General Hospital Fan Fiction Message Board

“I thought you didn’t read the paper except for on Sundays.” Morgan gives Lisa a kiss on the top of the head and glances at what she’s reading.

“I’m making an exception.” Lisa’s tone is wry. “And it’s reinforcing my rule. There is nothing but bad news in anything but the Sunday paper. Just in case you were wondering, Baby doesn’t normally do this.”

“She said she was going to make a splash.” Morgan reminds.

Lisa shakes her head. “Baby leaves the spotlight to others. You know for Chandy or now Faith, her daughter.”

“The actress.”

“Right. Well if Macon is reading the paper then he knows exactly where Baby is. Hopefully he doesn’t know how much she normally shuns the spotlight. If he does then he knows it’s a trap.” Lisa shakes her head. “This has got to be driving the guys nuts. The last time Baby had her picture in the paper this much, and this clearly...” Lisa shakes her head. “I don’t know. Not even to support Faith’s career. Probably when the keyboard player from Mayday got married. But even then the pictures were George and Bess and probably Mayday too but there was a clear shot of Baby in the crowd and the press were all over it.”

“There were a lot of pictures of her as a kid.”

“Yeah, when you were doing your research on her I’m sure that those pictures were the first that popped up. You can bet that is one of the things that convicted your dad. But no pictures, or at least not many since she became an adult.” Lisa mutters. “I’m sure the cops and the FBI and whatever other agencies out there, have clear pictures of her over the years. Probably since she was 18 and capped Patience Dillon. But anyone outside of CSMC... not so much. This is dangerous– for her and for my brother– for years to come.”

The full crew traveling with Baby have their radar up and are a hair away from going DMZ on the boss. They know the idea is to lure Constantin Macon from Florida to them and away from the boss’ brother and Anders’ pregnant sister. It’s a good plan and even a good idea if Baby wasn’t the one going around with the bull’s eye on her. At least she’d stayed at one of the smaller New Orleans hotels somewhere they could take over a whole floor for security. Once Mouse had found out about the plan he’d let Baby know how he felt about the whole thing and then he and Mona had put together an itinerary that kept Baby moving, in the public eye and getting done six million other things while drawing Macon out.
CSMC wouldn’t have a long term presence in New Orleans any more than Cat 5 would and for the same reason. No matter how fortified the city is, mother nature is a bitch just waiting for another shot. The closest CSMC is over in Atlanta or to the west in Dallas. Close enough for the branches to come in and do reconstruction work as needed. There are a few small businesses affiliated with CSMC here but a mandatory part of their business plan in order to get financing from CSMC is a bug out plan.

Josef is coming in tonight. Maybe he’d be able to convince the boss to go back to Port Charles or at least to go to Atlanta or Dallas where they had resources in place. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if they could treat this like a SE summit and have all the crews come in from all over. New Orleans would probably love that. Baby dropped some serious coin at her summits and the branches didn’t mind the CSMC version of a convention. Course at a summit they are repping their CSMC branches and everyone would be on their most professional behavior. Maybe after this prick was caught they’d be able to turn it into a summit. “You think Josef will change Baby’s mind?” Daniel the head of security for CSMC Dallas asks Yuri the head of security from Atlanta. They are both there with a crew to provide protection but make sure that Baby isn’t actually seen with more than a couple of guards at a time, because that is what Baby wants– not ‘cause they liked the idea.

“He probably comes to cap this threat himself and offer this Macon’s head on a platter for the annoyance he has caused Baby.” Yuri takes a bite of an apple and hangs onto it with just his teeth for a moment.

“Damn that’s graphic.” Daniel shakes his head. “How in the hell did this guy ever live long enough in prison to be a problem now?!”

“I hear that Anders’ sister and mother say nothing. Did not want to be a bother. Instead they move to Florida so that if he is bother that Florida will take care of the problem.” Yuri mimes giving himself a shot in the crook of the arm. He does like the nonverbal. A picture did as well as a thousand words especially when dealing with a language that was not his first... or his third.

“Yeah, well that didn’t work out.” Daniel counters. “Anders must be fit to be tied. Specially to be stuck over in Tarpon Springs.”

“There is still chance Macon will go there.”

“I talked to Tarpon Springs. They’ve pulled the welcome mat.” Dan sees Yuri’s blank look and explains further. “They have upped the level of security to obvious. Nobody is going to get next to Doreen. Javier is getting ready to do the same in Miami no matter what Lisa says.”

“I hear that the man Lisa lives with is Baby’s brother?” Yuri raises a brow at that.

“Half brother and that’s for the company only. Baby doesn’t want him to be a target.” Dan warns.

Yuri nods.

The press pictures work but not quite the way that Baby intended. It had taken awhile for him to get here from Gainesville. Did that bitch thing he was stupid? He’d spent the last ten years looking for anything about the company that snitch Anders joined. He’d never been able to find any pictures of the bitch as an adult and now all of a sudden she’s in a story picked up by the tabloids? Partying in New Orleans with the Michaelsons and dropping a fortune on local charities including having her picture taken at a ribbon cutting and then that evening going to some fancy dress party?! Yeah, it screamed here I am come and get me.

“Right, bitch. Cept I don’t want to know where you are. I want to know where you were. And I’m betting you don’t fly commercial.” Macon looks through the chain link fence with the concertina wire topper. This is the best private airport in New Orleans. If he could get to the records it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. Check the planes registered in New York, maybe Boston too to be on the safe side and arriving in New Orleans within a couple of days of the press pictures. Then it would be a process of elimination. He’d bet that Lisa and Doreen are still in Florida. Or Lisa would be within easy contact of Doreen. They’d always been thick as thieves. Even when Lisa had been a tart little cherry just waiting to ripen and be plucked. Anders owed him.

The best thing that ever happened as far as Baby running CSMC and actually being treated as an adult wasn’t killing Patience Dillon. It was when Josef Koslov went to prison. Nobody could claim he was pulling her strings and she stepped up and not only run her company but his as well. There had been problems of course. Things that were not spoken of... ever. Like a general or a chess master, she’d controlled the battles moving swiftly, decisively and seemingly three moves ahead of her opponents cutting off their retreat and consolidating the wins into whoever’s turf she was fighting whether it was hers or Josef’s.

The worst was the year after Josef was released. It had been clear to just about everyone that Baby’s top priority, even more than Fancy, was making sure that Josef regained his health. Josef’s top priority was getting back on his feet with the business and taking up the reins again. Which meant they had been at frequent loggerheads. Baba had finally gotten sick of the fighting and gone back to Spoon Island to take care of Fancy... she’d held out the longest. Everyone else who could find a reason to be somewhere else had. Six months after Josef was released was the closest the duo came to breaking up. Baby knew it was her fault and took a step back. Took a walk down to the cove on the Cassadine island and had a chat with Nikolas who’d reminded her Josef wasn’t a big boy, he was a man.

So she’d backed off at least as much as she could. She’d gone back to Port Charles leaving Josef to run his businesses in Europe. Before she left she’d made a date with him for three months down the road. It was a reminder they were not breaking up. She was giving him space that’s all. And then she hired the biggest, smartest bodyguard that she could find who was also a trained nurse. Baby didn’t have to say a word to Josef’s seconds, just look at them. It had been a significant look. They knew if anything happened to Josef on their watch that they’d better be dead because they soon would be. Since both of them had advanced into dead men’s shoes while Josef had been in custody they believed the nonverbal threat. Then she went back to Port Charles.

The date three months later is what she considers her anniversary. Not her eighteenth birthday not the date of Josef’s release. But the day, three months after she’d left him when he walked through the door of that restaurant... walked straight to the table she’d been sitting at and pulled her from the chair and into his arms. There had been separations since then of course but it had been three months to figure out that they are both in it for the long haul– as adults and as equals. And there is a tradition to their anniversaries. She always arrives at the restaurant first. The tradition is the same, the restaurant varies. This year it would be in New Orleans.

Josef nods at Dan and at Yuri. They are seated near each of the exits to the courtyard. Glancing around he finds who he is looking for and strides to the table. Reaching for her right hand he pulls her to her feet and then kisses her hard on the lips. He cups her jaw when he breaks the embrace. It would be an easy slide down to her throat and he does think of it some times. “Are you trying to get yourself killed. Putting yourself out as bait again?!”

“Better me than Lisa. She’s five months along with my niece or nephew.”

“You mean you don’t know which it is?” Josef’s voice is wry.

“Of course I do. I had Mouse check. But they are keeping it a secret even from themselves.” She takes his hand in both of hers and brings the palm to her lips. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Josef reseats her waving off the staff and taking his own seat. As soon as they are seated the server who’d been clueless as to what was going to happen brings over the drinks that the woman had ordered. The waiter thought it a recipe for disaster when she’d been seated alone and ordered for two, confident that her date would be arriving in 15 minutes. “Now tell me quickly what is going on because I know your lips will be otherwise occupied once the meal arrives.”

Baby leans and starts from the beginning. Josef remembered Macon of course. He’d been in Port Charles during part of the time. But he’d thought the problem solved when Macon went to jail. The major focus had been on Patience Dillon. “And Anders’ mother and sister they say nothing?”

“Didn’t want to worry anyone. But evidently it’s why Doreen moved to Florida. You know I haven’t added any branches to Florida since Miami because of the zone.”

“And you wouldn’t have put a branch in Miami if Morgan hadn’t gone to school there and if that Jason Morgan didn’t have such close ties to Puerto Rico.”

Baby is about to protest but thinks better. “Okay fine. That’s true. Anyway, Morgan was in a car accident on his way to a convention. He was in Gainesville. Lisa has a page on the CSMC website. I think it’s something that Doreen did as a brag wall after Lisa graduated from nursing school. Mona saw her on the website and called her to take Morgan to the convention.”

Josef lifts a brow. “They... hit it off?”

“Evidently. I’m getting a niece or nephew out of the deal.” Baby’s tone is wry. “Morgan invited Lisa up to Port Charles for his mother’s birthday party. She declined and explained why. Morgan talked to Mouse up in Port Charles. Mouse talked to me. That’s how I found out.”

Josef grimaces. “Eight years later. Were you throwing things, darling?”

“Tempted. So tempted. A loose thread that should have been snipped eight years ago and finding out I’m going to be an Aunt all in one conversation. And the worry that Anders is going to kill Morgan. But Doreen said she’d handle that. At least I wasn’t in the dark when Macon escaped. Mouse and Georgie have both been handling the surveillance.” Baby sees Josef’s frown. “Georgie Jones from Scorpio Investigations.”

“Da, Da. I know her. She gives me information when I was trying to buy apartment for Baba.”

“She’s very good, at hacking I mean. Maybe as good as Mouse but don’t bother. Georgie’s father is WSB which is more of a pain in your ass than mine.”

Josef laughs at that. “True enough.” Their conversation is tabled at the arrival of their appetizer.

It had been a fairly lazy day. Just a kicking around the house re-reading a good book doing a couple of loads of laundry putting together an easy dinner complete with marinated meat for Morgan to grill. It would have been an absolute great day if the threat of Macon wasn’t hanging over their heads. In recovery speak they were all trying to fake it until they made it. It even worked for a little while here and there. Pete and Jacques are all good for stories from work especially Pete. Georgie had a date with Steve Johnson which got Jacques’ boxers in a bunch. Morgan had hell day at work, he’d been dragged into a meeting with Mr White and a couple of the other partners to explain why the firm wasn’t getting any of the CSMC or Karinen international business.

Lisa brings Morgan a beer and makes sure she is upwind from the grill. “How bad was it.”

“Mr White is in love with my sister.” Morgan’s tone is wry. “Evidently CSMC has been written up as one of the best private firms to work for but nobody talks about. And it was all he could talk about.”

“It’s been written up but nobody talks about it.” Lisa laughs and shakes her head. She shrugs. “I guess there are a few people who would probably say so. You can make a lot of money in a few short years and get out... well as out as anyone gets. Javier strikes me as a lifer. Maureen out in LA... I’ve heard she’s in it for the money and will get out once she gets her nest egg. The real exposes on CSMC have been through the Talent division– Anna Holtz’s interview with Mayday and then the stuff she dug up about the Michaelson’s and the other CSMC acts. Which bizarrely enough– the talent division is cleaner than the rest of the industry according to Anders so it really made CSMC look good. They get their loyalty by being more transparent than the rest.”

“Your brother run CSMC- talent?”

“No, Alecia Hart, but it’s based out of Boston so if there are any problems she has Anders down the hall and Mouse on speed dial. It’s also the reason why Anders knows more about Maureen out in LA– that and dating Chandy. LA is where Talent West is. But Talent West has always been more about video than music.”

“You still love me if I was unemployed?” It’s a joke but Morgan’s eyes are serious.

Lisa is about to make a joke but tilts her head to the side and considers the question. “That would be moving up your plan about three years? Five years? Right?”

Morgan nods. “Wouldn’t be broke but it would actually take me longer to establish myself.”

“You know this is probably just what she wanted. If she liked the firm then yeah, she’d throw them some business but if she didn’t then she’d make it impossible for you to stay. You walk from the firm and Javier will probably be right there with some office space downtown– really good deal with cleaning firm already in place. Then Baby’s lawyers would be visiting... maybe sending some work your direction– probably Cat 5, never mind that you’re an international business lawyer. Oh wait. Got it. Cat 5 financing for small business abroad that are trying to relocate or rebuild.”

“You have a very suspicious nature.”

“Yeah, but am I wrong?”

“Cat 5 is Karinen Foundation not CSMC.”

“And CSMC does a lot of their construction, trucking and fund raising.”

“And Jensen, Campbell and Winthrop is a good firm. They don’t just do CMSC business. It’s actually a very small portion of their total business. I just wasn’t interested in them because they are in Port Charles. They do a lot of international business. Especially Dara Jensen’s clients.”

“Yeah, and everyone is entitled to a legal defense.” Lisa rolls her eyes. “I’m not here because of your money, Morgan. I may not be driving a porsche but I make damn good money as a nurse and have been socking it away like a good girl for a rainy day for a lot of years-- even before I graduated. I don’t owe anyone anything. Me and the Bun will be just fine whether you have a J.O.B or not. My preference would be to have Macon behind bars or poisoning daisies before you make any career moves.”

Morgan nods at that and starts pulling off the steaks and putting them on the platter. “That I can do. Going solo is going to mean a lot of hours and hustling.”

“Right like you wouldn’t be doing that anyway at the firm if you were actually interested in becoming a partner.” Lisa takes the platter from him and goes over to the table.

Pete and Jacques bring out the last of the sides and pull up chairs at the table. They’d been keeping their distance knowing that Lisa and Morgan were having a private conversation but nothing is going to stand in the way of this dinner.

“So are you one of those girls who waits until the third date to put out?”

Georgie chokes on her beverage and sets it down abruptly. “I really didn’t think you thought of me that way. More like a counselor or something.”

“I’m me and you’re hot.” The Heat’s Rookie Bonus baby explains.

“You’re sweet, in an odd way, but very sweet.”

“I’m not kidding. You’re hot and I’m having a tough time thinking about anything but the fact that we’re having dinner in a hotel... and I know this place has room service.”

“I’m old enough to be your mother. And I’ve got scars...”

“I know; I’ve seen them.” Steve Johnson interrupts to counter and then frowns. “...and weirdly enough that’s when I started really thinking about you that way. And it wasn’t just the way you filled out that bikini– which was real nice. You’re tough, smart and the dessert I want isn’t on the menu. Hell the appetizer, entree and dessert I want aren’t on the menu. Once on the lips and forever on my hips is just fine with me.” He gives her a leer and even twirls a non existent moustache.

“You are so nasty.” Georgie shakes her head.

“Yeah... so third date?”

“You haven’t even gotten through the second date yet.”

The waiter comes up to the table to take their order.

“Everything on the menu we can get for room service right? Not for tonight but you know for future reference?” Steve asks the waiter.

The waiter blinks but answers quickly. “Yes, sir. No problem. Have you decided for this evening?”

Steve asks Georgie. “So you want to pick something off the menu?”

“Behave.” Georgie mutters then smiles at the waiter and places her order.
Steve gives his order and waits for the server to leave. “I get it. You haven’t thought about me that way. Or if you did you worried about the scars or my age or whatever. Do me a favor... think about it okay? Cause I know we’d be good.”

“I’ll have a beer.” Constantin Macon picks his spot at the bar closest to the airport. He reaches for a handful of peanuts and crunches one in his hand. He keeps his focus on his beer and the peanuts, but his ears are perked to hear anything coming from the airport personnel.

“... I can’t believe this guy. What did he think we were going to do? We’re just there to do a courtesy clean and they would not let us near the plane. Fill and that is it. And even then I wouldn’t have been surprised if they requested a check on the fuel. Talk about paranoid.”

“This is the Russian?”

“FAA jackets were all over that one. Thing was-- they weren’t FAA maybe FBI or ATF but not FAA.”

“Really. Maybe then they aren’t so paranoid.” The guy in coveralls waves at the barmaid with a circle finger motion calling for another round for the table. “Somebody is out to get them.”

“Oh yeah. The suits showed up a few days ago. They were doing the same thing with a bird that came in from Miami.”

“Huh. I wonder what is up.”

“That one was a ten seater and every seat was filled. Good looking woman that wasn’t saying much but real polite and then the rest had the look of motivated muscle. Got the feeling they have to fly private because they can’t get guns on a regular flight.”

“Takes all kinds. Remember that flight that the Saints came in on after they won the divisional title?”

The other guy grins and shakes his head. “Now that is a flight that probably had some blackmail worthy activity going on. Those guys were crazy.”

Macon puts a bill on the table and stands up. He drains his beer in one smooth pull and leaves the bar. Miami would have to be enough. He wasn’t going to be able to get closer to the planes not with the FBI crawling all over the airfield.