Jason rushes down the stairs as pots crash to the floor. "That's
it,
I've had enough!" A frustrated woman yells in a thick accent.
Graciella
nearly knocks Jason over as she huffs out of the kitchen. "
I have
tried, Senor Morgan. I have tried to adapt to the craziness that
is
your life."
"Graciella...." Jason begins.
"Senora Roberts, she was okay. She'd put in a special
request here
and there, but for the most part she let me do my job."
"Graciella..."
"Senorita Scorpio..." Cursing in Spanish she turns to
her kitchen.
"This is Senorita Scorpio. Notes left on MY appliances,
menus
especially designed by la maestra, orders to reorganize MY
kitchen. If I
wanted to be treated like the robot, I work for the IBM."
"Graciella, what do you need to make you happy?"
"Senorita Scorpio out of my kitchen!! You hired me 'cause I
know how to
do my job, if the Senorita can do better, then hire her!"
"I'll talk to Robin." Jason promises as he eyes the
kitchen. "What can I
do to help you with this mess?"
"I wash them, you dry and stack them." She announces as
they enter the
kitchen.
Meanwhile, back at the farmhouse, Sonny emerges from the kitchen,
flour
sprinkled on his nose and cheek as Alexis is entering with a
briefcase
in hand and a suitcase in the other. "You must be Lexi."
"Ms. Davis." Alexis corrects. "I thought you left
town, Mr. Corinthos."
"I did, technically this isn't Port Charles." Wiping
his hands on his
apron, he approaches his new guest and reaches for her suitcase.
"Where is my room?" She asks while silently refusing to
give up her
suitcase. "I have a lot of work to do."
"We haven't had a chance to chat yet, Lex." Sonny
replies.
"Ms. Davis." She corrects with a hint of aggravation.
"I need a private
phone line, a desk and a bed. Where is Carly?"
"You need a hot meal and that chip off your shoulder."
Sonny retorts.
"Your room is next to Elizabeth's, third door on the left.
You'll be
sharing a bathroom with her. Dinner is in twenty minutes, Carly
and I
have decided that everyone can use the together time, so be there."
"You're quite bossy." Alexis snaps.
"What can I say, you bring out the best in me. See ya in
twenty, Lexi."
Walking down the hall she calls out angrily. "MS. DAVIS!!!"
Back at the penthouse, Robin takes her seat at the dinner table
as V and
Dara end their discussion. "Where's Jason?"
V shrugs her shoulders. "He said something about getting
take out."
Jason enters the room with a tray of Chinese take out. "Dig
in." He
instructs as he puts the tray down.
"Graciella was making roasted lamb tonight." Robin says.
"Graciella has the night off." Jason states coolly.
"Oooh, it just got a little chilly in here. V, what do you
say we order
pizza in our place?" Dara says as she leaves the table.
V smiles at Jason. "Pizza sounds good. Later."
After they leave, Robin turns to Jason with a hurt look on her
face.
"Are you angry with me?"
"Should I be?" He retorts, pushing his plate away from
him.
"You obviously are. Jason, I can't read your mind. What is
the problem?"
"Graciella almost quit today because of your interference in
the
kitchen."
"Jason, she is an employee," Robins says defensively.
"They are supposed
to receive instructions."
"She is MY employee." Jason points out as he gives
Robin a hard look. "I
have total confidence in her ability to do her job. I expect you
to show
her the same respect I do."
Her wounded brown eyes bore into his. "I'm sorry, Jason."
She says with
the slightest hint of a crack in her voice. Her eyes well with
tears as
she places her hand on top of his. "It won't happen again."
Jason's icy demeanor melts. Pulling her into his lap, Jason
kisses her
deeply as dinner is forgotten
...........
A few hours later.
Alexis sadly watches Emily bid a a tearful goodbye to Carly.
"Emily,
could I speak to you for a moment?" Emily composes herself,
and follows
Alexis into her room.
"You seem happier here." Emily comments with a hint of
anger in her
voice.
"I'll miss you." Alexis admits easily. "I feel
like a rat who's
abandoned ship."
Emily manages a smile. "You're really catching on to slang,
Nikolas
would be envious."
"Are you okay, Emily? You seem really sad today."
A sullen teenager appears out of nowhere, transforming the sweet
girl
into a hard angry woman. "I'm just fine, no need for you to
worry about
me."
"Right, so why the tears?" Alexis quips. Softening, she
places a hand on
top of Emily's. "It's okay if you miss us as much as we miss
you."
Emily pulls away as she clenches her fists tightly. "YOU
LEFT ME!" She
says bitterly. "You left me with that pushy bitch, who I
swear is almost
like Grandfather, but worse. At least he's tolerable."
"Emily.." She begins but is quickly cut off.
"No! Don't you dare try and explain this to me. First Carly
leaves, and
you know, I understand why she did. I'm not just some stupid kid.
Jason
wouldn't let Carly be Carly, so she left. Then, well Liz left
with her.
Okay, I guess I can see where Robin would remind Liz of Sarah.
But why
did you have to leave, Alexis?? You're stronger than Robin! You
have
tolerated worse than her, Nikolas has told me about his
grandmother, if
you survived her..."
This time it's Alexis who cuts into the conversation. "I am
tired of
just 'surviving', Emily. I want to LIVE. I can't really explain
my
reasons, but you if you believe in me, you'll accept I only did
what I
had to do."
"I hate it there," Emily says as a tear slides down her
cheek and her
bottom lip quivers. "Johnny tries to keep me amused and
Dara's been
great, but I hate it. It's almost as bad as living with the
Quartermaines. And at least with them, their agendas are out in
the
open."
"You could tell Jason that you want to move here."
Alexis suggests.
"No, I love my brother, and I won't give HER the
satisfaction of running
me off too. I can do this." Emily turns to leave and calls
back to
Alexis. "Thanks for the shoulder though."
"It's here anytime you need it, Emily."
The door closes as Alexis flops back wearily on her bed. A knock
at the
door causes her to groan. "Yes?"
"Sorry, didn't realize you were napping, but this can't wait."
Carly
says as she enters the room. "You got to Em first, so what's
going on?"
"She's miserable." Alexis says as Carly paces angrily.
"She feels like
we've all left her to the wolves, make that wolf." Alexis
narrows her
eyes as she says coldly. "If Robin hurts her.."
"You'll have to get in line, Sister, because if Saint
Scorpio so much as
looks at Em the wrong way, I'll be all over her like butter on a
biscuit." Carly's southern drawl thickens as her ire grows.
"It's bad
enough that the rest of us had to leave, But Em is Jason's
sister, they
need each other."
"He needs his son too."
Carly's eyes flash with anger again as she turns on Alexis.
"His son is
here anytime he wants to see him! I would never keep Michael away
from
Jason."
"I understand that, Carly. However, it's not the same as him
having
Michael with him all the time." Alexis points out. "I
can't hold you at
fault over this, Robin is unbearable otherwise I wouldn't be here.
I'm
just stating that our actions have consequences."
"That's the truth." Carly agrees before exiting the
room.
Filled with nervous energy after Emily's departure and her
conversation
with Alexis, Carly starts to clean up the living room. After
arranging
the pillows on the sofa and straightening the magazines on the
coffee
table, she turns her attention to the flowers.
>From the doorway, Sonny watches as Carly angrily rearranges
the flowers.
"Problems?" He asks.
"Naa, everything is just peachy." She mutters
sarcastically, a fake
smile on her face.
"You really let Robin get to you." He casually points
out.
"What the hell do you know about anything?" She
exclaims, turning to
face him.
"I know Robin. She isn't the beast the rest of you make her
out to be."
"Right, we're ALL exaggerating and you're the ONLY one that
understands
her and the situation." Rolling her eyes, she retorts.
"What is it with
men and defending that sanctimonious wench?"
"She's a damn fine woman, Carly. She's been through more
pain than
anyone should ever endure. She watched the love of her life die a
painfully slow death from AIDS and has been fighting the very
same virus
with remarkable courage! She saw the good in Jason, and brought
it
out.."
"Oh for crying out loud! Enough!" Covering her ears,
she groans. "I'm
going to be sick if you keep it up. Yes, it's been pointed out to
me
that Robin is pure, sweet, and all things wonderful. Hell she
makes GOD
look like a sinner."
"You're insecure." Sonny snaps.
Carly strides over to him, thrusting her index finger in his face.
"YOU
SHUT THE HELL UP!"
He takes a step back, grinning at her. "Angry? I thought you
didn't give
a rat's ass about Robin?"
"I'll slap that cocky smile off your stupid face if you
don't shut the
hell up." Carly fumes. "You claim to know the princess
of perfection?
HA! You only see what she wants you to see. She only shows her
true
colors to those she doesn't consider a threat."
"I think you place too much blame on Robin. If your
relationship with
Jason held water..." Sonny falters momentarily as Carly
throws a vase
past his head.
"I told you to shut up!!" She yells. Michael's crying
fills the room.
Ashamed, she begins to cry, sinking to the ground, her hands
circling
her knees as she weeps. "What's wrong with me??"
"I have him, Carly." Liz calls out and the crying from
the infant
ceases.
Brenda rushes into the room, eyes the situation and then glares
at
Sonny. "What the hell did you do?"
"What do you mean, what did I do?" Sonny asks, clearly
taken back.
Alexis goes to Carly's side, shooting daggers at Sonny. "Let's
talk in
my room."
Carly goes with her, leaving Brenda and Sonny alone. "I
thought you and
Robin were friends."
"I thought I loved you, things change." Brenda retorts,
watching as pain
fills Sonny's eyes. "Not so fun when someone hurts you, is
it? Why
didn't you back off of her? She's upset."
"She needed to hear that Robin isn't as bad as she says she
is. I'm
tired of hearing Carly run her down."
"She needed you to SHUT THE HELL UP!" Brenda hollars as
she folds her
lean arms across her chest then takes a deep breath. "A lot
of things
have changed since you left, Sonny. A lot of people have changed.
I love
Robin, but I don't like her what she's become. She is
controlling, smug,
condescending... hell, she's JAX. I didn't see it in him at first
either. I thought everything he said was the gospel, just as I
did with
Robin. You see, Robin has this way about surrounding herself with
messed
up people. Tainted merchandise, if you will. Then she tells
anyone who
listens that she sees the good in us, the true people that we are.
She
doesn't love any of us for who we are, but who she aims to make
us.
She'll work hard at trying to turn us into her little pod people,
and we
will tell her how wonderful she is, and she is happy. Sound
familiar?
You crushed my heart, Sonny. You made me feel pain that I didn't
think I
would survive, but guess what? I did survive, and I'm stronger
and
smarter than I was before. So, believe me if you want, I could
care
less, but if you ever go after Carly or anyone else I care about
the way
you did today, I'll see that you aren't able to hurt anyone ever
again."
Turning on her heel she walks out of the room, leaving Sonny,
open
mouthed and in shock.
Johnny taps on Jason's office door. ''Bobbie Spencer is here to
see you.''
''Send her in.'' Jason replies, not knowing if this will be a
pleasant visit or his worst nightmare. Bobbie's cool exterior
reveals nothing as she takes the seat he offers. ''I haven't seen
you around lately.''
''I wasn't sure I was welcome.'' Bobbie replies honestly. ''Carly
gave me some new pictures of Michael and asked that I drop some
off with you.'' Fishing around in her bag, she retrieves them.
''He grows more every time I see him.'' Noticing the sadness in
Jason's eyes, she asks. ''Are you okay?''
''I miss them.'' He says as he flips through the pictures. He
breaks into a smile at a pictures of Sonny holding a cell phone
to Michael's ear.
Bobbie leans forward hesitantly. ''Jason, I don't want to step on
anyone's toes, but why exactly are they gone?''
''Carly didn't feel comfortable here anymore.''
''Apparently, neither did Alexis, Brenda or Elizabeth, since they
are all at the farmhouse too. Jason, do you understand why they
left?'' Bobbie asks.
''They had their reasons.'' Jason says coldly. ''I really don't
want to discuss this.''
''Tough, because like it or not, you're my grandson's father,
thus that makes you my family. Do you have any idea what it means
when a Spencer considers you family?''
''Not really.'' Jason shrugs. ''But you're going to tell me
anyway, so go ahead.''
''It means that statements like, 'I really don't want to discuss
this', cease to have any meaning. You're in pain, my daughter's
in pain, and my grandson is living away from his father. I'm told
that the one factor that is responsible for this, above all else
is Robin. And not just from Carly.''
''Bobbie, I love Robin.'' He says.
''I see, but are you in love with her? Does she occupy your every
waking thought? Do you feel complete when she's not with you?''
Bobbie presses. ''I believe that at one time you would have
answered yes to all of these questions, but things have changed.
A child and time are known to do that. Jason, if you love Robin
and you're happy with the way things are, fine, I wish you the
best of luck. But, if you love my daughter, and her memory is
haunting you, I would suggest you figure out a way to get her
back. Carly won't wait for you forever.'' Gathering up her
things, she smiles at him. ''I know the last thing you need right
now is another pushy woman telling you how to live your life. But
Jason, I've been in Carly's shoes, and she has my genes. Think
about it.''
Moments after Bobbie has left another distraction occurs that
tears Jason away from his business dealings.
''Get out of my face!'' Emily says angrily as Robin refuses to
move out of the way.
''I won't tolerate this kind of disrespect!'' Robin hisses
angrily. ''I asked you where you've been and I expect an answer.''
''I don't have to answer you! I took my bodyguard with me, so
it's none of your business. How dare you arrange that luncheon
for me!''
''WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE?!'' Jason roars as he looks back and
forth between the two angry women. The beginning of a tension
headache is well underway.
''Emily was supposed to meet me for lunch, and rather than call
and tell me where she was, she just didn't show up!''
''I showed up!'' Emily corrects as she turns to Jason angrily.
''In time to see Mom and Grandfather at the table with her! She
set me up.''
''They are your family, Emily! They have a right to see you.''
''And I made the choice not to see them! Don't my rights count?''
Jason interrupts, glaring at Robin. ''What were you thinking? I
told you to stay out of Emily's relationship with the
Quartermaines!''
''Jason, you aren't seeing the clear picture here. They are her
family.'' Robin argues. ''How would you feel if they wouldn't
allow you access to Emily?''
''I haven't kept them away from her, she made her own choice and
she's old enough to think for herself. This isn't your business,
Robin. You had no right to interfere in Emily's life!'' Jason is
practically seething as he turns to Emily. ''I'm sorry.''
''Why are you always apologizing for her?'' Emily asks tearfully.
''She is the one who keeps pushing everyone out of your life!! I
would be out the door right now, but I can't just abandon you to
her.''
''You are out of line, Emily!'' Robin says angrily. ''I'm tired
of your whining about Carly leaving. Yes, you like her better. I
get that loud and clear, but I won't allow you to walk all over
me like she did. You are a child, and children need structure and
guidance in their lives.''
''You're an obnoxious homewrecker and I hope Jason wises up and
tosses you out! I've had it! Jason, it's her or me, if you can't
walk away from her, I can.''
''Emily, this can be worked out,'' Jason says, looking helpless.
Tears begins to flow as she takes in the situation. ''Fine, you
made your choice, I hope she makes you happy!'' Running up the
stairs she slams her door shut.
Jason follows her as Robin calls after him. ''Jason, she just
needs to cool down. You're playing right into her hands ...''
Johnny picks up his phone and dials a familiar number. ''Rinaldo,
you better make room for two more, Emily is about to head out to
the farmhouse and I will be joining her.''
''What's the matter?'' Rinaldo asks with concern.
''Robin and Emily had a huge blowout and I don't know, Emily is
all upset right now. Just warn Carly another one is on the way.''
................
Liz watches as Carly flies out of the house angrily. Turning to
Sonny she mutters. ''I'd hate to be whoever she's after.''
''She does have a temper, she reminds me of her Uncle.'' Sonny
says.
''I wouldn't tell her that!'' Liz teases. ''So, you finished in
the kitchen?''
''Yep, I took your advice and decided to go with the Chicken
Parmesan tonight. You really think Alexis will like it?''
Liz giggles at his nervous excitement. ''You are so into her! The
more she snaps at you, the faster you come back for more.''
''She is a very intriguing woman.'' Sonny points out. ''You seem
pretty fond of her yourself.''
''She's pretty groovy.'' Liz says. ''So, what are you planning on
doing today?''
''Hmm, I was thinking I would go fishing.'' Sonny says with a
smile. ''You want to tag along?''
''Tag along?'' She rolls her eyes. ''I don't think so. Fishing
sounds incredibly boring.''
Brenda and Alexis join them as Alexis crinkles her nose.
''Fishing?? I think not.''
Sonny studies the sexy attorney, clad in cut off denim shorts
covering her black bathing suit. Obviously the clothes have been
borrowed from Carly. ''You've never tried it, have you, Lexi?''
''Ms. Davis.'' She says through gritted teeth. ''No, I have not
experienced the joy of fishing.'' The disdain in her voice is
unmistakable.
Rinaldo comes up from behind them and laughs. ''How can you hate
something you've never tried?''
Alexis groans. ''I have never tried walking over hot coals, but I
assure you that I would not like that either.''
''I thought that was the initiation to Law School.'' Brenda
teases as she adjusts her white bikini. ''Tell ya what, Rinaldo,
why don't you and Sonny go off and become one with the fishies
while Alexis, Liz and I do a little sun worshiping.''
Rinaldo shrugs. ''Cool with you?''
''Let's do it.'' Sonny agrees as the five of them head off to the
pond.
Laying on rafts in the water, the three women lounge lazily as
the sun's rays dance over their glistening skin. Alexis starts
the conversation, addressing Liz. ''Nikolas has been calling and
asking to speak to you.''
Brenda chuckles as Liz blushes. ''Um, did he say anything to
you?'' She asks nervously.
''No, but he is keeping something from me, and so are you. I
remember what it was like to be a teenager in love...''
''I am not in love with that rude, overbearing, pompous, jerk,''
Liz protests.
Brenda and Alexis exchange knowing glances and say in unison.
''She's in love.''
''I am not! He's a first class idiot.''
Brenda splashes water at her playfully. ''You are so hooked on
him, Girlfriend.''
Alexis giggles. ''As he is on you. Perhaps you should stop
avoiding his calls and talk to him.''
''He hates me.'' Liz says softly.
''If he hated you, he wouldn't keep pursuing you.'' Alexis says
with knowledge. ''I know my cousin.''
Not the way I do, Liz thinks to herself, before changing the
subject. ''I don't think they're having much luck fishing.''
''I don't understand,Sonny complains as he holds his line.
''Bread always worked before.''
''You're using that garlic bread from last night?'' Rinaldo asks.
''Yeah.''
''They're probably dead then, that stuff was um, foul.'' Rinaldo
says with a grin. ''No offense.''
''It was not foul, it was full of flavor.'' Sonny scowls as
Rinaldo baits his hook. ''You aren't doing any better with those
worms.''
''At least they aren't foul.'' Rinaldo says. ''I don't think the
fish are biting.''
''It's their fault.'' Sonny says as he points to the girls.
''Their gabbing is scaring the fish away.''
Rinaldo ponders this for a moment before saying, ''Works for me.
Want to forget it all and go for a swim?''