Prologue

January 1, 2006

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Elizabeth Morgan knelt in front of the fireplace and motioned with her hands. “Come here, baby.”

Laura Morgan toddled towards her mother and giggled when Elizabeth enveloped her in her embrace. “That’s my girl!” Lanie–the name that Luke Spencer had christened with after realizing how confusing it would be with two Lauras in the family–had been walking for almost six months but Elizabeth would never get tired of seeing her daughter coming towards her on her unsteady legs.

She picked Laura up and started towards the bottom of the stairs. “Jason! We have to go across the hall!”

She heard a door shut and a few moments later, he appeared at the top of landing. He hurried down the stairs and took Lanie from her. “You shouldn’t be lifting her,” he chastised.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I’m six weeks pregnant, Jason. It’s okay to lift Lanie every once in a while, I won’t keel over.”

“Still.” Jason shifted. “How many times has Carly called?”

“Three, we were due over there twenty minutes ago for brunch.” She wiped a bit of shaving cream off his cheek and smiled at him. “But she said that since you were up late with Lanie last night, you would be forgiven if we went over now.”

“We’re staying for an hour and then we’re coming home so you can lie down,” Jason moved past her and pulled open the door.

“Jason, plenty of women manage to go three or four hours without lying down,” Elizabeth said as they exited the penthouse.

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

“So, I told Laura that if she wanted to use that girl for the new Face, she’d have to walk over my dead body,” Carly said as she took the glass of orange juice Sonny offered her. Sonny sat next to her and put his hand on her knee, keeping an eye on Michael across the room who was playing with his sister, Morgan and his cousin Lanie.

“And Laura probably told you go to screw yourself, she owns fifty one percent of the company and she’d do what she’d like,” Elizabeth laughed as she sipped her milk and then set it on the coffee table. “I can’t believe the two of you went back into the company, it’s wild.”

Carly shrugged and smiled wickedly. “Can’t let Laura get too complacent after all. I think she agrees about Isabella being a poor choice for the Face but she just doesn’t like to admit when I’m right.”

“Since that only happens once a year…” Sonny teased and ducked Carly’s half-hearted swing.

“And just think, instead of owning the gallery with me, you work with your other mortal enemy,” Elizabeth smirked.

Carly snorted. “One Corinthos-Morgan owned enterprise in this city is quite enough and I don’t want people getting the idea that I like you.”

“Can’t have that,” Elizabeth agreed. “And just for the record, it would have been Morgan-Corinthos.”

“Alphabetical order,” Carly shook her head. “It’s just the way things are done in the corporate world, Muffin.”

“Yeah, okay,” Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Oh, hey, I brought those photos you asked about from the Christmas party.” She reached for her purse as Carly strolled to the bookshelf.

“What photos?” Sonny questioned.

“Elizabeth has a great shot of Morgan that I wanted for her baby book,” Carly answered as she pulled a white book from the top shelf, missing the white envelope that slid from its pages.

“Yeah, I was pleased with how nice it came out,” Elizabeth said, handing the photos to the other woman. “There are also some nice ones of all three kids, I thought. I have doubles for Lanie’s book but I thought you might want them.”

“Thanks,” Carly said. She started to flip to an empty page.

“I’m going to get another cup of coffee,” Sonny said. He stood and looked to Jason. “You want one?”

“Sure,” Jason held out his mug.

Sonny nearly stepped on the envelope lying on the carpet. “Hey, Carly–this must have fallen from the book–”

Carly frowned and looked up. “What is it?” she asked. “I don’t remember any–” Her eyes grew wide and she met Elizabeth’s panicked ones. “Oh–right–that.” She all but tossed the book on the shelf in her hurry to stand and get to Sonny. “Here–give–”

But Sonny had already focused on the name scrawled across the front in blood-red ink that had not faded in two years. He slowly raised his eyes to Elizabeth’s pale face. “It’s addressed to you.”

“To Elizabeth?” Jason looked at his wife. “What’s this about?”

“It’s–it’s nothing–” Carly bit her lip. “Just a little note to Elizabeth that I must have forgotten to give to her–” she reached for it. “Can–”

Sonny slid the note from the envelope and read the words scrawled in the same crimson ink.

Congratulations on the baby, Princess. I’m sure you and your hubby are just thrilled. Have a drink on me and don’t worry–I’ll be sure to see you soon.

Love,
Faith

Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “Jason–”

“When did she send this?” Jason demanded. He stood and ripped the letter from Sonny’s hands. “Elizabeth?”

“Not longer after Lanie was born,” Elizabeth sighed. “I brought it to Carly and we agreed–” she bit her lip. “We agreed that there was no immediate threat–Faith wouldn’t be back any time soon and we knew what would happen if we told you–we’d just go into lockdown and our lives were just getting back to normal–we decided to keep our eyes and ears open and we’d tell you if it became necessary.”

“Right,” Carly nodded, not wanting the brunette to shoulder the blame alone. “We both agreed and as time passed, and nothing happened–we both just sort of forgot about it. It’s obvious Faith is long gone, right?”

Jason slowly folded the note and handed back to Sonny. “We’re leaving. Now.”

Elizabeth sighed and stood. “Jason, don’t do this–”

“How could you not tell me about a threat made to our family?” Jason demanded. “How could you hide this from me?”

“I didn’t–” Elizabeth shrugged. “Faith was always talk and no action. She never pulled anything off–that was all Ric. I thought she was honestly just trying to rile me, trying to make me nervous. I didn’t think that there was any danger–I still don’t.”

“It’s not your job to determine the danger,” Jason said shortly. “It’s mine.”

“We know that,” Carly said quietly, “but Faith is more than just part of the job–she came after Elizabeth because of Ric. Ric’s gone, she has nothing left here in Port Charles and she’s too smart to come back here. She lit out because things were going wrong–she’s not coming back, Jason. We never would have kept this to ourselves if we honestly believed Lanie was in danger.”

“You know I wouldn’t put Lanie in danger,” Elizabeth said. She crossed to Jason and put a hand on his tense forearm. “Faith isn’t part of the job–anything she does now is personal and you can’t blame me for protecting my family from her. You know I’m right–Faith was trying to get a rise from us and she’s succeeding–if I had told you about this two years ago, you would have locked us in the penthouse until you found her and I just–I couldn’t do that again. Please tell me you understand.”

“I don’t,” Jason said. “But it’s too late for that now.” He looked to Sonny. “It’s been two years, if Faith were going to do anything she would have done it already.”

A Room

A woman sat in front of a mirror and leaned forward to apply a coat of her signature color to her lips.

She turned to pause the tape that had been playing on her television. The image of a pleading Elizabeth amused her–and the sight of her husband trying to hide his anger was too delicious. The timing was perfect for her return–they were too smug, too sure that the danger had truly passed them.

She’d been waiting for this moment–had been observing for over two years just waiting for her opportunity.

After all, the best revenge was a dish served ice-cold.

“All talk and no action, Princess?” Faith Roscoe laughed. “We’ll see about that.”

January 4, 2006

The Spencer House: Living Room

Lanie’s second birthday party was in full swing when Laura pulled Elizabeth aside in the kitchen. Elizabeth left her daughter to the supervision of Laura’s daughter Lulu and her friends.

“I can’t help but notice that you and Jason weren’t speaking to each other when he dropped the two of you off this morning,” Laura said. She poured Elizabeth a glass of iced tea and gestured for her to join her at the table.

Elizabeth sighed and rubbed her eyes. “It’s been a rough couple of days. That letter from Faith…that I received the day of the christening? Well Carly had hidden it in Morgan’s baby book and we forgot about it. It fell out on New Year’s Day and I guess you could say it didn’t go over well.”

“Well…” Laura sighed heavily and glanced through the open door way where Lanie decorating Maxie Jones’ hair with bows. “I told you and Carly two years ago and I’ll tell you again–you should have told him.”

“Maybe…” Elizabeth shook her head. “I just wanted to be normal for a while. If he’d thought Faith was threatening again, I would have been locked in the penthouse for another year and I just…” she exhaled slowly. “Is it so wrong what I did, Laura? Is it so unforgivable?”

“Is it that bad between the two of you?” Laura asked, worried. She squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “Because you know that Jason learned a lot of about women from Sonny and Sonny’s usual answer to this sort of thing is divorce–”

“No, no…” Elizabeth shook her head. “He’s not that angry–I mean–he hasn’t said anything like that. He just…he hasn’t said much to me period. He asks me how I’m feeling in the morning, if I need anything but…” She bit her lip. “And of course when Lanie’s around, he does his best to act normally but I know he’s angry but he won’t talk about it.”

Lanie rushed into the kitchen and held out a piece of paper with scribbles on it. “Mommy, look!”

“It’s beautiful, sweetheart. Maybe Grandma Laura will want to hang it on the fridge.” At this, Lanie turned to her attention to Laura who happily accepted the drawing. Lanie then rejoined the party.

“I could try to speak to him if you’d like,” Laura offered. “Or I could send Luke in to kick his ass.”

“No, that’s not necessary. I’ll just have to work it out with him. I mean, it’s not like our marriage is in serious trouble,” Elizabeth said, trying to sound confident but her voice broke towards the end of the statement. “I’m pregnant and Lanie’s his whole world. He’s not…he wouldn’t…” she closed her eyes. “Right?”

“Honey, maybe he just needs some time.” Laura patted Elizabeth’s hand. “And if not…you fight. Don’t let him walk out the door and don’t let him shut you out. That’s the worst thing you could do.”

“Hey, Mrs. S., Lanie’s digging into the pile of presents,” Georgie Jones called. “Maybe we shouldn’t stall her any longer.”

Elizabeth laughed and stood. “I suppose not.” She looked back at Laura. “For right now, I’m just going to celebrate my daughter’s birthday and leave everything else for later.”

Corinthos Morgan Warehouse: Jason’s Office

“I made some calls,” Sonny began taking a seat in front of Jason’s desk and ignored the scowl on his partner’s face. “No one has heard or seen Faith Roscoe since she left Port Charles two years ago. She’s dropped off the face of the Earth.”

Jason shook his head and stood. “I don’t buy that. Faith is poison. She creates trouble no matter where she goes. There’s no way she could have stayed hidden.”

“I agree but…” Sonny hesitated. “I don’t know that Faith or anyone for that matter would wait two years for their revenge.”

“Ric waited a lot longer,” Jason pointed out. “And he nearly succeeded. He got in good with Carly, he started to date Elizabeth. He set things up almost just the way he wanted them. But he was thrown off track when Elizabeth got pregnant. He had to move certain things up and that’s when it started to go wrong. He started to get impatient. And it was Faith that we trusted would know when to throw the towel in. We know now that she sent that letter to Elizabeth a few months after she blew out of town. What’s to say she didn’t hole up somewhere and stay under the radar?”

“Because someone like Faith isn’t able to stay under the radar. Too many people were looking for her. She was never someone who was able to keep their agenda hidden.” Sonny leaned forward, planting his hands flat on the desk. “I’m telling you that I don’t think Faith is a threat. And if I’m wrong, we can still step up security a little. Elizabeth gets a full-time guard again and so does Carly. We put men on the locations that everyone frequents.”

“All right,” Jason agreed after a long moment. “I suppose it’s the best we can do.”

“And it’s all we could have done two years ago, Jason.” Sonny straightened and went towards the windows. “I don’t agree with Elizabeth or Carly about keeping that letter a secret but it’s done with Jason and no harm has come to anyone in all this time. I think you should think about forgiving her.”

“She didn’t trust me,” Jason said quietly. “After all that we had been through together and all that we’ve been through in the last two years, she never trusted me to protect her. I don’t know how to forgive that.”

“Well, take it from someone who knows better–it’s not worth losing your marriage over. You and Elizabeth were happy together,” Sonny replied. “She’s pregnant, is this really something you want hanging over your head as she heads into this thing? She had a hell of a time with Lanie. I don’t think she deserves another stressful pregnancy.”

“I would never hurt her,” Jason said, irritated. “And I know what she went through with Lanie. I love them both, I just don’t know if I can…” he shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll set up the assignments and I’ll let Elizabeth know the new arrangements.” He hesitated. “I want people on the Spencer house and on Laura. Laura’s been good to Elizabeth and I don’t care that Luke can take care of her, I know Elizabeth would want Laura safe.”

“I’ll let you be the one to tell Luke about that one.” Sonny opened the door and was startled to find Elizabeth on the other side. “Hey, Elizabeth. I thought you were at Lanie’s party.”

“After we opened the presents and Lanie had about three pieces of chocolate cake, she passed out in the middle of the wrapping paper so that pretty much ended the party.” Elizabeth looked passed Sonny to Jason who had fallen silent and turned towards the window at her entrance. “Sonny…if you weren’t in the middle of anything, I’d like to speak to Jason.”

“Sure, sure.” Sonny patted her on the shoulder and disappeared into his own office.

Elizabeth closed the door behind her and stood just in front of it. “Jason, I don’t know how much more of this silent treatment I can take. I need to know where we stand and I can’t wait for you to decide to grace me with your decision.”

“Elizabeth…” Jason turned and leaned against the windowsill. “I don’t want to do this with you right now. Where’s Lanie?”

“She’s napping at Laura’s–I don’t care what you want to do, we are going to deal with this.” She strode forward. “And I’m not leaving until we do.”

“You’re real good at deciding when we’re going to deal with something.” Jason folded his arms across his chest. “You left me because I lied to you about Sonny, because I didn’t trust you enough to tell you. So maybe you can understand why I’m just a little pissed off that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me that Faith threatened you, threatened our daughter–”

“It never about not trusting you,” Elizabeth cut in. “It was about protecting you, protecting Lanie. You would have driven yourself to exhaustion trying to find Faith. You would have locked me in that penthouse, you would have kept Lanie under lock and key and Sonny would have done the same to Carly. Carly and I discussed and we both agreed that it would do more harm than good.”

“You knew what my life was like, you knew that there would be times like those and you chose to be in my life, to stay married to me, to let me raise your daughter as my own–”

“So this is what it’s going to be?” Elizabeth asked. “Because I did something you don’t agree with, everything we built is gone?” She shook her head. “I don’t accept that, I can’t.”

“Everything we built is on the basis of lie,” Jason stated. “I thought that you trusted me and you don’t–”

“I do trust you, Jason,” Elizabeth argued. “Maybe I made a mistake, I’m willing to admit that. But I did what I thought I had to do. It was two years ago, Jason…” She rounded the desk and touched his arm. She flinched when he pulled away from her and put some distance between them. “Jason, I love you. Please don’t shut me out.”

“I’m not. But I don’t know what you want me to say,” Jason said. “And I know you think you did the right thing. But for two years, you’d led me to believe that you trust me enough to protect you, to take care of you and our family and I find out it was all a lie. I can’t put that away because you don’t think there’s a problem.”

“So we’re going just going to live in silence until you decide how you want to punish me?” A tear slid down her cheek. “Jason, please…” She took a step towards him and felt a slice in her heart when he took a step back. “We can’t live like this, Lanie will know something’s wrong…”

“You’re right.” Jason looked away. “And she doesn’t deserve that. I’ll get a room somewhere or–”

“You’re going to leave me?” The color drained from her face and her skin was almost translucent in the fading afternoon sun. “That’s your answer? You’re moving out of our home?” Her voice started to break, her breath began to hitch.

“Elizabeth, I’m just…I need some time. And Lanie doesn’t need her parents arguing. And you don’t need it either.” He looked away. “You went through a high-risk pregnancy with Lanie. Your blood pressure was through the roof most of the nine months and Dr. Meadows cautioned you against stress this time around. If I’m at the penthouse, we’ll argue. Or there will be same tension that’s been there since I found the letter. I’m not doing that.”

“You’re leaving me and our daughter for the good of the family. Okay.” Elizabeth wiped her eyes. “Fine. You know, you’re right. I’m not sorry. Because I saw my chance to protect you and take care of you, to keep you driving yourself insane searching for a woman who’s done more to wreck our marriage by staying gone than if she had come back at all. Why is it okay for you to make all the decisions and expect me to accept them and then be so angry when I try to do the same?”

She paused in the doorway, “And for the record, Jason, I did not leave you because you lied to me or because you faked Sonny’s death and didn’t tell me. I left you because I came dead last. I came after Sonny, after Carly, after your job…” she chuckled bitterly. “I came after Courtney on your list of priorities. I left because I didn’t like the feeling that being in that penthouse left me with. Feeling worthless, like you didn’t need or want me there. That’s why I left you.”

The door slammed shut behind her and Jason sank into his desk chair, rubbing his hands over his face. How had things gone from nearly perfect to devastation in the matter of a few days?

His eye caught a sheaf of papers to his left and he saw Sonny’s paperwork on the investigation into Faith’s disappearance.

She may be gone, but she was still destroying lives in her wake.

A Room

Faith Roscoe leaned back in chair and crossed her legs, still laughing over the scene between Jason Morgan and his mousy little wife. She’d watched it more than once, still delighting in the fact that she’d broken them up without having to raise her pinky finger.

“It’s almost too easy,” she sighed, pressing the rewind button and then paused so she could focus on the distraught expression on Jason’s face as he reserved a room at the Port Charles Hotel.

She turned back to her table and spread the photos out again. She tucked away the Spencer family photos, knowing that Laura and her children would be under Sonny’s protection as well as Luke Spencer’s. They would have to wait.

But there were others in their lives that perhaps they wouldn’t think to protect. Faith slid a set of photos out from beneath Carly’s. Information was a powerful weapon, she decided. The more you had, the more damage you could do.

“Just by looking at your photo, I can understand why Carly Corinthos can’t stand you,” Faith murmured as she lifted a candid photo and tacked it to the wall. “You do look like a pretty little princess that can’t keep her nose out of everyone else’s lives.”

General Hospital: Locker Room

“How’s your first week of rounds going?” Robin Scorpio asked as an exhausted Emily Quartermaine changed back into her street clothes, balling her green scrubs into her backpack.

“They’re going,” Emily smiled at her old friend. “If I’m this tired as a med student, I shudder to think about interning.”

“You get used to it after a while,” Robin confided. She slipped her purse over her shoulder. “I’m going to grab some dinner at the Outback, you wanna join?”

“No, it’s Lanie’s birthday today and I wanted to drop a present off. I missed her party,” Emily shrugged. “It’s just a My Little Pony set but I want to make sure she gets it tonight. Besides, I haven’t seen her since Christmas.”

“It’s still so weird to me that Jason married Elizabeth Webber,” Robin laughed as they exited the locker room. “When I moved to Paris, she was practically married to Lucky. But you know, they suit each other.”

“It took me a while to see it,” Emily admitted. “And I screwed up my relationship with my brother for good, but yeah, they do. And Lanie is just the most adorable ever.”

They took the elevator down to the lobby and started for the parking lot. “So how has it been adjusting back to life in Port Charles?” Emily asked.

“So much has changed since I moved away,” Robin admitted. “People, places. It was only five years but it feels like so much longer.” She waved to Emily who walked in the opposite direction towards her car and then Robin stepped off the curb to go to her car.

A car that had been moving very slowly down the road suddenly gunned its engine and careened straight towards the petite doctor.

“Robin!” Emily called frantically. Robin turned and her eyes widened at the sight of the car. Before she could take another step, someone grabbed her arm and dragged her back onto the curb and out of the path of oncoming car.

Robin took a shaky breath and looked at her rescuer. “Thanks–I didn’t even see that car.”

Emily dashed over to join them. “Thank God, I didn’t think–” she embraced Robin tightly. “That car could have killed you.”

“I should have been watching where I was going,” Robin laughed tremulously. She looked back at the dark-haired man who had grabbed her. “Really–thank you.” She held out her hand. “Robin Scorpio.”

“Patrick Drake–and I think you should ask yourself who has it out for you,” he ignored her hand. “I heard that car gun its engine the second you stepped off the curb.”

Robin let her hand fall to her side and she looked out to where car had disappeared into the night. “That’s…that’s ridiculous. Who would want to hurt me?”

A Car

Faith pulled over to the side of the road and slammed her hand on the wheel. “God damn Good Samaritans,” she snarled.

January 5, 2006

Faith’s Room

In the early hours of the morning, Faith stormed back into her room and ripped her coat off. Her first plan had been a disaster –she’d been tempted to spin the car around and take the trio of doctors out entirely but she had pulled over to the side of the room and had taken a deep breath. It probably wouldn’t have worked anyway, she could reflect now as she sat down at her table and stared at the glossy candid of Dr. Robin Scorpio as she stood outside her uncle’s house. It would have been seen as a hit and run and Sonny and Jason might never have connected it.

It would be the last time she acted without planning the consequences, Faith decided. She had been able to curb her impulsive nature for two years and it had benefited it her–they seemed to think that she wouldn’t have the patience to wait so long before she struck and now she had the element of surprise on her hands.

But of course, scores had to be settled. Faith took out her digital camera and went to print out the photos she had taken after she’d followed Robin’s rescuer to the Port Charles Hotel. His demise would be quick and simple–and painful.

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

Carly crossed her arms and glared at a fidgeting Max Giambetti. “What do you mean Jason isn’t at the penthouse? It’s 7 A.M.”

Max rubbed the back of his neck. “Eh, Mrs. Corinthos, he probably went to work early–”

“Oh, please. He always has breakfast with Lanie at eight, do you really think I don’t know Jason’s schedule? Where is he?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Max admitted. “I talked to Milo and he said that he didn’t seen Jason come out that morning and I talked to Andrew who was on the door last night and he never saw Jason come home. Maybe he’s on an assignment for–”

“I would know,” Carly stressed. “It was Lanie’s birthday yesterday and Sonny would never send Jason anywhere around this time of the year. Now, I need you to find Jason, okay?”

“There’s no need for that,” Elizabeth said from the doorway. She looked down at Lanie. “Why don’t you go up to Morgan’s room and play for a little while?” She looked to Max. “Can you take her up there?”

“Of course, Mrs. Morgan,” Max said, clearly relieved to be out from under Carly’s scrutiny. He scooped his favorite charge up and took her upstairs to play with her cousin.

“What you mean there’s no need for that?” Carly demanded. “What happened?”

“Jason’s staying that the Port Charles Hotel for a while,” Elizabeth said miserably. She sat on the couch and closed her eyes. “Lanie’s been asking for him and I’m not sure how to explain to her that her daddy doesn’t live with us right now.”

Carly’s legs gave out and she flopped on the large chair adjacent to the couch. “What do you mean, Jason’s at the PC Hotel? Why? When?”

“Yesterday. I went to the warehouse and tried to force him to deal with it. I tried guilt–that Lanie would know something is wrong and he decided that I was right. That Lanie doesn’t need her parents arguing or being cold to one another and I especially didn’t need that kind of stress so until he could figure out how he feels about the whole thing, he’s moving out.”

“It’s the Sonny syndrome,” Carly muttered. “When in doubt, move out.”

Elizabeth snorted and started to laugh but soon those turned into tears. Carly stood and reached for the box of tissues on the desk and dropped them in her friend’s lap. “Don’t let yourself get too upset,” she advised. “Just calm down and take deep breaths.”

“I just can’t believe this is happening,” Elizabeth sputtered. She blew her nose and took a few calming breaths. “We’ve been married for two and a half years. Because I made a mistake two years ago, that doesn’t mean anything anymore?”

“If it didn’t, Jason would have left and filed for divorce,” Carly told her. “I think because you, Lanie and this new baby mean everything to him that he’s trying to sort it out. I would normally say that you have to fight for him and make him listen but that only works on men like Sonny.”

“Laura told me that I should fight for him, that I shouldn’t let him walk out the door but at what point does it become pathetic?” Elizabeth sighed. “And Jason’s not like that. I should have just left the situation alone–should have let him deal with it and now, I’m looking at the end of my marriage.”

“No, no,” Carly shook her head. “It won’t come to that. I’ll kick his ass if he thinks he’s bailing now. Look, the decision we made–maybe it was a mistake. I won’t try and say that we were out and out wrong, but it was two years ago and it’s not like you’ve spent the entire time lying to him about everything, just this one thing. He’ll get over it, Elizabeth. He’s not like Sonny.”

Elizabeth sighed. “You’re right, I guess. I’m just feeling tired and worn out. I’m not going to think about it any more today. Can Leticia keep an eye on Lanie for me today?” she asked. “Lu had to go on a location shoot with Dillon and Georgie so she wasn’t available. I have to stop in at the gallery and then I have to meet with Robin and Emily about the benefit we’re holding in a few weeks.”

Carly grimaced. “Saint Robin. Why do you want to hang out with her?”

“Because she’s my friend,” Elizabeth stood. “Look, whatever happened it was a long time ago, Carly. You and Robin are completely different people now.” She hesitated and smirked. “Well, you’re a completely different person now.”

“Why are we friends again?” Carly demanded.

“Because no one else will have you,” Elizabeth called over her shoulder as she left the penthouse.

General Hospital: Cafeteria

“Sorry we couldn’t go anywhere else for lunch,” Robin said as she set her tray down at an empty table. “But I’m supposed to get some test results back and I didn’t want to stray too far from the hospital.”

“No, it’s fine,” Elizabeth dismissed it. She and Emily sat down as well. “I spoke with Edward over the holidays and he agreed to donate the use of the Port Charles Hotel banquet hall so we don’t have to pay for the privilege of using it.”

“Yeah, he has a soft spot for Robin over here,” Emily mused. “Seems like everyone does these days.”

“Hush you,” Robin replied with a small smile. She cleared her throat. “I was talking with Lucy on the phone–”

“Oh, no, you’re not changing the subject that easily,” Elizabeth interrupted. She waved her fork at Emily. “What was she talking about?”

“It’s nothing,” Robin replied. “Just something stupid that happened this morning. Anyway, Lucy said–”

“It was not nothing. It was the most adorable thing I’ve seen in months,” Emily proclaimed. “He’s totally your knight in shining armor.”

“He?” Elizabeth asked, arching her eyebrows. “Okay, before I was curious, now I’m not leaving until someone tells me.”

“It’s nothing,” Robin repeated. “I wasn’t watching where I was going last night and a car almost hit me.”

“The sexy new surgeon saved her,” Emily said dramatically. “Leapt out and pulled back on to the curb.”

“You’re delirious,” Robin rolled her eyes. “He grabbed my elbow and yanked me back. I actually have a bruise so don’t let Miss Lady Lovely Locks over here delude you. It was not the romantic interlude she’s describing.”

“One could argue that he’s a very strong guy and that’s why you got a bruise. Strong, sexy…” Emily waved her hand in front of her face. “Plus, like I said, he’s got the rescue thing going on.”

“This morning was not a rescue,” Robin retorted. “Elizabeth, I can’t reach her from here–smack her.”

“Uh, uh, I wanna know what happened this morning.” Elizabeth crossed her arms on the table and leaned forward. “Come on, Robin, I see the blush going on.”

“I was in the parking lot with Emily this morning and I slipped on some ice. Dr. Drake was just lucky enough to be there to keep me from falling flat on my face. It was not romantic or even remotely adorable, it was mortifying.” Robin waved her fork at Emily. “Stop giggling, it’s not funny.”

“Dr. Drake,” Elizabeth grinned. “Sexy Surgeon has a name then?”

“It gets better,” Emily sang and then ducked as Robin launched a piece of her fruit salad at her. “Turns out that the Mr. Sexy called Robin in on a bunch of his surgeries as a drug consultant. He’s totally digging you, Robin.”

“He’s a surgeon and I get called in for consults on Tony’s patients all the time,” Robin said, her teeth clenched. “Do you think he digs me too?”

“Oh, it’s totally not the same thing when he’s a brand new doctor at the hospital. He could have picked anyone,” Emily told Robin.

“You know what, Quartermaine–I’m going to shove you out a window,” Robin threatened. She frowned when she saw Elizabeth wince and press a hand to her abdomen. “Hey, that salad not going down okay?”

“No, no…” Elizabeth shook her head. “I don’t know why they call it morning sickness when it hits all times of the day.”

Emily dropped her fork. “Morning sickness?” she repeated. “Elizabeth!”

“Oh my God!” Robin leaned forward. “How far along are you?”

“Six weeks,” Elizabeth admitted. “We haven’t really told anyone yet except for Luke and Laura and Carly was with me when I first got sick, so of course Sonny knows too.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, it passed.”

“This is totally fabulous. I mean, Lanie’s the cutest, but I wasn’t around much when she was a baby,” Emily said. “I can’t wait to spoil my new niece or nephew and make up for that.”

“Congratulations,” Robin said. She reached across the table and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “I’m so happy for you–and for Jason of course.”

“Right…” Elizabeth sighed, deciding to keep the news about Jason moving out to herself. “So, Robin, does Dr. Drake have a first name?”

“You see what you started?” Robin demanded of Emily.

“It’s Patrick and he’s actually the son of a doctor who used to work here,” Emily informed Elizabeth ignoring Robin’s protests. “Bobbie used to date him and apparently, he drove all the females wild until he moved to Atlanta. Maybe your grandparents mentioned him. Noah Drake?”

“Doesn’t sound familiar,” Elizabeth shrugged. “So, you gonna ask him out, Robin?”

“Oh, that’s it.” Robin flung a piece of celery at her giggling friend. “You’re all a bunch of twits.” She cleared her throat. “Now, if we could just try to accomplish what we met here to do, that would be great.”

“Right, right.” Emily sobered. “I’m glad you asked us to help you run the foundation, Robin, it means a lot.”

“Well, I knew I couldn’t do it by myself,” Robin said. “And I wanted someone connected to Sonny to help because he was so close to Stone. But at the same time, it was obviously not going to be Carly. And I couldn’t ask Sonny directly because I just…” she shrugged. “We didn’t part well.”

“Well, for whatever reason, I’m excited to be a part of this,” Elizabeth said. “We’ve got the hotel secured for the event. What were you saying about Lucy?”

“Oh, she was letting me know that she’d be out of town and couldn’t host so we’re going to have do it ourselves.” Robin drew her folder out of her bag. “So anyway–”

“I’m sorry to change the subject real quick,” Emily cut in. “Robin, have you given any thought about what Patrick said last night? About hearing the car gun for you? I was just thinking about the whole thing again–”

Robin rolled her eyes. “I’m sure that someone didn’t deliberately try to run me over. He was probably hearing things or…I don’t know. But it was dark and I had a dark coat on. It’s not too hard to imagine that it was an accident.”

“Still,” Emily said. “You should be careful.” She grinned. “Maybe Doc Hot can protect you.”

“I’ve got celery here and I’m not afraid to use it,” Robin threatened.

Harborview Towers: Lobby

“Check that out,” Milo Giambetti whispered to Paulie Soretto, a fellow guard stationed on the floor. “That woman just came in, looked around and left again.”

“Maybe she was lost,” Paulie said. “So?”

“So, she didn’t look at the mailboxes or nothing. She came in, she looked at the elevators and then left. Plus, she was wearing sunglasses.”

“So maybe the sun was in her eyes,” Paulie retorted.

“It’s overcast today, ain’t you been outside?” Milo demanded. “Look, just go make sure she ain’t hanging around outside. Better to make sure.”

“Fine.” Paulie rolled his eyes and disappeared outside.

When twenty minutes had passed without his return, Milo abandoned his post and went outside. Paulie was no where in sight–not in the ally next to the Towers and not across the street at the coffee vendor.

“Now where did he go?” Milo muttered.

Back of a Van

“Hello, darling,” Faith cooed as she let a finger slide down Paulie’s cheek. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“No,” Paul said, doing his best to keep a bland expression on his face. That’s how Jason Morgan would handle it, he told himself. Don’t let her get you.

“We’re going to get to know one another all too well,” Faith purred. She reached into her purse and withdrew a small photograph. “Do you recognize this?”

The color drained from the guard’s face. “That’s…that’s… from my house.” He swallowed. “How did you get that?”

“Oh, my dear dear boy, I have my ways. Such a lovely family you have here. But they don’t look happy at all in this one.” She held up the second one depicting a woman tied to a chair and two young boys tied to a bed. “Now, which portrait do you prefer?”

“What do you want from me?” Paulie demanded. “Mr. Corinthos will make you pay for this–”

“Now, it would be a shame if anything were to happen to this lovely family,” Faith cut in smoothly as though he’d never spoken. “Anything more that is. And the best to avoid that is to cooperate. Now, do we have a deal?”

“What do you want from me?” Paulie repeated.

“Just some information.” Faith’s lips curved into a feral grin. “It won’t hurt you a bit, darling. I promise.”

January 7, 2006

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

Carly hoisted her daughter Morgan higher on her hip while keeping one eye on Michael who was working on his math homework, making sure he didn’t sneak a comic book into his textbook.

She saw Emily Quartermaine approach them with a shy smile and felt the usual stirring of pity for the intern. After her betrayal, Emily’s relationship with Jason had never recovered and he could barely be in the same room with her for longer than twenty minutes. Elizabeth, as always, had been more forgiving and the two were cozier than ever. Carly wondered at Elizabeth’s capacity to forgive and figured it would backfire on her one day.

“Hey, Carly. Dr. Samson is a little backed up today and she thought that I might be able to do Morgan’s check up,” Emily said hesitantly. “I’m a pediatric intern so I’m qualified–”

“It’s fine,” Carly said. She bounced eighteen month old Morgan a little. “You want to see Aunt Emily?”

Morgan clapped and giggled and reached for the brunette she didn’t even know all that well–Morgan was a friendly child and loved everyone. “Em!” she squealed.

“Thanks, Carly.” Emily took her. “If you guys will just follow me to Exam Room 3–”

“Actually…” Carly hesitated. “I have a quick errand to run and it’s Leticia’s day off so maybe you could watch Michael too? I’ll only be about twenty-five minutes and Morgan’s checkups are usually about that long.”

“No, that’s fine,” Emily said. “I don’t see the kids enough so it’s great.” She held her hand out to Michael. “Come on, buddy.”

Michael, always suspicious and not having spent a huge amount of time with Emily since the summer of 2003, followed at a distance. Carly bit her lip, reconsidering her decision to let Emily Quartermaine look after her kids but in the end, going to the hotel and knocking the idiot known as Jason Morgan upside the head was more important.

She started for the elevators and grimaced when they slid open and revealed Robin Scorpio. “Please tell me you’re getting off.”

“Gladly,” Robin remarked dryly. She stepped off the car and started down the hallway but an attack of conscious made Carly call out her name. “What?” Robin asked, turning.

“Look, we have to live in the same town and worse, Elizabeth is a good friend to both of us, so we’re going to have to coexist,” Carly sighed. “I don’t by any means want to be all nice and happy with you, but I do think…I think it’s time we both moved on from–whatever happened before.”

Robin arched an eyebrow. “I have moved on. You’re the one that snarks at me every time we cross paths.”

Carly pursed her lips and fought back the natural reaction to twist Robin’s little elfin ears off. “That’s true,” she admitted. “But the situation with Michael actually turned out for the best and you know, it brought Jason and Elizabeth together initially which led me to Sonny, so you know, you might have done us all a favor.”

“Yeah, because I really wanted to make life better for you,” Robin said wryly. “You know that’s my goal in life. I wake up every morning and think–how can I improve Carly’s life today?”

“Now who’s snarking who?” Carly demanded. “Look, Princess Purity, I am trying to extend the god damn olive branch but as usual, you are making everything more difficult than it has to be. I am sorry that your life has been empty since you left this town and we both know why you came back so don’t you cut the attitude–”

Robin held up a hand. “You know what? I’m really not in the mood for another round of Robins Want to Steal Jason. I haven’t even spoken to him in the three months since I moved home, so that’s a really lame excuse to insult me, Carly. You just like to get under my skin and that’s the way it’s always going to be so why don’t you drop the act and tell me what you really want?”

Carly sighed impatiently. “You are such a pain in the ass. Why couldn’t you just stay in Paris? Believe me, Port Charles doesn’t need another sainted know-it-all on her moral high horse. Doesn’t it ever get lonely up on that high pedestal you petty little–”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Dr. Scorpio–” A unfamiliar man sidled up to Robin and grinned at her. “But if you can put your little cat fight on hold, we have a consult.”

“I’ll be there in a second, Patrick,” Robin rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her combatant. “Look, Carly, fine. Consider the olive branch accepted. I certainly don’t want to spend any more time standing here with you. You haven’t changed a bit since I left–”

“And neither have you, you selfish little brat,” Carly seethed. “Poor Saint Robin, all alone with her cold sheets and empty life. You’re just jealous, you know.”

Robin laughed sharply. “Jealous? Of you? You are just as delusional as ever. Ferncliffe must be missing you, Carly–”

“Because you tried to destroy my relationship with Jason and you failed. You’re still pissed because he didn’t kick me to the curb like you thought he would. And you know what really hurts you Robin?”

“I’d love to hear this,” Robin said. “Because you’ve already demonstrated just how well you know me.”

“I have the family that you will never have,” Carly said. “And you know that. I have the husband and the children and the life that you will never be able to call your own.”

Robin paled and she swallowed hard. She looked to her side to see Patrick Drake looking at the two of them with obvious curiosity. “Patrick, I’ll meet you in the conference room, okay? Just give me a second–”

“Are you sure?” he asked, flicking Carly a strange and confused look. “Maybe you should just–”

“I’m fine,” Robin said. “I’ll be there in a minute.” When he’d left, Robin turned to Carly. “I know that’s partially true. And that is all you’ll ever get out of me, Carly. Yes, I am slightly jealous because you have children and my chances are slim. I just find it hard to believe that Elizabeth could be friends with a hateful person like you that would throw something so painful into argument just to get a rise out of me–”

“I’m sorry,” Carly sighed with a huff. “It was out of line. You just piss me off and sometimes there’s really nowhere left to go. It was wrong and I shouldn’t–things should never be brought into a fight and that’s one of them. So, look, let’s just agree that from now on, we should fight the urge to snark at each other because it’s clear that we both let it go places it shouldn’t.”

Robin exhaled slowly. “Fine. And I shouldn’t make cracks out Ferncliffe because I know why you were really there, so I’m sorry too. So, if you’ll excuse me, I have a consult.” She turned on her heel and stormed away, leaving Carly feeling slightly irritated with herself for letting the argument between them stoop to such a nasty level.

She glanced at her watch and cursed silently. The scene with Robin had eaten in her confrontation time with Jason. She’d have to take the kids to her mother’s in order to get that in today. The things she did for her family.

Port Charles Hotel: Room 432

Jason opened the door and he couldn’t fight the smile that spread across his face as his daughter hurled herself at him, wrapping her arms around his legs. “Daddy!” Lanie cried. “I miss you!”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “I’m sorry–I probably should have called but Lanie wanted to see you.”

“It’s fine.” Jason lifted Lanie into his arms and kissed her cheek. “What have you been up to?”

“Mommy made me clean my room,” Lanie sniffled. “‘Cuz I got her paint all over my stuffed animals an’ I haf to throw ’em out.”

“We’ll try cleaning them, Honey, but I can’t make any promises,” Elizabeth said apologetically. She cleared her throat. “If it’s okay, I’ll leave her here for a while. I can go visit with Laura or go to the gallery for—”

“No!” Lanie cried. “Mommy, stay!” She reached for her mother. “Want Mommy!”

“I told you, Baby, Mommy has errands to run,” Elizabeth said, trying to keep the tears from falling. “That’s why you’re here with Daddy.”

“Elizabeth…” Jason reached out to stop her from leaving. “Why don’t you stay and we’ll call up some lunch.” He shifted Lanie. “We can talk when Lanie goes down for her nap.”

“No nap,” Lanie said. She framed her father’s face between her tiny hands. “Stay awake, see Daddy.”

“Okay, we’ll see,” Jason said, knowing the little girl would be out like a light in just over an hour. He looked backed to Elizabeth. “Will you stay?”

“Sure,” Elizabeth said after some hesitation. “I’d like that.”

General Hospital: Bathroom

Faith adjusted the brown wig over her hair once more and wiped her black rimmed glasses with a cloth before placing them back on her face. With the plain make up, the brown contacts and the dowdy blue nurse’s scrubs, she barely recognized herself.

She stepped into the hallway and busied herself outside the hospital conference room where her primary target was arguing with Dr. Scorpio.

“You’re being narrow-minded,” Robin accused. “Surgery is not always the answer–”

“And drugging someone into oblivion isn’t either,” Patrick shot back.

“It’s called taking a risk, you self-centered–”

“Excuse me, Dr. Drake,” Faith entered the room. “You’re needed in the Exam Room Three.”

“Fine,” Patrick glared at Robin once more before following Faith out of the room.

Faith kept her eyes from meeting anyone they passed in the hallway. She had covered herself but there was no point in taking extra risks.

She waited until the doctor was in the room, before closing the door and withdrawing the syringe from her scrubs pocket. Patrick frowned when he realized there was no one else in the room and turned. “What’s–”

Faith lunged forward and jabbed the syringe in his neck, pressing the plunger. He swore and instinctively pushed her out of the way. But she’d already injected him and her lips curved into a smile as she watched him slump to the floor. “Enjoy your nap, Dr. Drake. This was only the beginning.”

She slid out of the room, reveling in the minor victory.

Port Charles Hotel: Jason’s Room

“You should probably get a smaller bed for Lanie to use when she’s here,” Elizabeth said as she closed the bedroom door behind her and joined Jason in the living room of the suite. “She’s going to get lost in that bed.”

“Elizabeth…” Jason sighed. He held his hand to her and she took it, letting him draw her down next to him on the couch. “How are you feeling?” he asked after a moment.

“Tired,” she admitted. “The morning sickness is hitting more in the afternoons and evenings this time around.” Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “I–I have a doctor’s appointment in a few weeks, I’ll make sure to let you know the date.”

“I don’t anticipate being here in a few weeks,” Jason admitted. He brushed her hair behind her ear. “I’m not–I’m not here to punish you, okay?”

“It certainly feels that way,” Elizabeth said glumly. She stared at their joined hands. “I wish I could take it back. If I’d known what was going to happen, I would have told you. I’d pretty much do anything to avoid this.”

“I know you were only trying to protect us,” Jason said. “And I know that I’ve had to do things to protect you without telling you about them. But it’s not easy to be in the reverse position.”

Elizabeth threaded her fingers his hair and kissed him lightly. “Come home,” she whispered against his lips. “I miss you.”

“I need to know that you trust me.” Jason pulled away slightly, his eyes met hers and he wanted more than anything to just pack his clothes and go back to their penthouse–he would do anything to take that sadness from her eyes. “I need to know that you trust me to protect you, protect Lanie.”

“I do,” Elizabeth swore. “It was never about not trusting you. I just…I wanted to protect you and I knew Faith would never act on her threat. I didn’t want you to spend the rest of your life waiting for that second shoe to drop. We were just getting used to being happy again.” Her gaze clouded with tears. “Please come home. What we have–it’s so important, it’s so special. You can’t let one mistake ruin everything–”

“Hey, hey–” Jason framed her face in her hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. “That’s not even an option. You’re everything to me, Elizabeth. You, Lanie, this baby–our life is important to me.” He shook his head and sighed impatiently. “I’m not handling this well, Elizabeth. I’m sorry–”

“No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I drove you away but I’ve never lied to you, Jason,” Elizabeth promised earnestly. “This is the only thing I’ve kept from you since the day we got married, I swear. And it’ll be the last.”

“Okay,” Jason nodded. “Okay. Let’s get Lanie and go home.”

General Hospital: Hallway

“I can’t believe he missed the consult,” Robin grumbled to Emily as they headed towards the cafeteria for lunch. “He gripes at me for being five seconds late this morning and then he totally blows off Isabelle Denton’s consult. This poor girl has a brain tumor and he’s probably off flirting with some stupid nurse—”

“Maybe he just forgot,” Emily shrugged. “But it is weird–he’s supposed to be one of the top neurosurgeons in the state.”

“Surgeons,” Robin muttered. “They’re all egotistical—”

“Methinks someone doth protest too much,” Emily teased. “Doc Hot has you all worked up. You should just ask him out.”

“Oh, not this again—” Robin rolled her eyes and paused as they passed Exam Room Three. She bit her lip and looked towards the door. “I wonder if there was some kind of emergency earlier. A nurse came and got him and he never came back to finish the meeting.”

“Well, can’t hurt to go in and check,” Emily said. She pushed open the door. “Oh my God!”

Robin darted past her and kneeled next to the sprawled out form of Patrick Drake. “Do you see any kind of injury? Did he just pass out?” She checked his pulse. “It’s weak,” she murmured. She flicked her eyes to Emily. “He was fine when he left the conference room.”

Emily pressed her fingers against the pulse point in his neck and her eyes bulged when she noticed the puncture mark in his neck. “Robin—I think someone—”

A low groan passed through Patrick’s mouth and his eyes started to flutter. “God damn nurses,” he muttered.

“Patrick, can you tell us what happened?” Robin demanded as soon as he was a little more coherent. She and Emily helped Patrick into a sitting position against the bed. “What happened with that nurse?”

“There was no one in the room—” Patrick pressed his hand to his neck. “I turned around and she jabbed a needle in my neck.”

“Jesus,” Emily swore. “What did you do to piss her off?”

“Nothing!” Patrick said defensively. “I’ve never seen her before.”

“You know…she wasn’t familiar to me either,” Robin said. “I don’t–I don’t think she was a nurse.”

“Gee, you think?” Patrick asked sarcastically, starting to push himself to his feet. He leaned against the bed. “This is mortifying. She couldn’t have been any taller than you–”

“You should get blood drawn,” Robin said. She looked to Emily. “You should go alert security–tell them that one of the doctors has been assaulted–”

“Oh, hell no,” Patrick shook his head. “You are not telling anyone that a nurse assaulted me.”

“Oh, get over yourself,” Robin rolled her eyes. “You should be thinking about who might want to hurt you. If you can even count that high.”

Emily started for the door and then turned back. “What if this is related to that car thing?” she asked. “I mean, it’s probable that no one’s ever done this sort of thing to you before right?”

“You can’t possibly think this is related,” Robin said.

“Well, it’s kind of weird. I mean, Patrick’s only been in town, what–two weeks?” Emily looked to Patrick who nodded. “He hasn’t had time to make any actual enemies. On the other hand, there was that car and it’s not like we can rule out it wasn’t intentional. He saves you and a few days later, someone knocks him out?”

“But why would anyone even want to hurt me?” Robin shook her head. “My mother isn’t an agent anymore, my father’s dead and it’s not like I’m dating Jason anymore–”

“Agent? What the hell?” Patrick spoke up.

They ignored him. “No, that’s all true but…” Emily bit her lip. “It doesn’t rule out someone trying to hurt you, Robin. It could be anything. I should—I’ll call Liz. She can ask Jason if…if there’s anything that might have come up. An old enemy that might not realize you and Jason don’t really talk anymore.”

“Who’s Jason?” Patrick demanded. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on here?”

“I’ll call Liz, and skip security for now,” Emily decided. “You get him admitted and make sure he’s okay.”

“Hey, I am an adult and I can make decisions for myself,” Patrick interrupted. “I’m fine and I want some answers.”

“Well, we don’t have any to give you,” Robin replied, irritated. “Now, if you’ll just have some patience, we’re going to help you figure out who just tried to kill you.” She glared at him. “Jackass.”

Faith’s Room

Faith hummed as she went through her collection of wigs. It was time to strike in a different direction. Sonny’s father was still in town–running that dive Kelly’s. It would be fun to go in, order a cup of coffee and slip Mike Corbin a little something special.

She laughed to herself as she pictured young Dr. Drake waking up in the hospital room, wondering what had happened to him. It had only been a sleeping agent she’d injected him with and she’d enjoyed watching him slump to the floor. She wasn’t quite ready to do away with him yet though–he might come in handy for the Robin Scorpio section of the plan.

She was going to decimate Sonny and Jason’s lives. She would take away everyone that they had loved–no matter how long ago it had been. And when they had been stripped of everything and stood before her, groveling for the lives of their pathetic wives, she would laugh and tell them that they could have same future her beloved husband had. The same future that Ric had.

No future of all, of course.

Faith laughed again as she plucked a jet black wig from the pile. She was so glad she’d waited this long.

Who would have thought revenge could be so sweet?

January 10, 2006

Kelly’s: Diner

“I don’t know why you felt you couldn’t tell me,” Emily sighed, stirring her hot chocolate idly as she studied Elizabeth.

“It was my own fault,” Elizabeth sighed. “I’m just relieved Jason came back home. Even if…” she bit her lip. “No, I’m not going to dwell on why he decided to come back. He’s home, we’re okay. It’s good.” She cleared her throat. “Now, you’ve been trying to get me to come meet you for three days. What’s going on?”

“Well…it’s…” Emily hesitated. “I’m not sure how to ask this question so I’ll just go ahead and say it. Is there anyone from Jason or Sonny’s past that has shown up that might not realize Robin has nothing to do with them?”

“What?” Elizabeth demanded. “Emily, what is going on? What would make you ask a question like that?”

“Well…” Emily bit her lip. “Remember how Robin was almost hit by that car and Patrick Drake was the one that pulled her back?”

“Ah, yes, her white knight. How is that going?” Elizabeth asked, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

“Oh, they bicker back and forth–the hospital has bets on who will fold first. It’s like a form of foreplay, I think. Anyway, a few days ago, Patrick was assaulted by someone posing as a nurse. She jabbed a sedative in his neck and left him there. Now Patrick’s only been in town since the New Year, so Robin and I thought it would be weird that he’d piss off a woman so quickly. We wanted to make sure it wasn’t someone getting back at him for saving Robin’s life.”

“Well, as far I as know there’s no one turned up and I promise you, Em, if there had been, I wouldn’t be out right now. Sonny and Jason are kind of cranky right this second about security because of that note and if there had been a threat, I would be in lockdown at the penthouse along with Lanie, Carly and the boys.” She reached across the table. “I’m barely at the hospital and even I’ve heard the rumors of Dr. Drake’s flirting. It’s entirely possible he pissed off the wrong woman.”

“I know, I know. It was a long shot but it just felt so weird. Robin’s parents aren’t a factor so we knew it wasn’t that and I think Robin was just worried about him. She’s got a crush.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Oh, you are so glad she’s not here right now. She’d kick your ass.”

Emily grinned wickedly. “I know, but outside her presence, I can say it as often as I please. It’s so obvious, Elizabeth. And it’s so entertaining to watch. They work together all the time because he’s the best surgeon on staff and she’s the best pathologist, but they each think that their line of treatment is best, you know? It’s led to some entertaining moments at the nurse’s station.”

“I can only imagine. Maybe I should have gone into medicine,” Elizabeth giggled. “I’m sorry I miss moments like that.”

“Well, you’ll just have to stop by more often. Believe me, it’s an everyday occurrence.” Emily took a long sip from her mug. “Elizabeth, we’re okay, right?”

Elizabeth frowned. “Of course we’re okay. We’ve been okay for over a year, Em. What makes you think we might be anything less?”

“Because you didn’t tell me that Jason moved out,” Emily said reluctantly. “And you never told me about Faith’s note. I know I did a horrible thing, Liz, and I’m so grateful that you forgave me, but–”

“Hold on a second. Emily, you are my best friend. We had some problems and I’m still not happy about the direction you took to solve those problems,” Elizabeth said slowly. “But in the end, you did what you did to protect Jason. And that motivation I understand more than ever because I kept that note a secret to protect him and as you now know, it backfired.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Emily sighed.

“Because I didn’t tell anyone other than Carly that Jason moved out and I told her because she lives across the hall and would have noticed,” Elizabeth said. “And the note…I didn’t want Jason to have another reason not to trust you. If Faith came back, if the note was discovered, I didn’t want him to have something else to point to as a reason not to trust you.”

“Plausible deniability,” Emily murmured. “I understand that you wanted to protect me and I know how much you want Jason and I to reconcile but, Elizabeth, it’s been two years. Jason is never going to forgive me. I’ve had to learn to accept that, I wish you would too.”

“I will never accept that,” Elizabeth said quietly. “He forgave Carly for worse and eventually he will forgive you, Emily.”

“It’s nice that you’re sure of that.” Emily checked her watch. “Okay, I have to get to the hospital for another round of How Much Longer Will We Torture The Hospital Staff Before We Just Hit A Supply Closet?” She tossed a ten on the table. “You should come by, it’s usually a riot.”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll just wait until tomorrow night’s dinner to tease Robin.” Elizabeth grinned. “Don’t forget–we’ve got a date at Jake’s.”

“See ya then.” Emily waved as she left the courtyard.

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

“Who’s the prettiest princess in all the land?” Carly was reading from a book to their daughter Morgan on the couch as Sonny sat at his desk, going over invoice reports.

“Me!” Morgan clapped her hands and giggled.

“No, silly, Princess Samantha,” Carly teased.

“Daddy,” Morgan pouted. “Mommy says I’m not a pretty princess!”

“Mommy’s smoking something,” Sonny said absently. He reached for the latest report on Courtney’s activities on the island. They’d exiled her there after the Ric debacle though Sonny had been tempted to do away with her like he had his half-brother. Unfortunately, Mike was attached to his daughter and Sonny hadn’t had the heart to tell his father that Courtney was a lying, traitorous bitch.

“Sonny!” Carly scolded. “You can’t tell our daughter that I’m high!”

“Sure I can,” Sonny replied easily. He grinned at his wife over his shoulder. “She doesn’t understand.”

“Yes, I do!” Morgan proclaimed proudly. “Smoke is what comes from the fireplace. So Mommy’s a fireplace.”

“Right,” Carly drawled. She closed the book. “You know what time it is, Morgan?”

“Uh uh.” Morgan started to crawl off her mother’s lap. “No nap!”

“Yes, nap.” Carly stood and lifted the giggling girl high in the air. “You will nap because otherwise you will sleep too late tomorrow and miss Dora.”

Morgan gasped. “Dora! No miss Dora!”

“Exactly, so we will nap.” Carly took the toddler up stairs and left Sonny in precious silence finally.

He was perusing the report when his phone rang. “Corinthos,” he said automatically and frowned when he saw that Courtney had been permitted to go to the local village by herself. He would have to speak to Emmanuel about that.

“Senor Corinthos, it is Pedro.”

Sonny’s frown deepened. Pedro was the lead guard on Courtney’s detail–and he never called. “Pedro, it’s funny that you called. I was just reading the latest report–”

“Ah, yes, Senor but I called for a very specific reason. Senorita Matthews, she is missing.”

Sonny’s back straightened and his attention was now firmly on the conversation at hand. “Missing,” he repeated slowly.

“Yes, Senor. We check the cottage this morning and she is not there. No one has any knowledge of her leaving.”

“Search the entire island and the surrounding chain,” Sonny ordered. “I want hourly reports of your progress. Find her, damn it.” He slammed the phone down and took a deep breath. The last thing he needed right now was his insane sister on the loose.

Carly meandered down the steps. “Morgan went right down,” she murmured. She hesitated when she saw Sonny’s combative stance. “Sonny, is everything okay?”

“It’s fine.” Sonny schooled his features into a smile before turning to kiss his wife’s cheek. “So Morgan’s asleep?”

“Yeah,” Carly replied, clearly not believing him. She framed his face in her hands. “I won’t ask anymore questions so that you don’t have to lie to me.”

“I appreciate that.”

She pulled away and started for the door. “I’m going to go over and check in with Jason. You stay here and pretend that nothing is bugging you.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

When Carly entered the penthouse, Jason glanced up from where he was seated on the couch reading the newspaper. He frowned. “We’re still working on that knocking thing then, I guess.”

“You have been avoiding me,” Carly announced. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Since the second you moved back in here, you have been conveniently out when I stop by and you kept making excuses while you were at the hotel not to see me.”

“Carly, do we have to have this conversation?” Jason sighed. He folded his paper and set it on the coffee table. “It’s not like it’s really–”

“Any of my business?” Carly finished wryly. She perched on the arm chair and rested her elbows on her knees. “And this has stopped me when?” Before Jason could answer, she continued speaking. “I’m just here to say that I’m pleased that my help was not needed in reuniting the two of you.”

“You’re not the only one,” Jason remarked idly. “If your help had been required, I imagine someone would be in jail by now.” He returned his attention to the newspaper.

Carly scowled. “When did you get so snarky?”

“Elizabeth’s influence,” Jason murmured. He closed the paper and set it on the coffee table. “Since you’re here, maybe we need to have a discussion about keeping things from me and Sonny and why you’re not supposed to do that.”

“We do not need to have any discussion at all on that subject,” Carly assured him. “I have learned my lesson whole-heartedly.”

“Uh huh,” Jason nodded. “How many times do you think you’re going to have to learn this particular lesson before it sinks in?”

“Three or four times more, I think,” Carly replied. “Hey, so Sonny got a phone call that’s bugging him. He won’t tell me what it is, so I figure you should go find out.” She stood and patted him on the shoulder. “I have to go meet my mother for lunch.”

“Take your guard,” Jason called out as the blonde exited.

January 11, 2006

Jake’s

Elizabeth tapped her finger against her glass of soda, restlessly and watched Emily down another shot of vodka. She could use a drink right now, she really could. Jason, not subscribing to Sonny’s theory that no one needed to know, had informed her that morning that Courtney Matthews, Faith and Sonny’s ex-partner in crime had disappeared from the island and no one had seen or heard from her since.

Jason and Sonny weren’t in panic mode quite yet. Courtney never would been able to make it back to the States without alerting someone somewhere so beyond the two guards who were pretending to shoot pool in the back of the bark, security had not changed overly much.

“I wonder where Robin is,” Elizabeth said, checking the time on her cell. “She’s usually at these meetings before either of us.”

“Oh…” Emily rolled her eyes and signaled Coleman for a refill. “She’s probably standing at the nurse’s station pretending she doesn’t want to rip Patrick’s clothes off. It’s disgusting.”

“On the contrary,” Robin slid into the third empty seat their table and sent a stern glare in Emily’s direction. “She was picking up the invitations from the printer. We need to approve them so they can be sent out on Friday.” She pulled her folder from her bag.

“Okay, but what were you doing before you left the hospital?” Emily asked pointedly.

“It is not my fault that he deems it necessary to argue with every word that comes out of my mouth,” Robin grumbled. She set the invitation down on the table. “Any spelling errors? Glaring omissions?”

Emily peered at it, “Nope. But I’ve had a few shots. Sooo…” she slid it across the table. “Let the sober one check it out.”

“Sure, make fun of me.” But Elizabeth smiled and reached for it. “It looks good to me, Robin.”

“Great,” Robin replied. She tucked the invite away. “So, how are you feeling? The morning sickness still being a bitch?”

“It’s a lot better than it was my first pregnancy,” Elizabeth remarked. “And Dr. Meadows said that my blood pressure has stabilized and it’s actually in the normal range for once.”

“See, this is why I believe in karma and kismet,” Emily said. Robin and Elizabeth frowned and turned their attention to the slightly inebriated med student. Emily waved at someone behind them. “Hey, come and join us!”

“Oh, God,” Robin groaned after peering over her shoulder. “Yeah, bad karma and bad kismet. I knew I was going to pay for stealing Uncle Mac’s car one day.”

A tall, lanky dark haired guy started towards them at Emily’s invitation and Elizabeth’s eyes shot in the air. “That’s Patrick Drake? Good lord, Robin, no wonder Emily thinks you want to rip his clothes off–”

“If you finish that sentence, I swear to God, Liz–” Robin began hotly.

“Well, hello, ladies,” Patrick grinned, sidling up the table. “I was wondering where all the gorgeous women went in Port Charles.” He flicked his eyes at Robin. “And where Dr. Scorpio spent her time outside the hospital.”

Elizabeth smirked. “So you’re not including Robin in the former description?” She clucked her tongue. “Smooth.” Robin kicked Elizabeth in the shins and Elizabeth smiled blandly at her, enjoying her discomfort.

“Patrick, you haven’t met my sister-in-law,” Emily waved her hand around wildly and the doctor wisely stepped to the side and avoided being whacked in the gut. “Elizabeth Morgan, Patrick Drake.”

“I have heard so much about you,” Elizabeth grinned. Robin narrowed her eyes. “From Emily.”

Emily gasped. “That’s not what she meant,” she said hastily. “She meant that I was talking about something else and your name came up and really, I never said a word about licking–”

Elizabeth clapped hand over Emily’s mouth. “Coleman, we’re going to need some black coffee over here!” she called to their bartender. “And another round of drinks for everyone but Emily.”

“Ah, the Q can never hold her liquor,” Coleman said, shaking his head in mocking sadness.

Patrick took the fourth empty seat, across from Robin. “So what brings you all here tonight?”

“We’re planning a fundraising benefit,” Robin answered primly. She accepted her shot of vodka from Coleman. “What brings you here? The lack of discriminating women?”

“Ah, Robin, let’s not insult ourselves,” Elizabeth told her.

“Well, obviously, I didn’t mean us,” Robin grumbled.

“Dr. Scorpio spends a lot of time worrying about my personal life,” Patrick remarked in a confidential tone to Elizabeth.

Aggravated, Robin scowled. “Only because you were insinuating that I didn’t have one, you bloody son of–”

“Let’s talk about the benefit,” Emily broke in. “I talked to Jax and he said he’d handle the caterers.”

“Good,” Robin took out her checklist. “And I talked to Maxie’s friend and he’s going to donate his DJ services for free.”

“What are you raising money for?” Patrick asked curiously.

“We’re on the board of directors for the Stone Cates Memorial Foundation,” Emily said proudly. “We’re trying to raise money to buy a home so we can turn it into a haven for runaway teens.” She pointed a finger at Robin. “She founded it, you know. Robin’s really ambitious and very goal-oriented.”

“I don’t think she’s had enough coffee yet,” Robin decided.

“And who was Stone Cates?” Patrick inquired. Robin hesitated and glanced at Elizabeth before answering.

“He was a friend of mine in high school,” she said. “He was a runaway and he died a long time ago.” She tossed back another shot.

Later, after Elizabeth and Robin had peeled a semi conscious Emily from the back seat and handed her over to Dillon Quartermaine and his brother Ned Ashton, Elizabeth drove a slightly tipsy Robin back to her apartment. Her guards followed in the car behind her–one of the very few concessions Jason had been willing to make regarding her security.

“So you didn’t tell Patrick about Stone,” Elizabeth said quietly. She flicked her eyes over to her friend. “I mean, it’s not like I knew him or anything but usually…you mention how he died. And that he was your first love.”

Robin sighed. “I know. But if I’d told him Stone was my boyfriend and he’d died of AIDs, he would have found out that I have HIV.” She shifted, somewhat uncomfortably. “I mean, it’s not like I’m trying to hide it, you know I would never do that.”

“I know,” Elizabeth responded.

“But Emily’s right,” Robin continued. “Patrick does flirt with me and I–I can’t pretend that I don’t like him a little bit. I guess…I’m worried if he knew, he wouldn’t do it anymore.”

“Well, I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but then again, I don’t live with what you have to so I’m going to trust your judgment, but Robin?” Elizabeth glanced at her again. “You’re going to have to tell him some time. Because you know the way things are in Port Charles. Everyone knows everything and you can’t hide things for very long.”

“Hmm…” Robin tapped her fingers against her legs. “Thanks for your help with the foundation,” she told Elizabeth, changing the subject. “I really want to this to take off and I want the benefit to be perfect.”

“It will be,” Elizabeth said confidently. “We’ve worked out every detail. What could go wrong?”