General Hospital Fan Fiction Message Board

There are a lot of reasons to hate Baby Ashton. She surely has her share of enemies both earned and inherited. Probably the most petty of reasons is that she’s perfect. It’s really enough to tick a woman off who is 5 months pregnant and no longer fitting in her skinny jeans to be looking over at her lover’s sister with her perfect hair and the black form fitting linen shift with matching jacket and the perfect accessories. The perfect tan– not too pale, not too dark, the perfect make up, the perfect nails. It just grates.

“You look wonderful. Pregnancy agrees with you.” Baby takes a sip of the ice tea and sets it back on the patio table.

“Thanks it’s not too bad now that I’ve found the magic of real ginger ale. I really thought you’d be heading to Tarpon Springs.”

Baby leans in to state reassuringly. “Your mom is fine. There is definitely more of a presence there and always has been. I’m sorry if Doreen feels like she’s living in an armed camp but the goal from the moment we found out about Macon was to make sure that she was not on the table. Anders is coordinating things there.”

“They are driving each other nuts. I mentioned to Mom either going up to Boston or even to Spoon island.”

“She turned me down when I offered. I talked to her the day Macon escaped. She might go if you went with her.”

Georgie walks up on the table in time to hear that one and shakes her head. She pulls up a chair at the table. “Nice. So did you wait until Morgan went to work to stop by and make that offer?”

“I’d make the offer in front of Morgan.” Baby shrugs. “Lisa is a grown woman and can make her own decisions.”

“She’s right. You are and you can.” Georgie agrees. “Do it and Morgan will never forgive you and will hold it against you and the baby. If it’s something you two agree on to protect you and the bun– he’ll go along. You don’t give him a say and you’ll be following the playbook of every woman in his life who has abandoned him. There is always a good reason, and he always ends up getting the dirty end of the stick.”

“The Bun?” Baby looks from one to the other. “Oh right. Bun in the oven. Sorry some days it takes me a minute. Leaving would be the smart thing to do. We know Macon is in Florida. I can have you anywhere in the world in twelve hours– Switzerland, Costa Rica, Australia. You could even go visit Morgan’s brother. I doubt that Macon will show up there anytime soon.”

“There is no reason for Macon to show up here in Miami.” Georgie counters. “Unless maybe he followed you from Gainesville.”

“We don’t travel in the same circles.” Baby says calmly as she gets to her feet. “The offer is open, Lisa. Tell you what-- I’ll be staying at the house across the canal. Why don’t you and Morgan come over for dinner. I’ll throw something together.” With that she starts toward the dock and makes a motion to one of the CSMC guys on the other side of the canal. In nothing flat, a boat picks Baby up and takes her across the canal.

“Well that was interesting.” Georgie mutters. She shakes her head in disbelief. “CSMC will use Scorpio investigations for some of their work. Mostly the boring, mundane stuff that would drive Mouse nuts. But don’t get me wrong– we deal with Dara their attorney or with Mouse. Doesn’t she just make you feel like an invisible unmade bed?”

“Oh exactly.” Lisa agrees. “You know Morgan has met her twice, just twice. What if he ends up drinking the kool-aid too? I mean it’s bad enough when I watch Anders around her. He doesn’t exactly check his brain... then I could think that maybe she’s drugging him or something. He’s firing on all cylinders and they are all at her disposal.”

“Ah... drugging. You see that ring she was wearing?”

“Yeah.”

“She inherited from her stepmother, Faith Ashton. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was modeled after something worn by Lucretia Borgia.”

“Poison?”

“Not Baby as far as I know. But Faith...” Georgie nods. “Dillon told me a story about Faith drugging Jasper Jacks and putting him in bed with Tracy Quartermaine. Dillon always figured it was to make his mother happy and keep her out of Faith’s hair and away from both Dillon and Ned. Faith didn’t like to share.”

“And this Faith... that’s the one who Morgan’s father killed?”

“Yeah, ran her car off the road when she was on her way to pick Baby up from school.”

Lisa crosses her arms over her stomach in a protective gesture. “I so do not miss Port Charles.”

“Every place has it’s problems. I felt the same way as you. I went to Oxford. I went to Texas...” Georgie shakes her head. “If something lousy is going to happen it can happen anywhere.”

Lisa nods. “I get that.” Lisa looks intently at Georgie. “I’m scared. I’m scared for me and the Bun. Macon is twisted– he always has been. I don’t want to used against my brother or against Morgan. I don’t want to be used period. It would be so easy to pack a bag and be out of here but where would it stop? And would I really want to be somewhere, where I didn’t know anyone and couldn’t see the trouble coming?”

Georgie nods. “Yeah, and I sleep with the lights on.”

“He burned down her storage unit?” Jacques asks again in disbelief.

“Not just hers. The whole business.” Pete replies. “Georgie and Lisa are handling things long distance– online for everything. Everyone figures this is bait to get Lisa back up in Gainesville.”

“It’s very tempting bait.”

“Morgan called me over at the office. He’s set his secretary loose with his credit card on Amazon to get all the books from some of the authors Lisa likes.”

“And we’re tasked with getting a bookcase.”

“Won’t fit in Morgan’s porsche.”

“Anything more than a gym bag for a long weekend won’t fit in the porsche.”

“Good point. Love to know where he’s going to put the baby car seat.”

“Lisa’s cruiser.” Jacques shrugs. “Or his next step will be car shopping. Who knows. He might start driving a volvo.”

Pete cracks up at that and grins. “Maybe.” He starts shaking his head. “Man, he just got that car a few months ago and he’s going to be going car shopping again.”

“He hasn’t had much luck with cars since just before he met Lisa anyway.”

Pete shakes his head. “You get the feeling he’s building a... wall around Lisa? I know wrong word... but moving her in, putting in the security system, buying her a bookcase, getting a new car. It’s a lot of changes.”

“I don’t know why I listen to you.” Jacques mutters. “When I do then I have to start thinking about these things. We’re going to end up having to get our own places. Damn. What a pain.”

“Yeah. There is that.” Pete says glumly.

Morgan had gotten out of the office as soon as he could bringing a full briefcase with him back to the house. He was going to have to kick Georgie out of his office so he could get it done but at least he’d be home rather than wondering if Lisa was going to be heading out of state to parts unknown. “Hey I’m home!” He calls out as he walks in the front door. He still has no idea if the house would announce when he’s home since he actually lives there or just the people that didn’t live there. “House, where are Lisa and Georgie.”

“Back patio. They’ve been out there since Baby Ashton came over for tea.”

“What?!” The house starts to repeat the information but Morgan interrupts. “Nevermind.” He stalks to the back patio by the pool where both Lisa and Georgie are still hanging out by the pool as if they were on vacation or something rather than being hunted by a nut... um sociopath. “My sister was here? And you didn’t call me?!”

“Oh it gets better.” Lisa tilts her head and pushes her sunglasses up to the top of her head. “Do you know of a CSMC property near by?”

Morgan looks across the canal. “You’re kidding. I thought she was in Gainesville.”

“Oh no. After our lovely and unexpected meeting, she had one of her guys picking her up at the canal and take her across. And she’s invited us to dinner, she’s going to throw a few things together.” Lisa says with a false cheer in her voice.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just being a bitch. She didn’t do or say anything out of line.”

“Except waiting for you to go to work before coming over and even that could have just been timing in how fast she got here from Gainesville.” Georgie puts out there just to be fair even if she thinks that Baby did wait until Morgan was gone to get her side in uninterrupted.

“Just because she made the invitation doesn’t mean we have to go.” Morgan tells Lisa.

Lisa shrugs. “That’s true. But considering she’s keeping my mother safe right now– I’d just as soon suck it up and get it over with.”

Morgan looks over at Georgie. Georgie holds up both hands. “I think that the invitation was meant for you two. I’ll hold down the fort and keep an eye out here.”

There aren’t a lot of secrets between a woman and the guy who held her hair back while she puked so the door is open while Lisa is getting ready for the dinner and Morgan is getting changed out of his work suit and something more casual.

“You don’t have to make a fuss.” Morgan uses a mirror to make eye contact with Lisa.

“It’s a girl thing and yes, I do.” Lisa takes another strand of hair and rolls it around the barrel of her curling iron. “Baby shows up this morning after you left. I’m in my kicking around the house gear, not a spec of makeup. I open up the door and there she is not a hair out of place, probably wearing some designer outfit by Mason or Maxie Jones or something; the only thing that was the least bit out of wack was that it was black which according to Georgie is some kind of Cassadine thing. So yeah, we’ve got to be there but I’m not going to be showing up looking like I just rolled out of bed. She’s tough enough to deal with, without being all defensive and twitchy.”

“You have nothing to feel defensive and twitchy about. You always look gorgeous.”

Lisa curls a finger toward him indicating that he should come within cord reach. She gives him a quick kiss on the mouth. “Thank you and you are such a guy.” Then she gives him a push and turns back to the mirror. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

Morgan just shakes his head and finishes dressing. He leaves to check in with Pete and Jacques to see if they got the bookcase. He was going to have to get Lisa out of the house anyway to get the book case in without her knowledge. The secretary had a plan to have all the books she’d ordered delivered tomorrow. Hopefully Lisa wouldn’t notice the bookcase particularly. It’s going to be in the upstairs landing. There is a bit of a wide space before going into the master suite. It would work as a reading nook. It wouldn’t fit 8 bookcases thats for sure but maybe four. Maybe more if he got someone in to make some built-ins. Down in the kitchen he pours a glass of juice. Pete must have heard him come down the stairs and comes into the kitchen and grabs himself a beer. They lean up against the kitchen counters. “You get it?”

“Yep.” Pete takes a deep breath and then finally just goes for it. “You’re making a lot of changes around here. How soon before Jack and I should be looking for another place?”

Morgan leans back as if he’d just been punched. “Damn.”

Pete shrugs. “It was one thing while Lisa had her own place... but be honest, Morgan– you have any intention of having Lisa moving back to her own apartment once you get rid of this nutjob?”

“Sociopath.” Morgan mutters automatically. “And you’re right. Things may change but right here, right now.” He shakes his head.

“That’s what I figured. I know a lot of things may change but I’m thinking that Lisa’s due date is our due date too.”

“I don’t like it.” Morgan mutters. “I trust you guys.”

“Yeah, well Jack and I are still bach’ ing it and you my friend– are not.” Pete laughs. “We’re not in college anymore. And neither Jack nor I are hurting in the funds department. Getting our own places would actually make good financial sense. No reason for you to be getting all the tax deductions.”

Morgan goes over to the kitchen sink and rinses out his glass and puts it in the top shelf of the dishwasher. He looks out the window to the other side of the canal where CSMC had their goons. “If you really want to move, I can think of where I’d want you to live.”

Pete comes over and looks out the window standing right beside Morgan. “Well now that is an interesting idea. Let me know what it looks like inside. You think she’d give you a family discount?”

Morgan laughs at that, more of a snort. “Yeah, right.”

Less than an hour later. “Yeah, Baby is expecting you. She’s in the kitchen.” The CSMC security points the direction.

Baby sees them both as they enter the great room on the way to the kitchen. Her gaze lingers on Morgan. “Hi, sorry I’m running a little late here. Unfamiliar kitchen. Anything that CSMC buys or remodels has a similar line but this house...”

“Was purchased for the location?” Lisa suggests.

“Yes, and didn’t need a kitchen remodel. It was already in really good shape. Just not the way I’m used to. I had to send out a couple of guys to get what I needed. May I offer you something to drink? Wine, juice, soda, beer, water. The guys do keep a stocked bar if you’d like something mixed. We’ll be dining in the nook if that is okay with you. The guys found out I was cooking and kind of took over the dining room. She looks at the head of Miami CSMC and rolls her eyes at him.

“Baby, I haven’t had any of your cooking since we did the East Coast Summit up in Port Charles. You think I’m passing on this opportunity; then you think I am too stupid to be in charge of Miami.”

“Morgan, Lisa-- this is Javier, the head of CSMC Miami. Javier, could you check on drinks while I finish this?”

“Claro.” He sees his boss’ blank look and laughs. “Of course.” He shakes his head. “You know Spanish is supposed to be one of the easiest foreign languages to learn, Baby.”

“I know a few words.” Baby retorts defensively. “You handle the Spanish; I’ll take care of the Russian, Polish and Greek okay?”

Javier laughs again. “What can I get for you?” Taking drink orders he is soon back with a beer for Morgan and a water with lime for Lisa.

“So Javier how long have you been working for Baby?” Morgan asks.

Javier looks over at Baby who nods. “I started for the company before Baby took up the reins. Started in LA with Bruno and worked in Costa Rica and Phoenix before taking over Miami about ten years ago.”

Lisa looks at Baby. Gee about the time that Morgan hit Miami; Baby put in her guy. “So you’re in here as solid as Anders is in Boston.”

“I go where I am needed but I do like Miami.” Javier offers up his glass in toast to Baby who nods at him before checking on what she is working on in the kitchen.

“Well I’m not all that familiar with the CSMC holdings but the cleaning service is very good. Miami Nice?” Morgan interjects.

Javier nods but it’s Baby that answers. “Javier did the start up on that one. Arranging for financing, vehicles and handling the back end paperwork. Based on what he developed with the woman who came to him to start the business we’ve been able to duplicate in other CSMC branches– very profitable in Las Vegas.”

“Baby added the training piece with staff she has up in Port Charles. A butler named Alfred and a housekeeper named Mrs Landsbury– both of whom work for the Cassadines. Really allowed the service to be taken to the next level. People may start with Miami Nice but if they show potential then they are sent to Port Charles for the additional training. At that point they can come back to their home CSMC branch or if they ace the training be offered a Franchise in a branch that doesn’t have the service yet.

“Any branch is going to have core businesses which build in base accounts for the Miami Nice franchise. They come in and do clean up on remodels so they work very well with our construction units. Also a lot of work with the talent division because there is a lot of entertaining involved there.”

“How much of a discount am I getting on the service?” Morgan asks. He knows that his good deal is for a reason.

“Javier, could you call the guys in to take this out to the dining room. We get the guys set up and we’ll be able to have dinner here.” Baby changes the subject rather than answering the question.

“No problem.” Javier goes into the next room where the guys had been gathering drawn to the aromas coming from the kitchen. The big serving platters of food artfully arranged are quickly taken out to the dining room where the guys take the seats that Baby had assigned to each of the guys there. In the kitchen there are four plates already made up and Baby is taking two more and covering them and placing them to keep warm for the guys that are on guard duty. Javier picks up a couple of plates and takes them over to the nook. He can see the way Baby has arranged the seating for the first time. “You honor me.”

“It’s your branch and I appreciate the way you’ve always been there for me.” Baby nods.

First holding the chair for Baby to take the chair to the right of him leaving the chair across Baby for Lisa and the seat at the foot of the table for Morgan only then does Javier sit down. Javier takes a seat at the head of the table, sitting a little taller in the chair knowing this means something important within the company and to the woman he’d dedicated his life to. He also knows that his guys will see this and that his stock will go up with them as well. His status would have been assured as Baby’s right hand in Miami but this.... He holds up a glass of wine. “To Family, good friends and good food– a respite from the troubles of the day.”

Lisa hadn’t even tried. Neither did Javier knowing Baby’s habit. Every time Morgan brought up something that might be considered personal or business the subject had been changed to the best places to shop in Miami, how Baby’s daughter was doing out in California, how Chandy and Mayday were doing out on the road. Even that hadn’t been business but rather anecdotes about Chandy pulling pranks on the Stud. It doesn’t take Morgan long to figure out that nothing is going to interfere with this dinner. With a sigh, he shakes his head and gives into the enjoyment of the meal and the perfect wine that accompanies. “This is really good.” He examines the label of the wine.

“Uncle Stefan.” Baby nods then laughs. “He found this small winery in Northern California. Totally handcrafted wines. Of course he wanted to buy the place for the Cassadines but Baba called me first.”

“Josef Koslov’s grandmother. Josef is Baby’s boyfriend.” Lisa explains at Morgan’s blank look.

Javier pushes back from the table and pats his stomach. “And a very lucky man.”

“Oh he still accuses me of trying to fatten him up.” Baby grins at Javier.

“But I bet it doesn’t stop him from coming to the table.”

“I’d call a doctor if it did.” Baby stands up. Morgan and Javier start to get up as well. “No, no... sit. Let me just get these plates out of the way so we can have dessert. Coffee anyone?” Javier and Morgan take her up on it but Lisa shakes her head no and gets up as well to pick up a few of the dinner plates. Baby and Lisa go into the kitchen. “We’ve got someone coming in to do clean up.” Baby tells Lisa.

“Someone I’d recognize?”

“Probably. Anders told me you like chocolate.” Baby starts the coffee knowing it’s not just going to be Morgan and Javier who wanted an after dinner coffee and it would be needed to cut the richness of the dessert anyway.

“Like is such an understated word.” Lisa says wryly.

“Good.” Baby sighs. “I did make two so hopefully you’ll be able to take one back to Morgan’s. This is actually better after it’s been in the fridge for awhile.” She pulls a chocolate decadence cake from the fridge. She’d actually made the dessert first knowing that it had to chill for hours.

“Oh yes.” Lisa taps the corners of her mouth just to make sure she isn’t drooling.

Baby gets out a container of dental floss. She’s going to have to cut this like a cheesecake. A knife would just make a mess of the cake. And it’s portioned the same way as a cheesecake with a sliver of a piece because each bite is so rich. “I had to send one of the guys out to get this.” She indicates the dental floss. “And then send him out again when he came back with mint flavored. Could you have Mike come in from the dining room please?”

Lisa nods and goes to the dining room. The guys are all seated by a long table and the platters in the center of the table are bare of the any food, even the garnishes have been eaten. “Baby wants to see Mike.”

A young guy toward the foot of the table gets up looking around to find out if maybe he’s in trouble. But he comes into the kitchen.

“Oh good there you are.” Baby waves him into the kitchen. “Watch what I’m doing here. You see why the mint wouldn’t have worked.” She pulls out some dental floss to about garrotte length and then winds it around her index fingers and uses it to slice the cake. As soon as it starts not cutting cleanly she discards the floss and pulls out another strand.

“Well it might have but you’d need a different garnish. Mint rather than the berries.”

“Good point. I like the way you think. Javier, you think Mike could get some time at the Club?”

“No problem, Baby.”

“Could you finish for me?” Kristina asks Mike holding out the container of floss to him.

“No problem, Baby.”

“Thanks, Mike.” Baby gives him a pat on the arm and then taking the four desserts she’d already plated brings them over to the table. Javier rises to seat her again with Morgan doing the same for Lisa. It gives them time to enjoy the dessert and the coffee. Only once Mike is clear of the room and they have finished their dessert does Baby push the empty plate forward and look across to Morgan to begin the real conversation of the evening. “Macon is going to be a problem. He’s in Florida. It would be better if Lisa and her mother are where he is not.”

Morgan pauses in reaching for his coffee cup but then continues the motion and brings the cup to his lips allowing a sip to give him a chance to gather his thoughts.

“I’ve already made the offer to both Lisa and her mother.” Baby continues.

Morgan looks over at Lisa.

She nods. “Georgie flat out told me if I made a decision without your input then I’d be skating on thin ice with you. And I’ll tell you right now– Macon scares the hell out of me but the idea of being somewhere else in some safe house whether it was Iowa, spoon island or timbuktu– with my mother or without her freaks me out more.”

“Because of the way you and your mother were put in a safehouse when Anders first joined Baby’s company.” Morgan realizes.

Lisa nods and then looks over at Baby. “You should get this one too. Okay fine Miami isn’t my home really. Only been here a few months but it’s familar okay? I know Pete and Jacques. Georgie has put in an awesome alarm system unlike anything I’ve ever seen out side of a movie or something. If Morgan wants me gone I’m still not going with you. I’ll go back to my apartment. I don’t want to be moved somewhere I can’t see what is coming at me.”

“I don’t want you gone.” Morgan reaches over and takes Lisa’s hand. He looks to his half sister. “If Lisa and I moved every time you or Uncle Jason pissed someone off we’d never unpack our bags. This is where we’ll make our stand. Thanks for the offer. And if Lisa changes her mind and does want to leave town then I have a lovely hacienda in Venezuela that is off the beaten path.”

“Oh. Chocolate.” Lisa purrs trying to lighten the mood. “I didn’t know that was an option.”

Morgan grins at her. “For now at least, the medical care is better up here.” Morgan gets serious when he looks back at Baby. “I don’t like spies in my house or on my house either-- whether it’s the cleaning crew or those guys out there doing perimeter checks of my house. It’s necessary now and if you didn’t have people in place then I would have hired my own. I’m not a fool. I do know what Macon is capable of – but he has no idea what I am capable of. Lisa doesn’t want to go and I definitely want her to stay.”

Baby contemplates the two of them and then shrugs. It can still work with Lisa here. There is still a possibility that Macon doesn’t know that Lisa is in Miami and even if he did he would go to Lisa’s apartment first. Mouse told her that there is no connection between Lisa and Morgan except OnePhoneCall and now his name in Lisa’s medical chart at the hospital. “So am I having a niece or a nephew?”