GH2017.57 Odds And Ends

Port Charles Airport: A disheveled Dylan waits at the gate of the private
planes for Jason to arrive. As a weary Jason leaves the plane, he looks up
and grimaces at Dylan.
Jason: Where's Mark?
Dylan: He said he has something to get done for you and I didn't ask.
Jason: You look as bad as I feel.
Dylan: Been working on Lu Spencer's warehouse. I'll be moving in there.
Jason: I would rather you didn't. The idea was to keep all the ELQ people
where I could keep an eye on them.
Dylan: I don't think you will have to be concerned about my safety. It
isn't a warehouse anymore; it's a fortress, or would be if not for all the
windows. That thing is set up to not need anything from Port Charles for at
least six months. Water, fuel, food everything seems to be covered.
Jason: (grunting) Bullet proof glass.
Dylan: WHAT?
Jason: Got it in my place too. If it's the glass I'm thinking of, not even
a machine gun can take it out. So Stefan is building on this side of the
water now. Maybe I should have a little chat about turf with him.
Dylan: (shaking his head) I don't think that's what it's about. The
warehouse is Lu's. Talking to her, Brooke, and Cari, it's like Cassadine is
giving Lu a little breathing room. He must be afraid she's going to bolt
from under his thumb.
Jason: (warningly) I don't know what bug you have up your rear about
Cassadine, but they are our allies in this and I trust them a hell of a lot
further than I trust Jacks.
Dylan: Then I'm definitely moving. Jacks will be in the condo across the
way from me.
Jason: ( a slow grin) On occasion you DO show signs of brilliance. When
can you be packed?
Dylan: Today is furniture day. All the furniture is there but Lu wanted to
give the floors an extra few hours to cure before putting furniture on them
. . . So I guess I can be in tomorrow, maybe tonight.
Jason: Good. Jacks will be back from his vacation soon. Spend as much
time as you can with him.
Dylan: I plan on it. His daughter gave me a standing invitation to dinner.
Jason: (abruptly changing the subject) How are things at the mansion?
Dylan: Alan is insisting on working every Wednesday night at GH. I haven't
been able to budge him on it. I told him you didn't want any set routines.
Jason: Tell him that it will be 'guys night' at my place on Wednesday
night. He won't fight you. That way he's still on the grounds and protected.
Dylan: (confused) Will you please tell me what is going on?
Jason: Corn dog night at the GH cafeteria. Neither Monica nor cook will
make them for him because of his diet. Too much fat, salt and nitrates.
(Shrugging his shoulders) He's over eighteen. If he wants to eat that crud,
it's not my problem. It's yours. I need you to go to the store and buy
some of those things. In fact, I think Stefan has the right idea. Why
don't you talk to cook and have her make a list of six months worth of
staples. The Cassadines aren't the only ones that can withstand a siege.
Dylan: (Groans) I just got finished helping Lu with the exact same thing.
Jason: (unsympathetically) Good. You'll know if cook forgets anything.
Dylan: You do realize that the Q's are more likely to kill each other than
wait for a terrorist to do it for them?
Jason: They haven't killed each other yet.
Dylan: (muttering ) But not from lack of trying.

Alexis Hardy's office early. Maxie Jones has just arrived after an
unexpected phone call that asked her to stop by before school.
Alexis: I'm so glad that I got hold of you.
Maxie: (curious) What's up? Is Stone having a problem with his assignments?
Alexis: No, not at all. But I'm having a problem with your boss. You and
I both know that he is being intractable regarding putting Stone back into
school. ( Maxie is silent) And you are being very diplomatic by not saying
anything. I was wondering if you would like to take a position as Stone's
tutor. There may come a time when Staci will be pulled from the school also.
Maxie:( Making the connection) You're talking about whatever the threat is
to the Cassadines' and the Quartermaines.
Alexis: (frowning) How do you know about that?
Maxie: I'm friends with your stepson and his wife, remember? I know
they've moved from the Gatehouse to the main house.
Alexis: It is a business issue; I can't talk about it until I have some
idea of you are willing to come on board.
Maxie: It is an interesting idea, Alexis, and I'll have to think about it.
I'm concerned that one pupil would not be full time.
Alexis: Why don't you think it over? Go out to lunch with your boss and
then let me know. The economic compensation would be significant. It's
very important to us to have the children receive a top notch education.
There may be a possibility for travel that you won't find with the Port
Charles School district.
Maxie: I'll give it some thought. (Rising she shakes Alexis' hand before
leaving for school)

The Apartment: About eight a.m.. Lu has just gotten back from the
warehouse and is having a cup of coffee while finding her second wind when
she hears the click of the lock.
Lu: (calling out to the unseen roommate) Coffee is on!
Brooke: Thank God! ( She collapses into a dining room chair after dumping
her duffle and music box in the hallway) Between warehouse moving day and
going on tour tomorrow, it's going to be a long day!
Lu: Hon, don't even bother thinking about sleeping until you get on the tour
bus! Everything is finished at the warehouse. (Looking at her watch) The
final inspection is going on with Mr. Gregory right now. We start moving
furniture up this morning along with all the supplies. Everything unpacked
and looking pristine but lived in by this afternoon. This evening there's a
crew from some architecture magazine coming through. After they leave
there is a huge party for everyone involved in the project. And then
tomorrow we sleep.
Brooke: When is Georgie back?
Lu: Just got a call from her; she's on the plane back now. Jerry is going
straight to the warehouse when they land cause he has all of Cari's stuff.
But that won't be until this afternoon.
Brooke: And Cari?
Lu: The party for the crew was her idea actually. She's taken over as the
project caterer at least on the shifts I work. The other crews were getting
jealous of the goodies graveyard was getting. She's over at the club now
making the party menu, everything that can be done in advance. She'll meet
us over at the warehouse too. She's already packed out of Georgie's room.
Cari did a computer model of how she wanted her room to look. Actually all
the rooms have a model done so that anyone can set up the furniture. She
insists on being the one to organize all the kitchens and get things set up
there.
Brooke: I'm going to miss that kid.
Lu: She's not going anywhere. Mr. Gregory has been hinting at her going
into the catering business for his crews. He says what little absenteeism
we had ended as soon as she started cooking for the crews. He told her he
would do the labor to have one of the storefronts of the warehouse converted
into a restaurant sized kitchen for her.
Brooke: I was wondering what you were going to do with those.
Lu: (shrugging) Build to suit, I guess. They weren't as important as
getting the condos done. That part of the rehabilitation is going to be a
hassle anyway. Anyone that moves into the building is going to have to pass
a background check as part of their lease!
Brooke: (understandingly) Stefan at work?
Lu: Yeah, but he also made a list of the warehouse foreclosures in the
waterfront area and is having structural analysis done on each.
Brooke: (incredulously) He's actually lining up your next project?
Lu: Please . . . if your parents had the choice between a daughter that
managed a bar and one that managed a construction site; which would they pick?
Brooke: (laughing) The bar in a heart beat. That way Daddy would have a
place to sing and Ma would have a place to audition talent. Is Lucky going
to be looking for a new manager?
Lu: Well, he gave me this week off to finish the warehouse. Daddy would
love for me to become a real estate mogul. You know, do most of my work by
computer in an office.
Brooke: You have been very involved with this.
Lu: And I like it. He knows it. After this project, I have my resources
all lined up for every step of the process. (A small lopsided grin) I have
to do at least one more project anyway. I promised Mr. Gregory his daughter
would have an apartment in the next one.

The outback around noon. Keesha and Alexis come in together and are quickly
seated.
Keesha: I was glad to run into you on the firing range.
Alexis: Stefan and Nik insist I have a concealed weapons permit. I refuse
to carry something that I can't use . . . and use well.
Keesha: (Curiously) Well you were very accurate with your strong hand . . .
your off hand accuracy fell off after the first few shots.
Alexis: My elbow's never been the same after the shooting. It may take less
than 3 pounds of pressure to pull a trigger but holding the pistol steady is
difficult the longer I have my arm extended.
Keesha: ( With dawning awareness) The shooting . . . when Sonny was killed.
Alexis: ( smiling sadly) Yeah. I remember every time the weather changes
or when I look at Stone.
Keesha: How is Stone? Did you get the School straightened out?
Alexis: No. I've already made appointments with all the school board
members. The longer it drags on though the happier Stone is with his tutors
and working at the television station part time. Eventually he won't want
to go back to the high school and will start pressuring me to allow him to
go to PCU to take communications classes or something.
Keesha: Your son wants to go to college and you're getting tense about it?
Alexis: (ruefully) He just wants to grow up so fast. I did that; I had to.
I don't want that for him. It doesn't help that his cousin Cari is in town.
She's a year younger than he is and has already graduated from high school.
Keesha: Brad is doing a year abroad on an exchange program. I miss him
like crazy of course but he seems to be loving it. And Maymae keeps me
hopping. She's in Anna Morgan's class at school. The new teacher is
excellent. I checked her out myself and clued her in as to what her
predecessor did. She's keeping an eye out for any acting out the kids might
be doing.
Alexis: (leaning forward) I've been so busy dealing with the aftermath of
Saunders that I put him out of my mind. What's he doing now?
Keesha:(shaking her head) Already been transferred to prison. His
polygraph interview was a nightmare as I'm sure you could guess. I thought
I had finished doing sex crimes years ago . . . and I didn't miss it when I
left.
Alexis: You shouldn't have been so good at it then. I was relieved when
you were handling the case. So much was riding on it for not only Anna but
also Stone, Jason and Georgie.
Keesha: There is a strong streak of vigilantism that runs through this town.
Alexis: (wincing ) You don't have to tell me.
Keesha:(Looking at the entry to the restaurant) AJ Quartermaine, this is
your life.
Alexis: What do you mean? ( Looking up she sees Carly and Gina enter) Ah
the past and the present. How could one man screw up with so many women?
Keesha: The question should be how could so many women fall for such a
screwed up guy?
Alexis: I'm sure you thought you could fix him. (she waves at the two women)
Keesha: I was an idiot. I knew what he was before I married him but it
didn't stop me.
Alexis: You were young . . . what's Carly's excuse? (She falls silent as
the women near)
Keesha: Y'all taking a break from the hospital?
Carly: (nodding) And comparing notes. Gina has been contacted by both Nik
and AJ about security. She wanted to talk to someone a little less hysterical.
Alexis: (laughing) NIK! Hysterical!
Gina: (Exasperated) Okay . . . a slight exaggeration. Nik stopped by the
apartment; AJ stopped by the hospital. Who's next?
Alexis: Jason. He got back to town today. He's making the rounds making
sure that everyone is on their guard.
Keesha: What's going on?
Gina and Carly both look at Alexis to answer the question: The Cassadines
and Quartermaines are working on a joint project. There have been some
threats made. It may all be for nothing but nobody wants to be wrong about
that.
Keesha: (concerned) Is this something that Alex needs to know?
Alexis: I think the men want to handle it themselves. I swear it is just
as bad as trying to get them to ask for directions. So far it is just talk.
If the threats get specific, I'll bring them to Alex myself.
Carly: Jason at least will ask for directions. He knows he can't read a
map worth a damn.
Keesha: But he has an equally large blind spot where cops are concerned.
He is still a bit awkward with Mac because Mac USED to be a cop.
Carly: Jason is starting to look askance at AR; he babysat AR!
Gina: How is AR reacting to the changes at the Q's? I know that Staci has
been on the phone to me about the security upgrades on spoon island.
School is a relief to her. I'm taking her shopping tomorrow, she says her
wardrobe is as depressing as the island. Just getting out to the mall will
be a break for her.
Alexis: (shaking her head) The Cassadines have always had an armed camped
mentality. (Then shrugging) It doesn't mean that it hasn't been necessary
in the past, unfortunately. Nik has extended an invitation for Tom and me
to stay on the island until the threats can be investigated. I turned it
down but Stone will be staying out on the island.
Gina: Believe me, I appreciate it. He has been the one to keep Staci . . .
rational about all of the restrictions, especially since Lu moved to the
mainland.
Carly: But Lu plans on moving back to the island.
Gina: (surprised) Really? When did that happen?
Carly: (nodding) I don't know. I heard Dylan and Lucas talking. (She sees
a waiter walking toward the table with a togo order) Gina, I think our
break just ended.
Gina: (looking at her watch) I have a patient anyway. Alexis, will you
give me a call later and let me in on the details? (The two rise and head
for the cash register to pay for their lunches)
Keesha: I should get back to the office too. The taxpayers are probably
keeping an eye on my lunches. When are we going to get together and talk
teenagers?
Alexis: We just were! No way we could have a frank talk about the kids
over lunch . . . it would definitely take a dinner! Give me a call when
you're back in your office we can compare schedules.

The warehouse: A limo pulls up and Georgie and Jerry get out. They stare at
the building in disbelief.
Jerry: Buy me a lottery ticket, darlin'. This seems to be the day for longshots.
Georgie: Shot is right! I can't believe that Lu bought the same building
that we hid out in after you were wounded.
Jerry: She couldn't have known. I mean, nobody did except you, me and that
fellow you gave my car to.
Georgie: (absently as she stares at the building) Barry. (Just then there
is a shout from above them. Looking up; they see Cari hanging half out of
the building waving at them. Jerry blanches as she seems to wobble before
popping back inside the building. Moments later he has a handful of
daughter as she leaps into his arms and he wraps her tight.)
Cari: (squeezing back) Why didn't you call? Lucky and I could've come to
pick you up.
Jerry: Well your mum sent quite a bit of stuff.
Cari: (reassuringly) Oh, that wouldn't have been a problem. The Caddy's
trunk can fit two grown men, three if they weren't awake to bitch.
Jerry: ( his jaw drops as he glares at Georgie who looks anywhere but at
him. Eventually she does catch his glance and can't hold back any longer.
She bursts out laughing.) Nice, very Nice.