GH: Daughters - Chapter One
Title: Daughters - Chapter One
Author: Mellissa/LissieLove
Word Count:
Notes: I apologize for block of posting, I wanted to get these two stories all caught up here.
Chapter One
December 21, 2005
Haunted Star: Security Room
Lulu planted her hands on the bar and pouted. "It's not fair, Dad. Why does Lucky get to have all the fun?"
"Because he's of age to actually work here," Luke Spencer replied dryly. "You already have a job, gumdrop."
"Come on, Lu, don't be sore." Her older brother Lucky set aside the wires he'd been hooking into the security camera. "You can always work in the kitchen if changing bedpans is too much for you."
Lulu gasped, outraged. "Who told you? It was Emily, wasn't it? I bet it was Emily."
Luke put his hands on his daughter's shoulders and started to steer her out of the room. "Now, darlin', I want you to take your pretty little butt home. Your mother's probably worried about you."
"Not likely," Lulu muttered. "She's too caught up in planning this stupid Christmas Eve party you're throwing." She stamped her foot. "I want to come!"
"You're underage, I'd have my license yanked," Luke said.
"Since when did you care about the law?" Lulu demanded. "I bet it's Robert Scorpio's influence. Ever since he took over as commissioner, you've been freakier than usual."
"I'll take that as a compliment, daughter." Luke gave her nudge. "Home with you."
Once Lulu had trudged out, Luke returned his attention to his son and the complicated system that was being set up. "Now you'll be able to spot a cheater with this weird crap, right? I got taken to the cleaners the last time Faith Roscoe was here and I'm convinced she wasn't playing fair."
"No one will get by me, Dad," Lucky promised. "But you realize what a sacrifice I'm performing here. I won't actually be able to attend the party."
"Then we'll all be spared your dancing," Luke nodded. "I should go and check the guest list and make sure there are no creepy Cassadines on the list."
"He's your stepson," Lucky remarked, just saying it to get that annoyed look from his father. "He's part of the family."
"I should have frozen all the Cassadines at once," Luke muttered.
General Hospital: Nurse's Station
"So Luke owns a casino," Robin said slowly, studying the invitation that had been waiting for her when she'd gotten home the night before. "When did he close Luke's?"
"He didn't," Elizabeth mused, fixing a rotation glitch in the schedule. "But Sonny manages it these days. Or I should say Brenda does."
"I'm glad. He had the best blues in town," Robin replied. She tossed the invitation on the counter. "So you going to this thing?"
Elizabeth grinned, a wicked gleam in her eye. "You bet. I even talked Jason into being my date. He's got a mind for numbers, you know? I think he's going to be great at gambling."
"He doesn't have a mind for much else," Patrick remarked, joining them. "And you're crazy if you think Dad's going to stand for this."
Elizabeth took a chart and whacked him in the arm. "You're such a jerk," she seethed. "Why do you have to be so mean all the time?"
"It's a gift," Robin said with a smirk. "He's always been mean, Ellie. You can't tell me you didn't notice."
"Oh, chill, Scorpio…" Patrick rested his elbows on the desk and leaned towards Robin. "You know you liked it."
"Dream on," Robin rolled her eyes. "That crap doesn't work on me, remember? You practiced that on me before you knew what girls were." She snorted. "And you might be the ladies man now but I bet there are some nurses that would be interested in hearing about the sneeze--"
"All right, all right. Don't you have a job to do?" Patrick demanded, cutting her off.
"I'm just about to go to the lab now and get started," Robin said with a smug smile. "I'll see you for lunch, right, Ellie? And we can go shopping for dresses tomorrow since we both have off."
"Sure," Elizabeth agreed. "You never said who you were going with."
Robin's smile faded but only a little. "I'm a woman of the new millennium, El. And men are so…" she raked her eyes over Patrick. "Replaceable. Why waste my time with another loser from Port Charles?"
When she was on the elevator, Elizabeth turned to her brother and gave him another whack for good measure.
"Ow!" he yelped. "What was that for?"
"The first one was for the remark about Jason," Elizabeth replied hotly, "and the second was for being a jackass to Robin. You ruined her life and now she's never going to fall in love again."
Patrick narrowed her eyes and used only form of retaliation he had when it came to his sister. He took her arm, shoved her sleeve up and pinched her. "I have had just about enough of you blaming me for Robin moving to Paris, Ellie. Robin moved on her own volition and here's a new flash I haven't bothered to enlighten you with before, you little brat, Robin broke up with me." He grabbed a stack of charts and stalked off.
Elizabeth rubbed her arm and glared after him. "Gee, I wonder why!" she called after him.
"Elizabeth Drake."
Elizabeth's face flushed and she timidly turned around to face the very disappointed stare of Epiphany Johnson. "I can explain--"
"Save it," Epiphany held up a hand. "I know Dr. Drake the Younger well enough to know he deserved whatever you were giving him. Just keep the sibling rivalry out of my hospital."
"All right," Elizabeth sighed. "But he makes it difficult."
Harborview Towers: Penthouse 4
The rumors about Sonny Corinthos were generally correct. He lived in a penthouse in the most expensive and posh building in downtown Port Charles with windows were made of bulletproof glass and armed guards at his door. He had a smile that was equal parts wicked and charm and a dimple that set many hearts a flutter. There was a crackle of danger around him--something that told the casual visitor that while he might seem completely focused on you, there was a part of his mind that was planning his next criminal activity.
He was, after all, the notorious crime lord in the area, controlling all of Port Charles and the surrounding areas. He controlled the drugs (of which there was little), the prostitution (a lamentable but necessary enterprise), the gambling (only Luke's casino was exempt out of friendship) and of course, the smuggling of contraband through their warehouses located on the docks. He ran Port Charles with an iron fist and the only reason that Commissioner Robert Scorpio hadn't brought him down yet was through the legal expertise of Sonny's brother, Ric Lansing.
But for all of his crimes and all of his dangerous tendencies, Sonny was a good man. A family man, wildly in love with his wife Brenda and a loyal friend to those he took under his wing.
He liked to think of Jason Morgan as his friend, as someone to look out for and protect. He'd given Jason a legitimate job parking cars at Luke's but he'd seen that the younger man was hungry for something more. Not for power or for violence like some men in their business, but for a sense of self-worth--something that been stolen when AJ Quartermaine had crashed his car and sent his brother into a coma that eventually wiped his memory.
And so, against his better judgment, he gave Jason a few courier jobs. He'd cautioned Jason not to tell anyone that he was moving up in the organization and Jason had agreed, even keeping it from his only friend, Elizabeth Drake. His loyalty to Sonny would always come first and that was the first lesson he'd learned in this business.
And now, Sonny was standing in the living room of his penthouse, sipping bourbon and preparing to give Jason an even more important job. Despite his age and his inexperience, Jason had keen instincts and he could spot a liar and a cheat from a mile away.
"Ruiz is going to be at the Haunted Star on Christmas Eve," Sonny remarked. "He received an invitation from Luke at my request." He sipped his drink. "I need a public meeting so that if it becomes necessary, I can say we had a friendly relationship."
"Will it become necessary?" Jason asked, not out of disrespect but genuine curiosity so Sonny answered him. Hector Ruiz had long been one of Sonny's associates, part of the network and Ruiz had run the drugs in Port Charles since even before Sonny came to power.
"If he continues pushing the drugs to the kids, then yeah," Sonny nodded slowly, "it'll be necessary. I would like you to be present at this meeting. I want your opinion on Hector Ruiz and whether you think he's going to make a play for the territory or if he's just overstepping his bounds."
Jason hesitated and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable now. "I was already going," he admitted. "Elizabeth asked me."
Sonny nodded. "Good, good. It's only going to be fifteen minutes out of the evening. Just make sure she doesn't know."
"I can't--" Jason shook his head. "I won't lie to her."
The one drawback to Jason Morgan was his inability to lie. Or his refusal to be anything less than brutally honest. It was, in fact, the only flaw. Sonny pressed his lips together in disapproval. Honesty would not get him far in this business but neither was he going to stamp out what could be a useful trait in some instances. "You don't have to lie. Just don't answer the question."
Not understanding that piece of advice, Jason chose not to purse the topic. "Is that everything?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah," Sonny checked the clock on his desk. "Brenda will be back from the club any minute so we're done for now." He grinned. "Picking Elizabeth up from work? Again?"
Jason shifted and looked away. "She likes the motorcycle," he admitted. "And it's going to snow this week so I figure we should get one last ride in before that."
"She's a nice girl," Sonny remarked.
"I guess."
Knowing that Jason wouldn't elaborate beyond the point--more because he couldn't explain the friendship between himself and the nurse, Sonny didn't press and Jason left, somewhat relieved. He'd do almost anything for Sonny, but talking about his friendship with Elizabeth was one of the few subjects they hadn't broached much.
It was an odd friendship, to be sure. Born from the days he'd still been in the hospital and she still a nursing student. She had known Jason Quartermaine and had been friends with him, as well as Jason Quartermaine's adopted sister Emily. But after the first few visits, her smile hadn't been so sad and he stopped thinking that she was pretending he was the guy he used to be.
She had been supportive when he'd chosen to move into a room above Jake's, a seedy bar on the docks rather than returning to Jason Quartermaine's room at the Quartermaine estate. And she hadn't tried to talk him out of working for Sonny, even though Jason could tell Elizabeth was uncomfortable with the idea. And she wasn't afraid to be seen with him, wasn't afraid to join him for motorcycle rides, no matter how fast he took the curves of the road.
He had long ago grasped the concept of best friend and had fit Sonny into that slot but whatever he had with Elizabeth was different and harder to define. He wondered what she'd say about them. If they were best friends or something more--which led to thoughts that, quite frankly, he wasn't ready for.
General Hospital: Break Room
"I changed my mind," Emily remarked. She tossed a book of invitations onto a stack of book of wedding cakes. "I think we should go to Vegas."
Robin laughed and set her medical journal aside. "Well, Vegas has its charm. But Nikolas being a prince and all, I don't think he's going to see it that way."
Emily huffed. "You make a good point. But I swear, if Grandfather isn't bemoaning the fact that I'm marrying a Cassadine, he's groaning about the cost and insisting he has final say on all the wedding plans because he's footing the bill."
"Is he?" Robin asked.
"My trust fund is," Emily admitted. "Which means, indirectly, yes. But he doesn't want me to marry Nikolas so he keeps changing his mind and resetting the date. I swear to God, Robin, it's a nightmare."
"Ah, yes, a complete nightmare. Marrying the man of your dreams and becoming a princess," Robin said dryly. "You poor girl, I should send flowers."
Emily rolled up one of her bridal magazines and smacked Robin with it. "You're no help. You're supposed to commiserate with me."
"Is that my line?" Robin replied with a laugh. "I didn't get the script change." She shrugged. "Just tell Lila."
"I don't want to burden my grandmother with more of Grandfather's shenanigans," Emily sighed. "She's still heartbroken about the rift with Jason. She's the only one he bothers to talk to in the family but he can't come around with the family constantly hanging about. I wish things were different." Her eyes filled with shadows and she looked away. "I wish it was like it used to be. Before the accident, before AJ started drinking and you and Patrick were happy and Ellie and Patrick's mom was still alive." She shook her head. "Nothing feels the same anymore."
"Yeah," Robin murmured, "they seem to be okay though." She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable because she'd left for Paris mere months after Mattie Drake had succumbed to cancer after a long sickness. "I didn't think Noah would ever be okay again."
"It was rough," Emily admitted. "I'm sure Ellie's told you, but Noah was drinking for about a year--worse than AJ's addiction ever was."
Robin frowned. "No, she never said anything about it. She was upset for a while about how I left, I guess. But Noah looks good now--"
"Well, it hit rock bottom before it started to get better," Emily remarked. "Patrick moved out and refused to talk to Noah. And then Ellie was left to hold the family together because those two are so damn stubborn. Anyway, Noah was in a car accident and the judge sentenced him to mandatory rehab. He's been sober ever since and he and Patrick are back to normal--terrorizing Ellie."
"I didn't know any of that," Robin said softly. "But I had my own stuff going on. I wouldn't have been able to come back."
Emily's eyes narrowed. "What kind of stuff?" she asked curiously.
Robin's eyes cleared and she shook her head. "I have to do another set of rounds before my shifts over. Don't let Edward get you down, Em." She stood and shoved her medical journal into her locker before exiting the room.
Author: Mellissa/LissieLove
Word Count:
Notes: I apologize for block of posting, I wanted to get these two stories all caught up here.
Chapter One
December 21, 2005
Haunted Star: Security Room
Lulu planted her hands on the bar and pouted. "It's not fair, Dad. Why does Lucky get to have all the fun?"
"Because he's of age to actually work here," Luke Spencer replied dryly. "You already have a job, gumdrop."
"Come on, Lu, don't be sore." Her older brother Lucky set aside the wires he'd been hooking into the security camera. "You can always work in the kitchen if changing bedpans is too much for you."
Lulu gasped, outraged. "Who told you? It was Emily, wasn't it? I bet it was Emily."
Luke put his hands on his daughter's shoulders and started to steer her out of the room. "Now, darlin', I want you to take your pretty little butt home. Your mother's probably worried about you."
"Not likely," Lulu muttered. "She's too caught up in planning this stupid Christmas Eve party you're throwing." She stamped her foot. "I want to come!"
"You're underage, I'd have my license yanked," Luke said.
"Since when did you care about the law?" Lulu demanded. "I bet it's Robert Scorpio's influence. Ever since he took over as commissioner, you've been freakier than usual."
"I'll take that as a compliment, daughter." Luke gave her nudge. "Home with you."
Once Lulu had trudged out, Luke returned his attention to his son and the complicated system that was being set up. "Now you'll be able to spot a cheater with this weird crap, right? I got taken to the cleaners the last time Faith Roscoe was here and I'm convinced she wasn't playing fair."
"No one will get by me, Dad," Lucky promised. "But you realize what a sacrifice I'm performing here. I won't actually be able to attend the party."
"Then we'll all be spared your dancing," Luke nodded. "I should go and check the guest list and make sure there are no creepy Cassadines on the list."
"He's your stepson," Lucky remarked, just saying it to get that annoyed look from his father. "He's part of the family."
"I should have frozen all the Cassadines at once," Luke muttered.
General Hospital: Nurse's Station
"So Luke owns a casino," Robin said slowly, studying the invitation that had been waiting for her when she'd gotten home the night before. "When did he close Luke's?"
"He didn't," Elizabeth mused, fixing a rotation glitch in the schedule. "But Sonny manages it these days. Or I should say Brenda does."
"I'm glad. He had the best blues in town," Robin replied. She tossed the invitation on the counter. "So you going to this thing?"
Elizabeth grinned, a wicked gleam in her eye. "You bet. I even talked Jason into being my date. He's got a mind for numbers, you know? I think he's going to be great at gambling."
"He doesn't have a mind for much else," Patrick remarked, joining them. "And you're crazy if you think Dad's going to stand for this."
Elizabeth took a chart and whacked him in the arm. "You're such a jerk," she seethed. "Why do you have to be so mean all the time?"
"It's a gift," Robin said with a smirk. "He's always been mean, Ellie. You can't tell me you didn't notice."
"Oh, chill, Scorpio…" Patrick rested his elbows on the desk and leaned towards Robin. "You know you liked it."
"Dream on," Robin rolled her eyes. "That crap doesn't work on me, remember? You practiced that on me before you knew what girls were." She snorted. "And you might be the ladies man now but I bet there are some nurses that would be interested in hearing about the sneeze--"
"All right, all right. Don't you have a job to do?" Patrick demanded, cutting her off.
"I'm just about to go to the lab now and get started," Robin said with a smug smile. "I'll see you for lunch, right, Ellie? And we can go shopping for dresses tomorrow since we both have off."
"Sure," Elizabeth agreed. "You never said who you were going with."
Robin's smile faded but only a little. "I'm a woman of the new millennium, El. And men are so…" she raked her eyes over Patrick. "Replaceable. Why waste my time with another loser from Port Charles?"
When she was on the elevator, Elizabeth turned to her brother and gave him another whack for good measure.
"Ow!" he yelped. "What was that for?"
"The first one was for the remark about Jason," Elizabeth replied hotly, "and the second was for being a jackass to Robin. You ruined her life and now she's never going to fall in love again."
Patrick narrowed her eyes and used only form of retaliation he had when it came to his sister. He took her arm, shoved her sleeve up and pinched her. "I have had just about enough of you blaming me for Robin moving to Paris, Ellie. Robin moved on her own volition and here's a new flash I haven't bothered to enlighten you with before, you little brat, Robin broke up with me." He grabbed a stack of charts and stalked off.
Elizabeth rubbed her arm and glared after him. "Gee, I wonder why!" she called after him.
"Elizabeth Drake."
Elizabeth's face flushed and she timidly turned around to face the very disappointed stare of Epiphany Johnson. "I can explain--"
"Save it," Epiphany held up a hand. "I know Dr. Drake the Younger well enough to know he deserved whatever you were giving him. Just keep the sibling rivalry out of my hospital."
"All right," Elizabeth sighed. "But he makes it difficult."
Harborview Towers: Penthouse 4
The rumors about Sonny Corinthos were generally correct. He lived in a penthouse in the most expensive and posh building in downtown Port Charles with windows were made of bulletproof glass and armed guards at his door. He had a smile that was equal parts wicked and charm and a dimple that set many hearts a flutter. There was a crackle of danger around him--something that told the casual visitor that while he might seem completely focused on you, there was a part of his mind that was planning his next criminal activity.
He was, after all, the notorious crime lord in the area, controlling all of Port Charles and the surrounding areas. He controlled the drugs (of which there was little), the prostitution (a lamentable but necessary enterprise), the gambling (only Luke's casino was exempt out of friendship) and of course, the smuggling of contraband through their warehouses located on the docks. He ran Port Charles with an iron fist and the only reason that Commissioner Robert Scorpio hadn't brought him down yet was through the legal expertise of Sonny's brother, Ric Lansing.
But for all of his crimes and all of his dangerous tendencies, Sonny was a good man. A family man, wildly in love with his wife Brenda and a loyal friend to those he took under his wing.
He liked to think of Jason Morgan as his friend, as someone to look out for and protect. He'd given Jason a legitimate job parking cars at Luke's but he'd seen that the younger man was hungry for something more. Not for power or for violence like some men in their business, but for a sense of self-worth--something that been stolen when AJ Quartermaine had crashed his car and sent his brother into a coma that eventually wiped his memory.
And so, against his better judgment, he gave Jason a few courier jobs. He'd cautioned Jason not to tell anyone that he was moving up in the organization and Jason had agreed, even keeping it from his only friend, Elizabeth Drake. His loyalty to Sonny would always come first and that was the first lesson he'd learned in this business.
And now, Sonny was standing in the living room of his penthouse, sipping bourbon and preparing to give Jason an even more important job. Despite his age and his inexperience, Jason had keen instincts and he could spot a liar and a cheat from a mile away.
"Ruiz is going to be at the Haunted Star on Christmas Eve," Sonny remarked. "He received an invitation from Luke at my request." He sipped his drink. "I need a public meeting so that if it becomes necessary, I can say we had a friendly relationship."
"Will it become necessary?" Jason asked, not out of disrespect but genuine curiosity so Sonny answered him. Hector Ruiz had long been one of Sonny's associates, part of the network and Ruiz had run the drugs in Port Charles since even before Sonny came to power.
"If he continues pushing the drugs to the kids, then yeah," Sonny nodded slowly, "it'll be necessary. I would like you to be present at this meeting. I want your opinion on Hector Ruiz and whether you think he's going to make a play for the territory or if he's just overstepping his bounds."
Jason hesitated and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable now. "I was already going," he admitted. "Elizabeth asked me."
Sonny nodded. "Good, good. It's only going to be fifteen minutes out of the evening. Just make sure she doesn't know."
"I can't--" Jason shook his head. "I won't lie to her."
The one drawback to Jason Morgan was his inability to lie. Or his refusal to be anything less than brutally honest. It was, in fact, the only flaw. Sonny pressed his lips together in disapproval. Honesty would not get him far in this business but neither was he going to stamp out what could be a useful trait in some instances. "You don't have to lie. Just don't answer the question."
Not understanding that piece of advice, Jason chose not to purse the topic. "Is that everything?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah," Sonny checked the clock on his desk. "Brenda will be back from the club any minute so we're done for now." He grinned. "Picking Elizabeth up from work? Again?"
Jason shifted and looked away. "She likes the motorcycle," he admitted. "And it's going to snow this week so I figure we should get one last ride in before that."
"She's a nice girl," Sonny remarked.
"I guess."
Knowing that Jason wouldn't elaborate beyond the point--more because he couldn't explain the friendship between himself and the nurse, Sonny didn't press and Jason left, somewhat relieved. He'd do almost anything for Sonny, but talking about his friendship with Elizabeth was one of the few subjects they hadn't broached much.
It was an odd friendship, to be sure. Born from the days he'd still been in the hospital and she still a nursing student. She had known Jason Quartermaine and had been friends with him, as well as Jason Quartermaine's adopted sister Emily. But after the first few visits, her smile hadn't been so sad and he stopped thinking that she was pretending he was the guy he used to be.
She had been supportive when he'd chosen to move into a room above Jake's, a seedy bar on the docks rather than returning to Jason Quartermaine's room at the Quartermaine estate. And she hadn't tried to talk him out of working for Sonny, even though Jason could tell Elizabeth was uncomfortable with the idea. And she wasn't afraid to be seen with him, wasn't afraid to join him for motorcycle rides, no matter how fast he took the curves of the road.
He had long ago grasped the concept of best friend and had fit Sonny into that slot but whatever he had with Elizabeth was different and harder to define. He wondered what she'd say about them. If they were best friends or something more--which led to thoughts that, quite frankly, he wasn't ready for.
General Hospital: Break Room
"I changed my mind," Emily remarked. She tossed a book of invitations onto a stack of book of wedding cakes. "I think we should go to Vegas."
Robin laughed and set her medical journal aside. "Well, Vegas has its charm. But Nikolas being a prince and all, I don't think he's going to see it that way."
Emily huffed. "You make a good point. But I swear, if Grandfather isn't bemoaning the fact that I'm marrying a Cassadine, he's groaning about the cost and insisting he has final say on all the wedding plans because he's footing the bill."
"Is he?" Robin asked.
"My trust fund is," Emily admitted. "Which means, indirectly, yes. But he doesn't want me to marry Nikolas so he keeps changing his mind and resetting the date. I swear to God, Robin, it's a nightmare."
"Ah, yes, a complete nightmare. Marrying the man of your dreams and becoming a princess," Robin said dryly. "You poor girl, I should send flowers."
Emily rolled up one of her bridal magazines and smacked Robin with it. "You're no help. You're supposed to commiserate with me."
"Is that my line?" Robin replied with a laugh. "I didn't get the script change." She shrugged. "Just tell Lila."
"I don't want to burden my grandmother with more of Grandfather's shenanigans," Emily sighed. "She's still heartbroken about the rift with Jason. She's the only one he bothers to talk to in the family but he can't come around with the family constantly hanging about. I wish things were different." Her eyes filled with shadows and she looked away. "I wish it was like it used to be. Before the accident, before AJ started drinking and you and Patrick were happy and Ellie and Patrick's mom was still alive." She shook her head. "Nothing feels the same anymore."
"Yeah," Robin murmured, "they seem to be okay though." She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable because she'd left for Paris mere months after Mattie Drake had succumbed to cancer after a long sickness. "I didn't think Noah would ever be okay again."
"It was rough," Emily admitted. "I'm sure Ellie's told you, but Noah was drinking for about a year--worse than AJ's addiction ever was."
Robin frowned. "No, she never said anything about it. She was upset for a while about how I left, I guess. But Noah looks good now--"
"Well, it hit rock bottom before it started to get better," Emily remarked. "Patrick moved out and refused to talk to Noah. And then Ellie was left to hold the family together because those two are so damn stubborn. Anyway, Noah was in a car accident and the judge sentenced him to mandatory rehab. He's been sober ever since and he and Patrick are back to normal--terrorizing Ellie."
"I didn't know any of that," Robin said softly. "But I had my own stuff going on. I wouldn't have been able to come back."
Emily's eyes narrowed. "What kind of stuff?" she asked curiously.
Robin's eyes cleared and she shook her head. "I have to do another set of rounds before my shifts over. Don't let Edward get you down, Em." She stood and shoved her medical journal into her locker before exiting the room.