Written in 61 minutes.

For the first time in living memory, Thanksgiving dinner made it to the table at the Quartermaines. The family crowded around the large dining table, and maybe by some silent agreement, even Tracy kept her opinions to herself. After all, there was always after dinner.

“I’m actually kind of disappointed,” Danny said, following Jake into the foyer with a wrinkle of his nose. “I wanted the distraction of smoke alarms or one of the dogs getting to the turkey.”

Jake smirked, but some of his amusement faded as he watched Scout sit on the bottom step, her head in her hands again. Through the open double doors to the front sitting room, Drew was standing at the mini bar with Willow.

If Scout was to be believed — and Jake did — she’d seen her father kissing the much younger and very married wife of his own nephew. And then Drew had basically manipulated his own daughter into doubting herself to keep her quiet. Jake struggled to merge the image of the man he’d loved as a father for so long with a predatory older man seducing his own niece-in-law and gaslighting his daughter. Had prison rotted his brain?

And should Jake really keep this to himself? He’d promised Scout, but this really felt like something he should escalate to a higher being. Keeping the secret from Michael felt dirty, even wrong, especially after his cousin had been so supportive after everything had gone to hell.

“Jake, you almost ready?”

He turned to see his mother with her coat over one arm. His father stood slightly behind her, his own jacket already on. “Uh, actually—” He looked at Danny. “I was thinking if you want, I could stay and we could take another shot at that COD mission. We almost have it.”

Danny’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, that would be cool. If that’s okay,” he said to Elizabeth. “I know Jake was gone for a long time and you missed him.”

“No, it’s great,” Elizabeth said, fishing in her purse. She retrieved her keys. “If you want, why don’t you take the car, and Jason can give me a ride home.” She looked at Jake’s dad. “If that’s okay?”

“Sure.”

Jake retrieved the keys. “Thanks, Mom. Really. What time are you going in tomorrow?”

“One, so be home in time.” She kissed his cheek and squeezed Danny’s arm. “Have a good time.”

“That’s the plan,” Jake said, tucking the keys in the pocket of his hanging jacket. He looked over at Scout, then at Danny. “Hey, before we play though, maybe we could do something with Scout. I think she was really upset before dinner.”

“Yeah, Drew signed the lease for a place in DC.” Danny made a face. “They’re going after the holidays, and he wants to her to pack. They’re going to the penthouse this weekend to pack her room.”

“Oh…has she…have either you been back…” Jake trailed off when Danny looked at the ground. “Sorry, stupid question.”

“No, it’s…it’s just a place, you know. But it’s…the last time I left home, I was gonna see my mom, and we were planning for her to come home.” Danny crossed his arms, then uncrossed them, leaving them dangling at his side. “Just…doesn’t feel right to go there without her.” He looked at his sister. “But I should go with Scout. When she goes, you know? I’m her brother. I should have realized she wasn’t feeling good today.”

“You’re dealing with this, too,” Jake told him. “That’s what I’m here for. To support you both. C’mon, let’s go see what Scout wants to do.”

—

Their feet crunched over the gravel-lined driveway as Elizabeth followed Jason to his SUV. “Sorry to just volunteer you as my chauffeur,” she said, reaching the passenger door. When she heard the beep of the remote locks, she tugged on the door.

“It’s fine.” Jason switched on the ignition, but didn’t change the gears, waiting for her to sort herself—place her purse on the floor, fasten her seatbelt. “But we should probably look into something for Jake. Unless—” he paused, looked at her. “I know he’s been rough, I mean behavior and attitude—”

“That’s part of the reason I wanted to drive with you.” She reached over, squeezed his forearm. “Whatever you said to him last week, after you guys talked to Danny, thank you. We talked this morning, and I really felt the difference, you know? He’s still upset and a little confused, but I don’t…the anger seems to have faded. Or maybe he’s hiding it better. I just felt like I was talking to my son again today.”

“I didn’t—”

“Don’t even say you didn’t do anything,” Elizabeth interrupted. She released his arm, folded her hands in her lap, leaning her head against the back of the chair, exhaled on a slow breath. “It’s been such a nightmare, dragging all that back. Having the same arguments with Lucky, reliving those awful decisions.” She looked back at him. “I know you forgave me, but I just…I have to say it again. I have so many regrets in my life, but that day in the penthouse, it’s number one. Followed by the day I asked you to give him up. It was so wrong to even ask it.”

“It was wrong to agree,” Jason said. He looked straight ahead, out into the darkness of the trees that bordered this side of the Quartermaine property. “I had my reasons, but agreeing to it, letting it continue, it just made you think I didn’t love him. That I didn’t want him.”

“I—” Elizabeth paused, tried to consider her words carefully. “I won’t say I didn’t doubt it. Especially at first. That day in the penthouse. Of course now, I can look back, and I can remember the way you looked, the way you sounded, and how it was just you making things all right for me. Like you always do—”

“You started to tell me a hundred times,” Jason told her quietly, and she stopped, their eyes meeting. She had, of course, nearly worked up the nerve so many times. “And I always said something that stopped you. Or you were interrupted by something else. We put this all to bed a long time ago, Elizabeth. It doesn’t—” He curled one hand around the steering wheel, his voice turning slightly gravelly. “It doesn’t do any good to look back, think of what could have been different. What should have been different.”

“I know.” She closed her eyes, feeling the familiar prick of tears. “I really thought I’d forgiven myself, you know. But it’s hard when Jake looks at me, and he asks these questions I just can’t answer. That I don’t want to answer. But he deserves to know, I think, a little bit of it. Maybe not all of it, but some.”

“I…thought I’d forgiven myself, too,” he said slowly, and she looked at him again, surprised. “For what happened after Michael was shot. That’s what I told Jake that day. For the choices I made when he was a baby, before he was born, for the choices I made two years ago.”

“We were scared,” she said. “We did the best we could—” she sighed, looked at the windshield. “I can’t say I regret how things turned out. I have Aiden, and you have Danny.”

There was a moment of quiet, and she thought he’d put the car into reverse and start the drive home. But he didn’t.

“We would have had more kids.”

Elizabeth turned her head to look at him, found him watching her. The corner of her mouth curved up. “Oh, probably. How many?”

“How many did you want?”

Thinking that maybe he was just trying to lighten the moment, talking about the dream children that would never exist, she forced herself to say something equally light-hearted. “Oh, dozens. To start with. You?”

“Whatever made you happy.”

Their eyes held for a long moment, and something seemed to happen, something in the air, a shift, something that sent her pulse racing, had her breath coming just a bit faster. Finally, he looked away, shifted the car out of park.

And they didn’t speak again.

—

After watching a movie with Scout, then playing Call of Duty for several hours, Danny crashed, but Jake couldn’t sleep.

He crept down the back staircase to the kitchen, hoping to raid the kitchen and find some of the leftover from dessert that night. But he wasn’t the only one with that plan—

Michael was at the counter, unwrapping the same pan of tiramisu Jake had in mind. His cousin paused, knife in hand, and grinned. “Oh, thank God. I thought you were Sasha. She hates when I get into the kitchen after she’s cleaned up for the night.” He tipped it towards Jake. “You wanna get a fork? I’m feeling hungry enough to finish what’s left.”

Jake was uneasy about being around Michael on his own, worried that the secret he was keeping was emblazoned across his forehead, but avoiding him wasn’t going to help Jake sleep any sooner. “Yeah, sure.”

When they were settled at the table with the pan between them and forks in hand, Jake asked, “So you come all the way up from the gatehouse a lot?”

“Since Sasha took over, yeah. Beats cooking for yourself, and she’s one of the best.” Michael shifted in his seat, took another bite. “I’m glad you’re hanging around Danny—and Scout. They need the distraction, you know?”

“Yeah. And we didn’t get a disaster shutting down dinner this year.” Jake swirled his fork in the pan. “You’re, like, a CEO, right? So you have to make hard decisions a lot.”

“I guess.” Michael tipped his head. “Why? Everything okay?”

Jake considered his words carefully. “What if you promised not to tell someone something before you found out what it was, and now that you know—you think maybe this is the kind of thing you shouldn’t be in charge of knowing?”

“You mean, is it ever morally right to break a promise if your intentions are to help the person?” Michael asked.

“Yeah, I guess that’s a good way to put it.”

“It depends. Is this person going to be hurt? Are they in danger?”

“Physically, no. Emotionally, maybe. And this thing—” Jake pressed his lips together. “It affects other people. And it makes me mad. I wanna do something stupid. Like pop tires. Or sugar in the gas tank.”

Michael’s fork stilled, and he looked at Jake. “But you’re not gonna do those things.”

“I said they were stupid,” Jake muttered. “You said that just like Cam would have.”

“Older brothers who have been there and done that. I’ve done some stupid things in my life—a lot of stupid things that I thought were a good idea at the time.” Michael set his fork down. “And I had a younger brother who was impulsive and did a lot of things without thinking.”

Right. Morgan. Jake hadn’t thought about him in a long time — he’d been just a kid when that had happened. “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking—”

“I didn’t bring him up to make you feel bad. It’s just—I know how easy it is to give in to the anger. To the need to hurt someone else. My parents did it, so did my brother. I did. And I know my sister’s done it a time or two. I’m hoping I raise my kids better than that. And that I steer my little cousins in a better direction.” He folded his arms. “Now, this thing that makes you mad and might hurt other people. What happens if you tell the truth?”

“The person who told me won’t…they’ll be angry that I broke my promise. And maybe they won’t trust me or anyone else again. I don’t want them to feel alone.”

“Is this about Danny? I know he’s had a really hard time, especially since Alexis started all of this custody stuff. He’s trying not to talk about it, but—”

“It’s not Danny.” Jake took a deep breath. “It’s Scout. I found her crying earlier. Before dinner, sitting all alone in the nursery.” He looked down, missing the way Michael flinched at the mention of that room.

“It’s going to be really hard for her, going to DC. Danny has you and his dad, and all his family. Scout will be on her own. I wish…I wish Drew would leave her here, but—” Michael grimaced. “That’s a nonstarter for a lot of reasons.” He paused. “But something’s wrong, and you can’t tell anyone. It’s more than moving? More than her mom?”

“I guess all of that is part of it. Or making it worse.” Jake twirled the fork again. “Her dad did something pretty awful, and he’s making Scout lie about it, but it’s a really fucked up way. He told her she didn’t see it. But she did.”

Michael’s mouth tightened, and he dipped his head for a long moment. “And what she saw? This is the thing you don’t want to tell me? That will hurt people?”

“It’s what I promised to keep secret. But I think—I think she made me promise because of what Drew said to her. That she was bad if she lied, that maybe her mom would be disappointed in her, and that’s so messed up, you know? Maybe I should tell you because he’s an asshole, and shouldn’t get away with it—”

Michael held up his hand, and Jake stopped talking. “I think,” his older cousin began painfully, “that maybe you don’t have to tell me what she saw. She saw Drew, didn’t she? With someone else?”

There was a pit in his stomach, and Jake slowly nodded. “Yeah. You…you already know?”

“Yeah. I already know.” Michael dragged his hands down his face. “This is a goddamned nightmare,” he muttered, more to himself than to Jake. “They’re not even trying to keep this a secret. Are they trying to get caught?”

“Michael.”

“Where did she see them?” Michael wanted to know, dropping his hands. “She saw Drew with my wife, right? Where? When?”

“In the nursery—”

His face went white. “Oh, God, not the night her mother died. Tell me Scout didn’t see them that night.”

“I don’t—” Jake swallowed hard. “I don’t think so. She made it sound recent. Oh, oh, man. Michael, I’m so sorry—”

“Recent. So after the hospital where your mother saw them, and after the nursery when the nanny cam—” Michael stopped, took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. I’m going—don’t worry. I already knew. Scout never needs to know we had this conversation.”

“Michael—”

“Thank you. For telling me. Or working your way around it.” Michael got up, his hands trembling slightly, gripping the chair so hard, the knuckles were white. “You’re a good kid. A good brother. You don’t have to worry about this anymore, okay? I’ll take care of it.”

He left then, through the terrace leading outside, and Jake just stared after him, then looked at the soggy mess in the tin pan on the table.

He should have stayed upstairs.

+25

Written in 33 minutes.

Molly jolted when she felt hands rest on her shoulders, but she relaxed when she realized it was TJ. “You scared me,” she said, pressing a fist against her heart.

“Sorry, you just looked so far away.” TJ followed her gaze to the table that sat by the terrace. His uncle Curtis was teasing his aunt Stella about the place setting. By the television, his grandfather Marshall was watching the game with, of all people, Molly’s father Ric. “You all right?”

“Remember our first Thanksgiving after we moved in together?” she asked, leaning back against him. He slid his hands from his shoulder to wrap around her in a backward hug. “In our tiny apartment?”

“I do. But I don’t mind having a bigger place.” He kissed her temple. “We can still call your mom.”

“I don’t know if it would be a good idea for us to be in the same room. We’re starting depositions next week.”

TJ was quiet for a minute. “I know you hoped your mother would back off—”

“She will. She has to.” Especially as Molly had scheduled Elizabeth and Jake to be deposed first. Her mother’s entire case depended on proving Jason as an unfit father. Who better to weigh in and make her mother see how doomed it was than the mother of his son? And his son?

“What if she doesn’t, Mol? When if it gets to having Danny and Scout see a therapist?”

“It’s my worst nightmare, but it’s not me doing this, TJ. It’s not Jason. Mom always thinks she has the right answers. I don’t know what gives her that kind of delusional confidence.” She took a deep breath. “But that’s the last time I talk about her or my sister. Let’s go see if anyone needs help in the kitchen.”

—

Despite her long friendship with Emily and history with Jason, Elizabeth hadn’t attended any Thanksgiving dinners before today. It was a little nerve-wracking, she thought, circulating from the sofa where she’d been catching up with Ned and Lois to the fireplace where Monica was holding court, sparring with Tracy. Jason’s mother had spent most of the last year ill, and unable to get around much. It was good to see her up and part of the family again.

As Elizabeth approached, she saw Tracy shoot Drew a fulminating glare and turn her back to the new Congressman. Her brows lifted at the coldness, but she kept her mouth closed, focusing on Monica. “I can’t tell you how much we miss you at GH. It doesn’t…it doesn’t feel right not to have a Quartermaine on staff.”

Monica sighed, and Elizabeth winced. “I’m sorry, I never meant—”

“No, no. Of course.” Monica patted her hand. “It’s the first time in more than fifty years. It’s…the reality.” She looked towards the foyer. “But perhaps someone will take up the mantel. Jake…he’s set on art?”

“He is.”

“A shame. His father was a talented, intelligent young man.” Tracy sniffed, lifted her glass of wine to her lips.

“I hear Cameron is pre-med, though,” Monica said, ignoring her sister-in-law. “Steve would be so proud of you both for carrying on the Hardy legacy.”

“I hope so. I had very big shoes to fill as head nurse.”

“Still not a Quartermaine, but Quartermaine adjacent. I’ll allow it,” Tracy decided, then clenched her jaw. “A better representation than some others who carry the name,” she muttered.

Elizabeth didn’t even have to look to know who Tracy was glaring at. “I feel like I’ve missed something. Everyone is a bit…” Frosty.

“It’s a little awkward,” Monica explained. She touched her chin. “It hasn’t been long since, ah—”

“Let’s just say the only quality Drew inherited from my brother is being an absolutely unfaithful alley cat. Sorry,” she added as an aside to Monica. “Though you were hardly better.”

“You either,” Monica challenged.

Elizabeth started to press for more, but saw Michael pull away from Brook Lyn and Chase and head down the back hall to the kitchen. “I’ll…I’ll be back.”

She left them, followed Michael, calling out his name just before he reached the threshold of the kitchen. He turned and smiled at her. “Hey. I was hoping to get a minute to see you.”

“Same.” She kissed his cheek. “Do you have a few minutes? Can we talk somewhere?”

“Yeah, sure—” Michael gestured to another hall, leading her down to one of the sitting rooms near the front of the house. “Is everything okay? With Jason’s case? I got the subpoena. I think I’m supposed to be deposed sometime next week.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth blinked. “I didn’t realize that—but that makes sense. Molly said she wanted to start the depositions strong. I’m on Monday.” She pressed a hand to her belly. “I know it’s silly, but I’m nervous. It’s so important that these go well and that we get Alexis to back down before it goes as far as ordering Danny or Scout to talk to someone. They’ve been through so much. It’s bad enough Jake is up after me.”

Michael made a face, then scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I hate the idea of that, too. Danny’s…you know, he can probably hold his own. But Scout…she’s just a kid. Kids—” He looked past her, his eyes slightly unfocused. “Kids shouldn’t be weapons.”

“No, they shouldn’t. And Michael—” She waited until he looked at her. “No matter what happens with you or Willow, I know you won’t let it happen to yours.”

“That’s the plan, but it’s harder than it should be.” He shook his head slightly. “So what did you want to talk to me about if it’s not Jason’s case?”

“Well, it is, but—” Elizabeth bit her lip. “A few days ago, Jason came over to talk to Danny and ran into Drew. Drew threatened to get involved with the custody case. Maybe even cooperate with Alexis.”

Michael pressed his lips together. “That’s bullshit—”

“I’m worried that a judge might think differently if Drew lets Scout stay with Alexis. Or just generally make all of this worse.” Elizabeth paused. “Your uncle didn’t want you to know this. But I can’t let Drew just throw around threats like this.”

Michael sighed, perched on the arm of a chair. “He didn’t want me to know because I’m pretending nothing is wrong. Pretending that my wife—” He closed his eyes. “Protecting me could cost him his son. Why would—”

“That isn’t how he looks at it. He doesn’t, Michael. Hey—” she touched his arm. “He doesn’t see it as an even exchange, and neither do I. We see it as Drew being a terrible person who isn’t afraid to hurt people to get what he wants. The only person putting you in the middle is him. Because we both know why Drew would want Jason to lose custody.”

“I could make his life uncomfortable,” Michael muttered. He looked at Elizabeth. “I’ve thought about it. Bankrupting him, going after Aurora, I don’t know, something. Anything so that Willow stops seeing him as a hero.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll talk to Jason. I can keep your name out of it—”

“Don’t worry about that. And I didn’t tell you because I think you should do something about the case. Jason can handle it, and I’m there if he needs anything. I told you because you needed to know what Drew is doing.”

Michael managed a faint smile. “I’m glad you’re back in my uncle’s life. You know? That he’s…he’s okay. After the way he came home—” He shook his head. “He’s lucky to have you in his corner.”

“I’m in your corner, too, Michael. What you’re dealing with…there are no easy answers. No simple ways out. I trust that you’ll find something that works for you. I just don’t think Drew should get away with pretending he’s applying for sainthood in the meantime.”

—

Jake tossed down the video controller with some disgust. “This is rigged. No way you got that good since I went to school.”

Next to him, Danny shrugged, tossed his own controller aside. “Haven’t had a lot to do except play.” He switched off the console, then rose and stretched. “Maybe we should go downstairs. See if dinner is happening.”

“Or if it’s pizza.” Jake got to his feet. He’d done his best to keep his brother distracted from thinking about how Thanksgiving was supposed to include Dante and Rocco. Though his mother had encouraged, Dante hadn’t felt right about being there without Sam. They came to the Quartermaines because of Danny’s connection, not Dante’s. They’d gone to Jake’s other grandmother instead.

It was stupid, Jake thought. They were all connected. Why bother with two separate meals and make people choose? But it wouldn’t have changed anything. Because last year, Danny hadn’t been living at the Quartermaines.

He’d been with his mother.

Danny looked around the room, frowning. “Scout was here, wasn’t she? She was gonna watch us play.”

“I guess she got bored. Maybe she went downstairs.”

“Maybe.” Danny’s stomach rumbled, and he rubbed it. “I’m gonna go down, find something to eat.”

“Yeah, let’s go.” They headed into the hallway, but Jake stopped after a few feet, realizing the nursery door was slightly open. “Hey, you go ahead, I’m gonna see if Scout is still up here and grab her.”

“Tell her not to wait too long or the sweet potatoes will be gone,” Danny suggested. He disappeared around a corner, and Jake headed towards the nursery.

His intuition was right on the mark — Scout was sitting in the window seat, curled up, and looking out the window. He leaned against the doorframe. “Hey, kid. You wanna go down and get some appetizers?”

She looked at him, and he realized with a start there were tearstains on her cheek. He was looking after Danny the best he could, and he’d just assumed Danny was looking out for his sister—

But Danny shouldn’t have to, Jake decided. He was dealing with enough. “You want to be alone? I could put on the television for you or—”

Scout shook her head, then buried her head in her drawn up knees, her shoulders shaking. Jake shoved his hands in his pockets and crossed the room, perching on the edge of the window seat, pushing aside a few teddy bears. “Can I do anything?”

Scout looked up, her eyes splotchy. “I want my mom. You can’t fix that.”

“No, I can’t.”

Her lips trembled. “And Danny’s going to live with you. He said I can’t come.”

Jake cleared his throat. “He’s coming to live with his dad. And I’m going to stay, too. But you’re going to have an adventure. A whole new city, and school. Lots of friends to make.”

“D-don’t wanna make friends. Daddy says I have to stay with him. That I have to be a g-good girl and brave.” The last words were barely audible, more of a hiccup sob.

“It’s not easy to be in a new place,” Jake told her, lowering his voice. “When I was your age, I came home after a long time away. I didn’t know anyone, not even my mom or my brothers.”

Scout’s eyes widened. “You didn’t?”

“It was scary, but I…” Had managed it. Cam had been there to look after him, and his mom had never flinched, even when Jake had made trouble. Or accidentally blown up their house. But Scout wouldn’t have a Cam or Mom.  Or Danny.

She’d have Drew.

“We’re going to write you all the time. And call as much as your dad lets us. Danny says every day, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t forget. And you know my dad will bring him to see you as much.”

“B-but w-what if—” Scout took another heaving breath. “What if I mess up? What if I say something? Daddy will be mad and he might send me to school. Danny can’t come see me.”

“Say something?” Jake echoed. He tilted his head. “What does that mean?”

Scout shook her head fiercely. “Can’t tell anyone. Can’t say. It wasn’t real, and Daddy says I can’t tell lies. Mommy would be so mad at me. I d-don’t want Mommy to be mad.” Her face crumpled and she started to cry, and rock back and forth. “Can’t tell anyone.”

“You can tell me,” Jake told her. “You tell me what’s wrong, and I won’t tell anyone. No one,” he repeated.

Scout lifted her head, looking miserable and wretched. “You promise? Really, really promise?”

“Yeah, of course. We’re cousins, right? And you know what? Our dads are twins, so we’re, like, super cousins,” Jake told her. “That’s almost as good as siblings. You tell me, and I won’t tell anyone. Not even Danny. It’ll be our secret.”

“O-Okay.” Scout dragged a hand across her face. “I-I s-saw Daddy kissing Aunt Willow. He says I didn’t, but I know I did. And not like friends. Like Brook Lyn and Chase.”

+30

Written in 59 minutes. See you next Tuesday!

Jake stood at the threshold of the kitchen, watching his mother clean up the dishes from the quick breakfast they’d thrown together before Aiden had been picked up by his father for Thanksgiving with the Spencers. Aiden was still on the outs with his father, but he loved his grandmother enough to put it aside for now.

As for Jake, he’d been invited, too, but it felt weird to him right now to be part of the Spencer family, even in an honorary fashion. He’d decided to go to the Quartermaines instead, and his mother had agreed to go, too. There had been a weird tension between his mother and Lucky, so she’d probably been relieved to have a reason to duck out of obligations with Grandma Laura.

Elizabeth turned around and jolted when she saw him there, clutching the dish towel to her chest. “Oh, God, I didn’t even hear you come down the stairs.” She tossed the towel on the counter. “Did you want to head over to your grandmother’s early?”

“Uh, maybe a little but not yet.” Jake slid his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, then crossed his arms for a second before moving them a second time. He didn’t really know what to do with them. Or how to have this conversation.

A conversation they really needed to have.

“Um, I just wanted to say…you know Dad found a place, right?”

“Yeah, he left a message last night,” his mother said, but she was walking past him and he couldn’t see her face, couldn’t make out  her expression. “About a block away, so that’s…that’s nice, I guess. For you. Familiarity.” She kept moving, straightening magazines that didn’t need it, refolding a blanket that had already been neatly laying on the sofa.

“Yeah. And for you. Because I know you don’t really want me to go.”

Elizabeth hesitated, pressing the throw blanket against her chest, then looked at him. “I don’t know what you want me to say to that.”

“I don’t know either. I, um, just…” He paused. “I think maybe I just wanted to make sure you know I didn’t agree to this because of…how things are. I mean, it’s part of it, but it’s not…” He dragged a hand through his hair, then cupped the back of his neck. “And it started that way. But it’s not why I’m going through with it.”

“Jake—”

“Because things have been frosty the last few days, mostly because I didn’t know what to say. To you. Or to Aiden. I, um, I’m sorry. For telling him anything about his dad. Cam would have kicked my ass if he knew what I did.”

She sighed, dropped down to the sofa, the blanket now laying across her lap. “You thought you were doing the right thing—”

Jake sat in the armchair, then shook his head. “Under no circumstances is telling my brother the dad that abandoned him was a drug addict who had an affair — that’s not the right way to handle it. And then Lucky made it worse because he ignored Aiden’s calls, and got in my face about how Dad told the story, and then I started poking at you about anything that might have happened when Aiden was a kid—” He grimaced, looked down at his hands. “I thought it was the right thing. But it wasn’t. And I did it because I was upset. I was angry. And I didn’t really care who I hurt.”

“It’s okay—”

“It’s not. You need to know that I know it’s not.” He lifted his gaze to his mother. “I guess Dad told you what we talked about in the car last week. When he brought me home from the Qs. Before I told him about Drew.”

“Your father and I don’t compare notes, Jake. Anything you say to me or to him, we don’t share it. Not as a rule. And no, I think what you said about Drew distracted him enough. He just said he thought things were a little better. Not great, but better.” She bit her lip. “Is not—was he wrong?”

“No. Not really. I still—” Jake stopped, trying to articulate his thoughts. “I’m still angry. I don’t know how you stop being angry about your dad playing dead for two years. But I get that he regrets it, and I guess it helps that as soon as he could, he came to see me. And he’s…he’s trying.” He waited, but his mother said nothing. “The thing is going to see Danny…it just…it just put things in perspective. I thought I was scared last year when we might be split up, but it’s nothing compared to what he and Scout are dealing with.”

“I hate that this happened. They were so happy. Sam, Dante, all three of the kids. It’s…there’s been too much death,” Elizabeth said with a sad sigh. “And unfortunately, I…I can tell you that there’s no miracle here. There’s no Cassadine in the wings to pay off the staff. Helena used the transplant team to cover up kidnapping you, Jason’s body was never found, but…”

“But you were there. When his mom died.”

“Yeah. I…” Elizabeth closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “I pronounced it. And was with her family. With Jason when he found out. It was a terrible day, Jake, and it keeps rippling out. While I’m not happy with how you did it, I am proud of you for coming home. For seeing that your  brother needs you.”

“Even if I can’t go back to school for whatever reason, it doesn’t matter. I need to be here. But seeing Danny, hearing Dad have to explain to him that there’s nothing they can do to keep him with his sister, it was awful. Scout’s upset, and it’s…they never get to see their mother again. And I’ve been horrible to you. You’re my mom. If something—” Jake stopped, shook his head.

“Honey.” Elizabeth left the sofa, came to perch at the edge of the coffee table, in front of her son. “We’re going to fight. Especially now. You’re nearly an adult, making big choices that effect the rest of your life. This is such a crazy time in your life, and mistakes will be made. You’ll hurt people. That’s just how it goes.”

Jake nodded. “Yeah, I get that, it’s just…” He stayed silent for a beat, considering his next words. “Dad said…he said that you were like this when you were younger. That sometimes you got hurt so you…were…I don’t remember how he put it, but that you, like, would try to hurt someone else. Or that person—” He winced. “He didn’t say it to be mean—”

Elizabeth rubbed Jake’s knee, smiling slightly in a way that told Jake she was almost amused, which eased the tightness in his chest. “He said it as someone I’ve hurt. And I did hurt your dad. More than once. We hurt each other, and he’ll tell you he never kept score. Which is probably why he still talks to me.”

“W-Why? Why did you—why am I like this?” Jake wanted to know. “How did you fix it? How did you stop?”

“You’re not going to like this, baby, but time. Time and experience. Maturity. It’s not something you can do overnight. You have to let go of the tiny satisfaction you feel when you know you’ve landed a blow. When you see that other person wince or flinch, and you think—” She pointed a finger. “There. Now you know how I feel. It feels good in the moment to score that point. But you always regret it. Always. Words won’t leave physical wounds, but they cut all the same.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Jake exhaled in a slow breath. “Anyway. I just thought you should know I’m not mad the way I was. But I still…don’t know how I feel about any of it, Mom. I see you and Dad, and you guys get along so well. And you clearly think he’s a good father. You’re always defending him. And Lucky’s awful. He’s been awful to Aiden for years. How could you pick him?”

“Isn’t that the million dollar question?” Elizabeth murmured. She sighed, then rose to her feet. “Jake—”

“And I get it. I get it. It’s not my business. It happened before I was born, and I guess it shouldn’t change things. But it does for me. I know Dad keeps telling me it’s not your fault he wasn’t my dad for the first few years, and I know he believes that. I know he blames himself—”

“I blame us both,” Elizabeth said, folding her arms. “I blame us for being too afraid after Michael’s injury, I blame myself for not pushing harder or finding the right words, and I blame your father for not saying no to me. For believing that a mother had a right to choose who she wanted in her child’s life. We made mistakes, Jake. But it started with me, Jake. If I hadn’t lied, if I hadn’t been too scared to tell him the truth that first day—” She looked away, her eyes slightly unfocused. “So many mistakes,” she murmured, more to herself than to him. Then she looked back, smiled thinly. “If you’re not careful Jake, you can let your regrets, whatifs, and maybes drown you. I made my choices. Your father made his. There’s no time travel to change any of it.”

Jake nodded—his father had said much the same thing, and there was no point in arguing any different. “I just think maybe I need time. To deal with it. That’s why I’m gonna go live with Dad for a while. Not forever, I guess. But he asked, you know? And that matters. He never did before. It was never a question where my home was. But he doesn’t really have one now, and neither does Danny. Maybe it’s okay if we make a new one.”

“I think that’s a lovely idea, and it’s why, when your father asked me—no, when he told me he was going to ask you, I was on board. I love you, and I missed you every day that you were gone. I’ll miss you every day that you live with your father. But…” Elizabeth straightened the collar of Jake’s shirt, then smiled up at him. “You were always going to leave me, you know. Cam, you, and some day Aiden. We can’t stand still, Jake, and we can’t go back. I know that you and your dad will find a way to help Danny move forward.”

—

Alexis grimaced at the phone in her hand, willing Molly to reply to the message that she’d left for her hours ago.

Across the room, at the dining table, Kristina dropped the take out bag from the Chinese restaurant. “I don’t know why you’re looking at that thing like its the Holy Grail, Mom. She’s not going to call.”

“She might.” Alexis rubbed her forehead, trying not to think about the year before. The house had been filled — Molly and TJ, exuberantly planning their surrogacy journey, Kristina bubbling over, trying to help with them.

Sam at the dinner table with her children, rolling her eyes and smiling at her sisters.

The house had been noisy, messy—

Today, there was no one but she and Kristina. Molly and TJ had gone to the Ashfords — it was their turn, Alexis reminded herself, though it didn’t help much. Molly had been alternating holidays for years, and it was just a coincidence that this year, Molly hadn’t even talked about maybe doing dessert.

And Sam—

Sam was dead. Buried six feet under miles away.

Alexis closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then went over to the table. She touched the paper bag. “Noodle Buddha. This…it was your sister’s favorite.”

“I thought it was a way we could have Sam with us today.” Kristina set a container of food on the table. “Next year, when Danny and Scout are here, it’ll be better.”

“Yes. It will.” When Sam’s children were together and with her, it would be better. Molly would see that it was the best place for them. “Let’s eat.”

—

It still felt strange to walk through the front door of the mansion when he’d used the terrace door in the library for years, Jason thought. He closed the door behind him, laid a hand on the wood, thinking of those days. Of the time he now regretted throwing away with the family he’d never made peace with. He’d spent so much time avoiding Alan, Monica, and Edward, sneaking in to see Lila or his sister—

“Already making a run for it?”

The thin, weak voice startled Jason and he turned to find Monica in the doorway, sitting in an electric wheelchair not unlike his grandmother’s, her hand hovering over the control. All that she needed was a devoted family servant like Reginald to wait on her.

She was rarely well enough to come downstairs these days, and Jason did his best to visit once a week in her suite upstairs. But to see her, dressed for the day, smiling at him—

He took a breath. “No, I think I’ve run enough, don’t you?”

“I never blamed you,” Monica said, then winced. “That’s an awful lie. I did blame you, but it’s all right.” She held out her other hand, and Jason reached for it, wrapped it between his own.

He remembered another homecoming, another realization of the time he’d lost. When he’d come home for good twenty years earlier to find that his grandmother had lost some of her spirit. That she’d begun to fade away, that she was nothing more than a mortal human who would be gone one day.

And still, Jason hadn’t prioritized his grandmother or bent at all. He’d buried her, and continued his life, running after Sonny and Carly, then later Sam. His father had died, and then his sister—

“It’s not,” Jason said, and she tilted her head at him. “But that was a long time ago. I’m glad to be home now.”

She smiled, and her eyes sparkled. “Having you around these days—” She stopped when the door opened again, and Jake came through, then held the door for his mother.

“Sorry we’re late,” Jake said. He grinned at his grandmother. “Hey! I didn’t know you were coming downstairs, Grandma. I was gonna smuggle dessert up to you.”

“Well, when I found out all my grandchildren would be here today, how could I stay away?” Monica looked past Jake. “And I hope Elizabeth brought her brownies. We’ll need something when the turkey goes wrong.”

“I can’t wait to see how dinner gets ruined,” Elizabeth said, hanging up her coat and coming up next to Jason. “Maybe this year will be different.” She looked at him, smiled hesitantly. “You never know, right?”

+42

Written in 65 minutes. I’m not wild about the ending, but it’s close enough to what I need. See you tomorrow!

After finishing the movie and saying goodbye to Danny, Rocco, and Scout, Jake nearly called a ride-share to take him home, but it felt like chickening out. Jason had told Jake to call for a ride, and after the run-in with Drew, it didn’t seem as important or easy to find the simmering resentment he’d had for both his parents.

The journey between the Quartermaine Estate and his mother’s brownstone probably wasn’t more than ten minutes on a normal day, but they hit a pocket of rush hour traffic downtown, doubling the time and making the silence in the SUV even more palpable.

Jake propped his elbow on the window, resting his first against his forehead, watching the crowds traveling the sidewalks of Central Avenue, and thought about going home to his mother. About packing his things again to move in with his dad—

About Danny and Scout being split up. About Drew’s veiled threats—

“If you hear me say anything rude to my mother—” Jake paused to look at his father, found Jason watching him, one hand on the steering wheel. “I want you to knock me out.”

Jason furrowed his brow. “I don’t think that—”

“Because sometimes I forget,” he muttered, turning his attention back to the window, staring out at nothing at all. “It all just rises so fast in my throat, and I start saying things, and I called her a liar, and it was stupid and it was mean, and I hate myself for it. But I don’t know if I can stop it. So you’re my dad. I need you to make me stop.”

The light ahead of them changed to green and the cars started to move finally. Jason didn’t respond right away, and Jake figured he’d agreed. Which was good. Exactly what he wanted.

“Your mother was like that, you know,” Jason said, and Jake frowned now. Jason flicked his eyes over to Jake for a moment before returning them to the road. “If she was hurt, she’d lash out. To make the person who hurt her feel as bad as she did.”

Jake tipped his head. “That’s the first time you’ve ever criticized her. Did you know that?”

“First, I’m not criticizing her, so you still haven’t heard it. I’m stating a fact. Second, I know it frustrates you that sometimes we defend each other to you, but you know…” Jason hesitated. “I watched Michael go through Sonny and Carly’s divorce. He was old enough to know what was going on. They…were vicious. Their arguments, the stunts they pulled to get Michael to pick one of them — he was miserable. He knew they hated each other. I don’t do it on purpose, and I’m sure your mother doesn’t either. It’s just…” He flexed his hands on the wheel, grimacing when they hit another red light.

“You guys are nicer to each other than some people who are actually married,” Jake said. “But I guess I get your point. A lot of my friends have divorced parents, and they play them like violins, you know? Getting more money,  or more freedom — but I knew I never could do that. You always check with Mom, and she always—well, when she could, she checked with you.” Something eased in his chest and now Jake stared forward, out the window. “Mom could be really mean? Like…like I was? But she’s not like that now—”

“She can still pack a punch if she needs to,” Jason said, and Jake decided he was probably right. She’d whipped out the Charlotte card pretty damn fast, hadn’t she? “And maybe she and I just communicate better now so we don’t hurt each other the way we used to.” He paused. “It’s how she protected herself, and I understood that most of the time. But it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, Jake. When she lashed out. Even if I deserved it.”

The light changed to red, and they didn’t talk again until they came to another light.  Jake didn’t really know what he wanted to say, how to formulate his thoughts. There was something interesting in what his father had said, something that almost unwound the ball that had been tightly wrapped in his belly since that horrible day with Mr. Corinthos.

“Danny will never argue with his mother again,” Jake said, and he heard his father’s soft sigh. “I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to be angry all the time. How—” He looked at Jason. “How do I stop that? How did you stop being angry that Mom picked that loser to be my dad and not you?”

Jason smiled thinly, shook his head slightly. “You’d have to know how long that, uh, loser, had been in her life. The way she’d built her identity around him. The way other people in her life had reduced her to being someone who was in his life. Lucky’s girlfriend, Lucky’s wife, the girl who buried him, the girl who left him at the altar—” He stopped. “She was very young when they fell in love. Teenagers. It took her a long time to let go of what she  thought her life was supposed to be.”

Jake tested that information in his mind, rolling it around. He thought about Charlotte who had nearly died the year before, so angry at her father and taking it out on Anna. She’d ended up lashing out, terrorizing Anna in ways Jake knew she regretted. And even now, knowing who her father was and what he was capable of, she was on the run with him. Had turned away a normal, happy life to have her father.

They finally made it out of downtown, and Jason turned towards his mother’s street. “You’re really not mad at all. Even a little a bit,” Jake said, and his father sighed. “I’m sorry, I know you’re tired of talking about it, it’s just—”

“You just learned about it, and it’s not as easy for you to turn the page. I get it, Jake.” Jason pulled into the driveway behind his mother’s car, and switched off the ignition, then looked at him. “I get it, and your mother does, too. She just…for obvious reasons…doesn’t want to talk about this. I’m not sure she’s forgiven herself, no matter what I say. She’ll always blame herself for the years we lost.”

“And you don’t?”

“I blame me. I’m the one who had the power to stop it,” Jason said. Jake met his father’s gaze. “I was too scared of what might happen to you if I changed my mind. And for a while, once he was clean, Lucky was a good father, Jake. That was important to me. He was in your life, in Cam’s life. Actively playing a role. You were happy, and I thought that it meant I’d made the right choice.” He looked straight ahead, towards the garage door, swallowing hard. “Then the accident. I couldn’t—I couldn’t hide how I felt. The truth was out, and I thought all I’d ever have are regrets.”

Jake pressed his lips together, stared at his hands. “It’s…Helena took me because she thought I was a Spencer. All of that happened to me because of that lie—”

“Helena chose to kidnap you. To fake your death and steal you. To play games with your mind. But, Jake, if you’re going to be angry with your mother for it—” Jason waited for Jake to met his eyes again. “You have to be angry with me, too. We both made the choice. It was a mistake. And we regret it. But that’s all we can do. There’s no changing the past. I can’t go back and make a different choice. Not eighteen years ago. Not two years ago.”

“Would you?” Jake cleared his throat. “Would you still have left us? Let us think you were dead—”

“No. I wouldn’t.”

Jake nodded, then reached for the handle of the door. “I don’t know if I’m still angry,” he said, not looking back at his father. “But I don’t want to walk around like the worst thing in the world happened to me. Because I get to go inside and see my mother. Danny never gets to do that again. So I’m gonna figure this out, I guess.” But now he did look back at Jason. “But I think Mom’s right. I think moving in with you and Danny is a good idea for all of us.”

“So do I. We’ll get him through this, Jake.”

Jake pushed the door open, then hesitated again, looked back at his dad. “Uh, by the way. Drew…I sort of overheard part of your conversation at the house.”

“Jake—”

“I think he’s gonna mess with your custody battle.”

—

Michael switched on Wiley’s night light, then carefully backed out of his room, closing the door and leaving it slightly ajar.  He met Willow exiting Amelia’s room just across the hall, and tried to find a smile. “She out?”

“Like a light.” Willow rubbed her arms and followed him down the hall to the master bedroom. “I, uh, heard Jake was up at the main house today. Jake and Jason.”

Michael perched on the edge of the bed to toe off his shoes. “Yeah. Jason said they’d come by today, but I missed them.”

Willow sat next to him—but kept almost a foot between them. “About Danny?”

Michael looked at her curiously. Since when did she care about any of that? But since she’d asked, and it wasn’t a state secret, Michael nodded. “Yeah. He told me that he’s getting a bigger place. For Danny and Jake to come live with him.”

“Jake, too? But he lives with his mother. Hasn’t he always?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Michael got up, went to the closet, removing his shirt and tossing it in the hamper. “Jason mostly did weekends. Some holidays. I don’t know. I never asked, but it didn’t feel like there was a formal order. My uncle probably let Elizabeth set the schedule most of the time. It’s his way.”

Willow made a face. “I couldn’t imagine being separated from my babies. Being in the cancer ward while I was recovering was hard enough.” She bit her lip. “What about Alexis?”

“What about her?” Michael looked at his wife, wondering if she’d been thinking about being separated from their children when she’d been fucking his uncle on the floor of the nursery. He cleared his throat, shoved the image from his brain.

He didn’t want to be separated from his kids either. Not after the long, miserable year he’d thought his son was dead.

“I…heard that Alexis is filing for custody.” Willow twisted the hem of her shirt. “Drew, um, asked me to testify for him. As a character reference.”

Michael stared blindly down at the carpet. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“I know you don’t want me to be around him, but it’s not like I can avoid him—”

“Not avoiding him and testifying that he’s a good father is something else.” Michael finally turned, looked at her. “Alexis and Ned have always been close. How do you know he hasn’t or won’t tell her?”

“I—” Willow closed her mouth, her cheeks flushing. She looked back at her hands. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Well, you should. It’s bad enough my family knows. Family court records are sealed, but I promise you, that will get out.” Michael watched her, but she wouldn’t look at him. “Is that what you want? For people to know?”

“N-no, but—” Willow cleared her throat. “It’s…don’t you think it’s best that Scout stay with her dad? Shouldn’t we be thinking of her?”

Had Drew been thinking about her that night? Sleeping down the hallway? Damn it. Michael scrubbed his hands down his face. “Yeah. Well, I wouldn’t worry about Drew’s character references. My uncle’s lawyer says his case is good, and he’s got a felony on his record. Drew will be fine.” He paused. “But you do what you want, Willow. This isn’t my choice. It’s yours.”

“But you don’t want me to do it.” She lifted her gaze to him. “You think it’s me choosing him over our family.”

She’d already done that, and if it weren’t the kids sleeping down the hall, Michael would have told her so. But he couldn’t do it. Couldn’t give his kids the same life he’d had. “I think I’m telling you that you’re the only one who can make this choice. If you want to testify on Drew’s behalf, do it. I’m not going to divorce you over it.”

“I don’t know. I guess I want to think about it. Scout’s just a little girl, Michael. She deserves the best life we can give her. I don’t think separating her from her father is the right choice.”

“Like I said,” Michael said, dropping his watch onto the bureau with a clunk. “That’s your decision.”

—

Drew was the topic of conversation elsewhere that night, as Jason had been troubled enough by Jake’s bombshell that he’d followed his son inside and interrogated him further, hoping for some sort of sign of what Drew planned.

But Jake didn’t know more than he’d already said, and had gone upstairs to play video games with his brother after dinner while Jason remained in the kitchen with Elizabeth, continuing to worry.

“It’s not like you to dwell on things you can’t control,” Elizabeth said, drying a plate and stacking it on the counter. “Drew and Alexis can’t really do that much damage, can they?”

“Alexis is bound by confidentiality,” Jason said after a minute. “But Drew…still has the memories Maddox planted in his head, doesn’t he?”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “Well, yeah. But the last time he mentioned it, they’d faded a lot. And the statute of limitations —”

“Doesn’t go away for some things,” Jason said, and their eyes met, held for a minute, before he dropped his gaze.

She hesitated, then finally said what had been on her mind all evening. “You need to talk to Michael. He knows Drew better than anyone. They’ve been working together for years. He’ll know how to get him to back down.”

“I hate putting Michael in the middle of my problems.”

“I know. But he’s not a little boy anymore, Jason. He’s told you over and over again he wants to help you. Let him.”

+35