Dream a Little Dream

Chapter 8

Felicia Jones-Scorpio sat at her desk in the little offices of Jones, Spencer & Spencer, the detective agency she ran with Luke and Lucky Spencer. Lucky sat across from her.

She used Jones as her professional name, so as not to tie Mac in too closely with the business. She didn't want her work to hurt him in any way, him being the police commissioner. Also, clients who may be scared of the police might not want to work with the commissioner's wife if they thought she carried stories home.

It was hard to believe they'd been married for more than ten years. After Frisco had taken off for the last time for his adventurous life as a World Security Bureau agent, she thought she was done with love. But Mac had wormed his way into her heart with his steadfastness and loyalty, which gave the flighty Felicia and her two girls, Maxie and Georgie, an anchor.

There had been one hard time, when Felicia felt trapped by life as strictly a wife and mother, with nothing for herself. It turned into a mad rebellion that nearly destroyed everything and everyone dear to her. Mac didn't understand – other police wives were satisfied with children, hobbies like gardening, and volunteer work, so Felicia should be, too. But that attitude only fueled her anger and rebellion. She told Mac she wanted a divorce, and was ready to take off the minute the girls turned 18 for adventures of her own. She was sick of everything and everyone, including – and especially – herself.

Mac was devastated, and the two separated for a long time. Maxie and Georgie took it hard, and lashed out at Felicia for her selfishness. She went through a deep depression, feeling trapped and angry. Finally, after five days of not leaving her bed, she reached over to the bedside phone and called Lucy Coe. Felicia was almost inaudible in her misery, but Lucy caught on fast that while she couldn't hear all the words, she could hear that her friend was in serious trouble. Felicia was admitted to the hospital that night.

Lots of therapy, and a period on antidpressants, helped her get through. She didn't know that Maxie still bore the scars from that time. Georgie, more empathetic and sensitive, was able to understand and forgive in time. But Maxie, already carrying the wounds of Frisco leaving more than Georgie because she remembered him more, chalked it up to another way love can turn into betrayal and abandonment.

Then Felicia and Mac began marriage counseling. The traditional Mac saw that Felicia needed something of her own to do. The vivacious spirit and love of adventure were two things he'd loved about her at first, so he had to accept that she wasn't going to be satisfied with the conventional. She had been writing copiously in a journal since she began therapy, and Kevin Collins, a part-time novelist, put the idea in her head to do some writing of her own. That led to a freelance writing career – mostly light fiction for mystery magazines at first. Then she tackled Lila Quartermaine's memoirs, and realized she loved digging into a real mystery and finding the truth. The memoirs were never published – they were strictly for the Quartermaine family – but it inspired a new career for Felicia. It led to the private detective business.

Mac hadn't liked the idea of her partnering with Luke Spencer, who was daring to the point of recklessness at times. But Luke was also savvy enough to keep Felicia from getting in over her head on assignments, something Mac came to grudgingly acknowledge with time. Lucky did a lot of the report-writing, and pitched in on surveillance.

Felicia looked over the report Lucky had written.

“Perfect,” she said. “Lots of detail. Faith Rosco will be pleased.”

“Boy, she sure is paranoid,” he said. “This is the fifth case in a year with her.”

Felicia nodded.

“Well, she has reason to be,” she said. “Her late husband didn't check out a business deal carefully enough, and he wound up connected to Sonny Corinthos. The stress of that, plus trying to get out of it and worrying about how it would affect his employees, helped bring on his heart attack. He was pretty young, only in his 40s. It's amazing what she's done with that company since then. People talk about it in the same breath as the Quartermaines and Cassadines.”

“It's been hard on her,” Lucky said. “She seems lonely. It took forever for her to trust us. All she has now is her work, and she's hard as nails with that. And underneath that tough exterior, she's really nice. She's warmed up a lot around us – she actually laughed the last time she was here. And you know she was the one that helped those familes who lost their homes in the big apartment house fire last year, even though publicly the donation is still anonymous. I hope she can find some real happiness.”

Felicia smiled. She loved the way Lucky saw the good in people, as his mother did, despite seeing the worst of them a lot in this work. Cheating spouses, crooked business deals, double-crossers and thieving employees were the bread and butter of a P.I.'s work.

“So I'll call a delivery service and express this report over to Faith today,” Felicia said. “She should get it before noon. I can handle her questions, so you go on to Vagabond, or whatever else you're doing today.”

* * *

Zander Lewis rubbed his eyes. The figures on the page were starting to blur together. He stretched in his seat in the study area inside the PCU Student Center.

He was taking summer courses in order to finish up his MBA sooner. If things went as planned, he'd be done in December. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could get a job and start building that life he wanted with Emily. And when she was done with medical school in a year and a half ... they would be married.

Zander thought little about the actual wedding, other than that joyous moment when the minister says, “I now pronounce that they are husband and wife.” Whatever Emily wanted – a big, splashy affair or a small ceremony in the gardens at the Quartermaine estate – was fine with him. What he thought about came afterwards. Waking up to her every morning, coming home after work to her. And then there would be children. He hoped to give them and Emily everything that mattered – love and security.

He was a little worried about Emily lately. She seemed tired, and distracted. Their nights together had grown rarer, as Emily's medical school schedule seemed to be wearing on her. His father, Cameron, had warned him about this, so Zander was patient and understanding. He knew even if they married right after she finished school, she still had a grueling internship period ahead of her, so children would have to wait until she established her own practice. No problem, he thought. Until then, that would be their time together – an extended honeymoon.

A tap on his shoulder brought him back.

“Hey, Zander, how's it going?”

Zander turned in his seat.

“Hey, Maxie!” he said. “Long time, no see. You doing summer classes, too?”

Maxie sat down next to him.

“Yeah, I figured I'd get a few of the liberal arts courses out of the way in the summer,” she said. “That way, I can take a lighter load in the fall. I'll be taking mostly forensic science courses, so I want to make sure I'm not overloaded.”

Zander nodded approvingly. “Good move,” he said.

Maxie had babysat for Alexis and Cameron's daughter, Kristina, often, to make a little easy spending money. Her long-gone father, Frisco, had set up a college trust fund for her when she was born, doing the same for Georgie. Even though he no longer saw the girls, he was at least man enough to send generous child support to Felicia, never missing a payment, and contributed lavishly to the college funds. Maxie wrote him sometimes, care of the WSB. But while Frisco was her father, Mac had become her dad.

Through her babysitting, Maxie had gotten to know Zander and Emily. She liked them both, and sometimes they invited her to parties with their older group of friends. Maxie loved those times, chatting with old friend Lucky Spencer and hanging out with Robin Scorpio, Karen Wexler, Gia Campbell and Elizabeth Webber. She loved hearing about their work, and what it was like in the real adult world. They were all passionate about their work, as Maxie knew she would be about forensics. They respected her ambitions, and didn't treat her like a little kid.

“So how've you been?” she asked Zander.

“Pretty good,” he said. “Emily's been really busy with school, and having her brother come home, so I haven't seen her as much lately.”

“That was something, wasn't it?” Maxie said. “Imagine waking up with nine years of your life gone, and so many things changed. He must feel like a stranger in a strange land. Have you met him yet?”

“No,” Zander said. “He's stuck close to home, getting re-aquainted with his family, Emily said. I'll meet him soon, though.”

“Well, I better be going for my American Lit class,” she said. “I'm babysitting for Kristina tonight so your dad and Alexis can go to some sort of lawyer function.”

“Have fun with her,” Zander said. “She's in an adventurous mood lately. Take your eyes off her for a second, and she'll have found her way into Alexis' makeup.”

Maxie laughed.

“Thanks for the warning,” she said. “See you soon.”

* * *

“You're not eating much, Gia,” Florence Campbell said.

Gia looked up with a start.

“Sorry, Mom, I'm just a little worried about something,” she said.

“Can I help?”

“I hope so,” Gia replied. “I've got something to tell you and Marcus, but it's not easy. I've been keeping something from you.”

Horrible scenarios flashed through Florence's mind. Gia was sick. Gia was leaving town. Gia was leaving the law to go back – shudder! – to modeling. She steadied herself.

“What is it?” she asked, dread in her eyes.

“I've been seeing someone,” Gia began.

Relief flooded Florence's face. Then the worry came back.

“Please, God, not Nikolas again!” she said.

Gia laughed unsteadily.

“Most emphatically not, Mom,” she said.

Florence waited, wondering what came next.

“It's Linc Murphy,” Gia said. “We've been seeing each other for several months, but it's turning serious.”

Florence was thrown.

“But...but...he's Marcus' friend!” she said.”He's a nice boy and all, but he's only a policeman...”

“Just like Marcus is 'only a policeman?'” Gia fired back.

“You could do better,” Florence said. “A doctor, a lawyer, someone with a big future--”

“Nikolas had that, and look where it's gotten him,” Gia said. “He shuts himself up at Wyndemere and broods. I don't want to be some fancy man's trophy wife. I want to be a full partner.”

“But why Linc, Gia? What is it about him, besides the fact that he's really pretty?”

Gia's face glowed.

“Mom, he may not be a big shot in the world, but he's something more important,” she said. “He's a good man. He's honest and loyal. He's dedicated his career to upholding the right side of things. He's funny and sweet and romantic without being showy about it. He's caring – look how he takes care of his grandmother. You've always admired him for that, and you've liked him from the beginning. He treats me with respect.”

“If he's so respectful, why didn't he go to Marcus and ask permission to see you?” Florence asked sharply.

“Because it's not Marcus' place to permit me to do anything,” Gia retorted. “I'm a grown woman who takes care of myself. I wanted to keep quiet about things until now because we weren't sure where this was headed, and I didn't want to cause Linc any trouble at work. Starting a relationship is hard enough without your big brother interfering with your boyfriend's career. He respected my feelings and was wonderful about it, even though he was more than willing to face anything Marcus dished out. But now ... he loves me, Mom. And I love him. I'm sorry if you don't approve, but I won't put up with any interference. I mean it. Either accept and welcome Linc as a part of my life, or don't plan on seeing me much. That goes for Marcus, too.”

Florence was floored by Gia's determined face. But she conceded that Gia got that from her. She'd made her way up to being an administrator at General Hospital, and it wasn't through connections. It was through fierce determination and hard work. Florence sighed, and echoed what Gia had said to Linc.

“Lord, what will Marcus say?”

Gia's gaze became steely.

“What he says doesn't matter,” she said. “It's what he does that counts. I love Marcus, but I swear, if he makes trouble for Linc, he'll be sorry.”

* * *

The phone at AJ Quartermaine's desk rang.

“Stefan Cassadine for you,” said Rhonda Wexler, his assistant. AJ had hired her after Scott Baldwin gave up his law practice to sit on City Council.

“Thanks, Rhonda,” he said. “Send him through.”

There was a click. “Hello, Stefan,” AJ said. “Good to hear from you. How are things going on your end?”

“I'm well, AJ,” he said. “How is the family? Is Jason adjusting all right?”

“So far, so good. What's going on?”

“I have a business proposition to discuss,” Stefan said. “I've been turning it over in my mind for several years, and I think it's time to move forward. I'd like to set up a meeting with you, Ned, Skye, Tracy, Justus, Nikolas, Faith Rosco and Scott Baldwin. How is your schedule for next week?”

AJ quickly checked his Blackberry. “Right now, Tuesday or Wednesday work best for me,” he said. “I have no meetings planned, so any time of day is good.”

“Excellent,” Stefan said. “I'll get in touch with the others and set it up. Could we use your boardroom?”

“Sure,” AJ said. “Call either me or Rhonda and say when it is. I'll be there. You have me intrigued.”

“I will let you know by tomorrow morning,” Stefan promised.

“By the way, Stefan, I've been meaning to talk with you about something,” AJ said. “I heard Courtney Matthews is handling the fundraising for the mobile clinic at the hospital. Be careful around her. She might use this to make you her next target, or try to worm her way into the life of some old man with lots of money and a weak heart.”

Stefan laughed.

“Don't worry, I know Miss Matthews and I know her history,” he said. “What she wants more than anything right now is respectability for herself. She knows that if she uses her fundraising efforts for the sake of some other agenda, she'll never have a future in this town. Her only future will be back in Atlantic City running two-bit con jobs with her mother, something I think would be most unappealing to her. I'm keeping a close watch on her, and she's been on the level so far. Her ... experience ... has come in handy. Her work has been most impressive.”

“All right, I trust your judgement,” AJ said. “But continue to watch her. She's good.”

“I will,” he said. “I'll speak to you or Rhonda tomorrow. Give my regards to Carly and the boys.”

After hanging up, AJ sat lost in thought for a few minutes. If Stefan's proposal was something interesting, maybe he could get Jason in on it. He wanted to do something for Jason as part of making amends. Jason had been all right since coming home, but never brought up the accident. Kevin had advised Alan and Monica not to push that issue, but let Jason come to it on his own. AJ knew it was the right thing to do, but it made him nervous. Would today be the day that Jason would want to bring it up? He wondered that every morning. He chanted the AA serenity prayer in the shower, and read his big book every night. He hoped it would be enough to get through whatever came. Carly and the boys were counting on him.

* * *

Sam McCall and her brother Danny walked the fields of Steve Hardy Park. It was Sam's day off, and she was spending it with Danny. He loved to come to the park. Sam would push him on the swings, and ride the see-saw with him. Sometimes, they'd watch a baseball game for a little bit. Sam packed lunches for them, and always bought him ice cream.

Danny told her all about his week at the group home. He had chores to do every day – cleaning up his room, helping out with chores, going to school and doing crafts. The crafts were sold at a fundraiser twice a year. The staff there was nice; everyone was his buddy. Sam was thrilled to see him blossom like this, after regressing in the old group home in Florida. Seeing Danny so happy was worth every struggle she had.

They walked by the softball fields. A game was just breaking up. Sam recognized several of the players as policemen.

“Look, there's Lucky!” Danny yelled, and began waving frantically. “Hi, Lucky! Hi!”

Lucky waved back and came over.

“Hi, Danny, good to see you!” he said. “Hey, Sam. Hope you guys are having a good day.”

“It's always good when Sammy's around,” Danny said. “How'd you do, Lucky? Hit a home run?”

“No, but I had a couple of good hits,” Lucky said. “I'm not really part of the team – it's mostly all cops – but they were short a man so Linc Murphy asked me if I'd come in and play today. So, I did.”

Two women approached them.

“Girls, this is my friend Danny McCall,” he said. “You know Sam, of course, from the rescue squad. Danny, these are my friends Robin and Karen.”

“Hi,” Danny said shyly.

“Hi, Danny,” Robin and Karen said in unison.

“How's it going, Sam?” Karen asked. “You working tonight? I have an evening rotation this week.”

“No, I'm off today, so Danny and I are making a day of it,” Sam said. She hated being put in this situation, where she had to chat with people. But she knew Dr. Wexler and Robin were nice, and wouldn't be put off by Danny. Everyone chatted for a few minutes as Danny looked adoringly at Lucky the whole time.

“Well, I guess I better get back to work,” Robin said. “Good to see you, Sam. By the way, I wanted to thank you for your sensitivity with Mr. Greene. The way you handled getting him in to the hospital was perfect. We've got him back on his meds, and hopefully he'll stick to them.”

“Thanks,” Sam said. “We better get going, too. Danny's got to be back by 4. Good seeing you all.”

“Bye, Lucky! Bye, Robin! Bye, Karen!” Danny called as Sam led him away.

Karen furrowed her brow.

“Does anyone else get the feeling that she doesn't like us?” she wondered.

Lucky sighed. Sam's standoffishness was hard to handle sometimes.

“It's not a matter of you guys, Sam's just ... not good socially,” he said. “With a patient, she's wonderful. With the guys in the squad, she's okay. But I couldn't picture her at a party. It's too bad, because she's really amazing. She's taken care of Danny all her life. Working and taking care of him, she's never had the chance to just be herself.”

“It's too bad,” Robin said. “But that's no excuse for shutting the world out. She needs friends. And I propose we be friends to her whether she likes it or not.”

Just then, they were joined by police officer Brian Beck.

“Hey, girls,” he said. “You get the brush-off from Sam, too?”

“Kind of,” Karen said. “But like Robin said, that doesn't mean we have to stay brushed off.”

“Good for you, Robin,” Brian said with a smile.

“Now I really have to be getting back,” she said, looking at her watch. “I have a meeting in 20 minutes! Yikes!”

Brian jumped in. “My car's right over there,” he said, pointing. “I'll drop you off.”

Her face brightened.

“Thanks so much, Brian!” she said. “See you guys later! Karen, call me about Friday night! We'll see about getting Mary and Emily out, too.”

* * *

Ric Lansing picked up his phone, then put it down again. He looked over some briefs, then looked at the phone again.

God, I'm such a wuss, he thought. He picked up the phone and dialed.

“Hello?” came a sweet voice at the other end.

“Hi...Elizabeth, it's Ric Lansing. How are you?” His palms were already clammy.

“Doing well, Ric, and you?”

“Good, good,” he said. “I wanted to thank you for helping Mary. She seems a little better the past couple of days.”

“I'm glad,” Elizabeth said. “I can't imagine what she's been through. Everyone talks about 'support the troops' and all that, but then forget it's more than just a slogan for a yellow-ribbon bumper sticker. Their loved ones need support, too.”

Ric agreed.

“So how was she with you? Did she say anything I should know about? I don't want to step in something and hurt her feelings.”

“No, it's just plain hard for her,” she said. “She's going back to that lonely place she was when Connor died. They had just moved here a few months before he got his orders, and after that, all their time was together, so she never got to make friends. And when he died, she was truly all alone. Nikolas really came along at the right time. He was so terrific, helping her make friends with us. Now he's the one locking himself away. The main thing is, I guess, don't tiptoe too much around it. Let her know you're thinking about her, and want to keep being her friend. You getting her that job was a lifesaver, you know. It gave her something to do – a reason to get up in the morning.”

Ric glowed under Elizabeth's praise.

“Thanks,” he said. “But don't forget, I got something, too – a really great assistant. Struggling as she is, she's never dropped the ball on anything. Any plans for the weekend?”

“Well, Friday looks to be a girl's night out,” she said. “Karen Wexler called a little while ago, and we're going to get Mary to come out with us. Hopefully Emily Quartermaine, too. I'm working Saturday, an evening shift, and Sunday I've got a morning shift. Ugh.”

“Wow, that's a quick turnaround,” he said. “How about a quick dinner Sunday evening?”

Ric didn't see the sweet smile creep onto Elizabeth's face.

“Sure, that sounds nice,” she said. “I get off work around 4, then I have to go home and change. Where do you want to go?”

Ric racked his brain. He'd been so focused on just asking her out, he hadn't thought past the initial question. Vagabond was out. Lucky might be there. He was enough of a shadow without being present.

“How about the Floating Rib?” he suggested.

“That sounds fine,” she said.

“Is 6:30 too early?” he asked.

“No, that's fine,” Elizabeth replied. “I'll see you then. I'm...looking forward to it.”

“Me, too,” Ric said. “See you then.”

He hung up. Then he went out into the outer office and caught Mary Bishop up in a wild waltz.

“What's gotten into you?” she asked, breathless from dancing and laughing.

He diverted from the question.

“It's good to hear you laugh,” he said, with a quick kiss on the cheek. But he didn't fool Mary. She'd seen the phone number he was calling on the Caller ID. Good on you, Ric, she thought. It's about time you made a move.

* * *

Federal prosecutor John Durant was smiling. It wasn't often he was able to give good news to someone.

“You're done, Hutch,” he said to the ruggedly handsome man across his desk. “Your work put Corinthos and the Five Families out of business for good. Feel good about what you've done – you saved a lot of people from tragedy. Because of your help, organized crime will have a hell of a hard time trying to get any kind of grip on this town again.”

Jefferson Smith Hutchins shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Ever since he'd been secreted out of Port Charles more than 20 years ago, the former Frank Smith hitman had been working with the government to help smash organized crime rings all over the country. Most of what he'd done was consulting, helping agents understand the ways of the mob and their enforcers. He also kept an ear to the street, and passed along information. After returning to Port Charles, he'd kept a low profile, working at Luke's as first a bartender, then later managing the place when Luke began expanding to Vagabond and the Haunted Star.

Hutch, who was assigned by Frank Smith to kill Luke and Laura during their Left-Handed Boy adventure, actually turned on Smith and saved Luke's life, helping to bring down Smith for the first time. Luke and Laura welcomed him back joyfully when he showed up in 2002. He was open and aboveboard with them about why he was there – to help bring down the organized crime rackets that had been blighting Port Charles for so long. While Luke understood the pull of the outlaw life, he also knew that the mob's presence was ruining the town – and his business ventures. There'd been a drop in business and bookings in recent months, thanks to the deadly turf war between Sonny Corinthos and Luis Alcazar, with the Five Families getting in on the action once in a while. Luke's was right in the middle of it. People didn't want to come where they were at risk from getting caught in mob crossfire. Luke also knew that as long as the mob had a stranglehold on Port Charles, he could never launch his dream of turning the Haunted Star into a floating casino. No government agency would even consider bringing gambling in to such a combustible situation.

Fortunately, few in town remembered Hutch or his role in Luke and Laura's first heroics. Only Bobbie, Lesley Webber, Alan and Monica Quartermaine and Audrey Hardy remembered him. Lucky knew of him, of course. But they kept silent, respecting his desire for a quiet presence. When first Luis Alcazar and Sonny Corinthos went down, then the Five Families fell one by one, they figured that Hutch might have played a role. But, again, they kept any thoughts to themselves.

Now Hutch was called in to meet with John Durant. He was wondering where his next assignment would be. He'd been dreading this day.

“Where now?” he asked. He was imagining saying goodbye to Luke, Laura and Lucky. It felt like a knife running through him.

John Durant chuckled.

“Nowhere,” he said. “I meant it – you're done. Hutch, you've helped us out a lot. I know it was the condition of keeping you out of prison. But you've been at it longer than many murderers actually serve in terms of prison time, and you've done a lot of good. So we're going to end things and give you back your freedom. You're on your own, now, Hutch. I hope you can make the best of it. What are you going to do?”

Hutch stared blankly. It hadn't been up to him what he was going to do for decades. Now, the world was open to him. He could go anywhere, do anything.

“I'm staying put, if that's not a problem,” he said.

“No problem at all,” John said. “Your work was strictly off the record, and behind the scenes. Nothing can be traced back to you. And with the mob gone from here, I think you're pretty safe, probably safer than anywhere else right now. But if you ever suspect you're not safe – if the hairs on the back of your neck so much as stand – call me right away. We've got your back. We owe you a lot, Hutch, and we'll do whatever we can for you. Now go on – you've got a life out there waiting for you.”

They rose and shook hands.

“Thanks, John,” Hutch said. “I know you pushed for this. So I owe you, too. Call on me if you need anything. And you've got free drinks at Luke's as long as I'm there.”

* * *

“Fifth floor nurses station, Nurse Spencer speaking.”

“Hey, Mom, how's it going?”

“Carly!” Bobbie Spencer said. “How are you? How are the boys? How's AJ?”

“Fine, to all of the above,” Carly Quartermaine replied. “I was wondering what you were doing next Saturday night – a week from this Saturday? Alan and Monica want to have a small welcome-home party for Jason. As I said, it'll be small. The Quartermaines, and a few close friends, that'll be it. I'm sure he'd love to see you, and I want him to meet Dad. Audrey Hardy is coming, as is Stefan Cassadine, Nikolas, Alexis and Cameron, Zander, Felicia and Mac, Kevin and Lucy, and Scott Baldwin. Skye will probably bring Lorenzo Alcazar. Jax may or may not come – it depends on whether or not he's in town. A few of Jason's friends will be there, too – Robin and Karen, most likely. Monica invited Luke and Laura to come up from New York. Lesley said she'd keep Lucas for the night, if you like. Lulu's going to be there, and she'll have Brooke Lynn, Dillon, Georgie and Serena there, too. Maxie and Diego will be there to help out.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Bobbie said, inwardly laughing at the Quartermaine idea of a “small party.” “I've been dying to see Jason since he got out. How has it been?”

A long silence followed.

“Carly?”

“Sorry, Mom, didn't mean to worry you,” she said. “Jason seems to be fine. He's fallen back in with the family okay, I think. And the boys seem to have taken to him really well. It's just ... sometimes when we're at home together, like in the parlor or out at the pool or something, I catch him looking at me funny. It's like he's expecting something from me – some level of connection or understanding that doesn't make sense.”

“Hmmm, that's strange,” Bobbie said.

“It's not very often,” Carly said. “And it's nothing I can point to and say, 'that's what I mean.' It's just a feeling. And I try to understand and help as best I can. Not just for his sake, but for AJ's.”

“Carly, you can't stop them from dealing with what happened,” Bobbie warned. “Don't try to manipulate this to your advantage. It could blow up in your face big time.”

Carly sighed.

“I'm not manipulating him, Mom,” she said. “I'm just trying to keep things from blowing up. It's not just AJ I have to protect. It's the boys, too.”

“Just be careful,” Bobbie said. “You're dealing with something pretty explosive.”

“I will, Mom,” Carly said. “So I'll call you in a day or two when I know the plans. I'll call Dad now. See you later.”

Bobbie hung up with worry in her eyes. She knew Carly was playing with fire. Then her thoughts turned to the party. What would she wear? Something John would notice, she thought.

Since John Durant had returned to town, he and Bobbie had healed a lot of old wounds. He never knew he had a daughter, and had a hard time understanding why Bobbie gave up Carly without a word to him. He probably would have agreed to the adoption – he was a dirt-poor boy who was scrambling to escape his family's poverty, and was in no position to take care of a baby. But he should have known about her existence, he insisted.

John was a brilliant student, even in the sketchy wrong-side-of-the-tracks school he attended. He got a scholarship to a small state school, and from there earned a spot in law school. John got into prosecuting, and through bulldog determination had worked his way up to being one of the most respected federal prosecutors of organized crime in the country. Because of that, he'd come to Port Charles in the late 1990s to start cleaning out the mob influence that was poisoning the city.

While he'd lost track of Bobbie, Bobbie had read his name in a newspaper article five years before he came to town and followed his career after that.

After the dust settled from their initial reunion and his introduction to their daughter, John and Bobbie had settled into a comfortable friendship. But Bobbie had always hoped for something more. Luke, who'd guessed at Bobbie's feelings, asked her if she wanted John today, or the John of her youth. He was a good guy, and Luke liked him after initially being angry over the past, but also understood that time and experience changes a person. Just like he and Bobbie had changed from street hustler and teen hooker into a respectable businessman and nurse.

“You can't go back and be that girl, Barbara Jean, and why would you want to be?” he'd asked her.

The phone rang again. Dream time was over.

“Fifth floor nurses station, Nurse Spencer speaking.”