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When Cassadines Fall ~ The Detour
Up To Something
Jason and Li sit up next to the organist practically in the rafters of the church. Michael is down in the daycare and Emily is sitting with Sonny and Mike waiting for Father Frank to wind up for the day.
A lector updates the congregation on the status of Harry and Yuen Chow while Father Frank gives out communion. "Harry is recuperating from his ordeal with his wife by his side in a Hawaiian hospital. As expected-- as soon as he left China he was banned from the country and can't return. The money raised at the girl's basketball game has been used to put down deposits on an apartment for the Chows down on Mariner's Row. Harry's sister has already been busy cleaning out the apartment and getting the place ready for her brother and his wife. Your prayers and letters of support are still needed so that there are no roadblocks to the Chows being allowed to stay in this country. Details are in the church newsletter." The lector goes on to the next bit of community business.
Jason waits until everyone clears out from the service before rising to his feet. He offers a hand to Li and they make their way down to the vestibule, picking up the rest of their party as they go. Max is waiting out front with the limo. Li is already familiar with the routine, although she still isn't comfortable around Sonny Corinthos. Emily is kind and the language barrier depends on the day and the subject although they are in near perfect synch when it comes to Michael.
Because Li is ducking her family, Jason is leery about having brunch at Johnny's knowing that Rita normally works the weekends. Luckily between the horse show coming up and according to a call from Carly earlier, Mei staying with Cookie and the Judge, the kid is not around.
"I'm not going to be able to stay long." Em announces as she takes her seat around the table. "I have to do my thing at GH while Johnny is working."
"Grandpop!" Michael jumps down from his seat where he'd just been placed and races around the tables in the restaurant like he is home until he can grab Jerry around the knees. Jerry leans down and picks up the small child and gives him smacking kiss before extending him to Bobbie who also gives Michael a smooch.
Jason grimaces at Sonny who matches the look but then nods.
Jason stands up and waves Jerry and Bobbie over. The waitress is already bringing a couple more chairs. "You're out early."
"Never fails." Bobbie starts and then explains further waiting to be seated until after Michael is back between Li and Em. Jerry seats her and then takes the seat next to her. "Lucas is impossible to wake Monday thru Friday but then is up with the birds on the weekends. We dropped him off with Carly up at the stables. Actually giving him a head start on this week."
Jerry makes eye contact with Jason. "We're flying out tonight. Bobbie and I figure make a holiday of it while your missionary's sister visits with her brother." Jerry then turns to Li starts speaking in Chinese. His grammar might not be perfect but he gets the point across. His voice is terse and sharp. Li's gaze falls to the table and she nods.
Jason's arm goes to the back of Li's chair protectively and he eyes Jerry suspiciously. "What did you say to her?"
"That's between her and me isn't it?" Jerry declares. "Course it's probably that her parents will be here in about a week to ten days. With her aunt and Mei out of the way it'll be easier for her to get into the Chow's apartment and get things ready for them. Not much chance of her running into Mei, since Mei will be staying with the Judge." Things had gotten weird of that there is little doubt when Jerry considered one of his good friends in Port Charles a Superior Court Judge. But he'd spent some time with Judge Porter over at Carly's house and for the longest time Rita and Lucas had been in the same riding class before both of them had moved their instruction up to Carly's stable.
Jason leans into Li and questions. "Is that what he said?"
"Shi." Li nods still not looking up from the table. Among other things.
Jason gives Jerry the evil eye. Jerry might actually be able to sit down at the same table with Jason because of his connections to Carly and her family. And the guy had been useful-- speaking Chinese and flying the plane. Carly appeared to love the guy which made killing him out of bounds. Didn't mean he wasn't a Jacks. Didn't mean he wasn't up to something.
It isn't quite a tradition. But it's something Lucky started for Sundays when he isn't having brunch with Audrey and Liz. When he needs a wind down from taking Lulu back to the house after making polite conversation with his mother. Laura tried real hard, actually tried harder now than before the accident when she always seemed to be running away from her family-- first to Switzerland and then to North Carolina. Hell! Everyone tried hard. Everyone took turns filling her in. Spreading it out a little bit as to not overwhelm. Laura knows everything that had happened over the last twenty years. But she knows it like reading a book. She even cried at some parts but she cried at Hallmark commercials too-- that at least hadn't changed. It isn't like amnesia, KC had explained. This is a result of the brain surgery. It's damage, the memories wouldn't be coming back and there is no use in waiting for them to resurface. They'd been fried by the lead on the way to fixing the brain lesion that had thrown Laura into a coma after the accident.
Lucky pretty much knew it before he ever left Wyndemere Lite. Nik knew it too. Which is why big brother didn't argue when they all piled into the front of the pickup instead of taking the jag: him, Lulu and Nik. Drop Lulu off and then make nice until they could escape and since they were both too fair to take out their frustrations on the women back at the house they'd head to the truck stop outside of town. Have a gut busting breakfast, strong coffee and read the Sunday paper. If it's a really bad morning then Bloody Marys would be included and if they were lucky a fight with some truckers who were still hung over from the night before.
But that was going to have to be on hold. "Lucky!" Lucas stands up on the bench seat of the booth and flags down his cousin. "Nikolas!"
Lucky gives his cousin a wave and then looks over his shoulder at Nikolas. "Great."
"Let me guess. Carly has a craving for grits yet again?" Nik says softly although even it he would have spoken in his normal tones it wouldn't carry over the din of the busy restaurant.
"I wouldn't be surprised." But then nothing my cousin does surprises me. "Either that or it's AJ's morning to cook." By that time they are about in hearing range of the table and switch to the too polite smiles. "Hey surprised to see you here."
"We're celebrating!" Lucas declares. "Well sorta. I'd rather be going to Hawaii with Mom and Jerry but you know... school. But I bet Jerry would have let me fly the plane."
"Only if Mom were sedated." Carly sneers. She makes a face at Lucas.
He makes one back at her. "You're just ticked cause you're still in the simulator and I'm going to solo first because you're getting too fat."
Carly turns to her husband who is sitting next to Lucas. "Hit him."
"No."
"You're closer."
"No, I'm sure you can make him regret his bragging, and lack of sensitivity toward his future niece or nephew without resorting to physical violence. You'll have a whole week to come up with something." AJ turns to the next page in the paper.
Carly slowly smiles.
Lucas shudders. He should have thought of that. He really should have.
Jax returns from his morning run to the apartment above the Outback. He comes bearing gifts-- not just the Sunday paper but also a box of Krispy Kreme. Not just the ordinary doughnuts but something special so that he can pick his girlfriend's brain without guilt. Em had suggest what she called The Widget Offensive in making up ground with Maddy-- even implied that the Cassadines are the way to make it happen but then hadn't said more. Probably out of solidarity with Maddy. He is about to announce himself when he realizes V is on the phone.
"...That sounds really great and you know you're going to get bonus points from my family if you can take lots of pictures. You know you're going to have to try to get some time off work around Easter too. Everyone knows we talk now and they'll be expecting you at the Ardanowski Easter Egg Hunt. Sunday best but wear the outfit with the elastic waist." V adds wryly knowing that KC knows exactly what she is talking about. "I swear Great Aunt Arminda has been working toward this once the last dish was dried and put away after Christmas."
Jax goes into the kitchen and puts the paper down on the island and then starts the coffee. From the sounds of it, V is talking to Dr KC Ryan, a neurologist at General Hospital Stefan Cassadine had head hunted from John Hopkins. Turned out that KC is from the same small town V is from. KC is older but they'd grown up on neighboring properties. Jax doesn't wait for the coffee to stop brewing before he pours a cup for V knowing she likes her coffee copshop style-- strong. V had also put her foot down... if he wanted to make his health drinks... at least the green one then he would have to do it at his own place. She's a firm believer in real-- real food, real exercise not fake vitamin fortified smoothies nor health clubs. After all the care packages she receives from her family he can understand why.
V mouths the word. "Thanks." Then raises her voice to the normal level. "Yes, Jax dropped by with doughnuts and the paper."
Jax raises a brow at that. Dropped By. He really should be insulted. Ever since the Ward House Fundraiser when they'd finally let the cat out of the bag about the two of them he'd been practically living with V. Course she only let him have one drawer and a portion of the hall closet. And that's all she would take at his place over at the Port Charles Hotel. An inconvenience that means that they are living out of the trunks of their cars. But V refused to move in with him and refused to let him move in. Her family would freak. His family would too but more in the jumping for joy style rather then going for the shotgun which is what V fears.
"Okay, I'll talk to you when you get back. Have a great time and don't forget the camera!" V hangs up the phone.
"What's up?"
"KC is going to go with Stefan Cassadine to Poland. It's just a quick trip. Luckily her passport is still current from all the time she spent in Uganda." V grins at that. Quick trip and cross atlantic flights were an oxymoron before she started hanging around with the Jacks. "She didn't think she was going to be able to get away on the short notice but her schedule freed up at General Hospital."
"Gee." Jax rolls his eyes. "I wonder how that happened considering Vlad runs the hospital. Wonder what is up... Cassadines have interests all over but Stefan doesn't make quick trips or rather not on short notice. He's got peons to do that for him."
"KC says he's going to pick up a dog outside of Zakopane." V sorts thru the newspaper until she finds the arts section. Even if Ned refused to tour there were other acts out there that might need the representation of L&B.
And it gets weirder. Weirder and weirder. Jax decides to chew on that one for a bit longer. If Stefan Cassadine is going to pick up a dog then it must be something important-- but a dog?
At the sound of things being moved and not quietly, Rick Robideau wakes-- pissed. He screams at the ceiling. "It's Sunday, DAMNIT!" He jumps out of bed and pulls on his robe. He slams out of his front door and pounds down the stairs when it appears that that noise isn't coming from the Chows apartment. "Do you know what time it is?!"
Elizabeth looks at Maddy. "Time for Ricky to wake up?"
"I do believe so." Maddy grins at Rick. "Morning, Sunshine."
"What the hell are you two doing? Moving a weight set?!"
Elizabeth snaps her fingers. "That's what we forgot."
"Just moving in a bed for Crazy Larry. Elizabeth finished his mural last night after Lulu went to bed and he's supposed to be getting out tomorrow."
The phrase getting out is enough to put up the hair on anyone's neck. There are only about three things a person got out of-- jail, the military and the funny farm. Ricky knows that in this case-- Crazy Larry said it all.
"Shame it isn't later in the year. We could do some serious decorating from Garage Sales." Elizabeth declares. "Not much garage sale business in February."
"And you know Cinnamon would love a doggie door but there is no way to put a real fence in until the ground thaws."
"You two are the crazy ones." Ricky shakes his head pitingly. He turns around and goes back up stairs. He might as well take a shower. It didn't look like he was going to be getting back to bed. He glances at the clock. There might even be time to pick up some brunch at Porters.
Elizabeth helps Maddy wrestle the futon onto the frame and gets it made up so that it can be used as a bed or a couch. She looks around. "It's so bare."
"The mural helps with that." Maddy can't help but agree though. The apartment is basically set up as a place to sleep for Larry and thanks to the overstuffed dog bed, for Cinnamon too. "Not going to have too much luck with plants though. The light isn't that great down here. Maybe with some food or something in the fridge."
"Yeah, add a few dirty dishes and it will be home in no time." Liz says wryly. "I was thinking more a throw rug, an overstuffed chair, maybe a TV."
"We have to leave something for Larry to do." Maddy crosses her arms and looks around the place. Then she glances down at her watch and grimaces. "Any bets they are at the truck stop? If things went well they'd be here by now."
Liz winces and shakes her head. "No bet. Lucky took his truck which means he was planning for the worst. Is this some kind of cosmic revenge on us because we were so ticked at the way she was treating Lucky and Nik? Laura treated them like strangers and now they really are."
"It might be true but I refuse to believe it." Maddy declares. "There is a damn silver lining in here somewhere. Candy and Lucky are charming enough they'll have her eating out of their hands in no time without all the baggage from the last 20 years. Besides we've got the Granny."
Liz sighs. "I'll ask Gram to start being nicer to Lucky."
"Snickerdoodles."
"I'll tell her."
It's a strange sight, or rather a strange gathering: Jerry, Bobbie, Mei-Mei, her grandmother, Father Frank, then Judge Porter, Cookie, Rita and since Ricky had stopped by the house he'd been roped into the farewell as well.
Father Frank says a few words and blesses the plane and the mission. Something they wouldn't be telling Old Man Quartermaine about since he is the one providing the plane. The application of voodoo water might not be appreciated.
Ricky and The Judge get the luggage transferred from Father Frank's car to the proper spots. Grandmother's to the plane where Jerry and Bobbie's already are and then Mei-Mei's to the Judge's towncar.
Mei-Mei gives her Grandmother a big hug and nods enthusiastically at every last lecture. "Everything will be fine, Grandmother. I will study hard and be a good guest."
Jerry has done the last checks and made sure that everything they need is aboard. He gives a hand to Bobbie and then to Mei's Grandmother making sure she is settled in the plane before making sure that everything is closed up tight and taking his place at the cockpit. There would be a bit of a layover in Seattle rather than San Francisco on this flight. Mei's grandmother would be giving her son a call to meet them at the Seattle Airport. That would give him time to rest up before continuing on. Jerry snaps his fingers as he remembers something and comes back into the cabin area carrying a present. "For you, Grandmother. For the trip."
Mei's grandmother is already trying to refuse the gift verbally as she unwraps the package. Inside is a couple of nondescript black plastic VCR tapes. "What is this?"
"Mei told Rita who told Lucas that you like Perry Mason. So Lucas made you a copy of a Perry Mason Marathon that you could watch on the trip. I know you've probably seen all of them already." Bobbie explains in English letting Jerry translate.
"Thank you and your son." Grandmother no longer has any intention of refusing the gift. They might be doing her a favor but we're talking Perry Mason here. Jerry sets up the video and gives her the earphones. Grandmother settles back in the comfortable leather chair and is soon lost in the unfolding mystery and court room drama.
Jerry comes over to Bobbie. "You get bored; you can always come up and sit with me."
"I prefer to not bother the man behind the curtain." Bobbie gives him a quick kiss. "I'll leave that to the kids. I'll be fine. I brought something to read." Bobbie reaches into her carry on and brings out a nursing journal.
"You'll be asleep before we leave New York."
"Entirely possible."
Jerry runs a caressing hand over Bobbie's shoulder and then heads back to the cockpit to do his final check off before requesting from the tower a place in the take off queue. He doesn't want to put it off too long knowing that everyone is waiting on the tarmack for them to take off.
Inside the Judge's town car, Cookie sits with Rita and Mei. Let the guys be idiots and stand out in the cold.
"Hawaii would be so nice." Mei sighs.
"Sure if you could drive there." Cookie replies. She's not a fan of flying. She'd do it if she had to but there are plenty of nice tropical places right here in the continental US.
"Carly's been to Hawaii." Rita interjects. "She said even the airport smelled like flowers." Rita can feel Cookie's disbelieving stare. "I'm not kidding. I couldn't make up something like that."
"The plane is starting to move." Mei jumps out of the town car and goes over to stand next to Ricky and the Judge.
Rita is right there with her cuddling into her dad as she watches the plane gather speed on the runway and fling itself into the air. Carly and Lucas are so lucky to be taking lessons from their stepdad. They even had their own plane but it's a small one good for going a couple states over... not cross country and then an ocean. Together they all watch until the plane can barely be seen flying off toward the sunset. Then The Judge ushers Mei and Rita back to the car.
Cookie rolls down the window. "I'm making pizza. But it's going to be an early night cause you all have school tomorrow." Cookie makes sure that she's looking straight at Ricky. He'd been doing a little too much partying for her taste even if he is pulling straight A's. Just meant he wasn't challenging himself. Needed to be taking harder courses that he has to work at or something he actually gave a **** about. Her eyes narrow as she studies her husband's project. She'd whip him into shape even if it killed the kid.
Ricky feels the hair go up on the back of his neck. Cookie is up to something and he knows it. He glances over at Rita who is also watching Cookie with interest. "Yeah, I'll be there." If only to pick the munchkin's brain and find out what you're up to, Lady. Ricky walks over to his car and climbs in.
Jax waits until the caravan of cars leaves and darkness falls. Luckily this time of year gloves made perfect sense along with a nice dark cap. Outdoor lights on his hair is like a neon sign of his presence and he had more of a change of blending into the shadows. He makes his way to the Cassadine hanger and eases in. He pauses in a hidden location to take in the whole hanger. When everything appears calm, he makes his way over to the first Cassadine jet and then the second one.
It's dark when the guys get home from whatever they'd been doing. This was longer than just dropping off Lulu, longer than making nice with Laura, longer than a trip to the truck stop unless they were arrested. (Liz checked-- they weren't.)
Maddy had finally found out where they were when she'd taken Cinnamon for a walk and seen Lucky's truck outside the corner store. Even figuring that they'd been stressed out by something, they still should have called. After all Elizabeth had been worried. Still if they wanted to stew then let them stew. Maddy had called Cinnamon back before she could make a beeline to the store and to Nikolas and returned to the house. Looked like it was going to be her night to cook. Hope the guys picked up something while they were out because she is only making enough for the people that were home for dinner: Liz, Granny Lesley and herself. Any leftovers? Well it's Cinnamon's lucky night.
Lesley knew the guys were in the dog house and didn't even bother staying up late but rather headed to her room to watch a little TV. Elizabeth had headed back to the carriage house after dinner to get some reading done for the upcoming week at PCU. Maddy opens up a folder she'd been putting off and is doing her own studying when the guys walk in the back door.
"Hey Maddy." Lucky announces leaning over to give Cinnamon a pat at the back door.
"Hey Lucky." Maddy replies and casually looks up from the papers. "Elizabeth went back down to the carriage house after dinner. She said she had some reading to do. Your dad have anything to say about his laundry?"
"Nope. Not a word." Lucky gets the feeling that something is up and thinks on it a bit and winces realizing that they'd left the house to drop off Lulu at about 9am and hadn't been heard from since. He says in a rush just to try to get it out there. "The security system is in over at the store. It took a little longer than I thought it would since I built in some redundancies... so it would ring at the Chow's and come up on my computer too." Maddy just stares at Lucky not saying a word. "Ummm well... I better check in with Elizabeth." He gives Cinnamon a last pat and then heads back out to the carriage house.
"Is there anything left from dinner?" Nikolas looks in the fridge after glancing at the clean counters of the kitchen.
"No." Maddy relents a little. "There are some leftovers from before in the freezer that you could nuke." True enough because of the household's habit of doing crockpot whenever they could there are single serving sizes meals in the freezer-- leftovers for a midnight case of munchies.
Nik grabs one of the meals and sets it in the microwave. He hits a button to start the defrosting/heating process. "What are you working on? Books for the kiosks?"
"No, I've been getting back my college letters. Poppi's been hard at work. Tulane is here as is Princeton."
Nik swallows hard but keeps his voice cool. "Princeton? I would have thought that Poppi would have found more schools down in the New Orleans area rather than going ivy league."
"His lead lawyer is an alum. Aunt Dara's been at it too. She must have written letters to both Michigan and Yale. So many choices, so little time." Maddy quips.
"What do you mean-- so little time?!" Nik demands.
"Well these places need a decision. School starts in six months and they have to be able to plan on who is going where. Thanks to Jerry I'm screwed out of any need based financial aid. Well between that and my mother's insurance settlement. If I were going to get financial aid the decision would already have to have been made."
"What about Port Charles University?" Nik takes the container out of the microwave and stirs it. He puts it back in and adds a little more time. The school which wouldn't involve you moving half a country away.
"Ah Mr Q's personal favorite." Maddy grins. "I have a letter from The President there rather than just the Dean of Admissions. Emily and I compared letters. There is a pleading sucking up quality that is just kind of embarrassing for a guy in charge of a whole university. Kinda makes you wonder what Mr Q promised him if we went there."
"No tibetan girls school?" Nik says wryly as he takes the steaming meal from the microwave and sits across from Maddy at the table.
"Not since the kidnaping. Now he wants Emily close. Even with her living with Johnny now." Maddy watches Nik's reaction to that carefully. "At least with Johnny, he can guarantee Emily sticking close to Port Charles. A few years from now he'll probably be claiming that he picked Johnny for Emily."
"And you? How is he going to guarantee you sticking close to Port Charles?" How am I?
Maddy laughs. "Knowing Edward-- probably come up with another long last grandson just for me. I'm tired and going to bed." Instead of going upstairs to the room she shares with Nikolas, Maddy slaps her thigh to call Cinnamon and heads downstairs to her room in the basement.
"Damn." Nik mutters as the door shuts behind Maddy. "I wonder if my brother is in the doghouse as well."