Chapter 25

"Wow, I'm popular today," Emily said when she heard A.J.'s voice in her ear.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Do you really wanna know?"

"Yes. You sound excited. What's going on?"

"I heard you've been spotted in Port Charles. Is it true you're here?"

"Who told you that?" A.J. asked, thinking and hoping Skye wouldn't have said anything.

"Mom," Emily responded, knowing her answer would shock A.J.

She wasn't disappointed.

"I haven't seen Mom!" he retorted. "I haven't contacted her at all."

"I know, and she's very upset about that. Mom is almost one hundred percent sure she saw you at the hospital yesterday, possibly with Keesha and a teen-aged girl, but Mom is looking for confirmation. Are you here, A.J.? I know Keesha is because Bobbie spoke to her."

That stunned A.J., too. Keesha hadn't mentioned talking to Bobbie. The feeling that he was beginning to lose control over a very guarded situation unsettled him.

"Please, Em, I don't want you to say anything to anyone."

"So you are here," she surmised. "A.J., what's going on?"

"I really don't want to talk about it. Especially over the phone."

"Can I at least tell Zander?"

"If he promises not to tell anyone."

"He won't. Are we going to see you while you're here? And Keesha? Are you *with* Keesha? If you are, you have a lot of explaining to do."

"I am, but it's not what you think. That's why I'm calling, Em. I wanted to let you know I'm not at the Manhattan office. Vincent is handling the day-to-day operation for me."

"Okay. That's good to know. I've received several e-mails from him."

"I'm reachable, though, by e-mail and cell phone."

"That's good to know, too. A.J., I hope everything is all right. Can you at least assure me of that?"

"Things are as well as they can be. I want to see you, Em, I really do. I'd love to see Zander and the twins, too, but I have some things I need to take care of that are demanding my attention."

"I understand," Emily said. "Please, A.J. Don't leave town without at least visiting me. I know we talk a lot, but it's not the same. I'd like to see you. If I can help, I want to. Okay?"

"Okay. I appreciate that."

"What about Mom? She and Dad are not going to rest until they know for sure it was you she saw."

"I'm thinking about it," was all A.J. would commit to. "I just don't know if I'm ready, or ever will be ready, to see them."

*~*

Julianna hated lying to her mother, but she wasn't ready to tell her about Michael, especially after her conversation with Bobbie at the hospital. She was afraid Keesha wouldn't let her meet Michael, and this was something she wanted to do while she still had the courage. So that her reason for leaving Dara and Keesha alone wouldn't be a total lie, Julianna stopped by the mall Justus had shown her the previous day and looked around before following Michael's directions to get to the cafe near the university.

By the time she arrived, giant butterflies had taken up residence in the pit of her stomach. She felt flushed and out of breath. The summer heat wasn't helping. She wanted to find shade, but she also wanted to stay close to the restaurant. If Michael didn't show up soon...

She never got to complete that thought. Michael had arrived. She watched as he quickly made his way to her. She saw him pause as he drew nearer, and then she smiled as he sprinted to close the distance between them. With each step he took, Julianna’s heart beat faster. Even though she knew what he looked like, she didn't realize how tall he would be or that he would be so much better looking in person. His auburn hair needed to be combed, but she actually liked the disheveled look on him. His faded blue jeans and white t-shirt outlined his very fit physique. She found herself moving in his direction to help close the gap.

When they finally stood face to face, neither one spoke. Julianna because she wanted to take in every detail of his appearance, and Michael because he was awestruck. He knew how lovely Julianna was, but to actually be standing in front of her amazed him. He wanted to pinch himself to make sure this was real. She looked regal, like a princess. He saw her beautiful gold-flecked hazel eyes assessing him, and he wondered what she was thinking. He wanted to reach out and brush a stray dark curl from her cheek, but he knew he couldn’t. He saw her looking at him expectantly, her eyes trying to read what he was thinking. When Michael still didn’t speak, she broke the ice by offering him a shy smile and saying "hello."

"Hi," he finally said, finding his voice. "I'm sorry I've just been staring, but you look incredible. The scent you're wearing is incredible, too."

Julianna beamed at his compliments. After changing clothes three times, she had finally decided to wear black jeans and a short-sleeve turquoise top. She accessorized her outfit with a turquoise necklace, bracelet and earrings. After applying eye shadow and blush to her smooth, flawless skin, she added berry lip color, and at the last second, decided to dab a bit of her mother's favorite, and most expensive, perfume on her pulse points.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm guilty of staring at you, too. I feel like I know you so well, and yet, at the same time, you seem like a stranger to me."

"I kinda feel that way, too," Michael admitted.

His boyish grin disarmed her, and she found herself very attracted to his charm.

"Shall we head inside the cafe?" he asked.

"You know what. I honestly don't think I could eat a thing. Would you mind if we didn't go to the restaurant?"

He grinned again, and she found herself relaxing. A little.

"I guess it wouldn’t hurt me to miss one meal."

She laughed, and the melodious sound thrilled Michael.

"C'mon," he said, encouraged by her smile. "How 'bout if we head to park and just sit and talk? If you get hungry, food vendors are everywhere."

"I'd like that," she said. "Thanks for understanding."

"No problem."

They strolled leisurely towards the park. Halfway there, Michael reached for Julianna's hand. She nodded and allowed him to entwine his warm fingers with hers. His touch sent tingles of excitement and pleasure coursing through her.

"You seem a lot more reserved in person than you do online," Michael commented.

"Remember how I would hardly talk when we first met online? I’m sorta shy. I have to get to know a person before I open up. I liked that you were so gregarious and upfront about things. You were the one who kept our connection alive in the early days."

"Is that what I was?" Michael asked and laughed. "I thought I was a pest. I didn't think you wanted to talk to me, but I really wanted to talk to you. I didn't want you to disappear on me."

"I was too captivated by you not to continue talking to you online. I'd never met anyone with such refreshing honesty. I enjoyed your sense of humor, too. I was amazed you could find a reason to laugh at all when you finally confided in me about your home life. I still don't know how you survived, Michael."

They had reached the park. Michael found a spot where they would have some shade and privacy. They sat on the dark green grass and faced each other.

"I don't know how I survived either," he admitted. "I'm just thankful those days are behind me. So tell me how you like living in Port Charles. Don’t I live in *the* most exciting town?"

Michael rolled his expressive brown eyes; Julianna grinned and shook her head. "You make me laugh. I’m not sure what kind of a town you live in, but it’s been rather exciting since I’ve been here. Michael, I believe I met your grandmother yesterday."

"You did? How? Where?"

"At the hospital. I went with my mother. She had an appointment with her new doctor. Your grandmother, Bobbie is her first name?"

Michael nodded.

"She recognized my mother. We were introduced. They talked for a little bit."

"How incredible. What did my grandmother say? What did your mother say?"

"Not too much, but my mom did offer her condolences about your mom and her husband. I think your grandmother appreciated my mom acknowledging your mom’s death. I wonder if they knew each other? I didn’t think to ask my mom."

Michael lowered his head and ran his fingers through the dry grass. "My mom didn’t have many friends," he admitted. "If your mom and my mom had known each other, chances are, they weren’t friends."

Julianna reached out to still Michael’s hands.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad."

He watched her tapered brown fingers touching his light-colored skin and felt the gentleness and generosity of her spirit. He hoped that if they got to know each other better, he wouldn’t do something to scare her away.

He looked at her and gave her assurance. "You didn’t. The images are always with me, Jule. Once your life has been shattered the way mine was, it’s hard, sometimes, to have any kind of hope. I’d hate for the same thing to happen to you. Tell me how your mom is doing."

"My mom is okay. She seems to be adjusting well to being back in Port Charles."

"Now that you know who my grandmother is, would you care to tell me your mom’s name?"

"Sure. My mom’s name is Keesha Ward."

"So, you’re Julianna Ward?"

"Yes. Julianna Mae Ward. The middle name is for my maternal grandmother."

"I’ve heard the name Keesha," Michael said, "but I don’t know who she is."

Julianna nodded. "You haven’t told me your last name."

Michael gave her a crooked grin. "I bet you wouldn’t have believed me if I had told you this online."

"What?"

"Would you believe Michael Jones?"

He shook his head; Julianna laughed.

"You’re right. I would have thought that was definitely a made-up name."

"How ordinary, huh?" Michael said. "But that doesn’t mean I haven’t had my share of last names because I have."

"Because of your mom’s deception?" Julianna asked, her voice quiet.

"Yeah, and the fact that she was married to Sonny Corinthos."

"So at one time you were Michael Corinthos? Sounds way more exciting than Jones," she admitted.

"And my life was way more exciting then, too, not to mention dangerous."

"How could so many things happen to you at the same time?"

"It’s because my mom lived a lie," Michael said. "It still hurts to talk about it, Jule, but we’ve always had intense conversations, right?"

She nodded. That statement was very true.

"Well, I was always destined to be a ‘Jones,’ I guess, but somewhere in the middle of my mother’s pregnancy, so I’ve been told, she decided to name someone else as my father. For the first year or so of my life, I was known as Michael Morgan."

"Morgan?" Julianna questioned. Hadn’t she heard that name? "I think I know that name."

"I’m not surprised. Jason Morgan was very well known in this town. I'm sure your mother knew him."

Julianna’s eyes widened in shock. "Your mother named Jason Morgan as your father?!"

The same Jason who used to be a Quartermaine who was involved with her mother at one point and was her father's half brother? Was it even possible? But didn't he change his name to Morgan? Why couldn't she remember the details?

"Yes."

"Why? Why would she want someone else to be your father? And why Jason Morgan?"

Michael snickered. "My mother liked things to be complicated. The more complicated, the better."

"Why did she give up on that charade?"

Michael shrugged. "I’ve heard various things, but the one that makes the most sense to me, as I consider my mother’s point of view and not my own, please understand, is that she panicked. My mother was very good at coming up with schemes and plans, but her follow through, well, let’s just say it didn’t always work."

"So she had a plan for your life?"

"Yes. But the plan wasn’t just for my life. That would’ve been too easy. My understanding is that my mom had a plan for my life and her life and Jason’s life. The problem was her scheme involved destroying someone’s else life to make this all possible. And to make my real father a non-factor."

"You’re kidding?! Michael, I hope that plan failed, too."

"In some ways it did," he said, his voice filled with repulsion as the memories of what he’d been told his mother had tried to do flooded his mind, "but I’m sorry to say, in some ways, my mother’s plan succeeded. Way too well."

"Your mother was actually able to ruin someone’s else life? How is that possible?"

"When someone was in my mother’s way of what she wanted, she could make your life miserable. I witnessed that, unfortunately."

"How could your mother do that to somebody? How could your mother do that to you, Michael?"

"I don’t understand it either, Jule, but it happened. For more than half my life, I was led to believe that a bad man, a *very* bad man by the name of A.J. Quartermaine was my father. And now, Jule, even though he’s not my father, he’s someone I’ve really come to like and respect. My mom would be having a fit if she knew how things had turned out after her death. Life is funny that way, don’t you think?"