Robyn’s Hospital Room

Robyn narrowed her eyes. “He what?”

Georgie shifted uncomfortably and shot a look at Dillon. “Scott petitioned to assign Sonny with another lawyer to continue the case.”

Robyn actually made a sound that resembled a growl and started to sit up. “I am going to kill that man with my bare hands,” she muttered.

“The judge turned him down. He said in light of the circumstances, he was giving a two week recess,” Dillon hurried to tell her.

“Okay.” Robyn pressed her index finger against her temple. “Everything’s in order at the office?”

“Yeah,” Georgie told her. “I rescheduled all your meetings.”

“They’re releasing me in two days,” Robyn told them. “Just a little gunshot to the arm and one to the leg. No big deal.”

Kyle snorted in the doorway. “No. No big deal at all.”

Georgie twisted and glared at the other teen out of habit. “I still can’t believe she’s related to you.”

Kyle ignored her and joined them at his aunt’s bedside. “You know, my mother warned you,” he said lightly. “But you were determined to work for Sonny.”

Robyn shrugged. “What can I say? I love a challenge. Sorry about your birthday party.”

Kyle shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, but…uh…could you not tell my parents that I had it? I’m kind of…grounded.”

Georgie couldn’t suppress a grin. “Good. You deserve it.”

“Why don’t the two of you go home?” Robyn suggested. “You’re officially on vacation until I’m out of the hospital.”

“He doesn’t even work for you,” Georgie said, exasperated.

“He does so,” Robyn protested. “He’s just not on salary. He’s a volunteer.”

Dillon scowled. “I should get paid. I do a lot of stapling.”

Georgie rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm to lead him to the door. “Well, I keep telling you to go home…”

The argument faded as the two walked down the hall and Kyle shook his head. “Those two are demented.”

“They’re entertaining though.” Robyn shifted in the bed. “So, how do you know Georgie? She seems to have a stellar opinion of you.”

Kyle sat in one of the two hospital chairs. “I sort of dated her sister, Maxie, before I went and screwed up.”

“Oh, yeah?” Robyn asked. “How’d you do that?”

“I sort of…hid a web cam in my room and broadcasted…us…together,” Kyle said reluctantly.

Robyn raised her eyebrows. “Oh, really? I’d say that was pretty stupid.”

“Yeah, well, she won’t talk to me anymore.”

“If I were her, I would have made impossible for you to have children.” Robyn shook her head. “How do you get away with things like that?”

Kyle shrugged. “My parents don’t pay attention to me. I pretty much get to do whatever I want.”

Robyn scowled. “So what exotic country did Caroline and Greg take off to this time?”

“They’re in London for a week,” Kyle reported. “They left this morning. Mom was going to come by, but Dad kind of hurried her along.”

“Yeah.” Robyn studied her nephew. “Did your sister get that student scholarship program to Russia?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah. She leaves tomorrow and then it’s just me for the rest of the week. I think Mom and Dad are going to Italy for August. Why?”

“So you’re basically going to be in that house by yourself for the entire summer?” Robyn asked incredulously. “You’re barely eighteen. You’re not responsible enough for that.”

Kyle scowled. “I am, too.”

“How many parties have you had?”

“A few.”

“A few?”

“One every night,” Kyle admitted. “But we’re celebrating my graduation.”

“Yeah, okay.” Robyn rolled her eyes. “Well, that settles it.”

“What settles what?” Kyle asked, suspiciously.

“I’m going to suggest to your parents that you stay with me while they’re gone.”

“Aww…Aunt Robyn,” Kyle groaned. “Come on. You used to be cool.”

“If you’re producing and starring in your own porn movies, I think you need some supervision,” Robyn remarked.

“They’re not porn,” Kyle muttered. “It’s not like I made any money off them.”

“Yeah…that makes it so much better.”

Kelly’s

Elizabeth picked at her plate of French fries. “I just can’t believe it,” she said softly. “It seems so…unreal.”

Lucky nodded. “Yeah. I mean, one minute you’re insulting the girl while she’s across the diner and the next, she’s dead. Really makes me want to apologize to the guy at Dad’s club that’s always picking at his teeth.”

She smirked. “You’re a real winner, you know that?” She sat forward, pushing her plate out of the way. “I’ve been thinking about this divorce settlement and I just don’t feel right about it.”

“You’re getting a lot of money and a free house and you’re getting rid of the jackass while you’re at it,” Lucky said. “What’s not to feel right about?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “It’s not about that, Lucky. I just…I want him out of my life and having to receive alimony and living in a house he bought…I can’t do that. It just…it feels wrong.”

Lucky shrugged. “So don’t take it. Blackmail him. He did admit to you that he bribed Scott Baldwin not to call you. Tell him you’ll go to the cops unless he submits to your terms.”

“Yeah, so that I can be no better than him,” Elizabeth muttered. “No…there has to be some way to make him see reason.”

“Yeah. Blackmailing him would definitely make him see reason.”

“Lucky…” Elizabeth remarked, exasperated. She checked her watch. “You might want to clear out of here. Jessica Mitchell’s coming by and I know you despise her.”

“She’s a bloodsucker,” Lucky muttered.

“Gee, thanks, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me,” Jessica remarked from behind him. Lucky yelped and jumped a little.

“Damn it!”

Jessica grinned and sat down. “You make it so easy.”

Lucky scowled. “I’m out of here. I’m gonna go meet Nikolas and Emily. You wanna come over to the island after you’re done here?”

“Go to Wyndemere?” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “No way.”

“Thought so.” He stood and kissed her on the forehead. “See ya later.”

“So, how do you two know each other?” Jessica asked after Lucky was gone.

“We grew up together–almost got married before we realized what a mistake that would have been,” Elizabeth told her, deliberately glossing over their history.

“First loves–you’re lucky it turned into a friendship. I still don’t talk to my first boyfriend.” Jessica grimaced. “Ass.”

“Lucky’s my rock,” Elizabeth said simply. “Always has been, even before we ever got together. He, Emily and Nikolas, they’re my safe place. I know that I can always count on them.”

Jessica smiled. “Sounds perfect.” She hesitated. “So, how does Jason Morgan fit into this? And Sonny Corinthos?”

“A few years ago, I was in a bad place. Lucky had been kidnapped and we all thought he was dead,” Elizabeth began. “It was so horrible for me…for all of us. I was devastated but I tried to hide it, tried to pretend I was okay. You know, because if I were okay, everyone else felt like it okay to be okay…to move on. So I was trapped…because…”

“You weren’t okay,” Jessica supplied softly.

“Yeah.” Elizabeth sighed. “Eventually the pressure got to me and it was at the point where I just wanted to feel something–anything. So I got all dressed up and went looking for trouble.” She smiled then–a tiny one. “I found Jason instead and for the first time in a long time, it was okay to be sad, to be upset that he was gone and to really mourn him. Jason was really there for me at a time when I felt really alone.”

“So your friendship with Sonny springs from there?” Jessica asked.

“Yeah. When Jason was out of town, I’d go to Sonny for news on him and we were close. Sonny was there at the fire the night Lucky died and he caught me when I almost collapsed.” Elizabeth frowned. “He blamed himself at first but I told him it wasn’t his fault–it was mine. I’d given Lucky the candles.”

“It’s kind of weird to hear you talk about Lucky dying when I just saw him leave,” Jessica said, with a chuckle to lighten the mood.

Elizabeth smiled. “Yeah. It was a miracle to get him back.”

“What makes you think Sonny is innocent?” Jessica asked.

“Because I know him,” Elizabeth remarked. “He couldn’t do this–even if he thought himself capable of it in a blind rage, he didn’t do it. I know that he’s innocent, I know it like I know my own name. And I’d give anything to stop this–for the real guilty party to be brought to justice.”

“And you believe this is Faith Roscoe?” Jessica asked.

Elizabeth nodded. “Without a doubt. She’s the one who called me about Sonny and Ric’s fight, she’s the one who was always by, trying to get me out of Ric’s life. She’s the one who admitted to planting a snake in my studio. She wanted Ric for herself–and she would definitely not be above pushing a pregnant woman down a flight of stairs.” She sighed. “But there’s no real evidence.”

Jessica tilted her head to the side. “She admitted to planting the snake. Who’d she say that to?”

“Ric, she told Ric when he asked her.” Elizabeth shrugged. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Jessica’s face lit up. “I think I have an idea.”

 Corinthos Penthouse

Carly cleared her throat. “Janine called, wanting the details. I didn’t think it would hurt for her to come.”

Mike Corbin nodded and accepted the cup of coffee that Sonny handed him. Sonny sat next to him on the couch. “Janine was her mother, she deserves to be there.”

Carly glanced towards the door. “He hasn’t come out since we got home from the hospital. I’m so worried about him.”

“He’ll be okay,” Sonny said after a moment. “He just needs time to process–he might even leave town for a little while, but one day, he’ll be okay.”

Carly sighed. “I don’t know, Sonny. I want to believe that, but…I know Jason. I know better.”

“You could call Emily,” Mike suggested. “She’s always been good to him–she might be able to get through.”

“That’s a good idea,” Sonny replied. “Carly, why don’t you go do that?”

“Sure,” Carly replied. She grabbed her purse. “I’m going to the hospital to see Robyn. She’s getting released in a few days and…” She shrugged. “She was the last person to talk to Courtney. I just wanted to know what she might have said.”

“Carly…” Sonny protested.

“I’ll be fine,” Carly swore. She kissed him on the cheek and exited the penthouse.

Kelly’s

Elizabeth looked at her skeptically. “You can’t possibly be serious.”

Jessica sighed. “Look, I know it’s not the best situation. You and your ex don’t get along but everything you’ve told me and everything I’ve heard…Ric seems to genuinely want justice for you and your child. Wouldn’t he jump at the chance to do this?”

“I don’t want to have anything to do with Ric,” Elizabeth said firmly. “There’s got to be a different way.”

“I’ve been following the trial very closely,” Jessica told her. “Robyn Nichols is a fantastic lawyer–she’ll get Sonny off. There’s no doubt in my mind. But even if Sonny goes free, Faith might never be prosecuted.”

“They could find evidence,” Elizabeth protested.

Jessica shook her head. “There’s nothing substantial there. Just a grudge from before. Yeah, everyone knows that Faith pushed you. And the general consensus is that she ordered the shooting that killed Courtney. She pushed you down a flight of stairs and your baby died. Isn’t finding justice for that child and for Courtney Matthews…isn’t that more important than hating your ex-husband?”

Elizabeth bit her lip and closed her eyes. “You don’t understand, Jessica. Ric Lansing doesn’t do anything without thinking about how it might benefit him. If I go to him and I ask him to do this…he will want something in return.”

“Then I’m really glad you’re divorcing him,” Jessica replied. “Because that kind of guy sounds like a son of bitch.” She hesitated. “I’ll ask him.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “Why is this so important to you? So you can have the exclusive story when it’s done?”

Jessica sat back in her chair and ran a finger around the rim of her glass of soda. “When I was in college,” she began, “I got pregnant and I miscarried the baby. And I spent about a semester and a half in therapy trying to understand why.”

“I’m so sorry,” Elizabeth breathed. “It’s the most horrible feeling in the world, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Jessica admitted, her eyes a little glossy from tears. Her voice broke. “It’s like this empty feeling and you’re sure that something you did put it there. If maybe I’d taken better care of myself, eaten better food…” She cleared her throat. “There was this little life inside and now there’s not and you can’t change that no matter how much you want to.”

Elizabeth reached across the table and took Jessica’s hand in hers. “Or if maybe I had just stayed out of it?” she continued in a quiet voice. “If I hadn’t called Sonny that night and if I hadn’t taken Faith’s bait…” she shook her head. “So many what ifs.”

Jessica cleared her throat. “Anyway, that’s why I want to see this through. Because you have a reason–you have somewhere to put your anger and frustration. You can lock up the person who did this to you–we just need to get the evidence to put them there.”

“If you think you can talk Ric into doing this without making promises…” Elizabeth trailed off. “Then by all means, give it a shot.”

Jessica sat up straight and smiled a little. “Everyone has a selling price. You just have to know the angle.”

Robyn’s Hospital Room

Robyn shifted through some briefs and signed her name to a few before handing them to Georgie. “File those in the office and these at the courthouse,” she instructed.

“Sure.” Georgie slid the papers into brown file folder before sliding it neatly into her messenger bag. “I finished the filing system at the office,” she told her boss. “It’s all categorized and then alphabetized.”

Robyn smirked. “Trying to make yourself invaluable to me?” She snorted. “Too late. You already know how to use the copier machine without smacking it. You’ve got a job for life.”

There was a knock on the closed door and Robyn wrinkled her nose. “You don’t think it’s Carly again do you?”

Georgie smiled. “I doubt it. She doesn’t really like you that much and I think she had an appointment with the funeral home about Courtney.”

“Okay, then.” Robyn raised her voice. “Come in!”

The door opened and AJ Quartermaine entered. “Hey, have you seen the wayward one?” he asked.

“I’m going to need some details and your name,” Robyn said briskly with a smile. “Jones, do you know this person?”

“That’s Dillon’s cousin, AJ,” Georgie told her. “AJ, this is Robyn Nichols, the lawyer I’m working for.”

“Nice to meet you,” AJ said. He grinned. “The lawyer who he won’t leave alone in his endless quest to woo Georgie?”

“Shut up,” Georgie hissed.

“Ah, so you know of Dillon’s master plan,” Robyn said knowingly. “Do you help him come up with his angles?”

“I hope he’s not getting any tips from me, “AJ replied. “Since he’s been unsuccessful so far, what would that say about my love life?”

“If it’s anything like poor Dillon’s, it can’t be much fun,” Robyn quipped. “You were looking for him?”

“Yep. We’ve got a Class Four Emergency at the house and his presence has been requested.”

“He left about an hour ago to go do something,” Georgie reported. “He didn’t say what.”

“Which means it’s another dastardly plan to win your heart,” AJ replied, grinning.

“What’s a Class Four Emergency?” Robyn asked curiously.

“Oh, that means that someone unexpected has come into town and the family has to get together and get rid of them before they do anything to make them lose money,” Georgie said.

AJ’s grin grew wider. “Got it in one. She’s destined to be a Quartermaine.”

Georgie scowled. “Am not.”

“Your family actually has a list of these emergencies?” Robyn asked, surprised. “Do you write them down or is it kind of ingrained from birth?”

“Sort of both,” AJ replied. “Just ask Georgie to decipher the language. Seems like she knows it pretty well.” He earned a glare from the teen. “If you see Dillon, tell him the Flamingo is in town and he’ll want to get home as soon as possible. Oh, and tell him to bring you. She’d get a kick out of it.”

“Who’s the Flamingo and why would she want to meet Georgie?” Robyn asked suspiciously.

“The Flamingo is Dillon’s mother and I am not meeting the woman who abandoned her son into that asylum,” Georgie retorted.

“You give each other code names?” Robyn asked, amused. “I’ve got to meet this family.”

“That can definitely be arranged,” AJ replied. “But be careful, once you go Quartermaine, you don’t go back.”

Robyn smiled at him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Georgie grimaced when she realized the two had practically been flirting the whole time that AJ had been in the room. When he was gone, she shook her head. “What do people see in him?”

“Oh, he’s kind of charming,” Robyn remarked. “Kind of like your Dillon.”

“He’s not my Dillon.”

“So, if he were to go and ask some other girl out–”

“She’d be wearing her guts as a hair band,” Georgie retorted hotly.

“Yep. That’s what I thought.”

Ric’s Apartment

He was in the middle of packing his law books when someone knocked on the door. He set the heavy book back on his desk and crossed to open it.

Ric frowned when an unfamiliar young woman was revealed to him. “Who are you?”

“Jessica Mitchell, Port Charles Herald,” Jessica said briskly. “I’m here on an errand from your ex-wife.”

“Estranged wife,” Ric corrected automatically. “We’re not divorced yet.” He stepped aside. “You want to come in?”

“Not a problem.” She entered and he closed the door. “Nice place.”

“It was good while it lasted.” Ric returned to the desk and started putting books inside. “You said you were here on an errand for Elizabeth?”

“By now it should be completely clear that Sonny Corinthos didn’t push her,” Jessica began.

“He hasn’t been found innocent yet,” Ric reminded her.

She glared at him. “You want be quiet while I do this? Thanks.” She took a deep breath. “Your ex–”

“Estranged.”

“–wife thinks it might have been Faith Roscoe,” Jessica continued, her eyes turning frosty with his interruption. “I happen to agree but I also know that there’s no evidence against her.”

“What does any of this have to do with me?” Ric asked shortly, taping the box shut and setting it next to the door. He put his hands on his hips. “As you obviously know, my wife is no longer speaking to me.”

“She mentioned that Faith admitted to you that she put a snake in Elizabeth’s studio prior to your marriage,” Jessica went on. “Is that true?”

“Yes.” Ric smirked. “And you want me to trick her into confessing that she pushed Elizabeth as well? I’m sorry, no.”

“You’re not interested in learning who killed your baby?” Jessica asked coldly. Ric glared at her.

“I already know who killed my baby,” he retorted. “Sonny Corinthos. He pushed Elizabeth down the stairs and now he’s crying innocent. And she’s naïve enough to believe that he didn’t do it.” His voice began to rise. “But what she’s conveniently forgetting is that Sonny has already pushed another pregnant woman down the stairs–only he didn’t succeed in killing that baby, did he?”

“Look, I don’t care about your grudge against your brother–that has nothing to do with me–”

“None of this has anything to do with you,” Ric snapped. “You’re just butting in where no one wants you.”

“Your wife wants my help,” Jessica corrected. “And she wants to know who’s responsible for killing her child and effectively ruining her marriage. I would have thought you’d want to know too.” She tilted her head to the side. “Unless…you blame her.”

“Of course I don’t blame her,” Ric said immediately. He turned away from Jessica, driving his fingers through his hair and squeezing his eyes shut. “Elizabeth was the only good thing in my life–the only person who ever loved me. And because of Sonny–”

“That’s a fucking copout and you know it,” Jessica cut in swiftly, her eyes cold and hard. “If you don’t blame Elizabeth, then you blame yourself. You think about the reason Elizabeth even went to Rice Plaza and you realize that if it wasn’t for your stupid vendetta, she might have been home safe where she belonged. Because she was looking out for you–this makes it your fault.”

He spun to look at the petite brunette who’d managed to voice the very things that he’d been thinking over and over since the day Elizabeth fell. “If I hadn’t given her a reason not to trust me, she wouldn’t have thought I tried to blow Sonny’s limo up. She wouldn’t have feared retaliation. She wouldn’t have tried to fix it.”

“And she wouldn’t have been at Rice Plaza May 23,” Jessica said softly. “You blame Sonny so you don’t have to blame yourself.” When he didn’t say anything, she sighed. “He didn’t do it and I think you know it.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Doing this isn’t going to get your wife back but maybe…” Jessica hesitated. “Maybe it will make you feel better about your part in this.”

He nodded. “Yeah.” Ric sighed heavily. “Yeah, tell Elizabeth I’m in.”

A week later

Robyn’s Office

Georgie pulled her black jacket and hung it over the back of her chair, shooting Dillon a nasty look as he worked on collating some of the newest briefs that been delivered while they were at Courtney Matthew’s funeral.

“I can’t believe she put you on salary,” Georgie grumbled. She sat down and started going through the mail. She set aside bills and shoved letters from clients in another pile. “She must be on crack.”

“She has been on some powerful pain killers,” Dillon agreed. “I told her it really wasn’t necessary but…”

“Hey, is your mother still in town?” Georgie changed the subject.

“Nope. She was only home long enough to give my grandfather heart pains. That and to get funding for some project. She got it, she’s gone–son of a bitch!” he yelped in pain, bringing his thumb to his mouth. “God damn stapler.”

“Yeah, those things can be lethal,” Robyn cracked from the doorway of her office. She had a cane to help her walk and had a bit of a limp but otherwise, looked and acted fine. “Jones, if a Jessica Mitchell calls, put her through. She’s doing a little side job.”

“Isn’t that the reporter from the Herald?” Georgie asked. She yanked Dillon’s finger from his mouth and slapped a bandage on it.

“Yeah. She’s got a lead on the real culprit.” Robyn took a deep breath. “Okay. We go back into session tomorrow. Did Scott send over the paperwork for his expert witness?”

“Yeah, I left it on your desk. Apparently, it’s some psychologist from California,” Georgie said. “I read Scott’s paperwork and then Dillon did some research on the computer about him.”

“Yeah?” Robyn asked, interested. “So he’s gonna earn his salary now?”

“That’s my aim,” Dillon said. “He’s got some theory all men hate their siblings and seek to destroy their lives. He’s going to present that theory for Sonny.”

Robyn frowned. “Has Scott lost his mind? He can’t introduce psychiatric testimony about a theory that’s not in general practice.”

“Nope. So you probably won’t have to worry about his testimony since you can get it thrown out.”

“Gee, thanks for that bit of law,” she said dryly. “Okay, and that’s Scott’s last witness so I’d better call our star witness and get her prepared.”

She disappeared back into her office and Dillon stared at the bandage on his finger. “Hey, you do care.”

Georgie rolled her eyes. “You’re a buffoon, you know that? I couldn’t let you drip blood on the papers.”

“Uh uh,” Dillon wagged his finger at her. “You like me. You can’t deny it.”

“Go stick your head in a boiling pot of water,” she scowled.

Corinthos Penthouse

Carly rubbed her eyes. “I think we should convince Jason to come over for dinner tonight,” she told Sonny. “He’s been sitting in his penthouse for the past two weeks, no one’s seen him except for today at the viewing and he hasn’t even said anything.”

“Jason’s never really dealt with grieving,” Sonny replied. “He’s never lost anyone close to him before–not like this. You have to let him figure this out for himself.”

“Yes, but he doesn’t have to be alone while he figures it out,” Carly argued. She sighed. “Look, we’ve been under so much stress this last month, with the trial and now Courtney…I just want to make sure we can keep our family together.”

“We will,” Sonny assured her. He put an arm around her shoulders. “We just have to give it some time. The trial will be over soon–Robyn only has one witness and she called a little while ago. Elizabeth goes on the stand tomorrow.”

“What if the jury doesn’t believe her?” Carly asked fearfully. “What if they believe the rumors and you get sent to jail and Jason and I are all that’s left?”

Sonny shook his head. “Don’t even think about that. It can’t happen that way. We’ll find a way out of this, I promise.”

The Next Day

Port Charles Courthouse: Lobby

Robyn emerged from the judge’s chambers with a smile on her face and a sulking Scott behind them. She stopped in front of Sonny and Carly. “I sure hope Elizabeth is ready.”

“So you got the testimony thrown out?” Carly asked hopefully. “No psychiatrist?”

“No psychiatrist,” Robyn confirmed. She glanced over at Scott who was fighting through a group of reporters, doing his best to remain silent. “Not only did Scott not give me proper notice but he can’t introduce psychiatric testimony when the defendant has not been examined or isn’t putting on a psychiatric defense. Also, the doctor he wanted to call practices a theory that isn’t generally accepted so all in all, it was obvious a desperate move on his part.”

“He knows he’s gonna lose,” Carly stated. She touched Sonny’s arm. “Because you’re innocent.”

“Elizabeth is prepped, she’s our star witness and Scott won’t shake her. I promise you, Mrs. Corinthos, I have done everything in my power to keep your husband from getting a guilty verdict,” Robyn told her. She glanced at her watch. “Okay, I need to call Elizabeth and let her know that she’s due in a half hour.”

She strode towards a bank of payphones. “She’s a good lawyer,” Carly admitted. “She’s going to get you acquitted.”

“All the lawyers in the world can’t control the jury,” Sonny sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck. “How you feeling? You all right?”

“I’m fine.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m going to go call Jason and let him know court will be in session soon. He’ll want to come out for this at least.”

“Don’t push him,” Sony warned her again. “It’s okay.”

“What’s okay?” Jason asked, approaching them. “Did Robyn talk to you about the psychiatrist?”

Carly blinked, her mouth open a little. A moment later, she threw her arms around Jason. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

He held her tightly. “I’m okay, Carly,” he promised. “I just needed some time to process everything, okay?”

She nodded tearfully. “Well, it’s good that you’re here because Robyn’s calling Elizabeth to the stand in a half hour and then she’s resting her case. It all hangs on her now.”

“She’ll come through,” Jason said firmly. “She always does.”

Port Charles Courthouse: Steps

Elizabeth darted up the stairs, shielded from the press by the glares of Lucky and Nikolas. It’d been a bad morning for her–it was all she could just to get out of bed and get showered. But once Robyn had called, she’d felt better.

She had a reason to breathe this morning.

“You okay?” Lucky asked. He gripped her shoulders. “You up for this?”

“I’m fine,” Elizabeth repeated for the third time that morning. “I need to tell the jury that Sonny is innocent.”

“Scott Baldwin’s going to do whatever he can to shake you,” Nikolas warned her. “So…don’t be surprised if he brings up everything and anything.”

Emily nodded. “Right. He’ll do anything to get Sonny in jail.”

“I know all of this,” Elizabeth assured them. She smiled briefly. “I’m ready.”

“Okay.” Lucky took a deep breath. “Then let’s do this.”

Emily rolled her eyes. “Oh for…we’re not going to war, Lucky!”

Port Charles Courthouse: Courtroom

The judge called the court to order before looking at Robyn who was getting last minute typed questions from Georgie. “Ms. Nichols, present your first witness.”

Robyn stood. “The defense calls Mrs. Elizabeth Lansing.”

The doors open and all eyes were on the victim in the case as she nervously came down the aisle and stepped up to the witness stand. A bailiff swore her in and she sat down.

Because of her limp and the cane, Robyn was unable to question Elizabeth in her normal pacing manner and settled for staying seated. “Please state your name, address and occupation for the record.”

“Elizabeth Lansing, 231 Harbor Drive and part-time waitress,” Elizabeth answered.

“Mrs. Lansing, on the evening of May 23 of this year, where you?” Robyn began.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. “I was at Rice Plaza meeting with my brother-in-law, Sonny Corinthos.”

“You were meeting with the defendant,” Robyn clarified.

“Yes.”

“Why were you meeting with him?”

“I had married his brother the day before and I wanted…I wanted to form some kind of truce between them,” Elizabeth answered. “They only recently found out about their relationship and it’s been very antagonistic. For the sake of my child and the one Carly is about to have…” she took a deep breath and forced herself to continue. “I was hoping to find a way to get past it.”

“But the meeting didn’t go well.”

“No,” Elizabeth admitted. “We were both arguing. We both yelled. Called in markers, so to speak. Took advantage of past favors…it was a bad fight and I walked away, knowing we weren’t going to come to any kind of agreement.”

“You walked away first,” Robyn said.

“Yes.”

“You did not see Sonny walk away.”

“No.”

She stood then and started towards Elizabeth. “What’s the last thing you remember before waking up in the hospital, Mrs. Lansing?”

“I was on the stairs and someone pushed me,” she answered softly.

“You sustained a number of injuries, none particularly life-threatening. But the one that concerned and upset everyone was the miscarriage of your child,” Robyn said bluntly.

“Yes,” Elizabeth answered in a hushed voice. “I…when I woke up, my husband told me that the baby had not survived the surgery.” She glanced away and met Emily’s reassuring gaze.

“You say someone pushed you down the stairs. Do you remember who? Did you see?” Robyn asked.

“No. The push was light–just enough to make me lose my balance,” Elizabeth answered. “It was a woman’s touch. I…” she hesitated and met Mac Scorpio’s eyes. “I felt the nails. They were women’s long nails.”

“Objection!” Scott bellowed. “None of this was in the police report.”

“Your Honor, the event was traumatic and it’s possible that the more Mrs. Lansing talks about it, the more she remembers,” Robyn said quickly.

“Overruled.”

“Mrs. Lansing, even if you weren’t sure of the kind of hand it was, is there any doubt in your mind that my client is innocent?”

“There is none,” Elizabeth told her clearly. “I’ve known Sonny for a long time and he would not have done this.”

“You’re good friends,” Robyn said. “You’ve been close for a few years. Supported each other through a great many things. Friends do things for each other. Get each other out of trouble…?” she trailed off.

Elizabeth shook her head. “I wouldn’t lie to protect to him. When I say Sonny is innocent, I mean that. He didn’t push me. He was angry but he never would have pushed me down the steps.” Her eyes teared and she found Sonny’s gaze. “He and his wife lost a child that way a few years ago and I can’t imagine for one second he’d ever put another woman though that kind of pain–not even for revenge or out of anger.”

Robyn nodded. “Thank you, Mrs. Lansing.” She glanced at Scott before taking a seat. “Your witness.”

Scott stood and shoved a hand inside one of his pockets. “Mrs. Lansing, good morning. How are you?”

“Fine,” Elizabeth answered warily.

“You testified that you’ve known Mr. Corinthos for a great many years, that the two of you are friends.”

“Yes.”

“Give me an example of one of the times he’s helped you, been a friend.”

Elizabeth glanced at Robyn who urged her to go on with a gesture of her hands. “A few years ago, there was a fire in a garage that his best friend Jason owned. My boyfriend lived above in one of the rooms and he was believed to be dead.” She took a deep breath. “I was devastated–I was there when they brought out this…a chain Lucky wore around his neck…they had taken it off the body…” her voice caught, remembering that night. “And Lieutenant Taggart handed to me. Up until then I had just…I’d been adamant that it wasn’t Lucky in there. It couldn’t be…but when they gave me that…” she shook her head. “I just fell apart.”

“And Mr. Corinthos?” Scott prompted.

“He caught me before I hit the ground,” Elizabeth answered in a hushed voice. “That’s really only one of the clear moments I remember of that night. He and Jason were there that night–and I guess they felt responsible…because Jason owned the building a-and they couldn’t do anything to save Lucky…he was very supportive of me that night. They both were,” she added quickly.

“So you and Sonny were friends even before you started dating his best friend,” Scott stated.

“I–yes,” Elizabeth answered. There was no need or way to explain the complicated relationship she’d once shared with Jason and she knew he’d understand that. “He was always there for me if I needed him and I was able to offer him comfort the night Carly miscarried.”

“And yet…once you ended your relationship with Jason Morgan, didn’t that end your friendship with Sonny Corinthos?”

“No,” Elizabeth said immediately. “You don’t have to see each other or talk to each other every single day to be friends. That’s not how friendship works,” she retorted. “Sonny was and still is someone I consider a very good friend.”

“This is the man who is on trial for killing your child,” Scott said, suddenly coming forward and resting his hands on the edge of the witness stand. “The man who is accused of pushing you down a flight of stone steps–”

“Objection, council is badgering the witness!” Robyn cut in sharply.

“I know what he’s accused of,” Elizabeth said in a shaky voice. “I know what you think of him and I know what everyone else thinks of him. But what you think and what I know are very different things. He did not push me, Mr. Baldwin. It is not in his nature or in his character to push a defenseless woman down a flight of stairs purposefully and deliberately. You think by throwing the death of my baby in my face you can get me to say well maybe he did do it but you’re wrong,” she snapped. Tears were streaming down her face now and her hands were trembling but her voice was still strong.

“Sonny Corinthos didn’t push me,” Elizabeth repeated. “You can sit here all day and you will never get me to say anything different. Not out of revenge for his best friend breaking my heart, not out of revenge for the death of my child breaking up my marriage. There is nothing you could say that would make me change my mind.”

Scott glared at her for a moment. “You met Sonny Corinthos at Rice Plaza to plead for your husband’s life, didn’t you?”

“I met with him to plead for a truce,” Elizabeth corrected in a scathing tone. “He and Ric argued and fought with each other every time they came near one another. If something bad happened to either one of them, they automatically suspected the other had orchestrated it. I didn’t wait to raise my child in an environment like that.”

“Well, Sonny Corinthos certainly made sure you didn’t have to,” Scott challenged.

“Someone pushed me but it wasn’t Sonny!” Elizabeth retorted.

“How can you be so sure?” Scott demanded. “Are you willing to stake your life on that?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth replied firmly meeting his glare straight on. “I am one hundred percent positive that Michael Corinthos is innocent of this crime.”

Furious with his inability to shake her testimony, Scott threw his hands up. “I’m done with this witness.”

The judge nodded. “Ms. Nichols, any redirect?”

“Oh, I think Mr. Baldwin pretty much took care of it for me,” Robyn said. “Oh…and the defense rests,” she added with a smug smile.

The judge nodded. “Mrs. Lansing, you may step down. This court is in recess until 1 PM. You will meet me in my chambers to discuss final instructions to the jury and then closing arguments will commence after that.” He rapped the gavel.

Elizabeth shakily stepped down from the witness stand and went over to the defense table. “Did I do all right?” she asked hesitantly.

“You did so much better than I could have dreamed,” Robyn assured her. “That whole last few minutes up there? With you listing all the reasons why you could frame Sonny and didn’t? Girl, those are moments we dream about in law school.” She put her arm around the slightly trembling brunette. “I’m buying you a drink. Come on.”

“You okay?” Lucky asked immediately as he, Nikolas and Emily strode through the gate. He gripped her shoulders. “Do you need sit down?”

“Why don’t you sit down, Mother Hen?” Emily rolled her eyes. She stepped over to her brother and wrapped him in her arms. “Hey, how are you?”

“I’m fine.” He hugged her back. “A lot better now that we know for sure Sonny will be acquitted.”

“Thank you for the things you said about my husband,” Carly told Elizabeth. “With all of the evidence and your testimony…there’s no doubt in my mind now.” She glanced at Sonny. “Right?”

Sonny nodded. “Right. Thank you, Elizabeth. I don’t deserve the things you said up there but it made my heart feel good to hear them.”

Elizabeth nodded and hugged him surprisingly. “I’m so sorry about Courtney,” she said softly. She glanced at Carly and Jason. “I’m sorry to all of you. I wanted to come to the viewing but these last few weeks have been hard for me.”

“There were some mornings I didn’t want to get out of bed,” Carly said, with a note of understanding.

“We should get some lunch while we can,” Nikolas told Elizabeth.

“Yeah, Kelly’s?” Emily suggested, taking Elizabeth by the arm and leading her away from the Corinthos family.

“That sounds good,” Elizabeth agreed. She laughed shakily. “I could use some hot chocolate.”

“With sprinkles and whipped cream,” Emily added, pushing the doors open.

Port Charles Courthouse

Scott Baldwin cleared his throat and stood. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the testimony you’ve heard in this courtroom along with the evidence presented leaves only one possibility. Sonny Corinthos pushed Elizabeth Lansing down those stairs in cold blood.”

He crossed to the front of the jury box. “They were the only two present. They were arguing and yes–Mrs. Lansing states that she does not believe Sonny Corinthos is guilty but how many times have you been reluctant to believe a friend is capable of something and find out later it is true?”

He slid his hands in his pockets. “Some of you are parents–mothers and fathers. You remember how incredible it was when you found out you were going to have a child? When my little Serena was born–I felt like I was on top of the world. I could no wrong, I was invincible.”

Some of the jury members smiled. Scott smiled back at them. After a moment, that faded. “Along with various other injuries, Sonny Corinthos stole that opportunity from Elizabeth Lansing. He pushed her down those stairs with no regard for her health or that of her child. She will never feel that baby’s heartbeat, feel that baby kick–hold that baby in her arms–watch him grow, take his first step–call her Mommy…”

In the back of the court room, Lucky put an arm around Elizabeth and Emily squeezed her hand tightly as Elizabeth fought back tears.

“It’s a travesty that we were unable to charge Sonny Corinthos with the death of that child but we can and have prosecuted him for pushing that poor defenseless young woman down those steps. Now–I’m asking you to do your civic duty–your moral duty–and send him to jail.”

He took his seat and smiled at Robyn who ignored him. “Ms. Nichols,” the judge prompted.

Robyn cleared her throat and stood, doing her best to walk without a limp. “As a woman who hopes one day to have a family, Elizabeth Lansing has my sympathy. I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a child so soon after discovering its presence. And it is tragic that she will never experience being a mother to that child.”

Carly glanced over her shoulder and sighed when she saw Elizabeth silently crying. She wished there was something she could do to ease the other woman’s pain when she’d so selflessly defended Sonny on the stand that morning.

“But even though someone stole that from her, Elizabeth Lansing sat in this chair,” Robyn pointed to the witness stand, “and she not only stated it clearly–she practically screamed it to the heavens: Sonny Corinthos is not guilty. He did not push her. She even stated that she felt the long fingernails of a woman.”

“The only thing that the prosecution has stated without a doubt is that Sonny Corinthos and Elizabeth Lansing were at Rice Plaza that night alone and we even stipulated that. They were there, they did argue–but Sonny Corinthos walked away and there is no one who says he didn’t. The prosecution was unable to produce a witness stating that they saw Sonny push her. They couldn’t even introduce evidence showing that Sonny is a violent man, capable of such a heartless crime.”

She paused for a moment. “Sonny Corinthos is innocent and it would be a terrible miscarriage of justice to find him guilty. Don’t make that mistake.”

She sat down in her chair, grimacing at that slight pain in her leg.

The judge looked at the jury and began giving his instructions to the jury so they could begin their deliberations.

“I have to get out of here,” Elizabeth whispered to Lucky. He nodded and helped her to stand. He led her out of the courtroom as the judge released the jury to the jury room. Emily and Nikolas followed them.

Jessica and Ric were standing outside the courtroom, Jessica holding a tape recorder with a triumphant smile. The smile faded as she saw them exit, Elizabeth almost having to be propped up by Lucky and Nikolas, the trembling in her body so bad.

Ric took a step forward as if to comfort her but Jessica held him back. “You promised that you wouldn’t go near her.”

“But she needs me,” Ric hissed.

Carly, Jason and Sonny exited a moment later and Carly immediately crossed to Elizabeth. “I am so sorry that you had to sit through that,” she told the woman with complete sincerity. She touched Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Elizabeth’s eyes dropped to the bulge of Carly’s abdomen and raised them back to her face. “How did you do it?” she asked hoarsely. “How did you go on with this aching void inside you?”

“One day at a time,” Carly said softly. “And sometimes I don’t feel I’ve gotten past it at all.”

Elizabeth nodded and stepped away from Lucky and Nikolas. “I need–I need some air.” She moved towards the stairs and held up her hands to stop them from following her. “And some space. Please.”

She turned and walked quickly away from the crowd, eager to break free from them all.

She’d never even seen her estranged husband standing there.

“What are you doing here?” Lucky asked, approaching Jessica and Ric. “Why did you bring him?”

“We just came from the police station,” Jessica said quietly. “We turned in a copy of this.” She held the recorder up and pressed play.

“Sure, I pushed the little wilting flower. Did you really think I would let her get away with keeping you from me?”

She stopped it and slid it back into her bag. “We’re not sure if it’s enough to prosecute her though but Ric manipulated her into thinking he was going to be with her so she’d confess.”

“Yeah, he’s real good at the manipulation part,” Carly said scornfully.

Ric cleared his throat and looked away. “I just hope it’s enough to get the charges against Sonny dropped.”

“Too little too late,” Lucky retorted. “You’re the one who fixed it so he was indicted in the first place.”

“I–”

“Just shut up. You said you wouldn’t say anything and you’re already breaking that now.” Jessica shot him a nasty glare before looking back at Lucky. “How did it go today?”

“Elizabeth testified this morning. Scott tried everything he could to shake her but there was nothing he could do. But the closing arguments were tough and she had to get out of there.”

“How does it look though? Will Sonny win?” Jessica asked.

“Robyn made a good case,” Carly informed her. “But you never can tell with juries.” She frowned. “Where’s Jason?”

Courthouse Steps

Elizabeth took in a big gulp of air and leaned against one of the pillars of the building. Her hands covered her abdomen and she closed her eyes.

Would the baby have been a girl or a boy? Would the baby have been enough to keep her marriage together or were she and Ric doomed from the start?

Would the baby have had her blue eyes or Ric’s brown ones? Light brown hair, dark brown hair? Sarah’s blonde hair maybe? Genetics were weird like that. The baby could have even looked more like its aunt than either of its parents.

Tears slid down her cheeks and her body started to shake. She slowly slid to the ground and buried her face in her hands.

“Elizabeth?”

She heard Jason’s voice and raised her eyes to find him kneeling next to her. “J-Jason?”

“I saw you leave and I–I wanted to check on you.” He touched her shoulder.

“I’m fine.” She swiped at her eyes and stood quickly. He followed suit.

“I didn’t ask if you were,” Jason remarked. “I could see that you weren’t.”

“It’s–just–I thought I was okay. I mean–it’s been over a month since it happened. I only knew about the baby for a few days. I–I thought I came to terms with it a while ago. But sitting in that room–listening to Scott Baldwin list the things that I will never do with my baby–” She swallowed hard and looked away. “It just hit all over again.”

“I’m sorry that you had to hear all of that,” Jason said.

“I know it had to be said. Scott wants to drive home the fact that a child was killed a-and I wish that the person on trial could have been guilty so I could feel good about him saying those words–because it’s not fair that no one will ever pay for the death of my baby.” She closed her eyes. “It’s not fair that just because my baby was nine weeks old and not twenty-five, it doesn’t count. It was a still a baby–it was still a little living presence and I could feel it inside me–and now it’s gone and I’m supposed to pretend it was never there–”

She started sobbing again and after a moment, he was unable to watch her in pain any longer. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her into his arms. She clutched at the front of his black dress shirt and buried her face in his chest.

A few moments later, someone cleared their throat near them. Jason glanced over to see Nikolas Cassadine standing there. “Hey–the jury’s back.”

Port Charles Courthouse

“Fifteen minutes. That’s not good is it?” Carly asked as she leaned towards the bar that separated the front of the courtroom from the spectator seats.

“It’s not usually but it’s possible the jury didn’t buy Scott’s case,” Robyn answered. She turned and caught Jessica Mitchell’s eye–she hadn’t had a chance to really speak to the other woman but her presence at the trial assured Robyn that the morning’s project had gone as planned.

“Did you find out where Jason went?” Sonny asked.

“No–” Carly glanced over her shoulder to see Jason and Elizabeth entering the courtroom, his arm around her shoulders. “Well–yeah.”

“Hey,” Elizabeth said softly. “I thought it might show some more solidarity if we all sat together.”

Carly nodded and slid over. “You’re more than welcome to sit here.”

Jason sat down next to Carly and Elizabeth next to him. The jury filed in one by one. She tried to read their faces but found that she couldn’t.

The judge called the court back into session and cleared his throat. “Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?”

The foreman stood and nodded. “We have, Your Honor. On the charge of aggravated assault in the first degree, we find the defendant Michael Corinthos, Jr. -not guilty.”

Carly cried out and threw her arms around Jason before leaning across the divide and hugging her husband tightly.

“It’s over,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “It’s over.”

Elizabeth hugged Jason before embracing Sonny. “Thank you for everything that you did,” he told her. “If there is ever anything I can do for you–”

“There is something,” Elizabeth told him, keeping her voice down. “Maybe we could talk after everything dies down.”

Sonny pulled away and looked at her oddly–but as if sensing she would not talk until she was ready, he just nodded and kissed her cheek before turning to his lawyer.

September 2003

Sonny’s Island

Elizabeth flicked the on button to answer her cell phone and rolled over onto her stomach. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me,” Sonny said. “How’s the weather down there?”

“Still warm as ever,” Elizabeth replied. She tipped her sunglasses down to peer at the setting sun. “How’s Port Charles?”

“It’s…the same. Emily and Nikolas are engaged–did she tell you that?” Sonny asked.

“Yeah, she called me last night–fifteen seconds after she’d answered his question.” Elizabeth traced her fingers in the sand. “Ric moved to New York yet?”

“Not yet. It’s been made clear to him that you’re not coming home until he’s gone but I don’t think he’s getting the point. It’s probably better that you’re away right now.”

“I like it down here,” Elizabeth admitted. “But two months of sitting around and just–relaxing…it gets old quick, you know? I miss my friends, my life. I needed the time away from everything but I’m ready to come home.”

Sonny nodded. “Whenever you want, the plane is ready to bring you back.”

“I appreciate you letting me use the cottage down here,” Elizabeth told him. “Maybe another week or so – I’ll come home.”

“Right, right. Did I tell you my lawyer is dating AJ?” Sonny grimaced. “There’s no accounting for her taste.”

“Robyn’s a good lawyer–and AJ’s not the idiot of old,” Elizabeth reminded him. She sat up and tugged at the top of her bikini. “As long as she keeps you out of jail, what do you care?”

“But…AJ…” Sonny shook his head.

“How’s…Jason?” Elizabeth finally decided to ask. “I mean–after Courtney and all…?”

“He’s still quiet–still keeps to himself. He’s been going back to Jake’s a lot, riding his bike–doing the things he did after he lost Michael and Robin,” Sonny admitted. “Carly’s been restricted to bed rest or else she’d be following him around, trying to make him talk.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “Sonny…why don’t you send that plane tomorrow?”

Jake’s

Coleman stood behind the bar, nursing a beer as he watched Jason Morgan get into his third fight of the night. He couldn’t complain–the man acted as his unofficial bouncer. No one messed with the bar with the reputation it had of being Jason’s hangout.

And anything the man broke–he paid for. Couldn’t ask for much more than that.

When Elizabeth Webber entered the bar, she stood back on the fringes of the crowd and waited for Jason to finish his fight and return to the pool table.

She pushed out of the crowd and grabbed a pool cue “Is there room for someone else?” she asked.

He turned and stared at her–his eyes narrowing at the familiar outfit she wore. Her hair was teased back, she wore a pair of black jeans and a black tank top. If he wasn’t sure he hadn’t drank enough to impair his vision, he might have thought he was staring at an Elizabeth from four years ago.

“I thought you were on the island,” he said after a moment.

“I flew back this morning.” Elizabeth chalked the cue and set the pool balls up to break them. “Sonny told me you were hanging out here again.”

He shrugged. “People mind their own business here and those who don’t….”

“Deal with you.” Elizabeth nodded and lifted the cue so she could break. The balls scattered across the table and he was mildly surprised when she sunk three balls at the first shot. “I’ve been practicing.”

“Obviously.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “So what are you doing here?”

“Trying to find trouble.” She smirked. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to forget,” he answered honestly. “What do you need trouble for?”

She lined up her next shot and muttered something under her breath when she missed. “I’ve spent two months on Sonny’s island–waiting for my divorce to be final–on my terms. I turned down alimony, support, the house–I turned it all down because I just want him out of my life and those things keep him there. I’m waiting for him to sign the papers and move out of town.”

“He hasn’t signed yet?” Jason asked, surprised.

“He signed this morning. I believe I have Johnny to thank–for a little bit of extra persuasion.” She shrugged. “So–after he signed, I thought–I thought I’d feel a little better. Like–whatever’s been hanging over my head will be gone. It’s been three months since the miscarriage, two since the trial–and I should be feeling better.”

“Just because you should feel something–doesn’t mean it’s wrong that you don’t,” Jason told her.

“It’s not that I feel something–it’s that I feel…nothing.” She eyed him. “Do you remember what nothing feels like?”

“Yeah–” he nodded and suddenly, his throat felt thick. “Yeah, that’s pretty much where I live.”

She set the pool cue down and held out her hand. “You want to see how I escape?”

He found a smile in him at that point and he took her hand. “You’re not driving.”

She pouted. “Spoilsport.”

 

THE END