When Cassadines Fall ~ The Detour

Friday afternoon at the ELQ daycare.

It had been the choice of the daycare manager with full support of the ELQ president that the one thing that wasn't in the preschool room is a computer. They have the best of everything but not that. There are books, art supplies, musical instruments, toys, plants including a line of dixie cups with little beans sprouting. There is even a daycare bunny. Yep, everything but a computer or television. The daycare manager figured her charges would get enough of that at home.

It had been over a year ago when AJ and Carly hooked up and Michael started being a regular student on Fridays. It's an incongruous sight. Not Michael, or all the other children-- But Edward sitting on a hard wooden chair in the corner of the center surrounded by children sitting Indian style while he reads to them about Clifford, a Big Red Dog.

There had been gossip and a little suspicion that some of the up and comers had gone out and gotten children just to have a reason to be there. Having the CEO's child in the daycare had raised the profile of the center throughout the company. Having the CEO's grandfather, the president and founder of the company in the center on a weekly basis really raised the profile of the center.

"So what is it today?" AJ asks of the daycare manager. "Goldilocks and the Three Little Bears Market? Maybe Ferdinand the Bull Market?"

The manager gives AJ a look. "I broke him of that the first week."

AJ winks at her. "You just think you did. I need to talk to the Old Man."

The manager nods and goes over to Edward. She whispers in his ear and then taking the book from him they switch off so that the manager can read to the children. Edward looks to the doorway where AJ is standing and tells the kids that he'll be right back in time for snacks. He waits until he is outside the doorway before he grumbles. "What is so important it couldn't wait?"

"Thought you wanted to be in the loop."

And you know he does. Edward straightens. "What?"

"Harry Chow and his wife arrived late last night in Hawaii. That's Emily's missionary." AJ reminds.

"I know that!" Edward blusters. "They are getting an apartment in Ricky Robideau's building. I talked to Rita last night after the basketball game at Queen of Angels. There was an announcement at half time at the game." After which they started passing the plate to start a fund for the Chows.

"Maybe you should be including me in the loop." AJ suggests. "My information is from the pilot of the plane. He got them to Hawaii. Jerry arranged for them to be met by some friends of his and Chow was taken by ambulance to the hospital."

"Ambulance?!"

"Just a precaution. The guy was in custody."

Edward winces. "I've been reading a few things in the business journals. I think you should be taking a close look at the Shanghai factory. Two things-- make sure they aren't using prison labor and the other make sure that the government is getting paid their cut-- so they don't get tempted to take the whole pie rather than a piece of it."

AJ nods. "I've been thinking of opening an office in Darwin that would provide oversight on the Asian assets do a combination of security, quality control and R&R."

"Darwin?" Edward's brows go up at that. "You've been thinking-- or your wife and Jerry Jacks?"

"I don't discuss ELQ with Jerry." much "And you bet Carly picked Darwin. She already knows that City and feels comfortable with anyone she knows actually going there. Which can't be said of Jakarta or China."

"You're whipped, Boy." Edward declares.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea." AJ counters with a shrug. He's grown used to the accusation that his wife runs his life. It could be because Carly blocked time in his schedule when she wanted via computer. It could be because he never stayed later than 5:30 at the office in order to be home in time for dinner. It could be because he was out of town every weekend on an excursion with his wife. It could be because his secretary and his wife are on a first name basis. But since he's sober, sane and still in charge of ELQ for four quarters without disruption and with no end in sight-- why mess with something that is working?

Michael pauses at the doorway of the daycare and looks both ways as if he is crossing the street and then races up to AJ. "Hi Papa! We can't leave yet. Miss Lori finished the Clifford book but says it's time for snack." Michael looks at Edward when he says that.

"True enough. Can't miss snack." Edward nods in agreement. "Come along, Michael. Your papa has to go back to work. He'll get a snack later." He holds his hand out to his great grandchild. Michael takes it cheerfully and starts tugging the older man back to the center.

AJ shakes his head and closes his eyes. Carly knows that the Old Man is at the daycare center on Fridays. But he doesn't think she knows exactly what that entails. If she did... then the Old Man would truly know whipped.

Jerry Jacks is hard at work on the computer out at Carly's stables. He'd already cleaned out the stalls. Not that Carly couldn't-- just that it didn't seem right to have a woman six months pregnant shoveling manure when he was right here. Not that she couldn't-- just didn't seem right. Once the heavy lifting was out of the way he'd left her to the grooming and checking tack while he got a head start on the business that kept the horses in oats. Now that he'd got his trading rights back, he'd been able to do a little pirating. Carly is like him-- not interested in running the companies they hunted but interested in the profit. She has her hands full with her family and The Deception Spa. The Spa though is taking a back seat right now with the horse show coming up.

He has his hands full as well without being bogged down in the day to day slog of corporate life. He has Carly and Lucas to run herd on. Flying lessons to give. Look for a way in to ease up Maddy's suspicions. And a wife to keep happy which isn't a fulltime job since Bobbie is an easy going gal-- but it was the one with the best perks. He would even sling some hash and pour some coffee at Kelly's on occasion just to get back to the days when he'd do such things just to make sure he had a meal a day.

Carly comes into the office and strips off her gloves stuffing them in her pockets. She hangs the barn coat on hook on the wall and heads into the bathroom to scrub her hands and then fill the kettle for tea. As soon as the kettle is on she collapses on the couch knowing that Jerry will have to give her a hand to get out of it. "All the horses are ready for the show. Lucas has been working out on The Colonel." Carly names off the horse of the vet student who lives at the stables and takes room and board for both herself and her horse in exchange for keeping a full time eye on things. "He's going to be able to ride Colonel for the show and Rita will be on Mr. Roberts."

"Thunder getting slighted?" Jerry inquires about his stepson's trust fund pony.

Carly shakes her head. "Lucas knows that Colonel isn't his horse. He's the one that takes care of Thunder but Lulu is the one that has been riding Thunder most often and she only rides when Nikolas is around since Lucky doesn't know dick about horses. Michael's about ready to get on something other than a rocking horse but I'm going to wait until after this one before I start his lessons." Carly pats her stomach. "Don't worry. Thunder will be getting a work out."

"Maddy still not coming up here?"

"She's not into horses." Carly shrugs. "She never was a regular visitor but as long as Lulu is riding, as long as Nikolas is keeping his horse up here.... Maddy has a regular appointment down at Deception Spa. There are lines of communication going."

Jerry nods.

"What are you working on?" Carly asks.

"Checking up on Harry Chow."

"You said he'd been admitted to Castle Hospital on the Windward side of Oahu? Someplace called Kailua?" Between AJ and Jerry, Carly had been able to keep up to date on the missionary's situation. That way if Li or Emily had any questions she'd be able to fill them in too. "Has there been a change?"

"It's the closest hospital to where Leilani lives in Kaneohe. It's not a big thing. Even if they'd gone to a hospital closer to Honolulu, Mrs. Chow has been taking language classes on that side. She drives over with one of Leilani's cousins who works at Ala Moana."

"That's the mall." Carly says confidently. She might have only seen the airport when they'd had their brief layover in Hawaii but she'd done her share of travelogue reading to Michael. "So how is Mr. Chow?"

"Oh it looks to be a laundry list: malnutrition, pneumonia, broken hand that has healed funny and will need to be re-broken and set properly. Leilani says that the only time that Yuen isn't crying is when she is with Harry. Then she puts on the Chinese version of a stiff upper lip. It'll take a bit to get him up to fighting weight but he's already doing better pumping him full of antibiotics and calories."

"Yuen is official now?"

Jerry nods. "Quick thinking by the embassy guy sending along papers for Yuen with Harry. Then it was just a matter of smuggling Yuen onto the plane before inspection in Hawaii. Looks as if they both entered at the same time. Leilani is going to send some pictures along. We'll be able to print them up get them to Li and then to Father Frank too so he can put them in his church newsletter."

"What do you need me to do?"

"As long as Li is keeping a low profile? Nothing. I'm sure that Jason and Sonny will make sure that the church covers whatever they do to get her parents settled in Ricky's building. And Rita's friend Mei and her grandmother are the only official family in town."

Ricky leans up against his car waiting for the last bell to ring at Queen of Angels. How the hell he got roped into these things he'd never know. Take that back. This one could be laid squarely at the doorstep of Cookie and Old Man Quartermaine. They'd been conspiring yesterday at the basketball game. He had no problem picking Rita up from school. Hell driving her over to the restaurant since she worked weekends to save money to buy a horse. Cookie was the one that had found his place and then arranged for Carly Quartermaine to help with the furnishing of it. So of course when Rita had started in on the Chows needing a place to live Cookie had been right there to say that there was a vacancy in his building. And if Cookie and Cassadine weren't such a long shot he'd swear that somehow they were in on it together. The Chows are probably great people but there goes listening to the stereo at 1am. As he hears the last bell the front doors are thrown open and the kids race out to waiting buses, bikes and cars.

Rita and Mei spot him straight up across the street from the school and start racing toward him. The "Hey Ricky!" chorus from the two of them as they climb into the back seat of the car.

"How did your Shakespeare midterm go?" Rita demands after she has her seatbelt buckled.

And knowing that the answer is going back to the Judge and Cookie and from them to his Dad, Ricky rolls his eyes. He climbs into the driver's seat and starts the car kicking up the heat. "Fine. I'll get the grade next week. I picked up the catalog for next term." Knowing what Rita will demand next he grabs the catalog from the front passenger seat and flips it into the back seat. "So what is the plan?"

"Father Frank gave Mei the key to the apartment. He picked it up this morning at the real estate agent's. We're supposed to get measurements of everything." Rita flips to the catalog section on Administration of Justice. That's where her father's courses are so she'll know what he's teaching. Wow! Second Amendment Seminar-- seniors only and by approval. That is going to have the shit hitting the fan. The gun lobby always got testy when Daddy does that one. He ended up being quoted from one end of the country to the other. They know he's planting seeds for the future.

"My grandmother is going to make the curtains and stuff." Mei interjects. "Grandmother is going to meet us there after she gets done with the job she is on and then major cleaning."

"I can only stay a couple of hours and then I'm going to have to go into work. Cookie's going to pick me up at your place, Ricky." Rita declares. "And the reservation has already been made for dinner at 6pm. I told them it had to be early because you probably have a date or something."

Ricky gives Rita a look. "Munchkin, when are you going to start managing Viki's life instead of mine?"

"Viki's a bitch and no fun." Rita declares but then she worries. "You don't mind do you?"

Ricky sighs. Rita is better than having Cookie all up in his business. Besides the munchkin might talk tough but she really didn't like flying solo since the kidnapping even with that panic button that Arrow security had her tagged with 24/7. When Cookie is working and the Judge has a jury empanelled, they ended up spending a lot of time together. "Nah. It's okay. But you know one of these Friday night I might want to take a date for dinner and dancing."

"You could always bring her." Rita suggests. Ricky meets Rita's eyes in the rear view mirror. She reads his eyes and starts giggling. The look of horror is plain to see. She knows as well as Ricky that the first date he introduced to the Porters would be the last. The type of girls he dated wouldn't be able withstand the combined scrutiny of the Judge and Cookie.

AJ carries Michael's bookbag and listens to his son's chatter. Michael already knows the routine. AJ had to hit the button for the penthouse floor but Michael had it from there. As soon as the door opens he is already racing from the elevator and knocking on Jason's penthouse door. Since he is expected the door is opened even before the first knock is finished.

"Bonjour Li!" Michael hollers giving his babysitter a hug. He races by her pausing only long enough to kick off his shoes. "Daddy? I'm here!"

"Bonjour Michael, AJ." Li stands out of the way so that AJ can come in.

AJ explains in French why he isn't just dropping Michael off. "I need to talk to you and Jason about your parents."

Li nods and carefully replies in English. "Michael will eat something. We talk then." Li waits until Michael is finished greeting Jason and telling him all about the bunny at the daycare and then takes Michael's hand and takes him into the kitchen where she sets him up with a snack and the cartoon network. She goes back into the living room. Jason and AJ already have their heads together comparing information. As soon as she arrives they switch to French just to keep the conversation moving more quickly.

"You already know all about the apartment?" AJ asks.

Jason nods. He'd made sure that Father Frank had the money for it and the utilities to get it going. Much as they did with every project going on at Queen of Angels. He and Sonny had let the congregation take the lead and then made sure the goal was topped. Maddy had let him know that the apartment was available and being held in Robideau's building. "Father Frank is taking care of the details so that there isn't an... obvious connection between us and the Chows."

"Leilani emailed more pictures." AJ reaches for the prints and hands them over to Li who takes a seat on the couch and starts going thru the pictures. "Between what Leilani's family arranged and the ELQ pilot, your dad and your mother are in the clear, Li. They made it appear as if your mother traveled with your dad from China. Nothing to say that she's been waiting in Hawaii for him for over a month. All they'll have to deal with is the official red tape rather than trying to duck around the system."

"Okay." Li looks up from the pictures. "What is next?"

"You still don't want to see your folks?" Jason asks.

Li shakes her head resolutely. She never wanted to see the disappointment in their eyes.

Jason shrugs. "Then smoothing things behind the scenes here. How long before they fly into New York, AJ?"

AJ shakes his head. "I think Jerry is waiting for word from Leilani. Get the guy healthy and out of the hospital. A little time to get his strength back. Jerry says your dad has pneumonia so probably New York in January not the best plan. Jerry will fly him back to the mainland and will take Bobbie along for the just in case."

"Carly's mother is a nurse." Jason reminds Li. "You should probably get together with Carly and get your parents some winter clothes. Jerry and Bobbie can take it to them for the trip."

Li nods. "You tell me when you pick them up." Li tells AJ. Then she leaves the room to let Jason and his older brother speak privately.

"How is she doing?" AJ asks Jason looking toward the kitchen where Li is keeping Michael company.

"Fine." Jason replies flatly. "Em will bring Michael back on Sunday."

AJ knows that Jason won't say more and so nods and then leaves.

"You didn't invite your brother to dinner?" Li comes out and asks having heard the door shut. "There is plenty."

"No. AJ might be my brother, but Sonny is my real brother."

Li shakes her head in disbelief. That isn't the way things work.

"Tell you what... we'll have my family over for dinner when you make peace with yours." Jason declares.

Li gets a hurt look on her face and retreats back to the kitchen.

"Damn."

Edward has a smug look on his face as he sits at the small table in Lila's sitting room for dinner. With Emily moved out and Monica dining with her husband who is still living at the Port Charles Hotel it is just the two of them. He stands as Lila motors to the table and takes her place at the other side.

Lila studies her husband carefully. She knows he's up to something. "How was your day, Darling. Did you and Michael have fun at the center?"

"One of the mothers started muttering about refined sugar and hand eyes skills developed by computer."

"Edward." There is just a hint of disapproval in Lila's tone. She knows her husband and knows that he hadn't kept silent.

"Well what the hell is she thinking! In my day you developed hand eye coordination by playing baseball... outdoors in the sunshine! They're babies!" Edward snorts in disbelief. "Computers."

"Carly and Emily are rather attached to theirs. And didn't Lucky Spencer use one to free Dara Jensen from that awful FBI man?"

"It's just that I agree with Miss Lori. They'll have plenty of time for computers and video games and television." Edward says righteously. "Need to learn how to think before they let the machines start thinking for them."

Lila knows that Edward picked the fight about the computers because it was a fight he could win, unlike the fight over the sugar. "I've seen you, Darling, after a good day with Michael. I've seen you after a difference of opinion when you prevail. What else have you done?"

After a nice dinner with the Judge, the munchkin and Cookie at Porter's restaurant, Ricky arrives back to his apartment in the modified Victorian. Despite all her drama in the kitchen, Cookie is a firm believer in meal time being happy time. Food isn't just fuel to her and it deserves total attention. So there is no discussion of anything that might put anyone off their appetite. Which meant that Viki, Rita's sister, didn't get so much as a comment. Glancing down at his watch, he knows there is plenty of time before things really start heating up at the clubs. He's got the key in the lock of the door when he hears a noise behind him in the empty apartment across the hall. Ricky goes over and knocks on the door.

Mei answers. "Hey Ricky."

"What are you still doing here?"

"It's the only time that Grandmother has. She wants to get the place cleaned up for when Uncle Harry gets here."

Ricky sighs and looks at his watch. Mei is Rita's best friend at Queen of Angels. "What can I do to help?"

Mei shakes her head and looks over her shoulder to make sure that her Grandmother isn't listening. Grandmother's English isn't that great but it's getting better with daily viewings of Perry Mason repeats. She keeps her voice low. "It is clean. But Grandmother won't be happy until she knows it's clean. And the only way she'll know is if she does it."

"Ah." Ricky nods his understanding.

"Can I hold on to the offer though?"

"When the heavy lifting comes around?" Ricky grins wryly.

"Yeah. Everyone had been so nice but there is still going to be lots to do. And it wasn't like Uncle Harry and Auntie Yuen were able to bring anything but themselves. Grandmother is going to be working around the clock to finish up all her jobs so that she can go with Carly's dad when he goes to pick up Uncle Harry and Auntie Yuen in Hawaii. Her mom is going to go too since she's a nurse. Just in case."

"That'll be fun for you though. I'm sure that Jerry will show you all the fun places."

"I have school." Mei says matter of factly.

Oh that is not going to fly. Ricky knows he'll be talking to Cookie about that one. Ordinarily he'd call Carly and take the grief that came along with the call. Rita had stayed with Carly and her husband when the Porters went on their honeymoon. But if Jerry and his wife are going to pick up the Chows that meant that Lucas would be staying with Carly. Six months pregnant, Michael, Lucas and a horse show in the offing? Carly is a firecracker on her best day adding one more thing even someone as sweet as Mei would probably push her to nuclear. "Tell you what... when you and your grandmother are ready to head home I'll give you a lift."

"Thanks, Ricky."

Jason picks up Michael's shoes and puts them into the hall closet with all his other outside shoes. All the shoes are clean and polished, not only Michael but his too. Li had taken to heart what he'd said from the start. Taking care of this place, and Michael is her fulltime job. Whatever she did she stuck with until she finished it-- including her language school work. He looks around the spotless living room and feels like a sonofabitch. His problems with the Quartermaines and AJ is nothing like what Li is going thru with her folks. He hadn't even met Harry Chow. Yuen seemed nice enough considering they hadn't said a word to each other than didn't first go thru a translator. Pushing Li to make nice with her parents is just as bad, worse than what the Quartermaines had done to him.

"Michael is ready for you to read to him." Li tells Jason from the stairs.

"I'll go up in a minute." Jason says. Li looks at him and wonders if she's in trouble for suggesting that AJ stay for dinner. Jason winces at that too. "I'm sorry."

"Comment?!"

"You know better how your parents will react to what happened to you. I don't know them. Hell I've never met your father. I'm was pushing and that was out of line. I don't like when people do it to me, and I'm not going to do it to you. I'm going to take care of your parents. I owe them that. Our deal is separate. And I promise to keep it that way." Jason tells Li.

"They're good people." Li says earnestly.

"Okay. But it's up to you. And if anyone tries to push send them my way."

"DADDY!! Are you going to read to me?!" Michael calls from upstairs breaking the tension of the moment.

Jason nods and tells Li. "I'm going to go check on him." He goes up the stairs.

The Judge looks up at his wife. "Who would be calling this late?" And did you chew them a new one?

"Ricky. But it was important." Cookie turns down her side of the bed and climbs in next to her husband. She reaches for the clip that keeps her hair out of her way and takes it off leaving it on the bedside table. Cookie runs both hands thru her hair freeing it from the braid that she wears.

He sets aside what he has been reading and turns off the light next to his side of the bed. "We just had dinner with him. What happened?"

"Rita's friend Mei. Evidently her grandmother is going to meet her brother in Hawaii and the kid is going to be flying solo since she's got school."

The Judge frowns at that. "Cookie..."

"Yeah. That's what I was thinking too." Cookie shakes her head. "Johnny was running the streets at that age-- it wouldn't have been my preference. I'd have kicked his ass every which way but Sunday which is why nobody told me. And yeah, okay-- 9999 times out of 10000 maybe things would be just fine but that one time.... Ricky didn't like the idea."

"Another thing to report back to his father. The boy has common sense."

"I'll add it to the letter." The arrangement had originally been between the Judge and Pete Robideau regarding Ricky. But Cookie thought it a really bad idea for a guy that should be a federal judge by now and the biggest crime boss in the South East to be in regular conversation about anything. So she'd taken over keeping Pete apprised of Ricky's progress in Port Charles. "I'll have Rita invite Mei to stay with us. And if she turns Rita down then I'll have a little chat with Mei's grandmother."

"Cookie, I'll extend the invitation."

Cookie gives him a look. "You don't think I can be... diplomatic? You don't think I can be subtle?"

"It's not your strength, Margarita." The Judge says wryly. Cookie is about as blunt as a sledge hammer and just as subtle. "Besides, you're the one that will be running herd on those two." He frowns. "I'm just somewhat surprised that Ricky didn't call Carly. He knows that Rita stays with Carly when we're out of town."

"Jerry and Bobbie are going to flying Mei's grandmother to Hawaii."

"Ah Lucas." The Judge nods. He's a good kid, part of the riding set with Rita. But he's definitely a Spencer... even if he is adopted.

"Ricky pointed out that the town might still be standing when Jerry and Bobbie got back if Carly didn't have more to handle." Cookie explains.

"Mention that to his father too."

"Should I mention Ricky talking about taking Accounting next term?"

JD winces. "I don't know about that. I know that Pete didn't like the idea of Ricky getting involved in his business. And the only qualifier he put on it was no lawyers... but accounting? Lets wait until he firms up the schedule before saying anything. He still has time to change his mind."