General Hospital Update Tuesday 2/18/03

By Glynis
Pictures by Juanita

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Edward met Jax on the docks, like summoned. He sarcastically asked if the Aussie was going to throw himself off the docks out of pity, hoping for a “yes” in reply. Jax assured him he was not, that rather he had an offer for the old man. Edward told he’d rather be shot at sunrise than join into a partnership with Jax after he humiliated Brenda. He did, however, admit it would have been worse if he had married her. Jax tried to push his business proposition forward, telling Edward he was aware of his current venture and also wanted to ruin Sonny, reminding Edward of the influences at his disposal. Edward turned a shoulder, pointing out that particular undertaking was Ned’s. Jax pointed out he was able to read the old man well over the years and could safely assume that Ned was playing coherently into his grandfather’s hands. Edward told Jax he wanted to emerge himself in Ned’s obsession because he was too weak to face his own guilt. “The man who broke Brenda’s heart was you. … You found your Lila. … Brenda was the missing piece of your puzzle. She made your life complete.” Edward told him. He then turned to the young entrepreneur and told him that he had once thought him an intelligent adversary, but that feeling was long gone.

Faith and Ned were snuggling in bed when Sonny barged in on them asking what they had done with Carly. Ned had just been congratulating Mrs. Rosco on her show of restraint and was obviously out of the loop, but played the improvisation game well. He reminded Sonny that Jax had stopped his own marriage because of the kiss the mobster had shared with his bride-to-be. Sonny warned the duo that if they did anything, they were both dead. Ned told him that whatever happened to Carly – dead or alive, it was because of him. Sonny let that one hit home and put his hands around Ned’s throat. Faith stuck a gun in Sonny’s back before Ned could turn blue though, ending the assault. “You’d better hold tight onto that gun, ‘cause if you did anything to my wife, you’ll need it,” Sonny threatened. As soon as Sonny was out the door, Ned turned to his accomplice, wondering what she had done this time. She admitted she’d had her goon follow Mrs. Corinthos and slip something into her drink, planning to take her upstairs and give her a “pony ride.” But the admission followed with the disappointing news that her plan had been thwarted when Rick Lansing had showed up and gotten rid of her handyman. Ned was pissed to find out his partner had planned to have Sonny’s wife kidnapped and rapped; she asked if he had a problem with her methods. “I take exception to stupid and insane plans that are absolutely guaranteed to reduce each of us to a smudge on the sidewalk,” he told her, pointing out that the mission was a suicide attempt since Sonny was so devoted to his family. She called attention to the fact that Sonny’s attachment to his family was his single weakness, and they should strike where it hurt the most. She agreed to let Ned make the next move, reminding him that she has what it takes execute the plan to perfection. She started to undress him, but when his cell phone rang he pulled himself away quickly and answered. Jax was on the other end, with a proposition for yet another Quartermaine. “I’m interested in a little business venture that you started,” Jax told him. Ned pointed out he needed to be a little more clear than that. “It’s time to ruin Corinthos,” Jax announced, claiming to have the essential resources Ned would need to accomplish his goal.

Brenda was just leaving the cottage when Skye walked in looking all smug about the recent wedding mishap. Skye reminded Brenda that the cottage was half hers and acknowledged Brenda’s discretion by moving out so quickly. “Are you moving in with Sonny?” she asked mischievously, knowing the answer. “I don’t know, we haven’t decided yet,” Brenda spat back sarcastically. Skye pointed out that one option was leaving town like she had promised she would so long ago. Brenda handed her the house keys and pasted on a fake smile. “Now, I don’t want you do worry about me. I can take care of myself,” she said slowly. Skye agreed, telling her she had certainly been taking care of herself well, and managed to ruin everyone else’s lives in the process. She pointed out that though Brenda may not be aware of it, she had ruined her own life more than any other. She then made a snide comment that she was thinking about remodeling and selling the cottage and went upstairs. Brenda stood at the door, silently crying.

She went to the Quartermaine’s where she found Lila. Supportive like always, Lila affirmed she had heard the bad news, but pointed out that things were better this way. Brenda agreed but admitted it was hard to believe it was all happening. Lila assured her she would heal. Brenda considered where she needed to start. She called Jason, getting his voicemail like usual and left him a message telling him she was worried about him and wanted to know how Carly was. She told him she was going to his house and that she hoped that would be okay. As soon as she hung up, the rest of the clan joined her, wondering if she was doing well. Edward told her that he was glad she had returned and ordered Reginald to take her bags upstairs. Monica chimed in at that point, wondering if she had touched base with Jason (and hoping to salvage a relationship between two people who could barely stand to be in a room together). Brenda admitted she had spent the night before at Jason and was on her way there again. Edward voiced his loud opinion, telling her that Jason was as bad as Jax and she wouldn’t be happy. Monica ordered him to stop talking about Jason and Jax, that the situation regarded Brenda. “Old misery here might have a point,” Alan voiced, referring to Edward’s view. He reminded them all that Brenda remaining with Jason would put her in danger. Edward requested she not only refrain from seeing Jason, but stay away from Sonny as well. “Sonny is a happily married man, and I must learn to be a happily unmarried woman,” she told them. Edward told her she would be safe at least and offered her the gatehouse once Ned had moved out. He even offered her a guard to ward off Skye. But the mention of her name started another famous Quartermaine argument, Alan leading the defense against his daughter and Edward and Monica on the offensive. Before the situation could erupt much further, Ned came in and broke things up, sending everyone away. He gave her a big hug and asked her how he could help. She assured him she didn’t need help, that she was going this one alone. He looked at her sadly, pointing out they had just found her again, She nodded and smiled, telling him that she had been so afraid something would go wrong that it did. Ned told her that he would miss her and would always love her. “I’m your biggest fan,” he whispered.

He then headed to the docks to chat with Jax. Jax wanted to know how far along his friend was in his plans. Ned admitted he had the foundation laid, but wanted to build slowly so Sonny wouldn’t know what was coming. He asked if Jax had other priorities he needed to attend to. “Ruining Sonny just went to the top of my to do list,” Jax promised, asking Ned if he wanted help or if Jax was going to have to take matters into his own hands. Ned changed the subject, pointing out that Brenda was going to Europe and that he had a once in a lifetime love before him he should take advantage of. He told him to take the chance while he had it, to go tell Brenda the truth. Jax told Ned that he had told Brenda the truth – at the alter. “I’m telling you know, if you let your pride stop you from fixing this, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life,” Ned told his friend, ordering him to go talk to Brenda.

Jason went to The Cellar to look for Carly but found Courtney instead. Courtney pointed out Rick had been missing all night as well, but Jason didn’t put two and two together. Courtney tried to explain that leaving Carly alone would be best since she had just found out her husband was cheating on her, but Jason refused. Sonny called, ordering Jason back to the penthouse and he excused himself. Courtney asked her ex why he was still following Sonny’s orders, but he left without explaining.

Courtney stayed at The Cellar to follow up on the paperwork for Carly, signing off on an order or two and giving the employees instructions. Elizabeth came downstairs and questioned her about her newfound role. Courtney explained that she was just helping out. Elizabeth told her she was looking for Rick, and Courtney informed her that he’d been missing since the night before. Liz wondered if Jason had seen him, and Courtney didn’t like the reference. Elizabeth emphasized that Jason’s grudge against Rick was obvious and Jason was capable of anything, given the right order. Courtney told Liz that Jason could care less unless Rick was a threat to Carly, but Liz didn’t buy it. She thought Jason would do anything to get the information he wanted out of someone, and pointed out he probably had. Courtney’s heart started racing at that point and she went for the throat, pointing out Liz’s abrupt change of heart: from the jilted love to public menace. She asked Elizabeth why, if Jason was so terrible, wasn’t she glad to be rid of him. Elizabeth assured her nemesis she was simply concerned for Rick, that their recent connection had cleared her vision on who Jason really was. She warned Courtney that Jason was danger personified and that he lived by his own law. Courtney tried to push the matter, telling Liz she was just upset because she had been hanging around Jason and he hadn’t noticed, but Liz got her goat. “How do you know what Jason does or does not notice? He dumped you too, remember? I guess following Sonny’s orders were more important to him that being with you.”

Carly woke up in Rick’s arm’s smiling, until she realized the chest hair on her face wasn’t Sonny’s. Upset she asked the lawyer what had happened and he pointed out that the night’s events were pretty self-explanatory. He reminded her that he found her at the bar and gotten her away from Faith’s henchman, then he spun a story of how she wouldn’t’ take “no” for an answer and suggested they get a hotel room. She told him she didn’t mean to sleep with him, but he had other ideas. He told her that last night was wonderful. She hated the implication and pointed out that she had told him she acted out when she was angry. He reminded her that they were friends, trying to convince her that things were fine, but she didn’t agree. She told him a friend would have realized her vulnerability and turned her down. She then informed him she was going home so that Sonny could tell her he was leaving her for Brenda and she could tell him she had slept with Rick and things would be over forever. She barely got the door open before Rick shut it on her, forcing her to remain inside the hotel room. He told her that she wasn’t going to do that – not ever. He told her she had nothing to gain, but she explained her secrets always had a way of surfacing at the worst of times. She told him that once Sonny found out that they would scream and yell, split up, she would take Michael and Sonny would send Jason to kill Rick. He asked if she was really that cold hearted, but she told him he took advantage of her situation and he could pay for that. She warned him that if he knew her – really knew her – then he would know that if he tried to use her he would be out of her life – permanently. As she was walking out the door, Rick offered a few words of wisdom from his years at law school. He told her if it was really over, not to be stupid and wait on Sonny to attack, to operate with strength and leave Sonny the guilt. He pointed out it would earn more in the divorce settlement for her and Michael. She gave him one last piece of advice: it’s a mistake to use her child to manipulate her, and if he wanted to stay alive he should run.

Once at the penthouse Jason had to give Sonny the news that there was no news. He told him the bartender at Jake’s had seen Carly, but no one had seen whom she had left with. He tried to force Sonny to consider the possibility that Carly didn’t want to be found, but Sonny refused, pointed out that a pissed off Carly was not a quiet Carly. He explained that his wife would fight for their marriage, not run away from it. Jason agreed – that Carly was a fighter, but she might be tired of fighting; that this time it just hurt too much. Jason agreed she was strong, and Sonny warned his best friend that he wasn’t going to stop loving his wife. He told him he was positive she didn’t run, that was beneath her. Just as he said that Jason’s phone rang, and Carly asked him to come pick her up. Sonny refused to let him, taking on the job himself and letting his point man know, point blank, that he was not going to keep him away from his wife.

While Sonny headed to the docks, Jason finally made it home, but he could barely get in the door since Brenda’s luggage was blocking it. She came out of the kitchen stuffing something into her mouth (it was either a chocolate cake donut or rye bread), complaining it was the last thing he had to eat. “Come to think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen you eat. Do you eat?” she asked. He changed the subject, pointing out she should have called before invading his penthouse. “Do you ever check your messages? ‘Cause 15 of them are from me,” she told him. “You’d know I’m staying here if you ever slept at home.” He apologized for her wedding mishap and asked if she needed anything. She admitted she did. Before she could ask, he warned her that she couldn’t stay there, across the hall from Sonny, that he wouldn’t put Carly through it any longer. She assured him she wouldn’t put herself through it any longer and asked him to help her go to Europe. She sat him down and told him that she should have left when she’d seen Sonny and Carly fighting, but she didn’t, and when she saw him there she had something to say. She told Jason that during their conversation the evening before she had realized why he left her, and she wanted to thank him for saving her life. He told her he never had understood why she did the things she did and agreed that she should leave. “Of course you do (think so). You can’t get rid of me fast enough,” she laughed. He smiled but assured her he didn’t like to see her hurting. “I just don’t think there’s much left here now,” he explained. Before the conversation had advanced to details, there was a knock at the door and Jason opened it to find Jax, wanting to talk to Brenda alone. She nodded that it was okay and Jason excused himself.

Once Jax was inside he asked if it was true that she was leaving and she told him yes, that she would be gone for a while. He handed her an envelope. She asked what was in it and he told her - $1 million. “I think it would be best if you don’t come back,” he told her. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

Sonny met with a disappointed Carly on the docks (she’d been expecting Jason). Carly agreed the docks were as good a place as any to end things. She told him that before he walked away she had a few things to say about Brenda. He told her it wasn’t what she thought, but she wouldn’t have it. She told him she couldn’t fight anymore, then started to shout about Brenda, but she stopped herself. She made a point to remind him that she had given him a chance to go back to Brenda and he hadn’t taken it. She told him that she’d warned him early on if he didn’t take that chance and ended up leaving her for Brenda later, she would be torn apart, and he had went and done it anyway. She told him she wanted him to hurt as much as she hurt. He asked her if payback was the reason she disappeared. “You’re damn right.”

Rick rummaged through his room, looking through a folder with Sonny’s picture tacked inside. He went to a drawer, pulled out a gun and loaded bullets into it. Just after he’d slipped the bullets back into the drawer, Elizabeth let herself into the room and saw the gun in his hand.