Monday, November 15, 2004

Adair Suites: Lorenzo’s Penthouse

It was just after seven in the morning when Lorenzo’s quiet breakfast was interrupted by frantic banging on his front door. He wiped his mouth and stood, waiting for his guard to come in from the foyer to tell him who had disturbed him this early. It had better be for a good reason, he thought absently. He hadn’t slept much the night before—had waited up until the early morning hours to hear from his men about Diego’s whereabouts. There had been nothing.

Instead of one of his guards, a small flash of dark skin and dark hair rushed in. “He’s gone!” Maria Sanchez blurted. “He was supposed to be in the hotel room this morning and he’s gone!”

Lorenzo sighed and took his daughter by the shoulders and gently steered her towards the sofa. “Sit, take a breath.”

“I can’t!” Maria’s darkeyes flooded with tears. “He’s gone!”

“Maria, when did you even get to town?” he asked gently. “What happened to your last foster family?”

“I don’t know why that matters,” Maria choked. “Diego is gone. I have to find him—you have to help me.” She gripped the lapels of her father’s robe. “Please, Papi, please!”

Lorenzo closed his eyes and felt something inside him shift. She’d never called him Papi before and he knew she used the word now only to get him to do her bidding. But it would be worth finding the little bastard if only it meant Maria would stay with him.

“All right,” Lorenzo agreed. “But you must tell me who financed his bail.”

Maria pulled back, shifted her eyes to the side. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You don’t have the resources for ten thousand dollars. Even the bank account I have given you does not have that much money and never did. Where did you get the money?”

Maria licked her lips. “Why does that matter?”

“Because I must know,” Lorenzo stated. “Tell me, Maria.”

“It was his foster mother,” Maria said quietly. “Courtney Matthews gave me the money and Diego promised to stay in the hotel room when I went to get dinner but he was gone when I got back. You have to find him!”

“I will find him,” Lorenzo promised. “But you will stay here until I do so. Where I can keep you safe. After he is found, you will tell me when you got here and where your foster parents think you are.”

Kelly’s

Elizabeth had already ordered breakfast for herself and was feeding Cameron strained peaches when Jason arrived for their breakfast meeting. She’d taken a back table in efforts to minimize exposure. It would be the first public outing for the three of them and she was in no hurry to gain anyone’s notice.

“I ordered you coffee since I know you don’t eat breakfast,” Elizabeth told him, nodding towards the pot next to his cup.

“Thanks.” Jason kissed Cameron’s forehead before sitting down. “So, he’s over the cold?” He asked after a moment, unsure of how to proceed.

Elizabeth sipped her milk and nodded. “Better than ever.” She cracked her knuckles under the table.

Jason shifted. “The services are on Tuesday. For Adella.” He hesitated. “I was hoping you could come.”

Elizabeth’s eyes softened and she reached across the table to touch his hand. “Of course. I’ll leave Cameron with Grams for the day—she’s been asking for more time with him.” She sat back and nibbled on a piece of toast. “I spoke to Monica about the baby shower. I’m surprised she’s so enthusiastic.”

“She just hopes this will bring me back to the family,” Jason said. He exhaled slowly. “I don’t like to disappoint her but that’s not going to happen.”    He took a long swallow of coffee. “You sure you’re okay with it being held at the Quartermaines? Any party they have ends up in the papers.”

“It’s fine. It’s probably better that way. Everyone will know at once and we won’t have to keep answering questions for months,” Elizabeth replied. “I was wondering when you might want to move your things over—to the cottage, I mean.”

“Let’s—let’s hold off on that just for a bit,” Jason said uneasily. “Sam’s coming home next week and I want to make sure she’s settled before I make any new living arrangements.”

“Okay, I understand.” Elizabeth blew out a slightly exasperated breath. Just because she understood didn’t mean she liked the idea of the two of them still living together. She trusted Jason and she trusted Sam, mostly. But they were both in a vulnerable state right now and she was wary of the whole situation. “So I guess that means you won’t be spending the night either.”

“Elizabeth,” Jason began but a shadow fell over their table before he could attempt to explain himself. He looked up and very nearly sighed. “Courtney,” he said warily.

“Well, if it isn’t the home wrecking slut and my ex-husband,” the blonde remarked scathingly. She crossed her arms and glared at them. “I’m not surprised you couldn’t wait to throw this in people’s faces—”

“Courtney, please don’t use that kind of language in front of my son,” Elizabeth said quietly.

“Your son,” Courtney sneered. “You mean Jason’s son?” Her eyes flew to Jason. “I knew it–I told you last year that if you wanted her, you should go to her. But you chose to stay with me. But I always knew that you only married me because you couldn’t have her.” Her gaze raked over Elizabeth. “I don’t see the attraction a pale, skinny little twit like her myself but I guess some guys get off on constantly having to rescue the pretty little damsel in distress—”

“If you say that with a straight face, you’re a better actress than I gave you credit for,” Elizabeth broke in quietly. “You can’t solve a single problem yourself without leaning on a man so I really don’t want to hear that kind of bull leaving your mouth. Now, please—go away before you make an even bigger fool of yourself.”

“Excuse me?” Courtney fumed. She would have gone on but Mike approached the table at that point.

“Courtney,” her father began, putting his hand on her arm. She shook him off.

“Jason cheated on me when we were engaged!” she told him furiously—her voice loud enough to attract more than a few stares. In fact, every eye in the small diner was fixed on their table. Jason kept his eyes on Cameron and Elizabeth slunk down in her chair.

Mike hesitated and looked to Jason before glancing at Cameron. The father in him warred with the logical side. He’d known Jason and Courtney had been having problems long before they married and while he was furious on his daughter’s behalf, he’d known Jason too long to think he’d cheat with just anyone. “Courtney, this is a place of business,” he said quietly. “Can you just hold it until later?”

“Everyone takes his side!” Courtney raged. “Just because it’s Elizabeth and not some cheap slut he picked up off the street—”

“Courtney, that’s enough.” Jason stood. “Just knock it off and stop playing the betrayed party, here okay? You’re not perfect and you’ve made mistakes, too.” He muttered something under his breath, irritated with his word choice.

Elizabeth’s head snapped up, her face pale. “Mistakes?” she said softly. “That’s an odd way to phrase that.”

“Elizabeth,” Jason started but she held up a hand.

“I don’t want to hear it.” She stood and took a twenty out of her wallet. “This should cover the breakfast, I’m sorry for the scene,” she said to Mike. She shrugged her arms into her coat, gripped Cameron’s stroller and started out of the diner.

“Elizabeth,” Jason followed her out the door.

“Always the victim,” Courtney muttered. She glared at her father and left.

Mike sighed, pocketed the twenty and signaled for the bus boy to clean up the table.

Outside, Courtney stormed out of the courtyard and blessedly decided to ignore Jason and Elizabeth as they argued.

“I didn’t mean you and Cameron,” Jason said defensively. “You can’t believe that’s what I meant—”

“I don’t know what to believe anymore!” Elizabeth exploded, throwing her hands up in frustration. “You say you love me, that you want to be a family, but you won’t move in, you won’t stay longer than five minutes and I don’t think you intend to change that any time soon—”

“I do love you and you were not a mistake, Cameron was not a mistake,” Jason broke in. “Going back to Courtney, marrying her, that was my mistake. I should have stayed and worked things out with you–”

“But you didn’t,” Elizabeth retorted. “You turned and walked away. You always walk away. I can’t keep doing this anymore–” Her shoulders slumped and she closed her eyes. “I need some time.”

“Time?” Jason’s throat closed. “What do you mean, time?”

“Time away from you, away from us. I can’t keep wondering if I’m second prize, if you’re only with me because of Cameron. I can’t keep putting my life on hold for you. I can’t do this anymore, Jason and I won’t.” She gripped the stroller tightly. “Cameron is your son, he will always be your son but I can’t–I can’t be what you need and you refuse to be what I need.”

“No, I don’t accept that–I won’t.” He took a step towards her. “Elizabeth, we’ve come so far–why are you doing this when we’re so close to everything we wanted?”

“Because you can’t see that we’re not,” she whispered. “As long as you keep that distance between us, we’re so far apart; we might as well be on different planets.” She turned the stroller in the opposite direction and walked away.

Jason stood there, staring after her until long after she’d disappeared from sight and her footsteps only a distant memory.

Gatehouse: Living Room

Justus pulled a sheaf of papers from his briefcase and laid them in front of Ned and Lois. “I’ve drawn up the papers to file suit against the New York State Social Service Agency as well Courtney Matthews-Morgan. The suit is pretty straightforward. We’re not asking for a large amount of money because the money isn’t important.”

“That’s right,” Lois nodded. “It’s not about money, it’s about placing a dangerous kid with an unsuitable foster mother.”

Brooke shifted. “I don’t know if I’m comfortable with any of this,” she murmured. “Yeah, I mean, Courtney was an awful choice but she didn’t make Diego…do what he did.”

“We’re not saying she did,” Ned said quietly. “But Social Services have a job to do and by placing a grown teenager with a background like Diego Sanchez with the sister of a known criminal–a former drug abusing stripper, they’re sending a message that they don’t care about the quality of the foster family–just that they’re there.”

“I know,” Brooke sighed. “Will I have to testify?”

“Probably not,” Justus said. “We’re going to doing mostly character witnesses. We’ll put some officers on the stand, those who have dealt with Courtney after her stripping days, when she was accused of hitting Elizabeth Webber with a car. We’ll also bring up her family background–her connection with Sonny Corinthos, her father’s gambling convictions, the fact that she lives in a loft with one bedroom–that she was barely ten years older than the boy she was supposed to care for.”

“I get what we’re trying to do but I don’t want it to hurt the criminal case,” Brooke said. She shifted. “I mean, you see it on Law & Order all the time–the rape victim gets creamed on the stand because she’s suing.”

“That’s true, baby, but we’re not suing the defendant,” Lois told her. “It doesn’t matter–”

“But Brooke has a point,” Justus said. “I was actually going to recommend we hold off filing until after Sanchez is convicted.”

“That’s what I want to do,” Brooke said. “I want to wait.”

Ned squeezed his daughter’s hand. “We’re doing this for you–however you want to handle it. But in the end, I want to change the way they go about their business. I want something good to come from this nightmare.”

“Okay,” Brooke agreed. She smiled weakly and kissed his cheek. “Okay. Then I’ll do whatever I can to help. When the trial is over.”

PC High: Library

Lucas set his books next to Maxie at the back table. “Hey.”

She glanced up and sighed. “Hey, Lucas. I didn’t know you had study hall this period.”

“I don’t.” He sat and opened his Calculus text. “I’m skipping gym to talk to you. But look busy, I don’t want the librarian remembering that I don’t belong here.”

“Okay,” Maxie drawled. “How’s Brooke? Have you seen her?”

“Not since court on Wednesday. But I talked to her on the phone last night. You know Diego was released on bail right?”

“Yeah,” Maxie sighed. “My dad’s barely letting me and Georgie out of our rooms, much less the house. How’s Brooke handling that?”

“She’s doing the best she can I guess,” Lucas sighed. “Anyway, she wanted you to know that she’s sorry you guys fought last week. But she didn’t say what about.”

Maxie tapped her pencil against the table. “I wanted to talk to her—to make her understand why I didn’t come to the hospital at first. I mean, Lucas, my reasons are so selfish, they make me sick. But I thought I owed it to her to be honest.”

“What did you tell her?”

Maxie’s cheeks flushed. “I told her that I was glad it wasn’t me—because you know that I was alone with Diego too. So was Georgie. I know it doesn’t mean that I was glad it was her, but isn’t that what it means, deep down? That I’m glad it was her and not me?” She shook her head. “I’m an awful, selfish person, Lucas and I can’t believe Brooke doesn’t hate me.”

“It does not mean you’re glad it was her,” Lucas argued. “It means you’re relieved you’re safe, that Georgie is safe. Brooke knows that you wouldn’t wish this on anyone. And we’re going to get Brooke through this, I promise. You, me, Dillon, Georgie—we’ve got to be her support system, we’ve got to be her rock. Every day during the trial, we’ve got to be there. And even more importantly, we’ve got to be there afterwards. Brooke needs us more than anyone or anything else in our lives right now.”

“You’re right.” Maxie cleared her throat and sat up. “And we’re going to start immediately. Georgie and I will go to her house today and help her get caught up with homework. Dad will have to let us go there—there’s no where safer than the Quartermaine estate, right?”

“Right,” Lucas agreed. He put an arm around his cousin’s shoulders. “It’s gonna be all right.”

Parking Lot

Diego slid his hands in his pockets and waited in the parking garage of General Hospital. When he’d gotten back to his motel that morning after sneaking a breakfast from a nearby convenience store, a letter had been taped to the inside of his door. Inside, a time and a place had been scrawled in block letters.

Here he was, lurking behind Spot 24, his eyes peeled for any suspicious movement. It wasn’t the cops—it was too soon for them to have found him. But it didn’t rule out his dear old father—lousy son of a bitch who had abandoned him all his life. Diego sneered—he knew Lorenzo Alcazar had never meant all that bullshit about wanting to be a family.

Footsteps came towards him, sounding like someone just shuffling their feet over the rough surface. Scratch, scratch. Diego crouched behind a large red truck and watched as figure hung just back in the shadows. He was tall and slim—even it was even a man. Diego couldn’t tell from this angle.

“I admire you,” a rough deep voice emitted. It was low, to keep it from echoing. “But you were messy, you got caught.”

Diego frowned. “It wasn’t rape,” he said—because he firmly believed that. It didn’t matter what she said—she’d wanted it. He was an expert in matters such as these, and he knew when a girl wanted him.

“That’s exactly right,” the man murmured. He dropped something on the ground and kicked it towards him. Diego reached forward and retrieved a trash bag. “Open it.” Diego obeyed and withdrew a handful of folders and some labeled plastic bags. One read Pink Skirt – 7/16/94.

“What’s all this?”

“I thought you might like to have some fun while you’re on the run.” The man chuckled at his rhyme. “There are some instructions inside—just so you can do me a few favors in return for my goodwill.”

Diego noticed the wad of cash and was all to ready to agree. Except for… “How’d you know where I was?”

“We think alike, you and I.” The man stepped back. “I’ll be in touch.” He faded into the shadows.

Diego waited until his footsteps were gone before making his own escape.

PCMB: Brianne’s Office

“I’ve programmed my phone so I just have to open it and say your name,” Brianne began as she set her briefcase down on her desk. “They installed a panic button in all the offices here after that bombing last year in the courthouse. I promise not to leave my office without waiting for you. So, please—can I have a half hour to myself?”

Lucky folded his arms across his chest. “You’ll call me at the slightest instance?” he demanded. “You’ll press that button even if you only feel a little panicked?”

“Yes,” Brianne nodded. “I just—I need some time, okay?” She took her coat off and hung it on the rack beside her desk. “Just—don’t take this the wrong way, but just go away, okay?”

“Okay,” Lucky agreed. “One half hour. I’m going right across the street to GH. I can be back here in five minutes.”

Brianne arched an eyebrow. “You can fly?”

“Don’t be a smart ass,” Lucky replied as he left.

General Hospital: Administrator’s Office

“Lucky.” Nikolas stood and shifted some files to the side. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Hey—yeah, I’ve been busy with the Sanchez case,” Lucky replied. He sat. “But ADA Joyce wanted some time to herself and that building is more secure than the White House. Panic buttons, metal detectors—so I’m taking a half hour, thought I’d check in on you.”

“I can’t believe he got out on bail,” Nikolas shook his head. “I wonder what strings they had to pull to get that one over the DA’s head.”

“They’re trying to trace the money, track Sanchez down to put a detail on him. We can’t afford to screw this up or we’ll have the wrath of the Quartermaines on us and no one wants that.”

“So you’re staying with ADA Joyce until Sanchez is located?”

“Or until he’s back in jail, Mac’s not sure which.” Lucky shook his head. “Something’s not right about this girl, Nikolas. She’s either cold or lonely and I just can’t make up my mind which.”

“I don’t think I’m familiar with her—is she new?” Nikolas made a mark on his calendar about that afternoon’s board meeting.

“No, but I guess she’s been low-profile until now. She seems to be all about her work, there’s nothing personal in her apartment–it’s like its barren. But I can’t accept that it’s nothing more than a defense.” Lucky shook his head. “There’s just something about her, you know?”

“I can make a few calls,” Nikolas offered. “Get a background check.”

“No, no, that would be like spying.” Lucky shrugged. “I’ll get to the bottom of it eventually. Hey, have you heard from Elizabeth?”

“Since the bombshell? No. Emily’s worried, though. She said something about Elizabeth being miserable again.” Nikolas sighed, slightly exasperated. “I wish I knew what was really going on with her but she’s not talking.”

“I’ll try to stop by the cottage. Maybe she’ll open up to me.” Lucky glanced at his watch. “I better get back to the ADA.”

Port Charles Executive Park: Lainey Winter’s Office

“One set of divorce papers for your client to look over,” Justus announced, dropping the sheaf onto to Lainey’s desk. She glanced up and took them.

“I have to say, this is the one of the weirdest divorces I’ve ever worked on,” Lainey sighed. “They’ve got it all backwards—and did I read their file right? This is their third divorce?”

“Second actually, but third time around with attorneys,” Justus corrected. He leaned against her desk. “Want to compare war stories over dinner?”

Lainey arched a brow. “Are you asking me out?”

“If you have to clarify, then I am definitely out of practice,” Justus sighed dramatically. “Do you want to have dinner with me?”

She sat back and smirked at him. “That wouldn’t be a conflict of interest?”

“Where’s the conflict?” Justus asked. “Our clients are on the same page, they’re in agreement. We’re not even going to court on this one. I can behave if you can.”

Her smile deepened. “Fine. The Cellar at eight?”

PCPD: Commissioner’s Office

“Have you heard from Diego?” Mac demanded as soon as the door was closed.

Lorenzo shook his head. “No, but I do have some news. His twin, Maria, came to me this morning. She was upset—nearly hysterical. He’s disappeared from their hotel room.”

Mac exhaled slowly. “Well, he was released to his sister’s custody—another anomaly considering she’s underage but that’s for another time. If he’s left her sight and she doesn’t know where he is, that’s considered jumping bail. We can pick him. When we find him.”

Lorenzo nodded. “That’s good to hear. I do have something else for you—the name of the person who financed his bail.”

“Well, that’ll give us an avenue of investigation. I’m just glad it wasn’t you,” Mac told him.

“Maria told me it was Courtney Matthews,” Lorenzo revealed.

Mac sat back in his chair. “I completely underestimated how stupid that girl could be.”

0

Friday, November 12, 2005

PCMB: Ric Lansing’s Office

Brianne shifted in her seat. “I don’t care what the court clerk said. There was no motion, there was no phone call.”

She stared at her hands rather than at the district attorney who was currently peering out his window at the busy boulevard street below. “I had no idea Sanchez was even being considered for bail much less that he was out.”

“Something about the entire situation…” Ric shook his head. “I have no doubt that you were unaware, Brianne. Which is why I agree with the Commissioner on this matter. Someone’s using the system to help Diego Sanchez beat this charge. It’s not Lorenzo Alcazar and it sure as hell isn’t Sonny Corinthos.”

“Are we sure it’s not Lorenzo Alcazar?” Brianne questioned. “He is Sanchez’s father and he may have made that scene in the courtroom to throw us off.”

“We’ve been watching him as well. No contact with Diego, no calls to the prison and nothing to connect him to Maria Sanchez. My gut tells me he’s on the up and up on this.” Ric returned to his desk. “Scorpio is putting someone on the principals. This is a big case and I don’t have to tell you that the Quartermaines are going to be pissed if something goes wrong.”

“I understand the ramifications, Mr. Lansing,” Brianne began, “but I hardly think–”

“And that means that Brooke, the Jones girls, Dillon Quartermaines and Lucas Jones are getting round the clock guards. They’re the main witnesses. We’ve also got someone guarding the property room with the evidence. That leaves you, Brianne.”

“I doubt I’m a target,” Brianne said. “If something happens to me, they just get another prosecutor–”

“But it slows the process down. Takes time to get another lawyer up to speed. We’re not taking any chances, Brianne. Mac’s agreed that Lucky Spencer is the best choice. You can work together on the case and Spencer has the best track record when it comes to this kind of work.”

“But, sir–”

“I can understand that having Spencer camp out on your couch is obviously not a comfortable idea so the department thought a suite at a hotel would do–”

“Sir, that’s a major expense and it’s not just feasible,” Brianne argued weakly. “You can’t make me accept a bodyguard.”

“No,” Ric agreed. “But I can remove you from the case and assign someone who will.” He leaned back in his chair. “With your personal history, that might be for the best. I don’t know that this is the type of case you should be prosecuting.”

Brianne stiffened. “I have done an excellent job of prosecuting this case, Mr. Lansing, and it is unfair that a minor incident in my past can be used against me.”

“A minor incident,” Ric repeated softly. “An odd phrase for what happened, Brianne.”

She clenched her fists. “I am not one of those women who do not trust men or that see…a certain someone in every man I meet. I know better, Mr. Lansing. If you feel that having Lucky Spencer guard me is so important to my successfully prosecuting this case, then I will of course defer to you. He is more than welcome to the couch in my living room. As an officer of the law, I am duty bound to trust him, aren’t I?”

“No one’s trying to force you into something that you don’t want to do, Brianne,” Ric cautioned. “We just want everyone to be safe, all right?”

“Fine.”

Gatehouse: Brooke’s Bedroom

Brooke pushed her textbooks away and shoved her hair out of her face. She was more than a week behind in her homework and the way her concentration was going, it was only going to get worse.

She couldn’t seem to focus on anything for longer than a few seconds. She’d read a sentence and her eyes would flick away from the book, her ears tuned to the sounds in the hallway or the ones at the window.

“This is so stupid,” she muttered. She stood and started to pace. “He’s in jail. This is a fenced property with security. He’s not going get to me here. He can’t.”

She was nearly jarred out of her body when someone knocked on her door. “Who is it?” she called.

“It’s me,” Ned said. “Brooke, baby, we need to talk. Can you come out to the living room?”

She bit her lip. “I was doing my homework, I swear.”

“I know–Brooke, it’s important.”

“Okay,” Brooke reluctantly agreed. She pulled the door open and followed her father through the hallway and down the stairs to the living room where the commissioner was waiting. She hesitated at the foot of the stairs. “What’s going on?”

“Brooke,” Mac sighed, “I’m so sorry.”

“Why?” Brooke asked, her voice hitched, her breathing beginning to quicken. “What’s going on? What’s happened?”

“Diego made bail, baby,” Ned murmured. His fists were clenched but that was the only outward show of emotion he could allow himself. If he just let his guard down for a moment, he was sure he would explode and Brooke didn’t need that. She needed his support–she needed for him be calm so she could fall apart.

“Bail?” Brooke said sharply. Her dark eyes flicked from Mac to her father. “I don’t understand. He had no ties to the community, he was a flight risk–Brianne said he would be remanded. I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“We don’t know either but the ADA got a call. He was released on bail before she could get to the courthouse. Now, I don’t want to worry. We’ve got officers guarding the house, and we’re going to put someone on Sanchez at all times, Brooke.” Mac shifted and tried to look reassuring though he didn’t really feel that way. After twelve hours of trying to locate Diego Sanchez in order to put a tail on him, his officers had had no leads. The boy had all but vanished but he sure wasn’t going to tell the victim that. “You’ll be as safe as we can make you.”

Brooke shook her head. “No. He can’t be out. Why does he get to be out? He–it’s not fair!” She hugged herself tightly. “Put him back in jail!”

“We can’t unless he violates the bail agreement,” Mac said apologetically. “I promise, Brooke, we’re going to keep you safe–”

“You can’t promise that!” Brooke cried. “No one can!” She whirled around and flew up the stairs. A few moments later, her bedroom door slammed shut.

Ned exhaled slowly and looked at his old friend. “If I find him first, I don’t make any promises that he won’t need medical attention when I’m done.”

Mac nodded. He was, after all, a father first and an officer of the law second.

Lawyer’s Office

Lainey Winters buttoned her suit jacket and took a seat across from Justus Ward and his client, Sonny Corinthos. She smiled reassuringly at her client, Carly, before looking at Justus. “My client’s demands are quite small. I’m sure we can wrap this up today.”

“Mr. Corinthos is prepared to offer a generous settlement,” Justus began. “Ten thousand a month in alimony, twice that in child support as well relocation resources. All he wants is joint custody with his children.”

Lainey looked at her client, Carly shook her head. “I’m sorry, but my client has made her wishes clear. She doesn’t want any alimony and only two thousand a month in child support. She doesn’t want relocation resources and has no problems with joint custody.”

“Carly,” Sonny sighed. “I know you’re trying to make a point, but you don’t need to sacrifice the luxuries–”

“Mrs. Corinthos makes a good living from her club,” Lainey interrupted coolly. “She’s looking into buying another. She has excellent investments.”

Sonny whispered to Justus who sighed. “My client will be forced to go to court to petition for sole custody if Mrs. Corinthos does not agree to alimony and more child support.”

“Then you’re going to have to do that,” Carly said scathingly. “I don’t want or need your money, Sonny. I can’t believe you’d drag our kids through another custody battle because I don’t want your money.”

“It won’t come to that,” Sonny said confidently. “You’ll see reason.”

“If you petition for sole custody, I can promise you that I won’t hold back this time,” Carly declared. She stood. “I won’t protect you on the stand. I will tell them about the nervous breakdowns, the car bombs, the guns in my face—you don’t want to tempt me, Sonny, because if it comes down to it, they will give me custody over you every time.”

“You’re forgetting your own brush with insanity,” Sonny said quietly.

“I’m not forgetting anything,” Carly retorted. “Ferncliff was over seven years ago and my little stint in Shadybrooke is easily explained away by the fact that my husband shot me in the head!”

“She’s right,” Justus said softly. “No judge that’s not being bribed is going to give you those children.”

Sonny stared at him in disbelief. “So now you’re on her side?”

“I’m just giving you my legal opinion.” Justus shrugged. “You can’t change certain facts, Sonny. Carly would win a custody suit.”

Carly nodded. “And I don’t want it to come to that, Sonny. I don’t want our marriage to end like this. Let’s be adult about this.” She took her seat. “I understand that you want the boys to be taken care of, looked out for. I understand and appreciate that, but they’re my children too and you have to trust me to know what’s best for them.”

“And what’s best for them is to have their own home—” Sonny began.

“What’s best for them is to be with family and Mama is family,” Carly interrupted gently. “They love her and she loves them. She’s changed her schedule so she can be with them when I’m not. I don’t need a nanny when I have a live in baby-sitter. Sonny, the best thing for them is not to change anything else. They’re happy with living at the Brownstone.”

“What about giving Carly what she wants,” Justus suggested, “but write in an addendum that if at any time, she needs more child support, alimony or relocation resources, Sonny will provide it.” He looked to Sonny for his approval.

“I can live with that,” Sonny said.

“Carly?” Lainey prompted.

“So can I,” Carly agreed. Her eyes found Sonny’s across the table. “Thank you, Sonny.”

General Hospital: Kristina’s Room

“I bet you can’t wait to go home,” Steven remarked as he shined a light into Kristina’s eyes. “Probably so tired of hospitals, you could puke.”

Kristina giggled and reached for the stethoscope hanging around his neck. “Gimme!”

“Ah, ah,” Steven wagged his finger. “Can’t play with that.”

“You’re no fun,” Elizabeth said from the doorway. She sighed dramatically. “Always taking my toys and putting them away before I could even play with them.”

“Hey, Lizbits,” Steven said. “Did you need something?”

“Nope, Alexis said Kristina was up for visitors.” Elizabeth approached the crib-like bed and waved at the little girl. “Hey, I bet you don’t remember me.”

Kristina shook her head. “Nope!”

“I’m Elizabeth,” she said. “Your mommy and I have been friends for a long time.”

“Mama!” Kristina perked up. “Where’s Mama?”

“She has to sleep sometime, poppet,” Steven murmured. He unwound the stethoscope from his neck and raised the metal piece to Kristina’s chest. “This is going to feel a little cold.”

“I tried to call Mom and Dad today,” Elizabeth said quietly. She met her brother eyes. “Hung up before it even started to ring.”

“You have to tell them sometime,” Steven said absently. He shined the light again and watched as Kristina’s eyes followed it.

“I know,” she sighed. “But it’s not as though it’s the easiest news to impart.”

“Just try telling them bluntly,” Steven suggested. “Mom, Dad, I have a son and his father is a mobster with a part-time sort of second girlfriend.”

Elizabeth scowled. “You’re not amusing.”

“Neither is the situation.” Steven put the light back into the top pocket of his white coat. “Well, Kristina, guess what?”

“What?” Kristina asked brightly. She reached again for the stethoscope. “Gimme!”

“You are doing much better,” Steven told her. “Do you feel better?”

“Better than what?” the toddler asked, puzzled.

“Ah, the ability to forget that which is painful.” Steven grinned. “Your mom will be back soon, Princess.” He raised her call button so she could see it. “See this?”

She nodded.

“Press this button if you need anything, okay?” Steven directed. “Can you repeat that?”

Kristina nodded. “Press button if I need candy.”

Elizabeth grinned. “She’s obviously got her priorities set in the right place.”

General Hospital: Monica’s Office

After leaving Steven to explain once again to his young patient the purpose of the call button, Elizabeth headed to Monica’s office to ask for more details about the mysterious baby shower that Jason had mentioned.

Monica was marking charts when Elizabeth knocked on the open door. “Elizabeth!” Monica stood and immediately crossed the room to envelop the young woman in a warm embrace. “I was hoping to get a chance to speak with you!”

Elizabeth patted the other woman’s back awkwardly. “Jason said something about a baby shower—”

“Right, right, of course.” Monica pulled away and motioned for her sit on the small couch. “I just—I was so thrilled when Jason told me about Cameron. Part of me always wondered because Cameron looks so much like Jason did as a baby, but I always thought it was wishful thinking.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re so happy,” Elizabeth replied. “My parents live in Europe, so it’s nice that Cam will have a set of grandparents here, as well as my grandmother.”

“So, the baby shower,” Monica clasped her hands together. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a baby in the family we could really celebrate—I think Dillon was the last baby. I’m just so thrilled.”

“You really don’t have to,” Elizabeth said. “Cameron has everything he needs—”

“Nonsense,” Monica dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Baby showers are for the mother anyway. They’re usually one last hurrah before the insanity of a newborn but for you, it can be a little vacation.”

“That does sound nice,” Elizabeth agreed. “If you’re sure it’s not any trouble—’

‘Trouble?” Monica laughed. “A chance to celebrate Jason and his family? No trouble at all.”

Elizabeth smiled uneasily. “Okay then, whatever you’d like to do is fine with me.”

General Hospital: Sam’s Room

Sam was staring at the television screen listlessly when Jason entered her room. “Hey,” she murmured as he took a seat next to her. She flicked the talk show off. “What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to clarify a few things,” Jason told her. “You’re staying in the penthouse for a while right?”

She sighed heavily. “I don’t really want to, Jason. I don’t want to be dependent on you like that.”

“I understand but you’re still not one hundred percent,” Jason explained. “I don’t want you in some seedy motel room out job hunting. Just—just stay until you find another place.”

“If you insist.” Sam shifted. “The services on Tuesday…who’s planning that? You or Sonny?”

“Sonny’s handling most of it,” Jason said. “But I’ll pick you up from the hospital, take you home—on Monday. Do you want me to pick you up for the services?”

“Yeah…I mean, if that’s okay.” Sam closed her eyes and leaned back. “Are you staying at the cottage?”

Jason shook his head. “No. I—I’m at the penthouse right now but I’m going to find an apartment or someplace to stay.”

Sam’s eyes flew open and she sat up gingerly. “Are you serious?”

Jason exhaled slowly. “I haven’t told Elizabeth I’m not moving in so—don’t say anything to her.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” Sam shifted and winced a little. “Jason, why aren’t you moving in with your son, with Elizabeth?”

Jason sat back and looked away, towards the blank television screen. “Because things might not work out between us,” he admitted finally. “They never have before and I’m not about to screw up Cameron’s life more by letting him get used to having me there and changing it later. When—if—I move in, I want it to be permanent.”

“I don’t understand,” Sam murmured. “If you love her and she loves you, then why wouldn’t it work?”

“Sonny loved you. You loved him,” Jason reminded her.

“Yeah, but he was married,” Sam said, exasperated. “And still in love with Carly, to boot. There are no such circumstances here.”

“What about Jax?” Jason said instead. “Or what about Courtney? Or Robin? Or the last time Elizabeth and I tried this?’ He shook his head. “I just want to be careful.”

“Well, I’d find a better way to explain this to Elizabeth when the time comes,” Sam advised, “because it just sounds like you don’t trust her to stay.”

“I just don’t want to hurt her anymore,” Jason said quietly.

“I’m not sure you can avoid that if you go this road,” Sam replied.

Brianne’s Apartment

Lucky set a duffle bag on the brown leather sofa and eyed Brianne who was edging towards her bedroom. “I’m sure it’s not going to be for long.”

“No, right,” Brianne nodded. She gestured towards a closed door on her left. “This is the bathroom, you can see the kitchen. Um—I’ll be in here.” She shifted. “Good night.”

She closed her door behind her and Lucky frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was barely eight p.m. in the evening. Surely she wasn’t going to sleep already?

ADA Joyce was definitely wound tightly, Lucky decided. He unzipped his duffle and removed a small stack of manila folders. At least he’d have some quiet to get some work done.

He sat on the couch and set the folders on the oak coffee table, glancing around at the sparse furnishings of the nicely sized apartment. It was an excellent section of town, he noted, but rent didn’t come cheap. Probably why she had only the bare minimum—a sofa, a coffee table, a television stand and a table with two chairs in the kitchen.

Or maybe she just didn’t really live here, Lucky thought absently. Young ambitious career-minded people tended to live in their jobs. God knows, he did. He had just the room above Kelly’s, preferring to spend most of his time either at the station or on the job.

But even he had a few personal belongings scattered around the room—photos, memorabilia—just something that said that he lived there. If Brianne had anything of the sort, it was locked tightly behind her bedroom doors.

And if not—he wasn’t sure if that made her one of the loneliest people he’d ever known or just one of the coldest.

0

November 11, 2004

L & B Recording Studios: Rehearsal Room

Brooke tapped at the piano keys, her voice hushed. “And I wanna believe you, when you tell me that it will be okay. Yeah, I try to believe you. Not today, today, today, today, today. Tomorrow it may change…”

“That’s beautiful,” Maxie murmured from the doorway. Brooke snapped her head up and met the eyes of one of her best friends. They’d seen each other at the hearing yesterday but hadn’t spoken. “You must hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” Brooke switched off the synthesizer and set aside her sheet music. “I just…I don’t know how I feel,” she admitted.

Maxie clasped her hands behind her back. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit you in the hospital. I didn’t know what to say and I wasn’t sure how I would…I would feel.”

The corner of Brooke’s mouth lifted in a humorless smile. “Disgusted?”

“No. No,” Maxie shook her head. “No, that’s not–you’re my best friend, Brooke. But this has never–I’ve never known anyone who went through this. I mean, you hear about it and you know it happens…but I never really thought about what it would be like for it to happen to someone I know. And it scares me, Brooke. It terrifies me that anyone can do this to a person, even if you trust them.”

“Maxie…” Brooke sighed. She shook her head. “This isn’t about you.” She stood and shoved her work into her shoulder bag.

“No, and that’s why I couldn’t go to see you while this was in my head,” Maxie said. “But I talked to Georgie last night and she told me to just be honest with you. So…” she took a deep breath. “We were all alone with him, Brooke. You, me and Georgie. We all spent time one on one with him and it’s terrifying to know that he had that in him all the time and it makes me feel so ashamed to be glad it wasn’t me.”

Brooke stared at the miserable blonde and tried to shove the hurt aside. A natural reaction, she told herself. She herself would have felt it. “That doesn’t mean you’re glad it was me,” Brooke said, struggling to understand Maxie’s mind. “I hope you’re not dumb enough to think that’s what you were feeling.”

“No but…” Maxie sighed. “I’m selfish, it’s not much of a surprise to you, I guess. And I feel like such a shitty person for feeling this way. This is such a terrible thing to happen and all I can think of is I’m glad it wasn’t me.”

“You get to feel how you want to feel,” Brooke said. “I can’t control any of it. I can’t control that Dillon wants to kill Diego, that Georgie’s willing to do anything–even see Diego–if she thinks it’ll help and Lucas…” she sighed heavily. “And I can’t help that the thought of Lucas touching me makes me shiver inside and not the way it used to.”

She lifted the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “I know that while it happened physically to me, that it’s happening to all of you. I know that it’s affecting everyone, from my parents to you guys and I’m trying to deal with that. But don’t get too busy dealing with this to forget that all you guys have to do is process it.” Her lips pressed together. “But I’m the one that’s gotta remember it. To get on the stand and testify. To tell people. This did not happen to you. It happened to me. Everyone else is just a bystander.”

She stalked past Maxie and into the hallway.

Courtney’s Loft: Living Room

Courtney slid her foot into a pair of white flats and looked around for her coat. She was late for a meeting with Social Services and the last thing she had needed this morning was for her alarm clock to break.

There was a quiet knock at the door. “Come in!” Courtney called distractedly as she went into the partitioned area where the bed was. “Is that you, Jax?”

“Uh, no,” Jason said, uncomfortably.

Courtney came back into the living room, her meeting forgotten. “Jason. What are you doing here?”

“I’m…I have to talk to you.” He shifted. “And I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else.”

Her heart constricted. He was going to get married again. She could feel it. To that slut, Sam. Even though she’d lost her baby, that little home wrecker still had her claws in Jason. “Jason, I don’t–”

“Cameron Webber is my son and he was conceived while we were engaged,” Jason said in one sentence, which had to be the longest one he’d said to her in months.

Courtney opened her mouth but there was no sound. She blinked. Closed her mouth and tried to process it. Cameron Webber. Son. Conceived. Engaged. The words didn’t make sense in the same phrase because if they were used together it meant…no, she had heard wrong. She must have.

“Cameron Webber is Elizabeth’s son,” Courtney said slowly. “And Zander Smith is his father.”

“No. That’s what everyone thought until her due date was readjusted.” Jason exhaled impatiently. Say it quick, Carly had advised. Like ripping off a bandage instead of peeling it slowly. “He’s my son, Courtney. My biological son.”

Okay, that was getting through but the rest of it had to be wrong. She’d asked Jason about this. She’d begged him to tell her that he didn’t love Elizabeth, that he didn’t want her and he–

He had never answered. The memory of that day was clear in Courtney’s mind, despite the haze that settled over her memories of that time. He’d said that they were engaged. But he’d never denied it.

Which was always Jason’s way of not telling the truth. Just avoiding the question. Oh, Jesus.

“I was right,” Courtney murmured. “You wanted her. The whole time. I was just–I was substitute.” Oh–and Elizabeth had given him a child. The child Courtney had been unable to. Something inside her curled up and died at that thought. She’d accused him of it–never dreaming that it would be the truth. “You married me because you couldn’t have her. You were with me because she left you.”

She’d thought she’d felt pain before. When she’d found out AJ was stalking her, when she and Jason had been broken up, when she’d lost their child. Ending their marriage. She’d thought she understood what pain was like.

But hearing–understanding–that despite it all, that no matter what they’d had together, it had never been enough. She had never been enough for him. It would always be Elizabeth for him.

There was no pain like having your heart ripped out and shredded into pieces.

There was a buzzing behind her eyes, she wasn’t quite sure what was happening outside her head. Was he saying something? Was she? Dimly, she was aware that she was crying, that the tears were sliding down her cheeks and streaking her mascara and eyeliner.

She sat because her legs would no longer support her. He’d slept with Elizabeth, had never told her–her thoughts broke off abruptly and she focused on him. “The accident. It was after the accident. A baby never would have survived.”

Jason sighed, almost as if he himself didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to delve into the memories. “It was before and after the accident,” he admitted. “We had–it was over before we were married but it was not a one night thing.”

“An affair,” Courtney said slowly. “You had an affair with her while I was going through an addiction to pain killers, while I was dealing with my miscarriage. While I was planning our wedding, you were sleeping with Elizabeth Webber.”

And while Elizabeth was dealing with her breakup with Jason, you were sleeping with him, a nasty voice in her brain said. While she was confiding in you, treating you like a friend, you were screwing him. You threw your husband out and slept with his brother two weeks later in the bed you’d shared.

She clapped her hands over her ears. “Get out,” she said. “Get out!” Her voice rose. “Get out!” she finally shrieked. “I want you out!”

Jason dipped his head into his chest, exhaled slowly once before turning and leaving. It was better that she knew the full truth, he told himself as he left the loft and headed for the stairs. Better that she didn’t question, didn’t wonder. It was better this way.

Somehow, someday, he was sure he would believe that.

Audrey Hardy’s House: Living Room

“He appears to be recovered from his little sickness,” Audrey remarked, propping her great-grandson on her lap and cooing at him. “I can’t believe how fast he’s growing.”

“Yeah,” Elizabeth sighed. “Seems like only yesterday he was still inside me.” Her eyes clouded for a moment. “Before you know it, he’ll be running around and then he’ll be going to college, having a life of his own.” She exhaled slowly. “It goes so fast, Gram. And all you can do is live every day the best you can.”

“Well, he has an excellent mother.” Audrey tugged at Cameron’s shirt, smoothing it out. “Have you given any thought to what we discussed? A father figure for Cameron?”

“Gram…” Elizabeth sighed. “I know you think he needs someone in his life, a male influence.”

“I don’t think you need to get married to give him a father, but just someone to look up to,” Audrey said. “Someone other than his uncle.”

“I know.” Elizabeth twisted her fingers. “There is someone, Gram.”

“Oh?” Audrey arched an eyebrow. “And who is that?”

“Cameron’s father.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “Jason.”

Audrey stilled. Her fingers tightened around Cameron’s midsection for a moment before she raised her eyes to her granddaughter. “I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Jason Morgan is Cameron’s father. His biological father,” Elizabeth said softly. “I discovered that before I left for California and when I came home, I told Jason immediately. We chose to keep it between us for a while. He was just coming off a divorce and…the situation with Sam…” She exhaled slowly. “I love him, Gram. I hope that you can finally accept that. We’re a family–Jason, Cameron and myself.”

Audrey stood and set Cameron firmly in his mother’s arms. She walked around the back of the couch and wandered towards the mantel, where photos of the family were kept. “When I was your age, my darling, I had only just arrived in Port Charles, flushed with my independence and a golden future. I thought I do anything, be anything that I wanted. And when I met Steve…oh…how lovely it all was…” She turned, a soft smile on her face and the memory of her love for her long gone husband in her eyes. “You know that your grandfather was the love of my life.”

“I know that,” Elizabeth said. “I love Jason that way, Gram.”

“From the time I was a young girl, flushed with all the sweetness and innocence of my first real love to today, there has never been anyone that I loved quite the same way, with the same depth and passion.” Audrey sighed and twisted her slim wedding band. “We didn’t have a smooth road and it took many mistakes before I realized that I was meant for Steve, and he for me. By that time, and during that period in time, we were past the age where we could have children of our own. Part of me has always grieved for that though Tom became Steve’s son.”

“Gram…”

“You’ve been through so much in your young life, Elizabeth. More than I have experienced in my long one,” Audrey continued. “You ought to know your own heart by now and if you truly believe that Jason Morgan owns it, then I trust you with that decision.” Audrey picked up a photo of herself and Steve on their second wedding day, twenty-seven years ago. “He was always a good father to Michael, I can’t imagine he’s any less for Cameron. And though I never thought he was right for you, I can’t disagree that he cares for you.”

Elizabeth stood and shifted Cameron to rest on her hip. “So…you’ll accept him?”

“Yes.” Audrey nodded. “Yes, I will. Though I reserve my judgment until he agrees to come to dinner one night soon.”

The tension left her shoulders and Elizabeth sighed in relief. “Thank you, Gram. You don’t know how much it means to me to know you’re going to give him a chance.”

General Hospital: Kristina’s Room

Alexis flipped through the snap shots of the houses Ric had gotten from their realtor. They were either the wrong location, the wrong size and in one case of lime green, the wrong color. She was beginning to think her apartment sounded like a nice place to live for the rest of their lives.

“Mama,” Kristina chirped. She held her hands out for the stack Alexis held her in her hands. “Gimme.”

Alexis held up a picture of a split level home five blocks from downtown Port Charles but still firmly residential. “How does this look, Princess?”

Kristina frowned. “What dat?”

“Well…it could be our new home,” Alexis said slowly. “You’d get a swing set.”

“Swing!” Kristina clapped her hands. “Swing, swing, swing!”

“And possibly a tricycle,” Alexis continued, though she still had doubts about putting her baby on anything that could move away from her. “That’s a bike with three wheels.”

“Bike?” Kristina’s eyes dark eyes grew wide. “Bike! Like on TV!”

“Yes, like on TV,” Alexis said, slightly irritated that her baby-sitter had let her watch so much television. She should have been read fairy tales instead of watching whatever daytime soap the baby sitter was currently addicted to.

“We live there,” Kristina decided. She reached for the picture and hugged it to her chest. “Home.”

“Yeah, okay. We’ll go see the inside of it,” Alexis compromised. “If Mommy doesn’t like it, we’re not doing it.”

“Home,” Kristina repeated. She looked down at the picture. “Krissy get swing, swing right?”

“Yes, Krissy get swing swing,” her mother repeated, charmed by the obvious attachment her daughter had to the image. Though she was not going to pick a house simply because her two-year-old daughter liked the way something looked.

She really wasn’t.

Club 101: Carly’s Office

“And make sure that the bottles aren’t broke,” Carly told her assistant. “The last shipment was full of cracked wine bottles.”

“Yes, Mrs. Corinthos,” the young man nodded. He marked that down and was about to bring up the next topic when there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for an invitation, Sonny pushed it open and held up a sheaf of papers.

Carly swallowed. The divorce papers. “We’re done for now, Roger. Come back in about an hour.”

Roger hurried to leave them alone. “What took you so long?” Carly asked as she shuffled some papers into a useless pile.

“The messenger delivered them to the warehouse and today was the first day I went in.” Sonny set them on her desk. “The terms are unacceptable.”

Carly sighed heavily. “Listen, we both know that this is over. I don’t see why we have to hurt each and drag it out.”

“I intend to see that my boys have their own home. You can’t live with your mother indefinitely,” Sonny chided.

“Why not?” Carly asked. “Mama’s already agreed to move her shifts around so she can be with the boys when I can’t. I can bring Morgan to work with me, pick Michael up from school.”

“Then what would we pay Leticia for?” Sonny asked pointedly.

“Nothing,” Carly answered. “I let her go.”

“What?” Sonny demanded. “Without speaking to me?”

“I don’t need a nanny,” Carly argued. “I want to raise my boys, I want to be their mother. If Morgan spends any more time with Leticia, he’ll be calling her Mom rather than me. If you want to keep her on for when you have the boys at the penthouse, that’s fine but you’re not going to tell me how I’m going raise my own children. We are staying with my mother until I feel we’re ready to move on and there’s nothing you can say to change that. Sign the papers and let’s get this over with.”

“And the child support is too low,” Sonny said. “You couldn’t feed them on what you’re asking for–”

“I’m not a child, Sonny. I can feed and clothe my own children. I only asked for child support because it’s standard. I don’t even want alimony–”

“What kind of bullshit is that?” Sonny exploded. “Since when do you turn down money?”

“Since I remembered that I grew up without any and I survived. I can take care of myself, Sonny and I don’t need you standing there judging my every move. I’m not Mrs. Sonny Corinthos anymore and for the first time, I feel damn good about myself.” Carly stood, her tone matching his. “I don’t want your money, I don’t want you in my life anymore Sonny. I’m tired of all of this. I’m tired of stepping on eggshells, tired of pretending to be someone I’m not–”

“What does that mean?” Sonny demanded.

“It means that before you came along, I didn’t need anyone. And I’m tired of depending on someone else. Get out of my office, Sonny. From now on, you deal with my lawyer.”

Cottage: Nursery

Elizabeth closed the fairy tale she’d been reading to Cameron and smiled when she saw him fast asleep. There were days when he’d refuse to go down for his nap which only made the days when he just slipped into sleep all the more sweet.

“Is he already asleep?” Jason asked from the doorway. She turned, surprised to see him. “I tried to make it over before his nap.”

“He just went down,” Elizabeth murmured. She tucked the blankets in more tightly around him. She set the book back onto the shelf and left the room, closing the door behind her. “I–I told my grandmother today.”

“Really?” Jason asked, surprised. He followed her down the stairs and into the living room. “How did it go?”

“A lot better than I thought it would,” Elizabeth admitted. “I think part of her knew.” She smiled ruefully. “It seems the people in my life knew at least that Zander wasn’t Cameron’s father. Can you believe Emily thought Lucky was?” she laughed and shook her head. “God.”

“I told Monica,” Jason said. He leaned against the arm chair and watched her start to fold a load of Cameron’s clothing. “Sam suggested that I should and I’m glad I did.”

“Monica loves you,” Elizabeth said. “I hope you told her she’s welcome to come by anytime to see him.”

“I did.” Jason hesitated. “I, ah, she wants to throw a baby shower because she didn’t get to while you were pregnant.”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose and smiled at him. “I bet you turned that down fast. You and the Quartermaines, at a party together…” she trailed off and laughed. “What an idea that is.”

“I told her that it would be fine, that it was even a good idea. She pointed out that while we tell our families, that the only way to really announce it is to do it in a public way and I guess there’s no real more public way than a Quartermaine party.”

Elizabeth lowered a green shirt back into the basket and stared at him. “Are you…are you serious? You agreed to…you agreed to a Quartermaine party?”

Jason nodded. “I told you that I was going to make this up to you, Elizabeth. And I can’t really think of a better way to prove that I’m willing to put Cameron first. The Quartermaines aren’t the same and Monica deserves to have at least one of her grandchildren in her life.”

“Jason, I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to. I know how you feel about them–”

“But I know that you like them,” Jason cut in. “And I trust you. Besides, with everything that was going on last year, did you have a baby shower?”

“No,” Elizabeth said, her lips curving slightly. “No, I didn’t get that chance.” Her eyes were sparkling now. “It does sound like a good idea and I bet no one gives gifts like the Quartermaines.”

“Good. Then when Monica descends on us tomorrow with party plans, I can leave that part of it completely to you.” Jason shifted. “Elizabeth, I told Courtney this morning.”

Elizabeth bit her lip and looked away. “How did that go?”

“It went,” Jason said. “She knows the truth. She was upset and she told me to get out but–she knows.” He shifted again, uncomfortable with the memory of the morning’s incident. “I don’t know how she’s going to react in public but–everyone knows now.”

“I guess they do.” Elizabeth sighed. “Well, it’s over at any rate. We can start with the rest of our life.” She finished folding the last of the clothes and crossed the room to him, standing between his legs and resting her hands on his thighs. “What are you doing with the rest of the day?”

“I have to go to the warehouse–there are some loose ends I need to tie up and I need to talk to Sonny. I haven’t seen him since Tuesday when I just…dropped it on him.” He sighed heavily. “I don’t know how he’s handling this. The job, Cameron, you and part of me wonders…” he trailed off.

“Wonders what?” Elizabeth murmured. She ran her fingers through the soft hair by his ear.

“I wonder why it matters so much. What he thinks, more than Carly, more than Courtney.”

“He’s your best friend.” Elizabeth had long ago come to terms with that while he loved her, that he loved his son, he also loved Sonny. “He’s been more than friend–he’s been your father. You don’t want to disappoint him and you think you have by not being what he wants.”

“I guess. He’s just been so different since I came home this last time and I don’t think it’s ever going to be the way it used to be. I don’t think I’m ever going to be person I used to be.”

“Well, that’s okay,” Elizabeth said, winding her hands around his neck. He gripped her waist and was just so relieved that this still felt comfortable, that this still felt right. After all he’d put her through and how much they’d been through together, there was still this between them. She always knew what he was thinking, what he was really trying to say and she was the only person who’d been there for him–and not for someone else first. “I kind of like who you are now.” She kissed his chin and smiled up at him. “Will you stay tonight?”

“I wish I could,” Jason sighed heavily. “But I just–” He shook his head. “I have things I need to finish before I can stay in this house again, before I’ll feel like I have a right to.”

Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “All right. I won’t pretend I wish you felt differently. I miss you, Jason.” She tucked her head under his chin and closed her eyes. “I love you,” she murmured.

Warehouse: Sonny’s Office

Sonny was shuffling through paperwork when Jason entered his office. He didn’t knock and didn’t announce his presence, just stood and waited for his friend and former partner to look up.

Sonny finished the form he was filling out before looking up though he was aware of Jason from the moment he’d stepped in. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“I thought we should talk,” Jason said.

Sonny nodded and sat back. “You, ah, dropped quite the bomb yesterday.” He folded his hands on the desk and peered up at Jason. “I’d like to tell you that I’m happy for you. All other things aside, that is something I’d like you to be aware of. Elizabeth is a wonderful woman and Cameron is a beautiful boy.”

“Thank you,” Jason nodded. “I know how lucky I am.”

“I’m sorry you feel like you have to quit your job to have what you need but if you feel that this is what you really need, what you really want, then I support it and I’ll do what I can to make it happen.”

Jason frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Before we’re partners, we’re friends,” Sonny said. “And I think sometimes we both forget that. I’m sorry you felt like you had to hide this. I’m sorry that my sister was hurt in the process but it’s happened. We have to deal with it.” He cleared his throat. “Have you told Courtney yet?”

“This morning.” Jason looked away. “She didn’t take it well.”

“She’s having a rough time of it,” Sonny remarked. “I’ll take care of her, don’t worry. Carly knows?”

“Everyone knows,” Jason said. “I’m tired of hiding it, of hiding Elizabeth. She doesn’t deserve that.”

Sonny stood. “Are we okay then?”

“I guess we are.” Jason offered a hand and Sonny shook it. Their friendship would never, could never be the same. But maybe, just maybe, it would be better after this day.

PCMB: Brianne’s Office

“I’m going to call Dr. Webber, Brooke, Ned, and one of Brooke’s friends as witnesses,” Brianne told Lucky. She shoved a folder across the desk. “I just haven’t decided which kid though I’m leaning towards Lucas Jones because he has the cleanest record. I’m also going to interview a few more people connected to this case.” She hesitated and tapped her pen against a notepad. “Would Elizabeth Webber be cooperative?”

Lucky blinked and shifted in his chair. “What does she have to do with this case?”

“She’s spoken to Brooke. She’s not a licensed rape counselor so her conversations aren’t confidential. I just want to check what Brooke’s said to her.”

Lucky narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “Do you think Brooke’s keeping something back? Lying?”

“No, no,” Brianne shook her head and looked back at her notes. “Brooke’s being truthful but she may have said something to Elizabeth in a moment of emotion that she might not have felt in the room with me. I just want to have all the details.” Her blue eyes met his, hers full of a surprising intensity. “I want the cell locked so tightly on this piece of scum that there’s no hope of him going free.”

It was the first piece of real emotion that Brianne had shown and its appearance made him sit back a little, surprised. “It’s what we all want but I’m not sure Elizabeth will feel comfortable divulging anything Brooke said.”

“I want to question her anyway.” Brianne flipped a page in her notes. “Did you go back today and re-interview the stronger witnesses at the high school?”

“I have ten affidavits,” Lucky answered. He held out a manila folder for her to take and watched as Brianne took the edge and set it down on her desk. “From different groups at the school. Some athletics, some academics, couple of in betweens, a few slackers. I wanted to cover all bases. They pretty much say the same thing. Sanchez was new to the school, barely attended. They saw him in the company of Brooke and her friends. They all assumed it was because she felt sorry for him. No one saw any behavior on her part that would even suggest she felt more than friendly towards him.”

“Good, good.” Brianne stood and went over to a filing cabinet where she removed a few files. “That’s it on the Sanchez case. Thank you for your help, Sergeant Spencer, but that’ll be all for today.” She flicked a glance towards him. “I don’t think we’ll need much more investigation from the PCPD so other than preparing you for the witness stand, we’re done here.”

Lucky nodded. “Elizabeth’s an old friend of mine. She might talk to me more easily than you–”

“I can do my job,” Brianne interrupted briskly. She took the files back to her desk. “Thank you, Sergeant,” she repeated.

Lucky hesitated and nodded. “Fine.” He stood and started for the door. His cell phone chirped and he paused to answer it. “Spencer.”

“It’s Scorpio,” Mac reported. “Sanchez made bail.”

“What do you mean he made bail?” Lucky repeated. “Where the hell did he get a hundred grand?”

Brianne’s head snapped up and she stood. “Sanchez is out?”

“His lawyer appealed the amount of the bail and it was lowered to ten thousand which the sister met. Are you still with ADA Joyce?”

“Yeah, how come she wasn’t aware of this?” Lucky demanded. He turned back to see Brianne’s pale face staring back at him. “Shouldn’t she have been present at something like this?”

“She should have been which is why I’m worried. I’m going to talk to Lorenzo Alcazar. I’m putting a man on Brooke Lynn at all times. I want you to stick close to the ADA.”

“Why?” Lucky asked suspiciously. “Do you think Sanchez is that stupid he’d go after Joyce?”

If it were possible, the pallor of the woman in question faded even more.

“I’m not interested in taking chances. I’ve got the okay from DA Lansing. Until we locate Sanchez and put someone on him at all times, I want all the principals protected. Diego Sanchez has connections in this town and if it wasn’t Alcazar who sprung him, I want to know who. Corinthos wouldn’t put his neck out for him.”

“He’d have no reason,” Lucky murmured. “I’ll stick close until you tell me otherwise.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

Lucky dropped his phone back in his pocket. “Looks like you can’t get rid of me that easily, Ms. Joyce.”

Brianne sat down slowly. “How did he make bail?” she demanded, color rushing back to her cheeks.

“Seems Hartman appealed to have the bail lowered. Diego Sanchez’s sister paid ten thousand to spring him.”

“No, no, any motions would have to go through this office. We have to be made aware even if we choose not to fight it.” Brianne’s hands were shaking as she reached for the phone. “There’s some mistake.”

He took the phone from her hands and ignored the way she froze when their hands brushed. He hung the receiver up. “There’s no mistake, Brianne. Sanchez is out on bail. Mac is putting someone on Brooke and he wants me to stay with you until we have a line on Sanchez and can pin him down.”

“I just–I don’t understand.” She shook her head. “He’s a minor. He’s seventeen, he has to be released into someone’s custody. Social Services, maybe. They wouldn’t give him back to Courtney Matthews.” Her eyes met his. “Would they?”

“Not after Ned Ashton served them with papers this morning for reckless endangerment.”

“Lorenzo Alcazar didn’t sound like he’d fight for his son’s defense yesterday.” Brianne stood and moved to the windows. “Where would Diego Sanchez’s sister get ten thousand dollars?”

“I don’t know. But until we nail down what happened and get Sanchez back behind bars, I’m not leaving you alone.” Lucky clasped his hands behind his back and waited for her to argue. She’d been in a hurry to get rid of him just ten minutes ago, she wouldn’t want him to be sticking so close now.

But he had made up his mind that he wouldn’t listen, no matter what she argued. He had a job to do and Mac Scorpio was right. Diego Sanchez was unpredictable and without scruples. He wasn’t about to let Brianne go unprotected.

“That’s a good idea,” she murmured. “Better the devil you know.”

He frowned. “What does that mean?”

“What?” Brianne turned. She shook her head. “I have to go to the courthouse. I have to challenge the bail.” She pulled her arms through her black coat and grabbed her purse.

Lucky continued to frown but followed her through the door. He was beginning to understand that the way a woman’s mind worked would always remain a mystery.

Note: The lyrics snippet at the beginning of the chapter is Avil Lavigne’s Tomorrow.

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