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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Thirty Five
Fallout
Emily stares up at the ceiling in disgust. Grounded. It had been a week since the press conference, and even though Alan and Monica had no proof of what she had done to Katherine Bell, she was still grounded. Monica had been laughing her ass off as she had pronounced sentence but the sentence had stood. And unlike the previous groundings this one had seemed to have stuck. Okay, so maybe there had been some criminal elements in the scheme against Katherine but what seemed to have nailed it for Monica was the suspected Carly involvement.
One week of school only and one more to go-- no gigs, no Deception, no motorcycle, no afterschool activity at all. When she had tried to claim needing study time at the library, Alan had agreed but decided he needed the study time as well. He'd driven her to the library and sat across from the table with her catching up on his medical journals while she had invented a project that could have waited-- that wasn't actually due until winter break. Lucky and Liz had taken one look at Alan and turned around. And now she knew more about the latest techniques in intestinal resectioning than she ever wanted.
Even church had been screwed up. Rather than meeting Jason at the penthouse and going with him and Michael, she'd been dropped off at Queen of Angels and picked up promptly after the service: no detours to drop Michael off at Carly and AJ's and no trips for brunch afterward. Father Mark hadn't been too happy with her either when he had heard her confession. Talk about sore knees and her dreams the night after church had been a jumble of Hail Marys and Our Fathers. The priest's disappointment had been obvious even in the supposed anonymity of the confessional.
Her phone had been unplugged and all her calls forwarded to her voice mail. The only thing that had kept her semi current was having a free period first thing at school something she had set up after Johnny's recommendation. Luckily, she and the school librarian were buds and she'd been able to check her calls and keep on top of her Deception obligations. Liz and Lucky had done the editing of the tape documenting the downfall of Katherine Bell: gathering the tapes from the hotel, the press conference and the parking lot of Deception. She'd been able to call them from the librarian's office. Lucky was still steaming over the stocks especially after they had been authenticated. He'd used up all of her limited phone time one morning on his rants about lawyers, accountants and the IRS. Nothing seemed to bring out hives so fast with the Spencers as a visit from the IRS.
Before the kitchen had always been a santuary, Cook would have rubbed the restrictions in but she also would have made it bearable. Emily rolls over on the bed, gathering her arms together to pillow her head. Francois was a pain. The pressure was getting to him at the mansion and he was starting to crack. Yesterday he snapped at Reggie. His meals suffered as the demands of the Quartermaines had finally sunk in. Working at the restaurant, even with Cook there, was a piece of cake in comparison. By the time, the restriction was lifted, Francois would be ready to jump to the coffee kiosks for the prominade. Emily finds a little silver lining in that.
But Nikolas. There had been no calls from Nikolas.
The Port Charles Grille. Carly and AJ join Edward for dinner. Lila was occupied with the completion of the theater project and Edward had the night free. Or he had made sure it was free once AJ had extended the invitation. Edward was too used to skating on thin ice to allow any opportunity to mend fences with his granddaughter-in-law to pass. "Where is my great grandson?" Edward demands then winces at his tone as Carly and AJ approach his table.
The maitre d' pulls out Carly's chair and AJ waits until she is settled and situatuated before answering. "He is spending time with Bobbie tonight. Normally, We'd have Emily babysit but that is kind of out of the window right now." AJ brings up the topic and the only reason why Carly had asked him to set this up.
"That girl..." Edward starts to bluster.
Carly holds up a hand. She waits until the drink orders are taken and the waiter leaves before leaning in. Her gaze is focused on Edward. "Did nothing wrong. That is what you were about to say, right Edward? And that you are going to intervene to get her off of punishment."
"Now Caroline..."
"There is no now Caroline about it. There is absolutely no proof that Emily had anything to do with Katherine's troubles and if she had-- so what?" Carly shrugs. The waiting for Emily's restriction to be lifted to watch the tape was getting on her nerves. Sure she had seen the papers and knew it was going to be good but this waiting....
"So What?" Edward's eyes bulge and his color rises. "She assaulted Katherine and vandalized her property. I saw the Mercedes."
Carly sneers. "I knew that Katherine wouldn't resist trying to get you in her corner. Poor, poor put upon Katherine. IF Emily struck back at Katherine, and I'm not saying she did, I say good for her. Katherine started it or didn't you notice the bruises on Emily?!"
"What bruises?" Edward leans in. His fury is palpable.
"Little Miss Spin Doctor left that one out, didn't she? The time Emily walked in on her and Nikolas Cassadine doing it-- on her birthday for goodness sake...."
"Carly." AJ says warningly to get his wife back on the subject.
Carly bites her tongue but takes the hint. "The day we went to the horse auction. Katherine got into it with Emily at the spa. Smacked her around put bruises on her arm and on her face. And if you don't believe me you can ask my mother, she saw them.. Ned knows all about it too. As far as I'm concerned everything up to and including tarring and feathering that witch is totally justified. Or is turning the other cheek the Quartermaine way now? I know you, old man. Lila may be biting her tongue on this because what Emily is accused of doing wasn't too ladylike. But you and I both know that ladylike doesn't get the job done." Carly's mouth snaps shut as the waiter approaches again.
Edward waves off the waiter and snarls. "You obsequious twit, we'll call you when we're ready to order. Can't you see we're in the middle of something here?!" The waiter drops off the drink order and retreats rapidly. AJ winces. Grandfather hated being caught with his pants down. Getting suckered by Katherine was going to make for misery shared. "Ned knew?"
"Alexis, Ned, Jerry." Carly lists off with emphasis on the last. Her eyes narrow and she waits for the explosion.
"Jerry. Jerry. JACKS!" Edward sputters and then explodes on cue.
"Now Grandfather. Jerry saw Emily the day it happened. I didn't even know about what happened between Katherine and Emily that day. Emily asked Carly to keep it confidential. Because she didn't want everyone getting upset." AJ tries to calm the waters. Carly might be pushing all the old man's buttons but she wasn't going to be happy if her pushing pushed the old man into having a stroke. Not here, not now, Not in the PC Grille. AJ decides to remind Carly of that and reaching out to her he squeezes her hand and says softly. "Virginia."
Carly recoils even as she squeezes AJ's hand tighter. Her eyes grown wide she takes in Edward's flushed face and throbbing pulse. She'd been having so much fun pushing Edward's buttons but she didn't want the man to drop dead on her. "Loosen your tie before you strangle yourself, old man." Carly relents. "AJ's right. Emily didn't tell anyone what happened. She wouldn't have told if Bobbie and I hadn't noticed what she was covering up with make up." Carly adds grudgingly. "And she wouldn't have wanted to upset you or Lila. Emily didn't tell Jerry; Mama did. The only reason Emily talked to Jerry about it at all was to try to convince him that I shouldn't go after Katherine."
Edward loosens his tie and takes a deep breath. "So Emily did go after Katherine but she was prevoked."
"I didn't say that." Carly replies quickly. "As far as I'm concerned it was just karmic payback or whatever. And that's why Emily shouldn't be on punishment. Or if she did do it that she should be rewarded rather than restricted. And you and I both know that Monica isn't doing this because of what happened with Katherine; she hates Katherine's guts. This is because Emily and I get along. And I'm not going away so Monica can just get over it."
Edward is already convinced but adds for form. "And Ned knows all this."
Carly nods. "Yep. He's a little slow on the uptake but I bet he's even figured out that Monica and I don't get along."
The Gatehouse. Alexis sits at the desk and stares off into the distance. Ned lounges on the couch with the cell phone pressed to his ear. It had been a light day at ELQ, Edward had been in too much of a rush getting out of the office to stir up a fuss. Rumor mill had it that Edward was having dinner with Carly and AJ. But Ned didn't put much stock in that rumor. Not unless Carly was having Edward for dinner. Ned is distracted from his call when Alexis starts giggling out of nowhere. Tears stream down her face and she slaps the desk mirth boiling over. Ned grins as well. Many might think Alexis insane but this behavior had only taken hold a week ago. "Honey, hysterical laughter is going to get you locked up in Ferncliffe one of these days. Most people aren't going to know the joke."
Between giggles Alexis chokes out. "The look... on her face ... when the turban hit the floor-- bwahahahaha." Alexis straightens up pushing away from the desk she wipes away the tears of mirth. "Sorry. Sorry. I'll be good." But the laughter erupts again bubbling up from deep in Alexis' gut. She rises from the chair and starts doing a little chacha right there humming La cucharacha.
"You are enjoying this way too much." Ned says ruefully. He hangs up the phone.
"Come on, Ned. It was funny."
"You Cassadines are perverse."
"OH and you Q's aren't." Alexis grins and lifts a brow.
Ned cracks up too. "I never said we weren't." Ned's face is forced into stern lines. "But you realize what a mess this has made for Deception?"
"OH PULEEZE." Alexis goes over to Ned and leaning over the back of the couch plants a big smooch on Ned. Ned reaches over and topples her over the back of the couch and on top of him. Alexis reaches for the arm of the couch for balance as she looks down into her lover's face. "You told me yourself that the depilatory is on back order and will probably be one of the spring lines hottest items. No one has seen hide nor... hair of Katherine in a week." Alexis cracks up again collapsing on top of Ned.
"Yeah, and Jax and I have spent twice what Katherine's shares are worth to finally get her out of the company."
"I'll write you a check; it was worth it." Alexis says fervently.
"Yeah," Ned kisses Alexis. "It was worth it." The door bursts open.
"Oh get a room!" Edward exclaims. Alexis starts to retreat but Ned holds her in place.
"We did. This one. You really should knock before you enter a room, Grandfather." Ned sighs and releases a tense Alexis and both of them sit up on the couch casually straighten their clothes. Ned looks over at a dissheveled Edward-- flushed faced and loosened tie. "Are you alright, Grandfather?"
"What? What?" Edward reaches to his throat and absently straightens his tie. "Oh that. Carly was afraid I was going to have a heart attack or something at dinner."
"You had dinner with Carly." Ned says noncommitally.
"You didn't tell me that Katherine hit Emily!" Edward gets flushed all over again as he roars.
"How did you know about that?" Ned and Alexis say together and then look at each other and repeat to each other. "How did you know about that?"
"I found out the night it happened. Emily stopped by to talk to you remember?" Alexis answers first.
"I found out from Jerry Jacks! Emily was trying to get his help with Carly and he told her that she was on her own. That he was not going to lift a finger to stop Carly from going after Katherine. Emily explained after Jerry left."
"This is all your fault, Ned!" Edward pokes a finger in Ned's chest.
"My fault, how is this my fault?" Ned shakes his head and pushes the finger away from him rubbing his chest to remove the imprint.
"That little girl is moping around the house because of you! Because you can't get along with your cousin. And it's going to STOP!"
"Since when have you cared how AJ and I get along? You're the one that set up the competition."
"Since now." Edward declares. "And you two either get married or be more discreet, there are impressionable young people around here. Edward huffs. "How do you expect to ever have your daughter come visit when you are living in sin!" Edward slams the door as he leaves.
Striding into the mansion, Edward bellows as he slams the door behind him. EMILY!
Emily comes to the landing at the top of the stairs. "Grandfather?"
"Get your coat. We're going out. I'm sick of you moping around this house."
Emily is curious about his odd behavior. "Grandfather?"
"Do I have to repeat myself? Dress warm we're going to the project." Edward growls.
"No sir. Yes sir!" Emily races to her room and grabs her coat before Edward can change his mind. She runs down the stairs. Edward hands her her helmet and she sees that he is carrying her spare. "Umm Grandfather...."
"What?! I was riding motorcycles before Alan was a twinkle in my eye."
"Okay." Emily asks hesitantly "But when was the last time?"
"I can feel my sugar dropping. Do you want to stay or go?"
"Go. Oh I want to go." Cabin fever had set in about three days before. Emily backs the bike out of the garage and pulls up next to Edward. She slides forward balancing the bike as he climbs on behind her. "Grandfather...."
"I'll pay. You buy." Edward insists urging Emily on.
"Okay." Emily flips down the visor and then grabbing Edward's hand she wraps it around her waist and then pats it. "Hang on." Emily smoothly accelerates past the gate house where Alexis is out getting the evening Herald. Emily pauses at the end of the drive, waves and continues on.
Alexis walks slowly back into the gatehouse in a daze. "Ned, I think I just saw Edward on the back of Emily's motorcycle."
"Alexis, that Ferncliffe thing was just a joke." Alexis just looks at him both eye brows raised. "You aren't kidding, are you?"
Out front of Johnny's Restaurant, Emily peels off her helmet and runs a quick hand through her hair. "You coming in?"
"I'll wait here." Edward replies not removing his helmet only flipping up the visor. He reaches into his inside jacket pocket and pulls out his money clip handing Emily a twenty. "Why don't you get us something to snack on while we go through the project." Edward suggests.
"'Kay. I'll be back in a minute." Emily peels off her gloves shoving them in her pocket and takes the twenty. She strides into the restaurant ignoring all the stares of the well dressed patrons. The hostess starts to say something about her attire when Johnny walks up behind the hostess.
"I'll handle this." Johnny says to the hostess but his eyes never waver from Emily's.
Emily grins at Johnny and winks at him. With a tilt of her head she indicates the passenger on her bike. A passenger dressed in a Brooks Brothers suit with a motorcycle helmet still on. "And so it begins."
Johnny does a double take and then grins. "And so it does."
Emily hands the twenty to Johnny. "I need two desserts... better make it three and two coffees: one regular, one decaf-- TO GO."
"I'll take care of it personally."