Risk

Chapter LXIX

Familiar Roles

Somewhere in the downtown area he'd picked up a tail, Nik lengthens his stride. Running is an old fix for an even older problem but it never solves anything.. just puts it away for awhile. How much is a guy suppose to put up with? Work is stress. Hell is an empty home. There are just some demons that can't be outrun. The sound of pounding feet gains on him and Taggart pulls even. Nik glances over at him and increases pace. Marcus shifts gear and keeps up. Neither looks at the other as they run thru the streets of Port Charles.
Nik breaks off at the park and Taggart makes the adjustment too. This isn't working. Like it had ever worked before. Nik slows down to a walk. So does Taggart. "What?! What do you want?" Nik demands.

"A good run and I got one." Taggart shrugs out of his tank top and mops the sweat off his face with it.

"You don't like me. I don't particularly like you. We're not buddies. Just leave me the hell alone."

"Hear your father is back in town and making his presence felt." Taggart calls out.

Nik turns back around to confront Taggart. "Is that what this is about? You following me? I'll tell my father you want to speak to him. There."

"I wasn't following you. I was making conversation. You just happened to be on my normal route."

"Conversation. Right."

"Look. I know your father has been around for awhile. You dragged my sister off to see him in Greece."

"Gia chose to go. I wanted her to stay in Port Charles."

"And I know he's still in contact with her. Checking up on her. Gia bitches but I can tell she thinks its kinda... sweet." Taggart rolls eyes. "What is it with you Cassadines. And the whole stalker thing."

"Do you work at it or does being an ass come naturally?" Nik asks. "My father is not stalking Gia. I am not stalking Gia."

"Right... she dumped you and you bought into the place she worked. Way to get distance."

"My reasons for purchasing a piece of Deception are none of your business."

"Wrong. Gia's my sister... she will be my business and she works at Deception."

"You have already spoken to Gia, and she told you to back off-- that she can take care of herself."

"I thought you were staying away from Gia." Taggart's tone is both suspicious and triumphant.

Nik snorts. "So I'm right. Consider it a good guess."

"Okay I can buy that." Taggart admits. "All the evidence in the Chloe Morgan case has disappeared."

"Sounds like you have a problem in your department." Nik counters.

"And the warrants that I know exist... that I testified in front of a grand jury regarding... those are gone too."

"A big problem in your department." Nik agrees.

"Look! I know your father had something to do with that stuff disappearing!"

"If he did, and I'm not saying he did, there is no way anyone could have... tampered... with evidence without the cooperation of the PCPD." Nik says flatly. "Before you start picking up the neighbor's yard perhaps you should clean your own."

"Isn't that what your daddy is doing? Cleaning up his own yard? When is he going to get around to you, little Prince... and my sister."

"I have already told my father that I have no intention of being involved in the Cassadine Estate and he is welcome to it. I receive no funds from the estate and any asset that belonged to the estate has been returned."

"And your father is fine with that?"

"He accepts my decision."

"Right. That's why Gia has him on speeddial."

"Gia has Carly Corinthos a partner in Deception on speeddial. Not my father."

"And Carly is doing your father. Why do you keep going round and round rather than saying what is going on? You're getting sucked in and taking my sister with you."

"Oh For Christ's sake, Marcus, will you just give it a rest? I appreciate you taking the heat off me with Mom but I'm a big girl." Gia demands from behind her brother. She looks around the park. "Tell you what. I'll race you for it."

Marcus snorts. "Yeah right. Like you can beat me."

"On a marathon no chance in hell." Gia nods. "But I'm not talking marathon. From here to that tree right there. I win and you butt out of my business. You win and I start butting into your business the same way you're nosing into mine."

"Sounds like a no win to me." Marcus shakes his head.

"You're afraid to lose to a girl." Gia taunts.

"You haven't made the stakes interesting yet. And I wouldn't lose anyway. It's a suckers bet."

"Then you set the stakes."

"Gia...." Nikolas protests.

"Stay out of this, Nik."

"Stay out of this, Cassadine." Taggart says at the same time. "You got it. To that tree, and if I win... you'll go back to Columbia and forget this town ever existed."

"Not fair!" Gia protests. "I didn't say you should stop being a cop and move back to Brooklyn and become a captain of industry."

"You said set the stakes." Marcus says smugly.

"Fine. It's a bet." Gia says grimly. She'd always been better at sprints than Marcus and the short distance was her edge but there was another one.

"Gia, don't."

"Ready set..." Marcus calls off. Gia takes off running. Marcus takes off after her but doesn't push himself. He was so going to kick her ass on this one. Maybe he'd even be generous and change the deal later... "Sonofabitch." Marcus realizes why Gia had set this course. He picks up his pace. He should have known his sister was a twisted piece of work. There are rows of benches between the starting point and the tree. And rather than going around... Gia hurdles over them. Her form is rusty, but his is nonexistent. He growls and uses the back of the bench as a lever to hop over it but lands off balance and takes precious seconds to get back in form. He takes the second row the same way with the same result... finally on the third row he tries to jump over it and ends up tangling his feet on the back of the bench and falling.

Gia comes back after touching the tree.. She leans over Marcus. "I win."

"You cheat." Marcus says from on his back on the ground.

"Yes, and I win." Gia holds out a hand to help him to his feet. "You never could hurdle. It was embarassing-- then and now." Once Marcus is upright she reinforces her point. "But not as embarassing as you vetting my ex boyfriends. Get over it, Marcus. I'm fine. And when I'm not-- I call you."

Marcus cups her jaw and tilts her head back. Such a stubborn chin. "Make sure you do." He shakes his head and walks off back in the direction of the PCPD and the locker room.

Gia meets Nik half way. "That was amazing." Nik announces. "Hurdling. I didn't know you could do that."

"My mother is a firm believer in idle hands and feet being the devil's workshop. Not that it didn't stop Marcus from getting in his own brand of trouble... but she tried. Volleyball, Basketball, track and field-- I always was involved in afterschool sports. She wanted to know exactly where I was until she got off work and picked me up from school. And it had the side benefit of looking good on my college application to Columbia."

"Gia..."

"It wasn't about you, Nikolas. It's about me. It's about me and my brother. You're just the latest in a long line of reasons Marcus has found to get in my business. He likes to think it's a big brother thing. Nothing has changed." Gia walks away.

"I really appreciate this, Lucky."

"I really appreciate you doing this, Em."

"Look it doesn't mean I'm moving it... it just means that I have a quiet place when the family starts getting out of hand. And when Gia and I start getting on each other's nerves I can go back to the mansion."

"And when everyone is on your last nerve?"

"Dear Lord, Guide me. How many contingency plans do I have to come up with?" Em looks to the heavens for intervention.

"A-Z. It's the only way. Get the door for me will ya?"

"I'm on it." Em speeds up to take the lead and open the doors to the harborview tower building. Lucky comes thru the door carrying the 4x8 sheet of plywood. Em leads the way continuing to catch doors and hold the elevator and then quickly unlocks Gia's apartment and leads Lucky to the spare room.

Lucky leans the plywood up against the wall. Then he grabs the mattress from the bed and flips if off the box spring. Tosses down the sheet of plywood and puts the mattress back. "Okay. Test it out."

"I'm sure it's fine."

"I don't know. I think you should test it out. Maybe you need another board."

Em lays down on the bed as if she's dead crossing her arms over her chest and closes her eyes. "Stiff as a board." She opens one eye. "Satisfied?"

Lucky starts laughing. "You always were a twisted wit."

"Coming from you, Spencer... that's saying something."

"Who is here?" A voice calls out from the front room.

"We're in here, Gia!" Em calls out.

Gia walks into the room and sees Em on the bed and Lucky kicking back against the wall. "Congratulate me."

"Congrats." Lucky says generously then adds. "For what."

"I just kicked my brother's ass. I am a goddess." She holds her shirt away from her. "A sweaty goddess. I'm going to grab a shower." Gia heads off to her room.

"I've seen her brother. There is no way." Em says shaking her head.

"Unless she cheated."

"I heard that!"

"Busted." Lucky whispers with a grin. Then his voice returns to normal. "Okay so we got the hidey hole set up. Probably needs a few clothes and a toothbrush. I can sneak those out of the mansion tonight."

"I don't have to sneak around. Grandmother knows exactly what I'm doing."

"You're no fun." Lucky throws himself down on the bed next to Em. "So what are you going to do next? What's next up for Emily Bowen-Quartermaine?"

"Oh are we going to have a what are you going to be when you grow up speech?" Em sighs. "I suppose I should go try and get my drivers license. Shouldn't be so hard. As Gia reminded me... I did get plenty of time behind the wheel one summer. And get my trust fund."

"Switzerland."

"What?"

"Excellent place to stash discretionary funds. A Spencer tradition-- better than under the mattress, that's the first place people look."

"I'll consider that." Em sits up on the bed and scoots up so she is resting against the headboard. "Physical therapy is still where I have to focus... so a job is kinda out at least until I get a clean bill of health. I might be able to pick up a few classes over at PCU around that."

"Do you ever miss it?"

"What?"

"Modeling."

"Nah, Tom ruined that for me."

Gia comes in dressed in casual clothes-- jeans and a pullover. "Who is Tom?" She sits down at the foot of the bed.

"He was the photographer at Deception a few years back, back when I was modeling a Deception teenline.... seemed like the nicest guy. Brenda Barrett really liked and trusted him." Em explains.

"He assaulted Elizabeth; blackmailed Emily, kidnapped them both..." Lucky starts getting torqued at the memory.

"Is in prison now." Emily reminds. "Needless to say that was the end of my modeling career. My family freaked. I don't miss it."

"No wonder Nik was so ticked at Laura." Gia muses.

"Oh?" Lucky asks.

"About me going on a public appearance with no backup. I guess Deception has a history of burning out their models."

"Nik's been hanging out with me in the darkroom for the last two days." Lucky smirks. "Things are really tense up on the management floor. It would serve him right if I locked him out of the darkroom. He's the one that brought Carly into the company."

"Lucky..." Gia just looks at him.

"Okay she's got some great ideas. But my Dad is so ready to either kill her or deprogram her. He's probably already picking Kevin's brains for ideas."

"A guy takes you to a greek island... is great to you, to your kid, helps you get back your company... makes it so you can get back in the US to see your family. Yep, Carly's got to be nuts for hooking up with him."

"Gia-- it's Stavros Cassadine. The guy did try to kill me-- twice."

Gia leans in and blows him a kiss. "Which I'm sure was fate so much worse than whatever Helena had in store for ya."

"You might have a point." Lucky snorts. "Although Helena always had the hots for my dad not me."

"EWWWW! Change of subject please." Emily protests. "Stavros made his first move on the ELQ... or maybe it's his second."

"Why didn't you tell me!" Lucky demands.

"I'm telling you now." Emily counters. "AJ and Skye told the family last night."

Gia's cell phone rings. "Gia Campbell. Well, well, well speak of the devil-- so to speak. Watcha doing with ELQ?... How do I know? hmm lets see... good news travels fast? No, that one doesn't work. How about a little birdie told me?... Not going to buy that one either?" Gia starts laughing. "How about a line out of my brother's rule book. you don't know what I know... Oh you've heard that one before?... When did Jason tell you that meant the other guy was bluffing?! Do you have any idea how long it took me to figure that one out? Okay you ready for me to get serious with you?..." Gia waits until she hears Stavros' confirmation. "Stavros, be very, very careful with ELQ and the Quartermaines. I know Carly has issues with them. Hell-- divorce is never pretty. But this is about Nikolas. He has a lot of respect for Ned Ashton, who he worked with at L&B records before going to Deception, and one of the few friends he has in this town is Emily Quartermaine. You mess with the Quartermaines, and you'll be messing with Nik." Gia warns.

Monica's face is flushed with fury as she slams into the mansion. The door doesn't slam but is stopped by Alan's hand planted firmly in the middle of the door. "What in the hell do you expect me to do, Monica?"

"Support me for once!" Monica turns on him. "Is that too much to ask? You're my husband!"

"Yes, it is too much to ask when you don't tell what the hell is going on and I have to hear about it from Stefan Cassadine after the fact! After he'd already had a full day to gather statements. This is all on you, Monica! What the hell were you thinking?"

"Oh just put a sock in it, Alan! I don't have to run my decision by you! I'm an adult not a child." Monica sheds the pink leather jacket of her suit and hangs it on the bannister.

"Make up your mind, Monica. Either you want my support or you want to deal with the consequences of your so called adult actions! Because what I did was the consequences of your actions. It's what would have happened to any staff member, including my wife, who acted the way you did in an OR! You had no business operating and everyone in that theatre knew it and put it in writing!"

"Bobbie walked out of a surgery! She's the one that should be suspended, not me! My patient is fine! There were no complications to his surgery, no thanks to her leaving me short!"

"You ordered Bobbie out of that surgery. That's the thing about the statements. The staff evidently thought it was for a disciplinary action against Bobbie. And they defended her!" Alan runs an impatient hand thru his hair. His voice when he continues is low and tired. "I'll recuse myself from the appeal board. I'll hire the best attorney in town. I'll hold your hand thru it all. But Monica, what you did wasn't fair. Bobbie didn't deserve what you did. She's always been a good friend to you, to us."

"Where the hell have you been?" Monica yells. "She's up to her ears in this. Bobbie knows exactly what is going on."

AJ comes out from visiting with Lila in time to hear the last. "What happened?"

"Your father fired me from General Hospital!"

AJ looks at Alan. "What happened before that?"

"Your mother banned Bobbie from any procedure she is doing."

"Oh shit. Skye was right. So much for my plan of waiting for Carly to screw up."

"What does she have to do with it?!" Monica stiffens.

"She told me that you and grandfather would screw this up long before Carly ever got a chance. Thanks a lot, Mom. I have some damage control to do. Tell Grandmother I'm sorry for missing dinner." AJ starts out the door.

"AJ..." Monica goes to speak with her son.

"Let me talk to him." Alan insists, trying to block Monica from following.

"Don't tell me when I can talk to my son!"

Alan reaches the door right behind Monica in time to see AJ pulling down the drive. "That's just great, Monica. Well driving AJ out of the house is something you wont be able to blame on Father. You managed just fine all on your own."

Home Next