Risk

Chapter XXXII 

Sorry Doesn't Cut It

AKA Another Liz, Laura and even Kristina bashing chapter.

Gia checks her messages on her cell phone. There are about ten of them from Nikolas, two from Elton and one from her mother. Wincing she goes with the hard one first, leaving the annoying for later and the impossible for never. She dials automatically. "Mom?"

Scotty sheds his overcoat and tosses it over the white couch in Laura's office. He pulls out a red delicious apple from the pocket and takes a bite. "What's up that couldn't be handled by the phone?"

"Here. Look at this. What am I suppose to do?" Laura hands Scotty the demand letter.

Scotty glances through the letter and then chokes on the bite of apple. He spits it in the garbage can by Laura's desk. "What the hell do you think you were doing?!!!"

After his shift at the coffee warehouse is complete, Zander goes by Alexis penthouse apartment. He lets himself in with his key. There is no sign of Alexis or her sister. Not good. Where would Kristina be? He'd rather deal with her than with Stefan. And Stavros? Everything he heard about that guy indicated he was bad news, the worst. Ned. When Kristina had been hiding out from Helena she'd been staying with Ned. If there are no clues here then he'd have to head over to the Quartermaine Estate-- and getting arrested just isn't his idea of a good time.

"Baby, Nikolas is just ticked." Lucky says reassuringly. "He didn't mean what he said. This thing with Gia is just messing with his head. Why would Stavros want to do anything bad to you? Me sure. I mean he did push me in the Charles river and I was kinda hogtied at the time. Maybe because you're with a Spencer but that's the only reason. But I hear Stavros has his hands full with Carly anyway."

Liz grasps onto that one. "Carly. You know she hates me. Port Charles is kinda of a Carly free zone now what with the Quartermaines making a move and all. If I go to Italy then it's like stepping on her turf. And if Carly is with Stavros and he believes what Nikolas says..."

"You can't live your life like that, Elizabeth." Lucky says calmly. "You know you want to go to Italy. You've been packing your paints and stuff for the last couple days. It's all you've talked about. Mom wants you to go. She knows you need a break. I really want you to go with me. And I have to go. Mom is counting on me and it will take months to get the permits for some of these places if I cancel now."

"I don't know, Lucky. I think you should go without me."

"He was just blowing smoke." Lucky says again. "Nikolas might be my brother but that doesn't blind me to his faults. He always tries to blame someone else for anything that goes wrong in his life-- my parents, Helena, Stefan. Hell that's probably why Gia walked. And now he's blaming you for that too!"

"I shouldn't have mentioned Gia telling Jason."

"It wasn't any of Jason's business." Lucky has his own Jason issues. "Okay yeah, Nikolas overreacted. But Elizabeth, that wasn't your fault. I wasn't happy about it either. You don't have anything to feel guilty about-- whatever Nikolas says."

Nikolas greets Lucas who is playing with his gameboy on the couch of Wyndemere. Lucas nods and keeps going trying to beat his best score. Mrs Lansbury comes in. "Master Nikolas."

"Mrs Lansbury, I need to speak to my uncle."

"He and my mom need to talk and don't want to be interrupted." Lucas replies not even looking up from the game boy.

Mrs Lansbury looks from one to the other feeling like between a rock and a hard place. Nikolas makes the decision for her. "I really need to talk to my uncle... Bobbie too."

"Of course sir." Mrs Lansbury goes up the stairs to see what she can do.

"Did you come over to go riding?" Nikolas tries to make conversation with Lucas.

"Yep. Me and Uncle. But he really wanted to talk to mom privately. You want to go exploring? The tunnels here are great."

"Maybe later." Nikolas says absently. Stefan comes down the stairs. He is still dressed in his riding gear but has lost the jacket and his shirt is half unbuttoned. Stefan sees Nikolas' glance at the buttons and starts doing them up.

"You wanted to see me?" Stefan asks.

Bobbie comes down the stairs. She looks much as she usually does but her lips are unpainted and swollen. She looks around the living room. "Lucas? Where is Kristina?"

Lucas doesn't look up from his game boy. "We're playing hide and seek. I haven't found her yet."

Bobbie comes up behind Lucas and smacks him upside the back of his head. "Lucas Jones, you go get her right now. And you are grounded from this!" She snags the gameboy from Lucas.

"Mom!"

"Don't mom me! Now!" Lucas rolls his eyes but then goes over to the secret panel in the living room over by the fireplace and hits the sconce that activates it. He shuts the panel after him. "Stefan, I am so sorry! I have no idea what got into him."

Nikolas shakes his head as he realizes what had been behind Lucas' earlier offer. "He must have really wanted you two to have some privacy. He offered to take me exploring the tunnels too." Nikolas says wryly. "I apologize. I should have called."

"You never have to call." Stefan dismisses Nikolas' apology. "What is on your mind?"

"I can't get Gia to talk to me. I have no idea where she is staying. I tried to talk to her when she came back from Atlantic City but one of Jason Morgan's goons was with her. Mother refused to help me. Told me that Gia wanted distance from me. That she was doing Gia a favor by sending her to Atlantic City." Bobbie snorts at the one in disbelief. "Elton won't give out any information. I went over to talk to Lucky about the Deception shoot that Gia was suppose to go on with him."

"Was?" Bobbie latches onto the past tense in the last.

Nikolas nods. "According to Lucky, Gia's been cancelled out of it. Elizabeth is going instead." Nikolas practically spits when he says Elizabeth's name. "Mother sends Gia to a car show with no security whatsoever and she is sending Elizabeth on an all expense paid trip to Italy! After everything that Gia has tried to do for Elizabeth. All the times she tried to mend fences. All the times I insisted she try to mend fences!" Nikolas starts pacing the floor. "I have been a fool!"

"Nikolas-- no." Stefan tries mitigate.

"Nikolas-- yes." Bobbie nods her agreement with Nik's assessment.

"Barbara!"

"No, Stefan. Nikolas knows exactly what he did. Don't try to whitewash it."

"What am I suppose to do? How am I going to get her back?" Nikolas looks over at Stefan and Bobbie. "Tell me."

"An apology. A gift... a token of your remorse." Stefan suggests.

Bobbie snorts. "Right and she'll throw it right back in your face. Flowers and candy aren't going to fix this. Hell a diamond tennis bracelet isn't going to make a dent. You even go that route and you are going to end up with your ears blistered from what she thinks of your tokens. Tokens of remorse are for when you leave the car with no gas, don't take out the trash or leave the seat up. Not when you've stepped in it as deeply as you have."

"Barbara, you are scarcely being helpful." Stefan protests.

"What do you think I should do, Bobbie?"

Bobbie comes over and puts a hand on Nikolas' arm. She looks up at him. "Just what I told you last night. Decide what you want and go for it. But don't treat Gia like an emotional yo-yo. You are going to have to prove that you are going to do things differently this time. And she's not going to make it easy. If you aren't ready for the tough fight then stop now and accept Gia's decision."

"What about Jason? The way they acted in Greece. That he had one of his goons with her on the return trip from Atlantic City." Nik's green eyed monster makes it's appearance.

"Honestly?"

"Of course." Nik nods.

"Thank him."

"What!" Stefan explodes. "Impossible! It will never happen!"

Bobbie ignores Stefan's interjection and maintains eye contact with Nikolas. "You just said that Gia was alone in Atlantic City. That Laura provided no security for her. I told you about those shows last night. I don't even want to think about what could have happened... if Jason's goon, as you call him, hadn't been there. Thank him. And then make sure that Gia never has to rely on Jason for her safety again. If you and Gia had still been a couple... it would never have happened. I can't say that Laura wouldn't have sent Gia there 'cause I dont know what the hell your mother is thinking... but you would have been there with Gia. So thank him for being there when you weren't. Don't try to pay him. Don't talk down to him. Don't tick him off."

"Why should my nephew do anything of the sort?!" Stefan demands.

"Because I bet Jason knows exactly where Gia is." Bobbie retorts sharply to Stefan and then turns back to Nikolas. "Did Jason's...goon... put Gia in a cab at the airport?"

"No, he said there was a limo waiting."

"Bingo." Bobbie smiles. And Nik nods as he realizes where Bobbie is going with this.

"How bad is it?" Laura stands to the side clenching her hands together.

Scotty rubs his eyes. He'd read the contract a hundred times before both before and after Laura signed it. "That all depends. You got 50 big ones?"

"I'll have to move some things around." Laura admits. "But seventy two hours, Scott! That's just three days. I don't keep that kind of money in petty cash! Everything is already budgeted out. I've had some expenses... the essence we need for the perfume... the people I get it from aren't returning my calls. I just found out the glass makers are going out on strike. And now this!"

Scott stiffens. "I don't know, Laura. But that sound like a little much."

"A little much?"

"You're getting hit from all angles here... fact is it sounds like you're under attack. Who is making a move on your company? Corinthos?"

"No, no of course not. Sonny would never do that to me." Laura says confidently.

"It sounds just like him. Let you slide on the interest payments... lull you into a false sense of security and then WHAMMO!" Scott slaps his fist into the open palm of his other hand. "He's a slippery, worthless son of a bitch. I knew you should never have gone in business with him!"

"It's not Sonny! Sonny would never do anything like that to me. Sonny isn't even around. He's on vacation. Jason is the one that sent the letter." Laura bites her lip. "So its cut and dried then. I have to have the money in three days or Jason can demand the whole amount back? Everything I've put into Deception?" and used to redecorated my house. Laura grimaces. There was no way she'd be able to come up with the entire principle. If she'd been able to she'd have gone to a bank.

"Yeah." Scott admits. "We could fight it in court. They're thugs, low life criminals who only deserve three hots and a cot in Sing Sing. Drag it out for a few years. But yeah. Pay him now or really pay him later."

"Then I have to find the money." Laura blusters as she tosses her hair back.

"I'll make a few phone calls and get the money for ya." Scotty offers.

"I can't ask you to do that, Scott." Laura smiles bravely. "I'll be fine."

Zander in his rush out of the Harborview Towers levels someone in the lobby. "Sorry. I wasn't watching where... Gia? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I live here, you moron." Gia holds her hand out and Zander pulls her to her feet.

"I'm really sorry."

"Sorry don't cut it if you bruised this fanny."

"I didn't think your fanny was what they're taking pictures of."

"Haha! you're a riot." Gia deadpans.

"Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"In your dreams." Gia sneers. As is automatic after falling down, she starts brushing down her jeans to make sure there is no debris attached to them not that there would be on the immaculately kept floors of the Harborview. "So what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Alexis Davis... or a clue of where she might be. Nobody seems to care that shes' been missing forever."

"You could always file a police report with the PCPD." Gia notes Zander's grimace. "Oh that's right. They don't like you down there."

"If Sonny were around he'd do something."

"Have you talked to Jason?"

Zander nods. "He doesn't care. He says that Alexis is on vacation with her brother Stavros Cassadine. I read about that guy. He's a monster. Alexis is in danger."

Gia winces. "Yeah, right. 'Cause we are what we've done, right?" She closes her eyes and holds out her hand in stop motion. "Sorry, low blow. And Stavros doesn't need me to defend him."

"You know him?"

"I've met him." Gia shrugs. "As to whether or not I know him." Gia shrugs again. "I don't particularly want to get into this in the lobby. Do you want me to call Stavros for you?"

"You have his number?"

"Yes or no?"

"YES!"

Gia strides off toward the elevators. Zander keeps pace with her. "He probably won't tell me anything. It's none of my business. And since the last thing I want is Nikolas' father in my business.... I try not to get into his."

"Anything you can find out." Zander stands next to the control panel of the elevator. "What floor?"

"Four."

"Nervous?"

"Awfully." Liz admits. "The longest flight I've ever been on was down to Sonny's island in Puerto Rico when Nik and I were trying to fool Helena. I took the bus out from Colorado."

"Well it's first class all the way this time, Elizabeth. Here, to New York, to Milan, Italy. Where we'll be staying at a top of the line hotel. All expenses paid to check out the sights and sounds."

"And I'll finally get to see where Chloe worked and designed." Liz sighs. She leans back against the plush seat of the first class accomodation. "And meet Celeste, Chloe's assistant there. I used to talk to her all the time but she was such a pain."

Lucky is glancing thru the paperwork that Elton had put together. "We'll be staying at the Four Seasons. It's not too far from the fashion district. It's actually a converted convent." Lucky wiggles his eye brows at that one. "I could have a lot of play on that one."

"Don't get kinky." Liz giggles then gets serious. "I really appreciate your mom thinking of me, Lucky."

"Elizabeth, you know she loves you. There is nothing you could do that would change that." Lucky takes Elizabeth's hand in his intertwining their fingers. He gives her hand a gentle squeeze as the plane begins to move down the runway.

Nik swallows hard before entering Jakes. The last time he'd been here had been Ned's bachelor party for the wedding that wasn't. But there had been no signs of Jason at the warehouse. Jason used to hang out here maybe he'd get lucky, or rather luckier. He hears the whispers and sees the nudges out of the corner of his eye. yeah, rich boy slumming. Should have left my watch in my car. I wonder if my car is going to be safe in the parking lot. Should have taken a cab. Nik looks around and sees who he is looking for over at the pool tables. Jason is pocketing a side bet from the bumper of the table and then chalking up his cue having taken his sucker for the evening. "Jason. Can I talk to you?"

"Last I heard your vocal chords are working." Jason shakes his head and concentrates on racking up the balls. thanks to me, millimeter either way and he'd be signing whatever self serving crap brings him to Jakes.

"Yes, of course. I want to thank you for what you did for Gia in Atlantic City. I have no idea what my mother was thinking sending her there and with no security."

"She thinks Gia's a whore who shouldn't be the Face of Deception and she's going to make her quit anyway she can. 'Cause if Gia quits, Laura doesn't have to pay her." Jason says flatly. "At least that is what it looks like to me."

"My mother..." Nik bites his tongue to stop from his instinctive defense. "... I have already spoken to her. And no, I wasn't satisfied with the answers she gave me."

"Do you want a beer?"

"Sure whatever."

Jason walks over to the bar and gets two longnecks from Jake. Then he goes back to the table next to the pool table where he'd flung his jacket over the back of one of the chairs. Jason reverses the chair and sits down on it setting the two beers on the table. He points to the other chair. "Sit." Nik does taking the beer. He takes a sip and then winces. Beer was definitely an acquired taste. One he didn't have. He sets the longneck back on the table. "Your mother is going to come to you and ask to borrrow 50Gs."

"Excuse me?"

"Fifty thousand. Six months of interest and penalties. She's going to want to borrow $50,000. Your call as to whether you give it to her or not. But I want my money and I'm going to get it. If she doesn't pay me the money she owes then I'm going to demand the principle back."

"How much." Nik says grimly.

"Two million. What Sonny put up for the financing of Deception."

"Why do you think she is going to come to me?"

Jason snorts. cause you're a sucker who wants mama to love ya? "Who else is she going to go to? Luke? I think he's up to his ears in debt on his best day and I've seen his books. Unless he can pull the Ice Princess out of this hat and find time to fence the diamonds he cuts off of it in the next seventy two hours. Stefan? I think Bobbie might have a word or two to say about that one. I wasn't the only one Carly called about Gia being in Atlantic City. Your mother came to Sonny because she couldn't get financing anywhere else-- now I see why. Maybe Scott Baldwin, but I'm sure Carly is prepared for that one."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"'Cause it's time to choose, Cassadine. Laura or Gia. Gia isn't going to quit and give your mother the satisfaction. And she's got people on her side if she starts even thinking of quitting. So if you give Laura the money then you're setting Gia up for more of the same." Jason drains the last of his beer and then slides on his jacket. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wadded piece of paper and throws it down on the table in front of Nikolas.

Nikolas flattens the paper and glances down at it. It has Gia's name on it and a room number. "Where did you get this?"

"Off of two drunk guys who were trying to get into her room in Atlantic City. Guys who thought I was there for the same reason and told me they didn't mind waiting their turn to get a piece of that ass." Jason doesn't say goodbye as he leaves.

"I really appreciate you doing this, Gia."

"I'm not making any guarantees." Gia keeps the phone to her ear as she goes around and gets everything together for making tea. "And you can't stay here long. My mother is on her way over to check out my new apartment. I'd rather have her focusing on the place rather than the company."

The other end of the phone picks up. "Stavros Cassadine."

"Stavros, yeah, it's Gia."

"Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine. I would have been fine even if you and Carly hadn't sic'ced Jason Morgan on me." Gia gives herself a reality check. "But thanks for that anyway. From the time you two talked to Jason, I had a humongo bodyguard by my side glaring at everyone until I was safe at my own apartment back here in Port Charles."

"And your apartment is secure?"

"You are Nik's father not mine." Gia reminds Stavros.

"Yes, yes. So is your apartment secure? I will assign someone."

"No. I'm fine. It's a secure building with lots of people more famous than me living here. Everyone is checked coming into the building. It's all cool. Look the reason I'm calling is because one of Alexis' clients is trying to get hold of her."

"What kind of client?"

"The drug-dealing, car stealing, gun welding, kidnapping, mobbed up kind. But he isn't in any trouble that I know of. He's just worried about Alexis. Which is really kinda sweet." Gia makes a face at Zander who is listening intently to the conversation.

"Wonderful. The class of people you and my sister associate with."

"And Nikolas. I met this guy thru Nikolas."

"Gia..." Stavros disapproval comes thru loud and clear. "If Caroline didn't need you to be in Port Charles for this face of Deception thing. You do know you'd be on your way here for a face to face with me about your friends and the company you have been keeping since you broke up with my son!"

"My mother is already on her way over here to give me that lecture so consider it covered. I really don't want to get it twice. Three times if you count my brother." Gia snaps back.

Zander starts snapping his fingers and mouths the name. "Alexis?!"

"Stavros, I know Alexis is on... um... vacation but is she taking any calls? I know she'd like to hear from Zander."

"Alexis is working on a very important project for me and cannot be disturbed by ill-timed and irrelevent interruptions." Stavros says flatly but then relents slightly. "Do you have pen and paper?"

"Sure." Gia snaps her fingers and points to the pad and pencil by the phone books. Zander hands them to her. "Go ahead."

"It's an email address." Stavros gives the particulars. "Alexis will return any communication at her convenience. Do not give it out to all and sundry, Gia. I am trusting your judgement on this. Shall I tell Caroline you called?"

"Sure. Let her know it all turned out okay and I'll talk to her later."

"Keep in contact, Gia. Or I will keep in contact with you." Stavros threatens.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go pick on your son for awhile." Gia laughs and hangs up the phone. She folds the note she'd written in half and holds it to her chest. Zander holds his hand out for it. "The only people who know I'm living here are the people I choose to let know."

"Yeah, okay whatever give me the paper."

"You aren't hearing me, Zander. The only people who know I'm living here are the people I choose to let know."

"I promise not to tell. Give me the damn sheet of paper." Gia slowly extends her hand and Zander snatches the note out of her hand. He opens it up. "What the hell is this?"

"It's an email address probably routed thru a million anonymous servers. Where ever Alexis is... Stavros doesn't want her found-- no phone calls, no letters."

"Nothing that might be traced." Zander nods. "So basically treat this like a letter to jail. Someone else is going to be reading the mail and reply before Alexis ever gets it."

Gia shrugs. "You know more about that than I do. And I'm sure you know more ways around it than I do too." She glances down at her watch. "Now you really have to get out before my mother gets here."