The Best Laid Plans - Chapter  29
 
 

Edward is sitting in the den at the ELQ Mansion. Since his return home from the hospital, everyone has been watching him like a hawk. He has made special instructions this morning not to be disturbed. He even made sure that Lila was out of the house. Nothing was going to come between him and Justus this morning. For what he had to say to Justus would alter his life forever. Edward wondered if he was doing the right thing. But, his brush with mortality had slapped him in the face. He was definite about what he had to do.

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Stefan was having coffee when Sasha came in.

" Good Morning, Papa."

" Katya."

" How are you?"

" Fine. And you?"

" Splendidly. Do you want some good news?"

" Always."

" Well, I had a proposition the other day."

" What kind of proposition."

" Oh, the best kind, Papa. An irresistible one. Justus Ward wants my help in destroying Jasper."

" And you agreed."

" Of course. While, I have Justus preoccupied with ruining J&J Jacks, we will slowly be undermining the stability of ELQ. Of course, Justus will be distracted, and it will bring him into the inevitable conflict with Ned Ashton. But, since I have completely convinced him that Ashton can't be let in on the plan, he will have to be seen in a poor light, which of course, will exacerbate tensions between him and Ashton."

" Of course."

" So, In the end, I will have my revenge on the Jacks'. You will have your Timoria on the Quartermaines, and we will be a couple of billion dollars richer."

" The kind of plan that I admire, Katya."

" So happy to please, Papa. Well, I have to go."

" Oh, where?"

" I thought I would stop by the hospital and talk with Nikolas about his new apartment. Have you seen it?"

" No."

" Oh well. Ciao, Papa." Sasha kisses Stefan goodbye.

After Sasha leaves, Stefan gets the phone and dials.
" This is Stefan Cassadine. I would like to know whether Barbara Spencer is working today. She's not? Thank you."

Stefan put up the phone and decided that it was time that he and Bobbie got a few things straight.

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Dara was leaving the courtroom when..

" Hello, Dara."

" Jax?! What are you doing here?"

" You don't answer my phone calls, or my messages. Please tell me what I did wrong. If you don't want to date me, I need to know the mistake I made."

" Jax, we're out here in the hallway."

" I am sorry, Dara. But, I really don't care. I wouldn't let anyone that I was doing business with treat me as you have."

" Well, this isn't business."

" It is to me. The business of my heart, which has been jerked and pulled around more than I care to remember, Dara. So, do I get a straight answer."

" Alright. But, not here. We can go to my office."

Dara and Jax walk, in silence, to her office. Once they get there, Dara goes behind her desk. She looks at Jax. He has a fierce determination in him. She can see it in his eyes.

" So, Dara?"

" Don't you want to sit down?"

" Not really."

" OK. Then, let's talk. Jax, I like you. I really do. But,...."

" But What?"

" I guess that I am gun-shy. I mean, I am going from you to Justus, in what seems an awfully quick timespan. I've been one that calculates everything, Jax. I don't make a move without a plan. Without weighing the checks and balances. I never just jump into anything."

" And you were jumping in with me?"

" With both feet."

" And that's bad?"

" Just terrifying."

" So, your best plan was, instead of confronting me, and discussing things, was to completely cut me off?"

" Yes."

" Lousy plan, Dara."

" I know."

" I don't know what to say. So, have you decided that you don't want to see me again?"

" Actually, the opposite. I've been completely miserable without you in my life. Yet, I was too guilty about what I did."

" Guilt is entirely too overrated and completely wasted. So, do I get my date? You know now, that the stakes have been raised and that this will not be an ordinary date."

" I guess I deserve a punishment like this. Don't I?"

" You most certainly do. Since, this is the weekend coming up, I expect for your entire calendar to be cleared."

" The ENTIRE weekend?"

" The entire weekend. I promise you a time that you won't soon forget, Ms. Jensen." Jax leaves the room.

" That's what scares me the most, Mr. Jacks."

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" Ward House."

" Well, hello, Ms. Ward."

" AJ?"

" Yes."

" So. What do you want?"

" I want to know if you'll be free this weekend."

" This weekend? Maybe. Why?"

" I want you to spend it with me. Just friends."

" Just friends?"

" Yep."

" OK. I'll be ready on Friday by 4. Is that OK?"

" Fine."

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Bobbie is sitting having tea in her living room when the doorbell rings. She goes over to answer it and sees Stefan.

" Hello, Stefan."

" Barbara. May I come in?"

" It depends. What do you want to discuss?"

" Nikolas."

" Fine. Come in."

" I understand that he is living with you now."

" He is living, as a renter, in one of my apartments."

" You know, if I chose, I could have you shut down for renting to a minor."

" Yes. I know that. And I know that you are petty enough to do it also. But, then there is the problem of where Nikolas will go if he leaves here. From what I see, you aren't his favorite person in the world. And if not here, then he'll probably hit the road."

" I don't need YOUR comments on my relationship with Nikolas. I have always been in his life. And will continue to do so."

" I never said you wouldn't Stefan. BUT, this is MY home. And Nikolas is staying here, under my rules."

" And in your spare time, outside of work and Lucas, you are doing your best to turn Nikolas against me, like a good Spencer?"

" Oh, for Pete's Sake, Stefan, GET OVER YOURSELF! Do you really think that I would use Nikolas against you? Is your opinion of me THAT low? You are going to look me in the eyes and tell me that you think that I would use a teenaged boy in our battles? WELL?"

" After what you attempted to do to me, Barbara, how can I be sure of what you WON'T do?"

" Because, whatever  I might think of you, I have NEVER doubted your love and devotion to Nikolas. It's been your best quality."

" I will protect Nikolas, Barbara."

" I know that, Stefan. But, Nikolas doesn't need protection from me. I love him."

" I won't allow you to hurt him."

" Isn't this getting to be a broken record? I told you that I will look after Nikolas. Now, either you believe me or you don't. At this point, I don't give a damn either way. But, it does not erase the fact that Nikolas isn't here. And that you have to call first, before you come and visit. Stefan, our problems should just remain that...OUR problems. Bringing the children into this is only making things worse."

" We wouldn't have any problems if you would come to your senses."

" And what? Roll over and play dead AGAIN?!Sorry, my lapse of sanity only comes once a century. You have a settlement offer before you."

" Which is completely ludicrous."

" Your opinion. I doubt that a judge would see it that way."

" You're still insisting on taking this to court?"

" Absolutely. I am in the right."

" I will NOT give you a dime. I'll fight you forever first."

" Well, I was born loving a good fight. Good day Stefan, I have errands to run."

Bobbie escorts Stefan to the door. And then, she calls Alicia.

" Alicia? We need to discuss my case."

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" So, how is the apartment, Niko?"

" Strange."

" How so?"

" I thought that I would be jumping for joy with my own place. But, it gets lonely sometimes."

" Not all you thought it would be?"

" No. And all the little tasks that you have to do to keep an apartment running. I went shopping the other day."

(laughs) " You did?"

" Yes. And I realized that I had NO IDEA of what to get. I met a nice clerk and she helped me stock up on products for the home. I didn't know that so many products were used to clean a home."

" CLEAN a home? I thought that you knew that I had gotten you a cleaning service."

" I did. But, here I am , this kid. And Bobbie, Dr. Hardy and Ms. Jones all clean their homes without a service. I can do it too."

" You WANT to clean?"

" Well, I think that I should learn, don't you think?"

" Well, one can't be the pampered Prince all one's life, can they? "

" I guess not."

" Have you had any VISITORS?"

" Actually, Emily is coming over for Pizza tonight. "

" The girl that you were afraid of leading on?"

" Yes. I have decided that I want her in my life. So, I will try and be as subtle as possible."

" Good for you."

" Sasha. I need a favor."

" Anything. What?"

" I have to learn how to cook. Ordering out almost every night is getting boring."

" Doesn't Bobbie invite you to dinner?"

" She has. But, I have turned her down."

" Why?"

" Because, I think she's only doing it to be nice."

" Nikolas. You're smarter than that. Bobbie WANTS to have a relationship with you. Why won't you learn the principle of forgiveness?"

" You know what she did to Uncle."

" Yes. And I told you that that matter was between them. And no one else. What goes on between adults is none of your business, Niko."

" Because I am a child?"

" Because it's a private matter. And, yes, because you are a child."

" How is it, I'm 16, so I am a child, but when you were 16, you were this fully functioning person?"

" A double standard, I will grant you. But, women mature faster than men. And I have never been ordinary at anything."

(laughs) " No. You haven't. So, are you going to tell me of your plans?"

" What plans?"

" Don't joke with me. You never do anything without a plan."

" Nikolas, we are in the early stages. It will be on a need to know basis."

" Alright, for now. But, the plans aren't nice, are they?"

(laughs) " Do  I EVER do anything that's nice?"

" No. Ask a stupid question...."

" Well. I will have Mai get a list of potential cooking instructors for you. I will leave the list for you at the hospital sometime next week. I suppose that I should get out of your way, for your big date!"

" Stop it."

" Just kidding. But, watch out, Nikolas. A young man, his own place, a little music, and hormones. It's a Molotov Cocktail for potential disaster."

" Don't you trust me?"

" Nikolas, I don't trust any teenage boy. Ciao, darling."

Sasha kisses Nikolas goodbye and leaves.

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Dara is sitting in her office when the phone rings.

" Dara Jensen..........Hello?..........Hello?.....Ugh, Crank Callers."

Dara hangs up the phone.

Justus is sitting there, on the steps of his firehouse. He didn't know why he was calling Dara. He thought that maybe she would be able to make some sense out of what had just happened. But, after all that had happened between them, he didn't think that he had the right to dump on her like this, or expect any empathy from her at all. Justus thought about who might understand. He gathered his coat and left the firehouse. He was making a trip later on tonight, but he had to talk about what had happened between him and Edward earlier today.

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Sasha is sitting in the Conservatory when Mai comes in.

"Well, here is the file that you wanted on Bobbie Spencer."

" Thank you, Mai."

Sasha looks over the folder. And reads it carefully.

" Is what you wanted in there?"

" No. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that wasn't really already covered in the first dossier on her. But, I  just cannot shake this feeling that I knew Bobbie Spencer from somewhere. But, this isn't doing me any good. Do we still have our friends in the FBI Lab?"

" Yes."

" Well, get them a picture of Bobbie Spencer. Maybe I did know her. Years ago somehow. I want a regression picture analysis done."

" How far back?"

" I don't know. Heck, do it from when she would have been 10 years old. In series of 5 years."

" I'll get the instructions to your friend, right away."

" Thank you."

Mai leaves Sasha sitting there thinking.