Bobbie is in her room when Amy comes in to check her vitals.

”Amy. Is there any news about Carly?”

“ No. She’s still in the coma. Bobbie, why do you care about Carly?”

” Amy. You mean you haven’t heard?”

” Heard what?”

“ Carly is my daughter.”

Amy drops Bobbie’s chart and stands there with her mouth open.

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

Jason is with Carly in her room.

” Hey, Carly. Well, I just got through feeding the kid. He’s doing OK, so they say. He’s gained an ounce. They tell me that’s important for him. His lungs are OK, but, they’re still monitoring him. I gotta tell you, I don’t know what I’m doing. The doctors say that you could wake up at any moment. Or stay like this for awhile. It’s all a crap shoot.”

Monica walks into the room.

” Hello Jason.”

“ Monica. What are you doing here?”

” I came to express my concern for you.”

” Why me? I’m not sick. Carly is. And, I know you hate her.”

“ You’re right. I can’t stand Carly. But, she’s your wife and the mother of your child. Your son. My grandson. A grandson about whom you’ve left instructions that no one is to go near. “

” That’s right. Dr. Jones got near him.”

“ Yes. I had heard that Tony drew blood from the baby for a paternity test. Jason,  what happens if the baby isn’t yours?”

“ Monica, the baby doesn’t belong to Dr. Jones. Just like he doesn’t belong to me or Carly. He belongs to himself. I won’t be divorcing Carly. So, get used to it.”

” But, IF...”

” It’s my life. I live it the way I want. And, I want, Carly in my life. Case closed. We have nothing more to say.”

” About me visiting the baby..”

“ No.  And, that’s final.”

Monica leaves dejected.

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

Katherine is looking at Keesha with a veil of impatience as Keesha and Justus look over the contract. They cross some things out and write other in. Justus then goes over to Katherine.

” These are the terms that Keesha can live with.”

Katherine looks them over.

” They are not unreasonable.”

” So, then, we’re agreed?”

” Yes.”

“ Good. I’ll have my lawyers type this up, and make sure you get the new copies by late this afternoon. I hope to see you tomorrow, Keesha.”

“ Tomorrow?”

“ Yes. No time to start like the present.”

” Ok. Well, Justus, I have to meet AJ  at the PC Grille. I’ll see you later.” Keesha kisses Justus and leaves.

” So, Mr. Ward, why don’t we celebrate this new endeavor with dinner?”

“ I’m sorry, Katherine. But, I have a prior commitment. Some other time?”

” You know it, couselor.”

Justus leaves.

Katherine gets on the phone.

“ Maureen, when is my next appointment? Not for another hour? Good. Come in here and get these contracts for legal.”

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

“ CARLY ROBERTS IS YOUR DAUGHTER?!?”, Amy shouts.

” Yes, Amy. And, no need to shout. She’s my child.”

” But, how? Where? Who?”

” I was a teenager when I had her.”

” Well, DUH!!”

” I gave her up for adoption. And, I didn’t see her again, until Carly arrived in town.”

“ Did you know?”

” When she was doing all those things to me that she was my child? No, Amy, of course not.”

” How could she be so hateful? So mean? So completely without conscience? For God’s sake Bobbie, she set out to destroy your life.”

” Tell me something I don’t know, Amy. I asked you a question. How is she?”

” Still in the coma.”

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

Alex Garcia was sitting in the reception area of Deception waiting to see Katherine Bell. He was wondering how it had really come to this.

“ Detective Garcia?”, the secretary asked.

“ Yes.”

“ Ms. Bell will see you now.”

Alex Garcia was escorted into the large office. Katherine got up from her chair and came over to greet him warmly.

“ Detective Garcia, welcome to Deception.”

” I’m not here, yet, Ms. Bell.”

“ But, I think you will. Please sit down.” Katherine went back behind her desk. “ I have been going over your application, and I must say that I am impressed.”

“ Thank you.”

“ You have broad law enforcement experience. And, I see that you have administrative experience.”

” With Non-profit organizations .”

” Yes. Which impresses me even more. Giving time like that, to others. So, I would like to offer you the job of Head of Security for Deception.”

“ You are?”

” Yes.”

” Ms. Bell, may I ask why?”

” Because, you have everything that I need. And, you got  a sterling recommendation from someone whose opinion I highly regard.”

” Mac.”

” Yes, Mac. He can’t gush enough about you. And, considering that I know he doesn’t praise just anyone, it means a lot.”

“ I see.”

Katherine slides tan envelope across the desk to Garcia. “ Here’s the contract. All the terms are spelled out. Of course, you can have your attorney contact me if there need to be any changes. I do need to hear from you with a decision within the next 72 hours, so, that if you decide to decline the offer, I can go on with my next choice.”

Garcia takes the envelope and puts it in his pocket. He gets up and extends his hand.

“ Thank you, Ms. Bell. I’ll get back to you.”

” You do that. And, Detective, please call me Katherine.”

Garcia leaves the office.

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

“ Man, this is some sweet contract.”, Dara says while sticking a Pot Sticker into her mouth.

There are several open containers of Chinese take out on the table in front of her couch. She’s eating the pot sticker and reading Alex Garcia’s contract at the same time.

“ So, is this a good contract for me, Dara?”

” Yeah. I think so. Three years, solid, from both sides. The money’s awesome. Six week’s PAID vacation. Full medical and dental. Expense account. This is livin’ large, Alex.”

“ That’s what I thought.”

“ So, are you going to take it?”

“ I think so. I love police work. I really do. The only thing that I ever wanted to be was a cop. I turned 18 and graduated from high school in the same month. I went immediately and filled out the application for the Police Academy. Two months later, I was in training. And, I’ve never looked back. Going to college, studying for the Sargeant’s and then Detective’s exams, has all been a pleasure. I loved being a cop.”

” So, then why this?”

“ Well, it has to do with my time in L.A.”

” I knew you were out there for a bit.”

” Yeah. I transfered out there in order to help my sister, Claudia. Her husband, Jaime, was murdered by some punks. I went to L.A. to help her through that transition and find the killers.”

” Did you?”

” Yep. Two gang members who didn’t like the way that Jaime looked at them.”

” That’s a damn shame.”

” Tell me about it. Those animals will probably be out in 10 years, and 3 children don’t have a Daddy. Nor my sister, a husband. So, fortunately, Jaime had an excellent position, and the man was a miser. Something I hated in him when he was alive, but, it proved very beneficial for my sister in his death. Their house and cars and everything else were paid for. They had no debt. He had investments that my sister had no idea about.”

“ Sounds good.”

” Yeah. Well, there’s a punchline. This is all held in trust, and it’s doled out. Now, my sister can get her hands on all the money in like 5 years, but, now, there would be severe penalties. And, she was just in a bad car crash.”

“ I’m sorry.”

” Yeah. Well, therapy is going to be VERY expensive. And, the only choice she has is busting up the Nest Egg Jaime left her, or, me.”

“ I see.”

” She didn’t ask me, Dara. She never would. I know she’s close to busting the Egg, and I don’t think it’s fair for her or the future of her kids. She and Jaime, well, they put me through college. Supported me to my parents when they wanted to disown me for becoming a cop. We’re family. They made sacrifices for me. So, now, it’s my turn.”

” What about police work?”

” I’ll miss it. But, really, Dara, what hopes for advancement do I have? I know my credentials. What I’ve done. The cases I’ve busted. I’ve put my name in the past couple of time for Chief of Detectives. But, you know what happens..”

” Yeah...”

” Yeah. After putting in an ‘excellent’ application, I am sent a form letter and the new man is someone younger, with less education, experience..”

“ But, the right color.”

” You nailed it.  So, maybe 3 years of corporate life will make me willing to deal with that kind of political garbage again if I rejoin the force. Did you know that they’re looking for a new Chief of Detectives? And that Taggert has put in an application?”

Dara almost chokes on her food. “ Taggert?”

” Yeah. You know, call me crazy, but I think he might get it. I think they’re too afraid of him NOT to give it to him.”

They both laugh at the thought.

“ So, Dara, how are things with you and Mr. Sunshine?”

“ Oh, will you just stop. Mr. Sunshine?”

” Yes. He emits such a ‘golden’ glow.”

“ Very funny.” Dara gets quiet. “ We’re not seeing one another.”

” Oh.”

” And, for your information, I was the one who broke it off.”

” I could see that. It’s in your eyes. What did he do wrong, if I’m not being too nosy.”

“ It’s just a case of two people, when faced with reality, can’t be together.”

” You don’t sound too convinced.”

” It’s still new and raw to me. But, I’m getting used to it.”

“ I hope it works out for you OK.”

” Thanks. Now, let’s go over this contract, point by point, so that if you have any problems, they can be straigtened out.”

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

Jason sees Tony standing outside the window to the Nursery.

” I thought I told you that you weren’t getting near the kid, Dr. Jones.”

” You can ban me, for the time being, from MY child, from the inside of the nursery. But, this is public hospital, and I can stand outside of the nursery and look, if I want to. So, take your thugs and shove it.”

“ Don’t cross me.”

“ Or, what, Jason? You gonna beat me up in a hospital? I know you’re brain damaged, but, I did think you had better sense than that.”

“ Don’t go near the baby.”

” That’s OK. I can be satisfied with glimpses, for now. But, when I get those test results back, and it’s proven that I am the father, nothing will keep me away. Especially, not your bullets.” Tony walks away from Jason.

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

Alexis is sitting in Sasha’s room at the Port Charles Hotel when Sasha finally arrives.

” You’re late.”

“ Alexis, since when do you watch the clock where I’m concerned.”

” Since, I have other appointments. So, what did you want to see me about.”

“ Katherine Bell.”

“ A name I didn’t want to hear.”

“ Well, we have to hear it for a little while longer. I wanted to tell you that the final stages of our plan is about to come to fruition.”

“ And that means?”

“ Well, let’s just say, I can’t wait to throw Katherine Bell out on the street.”

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