The Devil You Know: Chapter 12

When Jack and Molly got into town, he said to her, “You showed me around Port Charles, now let me show you Llanview.  First stop, dinner at the Buenos Dias.”  They walked into a diner and Jack waved at the waitress.  “Okay if I order for you?”  When Molly nodded, he gave their order. 

“So, this is kind of like Kelly’s,” Molly observed as she looked around.

“Yeah, kind of the place to hang out in town…” Jack said as his voice trailed off.  He noticed Shane Morasco walk in with his parents.  Their eyes locked for a minute and Jack turned away.

Molly looked up to where Jack’s attention was then back to Jack.  “What’s wrong?” she asked as the other boy walked over.

“Though you left town?” the other boy asked.

“Yeah, but I’m back for my aunt wedding…to your grandfather,” Jack retorted.

“Shane, honey, come on.  He’s not worth it,” Gigi said, pulling her son away.

When they walked off, Molly looked at Jack.  “That’s the boy you bullied,” she stated.  When Jack nodded, she asked, “Do you want to leave?”

Jack shook his head and sat up straighter.  “No, I’m not going to let Morasco scare me away.”

They continued to eat their dinner but Molly kept noticing Shane looking over at them.  When Jack had to get up from the table for a minute, the blonde teen came up to her.  “I’d advise staying away from him.  He’s a bully and a killer and he has daddy’s money to protect him.”

“I know all of that,” Molly said forcefully.  “And I know that people can change and they shouldn’t be judged for their past.”  As she finished that sentence, Jack came back and Molly stood up, walked over to him and planted a kiss on him.  Jack was taken by surprise but it was Molly who was more surprised when a familiar voice called her name.

“Molly Lansing-Davis, what are you doing here?” Nikolas Cassadine called out.

Molly spun around and was confronted by her cousin.  “Nikolas!” she called in confusion.  “What are you doing here?”

“That was my question, young lady,” Nikolas asked, putting the full force of the Cassadine Prince into his words.

“I’m here as a guest of Jack‘s,” she said, turning towards the teenage boy.  “Nikolas, this is my boyfriend, John Cramer Manning.  Jack, my cousin, Nikolas Cassadine.”

Shane and his parents melted into the background at the imposing sight of this member of Molly’s family.  “Um, hello sir,” Jack stuttered.

“Mr. Manning.  If you will excuse me, I’d like to have a word with my cousin,” Nikolas said, tugging on Molly’s arm.  They headed outside and Nikolas tuned to face her.  “Now, answer my question.  What are you doing here?”

“Did Mom send you?” she asked back.  When no answer from him was forthcoming, she replied, “Jack’s aunt is getting married on Saturday and he invited me as his guest for it, as well as Thanksgiving.”  Then she crossed her arms over her chest.  “Now, what are you doing here?”

Nikolas sighed.  “Helena will be going on trial here soon and I want to make sure she get what is coming to her.”  Nikolas looked over her shoulder into the diner.  “Manning, as the newspaper publisher?” 

At that, Molly nodded.  “He and his parents relocated to Port Charles late this summer and we became friends.”  She looked through the window before adding, “Uncle Stefan had a biography about his grandfather, Victor Lord.  Would you know why?”

“Uncle probably felt he should have it if he ever came across their family.  Little did he know that would actually happen,” he replied as he went back into the diner.  “Mr. Manning, please accept my apologies.  I never expected to find my cousin here in Llanview.”

“That’s alright.  Would you like to join us?” Jack asked, trying to be polite. 

“No, I just came in here for a cup of coffee.  I need to get back to my son at the Palace Hotel,” Nikolas declined.

“Spencer’s here?” Molly asked, elated.  “Oh, I haven’t seen him in so long!”  She turned to Jack.  “Spencer is his son,” came the explanation. 

“Would you like to come back to the hotel and see him?” Nikolas asked.

“Can Jack come with us?” When Nikolas nodded and Jack did as well, she headed to the door. 

“This gives me time to talk with you, young man,” Nikolas said, a hint of danger in his voice.

As he walked ahead of the teens to his car, Jack tugged at Molly’s sleeve.  “Why does that scare me?” he asked her.

“Oh, that’s just the Cassadine in him,” she said playfully before climbing in the car.

As they headed over to the Palace Hotel, Starr and Michael met up with CJ, Sarah and Dillon at Capricorn.  They sat down and chatted when someone caught Sarah’s eye.  She excused herself and went over to the bar.

“Cristian?” she asked and the person turned around.

“Hi Sarah,” he said, a smile quirking his lips.  “When did you get back to town?”

“This afternoon.  I’m here for Aunt Viki and Grandpa’s wedding,” she said.

“Yeah, I came back for Thanksgiving,” he said then turned back to his companion.  “Sarah, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Erin.  Erin, my ex, Sarah Roberts.”

The blonde woman gave her a dimpled smile.  “Cris has told me so much about his hometown and we were able to come back this year, so we figured...”

As they talked, Dillon looked over at CJ and Starr.  “Should I be jealous?” he asked nervously as he looked back to the bar.  Then he answered his own question.  “Yeah, I think I am.”  He got up and joined Sarah.  “Hey, you want anything to drink?” he asked.

Sarah smiled at him.  “No, I’m fine but I want to introduce you.  Cristian Vega, my boyfriend, Dillon Quartermaine.”

Dillon held out his hand and was taken aback by the strong handshake.  Then he noticed, even in the dimly lit club, the guy had muscles bulging out of his sleeve.  “Dillon, nice to meet you.  This is my girlfriend, Erin.”  After pleasantries were exchanged, Dillon and Sarah made their way back to the table. 

“You were jealous!” Sarah exclaimed, he eyes lighting up.

“No I was not,” Dillon defended himself as he sat back down.

“Dude, you were jealous,” Michael told him and CJ and Starr nodded in agreement.

“Fine, yes I was.  But look at that guy?  Is he a bodybuilder or something?”  Dillon moaned.  “He’s got more muscles in his hand than…”  His words were silenced by Sarah’s kiss. 

“Cris and I have been over for a long time.  And yes, it was a bad breakup, but we reconnected on MyFace and I’m happy for him.  He only had eye for Erin the whole time were we talking anyway,” Sarah told him as she looked back at the couple.  “The only thing is…CJ, doesn’t she remind you of Jess when she was younger?”

Her brother looked over.  “Maybe a little.  The lighting here isn’t great.”  He took a swig of his beer as he looked around as he looked at Erin. 

“Hey, when you were flying up today, did Uncle Todd mention anything about his and Blair’s upcoming wedding?  He had said he had some plans about it at the party after his surgery, but he hasn’t told me anything since,” Sarah asked.

“No, nothing today.  He was just telling Jack and Molly about that stunt they pulled on David Vickers all those years ago when he was first married to Dorian,” CJ informed her.

“Oh, the Marilyn Monroe seduction?” Starr asked.  With that, she and her cousins filled in Michael and Dillon in on that particular adventure and how it led into their wedding.  “That is one thing I am going to make sure of for whenever they go for act four.  They will have gold balloons falling from the ceiling.”

“We weren’t there for the reception, but your mom looked gorgeous when she walked down the aisle,” Sarah remembered.  “I think the gown was an antique or something.”

“It was someone’s in the Cramer family.  I just can’t remember whose,” Starr told them.  Then a question popped into her head.  “Do either of you know what their song was?”

CJ and Sarah looked at each other before CJ answered, “I never really saw them as the ‘our song’ type of couple.  Why?”

“Let’s just say, I’ve got a few other surprises for them on that day…whenever it happens,” Starr said, a mischievous grim playing on her face. 

As Michael was preparing to leave with CJ, Sarah and Dillon, he grinned at Starr.  “You told me once you were a mischief maker when you were a kid.  Why do I feel like your channeling that right now?”

“Because you would be right,” she said, a gleam in her eyes.  “I guess with all the talk about Aunt Viki’s wedding, I’m just getting impatient for Mom and Dad and their own wedding.  So, you may be seeing this side of me a little bit more until my parents at least start making plans.”

“I think I can live with that,” he said as he moved in for a kiss.  Then they broke apart, he asked her, “What are your plans for tomorrow?”

Starr’s eyes dimmed.  “I’m going to the cemetery,” she said and Michael understood. 

“You want me to come with you for support?” he asked.

“That’s sweet, but I need to do this on my own.  But thank you anyway,” she said as their lips met again.  A horn honking interrupted them.  “You’d better get home or you’ll have to come back to La Boulaie with me.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I want to deal with your aunt’s husband any more than I need to,” Michael grimaced.

“Are you afraid of David?” she teased.

“Actually, I think I am, even more than your father,” Michael admitted sheepishly.  With that, they had a laugh and parted.   


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