Written in 65 minutes .

Port Charles Hotel: Suite

“You don’t think it’s a little, uh, morbid to have booked the same suite?” Robin Scorpio turned away from the locked terrace doors to find Brenda by the fireplace, staring at the crackling flames. “We could have stayed with my uncle. Or Ned.”

Brenda looked at her friend, her dark eyes slightly unfocused, then sighed. “No. No. I wanted to do this on my own terms. To stop running. I’m so angry with myself for letting Lorenzo—Luis—whoever he is scare me away from the life I wanted to build. I’ve lost too much time. It ends here. Where it should have ended last year.”

“All right, you get to handle this however you want. I just wish I understood why this is the plan,” Robin complained. She crossed to her luggage, still piled by the door. “A Halloween party at Luke’s? It’s such an obvious trap—”

“It is, but if Scott and Mac are right—” Brenda folded her arms, wrapping them tightly around her torso, “if this is Luis, he won’t be able to resist. For all he knows, I’m really here to do Lucy a favor.” She hesitated. “But I understand if you’ve changed your mind about going to the party. It’s…it’s the first time you’ve seen Jason since you left—”

“Since I blew up his cozy little lie with Carly, you mean,” Robin said coolly, “and he told me he never wanted to see my face again. Yeah, that’s going to be a little awkward. But since he managed to Michael away from AJ again and he’s moved on with Lizzie Webber, I’m not worried about his reaction. And I’m not interested in what he thinks anyway. I came here to support you. He’s just going to have to deal with it.” She lifted her suitcase and stalked into one of the adjoining bedrooms, slamming the door behind her.

Brenda flinched, then looked back at the flames. One way or another, it was all going to end, she told herself. Even if she had to kill Luis or Lorenzo herself this time.

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bathroom

Elizabeth gripped the eyeliner more tightly and leaned in closer to the bathroom mirror. It was hell trying to apply this with her weaker hand, but after more than a week of using her left, she was starting to get the hang of it.

And then the liner slipped, and a streak of black hit her nose.

“Damn it.” Elizabeth nearly threw the little stick right in the trash, but took a deep breath. She slid her other arm out of the brace, and flexed her hand. She could move her fingers now which was an improvement, but—

She bit her lip, transferred the eyeliner to her right hand, took a deep breath, and tried again.

A few minutes later, the eyeliner had been applied, outlining her blue eyes with smoky black color, lightly smudged. She’d had to go very slowly and she hadn’t been able to grip very tightly, but—

It was progress. Real progress. Just maybe she’d be able to hold a paintbrush again one day or a colored pencil, and watch it fly across the canvas or paper, the images in her head appearing in front of her.

“I still don’t like this—” Jason began, stepping inside the bathroom. He hesitated, one hand on the door frame. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing—and I’m not going to cry,” she managed, her voice thick, She looked at him, smiling tremulously. “I put on my makeup. And I used my right hand.”

Jason dropped his eyes to her hand, saw the eyeliner still clutched in her fingers and he exhaled slowly. “You used—you used your hand.”

“I think maybe it’s starting to—” She closed her palm around the stick. “I still don’t have fine motor control, but it’s like Tony said. Maybe the nerve just needs to heal.”

“That is—” Jason came forward, his hand sliding away from the doorframe, reaching out for her. He dipped his head down, brushed his mouth against hers. “That’s really good news.”

“I know.” She tipped her head back so that their eyes met. “And I know you don’t want me to go tonight. I don’t want to go either. But we agreed. We want this to look like a normal night. Lucy’s throwing a charity benefit for the pediatric AIDs wing. You’ve always donated to that. And if you bring me, it doesn’t look like you’re worried about my safety—”

“I am—”

“Nikolas is going to stick to my side all night. Emily offered Zander, but—”

“I don’t want him anywhere near this,” Jason muttered, and Elizabeth nodded in agreement.

“I won’t be alone. I’m not the target tonight, Jason. If we’re right, Brenda being out in public — he won’t be able to resist. And he won’t want to hurt her.”

Jason sighed, tugged her into an embrace, and she curled into it, ignoring the tenderness in her shoulder. “Even if we grab Alcazar, it doesn’t solve our Ric problem—”

“One psychopath at a time,” Elizabeth said. She kissed the edge of his jaw. “Now, go get ready.”

“I’m not wearing a costume,” he reminded her, and she rolled her eyes, leaving him behind in the bathroom to take his shower.

As if she were stupid enough to think he’d put on a mask or even a themed jacket. She’d found one of his all black suits, and figured that was good enough. She’d located one of her black dresses and Bobbie had brought her a pair of cat ears attached to a headband. That was as dressed up as she wanted to be tonight.

She headed downstairs, leaving the brace off. Maybe her hand would improve even more quickly if she used it more.

As she stepped off the bottom step, there was a knock at the door. There hadn’t been a call from the security desk so it meant someone on the approved list. When she pulled the door open, she found Mike on the threshold.

“Oh. Um, hi.” Elizabeth tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, stepped back. “I didn’t know you were coming by tonight.”

Sonny’s father stepped inside, his hands in his pockets. “I wasn’t—I wasn’t going to, but,  well, Bobbie filled me in when I went to see Carly and the baby today.” He furrowed his brow at the sight of her hand wrapped around the edge of the door. “Your arm is better?”

“Getting there.” Elizabeth released the door, flexed her fingers again. “It’s the best it’s felt yet.”

“I’m glad. Really. I know you were worried about your art, and well, that’d be a shame. I, ah, wanted to know if there was anything I could do tonight. Um, you know, to help.”

Elizabeth bit her lip, considered. “Well, Jason’s nervous that I’m going, and Nikolas is supposed to stick with me all night. But I know if you were there, too, he’d feel even better.”

Mike blinked. “You’re—you’re going? I would have thought—with the baby—” He cleared his throat. “I mean, you know best. I just didn’t think you’d risk it.”

“It’s important that tonight look normal, like any other charity. If Jason goes alone, it’s suspicious, don’t you think? He could just donate. So if I go, it looks like he’s doing it for me.” Elizabeth flexed her hand again, staring down at it. “I know it seems awful, going tonight with everything—”

“Life has to go on, Elizabeth,” he said gently, and she looked at him. “I’m trying to be a better father and better friend than I was a few days ago. Than I’ve been all my life. Jason’s a good man, and you and I have always liked each other. That doesn’t have to change.”

Her eyes watered, and she closed them. “Oh, man, it took forever to get this eyeliner on,” she managed, heading for the desk and plucking at a tissue. “It means a lot to me that you feel that way, Mike, and I know Jason’s going to be relieved.”

“If this man killed my little girl, then I want to make him pay. Whatever that takes, and if the best way to make sure Jason can focus is look after you, than that’s what we’ll do.”

“Good. Good—” Elizabeth leaned over to pick up the ringing phone, sure that it was someone at the desk. Maybe Brenda had decided to come here instead. “Hello?”

“Elizabeth? Oh, thank God. You’re the one that answered. You have to help me. He’s insane, and you’re the only one who can help.”

Elizabeth looked at Mike, her eyes wide, her blood running cold. She forced her voice to remain even. “After everything you’ve done, I wouldn’t help you across the street, Ric. Give a reason to change my mind.”

General Hospital: Hospital Room

“I told you, Mama, you should go tonight. I know you’re worried—”

“No, no, I’d be one more person for Jason to keep track of.” Bobbie folded her arms, tried to force herself to remain seated, but then was up and pacing the room again. “It’s just come together so quickly, and I’m worried. What if it doesn’t work? What if Alcazar just disappears?”

“What if the sky falls down?” Carly said, trying to tease, but her voice faltered. “We have to trust Jason—”

“I trust him. But he didn’t come up with this plan. Scotty did. And I wouldn’t trust him with an ant farm right now,” she muttered.

“It’s a good plan. It is. Trying to draw Alcazar out into the open, baiting him with Brenda.” Carly made a face. “Not that I’m happy she’s back. I was glad to be rid of her.”

“Oh, don’t start any of that again.” Bobbie looked back at her daughter. “She’s been through hell.”

“And she brought that pasty-faced brat with her for emotional support. Haven’t I been through enough?” Carly asked, turning her face to the ceiling. “Shot in the head by my own husband, and now the universe brings two of the most annoying people on the planet back to town. If Miss Goody Two Shoes tries to screw with Jason’s head again, I’ll get out of this bed and pop her—”

“You’re trying to distract me, and it’s not going to work.” Bobbie returned to her seat. “Brenda and Robin are here to help us, Carly. Not take your husband.”

“I just—” Carly closed her eyes. “I just wish I could talk to him. It’s been so long since we could even hear each other. Can you— I mean, could you find out if he…I just want to know how he is. To tell him I know he didn’t mean to do this. He’d never mean it. He was so broken, Mama.”

“I’ll reach out to Rose Lawn and find out.” Bobbie squeezed her hand. “We’re going to get through this. We’re almost done.”

“That’s what I thought when they brought me home from Venezuela, but well—” Carly sighed. “Here we are, still hoping it’s almost over.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Jason jogged down the steps, tugging the hem of his black suit jacket down to his wrist, coming to a stop halfway when he realized Mike was standing by the desk—and Elizabeth was on the phone, her face pale.

Mike saw him first, gestured for him to stay quiet. Jason, his heart pounding, came down the last few steps, crossing to them slowly.

“I don’t care what mess you’ve gotten yourself into this time, Ric. You’re nothing but a liar, and so far you haven’t given me a good reason to do a damn thing for you—”

Jason scowled, sent Mike an irritated look. The older man just shrugged.

Ric said something else on the phone and Elizabeth grimaced. “Well, thanks, but we already figured out that Luis was still alive. You have nothing we want, Ric. As far as I’m concerned, you can go rot wherever you are—” She stopped, bit her lip, then looked at Jason, something shifting in her eyes. “I need to talk to Jason. I’m not making any promises. Do you know the number you’re calling from?”

Mike was already handing her a pad of paper and a pencil. Elizabeth scribbled something down with her bad hand, but it was mostly legible.

“If we decide to do anything with this, you’ll hear from us. But don’t hold your breath—” She clicked the phone off in mid-threat, then looked at Jason. “He stole a cell phone from one of the guards on a yacht that’s docked in the harbor. That’s why he had service. Because Luis is here in Port Charles.”

Jason exhaled slowly. “A yacht. That makes sense. Easy for him to go off grid. Anything else?”

“He wanted to trade information for his safety. I wasn’t impressed by the Luis reveal, but he told me that Luis has a plan that isn’t about Brenda. Or he did. Ric doesn’t know if he changed it.”

“What’s the plan?”

Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “Get Sonny and me into a room so he can tell Sonny he nearly killed his sister.”

Mike jolted. “What?”

“It’s a lie,” Elizabeth added quickly. “Ric cooked something up — Luis thinks I’m Sonny’s sister. I don’t know what’s going on, but—”

“You’re not leaving the penthouse,” Jason said immediately, snatching up the cordless. “I’m calling Mac. As soon as we have eyes on Alcazar at the party, he can raid the yacht. But you’re not going anywhere near the party—”

“I have to go, Jason,” Elizabeth insisted.

“He’s right, Elizabeth. If there’s a chance Alcazar is going to try to get you—” Mike began, but she shook her head.

“We don’t know what’s a truth or a lie. Ric could be setting you up,” she told Jason who scowled. “All he does is play games. You said he worked for Luis before all of this started. He told me he came up with this ridiculous sister thing because he thought he could con Sonny with it. I don’t know why he thought it would work—”

“You’re the right age,” Mike said roughly, and both Jason and Elizabeth looked at him. “Adela. She was pregnant when she died. The baby died with her. It was the last time I saw Sonny at her funeral. He blamed himself. But you—you’re the right age. You and Courtney. Born the same year.” He dragged a hand down his face. “Christ. I haven’t thought about that in years. Sonny blamed himself for not getting rid of Deke sooner. Blamed himself for his sister’s death. And he’ll blame himself when we tell him about Courtney. I went to the funeral, and he saw—he saw a picture of Courtney in my wallet — I didn’t mean to — he was furious with me. Furious that I’d started another family while his mother was in her grave. It was the last time we saw each other until I came to Port Charles.” He looked at Jason. “Sonny, in the condition he’s in, he wouldn’t think about all the reasons it doesn’t make sense. If he thought for a second that he’d nearly killed his pregnant wife and his pregnant sister, on top of his mother and Lily—”

Jason scrubbed his hands through his hair, trying to absorb everything Mike had told him. It lined up with what Sonny had talked about that last night. The guilt. Ric finding out about that dead sister—

“Wait. Wait. That doesn’t make sense. Why would Ric think that would work?” Elizabeth asked. “He’s Sonny’s brother—how could he tell anyone I was Sonny’s sister— ” She stopped, looked at Jason. “Isn’t he?”

“I think,” Jason said, carefully, “that Mac needs to make sure we take Ric alive. Because if I go near him right now—” He shook his head. “One lunatic at a time,” he muttered. “I’ll call Mac, pass this information on. But you’re staying home—”

“I’m going,” Elizabeth interrupted. “Mike is going with us, and between him and Nikolas, I won’t be alone all night.” She lifted her chin. “Now do you want to keep arguing or get this over with?”

+28

Written in 58 minutes.

Forest Hills: Living Room

“What a wonderful blessing,” Audrey said, smiling down at the photo of a tired, but smiling Bobbie holding a newborn in her arms. “And for Carly to come through it so well—”

“She’s still weak, but all things considered, we’ve been lucky.” Bobbie pressed the photo to her chest. “I wish I could wrap her in cotton and send her to the island with Michael today, but she and Morgan can’t leave the hospital just yet.”

Audrey made a face, then went to the window overlooking the circular drive and the guardhouse by the wrought-iron gates. “You said last night that they want me to go as well. I’m not sure that’s a good idea. If it isn’t safe for me, then perhaps Elizabeth ought to go with me as well.”

“She needs to be here with her doctors,” Bobbie said. “And I think Jason might worry more with her out of his sight. This man—whether he be Lorenzo or Luis—isn’t predictable, and we’re just trying to keep everyone safe. You’re important to Elizabeth.”

“I—” Audrey glanced over at the sound a car rolling over the gravel. “That’s her now. I suppose she’ll be asking me to go, and I just—I thought about what you said last night. That this all started with one man’s obsession with Brenda, and the way it’s spiraled out to hurt so many people. I don’t like leaving Elizabeth when she needs me. I’ve let her down one too many times.”

“She knows you’re here for her, that you’ve been supportive. You can’t let the past push you into making mistakes. Jason and Mac think they’ve got a plan to end this.” Bobbie took Audrey’s hands. “We’ll put our trust in them, and think about something more important—a year from now, you’ll be holding your great-grandchild, and my grandbabies will be running around, driving us all crazy.”

“It’s a lovely picture you paint. All right, if Elizabeth says this is what she needs for me to do, then I’ll see it done.”

Luke’s: Main Bar

Lucy spun in a slow circle, pursing her lips. “It’s a lot to ask me to pull off in only two days,” she told Scott, then planted her hands on her hips. “A Halloween bash so well-attended that the media will cover it?”

“Hey, if you’re not up to the challenge—” Scott held up his hands. “Just say the word—”

“Ha,” Lucy muttered, shooting him a dark look. “I need a better hook to get the Sun interested, and without them, no one else will bother. This is Luke’s — is he calling in some favors? A good headliner?”

“Uh, we’re not going through Luke for this. He’s turned it over to Bobbie while he’s in London.” Scott made a face at the thought of his ex-wife’s husband. “And if you want a hook, Lucy, try this: Famous Supermodel Back from the Dead Returns Home!”

Lucy whirled a round, her eyes widening. “Scotty Baldwin! Why didn’t you tell me this was about Brenda? This is a welcome party? For Brenda Barrett? You should have led with that!” She turned back to the stage area, clasping her hands together. “Oh, I have so many ideas.”

“All the hair, just—” Scott gestured. “Stood up on  the back of my neck. Send the bills to Jason Morgan, okay? He’s picking up the tab.”

“Oh, even better!” Lucy did a little dance. “Unlimited budget and no one to tell me no? Christmas came early! You just leave this to me, Scotty. I’ll throw a Halloween party no one will ever forget.”

General Hospital: Carly’s Hospital Room

Carly leaned back, her face pale but her eyes were happy, watching Jason carefully lift Morgan from the portable crib by her bed. “I can’t believe he’s here.”

“Bobbie said his scores were perfect,” Elizabeth said, taking a seat by Carly’s bed, watching Jason with the baby. Carly wondered if she was thinking about the future, seven or eight months away. She turned her gaze to Carly. “Is there anything we can get you? Food, magazines—”

“Tell me this is almost over,” Carly said, but she was looking at Jason. Their eyes met. “I can live with Sonny not being ready to leave Rose Lawn. He’s exactly where he should be, getting the hold you and I should have pushed him to get years ago. But I want my son. I want Michael and his brother together and I want to be with them. Please tell me when the hospital says I can go home, it’ll be safe.”

“We’re…” Jason hesitated. “We’re planning something for Halloween. Two days.” He gently laid Morgan back in Carly’s arms, then took the other seat across from Elizabeth. “I’m doing everything I can, Carly.”

“I know. I know, I didn’t mean to—” Carly  bit her lip, looked down at Morgan, who was yawning, settling in for a doze. “I didn’t mean to sound like you weren’t. I know I lean on you too much, and don’t tell me you don’t mind. We both know that’s not true.”

Jason sighed, dipped his head for a moment, then lifted a gain. “You’ve always depended on me too much. You don’t trust yourself enough. I used to be better at keeping boundaries. At telling you no. I never blamed you.”

“Well, you should. You—you have your own family now,” she told him, then looked at Elizabeth who looked away, her cheeks flushing slightly. “It’s so hard. When I woke up, and Mama told me everything I’d missed, and I remembered everything that happened. Sonny, Courtney, the shooting, and—oh, the horrible thought that Lorenzo Alcazar has been dead all along, and that Luis is still here—it’s too much. I think sometimes I’ve wrapped my head around it all, and then I lose it again.”

“Yeah, I—” Jason stopped when the door opened slightly and Mike stepped inside.

“Hey. I thought I’d come by, see my new grandbaby.” Mike looked back between Jason and Elizabeth, then at Carly. “How are you, honey?”

“I’m good. Come see your grandson, Morgan Stone.”

Mike gently lifted Morgan from Carly’s arms, grinning. “Morgan Stone? That’s—that’s a fine name. Two very good men.”

“The best,” Carly murmured. Her head listed to the side, and she felt fatigue sinking in. “I’m so sorry, I keep—I keep falling asleep.”

“Don’t worry,” Jason told her. He kissed her forehead. “Rest. We’ll get Morgan back to the nursery, and Bobbie will be back.”

“Thanks, Jase. For everything.” Carly forced herself to keep her eyes open. “A girl couldn’t ask for a better friend. You never let me down. Even when you should. I’m so glad you’re going to be a daddy. You deserve it more than anyone.”

She was already asleep by the time Jason reached for the call button.

Once a nurse came by to whisk Morgan back to the nursery, Jason was left standing awkwardly in the hall with Mike, Elizabeth having excused herself to use the restroom.

“I—about yesterday—” Mike began. He paused, dipping his head until his chin touched his chest. “I just—I didn’t mean to do any of that.”

Jason grimaced, slid his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “It’s fine—”

“It’s not. None of this is. And I’m just—I’m just trying to make sense of things. And I went down the wrong road. I just—”

“It’s not me you need to apologize for.” Jason shook his head, looked away. “You get to be pissed at me for what happened, but none of this is on Elizabeth—”

“I know that—”

“Do you?” Jason looked back at Mike. “Because you sat in that bar and talked about how you didn’t feel right about casting stones. Because of the things you’ve done wrong. Tell me how you square that with what you threw in her face yesterday? Did it make you feel better to accuse her of lying?”

“N-No—” Mike flushed, dragged his hands down his face. “I just—I just lost myself and I just—I regret it—”

“What I did was wrong, Mike, and I’m sorry for it,” Jason told him roughly. “But my part in this ended before that night in Kelly’s. I ended things with Courtney because it was the right thing to do. She’s the one that chose to get revenge. Not me.”

Mike sank onto a nearby bench, pale. “I know it. I listened to myself spew all that crap at Elizabeth, and I just wanted it to be true so badly. I needed—” He closed his eyes. “I needed it to be someone else’s fault. Not my little girl. She’s gone and I don’t know how to do this, Jason. I don’t know how to handle what she did, and being gone—”

Elizabeth appeared around the corner, stopping when she saw Mike’s crumpled expression, and dejected form on the bench. She looked at Jason, a bit worried. “Is everything okay?”

Mike’s head snapped up and he was on his feet before Jason could answer. “Elizabeth. I need to apologize—”

“You don’t—”

“Yes, he does—”

“He doesn’t,” Elizabeth told Jason. “He’s hurt, and I’m not going to hold any of this against him. Not when he’s never been anything but kind to me. I told you that—” She stopped, took a deep breath, went to Mike. “Jason’s angry, and I guess I can’t tell him not to be. That’s not for me to decide.”

“I’m just sorry—”

“It hurt when you accused me of lying,” she told him gently, and he grimaced, looking away. “But I understood it. I had chances last year to see the truth. Jason tried to tell me. Courtney. Carly. Sonny. But I was so angry, so hurt, so broken that I let it blind me. I made a choice to trust a terrible man, and I don’t know how much of that choice led us here. I don’t know if what Jason and I chose to do started a domino effect that was always going to end up here. I don’t like thinking that an impulsive personal choice I made could hurt so many people.”

“It’s not your fault—”

“And it’s not yours. I know it’s hard to think Courtney did something so awful in her final days. I hate that it’s the last thing she did. But she made a mistake, Mike. She was hurt and she was broken, and she did something terrible. Just like me. It’s not fair that I get a second chance to fix what I broke, and that she doesn’t. It’s all right to resent me. I understand, and if it gives you any peace of mind, that’s okay.”

“You’re a good kid.” Mike took her hand, patted it. “You’ve always been good to me, even when I didn’t deserve it. She was a good person. The sweetest smile, kindest little girl. I couldn’t be the man she thought I was, so I ran, and I’ll never get that time back. Don’t end up like me, swimming in regrets. You made a mistake with Ric, and I never should have thrown that in your face. I’m sorry.”

“I accept your apology, and I hope you’ll accept mine. And that you and Jason won’t let this stain your relationship.” Elizabeth looked at Jason who had remained silent throughout the conversation. “Please. We’ve lost so much.”

“I don’t want to be angry with you, Mike,” Jason said finally. “I never wanted that.”

“I don’t want it either. I want—I want to help. To be part of whatever stops this. To make it over.”

Jason opened open his mouth, but then reached into his pocket to dig out his ringing phone. “Yeah?” He listened to the voice on the other end, then looked at Elizabeth and Mike. “She’s here. At the penthouse.”

“Who is?” Mike asked, helping Elizabeth to her feet. “Who is it?”

“Brenda,” Jason told Mike. “And she didn’t come alone.”

+27

Written in 61 minutes.

Morgan Penthouse: Kitchen

Jason winced at the empty interior of his fridge, then closed the silver door revealing Elizabeth leaning against the counter cradling a bag of pretzels between her brace and chest and digging with the other hand to the bottom of the bag. “Sorry. We should probably order something or I can send someone for Kelly’s—”

“Mmm, chili or pizza?” Elizabeth closed her eyes, considered the choice. “Oh, they both sound good. But that’s not helpful. And don’t feel bad. It’s not like you were expecting an overnight guest.” She wandered over to the other side of the kitchen to dispose of the now empty bag, leaving Jason to frown after her. Overnight guest? The wording didn’t entirely sit right with him, but the vibration of the cell phone put distracted him.

He tugged it from his back pocket, moving towards the living room and the junk drawer where he kept a stack of takeout menus. “Yeah?”

“Hey, it’s Francis—”

Jason stilled, halfway to the living room. He saw Elizabeth poking through some of the other cabinets, finding them nearly as empty as the fridge. Francis was the guard sitting outside Audrey’s house.

“What’s wrong?”

“Not sure, but the same car has circled the block three times in the last hour. The first time was just before you stopped by, then twenty minutes ago. And just now. I didn’t know if you wanted us to wait on a fourth go to catch the driver, or—”

“You ran the plates?”

“Yeah, Stan did. It’s a rental, and he can’t get into their database to see who picked it up. What do you want us to do?”

Could mean anything, really. Could be someone who was lost and looking for a house, but the even intervals made that unlikely. Had someone seen him leave the house earlier with the bag? Did they know Audrey was alone? Or were they waiting to get a chance at Elizabeth?

Jason rubbed his temple. A wrong move here could be catastrophic, and he didn’t know how many more mistakes he’d be able to come back from. He opened his mouth, then hesitated when he saw Elizabeth in the doorway, clutching her injured shoulder.

“I want you to sit on the house and not to do anything. If they’ve come around that many times, they could be looking at all the cars, checking who owns what. If you or me come back to the house, they might think they’ve been made. I don’t want that.”

Elizabeth came closer, her eyes wide, but she remained silent.

“Okay, and Mrs. Hardy?”

“I’m going to call Mac Scorpio. Have him send a uniform or someone to pick up Mrs. Hardy. Take her to the hospital. He’ll be able to reassure her better than the rest of us. Then you stay on the house the rest of the night and report back.”

“Got it.”

Jason ended the call and was already dialing the number for the commissioner’s direct line, and was once again grateful when Elizabeth said nothing, just watched and listen.

“Jason, hey, we’ve got an update on the event—”

“Mac, there’s a car circling Audrey Hardy’s house and we don’t know who it belongs to,” Jason interrupted. “I need you to send someone to convince her to go to the hospital.”

Mac waited a beat. “Okay, I’ll ask an obvious question. Why aren’t your guys grabbing her right now?”

“Because she might not go with someone she doesn’t know, and if someone’s watching the house, they might think something’s up. I’m going to take a chance that no one expects me to be in contact with you. Mac—”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll run by myself. Audrey and I have a history, I can convince her faster. Jason, once she’s at the hospital—”

“I’ll handle it from there and get you the license plate number. You can get the information faster than me. Thanks.”

“I’ll call once we’re in the car.”

Jason flipped the phone shut, then looked at Elizabeth whose pallor had faded until it was stark white. “I know you have a lot of questions—”

“She needs to go to the hospital and not here because you don’t want anyone to know you caught them. You don’t want them to dump the car when you might be able to trace it. But right now you need to call Bobbie because she’s at the hospital, and we—we—can’t go there. So someone has to talk to my grandmother.”

“And with Bobbie’s help, I can get your grandmother out to the Forest Hills house. It’s got security at the gate,” Jason said, pressing the speed dial for Carly’s mother. “I should have moved her earlier, but—”

“It’s okay, just call her. And we’ll—we’ll wait for Mac to tell us that he was able to talk to my grandmother.” Elizabeth swallowed hard. “She’ll go with Mac. That was smart. She’ll go with Mac,” she repeated, more as a mantra than as a statement of fact, as if she said it enough it would make it true.

And if it was the last thing Jason did, he’d make sure it would be.

Hardy House: Front Porch

Audrey peered through the peep hole, then slid the deadbolt open, flipped the other set of locks, tugging the door towards her. “Mac? What on Earth?”

“Hey, Audrey. I’m gonna come in, all right?” Mac said, but then didn’t wait for an answer. He came forward, and Audrey stepped back automatically crinkling her brows.

“What’s going on—”

“There’s a car circling the block,” Mac told her and Audrey closed her mouth. “One of Jason’s guards has been timing it. Every twenty minutes. They don’t know anything else, and I’m tracking it down, but we needed to move you somewhere safe in a way that doesn’t let anyone know we caught their car.”

Audrey exhaled slowly, pressed a fist to her chest. “Jason just picked up some things for Elizabeth. She called and said she needed to be somewhere safer. Has something happened? Is someone else hurt? Oh, please don’t tell me someone else has died—”

“To the best of my knowledge,” Mac said, “everyone is fine. Jason sounded fine, and I don’t think he would if Elizabeth were hurt, all right? We’re together, Audrey. Jason’s cooperating with the PCPD, so this is above board. We think we’re starting to narrow down on the who and the what, and we’re working out a plan to prove it. But it’s important that we keep everyone safe while not tipping them off.”

“All right, all right. I won’t—” Audrey picked up her purse. “If you’re here, then it is obviously important. But I will be wanting some answers when I get where I’m going. And I won’t take no for an answer.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

The moment the cell phone rang, Jason snatched it up and flipped it open, answering it and pressing the speaker button. “Mac?”

“We’re in the car on our way to the hospital,” Mac said. “And no one following that I can tell. There’s a squad car sitting at the hospital that’s going to trace any car that drives by after I pull into the parking lot.”

“Gram?” Elizabeth said, stepping towards the speaker. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”

“Just tell me you’re all right, darling.”

“I’m okay. I’m better now that I know you’re safe. Thank you, thank you for going with Mac.”

“When this is done, Elizabeth, you and I are going to have to have a conversation,” Audrey said with a tone Jason recognized, but Elizabeth didn’t look bothered.

“I’m looking forward to arguing with you, Gram. I love you, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jason closed the phone, then looked at her. “I’m so sorry—”

“Don’t—don’t apologize—” Elizabeth went into his arms, and he pressed his lips to her temple. “Gram’s okay. I don’t care if I argue with her for the rest of my life. This is going to be over soon. Brenda’s coming home, and if this is about her, Lorenzo Alcazar or whoever he is won’t be able to resist the chance to get his hands on her. Obsession or revenge, it’s the same sickness and it’s going to be his undoing.”

Yacht: Dining Room

Luis strode through the double door entrance, and Ric sighed, sliding his plate away from him. From the expression on the crime lord’s face, it was clear he was in a rotten mood and he had a habit of sweeping dishes from tables when he was like that.

“Lost a kitten?” Ric asked, and Luis looked at him, glowered. “Sorry, I was trying to lighten the mood.”

“Morgan,” Luis muttered, and on that subject, Ric could commiserate. Jason Morgan had a way of making you feel insane. He paced across the room, then back to the table. He laid his hands on the surface, flattening them. “You know him. Why would he wait until today to start herding the chicks into the coop? Why not immediately after I made you disappear and disposed of that twit blonde?”

Ric frowned, tipped his head. “What does that mean?”

“Elizabeth Webber left her grandmother’s house this morning with just her guard in tow. Just like any other day since her release from the hospital.” Luis scowled. “She hasn’t returned. Nearly an hour ago, Morgan picked up a duffel bag. I assumed the woman was spending the night.”

Ric fought to keep his mouth twitching into a matching scowl, but he obviously failed since Luis’s expression slid into a sly smile. “Don’t like that, do you?”

“She’s still legally married to me,” Ric muttered, “not that you know it.”

“No, not with her two months gone with Morgan’s bastard. In any case, it was unfortunate but nothing that tripped my suspicion. But the commissioner of the PCPD just picked Audrey Hardy up and left with her.”

Ric opened his mouth, then closed it. “You think that’s connected to Morgan?”

“You don’t?”

“I—I don’t know. That’s—” Ric shifted, wincing at the soreness in his back. “Audrey Hardy loathes Jason Morgan. She kept saying that she was glad Elizabeth was away with him. And Elizabeth never tells her anything about her life. She never spoke a word of any of my…shortcomings,” he concluded. “I find it extremely difficult to believe that Mac and Jason and Audrey would be working together on anything. Didn’t Mac arrest Jason?”

Luis straightened, his features easing. “That’s true. He dropped the charges when Corinthos was committed, and well, that case was never that strong.” He folded his arms. “Perhaps an actual emergency at the hospital?”

“Carly’s still there. Bobbie and Audrey are old friends. Could be anything, Luis. Were you planning to grab the old woman? How does that get Sonny and Elizabeth into a room together?”

“It doesn’t. I wanted to figure out if Morgan had any cars on the house, but my people didn’t finish getting a full list of parked cars.” Luis tapped his chin. “All right, we’ll see how this plays out. In any case, it doesn’t affect my plan very much. I can make adjustments.”

“Like what?” Ric asked suspiciously. “How are you planning to get Sonny and Elizabeth alone in a room together?”

Luis smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he called over his shoulder, sauntering towards the door.”

“Yes, actually!” Ric called after him. “I thought I made that perfectly clear.” He sighed, then picked up his fork and began eating.

General Hospital: Hallway

Bobbie stepped out of Carly’s room pulling it closed, then embraced Audrey in a tight hug. “I’m so relieved to see you.  My heart’s been pounding since I spoke with Jason.” She reached over, squeezed Mac’s hand. “Thank you.”

“We’re running those plates now, and if we can get the shell company Alcazar’s using, I think it’s going to give us a fresh lead. I’ll keep Jason in the loop,” Mac told them.

When he was gone, Audrey shook her head. “I am trying to be understanding about all of this, Bobbie, and I think I’ve been very supportive, but since the moment Elizabeth was shot, all hell has broken loose, and my granddaughter seems to be no safer than she was that day—”

Bobbie pressed a finger to her lips, then pulled Audrey inside the hospital room where Carly was resting. “Keep your voice down. And don’t tell me you’re blaming Jason for that—”

“Who else—”

“Lorenzo Alcazar. Or Luis Alcazar. We think he faked his brother’s death so that he could drop out of sight and get his hands on Brenda. But Jason’s had her in hiding for months.”

Audrey blinked, took a step back. “What? What?”

“All of this goes back to Brenda Barrett. If it’s Luis, then it’s a sick, twisted obsession for a woman who doesn’t want him. He’s nothing better than a stalker, and he’s stolen years of Brenda’s life. If he’s Lorenzo, he’s a twisted bastard looking for revenge against a woman who escaped her stalker. The only thing Jason is guilty of is hiding a terrified woman, protecting her. What would you have him do, Audrey? Feed Brenda to the wolves?”

“No, no, of course not.” Audrey swallowed hard. “I hadn’t thought of it that way—”

“Well, once you stop looking at Jason like the enemy, it gets easier to see the rest of the world. Is he a perfect man? No. Does he live his life entirely on the right side of the law? No. Do you think I was happy when my daughter married Sonny? Or kept Michael in that life? Of course not, Audrey. But none of this happened because of the life they chose. It’s because Sonny’s untreated mental illness was exploited by a twisted man who thinks he has the right to kidnap and terrorize women.”

Audrey closed her eyes. “It’s so much, Bobbie. I’m so scared for Elizabeth, for that child—”

“The safest place she can be right now is at the Towers with Jason. You were here that night. Can you tell me he’s going to let anyone near her again?”

“No, no.” Audrey pressed two fingers to her lips. “All right. All right. Whatever I need to do, I’ll do it. I just want my granddaughter and that precious baby safe, Bobbie. That’s all.”

“That’s—” Bobbie broke off when the monitor began to beep wildly. She turned around and by the time she got to the bed, Carly was awake, clutching her hands to her belly. “Carly?”

“Oh, God, I think I’m in labor!”

+28

Written in 58 minutes.

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Jason set down the duffel bag by the closet, then crossed to the window overlooking the harbor where Elizabeth stood, massaging her injured hand, as if willing the feeling and full control to return.

“My grandmother didn’t argue when you picked up my things, did she?” Elizabeth asked. “She promised she understood when I called why I wasn’t there. I just wish she’d have let you move her to a safehouse.”

Jason dropped his hands on her shoulders, his chest easing when she leaned back against him. “The guards are staying at your grandmother’s even if you aren’t,” he told her. “You were there long enough, and well—”

“If Ric is with Alcazar—whichever brother he is—he’ll know about my grandmother.” Elizabeth sighed, her body shuddering slightly. “How sure is Scott that the Alcazar brothers are involved with Ric? Or were?”

“Involved enough that Luis threw him in jail for stealing.” Jason hesitated. “The guards are staying, and if you want, we can talk to her again tomorrow about a safe house. Or the island. Leticia’s taking Michael tomorrow—”

“That poor little boy,” she murmured. She pulled out of his arms, wandered over to the dresser, the top left completely bare. “I’ll talk to Gram, but she won’t go. The security system is enough. I never should have gone to stay with her—”

“We didn’t know,” Jason said, but the tightness was back in his chest. It all came back to his life, and the danger it held. Michael had been through so much in the few months. Moving back and forth to the island as the danger rose and fell, terrified at losing his mother, listening to his parents arguing—

And Elizabeth’s grandmother who had put aside so much of her distrust and worry to be support Elizabeth through all of this being confronted with the realities of Elizabeth’s choice to stay with him. He swallowed hard, slid his hands in his pockets.

She turned to look at him, a ghost of a smile flitting across her face. “That’s not me rethinking any of this. Just regret. I wish we’d known sooner that there was something bigger going on, but there really wasn’t a way to know. Not until…”

Until Courtney’s murder. Jason dragged a hand down his face, feeling the growth of stubble beneath his fingers. “The guys will stay there. The security is good. The system is top of the line.”

“That was Gramps. He always told Gram to spare no expense. Money was no object when it came to protecting the most precious person in his life.” She trailed her fingers over the dresser. Then looked back at him. “Tomorrow, if there’s time, you should tell Mike what’s going on.”

Jason nodded, then folded his arms. “I’ll have Mac or Scott—”

“If you think that’s best. But I don’t want you to be angry with him because of what happened today. I mean, I’m not telling you how to feel — it’s just—I’m not angry with him. How can I be? So much of what he said was true—”

“It wasn’t—”

“It was,” she insisted. She came over to him, once again cradling her injured arm against her chest. “You warned me over and over again about Ric. Courtney warned me. Sonny. Even Carly. All of you. And I chose to ignore you. Deliberately chose to ignore everything you told me. I was so hurt and so angry about what had happened between us that I told myself it was lies. Mike knows all of that, why wouldn’t he doubt me now? He lost his daughter, Jason, and he’s trying to make sense of this awful thing she did before she died. Please. You don’t have to forgive him, but tell him what’s going on. Give him a chance to fix this. If he doesn’t want it, then okay. But I know his friendship was important to you. Don’t let it go over this.”

Jason exhaled slowly, then rubbed his temple. “I know everything you’re saying is true,” he said finally. “And Mike was taking everything that happened…he was taking it better than I had a right to expect. He knew about the baby, knew what that meant, and he still stood by me. I just—” He paused. “I can’t stand looking at him, knowing that while he was at the courthouse supporting me, his daughter was being murdered. If he’d been angry with me like any other father would have been, maybe he’d have been with Courtney. How do we get past that?”

“If he’d been with Courtney that day, he’d be dead, too,” Elizabeth told him, and Jason nodded, accepting that truth. “I just know that Mike never had a harsh word for me, not until today, and I just can’t find it in my heart to be angry. Maybe with a little space, he’ll want to turn the page. But even if he doesn’t, Courtney was his daughter. And Sonny’s still his son. Alcazar — whichever one he is — is the reason for all this pain. Mike should get to know what’s happening.”

General Hospital: Carly’s Room

Carly licked her cracked lips, then took a deep breath. “I’m going—you need to tell me again. What?”

Her mother sighed, folded her hands in her lap. “I know it’s a lot to take in, and maybe I shouldn’t be telling you anything with your recovery still so fragile—”

“Mama.”

Bobbie made a face, then nodded. “Scott turned up some things in Ric’s background check that suggests he knew Luis Alcazar before everything went down last fall. And that there’s some question that Luis and Lorenzo are—well, that the man you knew as Lorenzo Alcazar  is actually Luis. It seems Lorenzo, the real one, went off the radar last year prior to his brother’s fall. And didn’t pop up again until a few months ago.”

“I—” Carly closed her eyes, leaned her head back against the pillow. “I don’t understand. I don’t—”

“I don’t know what role Ric’s playing in all of this either, honey. If he and Luis planned this all along, though I can’t believe that. It seems to be that if Luis did fake his death, he didn’t clue Ric in until he had to.”

“How did…how did it all happen—how did Sonny’s brother end up—” Carly had opened her eyes just in enough time to see Bobbie wince. “Mama? Do you know something?”

“I—nothing I want to say for sure. Not until some tests come back. Nothing I want to put in front of Jason,” Bobbie added when Carly’s eyes widened. “But Scott found some medical records — and Ric’s blood type, honey, there just doesn’t seem to be a way for him to be related to Sonny. We’re running the marker test to be sure, but I just—”

Carly exhaled in a rush, tears pricking her eyes. “It was a lie. Oh, God, it was all a lie. Sonny thinks he hurt his pregnant mother, and it was a lie. Ric told it on purpose?”

“We don’t know—”

“Why he kept blaming Sonny for Elizabeth’s miscarriage—he knew—oh, God, he knew—and Lorenzo—” Carly’s breathing picked up. “He tried to hurt Sonny on purpose. Why? Why?”

“Honey, honey—” Bobbie rose to her feet, grimacing, and looking to the monitors as the heart rate began to pick up. “I need you to calm down—”

“It’s all a lie—”

“Maybe, yes. We don’t know.” Bobbie took Carly’s hand. “Look at me, baby. Can you look at me?”

Carly forced her eyes open, forced herself to focus on her mother. “Mama.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything, and I’m sorry for that. Jason doesn’t know yet. I knew if he found out, I’d have to tell Elizabeth, and I just—I know how much she’s blaming herself. I shouldn’t have said anything without knowing.”

“He came here to hurt Sonny for fun?” Carly asked, tears sliding down her face. “Or no—he came here for Luis. Luis told him to destroy Sonny. And he did. They did. Look at what Sonny did to me. To Elizabeth. He broke us, Mama. Why did he do that? Why did he want to hurt us?”

PCPD: Commissioner’s Office

Mac strode into the office, flipping his cell phone closed. “Just got off the phone with Jason,” he said to Scott, the district attorney seated at the conference table. “Brenda’s coming home.”

“Okay. Okay.” Scott rubbed his chest. “I feel like I got heartburn,” he muttered. “And he’s in on the plan? Now that Brenda’s on board?”

“I got that sense yeah. We just got to find the right place to dangle Brenda like a carrot. I suggested the funeral, but—” Mac shook his head. “Jason vetoed it.”

“Oh, good—”

“What do you mean, good? That was your idea!”

“Right, so you took the hit on looking like a ghoul for suggesting it. Hey,” Scott said when Mac just scowled, “it had to be put out there. I do it, and I’m the bad guy. Morgan still sort of trusts you. For whatever that’s worth.”

“The only reason we’re in hot water with Jason Morgan is you dragging him out of that hospital room in cuffs,” Mac reminded him darkly. “The last time I let you tell me how to execute a search warrant.”

“Yeah, yeah. Funeral’s out. Do we have any other big, splashy events where Brenda can make a splash?”

“Why are you asking me? Do I look like the kind of guy who knows that sort of thing?” Mac demanded.

Scott rolled his eyes, went over to the desk and yanked Mac’s phone from the hook. “I’ll call Lucy. She’ll have something or worse, she’ll offer to throw a party just to be involved.”

Maple Avenue

The cigarette lighter popped out of the dashboard with a clink, and the guard lifted it to the tip of his cigarette. “You know, when I watched the Godfather, I don’t remember the mistress’s grandmother getting a guard—ow!” He scowled, clapping his hand to the back of his head. “What was that for?” He glowered at the man sitting in the driver’s seat.

“You say that about Miss Webber again, you’ll get my foot up your ass. Or if Jason finds out, you won’t have to worry about that new cigarette tax you were bitching about, you’ll be too dead to pay it.”

The guard rolled his eyes, then looked back to the street. “Whatever. Maybe the guy will go for Granny, and I’ll finally get some action. This is the most boring crime I’ve ever committed—” He paused, then squinted. “Hey, you got that list of license plates handy?”

“A new one to add to the list?” The driver handed the notepad over.

“No—no—” The guard grimaced, made a tick next to one of the plate numbers. The third tick. “Worse. This car has circled the block three times in the last hour.”

“Oh.” The driver winced. “That’s not good.”

“No, it’s not. Call the boss.”

+27