Dream a Little Dream

Chapter 36

The day was still a long way from breaking when Epiphany Johnson turned off her alarm clock and got up.

She showered and dressed quickly, then packed her toiletries in a plastic grocery bag and put it in her duffel bag. The noisy pipes had awakened the rest of the house. By the time she walked into the kitchen, her mother was there, pouring coffee into a thermos. Celeste poured a mug for Epiphany.

“Gonna need this today,” Celeste said.

“Where's Daddy?”

“He's getting dressed,” Celeste said. “I can help with his buttons and tie when he's ready.”

Stan came into the kitchen fully dressed, rubbing his eyes. Celeste poured him the last of the coffee, then emptied the percolator and washed it. After drying it, she set it in a box on the kitchen table to be put in the van. Her cast-iron skillets were also in the box. Wayne called for her, so Celeste went into the bedroom to help him finish dressing.

Epiphany and Stan drank their coffee.

“This is it,” Stan said. “Operation Exodus.”

Epiphany snorted.

“Good one – I like that,” she said, then looked around. “I hope I haven't forgotten anything.”

“We've got everything we need,” Stan said.

“And we have each other,” Epiphany said. “That's the most important thing of all. Now finish your coffee. Did you take your stuff out of the bathroom?”

“I'll do it after Gramma and Pops are done in there,” Stan said. “Then that's it for me.”

Less than an hour later, the Johnson family caravan was ready to go. Celeste emptied the refrigerator and freezer and put the bags in the trash cans outside, then Stan hauled them to the curb. Epiphany shut off the electricity, water and gas. Stan boarded up the front and side doors and locked the garage. He handed his grandfather the morning Times-Picayune to read on the road. Epiphany looked at her watch – 4:06 a.m.

“We'll stop around seven for breakfast,” she said. “Let's go.”

Epiphany helped Wayne into the front seat of the freshly washed Cadillac. “Looks ... nice,” he said. “We're leaving ... in style.”

Stan checked his pocket for the directions, then laid them on top of the cooler on the passenger seat.

“Port Charles, here we come,” he said, turning the key in the ignition. He pulled out of the driveway, then let Epiphany pull out and go ahead of him. Everyone glanced back at the house as they drove away, but no one said anything. No one wanted to admit what they were thinking – that the worst could happen.

Operation Exodus had begun.

* * *

Sunrise over the ocean never gets old. Zander Lewis, sitting in an Adirondack chair on the back porch of the house in Maine where he was vacationing with his family, swore he could feel the Earth rolling under his feet towards the sun.

Their vacation was winding down. His MBA classes started up again next week – his final semester. At the start of the summer, he'd been anticipating the end of his schooling and the beginning of building a future for himself and Emily Quartermaine. But Emily had betrayed him with Nikolas Cassadine, leaving Zander bereft and his future uncertain. He'd wondered what he would do once school was done. Go to work, he supposed. But what else would there be? His friends had been good to him, but they couldn't fill the yawning hole left by losing Emily.

Zander sipped his coffee and thought about the last few weeks. Getting away from Port Charles, from the sympathy of well-meaning friends and the curiosity of not-so-well-meaning others, had been a relief. Here, he was just part of the Lewis family, taking his sister Kristina to the movie theater in the pine woods to see “Pollyanna” or playing shuffleboard with his father, Cameron, or going to the market with his stepmother, Alexis, to get dinner.

Part of him wished he didn't have to go back to Port Charles – back to where there were memories of Emily at every turn. He'd see a restaurant and remember a romantic dinner there. A dress in a shop window reminded him of something she'd worn. And the Cassadine International logos on the company's warehouses on the docks were especially galling.

The screen door opened. Cameron came out in his bathrobe.

“You're up early, Son,” he said.

Zander nodded out to the beach and ocean beyond, slowly being transformed by the sunrise.

“Won't be seeing that after Sunday,” he said.

Cameron took a sip of his coffee. “It's really something,” he said softly, then turned back to Zander. “Getting away has been good for you.”

Zander blushed, then grinned.

“Yeah,” he said. “Not having to be Poor Zander for a while's been a nice break.”

Cameron let out a quiet snort of laughter.

“You'd had a sympathy overdose, I take it,” he said.

“I don't mean to sound ungrateful, Dad,” Zander said. “But everyone's bent over backwards to try and make me feel better. It's been a bit much sometimes. You're the only one who has just let me be, and feel what I want to feel. You have no idea how much I've appreciated that.”

Cameron looked down, and smiled.

“Someone asked me about that once,” he said, remembering a conversation with Marcus Taggert. “It hasn't been easy to do, Son. I've wanted to jump in a few times. But you've had to grieve in your own way – be sad, be angry, be whatever. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself. If you're angry, or whatever emotion you're feeling, acknowledge who you're feeling it at – Emily, Nikolas, or yourself.”

Zander looked thoughtfully out to the ocean.

“I think you've been beating yourself up, Alexander, for not seeing it coming,” Cameron continued. “It's a perfectly normal reaction. But there's a difference between self-reflection and Monday morning quarterbacking. What've you been thinking about it all, in terms of yourself?”

“How I should've seen it coming.”

“How?” Cameron asked. “Emily and Nikolas went to great lengths to keep the deception going. No one caught on until just before it all blew up.”

“It's different, Dad,” Zander said. “I was with Emily. And I didn't see anything that would've made me realize something was wrong.”

“You believed her when she said her distraction and fatigue were because of med school,” Cameron said. “Again, we all did, even her family. The blame for that belongs primarily on Emily and Nikolas. But maybe you didn't see anything because you'd gotten complacent in your relationship.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were in a comfortable place,” Cameron said. “You'd been seeing each other for a while, you figured you knew everything about each other, so you put your attention on this future you'd built up in your mind.”

“When I should have been paying attention to the here and now,” Zander said.

“Then again, even if you had, Emily still may have done what she did,” Cameron said. “I don't know why she did it. Maybe she doesn't even know. But, whatever her reasons, she's solely responsible for her actions. If she wasn't happy with the relationship, she could have spoken up about it. Or, if she knew she didn't love you anymore, she could have just ended things. And let's not forget she had help. Nikolas is family, and he should have known better. If there's one thing Stefan and Alexis taught him, it was how family matters.”

Zander looked back out at the ocean, absorbing his father's words. He thought talking about everything would be horrible. But, instead, it felt almost liberating. Cameron spoke honestly, with no fussing or clucking sympathy.

“Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do with my life,” Zander said.

“No, you don't,” Cameron replied. “First of all, you're still on vacation. Just enjoy today. And when we go home, you go back to school. One day at a time, Son. It's not just for AA.”

“Emily was my reason for going to school, for thinking about a career,” Zander said. “I don't know what to do now.”

“What do you want?” Cameron said. “You've got another semester left. That's time to get your bearings and think about yourself – what interests you, what motivates you. You don't have to figure that all out right away. Just live for a while. Something will come to you. And it doesn't have to be a career. You may be perfectly satisfied with a decent job if you have interests outside of work – friends, family, volunteering, sports. So don't put too much pressure on yourself to map out your whole life before school ends.”

Behind them, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs into the kitchen. Cameron turned to see Alexis pouring herself some coffee. She joined them on the porch.

“God, I'm going to miss this,” she said.

“Kristina up yet?” Cameron asked.

“No, one of the many good things about this trip,” Alexis said. “She's so busy all day – swimming, making sand castles, playing with Molly Prestash, running here, running there – that she goes to bed without a struggle and sleeps in.”

“What are you doing today, Alexis?” Zander asked.

“If you can help Ida watch Kristina after lunch today, Zander, your father and I can go food shopping,” Alexis said. “The Prestashes are leaving tomorrow morning, so I thought we'd have them and the Donnellys over for dinner tonight. We can get steamers and lobsters, and do barbecued chicken, with corn on the cob and cole slaw. For dessert, I'll toss some berries with sugar, let a syrup form, and top vanilla ice cream with them. We can pop a movie in for Kristina, Molly and the Donnelly twins after dinner, so we can all sit out here and relax.”

“That sounds delectable, my dear,” Cameron said. “Almost as delectable as you.”

He took Alexis' hand and kissed his way up her arm.

“Get a room, you two,” Zander said in mock alarm.

“I still can't believe we came all this way and not only found people from Port Charles, but people who know some of our best friends,” Alexis said.

“And not only that, someone who dated both your uncles,” Cameron commented.

“What?!” Zander exclaimed. “I missed that one.”

Alexis rolled her eyes.

“Tiffany was my uncle Victor's girlfriend during the whole Ice Princess fiasco,” she said. “Remember, when my father, Mikkos, decided to freeze Port Charles to achieve world domination? And before that, she'd dated my other uncle, Tony. She was a B-movie actress. I never knew her – I was over here in the States at school, very happily far away from Helena. Anyway, Tiffany met up with Luke, Laura and Robin's father, Robert, on the island where the weather machine was, and teamed up with them to stop my father and uncles. Mikkos and Tony died, along with Alan and Tracy Quartermaine's cousin, Alexandria, who was Tony's current squeeze and involved in the whole thing. Victor went to prison. Helena had him killed there rather than risk him ever getting out and challenging her power, or interfering in her plans to bring Stavros back to restore the Cassadines to their former glory.”

Zander gaped. “Alexis, you have one twisted family tree,” he said.

“Tell me about it,” Alexis said, with a slightly bitter smile. “And I didn't even mention Stavros or Petros.”

“How does Mr. Donnelly know everyone?” Zander asked. “Sorry, I was too busy keeping an eye on the kids to pay attention to the grown-ups.”

“Sean was an old WSB colleague of Anna Devane and Robert Scorpio,” Alexis said. “He was also police commissioner in Port Charles for a while. Luke accidentally shot Sean – it was before I moved there so I'm not sure about the details – and he and Tiffany moved to Boston for his recovery. The twins were born soon after. He's some sort of police department official there now. She's the top anchorwoman at one of the local stations.”

“I'll definitely be paying attention tonight,” a grinning Zander said.

* * *

“You wanted to see me, Alan?”

Bobbie Spencer stood in the threshold of Alan Quartermaine's office. Alan smiled and beckoned.

“Come in, Bobbie,” he said. “Sit down.”

Bobbie looked puzzled.

“Is everything all right?” she asked, thinking of Carly.

“Actually, that remains to be seen,” Alan replied. “I wanted to discuss the future of the nursing department with you. We've been without a nursing director since Audrey retired earlier this year. I've been working with the other department heads to handle things as we planned what to do next, but it's time to make the next move.”

“Are you starting a search?” Bobbie asked. “What are you looking for?”

“Nursing's changed a great deal since Audrey started,” Alan said. “The duties, technology, the different professional levels of nursing, the specialization. We need someone who understands modern nursing and management while maintaining our tradition of excellence.”

“Sounds like a tall order,” Bobbie said. “When does the search begin?”

“Today,” Alan said.

“I'll be glad to help in any way I can,” Bobbie said.

“I'm glad to hear that,” Alan said, leaning back in his chair. “Because our search begins with you. I want you to be our next director of nursing at General Hospital.”

Bobbie goggled. She could barely breathe. Alan couldn't help but grin at her reaction.

“R-really?” she gasped.

“Really,” Alan said.

“And – and everyone's on board with this? The department heads – including Tony – and Stefan?”

“The decision was unanimous,” Alan said. “We could think of no one better. You came up through the ranks here, Bobbie. You know this place inside and out. You've done every kind of nursing here. You have the respect of your peers, the younger nurses, the doctors. Come on – you got a unanimous vote with two ex-husbands on the panel. What more validation could you want?”

Bobbie laughed heartily. Then she sat back and looked around the office.

“I ... I can't believe this,” she said. “I never dreamed I could follow in Audrey's footsteps. She's been an icon here, someone to look up to.”

“You've shown yourself to be her equal, Bobbie,” Alan said gently. “I've been here the whole time, and I know how not easy it's been for you, and everything you've overcome and endured and survived. You've earned this. I think Steve would agree with me. I know Audrey does – she recommended you.”

Tears filled Bobbie's eyes.

“Oh...” she whispered. “That is the greatest honor I could ever have.”

“Audrey said you reminded her of herself,” Alan said. “She wasn't always an icon, you know.”

Bobbie smiled.

“I know,” she said. “When I was boarding with Jessie Brewer, there were times that I felt I wasn't going to get through nursing school, or succeed as a nurse. She'd tell me stories of Audrey from the old days, and the things she herself went through, and I'd feel better, like maybe I had a chance after all.”

“You made the most of that chance, Bobbie,” Alan said. “So I take it you're accepting the offer?”

“Yes!” Bobbie cried, wiping her eyes.

“Excellent,” said a beaming Alan. “You'll start your new position in two weeks. Take next week off – you're going to need a rest before jumping in. The week before you start will be meetings with the department heads, and learning your new responsibilities.”

“Oh, Alan! Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Thank you, Bobbie,” Alan said. “You're allowing us to continue our excellence in nursing, and you'll serve as an inspiration to the younger nurses.”

“I can't wait to tell the kids!” Bobbie said.

“Carly comes home tomorrow, right?” Alan asked.

Bobbie nodded. “I'll have her come over tomorrow night or Sunday and tell her,” she said.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Alan called.

Tony Jones stuck his head in the door. He looked at the two happy people in the office.

“I take it she said 'yes?'” Tony queried.

“Most definitely!” Bobbie exulted. Tony stepped in, bearing a bouquet of bright Gerber daisies.

“Congratulations,” he said. Bobbie flung her arms around him.

“Thank you!” she said. “And not just for this, but for believing in me enough to vote for me!”

“I couldn't think of anyone better,” Tony said. “What are you going to do to celebrate?”

“Oh, I wish Lucas was home!” Bobbie said. “He's supposed to get home tomorrow. Jerry's out of town, too, and Carly comes back tomorrow. I guess I'll call Luke and see if he's free!”

* * *

Thanks to leaving early, good weather and little traffic, the Johnsons made good time. By lunch, they were near Decatur, Ala., just a short hop from the state line with Tennessee.

They stopped at a highway rest area for lunch. Celeste had brought canned tuna, a plastic container of chopped celery and an unopened jar of mayonnaise. She mixed them up with a plastic spoon on a paper plate, and piled the tuna salad onto hamburger rolls she'd brought. She also cut some orange wedges. Stan got himself and Epiphany some diet cola from the vending machine. Wayne and Celeste drank bottled water.

“We've done good so far,” Stan said, looking at the map printout. “I thought we'd only get this far today before we had to stop.”

“We're not stopping yet?” Celeste asked plaintively.

“There's still plenty of daylight left,” Epiphany said. “Besides, no hotel's going to let us check in until after 3 at the earliest. If we drive another three hours, we'll get to around Nashville. That'll be a good place to stop. Then, tomorrow, we can get into Ohio, probably past Columbus if we make good time. That'll make Sunday easy – we go to services, and then drive about six hours to Erie. Monday, it's just three hours or so to Port Charles. We can be there around lunchtime.”

“Sounds like ... a good plan,” Wayne said.

Celeste thought for a minute.

“I guess so, too,” she said. “We get this big a chunk out of the way today, it'll make the next few days that much easier. And we're not missing Sunday services when we have so much to be thankful for.”

Just then, an Alabama state patrolman stepped out of the department trailer about 50 feet away. He wandered over to the vending machine for a Coke, then came over to where the Johnsons were sitting.

“Afternoon,” he said.

“Good ... afternoon, officer,” Wayne said.

“Saw your plates,” the patrolman said. “Coming from New Orleans?”

“Yes, officer,” Celeste said. “My daughter and grandson have been working like crazy the last 48 hours to make sure we could leave. We were out of there before dawn today.”

The patrolman nodded approval at Epiphany and Stan.

“Good move,” he said. “I was just watching the news over in our trailer. It's looking bad for your neck of the woods. I can't believe no one's giving any kind of evacuation order yet. You folks were smart to leave today before things got crazy. How far you headed?”

“Nashville today,” Epiphany said. “Port Charles, New York, is where we're going.”

“You'll have good weather for the trip today,” the patrolman said. “Nothing's in the forecast for the rest of the day. Stick with the speed limit, and you'll be there well before supper. Have a safe trip.”

“Thank you, officer,” Wayne said.

The patrolman tipped his cap and went towards the rest rooms. Celeste began clearing up the paper plates and napkins.

“I'm going to stretch my legs for a few minutes,” she said to Epiphany. “Then I have to use the restroom and check my blood sugar.”

“That's fine, Mama,” Epiphany said. “We've got time.”

* * *

Jason Quartermaine sat on a park bench in Steve Hardy Park, seething.

It had been a wretched day at his rescue squad class. They had started timed drills that day, where trainees had to get and relay vitals, and then apply the ordered treatment, on a computerized dummy within a certain amount of time. While they were working, they were badgered by the instructors.

When Jason's turn came up, one of the instructors, Frank Scanlon, was all over him like white on rice. Jason still winced remembering it.

“Come on, Quartermaine! What, are you waiting for the maid to do it for you?”

“You're not in a coma anymore, Quartermaine, you can move, you know!”

“Jeez, I know you probably never dirtied your hands at the preppy boarding school, but fer cryin' out loud, it's just a dummy!”

Jason felt like everyone was judging him the same way, that no one really respected him. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face. He had to calm down. He was meeting Emily, Nikolas and his parents for dinner at a Waterfront District bistro in a little while. He didn't want them to find out about what had happened. At best, his parents would worry. At worst, they'd intervene, and that would ruin any chance Jason had at earning respect.

“Hi, Jason,” a nearby voice said.

Jason whipped his head to one side. Sam McCall was walking towards him.

“Hi, Sam,” he said. “How's it going?”

“Pretty well,” she said. “Just finished my shift. How was class today?”

Jason grimaced. “Long day,” he said briefly.

“Where you at right now?” Sam asked.

“Timed drills,” Jason said.

“Let me guess,” Sam said. “You got rode hard.”

“Yeah,” Jason said.

“Who?”

“Frank Scanlon.”

Sam rolled her eyes. “Figures,” she said.

“What's his problem?” Jason asked.

“Frank is a classic ex-big man on campus,” Sam said. “He was a star football player at St. Ignatius – broke the school and league rushing records. He was also Homecoming King. He got scholarship offers from a lot of schools – Syracuse, Penn State, Rutgers. But the one he really wanted was Notre Dame. Two days after Notre Dame offered him a scholarship his senior year, he blew out his knee in a game. All the offers went away. His parents couldn't afford to send him away to college, so he went to Iroquois Community College. He needed a job, so his mother, Mary, who's a nurse over at Mercy, suggested becoming an EMT. Frank was really good at it from the start. But then his brother, Joe, got a full scholarship to Columbia to study medicine. Joe came back here to do his internship at GH, and stayed on. Frank had always been the star while Joe was the quiet, geeky younger brother. Now Joe was the successful Scanlon, and it really ate Frank up. Looking at it, I can see why he targeted you.”

“Why?”

“Your family,” Sam said. “He's got a big chip on his shoulder when it comes to social status now that he's not the big dog anymore. Also, well, you dated Karen. Frank was crazy about her when she came back to town – Karen and the Scanlons were childhood friends. She dated Joe for a while, and that really ticked Frank off, Karen said. After things with Joe fizzled, Frank tried to make a move but she wasn't interested.”

“Oh, man,” Jason said.

“But while Frank may have been particularly hard on you, he was supposed to be,” Sam said. “What did you do as he was on you?”

“Took the vitals, followed the instructions,” Jason said. “It took everything I had not to turn around and punch his face in.”

“You did exactly what you were supposed to do, Jason,” Sam said approvingly. “That's what the drill is all about.”

“I don't get it,” Jason said.

“You've been learning and training in a controlled environment,” Sam said. “But out in the field, it's completely uncontrolled. You're generally going into total chaos – car accident, shooting, a sudden heart attack. You've got screaming, thrashing, shouting. And that's just the patients, who may also be bleeding, throwing up and filling their shorts all at once. Throw in loved ones and bystanders who can be totally hysterical, police, firefighters and maybe the press, and you have to work in pretty crazy situations. Believe me, whatever Frank threw at you today is nothing compared to what you can get out in the field. And, you know what? You probably earned some respect from him today. May not make him ride you any less, because if Frank sees something in you, he'll push you to the limit. You'll probably hate his guts, but a lot of current EMTs owe him some thanks.”

“Wow,” Jason said. “Thanks for telling me this, Sam. It actually makes sense what he did. I think I can let it roll off a little easier now.”

“Good,” Sam said, smiling.

“Let's change the subject,” Jason said. “You going to the party tomorrow night?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sam said. “Should be quite the surprise. The way Robin described it, Karen's dad has this organized like a military mission. Karen'll have no idea what hit her.”

“I have to go get her present tomorrow,” Jason said. “I'm totally stumped. We've gotten together a lot since I came home, but I'm still clueless on what to get her.”

“Maybe something for Bucky,” Sam said.

“Who is Bucky?” Jason asked, furrowing his brow.

“Her iguana.”

Jason stared at Sam to see if she was kidding. She wasn't.

“Get out!” Jason said. “The only reptile I can imagine her having are some crocodile pumps.”

Sam giggled. Jason looked again at her. She was so much more vivacious than in his dream, where everything with them had been a crisis with lots of tears and angst.

“Maybe you can get something iguana-related,” she said.

“I'm trying to picture an iguana in one of those designer dog sweaters, you know, with the boa cuffs and pink sequins,” Jason began, which made Sam laugh again.

“Or maybe one of those rhinestone collars!” she chortled.

“Oh, that's good,” Jason said. “I may just have to do that. Get a little engraved charm on it.”

“Karen has the sense of humor to appreciate that,” Sam said, wiping her eyes.

“Thanks for the inspiration,” Jason said. “What time is it?”

Sam checked her watch.

“About 4:30,” she said. “By the way, start wearing a watch every day to get used to it. You need it out in the field.”

“Okay,” he said. “I better get going. I have to meet my parents, sister and her boyfriend down the street for dinner in a while, and I still have to find someplace to change.”

“Come over to Kelly's,” Sam said. “You can use my room there. And the men's bathroom's right down the hall.”

“Thanks, Sam,” Jason said. “My car's right here – we can drive over.”

* * *

Epiphany parked the car out in front of the quaint 50s-themed hotel just north of Nashville. Please let there be room for us, she thought. I'm too beat to drive another mile.

Thankfully, there was space. Epiphany got a double room on the first floor for herself and her parents, so she could help with Wayne, and a single for Stan. She was even able to get them next door to each other. They drove around to the rooms and brought in the duffel bags and suitcases. Stan brought the coolers into his room, put the bottles of juice into the tiny fridge, and emptied the coolers into the tub. He'd fill them up at the ice machine in the morning. He looked out the back window of the room and grinned.

Celeste and Wayne were sitting up on one bed in their room, watching The Weather Channel. Epiphany was unpacking the toiletries.

“There's a pool in the courtyard, Mama,” Stan said. “I'm going for a swim.”

“Did you bring a bathing suit?” Epiphany demanded.

“Yeah, I thought we might stay at at least one place with a pool,” Stan said. Epiphany rolled her eyes.

“That's fine, but don't be too long,” she said. “We'll go to supper around five-thirty. I don't know about you, but I'll be going to sleep immediately after that. Right now, I'm taking a nice, cool shower.”

The hotel had a retro-look restaurant on the other side of the lobby. Since it meant no driving, it was just fine with Epiphany. Stan looked at her – he could see she was exhausted.

“I'll go to the store for you after dinner, Mama,” he said. “Get some stuff for lunch tomorrow so we don't have to stop at a restaurant.”

“Thanks, baby,” Epiphany said gratefully.

Epiphany, Wayne and Celeste were sawing logs before Stan got back. He'd picked up turkey breast, cheese slices and a small loaf of bread for sandwiches, as well as some bottled water and iced tea, bananas, yogurt for Wayne, more orange juice for Celeste, and a Moon Pie for himself.

Stretching out on the bed, he turned on the TV. The news showed preparations going on back in New Orleans. Stan thought about Marcellus – were they putting plywood on the windows today? He changed the channel and found a sitcom. Three minutes later, he was sound asleep.

* * *

Emily and Nikolas were waiting outside the bistro when Jason pulled up. He gave the keys to the valet.

“You look wonderful,” Emily said with a kiss as Jason shook Nikolas' hand, both tacitly agreeing to leave the incident at the party in the past.

Sam had given Jason her room key to let him change while she waited downstairs at Kelly's. After the Nurses' Ball, Jason had gone back to Christophe to get some clothes for fall. He'd liked the blue pinstripe suit so much, he got one just like it in gray. He was wearing it now, with an open-collar charcoal shirt.

Jason was willing to forgive Nikolas simply because of the way Emily looked. The mauve shadows under her eyes were gone. Her hair shone, her smile was brilliant, she radiated confidence and happiness. He wasn't the only one who noticed – Jason saw several young men at the bar glancing Emily's way.

“You two look pretty sharp, yourselves,” Jason said. Emily was wearing a mock-wrap sundress in royal blue, with silver beading and embroidery under the bust, and silver sandals. Nikolas was in tan slacks, with a black blazer and a black-and-tan graphic print shirt.

“Have you seen Mom and Dad yet?” Jason asked.

“They called two minutes ago,” Emily said. “They were just heading out of the hospital then. So they said to go to the table and they'd be here in about 20 minutes.”

The maitre d' came up at that moment, and escorted the three to their round table on the back patio. A young maple tree was in the middle, strung with white Christmas lights. The patio was fenced in, with potted plants along the walls and the stone floor creating a quiet oasis in the middle of the Waterfront District.

“Is champagne all right?” Nikolas asked Emily and Jason.

“Sounds good to me at the end of a long week,” Jason said. The wine steward answered Nikolas' beckoning. Nikolas ordered a bottle of Veuve-Clicquot and four glasses.

The three were talking about mutual friends, and Karen Wexler's birthday party, when Alan and Monica arrived. Alan ordered ginger ale for himself.

They looked over the menu. Jason ordered the Dover sole with periwinkles, sauteed mizuna and a sauce made from vin jaune d’Arbois. Alan selected poached lobster with black truffle, spinach and salsify. Emily took the free-range chicken with a fricassee of asparagus and morels. Monica chose the halibut with black truffle, tomatoes, artichokes and lemon. Nikolas got the spring squash ravioli in a sage pesto.

“I can't believe Labor Day weekend is just a week away,” Monica said. “This summer has flown.”

“We'll have to meet with Cook tomorrow to discuss the holiday cookout,” Alan said. “I hope you can make it, Nikolas.”

“I'd love to,” Nikolas said. “Any time Cook plays with the smoker, I'm there. Especially if he and Uncle get into another wet-vs.-dry ribs debate.”

“School starts soon, doesn't it, Emily?” Monica asked.

“The day after Labor Day,” Emily said. “I have registration next week.”

“What are you taking?” Jason asked.

“Just the two classes I took incompletes in this summer,” Emily said. “The lab research class, and gerontology with a clinical rotation. My adviser wants me to come back slowly, to make sure I'm committed. I was, like, if I'm not committed, I wouldn't be here. But that's the way it has to be. I'll take a full courseload in the spring – oncology, pediatrics and OB/GYN, all with clinical rotations. It'll mean graduating a semester later, but it's okay. And with everything going on, like Skye's wedding, I'll be busy enough. Any good hospital gossip?”

“Yes, actually,” Alan said. Emily looked over with a raised eyebrow. Alan told of Bobbie's promotion to director of nursing.

“That's fantastic!” Emily said, clapping her hands. “It's the perfect choice! She's been there all her career, but she relates so well to the younger staff. Good move, Dad!”

“Carly will be thrilled,” Jason said.

“I think this'll score me enough points to keep her out of my hair for a while,” Alan said jokingly. Jason didn't show he was bristling inwardly at the joke at Carly's expense.

Dinner arrived. The conversation was light, mostly talk of other hospital and Port Charles doings. Then came dessert. Nikolas chose Baba Rhum. Emily went with a strawberry sorbet. Monica and Alan shared a bittersweet coffee mousse. Jason had rhubarb crumble. While waiting for dessert, Emily excused herself to go to the restroom. Jason noticed the young men at the bar checking her out again. I probably was just as dorky about checking girls out at that age, he thought before turning back to the conversation with his parents and Nikolas.

Emily sauntered out of the restroom. As she passed the bar, one of the young men said, “Excuse me, is your name Emily?”

She smiled, but was puzzled. “Yes, it is.”

“It's so great to see you in the flesh – I mean, in person,” he said. “I was wondering, could I have your autograph?”

Emily furrowed her brow in confusion. “I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else,” she said.

The young man held out something. Emily looked down and let out a shriek of horror – it was that European tabloid, opened up to the pictures of her and Nikolas making love on the Cassadine Island.

Emily turned beet red, whirled around and stomped out to the patio as laughter crescendoed in her wake.

“Emily, what is it?” Nikolas asked in alarm as she reached the table.

“These guys at the bar,” she gasped, blinking back tears. “They asked me to autograph that awful tabloid! Nikolas, it was humiliating!”

Nikolas jumped up and ran out to the bar. But the young men had already paid their tab and gone. Furious, he went back to the table.

“They're already gone,” he said through clenched teeth. Monica was saying soothing platitudes to a distraught Emily as Alan looked grim. Jason looked at them, blinking in confusion. “I'll explain later,” Alan said to Jason in a whisper.

* * *

Luke and Bobbie sat beaming at each other at a table at Vagabond. Lucky had already sent over a bottle of champagne in honor of the occasion, and had already insisted dinner was on the house. In fact, he was going to have the chef make something extra special for her.

“I don't think my feet have touched the ground since this morning,” Bobbie said, laughing.

“Success becomes you, Barbara Jean,” Luke said.

“Can you believe it?” she asked for the fifth time since she'd given Luke the news. “I mean, I think about how I was starting out, how I almost trashed my career switching that pregnancy test to get Scotty away from Laura. How lucky that I didn't!”

“You've come a long way, baby,” Luke said. “Now you're the younger generation's Audrey Hardy.”

“That's a lot to live up to,” Bobbie said soberly. “I hope I can do as well for those girls as women like Audrey, Jesse and Diana Taylor did for me.”

“Ah, those were the days,” Luke said. “You went on to have your own Dr. McDreamy in Noah Drake.”

“Oh!” Bobbie said. “I knew there was something I forgot to tell you! It's about Noah.”

“What, Noah chucked medicine to become a rock star?” Luke asked.

“No, silly!” she said. “His son is one of the new interns coming in! Boy, does that make me feel old!”

“And look what old age has gotten you, kiddo,” Luke said. Bobbie's eyes filled.

“I am so blessed,” she said. “Only one thing would make this day perfect – my children being here. I stopped in to visit BJ's grave on my way over here.”

“She'd be way proud of her mama,” Luke said. Bobbie clasped his hand, then raised her glass.

“Another toast?” she asked.

“What to this time?”

“Looks like you two are celebrating something good,” John Durant said, walking by the table.

“John!” Bobbie said. “Yes, we have something to celebrate.” She told him of the promotion. John beamed, and he felt a suspicious dampness in his own eyes. He took Bobbie's hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Way to go, kiddo,” he said.

“Join us for some champagne?” Bobbie offered.

“Don't mind if I do,” John said, sitting down. “I'm meeting a colleague for dinner, but I'm a little early.”

Coleman came over with a flute for John and filled it.

“To you, Bobbie,” John said, raising his glass. “For all you've become.”

“I'll drink to that,” Luke said.

“You'll drink to just about anything,” Bobbie teased as the glasses clinked.

“It's really something,” John said after they'd drank. “Who'd've thought back in Florida that us three 'po' whites' would be where we are today?”

“Not my old man, that's for damn sure,” Luke said.

“It's been quite a journey,” Bobbie said. “Lord knows I nearly derailed myself lots of times.”

“I always figured I'd live fast and die young,” Luke said. “I figured I'd have some adventure before that, but I never could have pictured everything that's happened. It all goes back to Laura.”

“It was a hard fight,” John said. “For so long, I put on this mask of respectability so no one would judge me by my background. Then, about ten years out of law school, I said, 'screw it.' If people couldn't accept me because I came from a shack on the wrong side of the tracks, that was their problem. The funny thing was, once I let go of that fear of being exposed, everything took off.”

“The old Bard put it best,” Luke said. “'To thine own self be true.' For a lot of years, I took that as my excuse for being selfish. I was who I was, and I wasn't going to change. But I learned from people around me – Bobbie, here, Laura, Robert – that it meant something more, that it meant I had to stand for something. It may not be what everyone thinks you should stand for, but it works for me.”

Luke refilled the flutes.

* * *

The clambake-style dinner was a rousing success. Lobster shells filled two large bowls at the center of the table. Another bowl held clam shells and chicken bones. And who could complain about rich vanilla ice cream topped with farm stand berries in their own syrup and fresh whipped cream?

Alexis and Cameron invited little Molly Prestash to stay the night. No one wanted to mar the evening with a tearful farewell scene with the girls, who'd struck up an instantaneous friends-forever friendship when Molly showed Kristina how to drip wet sand between her fingers to make pretty sand castles. So they were sent up to Kristina's bedroom after dinner. Ida would get them ready for bed, and watch them until they fell asleep. Molly's parents would pick her up in the morning when they were ready to leave for home.

The 14-year-old Donnelly twins – Elsie and Mae – went into the living room off the kitchen. The movie options at the rental house were limited to fairly wholesome fare. Finally, they settled on Anne of Green Gables and settled on the couches, Elsie occasionally taking furtive glances out the window at Zander.

The adults congregated on the sprawling porch overlooking the water, sipping cognac. Cameron, Sean Donnelly and Ron Prestash sat on porch chairs, smoking cigars. Zander sat on the porch steps next to them. The women – Alexis, Tiffany Hill and Diane Prestash – were gathered around a table upwind from the men and their cigars.

The men were talking sports, including whether the Patriots would repeat their Super Bowl success, and the joy in Red Sox Nation since the previous October. Ron Prestash, a sports agent in Boston, explained issues like salary caps and luxury taxes. Zander listened in fascination.

“So, this is it for you, Zander,” Ron said. “Your last semester. What are your plans after graduation?”

Zander flushed a little.

“Nothing's set right now,” he said. “There'll be corporate recruiters coming on campus this fall, so I'll look at my options.”

“A good plan,” Ron said.

The women, meanwhile, were talking about their children.

“How did the girls get their names?” Diane asked Tiffany. “It's so refreshing, in the days of Madisons and Nevaehs, to see simple, sweet, old-fashioned names.”

Sean, standing nearby as he refilled his cognac, turned what could have been a howl of laughter into a cough. Tiffany glared at him.

“It's like this,” she began, blushing. “And this is just between us – if I see this story in the Boston Herald, I'm coming for each and every one of you.

“Tiffany Hill was the name I took when I became an actress,” she said. “I worked my tail off to achieve this glamorous, sophisticated persona. I was hob-nobbing with the jet set, like Alexis' uncles. When Sean and I fell in love, I kept my upbringing a secret from him. He only knew me as Tiffany. He didn't know my background until our wedding day, when my folks, who were rather ... rural ... showed up.”

“You can imagine my surprise when the minister asked, 'Do you, Sean Donnelly, take Elsie Mae Crumholtz...'” Sean said dryly. Cameron nearly choked on his cognac. Zander looked away to force back laughter. Ron bit his lip. Alexis and Diane couldn't look at each other.

“Even sweet Lila Quartermaine could barely keep a straight face,” Tiffany said. “Sean couldn't say my name in the vows without laughing – or everyone else laughing. I was ready to kill Robert and Duke – Sean's groomsmen. Hell, at that point, I could have cheerfully murdered everyone in the room.

“So, when the twins were born, I was kind of loopy from the epidural,” Tiffany went on. “Sean whispered in my ear something about naming them after me. I was halfway to la-la land by then, so I had no clue what he meant. When I saw them in the nursery, and the name tags, I went ballistic. The nurses made us leave.”

“You had your hands around my neck, love,” Sean said. “And new parents don't generally use that kind of language.” At that point, no one could hold back the laughter. When it subsided, Ron and Diane said goodnight to go home and finish packing. Ron handed Zander his business card and told him to keep in touch, and that he'd be glad to offer any insights when it came time to looking for a job.

After everyone settled down again, Tiffany said to Alexis, “It's something. To anyone looking in, they'd think we're just everyday respectable families. And here Sean's an ex-spy and your family tried to freeze the world. Then there's friends like Anna, Luke, Laura, Felicia, the Quartermaines...”

“Never a dull moment,” Zander said, then excused himself to go inside and get some of Alexis' chocolate-chip cookies that were on the coffee table. He stopped and chatted for a while with Elsie and Mae.

“Frisco Jones called me last week to tell me about Faison,” Sean said in a low voice. “I hope Luke's up to what's coming.”

While Sean had forgiven Luke for shooting him, he still didn't trust him. Luke was too impulsive, too self-centered, too fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants, too much in love with adventure to be counted on.

“I think he is,” Cameron said. “He was really serious when I went to see him before we left. He's playing this pretty close to the vest – just his folks, the Cassadines, the Scorpios and a few close associates know. His top concern right now is making sure Laura and the kids have a support system in case ... the worst happens.”

Tiffany looked away, tears in her eyes. She'd already lost Robert to Faison, and all those years without Anna. She'd come back to Port Charles and spent anxious days at Laura's bedside when Laura broke down following Faison taking Lucky and making everyone believe Lucky was dead. “I don't think I could bear losing another friend to that bastard,” she whispered.

“Don't worry, Tiffany,” Alexis said, putting her arm around Tiffany. “Luke is smart. And he'll be around professionals.”

Sean looked at his watch.

“I think it's time to get Elsie Mae, and Elsie and Mae, home,” Sean said. “Thanks for such a great dinner, guys. We'll see you tomorrow on the beach.”