I don’t have time to sabotage anything else
I don’t have time to sabotage anything else
I’ve gotta do the right thing now
I’ve gotta find the right way out
I’ve gotta do the right thing now
I’ve gotta find the right way out
– Sabotage, Amy Stroup

---

May 2013

 Crichton-Clark Institute: Andre’s Office

Andre made a face as he perused the memo from Victor. The twin experiment was officially on ice due to the recent setbacks suffered in Greece.

Setbacks. Andre snorted as he sat back, then rubbed his face. That was one way to describe what had happened over the last few weeks.

Helena Cassadine had been shot and killed by Luke and Laura Spencer after they rescued their daughter, Lulu, who had been kidnapped by Helena for her recently returned from the dead son, Stavros. Stavros had ended up dying on the island, frozen to death just like his father and uncle decades earlier.

While Andre had intended to maintain a certain distance from all of this, after meeting with Helena the first time, he knew he’d have to understand the Cassadines better if he was going to survive. It had been Helena, after all, who had selected the targets for the twin experiment, and it had been Helena who had been in charge of Patient Three, the son of Six.

Victor wanted the twins left in their comas to be dealt with at a later time, indicating that Andre should keep working on the Six implantation issue. Where Patient Three had ended up, he didn’t know.

“So this is where the magic happens.”

Andre frowned at the stranger standing in his doorway, then got to his feet. “Who are you?” he demanded.

“An interested party.” The man, tall and lanky with angular cheekbones and eyes that vaguely reminded Andre of a shark, walked in. “Have you heard the news about my mother?”

“Your mother?” Andre said slowly. He glanced down at the memo, then raised his eyes back to the man. “Would that be Helena?”

“Yes, but shhh… don’t tell anyone.” With a mocking look, he put a finger against his lips.

“Listen, uh, Mr. Cassadine—”

“Valentin.” He extended his hand. “Uncle Vic knows all about my little visit.”

Andre didn’t want to shake his hand—didn’t want to have any more contact with Cassadines, but something in the way this man held himself and the look in his eye—the hair rose on Andre’s neck. He quickly shook the offered hand, then released it. “What can I do for you?”

“Uncle Vic is being very cautious about bringing me into the larger project. He keeps telling me that my mother will be back.” Valentin shrugged lightly. “He’s probably right. After all, my darling brother Stavros has returned a few times. What’s a gunshot to the chest?”

“I—I was under the impression they were both dead. Permanently.” Had been hoping for it. Andre didn’t know much about Stavros, but what he’d learned of Helena—

“Well, dead for a Cassadine is very different than for anyone else.” Valentin waved that away. “Anyway, he told me you were working on some memory experiments.” He nodded at the light box on the far wall where Andre had been studying the latest scans from Patient Six. “A pair of twins?”

“Yes,” Andre said. “Mapping the memories, then transfer someone else’s memories into their brains. We were planning to have them switch lives. Send one brother back to live the othe’rs life, and vice versa.” Maybe Valentin could secure an agreement to release Five into Six’s life—Andre desperately wanted a real field test.

“That would be an excellent technique to have in your pocket,” Valentin murmured. “Imagine the possibilities.”

“It’s hit a snag. One of the patients has brain damage in the frontal lobe where the memories are formed. I can’t transfer his brother’s memories the same way I did for the first twin.”

“Damage, huh?” Valentin tapped the scan. “This would be the brother from Port Charles?”

“Yes, Jason Morgan. A mob enforcer of some sort.” Andre paused. Perhaps his curiosity could be sated. “Your mother was very interested in his family. She wanted certain people in his memories amplified when I transferred them into his brother.  One of them is a patient in Greece. A child. The patient’s son.”

“Ah. So, Jason Morgan is connected to my mother’s revenge plan.” Valentin rubbed his mouth with the edge of his index finger. “What do you know about the child in Greece? Or my mother’s plans?”

“Only what I’ve told you,” Andre confessed. “I only handled Patients Four through Six—and even Four was mostly clean up.” He grimaced. “Victor released that one this month. He’ll be dead in weeks if he goes untreated for the brain tumor Liesl Obrecht caused with her carelessness.”

“Oh, Obrecht. She’s always been more interested in results than finesse.” Valentin shoved his hands into his pockets. “What happens to your twin experiment with my mother out of the way?”

“It’s on hold. I’m supposed to continue working on the memory issue with Six—Jason Morgan,” Andre said, still uncomfortable with the use of the real name, “but I just don’t think it can be done.”

“Do you need, uh, Patient Six in your custody to continue working on the matter?” Valentin asked, tipping his head to the side. “Or can you manage with the information you already have?”

“I don’t understand.”

“My mother promised me something before she took this little break,” Valentin said, those unsettling dark eyes fastening on Andre. “And she didn’t deliver. She’ll be back, Dr. Maddox, make no mistake. And this little experiment of yours—it will continue at some point. I’m asking you for a favor.”

“What’s the favor?” Andre said slowly, not liking where this was going at all.

“I need some leverage to force my mother to give me what I want. What she promised me.” Valentin paused. “Give me Jason Morgan. She was more interested in him than his brother, and you can’t really use him anyway.”

“And when Victor wants him back? When Helena asks for him?”

“Give them the other one. They won’t know the difference.” Valentin’s lips curved. “That might be more fun, actually. You said that the other twin got Six’s memories? If they want him sent home—well, you’ll have your field test, won’t you? When was the last time Uncle Vic or my mother even looked in on the men?”

“Not since—” Andre cleared his throat. “But that doesn’t mean they won’t—”

“You’re telling me a smart man like you can’t figure out how to fool them? I thought better of you.” Valentin put a hand on Andre’s shoulder. “Dr. Maddox, I can tell you’re a frustrated man. You don’t need two men in the field to test your memory experiment. You just need one. I can assure you that no one cares about the other man. If anyone goes home first, it’s Jason Morgan.”

“But—”

“They’re just going to tell you to kill the other brother or send him back with his own memories. You couldn’t finish the transfer, my friend. If you want this field test, you have to make it happen.” Valentin lifted his brows when Andre remained silent. “So, we’re agreed? You’ll give me Six, aka Jason Morgan, and when the time comes, you can send Five home to live his brother’s life?”

Andre closed his eyes. Valentin Cassadine was right. He wanted this field test, but at this point, it wouldn’t happen if he didn’t make it happen. He hadn’t come this far, broken this many rules, only to see it fall apart because of some brain damage.

“We’re agreed. You take Six, and I’ll send Five to Port Charles if and when the time comes.”

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Quartermaine Mansion: Foyer

Monica’s bright smile as she let Jason into the house reassured him that he’d made the right decision to come by this morning. He would never feel truly comfortable in this house, but it wasn’t the same place it had been two decades earlier when he’d felt suffocated by the people and the expectations inside.

“What a lovely surprise. Come in.” She turned into the foyer to smile at Michael, who was emerging from the family room. “Look who it is!”

“Hey, Jason,” Michael said. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to let Monica know where I was staying,” he said. He looked at Monica. “I had a piece of property out at Queen’s Point before this happened. It’s quiet—”

“Oh, I thought you’d stay at the hotel or—” Monica winced. “At Greystone.”

“No, I wanted my own space.”

“Of course, of course. Michael told me that initial tests came back.” Monica’s hands fluttered up to her chest. “Jake and that other boy—they’re related.”

“Yeah, because of the DNA, they tested as brothers. Advanced testing will make it clear which one of us is which.”

“Well, I don’t need advanced testing to know,” Michael declared, “so it’s good to have a name for him. Drew,” he said. “That’s what Oscar said everyone called him.”

“Drew,” Monica murmured, closing her eyes. “God, if Alan had known, things would have been different. I wish he were here now. He’d probably mess it up, but, oh, he deserved to have this.”

“I can’t believe there were twins, and no one knew,” Michael said. He grimaced when Monica winced. “I’m sorry, Grandma. I know it was a bad time for all of you.”

“No, no, it’s—” she took a deep breath. “It’s fine. Can you stay for a while, Jason? I don’t have to work today.”

“Yeah, I can stay.”

“Have you thought about what you’ll do when everyone knows?” Michael asked as Jason followed them into the family room and took a seat on the sofa. “I mean, I remember that you and Sam were getting divorced when you went off the pier. Didn’t you get the penthouse originally? It’s yours —”

“So is the money, but we know which Sam will care more about,” Monica muttered.

“I don’t care about any of that,” Jason began, but Michael shook his head.

“You need to,” he said. “I know there’s a lot happening fast, but legally—those bank accounts belong to you. The penthouse belongs to you. You and Sam—the divorce didn’t get finalized, which means she’s still married to you. And there’s ELQ stock to worry about because if the other guy is a twin, then we need—” Michael stopped when he saw Jason’s faint smile. “What?”

“Nothing. I just—you sounded like Edward for a minute,” he said. “He would think about ELQ before anything else.”

“He would be so proud of Michael,” Monica said, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “So would a lot of people,” she told him, and they exchanged a look that Jason didn’t understand.

“I was talking to Cam and Joss last night,” Michael went on, “and we got to talking about Ava.”

“Ava?” Monica said, her face darkening. “Why?” Jason frowned at her reaction, but Michael didn’t notice and answered her question.

“She helped Jason escape from Russia,” Michael said. “But we also think she knew that Jason knows Sonny—and you know,  about that—something else occurred to me.”

Jason squinted at Michael’s use of Sonny’s first name. “I know you and Sonny said you weren’t fans of Ava—”

“No one is,” Monica said, but Michael got to his feet and went over to the shelf where a family photo was kept. He handed it to Jason. It was the last family portrait taken before his accident. He traced a finger over Emily, then Lila’s faces.

“I’m wondering if it just wasn’t Sonny she knew about. Ava Jerome lived in the mansion for a few months,” Michael explained to him. “She saw that photo every day. Could she have known who you were when she decided to help?”

“I—” Jason hesitated. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I wore a mask that covered the bottom half of my face. The clinic didn’t want anyone to recognize me, even in Russia. I can’t remember if she ever saw me without it, but I don’t think so.”

Michael took the photo back. “With Ava, it’s better to be sure. Because she will always find a way to exploit a situation to get what she wants.”

Webber House: Living Room

Elizabeth made a face as her youngest son reached the bottom of the stairs and made a karate punching motion. “I don’t think that’s how Spiderman does it—”

“Spiderman,” Aiden said, very seriously, “can do anything. Didn’t you see him dancing in the rain?”

“No, but I’ll take your word for it—” Distracted now by Cameron standing near the front door, who had put on a Captain America t-shirt and proclaimed himself dressed for the holiday, she said, “Cam, are you sure you don’t mind taking your brothers out tonight?”

“Nope,” Cameron said. He zipped his bookbag shut. “Trina got off from work, and she’s going to be Okoye—” He made a face. “She’s making me carry the shield when we go out.”

“The things we do for love,” Elizabeth teased. “What about Joss and Oscar? Are they coming with?”

“They’re gonna try if Mrs. C lets Joss out dressed as Daenerys—” He paused and looked at her. “I know you gotta work a double, so I’ll get them to the hospital. Joss already said Michael volunteered, and he’s coming over to do a candy check because apparently, being over eighteen qualifies you to do that.”

“No, he just has more patience—” She frowned. “Where’s Jake?”

“Right here,” Jake declared as he dropped to the landing, tugging at his white Jedi costume, then brandished his lightsaber. “Mom, can we rent Scream tonight instead of Hocus Pocus?”

“You’re messing with a Webber tradition,” Cameron told him. “We always watch Hocus Pocus—”

“Because it’s your favorite,” Jake retorted. “Why can’t Aiden and I get a turn?”

“I want Michael Myers—”

“You’re not old enough for Scream, and absolutely no Michael Myers—” Elizabeth pulled out her phone to find a text message from Felix at the hospital. Two more nurses had called out. “Damn, I have to be work right now—” She focused on Cameron. “Call me when you’re on the way. I’ll make sure I get my break.”

She was out the door with a quick kiss to all their cheeks. Jake sighed, then looked at Cameron. “Let’s compromise. First Scream, then Hocus Pocus—”

“Deal, but don’t snitch on me to Mom, or I’ll toss you in the lake.”

“Wait, what about me?” Aiden demanding, following his brothers out the door to the bus stop.

Harborview Towers: Hallway

Jason stared at the door. The last time he’d knocked on this door had been nearly twenty years ago when he’d been living across the hall, and Justus Ward had lived here. He’d meant what he said to Michael that morning about not caring that Sam would probably end up with it now, but for months, Jason had been focused on getting home.

And home had been behind this door.

It was just one more thing that had changed.

Jason knocked on the door, grimacing when it was jerked open a minute later by Sam’s husband—by Drew. They stared at each other for a long moment before the other man bit out an angry, “What do you want?”

“To talk,” Jason said calmly. “That’s all. I can come back another time, or we can do it somewhere else.”

Drew dragged a hand through his sandy blond hair, then stepped back. “Danny’s already in school,” he muttered, “and Scout’s not old enough to know what’s going on. Come in.”

Jason hesitantly entered, waiting as the other man closed the door. “I know you don’t believe I am who I say am,” he began, “and I don’t expect you to believe it until the rest of the tests or the fingerprints are back.”

“Aren’t you generous?” Drew growled.

“Before I saw you at the police station,” Jason continued, not ruffled by his anger or bitterness. He had felt that way before—had had people telling him who he was and who he wasn’t and wanting to punch everyone who looked at him wrong. “I thought you were part of all of this. That you were behind it—”

“How dare you—”

“But I don’t anymore,” Jason said, and Drew fell silent. He heard a door upstairs, and they both looked up. Jason waited a moment, but Sam never came downstairs. He knew she was here, knew she was home, but she wasn’t coming down to face him.

The pain of that—her refusal to even look at him—stole his breath for a moment, but Jason put it away. He knew how to do that. He’d done it for years. He had people who believed him, who were helping him get his life back. He’d concentrate on that.

“I believe you when you say you remember your life. What you think is your life. But I have those memories, too,” Jason told him. “Jake told me—”

“Don’t go near my son—” The man closed his eyes. “I knew Elizabeth believed you, but I didn’t think she’d really let Jake be part of it until we knew for sure—”

“She does know for sure,” Jason said. “But Jake told me that he loves you. And that you told him about the day he was born. I lived that day. I thought they’d both die—”

“I lived that day—” Drew opened his eyes, burning with bitterness and anger. “You think you can just come here and steal my life?”

“No, I just wanted to come home,” Jason said. “Whoever trapped me in a coma for five years also did this to you. And now we know who you were before the accident. Oscar’s test came back positive. He’s related to Jake, which means you’re—”

“I know who I am—”

“Andrew Cain,” Jason said, and the man closed his mouth. “You were a Navy SEAL, and people called you Drew. You lived in San Diego, and you had a son.”

“I am not—” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m Jason Morgan. I have the memories. I’m living my life. I have my sons—”

“I just wanted to make it clear that I know you didn’t do this,” Jason said, “and that if you want to find out who did—”

“Thank you for your concern,” Drew muttered, glaring at him. “Now get out.”

Jason nodded, then left. The man who was probably Drew Cain rested his forehead against the closed door, listening for the footsteps he knew would be coming down.

“Jason?”

“If you really believed that—” he turned to face Sam, his wife, with the guilt etched so clearly in her expression, “then why did you stay upstairs? Why can’t you look at him?”

Sam paused. “It’s hard,” she admitted, finally, “because he still has the voice and face. And it’s harder to know for sure when he’s in the room.” She folded her arms. “I do know,” she continued, “because I know you, and I love you. But—”

“But when you see him, you doubt it.” He nodded, then yanked his coat off the back of the chair. “I have to go to work—”

“Jason—”

“Don’t—” He turned back to Sam. “Don’t call me that. You don’t even believe it.”

Then he stormed out of the penthouse, slamming the door behind him.

Metro Court Hotel: Lobby

Jason had promised Carly he’d stop by for lunch to make up for not staying at Greystone with her and Sonny. The hotel, with people looking at him, was really the last place he wanted to be, but he also knew he needed to keep Carly happy.

As Jason started towards the offices, he felt his phone buzz with a message. He took it out, then smiled at the photo Elizabeth had sent him of Jake and his brothers in front of her house. Jake was standing between his brothers, grinning brightly in some sort of white costume with a green light saber, while Aiden wore a Spiderman outfit, and Cameron was casually dressed in jeans, a blue t-shirt, holding a plastic shield in his hands.

Jason only recognized Spiderman because Cameron had gone through a phase of his own as a kid, and he’d once spent a few hours at Elizabeth’s house with her and both boys watching the movie.

“I can understand why you didn’t tell me who you were supposed to be.”

He raised his eyes to find Ava Jerome standing in the lobby with an expectant expression. “Excuse me?”

“When I asked for your name,” Ava continued, “you wouldn’t tell me. I was standing there, babbling on and on about Jason Morgan and his family—and Sonny—and you didn’t tell me you were him.”

“How do you know I am?” Jason asked. He slid his phone back into his pocket. “You never saw me without my mask, did you?”

“No,” Ava drawled, “and I suppose I don’t actually know that you are Jason. But I also didn’t get the sense you were a liar.” She sighed. “Sonny and Carly have probably told you about all of my evil deeds and why I’m the worst person in the world.”

“No, they haven’t,” Jason said, making a note to push them on this. He hated not knowing. “But Michael told me you’d lived in the mansion for a while. There are a lot of photos of me in that house.”

“I never saw more than your eyes. In retrospect, of course, I could have recognized you from those photos, but—” Ava scowled. “As far as I knew, Jason Morgan was alive and well here in Port Charles. Why would I think some random masked man in Russia was actually you? I risked my life to help—”

“I know you did,” Jason said, a bit irritated with himself for starting this. “And thank you. I never would have gotten home without your help.”

Mollified, Ava sniffed. “All right then. I’m glad it worked out, and neither of us had to get hurt. That was a terrible place.” She touched her cheek, the scarring slightly improved but still very visible. “I only wish I’d helped you after my treatment was done.”

Because it almost sounded like something Carly would say in the same situation, Jason smiled faintly. “I’m sorry. I hope you can find another doctor who can help you.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help you prove your identity,” Ava offered, “let me know.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine, but thank you,” Jason said. While he didn’t necessarily see her as the threat Michael and the others did, he also didn’t really know her. She’d helped him when she didn’t have to, but he was home now. He had other people he could count on, ones he knew he could trust. “I’ll see you around.”

Ava watched Jason Morgan head towards the offices, then narrowed her eyes in deep thought. She had been telling the truth, of course, that she hadn’t known he was Jason Morgan when she’d helped him. If she had been aware, she would have escorted him home and devised a way to be given the public credit so that the next time she went to court for Avery, she’d have something to bargain with.

Unfortunately, she’d found out with the rest of the world on social media, and now she had to find a way to turn this to her advantage.

Aurora Media: Office

Curtis knocked on the open office door, and the man behind the desk jerked his head, blinking at the interruption. “Curtis.”

“Hey, man. I got your message.” He sauntered into the office, sitting down in front of the desk, stretching out his long legs. “How you doing with the news you got last night?”

He scrubbed his hands over his face, taking a deep breath. “I knew he’d turn out to be my twin, but I guess I was hoping—” He paused. “What if it’s true?”

Curtis didn’t ask what he meant. “Do you think it is?”

“Sometimes. Maybe.” He looked away for a minute. “I don’t want it to be, but—” He exhaled slowly. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Yeah. Sure. Name it.” Curtis leaned forward. “What’s up?”

“I want a deep background check on Andrew Cain. More than just what Alexis gave me. I want to know everything. Where he came from—how he ended up—” Here in Port Charles.

Was Drew Cain the man who had crashed the re-launch the party a few nights ago? Or was he sitting in this chair—

Was he Drew Cain? Is that why there had always been a voice screaming at him that something wasn’t right—

“I’ll get right on it.” Curtis stood. “Hey, man, whatever’s going on—we’ll get to the bottom of it. You’ve got my word.”

“Thanks.” He watched Curtis leave, realizing with a sinking feeling that his friend had never used his name. It was almost worse than hearing it on Sam’s lips. He didn’t know what the truth was or even what he wanted it to be.

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

“Good news,” Felix declared as he set a pile of charts on the counter next to Elizabeth, who eyed them warily. “Don’t worry—these are my insurance forms to enjoy,” he assured her.

“Is that the good news?”

“No. The good news is—” He showed her his phone. “No alerts from the Sun about anyone with the last name Webber being arrested for vandalism.”

She made a face. “It was just that one year—” When Felix sighed. “Because the year before that, Cameron told the arresting officers his name was Steve Rogers—”

“I’m just saying. It’s a tradition.”

“Well, this year, Cameron knows not to pull anything,” Elizabeth said. “He’s got his brothers, and Trina is out with them—” She checked her watch. “They’re coming by here in about a half hour to go the hospital trick or treat.”

“Oh, good. I love seeing my boys all dressed up.” He leaned against the counter. “So, how’s it going otherwise?”

“Fine. Four more hours until I can go home and sleep.” As much sleep as she’d be able to manage once one of the boys had a nightmare about the movie she’d forbidden them to watch. She knew her kids—telling them no Scream or Halloween movies was like dangling a red flag in front of them. “Do you have a specific question in mind?”

“Well, you’ve dumped the boyfriend, and the ex-boyfriend is back from the dead, so I guess I’m just checking in.”

“I’m fine,” Elizabeth repeated, completing the last of her paperwork. “The computer is all yours.”

“Fun times for me,” he muttered, taking her place. “What about tomorrow? You and the boys doing anything for your birthday?”

“Aiden and I are going to make a cake after school, and Cameron and Jake have promised to eat it. Steven sent me a gift certificate for a spa—” She missed her older brother but understood why he’d decided not to return to Port Charles after he’d finished his two-year prison sentence. “Sarah ignored it—again—and my parents actually called me last night.”

“Really?” Felix raised his brows. “Did they get you confused with your sister?”

“No, but they thought my birthday was last week, so I guess you take the good with the bad. It was fine. The boys even pretended to know who they were.” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “My birthday is usually a disaster, and the only reason I celebrate it anymore is because my kids make me.”

“Speaking of the Undead—”

“We weren’t, and pick a nickname already,” she complained.

“You’re confusing me with Spinelli,” Felix told her. “I like spontaneity and variety.” He nodded towards the elevators. “Your ex is here.”

Because that could mean anything, Elizabeth followed his gaze and smiled, relieved to see that it was Jason and not anyone else. “Hey. You okay? You usually hate the hospital.”

“I do,” Jason said. He hesitated, looked at Felix, who wasn’t even pretending not to listen.

“This is Felix DuBois, my best friend.” Elizabeth elbowed him. “Go away, Felix.”

“Hey, I’m just standing here doing paperwork. You go away.”

“Fine.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes, grabbed her clipboard, then stepped away from the hub. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to see if you had a break,” Jason began. “You said earlier the boys were gonna be here—”

“In a little bit, yeah—” She led him down a more quiet hallway, then frowned at him. “Jason, what’s wrong?”

He sighed, shoved his hands in his pockets. “Just a long day,” he muttered. “What’s the problem with Ava?”

“Ava?” Elizabeth repeated warily. “I thought we told you that she can’t be trusted—”

“You did—”

“Michael just didn’t want to get into everything. You’ve only been back a few days, Jason. You can’t know everything right now—”

“You’re not going to tell me either?” he demanded. “I don’t need to be protected—”

“If Michael didn’t want to tell you about Ava, then he has his reasons,” Elizabeth cut in. “And knowing what I know, he’s got a right to hold back on this. Because this isn’t just a history class for us, Jason. You missed five years, and I’m sorry for that. I really am, but you can’t ask us to dredge up every single terrible thing that’s happened. What Ava did has nothing to do with you.”

Jason clenched his jaw. “It’s not up to you to decide what I can handle—”

“Doesn’t feel that great when I do it to you, does it?” she shot back, then winced. Took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I can’t begin to imagine what you’re going through, Jason, but—”

“I just want to know why everyone thinks Ava can’t be trusted,” Jason said. “Because she nearly got herself killed helping me—”

“She hurt Morgan,” Elizabeth said finally. “And she hurt Michael. Badly. Beyond that, Jason, I think it’s going to be up to Michael to decide when he wants to open that back up. I wouldn’t trust her, but you’ll have to make up your own mind about that—”

“Why am I not surprised to find the two of you together?” a mocking voice drawled from behind them. Elizabeth turned and grimaced as Franco strolled around the corner. She could practically feel Jason’s muscles tighten next to her. “I didn’t press charges the first time,” Franco warned, holding up a hand to ward off any attack from Jason. “I won’t be so nice this time.”

“What do you want?” Elizabeth asked, folding her arms over her clipboard. He fastened his dark eyes on hers, his full of regret, maybe even remorse.

He might be sorry now, but she would never forget the terror in her son’s eyes. It would haunt her for the rest of her life.

“I know you won’t forgive me—”

“Good—”

“But I’m worried about you. About him being around the boys—” Franco nodded towards Jason.

“You’re worried about me?” Jason demanded, taking a step towards Franco. Elizabeth stretched an arm in front of him, keeping him back.

“And there’s this other thing that happened. This is going to be hard to hear,” Franco warned with a sigh, “but Andre Maddox, the man you trusted with Jake’s well-being, was a part of this. He told me himself.”

Elizabeth stared at him, her heart pounding. “What are you talking about?”

“Who’s Andre Maddox?” Jason demanded.

“Andre was the doctor who put Chimera in Jake’s head,” Franco continued. “And he’s behind whatever happened to whichever twin that is—”

“Andre—” Elizabeth started to deny it. Started to reject the idea, but then she saw him in her mind, on Friday at the hospital, staring at the photograph of Jason before the accident. Before Jake Doe had come to Port Charles. “He works here at the hospital,” she told Jason, her voice barely audible. “He’s been treating Jake since the Nurse’s Ball—”

“Here?” Jason repeated. “Where’s his office—”

“Two floors down—let’s go—” Elizabeth started to turn away, but Franco reached out and snagged her arm, pulling her back. Before she could turn around and whack him with her clipboard, her arm was free, and Jason was shoving Franco against the wall.

“Don’t put your hands on her,” Jason growled, lifting the other man up by his collar. “You’re lucky you’re still breathing.”

“I just—” Franco put up his hands, all innocence. “It’s too late. Andre’s gone. He split yesterday after he told me—”

“He told you yesterday, and you said nothing?” Elizabeth cried. “You knew he hurt Jake, and you didn’t tell me? How could you do that to me? To my boys?” Tears stung her eyes as Jason slowly let Franco back to his feet. “Every single word you ever said to me was a lie—”

“You took the first chance you could to crawl back to Jason,” Franco retorted. “So which one of us is the liar now?”

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