Quick Notes: Set in Fall 2016, about three years after the last story ended. Most of the intervening three years will be established in the first few parts. If you haven’t reread the first two stories in a bit, here are the highlights: Jason & Elizabeth reunited in 2012 after she helped him expose Tea’s son was actually Sam’s son. Sam and Jason have gone their separate ways, while Jason & Elizabeth moved in together. They learned Jake was alive and being held in Greece by Helena Cassadine, so Laura, Jason & Elizabeth headed across the ocean with Spinelli & Sonny to get their son back. It got complicated after that as Patrick, Robert and Anna joined to rescue Robin, Nikolas faked his death, Lucky stabbed Elizabeth — but Elizabeth and Jason were reunited with their son and returned home to Port Charles where they got engaged.

*deep breath* Okay. Got it? Great. Let’s go.

Written in 53 minutes. Did a quick readthrough and spell check. Hopefully caught most of the typos.

September 2016

General Hospital: Employee Locker Room

Elizabeth Morgan took a deep breath and exited the bathroom, stopping short when she saw the room was no longer empty. “Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.”

Robin Scorpio-Drake turned as she opened her locker. “Sorry, did I surprise you? I thought you were done working these night shifts.” She checked her watch. “It’s almost five—”

“I switched with Felix. He had a date.” Elizabeth sat on the bench. “You’re early for yours.”

“Yeah, I have a ton of paperwork to go over, and then Patrick and I have an appointment later with Britt.” Robin closed her locker. “We’re going to start IVF. I mean, today. It’s my first procedure.”

“IVF?” Elizabeth repeated. “Oh, that’s amazing! I didn’t know you were thinking about having another baby.”

“Well, we weren’t but then Patrick found a new gray hair and we both realized—I mean, we always wanted more,” Robin clarified. “But…things kept getting in the way.”

Things like Lisa Niles and Cassadines. Elizabeth nodded. “I know what you mean.”

“Anyway, I know Patrick was probably going to tell you at some point, but we were keeping it to ourselves for a bit. I mean, we’re kind of at the older end, and even though my viral load is nonexistent, we thought IVF would be the safest and quickest—” Robin paused. “We’re not really telling anyone except family.”

“No, I completely—actually—” Elizabeth laughed slightly as she reached into her scrubs pocket and took out a white stick. “That’s why I’m in here.”

“Oh my God! Are you—”

“I don’t know. Two more minutes.” Elizabeth exhaled on a rush of air. “We’ve been trying for a year,” she admitted quietly. “I’ve never had trouble getting pregnant before but I’m thirty-six—and, well—”

“Jason’s forty-two. I know. It feels weird to think of us as getting old,” Robin admitted. “I keep waiting to feel like an adult. You know?”

“I know! I keep looking around for the adult in charge, and it’s usually me.” Elizabeth shuddered. “It’s not that I don’t like getting older, I just thought I’d feel older. Most of the time, I don’t—but this last year—every month—” She rubbed her heart. “If I’m not pregnant this time, I think we might give up.”

“Hey…” Robin touched her shoulder. “You could see doctors—”

“We could. And we could do what you’re doing with fertility treatments—but I just—maybe it’s not meant to be. I just…the boys are getting older, and I’m not ready to be done being a mom. And Jason hasn’t really had a lot of time to be a dad. I know they’ll always be our babies—”

“I get it. I missed so much of Emma’s first year, and then even more time with her with the Cassadines and Africa. You and Jason haven’t been able to do this together from the beginning. Patrick and I are looking forward to doing everything together. No separations. No postpartum because I’ll be on top of it this time—” Robin smiled at her. “And if you’re pregnant, hopefully I will be soon, too. So—” She nodded at the stick. “You ready?”

Spencer House: Living Room

“Aiden!” Laura Spencer’s voice rose an octave as she repeated her youngest grandson’s name for the third time. “Aiden, it’s time to go!”

“One more minute!”

“He said that five minutes ago,” Laura told Jason Morgan who just shrugged. “I told him it was time to go, that you were on your way, but—”

“Video games,” Jason said. He checked the clock over her mantel. “I’ll go get him if he’s not done in another couple of minutes. Thanks for grabbing him after school.”

“I love spending time with my babies,” Laura said, wincing as she heard Cameron and Spencer arguing from upstairs. “Sometimes they even like each other.” She paused as she picked up one of the toys under the coffee table. “Elizabeth told me that the papers were coming in this week?”

“Alexis got the word yesterday that it was finalized.” Jason shifted. “I’m sorry, Laura. I know you were hoping—”

“That Lucky would swoop in at the last minute like his old self, and stop the adoption.” Laura offered a weak smile. “Three years, you’d think I’d give up on that. The last Luke heard, Lucky was still with Nikolas tracking Mikkos. I don’t think either of my sons are coming back any time soon, Jason. Aiden deserves a full-time dad, and he’s got that.”

“I don’t blame you for wanting it to be Lucky,” Jason said, even though he’d be happy to never see the little bastard again. The last time he’d been in a room with Elizabeth’s ex-husband and Aiden’s biological father, Lucky had stabbed Elizabeth, aiming for Jason. The injury had nearly killed Elizabeth.

“And I can’t blame you for being glad Lucky is far away with apparently zero interest in his own son.” Laura’s lips thinned. “Every time I think I’ve come to terms with it—” She took a deep breath. “I think of my little boy. My sweet boy who idolized family. Helena killed that boy a long time ago.” She paused. “I imagine you changed Aiden’s last name.”

“We did,” Jason said, with a bit of regret. “Aiden wanted to be like the rest of us. We talked about Elizabeth staying Webber when we got married, having the boys share that name—”

“No, I know. Elizabeth and I talked about it, too. The Webber name never meant a lot to her. Not the way it did to me once. Her parents have never made her feel like she was part of that family. I’m glad she and the boys have you.”

“They have you, too,” Jason reassured her. “And maybe Nikolas will give up hunting down Mikkos and come back.” Lucky could stay in Siberia for all he cared, but he’d always liked and respected Laura. She’d never once treated Cameron or Jake like they weren’t her grandchildren.

“Maybe.” But Laura didn’t believe that anymore than Jason did. She looked up the stairs again. “Aiden! I’m only going to say this—”

“Ugh, why doesn’t Cameron have to go?” Aiden demanded as the six-year-old stomped down the stairs. “How come I’m the baby?”

“Because you were born last and can’t walk home by yourself,” Jason said as his son reached the bottom of the stairs.

“What if you tell Mom, though?” Aiden asked. He sat on the bottom step and fought with his shoelaces. “If you tell Mom I can walk home—”

“I agree with Mom,” Jason told him. He knelt down and helped guide Aiden’s tiny fingers so that he could tie his own shoes. “Cam knows the rules, and when you’re fourteen, you’ll get more freedom.”

“But that’s forever away, Dad!” Aiden huffed. “Grandma, tell him I’m grown up.”

“Not a chance,” Laura said. “If I had my way, I’ll wrap all my babies in cotton and never let you out.”

Aiden’s eyes widened in horror and he looked at Jason. “You’re not going to do that, are you?”

“No, but I’m tempted to.” Jason pulled Aiden to his feet. “Come on, since your brothers are both out with friends, you get to pick what we have for dinner.”

“Haha, suckers!” Aiden bounced over to grab his jacket and his bag. “Adios, Grandma!”

“Bribery,” Laura said with a smile as she followed Jason to the door. They both watched Aiden dart down the front steps to the driveway where Jason’s SUV was parked. “I don’t resent you adopting him, Jason. Or his taking your name and calling you Dad. Please don’t think that—”

“I don’t,” Jason assured her. “I know it’s hard. I’m sorry it had to be this way—”

“Don’t lie to make me feel better,” Laura said gently. “This is the best outcome for you and Elizabeth. And the boys. They have happiness, stability, and everything I ever wanted for them.” She patted his arm. “Give Elizabeth my love, and I’ll ship Cameron home in about an hour.”

Port Charles Police Department: Commissioner’s Office

Jordan Ashford strode into the office and went behind her desk, two of her detectives taking the chairs in front. “Did we hear back from DOC on the Hornsby transfer?”

“Yeah,” Dante Falconieri assured her. “He’s cooling his heels in protective custody.”

“The ADA said it might be a few months before we get to trial. Maybe longer,” Nathan West offered. “They gotta find a special prosecutor since our current DA—”

“Is an accused serial killer.” Jordan made a face and sat down. “Well, at least that’s done. I have a ton of paperwork to get through—” She sighed at the pile on the her desk. “So many things fell through the cracks—”

“Bound to happen—”

“There’s a bunch of new parolees and prisoners on work-release,” Jordan told Dante. She unearthed a file. “It came in two weeks ago, but I put it aside. Go through the cases, see if there’s anyone we need to keep our eyes on.”

“I don’t think there were any high profile guys or the media would have picked it up,” Dante assured her, but he scanned the list of names in the folder. “Yeah, none of these are ringing a bell. Mostly some petty crimes—” He frowned. “One felony release.”

“Who is it?” Jordan asked. She turned to her keyboard. “I’ll check the records.”

“Pled guilty to extortion and attempted kidnapping. Served ten years—out on parole as of last week,” Dante said. “Thomas Baker.”

“I got a few Thomas Bakers,” Jordan said as she perused the list. “Ah—here it is.” She tapped a few keys. “Baker was arrested October 1998, accused of holding Emily Quartermaine and Elizabeth Webber hostage in a photo studio.” She looked at Dante. “You know Elizabeth, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but this was 1998,” Dante reminded her. “I didn’t move here for another decade, and I never met Emily. What about the extortion?”

“Blackmail photos,” Jordan murmured. “There’s a note on this file to contact the arresting officer.” She frowned. “Marcus Taggert. This was his case.”

“Maybe he wanted to warn Elizabeth and Emily that Baker was gonna be out,” Nathan suggested. “He didn’t plead to a violent crime. Attempted kidnapping doesn’t rate a contact from the parole board.”

“It’s been almost twenty years,” Jordan pointed out. “Do you think Elizabeth would still care?”

“Doesn’t hurt to call Taggert and get his read,” Nathan said. “You worked with him, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, we were partners at the DEA and he’s still around to see his daughter.” Jordan reached for her phone and went through her contacts. “Let’s find out where Baker is. He might be holding a grudge and might not realize Elizabeth got herself married to the mob while he was in Pentonville.”

+4

Written in 48 minutes. Did a quick spell check and readthrough. I didn’t think I’d finish another scene in 12 minutes, so I just stopped.

Morgan Home: Master Bedroom

Elizabeth lingered in the doorway, listening as Cameron and Jake bickered over who would get to use the bathroom first. “You have about thirty seconds before I come in there and brush your teeth myself!”

There was some silence, then a hushed, fervent set of whispers before Jake slunk out of the room, sending his mother a beleaguered glare. “I’m not a baby anymore,” he muttered.

“That’s how I knew it would work.” She rolled her eyes and left the doorway, unfastening her watch. “Never fails,” she told Jason. “Threaten to hold them down and shove a brush in their mouth, suddenly they’re the souls of cooperation.”

He grinned at her, sitting on the bed to take off his boots. “I told Laura the adoption was finalized,” he said.

Elizabeth made a face, tossing the watch and her necklace into the porcelain tray atop the dresser. “I meant to say something,” she confessed, “but it’s been awkward. I know she supports it—”

“But she’s not one hundred percent on board,” her husband finished. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him, closing her eyes. “She knows it was the right decision, but—”

“But it’s admitting that Aiden is never going to know the boy I fell in love with.” Elizabeth sighed. “It’s hard,” she continued. “When I was just a little older than Cameron, I had all these dreams about a family with Lucky. Remember?” She twisted. “When we talked in Jake’s that first night, and I told you about wanting a baby with Lucky?”

“Yeah.”

“That boy—that sweet, caring boy deserved to be a father. It hurts to let go of that. I thought I had years ago, but when I realized I was still holding onto a small piece of it when Lucky sent the paperwork to terminate his parental rights. I know Luke said he’s been better, but he’ll never be that boy again.” She stared at the collar of Jason’s t-shirt. “I don’t know why I have to keep relearning that. He hasn’t been that boy for nearly twenty years.” She forced a smile. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m so maudlin about this. Aiden loves you, and I love that he has you.”

“I know, but he and Cameron both know they’re not my biological sons. Aiden’s going to have questions one day. We need to be ready to answer them.”

“Thank you for putting up with me.” Elizabeth leaned up to kiss him, then lingered. “How long do you think we have before Cam tries to sneak downstairs for one more video game?”

“It’s only nine,” Jason murmured, brushing his lips down her jaw. “Maybe ten minutes before he thinks we’re not listening.”

“Well, not enough time for that,” Elizabeth replied, “but—” She put her hands against his chest, pushing him back gently so their eyes could meet. “I’ve been waiting all day to get you alone.”

“I can be creative in ten minutes,” Jason offered, but she shook her head. She went over to the purse hanging on the back of her door. When she turned back to him, she was holding out the pregnancy test. He stared at him for a long moment before raising stunned eyes to hers. “Is that—”

“Yeah. I, um, thought maybe, but I didn’t want to get our hopes up—” She bit her lip. “So I took it at work, and then Britt did a blood test to confirm—” She laughed as Jason came forward to pick her up and swing her around before hugging her tightly. “I guess you’re happy.”

“We’ve been talking about it for a year,” Jason reminded her. He pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears, then letting his thumbs slide down her cheeks. “Everything we’re going to get right this time. You won’t need double shifts, and I’ll be here for the cravings and to take care of the boys—”

“And you’ll get to hold the baby in the hospital and everyone will know—” Elizabeth sighed happily. “I was so afraid to hope—so sure I was just being selfish. I mean, we have three beautiful boys—we have Jake, our miracle—I didn’t know if we’d get another chance—” She broke off when she heard a tell tale creak.

“I got it,” Jason told her, kissing her forehead. He pulled open their door to catch Cameron at the top of the stairs. “No.”

“Just one more game—”

“No.”

“Come on, Dad!” Cameron scowled. “Spencer keeps saying that I only suck because I’m not allowed to have it in my room—”

“You don’t have to go to sleep, Cam, but you know the rules. In your room at nine.”

“When I’m an adult, I’m going to have all the game systems right next to the bed,” Cameron muttered but he slunk back to his room and slammed the door.

“Are we being too strict?” Elizabeth wondered as Jason returned.

“He’d play those stupid games all night. We already took away the phone and tablet,” he reminded her.

“I know. And he doesn’t look death warmed over because he’s actually sleeping at night.” Satisfied, Elizabeth perched on the edge of the bed. “You sure you want sign up for another eighteen years of enforcing rules?” she teased.

“Only with you.”

General Hospital: Hub

Jordan stepped off the elevator and headed straight for Portia Robinson. She waited as Portia finished talking to Finn, then waved to get her attention. Portia made a face that reminded Jordan that they were not friends — but came over anyway.

“This isn’t about Trina, is it?” Portia asked. “I told her about curfew—”

“No. I’ve been trying to get in touch with Marcus,” Jordan said. “But he hasn’t returned my calls. I thought you might know what’s going on—”

“He’s working a case,” Portia said. “As always. Or at least, that’s what he said when he canceled last weekend with Trina. You know, Jordan, the whole point of divorcing Marcus was so that I didn’t have to constantly answer questions. Leave a message with the DEA—”

“Wait—wait—it’s about one of his cases from when he worked here,” Jordan said as Portia turned to leave. “It was before he started seeing you, I think, because it’s definitely before he left the PCPD for the DEA, but this guy is up for parole and the case file said to contact the arresting officer.”

Portia sighed. “He never talked about his cases—”

“Thomas Baker,” Jordan cut in. “Arrested in 1998 for blackmail and holding Elizabeth Webber and Emily Quartermaine hostage. It looks like a pretty straight-forward case — do you know why Marcus would care about his release?”

“Baker?” Portia repeated. She held a chart against her chest. “I actually—it’s one of the few cases Marcus checked in on when he left the department. He went to Baker’s first parole hearing five—no, six years ago. Wanted to make sure he’d serve the full twenty. I think he said Baker was suspected of another crime, but Marcus couldn’t make the charges stick.”

“Do you know what kind of crime?” Jordan asked. “Should I be keeping an eye on this guy?”

“Rape and assault of a teenaged girl. Marcus never got specific with me, and I knew better. I think maybe he wanted to keep the victim in the loop since she wouldn’t be notified. Why is the case coming up now?”

“Because he made parole,” Jordan said with a wince, “and his parole officer got him a gig here. At General Hospital.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll have Dante pull the rape files from back then. Can you get in touch with him?”

“Yeah. I’ll do what I can. This case—it stuck with him,” Portia murmured. “He’d wanted to know the guy is out.”

General Hospital: Hallway

“Hey. Got a minute?” Elizabeth asked, catching up to Patrick Drake as the neurosurgeon started his rounds.

“For you, Webber, no.” Patrick flashed her a grin. “You can have two.”

“Generous.” Elizabeth paused. “I don’t know if Robin told you we talked in the locker room yesterday—”

“Yeah, she told me you know about the IVF.” Patrick rocked back on his heels. “Crazy, right? Starting over again, but it went great yesterday. Hopefully it’ll take.”

“So she didn’t tell you what she and I talked about?” Elizabeth asked.

“No, she said you’d be tracking me down on your own.” Patrick furrowed his brow. “You good? Anything wrong? The adoption?” He scowled. “Did that little bitch mess things up—”

“No, I told you it was finalized. It’s good news.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “You’re not the only ones starting over. Jason and I have been trying for a year, and yesterday—” She grinned. “It came back positive.”

“Oh, yeah?” Patrick wrapped her in a tight hug. “Look at you, joining us on the crazy train.” His grin was broad as he pulled back. “Oh man, can you be excited and terrified at the same time?” he asked as they started walking down the hall. “I used to be a lot younger.”

“Yeah, but think of all the mistakes we won’t make again,” Elizabeth said. She slid her arm through his. “And you know, we were both kind of alone for the hardest parts. Right after they were born, when they were just babies.” She took a deep breath. “I know Robin didn’t want it that way—”

“But it’s how it rolled out. It’s part of the reason we’re doing it again. She didn’t get to have everything. Between the PPD, Africa, and those psychos—she missed half of Emma’s life. We’re making up for it, but it’s not the same.”

“Same. Jason’s been in and out since Cam was born,” she told him, “but we really just—we want that experience. Start to finish, you know? I want him to have all the moments.”

“Still, we made a pretty good team,” Patrick said. “The pair of single parents in history. Those kids never got away with a single thing.”

“Well, they almost managed to stow away on a plane and get to Greece,” Elizabeth reminded him.

“You know, I should have been more angry about that,” he admitted, “but Dante said seeing Maxie and Lulu tied and gagged up by a bunch of fifth graders was a highlight of his life. And hey—”

“They left Aiden with a remote and a Lunchable,” Elizabeth finished, grinning at the memory. It had once been a terrifying one to recall—how close their precious babies came to joining the chaos in Greece, but after three years — it had become almost a legend. “Did you hear the late gossip from the ninth grade?”

“I try hard to forget that’s happening,” Patrick said with a grimace, “how did Emma get old enough to be a freshman?” He sighed. “What did Joss do this time?”

“She tried to make Trina miss the cheerleading tryouts, so Trina might have enlisted Cam to dump blue hair dye in Joss’s shampoo.” Elizabeth paused. “I don’t think Emma was part of it—”

“Who do you think talked Cam into doing it?” Patrick said. “I may not acknowledge this whole dating thing, but I know your kid is a sucker for anything mine asks him to do.”

“They’ve been dating for a year, Patrick. When are you going to admit it—” Elizabeth laughed as they turned a corner, walking straight into a pair of custodians. “Oh, I’m sorry—”

“No worries,” one of the men said as they turned to face Patrick and Elizabeth. Elizabeth stared at him as the man smiled. “Don’t say a word.”

Elizabeth’s hand slid from Patrick’s arm as she forced herself to speak. “How—why—I don’t—”

“Elizabeth?” Patrick asked, concerned. “Do you know him?” He squinted at the man’s name tag. “You’re new, aren’t you? Tom? When did you start?”

“Just last week,” Tom said with another smile. “Elizabeth and I go way back.” He fastened his eyes on hers. “She’s why I went to prison.”

+4

Written in 58 minutes. Did a spellcheck but not a reread.

General Hospital: Hallway

The world around her fell away. The bright, fluorescent lights, the clean anti-septic smell, the squeaking of shoes against the floor, the beeping of monitors, and the hushed voices —

All of it melted away as Elizabeth stared at the man who had been the center of all her nightmares. Her vision narrowed until it was pinpricks of light in a dark world —

There was something cold and wet against her back, and she could feel the slush of snow under her fingernails as she dug her hands into the ground, bucking wildly against the heavy weight on top her—why couldn’t she scream—why couldn’t she—

“Whoa, whoa—” Dimly she heard a panicked voice from somewhere far away but she couldn’t breath. She couldn’t force air into her lugs—she couldn’t scream, couldn’t speak, couldn’t—

Patrick barely spared a glance for the pair of men as one of them dragged away the new guy—Elizabeth’s face was chalk white as she slid to the ground, Patrick grabbing for her just before she hit the linoleum. “Damn it,” he hissed. He whipped his head around. “Can someone—”

“What’s wrong?” Griffin Munro darted across the hallway, kneeling next to Elizabeth who was still gasping for air, clutching at her throat. “What happened?”

“I don’t—” Patrick just stared in abject horror as the younger doctor attempted to lift her into his arms but Elizabeth began to fight wildly, kicking—and now she was screaming— “Baby, hey—”

“We need a sedative—”

“Wait, wait—” Patrick warded off a nurse who was coming towards them with a syringe. “She’s pregnant,” he bit out. “What’s in that?”

“It’s fine,” another voice barked. Epiphany Johnson grabbed the syringe from the shell-shocked nurse and jabbed it into Elizabeth’s arm. Elizabeth’s struggles gradually disappeared until she slumped back against Griffin, her eyes closed. “What the hell is going on?” she demanded. Then she looked around the hallway. “Go back to work!” she ordered, gesturing with sharp movements. Most scattered immediately.

“But—” the nurse who had attempted to help swallowed. “Can we do anything?”

“You can go back to work.” She nodded at Griffin who was rubbing his shoulder where Elizabeth had nailed him. “Let’s get her into a room. Get Morgan and Laura Spencer down here.”

“I’ll get Laura,” Patrick volunteered as Griffin lifted Elizabeth into his arms, this time without the attack. “And call Jason. Wait—” He put a hand on Epiphany’s arm. “She ever mention the name Tom to you? There was a custodian here. Said she was the reason he went to prison.” He whipped his around. “He’s gone now, but—”

“No, but Laura will. She’s known Elizabeth most of her life.” Epiphany followed Griffin into the room.

Patrick pulled out his phone and sent Jason a quick text to get to the hospital, adding Liz was fine, but she needed him. Then he went to find the hospital administrator.

General Hospital: Administrator’s Office

Laura frowned when Patrick shoved his way into her office, even as her assistant followed him. “Patrick, what on Earth?”

“I’m sorry—but Elizabeth just—” The doctor took a deep breath. “She had a panic attack, I think. Or something like it—”

“What? Why?” Laura started out of the office, both of them ignoring the assistant who was complaining about appointments. “Cancel them,” she snapped. “My daughter needs me.” She went stalked towards the elevator. “What happened?”

“Things were fine. She was fine,” Patrick stressed, “and then we ran into these custodians. There’s this new guy—Elizabeth looked upset when she saw him and then he said she was the reason he went to prison—”

The doors opened but Laura didn’t move. “Laura—”

“What was his name?” she asked, her heart pounding. No. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t be—

“Tom.” Patrick put a hand out to stop the doors from closing. “Laura, what the hell is going on?”

“Tom.” Laura took a deep breath, then stepped onto the elevator. “Tom,” she repeated. “Tom Baker.”

“You know who he is? Laura—”

“It’s not—” Laura fisted her hand against her heart. “It’s not my story to tell, but the only Toms that Elizabeth knows are her uncle…and someone who hurt her very much once.”

Without a word, they stepped onto the elevator and Patrick jabbed a finger against the button. When he spoke next, his voice was tight. “Tom Baker was the man who raped her.”

“She told you?”

“Yeah. A long time ago.” Patrick stared blindly at the silver doors in front of him. “How the hell does that man get hired to work here without you knowing? Without Elizabeth knowing?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell going to find out.”

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

Jason didn’t remember much of the drive between the warehouse and the hospital. He’d read Patrick’s text message and had gone on autopilot. Everything shut down inside — he only had one goal.

Get to the hospital. Get to Elizabeth.

At the nurse’s station, he opened his mouth to ask where his wife was, but then the second set of elevators opened and Laura and Patrick stepped out. Jason charged towards them. “Where is she?”

“I’ll take you there, but Jason—” Patrick put up a hand. “She’s okay,” he repeated. “She’s fine and so—” He slid a glance towards Laura. “Everything is fine.”

“Then—”

“She saw Tom Baker,” Laura said softly. “He’s here in the hospital.”

Jason’s hands fisted. “What happened?” he demanded. “Where is she?”

“She lost it,” Patrick said as he walked them both down towards the hallway. “First she went white, and then kind of fell to the floor. Griff tried to pick her up, and she went wild—” He cleared his throat. “We had to sedate her.”

“Oh, God.” Laura pressed her hands to her face. “Oh, God. She didn’t know. If she had known—”

“I don’t think she even knew he was out of prison,” Patrick said. “Jason—”

“He’s supposed to be up for parole in six months,” Jason bit out. He’d been keeping track of the man since the day he’d gone into the system for blackmailing Emily and holding her hostage—along with Elizabeth. “I’ll find out what the hell happened.” And which one of his men had let him down.

“You must have flown here,” Epiphany said as they approached her. “She’s fine,” she assured Jason. “Griffin is with her, and she’s resting. Still out from the sedative,” she added. “But she’ll be coming around shortly.”

“Okay.” He was okay. This was okay. He could handle this. “You said she had to be sedated—”

“I checked,” Patrick added. “They know.” He winced. “Does Laura—”

“Know what?” Laura drew her brows together. “What’s going on?”

“We were—we just found out yesterday—” Jason sighed, then looked at Elizabeth’s mother-in-law. “She’s pregnant.”

“Oh.” Laura’s eyes brightened. “That’s wonderful! I know she said you were trying—but—” she looked at Patrick. “You made sure they knew—”

“I checked it,” Epiphany assured her. “Most sedatives are fine, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” She nodded her head at Jason. “You better get in there. She needs to see a familiar face when she comes around.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He looked at Laura. “Why was Baker at the hospital?”

“He apparently works here,” Patrick said flatly.

Jason’s nostrils flared. “He what?”

“I don’t oversee every hire,” Laura said. “But I know he plead guilty to holding Elizabeth hostage. That should have sent up a red flag. We don’t hire anyone who has a felony conviction against a current employee.”

“He didn’t—” Jason took a deep breath. “They plead that down,” he said. “Officially, I mean. It was only—only Emily’s charges went forward. Elizabeth’s case was dropped when they dropped the rape charges.”

“Oh, Christ.” Laura closed her eyes. “I’d forgotten that. I thought—But—but it was in the arrest file, and I know Taggert said he was going to keep his eye on things. He was at the parole hearing the first time. I’ll call Jordan. Maybe something got lost.”

“Maybe.” Jason didn’t want to know anymore. The man who had brutalized and traumatized his wife was out on the loose, breathing the same air—working in the same building—

That wasn’t going to last.

He dismissed the three of them and went into the hospital room where he found a dark-haired doctor sitting by Elizabeth’s side. One of the doctors who was studying with Patrick, he remembered. Griffin something.

“Hey. Hey.” Nervous, Griffin got to his feet. “I’m glad you’re here. Um—vitals are good, I mean. She’ll be okay when she wakes up. I hope—” He looked back to Elizabeth before focusing on Jason. “I’ll get back to work.”

“Thanks.” Jason dismissed the doctor and took the seat he’d vacated. It was strange to see Elizabeth stretched out on the hospital bed, dressed in the purple scrubs she wore on days when she worked on Patrick’s OR team. Her face was pale, her eyes looked almost bruised against her skin. He didn’t like to see her this way. In a hospital bed.

It always brought back the day Jake was born and she’d nearly died. Or when she’d nearly died from the biotoxin and he hadn’t gone to see her. Or when she’d nearly drowned, then had hallucinations of Jake.

She’d spent too much time almost dying in a hospital bed.

Jason reached for her hand, rubbing his fingers over the rings he’d placed there three years earlier. He’d make sure his was the first face she’d see when she woke.

And then he’d finish Tom Baker. The man was never going to get another chance to do this to her.

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

Laura tapped her foot as she waited for Portia Robinson to get her page. Finally, the doctor stepped around a corner, frowning as she approached Laura. “Mrs. Spencer—”

“Dr. Robinson, thank you for answering my page. I apologize if I took you away from anything important,” Laura said. “This isn’t hospital related,” she added, “but it is an emergency. I need Taggert’s contact information.”

Portia frowned, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re the second person to ask me about Marcus this week,” she said. “The commissioner was also trying to track him down. What’s wrong?”

“Jordan was—” Laura hesitated. “Taggert was keeping an eye on a case that was important to my family,” she said. “He contacted my daughter-in-law the last time Tom Baker was up for parole. But this time—”

“Your daughter-in-law—” Portia raised a hand. “Jordan just told me about this yesterday. Baker got out on parole and was working here. I knew Marcus was worried about some case that Baker wasn’t charged with—is that her?”

“Yes. And, according to what he told us then — and what my son-in-law thought — Baker wasn’t supposed to be up for parole. I need to find out what happened—”

“Of course. I don’t understand how Marcus let this go,” Portia murmured. She reached into her pocket for her cell phone. “He never gave me details, but that parole hearing happened right before we separated. He was relieved when Baker didn’t get out. He never would have—”

She pressed a button, dialing her ex-husband. “Voicemail,” she muttered. “Marcus, it’s Portia again. Please get in touch with me. It’s an emergency. Trina is fine, but Tom Baker is out of prison, and he’s working at the hospital. I don’t know the details, but you need to get in touch with Laura Spencer and Jordan as soon as possible. Please.”

“Thank you,” Laura said. “Is it like him to not get back you?”

“Not unusual,” she admitted. “He goes undercover sometimes at the DEA, and he might be under right now. He doesn’t always warn us.” Portia grimaced. “One of the reasons we got divorced,” she muttered. “I’ll let you know if he gets back in touch with me, and I’ll text you his number.”

“Thank you—”

“Mrs. Spencer—is your daughter-in-law all right? Elizabeth is a great nurse, I mean. I just—”

“She’s all right.” For now, Laura added to herself silently as she walked away.

General Hospital: Hospital Room

Elizabeth turned her head and slowly forced her eyes open. She felt like she was swimming through a thick sea of cobwebs. She found familiar blue eyes peering at her, and she frowned. “J-Jason?”

“Hey.” His fingers brushed her cheeks. “How are you feeling?”

“Confused,” Elizabeth admitted. She cleared her throat and gratefully accepted Jason’s help in sitting up and then the water he gave her. “What—” She looked around, realizing she was on a hospital bed. Alarmed, she pressed a hand against her belly. “Jason—”

“The baby is fine,” Jason told her. He covered her hand with his own, the other sliding through her hair. “Perfect,” he promised. “Do you—” He hesitated. “Do you remember what happened?”

“No—” And then she did. Everything inside her trembled. “Jason. I—I saw—he said—he was here—he said—”

“Hey.” Jason edged onto the bed, taking both her hands in hers. “I’m right here. Nothing is going to hurt you. No one,” he added. “Look at me.”

She did, focusing on his eyes, on the feel of his hands wrapped around hers. He always made her feel safe. “Tom Baker,” she said softly. “He was…I turned a corner, and he was just there. We bumped into him, and I started to apologize—” Her voice faltered. “He said not a word. That’s what he said. He said don’t say a word,” she corrected. “But that night—the night he—” Elizabeth closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. “He hissed it into my ear. Not a word. Then he said it again that day in the studio. That’s how I knew—I recognized him, I could hear his voice, I could feel him—”

“Stay with me—” Jason tipped up her chin. “Stay with me here,” he ordered. “Right here. Right now. That was nineteen years ago,” he reminded her. “You’re safe here. With me. He’s not here.”

“He’s not here,” she repeated. She closed her eyes. “It’s over. I’m not sixteen anymore.” Sixteen. Her whole world had shattered and she’d pieced it back together, painstakingly fitting the jagged shards into something that looked like a normal person.

But shattered glass was easily broken—how many times had she fractured over the years? “Nineteen years,” she murmured. “And it can still hit me. It can still feel like now. How is that possible? How is that fair?”

“It’s not.”

“I want to go home. Can I—can you just—I want to go home.”

“We’ll go home. I’ll get Laura to grab the boys and they can go with her for the night—”

“No, no. I want the boys. I want to go home, and I want the boys. I want our family. And our life.” She took a deep breath. “I worked too hard, fought too long—he’s not doing this to me. I broke a little,” she admitted. “But I’m okay.” Elizabeth squeezed Jason’s hands. “I’m okay. Let’s go home.”

+3

Written in 57 minutes. Did a spellcheck but not a reread.

Scorpio-Drake House: Kitchen

“Where’s Emma?” Patrick asked as he found Robin making a cup of herbal tea. “Did she load the dishwasher?”

“Yeah. I think she’s upstairs doing her homework.” Robin gently stirred her tea. “What happened earlier today?  I heard Elizabeth went a little crazy.”

“Is that the gossip that reached the lab?” Patrick grimaced, leaned back against the counter. “She had a panic attack. A bad one.”

Robin furrowed her brow. “I didn’t know—she didn’t used to have those, did she?”

“Not in the time I’ve known her. A few times after Jake died,” Patrick corrected, “but nothing like today. It was almost like she didn’t know where she is. She was almost catatonic and then Griffin tried to help her up—she started kicking and screaming.” He folded his arms. ” He hesitated. “Tom Baker is working as a custodian at the hospital. Laura said the parole officer got him a job there.”

“Tom—” The spoon in her tea clattered to the floor as Robin stared at him with wide eyes. “Tom Baker. The man who—” She took a deep breath. “Tom Baker,” she murmured.

“Oh, right—I didn’t think about it. Laura said this all went down in ’98. You and Jason were together back then, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, that was at the end of things mostly, but—” Robin paused. “I remember when he went on trial. Emily asked Jason not to do anything. She wanted to testify against Baker. To be as strong as Elizabeth was when she confronted him about the rape.” She rubbed her arm. “Jason agreed because it was what Emily wanted and he needed her to be okay after everything that had happened.”

“All I knew was that Baker didn’t get charged with the attack,” Patrick said. “What the hell happened?”

“The usual, I think. My uncle might know more, but you know how sexual assault cases are handled by the police—and the DA. Baker denied the confession, and it was her word against his. The DA didn’t want to risk it, and the PCPD put her case in cold storage.” Robin picked up the spoon, a bit more steady now. “She saw him today.”

“Yeah. Elizabeth told me about this years ago,” Patrick added, “and it’s not like I’ve never seen or met a sexual assault survivor, but it was—it kills me that it can still hit her like this after all this time. It’s been eighteen years, Robin.”

“She was just sixteen,” Robin murmured. “Barely older than Emma. I remember her back then. Lucky worked for Jason and we ran into them once in a while.” She cleared her throat, focused on Patrick. “What does Laura say? Can we get him fired or let go? I mean, he attacked an employee—”

“Can’t fire him without cause, and he’s officially not guilty of anything against Elizabeth. If Emily were still around,” Patrick said with some regret, “we might have a shot. But he didn’t even get charged with holding Elizabeth hostage. They plead it down after the mistrial.”

“I knew that—I just didn’t realize Elizabeth’s charges were left off entirely—” Robin’s lips thinned as she pressed them together. “This system,” she muttered. “It never looks out for women. If that ever happened to our baby—God, Patrick, it terrifies me. I know men are out there, but Baker’s in the hospital. Maybe we should tell Emma she can’t volunteer there any more.”

“She’s never alone,” Patrick said after a minute. “She works with a group, and if we tell her she can’t, we have to tell her why.”

“And she’ll tell Cam. I don’t think the boys know.” Robin sighed. “Fine. But I reserve the right to change my mind.”

“Duly noted.”

The conversation slid into other topics about the day, so Emma — listening just outside the door as she often did after dinner because that was when her parents always talked about anything they didn’t want her to hear — slid away and went up the stairs.

She went for her phone and texted Cameron.

hey meet me tonite midnight

k i’ll let u know if i cant get out

Morgan Home: Kitchen

Across the street, Jason was loading the last plate into the dishwater as Elizabeth sat at the counter. “I thought it was Jake’s night to do that,” she said. “I thought we said we weren’t going to let him get away with forgetting.” Instead, Jason had sent the boys upstairs with the rare opportunity to play video games in Cameron’s room. He’d helped them unhook the game system.

Elizabeth didn’t argue because they’d made a pact not to do that in front of the boys, and she knew why he’d done it. With video games, they’d be less likely to pay attention to anything else.

Jason shrugged one shoulder, starting the dishwasher and turning back to her. “I thought maybe tonight we let it go.”

“I’m fine,” Elizabeth said as he opened his mouth. “I told you I would be. I had a freak out, but I got it under control, okay? Laura said she’d talk to the maintenance department and make sure we don’t get assigned to same floors or even the same shifts if she could avoid it.” She hesitated. “I don’t want you worrying about me.”

“Impossible.” He leaned back against the counter, folding his arms. “You worry about me when I leave the house.”

“That’s different,” she said dismissively. “You carry a gun.”

“And you’ve been through enough,” he said. “You just found out you had a sister—”

“And we don’t talk about Hayden,” Elizabeth said flatly. “She’s gone and I don’t like her. When your secret sibling pops up, you can handle that anyway you want. I’m choosing to ignore her existence.”

“Elizabeth—”

“Jason—”

“You like to pretend things are fine,” he interrupted her. “Sometimes that works. And then sometimes it just makes it worse when you realize things aren’t—”

“What do you want me to do?” Elizabeth demanded. “Quit my job? Hide in my room? I did all of that eighteen years ago. He stole nearly a year of my life.” She took a deep breath. “Longer,” she murmured. “And maybe I never really got it all back. I don’t know. Can you?” She met his eyes. “You’re right. It’s been a long year. And before that, worrying about the Cassadines—losing then getting Jake back—I can understand why you think something like is going to knock me back. I’m stronger than I look.”

“You were bleeding out from a stab wound and shot Stavros Cassadine in the head,” he reminded her. “I am the last person who is going to question how strong you are.”

“Then what—”

Jason hesitated. “A long time ago, Emily asked me to let Baker make it to trial,” he said, shifting uncomfortably because he’d never be at ease with discussing his job with her. “She wanted to testify against him. When he went to jail, she made me change that promise.”

Elizabeth frowned. “I don’t—”

“She wanted him to finish his sentence so he could rot in prison, but she said when he got out — she wanted him to finish paying for what he did to you. At the time, I didn’t really know you,” he reminded her. “So I agreed because it was what she wanted, and honestly, even without knowing you—” He cleared his throat. “But it’s different now. Emily’s gone.” He took a moment because admitting that never got any easier. “And I don’t know if that’s what you need. Or want.”

“It’s what you want to do, isn’t it?”

“What I want doesn’t matter,” he told her. “But yeah, I’d like to rip him into pieces and set him on fire. For what he did to you then. For what he did to my sister. For today. For all the days in between you’ve had to live with it.”

Elizabeth’s lips curved into a small smile. “Set him on fire?” she repeated. “That’s not your usual style.”

“Elizabeth—”

“What I want—what I need—is for Tom Baker not to be something or someone I think about,” she said softly. “Part of me wants to tell you to go ahead because you’re right. He never paid for what he did to me. Thank you for agreeing to it back when Emily asked it even though I didn’t matter to you.”

“But?” he prompted.

“But he’s been out of my life for a long time,” Elizabeth continued, “and it didn’t change anything for me. It still took me years to trust myself or anyone else physically. It didn’t change how it felt for Manny Ruiz to grab me the way he did when he kidnapped me.” A shadow slid over her face. “Or how it felt when you did it to find Sam—”

“Elizabeth—”

“I think that was the worst of it for me. Back then—Lucky would touch me and I couldn’t handle it. It didn’t matter that I knew he’d never hurt me. Then,” she added with a wry smile because she still carried the scar from when he’d shoved a knife into her three years earlier. “Then when you just wanted to jog my memory to find Sam—I knew you wouldn’t hurt me either, and it still made me think of Tom Baker. He’s taken that from me, Jason. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back.”

There was silence in the kitchen then, the sound of the dishwasher gently running in the background.

“There is no justice. No way of making him pay for what he did to me. It wouldn’t make me feel better. It wouldn’t make it stop. It would just be revenge.” She hesitated. “And maybe that would be enough. I might change my mind,” she admitted. “But here’s the thing about making him disappear now, Jason—” She waited for him to focus on her. “If you’d done it quietly while he was in prison, that would be one thing. The PCPD know what he did to me. What he did to Emily. He gets hurt or disappears now, you’re the first person they’re looking at.”

“I—”

“And before you tell me that doesn’t scare you, I know that. It scares me,” she said softly. “Because the one thing I won’t let him take from me is my family. We have three beautiful boys who love you, Jason. We have another baby on the way. We waited too long for all of this. He isn’t worth the risk.” She held her hands out across the counter, waited for him to take hers. “He’s not worth a single minute of my time. He spent seventeen years in prison for what he did to Emily. I’m going to make that enough for me.”

“All right,” he said after another minute. “But if you change your mind—”

“I know who to ask.” She smiled, then slid off the counter. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he tugged her closer. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Robinson House: Living Room

Portia held out her hand with a raise of her brows. “It’s eight,” she said.

“You know,” her daughter began hotly, “some mothers would trust their kids.”

“And some mothers,” Portia replied sweetly, “know better. Did you have to talk to Carly Corinthos about what you did to her kid? No, I did.”

Trina’s eyes widened into pools of innocence. “I didn’t—”

“What you and Emma convinced Cameron to do,” Portia corrected. “I’m not saying Joss Jacks doesn’t have that, and a whole lot more coming, but we don’t go low in this house.”

“I didn’t go low. There is no low enough for her,” Trina muttered as she slapped her phone against her mother’s palm. “You think you’re at rock bottom, and Cujo is right there with you, digging an even deeper level—”

“Trina—”

Trina stomped towards the stairs. “A little blue hair never killed anyone, God, you’d think I cut it off—”

“Don’t get any ideas—” her mother called after her, wincing when she heard her daughter’s door slam. “Just like her father,” she muttered.

As if on cue, Portia’s phone lit up with her ex-husband’s name. She reached for it. “Marcus?”

“What the hell was that voicemail?” Marcus Taggert demanded. “Baker is out? Why the hell didn’t I know?”

“I really feel like I am the wrong person to be asking that question, and don’t you take that tone with me,” Portia retorted. “Call Jordan Ashford, why don’t you?”

“Portia—”

“This isn’t my problem. That’s the beauty of being divorced. Hey, maybe you could return some phone calls sometime and you won’t get blindsided.”

“We’re not doing this—”

“No, we’re not. Maybe you could come ask these questions in person and while you’re at it, you can visit your kid. Until then, we have nothing to say to each other.” She clicked the phone off, thought about throwing it — then carefully set it back down.

She wasn’t going to let that man get the best of her. Not anymore.

Morgan House: Backyard

Keeping an ear out for his father, Cameron managed to get out of the house that night undetected. He shimmied up the tree to the house they’d built two years ago for Jake and Aiden to find Emma waiting for him.

“Hey.” He grinned as he always did when he saw her. She was so pretty and she was dating him even though Spencer had asked her first. He was the luckiest kid in their class because she was definitely the prettiest and smartest—

Then her face registered, and Cameron’s smile fell. “Emma…” He sat next to her, awkwardly putting an arm around her. He still hadn’t quite figured out how to touch her without making a fool of himself. “What’s wrong?”

“Did your parents say anything about your mom today?” Emma wanted to know. “About work?”

“No.” Confused, he slid away slightly. “What’s wrong?”

“Because mine were talking in the kitchen after dinner tonight, and I—” She fumbled with her flashlight. “I don’t know I should say anything but I feel like I have to. I feel like me knowing this and you maybe not knowing this—it breaks the rules or something—”

“Emma—”

“Did you know your mom was raped when she was sixteen?” Emma asked in a rush.

+4

Written in 56 minutes.

Morgan House: Kitchen

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder as she opened the fridge and frowned when she caught Cameron’s eye again. Her eldest son immediately broke eye contact and slumped over his cereal, scooping up the Lucky Charms like it was the most important thing in his life.

It was the third time she’d caught him looking at her—maybe even the fourth. She rolled her shoulders and retrieved the juices she needed for Aiden’s lunch box and went over to the counter to continue packing his lunch. “Everything okay?” she asked Cameron.

“What?” Cameron blinked at her. “Yeah, why?”

She pursed her lips. “No reason.”

“I don’t care what Rocco Falconieri is doing,” Jason said as he walked into the kitchen behind a sullen Aiden. “You’re not going.”

“You act like I’m a baby,” he muttered, starting to climb onto the stool next to Cameron. He glared at Jason as his father rounded the counter and reached for a bowl to pour cereal for him.

“You still got your baby teeth?” Jake wanted to know from the other side of Cameron. “Because I think that’s how it works. You start losing those, you level up.”

Aiden scowled — because of course, he hadn’t lost any of his teeth yet. The bottom center tooth was loose but it refused to come out. “If it comes out, can I go?”

“It’s a school night—”

“That is not how it works,” Elizabeth said at the same time. Jake just grinned at her, his mission of agitation completed for the morning. “No one goes anyone on school nights.”

“But Rocco is family,” Aiden pointed out. “You said we gotta do for family.”

“When they’re in trouble. Not when they have a game system in their room and you’re trying to get around the rules.” Elizabeth zipped his lunch box shut, then looked at Cameron. He was usually in the middle of these morning clashes — whether he teaming up with Jake against who ever the target was that day or he was taking his parents’s side just to be contrary.

Instead, he sat between his brothers, his attention focused on the bowl of cereal like it had all the answers.

“Cameron gets to go places all the time,” Aiden muttered. “He gets to stay at Grandma Laura’s longer and he goes to the hospital by himself. I get locked up like a criminal.”

“Aiden, cool it,” Cameron said, his spoon clinking against the bowl as he glared at his little brother. “No one is locking you up.”

“Yeah, I know what that’s like,” Jake offered helpfully. “You’re not on a island, you got your own room, no crazy person is telling you he’s your dad and you’re gonna help him rule the world—” He was ticking these items off on his fingers as Elizabeth’s mouth dropped and Jason stilled next to him.

Aiden’s eyes were as round as saucers. “Whoa. Is that what it was like with the Cassadines? Do they really rule the world? Is that why Spencer is a giant—”

“Eat your cereal,” Jason said, shoving the bowl in front of Aiden. “Jake—” He didn’t even really know what to say. Jake had been so young when they’d rescued him from the Cassadines, and he rarely spoke about the two long years he’d spent locked up with Stavros playing his father.

“I didn’t know you remembered that much,” Elizabeth said finally. “Do you need—um, Grandma can talk to Kevin—”

“No, it’s cool.” Jake shrugged. “Aiden just doesn’t get it. That’s why he’s the baby.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed into little slits. “I am not—”

“Here’s his lunch,” Elizabeth said to Jason in a rush as she shoved the box towards her husband. “Cam, Jake, let’s go. I’ll drop you off at school.”

“It’s not like he can hurt me,” Jake said, confidently hopping off the stool. “He kicks like a fly—”

Jason quickly put an arm out to lock Aiden in place. “Jake—”

“Someone has to make up for Cam since he’s all quiet.” Jake sauntered out towards the living room.

“It’s not fair,” Aiden muttered.

“One day, you’ll get to do all the things Cam does,” Elizabeth assured him. “Right, Cam?”

Cameron blinked at her. “Uh. Yeah. Sure. I didn’t even tie anyone up until I was eleven, so you got time, Aiden.” He slurped up his cereal. “I’ll go get my jacket and bookbag.”

“Not the help I was looking for,” she muttered as she followed him out, hearing Aiden ask Jason who Cameron had tied up.

Corinthos & Morgan Warehouse: Office

Jason usually hated to be interrupted when he was working on the books, but he was glad when Sonny knocked on the door late that morning. He hadn’t been able to concentrate on the numbers or the invoices.

“You know, Spinelli could set you up with a program that would do this for you,” Sonny said, nodding to the pile of paper and pencils on the desk. “What does he always say? Something about it being the twenty-first century—”

“Programs can be hacked,” Jason said. “I like double checking. I thought you were at the restaurant today—”

“Yeah, I’m headed over there, but—uh, Brick said you left here yesterday like things were on fire. He was worried and called me.” Sonny sat down in the rickety chair, wincing. “I’m too old for this,” he muttered.

“It’s fine—” Jason shook his head and reached for the pencil.

“I figure it wasn’t too serious since you didn’t call me, but I still wanted to check in.” Sonny paused. “You didn’t come back either, according to Brick—”

“I didn’t know he was watching me—” Jason bit back the irritated remark. “There was something at the hospital. Elizabeth—” He stared down at the pencil, twisting the yellow wood in his fingers. “Tom Baker was released from prison.”

Sonny squinted. “Tom Baker,” he repeated. “Do I know that name?”

“He was the photographer who blackmailed my sister and held her hostage in the photography studio,” Jason said.

“Then he’s also the garbage that raped Elizabeth. I remember they were the same person,” Sonny added when Jason blinked at him. “I just never took in the name. I figured you’d handled that. I didn’t know he was still alive.”

“Emily—” Jason rubbed his face. “She wanted it that way. Baker grabbed her and Elizabeth, shoved them into the dark room. Lucky and Nikolas got them out, but Baker confronted them. There was a fight, and Elizabeth got her hands on the gun.” He hated thinking of his sister going through that alone, of Elizabeth being shoved into a room by the same man who’d terrorized her— “Emily said Elizabeth was brave in facing him down. Confronting him. Elizabeth wanted him to get arrested. To get justice. She put down the gun.”

“But now he’s out—”

“Baker never got charged with the rape,” Jason said bluntly. “He’s out and he’s working at the hospital. Elizabeth didn’t know and ran into him. She, uh, had a pretty bad panic attack.”

“Wouldn’t be hard to get rid of him now,” Sonny said after a long moment. “Make him look like he split town. Spinelli could handle setting a trail—”

“She doesn’t want that.”

His best friend absorbed that, nodded. “Okay. I guess I can understand that—”

“She doesn’t want the PCPD to look at me. I’d be the primary suspect even if he just disappeared.”

“She should know you better. Like you’d get caught,” Sonny scoffed, but Jason shook his head.

“It’s not that. She just doesn’t want to take any chances. Not with—we just finalized the adoption for Aiden, and we’re—” A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “We’re having another baby. Due in May or June We’re not sure—”

“Oh, man—” Sonny’s eyes lit up. “That’s great news. I knew you were thinking about it, but—okay, okay, that tracks. Elizabeth doesn’t want the old stuff coming back. Not when you got so much going right.” He tipped his head. “You’re okay with him being at the hospital, though?”

“I don’t want him breathing the same air as her, much less in the same building,” Jason bit out. “But it’s not my call.”

“No, I guess it’s not.” Sonny tapped his fingers on his thigh. “How many guys we got working at GH now?”

“Uh, three orderlys and a few of the security guards are ours. I got two more in when Cam started volunteering,” Jason admitted.

“Grab one and assign him to Baker. Just to keep an eye out,” Sonny suggested. “You’re not doing anything but it might help you sleep at night. We can toss someone on him when he’s not in the hospital.”

“Yeah. Maybe. I’ll talk to Elizabeth.”

Sonny got to his feet. “It’s a hell of a thing,” he said. “Special place in hell for rapists.”

General Hospital: Pediatric Wing

Emma folded her arms and followed Cameron off the elevator. “Are you really not going to talk about it?” she asked him as they headed for the nurse’s station on the floor. “You just went inside last night—”

“Emma—” Cameron just shook his head. “No. I really don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just get this shift over with.”

She sighed and they turned a corner. She scowled, then swallowed her protest at seeing Joss Jacks standing by Spencer Cassadine at the nurse’s station. A few feet away, Trina was glaring daggers at the blonde—

“No one said she was working today,” Trina said as Cameron and Emma joined her. “They really just take anyone in this program—”

“Hey, my dad paid for this program!” Joss said, planting her hands on her hips. “Tell her, Spencer!”

“Not a chance in hell,” Spencer said politely. “Dig your own grave.”

“Do you know how long it took my stylist to get that blue crap out of my hair?” Joss demanded. She turned her wounded eyes on Cameron who stared at the linoleum. “I thought we were friends!”

“We are,” Cameron said, dully. “I’m sorry—”

“Sorry?”

“Hey, cool it, Cujo,” Trina snarled. “You started this and you know it! You told Oscar Nero that I had head lice!”

“Well, you—”

“And that I don’t shower or wash my hair because of my braids—”

Joss’s cheeks were stained with red. “Okay, that was out of line—”

“Out of line? Out of line? I should have acid, you spoiled bitch—”

Before Trina could launch herself at Joss and finish this for good, Cameron suddenly turned and stalked off in the opposite direction.

Trina and Joss both stopped dead in their tracks at his departure. “What’s his problem?” Joss tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I’m the victim!”

“All your life,” Trina said sweetly and Joss glared at her. Emma ignored them both and took after her boyfriend.

She knew what this was about, and honestly should have dragged him in the opposite direction when she saw Trina and Joss sharing the same oxygen. They had been like oil and water since kindergarten and it was just getting worse. They’d been bickering over Oscar for almost a month, and eventually someone was going to get really hurt.

Emma turned a corner and stumbled, her toe catching on the edge of a custodian’s cart. She nearly face planted on the floor, but a hand snagged her elbow and righted her.

“You okay, little girl?”

“I’m fine,” Emma said, automatically pasting a polite smile on her face as she faced the custodian behind the cart. But the man was smiling at her already, his dark eyes fixed on her in a way that made her feel vaguely dirty. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I should watch where I’m going. Um, thank you.”

She edged around the man and continued down the hall, feeling an itch between her shoulders as she turned another corner and disappeared.

Tom Baker straightened out the cart and smiled to himself as he continued on his rounds. He’d missed the sight of a pretty young girl flying through life, bright eyes and smiles. This one had long legs and a delicate build. Long brown hair.  He’d always been partial to brunettes.

He found the puddle he’d been sent to clean and got started, then started to whistle. Oh, yeah, it was good to be free.

+5

Written in 50 minutes.

General Hospital: Hallway

Cameron had nearly made it to the service stairs before Emma snagged his elbow and made him stop. “Hey, Cam. Come on—”

“I just really want to be alone right now, okay?” Cameron said, jerking out of her grasp. When her pretty face crumpled with hurt, he hissed. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I just—I don’t know what you want from me, okay?”

“I don’t want anything, Cam, I just—” She bit her lip. “I want you to be okay. I shouldn’t have told you—”

“No, you shouldn’t have. I don’t want to know this. I don’t want to think about what my mom—” His chest felt six sizes too small. “I’ve seen this happen on TV, you know, and I can’t stop—”

“It was so long ago, Cam—”

“It doesn’t matter. I just keep seeing her in my head, crying. She cried all the time when Jake was gone, and now I—” He closed his eyes. “Just leave me alone.”

“Cam—”

He shoved open the door to the stairwell, and this time, Emma didn’t follow.

General Hospital: Hub

Elizabeth knew even before Laura reached her why she was here. As her mother-in-law approached the counter, Elizabeth put up a hand. “Before you start, I’m fine.”

“I wasn’t—” Laura winced. “Okay, I was a little,” she admitted. “But I’ve been worried—”

“You and Patrick. And Robin. And Jason. I guess I should be relieved you’re really the only people left that know.” She felt a twist of grief for Emily and for the boy Lucky had been once. For her grandmother. Elizabeth turned back to the monitor and kept updating charts. “I freaked out yesterday. I know it upset everyone. It scared me. But once I got home, and I was with my boys, I remembered something very important.”

“What’s that?”

Elizabeth met Laura’s eyes. “That sixteen-year-old girl crawled out of the bushes a long time ago. I worked damn hard to put it behind me.”

“I know you did, Elizabeth, but—”

“I wasn’t prepared to see him. That’s all. I can handle this, Laura. I refuse to let him take over my life. Not again. Never again,” Elizabeth said, her teeth clenched. “For nearly a year, it consumed my every waking thought. I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t look at anyone in the eye. I saw the man who raped me in the face of every man I came into contact with. I couldn’t see a future for myself where I would be able to let anyone touch me.” Her breath hitched. “That’s not me anymore. I have three gorgeous, perfect boys who are a miracle. I have a husband who loves me. I have another baby to dream for. There is no room in my life for Tom Baker and what he put me through.”

“Okay.” Laura stepped back. “Then we’ll let that be the end of it. I love you, Elizabeth. Without you these last few years, without your family, I would  have been lost.” She reached forward, squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “If you need me, I’m here. I just wanted to make that clear.”

“Thank you.”

“I didn’t even get a chance to congratulate you on the baby,” Laura continued. “I’m so excited for you. Both of you. I hope you don’t mind if I cross my fingers for a girl.”

“A daughter would be nice,” Elizabeth admitted, “but I just want a healthy baby that Jason and I can enjoy together.” She paused. “I have to get back to work.”

PCPD: Commissioner’s Office

Jordan heard his voice before she saw the man, so by the time DEA Agent Marcus Taggert strode in, she was on her feet and ready. She’d already heard his angry message the night before.

“Before you say anything,” she began, “it’s really not my job to inform former PCPD officers of parole releases. The department did everything by the book on this Baker thing—”

“By the book?” Taggert demanded. “I called Laura Spencer. She said Elizabeth came face to face with the bastard—”

“He wasn’t convicted of a violent felony against her. We weren’t legally obligated to notify her,” Jordan continued. “Like it or not, Marcus, this is our system. If you’d been here, maybe if Mac had still been in charge—things would be different. There’s been a lot of turnover since you left.”

Taggert growled. “A violent rapist gets released—”

“He wasn’t convicted of rape, and—” Jordan reached for the file. “I know what the Webber statement says, but sure are you that Baker was the guy? I don’t see much of an investigation—”

“Are you telling me I screwed up her case? He confessed—”

“To a terrified, traumatized teenaged girl he was trying to keep under control,” Jordan said. “I called Mac after I looked at the file. He told you that eighteen years ago. No DNA, no case. He wasn’t convicted of this, Marcus. And without you here leading the charge, no one knew.”

Taggert exhaled slowly. “She was traumatized,” he remembered his voice quiet now. “Desperate. Came in over and over again with any scrap she could remember. I dragged her in for line ups, for questioning again—there was never anywhere to go with her case. I tried, Jordan—”

“I know. You followed the leads, but it was a stranger rape, and unfortunately, she did everything wrong—” She winced. “That seems like I’m judging her, I’m not. She did what she needed to for her own sanity. It just limited the investigation.”

“I know. She really beat herself up about that.” Taggert dropped into the seat, the rage extinguished. “I keep attacking everyone but the bastard who did this,” he muttered. “Portia nearly ripped me a new asshole—”

“Yeah, well if you call as often as you did when we worked together, she probably had a reason. No one wanted Elizabeth Morgan to be blindsided like this. I promise you.”

“He’s working at the hospital?” Taggert wanted to know. He straightened in the chair. “Who put him there? The parole officer?”

“I don’t know—”

“Because if he applied for that job on his own—Elizabeth isn’t someone who flies under the radar. I bet the whole town knows where she works,” he continued.

“He’d have to be suicidal to go after Elizabeth again. Marcus—she’s married to the number two guy in the Port Charles mafia. Morgan might look domesticated,” Jordan continued, “but he’s the suspect in three open homicide cases in the last five years.”

“Yeah, how close are you to making those cases?”

“They’re dead in the water,” Jordan muttered. “He’s good at what he does. All of them were low level operatives who were biting at the territory.” She pursed her lips. “I’m trying to get surveillance on him approved based on this Baker thing.”

“Jordan—”

“I don’t care if Baker is the scum of the Earth. He’s a citizen that I’ve sworn an oath to protect. He did his time. That’s the system,” she repeated to him. “You don’t have to like it, but we will sure as hell respect it. If Baker goes missing, I want eyes on Jason Morgan. I’m going to nail his ass to the wall.”

Taggert snorted as he rose to his feet. “And then you’ll take Corinthos down with him. Good luck, Jordan. Why the hell do you think I transferred out? I got tired of beating my head against a brick wall. Good luck with that.”

Morgan House: Kitchen

Cameron slunk into the back door a few hours later, stopping short when he saw his mother at the stove. “I thought you were at work.”

She smiled at him. “No. I had the early shift today, so I thought we’d heat up some pasta from last night—” Elizabeth tipped her head. “Your brothers are in the living room playing video games. As usual.”

“I’m fine.” He dropped the bookbag on the table and went to the fridge to get a can of pop.

“I saw Emma at the hospital,” Elizabeth continued as she took out a bag of rolls and started to prep garlic bread. “You didn’t volunteer?”

“I went, but I didn’t feel like it.” Cameron took a long sip of his drink. “Trina and Joss were arguing again.”

“Ah, the blue hair thing?”

“Yeah. I didn’t wanna listen.” He stared at the butcher block surface of the counter. “Mom.”

“Yeah, baby?”

He’d asked her ages ago to stop calling him that, but today—today he couldn’t be irritated by it. “Mom,” he said again.

Elizabeth set down the shaker of garlic powder and focused on him. “Cameron, what’s wrong? I can tell something this—”

“Emma heard her parents talking.” He took a deep breath. “The other night. She told me—” His eyes burned and his throat felt too small to speak. “She told me you—you were—”

His mother’s face was pale. “She told you what happened to me. When I was a kid.”

“Yeah.” He sucked in the breath. “That you were raped.” He found the courage to meet his mother’s eyes. “She’s not lying, is she?”

“No. She’s not.” Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “When I was sixteen,” she began quietly, “I was walking in the park after dark. I sat on a bench, and a man grabbed me. He hurt me. For a long time, it was hard to be okay.”

“But you are now.”

“I am now. I worked very hard to be okay, Cam. Because I wanted my life to be my own again. I didn’t want to think about it anymore. So I got past it, and I had my boys. I built a life that has nothing to do with any of it.”

Cameron took that in, squinted at his mother. She was a good liar, but he could usually tell when she was pretending. She didn’t seem to be now. “Can I—can I ask you questions? I mean—”

“You can ask. I might not answer.”

He furrowed his brow. “Did they catch who did it?”

“They did, but there wasn’t enough evidence. He went to jail for something else.”

“Oh.” Well, at least he’d gone to jail. “Did—I mean, did you know Dad back then? Did he help?”

“Later, he was important. He helped me in other ways. But, no, at first it was just your grandma Audrey and—” She sighed. “Lucky. He became my best friend and took care of me.”

“You said he was different before the fire. He got hurt and his  head was messed up.”

“Yeah, he was a very sweet boy who kept me sane for that first year,” Elizabeth remembered. “I loved him very much, and when I thought he was dead, I didn’t think I would survive it. I was just a little older than you. Then, I met your dad. Between the two of them, I knew I’d be okay.”

“What about my biological dad? The one that—” He gestured weakly.

“Zander? He came later. He was a friend for a while, but by that time, I had mostly put it in my past. Cameron, baby, I’m so sorry you found out this way. It’s part of my history, but it isn’t a story we need to tell.”

“I guess not. It’s just—you know, I see it on television and the movies, and it was just hard because I kept seeing you,” Cameron continued, “and I didn’t like thinking of you being hurt like that, you know?”

“I know.”

He felt better now, talking it through with his mother. “Thanks. For letting me ask questions.” Cameron paused. “But you’re really okay now? I mean, it doesn’t bother you anymore?”

Elizabeth opened her mouth, then closed it. “Most of the time, I don’t think about it. In fact, before this week, I couldn’t tell you the last time I had. Maybe sometimes when I thought about Lucky since he was part of it. I’d be lying to you, Cam, if I said it doesn’t bother me. I wish it didn’t happen. I wish it didn’t happen to anyone.”

“Is it like when we were missing Jake?” he wanted to know. “Because we have him back now and I love him but I also remember what it was like when he wasn’t here and we were really sad. And like before Dad came to live with us. I remember the unhappy stuff, and sometimes it makes me sad that Jake didn’t get to be with us all the time.” He hesitated. “But then I think maybe I’m a better brother because of it. Because I know how hard life was without Jake, and I don’t wanna be without my brothers.”

“Yeah, I think it’s something like that. I remember what it was like when it was still fresh and new—and sometimes that comes back and makes me unhappy. But I think I’m a better person for what I went through.” She smiled at him. “You’re an amazing brother, did you know that? And an even better son.”

“Well, I have a pretty good mom to help me do things right.” That terrible, aching feeling had dissipated. His mom really was okay. This terrible thing had happened to her—all the terrible things that had happened — and she’d come out being who she was. “I gotta go remind Jake and Aiden who rules at Call of Duty.”

“You do that,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

General Hospital: Locker Room

Tom carefully slid the combination lock out of the slot and opened it, glancing around to make sure he was still alone. Then he took out the wallet and rifled through the photos, hoping that the doctor was still old fashioned enough to carry them.

The first in his collection, he thought, as he lifted out a photograph that looked crisp and new. The pretty little girl who had run into his earlier that day beamed back at him—and what was this—

Tucked behind the pretty little girl was a photo of the girl’s father with Elizabeth. Tom smiled down at the woman the vibrant girl had grown into. She really was very lovely, but old now. With children.

No, he preferred a fresher prey to hunt. Still, knowing that his pretty girl was connected to his first love?

Well, wasn’t that sweet?

+4

Written in 60 minutes

Port Charles High: Hallway

Cameron leaned a shoulder against a bank of lockers. Emma glanced at him, then resumed packing her backpack for the bus ride home.

“Are you still mad at me?” he asked.

“No,” she replied. She scowled. “Yes. I shouldn’t be, I know that. I’m the one that did something wrong, but—” Emma closed her locker and looked at him. “We’ve always been able to talk about anything, you know? You’ve never left me on a read. Even when you were mad at me for real.”

“I know.”

“And I only texted you twice. You didn’t even tell me you were okay or got home from the hospital.”

“I know.”

“I was worried.”

“I know.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you just repeating yourself to irritate me?”

“No, but it’s a fun side effect.” He straightened. “I’m sorry—”

“Oh, my God, don’t apologize to me.” She slid her backpack strap over her left shoulder and started down the hall.

“I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“Didn’t I just explain to you that I was the one who was wrong and should apologize?”

“I thought you were listing the reasons I was supposed to say sorry—”

“Now you’re just being an idiot,” she grumbled. She stalked down the steps, towards their bus. Cameron followed, feeling strangely upbeat for the first time in days.

They climbed onto the bus and Emma headed for the back, slumping into the last seat, glaring at him when he sat next to her. “I’m the one that’s sorry.”

“Okay.”

“Because I am.”

“I know you are.” He cleared his throat. “Really,” he added. “And once I had time to think and work things out, I wasn’t that mad anymore. I wasn’t even mad at all.” He stared at the brown pleather seat in front of him. “I was just…I don’t know. I couldn’t process it.”

Emma remained silent as other students gathered on the bus. It wasn’t until the driver started the engine and pulled into the line of buses to exit the lot that he spoke again. “I know a lot of kids have a hard time thinking of their parents being people, you know? Like, that they exist outside of just being their mom or dad. But I never did.”

“Never?” she asked skeptically.

“Mom was always dealing with outside crap and it was always messing things up,” he continued, “I remember Jake getting kidnapped. Not the first time, but the second time. And Lucky being around, always making her cry. I knew when I was a kid he was screwing around on her. She tried really hard to hide it but not everyone did.”

“Cam—”

“And when that stuff happened with Spencer’s dad—” Cameron’s throat tightened. “I never told her, but I knew what people were saying to her. About her. I heard Lulu calling her names all the time back then. She didn’t even bother checking to see if anyone was listening.”

“I’m sorry—” Emma frowned. “Wait, is that why you wanted to gag her when we tied them up? I always thought that was a step too far—”

“Someone needed to make her shut her mouth,” he muttered darkly. “My mom made mistakes, but I always knew she wasn’t just my mom, you know? I never thought about her being my age though. She was sixteen when it happened. That’s only two years older than us.”

“But she’s okay now.”

“I asked her about it,” Cameron told her. “And she told she was. Mostly, anyway. That she doesn’t really think about it anymore. Lucky helped her. After, she said.”

“Lucky? Really?”

“It’s hard to picture him as someone that could take care of someone, especially with how much he hurt my mom. But she said it was before that fire.” Cameron looked past her, out the window as the roads passed her by. “I hate the Cassadines. They destroy everything.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, I know. I really am sorry, Cam.”

“Me, too. But it’s okay now. It happened a long time ago, and she said the guy who did it went to jail for something else, so he can’t hurt anyone else.”

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

Elizabeth clenched her jaw when the elevator doors slid open and an old, familiar face stepped out. Marcus Taggert.

There was only reason the DEA agent and former PCPD detective would be at the hospital, and she really did not want to have this conversation.

“Elizabeth.” Taggert’s mouth stretched into a smile. “I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

“Not since the last parole hearing,” she murmured. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “You don’t get back a lot to see Trina, I guess.”

“Not as much as I want,” he said, wincing. “But she’s in good hands, and I know she and your son are friends. Wild to think of that, isn’t it? Considering—”

“Taggert—” Elizabeth sighed. “I know why you’re here—”

“It’s not what you think,” he said, putting up a hand. “You’re probably tired of being checked on, and I know you’ve got a family to handle that. Jordan said you and Laura are still close, and—” His jaw tightened. “Well, there’s the husband.”

“Yeah, I’m good, so if it’s not that—”

“I just wanted to tell you—if you’re interested—how we got blindsided by this,” he told her. “I promise you — I checked a year ago and his parole hearing wasn’t scheduled for this soon. I knew the PCPD wasn’t going to tell you if he got out, so I’ve been keeping tabs on it. But I went undercover on an op last spring, and I missed something important—” He grimaced. “The New York legislature pushed through some parole reforms. It took time off his sentence, and his hearing got moved up automatically. I didn’t think to look again. It’s been so long—”

“And his hearings have been like clockwork, I know. He’s been denied every four years since he was eligible in 2006,” Elizabeth said. “I was keeping up for a while, too. And I appreciate you finding out what happened.” She paused. “Really. I know that you and I don’t exactly see eye to eye on certain things, but you’ve always been supportive with this case. I lost track of it, Taggert, because it doesn’t suffocate me anymore.”

She looked down at her wedding ring, twisted the slim gold band. “I’m happy,” Elizabeth continued. “I have three absolutely beautiful boys who keep me busy. I have an amazing mother-in-law who’s been more of a parent to me than my own. I have amazing friends. I’m having another baby—and yes, I have a husband who loves me. Tom Baker can’t hurt me anymore.”

“I can see that,” Taggert told her. “And I’m happy for it. I am,” he insisted. “I don’t care who you married, Elizabeth. I remember where you started, and I know how hard you worked to get here. Congratulations on the baby. If Cameron is any indication, you’re an excellent mother who deserves the peace of mind you fought for.” He tapped his hand on the desk. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

Robinson House: Backyard

If Trina was careful in how she organized her argument, she was absolutely sure that she could convince her mother to let her go out tonight and have dinner at Charlie’s with her friends.

Portia Robinson just had to be approached in just the right way, and Trina was so busy organizing her thoughts that she didn’t see the car in the driveway when she got home that afternoon.

She tossed her backpack on the sofa and went to the kitchen to get some water. Would it be better if she talked about studying? No, because then her mother would want to know who was going to be there, and Spencer wasn’t known for his studious habits—

Trina blinked, finally registering the muffled voices from the back patio. She leaned up to peer out the kitchen window to find her mother in deep conversation with Jordan Ashford. They weren’t friends—in fact her mother had blamed Jordan for all the time her dad put into work.

Curious, Trina slowly edged up the window, careful not to let it squeak as it slid up in the casement.

“I can’t believe he rushed back for this,” Portia said, her tone clipped. “He never came home when I needed him—”

“That’s not true, and it’s not fair—”

“Please.  You and I both know differently—”

“He just wanted to check on things. I told him how things are, and I’m sure he’ll be leaving town soon enough.” Jordan paused. “Maybe. I came over to ask you about something he told me. He said the reason he left the PCPD was because of Sonny and Jason, but he never really talked about any of that before.”

“Why does it matter now? That was almost twenty years ago—”

“Just because no other commissioner has ever managed to nail them doesn’t mean I’m not still trying. Did they threaten him, did they—”

Trina wrinkled her nose. It was so hard to remember sometimes that Cam’s dad worked for the local godfather. Jason Morgan was so nice when she was around and was obsessed with his family.

“God, no. Nothing like that. He was just burnt out on hitting his head against the wall.” Her mother sounded disgusted. “And don’t you dare try to drag him back into it—”

“I’m not. I’m just looking for a fresh angle. This Baker thing—this might be something.”

Baker? Trina leaned closer. Who—or what was Baker?

“What are you talking about, Jordan? How can you possible use Tom Baker against Jason or Sonny?”

“What Baker did to Jason’s wife—he’s going to want revenge—”

“Are you kidding me? You’re going to try to—God, I knew you were a cold bitch.”

“Don’t—”

“Tom Baker raped that girl when she was sixteen years old and never paid a single day for it. He deserves whatever happens to him—”

“That’s not how this works—”

“No, that’s not how it works in your small little mind. You’re all about the job, just like Marcus, but at least he has a heart. You dumped your kid to go undercover, sending him away to Shawn and telling him you couldn’t handle raising him anymore—” Trina’s eyes bulged. “No wonder Tommy was going to leave you. Just like Shawn left. And Curtis—”

“Shut up.”

“No, I don’t think I will. You can’t get Jason Morgan on any actual crimes, so you’re going to, what, follow him around, and hope he takes a shot at his wife’s rapist? Waiting for him to commit a crime? I hope he does. I hope he takes that evil bastard and puts him six feet under—what do you care what happens to a guy like Baker?”

“Because the system—”

“Just stop. Stop. You don’t care about the system. You just want to get Jason and Sonny. That’s why Marcus left the PCPD. It’s what happened to Scott Baldwin. And all the others. This is why people hate fucking cops. You have zero evidence that Jason Morgan has ever committed a crime—”

“Everyone knows—”

“I’m not going to help you, and neither is Marcus. Get out. I never should have let you in the first place.”

Trina winced and ducked behind the counter just as the sliding door opened and Jordan Ashford stalked past her.

Holy hell.

Morgan House: Kitchen

Jason came home that night through the back door, having gone through garage, and frowned when he found the kitchen empty and Elizabeth sitting at the island with a pizza box in front of her. “Where are the boys?” he asked, hanging his keys up on a hook.

“Cameron begged to go to Charlie’s with Emma, Spencer, and Trina, and I didn’t have the heart to say no. I think Emma’s trying to get Spencer and Trina together,” she confided with a shrug, “and apparently this was crucial.”

Elizabeth always did a better job of keeping up with the drama that the kids created, so Jason just nodded. “Okay—”

“And Aiden begged again to go over Rocco’s tonight, so I let him. And once Jake heard I was breaking the school night rule—”

“He got in on the deal.” Jason nodded and leaned over to take a slice of pizza for himself. “What made you break the rule?”

Elizabeth wiped her hands on a napkin and sighed. “I really just wanted Cameron to be okay,” she admitted. “And he seemed mostly there. I thought a night out with his friends might help.”

“Did you talk to Patrick and Robin about what Emma overheard?”

“No. I will, but I want to do it in a way that doesn’t make them feel bad. Patrick’s part of my family, and I know that he was worried about me. Plus — ” Elizabeth smiled at him wryly. “I don’t want to snitch on Emma. However she heard about it, she was eavesdropping and, you know, that’s a time honored tradition. As her aunt, I’m duty bound to protect those methods.”

Jason laughed at that, and went to grab a beer from the fridge. “Okay. You usually know better when it comes to this kind of thing.”

“I do want to talk to Robin about it though, because it upset Cameron, and I’m sure Emma’s trying to deal with it, too. I want her to have some support if she needs it.” Elizabeth winced, pressed her hand to her stomach. “Oh, maybe the grease was a mistake.”

“You okay?” Jason tensed, but she shook her head.

“No, no, just indigestion. I had a craving for pepperoni pizza, and I was starving — I ate too fast.” She smiled. “I can’t wait until I start showing and I can feel the baby kicking. It’s my favorite part, you know? I’ll never forget the first time I felt Cameron.” Elizabeth pressed both hands to her belly now. “I was so scared about everything that was going on around me, and then there was this—” She closed her eyes. “There was this flutter, and I could feel him. It made everything else worth it.”

He laid a hand over hers, even though there was nothing to feel yet. “I can’t wait either,” he told her.

“This time, it’s going to be perfect,” Elizabeth assured him. “You and me, from day one. Just the way it should have been with Jake.” He leaned down to kiss her. “And we have the house to ourselves for a few hours,” she murmured. “Cameron’s curfew isn’t until eight.”

“Then let’s not waste any time.”

Charlie’s Pub: Parking Lot

Patrick pulled into a parking space and braked. “Okay, call me when you’re ready to leave,” he told Emma and Cameron.

Emma unsnapped her seatbelt and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for breaking the school night rule. You and Aunt Elizabeth are the best.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Patrick grumbled as Cameron climbed out of the backseat. He watched for another minute as Emma and Cameron found Spencer waiting outside, then Trina joined them.

He traded a smile with Trina’s mother in her own care, then put his car into reverse, heading for home and some quiet time with his wife.

His BMW drove past a battered dark blue car that had pulled into another spot after following Patrick from Lexington Avenue.

Tom picked up his camera. He’d missed the feel of a camera in his hands. It felt like being at home. He zoomed in on the cluster of teenagers at the door, and focused on the pretty brunette. How lucky that his pretty girl not only knew his first love, but her son?

Some things were just fated.

+5

Written in 60 minutes.

General Hospital: Hallway

“Hey—” Elizabeth caught Patrick by the elbow as he left a patient’s room. “Do you have a minute?”

“For you, Webber, always.” Patrick returned the chart to the door, and then joined her. “What’s up?”

“It’s about Emma,” Elizabeth said, gesturing for them to head into an empty room for some privacy. “She, uh, found out about what happened to me when I was a kid.”

Patrick stared at her, then grimaced. “Eavesdropping at the door again, huh?” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Did she come to talk to you?”

“No, but she told Cameron, and I’ve talked to him.” Elizabeth put a hand out. “I’m not angry with her. I couldn’t be. Cameron had a lot of questions and I know he’s struggling with. I was worried about Emma. I thought you might want to talk to her. Or Robin. Or I can if you want me to.”

Patrick sat on the bed, exhaling slowly. “I know I pretend not to notice that our kids are dating,” he told her, “but you know, secretly, I was thrilled.”

Frowning, Elizabeth sat next to him. “What do you mean?”

“I know Cameron. Hell, I half-raised him. And I know you and Jason. I know he treat Emma well, and that he’d never hurt her. Even though I don’t think she should stay with the same kid she liked at fourteen, part of me just wants her to never date anyone else.” He looked at her. “It’s terrifying. I mean, for all parents, you know that. But there’s something extra terrifying about letting a young woman out into this world.”

“I know.” Elizabeth pressed a hand to her still flat belly. “I worry about my boys, but I’ll always worry about Emma. And Joss and Trina, and all the other girls who’ve come through my house.”

“I’ll talk to Robin. She’ll probably want to say something to Emma, or maybe she’ll want you to. I don’t know,” he admitted. He looked at Elizabeth. “I’ve never been able to protect Emma from most of the bad stuff. She grew up around Lisa Niles and the Cassadines. Her uncle is still in prison—” He looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes. “But this feels different.”

He met her eyes. “What do I even say to her?” he asked softly. “How can you ever talk to your daughter about something like this? What would you say if Emma was  yours?”

“Sometimes she does feel a little bit mine,” Elizabeth confessed. “And I don’t know. You want to give her a list of all the things she shouldn’t do to protect herself, and it sucks. Because why does she have to worry about walking alone in a park or what boy she dates. She should never have to be scared.” She looked at the wall in front of them. “The rape took over my entire existence for almost a year. It was was my every waking thought, and I couldn’t imagine a time when it wouldn’t be the first thing I thought about when I woke up or my last thought before I went to sleep. On the nights I could sleep.”

She bit her lip. “And it was worse because for so long, I blamed myself. If I hadn’t lied, if I hadn’t gone in that park, if I hadn’t sat down at that bench—if, if, if—” Her voice faltered. “And sometimes I blamed Lucky, even though I wouldn’t have told him that. If he hadn’t liked my sister. If he hadn’t taken so long to notice I wasn’t there—why didn’t anyone even notice I was gone?” She rubbed her chest. “God. I was just a stupid kid with too much pride to admit I’d lied about having a date.”

“Elizabeth—”

“I didn’t deserve what happened to me,” she continued softly. “But it too so long to believe that. To understand that there was nothing I could have done to change what happened that night.”

She looked at him. “What I would tell my own daughter, what I’ve told Cameron and will tell his siblings—the world can be a dark and cruel place filled with people who want to do nothing but hurt you. And sometimes, they’ll win. Sometimes you’ll get hurt and it will feel like the end of the world. But it’s also a world filled with good. With people like your uncle Patrick and your aunt Robin, and Trina and Spencer and Joss, and Laura, and the people who love you. It’s filled with such light and beauty that if you let yourself be open to it, the dark can’t win.”

Patrick managed a smile. “And that works?”

“Most of the time.” She paused. “I  almost let the rape drown me and become the only thing that mattered about my life. I thought I’d never have a family. That I’d never find a man who loved me because I couldn’t imagine being touched.” She swiped at her tears. “I’d cry myself to sleep at night because I thought my life was over at sixteen and I didn’t even know I’d had any real dreams for myself until I thought they’d been shattered.”

She took a deep breath. “But Lucky kept me anchored to the future, and no matter what he’s done in the years since, I will always be grateful for that. I fought back, but he stood next to me while I did it. And then, later Laura was there for me. Emily and Nikolas. Jason. I pieced my life back together, painfully, like a shattered window. But I always felt a bit fragile. A bit jagged, like the pieces hadn’t been put together all the way or I’d done something wrong.”

“Do you still feel that way?”

“Sometimes,” Elizabeth admitted. “I had that panic attack when I saw Baker, and I just—it shouldn’t be like this all these years later, Patrick. It shouldn’t be this thing that can rise up and choke me from all this time later.” She got to her feet. “I keep telling everyone I’m fine, even Jason. I think they believe me.”

“But you’re not fine.”

“I’m—” Elizabeth looked at him. “Patrick, we don’t have to do this. I’m okay—”

“Hey.” He got to his feet. “You know you can tell me anything, babe. That’s how this works. You’ll tell me, and it’ll be easier to tell Jason. Because you have to. You know that.”

“I don’t want anyone to worry about me. I’m stronger than I look—” She pressed her lips together. “But the dreams are back.”

“The dreams?” Patrick echoed.

“The nightmares,” she corrected softly. “Jason probably knows about them. He hasn’t said anything, but I know he probably knows.”

She closed her eyes. “Before—before it was just reliving that night. I’m still sixteen, I’m still in that red dress, sitting on the bench—”

He took her hand, squeezed it. “Go on. If you can.”

“A-and he grabs me—” Her voice broke. “I fought so hard, you know? I tried to cling to the bench—I tried to bite down on his hand, but I wasn’t strong enough. I couldn’t fight back. I couldn’t stop it.” She pressed her hands to her eyes. “The nightmares when they’ve come have always been the same. I’ve always been sixteen.”

“But you’re not sixteen in the new ones,” Patrick said softly and Elizabeth shook her head. “It’s now. And you see Baker. The way he is now.”

“There should just be a point where it ends,” Elizabeth bit out. “Where I get to put it in a box and move on, and I don’t know why I can’t—”

Patrick enfolded her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head. “You do put it in a box, honey. You close the flaps and you put it in the attic for months and years at a time. When was the last time you even thought about it before Baker showed up?”

“Oh, God—” Elizabeth sighed in a rush of air. “Maybe last year? When Cameron took Emma to that dance at the middle school. Emma—I mean she looks like you and Robin, but she’s a brunette, and her dress—it just—I flashed to it. But before then, years maybe.”

“I think the fact that you can put it away for so long is the real victory. Because it happened, Elizabeth. It won’t ever be something you an erase. But you didn’t let it define you. You’re an amazing nurse, the world’s best adopted sister, the most generous and forgiving of women because you married Jason Morgan after all the crap he put you through, and the world’s second best mother because I’m contractually obligated to put my wife first.”

Elizabeth laughed, then dropped her head against Patrick’s chest. “I love you, you know.”

“I love you, too. Promise me you’ll go home and talk to your husband, okay? Despite all the reasons I shouldn’t, I actually like him most of the time. Thanks for giving me some thoughts for how to talk to Emma. We might still pull you in, Aunt Liz, so be on deck.”

Port Charles High School: Cafeteria

“Why are you telling me this?” Cameron demanded, setting his milk carton down with a thud so hard some of the liquid slopped out over the edge. He glared at Trina, one of his oldest friends. “What am I going to do with this?”

“Uh, I don’t know, keep your dad out of prison?” Trina retorted. She looked at Spencer for some backup. “Can you explain the facts of life to this fool?”

“I’ve been trying most of my life,” Spencer said, flashing her a grin that she only narrowed her eyes at.

“I think Trina’s right,” Joss said, which put the rest of the table into complete silence as everyone stared at her. “What?”

“I’m just waiting for the ground to shake,” Spencer said. He actually reached down to touch the floor of the cafeteria. “Hmmm, can’t tell if the linoleum is always that temperature or if hell is frozen over.”

“Ha,” Joss muttered. “Just because Trina and I hate each other—”

“Every day—”

“It doesn’t mean I can’t admit when she’s right. I mean, I know it’s crazy since it hasn’t happened ever before—”

“You wouldn’t know what being right would look like if your daddy bought it for you,” Trina shot back.

Emma put her head in her hands. “Don’t you guys ever get bored of this?”

“Not of watching it.” Spencer unwrapped a lollipop. “The real question is—” He aimed the pop at Cameron. “What is he doing to do?”

“You overheard the commissioner of police telling your mom that she’s gonna be on my dad like white on rice because she thinks this is going to be her big shot at finally taking down my dad and Sonny.” Cameron grimaced. “And this being my mother’s rape.”

That took some of the fun out of the conversation as even Spencer sat back, a bit white-faced. “No one said that this was a good thing,” he told his cousin quietly. “And I’m really sorry about what your mom is going through. What she went through. She’s always been good to me, even when I didn’t deserve it.”

“Which you almost never did,” Joss muttered, and Spencer glared at her.

“I almost got us to Greece,” he reminded her. “It was your crazy mother tracking you that got us caught—”

“Oh, let’s not re-litigate that,” Emma said, waving at the two of them. “Honestly. Focus.”

“Anyway,” Spencer bit out, tossing Joss another dirty look. “My point is that like it or not, Trina overhearing the conversation is a good thing. Yeah, it sucks you’re going to have say something to your dad because I know we all like to pretend we don’t know who Sonny and Jason are.”

“But this is more important,” Emma said to Cameron. “The police are gonna be watching your dad even more, and if anything happens to this guy, they’re gonna go after him. You know your mom doesn’t need that. Not with, um, everything else.”

“What’s everything else? What’s going on?” Joss demanded. “What don’t I know?”

“Call in the military, Joss Jacks is out of the loop,” Trina said with a roll of her eyes. “Ow—” she glared at Spencer. “Like you weren’t thinking the same thing.”

“My mom is pregnant,” Cameron told them with a heavy sigh. “She just found out, and, like, I know my dad is worried because she had some miscarriages before. One before I was born, and one after me. And I think she’s had other health issues. I don’t know. They don’t talk near the vent a lot anymore.”

Emma squeezed his hand. “So it’s even more important that your dad has all the information he needs to protect your mom. Even if your dad doesn’t do anything, the PCPD doesn’t always play fair.”

“Yeah, I know. Man, I really don’t want to have this conversation,” he muttered.

Scorpio-Drake House: Emma’s Bedroom

Later that night, Emma was seated at her vanity, brushing out her hair and keeping an eye on her phone. She was hoping Cameron would talk to his father tonight, but she knew he’d probably procrastinate.

She’d have to push him on it, otherwise it was going to eat her alive.

She turned at the knock on her door, finding her mother standing there. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

“Uh, nothing. I just—” Robin wrinkled her nose as she came in and sat down. “Listen, we need to have a conversation about something, and I don’t really know how to start it. Um, Cameron and his mother talked about this, and she was worried about you—so, I guess—I just wanted to know if you had any questions about what happened.”

“You mean about Cameron’s mom getting raped when she was a little older than us?” Emma said, and Robin’s cheeks flushed. “Mom, not saying the word doesn’t make it any less horrible. I’m okay. I’m sad for Aunt Liz. After everything else she’s been through with Jake and all that, this seems really terrible.”

“Yeah, yeah, it is. Um, so you don’t—” Robin tipped her head. “You don’t have any questions?”

“You mean, like about what happened to her specifically or like, rape in general.” Emma bit her lip. “I don’t know. Not really. It seems really scary, but I try to do all the things I’m supposed to. You and Dad don’t let me out on school nights, so that’s good. And I get rides to everything. I don’t walk home alone. I don’t do any super sketchy on social media, and I don’t talk to strangers unless I’m at the hospital.” She looked at her mother. “Am I supposed to have questions?”

“No, no. I just—um, if you did, you could talk to me. Or Aunt Liz said you can say something to her. She just—she loves you, baby.”

“I know. I love her, too.” Emma paused. “Are you okay, Mom?” she asked softly. “You look upset?”

“Oh, just—” Robin sighed. “I knew Elizabeth back when this happened. Not well, but I was aware of it at the time. And I just, I look at you—she wasn’t much older than you. It’s scary, I guess. But you’re right. You’re responsible and you’ve done everything we’ve told you.” She got to her feet. “But please. If you need anything or you want to talk about anything—”

“I know.” Emma got to her feet and went over to hug her mother. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Morgan House: Master Bedroom

Elizabeth twisted her wedding ring around her finger as she went into their room that night after lights were out for the boys. Jason was sitting on the bed, kicking off his boots. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He got up and came over to kiss her lightly. “You okay? You looked a little nauseous at dinner.”

“Yeah. I hate that they call it morning sickness,” she muttered. “It feels like it happens all the damn time.”

Jason smoothed his hands up and down her arm. “You should have said something,” he told her. “I’ll get you ginger ale or something—”

“I got it, I’m okay—” She stopped. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should have. I’m just—” Elizabeth hesitated. “I’ve never been with anyone at this stage of pregnancy. Or really at any stage,” she admitted. “Ric was barely there with Cameron, and Lucky was in rehab, then were separated, and well—” She met his eyes. “Even after all this time, it’s still hard for me to turn to you. I’m sorry.”

“I know.” He kissed her again, lingering. “And we’re not going to fix that overnight or even in three years,” Jason said. “It’s okay.”

“Thank you for feeling that way. Um, there’s something else.” She looked down at her hands. “I’ve…been having nightmares.”

From the way his body tensed, Elizabeth knew her suspicions had been correct. “But you knew that.”

“I’m not a heavy sleeper,” he reminded her gently. “So yeah, I knew. I also knew you’d talk about it when you were ready.” Jason brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ears. “Are you ready?”

“Not really. But I just—tonight, can you hold me? I mean, you normally do,” she added, “but when I wake up, um, can I—can I wake you, too? Or—”

“Anything you need.” He kissed her forehead, then drew her into his arms, and she closed her eyes, feeling safe there but knowing that it wouldn’t last forever.

+5

Written in 58 minutes.

General Hospital: Hub

“I can’t decide if I’m happy with the way Emma handled it,” Robin said, “or if I think I didn’t do it right.” She pursed her lips. “What do you think?”

Elizabeth hesitated. “I don’t know. Maybe she just feels like it’s outside of her. I mean, when you were her age, did you think anything truly terrible was going to happen to you? Before you lost your parents,” she added.

“No, I guess not. I mean, I knew people died and I’d lost Duke at that point. And other people. But even losing my parents—or thinking I did—it wasn’t the same thing as when Stone told me he had AIDs or when Alan told me I was HIV positive.” Robin reached for a chart. “I couldn’t believe it when the results came back. Even after knowing about Stone, I still thought somehow, I’d be spared.”

“Emma’s been around loss and devastation her whole life, just like my boys. She and Cameron have been through a lot. And for him, it was knowing it happened to me. I think Emma just has this…distance from the whole thing. And you’ve raised her to be smart and cautious.”

“It broke my heart listening to her list all the things she did to protect herself from people, and for me to think—well, that’s good and all, but it doesn’t always help. I couldn’t tell her that. I wanted to believe, too,” Robin murmured.

“There’s a type of arrogance that comes with being a teenager—bad things are for other people. Not you. They happen to family and friends. Not you.” Elizabeth tapped a pen. “Still, we should keep our eye on her. And Cameron.”

Morgan House: Living Room

“I don’t know why I have to be here,” Trina complained as Cameron practically towed her across the room towards the back yard. “You can tell him.”

“He’ll want to know exactly what was said, and if I have to do this, someone else has to be uncomfortable, too.” Cameron grimaced. “I am definitely not doing this alone.”

“Yeah, but your dad isn’t going to want to talk about this with me!” Trina complained but clearly Cameron was not interested in listening. He shoved open the back door and found his father on the back porch, one eye on the grill and the other on Jake and Aiden as they played soccer.

Jason turned at their arrival. “Hey, Cam. Trina.” He looked past them. “No one else?”

“Uh, no. I needed to talk to you,” Cameron said. He released Trina’s arm but sent her a glare. “You make a run for it, I’ll drag you back.”

“Ha, that’s if you can catch me.” She huffed and folded her arms.

Jason furrowed his brow, his eyes going back and forth between them. “Is everything okay? Should I call your mother—”

“Oh, no. No. I’m fine. Trina’s fine,” Cameron added. “It’s just — she heard something that she told me and I guess you need to know, but she wasn’t going to do it alone so I’m here to make sure—”

“Whoa, whoa, I never agreed to tell him anything. You’re going to tell him and then I’m here for, like, clarification—” Trina glared at Cameron who growled. “Don’t try it. I’ll just tell Emma on you.”

“Fine. Okay.” Cameron looked back at his father. “I one hundred percent do not want to have this conversation. In fact, no one here wants to do this—”

“Cameron—” Jason began.

“But if I don’t say anything and something happens, then it’s my fault, and Mom’s pregnant. I don’t really need another brother, by the way. I now how genetics work but the ones I have are fine, so if you could—” Cameron huffed. “Never mind. Look, Trina was at her house and overheard her mom arguing with the commissioner about you.”

His father’s face shuttered, taking on that strange blank look at Cameron rarely saw—usually when someone brought up Lucky Spencer, his father, or anyone else associated with the Cassadines.

“Cameron,” Jason said, flicking his eyes at Trina who was staring at the sky as if it held all the answers to the universe. “This isn’t—”

“Yeah, I know. Believe me. But she heard it, and I don’t wanna mess it up, so we’ll just tell you, and then you’ll know and then it won’t be our problem anymore. I very much need this not to be my problem, Dad.” Cameron jabbed a finger at him. “You’re the adult, I’m the kid. I make the problems, you fix it. This is how it’s supposed to be. So here’s a problem. The commissioner said she was gonna be watching you and Uncle Sonny because of Tom Baker. I looked him up, and that’s the guy—” Cameron swallowed hard. “That’s the guy. Trina’s mom was mad about it and yelled at her, but the Commissioner seemed pretty adamant. So, I just—I don’t know. There you go.”

Jason exhaled slowly, some of the tension bleeding from his shoulders. He looked at Trina. “Do you have anything to add?”

“Um, no, that mostly covers it. Like he said, Mom was pretty steamed and threatened her against dragging my dad into this which I didn’t understand, but, uh, that really is it. Unless you want word for word—”

“No, that’s fine,” Jason said. He turned back to the grill, and flipped the burgers, setting them on a plate. “Thanks. Now forget all of it.”

“Absolutely, one hundred percent. Erased from the brain.” Cameron snapped his fingers. “Gone.”

“Okay,” Jason repeated. “You staying for dinner, Trina?”

“Uh, no, I’m only supposed to go do homework with Emma in the park, then straight home. Dr. Rob gets cranky when I don’t get home by five. I’m still on house arrest after the hair thing.” Trina glared at Cameron. “And how come you’re not in more trouble? You actually put the dye in the bottle! Why was I the only one—”

Cameron winced. “He didn’t know that, Treen. I had plausible deniability—” He flashed a weak grin at his father who had just arched a brow and crossed his arms. “Joss’s hair looks fine now—her hair person was able to match her natural color—”

“I’ll talk about it with your mom.”

“And that’s what you get,” Trina said with a bright smile. “For making me do this. Bye!” She waved and went inside. Cameron scowled after her.

He turned back to his father. “I’m sorry, Dad. I just—I thought you should know. And if you wanted to know more—”

“It’s fine.” Jason hesitated. “Cameron—”

“And I’m sorry if it messes things up for you. I mean, I don’t want to know anything, but I know that guy didn’t just hurt Mom, but he went after Aunt Emily.” Cameron’s heart lurched at the dim memory of his laughing, smiling aunt who had loved him and his mother.   “They never should have let him out of jail. I don’t care what happens to him. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“It won’t,” Jason promised. He crossed the deck to his son and put a hand on his shoulder. “I wasn’t going to do anything, anyway. Your mother wanted it left alone, so that’s what we’re doing. And that really is the end of it.”

“Great.” Cameron grinned, relieved. “So I’m gonna go make fun of Jake for letting Aiden score on him, and we’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

Jason watched his son jog down the steps and over to his brother, where he said something to Jake, and Aiden cackled like a maniac. Most of the time, the boys could ignore who Jason was and what he’d done in his past. The business had slowed over the years, and he and Sonny were mostly legit these days with the odd shipment or business deal. Or idiot who thought he could come disrupt the peace Jason and Sonny had worked so hard for.

But memories were long in Port Charles, and it didn’t matter how inactive Jason had been for the last few years — the PCPD was never going to stop hunting him.

Port Charles Park

Emma frowned when Joss dropped down next to her at the picnic table and dragged open her backpack. “What are you doing here?”

“I know you hang out and do homework here after school,” Joss told her. “And Cameron will call you first about the whole thing. I wanted to know when it happens. I figure, if I’m sitting here, you’ll tell me.”

Emma scowled but went back to her algebra homework, ignoring the blonde sitting across from her. It was so strange to be friends with Joss Jacks without actually being friends with her. She blamed Cameron for this. And Spencer. They’d forced Joss on her for so many years that Emma had given up the good fight.

But now that Joss was here—

“I was thinking that maybe with all this going on,” Emma began and Joss looked up, “that maybe we all try a truce. I mean, other than the blue hair dye—” Joss narrowed her eyes. “Which I wasn’t involved in—”

“I doubt it,” Joss muttered. “Do you know how long it took to fix?”

“Other than that, and the stunt you pulled with Oscar Nero—we’ve mostly been getting along this year. I just—we might not like each other much, Joss, but we’ve always agreed on one thing.”

“Yeah.” Joss made a face. “And I blame Cameron for this.”

“So do I. But his mom has thing going on, and now the police are looking at his dad—and you know if they come for his dad, they might come for your brother’s dad. Which means your mom is in the middle—”

“Yeah, though I don’t think it’ll take Mom that long to be involved.” Joss flipped her hair over her shoulder. “So, what, we don’t play pranks or something?”

“You could just not say things to Trina,” Emma suggested. “Because, like, I don’t like you, but I don’t think you’re a bad person. Sometimes you’re even funny to be around. But you don’t think and you say stuff that isn’t okay. And it makes Trina mad. And it hurts her.”

Joss exhaled slowly. “Yeah, I know,” she admitted. “It’s just hard. She’s never liked me, and I never liked her, and sometimes I just want her to be quiet, and I say stuff — like I did about her hair, and then I’m sorry later.”

“Well, you need to be sorry earlier. And you need to stop. My mom said that’s what always got your mom in trouble. Being impulsive and not thinking about others.”

Joss narrowed her eyes. “And my mom said that your mother’s desperate need to always be right and set standards for everyone else gets her in trouble. So, like, I guess we’re just like them and now we hate each other.”

“Oh, you just insist on always taking the bad stuff—” Emma retorted. They were interrupted as Trina emerged from the path, a dark look cross her face when she saw Joss.

“What is she doing here?” Trina demanded.

“We’re negotiating a truce,” Joss volunteered. “Emma and I were just discussing how much you’ll have to beg me—ow—” She rubbed her leg and glared at Emma. “Fine. Okay. I wanted to know how things went with Cam and his dad, and Emma brought up a truce because we all like Cameron even though everyone hates me, and maybe we don’t fight in front of him.”

Trina sat down across from the other girls with a suspicious expression. “Yeah, okay. Things were fine. It was uncomfortable, but his dad didn’t ask questions and it was over in like five minutes. I didn’t even need to be there, but it’s done now.”

“Good.” Pleased, Emma sat back. “Now we don’t have to worry about it. We did the right thing—”

Joss opened her mouth, then shook her head. “Nope. Not even doing it. That’s me being a truce-keeper.”

“This is not how a truce works—” Trina began, but then there was a rustle and they all turned towards the sound. “What was that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe some kids—” Emma began, but Joss wasn’t going to speculate. She shot up from the bench and went over to look.

“There’s nothing here. Maybe it was a bird or an animal.” She shrugged and returned to the table, where they proceed to snark and bicker for another hour before going home.

Morgan Home: Kitchen

Sonny leaned over to kiss Elizabeth’s cheek. “Hey, kid. How are you feeling?”

“Tired mostly,” Elizabeth said, pouring herself a glass of water. “Jason’s outside with boys, cleaning up dinner. I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

“Yeah, Jason had something he wanted to run by me in person.” Sonny put up his hands when she just frowned at him. “Hey, you probably know more than I did. I’m a legit coffee exporter these days.”

“Yeah, I know. Jason said things have been quiet since things with Julian and Ava Jerome calmed down.” She shook her head, wiping down the counter. “Wild that he’s alive, and that he’s Sam’s father.”

“Yeah, well, we sent her running back to New York, and he’s down there harassing Sam in Llanview for as long as McBain will let him.” Sonny folded his arms. “I spent my whole life looking over my shoulder. It’s strange I don’t have to do it like I did once.”

“I’m certainly not complaining,” Elizabeth said dryly. “Moreno, Sorel, Alcazar, the Ruizes, the Zaccharas, the Russians—” she shuddered. “I’ve been happy for this break.”

“Considering you brought the Cassadines with you,” Sonny said with a grin, and she rolled her eyes. “I guess we’re about even.”

“Yeah, sure. Can you send the boys in when you go out? They need to do their homework.”

Sonny did as she asked, leaving him alone on the deck with Jason as he cleaned up the grill and finished packing up the leftovers from dinner.

“Thanks for coming by tonight,” Jason said. “I could have—”

“But I don’t still have little kids at home,” Sonny pointed out. “And you spent years coming to me.” He sat at the table. “What’s up?”

Jason explained what Trina had overheard and Sonny’s face darkened. “Are they seriously going to use this bullshit with you? Jordan knows what that asshole did—”

“Yeah, I know.” Jason sat across from him. “The thing is, I think the kids probably undersold it. Or maybe they don’t know. If the PCPD is going to be watching, then they’re going to be watching the hospital and Baker, too. If I send any of our guys in, it’ll just convince Jordan’s she’s right. I can’t have our guys on this.”

“Yeah, they’ll be treating Baker like a goddamn protected witness instead of a raping asshole—” Sonny dragged his hand through his hair. “All right, I guess we’ll have to think outside the box. Maybe get Spinelli to come up with some surveillance that isn’t so obvious. Christ, most of the kids work at the hospital, not just Cam. And Elizabeth.”

“I don’t want him near anyone, but Elizabeth wants it left alone and with this PCPD—” Jason grimaced. “I’ll talk to her about it. Whatever she wants, it’s what we’ll do. But Cameron has been through enough. I don’t want him to worry about this. It was…painful…knowing he felt like he had to tell me.”

“First time I had that conversation with Michael, then with Morgan, it was like torture. At least Dante was brought up knowing what I was,” Sonny muttered. “And Kristina, I guess, it was in the air. But Michael and Morgan knew things, you know? They saw things.”

“Michael lived through the worst years. Cameron—I just want him—and the others—not to know a little longer. But he already knew who I was. One day—” Jason stared down at his hands. “One day they’ll know more.”

“Hey, my kid was working undercover to take me down and forgave me for shooting him,” Sonny reminded him. “Don’t worry so much. At least you can say you didn’t nearly kill any of them.”

Baker’s House: Dark Room

Baker hummed to himself as he clipped another photo of his pretty girl in the park to the drying rack. It was almost like magic seeing her face emerge from the whiteness of the paper, with her lovely eyes worried as she spoke to the blonde who had sat with her.

His pretty Emma had so many lovely friends, and it was worth looking at them twice, but there was something about her.

Baker slid the photo a bit closer to another that he’d developed, one of his sweet Elizabeth from the day before as she’d stood in her backyard with a cup of coffee with one of her children. Pretty Emma looked just like her, with her dark hair and sweet smile. They could have been mother and daughter.

It was a shame sweet Elizabeth didn’t have daughters of her own, but Baker had watched and heard enough to know that Emma was practically family to her. Maybe that was why he’d been drawn to her over the others.

One day, he’d find out how deep the similarities were, and if he’d have the same fond memories of Emma as he did of Elizabeth.

One day.

+4

Written in 55 minutes.

Morgan Home: Master Bedroom

Elizabeth sank down onto the mattress, her eyes wide. “Are you kidding me? Jordan’s really—” Her mouth pinched, and she looked away. “And Cameron and Trina…”

“They looked miserable about it,” Jason admitted, sitting across the room to pull of his boots. “I didn’t feel much better. I hate that he knows who I am.”

“Jason—”

“And that he had to come warn me that the police—” Jason shook his head, sat back. “I don’t want this for them. I’d get out if I could—”

“But it would mean leaving Port Charles and everyone else,” Elizabeth finished. She smiled wanly at him. “We’ve talked about it, Jason, and I’ve always accepted what you do, and I don’t think any of the boys are interested in going into the business. Sonny might have a battle with Morgan—” She sighed, moved to sit at the vanity table. “But our kids, Michael and Joss, Dante and Kristina, I think we’re safe on that score. None of us want this future for them.”

“I hate that a choice I made before I even understood what I was giving up—” Jason paused. “I didn’t care about the future. I didn’t think about having a family, kids—” He stopped. “That’s not the point of any of this,” he muttered. “I don’t know if I can add the extra guys at the hospital that we talked about.”

Elizabeth’s hands stilled as she reached to unfasten her necklace. “Jason.”

“And I can’t have anyone following Baker. Sonny called a little while ago to confirm what we suspected. Our guys at the PCPD said they’re focusing surveillance. Baker’s being watched. Not because of who he is,” Jason said, his jaw clenched, “but because they want to tie anything back to me or Sonny. And they’re watching new hires at the hospital.”

“They care more about you watching a rapist than a rapist working there,” Elizabeth said softly. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. “Laura won’t cooperate—”

“The board is going over her head. I called Monica. They get funding for this parole program Baker’s in. Anything happens to Baker on their watch, the state might pull the funding. And as far as the system is concerned—”

“He’s nothing more than a blackmailing piece of a shit who served his time.” Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “You have guards on me at the hospital. I want them on the kids.”

“Elizabeth—”

“I’m never alone,” she told him. She twisted in her seat to face him. “I’m on Patrick’s team in the OR and when I’m not with him or one of the other nurses, I’m with Epiphany and Bobbie doing paperwork. Emma, Joss, and Trina—they’re sent on errands all over the place. I’ll talk to Laura. They need a buddy system or something.”

Her hands were shaking as she tried to remove the necklace again. Jason came over behind her, brushed away her hands with his own. He handed her the chain a moment later. “Baker knows the reason he served every possible second of his sentence was because of you.”

“Because of me and Taggert,” Elizabeth said, tightly. “Taggert went to more of the hearings. What if he finds out Trina is his daughter?” She shook her head. “I’m too old for him now—”

“You have zero evidence that he has a preference,” Jason argued. “We don’t know if it was you at age sixteen or opportunity—” He grimaced as color slid from her cheeks. “I’m sorry—”

“No, you’re right. You’re right.” She rubbed a fist against her heart. “Maybe it was just the way he talked about it,” Elizabeth murmured. “He liked the hunt, and he talked about the dress I was wearing. He blackmailed Emily, remember? And we were the same age.”

“I know.”

“I just—I would never forgive myself if I had guards watching me and one of those girls got hurt. Or any of the girls in the program,” Elizabeth continued. “Thanks to the PCPD, you’re limited by just the people who are already at the hospital. I don’t want Cam to be unprotected, either. But those girls—Emma, Joss, and Trina—they’re mine, too. They’ve grown up here. They’re our babies just as much as the boys are.”

“I know,” Jason said. He put his hands on her shoulders, gently kneading them. “All right, I’ll look at what we have in place at the hospital. Get me a schedule for the program. But don’t ask me to leave you unprotected.”

“I’m not. I just—” She closed her eyes. “Ten years ago. After Manny kidnapped me, and I told you it reminded me of Baker, you asked me if I wanted you to do something about it. I should have said yes. I wanted to.” She swiped at the tears sliding down her cheek. “But I wanted it to be weak. I thought it made me stronger to walk away from him. And now it’s too late. I’ll be damned if the PCPD comes after you because of me.”

“Eventually,” Jason said, “the pressure will be off. The PCPD can’t keep up this surveillance for long. And they don’t know I’m aware of it. When it cools down, all you have to do is say the word.”

“Maybe by then I’ll have change my mind again. I guess it’s just knowing it’s off the table that’s making me feel this way.” She smiled at him in the reflection of the mirror. “I don’t want to think about Tom Baker anymore.”

“Then we won’t.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

Emma sipped her milkshake, then pursed her lips as she watched Trina behind the counter. “The Homecoming dance.”

Cameron tore his eyes away from his Switch and frowned at her. “What? Wait. That’s not for another month, is it? Oh, man. Is it sooner?”

“No, relax, I’ll warn you,” Emma promised absently. “I’ll make sure you remember to ask me.”

“I have to ask you?” Cameron scowled. “What’s the point of dating if I still have to do that? Can’t you just assume we’re going?”

Emma looked away from Trina, then matched his scowl with one of her own. “You have to do the work, Cam! You can’t just take me for granted!”

“I kind of think that’s wrong.” Cameron shook his head. “We’re dating. We go to movies every Saturday and I don’t ask you—”

“That’s different! And this is our freshman year!” Emma was positively scandalized. “This is our first Homecoming! How can you not want to ask me?”

Sensing the trap he’d walked into, Cameron decided it time to back up. “Okay, it’s not that I don’t want to,” he said carefully. “Because, like, sure. We gotta talk logistics. You know my mom and your mom are going to spend an hour with photos, and then there’s the car—and do we go with people? You know Joss is gonna wanna go and make eyes at that new kid, and Trina—” He stopped. “Oh, man that’s what started this.”

“Don’t change the subject, Cameron Webber.” Emma was incensed as she shot to her feet. “You think I don’t know what you’re doing?”

“Listen, I am on board with this whole get Spencer and Trina thing together—”

“No, you’re not.”

“Okay, I’m not. I think Spencer is a moron and Trina can do better, but you want them together, and I don’t care enough—” Cameron hissed, sat back and folded his arms. “I’m gonna shut up. There’s no winning here.”

“You don’t think I deserve to be asked out like any other girl?” Emma demanded. “We’re not married, you know! You have to put in the work!”

“Well, what about you?” Cameron shot back. “How come I gotta do the work? Why aren’t you asking me?”

“What?”

“Yeah! How come I gotta ask you! You wanna go to the dance more than me. You should ask me!” Almost gleeful because he’d found the loophole to get him out of trouble, he was sure of it, Cameron jabbed a finger at her. “This is the twenty-first century, and women are equal, right? We split the paychecks and all that crap. You know what?” He got to his feet, folded his arms. “I’m not asking you anywhere. You wanna go to Homecoming, you gotta put in the work, too!”

Emma was positively incandescent with fury as she snatched up her coat and purse. “You don’t get it, and I’m not going to explain it to you!” She stalked out of the diner as Cameron stared after her dumbfounded.

“So, I only overheard like every other word,” Trina said, coming up to his side, “but I did get enough to know you’re a moron.”

“Ah, shut up.”

Out in the courtyard, Emma was still fuming as she headed for the bus stop. The absolute nerve of that dumb boy not to just ask her? Why was it so hard? Why did she have to do everything?

Still wrapped up in her rage, Emma ran straight into someone coming around a corner. “Oof! I’m sorry!”

Someone’s hands went to her elbows to keep Emma on her feet. “You okay, little girl?”

“Fine, fine. Sorry—” Emma looked up at who she’d run into, then frowned. The man was average height, a bit stocky. A ski cap was drawn over his head, and he wore a much thicker jacket than most people did in late September, but there was something about him — “Sorry,” she said again. “I need to watch where I’m going.”

She edged away from him, then continued down the block — stopping to take out her phone and text her parents, hoping for a ride home instead of taking the bus.

Tom watched her go, smiling as he drew out the new phone he’d picked up. What a lovely thing — the photos and videos it could take — technology was a beautiful thing. He snapped a few photos of his sweet girl as she stopped at the corner, then walked away, starting to whistle.

Robinson Home: Living Room

“Why I am not surprised?” Portia muttered, as she started to rearrange the magazines on her coffee table — a nervous habit that Taggert recognized. Portia was keeping her hands busy because she really wanted to slap him.

“I came because it was an emergency, but I’m on a case—”

“You’re always on a case.” Portia got to her feet, folding her arms. “When was the last time you spent meaningful time with Trina, huh?”

“I don’t want to—”

“A year ago, she saw you for a week. You come in for a day or two, then zip off again. She deserves more than phone calls, Marcus—”  She hissed. “And you’re leaving after I told you that Jordan Ashford is going to use this case to be the complete bitch she’s always been—”

“What am I supposed to do?” Taggert demanded. “I warned Jordan not to get wrapped up in taking down Corinthos and Morgan. She doesn’t listen to me. She never has. I was a DEA agent when you met me. You knew my schedule and you said you wanted to get married and have a family anyway. You can’t blame me—”

“I thought you’d change—” Her mouth twisted. “And if it hadn’t been for Jordan—”

“Don’t start this shit with me—”

“Well, if you didn’t want to hear about it, then you shouldn’t have had an affair—”

“I never—” Taggert growled. “You know, the nice thing about being divorced, Portia? I never have to listen to this bullshit from you again. I never touched her, but you couldn’t believe I spent all that time away from my family with another woman without sex.” His eyes burned into hers. “I always wondered if you were so sure because you were having an affair of your own.”

Portia stalked over to the door. “You can go.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice.”

General Hospital: Break Room

“Real talk,” Patrick said, setting down his coffee and sitting across from her. “You’ve been around Jason for like, two decades, right?”

“About that.” Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“And also the Cassadines.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“What I’m thinking is between the supervillains and the gangsters—” Patrick leaned forward. “You know how to get away with a crime, don’t you?”

Elizabeth pursed her lips. “Patrick—”

“I’m just saying. I know Jason can’t do shit about this guy, but you and me—” Patrick nodded. “Yeah. I think that’s what we need to do. We’ll make him disappear, you make sure the husband has an alibi. We’re golden.”

“You’re insane,” she replied, forcing a smile on her face. “You have just as much to risk as I do. As Jason does.”

“Yeah, I know. Doesn’t change how much I want to rip off his face or hire it to be done,” he grumbled.

Her stomach rumbled, and she winced. “Oh man, I want those Doritos,” she muttered, looking at the vending machine. “I have lunch packed, but I just—”

“Cravings.” Patrick nodded sagely. He took out his wallet and flipped through it. He found three dollars — “Highway robbery what they charge us—” Then he stopped, frowning at the photos. “Hey, the one from Aiden’s party is missing.”

“The one of Emma and Robin?” Elizabeth leaned forward. “I saw you put it in there.”

“Yeah, it was in there last week.” He wrinkled his nose. “Probably fell out at home. I’m just used to seeing it when—” He handed her the money. “Go get the Doritos, Webber. I won’t be responsible for what happens if you don’t.”

+4