Written in 58 minutes.

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Thursday, October 3, 2024

Webber House: Living Room

Jason waited until Diane’s car had pulled away from the curb before closing the door, focusing on Elizabeth who stood a few feet away, one arm wrapped around her middle, biting absently at the thumbnail on her other hand. “What’s wrong?” he asked, furrowing his brow. “You don’t look like someone whose had murder charges dropped.”

“What?” She blinked, looked at him, then exhaled slowly. “Oh. I’m just—I’m just trying to think through the next step. I want to tell the boys, but I don’t want it to look like I’m sharing good news—I almost wish all of that had waited a few more days—”

Jason just shook his head, drew her close and kissed her forehead. “It is good news, and you are allowed to be relieved. I’m relieved,” he added when she sighed again. “To know we never have to drive to Rochester, that you get your life back, that we don’t have to start thinking about preparing for a trial—”

“I know, I know.” She flattened her hands against his chest, then slid one hand up to the nape of his neck, then back down again, restless with her own worry. “I just—it’s all happening at once. We went from being almost certain I’d be taken back into custody, and the hearing, and everything that happened because of that—” Elizabeth met his eyes. “It’s barely been twenty-four hours since we found out Kristina was even a suspect, and now she’s under arrest, I’m free, and—” She pressed her lips together. “It’s hard to feel relief for myself when Danny’s in so much pain, when I know you must be so hurt about Kristina—”

“I—” Jason stopped, considered denying that he felt anything about Kristina’s actions, but settled for the truth. “I don’t know if hurt is the right word. Confused,” he clarified. “I think that’s…I can understand why she’d want him gone, and if she’d just…” He slid his fingers through hair, letting the silky strands fall through his fingers. “If she’d come to me, if she’d just told me she’d done this thing, I’d have handled it. I’d have made it go away.”

“I wonder if she’ll ever tell us why,” Elizabeth murmured. “As frustrated as I might be with Alexis, it’s hard to hold a grudge. Her entire world has shattered. Sam’s gone, Molly seemed so betrayed, and Kristina’s just…destroyed so much of their family. I know I was angry at Alexis and Sonny last night, for all they’ve done to cover up for Kristina, but it’s hard not to understand where they’re coming from. What wouldn’t we do to protect our children?”

Jason opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of footsteps thudding down the steps, slow and deliberate, more than one pair. So different than the usual thundering roar.

Jake appeared around the landing first, followed by Aiden, and then finally Danny. “Hey. Um, if it’s okay—if I can borrow the car, we thought—Danny wanted to go over to see his sister.”

“Oh—of course.” Elizabeth turned to face them, to look at Danny who kept his eyes down. “Do you want us to go with you, or—”

“I think maybe it could just be us,” Danny said hesitantly. He cleared his throat, finally lifting his gaze to hers before looking at his father. “I…talked to Rocco. Um, my grandma’s there, and I guess so is Drew. I don’t know if…”

“Right. Maybe we shouldn’t. Not right now,” Jason said. Things would be awkward and tense enough without the added layers. He and Drew weren’t on the best of terms, and he didn’t know what he’d say to Alexis. “Diane came by. They, uh, they dropped the charges against your mother.”

Jake blinked, and Aiden’s head snapped up. “What? What?”

“It’s over?” Danny wanted to know. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “You’re…it’s over?”

“Did they arrest her?” Jake demanded. “Is it for real? Or is it another trick?”

“Kristina is under arrest,” Elizabeth said. “And my charges are dropped. That’s all we—” She was cut off when Aiden crossed the room and abruptly hugged her so tight she lost her breath. She stroked his hair, closing his eyes. “It’s okay, baby. My part of this is over.”

“Your part?” Jake echoed. He looked at his father. “Do you think they’re coming after you next?”

“We really don’t know yet. Maybe not. But we can handle it. I just—I thought you might want to know before you went over. I think Alexis already knows. ”

“I’m glad, Mom.” Jake came over to hug her as soon as Aiden let her go. “Call Cam. He’ll bitch if he’s left out again.”

“My first call, I promise.” She kissed his cheek, then looked at Danny staring at them, her heart aching for him. For all the pain and anger that had passed between her and Sam, the thought of never being able to hug her boys again — for Danny, knowing he’d never get that chance again—

She cleared her throat, looked away from Danny to Jake, patted his shoulder. “Let Alexis know if she needs anything, or if Scout needs anything—”

“If Scout needs something,” Jake said. “I don’t really care—”

“Hey.” She lifted her brows, but lowered her voice. “Forget the rest of it. That’s Danny’s grandmother, and they’ve had a devastating loss. All of that can wait, Jake. We take care of Danny and his family today.”

Jake grimaced, then finally nodded. “Yeah, okay. Okay.” He kissed her cheek, then looked at his brothers. “Come on, let’s go.”

When the boys had left, Elizabeth sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, leaving both her hands linked at her nape, looked at Jason. “I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do. To tell Jake that we just…put everything else to the side. I don’t know if I’m just doing the same thing to him that I’ve done to myself.”

“Put everyone else first?” Jason asked, and she nodded. He held out her hand, and pulled her towards him. “I couldn’t even get that frustrated when you’d do it,” he told her, stroking her back. “Because I do it, too, don’t I?”

“You always asked me what I wanted, and what I needed, like it was the only thing that mattered, and it used to make me crazy because…” Elizabeth bit her lip. “I’d stopped thinking any of that was important, you know? I didn’t know what I wanted. And that hasn’t changed. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do, Jason. How do we balance all of this? Kristina framed me for murder and she tried to sabotage my bail. She wanted me taken away from my boys. And she was going to let her own sister take the blame, wasn’t she? That’s why Sam was forcing her to come clean—and now—now it’s not just clearing my name — it’s all these people she’s hurt.  Danny, Scout, Alexis, Molly. And Dante, I feel so awful for all of them. I just—” She closed her eyes, shook her head. “There’s too much going on in my head, too many pieces, too many people—”

“Come on.” He kept her hands in his, pulling her towards the door, scooping up his keys on the way. “I think we both need a break.”

General Hospital: Hallway

Sonny grimaced when he saw Carly turn the corner, heading straight for him, like a woman on a mission. Because all this terrible day needed was Carly.

“What do you want?” he demanded when she came close.

She lifted her brows, folded her arms. “I’ll let you get away with that because I know what kind of day you’re having.” She sat down in one of the chairs by Kristina’s room. “Why aren’t you in with her?”

“She’s in and out of consciousness.” Sonny sat next to her, stretching his legs out, clasping his hands in his lap. “Why are  you here?” he asked, this time a little less aggressively.

“Michael called me.”

He felt her eyes on him, and when he looked over she was watching him. “What?”

“I’m trying to think what I’d be feeling if I learned one of my kids framed Jason for murder, and was responsible for killing one another of my kids—or my kid’s half-siblings.” She squinted. “Do we know what the hell Kristina was thinking or is that why you’re sitting out here? Afraid she’ll answer the question?”

Sonny sighed. He wanted to hate her for how bluntly she’d phrased the situation, but it was nothing but the truth. Kristina had framed—or attempted—to frame Jason, and her actions had put her sister in the middle of a flash flood, leading directly to her death.

“The day after Cates was killed,” Sonny said slowly, turning away from Carly, staring at a framed landscape photo on the wall across the hallway. “The day after,” he repeated, “Brick told me the murder weapon. And I thought—that’s a strange combination. Not completely bizarre, but not exactly common. I got up, and I looked. The gun was missing.”

Carly pursed her lips. “What did you do?”

“Nothing. What was I gonna do?” Sonny grimaced. “I knew the list of people who could get in that safe was small. I knew Kristina was angry enough at him to want him dead. But I didn’t care.” He stroked his chin. “Then that gun showed up in Elizabeth’s car, and I thought, well, you know, there’s no way it’s her. No way she’d do this.” He looked Carly again. “No way she does to Jason. To Jason’s family. To put Jason’s son through. Not after what Jason’s done for her. Not with Danny being so happy to have his dad back. I figure, it’s one of my guys who thinks Jason’s a snitch. I pass the information to Spinelli. I never—I had that moment—but it passed, you know, because I thought, I taught my kids about loyalty, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Carly said slowly. “But sometimes—you know, I was furious with Jason for letting us think he was dead. Trying to keep me out of trouble the way he did. Like it was his job to save me from myself—but that’s who he’s always been. Someone to save me from myself even when I didn’t ask for it. It’s who we’ve taught him to be, Sonny. And you and me, we saw it as loyalty because I’d do the same for him, and I think you might, too. I’m not so sure it’s the message we sent our kids. Michael thought Jason was there to bail him out of trouble, didn’t he? How many times did he and Sam go running to help Kristina?”

“She was family—”

“To Sam, to Jason, sure. But I think maybe we taught our kids Jason’s someone we use. Someone who is supposed to save you from yourself.” Carly paused. “Have you spoken to Jason since this went down?”

“And say what? My daughter tried to destroy your life, killed your son’s mother, and I probably should have known?” Sonny shook his head. “No. I don’t think Jason’s gonna want anything to do with me. Especially after I get Kristina a lawyer.”

“Sonny.”

“She’s my daughter, Carly. Am I supposed to just abandon her?” Sonny demanded when his ex-wife scoffed. “Whatever she did, for whatever reason she did it, it’s not changing anything else. That’s my daughter, and I have to take care of her. You’re telling me you’d abandon your kid like this?”

Carly pursed her lips, then reluctantly shook her head. “No. I guess not. Don’t let him find out from court filings, Sonny. He deserves to know where you stand.”

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