" Nikolas shakes his head. "Nevermind check this out."
Lucky comes over to where Nik is standing and gives a low whistle. "Oh that is a beaut." Lucky starts rattling off the particulars of the safe from what he can see. He pushes past Nik and the architect to get a closer look. "They don't make them like this anymore. Classic, man, classic. I thought you were high when you told me to bring my lockpicks." Lucky tosses down his backpack and brushes his hands lovingly over the black iron safe secreted back in the now exposed wall.
"Think you can open it?" Nikolas asks curiously.
Lucky looks up abruptly. "Don't insult me. It'll take longer cause you didn't say my safecracking stuff. But I can get it open."
"This is your specialty not mine." Nik shrugs. "Excuse me if I didn't phrase it right. Look you get it open-- I get the pick of whatever is in there and you get the rest."
"I want the safe, man." Lucky mutters. Lucky checks to see how and if it is attached to what remains of the wall. "It would be easier if it was out of this dump so I could concentrate without wondering if I'm going to fall through the floor. What a dump."
"Indeed." The architect agrees. "That is why it is set for demolition this afternoon. We have already salvaged what is possible."
Lucky looks over at the architect. "Demolition?!" Lucky's voice goes up so high it almost squeaks. He looks back longingly at the safe. "We have to get this baby out of here. Where can we set up. I need a place with some space some good light. Hopefully not as noisy as it is here although I can deal."
"If we can get it out of the wall then we'll set up over at the carriage house. I wanted you to check it out anyway. Where is Elizabeth?" Nikolas asks about Lucky's better half.
Lucky answers absently. "She was working on an art show admission when she got a call from Emily. They took off somewhere."
Nikolas perks up at Emily's name but bites his tongue to avoid asking anymore questions. Not that Lucky would have heard him-- he was already back to freeing the safe from the wall. Once all the bolts have been removed, Lucky rocks the safe but is careful to not allow it to fall. The safe is built to last and probably wouldn't even get dinged from a short drop to the floor but Lucky is already feeling possessive of his new toy. Glancing around Lucky starts figuring how to get it out of the building. He wanders around the second floor without a word to Nik or the architect. Finally he returns with a pulley and ropes that the crew had used to get the claw foot bath tub out of the house. Efficiently he sets up the pulley tugging against it and allowing it to hold his dead weight, grunting in satisfaction he ties the safe up to the attached rope. "I'll go get one of those wheelbarrow things for below the window." Nik finally says figuring how he can help.
"Yeah, that will work." Lucky mutters. The architect goes off to gather a couple of guys from the crew to help with the project. Nikolas maneuvers the wheelbarrow under the window where he had been working. Synchronizing their efforts the safe is lowered gently to the wheelbarrow below. Nik hollers when it touches down and starts unfastening the ropes. The architect gives the word to abandon the wrecked hull of a house after the phone call comes through that the bulldozer is on it's way. The crew breaks for lunch ready to start on the house on the other side of Nik's in the afternoon. The contractor and the architect leave the site for lunch and only Nik and Lucky remain in the carriage house. Lucky is preoccupied with the safe and Nikolas stares at the cell phone-- waiting for it to ring. "Ya know, I watch pot never boils."
"Why do people keep telling me that? It's totally false." Nik mutters.
"Look if you want to make yourself useful. Why don't you order some lunch. I didn't grab anything before I came over here."
"Oh and mother would kill me if I let you go hungry." Nik picks up the phone. "What do you want?" Lucky rattles a number off by memory. "What's that?"
"Eli's. Great ribs and they deliver."
"I should have known." Nikolas quickly makes the call. From next door the sounds of the bulldozer at work fill the air. Nik looks out over the neighboring house. It groans as it collapses. The dozer methodically takes the house down and then begins to clear the property. When the Eli's driver arrives Lucky's concentration is broken. The aroma of ribs did what all the noise next door couldn't do-- pull him away from the safe. Nik clears a place on the sawhorse table for the lunch and sets it up. Lucky wanders over and grabs his half.
"So this is your big secret. The big project that your father knows nothing about. He might figure something was up if he could see you now. You look like you have half of the building on you now."
Nik wipes his fingers fastidiously. "Today I learned the joys of a sledge hammer."
"Well I guess it's more productive than lifting cars."
"Excuse me?"
"Lifting cars. It's an age old remedy for... sexual frustration."
"You're kidding right?"
"Nah but I always figured it was the hernia that killed the interest." Lucky takes a meaty bite from one of the ribs. With his mouth still half full he asks Nikolas. "So who you expecting to call?"
Nikolas looks down at his plate and then shoves it away. "Emily."
"Elizabeth said you two were going out last night." Lucky states in a questioning voice. Nikolas looks away. "That good eh?"
"I totally screwed up." Nik mutters.
"Wow, more than forgetting her existence while you were panting after Sarah, then thanking Robin for helping you get your voice back when you got shot when it was Em that got the ball rolling, more than nailing Katherine Bell at her birthday party? Wow you must really have stepped in it."
"Thank you for reminding me of all my idiocy." Nik crosses his arms defensively. "We went out to dinner everything was going great and then I got into it with Johnny Cook."
"Who the hell is Johnny Cook?"
"One of Jason's thugs-- he owns a restaurant now, down on the waterfront."
"Oh that Johnny. He does pretty good ribs too but he doesn't deliver. Does an interesting marinade has a hint of citrus and some ginger I think...."
"Do you think of anything but your stomach?" Nikolas protests.
"I'm a growing boy! Besides Ribs are an art form." Lucky answers defensively. "So what happened between you and Johnny. Wait-- wasn't that the same guy you accused of putting hands on Emily. You know the time it turned out to be Kitty Bell?"
"Yeah. He hauled Emily out of the cottage after she ditched the wedding. Pulled a gun on me and everything. Then I find out that he was there when Emily almost got blown up from some letter bomb at Carly Quartermaine's house. He had his hands all over her then too." Nik growls.
"And exactly how did you find out about that?" Lucky wonders.
"One of the volunteers at the hospital told me-- Viki Porter. She is the judge's daughter. And Cook's half sister not that she claims him." Nikolas sniffs.
"And what does she get out of it?" Lucky wonders.
"What do you mean?"
"You got to question the source, man. What does Viki Porter get out of telling tales to you about Emily?"
"Nothing. She has nothing to gain." Nikolas shrugs confused at the change in subject.
"Are you sure? You might be better off talking to Elizabeth about this one. Or even Bobbie. Let's just say that... your judgment where women is concerned is not the greatest."
"Oh thank you. Kick me while I'm down why don't you?"
"I try not to listen to all the gossip. But Elizabeth is up to her ears in it and always has been as long as I've known her. Did I ever tell you about the time she crashed Sonny and Brenda's nonwedding? Nevermind-- the point is, up until the Porter wedding, this Viki chick was making the moves on AJ Quartermaine. Carly evidently cleared that misunderstanding up fast."
"I saw that. Emily and I both did. Your cousin was about to rip her hair out when AJ showed up to stop her."
"Now all of a sudden this chick is volunteering at the hospital where you're the coordinator. She's inviting you out to tennis matches and you're going even though I know you hate tennis. She's dropping little hints in your ear on how tight Emily and Johnny are. Why? I can guess but can you? The nice thing about being a Spencer is that while we're connected to Port Charles, well connected I'll admit, we're not exactly the social elite. Mom does okay but Dad doesn't play those games and hasn't since back when he got elected mayor of this berg. Now you got this chickie who is jumping from buddybuddy with a Quartermaine to cozying up with a Cassadine? Last one that made that leap was Katherine Bell. She just stuck a Scorpio in the middle for variety sake."
"Oh hell. I'm getting played again?!"
"You said it not me." Lucky shrugs and wipes off his hands carefully to return to work on the safe. "All I'm asking is who gains if you and Emily aren't getting along?"
"You're a pain in the ass you know that?" Nik mutters.
"Born and bred. But I'm not the one getting played." Lucky answers absently already back to the business of cracking the safe. Using today's tools and technology, he steadily works on the safe finding the tumblers one by one until with a creak of long unused lever Lucky opens the safe. "Got it. Well well we did better than Geraldo Rivera."
"Who is Geraldo Rivera? The architect mentioned him too."
Lucky looks up from the safe contents to Nikolas. "You really do need to do some research on things that have happened in the last twenty years. Translating dead guys from Latin back to the original Greek only takes you so far in the modern world. You said you wanted the pick of the goodies. Check it out." Lucky lays the booty out on the floor next to the safe.
Nikolas gravitates toward a velvet box. He opens it up to find a gorgeous set of earrings and a necklace in a bohemian style. The earrings are shoulder sweepers and the necklace a wide choker laced with diamonds and rubies. "This. I'll take this."
"It'll look great on ya. Stiffon will probably put you in therapy but go for it, man."
"Don't be a fool. What else is in there?"
"Lots and lots of paper." Lucky shrugs. "Oh well what I wanted was the safe anyway."
Nikolas examines the papers and whistles, an annoying habit he had picked up from Lucky. "Oh I don't know, bro. I think you have a little computer research ahead of you. These are bearer bonds/stocks dating back to the thirties. Some of it might be worthless. Some of it might still be around and worth a fortune."