Subj: blp-60
Date: 8/27/2001 6:11:17 PM Central Daylight Time
From: SIPort27
To: SIPort27
Best Laid Plans-Chapter 60
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“ Anastasia darling, it is wonderful to see you again. Healthy. On the mend from your accident.”
“ I could say that it is surprising to see you here.”
“ I believe you could. But, when I had been informed that you had left the hospital, I knew that there would be only one place for you to come.”
“ I see. Well...”
An older woman enters the room. “ Pardon me, Ma’am. But, I am to tell you that luncheon is ready.”
“ Thank you, Bridget. Shall we go, Grandmother?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Quartermaines are in the den when Emily comes in.
“ Emily, dear, you look lovely.”, Lila says.
” Yes. Why are you so dressed up? You have a hot date?”, kids Edward.
“ No. Well, I guess it’s up to me to tell you what’s going on.”
“ Tell us what, Em?”, AJ says.
“ The reason that I’m all dressed up, is because I’ve just come from a wedding.”
“ Oh? Who got married, dear? Anyone we know?”, Lila inquired.
“ Yes. Jason and Carly.”
“ WHAT!?!”, Monica shouts.
” You’re kidding!”, Alan says.
” NOT THAT BARRACUDA!!”, Monica yells.
” Is he crazy?”, AJ says.
“ Like a fox.... that Carly is..”, Keesha claims.
“ Jason, a married man?”, Ned questions.
“ EMILY...DETAILS!!”, Monica barks.
Justus is just laughing in his chair.
” You think this is funny, Justus?”, Monica asks.
“ Actually, the thought of ANY man chained to Carly Roberts is funny. You gotta laugh, otherwise, I think I’d cry for Jason.”, Justus cracks.
“ Well, Jason was in a blue suit. and Tie. Carly had on an off-white two piece maternity outfit. She was carrying white roses. The old was a handkerchief from her mother. The new was the dress. I let her borrow the locket that my mother gave me for my 13th birthday that I always wear, and the blue was a garter.”
“ Not THOSE details. WHY?”, Monica asks frantically.
“ Because, Mom, Jason asked Carly. She’s going to have his baby, and he wants it to be born to a married couple.”
” Are you sure that the marriage was Jason’s idea. I wouldn’t put it past Carly to trap Jason.”, Keesha says.
” No. I asked Jason. He says HE asked Carly. And, we all know, Jason doesn’t lie.”
” But, how does Jason KNOW that the kid is his, and not Tony’s, considering that Carly WAS engaged to the man.”, AJ asked.
“ I don’t know. But, he seems pretty sure to me. Sure enough to give him her name.”
” MORGAN! What a name.”, Edward bellows.
“ YES IT IS!”, Lila shouts.
“ Sorry, dear.”, Edward grovels.
“ It was a simple ceremony, down at City Hall, with Mike and I in attendance. We went back to the Penthouse, and had a small quiet dinner. They cut this little cake, and fed it to one another. And, at the end, Carly felt the baby kick. She put Jason’s hand on her stomach, and they felt it together. They seemed pretty wowed by it.”
“ Emily, why didn’t you tell us?”, Alan asked.
“ What for? Jason didn’t want you there, and I was going to honor his wishes. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve had enough, and I’m going upstairs.” Emily leaves.
“ I can’t believe that Jason would be that stupid.”, Monica hisses.
“ He’s not thinking straight.”, Alan says.
” But, we all know what he’s thinking with.”, says Keesha.
” L’il Bit.”
“ Oh, whatever Justus. That’s all Carly Roberts is good for. Look at her track record since she hit town. She weaseled her way into Bobbie Spencer’s life and wrecked it. And, now, it seems, as if she had help in ruining Robin’s too.”
” Robin?”, Edward asked.
“ Yes, Robin.”, Keesha continued. Take a count back, folks. This baby was conceived while Robin and Jason were still together. I doubt that Robin would just turn this blind eye to Jason hopping into bed with Carly on a regular basis.
” I don’t know. I hate to sound harsh, but it wasn’t as if she could satisfy Jason that way.”, Edward says.
“ Well, you ARE sounding harsh. And cruel.”, Lila says.
“ On top of being tactless, Edward.”
” Of, for Pete’s sake, Justus. Jason is a red-blooded man. How much hand holding do you think he was going to be able to take.”
“ Thank you, Edward. You just painted an even MORE grim portrait of Carly Roberts. While she was drugging my one son, she was hopping into the sack with another, while ruining the life of one of my closest friends. What a prize, I’ve got for a daughter-in law. DAUGHTER-IN-LAW! What a hellish word.”
Monica goes and gets her purse and begins to walk out.
” Where are you going?”, Alan asks.
” To welcome Carly into the family.”, Monica barks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Helena and Sasha are sitting across the table from one another, when Tia comes up to the table. She is about to sit next to Sasha when,
” Tatianna, why don’t you come and sit over here by me, darling. Your Great Grandmother hasn’t spent much time with you.”
“ Ok.” Sasha tenses up as her daughter takes a seat next to Helena.
“ Are you really my Great-Grandmother?”
“ Yes.”
“ Is that what I can call you?”
“ Yes. You may call me Great-Grandmother.”
“ Do you know that tomorrow is my birthday?”
“ I most certainly do. Important dates like this are not something that I forget. And, I have a present for you.” Helena reaches into her purse and brings out a small box with a ribbon on it for Tia. Tia opens it up with excitement. She takes out a small chain, with something on the end. Tia gets up and goes over to Sasha to show her.
“ Look Mummy. It’s just like yours.”
Sasha sees that it is a Cassadine Medallion, with Tia’s name engraved on the back, in Russian.
” Will you put it on me?”
Sasha places the Medallion, on her daughter. Tia goes back to Helena.
“ What do you think, Great-Grandmother?”
“ I believe that you are right where you belong now. Don’t you agree, Anastasia?”
Sasha doesn’t respond.
“ You know, Tatiana, it might be possible for me to arrange for us to spend some time together alone. Would you like that?”
“ Yes, Great-Grandmother.”
“ Well, I think that you should go and check your room for the presents that I brought you. Give Great-Grandmother a kiss, and leave your Mother and I to talk.” Tia kisses Helena and then goes over to Sasha and hugs and kisses her.
Tia is barely gone, when...
“ Her pictures don’t do her justice. She’s even more beautiful, in person.”
“ How long...”
“ Have I known about Tatianna? Since you were pregnant, my dear. How did you think that you were able to secure the deed to this property? It was out of your price range.”
“ You arranged it for me?”
” Of course. And, I have kept a protective eye over her ever since.”
“ But then...”
“ Because, if you did not want to share the news of your maternity with Stefan, who was I to interfere? I considered it ‘our little secret.’ “
“ I see.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jax and Jerry are smoking cigars after dinner in Jerry’s Den.
” So, tell me about the woman, little brother.”
” I don’t know where to begin. Dara’s wonderful. She charming, attractive, graceful, elegant, smart..”
” You forgot beautiful...”
” No, I didn’t. I admit that I’ve been with more beautiful women than Dara, but, I am almost ashamed to call them women, now that I know Dara. They were very pretty girls, but Dara is the real thing.”
“ So, what went wrong?”
” Dara’s Black.”
” Oh.”
“ You never did tell me how you handled that with Sasha.”
“ There was nothing to handle, Jasper. Remember, Sasha grew up a Cassadine, on an island, and by the time she ventured out into the world, racial identity was no more important to her than it was to me. It was part of who we were, but didn’t define us. Remember, you’re talking about the American Black Experience, which is something different entirely. What went wrong?”
” We took a trip, and I wound up getting into a fight with some racists. Dara was pretty mad at me. She asked me how I saw her, and I told her that I didn’t think of her as Black.”
“ Ouch. Jasper, that was pretty ignorant of you. That line may work anyplace else in the world, but, not America.”
“ I know that now. But, you know what I mean?”
” I know. It hasn’t meant anything to you that your brother has slanted eyes and a darker skin tone. I know that you’d kill for me. And, that you love me, but my experience, and your Dara’s are different.”
“ And, I couldn’t tell her what I wanted.”
“ Strike two. You know what, Jasper? Why not look on this as a blessing?”
” Excuse me?”
“ Well, you got out while the getting was good. You had your little experiment. Your roll in the hay. You got to taste some of that forbidden fruit. Isn’t it better that you found out now, instead of later? I mean, let’s get real, women of that type just aren’t suited for our world. They’re good for taking to bed..but barely more..”
Jerry wasn’t able to finish his statement because he was on the floor, as a result of a vicious right hook that Jax gave him.
“ You SHUT YOUR MOUTH!! Talking about Dara like that. She is MORE than good enough for ‘OUR’ world. In fact, she’s too bloody good for it. And, for you. She’s the type of woman that a man , if he’s really lucky, gets to meet once in a lifetime...She’s..”
Jax looks down on the floor at a laughing Jerry.
” What’s so bloody funny?”
” You are, Jasper. You answered your own dilemma. You’ve hit me over women before, but, I don’t think you’ve come as close to breaking my jaw as you did just now. You’ve got it bad little brother. Worse than I ever thought. Now that we both know it to be true, what are you going to do about it?”
“ I don’t know.”
“ Not an acceptable answer.”
“ Alright...I have to convince Dara that I believe in us. And, that I can handle the interracial aspect of it. And finally, that I’m not going anywhere. She’s what I want. The whole thing Jerry: marriage, kids, lifetime. Where do you think I should start?”
” Well, I think you should treat this with the seriousness of your biggest deal. And, that means, research.”
“ Research?”
“ Books, articles, interviews about interracial relationships in America. If you understand the context of the problem, that would be a good start.”
” And then?”
“ Do you think you have any allies among her friends and family?”
” I might.”
“ Well, then, ask THEM, what they believe her fears are. And then, go about facing them, and understanding that this is real for her, Jasper. Respect it. Then, there’s Dara.”
“ Yes?”
“ Be there for her. Let her know how you feel. And, what you’re doing. And why. If you’re supposed to be together, it will work out.”
“ You know Jerry, not that this isn’t great advice. But, what do I look like taking advice from a man who hasn’t had a serious relationship in years?”
“ Smart enough to learn from your brother’s mistakes.”
“ Meaning Sasha.”
” Yes.”
” Jerry, you know if...”
” If what, Jasper? We both know...strike that...you suspect, I KNOW, what I did to Sasha. Why she despises me. I earned it. And, if I lived 100 years, I could never make up to her what happened. Well....enough depressing talk. Let’s grab a good stake, and drink a case of the finest Chilean wine.”
” My pleasure.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stefan, Nikolas and Alexis are sitting in the Conservatory at Wyndemere.
“ Have you had any word as to where she might be, Alexis?”
“ No, Stefan. There has been no word.”
“ Alexis, Nikolas, do you have any idead at all as to why Katya would leave the hospital?”
“ No. None, Uncle.”
“ No, Stefan.”
” I do not understand what couldhave happened.”
Just then, Mrs. Lansbury enters. “ Telephone, Mr. Cassadine. It’s Miss Anastasia.”
Stefan hurries to the phone. “ Katya?”
“ Hello, Papa.”
” Where are you? Why did you leave?”
“ I left because I was going stir crazy, Papa. Please, don’t worry. I am taking care. And, I am safe. I just called because I didn’t want you to worry.”
” Well, you are too late.”
“ I must go.”
” Where are you?”
” Goodbye, Papa.”
The phone goes dead. Stefan calls his security team. “ Were you able to trace that call?”
“ Sorry, Mr. Cassadine. The time was too short.”
Stefan slams the phone down in anger.
“ Uncle, did you trace the phone?”
“ No. The time was too short. She sounded well, but, a bit tired.”
“ Stefan, maybe she just needed some time for herself.”
“ She could have gotten that here, in Port Charles.”
” No, she couldn’t have. Not with you, Nikolas and I all hovering around her. She called because she didn’t want us to worry. Which means, she’s coming back. This isn’t an estrangement between the two of you.”
” I never said it was. I know that my relationship with Katya is on the most solid that it has been in a long while. But, she must have told someone something. “
“ Well, who was the last person to talk to her?”, Nikolas asks.
” Barbara. Yes. If anyone knows where she is, Barbara will.” Stefan
leaves on his way to see Bobbie.
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