Written in 56 minutes. I wanted to do more in this part, but the Liason scene in the beginning took a little bit of extra time, so I wanted to work through it and make sure it was right. See you tomorrow!

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Monday, September 23, 2024

Webber House: Master Bathroom

Elizabeth ignored the sting in her split lip, and continued to swirl the toothbrush in her mouth, keeping one eye on Jason in the bedroom sifting through the laundry basket of clean clothes. The weight of her ankle monitor was a stark reminder that this situation wasn’t just moving together and trying to figure out how to blend their lives together. If it weren’t for her case, would she and Jason be anywhere near living together?

Probably not. But then again — they’d have those plans the day she’d been arrested, and that was a bolstering thought. She and Jason might be speed running this stage of the relationship, but they had been traveling down that road again.

She twisted the faucet and spit out the remaining toothpaste. “There’s a dresser in the basement. We should get it out this week.”

Jason stepped up behind her, reached for his own tooth brush. “I don’t really have a lot. Probably no more than two drawers. If that. No point in going to the trouble.”

She pursed her lips, tilted her head to look at him, and he lifted his brows in return. “What?”

“Do you plan to live out of a duffel bag and laundry basket forever?”

“No, but—”

“I mean, don’t you think a judge is going to ask you about this situation?” Elizabeth continued, not even listening to his answer. She left the bathroom, went to her closet. “You’re asking for permanent custody, Jason. I remember when Lucky and I were getting divorced the second time, and I’d just moved into the house. I had to pull out all these payment histories and open a vein to prove that I could run the house — and support the boys. I mean it ended up not going anywhere because Lucky and I settled out of court—” She turned to find him standing in the doorway. “The judge is going to want to know how stable this is.”

Jason opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head, disappearing back into the bathroom. She made a face and went to the doorway. “What? You wanted to say something. Just say it.”

Jason rinsed the toothbrush, set it back in the holder, then looked at her. “Yeah, the judge is probably gonna ask, and it’ll be relevant that I’ve been living here since you were arrested — and that I was originally going back to my room at the diner before I realized Danny needed to get out of the penthouse. None of that is news to Diane, by the way, and she would have already anticipated that. But it’s not the only reason you’re asking.”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose, then folded her arms. “I know that if it was just about Danny needing a place to sleep, he could have shared Aiden or Jake’s room and you could have Cameron’s room. And I was literally just reassuring myself that it’s not why—I just—”

Jason came forward, laid his hands on her shoulders, stroked down to her elbows, then back up again until he was cupping her face. “You want some evidence that I’m planning to stay.”

“Yes.” She sighed, let her head fall forward, and felt him kiss the top of her head. “It’s stupid. We have so many more important things to worry about—”

“This is important, too.” He gently tugged on her arms until she unfolded them and pulled her forward into his arms. “More important. Because this case against you can’t last forever, and neither will this custody issue. But you and me, all of this—I want it to be still be where when all of that is done.”

“Me, too.” She lifted her face to his, and he kissed her, softly, lingering until she sighed and relaxed against him. “I don’t want to miss any steps, you know? I don’t want you to wake up in six months, and realize this isn’t where you want to be.”

“Impossible.” He stroked back of her cheek with his knuckles. “This is where I’ve always wanted to be. And I’m not letting it — or you — go again.”

Port Charles High: Industrial Arts

“I guess he’s not coming,” Danny said, twisting away from the door to look at Jake glumly. “He won’t talk to me.”

“No, I guess not.” Jake tapped a few keys on his school laptop, then looked at his brother. “Stop worrying about it, and let’s just get moving on this project. I’ll even let you run the scroll saw—”

The door to the classroom swung open and Rocco came in then, a green late slip in his hand. He shoved it at their teacher and made his way over to their work station, dropping into the seat next to Jake — instead of his usual one next to Danny.

“Nice of you to show up. Here—” Jake shoved the instruction paper at Rocco. “You can read the steps—”

“Don’t bother. I’m switching classes,” Rocco bit out. “Just as soon as I get Dad to call the school. He doesn’t want me around you anymore,” he said to Danny, and then he added, sneering, “And I don’t want to be around you either.”

Danny swallowed hard, then lifted his chin defiantly. “Good. I can’t stand your nasty ass anyway.” He shoved away from the bench and went over to the scroll saw.

Jake rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay, I changed my mind — no saws when you’re pissed. I bring you home without fingers and it’ll be my fault.” He followed Danny, leaving Rocco alone. “And he’s just mad he got caught, Danny. Don’t pay attention to him.”

“I’m not. I don’t even care about him,” Danny adjusted the strap on his goggles.

“That makes two of us,” Rocco said, swaggering over to join them. Man, I wish I’d seen your mom kick the shit out of Sam. I bet it felt good—”

“You know what, maybe you just stop talking,” Jake suggested. “Or I’ll get Mr. Orlando to, like, give you a new group until you—”

But neither boy was listening to him, because Danny threw down the goggles. “Don’t talk about my mom—”

“Oh, so you’re the only one allowed to call your mom a lunatic? Nah, you had it right. She’s a crazy bitch who’s ruining my life and my dad’s life. Why are you mad that I’m agreeing with you?”

Danny’s face went red, and Jake craned his neck to look for their teacher — across the workshop with another group of students. He took a step towards them, thinking he’d grab their attention and get Rocco away from Danny before—

“Or maybe you’re worried you’re going to end up as crazy and stupid as her? I already know you’re a no-good lying snitch—”

Jake had taken two steps towards their teacher when he heard a crash and grunt behind him. He whirled around to find that Danny had charged Rocco, shoving him hard against their work bench and now the two morons were rolling around on the ground, kicking and punching.

“Fantastic,” Jake muttered as the kids around them started cheering and pulling out phones, crowding around and blocking their teacher’s approach.

He tried to get Danny’s arm to pull him out, but instead Rocco’s fist swung out and caught Jake on the lip, knocking him off balance.

“Son of a bitch—”

Miller & Davis: Diane’s Office

“It’s okay if you want to hand this off to another lawyer,” Jason told Diane again as the older woman sorted through files. “I told you — Elizabeth’s case is the priority—”

“And I’m playing a waiting game on that. Nothing new is coming in until we  get the security footage. The subpoenas are winding their way through the system, and I have to get them through discovery — and you know the government isn’t moving fast—” Diane flicked through another stack of folders. “And even when the injunction at the crime scene gets lifted this week, I still can’t do anything. Maybe, maybe, they’ll let me be present for it so I can get head start on any evidence, but who really knows—I know I have this report somewhere—” she looked at Jason. “Honestly, Jason, we’re spinning our wheels for a while. Even with the hearing to dismiss next week. I’ve prepped my legal arguments, and it’s just a matter of delivering them. I’m looking toward to something that’s not as difficult —” she winced as she sat down at her desk, having located the report she’d been seeking.

“Not that what’s going on with Danny or Scout is a good thing—”

“I didn’t think you meant that.”

“Good. Now—” Diane slid on her reading glasses. “I hope you stopped by the DMV and the post office to do those official changes of address I recommended. The judge won’t just want your say so that your residence is at Elizabeth’s. We’ll need proof.”

“I’m picking them up after this. Diane—”

“But other than that minor quibble, Jason, this is the slammest of dunks you could get in a custody case. Rocco and Danny were living under Sam’s supervision for a year, and apparently getting high and drunk with a minor in the residence. We have ample evidence that Sam has gone out of her way to alienate you from Danny since you came home, and since your official story for being gone is working undercover for the FBI, she’s not going to get a lot of sympathy for that. You’ve been credited with bringing down an international criminal — though he might be in the wind, it’s not really your fault. Furthermore, there are police reports and witnesses that Sam abandoned Danny to your custody last week in the PCPD—”

“The drugs, though — that’s not in the official report.”

“No, officially, it’s not on paper. And what happens in family court is sealed, so I don’t see the government getting any of that information without breaking that seal. So Elizabeth and Aiden aren’t in the records. Not that they did anything wrong, but—” Diane flipped through the pages in her file. “And finally, we have Sam’s antics since walking out on Danny — I have witnesses from the hospital that overheard her loudly confronting Elizabeth — thank you  hospital gossip — and the refusal to sign treatment papers. And all of that is before Sam physically assaulted Elizabeth in front of Danny.”

Jason rubbed his temple. “That’s…it sounds worse when you lay it out like that,” he admitted. “I guess I hadn’t really wrapped it all together like that. I don’t—I don’t blame her for not knowing before they were caught.”

“Why? Because Elizabeth didn’t see it with Aiden?” Diane asked with a half smile. “Rocco and Danny have admitted to doing it more often than Aiden has. And doing it in the home and during the week. They might have masked the smell on their breath, but probably not the clothes. Not every single time. A year is a very long time not to know that two children in your home are regularly getting drunk and high. Particularly when one of the adults in the home is a cop.”

“Okay, but—”

“Jason, I know you don’t like conflict. I know you’ve done everything you can to avoid the vicious battles I’ve seen in Sonny and Carly’s records. But Danny is not safe in Sam’s home. Not right now.”

“I know that. I know—and I started this. I know that I have to make the situation permanent — to make sure Danny isn’t forced back into Sam’s custody until he’s ready — until she’s—I don’t know. Until she fixes herself,” Jason said. “I know this is the right choice. But it’s not one I ever wanted to take.”

“I know—” Diane paused when Jason’s phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket, frowning when he saw the notification screen. “What is it?”

“It’s the high school—” He answered the call. “Yeah, this is Jason Morgan—” His expression went grim, and he met Diane’s eyes. “Yeah. Okay, I understand. Yes, I’ll be right there. Thank you.”

“What’s wrong?” Diane asked as Jason rose, shoving his phone back in his pocket.

“Danny and Rocco got into a fight at school. I have to go down there—”

As soon as he’d gone, Diane sighed and picked up her pencil to make a change in the petition — minor in physical danger in the home.

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