Chapter 4

 

Glancing from his mother to his father, both looking pretty ticked off, "Okay, something happened here," MJ said now extremely curious, "what did I miss?"

"MJ why are you here?" Matt asked.

"What, I can't come over and visit?"

"You graduated in January, you moved out into your own place in February, but you're always here. You eat here, you do your laundry here, you even still sleep here on occasion. What brought you over this time?"

Turning to his mother, "If Ally made him mad why is he busting my chops?"

Going over to MJ giving Matt a look as she passed him, "You have to overlook him, your father is having one of his "days" today. You know we're always happy to see you."

The 6'3" MJ bending forward to receive his mother's hug, "Thanks Mom, that's good to hear."

Ellen breaks the hug, "So tell me, how's work going?"

"Well it would be going a lot better if I was in front of the camera instead of behind the scenes. I didn't go into medicine because this gorgeous face shouldn't be covered by a surgical mask, so I major in mass communications, get all that personality and charisma working and I'm stuck behind the camera producing and writing the news. When I got the job at WLPC this wasn't what I had envisioned."

"Glad to see there's no abundance of vanity coming from you," Matt replied sarcastically to his son's response. "Just telling the truth Dad," the younger tanned version of Matt said with a smile.

"Give it some time son, the world didn't know Dan Rather when he first graduated college either," Ellen told him. "Dan who?" he answered in jest. Matt didn't crack a smile and Ellen offered a very weak one, "boy this is a tough room," he said scratching his neatly cut curly black head of hair. "I think I'm going to go in and say hi to the kid Mom while you work your magic on Dad and put a smile back on his face, then we can all sit down to a nice family dinner."

"Dinner, I knew it was something that brought you here," Matt said as he watched MJ head off to Ally's room.

Once MJ was out of the room, Ellen turned her undivided attention back to her husband. Crossing her arms at her chest, "You were just about to explain your bonehead behavior."

MJ knocks on his sister's bedroom door, "Ally?" he called out before opening it and coming in. Noticing her lying across the bed he made his way over and took a seat on the bed's edge.

"Hey kid what did you do to make Dad so angry?"

Turning over and sitting upright, "What did I do?!" she repeated shortly.

"Whoa, let me rephrase that," he said of her curt response. "What transpired between you and Dad to cause you to both have these less than desirable moods?"

"I'm sorry I snapped, actually it's something wonderful," taking her pillow and squeezing it close to her. "I met the most amazing guy," she smiled as just the thought of Jack warmed her heart, "but Daddy is being a total jerk," she frowned.

Back in the living room…

"Oh I'm a bonehead now? Ellen I know you didn't expect me to be happy that our daughter brought a Ramsey home?" Matt relayed to her.

"Maybe not happy, but clearly not unreasonable. You couldn't have been more rude if you tried. You didn't even speak to the boy before you threw him out. You didn't even shake his hand."

"I make it a point not to play with snakes Ellen, whether I know them or not. If it's in the snake family, it's a snake, PERIOD!!"

"Dad's upset with you because of a guy? What did you do, fall in love with Chris Ramsey?" MJ asked laughing at his little joke. Ally didn't find it at all funny, especially since it was so clearly close to the truth.

"Why aren't you laughing? You didn't really fall in love with Chris Ramsey did you?" he asked her seriously.

"No. His name is Jack," her eyes shining, "and he's Dr. Ramsey's nephew," she finished.

Snorting out a short laugh, "You're kidding?" his laughter continuing a little stronger. "Come on Ally you're kidding?" MJ's laughter suddenly stops as he takes a closer look into his sister's eyes, "You're not kidding. What are you trying to do, give the old man a stroke?"

"Matt I've talked to this young man and he's very nice, besides that Allison is crazy about him," Ellen informed him. "She's crazy alright, especially if she thinks I'll let her date a Ramsey," wheeling over to the desk and taking a look at the mail.

"You can't judge Jack by Chris, they're two different people. Just like you're nothing like your family, he's nothing like Chris. Jack seems really sweet and he cares an awful lot about Ally."

Slamming the mail back on the desk, "Ellen there's no comparison between what happened with me and my family and Chris Ramsey, so don't even try that. My family, they are criminals by trade; Ramsey is a rat by nature. Please don't tell me that this young charmer has charmed you too? Ellen it's a game for them. And did you see how he was looking at Allison? What the hell was he looking at?!"

"When you were nineteen and saw a beautiful girl what were you looking at?"

A few seconds pass before he answered, "Just more reason for her to stay far away from him."

"Matt that way he looked at her, maybe you might have missed it intentionally but she was looking the same way at him. And how can you say it's a game for him? You don't know that."

"But I do know Chris Ramsey. This is not up for discussion Ellen. I WILL NOT have "my" daughter dating any relative of Chris Ramsey's and that's FINAL!!"

"Oh is it," Ellen returned calmly, "we'll see about that."

"MJ that's not funny," Ally said of his comment.

"I'm not joking, Dad looked like he was about ready to explode out there. Three D, I'm totally shocked." "I hate when you call me that."

"Well if this Ramsey thing continues I won't be calling you that much longer. Looks like Daddy's Dimpled Darling isn't so darling anymore huh?"

"I've never seen Daddy so angry before. I always hoped I would meet a guy who was just like him. You know handsome, strong, sweet, funny and caring just like Daddy, and now that I have he hates him because his last name is Ramsey. He threw Jack out the house and forbade me to see him."

"Well to be fair it's not that his last name is Ramsey per se, it's because he's related to Chris. His last name could be Jones and it wouldn't make a difference to Dad."

"Why does Daddy hate him so much?"

Hedging a bit, "I don't know ''all'' the details, but suffice it to say he made himself a permanent member of Dad's list, and unfortunately that goes for any of his family too."

"MJ he has to change his mind. I don't want to go against Daddy but I can't stop seeing Jack, I just can't," Ally dissolves into a mass of tears in her brother's arms.

Gently stroking her back to soothe her, "Shhh it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay."

"Ellen, baby I don't want to argue with you," Matt said coming over to her and taking her hand and kissing it. "I'm sorry I yelled, I had the luck of running into Ramsey before I left the hospital so I'm a little stressed. Finding his nephew here didn't help matters. I need to unwind and I know just the thing that will do it," his eyes softening as he snakes his arms around her waist.

Raking her hands through his hair, "Matt, honey?" she said softly.

"Yes Ellen," his eyes glazed with desire.

"You have ''got'' to be kidding?!" removing herself from his grasp.

"Ellen come on, don't do ''this''," his tension beginning to build up more.

"I can be just as stubborn as you can," Ellen's words more of a warning than a statement.

Moments later MJ returns to the living room and notices his father's stress hadn't seemed to have lessened to any degree. This is going to be bad, he thought to himself; his mother was definitely going to need him to help keep things even around here.

"Mom I think you should go in with Ally. She's crying and I don't see her stopping anytime soon," MJ shared with her.

"Congratulations," she said snidely to Matt as she went to see about their daughter.

"Dad I…" MJ began.

Matt raised his hand cutting him off, "DON'T, don't say anything."

"Yes sir," MJ said taking a seat on the couch.

General Hospital…

"Jack I've never asked you to do ''anything'', but I'm telling you, no I'm DEMANDING you stay away from Allison Harmon!" Chris commanded of his nephew as he began to pace the room.

"And if I don't?!" Jack returned.

"Oh you will. Of that I have no doubt. While you're staying under my roof and I'm paying for everything you have from your education to the socks on your feet, you'll listen."

"I never asked you for any of that. All I want from you is some answers. What the hell did you do to cause Matt Harmon to hate you so much? You did something, of that ''I'' have no doubt. You might as well tell me because I'm going to find out somehow."

"Why does it matter what happened? It's not going to make any difference and it's not going to change anything." Standing before his uncle, "It will make me understand why just the idea of me being related to you makes him so angry. It will help me find a way to at least help Dr. Harmon find a way to tolerate me, because I have no intentions of staying away from Allison. You can hoot and holler until the cows come home and it won't make a damn bit of difference. Allison and I are a fact and if I have any say in it that's never going to change."

"Damn it Jack, why won't you listen to me?!!! You don't even know this girl!!!"

"I know Allison like I know myself. ''I know'' she's the kindest, sweetest, smartest, most beautiful woman I've ever seen. ''I know'' that when she looks at me and she smiles that incredible dimpled smile of hers my heart just soars. ''I know'' that from the moment our eyes met I had found the missing piece of me I didn't even know was gone. What ''I know'' is that I fell in love with her the ''moment'' I saw her and if defying you or shaking the truth out of you means we'll be together that's exactly what I'll do. Now I want to know what the hell happened and I want to know now!" Jack said to his uncle not batting an eye.

Ellen goes into Ally's room and sits next to her on the bed, "Sweetie talk to me. Why are you still so upset?" Ellen asked rubbing her daughters shoulder.

"Mom has Daddy changed his mind?" wiping the tears from her eyes as she sat up from her lying position on the bed.

"I'm afraid not honey, he hasn't budged."

"I can't imagine not seeing Jack again. Oh Mom I can't explain this. I've liked guys before but what I feel for Jack is so different. Mom when he looks at me it's like he's seeing right into my soul. We finish each other's sentences. It was like I was walking around half a person and I didn't even know it; then I saw Jack, and I suddenly became whole. You could say I'm being young and foolish, that this is just a passing fling or a crush, but I know that it's not. I haven't known he's existed for twenty-four hours yet, but I feel like he's been a part of me my whole life."

Stroking Ally's cheek, "Oh Allison, you love him don't you?"

"Yes Mom, I do. I am totally and completely in love with Jack Ramsey, and I don't know what I'm going to do," tears filled her eyes. "Mom what happened? Why does Daddy hate Dr. Ramsey so much?" Ally asked, tears coursing down her cheeks as Ellen took her into her arms.

"I'm listening Uncle Chris!" Jack shouted as he waited for Chris to divulge details of his past with Matt.

"You want to know what happened, FINE I'll tell you!! There's an award the hospital gives every year to the best surgical intern, the Quartermaine. Years ago Harmon and I were the top candidates for it. I won the award and Harmon couldn't stand that. So he and Ellen concocted some lie about me and I got stripped of the award. He's always hated me, and so has she and they are certainly not my favorite people because of everything I've lost due to them. And now here you are telling me you're in love with their daughter. What is wrong with you?!!!! That family hates us."

"What else?!" Jack demanded.

"What "else"? That's it, that's the whole story."

"Gimme a break Uncle Chris. I can imagine you being angry for years about some award you didn't get, but Ally's father doesn't strike me as a man who'd hold a grudge for this long over something so insignificant. What ''aren't'' you telling me?!!!"

Ellen and Ally make their way to the living room.

"Matt, Ally has some questions and I think it's time she got some answers to them, in fact it's past time," Ellen said taking a seat in the middle of the couch.

"You guys stay here and talk I'll go into the kitchen," MJ said making his way out the room.

"No MJ you stay here, you need to hear this too."

"Okay," taking a seat next to Ellen on the couch.

Matt moves in front of the trio on the couch and takes his daughter's hand, "You can ask whatever questions you have Ally, but first I want to say I'm sorry that you're so upset. I don't like to see you hurt, but I assure you, I'm saving you from a world of future heartache if you get involved with this kid."

Taking her hand back, "You don't know that Daddy. I want to know what happened to cause you to hate Dr. Ramsey so much. I've always known your feelings about him, but whenever I asked you always said you'll tell me when I'm older. Well I'm older now and I want to know what happened."

Matt glances at Ellen. "You have the floor," she said.