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| Chapter 1 ~*~ "Say good-bye to your daddy, and then go upstairs with Leticia to finish your math homework, Michael." Carly Corinthos instructed her six year old son. She stood in the living room of her Harborview Penthouse with him, her husband, Sonny, and the live-in nanny. "Okay." Michael sulked across the room to his father who bent to the ground and pulled him into his arms. "I really want to go to lunch with you guys, Daddy." Sonny drew his son back a ways to study his face. "You know that normally your uncle and I wouldn�t mind, but today we have some important business to discuss, okay?" Michael just shook his head and retreated up the stairs with Leticia in tow. Carly walked over to her husband. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Important business? I assume it�s nothing I get to be informed of." She hated her husband�s work. Organized crime. They couldn�t go to the mall without a bodyguard because there was always someone who wanted Sonny dead. Her husband just smirked at her leaving it nearly impossible to stay mad. She loved his smile. Oh, hell. She loved everything about him. His deep, penetrating eyes. His soft lips. His lean, yet muscular body. Her husband was the epitome of perfection. "Well, you assumed right." He leaned in and planted a quick open-mouthed kiss on her lips. "Be home later." Sonny smiled once more before strolling out the door. Carly scanned the living room with her eyes. Hmm...what to do? she asked herself. When Sonny was out and Michael was doing homework, she had to fend for herself. "Ah ha!" she screamed in delight. She ran to the mail piled on the desk and pulled out her latest copy of People Magazine. They always had interesting information about Hollywood stars. Like last issue, they had photos and a guest list from Jason Behr and Katie Heigl�s wedding. They made a cute couple, despite the fact that they played brother and sister on the TV show Roswell. Carly settled herself into the comfy, black, leather chair next to the coffee table and began leafing through the pages. Winona Rider in prison for theft. Surprise, surprise! That whack just can�t except the fact that the "five finger discount" went out with the eighties. ABC Soap Opera Stars gather at Disney World in Orlando Florida to greet their fans. And they have pictures! Wonderful! Carly wanted to go and meet Rick Hearst and Rebecca Herbst, her favorite actors from her favorite soap opera, but she knew Sonny would laugh at her right before telling her she couldn�t go. Now this looks good! New movie to begin filming next week in...Port Charles?! Carly could barely contain her excitement. PC was such a boring little town. Nothing ever happened there worth while. But now they were going to have a movie shot there? How exciting?! I wonder who�s going to star in it?! She scanned the article a little farther until a familiar name popped out at her. Elizabeth Webber! Carly remembered her from high school. She was one of the dorky drama kids that got picked on by the popular people. Namely Carly and her friends! But when Liz---as most called her---graduated, she moved out of Port Charles and to Los Angeles. Everyone assumed she�d go out there and fail miserably, but she didn�t. Carly read somewhere that she was the highest paid actress in her age group. And her popularity was out of this world. They even named a restaurant in town after her. After finishing the article, Carly jumped from her chair, ran out the door to her penthouse and across the hall to PH2. She knocked excitedly on the door and waited. When no one came, she fisted her hand and pounded harder this time. After several blasts against the wood, a small voice sounded from the other side. "I�m coming! Hold on!" "Courtney, hurry!!! I have something to show you!" Carly hollered back. Her best friend, Courtney Morgan, would just die to know who was returning to town after seven years away! The door flew open causing Carly to jump. Courtney stood on the other side with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail, and a robe wrapped around her---her right hand tightly clutching the sides to keep it closed. "What is it, Carly?" Her voice came out in a harsh tone. She better watch that attitude, Carly thought. Best friend or not, she would knock that stupid, worn-out look off of her face. When Carly noticed Jason---Courtney�s husband and Carly�s ex-lover and now best friend---walk down the stairs in only a pair of flannel pants, toss an annoyed smile her way, and retreat to the kitchen, she smirked realizing what she must have interrupted. "Oops. Looks like someone was having a good time, huh?" Courtney�s face turned beat red as an embarrassed smile creeped onto her face. "What?" "Courtney, you�re married and you have two children. Everyone already knows you two have sex on occasion." Carly informed her bashful friend. "But, on to the reason I�m here." She held up the magazine for Courtney to read. Her eyes scanned down the page before returning to Carly�s, confused. "So?" "Did you even read it?" Courtney just bobbed her head, uninterested. "Then you know that the one and only Elizabeth Webber will be shooting her next film here in Port Charles!" "What?" Courtney asked with a new-found excitement. "She�s coming here?" "Yes." Carly was getting annoyed. Courtney took all of that time pretending to look at the article, when all she had to do---if she didn�t want to read---was tell Carly to spit out the news. "And you would have known that if you would have read!" "Oh, Carly. I�m just really exhausted." "Yeah, I�ll bet," Carly smirked causing the rosy tent to return to Courtney�s face. "So she�s really going to be in town?" "Who�s going to be in town?" Jason asked coming to stand by the two blondes at the door with a sandwich in his hand. He wrapped a possessive arm around his wife. "Elizabeth Webber," Carly informed him. She had to suppress a laugh when she saw his shocked face. Only Carly---and Elizabeth---knew that Jason had a thing for Ms. Webber back in high school. It was like Pretty In Pink. The popular guy---James Spader---wanted the loser girl---Molly Ringwald---but she just blew him off. It was such a riot to watch her Jase throw himself at this girl�s feet everyday. And Elizabeth had something else in common with the pitiful Andie Walsh; they both wanted another popular guy. Only, too bad for Liz, her guy wouldn�t have been able to pick her out of a line-up! ~*~ �Hey, Ric. Are you going to eat that?� Ric Lansing looked up from his newspaper and across the table at his brother, Sonny. They were eating lunch at the local Appleby�s---just put in the month before---and Sonny wanted the last of his Garlic Crusted Shrimp. He dove his fork across the table and scooped up the remainder of the food on Ric�s plate after he received permission in the form of a head nod. Sonny finished off Ric�s food in silence before returning his attention to his brother. �So, did you get the thing I wanted you to get?� he asked in a whisper. Ric had to strain his ears to pick up the last few words. He just nodded his head in the affirmative. �Well, can I see it?� Ric looked around at the other guests seated near by and then back at his brother. �You want me to bring it out now?� �Yeah!� Sonny informed him impatiently. When Sonny wanted something, Ric thought, he could be a huge baby until he got it. �Oh, fine.� Ric reached to the side of his chair and placed his briefcase onto the table. He looked inside quickly, looked at the people surrounding them, reached into his bag, and pulled out the mysterious object. When Sonny�s eyes landed on his prize, they filled with glee. �Give me that!� he demanded before snatching the comic book---gently, so as not to damage it---from his brother. He looked the book up and down---checking to make sure it was right, Ric assumed. �Action Series�Eleventh Action Superman�Number twenty-six�great condition�� Sonny looked back up. �Great job, Ric. I appreciate this.� �You pay me---as your lawyer---a hell of a lot of money to run stupid errands like tracking down an old comic book, Sonny.� Ric went to Harvard, for Pete�s sake, and this is what his life had become---waiting on his older brother. �Stupid errand?� Uh oh, Ric thought. Here it comes. �Do you have any idea how rare this is, baby brother? People all over the world�� Ric cut him off. �I get it, Sonny. I�ve heard the spiel before. I just think there are much better ways I could spend my time.� Sonny�s face turned serious. �Why? Is the business being neglected because of these �stupid errands�?� Ric let out an aggravated grunt. �No, of course not. It�s just�� �It�s just nothing, Ric. I do pay you a hell of a lot of money and what I want you to do for it is entirely up to me.� Sonny looked like he was about to go on, but his cell phone started ringing. He held up a finger to Ric---implying they weren�t finished---and answered it. �Hello?�Carly, calm down. What is it?�Who?�Really?�Here?�When?�Interesting�.I�ll be home in about an hour or so�.Everything�s fine�.Love you, too, baby.� He made kissing sounds into the phone before hanging it up. �What was that about?� Ric asked before returning his attention back to his newspaper. His sister-in-law wasn�t exactly his favorite person. �Elizabeth Webber is coming back to town to film her new movie.� �Elizabeth Webber?� That name sounded familiar, but Ric couldn�t pinpoint where he�d heard it before. �Have you been living under a rock? She was in that movie, Highway�s Dream, with Heath Ledger and Josh Hartnett. Liz�s character was driving to LA to act, and she picked up the two guys. And everywhere they went people started dying. She blamed the guys, but it turned out she had multiply personalities and she was the one doing it. And it had one of the hottest sex scenes in movie history�� Sonny looked at his brother�s confused expression. �Ric, it was the highest grossing film last year.� �Yeah, I think I�ve heard of it.� Ric didn�t pay any attention to Hollywood, but he�d probably overheard people chatting about it over dinner or something. �She used to go to school with us. She was like�three years behind me...so two behind you.� Sonny informed Ric, who was still lost. �They named that restaurant downtown after her.� Suddenly a light bulb exploded in Ric�s mind. �Oh, right. That�s where I�ve heard that name!� �You mean you don�t remember her from high school?� �No. Why? Should I?� Ric didn�t remember many people from high school. If they weren�t in his inner circle, they didn�t matter. �Uh, yeah. She was only obsessed with you for your entire junior and senior years before you left for school!� �Well, she wasn�t anything special if I didn�t go for her, so why are we so excited that she�s coming back to town?� Sonny laughed. �Well, she wasn�t much to look at in high school, but�let�s just say Lizzie Webber grew up.� �So, what? Is she hot?� One thing Ric prided himself on was his long list of gorgeous conquests. If this Elizabeth Webber was indeed a babe---and she had a thing for Ric, like Sonny said---he wouldn�t mind adding an actress to his �done� file. Sonny laughed again. �Hot doesn�t even begin to cover it.� Ric just smiled. Well then Ms. Webber. Looks like all of your dreams could come true. ~*~ �Lucky! Get you butt out here!!! We�re late!!!!!� Emily Cassadine�s voice rose with anger as she pounded on her brother-in-laws front door waiting for him to answer. �Lizzie�s plane lands in...�---she looked at her watch---�...twenty minutes, and you know how crappy the airport traffic is!!!� She turned around to look at her husband, Nik, who was sitting in the car, before turning back to the door to beat on it again. �Damnit, Lucky! This is why I called you before we came! We haven�t seen Lizzie in...� �...in two years so we can�t be late.� Lucky finished for her when he opened his front door. �You got quite the set of lungs on you, sis.� �Ha, funny!� She turned and started toward the car. �Let�s go!� She hollered back at him. With Nik driving eighty-five miles per hour down the interstate to the airport, they made it into the correct terminal twenty-two minutes later. �You�re lucky, Lucky!� Emily said, looking up at the flight information board. Liz�s flight was delayed ten minutes. �Lucky, Lucky. That�s cute sweetheart.� Nik laughed and placed a kiss on his wife�s cheek. Emily tried to fight it, but she started to laugh. �Don�t make me laugh when I�m trying to be a hard-ass.� �Sorry, baby.� Nik looked over at his brother. �So, Lucky. Are you excited about seeing your old flame?� Lizzie and Lucky used to date in during their senior year. She had finally managed to get over her pathetic crush on Ric Lansing long enough to realize Lucky was a great guy and completely in love with her. When Liz moved to LA, they decided to be just friends. Emily didn�t think that Lucky had ever really gotten over her. �I hardly call a three month long, high school relationshiper an old flame.� Lucky ran his hands through his hair nervously. �When is she supposed to get here?� Emily smiled at him. �Any minute hopefully. I miss her!� �I know.� Nik agreed. �Our group just doesn�t work with her on the other side of the country.� Their group---Emily, Nik, Lucky, and Lizzie---was inseperable in high school. They were all in drama together. They always made sure their classes were the same. Emily remembered making up lame reasons why she had to be in a certain class at a certain hour. You�d think after four years, the teachers would catch on. Even after school the four hung out nonstop. They weren�t, however, the most popular students. Actually, they were considered on the lower half of cool-dom. But that set just fine with them. They really didn�t care what the rest of the school thought of them. They loved each other and had a great time together. High school was nothing but good memories. Well, except Lizzie�s infatuation with a certain �cool guy� who treated her like she was the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. He hadn�t changed much since high school either. They had to use Ric Lansing, attorney, to handle some of Nik�s family business after his uncle died. Ric didn�t even remember them. He even hit on Emily, knowing she was married! What a prize?! Yep, Lizzie was better off without him. He was a grade A, arrogent, playboy wannabe, as... �There she is!� Lucky shouted before running down the terminal. Emily raised her head to see Lucky envelop Elizabeth in his arms. He led her back to the group never removing his arm from around her waist. Emily smiled warmly at her best friend. �Welcome back, Lizzie!� TBC |