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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Fifty Two
Had it Coming
Carly's eyes take on an unholy glint as she straightens. Her hand curls around the gate to Mr. Robert's stall blocking Vicki from following Emily and Rita. She's going to have to play this smart. Mind racing she tries to figure out how this is going to work. John had gotten the better of her earlier, but no way this little missy was going to. Little Miss Vic was going down. Carly smiles as she hears the throaty purr of the motorcycle starting and moving away. "Now where were we?"
"We aren't anywhere." Vicki sniffs and tries to get by Carly not realizing that Rita had already escaped.
Carly stands aside and makes a brushing motion with her whole arm as she takes a small bow. "Oh please don't let me stand in your way. I know you want to continue your reign of terror on Rita. I have people to talk to." Bait on the hook.
Vicki stops in her tracks and turns sharply. "What do you mean by that?!"
"Oh don't let me keep you." Carly takes her leather gloves off and tucks them in her pockets. Fish on. "I have to get back to the elders and convey to them your idea of support. Johnny and Cook will be so touched. I wonder what JD will do?" Carly taunts.
"This is none of your concern."
"So what?" Carly shrugs. "I don't like you and anything I can do to make your life miserable is mental chocolate for me."
"You bitch." Vicki attempts a swing on Carly an open faced slap that if it had connected would have left an impression.
Not yet. Carly ducks the blow. "What's got you so nervous? Have you said anything you didn't want repeated? We're in Port Charles remember. All the juicy stuff gets repeated." Carly hears a sound. Someone was coming. Who? It didn't matter who. "Do you think your father would have a problem with you telling Rita that she looked like a fool playing dress up is going to bother him? Do you think calling Emily a drug addicted, cyberporn motorcycle mama is going to bother anyone?" Carly raises her voice so it can clearly be heard. Let the line run.
"As if anyone would believe a lying psycho like you." Vicki laughs. "You're even trashier than little orphan Emmie. Rita knows what is good for her-- she'll keep her mouth shut. It will be my word against yours and you've already proven to have a fragile link to reality. Maybe after your husband has you committed again; he and I can get down to business."
"Yeah, business is right. You run a taxi-meter between those legs, Lady?"
"You would think that way. For you it's all about fucking and money, isn't it? So does AJ pay you by the hour, the month or ... The quarter? I'd bet it's the quarter probably calls it a stock dividend... for tax reasons you understand." Carly backs up against the stall door and allows Vicki to get closer and closer invading her space until they are nose to nose.
"That's enough." AJ says grimly from the tunnel that leads to the arena. "Step away from my wife now."
"More than enough." Johnny steps out.
"Victoria Porter, You owe Mrs. Quartermaine an apology." JD says flatly from behind AJ and Johnny. Cook has nothing to say but stays a half step behind her husband just taking in the whole scene. Unlike JD, she knew a set up when she saw one, afterall she'd helped Carly with her vendetta against Dr. Evans and the old goat. Carly had pushed buttons to make this one happen. Let it play.
"I don't owe her anything-- including an apology. She started it." Vicki protests half turning around. Vicki glares at Carly, knowing she has been set up.
"Where is Rita?" Johnny asks Carly not taking his eyes off Vicki.
"Em took her home." Carly says sweetly. "We didn't think she should have to put up with more of Vicki's garbage. And I didn't think that Emily should have to put up with her name calling either."
Johnny glances over at Carly quickly, his eyes narrow. Ms. Benson was up to something. Then he focuses on Vicki and takes a step forward. "I don't think Ms. Benson started it."
"Quartermaine." AJ mutters "Her name is Quartermaine, when is this guy going to get it?" Carly elbows him in the stomach. She doesn't want any distractions from Vicki.
"This has been going on since JD and my mother went on their honeymoon. I told you then if I saw you lay a hand on Rita again... threaten her again that I would make you pay."
"What do you mean threaten? Laying hands?" JD takes a step toward Johnny and Vicki. Johnny has moved intimidatingly close to Vicki. Vicki takes a step back. "Victoria, what is Johnny talking about?"
"It's not like it was the first time..." Carly murmurs. "She was pulling her intimidation tactics at the wedding. Course she was rather annoyed at me at the time since I caught her coming on to my husband. When AJ blew her off she started in on Rita."
Vicki turns from Johnny to Carly and then back to her father. She was so busted. How to get out of this?
"JD, I think you and your daughter need some alone time to sort this out." Cookie says coldly. She wouldn't spit on the girl if she was on fire but her husband didn't deserve an audience while dealing with this snotty little snob.
"Margarita, are you sure?" JD looks after her gratefully.
"Johnny will take me back to the restaurant and I'll be home in about an hour."
Johnny pauses by his father and puts his two cents in. "Rita hasn't been alone with Vicki since you were on your honeymoon. Ms. Benson and I seldom agree but we agreed on this. Your daughter is a bullying witch. I don't give a goodgawd damn what her problem is but she isn't going to take it out on Rita, or do anything to smother Rita's enthusiasm by telling her things like her dead mother would be ashamed of her. Handle it." Johnny looks over his shoulder at Vicki. "Or I will."
"Enough Johnny." Cookie says quietly. Together they leave.
Carly digs through her purse and finally finds what she is looking for... a business card. AJ tries to pull Carly away from JD and Vicki. But Carly stops long enough to give the card to JD. "What's this?" JD asks.
"One of my mother's business cards. In case you feel the need for a sounding board. Maybe you could form a support group or something. What to do when your daughter is an unrepentant bitch."
Edward and Lila settle back comfortably in the Bentley. "What could be taking AJ so long? He was just going to get Carly." Edward mutters.
"Darling, they are still newlyweds." Lila reminds Edward taking his hand. Edward lifts it to his lips. "And I'm sure Carly was preoccupied with Rita and Mr. Roberts."
"The girl was robbed." Edward says patricianly. "The judges were blind."
"Edward, you and I both know that things that come too easily aren't valued as highly as things for which you have to work."
Edward frowns. "I hate that you're always right."
"I know, dear." Lila glances out the window. "There they are."
AJ holds Carly's door for her making sure she buckles up before he goes around to the driver's seat. "Sorry for the delay."
"Oh we made good use of the time."
Carly twists in the front seat. "So you guys been necking or something? AJ and I can come back later?!" She grins at Edward and Lila. Edward harrumphs but doesn't say anything.
"Just drop us at home, dear." Lila avoids answering the question. Edward and Lila quietly catch up on their impressions of the day.
AJ glances back in the rearview before muttering to his wife. "What did you think you were doing back there?"
"You heard it." Carly tries to slide from the question.
"Sweetheart, you could take Victoria Porter with both hands tied behind your back and blindfolded. So don't give me that. What we saw wasn't what was going on. What happened with John Jacks was more truth than that little performance."
"So I knew you were there, that someone was there." Carly admits. "I wanted the Judge to see, hear, what a pain his daughter is." Carly reaches out to take AJ's hand. "She was going off on Rita and pulled Emily into it this time. Emily handled it with total class, like Lila would've. But neither of them should have to put up with that BS."
Bobbie glances back in the rear view where Lucas is entertaining Michael. "Now I don't want to seem ungrateful for any time I get to spend with my grandson but I'm getting a mushroom feeling again."
"What do you mean, Luv." Jerry says absently.
"Don't think I didn't notice the way you snagged Michael away from your father." Bobbie frowns. "And it looked like you were actually getting along with Jason, and I know you still have to steel yourself to be around him. The only reason you speak to Jason is because of Carly. What has she done now?"
"I'm really going to have to talk to Carly." Jerry shakes his head.
"About what?"
"How can I ever get you to stop jumping to conclusions when she keeps reinforcing your fears."
"So it is about Carly." Bobbie says triumphantly.
"My father cornered Carly..." Bobbie starts wincing as soon as Jerry says the word cornered. "... for a private conversation."
"Oh Lord." Bobbie closes her eyes and allows her head to fall back against the headrest.
"No blood was shed. But I don't think Dad will need a stress test then next time he goes in for a check up. Dad's never run into anyone quite like Carly."
"That's 'cause there is no one like Carly." Bobbie says grimly. "How many and how heartfelt of apologies do I owe?"
"None!" Jerry explodes, then moderates his tone glancing back in the rearview mirror to see if the kids noticed. He is relieved that they seem to be ignoring the adults. "I'll deal with my parents in my own time and not be manipulated by the old man. That was what Dad was trying-- and Carly was having none of it. You don't owe them anything!"
Bobbie runs a hand along the back of the driver's seat and down Jerry's arm. "Oh but I do. Because if it weren't for them I wouldn't have you."
An hour later at the Porter house.
Cookie comes in taking a deep breath not knowing quite what she is walking into. She hangs up her coat and heads to the study, knowing it's her husband's home turf. "Are you okay?"
"How were things at the restaurant?" JD asks looking up from his papers.
"That poser didn't burn the place down and don't change the subject. Are you okay?"
"How long have you known? That Victoria was tormenting Rita."
"I heard about it." Cook admits. "But I never saw it first hand. Vicki doesn't like me; she never will. It's no skin off my nose. Vicki is an adult she can make her own decisions. Johnny talked to me after we got back from the honeymoon, mainly 'cause of the bomb. He was really emphatic about Rita not being left alone with Vicki. He said he'd talked it over with Carly. I just believed it was cause Rita was spending so much time with Carly. Rita has never said anything to me."
"Me either. But I should have seen it. I knew that Vicki was a snob..."
"Yeah, but there is a big difference between a bully and a snob. How did things go."
"They didn't. Vicki tried to put everything off on Carly." JD suddenly looks a couple of decades older.
"That's an easy mark." Cookie nods but doesn't indicate by her tone which bandwagon she is jumping on.
"I've been a judge for longer than Rita has been alive. Almost as long as Vicki's been alive. I have a little experience separating the truth from the BS. At least I thought I did."
"Well Rita would vouch for ya." Cookie reassures JD. "She knows you catch her on most of the stuff she does."
"Why didn't she say anything?!" JD protests.
"Honey, I think she was trying to protect you. Vicki might think she is the lady of the manor but Rita is the one that takes the load off of you. Where is Rita? Is she already upstairs?"
"She wasn't here when I got here. When Carly said that Em took her home she must have meant her place. I think the girls had planned on having a slumber party to go over the horseshow how ever it turned out."
"Poor AJ." Cookie laughs.
Monica strides into the mansion and walks over to the hall table. She thumbs through the Saturday mail and finds nothing that can't wait. Reginald having heard someone come in greets her. "Long day, Mrs. Q."
"Fourteen hours." Monica runs a hand along the back of her neck. "My scheduled surgery ended up being followed up by a trauma. Someone not wearing their seatbelt who thought they might look better wearing the steering column."
Reginald winces, the curse of a good imagination. "The old man and Ms. Lila have already retired. Dr. Alan left a message that he was going to stay at the hotel tonight because he has a late meeting."
"What about Emily?"
"She hasn't called. But Miss Emily indicated she'd be staying at a friend's house before she went off to the horseshow." Reginald gives the phrase to indicate that Em was suppose to be at Carly's and then retreats before Monica can explode.
Carly snuggles in next to AJ but frowns into his chest. "I'm forgetting something."
"Em and Rita were suppose to spend the night."
"Oh damn. I blew it off with everything else that happened." Carly sits up in bed and reaches for the phone.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm calling Em." Carly dials up Emily's personal number at the mansion and gets her voice mail.
"Hon, she's either asleep or off with her friends." AJ suggests as Carly mouths voicemail. Carly nods disappointed. She leaves a message for Emily to call her and apologizes for not being more specific about exactly which home to bring Rita to but promises to touch base the next day.
The red and blue lights of the sector car come to a halt along the side of the road. Officer Rick taking his rotation on the graveyard steps out of the car with his flashlight having observed a glint of metal on the side of the road. Squatting down next to the cycle he activates his mike. "Dispatch this is two-seven."
"Go ahead two- seven"
"I need registered owner on a 2000 Harley Motorcycle license plate number..." While he is waiting for the reply from dispatch, Officer Rick scans the surrounding area with his flashlight.
"Two- seven, Registered owner is Emily Bowen-Quartermaine...." Dispatch goes on to give Emily's address and particulars. Rick winces and decides that the decision on this is going to have to come higher up the PCPD food chain than him.
"Dispatch, I have a suspicious situation. Request another uniform to secure the scene and Detective at..." Rick gives his location. Then he carefully retraces his steps back to his car to wait for backup.