Written in 70 minutes. Epilogue took a few minutes to get right.

PCPD: Interrogation Room

Mac pulled out the chair, took a seat, then looked at the woman sitting across from him. Brenda, her eyes rimmed with red and tears staining her cheeks, lifted her chin. “I suppose you have some questions.”

Mac tipped his head, leaned back. “There’s no way you and Morgan came up with this plan. He might be a lot of things, but he’s not sending a woman to do his job.”

“That’s awfully sexist of you.” The corner of her mouth tipped up. “You haven’t read me my rights.”

“You’re not under arrest. Yet.”

She exhaled slowly, cast her eyes towards the ceiling for a long moment, then met Mac’s gaze. “If you’re asking me whether or not Jason knew what I was planning, the answer is no. He intended to play this straight. Whatever you think about him, whatever you suspect he’s done, the man’s not an idiot. With you and Scott looking over his shoulder, he was never going to take chances. He didn’t know I had the gun, and he didn’t know what I was planning.”

“So you planned it.”

“Do you mean did I ask Jason to agree to a plan that would send his pregnant girlfriend out into the night alone with nothing more than my charm to protect us? You’re damn right I planned it. Whether or not he was Luis or Lorenzo Alcazar didn’t matter to me. He was never going to stop, Mac. Revenge, obsession. Pick your motivation.”

She folded her arms on the table, leaned towards him. “This started because of me, and I ran last year. I let Sonny and Jason and Jax fight my battles. I kept running, Mac. Wasting my life, my time, my dreams. This started because of me,” Brenda repeated. “So I made sure I finished it. Whoever he was, whatever he wanted, he’s dead. They both are. You can sort out who’s who yourself. Arrest me, charge me, do whatever you want. I’ll sleep like a baby tonight either way.”

Mac studied her for a moment, then nodded. “At this time, the PCPD doesn’t intend to press any charges. And as far as I’m concerned, we don’t have your statement on record. If and when you’re charged, this conversation never happened.” He pushed his chair out, stood. “You’re free to go.”

General Hospital: Emergency Room

Elizabeth laid back on the hospital bed, trying to block out the bustling sounds of the hospital around them—the voices, the beeps, alarms. “I’m fine. Didn’t Dr. Meadows tell you I was fine? No one even touched me.”

“All of the same,” Emily said, hopping in before Jason could open his mouth. “Nothing wrong with getting your vitals checked and making sure my nibling is in good health. You’re doing this for me, not Jason. Be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at anyone.” Elizabeth pressed the heel of her palm against her eyes. “But the lights are irritating me—”

“I didn’t know she was going to kiss me,” Jason said, and both she and Emily looked at him, confused. “But I had to—”

“Kiss her back, I know.” Elizabeth made a face, looked at her friend. “Can you go find me some water or something? We’re going to be stuck here all night.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t be stupid, big brother,” Emily told Jason, then left the curtained area.

“I didn’t—”

“Jason.” Elizabeth looked at him, a bit exasperated. “Look, was it a little more aggravating than I thought it would be? Sure. And maybe I laid it on thicker than I had to, but considering what I knew about your history with Robin, and well, what happened with us, it was just the first thing that popped in my head.”

“Because you think it’s true, and it’s not—”

She reached out for his hand, then settled for a piece of his sleeve when he just stood there. “I don’t think it’s true. We’ve talked about this, haven’t we? Even when you went chose Courtney, I knew you weren’t choosing her instead of me. You were choosing the life you had with her. The safety of that. The familiarity of something that sort of worked.”

Jason sighed, and some of the anxiety eased from his expression. He sat on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t know it was Brenda’s plan. Any of it. I didn’t know she was going to—”

“She knew it had to look good. She knew we’d have one chance to force Alcazar into making a move. If it was Luis Alcazar out there tonight, who would know better than Brenda how to manipulate him into showing his hand? As for how it ended—” Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip. “Well, I’m not mad. It’s over. Really over. No court. No trials. Nothing. Just a body in the morgue. I just hope she finds some peace.”

“I should have done a better job last year or this summer. I thought it was enough to help Brenda hide from him, but it wasn’t—”

“You thought he was Lorenzo Alcazar, looking for revenge,” Elizabeth said. “And it’s not your job to fix things for everyone. For Sonny and Carly, for me, for Brenda, for anyone but yourself.”

“I know. I know,” Jason repeated when she just lifted his brows, but then he sighed again, dragged a hand down his face. “But I still expect it, so maybe it’s a lesson I’ll have to keep learning for a while.” He focused on her. “You’re sure you’re not really mad about Robin or—”

“No. You’re not mad at me because I slapped you, right? Because I had to make it look good. And I’m sorry about the Courtney thing—” She wrinkled her nose. “It’d be stupid if we were mad at each other because we executed the plan perfectly, right? I mean, it worked and I barely got a scratch on me.”

“Just took a few years of my life when I heard the gunshots,” Jason told her, then leaned forward to kiss her forehead, his lips lingering for a moment against her skin, then she lifted her face to kiss him. “We’re going to be all right,” he murmured.

“We’re going to be great,” she corrected with a half smile. “All three of us.”

St. Timothy’s Churchyard

Courtney was laid to rest a few days later, on a gray November afternoon. The crowd at the graveside was sparse. Sonny had been given a day pass from Rose Lawn, and it had been a bittersweet reunion as he saw Carly and Elizabeth for the first time since that night in the courtyard.

He looked more like his old self — clean-shaven, hair neatly slicked back, lucid and clear-headed, but his eyes carried a terrible somberness. Carly attended in a wheelchair, still not strong enough to stand on her own feet for long periods. Sonny stayed on one side of the grave, with his father, and Carly had remained on the other, closer to the road and her mother. A gulf that only time and patience would heal, if it could be done.

Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she should go, even with the thaw between Mike and Jason, but Jason had assured her, and she’d wanted to show her support. For all of Courtney’s faults, she’d been almost a friend once and she hadn’t deserved the ending. She met Sonny at the cemetery, and they’d hugged. She assured him she understood what had happened, and that she was only glad he was getting help. It was easier to hold grace for him knowing she’d fully recover and that her child was safe.

Neither she nor Jason had told Sonny about the strange story Ric had told her that night on the phone — of Luis Alcazar’s convoluted belief that she was Sonny’s sister, and that she’d been a planned part of Sonny’s destruction.

Ric had repeated the story when Mac and  officers from the PCPD had raised Alcazar’s yacht, but the only  truth that had emerged was that Richard Lansing was nothing more than a con artist who had snowed every one in his path, from Luis to Sonny to Elizabeth. When his fingerprints had been run through a database, there were more than a dozen law enforcement agencies, international and national who were interested in him. Whoever he turned out to be, he wasn’t Sonny’s brother, and that was all that mattered in the end. He would be someone else’s problem to solve.

Courtney’s coffin was lowered into the ground, and even the few mourners had faded away, leaving Mike standing alone over the open space, looking at the wooden box holding his daughter.

“Mike?”

He jolted at the voice, looked up to find Brenda there. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She came up next to him, looking down into the grave. “I’m sorry I didn’t kill him sooner,” she murmured. She wound her arm through Mike’s. “I’m sorry you lost your daughter.”

“I appreciate that.” He patted her hand. “How are you? No one’s threatening charges, are they?”

Brenda’s smile was faint. “I think maybe Scotty’s mad he was deprived of his publicity, but Mac hasn’t said a word, and I’ve already booked our tickets back to Paris. Port Charles—” She looked around, saw the limo in the distance where Sonny was standing. “Too many memories to stay right now. I brought so much horror onto people I care about. What Luis did to Sonny, to Courtney—even what happened to Carly and Elizabeth—” Her eyes glittered with tears when she looked back to Mike. “I’m so sorry I brought him to all of you.”

“How are you going to apologize for the evil acts of an obsessed man? None of this is your fault, sweetheart.” He clasped both of her hands in his. “Just like what happened to Sonny isn’t your fault. Or Jason’s. Or mine. What happened to Courtney? Not on any of us. It’s easier to take the blame. To assume the guilt. Because then there’d be some control. No one wants to be powerless. But you and I and all of us had no power to stop a man who was determined to destroy anyone who stood in his way. You’re not to blame, Brenda.”

“It’s hard to believe that. All the way inside.” But she smiled at him. “But thank you for that. Take care of yourself and everyone else here. Even Carly.”

Mike smiled faintly. “That must have hurt to say.”

“You have no idea. Tell no one.”

Epilogue

Seven months later

General Hospital: Maternity Floor

“I’ve counted his toes and fingers twice,” Emily said, cuddling her nephew against her chest. She beamed up at her brother. “They’re so little and cute, and he’s so perfect.”

Jason put an arm around his sister, pulled her into a half hug, kissed her forehead then leaned down to brush his lips against the top of his newborn son’s. “I’m glad you were here.”

Laying back in the hospital bed, her face pale, but her eyes shining, Elizabeth grinned. “But Gram is never going to forgive herself for being in Memphis with Steven. I guess Cam didn’t want to wait another week.”

“Well, Cam just wanted his aunt in the room when he came into the world.” Emily smiled smugly, then gently handed the newborn back to his mother. “I plan to lord that over Carly for the rest of our lives.”

“Emily—” Jason looked at his sister. “Really?”

“Well, I can either brag about that or about the time I almost died, and now you two are married and have a kid.” Emily lifted her brows. “Either way, Carly loses, and I win, so really, no bad choices here.”

“She’s never going to let us forget about that,” Jason told Elizabeth, but he was grinning when he said it.

“No, she really isn’t. I guess we’ll have to let her have this one. I’m not complaining at the outcome.”

“Me either.” He kissed her forehead, and they both looked down at their son, ignoring Emily dancing out to the hallway and Carly’s wail of protest when she realized was too late.

THE END

+40

Written in 66 minutes. See you tomorrow!

Luke’s: Main Bar

The direction from Brenda had been simple. Wait for her cue, and react. No scripts, no hints for improvisation. Just imagine that everything you see and hear is real. And whatever your instinct is? Dial it up to a hundred.

In other words, make a scene and find a reason to storm out of the bar, out into the vulnerable, dark, cold night where Alcazar should be waiting to take advantage. Whether he was Luis or Lorenzo wasn’t important anymore. That was a problem for someone else to sort out.

Elizabeth’s only goal was to make sure no one else was gunning for Jason and the people important to him.

She flexed her hand again, and across the table Emily caught sight of her. She smiled faintly. “It’s better, right? You’ll get full range back?”

“I think so, yeah.” Elizabeth bit her lip, watching Brenda and Jason on the dance floor. Brenda was smiling, Jason look pained. She tapped her water glass, trying not to fidget. She had her own part to play, and she worried she wasn’t up to it.

And what scene was Brenda planning? Her feud with Jason had been off and on for years, but it had been publicly laid to rest. Robin’s conversation with Jason had been tense, but nothing that would make anyone flee the room—

“Is everything okay?” Emily’s foot nudged her under the table, and Elizabeth refocused on her best friend. “I was surprised when you and Jason decided to come. Even more, uh, surprised when Mike came with you guys. Considering.” She tipped her head. “Is there anything I should know?”

“Nothing I can tell you now. But, um, if I have to make a scene, I could use your help, no questions asked. You’re more dramatic than I am—”

Emily rested her chin on her first, then fluttered her lashes. “I’ve been known to throw a tantrum or two. What’s my motivation? What are my lines?”

“That’s the problem. I just know that Brenda is supposed to cue something that’s going to make a scene, and I’m supposed to storm out of the club with her rushing behind me to explain—”

Emily’s smile faded and she looked around to make sure Zander was still at the bar, ordering another round of drinks. She scooted closer. “That’s why she’s here? I knew it was odd. You don’t know what she’s going to do—”

“No, but it needs to look real. Like it’s not a trap we’re—” Elizabeth closed her mouth when Robin walked up to Jason and Brenda, and Brenda let her cut in as the music shifted to something slower.

“Is that your cue?” Emily asked, furrowing her  brow watching the exes trade a few words, then . “I feel like it’d be more dramatic than that—uh—more like that,” she said when Robin kissed Jason—

And he kissed her back.

Two minutes earlier

Brenda hadn’t been very clear on the details of her plan, and Jason regretted not knowing exactly how she intended to orchestrate causing Elizabeth to storm out with Brenda on her heels in a way that didn’t look like a set up. But he hadn’t tried very hard to find out —it was Brenda, after all, and Jason didn’t much care how it got done.

Just that they trapped Alcazar into something that could get him called into the PCPD and his yacht raided. Any other permanent ending was out of the question — Mac and Scott were wrapped into all of it too deeply to do anything but play this straight.

But now, as Jason waited for Brenda to make her cue, he realized that he probably should have asked for some details, but maybe he was supposed to look surprised when Brenda stepped away, letting Robin cut in just as the music shifted to a slower song.

“This is part of the plan,” Brenda said, patting his chest before turning a bright smile, knowing smile at her best friend. “There you go, just like I promised,” she told Robin, raising her voice slightly. Not enough to be heard across the room, but definitely enough so that people around them could hear it. “Now, you promise to hear her out, don’t you?” she told Jason.

He wanted to make a face, wanted to look over at Elizabeth, but didn’t. “Yeah, okay,” he said, realizing Brenda hadn’t told them the plan for just this reason. So that his reaction — and Elizabeth’s would be genuine.

Which meant whatever was on the menu was not going to be terrible.

Robin stepped into his arms, and they fell into a dance, like they had a thousand times or more during their relationship. “Well, some things never change,” she murmured, looking up at him. “You still have no rhythm.”

“No, I don’t. Robin—”

“She’s my best friend and I’ll do anything to make sure she’s free to live her life again.” Robin’s dark eyes searched his. “Wouldn’t you do the same for someone you loved? Whatever it took?”

“Yeah, yeah, I would—”

“Then you need to make this look real.”

Jason opened his mouth to ask another question, but she leaned up on her toes and kissed him, sliding her hands into his hair. His own froze at his side for a minute, his mind whirling at the familiar sensation of Robin’s mouth on his, the feel of her body pressed against his—

And the knowledge that Elizabeth was sitting a few dozen feet away—ready to play her part in the farce Brenda had designed.

Jason hesitantly laid his hands on Robin’s hips and kissed her back for just a moment. Then he gently set her back a step, licked his lips, raised his head—

To catch sight of Elizabeth striding across the dance floor, her face flushed, her eyes burning. The people around her stepped out of the way. She reached them just as Brenda danced back over to them.

“I knew it! I knew if I just got you together you’d remember,” Brenda said, clapping her hands together. “Oh—” She looked at Elizabeth, guilt flashing in her eyes. “Oh. I wasn’t thinking about—oh, I’m so sorry—” She pressed her hands to her mouth. “Oh—”

She closed her mouth abruptly when Elizabeth slapped Jason, his head snapping to the side. Elizabeth winced, holding her arm against her side, and Jason realized she’d used her injured arm out of habit. Tears glimmered in her eyes.

“I guess Courtney was right about you,” she bit out. “You’re never happy. There’s always someone else you want more. I hope you rot in hell.” She glared at Brenda. “And I wish you’d stayed dead.”

And then she stormed out, the people parting around her as if she were Moses parting the Red Sea.

“Oh, crud, I wasn’t thinking—” Brenda looked back at Jason and Robin. “I’ll go get her, okay? I’ll talk to her and make sure she understands you just can’t deny destiny—she won’t want to talk to either of you—and, oh—” She winced when she saw Mike and Emily coming towards them. “You’ll have your hands full with that. Good luck.”

“I am going to kill her,” Jason bit out, then glared at Robin. “And you, too. What  the—”

“Shut up,” Robin said, clenching her teeth. She grabbed his shirt sleeve and started to drag him through the club, towards the back. “I didn’t just embarrass myself so that you could screw it up now—”

They reached the back hallway and Jason pushed open Luke’s office door, stepping aside so that Robin could go in, quickly followed by Mike and Emily. He slammed it, and turned on Mike. “That was—”

“A plan,” Emily finished quickly. “Elizabeth warned me she had to make a scene, and I said I’d play along. So Mike and I are here to yell at you—”

“Who the hell came up with this idea?” Jason demanded.

Robin rolled her eyes, folded her arms. “Please. Brenda did. Do you think anything I’d come up with would put me anywhere near your mouth? Who knows if you bothered to bleach it after you were finished with Carly.”

“All right, let’s all take a deep breath,” Mike said, stepping between Robin and Jason. “Robin, it’s been a long time since you were here—”

“Not long enough. Brenda told me that you’d been engaged like two months ago, and that you got someone else pregnant. Are you actually this kid’s father or is it another lie?” she demanded. “Did you learn anything from all of that or did Carly warp your brain too much—”

Jason grimaced, dragged his hand through his hair, and went over stand by the window. He tugged the phone his pocket, willing it to ring again, to indicate that Alcazar was heading for the alley.

“Robin, maybe you take it down a notch, okay?” Emily said. “It’s not like you weren’t perfectly willing to lie to my other brother as long as Carly stayed away and you and Jason could play house with a baby you both knew wasn’t his. So just save the self-righteous act for someone gives a damn. Go away and stop pissing me off.”

“Whatever. I did what I had to do for my best friend, and now I’m out of it.” Robin yanked the door open and stormed out.

“Mike—” Jason looked at him. “I don’t know if—”

“I’ll go with her. Make sure she’s safe. You stick to the plan.” Mike closed the door behind him, and Jason exhaled in a low sigh.

“She doesn’t believe what she said, you know that,” Emily said, stepping up to her brother. “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why you needed to make this scene, but it’s going to work. Elizabeth knows it was just an act. She just wanted to make it look real.” She tried to smile. “She did such a good job you think it was. So whoever you’re trying to trick probably does, too.”

Jason looked at his sister, then sighed again, looked out the window, wishing it had a view of the alley. “I made so many mistakes,” he muttered, then stared down at the phone, willing it to ring. “You know we were together that night in the hospital.”

“Elizabeth said as much. But you’re okay now. She’s having the baby, and you’re happy—I know it’s complicated with everything else that happened. But that part is good, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So what if you went home and picked the wrong woman? She picked the wrong guy. A lot. I mean, geez, Jase, she picked Ric, right? If anyone understands making the wrong choice, Elizabeth does.” She poked him lightly in the arm. “When this is done, and you guys are the winners at the end of the day, you’ll have all the time in the world to stop and take a breath. Robin can go wallow in her own acid, Brenda can have her life back, Sonny and Carly will figure out whatever they’re going to do, Mike will—well, we’ll be there for Mike. And you and Elizabeth can focus on each other and the baby.”

“When did you get so smart?” Jason wondered.

“I had a really great older brother.” Emily slid her arm around his waist, leaned in to hug him. He kissed the top of her head. “Also, I’m absolutely going to credit for being the reason you and Liz get together. I should almost die more often, huh?”

“Never again. I couldn’t even handle almost losing you.” He rubbed her back, his hand freezing when the phone vibrated in his hand.  “Thanks for playing a part and not asking questions, but—”

“But time for me to go, and for you to go save the world.” She kissed his cheek. “Good luck storming the castle.”

Jason made a face but his sister just waved and left the room. He went over to the desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out the gun he’d stowed there earlier that day.

Luke’s: Parking Lot

Elizabeth burst out the front doors, then made a beeline for the side of the building, her heart pounding, her throat so tight she could barely squeeze a breath through—

Jason had looked so stricken, so hurt when she’d slapped him and thrown that barb about Courtney, and even though she knew it was all an act, and so did he—

Damn Brenda for being right. For knowing that it would be more realistic without the details, because part of Elizabeth had been actually furious, and the words she spoken—the fear that Jason wouldn’t be happy with her—

They weren’t exactly untrue, and maybe that’s why they’d fallen so easily from her lips.

She heard heels clacking behind her, and Elizabeth turned, still in motion so that she walked backwards for a few more steps. “Go away, Jason—”

“It’s not Jason!” Brenda held up her hands in mock surrender. “I come in peace, okay? I just wanted to come out here. Make sure you were okay—”

“Oh, like you care about that now,” Elizabeth retorted, fisting her hands at her side.

“I didn’t tell Robin to kiss him, okay?” Brenda rolled her eyes, planted one hand on her  hip. “Please. Jason hates public displays of affection. When we were married, I tortured him all the time because he hated it—”

“This is your idea of helping—” Where are you, you asshole? Elizabeth thought. How long were she and Brenda supposed to pretend to fight?

God, what if they’d done all of that for nothing—

“No, but it’s not my fault that arranging for them to have a minute alone together—”

“Alone in the middle of a packed bar? Are you kidding me?”

“I repeat, I did not tell anyone to use lips.” Brenda wrinkled her nose with some distaste. “Or tongues. There better not have been tongues — ew, now that picture’s in my head—”

“You really haven’t changed in the slightest, have you, darling?”

The slow, silky tone was quiet and Brenda immediately closed her mouth, turning around and backing away at double speed until she was standing right in front of Elizabeth, her arm held out.

“Who’s there?”

“Oh, I think you know.” Alcazar stepped out from the back parking lot, a cigar in his hands, the tip glowing in the dark night. He brought it to his lips. “Hello, Brenda. It’s nice to see you again.”

Brenda’s body was trembling hard and she fumbled with the purse in her hand.

“Oh, are you calling the police? Perhaps Morgan? I saw him running towards the back office with his paramour—poor Miss Webber—” Alcazar said with a sad sigh.

Brenda retrieved something from her purse, the little gold bag falling to the ground—

“Go ahead, call whoever you want. It’s already too late—” Alcazar continued.

The single gunshot echoed along the walls of the alley, Elizabeth jolted from the shock of the sound. Alcazar clutched his hand to his chest, his eyes wide. He stared at Brenda with a stunned expression. “What—”

“This time you’re not coming back,” Brenda bit out. And pulled the trigger a second time.

Then a third.

Alcazar fell to the ground, knees first, looking at them both with such bewilderment, even as the blood trickled from his mouth.

Then he fell face forward into the dirt and gravel, and didn’t move again.

+29

Written in 59 minutes

Luke’s: Main Bar

Jason hadn’t spent much time inside the old club since his return to Port Charles the previous year but there had been a time in his life when he’d spent much of his time here. Prior to leaving Brenda at the altar and fleeing town, Sonny had operated most of his concerns from inside the club, using it as a meeting place. Jason had parked cars, worked inventory, security, and accounting and any other number of tasks.

Stepping inside the club tonight almost felt comforting, even with the noise of the crowd and music pouring out from the stage across the room.

He’d made sure to time their arrival after Brenda, knowing that she’d get most of the attention. She had one of Jason’s guards on her arm posing as her date but meant to stick to her side like glue. Jason intended to circulate and keep Brenda in sight at all times, but the whole point of this operation was to use Brenda as bait, and Alcazar would never strike if Jason was breathing down her neck.

It had seemed like such a simple idea when Baldwin and Mac had suggested it, and while Jason cared what happened to Brenda, he could focus on her without going out of his mind.

Elizabeth, on the other hand—

Jason was forced to keep his distance slightly from her as well, watching her cross the room on Mike’s arm. There were looks and whispers as Mike escorted her to where Emily and Zander with Nikolas. Mike left her, then went to the next table and an empty seat with Felicia, Kevin, and Mac. Elizabeth was smiling and looking at Mike, who was understandably subdued but not particularly somber.

That phone call had changed everything, throwing Jason’s entire perception in the air. Who was in danger? Who was the target? Had Ric called just to throw off the scent? What if Jason focused entirely on Elizabeth, leaving Brenda out to dry? Was that what Alcazar wanted? Or what if Ric had actually been trying to save his own skin and tipping Jason off to Luis’s plans for Elizabeth?

And how many cons had Ric been trying to pull at once? Sonny wasn’t his brother? Floating theories to Luis about Sonny’s dead sister?

Since the shooting, there had been too many players, too many pieces on the chessboard, and every time Jason wrapped his mind around the situation, someone flipped the board, and changed the game. How many opportunities was he going to get to reset the players and start over?

Jason edged around another crowd of people, then hissed when he bumped directly into Robin. He held his hands out to steady himself and to keep her from falling, but snatched them back before he could touch her.

Her hair had grown since the last time they’d seen each other — she’d cut it short, close to her head, and now it fell just below her chin. But she was older and her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Jason,” she said.

“Robin.” He cleared his throat, then looked over at the bar. “Uh, did you and Brenda get into the hotel okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. Thanks for the security.” Robin looked back the way she’d come, to the table where Elizabeth was flexing her hand, talking to Felicia. “So you’re dating Lizzie Webber. Wasn’t she in high school when I left?”

Jason exhaled slowly, then scratched his eyebrow. “Yeah. She graduated that year. How’s medical school?”

“Fine. Nice when I’m not being threatened at every turn by your latest enemy, so I’m glad I don’t have to dodge that anymore.” Robin folded her arms. “I hear you’re still having trouble being faithful.”

Jason flinched, then took another deep breath. “You want to take shots at me, that’s fine. But maybe it can wait until this is done—”

“Why? You can’t multi-task? You don’t have enough security to keep Brenda safe? I mean, you dragged her all the way here—”

“And if you were that worried about safety, Robin, you’d have stayed in Paris,” Jason cut in, and she closed her mouth. “Where you don’t have to dodge my enemies, right? You’re the one that put yourself in the middle again. I don’t have time for this,” he told her.

“No, you better go check on your mistress—oh, I guess it doesn’t matter now that your fiancée is dead, right?”

Jason was already striding away from her, but flinched again at the parting barb. Robin had every reason to be angry at the way they’d ended things, and the way he’d treated her those last few months, but he’d forgotten how cutting she could be when she wanted to unleash that streak of vindictiveness that she kept well hidden.

He reached the table where Elizabeth sat, jerked out a chair, angling so he could keep an eye on Brenda near  the bar. She was laughing, glowing, her dark hair in glossy curls, a wine glass in her hand. She turned to say something to Lucy, then laughed again.

Brenda had always been an excellent actress.

“We have guys on the docks,” Mac told Jason, his own eyes on his stepdaughters across the dance floor. “Ready to hit the yacht as soon as we can, but we don’t have probable cause. Not yet. They’re tracing the call from your place. If they can put it on the boat—”

“No sign of Alcazar,” Jason cut in, tense. And even if Alcazar showed up, it wouldn’t matter. He wasn’t a fugitive, and arresting him wasn’t going to solve anything. They needed to catch him in the act. He glanced away from Brenda to find Elizabeth at the end of the table, leaning over to say something to her Emily. “And we’ve got guys on every entrance, every possible street corner watching.”

“Things looked tense with you and Robin. Anything I have to worry about?”

“Not unless you’re planning to arrest me for something else I didn’t do.” Jason shifted away from the commissioner, towards Mike. “If we did this all for nothing—”

“Sometimes you gotta play a hand just to see what the other players will do,” Mike said. “Maybe he doesn’t strike tonight. Maybe he just watches. Or maybe—”

“Maybe we’re not giving him enough room to act.” Jason exhaled slowly, dragged a hand down his face. “Brenda’s surrounded by people—”

“And Elizabeth hasn’t moved since we got here.”

Jason looked at Mike, saw the worry on his face. “We’re being too careful maybe, but I don’t know any other answers.”

“No, and I’m not going to tell you to take chances. Not with Brenda who’s been through too much, and Elizabeth has a lot to lose.” Mike looked over at his son’s ex-lover. “I’m not interested in one more women paying for the obsession and failings of men.”

“That’s not on the table,” Jason began, but stopped when he saw Brenda coming towards them. He rose when she reached them, as did Mike.

“Well, if it isn’t two of my favorite people.” Brenda embraced Mike tightly. “Hey. I’m so sorry about Courtney,” she told him, the glow slipping slightly. “I know I can’t fix that, but I hope that anything I do helps.”

“Just being willing to come home, Brenda, it matters.” Mike kissed her cheek. “I can’t wait until you’re free to live and love the way you deserve.”

“Same.” Brenda turned to Jason, hugged him. “My favorite ex-husband.”

“The only legal one you have,” Jason reminded, and she smiled.

“I’m sorry if Robin bit your head off. Coming home—” Brenda looked around the room, her dark eyes somber. “It brings back memories, you know? Puts you back into a mindset. But when she insisted on coming back, I couldn’t stop her.”

“It’s her home, too,” Jason said. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing okay. A little shaky, but I know how to put on a show.” Brenda looked past him to Elizabeth who was doing a great job of not looking at them. “Lizzie Webber—”

Jason sighed. “Brenda—”

“Right. We’re friends now, so I’ll say that I’m happy for you if you’re happy. No matter what you had to do to get there.” She leaned in, made sure Mike had moved on, returning to the rest of the table. “I’m sorry she’s gone, but I never liked that other one. You know how I feel about mouthy blondes.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Speaking of her—” Brenda made a face. “How—how is she? Recovering?”

“Yeah. She’s doing good. Brenda, if this ends up being a waste of time—”

“No, not a waste. It’s never a waste to face your fears.” Brenda licked her lips, took another deep breath, trying to cover her nerves. “But we have to give him an opportunity, don’t we? So if you’re up to causing a scene, I think we might be able to force his hand.”

Jason furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Well—Mac filled me in when I got here. You think there’s a chance Luis might go after Elizabeth or me. You don’t know who the target is.” Brenda met his eyes. “So why not let him try for both of us?”

General Hospital: Carly’s Room

Bobbie listened to the person on the other end of the phone, then laid her hand over the receiver to block her voice. She looked at Carly. “Dr. Winters thinks now is a good time if you’re up to a quick phone call.”

“Now? Like—like right now?” Carly blinked, looking at the phone. Was she ready to talk to Sonny? The first time since that terrible day at the penthouse, when he’d shaken her, demanding to know what she’d done with his wife— “Is she sure?”

“She is. She’s there, monitoring. But if you’re not ready—”

“Ready is a strong word,” Carly admitted, but she held out her hand for the phone.

“She’s up for it,” Bobbie said, then set the receiver in her daughter’s hand.

Carly lifted it to her ear. “Hello?”

There was a shuffle, some muffled voices, and then—

“Carly?”

She closed her eyes, the sound of Sonny’s familiar, beloved voice. “Sonny. Um, hey. Hi.”

“Hey.” The silence hung long on the line. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Yeah, I—I know what you mean. How—how are you?”

“Am I still a raving, violent lunatic?” The tone was clipped, irritated, but there was a different tenor to the words. More self-deprecating—his distaste was internal, not directed at her. “No. I still have some…I have some work to do. I promised—” There was a pause. “I promised Jason I’d stay here until I was sure I wasn’t going to hurt anyone. Jesus, Carly, I never—I never wanted this. I never wanted any of this. To hurt you, to hurt Elizabeth.”

“I know.” Her voice faltered, her head started to ache. “I know you, Sonny. Inside and out. I would have stayed if I could. I just—”

“You had to protect the kids. You stayed too long. Longer than I deserved. I hope—I hope when you’re up to it, maybe—maybe you could come see me.”

“I could bring the baby. Morgan. You should see him, Sonny. He looks just like you. Right down to the dimples.” Carly pressed two fingers to her lips. “As soon as the doctors say it’s okay, I’ll bring the boys to you. Okay? You’ll get better, and I’ll get better, and this—we’ll fix what was broken.”

“When you say it, I almost believe it. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Carly held the phone against her chest, even after  the line had gone dead, squeezing her eyes tightly. “I just want this over, Mama. I want Sonny to come home, and I want us to be a family again.”

Bobbie gently took the phone from her, laid it back on the base, then held Carly’s hands tightly. “And you will be. I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way. And we’ll trust Jason to finish this. He’s never let you down before, has he?”

“No. No, he hasn’t.” Carly smiled. “Sonny sounded good, you know. Like himself. That’s—that’s something. It’s everything.”

Luke’s: Main Bar

Brenda’s idea was perfect, of course, designed to create a opportunity that even a man expecting a trap couldn’t resist —

Jason hated every single detail, but once Brenda had pulled Elizabeth into the loop and given Robin her role to play, he’d been outvoted.

Especially since his only protest had been Please don’t put yourself in danger which was a personal request to Elizabeth, and nothing rooted in practicality. Jason had every inch of the alley covered, but they couldn’t put the plan into motion until there was a reason.

Until Alcazar’s location was determined. What good was dangling a carrot if there was no one to take it?

“If you think Robin’s going to screw this up because she’s still pissed,” Brenda said, dragging Jason onto the dance floor for another conference, “you’re just wrong. Her fight isn’t with me or Elizabeth, and we’d be the ones in danger.”

“That’s the part I don’t like,” Jason muttered, his gaze finding Elizabeth, still where he’d left. Just as she’d promised, she’d stayed with Emily all night, Mike close by. Nikolas had drifted back and forth between their table and another with Lucky and someone he’d brought.

But he couldn’t stop worrying, couldn’t stop thinking that Elizabeth might have survived the courtyard without lasting damage, but that it couldn’t last. Jason wasn’t supposed to have anything or anyone good in his life, wasn’t that what he’d told himself over and over again?

“Hey, focus—” Brenda said, jerking Jason’s attention back to her. “Robin’s going to do her part, I’ll stick with Elizabeth like glue, and you trust your guys, don’t you? You wouldn’t let Elizabeth be guarded by just anyone, would you?”

“No,” Jason muttered.

“Okay, then. So let’s go over it again—”

The phone vibrated in his pocket, but he didn’t touch it. Didn’t answer. His actual phone was with Elizabeth, in her little black bag. The phone he carried was only to ring if Alcazar was sighted. “Brenda.”

His tone clued her in, and Brenda closed her mouth. She kept the smile on her face, but her eyes shifted slightly. “Game on?”

They didn’t have a better plan, and as much as he hated it, Brenda’s was their best chance. And now that he had confirmation Alcazar had been seen in the area of the club—

“Yeah. Do it. Let’s end this. For good.”

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