‘Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And all the promise we adored?
Give us life again
‘Cause we just wanna be whole
– We Are Broken, Paramore

---

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Lake House: Living Room

Elizabeth rolled her arm, wincing as Jason removed the blood pressure cuff. “Well? It’s lower, isn’t? I can feel a difference this morning—”

“Yeah.” Jason took his first easy breath in days. “It’s 121 over 81. That’s the closest it’s been to normal in weeks.”

“I could feel it when I woke up, you know? My head felt clearer, and I’m not as tired.” She sighed happily. “I almost feel normal.” Then she winced as Cameron kicked hard at her ribs. “Well, except for the soccer player.” She reached for Jason’s hand and he grinned. “See? Even he knows I’m feeling better.”

“I’m glad.” He kissed her, lingering with his forehead resting against hers. “This is what I wanted for you. You needed the rest.”

“Monica also said things could ebb and flow, remember?” She squeezed his hand. “I might have days like yesterday again, too. I want more days like today, but it’s not guaranteed.”

“I know.” He hesitated. “Maybe we should stay until Monday.”

“Jason—”

“If you’re feeing better today, another few days could only help,” he pointed out.

“And they might not make a difference. I had good days at home, even with everything else going on.” She curled into his side. “I’m not saying no, Jason. I just—I’ll be worried if we stay just for me—”

“I wanted time away. Just the two of us. We haven’t been alone this much in months.”

“Or ever,” she admitted. “It’s been nice, just us. I’m glad you made this happen.” She kissed his jaw. “I don’t want you to think if we go home early, I’ll feel like you’re choosing Carly over me. You know I want her to be okay, too.”

“I know you do.”

“And it’s not just Carly. Bobbie’s in the middle of it, too. So is Justus. If us being at home makes it slightly easier for everyone, then I’ll be better for it. Plus, you know Monica will feel a lot better if she can nag me in person every day.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Jason slowly rubbed circles over her belly, and Cameron rolled a few times before settling down. “But you asked me to make sure we give Cam his best chance. A few more days here might be better for him.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You think you’re clever, don’t you?”

“I have my moments.”

Elizabeth sighed dramatically, pleased when her lungs only mildly protested. “All right. We’ll see what Justus says, and if you think we can stay, we will.” She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, closed her eyes, and just let herself drift. Having her husband all to herself wasn’t the worst thing in the world, after all.

Blue Moon: Office

“I’m surprised you let me through the front door,” Luke said as Tommy Marcheski ambled over for a casual, quick handshake. “Last time you saw me, you threatened to put a bullet in my backside.”

Tommy shrugged. “I’m sure you deserved it, but—” He squinted. “I can’t really remember why I wanted to kill you.”

“Me either.” Luke shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ve been dipping my toe back in—not permanent-like because my kid is a cop now—”

Tommy winced. “I hated to see it. Your boy had a quick mind and nimble fingers. What we could have done with him—”

“Well, you know kids. They never do what you expect. I heard yours is a prosecutor—”

“Hey, hey—” Tommy shut the door and glared at Luke. “He’s in Los Angeles, okay? You don’t need to be telling people that.” His scowl deepened. “If you’re here to argue for Sonny—”

“I’m here as his wife’s uncle, not his friend.” Luke paused. “I’ve heard stuff at my place, Tommy. Rumors. Complaints. The men aren’t happy, and having seen Sonny lately, I think I got a good idea why.”

The other man exhaled slowly and returned to his desk. “Sonny hasn’t been doing jackshit for months,” he muttered. “Doesn’t take meetings, doesn’t do anything except yell at Morgan and anyone who gets in his way.”

“Jason asked me to keep an eye on my niece while he was out of town.” Luke raised his brows. “What are your thoughts on him taking this long, extended honeymoon in the middle of all of this?”

“I wasn’t happy,” Tommy said slowly, “but I’ve met his wife, and she’s a good kid. She’s been through hell, and there’s some health things going on. With the baby.” His mouth took on a pinched look. “He’s picked his family over all of this, and I can’t blame him. Loyalty’s never been his problem.”

Luke’s chest eased a bit. “I’m glad to hear it. Jason’s an old friend, but Elizabeth was like a daughter to me. He’s done what he can to keep things stable while he’s gone, but—”

“I have no problem with the wife,” Tommy repeated. “Or your niece. I like both of them, and it’s out of respect for them and the heavy load Morgan’s carrying that I gave him time.”

And that’s what Luke had been afraid of. He sat down and met Tommy’s gaze. “I need to know everything.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

“You’ve barely touched your breakfast.”

Lulu glanced over at the table where Dante was sitting with his mother, Olivia, and frowned, watching as the older woman gestured at Dante’s mostly untouched omelet.

“Ma, stop worrying—”

Lulu didn’t intend to eavesdrop, she really didn’t. She remembered what she and Dante had talked about a few days ago—that he was dealing with something related to Sonny Corinthos—

But she also remembered what else they’d talked about—Lulu’s habit of telling people things they didn’t want to hear, even when they were the truth. And how that made people hate her.

So she kept working, waiting on her tables, refilling coffees, and keeping one ear on Olivia and Dante.

“I know things have been hard these last few months,” Olivia said. “I was hoping you’d feel better once the hearing and all the legal crap was done, but—”

“Ma—”

“Is it me?” Olivia asked. “Are you upset that I’ve stayed in Port Charles? That I’m living here now? I know you wanted to get away from me—”

“No, I came here for a job.” Dante’s smile was sour. “Vinnie recommended the academy up here, remember? Fast track to detective. You came here for Aunt Lois and Brooke. I don’t blame you for sticking after things went down the way they did. It’s not any of that—”

“Then why do I gotta use the guilt to get you to meet me for a meal?” Olivia demanded. “Why do you look like you’re gonna vomit—”

“Ma—”

Lulu might have stayed quiet—she really might have managed it, but she’d passed their table just as Olivia had gone down that road, and she could see the tears in the older woman’s eyes, the distress in thinking Dante was angry with her.

She thought of her own mother, constantly swallowing terrible things and closing off from the traumas of her life—and then escaping to the safety of her own mind, then getting trapped there.

“It’s about Sonny Corinthos,” Lulu blurted out, startling both Dante and Olivia, who stared up at her. “That’s what he’s upset about. Not you.”

“Damn it, Lu—” Dante growled. “What the hell—”

“Sonny?” Olivia repeated. “Dante—”

Dante shoved himself to his feet, tossing down some money with jerky movements. “You know, maybe Dillon had a point,” he snapped at her. “Some good fucking listener you are.”

Then he stalked out of the dining room, leaving Lu shaken and ashamed of herself, wishing she could drag the words back. She turned to Olivia, but Dante’s mother was already rushing out after her son.

Port Charles Municipal Building: Mayor’s Office

Lois strode into Ned’s office with a scowl on her face. Ned set down the phone he’d just been picking up. “Uh oh, I know that face. What disaster are we facing—”

She furrowed her brow. “What? Oh. No. I was just talking to Julia, and she said you’d cleared this weekend because you were going out of town. I didn’t know about any trip—”

“It’s just a quick overnight trip down to New Orleans,” Ned said. He gestured for her to take a seat. “I’m leaving Saturday morning and coming back Sunday.”

“New Orleans? What’s down there?”

Ned made a face and picked up a pen to twirl with his fingers. “My cousin. AJ,” he added. “Alexis asked me to arrange a meeting, and once I did that, I started to think about how he could be useful.”

Lois snorted, crossing her legs. “AJ hasn’t been useful since 1993.” Then she sighed. “I’m sorry. That’s not fair—”

“It’s also not wrong.” Ned got to his feet. “Alexis is representing Carly in her divorce case. I’m warning you in case that comes up later with the media. Once she files—”

“The media is going to eat that up. Why is she taking that risk? I didn’t think she liked Carly.”

Ned hesitated. Here was his chance to come clean. To bring Lois into the circle of people who knew about Kristina. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Telling Lois that the daughter he had left wasn’t even his —seemed unfair somehow. To Alexis, who had trusted him, and Lois, who had already suggested over the summer Ned had been too distracted by Kristina to pay attention to Brooke. It was an uncomfortable situation, and he wasn’t ready to address it yet.

“Carly’s been through a lot this year,” Ned said, wandering over to the window. “I think Alexis is just trying to help. And she’s always had a soft spot for Michael, from back when Jason was still involved, and she was representing him.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Lois made a note in her portfolio. “I’ll probably use that spin. Children and whatnot. Let’s hope it’s not needed. Does she think it’ll be an acrimonious split, or—” She paused. “Wait, you said Alexis is the one that asked for the meeting.”

“Yes—”

“Which means Carly is doing something with custody.” Lois shook her head but made another note. “Bringing AJ into what will already be a volatile situation. That should be interesting. And with AJ’s connection to you, Alexis to the city — I’ll be surprised if the media doesn’t pick it up. There’s nothing you can do to convince Alexis to pass on the case?”

“No. I tried,” Ned added, “but she’s pretty set on it, and I’m not opposed to AJ getting another chance with his kid.” He gripped the back of his office chair, the grief sweeping over him. He closed his eyes. “We can’t get one with our little girl, so I’m maybe feeling a bit too invested in this.”

“I understand, and you’ll probably be a good buffer—”

“I’m going to ask him to take over ELQ here at home. Mother can’t handle New York and Port Charles. She offered to come here, but then we’d just need someone to replace her.”

“This makes sense,” Lois said, “and if we can spin the kid angle—Alexis is involved because of her connection to Michael and your connection to AJ—” She nodded. “Sonny’s not as popular as he used to be. We put another one of those polls out to see if we’re starting to rebound. Sonny still beats Floyd and the PCPD—”

Ned winced. “Great—”

“But,” Lois continued with a half smile. “The mayor’s office is more popular than Jason. Elizabeth still wins the day, and I know Carly has a great deal of sympathy from the PCPD mess.” She folded her arms. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll get in touch with some sources at the Sun and the Herald when she’s ready to file to keep the focus on Sonny. We get lucky, and Elizabeth supports Carly, we’re golden.”

Ned forced a smile, wishing he felt as confident as his ex-wife. He didn’t care if they tore apart Sonny in the press as long as Kristina’s paternity remained a secret.

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

The conversation he’d had with Luke yesterday was still rolling around in his head. What did Luke think he was doing?

Luke was soft. Luke was out of this world, and he had some damn nerve dragging up old business.

That was done. That was before. If Spencer knew what was good for him—

Sonny dragged his hands down his face. He just had to keep himself focused on the goal. He had to find Lansing, murder him in his sleep, and get his kids back. If he could convince Carly to give him another chance, fine.

But he was going to get his damn kids back.

“Yo, Mr. C, Justus is here.”

Sonny turned to find his lawyer striding in and Max pulling the door closed. “You need to talk him about letting just anyone upstairs.”

“I’ll put it on my list,” Justus said calmly, setting his briefcase on the desk. “Carly’s hired a lawyer, Sonny.”

Sonny took a deep breath, accepted that. “I figured she would after last week,” he muttered. He poured himself a bourbon, frowning when he needed to shake the last drops of the bottle to fill the tumbler. Hadn’t he just put out a new one a day ago?

“She hired the lawyer last week,” Justus said carefully. “We need to talk about what she might be putting in the petition.”

Kelly’s: Parking Lot

Dante tried to fit his key into the door of his car, but he was shaking. From rage, from worry, from nerves—he didn’t really know what he was feeling.

How could Lulu have done that to him? He’d thought she was on his side—he’d started to think that—

It didn’t matter what he thought. Not anymore.

“Dante—”

He shook his head even as his mother appeared in the corner of his eye. “I’m not talking about it, Ma—”

“What did that girl mean, it’s about Sonny? What about him? Dante Angelo Falconieri, you look at me right now, and tell me—”

“I know, okay?” Dante hissed. He glared at his mother, who had gone as pale as the snow around them. “Grandma told me months ago. I know he’s my father—”

“Dante—” Olivia swallowed. “When? How? Why—”

“After the hearing, when she slapped me. She told me I wasn’t any better than my father. It’s true, isn’t it?” he demanded.

Olivia closed her eyes. “Yes. Yes, it’s true, but—”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I didn’t tell anyone—”

“But that waitress—”

“She’s no one,” Dante cut in. He saw a movement near the gate that led from the parking lot to the diner and saw Lulu. “No one,” he repeated, meeting her eyes. Lulu flinched then disappeared back into the courtyard.

“Dante—”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” This time, when he put the key into the door, it unlocked. He slid into the car, and Olivia stepped out of the way. Dante started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot, wishing he could drive away from everything else as easily.

General Hospital: Tony Jones’ Office

His father beamed when Lucas pushed open the door. “This is a surprise!”

“Hey. I hope it’s okay to just pop up,” Lucas said, a bit unsure. He leaned against the door frame. “Kelly said you didn’t have anything scheduled for a little bit—”

“No, no. It’s a light day.” Tony Jones got to his feet and hugged Lucas. “How’s school? I haven’t seen you in a few weeks.”

“Yeah, sorry. The new semester is killing me, and I’ve, uh, been sticking close to home.” Lucas shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for his father to sit back down. “It’s kind of why I’m here.”

“Is everything okay? You and Felix?”

“No, that’s great. Um, I told you at Christmas we were moving in together. That’s good so far. We’re in some of the same classes.” Lucas shifted. “It’s good,” he repeated. “Thanks for helping him with the nursing program next year.”

Tony held up his hand. “Felix had great credentials, and he charmed the recruitment officer on his own. All your mother and I did was make a call. General Hospital is the lucky one.” He tipped his head. “But that’s not why you’re here.”

“No.” Lucas rubbed his hand against his chest. “I’ve been sticking close to home for the last few weeks. Months really. Since Carly came back.”

“Ah.” Tony leaned back. “I knew she was at the Brownstone with the boys.”

“Yeah. And I don’t know if Mom’s talked to you or anything about how things are—um, I mean with Carly and Sonny. Not that you care, but—”

“She hasn’t mentioned much, but I hear things in the grapevine. I know Carly’s been having some issues since last summer. Are you having problems with her?”

“No. No.” God, why was this so hard? Why couldn’t he just— “The thing is, the kids, they’re um, I mean they’re technically—”

“They’re your nephews,” Tony murmured. “You’ve been spending time with them?”

“Michael especially,” Lucas added, his chest tightening. He remembered a time when he’d thought Michael would be his brother, not his nephew. When Tony was supposed to be there. “The thing is, Dad, I feel like, um—” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Lately, at least since December, it’s sort of feeling like she’s…my family. Like she’s my sister. I mean, she always was, but—”

“But now you feel it,” Tony said, his eyes a bit somber. “You’re getting closer to her?”

“I guess. I mean, it’s not like—she’s not the sister I wanted,” Lucas said, a bit miserably. “That’ll always be BJ, but—”

“Did you think you had to apologize for that?”

Lucas stumbled to a stop, then frowned at him. “No. I mean, yes. I mean, it feels wrong. To like, include Carly in anything. She’s just always been there. Taking up Mom’s time. And I guess that’s still true. But it doesn’t feel like I’m supposed to care about her. I don’t want to.”

“What happened between me and Carly was years ago,” Tony said. “And it’s not a time I’m proud of. I hurt a lot of people, Lucas. Including you—”

“So did she—”

“It would be easy to blame it all on her,” his father continued with that soft, kind tone Lucas knew so well. “To blame the affair, the way you got in the middle, the grief I felt over the baby, and how badly things went for a few years after—but all I had to do was say no.” Tony got to his feet. “You’re a good kid, Lucas, and you’re growing into a wonderful young man. I’m proud to call you my son. In the last year, Carly was kidnapped and traumatized. Her marriage fell apart. She’s someone your mother loves. If you’ve accepted even a part of her into your heart, Lucas, despite the past, that says a great deal about the man you’re going to be.”

His throat was tightened. “You’re not mad.”

“Not even a little.” Tony came over and hugged him again. “I didn’t handle losing BJ well. Neither did your mother. And you got lost in the middle. Don’t think I don’t know how we failed you—”

“Dad—”

“But instead of becoming bitter, instead of holding it against us, you’ve forgiven us.” Tony smiled at him.

Lucas felt the weight lift from his shoulders as he absorbed his father’s words. “Thanks, Dad.” He embraced his father one more time, holding him tight. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Brownstone: Kitchen

“We’re seeing a lot of you around here lately,” Bobbie said as she led her brother into the kitchen where Carly was looking over paperwork for the club.

“Yeah, well, can’t be a deadbeat forever. Caroline, how’s tricks?” Luke asked.

“Luke.” Carly sat back, setting down her pen. “Is this going to be about Sonny?”

“I won’t stay long. I gotta get to the club.” Luke drew out the chair across from Carly and sat down. “I wasn’t happy when Lucky told me Sonny didn’t listen to him—”

“I didn’t think it would work, but—” Carly rubbed her temple. “I wanted to try everything I could other than filing charges. I figure that’s the last thing Jason needs when he’s out of town.”

“I know. The thing is, I went up to see Sonny myself yesterday, and he was mostly his old self,” Luke told her. “I know you’ve been worried about his state of mind, losing track of time and place—but he and I had a real conversation about the old days, about today, and everything in between.”

“And because he was having a good day, I should change my mind about the divorce?” Carly retorted. “Luke—”

“Actually, I want the opposite. The fact of the matter is that it makes me more nervous that he was having himself a good day and he was still as angry as ever. He understands perfectly fine what’s going on. Always has.”

Bobbie frowned. “I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

“According to you and Morgan, this all went south when Lansing jumped bail and Sonny got twitchy about protection. He basically locked you in the penthouse with no keys, guards, or access to access to the outside world. This was all before the bedroom.”

“Yes.”

“The man who did that? He’d do it again. I saw that in him today. I know that man. I’ve always known him.” Luke waited a beat. “Lansing still breathing makes Sonny feel weak. And knowing what I know about the organization, it makes him look weak—”

“Damn it—”

“No, no, let me finish. I made some calls, and the thing is—all of this isn’t going unnoticed. Morgan doesn’t play politics, he never needed to. Even when he was a kid in over his head, he never paid attention to the petty bullshit. Everyone knows Ric Lansing is alive because you and Elizabeth wanted to testify against him. No one in a position to do damage has a problem with that.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Everyone knows there’s something rotten going on. Morgan’s running things behind the scenes, but he’s on a deadline to make it permanent or some guys are gonna do it for him.”

Carly stared at her uncle. “A deadline.”

“He asked for time. April.” Luke tipped his head. “None of us know what’s going on with Elizabeth and the baby, but we all know something ain’t right. April is her due date. There’s no going back.” He took a deep breath. “Sonny’s about to go through a power struggle he hasn’t dealt with since Frank Smith was around. You do not want to be in this when that starts. You need to get this divorce, Caroline. And you need to be away from Sonny when this explodes.”

“Luke, are saying Carly’s in danger from—”

“Not from the organization. The guys I’m talking to—there’s no quarrel with you or Elizabeth. Everyone blames Sonny for it. If he’d taken care of Lansing last year, none of this would be happening. I’m saying if you’re anywhere around Sonny when he realizes that he’s about to lose everything—locking you in the bedroom is gonna look like a favor.”

Lake House: Front Porch

Jason closed the door behind him, leaving Elizabeth in the living room with one of her shows, then dialed Justus’s number.

“Hey, man. I didn’t think you’d call back tonight,” his cousin said. “How’s Elizabeth?”

“Having a good day.” Jason stared out over the frozen waters of Lake Seneca. “You left me a message?”

There was silence on the other side of the phone, and Jason braced himself. “Justus—”

“I don’t know anything for certain yet, just rumors.” Another pause. “Mikki and I had dinner at the mansion last night, and AJ came up.”

“AJ,” Jason repeated. “Why?”

“Ned and Alexis are flying down to New Orleans to talk to him. The official reason is ELQ. Ned has resigned from the company, and Tracy and Edward are getting on in age, so it’s a good cover.”

“But the timing,” Jason said, “is suspicious.”

“Yeah. I think Carly’s going to pull AJ into the custody battle.”

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, man. Sonny is going to go ballistic. Did you tell him?”

“Absolutely fucking not. I’m not insane,” Justus said. “And I’m under no legal obligation to, though I’m riding close to the line on this one. All I told him was that Carly’s probably going full custody.”

“What did he say?”

“Sonny flipped out. He’s ready to go nuclear and destroy her. Dragging out that paternity crap with Tony Jones, the shooting, her time in Ferncliffe—just throwing everything at her.”

Jason turned and looked at Elizabeth, visible through the windows. She laughed at something on her show. He said nothing to Justus.

“I can keep things under control here until you get back on Monday. This is bad, but I think I’ve convinced Sonny that if he goes to the Brownstone, it will make his case worse. I don’t think he believes she’ll actually file. He’s angry and sliding out of control, but I can probably—” Justus hesitated. “I can string him along by prepping opposition against Carly. I don’t really want to,” he added, “but it should buy you the last three days.”

Justus might be right, but it also might backfire. Sonny might just get fueled by the reminders of Carly’s perceived crimes and go after her anyway. “Let me call you back.”

Jason went back into the living room, locking the door behind him. He settled himself on the sofa. Elizabeth offered him her bowl of popcorn, and he wordlessly took a handful.

“It’s a marathon of last year’s Road Rules,” she said as if he’d asked her a question. “They’re in the South Pacific.”

“That’s the one where they travel in an RV, right?” Jason said, squinting.

“Yeah. You had to sit through a marathon last October.” She curled into his side and tugged the throw blanket up to her shoulders. “When I was on bed rest after everything happened. You liked it because it’s basically a travel show.”

“I remember.”

They finished the episode in relatively comfortable silence, but when the credits rolled, she turned her head, resting her chin on his shoulder. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

Jason tensed. “Yeah.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. Not really. But I guess I should.” He rubbed a hand down one side of his face.

“Justus thinks Carly is going full custody and might drag in AJ,” he admitted. “He thinks he can keep a handle on it for a few more days, but it might—it could blow up any minute if Sonny finds out Carly is talking to AJ.”

“Okay.” She waited. “What do you want to do? Should we go home? Will it help if we do? Because we can leave in the morning.”

He considered the question. Would Sonny have stormed the Brownstone if Jason had been there for him to yell at? Probably not, but there was still a chance—

And if Sonny finds out about AJ, he might find it easier to cross the hall first. He’d blow up, but he’d blow up at Jason.

And if Elizabeth was in the room—

“No,” Jason said finally. “I don’t think us being there will make it better or worse. It will just give Sonny someone else to scream at, and I don’t want you in the middle of it.” In fact, he almost hoped Sonny did lose it before they got back.

“Jason—”

“Luke is doing what I asked him to do. He’s staying on top of things. Carly told me she can handle it.” He waited a beat. “I need to trust her. And Justus. They’re telling me they can give us a few more days.”  He met her eyes. “So we’re going to take it. It’ll be the last quiet we have for a long time.”

“Okay,” she said finally. “I trust you.”

“Okay.” He kissed her forehead. “What do you want for dinner? We’ve some food left in the fridge.”

“You should go get us another pizza. Cam wants pepperoni.”

Despite the worry lingering in the back of his head, Jason found himself smiling. He recognized that look in her eyes. She would try to get his mind off what was happening, and he decided to let her. “He does, does he?”

“Yep. And it’s your job as his dad to get him what he wants. After this episode.” She stifled a yawn. “Because you’re comfy, and I want to take a nap.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He listened to her slightly shallow breathing as it slowed, then felt her head slump as she slid into slumber. No matter what was happening back home, staying here was worth the risk.

If she was determined to give their son more time, it was up to Jason to make sure Elizabeth had her best chance to come out on the other side.

When you feel all alone
And a loyal friend is hard to find
You’re caught in a one-way street
With the monsters in your head
When hopes and dreams are far away
And you feel like you can’t face the day
– Crash and Burn, Lifehouse

---

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Lake House: Master Bedroom

Just a few days ago, she’d been able to argue with her husband, raising her voice, insisting she was fine. Today, Elizabeth could barely lift her arm to block out the sunlight streaming through the muster.

The fatigue had settled into her bones, and even though she was lying still, Elizabeth felt almost dead. This morning, her eyes had fluttered open, and that seemed to be all the energy she could manage.

She drew in a breath, wincing when her lungs refused to expand fully, then forced herself into a sitting position. She was pressing shaky fingers to her wrist when Jason came in.

“Hey, I wanted—” he stopped in the doorway, a cup of tea in hand. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m so tired,” she said softly. “Can you check…” She couldn’t even gesture at the drawer, but he understood.

Jason set the tea down, then jerked open the drawer. “Here—” He fit the mask over her face, then wrapped the cuff around her bicep.

She hated this. She hated every inch of this. Why couldn’t it be over? Why did it have to be so hard—She winced as the cuff expanded and squeezed her arm.

He exhaled slowly. “It’s higher than Monday,” he told her, “and you’re nearly at the top end of the range Monica said was normal.” Jason put the cuff back. “Elizabeth—”

“Not right now. Please.” She closed her eyes.

“I know you don’t want to hear this—”

“Jason—”

“It’s twenty-nine weeks now. You’ve given the baby seven more days—”

Even though a piece of her knew he was right, she still couldn’t do it. “I read the complications at all the weeks. It’s not good enough. Maybe I’m just more tired than usual today. Pregnant women get tired—”

“Not tired enough that they can barely open their eyes and with the CTEPH—” Jason cut himself off, his tone so aggravated that she opened her eyes. “I don’t want to argue about this again, but—”

“My blood pressure, my pulse, it’s all normal. I don’t even use the oxygen much. Monica said—”

“Monica wanted you to deliver last week. When we go back, do you really think that’s going to change?” Jason handed her the tea. “I’ll go get you some water and your meds.”

“Do you think I want this?” she asked, putting her hand on his arm, stopping his exit from the room. “Do you think this is how I want to spend the first few weeks of our marriage? To have this conversation over and over again?”

“No.” Jason cleared his throat and repeated it in a more gentle tone. “No, I know you don’t want this. I just—”

“I can’t take a single day from his life to make myself more comfortable. I can’t. You wouldn’t either, you know you wouldn’t.”

“And if the positions were reversed, would you be happy seeing me get sicker?”

She pressed her lips together. “No.” She switched off the oxygen and removed the tubes. “I would hate it, and I’d argue with you, too. But I couldn’t—” She pressed a hand to her belly, feeling a kick against her palm. “I couldn’t protect my baby last year. Even if Faith hadn’t shoved me down the stairs, there’s no telling what might have happened with the pills Ric was feeding me. If he would have stopped at Valium—”

“Elizabeth—” He sank onto the bed. “I know—”

“I did that. I married him even though I knew he’d done terrible things, and I put my child at risk—”

“If you’d known about the pills, you wouldn’t have stayed—”

“I lost that baby. I couldn’t protect it—” Her breath faltered. “Please. Please let me protect Cameron for as long as I can.”

Jason drew her against him, tucking her head into the crook of his shoulder. “Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“When we go to see Monica and Kelly next week, if they still want you to push up the delivery date, you’ll consider it more seriously.”

“I will.” Elizabeth squeezed his hand. “I promise.”

Port Charles Municipal Building: City Attorney’s Office

“I think this is a mistake.”

Alexis wrinkled her nose as she handed the file to the messenger. “Make sure it’s filed by the end of business today,” she told him. “Thank you.”

“Right away, Ms. Davis.”

When the messenger had left, Alexis turned back to Ned with a sigh. “You’ve said the same thing for days, Ned. You’re not changing my mind—”

“If you step outside of city business to defend Carly in what will be a very bitter divorce fight, people are going to wonder.” Ned leaned against her desk. “I don’t understand why you feel obligated—”

“Carly has suspected the truth about Kristina since the beginning and said nothing.” When Ned rolled his eyes, Alexis scowled. “Don’t dismiss that. Yes, she kept the secret for her own reasons, but she still kept it, Ned. Think about it — Sonny is out there, desperate to protect his kids from the specter of Ric Lansing and God knows what else. Carly could have turned him away from herself at any point.”

Ned frowned. “I don’t understand—”

“If she’d told Sonny about Kristina last fall, Sonny would have focused on me. Do you think you’d be mayor right now? She could have done it while I was suspended last year — would we even have Kristina right now if she had?” Alexis continued. “I don’t care why Carly kept it secret. I care that she did even when it might have helped her to divulge it.” She went over to the window to stare out over the vastness of the Port Charles park.

She’d never look at it the same after the horrors of the previous year. “She protected my daughter. She’s asking me to help her protect her boys. How can I turn away from that?”

“Alexis—”

“And she’s right. The evidence she needs to get Sonny out of her life for good — I would need it for my own custody case. The truth is going to come out one day, Ned,” she said softly. “I’m not arrogant enough to think we can keep it forever. I just—I need more time for Kristina to grow up. To be her own person. We need to protect her until she’s old enough to make her own decisions. Carly’s giving me the fuel to do that. She’s promised to testify in a custody hearing if I need it—”

“And you trust Carly to keep that promise?”

“A year ago, no. But Carly is not the same person she was once, Ned. You know that. You’re closer to the situation than I am,” she told him. “Am I that insane for trusting her?”

Ned stroked his chin. “No,” he said finally. “No, I don’t think so. I just—Kristina’s the only daughter I have left,” he said softly. “Maybe it’s just me being selfish. And scared. If the truth comes out, then I can’t keep her.”

“I will never forget who stood by me when I needed it the most. She will always be yours,” Alexis promised. She straightened the lapels of his suit and met his eyes. “I can’t tell you what Carly and I have talked about, you know that, but I want you to know that I am convinced that she’s going through with this divorce. The only way Sonny will see those boys is if he gets help with that anger. Last week, at the Brownstone? That never would have happened to the Sonny I knew once.”

“What if he gets it together?” Ned demanded roughly. “What if he turns back into that Sonny, and Carly starts to feel guilty about his not knowing?”

“Well, now I have a new thing to worry about,” Alexis admitted. “We’ll cross that bridge if it comes to it. Ned, I wanted my daughter away from the very darkness that Carly is trying to escape. My feeling and history with Carly aside — how could I ever forgive myself if something happened to those boys and I didn’t help?”

“You wouldn’t. And I wouldn’t forgive myself either for talking you out of it.” He kissed her forehead. “What can I do to help?”

“I’m glad you asked.” She smiled brightly at him. “You know how to get in touch with your AJ, don’t you?”

Ned lifted his brows. “The recovering alcoholic and Carly’s ex-husband? That AJ?”

“Yes.” Alexis waited. “We need him to help with the custody petitions. If he’d agree to meet with Carly, that would be great.”

“Oh, sure, piece of cake,” Ned muttered. “I’ll set that up and then go solve world peace.” When Alexis just glared at him, he added, “As long as we’re talking about miracles, why not?”

Brownstone: Lucas & Felix’s Apartment

Lucas dumped his organic chemistry book on the table, then dropped down to the table to dig into his homework. He had a quiz in the next class, and somehow, the professor was already talking about midterms. He wanted to be a doctor, but did he have to master six types of chemistry to get there?

“Hey.” The door behind him opened, and Felix came in, tossing aside his own bag. “You starting organic already?”

“Yeah, we’ll probably be at it until late, so maybe a pizza tonight?” Felix tapped his shoulder, and Lucas dragged his face out of his books to find his boyfriend arching a brow. “What?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to see if it’d work.” Felix curled a hand around Lucas’s neck and drew him into a soft kiss.

There was something really great about being fully out that Lucas could and would never take for granted. Since he and Felix had moved in together a few months ago, it almost felt like he was finally allowed to be normal. To have what other people. To wake up beside someone he loved, who loved him in return. A year ago, he’d been terrified to tell his parents he was gay. Now he and his boyfriend rented an apartment from his mother, and his father had arranged for Felix to get into the nursing program at General Hospital next year.

Life was pretty good right now, except—

“What’s that face about?” Felix asked. He disappeared into the kitchen, then emerged a minute or two later with their usual stash of study fuel — Gatorade and Doritos. He dumped it on the table. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, just thinking about how good things are for me right now. I mean, other than organic chem.” He exhaled slowly. “But then I thought about Michael and how much everything sucks for him.”

“And for your sister.” Felix sat down and flipped open his book, searching for the right chapter. “I’ve never been through a divorce, but I know what it’s like to have your family turn into strangers right in front of you.”

“Felix—” Lucas winced. As wonderful as his parents had been, Felix’s family hadn’t taken it as well. He’d been out to them since high school, but the DuBois had decided to treat it like a phase and kept referring to Lucas as that roommate. “I’m sorry—”

“It’s their loss, not mine. And I got a whole bunch of people who like me just the way I am.” Felix smiled, and though it was genuine, it didn’t light up his face the way it usually did. “I got you, don’t I? And your mom is awesome. And your friends and cousins all decided I’m okay, so I’ve got people. That matters.”

“I think Maxie likes you better than me. She said if we break up, you get her.” Felix laughed, which made Lucas feel a lot better. “Your family will come around.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. I can’t let it get me down. And anyway, we were talking about your sister and her kids—” Felix paused. “You’re making that face again. Should I not call her that?”

“No—” Lucas leaned back. “No, it’s fine. It’s just—when you say it, I keep thinking of BJ. Carly’s not exactly the big sister I had in mind.” He ripped open the Doritos, not interested in pursuing the topic.

“No, but she’s the big sister you’ve got. And you’ve done right by her, so I hope you’re not worried about that.”

“I’m not concerned with her,” Lucas muttered. “I just like her kids.” That wasn’t entirely correct, though, was it? He had been worried about her these last few weeks. The last few months. Since she’d come back in December. She was different from the brash and irritating bitch who had broken up his parents’ marriage or the selfish brat who always sucked up his mother’s attention and energy.

“Lucas?”

“It feels wrong,” he admitted, “to call Carly my sister. Like—” He sighed. “Like I’m betraying my dad. He never really got over BJ. Even for me. I knew he and my mom were having issues before that. They were separated when I was a kid after she died. Then they got back together for a while. Then Carly happened.” His chest tightened. “Dad just walked away from us. He still had visitation and stuff, but he was excited for the kid he thought he was having. His own biological kid. Another chance, he used to say. A fresh start.”

“Oh, man—”

“He didn’t mean it the way I took it back then,” Lucas hurried when Felix winced. “And I’m older now, so I get what he meant. But that kid he wanted so bad was Michael, and he wanted to have that with Carly. So maybe it’s not sitting with me right for her to just be part of the family. He was really messed up after all that. Even worse than BJ. And I always blamed her.”

“Do you think he’d be mad you’re hanging with her and the kids?” Felix asked. “Because Doc Jones doesn’t seem like that kind of guy—”

“No, he’s the best. He’s all the back, you know? He got himself together a few years ago, and it’s been okay since. And we’re closer now than we ever were. I was scared to tell him about you and me, I mean—gay was one thing—but by the time I told everyone—” Lucas shrugged. “I don’t know. We were already kind of serious. It felt like a lot. But Dad barely even blinked. He was happy for me. And he likes you. Don’t think I don’t know exactly how good I have with my family, Felix. I’ll never take that for granted.”

“I know. Do you really think your dad is gonna be mad at you because you’re taking care of your nephews? Because you feel bad about what Carly’s going through? Look, I know the whole back story, so I’m not gonna tell you that you’re wrong to resent her. Or that you have to forgive her. That’s for you to figure out.”

“I think—” Lucas pressed his lips together, then met Felix’s eyes. “Maybe it’s bothering me because I already did. I don’t resent her anymore. How can I? I keep seeing her face from last week—her husband pushing her around, terrorizing her and her kids—I was so angry at him for coming after her when she clearly couldn’t deal with it—” He sighed. “I didn’t want her to be my sister, man, but I think maybe she is, and I don’t know if that’s okay.”

“Talk to your dad,” Felix suggested. “And if it feels like he’s not okay with it, well, then you can work with that.”

“Maybe.” Lucas picked up his pencil. “Until then, let’s try not to fail that quiz tomorrow.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

Portia Robinson wrinkled her nose and set aside the newspaper. “You’d think they’d run out of things to write about.” She sipped her coffee. “A whole week of this, and they still got nothing new to say.”

Taggert glanced at the story she’d been reading, analyzing the PCPD’s refusal to press charges against Sonny for the Brownstone. “They know why we didn’t arrest him.”

“Yeah, but following the law and listening to victims doesn’t sell papers.” Portia snorted. “Vultures. I get that he’s the local godfather, but aren’t they tired of him yet?”

“Sonny Corinthos has been selling papers in this city longer than I’ve lived here.” Taggert picked up the story and scanned the particulars. “Yeah, I’m not surprised. They think we’re weak after last year.”

“Mikki said a few things,” Portia said. “You guys got some bad press with the kidnapping and park rapist cases.”

“Yeah, they were my cases.” Taggert sighed, grimacing when he saw his transfer mentioned. “The Lansing case is how I ended up in Major Crimes. Burnt out on Corinthos and his crap. Now, he’s shoving his face into my squad all over again.”

She lifted a brow. “But Jason Morgan works for him, and you went to the wedding.”

“Under extreme duress. I told you that then. I went for the bride.”

“Right, right, the papers talked about her being the center of all that last year.” She tipped her head. “Why didn’t you force Carly or Felix to file charges? You could have. She wanted a report for her divorce lawyer. Charges could have been part of it.”

“A year ago—” Taggert squinted. “A year ago, I would have. I wouldn’t have cared what Carly needed—I would have just seen the cuffs slapping on Corinthos for something I could prove. But then…” He shook his head, picked up his coffee.

“Then what?”

“Then Lansing happened. And I focused on Corinthos. I thought there was a mob tie, and I wasted time following that lead. I didn’t see Capelli and Mac behind my back, thinking Elizabeth was involved. They planted a story about Elizabeth and Morgan—he’d been going to the house  all week. Searching for Carly, mostly. But he was worried about Elizabeth being around Lansing. They made it seem like it was an affair.”

“Well, six months later, they’re married with a baby on the way—”

“It wasn’t that simple,” Taggert argued, “and either way—we had a guy accused of kidnapping a pregnant woman, and we suspected him of drugging his wife to hide it. We don’t hand him more ammunition—” He stared down at his half-eaten breakfast. “Lansing attacked Elizabeth. I got there, and there were scratches and bruises—and this was before we knew he was dosing her with birth control pills that nearly killed her.”

“Marcus.” Portia reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “You don’t blame yourself, do you?”

“No. No, not all the way. But I could have done a better job. I could have done better by Elizabeth—and Carly. They were what mattered. Focusing on Corinthos—it was turning me into those cops I hated growing up. The ones that would frisk you just for walking down the street—” He stopped. “This is ancient history, Portia. No point in getting into it.”

“It’s your history, and that means it matters.” But she smiled at him. “Hopefully, someone will come along and give the Herald something to write about so we can all move on from Sonny Corinthos.”

Quartermaine Estate: Family Room

“Grandfather,” Ned said, strolling into the room later that evening. “Just the man I was looking for.”

“Whatever your mother says, I didn’t do it,” Edward said immediately, making a face. He looked at Lila. “I didn’t.”

Ned scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean? What are the two of you up to?”

“Nothing, nothing—”

“Edward,” Lila said, a warning clear in her tone. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Edward smiled brightly. “You said you were looking for me? What’s on your mind? How can I help?”

Still suspicious, Ned took a seat and decided to let it go. He could spend his entire life chasing his grandfather and his shenanigans, but he only had so much time. “I’m going to New Orleans this weekend.”

“New Orleans? Oh, to see AJ?” Lila beamed. “How is he? He hasn’t called in a few days.”

“Reprobate,” Edward muttered. “Has he screwed something up? I haven’t looked into—”

“On the contrary.” Ned was already exhausted by the extremes in the conversation. Lila would always believe the best about everyone, while Edward thought people were rotten, dirty bastards. How they’d managed to sustain a marriage lasting more than a half-century was beyond him— “The latest reports suggest AJ is managing well. Profits are up twenty percent. Being away from this family suits him,” he added dryly.

Edward narrowed his eyes. “If he’s doing well, then why are you going?”

There was no way Ned would mention Carly was considering letting AJ back into Michael’s life. If Edward sniffed that out, Carly would change her mind so fast that their heads would be spinning. “I’ve mostly left ELQ to the managers and Mother. But she’s concentrating on New York, and you’re semi-retired.”

“I’d like to see him actually retired,” Lila said, glancing at her husband. “Is ELQ faltering?”

“No, but it’s not as strong as it could be with a full-time CEO here in Port Charles. I’m flying down to feel AJ out. He may say no,” Ned said quickly as Edward opened his mouth. “But I wanted to see how he’d feel about it. I think he’s ready, Grandfather, and I think he’s owed this chance.”

“Owed,” Edward muttered but then sighed when he saw Lila’s face. Maybe he thought the same as Ned. Their beloved Lila was fading, and so much of the family had scattered over the years. She’d perk up with more of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to enjoy. “All right. Put out the feelers. Let me know what you think.”

Kelly’s: Diner

“Hey, Lu,” Carly said. She set down her purse and took a seat at the table. “Mama said she wanted me to pick up her receipts and paperwork.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll get it together for you,” Lulu replied. “You want your usual?”

Carly nodded as she took out her phone and saw that Alexis had left a voicemail. She listened, taking a deep breath when she learned Ned had arranged for a trip to New Orleans to meet with AJ.

She glanced up when a shadow fell over her table and frowned slightly. “Uh, hey. Laura.”

Laura offered Carly a smile. “Lulu’s finishing up her shift in a bit, so I came to pick her up. You mind if I sit down?”

“Uh, okay.” Carly’s frown only deepened as the other woman sat down. “Are you..um, you okay? Did you need something?”

“Well, I saw you sitting here, and it occurred to me that you and I don’t know each other very well.”

“Uh…” Her brain felt like it was on the fritz. “No. We, ah, don’t.”

Laura’s smile deepened. “And you can’t imagine why I care.”

“No.” A little relieved that Laura had said so, Carly nodded, “No, I honestly can’t. I mean, I know Mama and Luke are close, but—”

“Bobbie’s always been an excellent aunt to my children, including Nikolas. I’d like to do the same with her kids.” Laura hesitated. “I wanted to tell you that I was thinking about what you’ve been through.”

Carly hesitated. “Look, Laura—”

“Last year, I spent most of my time sitting in a chair, unable to get outside of my own head,” Laura told her. “I’d been through so many terrible things that I’d kept pressing down and pushing away. When I came home, I promised myself that I wouldn’t let that happen again. That’d I deal with things head on.”

Carly tilted her head, studied Laura for a long moment. “What was it like? Being locked inside your head? Do you remember any of it?”

“Not really,” Laura admitted. “But every once in a while, I’d come out of it, and I’d be scared. I didn’t know where I was, what was going on—and for a while, by the time I was starting to get oriented, I’d fade out again. It was months before I could stay awake longer than an hour. But  I made it back home.”

“I…that happened to me a little last summer,” Carly murmured. “After I was rescued. I’d see Michael—my little boy—and I’d remember that last night—when he’d been there, trying to stop Ric from—just looking at him brought back the terror, and I’d—” She took a deep breath. “I’d disappear.”

“I’m so sorry,” Laura said softly. “Are you doing better?”

“Most of the time. I’m okay with Michael now. I worked on that in therapy. I, uh, was diagnosed with acute stress disorder,” Carly clarified. “But—” She met Laura’s eyes again, and this time—didn’t see a stranger. “You know about December. What he put me through.”

“I do.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “When Sonny came to the Brownstone, I was so scared that it was happening again,” she admitted. “That it would be just like before, and this time I wouldn’t be able to stop it, and it would be starting all over again—and that I’d look at my son and—”

Laura slid a napkin across the table. “I have those moments, too. For all the work I put in, for all the support my family gave me, I’m terrified that I’ll lose myself again. And that next time, they won’t be able to bring me back.”

“That’s why I can’t go back,” Carly told Laura. “Sonny wants me to stay locked up until Ric is caught, but I can’t—I can’t. I can’t be locked away. Even for my own safety. Because it’ll just happen all over again. I have to protect myself.”

Laura nodded. “If you ever need to talk to someone, I’m here. I’ve been where you are, Carly. And I don’t want either of us to go back.”

“You lost months—” Carly shook her head. “It’s not the same. I wasn’t as bad—”

“It started small for me,” Laura replied. “I was still lucid, still talking. Even if I wasn’t always sure where I was, Luke or one of my children—they could look at me, and I’d be okay. I could snap out of it. Until the day I couldn’t. Until the horror of what I’d done—” She swallowed hard. “Until it broke me.”

Carly blinked back the tears. Oh, God, Laura really did understand. “I, um, I’m okay, but I appreciate—if—” She took a deep breath. “If I need someone, I’ll let you know.”

“You do that.” Laura squeezed her hand, and for a moment, Carly didn’t feel quite so alone.

Harborview Towers: Hallway

Max threw up his hands when he saw Luke step off the elevator. “Oh, come on, how’d you get past security?”

Luke smirked, though he didn’t feel very amused at the moment. “You know better than that, Giambetti.” He’d been around Sonny and the organization since the man had clawed to the top nearly a decade ago.

He knew more about Sonny’s rise to power than anyone else still living in Port Charles. There would always be a man or two left that owed a favor to Luke Spencer.

“I open the door for you, I’m gonna b sleeping with the fishes,” Max muttered, but he knocked on the door. “Yo, Mr. C?”

The door jerked open, and Sonny narrowed his eyes at his former partner. “What the hell do you want?” he demanded.

“Is that any way to talk to an old friend?” Luke said with a lift of his brows, “or are you still sore that I shoved you out of the club?”

Sonny scowled, dragged a hand through his disheveled hair, then stalked back into the penthouse. He left the door open, which Luke decided to treat as an open invitation. “And you were worried,” he said, lightly smacking Max in the abdomen. The guard winced, and Luke followed Sonny into the living room.

“If you’re here because you’re having issues with the club,” Sonny said, pouring himself a bourbon, “then you’re barking up the wrong tree. Tommy handles all of that.”

“Tommy’s still around?” Luke said. “I’d have thought you’d get tired of his pompous arrogance.” Sonny smirked, and Luke felt a bit of a relief. There was the old friend he’d known once. “No, that’s good to know, though. Haven’t been many issues since you shoved out Roscoe last year. Thanks for that, by the way. Bastard came around a few times trying to get protection.” He snorted. “Maybe he thought I’d gone soft.”

“Yeah, well, Roscoe was handled, and—” Sonny made a face. “Other than Alcazar and Lansing, things are good.”

“Yeah, like I said, no issues down where I am on the waterfront.”

“If it’s not about the club, why are you here? You wanted out of all of this.”

“I did, and I still do. You know the kid decided to go straight, and I was a crappy enough father when he was growing up — I owe it to him to keep my nose clean.” Luke shifted. “Hell of a thing, my kid a cop.”

“Lucky always had a sense of right and wrong,” Sonny murmured. “Thought he’d end up like Jason, but a cop doesn’t feel that far off.”

“Not a bad point. Cowboy is why I’m here. About his visit.”

“Don’t think I don’t know how he got upstairs,” Sonny said sourly. He sipped his bourbon. “Not many of the old guard left.”

“But enough.” Luke slipped his hands into his pockets. “I know you and Morgan are having your issues these days—”

“I don’t want to talk about it—”

“I get it, but I can’t have you coming over and harassing Barbara Jean—”

“I’m not,” Sonny bit out. “I’m talking to my wife—”

“Seems to me there’s a whole lot of talking going on and not a lot of listening.” Luke cleared his throat. “You really think Jason would take off for no reason and leave Carly and the kids if he thought this Lansing guy was a real threat?”

“Are you asking me about the business?” Sonny demanded. “You wanted to be out of it—”

“You know better than that, Corinthos,” Luke said softly. “As long as people that matter to me are tied up in it, I’ll never be out. Caroline is my niece—”

“Since when do you give a damn about that—”

“I’ve been distracted the last few years, Sonny, and you damn well know it. First, you took off and left the business to a kid who wasn’t ready to handle it, and then Lucky—” Luke’s chest tightened. “I had some issues there. And things fell apart with Laura. The Cassadines took my boy. By the time I looked up, you and I were too far apart. It didn’t matter that the fire wasn’t on you. I shoved you out of the club because that’s what Laura needed. But I never blamed you and Morgan.”

“It could have been us,” Sonny murmured. “We were going after Moreno to take back the clubs and the old territory Jason had sold off—” Suddenly, his old friend looked weary. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have left. He was too young to handle it, and he ran. Gave away everything I built.”

“He didn’t think he had a choice. Sonny—this Carly thing—you’re holding on too tight, and you’re choking her—”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Sonny growled, whirling to face Luke. “Don’t you think I—” He curled his hand into a fist. “But I have to protect her. I didn’t before. I let that bastard keep breathing because he came from my mother. He has her eyes. I couldn’t—I couldn’t kill him. Not then.”

“Sonny—”

“He’s still out there—” Sonny flung his hand out towards the penthouse windows overlooking downtown of Port Charles. “Still planning to come back and take everything—”

“The thing is, Sonny,” Luke said, waiting for the other man to meet his eyes, “when you feel threatened, you do terrible things—”

“I didn’t mean to lock her in the room like that—” Sonny began, his cheeks flushing, but Luke shook his head.

“I’m not talking about Carly and the bedroom a few months ago. I’m talking old and ancient business. I know you, Sonny, better than anyone else. You need to get this shit under control, let Carly live her damn life, and you need to fix things with Jason. He didn’t want the business seven years ago. He still doesn’t want the power. But that doesn’t mean he won’t take it if he has to. This time, he can handle it. Don’t push him, Sonny.”

Sonny stared down into his bourbon. “You didn’t want to be involved,” he said flatly. “Let’s keep it that way.”

He’d gotten as far as he could, so Luke nodded. “Fair enough. But you know where to find me if you need anything.”

Lake House: Master Bedroom

“You know what I’m going to miss when this is over?” Elizabeth asked as Jason lifted her dinner tray from her lap. “Being waited on hand and foot. A girl could get used to this.”

He managed a smile for her because he knew that was what she wanted, but he didn’t feel it. Could Elizabeth see how pale she was? How the circles under her eyes deepened every day? He stayed awake, listening to her breathe. He’d done that countless times since her embolism last summer, but now—

Now he was afraid to sleep at all, terrified she’d leave him in the middle of the night, and he’d wake—

“Jason?”

He cleared his throat, then turned back to her, careful to keep his worries hidden. What good would it do to upset her? She wasn’t going to change her mind, and he didn’t want to cause more stress with arguments that would only go in circles like this week. Nothing had changed. “I’m going to check my messages.”

“Oh, okay. Let me know if Emily or Bobbie left any.”

He carried the tray out into the kitchen and cleaned up from dinner before reaching for the burner phone. There were only two messages. One from Justus, letting him know he had a bad feeling about the divorce, but nothing specific. The second was Monica, checking in on Elizabeth and her health.

They weren’t supposed to go back to Port Charles until Monday morning. Four more days. For the first time, he thought that maybe Elizabeth was right. Maybe they should go home early. Her condition wasn’t getting much better here, despite the constant rest and lack of stress, and if staying away only created more stress for them when they returned—

Jason needed to talk to Carly again before she filed. Sonny would be even more distracted from the job, and while Jason knew that Justus was doing his best to hold things together—

Jason put the phone on the charger and went back to the bedroom. Elizabeth had switched on one of her reality shows, the audio down low. “What is it tonight?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s just a rerun of that new Donald Trump one where he fires people.” She wrinkled her nose. “He’s a terrible person, did you know that?”

“Yeah.” Jason climbed into bed next to her. “We had some run-ins with him, actually. Sonny has an interest in a few of the casinos in Atlantic City.” He squinted at the screen. “Why does he fire people?”

“For being bad at business or something. It’s not one I like, but it’s on, and sometimes that’s enough. He’s an idiot, though. Always firing people for stupid reasons. I hope it gets canceled.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“You hate my shows, and you always make me feel like you’re interested when you ask questions. Don’t think I don’t notice.”

“I like when you explain things to me.” He reached for her hand, drawing it into his lap. “Justus has a bad feeling about the divorce and custody coming up.” Jason felt Elizabeth tense next to him. “And he’s probably right.”

“We could—”

“We might have to,” he said, anticipating what she was going to say.

“We almost made it two weeks, though. That’s good.”

“Justus said he’d call me when he finds out more. Right now, he just has a feeling.” He paused. “I’m going to tell Sonny about the CTEPH when we get back. He needs to know that he can’t come over and start fights anymore.”

“Okay. Em already knows, so I’ll tell Bobbie. And Nikolas,” she added. “You’ll tell Carly? She’ll want to hear it from you.”

“Yeah.” He waited a minute. “Are you okay with everyone knowing?”

“They already know something isn’t right, don’t they? Nikolas and Bobbie knew I was having tests. I’m sure Carly noticed something was up with you. I wanted the wedding be about us, and it was.”

Except for her run-in with Sonny and the crisis it had brought on. Jason grimaced. “It might not change anything with Sonny. He knew what Carly was dealing with, and he’s still acting the same way. I need you to do everything you can to avoid Sonny until you check in for delivery.”

“I will—”

“I mean it. If he comes in, you go upstairs. I’ll take you up and down otherwise, so save your one trip for him.”

“I promise,” Elizabeth stressed. “I know I haven’t always been good about that, but I really will try this time. I don’t feel up to a fight with him anyway.”

“Okay.” Jason wished they lived somewhere else, but it was too late in her pregnancy to go somewhere else. The Towers was secure—even more so since Vinnie Esposito had wiled his way into getting Elizabeth alone.

He’d have to find a way to keep Sonny from making things worse. Somehow.

But am I the only one
Who wonders still about your days?
Did you find your sense of peace? Lord, please
I hope you’ve forgiven me
Couldn’t see you drowning
Sacrificed your sanity
Stole my silver lining
– Happy (In the End), Gabbie Hanna

---

Monday, February 9, 2004

 Lake House: Master Bedroom

Elizabeth had never been much of a morning person and relished the days when she could sleep until the sun was high in the sky. She wasn’t surprised to find the clock on the side table was past nine and that the other side of the bed was empty.

Jason was a morning person, and she considered it a fatal flaw in his character.

Elizabeth rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and pulled herself up, pressing a hand against her chest when her lungs felt tight. She breathed in, then breathed out. Did her counting exercises, and still—she couldn’t quite force out more than a series of shallow breaths.

“If I just get moving—” Elizabeth’s muscles felt heavy, and by the time she’d put her feet on the floor, she was nearly sweating from the exertion. She’d be better if she walked around the room a little, she reminded herself. It wasn’t the first morning she’d woken up like this, and she knew how to shake it off.

Bracing a hand on the side table, she got to her feet—then swayed slightly as her lungs began to burn and she couldn’t quite balance herself, the bulge of her belly throwing her off.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” She caught the edge of the dresser with her other hand, waiting for the vertigo to pass. If she could just get to the end of the room and then back, she’d be better—

“Are you—” Jason’s question broke off as he scowled at her. “What are you doing? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing—” But the words had barely left her lips before Jason had scooped her off her feet and deposited her back on the bed. His back was turned then as he rummaged in the top dresser drawer for the two most hated items in Elizabeth’s luggage — the blood pressure cuff and the oxygen mask.

“I’m fine,” she said flatly, tipping her head away from him when he tried to fit the mask over her face. “I’m fine,” she repeated. And she was. The pressure on her lungs was already easing, just like it always did. “We don’t have to go through this every morning—” But he had that look on his face, so it was just easier to extend her arm so he could put on the cuff.

“I hate this,” she muttered, and didn’t even bother to hide the resentment in her eyes when she caught his gaze. “It’s my body, Jason, and I should get to decide if I want to start my morning by having my arm squeezed until I can’t feel anything—”

He ignored her, and that made her even more angry. She wasn’t a damn child! Why did everyone think she was trying to kill herself? “I’m fine,” she repeated.

Jason grimaced as he took in the reading. “They’re in the right range,” he said, loosening the cuff.

“I told you.” She lightly shoved him aside and pulled herself to her feet. “I wish you trusted me—”

“It’s not about trust—” Jason shook his head and returned the medical equipment to the drawer.

“Really? Then what is it?” She folded her arms. “One time. One time, I didn’t tell you everything Monica told me at a doctor’s appointment, and now every time you think there’s something wrong, I have to stop what I’m doing—” She broke off when he flinched. Tears stung the corner of her eyes. “And now I’m the bad guy, right? Because you’re just trying to take care of me and I’m being a bitch—”

“I know you’re frustrated,” he said, and that patient tone she usually adored made her want to set the entire house on fire.

“Oh, so not only can you tell me when I’m sick, you can tell me what I’m feeling?” The anger pounded in her veins like an adrenaline surge. She tugged on a robe and went past him, down the hallway towards the kitchen.

“Elizabeth—”

“I’m sick, Jason. Do you think I don’t know that?” She whirled around, hissing in frustration when her balance deserted her and she had to brace a hand on the wall. “No!” Elizabeth threw out of the other hand when he started forward, probably to drag her back to bed “I’m fine. I moved too fast, but there’s nothing wrong.”

“You’re pale,” he began, a muscle in his cheek beginning to twitch.

“I’m always pale,” she retorted. “And I’m hungry.” She attempted a deep breath, but couldn’t quite manage it. Still, she counted to ten. “I know you’re scared.” She met his eyes. “I’m scared, too. Okay? And I know you’re mad at me—”

“I’m not—”

“I’m too annoyed to find another word, so mad will do. I can’t do what you and Monica and Kelly and everyone want me to. I’m not going to apologize for it anymore. I’m taking care of myself, taking it easy, and I have done everything your mother has told me to do for the last six months—”

“I know you have—”

“I always feel like trash when I wake up,” Elizabeth said. “I always have to pull myself out of bed, and then I walk around, and I’m okay—”

“Until you’re not,” Jason cut in sharply, his eyes flashing. “You were fine that day in the house. I wanted you to call Monica, and you refused—”

“Don’t—”

“So it wasn’t just one time you ignored what Monica told you,” Jason continued. “You’re doing it right now—”

“That is not—” The tears slid down her cheeks, hot and angry. “I am not ignoring anything! I’m giving my child his best chance—” She pressed her hands to her face. Why couldn’t anyone understand? Why couldn’t they see this was the only way? How could she bring her precious son into this world and make him struggle for every breath? It was so damn selfish of everyone to expect her to just give up and not try to give Cameron as much time as she could.

“I’m not having this argument. It doesn’t change anything.” Jason shoved his hands into his pockets. “I won’t drag out the blood pressure cuff again,” he said. “Or the oxygen.”

Her lip trembled slightly but she bit down. He made it sound like he was doing her a favor, like she was some unruly child who was in the middle of a tantrum.

Elizabeth lifted her chin. “You think you’re the only person who gets to be scared?” she asked softly, and he frowned at her. “I’m sick. I know that. And I know that the condition I have could take my life. But I’m not the one who chose a life where the danger doesn’t go away with a surgery.”

His body tensed and he just stared at her, unblinking. “I’ve seen the scars, Jason,” she continued. “I’ve been part of the shootings, the bombs, and the explosions. I’ve patched up bruises, cleaned up blood, and watched you risk your life over and over again. Do you think it’s easy for me to let you walk out the door with everything that’s going on?”

“Elizabeth—”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” She turned away and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she heard the front door slam.

Ward House: Living Room

“Kimi—” Justus stared at the mess his daughter had made in the living room, with toys and cushions strewn everywhere. “What is Mama going to say?”

Kimi screwed her face up into a thoughtful expression as she considered the disaster zone. “She be big mad.”

“Exactly.” Pleased she agreed, Justus nodded. “She will be.”

“You in big trouble.”

“Me?” Justus repeated, squinting. “I didn’t do this—”

Kimi shrugged. “You daddy, I’m the baby. You watch me.” She flashed him a grin and fluttered her eyelashes. “You in trouble.”

Justus considered this argument. “Okay, fair enough. But you’ll get yelled at, too.”

This hadn’t occurred to her, but it sank in now as Kimi’s eyes widened. “Oh, no. You and me big trouble.” She hurried over towards her toy box and threw open the top. “Help.”

The doorbell rang then, and Justus sighed. “You get started, baby. I’ll be back.”

“Hurry.”

Justus left his daughter and went to the foyer, then frowned when he peered through the windows. “Has hell frozen over?” he asked, pulling open the door to find Taggert on his front step.

“No,” the lieutenant muttered. “Can I come in for a minute?”

Intrigued, Justus stepped back. “Yeah, but I can’t stay long. Kimi and I gotta clean up before Mikki gets home.” He looked back into the living room. “Kimi, keep going, I’ll be there in a minute.”

“This won’t take along.” Taggert shoved his hands in his pockets. “Listen, this Sonny business landed on my desk because it’s domestic, not business.”

“Okay—Carly wasn’t pressing charges, so—”

“This time,” Taggert said, blocking Justus as the lawyer started to open the door. “I don’t care about Corinthos or Morgan. Don’t get this twisted. But Carly and her kids, Elizabeth, Bobbie—they’ve all been through too much—and every time Sonny does something like this, they all suffer.”

Justus turned back to the cop, irritated. “Why is that any of your business?”

“I made mistakes last summer,” Taggert said, “and I got tunnel vision. I could have done better by Carly. Maybe she didn’t have to spend all that time in that damn panic room. Maybe Lansing wouldn’t have been able to assault or nearly kill Elizabeth. I lost sight of why I was doing this job, Ward. I’m not going to do it again. I don’t give a rats ass what happens to Sonny, and if it were up to me, for what he did to Carly, I’d already have him in lockup. I know about December,” he added. “That he locked her in the bedroom. How can you still represent him knowing it?”

Justus grimaced, then looked back at the living room. At the center of his world, his precious baby girl. Then he looked back at Taggert. “Jason’s my cousin. Elizabeth is part of my family, too. And he needs someone to have his back. Right now, that means dealing with Sonny.”

Taggert hesitated. “Look, I came here because I want to spare Carly grief where I can, but as soon as that restraining order goes through, she loses the right to press charges. He violates it, I’m under orders to bring him in. And that makes things worse for everyone.”

Justus scrubbed his hands over his face. “Okay. Okay. Yeah, you’re right. The last thing we want is Sonny in lockup. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll do what I can.”  He opened the door. “Hey, about last year—”

Taggert turned. “What?”

“You weren’t the only one with tunnel vision. Who made mistakes,” Justus offered. “This is off the record, but that Zacchara connection — it threw us, too. And we missed things. It’s time we all let it go.”

“I can’t. I’m a better cop now for remembering it.” Taggert shifted his eyes past Justus, at the little girl who had come to the door and wrapped her arms around his leg. “Have a good day.”

“You, too,” Justus murmured, watching as the lieutenant retreated to his car. He looked down at Kimi. “Let’s go finish cleaning up, baby. Mama will be home soon.”

Seneca Lake

 Jason’s boots crunched over the icy snow as he walked towards the lake, heading for the pier that extended over the water. Though the temperature was below freezing, the lake’s strong currents had prevented it from freezing over.

Most of the time Jason was grateful he couldn’t feel the cold. He could make sure he was warm enough to survive because he could still freeze to death, but then he could be outside longer than most people. It was an asset in the life he’d chosen, the ability to outlast the patience and perseverance of everyone else.

But he wished for the cold now, for the numbness he knew would seep into his limps and make it harder to feel anything, to think.

He very much wanted to stop thinking.

I’m not the one who chose a life where the danger doesn’t go away with a surgery.

 …watched you risk your life over and over again…

 He shoved his hands into his pockets, exhaled a harsh breath, a puff of white air that lingered for a moment before dissipating. How could she even compare the two? It wasn’t the same. It wasn’t.

Except, he finally allowed himself to admit, it was.

He’d grown used to just reaching for her hand over the last six or seven months and checking her pulse. He made sure she took all her medication, even though she was capable of doing it. And he always made sure the oxygen masks and portable tank traveled with them, especially after Christmas.

And how many times had she not wanted it? How many times had she just sighed and let him take her pulse or shove the mask on her face to make him feel better?

Was this ball of fear, small and tight and unmovable inside, was this what she felt when he went out at night? When she knew he was taking risks and meeting with men who might want him dead? This neverending fear that if he didn’t pay attention, if he didn’t watch her like a hawk, she’d stop breathing in the middle of the night, and he’d lose her? Was this what she lived with?

Jason turned back to look at the house, nestled comfortably in a clearing of maple and evergreen trees. He’d insisted on a two week break from Port Charles, even though she’d repeatedly offered to cancel or go home early. And she’d given in because she wanted to make him happy. Because he’d made it about him. About what he needed.

He exhaled slowly, most of the anger and irritation burning away. He drew out the burner phone and pressed the speed dial.

“Hey, Jason. Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Jason rubbed the side of his face. “I’m just checking in.”

“Business wise, things are going fine. Johnny’s doing about as good as we’d expect. The Star Lounge got raided again—”

Jason winced. “Tommy?”

“Handling it. I told him where you were, and he didn’t seem to expect Sonny this time. Cops didn’t find anything. I don’t know why they bother. Tommy knows how to cover his tracks better than anyone.” Justus paused. “Taggert stopped by my place this morning.”

“Taggert?” Jason echoed. “Why?”

“The PCPD is taking their reorganization very seriously,” Justus said with a sigh. “And any case that can’t be tied to organized crime isn’t going near Capelli. After that fight at the Brownstone, Felix didn’t press charges because Carly didn’t want it. But Taggert’s under orders — Sonny slips up again with Carly or anyone else on a domestic front, they’re hauling him in.”

“That’s the last thing we need.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m trying to tell him, but he’s not interested. Carly’s temporary restraining order is going to a hearing tomorrow. Sonny isn’t planning to go, which means they’ll grant it. That’s all the ammunition the PCPD needs.”

“Yeah.” Jason hesitated. “I know. Okay. Thanks. Is there anything else?”

“Well, Carly managed to convince Alexis to take her case. We got the notice when we were served with the restraining order.”

“Alexis?” Jason repeated. “I thought she left private practice—”

“She did. Which means she’s doing Carly a favor.”

He did not want to deal with that right now. Whatever Carly had done to get Alexis on her side—that was going to have to wait until Jason could talk to her in person. “Okay. Thanks.”

“How’s Elizabeth?”

“About the same.”

“Ah, well, give her my best. I’ll call you if we get any updates.”

“Thanks.” Jason slipped the phone back into his pocket and looked at the house again.

Brownstone: Kitchen

Carly set Morgan in his seat so that she could feed him while Alexis talked. “How is the petition shaping up?” she asked, swirling her spoon in the container of peaches.

Alexis slid on her glasses. “We’re still in the organization stage. I talked to Justus this morning about the hearing tomorrow. Sonny, at the moment, isn’t planning to contest the restraining order, so that will be granted for at least ninety days.”

Carly wrinkled her nose. “He won’t care about it—”

“No, probably not, but violating it gives us more ammunition. Now, I know you don’t want to go too far back into Sonny’s past or business—”

“It’s important to me that Jason is untouched by any of this. I’m not going to use anything about that—”

“No, and I think we’re actually fine without it. You have a strong, personal case for the divorce and for custody,” Alexis continued. “At least for now. We’ll talk about how you moved home to reconcile after Morgan was born—”

“Do I have to talk about why I left in the first place?” Carly asked. “Because—”

“No, I don’t think Justus will challenge it—Sonny might want him to, but Justus knows better. You were having issues after the kidnapping, you and Sonny clashed over how to handle the recovery. You came back, and Sonny basically kept you a prisoner in the penthouse.” Alexis pursed her lips. “Now, we might have an issue with corroboration unless Jason or Elizabeth will testify.”

Carly paused. “I—”

“Because according to you, they both knew you didn’t have a key to the access elevator,” Alexis reminded her. “And they were both there when Sonny locked you out. Will they give statements?”

Carly said nothing for a long moment, just fed Morgan, enjoying his smile at the sweet taste of the fruit. She wiped his mouth when some of it slid free. Would Jason help her? Would Elizabeth? She needed this to be free. She needed this to move on.

“I think Elizabeth will,” Carly said, finally. “And Jason—yes. Yes. I think they both will.” She faced Alexis. “Jason has supported Elizabeth and me every step of the way since the panic room. Anything we needed to be okay—which included Ric going to trial. Sonny is the one that fought it. And Elizabeth gave me her key. She gave me her guard.”

“All right. For what it’s worth, I think you’re right. I’ll talk to them when they get back, but we might not need it for the initial petition,” Alexis said. “You’ll have your testimony, and if Sonny contests it, we can use them. Justus and the guards were there, but—”

“But Justus can’t testify and represent Sonny, and I’d never put Max or Cody in the middle.”

“We also have Lucas and Felix as witnesses and victims to the break-in last week, and Bobbie and Luke to the scene at the wedding when Sonny tried to scare you into returning.” Alexis tapped a pen against the table. “Your divorce petition is in good shape, and I think we can prove enough instability to handle full custody though Justus might win supervised visitation.”

“I can feel a but coming,” Carly said dryly.

“The revocation of the adoption,” Alexis said. “That’s a big ask for the court. I don’t think we have enough. At least right now.”

“Okay.” Carly spooned up the last of the peaches. “What do we need?”

“We have the fact that Michael hasn’t been Sonny’s legal son for more than two out of his six years, and of those two years, he’s only spent one year under Sonny’s roof. That’s a point for us.” Alexis paused. “What we need is for Michael to meet with a child psychologist who can prepare an affidavit for the court that argues this is in his best interests.”

“I hate putting Michael through any of that,” Carly sighed, “but okay.”

“And I think we need to talk about the other biological parent.”

Carly set down the peaches and stared at her lawyer. “What?”

“As far as the court is aware, AJ Quartermaine surrendered his parental rights because he hadn’t been in Michael’s life for nearly two years at that point and he thought it was in the best interest of his son.” Alexis lifted a brow. “I think we both know that’s not why AJ signed those papers.”

Her stomach twisted as she stared down at the table. “No, it’s not.”

“If AJ were to join the petition to revoke the adoption and reinstate his parental rights, it would strengthen your case.”

“I—” Carly shook her head. “No. No, absolutely not.” Her heart pounded. “No.”

“Listen to me, Carly. I know it’s a risk—”

“If I let AJ back in, he’ll take Michael from me. And what stops him from telling the court what happened?” Her hands started to shake. “I didn’t know what Sonny was going to do until it was done, okay? I didn’t know he was going to hurt him or force it—”

“AJ has been living and working in New Orleans for most of the year,” Alexis continued. “He’s sober, and has been for two years. He’s stronger now than he’s ever been. Carly, you understand that it’s very possible he’s aware of what’s happening here. What Michael has been through.”

Carly closed her eyes. “Yes—”

“Michael has been through a very difficult time. Watching you be kidnapped, shuttled back and forth, scared of his father—if AJ were to petition for his rights back on his own, he’d likely win. And then he could sue for sole custody.”

Oh, God. She hadn’t even thought— Her eyes flew open. “Wait—”

“I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m telling you that AJ is a chess piece. He can be on our team or he can work against us for his gain. This is entirely up to you.”

“He’ll never agree to help me—”

“He might,” Alexis argued. “AJ would have a faster and smoother road to getting his rights back if you were on his side. And we would have a much easier time removing Sonny. If that’s really what you want—”

“I need—” Carly took a deep breath. “I need to think about this. I can’t just—I can’t just decide this on a whim, Alexis. If I let AJ in, it’s not something I can undo later. Not this time.”

“All right. We can save that argument for another day. We’ll get the petition together, and I’ll write it with the assumption that we’ll be able to get statements from Jason and Elizabeth at a later point.” Alexis waited. “Carly, you’re not the woman you were two years ago. Or even six months ago. AJ will see that.”

“No, he won’t.” Sick to her stomach, Carly swallowed hard. “And he has no reason to trust me. So I’ll think about it, but I don’t think I can do it.”

Lake House: Living Room

Elizabeth stirred from a light doze when she felt the cushions at the end of the sofa move. She opened her eyes to find Jason lifting her feet so he could sit.  He set her feet in his lap. “Hey,” she said softly. “You came back.”

“I should have told you I was going into town,” he told her. He offered a half smile. “I thought Cam might be craving pizza.”

Elizabeth pursed her lips and rested her hand on her belly, feeling the soft kick. “Pepperoni?”

“Yeah.”

“Mmm…he might be in the mood.” She swung her legs down and Jason helped her turn so she was sitting up. “About this morning—”

“I’m sorry—”

“I shouldn’t have—” Elizabeth said at the same time and sighed when he broke off. “I shouldn’t have said that. About your job and the risks. I didn’t mean to throw it in your face—”

“That’s not what you did—”

“It’s exactly what I did,” she insisted. “Look, the job—it’s what you do, and I knew who you were before we were even friends. I don’t get to pull it out as a cheap shot when I know you’re worried about me.”

“It wasn’t a cheap shot,” Jason said. He slid closer and part of her body unclenched when he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her against him. “You never say anything, and I guess I don’t think about how you feel when I go to work—”

“It’s not all the time—”

“But it’s sometimes,” he finished. “And when I get called in the middle of the night—” He hesitated. “You never say anything,” he repeated. “You’re right. What you’re going through, if we’re lucky, the surgery will correct it and we’ll be able to put this behind us. Mostly. What I do—it isn’t going to change.” And was likely going to get worse if Sonny didn’t step up again and take control.

“Jason—”

“It’s not fair of me to keep reminding you of what happened last summer,” he continued over her protest. “I left you in that house to take care of Carly, and you nearly died.” He closed his eyes. “When I came back and you were laying on the floor—you were barely breathing and—” He held up her hand, tracing her palm with his fingertips. “You could barely hold my hand.”

“I don’t really remember,” Elizabeth admitted. “I remember pressing the button, hearing Carly screaming, and then it kind of fades in and out.” She laid a hand on his cheek. “I remember your voice. I remember thinking how much I just wanted you to say my name one more time. And then it just—” He took her hand from his face and pressed it against his lips. “It’s all gone until I woke up in the hospital and saw you.”

“I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes and watch you breathe,” he forced out. “And I try not to leave you alone for long. Even with someone else. It was hell when you were living at the condo and I couldn’t be with you all the time to make sure—”

“I know. I know,” she repeated. “And I hate that we’re dealing with this—”

“I didn’t even realize how much I was pushing you,” he added. “You never complain. Not when I take your pulse every five minutes or I—” He exhaled harshly, looking away. “I didn’t even let you be in charge of your own medicine—”

“Jason, I didn’t complain about any of that because I didn’t care. It cost me nothing to let you take my pulse, and you dealing with the pills means I don’t have to. You have a better memory for that kind of thing. I knew it was helping you feel better,” Elizabeth said. “And after that first night with the oxygen tank, I wanted that.”

“But you were right earlier. You’ve never lied to me about your health. When you’re not feeling well, you tell me. You know your body. You didn’t need that this morning.”

“No, I didn’t. But I also know I’m stubborn. I could have just sucked it up—”

“I need to listen to you,” Jason said. “And I will. I promise. If you tell me you don’t need it, I won’t force it.”

“All right.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

“Thanks for the assist,” Lulu said to Dante as he stacked the last set of chairs inside the diner. “Penny’s having boyfriend troubles again.”

“No problem,” he muttered. He stooped down to pick up a newspaper that had partially slid underneath the jukebox. He stilled.

“What is it?” Lulu came up behind him and scowled. “Oh, man. Not that story again. The Sun is being even more bitchy about the lack of charges.” She took the paper from him. “At least the Herald is pretending to be objective. This headline makes it sound like Sonny was foaming at the mouth.”

“Not far off,” Dante said. “You about done? I’ll give you a ride home.”

“I still have to close down the kitchen—” Lulu tipped her head. “You okay? Lucky said he went to see Sonny, and I guess you went with him since you’re partners.”

“I hate these domestic cases,” Dante said, brushing past her and heading into the kitchen. “What do you need in here?”

“I just need to wipe down the stove and finish loading the dishwasher. Dante, can I make an observation?”

“Can I stop you?”

When she didn’t say anything, not even a smart remark in return, Dante turned back from the load of dishes he was sorting to stack in the dishwasher. “Lu—”

“I know I’m pushy and opinionated,” she said. “I usually say it’s part of my charm, but I say it because if I don’t, everyone else will. And they don’t say it nicely, you know?”

“I didn’t mean anything—”

“I know you didn’t.” She started to wipe down the stove. “Dillon hated it which is funny since it’s what he used to like about me. He always said I never took shit from anyone and he could always depend on me to tell him the truth.”

Dante hesitated, knowing that while Lulu had done the breaking up in that situation, it was still a sore subject even six weeks later. “Is that what went wrong? You never said.”

“It was part of it,” she admitted. “He was always complaining about his screenplays not getting any respect, and I might have pointed out some critiques he didn’t want to hear.” She bit her lip and looked back at him. “But actually, I think it was an excuse. You ever date anyone and it just fades away? Like there’s no reason for it, you just wake up one day and you like that person a little less? Or maybe the things you used to love are just annoying now?”

“Yeah, sure. Sometimes the spark goes out. Lu—”

“Dillon used to love how I stood up for myself and called him on things, but it was different after the election, I think. We all started softening towards Georgie, and he was still really angry with her.” Lulu tossed the used rag into the sink. “I mean, it makes sense. They were dating, and he felt like she didn’t have his back. But Georgie was just handling it the best she could. Her stepfather did this, like, massively terrible thing, and everyone expected her—and Maxie—to just hate him.”

“It was hard,” Dante admitted, “thinking about what Mac and Floyd did. Knowing it made it harder to catch Vinnie. If they’d run that DNA back then, maybe Vinnie wouldn’t have kept going.”

Maybe Brooke would still be here.

“Anyway, Maxie and all of us started inviting Georgie to stuff again. We realized we were just holding her accountable for how guilty we all felt about what happened to Brooke. But Dillon—I guess he can’t forgive her.” Lulu pursed her lips. “Anyway. That’s part of the reason we were arguing. The other was that the spark was gone, and we didn’t want to admit it. He was really pissed about you.”

Dante scowled as Lulu handed him the last tub full of dishes. “What about me?”

“I don’t know. You texted me a few times and he saw it. He knew we were friends.” She jerked a shoulder. “He figured there was something going on.”

“There wasn’t—” He winced. “I mean, you knew that. But—”

Lulu smiled at him. “It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m glad we got to be friends. I don’t regret it.” She went in the pantry and Dante stared after her, confused. How the hell had they gotten on that topic in the first place? He didn’t want to be the reason Lulu had broken up with her boyfriend—

Did he?

“What was the thing?” he asked when she returned. He flicked on the dishwasher. “You said you wanted to make an observation.”

“Not if you’re going to be cranky with me about it.”

“I won’t.” When she still looked hesitant, he flattened his hand against his chest. “Scout’s Honor.”

“Okay. Maybe I’m imagining it, but I feel like you get weird when Sonny Corinthos comes up.”

The hit him like a bullet, and he flinched. He turned away, stared out at the window that opened up into the rest of the dining room. “You’re not imagining it,” he finally said. “But I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay. But, like, I know I seem stupid. And silly. But I’m a good listener, so if you change your mind—”

“I know who to come to.” He tipped his head. “Come on. Let me give you a ride home.”

Luke’s: Bar

“Caroline.” Luke stepped up to his niece, edging Claude out of the way. “You slumming at the competition?”

“Hey.” Carly attempted a smile. “Sorry, I know you’re closing up soon.”

“Which makes me wonder what brings my sister’s kid out at one in the morning.” Luke said. He set tumbler in front of him and poured himself whiskey. “You want some?”

“I shouldn’t. I’m driving.” Carly sighed. “I don’t even know why I’m here. I just didn’t want to go home after I was done at the club.”

“Have a drink, Caroline. I’ll get you home.” He nodded at Claude who headed over to the phone to call up one of Morgan’s guards. He handed her the whiskey and poured himself another glass. “What’s going on?”

“You’ve done terrible things, haven’t you?” Carly asked. “I mean, things that people shouldn’t forgive you for?”

“Hasn’t everyone?” Luke said easily. He arched a brow. “You being haunted by old ghosts or something? My ex doc bro-in-law come by?”

“No, but he’d be right to haunt me. He’s just someone else I chewed up and spit out.” Carly sipped the whiskey. “I’m not a good person, Uncle Luke. I never wanted to be. I didn’t care if I was a good or moral. I just wanted what I was owed.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “What I deserved. And I didn’t care who I hurt.”

“I remember.” Luke tipped his head. “We all go through selfish phases, niece. And no one gets out of this life without drawing some blood. You drew more than your fair share,” he granted, “but that don’t make you more evil than the next person.”

“After what I did to my mother, to Tony, to AJ, and Jason, and whoever else I can claim as a victim—” Carly smirked, then stared into her drink. “Mama forgave me. She shouldn’t have, but she did.”

“She loves you.”

“And I’m lucky. I know that. And Tony has mostly…I don’t know. We ignore each other, which is the best I could hope for. Lucas has kind of gotten past what I did which is another minor miracle.”

“And clearly, Morgan has moved on.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I guess I should be grateful to Elizabeth,” Carly admitted. “She kind of came around the time I was really drawing blood with Jason, and maybe she helped him deal with it faster. I didn’t feel all that happy about it at the time,” she admitted, “but you know, I can be now.”

“So that just leaves AJ.” Luke folded his arms on the bar. “Has Junior showed up or something?”

“No, but Alexis wants me to contact him. To help with revoking Michael’s adoption.” Carly’s eyes were wet as she met his eyes. “How can I ask him for help, Luke? How can I turn to this man that I’ve repeatedly hurt and humiliated and ask him to take my side? What right do I have?”

“Probably none.”

Carly nodded, taking another sip of whiskey. “I had a chance to make a life with him. He was kind to me when I didn’t deserve it, and he offered me the world. All he wanted was my loyalty and to be Michael’s father.” Her breath hitched. “Why couldn’t I take it? Why couldn’t I let myself be satisfied with that?”

Luke said nothing. Carly’s breath was shaky as she exhaled. “I knew Jason didn’t love me. Not enough. And I didn’t love him. I thought I did. But we didn’t trust each other, and love without trust isn’t real. I know that.”

“Did you know it then?” Luke asked gently. Surprised, she met his eyes. “You did terrible things, Carly. Everyone does. Are you sorry for it?”

“Yes. What I did to Mama and Tony—that was terrible—but what I did to AJ—” Carly closed her eyes. “It was evil. He thought we were friends, but friends don’t do what I did. He told me if he started drinking again, he’d leave Port Charles. So I used that. I made him think he was drinking. I took his sobriety from him, and I knew—I knew what it meant to him. And then I cheated on him repeatedly, humiliated him, and drove him to burn down that warehouse.”

Luke arched a brow but Carly was on a roll. “And Jason helped me out of my marriage. Helped me get Michael away from AJ when AJ—he was a good father. Michael loved him, but I didn’t care, I didn’t care—” She pressed her hands to her face. “And then I blamed him for falling, I said he pushed me, but I knew he didn’t, I always knew it—”

“Caroline—”

“I ruined his life, Luke. And I never once apologized for it. I never once admitted it was wrong. And I don’t know that I ever thought it was.”

“Do you now?”

“So what?” Carly demanded. “Does it matter that I know now? Why couldn’t I know it then and not do it?” She threw back the last of the whiskey, and Luke winced. “If I go ask that man for help to keep my son away from Sonny, he’ll just laugh in my face and then he’ll use it to take Michael away, and I’m not sure he’d be wrong after everything I’ve done.”

Luke nodded. “That’s possible. He could also decide that he can put it behind him for the sake of the kid. You won’t know if you don’t ask, Caroline.”

“I shouldn’t have had to be kidnapped and tormented to be a better person,” Carly said softly. “Sonny locked me in that room, and I finally understood what it meant to be betrayed by someone you loved. Sonny’s fear is to be locked up, and he did it to me. My biggest fear? Someone taking my baby from me. And to keep Michael to myself, I stole him from AJ. I had no right.”

“No, you didn’t, darlin’. You can’t change the past. Believe me, if it could be done, I’d have traveled back in time already. All you can do is face the future. AJ might not help you, kid. But maybe you still need to talk to him. Maybe you still need to lay this ghost to rest.”

Carly held his eyes for a long moment, then nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I think I have to. I’ll tell Alexis to set it up. God help us all.”