Bobbie and A.E. are having dinner together for the last time.

" Well, A.E. Since I've met you, we've been parasailing, scuba diving, helcopter riding, picnicing on top of volcanoes, kerioke singing,  windsurfing, power shopping,and I even tried surfing. This has been one of the best vacations that I have ever had. I must thank you."

" No, L.D. Thank you. Your company is charming. You're smart, thoughtful and fiesty. All the combinations that I like in a woman. Nothing grates on my postively final nerve than a woman who plays victim. They are a blight on the entire sex."

" Amen, to that."

" Well, let's eat, enjoy, and just have fun. (picks up her glass) I would like to make a toast. To friends that one finds unexpectedly. Sometimes, they are the best friends of all."

" Here, here."

The ladies clink glasses and proceed to enjoy the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Justus, Edward and Ned are in a meeting with the representatives of a company in Vancouver that they wished to purchase.

Ned opens the meeting. "Mr. Liau, may I say that it is a pleasure to welcome you to Port Charles.  I hope that our negotiations will prove successful."

" It is our wish that we come to some sort of settlement with ELQ."

" Well, our House Counsel, Justus Ward, has come up with a plan that he believes will be to our mutual benefit. Justus.."

As Justus stands, the plans are passed out by the secretary. " Gentlemen, the problem that seems to be standing in the way of a successful completion of the deal, is the division in Xinwa, China. It is bleeding at this point, and draining the company, but the potential down the road, especially with the integration of mainland China with Hong Kong and even Macao sometime down the road, make the possibilities in the future, almost endless. Mr. Liau has  made for generous consideration of the future in his asking price. We here at ELQ believe that the future can not be that large of a looming factor, for it is to unpredictable. If, you would check page 5-7 of the prospectus, you would see how the restructuring of the divisions, coupled with a combination of stocks, long-term bonds, and cash in the purchase deal, I believe that I have worked out a compromise."

Mr. Liau looked confused. " I am not sure that I understand the purpose of your talk, Mr. Ward. For these are issues that Mr. Ashton and I ironed out last night over dinner."

Justus is taken aback. He offered to go to dinner last night with Liau and his associates, and was told by Ned that it wasn't necessary. Ned KNEW what his presentation was all about. He KNEW that Justus was going to get up and look like a complete incompetent, not only in front of this client, but also in front of Edward. He just glared at Ned.

" Well, Mr. Liau, Justus was so involved with Another project that is upcoming immediately that it must have skipped his desk, the memo describing our compromise. But, it was an excellent proposal, Justus. Thank you."

Justus sat down in the meeting with an icy silence. The meeting continued for a while, and then Liau left, with Edward, for dinner at the Quartermaines. The entire family was supposed to give a grand performance this evening. Ned was in his office, packing his briefcase when Justus came storming in.

" You BASTARD! What the hell did you think you were doing? Well, that's obvious. You set me up."

" Now, cousin. Am I to blame if you didn't get the memo that I sent on the changes in the deal?"

" Memo, my ass. You KNEW what the focus of my presentation would be, you wanted to make me look like a fool in front of Liau, who is very influential not only in Canada, but elsewhere in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Lessen me in his eyes."

" Now, why would I want to do that, Justus?"

" You haven't been liking the write-ups that I've been getting in the business papers."

" Believing your own press, Couz? Not a smart move. But, if you can't take the heat.."

" Oh, don't worry about me, Ned. I can take the heat. Make no mistake, you won this round. Don't think that it will happen again."

" And don't think that I am going to take threats from you, family or not, Couz. After all, you're only the House Counsel."

" I know exactly what I am."

" Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think that we are expected for dinner. Do try and be prepared for that."

And with that, Ned leaves Justus in his office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carly is looking at swatches for the wall paper in the nursery when her doorbell rings. She opens the door to find Keesha standing there.

" Keesha. What do you want?"

" I think that it's time that we talked."

" I don't think that we have anything to talk about." Carly tries to close the door, but Keesha pushes her way in.

" Sorry, Carly. We have plenty to talk about."

" Like what, Keesha? Me druggging AJ. Sorry, that's between him and me. It's none of your business."

" But it is my business, Carly. The minute that you decided to play God with the life of the man I love."

" Oh, so, you love AJ. Well, sorry to tell you, but I think that you missed that bus."

" Actually, I caught that bus and bought all the seats in it. I know what you're up to Carly, and I must say, that I find you even more despicable now than I did before, and I didn't think I would ever say that."

" I have no idea what you're talking about."

" Yes, you do. AJ TOLD ME Carly. He told me why he's been keeping the secret of your treachery."

" AJ wouldn't tell you."

" Why? Because you think that the only way a person can have a relationship is the way you do it, with lies and secrets? No, AJ wants us back together again. And he knows that in order for it to work there can be no lies between us. That's how most people build relationships Carly, with truth and honesty. Not that I'm sure you even know how to spell the words."

" Is there anything else, Ms. High-and-Mighty?"

" Yes. A warning. Now that I know the truth, you stay away from AJ. You've done enough damage to him."

" And if I don't?"

" I will blow you out of the water. Make no mistake Carly. When it comes to fighting, I can duke it out with the best of them. I am not someone you want to cross. You try and hurt AJ again, I'll make you wish that you never set foot in Port Charles."

" Mighty big words coming from you."

" My Granny Mae taught me that you never make a threat unless you're willing to go through with it. That is why they should be few and far between. Please know, this is the first threat that I have made in ages. And if you force me, I'll be the nightmare that never ends. Just thought it would be fair to warn you, Carly. Goodbye."

And with that, Keesha leaves Snarly Carly to stew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Justus entered the Quartermaine mansion. Sally was there and took his coat. As he was about to go into the living room, he calmed himself. The fury that he felt about Ned would have to subside. He entered the room.

" Well, Good evening, everyone."

Ther were the usual salutations. He made his way over to Lila and a middle-aged Asian woman.

" Hello, Lila. I am sorry that I am tardy. But, there were some last minute faxes to which I had to attend."

" Oh, that's quite alright. Mrs. Liau, may I introduce Justus Ward, House Counsel for ELQ and another grandson."

Mrs. Liau has that look on her face that people get once the realize the Quartermaine connection. " I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Ward."

" Likewise."

" Well, Justus, why don't you go over to the bar and have Reginald fix you a drink?"

" Thank you, I will do just that."

Justus spots Dara in conversation with Edward, Ned and Mr. Liau. God she looks beautiful in a black cocktail dress that covers all her curves, just so. Formal enough for the Quartermaines, and elegant, but with a subdued sexiness to it. Justus got his drink and went over to the group.

" Justus, why are you late?"

" I had some urgent faxes, Edward, that had to be answered. So, Mr. Liau, are you enjoying yourself?"

" Yes, quite nicely. I want to tell you again about your presentation."

" There is nothing to say. It was completely my fault, and I apologize for placing you in such an uncomfortable position that I wasted some of your time, which I know is valuable."

" Justus, you'll be pleased to know that Mr. Liau has agreed to the terms of the deal."

" Yes. Well, you must be pleased as punch with yourself, Ned."

" As a matter of fact, I am. Mr. Liau, why don't we go back over to Reginald and have those drinks refreshened."

" That would be nice."

As Ned and Mr. Liau walk away, Dara and Edward both noticed the glare in Justus' eyes towards Ned. Justus was boring a hole into Ned's head.

" Now, Justus, you can't take what Ned did today personally."

(furious whisper) " The hell I can't Edward. You and I both know that it was done with complete malice. And I won't soon forget. Ned is treading on thin ice, Edward."

Dara interrupts. " Justus, why don't we go out on the terrace."

" Sounds like a good idea, Justus. You need to cool off."

Justus and Dara go out on the terrace.

" What's wrong, baby?"

" You know that big prospectus that I've been working on? The one that I have spent almost every waking moment on the past couple of weeks? Well, it was for nothing. Ned, last night, worked everything out. Now, that wasn't the bad part. No, the and part was that he let me stand up and make a fool of myself, in front of one of the most powerful men that deals with the Pacific Rim. I looked like an idiot Dara, rattling on about something that had been settled. It made me look like an incompetent. And Ned knew that. That SOB sabotaged me on purpose."

" Now, Justus.."

" Don't 'Now, Justus' me, Dara. Golden Boy thinks that I've been getting too many articles written about me. I had impressed almost all the other big business partners that ELQ has around the globe. Asia was the last territory for me to cover. The respect of Mr. Liau was a must. Now? I must start from scratch. And work overtime in earning respect. He cut me off at the knees in Asia, and he knows it. The Asians are overwhelmingly particular with whom they do business with Dara. If they like you, they will maintain the friendship for years. And if they don't, it will take years to break into the market. Ned did a real number on me."

" What are you going to do?"

" I don't know. But this situation has got to change."

Emily comes out onto the terrace.

" Justus, Dara, Grandmother said to tell you that Dinner is served."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nikolas and Stefan were in eating when Alexis excused herself and decided to make a phone call.

" Leo. Can you please give me some hope about the situation? No? Fine, then. We'll just have to hope for the best."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The guests have left and Edward and Ned are in the den, with their Brandys.

" I guess you're feeling quite pleased with yourself, Ned."

" That I am, Grandfather. That I am."

" You certainly cut your cousin off at the knees today."

" That was an especially cool move, if I do say so myself."

" Watch yourself Ned. Justus isn't AJ."

" Grandfather, concerned for me?"

" I mean, that there are ways of handling things, and today's was handled poorly."

" Grandfather, you can't hold Justus' hand. He has to learn how to play with the big boys. And if he can't, he should pick up his bag of marbles, and go home. Well, not that it hasn't been great, Grandfather, but I'm tired and must get home to the gatehouse." Ned takes the last of his Brandy and leaves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bobbie is boarding the plane. Thinking about her return to Port Charles. She wonders how the gifts have gone over with Stefan. She laughs out loud just thinking about it. She places her bag of souvenirs in the above compartment, but accidentally spills a toy over onto the person in the seat.

" Oh, excuse me."

" It's no problem."

" Well, I'll be." Bobbie looks at her seatmate. It's A.E.

" L.D., what are you doing here? You don't live in San Francisco, do you?"

" No, in New York. Well, upstate New York. I have to take another plane once we get to La Guardia. And you?"

" Once we get to La Guardia, it's to the Concorde and onto Heathrow for me."

" Well, I'm glad that we'll be sharing this last leg of the trip together."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Please take your seats and prepare for takeoff."