General Hospital Fan Fiction Message Board

Cassadine TNG 17 We Know Crazy

Sat--

7:30am Breakfast at home.
8:30 Farmer’s market with Baba.
11 am Cardio Salsa class. *New*
1:30pm check out Uncle Stefan’s Dacha.
3:30 Polo Match at Will Rogers/ Charity thing
8:30 Restaurant review for Mona– take Vic to this one .
Midnight home and asleep.

I am so pissed. It’s not fair! It sucks to be under 21. Baby and Josef just stayed for a little while. Did that dinner thing with us, spent the night over with Uncle Dillon and Aunt Brittany and then they did a quick drop by the house on their way to Vegas. LAS VEGAS. This so totally blows. Evidently they are going to be meeting up with Chandy and Karin there. They’ll probably party like crazy all around the Mayday show and the only thing that will break it up is when Mayday has to come out to LA. I can’t do ANYTHING in VEGAS but be a total downer for the people who can actually go to the clubs, gamble and be debauched. So instead I’m here. ARGH. Okay pity party over. Don’t get me wrong I’d still rather be passing fake ID in Vegas and having a good time but it gives me something to look forward to.
My body clock is on a schedule and I woke up at my normal time even though Uncle Stefan and I don’t do Tai Chi on the weekends. He goes for a run and today I’m trying something new. It’s a Cardio Salsa class that was recommended by the guy I danced with at that Dinner Dance. It’s kinda squeezed between going Farmer’s market with Baba and checking out Uncle Stefan’s Dacha.
Yeah, he got the Dacha and it’s been all hush hush. The only one who knows anything is his real estate agent. I don’t think Mouse even knows. It’s going to be totally private and off the books so that people visiting can keep it low profile. The only thing Baba and I know is Malibu.
Then it will be life imitating art I guess. Going to some charity thing being held at Will Rogers Polo field. It’ll be like Pretty Woman including Hill messengering me out a hat after doing a video conference of my closet. The hat is going to look great in my room as a fun piece of multimedia art but other than tea when Nana Tracy and Grandpa come to visit, I don’t see when I’m going to be wearing it again. It’s way too fancy for by the pool that is for sure.
Well I have some money coming in- not related to acting but it’s kind of fun. Mona is paying me $100 bucks for restaurant reviews. Course she isn’t paying for the meal-- just the review. She’s adding them to her rolodex and I think she’s going to set me up with a blog on the public CSMC website when I get enough of them to her. Iron Chef here I come!

Of course CSMC has a presence in Las Vegas but it is off the strip. They’d be managing property but it isn’t going to be restaurants or clubs in some one else’s hotels or casinos. They are stand alones or part of a CSMC property. And strangely enough no strip club here. There is actually too much competition. Strippers can make more money somewhere else– where every hotel doesn’t have a show with topless women dancing in head dresses and high heels. They’d recruit here but it would be for the clubs around the country.
Here CSMC is in the loan business. The casinos might extend someone credit but then not be able to play as hardball as they needed to, to collect the markers. Some might, instead of taking pennies on the dollar to keep the big time gamblers coming back to ride their next hot streak, sell the marker to a company willing to collect. They’d buy the marker for 60% or less and collect no less than 80% and more often than not over 100% for time and trouble. It’s been a positive symbiotic arrangement; the kind of thing CSMC specializes in. The casinos using the service had increased their number of first call resolutions since they don’t do the second phone call just hand everything over to CSMC.
Respectable gamblers are normally the first ones to pay up but it’s encouraging when there are no repeat offenders. There are no complaints to the cops... everything is very... professionally handled. Besides the rules are all on the side of the person holding the marker– it is Vegas after all.

Josef is used to Kristina’s habit of rising early even in the town that had a reputation for never sleeping. So he is not particularly surprised when he reaches for her but her space in the bed is empty. “Baby?”

“I didn’t want to wake you up.” Baby comes over and is tightening the belt on her shorty robe. “I couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d get a little work done.”

“I don’t mind if you wake me.” Josef glances over at the clock by the king sized bed in one of the very few three bedroom villas at the Bellagio. Karin had made the reservations for all of them and had gone just a bit over board. But Karin had basically wanted this to be a chance for her, Baby and Chandy to reconnect– so she’d gone with one of the three bedroom villas. Still it would have been better to do on one of the Karinen ships. Because CSMC does have a presence here, Baby is already at work being very hands on. “I hope your manager here is as much an early bird as you are.”

“Oh yes. One of the few.” Baby comes over and gives him a kiss. “He’s a marathon runner. Years of practice of getting it done before it gets too hot. Of course he tried to convince me to go out running with him while we talked business.”

Josef starts laughing at that. Baby would go dancing, walking, swimming, riding, diving, bicycling but she did not run. “And he’s worked for you for how long?”

“Eight years and he keeps trying.” Baby crawls back into bed. “I think Karin arranged for you guys to go golfing this morning and we were going to all head off to the spa for some girlie stuff.”

The guys of Mayday are staying over at the Real World Suite at the Palms. Stan and the Stud had kind of insisted they stay at the Palms. It wasn’t hard to figure out why since the Playboy Club is located over in the fantasy tower of the Palms. They’d done a vote and decided this was going to be the big splurge of the end of their US tour and maybe some practice for running a tour out of hotels. Vegas is the place for a little Boys gone wild. All they had to do was make sure that they didn’t end up on the front page of a tabloid or in jail. But other than that– fun, fun, fun.

“I swear George was crying.” Stanley’s voice is low as he speaks into the phone. The suite had an old style phone booth were you could kick and have a bit of privacy.

“You guys are going to be gone for months. He’s been able to fly home whenever he wanted to on the tour when you guys have a long weekend. And his girlfriend was touring too with the orchestra, they could hook up on the road.” Fancy suggests. “Anyway someone even looks at him funny he is going to be on the phone to her telling her to come out. He gets her to Vegas well...”

“There is a chapel on every ****ing corner.” Stanley realizes where Fancy is going.

“Wouldn’t surprise me. You’ve told me that they’re practically married already. They’ve been together for what 5-6 years– College sweethearts or something like that right?”

“Why don’t you come out to Vegas? Come on. Baby’s here– she, Chandy and Karin are doing that 3 musketeer thing like back in highschool.”

“It would total suck for me, Stan, you know that. It’s not like I could pass for 21. And you have to be 21 to get into the clubs, concerts, everything. It’s because of the gambling.”

“So what you are doing today?”

“I’m at the farmers market with Baba. We’re just doing some house stuff until I go to a new exercise class at 11– trying dance this time. It’ll give me and Uncle Stefan a break from each other.”

“I wonder if there is a farmer’s market around here?” Stanley hmmms. “This suite actually has a kitchen in it because it was where they filmed that season of the Real World a million years ago.”

“It really doesn’t make sense to me that The Real World is still on the air and they took off Pimp my Ride. Guess there is no date of expiration on stupid people tricks.”

Stanley laughs. “You got that one right. We’ll be out there in less than a week. Just as soon as we can pull Chandy away from Anders and her Estrogen Mafia.”

“Estrogen Mafia?!”

“Yeah, it’s something that Principal Reynolds started back in high school. He knew those three were going to be dangerous... more when they’re together than when they’re apart.”

“Dah Baba.” Fancy’s voice is muffled but then comes back clear. “Stanley, I have to go. Baba is about ready and if she hauls all that stuff back to the car on her own Josef and Frankie will take turns killing me. Have a good time and stay out of the strip clubs– Playboy club only! Bye.” She hangs up.

Stanley looks at the phone in his hand and shakes his head. She is definitely going to be his girl. Already she’s making sure he’s going to places where he can look but not touch. “See you soon, Fancy.” He hangs the phone back up and goes out into the main room. Might as well play some pool before everyone wakes up. Although Fancy is right. If the house knew about it they’d probably call it even money of George being married before the weekend was over. Might as well go exploring and find out what it’s going to take... And if he happened to run into a nice breakfast buffet? All the better. He’s getting a little sick of the cold cereal in the bus. He pulls out his cell phone cause he is on the move now. “Hey Chandy.”

“This has better be important because there is a poor woman here holding a phone to my ear while I’m submerged in goo.”

“Okay now that is a visual that would have your father doing vicious stuff to my person.” Stan counters but gets down to business. “If I were a betting man, I’d say George is going to be married before this weekend is over. It was one thing while he was on the same continent as Bess. We start putting an ocean and a continent between them and the guy is going to be postal. I’m not rooming with him.”

“That bad?”

“He’s been on the phone with her pretty much non stop last night. John, Will and I went out checking the scene and he was on the phone with her still when we got in at 3am.”

“I totally agree with you and want to know why you’re calling me.”

“I just figured if I got married without my mom there, my life would be a living hell in this life and the next.”

Chandy doesn’t say what’s she’s thinking, Stan already knows what she thinks of his mother. “George’s folks still live in Port Charles. Bess’s parents moved to Boston when she got the gig there. I have the all the addresses in my book. But you’re getting ahead here, Stan. We may be able to see the train coming but it isn’t up to us. George or Bess have to say they’re getting married.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure that Bess’ parents will love the pictures at the drive thru chapel with the Elvis impersonator. George’s folks too. You know how much they’ve always loved that he joined a rock and roll band rather than playing classical piano. This would be just another thing they’d blame us for.”

“Stan, I never knew you were such a romantic.”

“I’m just saying there got to be a check list or something.”

“If any town can put on a wedding on short notice it’s this one.” Chandy says reassuringly. “I got to go. I think this poor girl is getting a hand cramp.” Chandy nods at the attendant who hangs up the phone. “Sorry. I know this is just the reason why you don’t allow cell phones in here.

“This happen to you often?” The attendant asks.

“Often enough.” Chandy sighs. “Not weddings thankfully but often enough.”

“Freeds for cake. They can have one decorated and ready to go in 3-4 hours.”

Chandy laughs and close her eyes. “Write it down for me will ya? I really think I’m going to need it.”

“Prenup.” Kristina says from the other side of the goo pool. She is leaning back with cucumber slices on her eyes. “I’ll call Dara. She keeps things updated for you. She could probably print something out protesting all the while. Don’t George and Bess already own their house together in Boston?”

“Their house, their car, two dogs. Which is why her parents moved to Boston. So they could take care of the fur grand babies if Bess and George are both touring.”

“Call Twink to dog sit.” Karin volunteers her sister to the cause.

“You guys really think this is going to happen.” The attendant is making notes of everything as well as the name of the bakery she’d suggested. She is so going to get a bonus from TMZ if this wedding comes off. If she could keep it exclusive. It wouldn’t be as huge as if Chandy was getting married. George had never made any bones about having a girlfriend back in Boston who is a professional musician. He’d mention it whenever they were interviewed and the question asked.

The only one who is the least bit cold on the golf course is Mark whose blood has thinned in the six years he’s been married to Karin. Never seemed to fail that the trouble spots were called hot spots for a reason. Other than some earthquake stuff in Pakistan they always seemed to be in the tropics. So he’s wearing a long sleeve shirt and a sweatshirt over it too. Josef is coming from upstate New York and Anders from Boston. The temperature on the course is like home in April, maybe May even at the 3000 foot level of the Wolf Creek Golf course. The course had the reputation for being picturesque and tough. The kind of course where everyone makes a pact ahead of time to not keep score. Mark and Josef are used to that and had basically given up keeping score after playing a round of golf with Pavel Radcliffe when the golfer had been 12.

There hadn’t been a lot of golf playing in Ander’s neighborhood growing up but he did what he had to do to advance his career. Baby didn’t require someone to be proficient in golf but Manny had been a golf nut so he’d been exposed to the addiction for as long as he’d been shadowing Manny and learning the company. By the time Manny had gone one way and he another, he’d been hooked. And it hadn’t helped when Chandy told stories about Pavel.
Time had healed a few old wounds– neither Mark or Josef would try to kill him on sight. If anything it would be an old joke. “You remember that time when Karin kicked your ass...” “Oh yeah, still got the scars thanks.” Josef still didn’t know that he’d been the guy that did the prep work for Baby putting Patience Dillon out of her misery. As far as he knows the only people who know are Baby and Chandy because she’d seen him lose it all those years ago. It’s actually one of the things that ties him to Chandy-- the fact she’d never said anything.

“Oh wow. This is insane... and I know insane I’m married to Karin.” Mark looks off the tee to where the green is. Most courses you had to worry about hitting it into the rough or into a water trap or something. Here you had to avoid the mountain on the right while missing the sandtrap on the left that included snakes and scorpions. Another benefit of playing in winter maybe they’d be down in their little hidey holes. “Any suggestions?”

The Caddy who already has a flavor of the three people he’s driving around the course. “Hit it really, really hard. And straight.”

“Thanks. You’re going to get a big tip off that one.” Mark’s tone is wry.

The Caddy hands him his driver. “Go for it. It’s a par 4 and really if you don’t hit the mountain not so bad.”

“You know this might actually be the course where we could golf with Pavel.” Josef suggests. “I get the feeling this one kicks everyone’s ass.”

“At least once.” The Caddy agrees.

Back in Los Angeles, Fancy strolls the sidelines of the polo field. It’s all very interesting and she’d even gone riding some after being adopted by Baby. It was impossible not to because there is a stables right there on the island. Of course the kind of riding she did was like comparing a kiddy pool to olympic finals. These guys had to be insane. Course after the first chukka it was easy to tell the horse did all the work. Any horse that put up with that damn mallet being swung by them had to be just as nuts as the rider.

She is wearing one of her boatneck shifts that Mason had recommended. Hill had seen it in her closet while doing the video survey and had her pull it out. It is a black linen shift that Hill had paired with a red short sweater and matching polka dot belt. The hat Hill messengered out to her is a broad brim linen hat in black with a matching polka dot scarf around the brim. The hat has a broad brim but the matching fabric purse is small with a long strap so that the purse could be worn across the body keeping hands free. There is just enough room in the purse for a small folder holding her driver’s license and a debit card, two keys- house and car, and her cell phone.

Because the purse is right next to her, she can feel the vibration and moves further away while reaching into her purse. She checks who is calling and answers the phone with “Has George gotten married yet?”

“How did you know about that?” Baby questions.

“Stanley called me this morning. Said that George was coming unwound. You know it’s really not fair when you go places I can’t even think of going until I’m 21. I’m used to the 18 thing but this blows extra it’s not like I drink anyway! Why couldn’t you guys do your Estrogen Mafia thing at Tahoe? Where at least I could have gone snowboarding or something?”

“Stanley was extra chatty this morning wasn’t he?” Baby doesn’t really answer the question but she is definitely going to be having Mouse checking Stanley’s phone records to see exactly how often the Mayday drummer is calling her daughter.

“He knew I’d be up. With Uncle Stefan living here, I’m always up before six– even on the weekends.”

“I understand. It’s a habit I can’t break either. And really in the course of things... it gives me more time to be there for my family and friends if I get the business out of the way early.” Baby commiserates but puts a positive spin on their inability to sleep beyond the sunrise.

“So did he? George I mean?”

“He did. Mouse has already made the travel arrangements to make sure that George’s parents, Bess and her parents are all on their way. Everyone should be here in about 5 hours. Twink is already over at George and Bess’ house to puppy sit.”

“Too late to have it tonight.”

“True, but there will still be a ton of things to get done before the wedding tomorrow. Mayday is playing tonight anyway. As soon as the concert is over everyone will be able to focus on the wedding.”

“Ha right. This just means it’s been dropped in your lap. Everyone will be rushing around tomorrow and you’ll have gotten the bones done already.”

“Actually I think Stanley was doing the legwork this morning after he talked to you. He’s already told me which hotel wedding chapels look like the stay puf marshmallow man exploded all over them.”

“There better be tons of photos, video too.”

“I’ll make sure. And I’ll have cake sent back to you and Baba.”

“Three pieces... Frankie will want some too.”

“Okay, three pieces. And I promise, next time we have a get together it will be somewhere you can be.”

“Have fun. I’m just whining and I’ve got stuff I need to get done anyway. Talk to you later.”

“Bye, Fancy.” Kristina hangs up.

The Mandalay Bay Casino and hotel has a couple of different things going for it. The House of Blues Music Hall where Mayday is going to be performing and then there is the Four Season which is attached to the Mandalay bay. And Four Season as far as Vegas is concerned is sedate– gorgeous like any Four Seasons but no gambling, no bookmaker. It’s a hotel– period. The perfect place to stow the parents of the couple. And the Mandalay Bay? Well their wedding chapel didn’t look like a marshmallow man had exploded in it. It’s hard to keep their heads in the game working on the sound checks before the concert and making sure that they can put on a show without giving anything away.

Karin and Mark ride out to the airport in a Limo to meet the plane coming in from Boston. They would be bringing the parents back and getting everyone checked in. They’s also received a check off sheet of things to make sure that everyone had. Nobody could ever break the tension the way Karin could. Probably by telling stories of hers and Mark’s marriage ceremony on the beach at the cote d’azur. No parents but plenty of faxed well wishes and then the world tour with the marriage license just so everyone could verify it was real and that Karin had an official keeper.

Kristina and Josef had headed out to take care of the food and flowers. Some of the flowers and the champagne is being taken care of by the Mandalay Bay. They are actually taking care of everything that could be taken care of inside of the hotel. Picking the restaurant, chef and menu. This may not be the wedding of Bess’ dreams although they’d been on the phone with her on the plane as she and her mother had given a wish list.
It’s not like neither of them knew it was coming. Bess had grabbed her wedding file as she packed her bag. Her mother had grabbed her wedding dress out of the attic for the just in case. George and Bess have been together for years-- have house and dogs together. They are about as married as you can get without the paper. The only thing that had been holding them back has been the demands of their careers. Bess understands touring, she has to do some of it herself, not as much as George. Enough to really look forward to Mayday getting in the studio to make their next album so George will be home. That is when they’ll be able to do their real honeymoon.

Anders is on Cake duty. Chandy said that the attendant in the spa had mentioned Freed’s. So he goes in and gets hold of a consultant straight away. “I need a wedding cake for 25-30 people. The wedding will be tomorrow at 2pm at the Mandalay Bay.” He gives the name of the restaurant that Baby had arranged for the after wedding reception. “The bride is a cello player– classical; the groom plays keyboard– rock and roll. It can’t be anything cutsey– classic is good.”

“Are you the groom, best man??”

“No. The groom is the keyboard player from Mayday. The bride is the first cello player for the Boston Philharmonic. I have a list here of preferences. You’ve got a solid website.” Anders hands over the list.

Backstage at the House of Blues, the sound checks have been done so the band is hanging back stage, killing time. Chandy is making lists. It’s a good thing that Skye Radcliffe is her mother she can actually do this multi- task thing in her sleep. George has already calmed down now that there is a plan. He’d probably hear about it for the rest of his life... proposing over the phone like that but it was better than waiting. Chandy told him that Tiffany has a shop in the Bellagio. He’d be able to get a wedding set there if he couldn’t find anything at Leor at the Palms.

Chandy hears John quietly playing his guitar over in a corner. “What is that?”

“Me being embarrassed that George is getting a package wedding that includes a pianist.” John retorts. “I’m a classically trained musician– What the hell?!”

“Ouch.” Stanley winces in agreement. He might not be classically trained but he can tell it’s BS. “So what are you thinking?”

“At least something for Bess to walk down the aisle to... theme from Romeo and Juliet maybe.”

Chandy blinks. “Do you have your mandolin with you?”

“It’s in the bus.” John shrugs. “Why.”

“Will on guitar, you on mandolin, me on keyboard if I can fake my way through.”

“What about me?” Stanley protests.

“If I remember this song just right... it’s the perfect song for you, Stanley.”

“You want me to sing.”

“Oh yeah.” John and George say as one. Stanley has a great voice but he rarely got the opportunity to showcase it because he is back on the drums and he didn’t particularly wanted to be known for his singing. He might do a little back up work. But nobody played the drums like Stanley and they weren’t the band that would resort to a drum machine.

“We all know it. We’ve all had to play sometime or another– high school, college. We could have this one ready by tomorrow– especially if George is busy off getting rings and calming his folks down.” Chandy looks around at the guys.

“Speak for yourself.” Will claims. “I have no idea what you guys are talking about.”

John picks up the guitar and starts playing the intro. “You’ve heard it. You just don’t know it. It’s been slaughtered in a million elevators since the 60s.”