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Chapter 14 . She was late. All this planning, all the precautions still she was late. Her mother would kill her. Thank God she had been able to talk Nikolas out of going to Brooklyn with Ned and Alexis. She was nervous enough about introducing Nikolas to her mother, much less taking him into the old neighborhood. Now it could be just as bad. If she and Chloe didn’t get back to the cottage before Marcus and his mother got there, Nikolas and Stefan would meet her mom without her there to do spin control. She could hear herself now… “No, mom, they do work for a living. Corporate work….”. So what if the money was hundreds of years old and derived from looting, plundering, and the blood, sweat and tears of serfs. It spends the same, and it’s not like Nikolas did all that himself. She wasn’t so sure about Stefan. “Gia, it’ll be alright…” “I know it will…wait…what do you mean…?” “You’re worried…I can tell…” “Not to be rude…but how?” “You keep tapping your fingers on the steering wheel…plus this is a convertible…I can tell when we’re speeding…” “Sorry…sorry….I’m just nervous….first you talk Nikolas into letting me take the Jag….he’s never let me do that before…now we’re not going to be there when my mom gets there…” “Your mother will love him. You know that…how could she not? Cassadine men have a certain effect on women. You know that…” “I know…I know…it’s just that Nikolas is my first real serious relationship. Before I never cared if mom liked my guy or not…most of the time I liked it better if she didn’t…” “But he could be the one…” “Yeah…he could….scary…” “Tell me about it. You’re not the one who’s pregnant…” “Yeah, but you’ve been through so much this year…this must be great in comparison…” “It is….I always dreamed of being a mother….but of being blind…I have my doubts….I mean when I start to think about never seeing my child’s face…” “I thought Dr. Jones said there was a chance of getting your sight back…” “There is. This year, though it’s hard to know who to count on though…” “Oh..you mean …” “Jax. You can say it….” “Actually, I couldn’t remember his name…” “Oh…well, then now you know…..Gia…why are you slowing down?…” “There’s a truck blocking the road.” “What’s it doing?” “Just sitting there…oh wait…here comes somebody…maybe they can tell us…” *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Nikolas was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, guzzling his coffee….He drained the last drops and started to walk into the kitchen to get another when Stefan touched him on the shoulder… “Nikolas…” “What….” “I think four cups of coffee are more than enough…” “Have I had four…?…I guess I have…I’m sorry…I’m just nervous…” “Whatever for?” “I want to make a good impression on Gia’s mother…” “How could you not?” “Easily…not everyone is impressed by the Cassadine name, Uncle…” “Well, if she’s not, then just send her away….what’s Gia need a mother for in any case? Mine’s never proven herself particularly useful…” “She’s not Helena, you know that…” “I know…I was simply making a jest. Not a very successful one…” “Well, that and I’m started to get worried…Gia and Chloe aren’t back yet.” “You don’t trust Miss Campbell with your car?” “No…No..I do…” “Good….if you had not I surely would not trust her with my fiancée.” “Stefan…you know I trust her.” “Yes. I do. And that is what you must continue to do. So do not worry. She’s probably hurrying her way here as we speak.” “You think?” “I doubt that she would let you meet her mother without her.” “Yeah, yeah…you’re right…” *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Florence stared out the window of her son’s car as they exited the airport and thought about why she had made the flight… “So…tell me about this boy she’s taken up with…” “I wouldn’t call Nikolas Cassadine a boy, mom….” “Oh…oh….Man then…what kind of man is he?” “A very rich one.” “Oh…he has a good job then?” “He has a job, but the money is inherited…” “Did Gia get involved with a snob?” “No, mom, Nikolas is not a snob…now the rest of his family…” “What does his family do that they have all this money?.” “Mom, it isn’t that kind of money…” “What do you mean…my money’s as good as theirs isn’t it?” “No…they’re just old money…big time old money…” “How big time are we talking….do they make six figures?” “Higher, mom…” “They’re millionaires?” “Let’s put it this way. I heard Nikolas gave his 4 year old sister a Faberge egg to play with. His uncle lives in a castle out on the middle of the lake.” “Hmmm….well we’ll see about this. I don’t want Gia getting swept off her feet by a bunch of flash and money. No man is going to see my little girl as some sort of plaything….” “It’s not like that, mom…at least Nikolas isn’t.” “And why not…?” “His mother and brother are very grounded. They do a good job of keeping Nikolas that way…” He turned onto Hwy. 13 and headed toward Nikolas' cottage. “And the rest of the family?…” “The rest of the family I don’t want Gia to have anything to do with…” “Why is that…?” “You know Crazy Vernon that lived down the street?” “That mean old man…what about him?…” “Nikolas’ grandmother makes him look like Barney the Dinosaur…and his uncle isn’t much better…their family definitely has its problems.” “Will I be meeting any of these lovely people tonight?…” Taggert laughed…. “Just the uncle….he’s actually managed to get engaged to a great lady….Chloe Morgan.” “The designer?” “Yeah..” “Well, that’s quite the circle we’re moving in tonight….if I’d have known, I’d have worn my good hose..” “Mom….please….this means a lot to Gia….she really wants you to like Nikolas, so give him a chance…He’s actually a pretty good…” “Marcus…what is it?” “That’s Nikolas’ Jaguar…hold on, mom….”. Taggert pulls his car over to the side of the road and gets out. Approaching the car, he sees it is abandoned. The keys are still in it and the engine is running….He leans over to turn off the ignition and sees his sister’s purse….then he sees the patch of dark maroon on the black leather seats… he touches it with his finger and brings it up to the light….blood. He takes his cell phone out of his pocket and dials… “Yeah….this is Taggert….we have a possible kidnapping and assault on Hwy. 13…get a forensics team out here….Now…” He walks back to the car, stopping before he opens the door. He takes a deep breath. “Marcus…what is it….?” “Mom…you know those family problems I told you about….?”
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