The Path to Power

Chapter Four

 

 

 

"You haven't been arrested. You aren't going to be arrested." Dara shrugs from behind her desk at Skye. "All that is going on now is drama. I would love to know how Scotty and Marcus found out about Alexis since I know that neither you nor Jax would have spilled the beans. Oh that sonofabitch."

"What?"

"What were you wearing when Scott made an excuse for you to come into the office? Was it that coat? That purse?"

Skye looks down at herself. "Yeah, so?"

"Take it off."

"You think they bugged me?!"

"It's Scott Baldwin."

"That little f... Napoleon." Skye jumps up from the chair and strips out of her coat tossing it toward Dara. "I didn't set my purse down. I never do."

"Check it anyway." Dara starts going over the seams of the coat. "Just to see if they planted more than one." She holds up a small wand that she'd discovered at the collar of the coat.

"Can't I sue them or something? This is so wrong." Skye keeps examining her purse finally dumping the contents on the desk to check her wallet too.

"Illegal." Dara agrees. "Nothing they got can be used against you. But unfortunately it can be used against Alexis. Do you remember anything that you might have said?"

Skye shrugs and throws her hands up. "Just talked to Jax about how I wouldn't be able to hold off telling about Alexis for long. There was no way I was going to prison for her... or even be arrested for her."

"I'm no fan of Alexis but I'll tell you this. If she were in her right mind she would have never allowed you to spend a day in jail for something that you didn't do. She's a firm believer in every day being priceless and doesn't figure anyone should lose or waste any."

Skye steps back as if slapped. She'd heard it a thousand different ways. Well mostly as taking things one day at a time but for some reason the way that Dara had stated Alexis' philosophy struck home. She'd been throwing away days at a time at the bottom of a vodka bottle. Days at a time trying to get back something that would never be hers-- even if they ought to be: the Quartermaines, Jax. They'd been robbing her of something priceless and she's let them. Her own life. "Are we done here?"

"Yeah, Scott or Marcus give you any grief just refer them to me. That should back them off soon enough." Dara nods and hands Skye back her coat.

"I'll do that." Skye shrugs into her coat and then with a brief goodbye lets herself out. I need to get to a meeting.

 

 

 

 

Ned carries the car seat into the gatehouse like he is carrying the most precious thing in the world. He doesn't even really take a breath from car to house since the baby had fallen asleep like a little angel as soon as he had gotten her out to the car and he didn't want to wake her until he is ready to play. He tiptoes up to the baby's room. Faith had seen him come in and is already shaking her head at the sight but follows him up the stairs.

Alice is just putting on the finishing touches to the room when Kristina arrives. "Now here is the little Missy."

"She's asleep." Ned hisses in a low voice but hands over the car seat reluctantly.

Alice sets it atop the changing table and reaches into the car seat her big hands supporting the baby. "Well then we should just let her." Alice puts the baby down and gives her a soft pat on the back. Then she hands the baby monitor to Ned. "Here you go, Mr. A. You'll know before I can tell ya when she is awake." Alice shoos Ned out of the room with Faith's help.

Once back downstairs Ned starts restlessly pacing not quite knowing what to do with himself but not going to leave either. Faith finally grows impatient. "Don't you have something to do?"

"I suppose there is something going on over at ELQ." Ned knows there is. "But I don't want to leave either I mean it's Kristina's first day here."

"Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem for you." Faith nods seriously. "It's a good thing that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone right?" Faith sees one of her guys walking up the path to the front door and gets there before he can ring the bell. She opens the door to see her suitcases and things from the hotel. "I'll show you where to put those." She walks back up the stairs to the master bedroom.

The guy deposits the suitcases on the bed. "What's the deal with this?"

"Change in plan." Faith says tersely. "You can reach me on my cell. Back off for now, focus on the business."

"What about Corinthos?"

"Did you get the pictures of his wife going into the hotel with the lawyer?"

"Yeah." Fowler nods still bummed he hadn't gotten a piece of that ass.

"Send them."

"Morgan's been checking up on me."

"Hand off surveillance to someone else. Send the pictures from New York City and take a little vacation. Time to turn up the heat and watch him boil."

"Faith..."

"Yeah, Fowler?"

"Do you want your stuff from the house? I mean you got the stuff from the hotel and you actually married this Ashton guy."

"No. Not yet. Too many memories." Faith admits reluctantly. "Get out of here. Go down to the City and blow off some steam. But don't do anything that I'll have to bail you out for."

"You're no fun, boss."

"I'm plenty of fun. That's why you stuck with me after Roscoe died."

Fowler grins. It's nothing but the truth. "I'll call before I come back."

"You do that." Faith opens her suitcase and starts to unpack not even paying attention as Fowler leaves.

Ned comes into the room as Faith is hanging clothes. "I don't like him around the baby."

"I know."

"And yet he stops by."

"I sent him out of town."

"You could send him to hell and it wouldn't be far enough."

Faith comes out of the walk in closet and stands in the doorway. "You have no idea what it's like in my world as you call it. Fowler stuck with me, and because he did some of my... first husband's people did as well. I literally survived because of him. He's a pitbull, but he's my pitbull; I'm not getting rid of him. So you need to get over it. Did you have something else to talk to me about?"

"I'm going to have a meeting downstairs. My team from ELQ. Easier for them to come here and than to teleconference."

"Fine." Faith shrugs. "Let me know when it's over."

"Faith, you don't have to stay up here or something. I'm just letting you know so you won't come down wearing only one of my ties and get embarrassed."

"I wouldn't be." Faith shrugs. Ned steps toward Faith with a puckish grin. "What happened to your meeting?" Faith asks.

"They can wait."

 

 

 

 

"Are you sure you're up to this today?" Dara asks Stefan after picking him up from the cemetery where he'd been visiting the gravesite of his other sister.

He'd been up in the mountains when Kristina died-- out of communication range. He hadn't found out until after Kristina was already buried the disaster that was Port Charles on his family. "The sooner the better. What else is needed?"

Dara shakes her head. "I already have letters from Dr. Lewis and Dr. Collins regarding Alexis' competency, the Medical Power of Attorney that Alexis left. If Scott Baldwin finds out what we're doing he'll have something to say but I'm trying to keep this as private as a courthouse ever gets. Alexis might pull out of this yet and she'd like a career to come back too. This isn't going to get her out of jail or the hospital but at least you'll be able to make necessary decision for her care and it's a step down the road."

"A step down the road?"

"Collateral estoppal. One court finds something then the rest fall into line. If one judge agrees that Alexis is incompetent at this point then they'll all have to go along. Basically Scott will have to prove that Alexis is competent as well as guilty rather than us having to prove that she's not."

"And Alexis' baby? Ashton taking Kristina from the hospital?"

"The Baby's father has stepped up; that's what they are supposed to do." Dara keeps her eyes on the road. "All the paperwork is clean there. Unless you are planning on declaring Ned Ashton incompetent as well... and then you'd be dealing with the Quartermaines and incompetency has never slowed them down."

Stefan smirks at that one but then clears his expression. "Nikolas's reaction to this woman friend of Ashton is almost as strong as Alexis. It appears that her presence is what further... fractured Alexis psyche."

"Faith Roscoe."

"What do you know about her?"

Dara shrugs. "What I know or what I can prove?"

"Everything."

 

 

 

 

"Well you've sure got a set of lungs on you." Faith leans over the bassinet and brushes Kristina's cheek with the back of her hand. Kristina turns in that direction and draws Faith's finger into her mouth but then spits it out and starts crying all the louder. "Shhhh there. Alice is getting you something to eat, baby. You're fine, just impatient. Like your daddy. He has a habit of rushing things too but I'll slow him down." Faith croons.

Alice bustles in with the bottle followed closely by Monica Quartermaine. "I got her from her, Mrs. A."

"Why didn't you pick her up?" Monica goes over to the bassinet and starts to pick Kristina up.

Faith blocks Monica from touching the baby. "Alice will take care of the baby."

Monica smiles condescendingly at the tousled blonde in the silk robe that is loosely belted. Ned's wives came and went. The only one he'd ever really been in love with was Lois. The rest were all business and that is exactly what this one was as well. "Kristina might not be your child but she is a Quartermaine. I know it's difficult to realize that Ned had someone in his life before you but there is no reason to take it out on the baby."

"Excuse me?" Faith tilts her head to one side. "Are you giving me mommy lessons?"

"I'm just saying..."

"When I think Ned's having a heart attack I'll call you.

"I'm just trying to help."

"You aren't qualified to help and I don't recall asking for any anyway."

"Um Mrs. A, could you and Doc Monica..."

Faith nods and grabbing Monica by the arm leads her out in the hallway and then shuts the door. Monica tugs her arm away. "How dare you!"

Looks like Alice called that one about right. I wonder if I could push her over the edge. "Like I was saying, when I want help parenting I won't be asking the woman whose raised a murderer, an arsonist and a pill popping mafia princess."

 

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