Chapter 5

 

"Alright why I hate Chris Ramsey. This is extremely involved so I'll give you guys the condensed version. I've not said much about my family to you because…" Matt's eyes glance over to Ellen as she gave her silent support, "well they're the mob."

Ally gasps in shock, "WHAT?!!!"

"Yes honey. I heard and saw something I shouldn't have when I was just a little younger than you, so my father dear sweet Sal Mancusi put a hit out on me. My brother shot me, I ended up in this chair, and via the federal government Matt Harmon was born."

"I don't believe this," Ally said still stunned.

"It's all true." Turning to MJ, "you're pretty quiet son, don't you have questions?"

"Well actually Dad I already knew about most of this," he admitted.

"How?" Ellen asked.

"I work in the media, besides I got curious long ago and did some digging. After finding out what I did I could see why you kept it quiet, so I did too; I figured you'd tell us about it if and when you felt the time was right."

"I see?" Matt said.

"Well I don't!" Ally interjected, "You just casually drop that you're no longer the person you were born and that your family is the mob, and I'm supposed to what, say 'oh that makes sense' and leave it at that? You said you got hurt in a skiing accident. Why didn't you tell us this sooner?"

"I didn't see the point. I'm Matt Harmon now the skiing accident is his story. Eric Mancusi, the person I was born is gone now, he has been for years, you didn't need to know about him."

Ally shakes her head in total disbelief, "But everyone did know," looking at her mother and brother, "except me," emitting a short quick breath. "I don't even want to think about that right now. How does Dr. Ramsey tie into all of this?"

"Oh yes, Chris. There's an award given annually to the best surgical intern, the Quartermaine, and Chris had his eyes on that from the word go. After I won the right to perform surgery, and Chris' schmoozing with the chief surgical resident sharing his "concern" for the patients didn't work, I became his biggest threat to getting it, so he snooped and dug into my past and found out about my family ties. So, being the great guy that he is, he gave my father a call, and my brother came gunning for me…again. Your mother was almost killed a friend of ours was shot and when all was said and done my brother Bobby was shot and killed by my hands, it was self defense, but it still happened, thanks to Chris Ramsey. Fast forward a few months later, after struggling for months to get your mother to admit her feelings for me she finally did. Her being chief resident was a big block in our relationship, because she was my boss. When we got together she had taken another job in California so her being my boss was no longer an issue. However when she came back to GH and resumed her old job we also resumed our relationship. Considering that in a matter of weeks she wouldn't be my boss anymore because my internship year would be over we decided to keep things between us quiet. Well Chris had other plans. Somehow he managed to find out about Ellen and me and…well let's just say our relationship was not a secret anymore. He took it upon himself to make our most private life public to the world. Ellen lost her position as chief resident and I lost the Quartermaine award that Ellen had told me earlier I had won, all thanks to Chris," clinching his fist as he continued. "Ramsey ended up winning the award by default but once the board found out about his shenanigans he lost it too. To sum it all up there's nothing this man won't do to get what he wants no matter who gets caught in the crossfire. I don't like him Ally and I don't trust him for a second. He would sell his mother's last breath if it meant he would get a buck out of it.

Taking a deep breath, "Okay Daddy I understand why you dislike him so much, he's done some unseemly things, but this still has nothing to do with Jack."

"Allison weren't you listening to me? I don't want you around anything that is remotely Chris Ramsey. I'm not blowing smoke, this boy will hurt you."

"You don't know that."

"If he's related to Ramsey he's trouble. I want you to stay away from him Allison. I'm not going to change my mind about this. You're a very beautiful girl and there's a million guys out there who are more deserving of you than this Jack Ramsey."

"But Jack is who I want. Does that matter Daddy, what I want?"

Waiting a few moments before he answered, "If it's Jack Ramsey I have to say no, it doesn't matter."

"Daddy you're being a hypocrite. You sit there and you tell me your family is the mob, I know what that is, what they do, and I also know that's not you. But then in the same breath you tell me I can't see Jack because his uncle, his "uncle" Daddy not his father is some ruthless man? That doesn't make any sense."

Taking his daughter's hands once again, "It might not now, but it will later. You'll thank me for this Allison."

"Thank you?" she repeated bewildered, once again pulling her hands away. "Oh yeah Daddy, thanks a lot," she said, hurt and sarcasm dripping from every word as she made her way from the couch and to the door.

"Ally where are you going?" Matt asked going off behind her.

"For a walk, or do I need to get your approval before I do that too?"

"Allison I love you. You may think I'm being mean or cruel, but I'm doing this out of love. I don't want you to be hurt by him, by these ruthless Ramseys."

"You may love me Daddy and I love you too, but right now you're hurting me more than anyone else ever could," sobs breaking up her words.

"Ally, sweetie do you want me to come with you?" Ellen asked standing from the couch, tears clouding her eyes, wanting desperately to take away all the pain her daughter is feeling right now.

"No thanks Mom, I need to be by myself," with that Ally went out the door, tears blinding her vision as she walked and walked with no particular destination in mind.

At this moment Ellen is beyond pissed and the silence in the room is deafening.

"Uh I think I'm going to follow a safe distance behind her. I heard what she said, but she really doesn't need to be alone right now. However, I think that you two do," MJ said making a hasty retreat.

"You really know how to clear a room don't you," Ellen said walking past him as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Catching hold of her arm, "Ellen I can't help how I feel. I'm trying to keep her from being hurt. This Jack might not think he's going to hurt her, but he will. He's a Ramsey, all they know is hurt." "Are you listening to yourself? You're protective of the people you love Matt, it's one of your best qualities, but at this moment you're taking it to the extreme. Allison is in love with that boy."

"What are you talking about Ellen? She doesn't even know him. She's a child, what does she know about love?"

"Have you looked at your daughter lately? She's not a child Matt, she's a beautiful young woman and she's in love for the first time. She might have just met Jack but it doesn't change her feelings. She talked to me about him Matt. She's feeling these new, amazing emotions and it makes her happy but here you are telling her she can't feel these feelings for this young man because you don't like his uncle. Because you think he's a replica of Chris Ramsey and he'll cause damage to her like Chris caused damage to us."

"Yes that's it exactly Ellen. Chris Ramsey has almost killed our careers and us, I'm supposed to be happy that his nephew is sniffing around our daughter? Ally is upset, and I'm sorry, I hate seeing her like that but if she gets any closer to this boy it will only get worse. That's what I believe. Ellen don't be angry with me about this."

"Matt how can I not. Our baby girl is in a world of pain and it's your fault. Yes I'm angry, because you're being so unrelenting. This is not about you. This is about Allison. She needs to make her own choices. If she gets hurt then we'll be here for her, but you're making things worse with this behavior of yours and if you keep pushing this you're going to push her away; and then you're going to lose your daughter for what could possibly be forever. Now is that what you want? Because from where I stand that's exactly what you're doing."

"Give me the rest of it Uncle Chris. What's the part you're keeping out?" Jack asked again.

"I've told you all there is," Chris answered walking out of the path of Jack's unyielding gaze.

"No you haven't!" walking once again over to his uncle. "Let me see if I can help you with this. I suspect I got "some" of the truth from you. There was this award, Dr. Harmon's a surgeon and I'm thinking I don't know, maybe he was a much bigger threat to you getting it than you liked so you came up with something to thwart his chances of winning? Am I getting close? What did you do Uncle Chris? Huh? What did you do?!"

Now becoming extremely defensive, "It is beyond me how you can just assume I did something to Harmon. Let me tell you about this great Matt Harmon. The guy is dangerous, he killed his own brother!"

Jack looks at his uncle like he's crazy, "What," he said in almost a whisper.

"That's right, he's a killer, by birthright. The man's family is the mob. That's right Jack, they're the mob, and you come extolling his virtues to ME!! I've almost been killed because of this man. He and Ellen have almost ruined my medical career and now you tell me you're in love with their daughter. To that I say YOU ARE CRAZY!!!! I'm not going to have you get involved with Allison Harmon or that family she's from. I don't care how beautiful or wonderful you think she is if you don't stay away from her…"

"WHAT?!! What will you do?!"

"That fancy education you're getting is going to come to a screeching halt. That's what?"

"Is that the best you can do Uncle Chris? Ally is more important to me than Columbia. I don't care if her father is John Gotti, I love her, and I'm not staying away from her. You're still not telling me something. You've tapped dance around all my questions and all I got is why you hate him, but that's your thing. I have no hate for this man. I'm not pleased that he wants me to stay away from Ally but he must have his reasons and I intend to find out what they are," turning to leave the room.

"Where are you going?!"

"Out of here, I need some fresh air."

"Jack we're not done talking!"

"YES WE ARE!!!"

With that Jack left the room with Chris fuming.

"Damn!!" Chris shouted as he pushed the files that he had been working on at the table to the floor. "This cannot happen, I won't let it happen."

It was a beautiful spring evening. The air was warm with just a hint of a breeze blowing to keep the temperature comfortable. The sun was setting in the distance and a light splattering of stars had begun to twinkle in the darkening sky. Two young people with hearts full of love and heads full of unanswered questions were walking aimlessly around the Port Charles Park when an unexplainable pull caused them both to look ahead. Their eyes met and suddenly all the problems they were having seemed to have just disappeared.

Just an ordinary day
Started out the same old way
Then I looked into your eyes and knew
Today would be, a first for me
The day I fall in love…

On the day I fall in love
The sky would be a perfect blue
And I'll give my heart forever more
To someone who, is just like you
The day I fall in love…

"Allison," he whispered.

"Jack," she whispered back.

They ran into each other's arms and held on to each other for dear life. With all that was going on wrong, what they were feeling now, at this moment, was the only thing that they knew was right.

Song Credits: ''The Day I Fall In Love'' by James Ingram featuring Dolly Parton