Beat down on me, beat down like a waterfall
‘Cause I can take on so much more than I had ever dreamed
So beat down on me, beat down like a waterfall
‘Cause baby, I am ready to be free
– Invincible, Kelly Clarkson

---

Thursday, November 13, 2003

Harborview Towers: Hallway

“Uh, Mrs. C? No one’s home over there—”

Carly stopped and looked back at Max, who had followed her around the corner as she’d walked towards Jason’s penthouse. “What? Where—”

“Jason is at the warehouse, I think, and it’s Thursday, so Miss Webber has a meeting at the hospital.” Max hesitated. “Do you need something?”

Carly pursed her lips, then nodded. “Okay. No, I’m fine. Thanks, Max.”

She stalked back into the penthouse and closed the door behind, finding her husband precisely where she’d left him—at the dining table, perusing a newspaper. “Sonny.”

“Yeah?” Sonny glanced up, squinted at her. “Did you go somewhere?”

She exhaled slowly. “Yeah, I need you to tell Max that it’s okay if I go out again. Who’s available to drive me to the club?”

“It’s only been a week, Carly.” Sonny closed the newspaper, carefully folded it. “Not just since Morgan was born, but since Ric went missing. He could make his move at any time—”

“And that’s why I’ll take a guard,” Carly cut in. “Is Milo around? Or Rocco. He was my guard before. Did you reassign him?”

Sonny clenched his jaw, got to his feet. “Carly, we’ve talked about this. I asked you to stick close to home—”

“No, you asked me to stay here while you looked for Ric. Every time I step out the door, Max tells me there’s no guard to take me anywhere. I find that extremely hard to believe.” She folded her arms. “Admit it, Sonny. Admit what you’re doing.”

“Fine.” Sonny shrugged. “I gave orders that you’re not to leave the penthouse level unless I’m with you.”

She’d known it—she’d sensed it—but knowing it and hearing Sonny admit to essentially locking her up in these walls—

Her lungs seized, and Carly struggled for a moment to breathe.

It’s not like before. It’s not like before.

You’re safe.

“Elizabeth gets to live her life, and Ric was more obsessed with her than me. Why is it safe for her?” Carly demanded. She knew the answer, but damn it, she wanted to hear Sonny say it out loud.

“I’m not in charge of her security,” Sonny bit out. “If Jason is comfortable letting her risk her life and their child—that’s on him.”

“You can’t stop me from leaving, Sonny. If there’s no one to drive me, then I’ll call a cab. I’ll have my mother come get me—” Carly’s words tumbled over one another as she sought to reassure herself that she could leave.

She wasn’t trapped.

“You could. But you’re not taking the baby out without a car seat. Do you have one of those?” Sonny said pleasantly. “And I let Leticia go so you can’t leave the boys alone.”

“You—” Carly’s voice trembled. “You let Leticia go.” Her son’s nanny, who had been with Michael almost since birth. “You didn’t hire her—”

“No, but I pay her. You’re at home, so you don’t need a nanny.” Sonny picked up the paper and his cup of coffee. “This is to keep you safe, Carly. I told you—”

“This isn’t—” Carly clenched her hands into fists at her side. “This isn’t fair—”

“Neither is abandoning your son a week after he was born. I’m not Jason,” Sonny said tightly. “I’m not going to let you walk away from another kid because it’s convenient. You’re going to do the work this time—”

“What did you just say to me?” Carly demanded, but Sonny continued as if she hadn’t spoken.

“—and you’re going to stay here and safe until Ric is caught. You promised me—”

“No, you’re not Jason,” Carly said softly. He stopped speaking, and she just stared at him, then swallowed hard. “I can fight this. You know that. All I have to do is call Jason. He’ll help me get the boys out of here—I’ll go to my mother’s, and I won’t come back—”

“I’m sorry if you disagree with me, Carly.” Sonny sauntered past her to toss the newspaper on his desk. He placed his coffee next to it.

She turned to face him. “Sonny, you’re trapping me in this penthouse. You’re using my kids against me. That’s—that’s not a lot better—”

“I’m asking you to stay at home a few weeks while we sort things out with Ric.” His eyes burned into hers, revealing the depth of his anger even as his tone remained calm. “You can go across the hall whenever you want. You just had Elizabeth over for lunch. Your mother can come here. I don’t really see the problem.”

“No, I guess you wouldn’t.” Carly closed her eyes, took a deep breath. It wasn’t the same. Wasn’t the same.

It wasn’t a small room with no windows. It wasn’t soundproof. If someone heard her scream—they’d come get her—someone would stop it—

Wasn’t the same. Sonny wasn’t Ric. He loved her. She knew he loved her. She just had to—she had to work this out. She couldn’t go back to her mother, ask Bobbie to bail her out again—

“December 1,” Carly said finally. She swallowed hard, looked at him. “Morgan will be nearly a month old. After that, Sonny—I’m going back to work. I want you to call Leticia, apologize, and ask her to return after Thanksgiving.”

“I—”

“I know you’re scared,” Carly said, her chest slowly easing. She could do this. She could work this out. “I know this isn’t about me. Not really. I know you’re trying to protect yourself. I know that, Sonny. I know what happened last summer—it scared you.”

His mouth tightened, and he looked away. “I can’t be weak again,” he muttered.

“And I can’t be locked up.”

His eyes swung back to her, startled. “I’m not—that’s not what this—I would never—” Sonny dragged his hands through his hair, then closed his eyes. “You’re right. You’re right. That’s what I’m doing. I don’t—I just didn’t—I need you to be okay, so I can think.”

“And I’m willing to give you the time to get this sorted, Sonny. Because I love you. But you do not own me.” Her throat felt thick, and she forced the words out over the lump that had risen. “I am in charge of my life. My freedom. I am asking you to show me some respect.”

When he just stared at her, her eyes burned. “I’m not screaming at you. I’m not throwing a tantrum. I’m not even calling Jason. But Elizabeth is fine. She’s living her life—and I deserve nothing less than that.”

“I—I’m trying to find him—”

“I know you are. And you—you get this month. As long as you hire Leticia back and you agree that December 1—this ends.” Carly stared at him. “Promise me, Sonny. December 1, I get my life back.”

“December 1,” Sonny said with a reluctant nod. “Unless—”

“No. No unless. I get my life back. You don’t put conditions on my freedom. I get to do that.” She pressed her hand flat against her chest. “That’s the deal—”

“Fine,” Sonny bit out. “I have to get to work.”

General Hospital: Hallway

“Thank you,” Elizabeth was saying to Renee as she saw Lois striding down the hallway towards her. “I’m glad you agreed.”

“I’m scared,” Renee admitted. “But I’m ready—if you’ll do all the speaking.”

“Of course.” Elizabeth looked at Lois with a slight frown. “Did—did you need something?” she asked Brooke’s mother as she hung back slightly.

“I—I was hoping to catch you after one of your meetings,” Lois admitted. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I must have gotten the time wrong—”

“You didn’t. I’m just walking—”

“You’re Brooke’s mother,” Renee said softly. “I saw you on the news. And in the papers. I—” She took a deep breath. “I’m Renee. I was—it happened to me in May.”

Lois’s face paled slightly as she nodded. “I—I read—I’m sorry. I’m so sorry—are you—” She looked at Elizabeth. “I’m sorry to interrupt—”

“It’s okay,” Renee told her. “Elizabeth started these meetings for us, so we could work through it together. And we’re going to be there in Syracuse when she testifies.”

“You—” Lois pressed her lips together. “You’ll be there?”

“We can’t give statements,” Renee continued. “But we’ll be in the audience.” She flicked a smile at Elizabeth. “We want to be part of it. We want to help put him away.”

“That’s—that’s very brave. Thank you.”

“I’ll see you next week,” Elizabeth told Renee. The teenager waved at Elizabeth as she walked down the hall and turned a corner. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I just—” Lois looked after Renee. “She’s the youngest, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she’s sixteen.” Elizabeth gestured for Lois to follow her into the meeting room. “I have the room for another twenty minutes. I always overbook in case someone wants to stay.”

“Edward said you were volunteering here,” Lois said as Elizabeth offered her a seat. “You were—” She paused. “You were the same age.”

“You want some water?” Elizabeth asked. She poured out two glasses and handed one to Lois. “Yeah, I turned sixteen on November 1, and then four months later—” She took a deep breath. “A few months younger than Renee.”

“Brooke was nineteen.” Lois’s hand gripped the glass tightly as she stared into the clear liquid. “She would have been twenty last month.” She closed her eyes. “I just wish I knew what I could have done differently so that she’d be here at these meetings with you. I know—I know you talked to her before. She called you.”

“I missed the call,” Elizabeth said softly. “And it—it haunted me for a while afterward. What if I had picked up—” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, no. Please. Don’t apologize. I listened to the message. The tape you had Lucas make for Ned. He couldn’t. But I did. She passed out during that call to you. And it gives me hope—it gives me hope that it wasn’t something she meant to do. Or if she did—she wanted to take it back. She didn’t want to die.” Lois took a deep breath. “She was trying to reach out. She wanted help. It helps me sleep at night. ”

Lois swiped at her cheeks, set the glass aside. “That’s not why I came here. And you don’t need my issues—”

“No, but I’ll listen if you want me to,” Elizabeth offered. “We—you know, we should have a group for families. Like we do for families of alcoholics or drug addicts. It was hard for me to tell my family, and they didn’t know how to help me. My sister and I drifted apart after that, and my grandmother never—they meant well. But sometimes I felt like I was spending so much time trying to help them cope that I couldn’t deal with myself.”

“Ned and I—we divorced when she was a baby,” Lois told her. “You know that, I’m sure. And then we spent her entire life arguing. She woke up to us, arguing in the hospital. She asked us to leave that day because all we did was argue.” She looked away, her eyes distant. “It’s crazy, but I don’t even remember what we were arguing about that day.”

Elizabeth said nothing, just remained quiet as Lois gathered herself and her thoughts. “I came here because I wanted to work on the hearing. To thank you for standing up for my daughter and all the others. I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed, and you’re—you’re already one step ahead of me.”

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Elizabeth replied. “Gail had asked me to lead a meeting as part of my own recovery, and it just—it just made sense to organize one for Vinnie’s survivors. To put out a call for anyone who wasn’t ready to make a report. Today, I told them about the hearing, and some want to sit in the courtroom as a united front.”

“I’m sure you can’t tell me, but—but have any women shown up who weren’t—” Lois met her eyes. “Are there girls we don’t know about officially?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth said with a tremble in her voice. “Two showed up today. They’re not ready to go forward.”

“God—we thought there were only seven here, but there were more—”

“At least two more. One was only a month after my attack,” Elizabeth told Lois. “I wanted to call Taggert, to get some more police reports and check Vinnie’s whereabouts. I have the girl’s permission to share details, just not their names. The day after I made my first report, someone was grabbed from the movie theater. Not the park. He raped her in the alley.”

Lois choked back a sob. “Oh, God. Oh, God. That poor baby. How old?”

“She was nineteen. Fits the profile. She’s not sure if it’s Vinnie, and it’s too late to test for anything. But she’s petite, brunette, and was walking home from the movie theater.”

“The other?”

“About after Tom Baker was arrested, he must have felt safe to go back to the park,” Elizabeth admitted. “Seventeen this time. He attacked her near the North fountain on her way home from the park. Neither of them were hurt as badly as everyone who came after.”

Lois closed her eyes. “And they didn’t report.”

“I didn’t report right away either. I nearly didn’t save the dress. I wanted it to go away. I was desperate to make it go away.”

“Brooke wanted it that way, too. She wanted it not to have happened, but Floyd leaking her name meant she never had the chance to escape it.” Lois cleared her throat. “I wonder if at the end—if the reason she took those pain pills—if she remembered and she wanted to forget.” She bit her lip. “And I can’t decide what I want to have happened.”

Elizabeth reached over to squeeze Lois’s hands. “I don’t know, Lois. I’m sorry.”

Lois bowed her head, took another deep breath. When she raised her head again, met Elizabeth’s eyes, she seemed to have gotten herself under control. “Thank you. For sitting with me.”

“Any time. I mean that, Lois, any time. I wasn’t—” Elizabeth hesitated. “I wasn’t in the frame of mind to help Brooke the way she needed—no, I don’t blame myself—” she said quickly when Lois shook her head. “I mean that I was processing everything that had happened to me with Ric. With the panic room, with my embolism. I couldn’t make room for what happened to Brooke. I meant to check on her. I didn’t. That will haunt me for a long time, Lois. I could have done more.”

“All we can do,” Lois said, tightening her grip on Elizabeth’s hand, “is do right by her now. So, I’m glad that you’re organizing the other survivors. Let me know if you need transportation or anything else.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

They got to their feet, and Elizabeth’s head spun for a second. She put a hand on the back of the chair to keep herself upright. Lois braced her elbow.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I just—I stood up too quickly,” Elizabeth told her, closing her eyes as the vertigo passed. “I’m okay. Sometimes I forget to slow down.”

“I fainted a few times with Brooke,” Lois said. “Do you need me to call anyone—”

“Oh, no, I don’t drive myself anymore. Cody is down the hall at the elevators. He’ll take me home.” She smiled at Lois. “Thanks.”

“Any time. Call me if you need anything before the hearing.”

“I will.”

Jones House: Georgie’s Bedroom

Maxie knocked on her sister’s door frame. “Hey, Georgie, do you have an extra straightener I can borrow?” she asked, bouncing into Georgie’s room and flopping across her bed. “Mine broke, and, like, I can’t live with the floofy hair—”

Georgie glanced over from her computer with a frown. “I just have mine—did you come all the way from campus to ask me that?”

“Well, I guess I could have just bought a new one,” Maxie allowed, “but, uh, I might have spent all my money for this month.”

“Already?” Georgie rolled her eyes. “Maxie—that’s supposed—” She shook her head. “I won’t even bother explaining the concept of a budget to you. It’ll be lost.”

“Ugh, I’ll just have to live like this until Dad sends next month’s allowance. It’s, like, literally the only good thing the jackass has ever done.” Maxie grimaced as Georgie sighed and looked back at her work. “Georgie, look, I just wanted to apologize.”

“For what?” Georgie asked, continuing to type.

“For being a bitch the last few months. For making fun of you for voting for Floyd. I—it was really mean, and I’m trying to be less mean.”

Georgie turned back to her. “Did Mom talk to you or something?” she asked flatly. “I told her not to—”

“Georgie, do you remember that night? When you and I were driving the streets that surrounded the park?” Maxie asked. She sat up, folding her legs. “And we kept thinking — kept telling each other — we’ll turn this corner, and she’ll be right there. I really thought she’d be at the bus stop, you know? And we did that loop twice—and I kept telling myself—”

Maxie stared at her hands. “Because if she’d only just left—if we’d just missed her walking away for a minute or two, she wouldn’t have been able to get that far ahead.”

“I know. I try to tell myself that I’m somehow better than everyone because I did notice—but—” Georgie smiled grimly. “I didn’t notice soon enough. I know—I know it’s not our fault—”

“And I know it’s not really Mac’s fault either,” Maxie admitted. “But I liked having someone to blame that wasn’t me. And, like, I know we can blame Vinnie Esposito, but I feel—” She bit her lip. “I feel like it’s important not to let any of us off the hook. We have to take care of each other. So that no one ever feels so alone that they walk away, and we don’t see them.”

“That might be the smartest thing you’ve ever said.”

“Right?” Maxie said, brightening. “Listen, can you write it down, so I don’t forget, and then tell everyone that I’m super wise, because—”

Georgie groaned and turned back to her homework.

Morgan & Corinthos Warehouse: Jason’s Office

Jason was finishing the last signature on customs paperwork when Sonny shoved open the office door and stormed in. “We have a problem.”

Jason frowned, looked over at Bernie, who looked mystified. “What’s wrong? Did you hear from Johnny?” He looked at the clock on his desk. Johnny would have only just landed in Puerto Rico.

“No, but your security is crap,” Sonny said. “Where is Elizabeth right now?” he demanded.

Jason got to his feet. “What happened? Do I need to call her—”

“You didn’t answer my question. Do you even know where she is?” Sonny pushed.

Jason blinked at him, realizing he didn’t have a firm answer to that question. With a sour taste in his mouth, he said, “I—I’m not sure. She had a few meetings at the hospital this morning, but then I think she was going to try to see Lila for lunch.”

“What about after that?”

“I don’t know, Sonny. I think she hadn’t planned anything, so she’ll probably go home—” Jason scowled at him. “What’s going on? Is it Ric? Tagliatti? Vega?”

“None of that. But it doesn’t feel good not to know, does it? You remember when she was kidnapped? You nearly sold us down the river to get her back last year—”

Jason’s worry and panic swiftly turned to anger as he realized Sonny was just trying to make a point. “You came in here like something was wrong—”

Sonny glowered. “Ric is still missing—”

“Damn it—”

“You’re letting Elizabeth flit all over the place, and Carly seems to think she should get to do the same. You need to get your girlfriend under control—”

“I’m going to go,” Bernie said. He cleared his throat. “I’ll—I’ll come back for those invoices.” He hurried out, closing the door behind him.

“I don’t let Elizabeth do anything,” Jason said, clenching his jaw. “She’s an adult, Sonny. Cody drives her, so she’s always got a guard.”

“You don’t even know where she is, damn it!”

“No, not exactly,” Jason retorted, defensive. “She told me this morning—” He put up his hands. “I don’t have to defend myself to you. Elizabeth is fine. She’s safe—”

“I don’t give a damn about that—” Sonny bit off the rest of the statement. He took a deep breath. “That’s not what I mean. You know I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Then what is this about, Sonny? Carly’s at the penthouse. She’s safe—” Jason stopped, remembering Elizabeth’s worry a few nights earlier. “Sonny, there’s no evidence that Ric is making a move. If we knew where he was—if we knew he was in the country, then I don’t know—maybe I would be asking Elizabeth to stay at home more.”

“Carly seems to think I don’t respect her,” Sonny growled. “Because I don’t let her gallivant off where she wants to go five minutes after she had a baby. If she didn’t see Elizabeth doing whatever she wants, I wouldn’t have this problem—”

“I don’t let Elizabeth do anything,” Jason repeated, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “She’s not my property, Sonny. She’s not a dog, and she’s not a child. She can take care of herself—”

“Really? Because she got herself mixed up with Ric Lansing the second you let her out of your sight,” Sonny reminded him.

Jason scowled. “Don’t make this about me and Elizabeth. We’re fine. You’re having problems because Carly won’t let you control her. Good for her.”

“You would take her side,” Sonny said, dismissing him with a frustrated wave of his hand. He stalked over to the window to glare out over the front of the warehouse. At the trucks driving in and out, the men moving around by the vehicle loading dock. “You’re telling me that nothing about the way you’re handling Elizabeth’s security right now is about making sure she doesn’t leave you like last year?”

Jason shook his head. “What are you talking about? She didn’t leave me last year because of the job—”

“No? The lies? The long hours?” Sonny lifted his brows. “All I know is I’m handling things the way I normally would in a crisis, and you’re not backing me up—”

Jason bit back the protest that Sonny wasn’t handling anything right now. “You handle your family, Sonny, I’ll take care of mine.”

“Fine. But don’t make me say I told you so when it all blows up in your face,” Sonny snarled as he stormed out of the office.

Jason exhaled slowly, shook his head, and sat down. He took out his phone and stared at it for a minute before pressing the number two on the speed dial and holding it down.

“Hey!” Elizabeth’s voice was warm but surprised. “I thought you were working all day.”

“I am. I just—” Had let Sonny in his head. “Wanted to check on you.”

“Oh. Well, I’m actually here with Lila and Edward. We’re talking about Thanksgiving—I’ll ask him,” she said to someone in the room with her, laughter in her voice. “Lila wants us to come over for Thanksgiving dinner.”

He hesitated, and it was long enough that Elizabeth picked up on it. “We’ll talk about it when I see you tonight. I’m gonna get dinner on the way home, okay?” He heard his grandfather’s gruff voice in the background—and Jason was pretty sure the “boy” Edward was cursing was him.

“Let me get dinner,” he told her. “Eli’s?”

“Yes. I was thinking of ribs—wait a second—” He heard rustling, and then a door. “I came into the foyer for a minute. Are you okay? You don’t normally call to check on me.”

“I know. I just—” He looked at the office door. “You were right to be irked.”

“Oh, no. I’ll check on Carly when I get home. I’m finishing lunch here, and then I was going to the book store with Emily. I’ll be home after that.” She hesitated. “That’s what you wanted to know, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Yeah,” Jason admitted. “We’ll talk tonight. I love you.”

“I love you.”

He closed his phone and tossed it on the desk, irritated with himself for checking on her, and with Sonny for making him worry in the first place.

Kelly’s: Dining Room

Lulu set an order of burger and fries in front of Dante. “You want a refill on that soda?” she asked, nodding at his glass.

“Oh.” Dante blinked at it, then at her. “Sure. Thanks.”

When she’d refilled the soda, she got busy for a few minutes, taking orders to other tables and delivering checks. When she returned to the counter, Lulu frowned. “You haven’t touched your food. You okay?”

Dante looked at her, his eyes clearing as if it was the first time he was seeing her. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Just—my head is—I don’t know. All over the place.”

“Lucky told me yesterday about the hearing next month,” Lulu said. She bit her lip. “You don’t have to say anything, but I’m sorry. I’m sure this is rough on your family.”

“It’s…something.” Dante picked up a fry, then used it to push the others around on the plate. “To be honest, I haven’t really checked in with them. Except when Ma and I drove down to talk to them when it first happened. My grandmother is in denial, so is my aunt.” He grimaced. “The rest of the family is reserving judgment, but it’s really just me and my ma right now who are convinced. And my Uncle Frankie, but he hates my Aunt Fran, so sometimes he’s just an asshole.”

“I used to think it’d be nice to be from a huge family, you know?” Lulu shrugged. “It’s really just my parents, my brothers, and me. And my Grandma Lesley. And my Aunt Amy. That’s it. You have all these cousins and aunts and uncles, but they sound like a pain.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” Dante’s smile was faint when he looked at her. “Yeah, they are. But I’m just—I’m still processing that my cousin—my blood did this—” His lips tightened, and the humor faded from his eyes. “Now, a federal court might let him get away with it because the PCPD is filled with dumbasses.”

“It sucks, but Lucky thinks Scott has a good plan.” Lulu tried to catch his eye, but Dante just looked away. “What? You don’t think it’ll work?”

“No, it might. Elizabeth gave a good press conference, and she’s done a lot of interviews since. I’m sure she’ll be fine. I just—” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

“No, hey—something’s bothering you.” She touched his arm lightly, then pulled back when he frowned at her. “I know we don’t really know each other—”

“It’s just—” Dante sighed, then met her eyes. “I think I could help.”

Lulu furrowed her brow. “How? Like as a character witness?”

“I—” He cleared his throat. “I went to see Vinnie after he was arrested, and I asked him—” His voice was almost inaudible. “I asked him how he could do this to Brooke.”

Lulu stared at him. “He admitted it to you? But—but hadn’t he asked for a lawyer? Isn’t that against the law?”

“I think I can get around it. I’m his cousin. And he’d already negotiated with Scott. He’d already given a statement. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I can’t use it in court—”

“Use it—” Lulu shot out her hand, touched his sleeve. “What do you mean? Oh, my God. You taped him.”

“Yeah.” Dante swallowed hard. “He doesn’t have the right to privacy in the jail, you know. And I went as his family. I think—I think Scott can use the tape if Vinnie tries to claim he was framed. There’s—” He scratched his head. “I don’t know if it can be direct evidence, but—”

“Do you not—” Lulu tried to understand, tried to think her way through it. “Do you not want to be the reason Vinnie goes to jail?” she asked, frowning. “I mean—are you worried your family will blame you?”

“Yeah. And there’s stuff—things he said about Brooke that Ned and Lois don’t need to hear.” Dante pressed his lips together. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I guess—I guess I just don’t know if anyone should hear that shit he said. The way he talked about those women, about Brooke—God, Elizabeth doesn’t need to know he followed her back then, that he thinks of her as his soul mate—”

Lulu’s stomach turned just thinking it. “Do you think they’d rather Vinnie went free? Dante, c’mon.” She waited for him to look at her. “How you gonna feel if it gets moved to federal court and he cuts a deal better than the one he got here? What if—what if his case gets thrown out because of the cover-up? How are you gonna sleep at night if you don’t do it?”

Dante exhaled slowly. “I know. I just—I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.” He sighed. “I should talk to my mom. Warn her.” He got to his feet, went for his wallet, but she stopped him.

“You barely ate,” she told him. “It’s on me. I’m sorry, Dante. I just—this sucks.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

Luke’s: Bar

Kelsey smiled hesitantly as she stepped up to the bar, tightening her fingers around her purse strap. “Um, hey, Mr. Spencer. I’m supposed to meet Lucky here—”

Luke tossed the towel over his shoulder and leaned on the bar. “Well, he’s running late, I guess, Darlin’. You want something while you’re waiting? And, come on, call me Luke.”

Kelsey wrinkled her nose but set her purse on the bar and climbed onto the stool. “Gin and tonic. I’ll try, but it’s weird. You’re kind of infamous,” she told him. “I mean, for the Cassadines and the stuff you did with Robert Scorpio—”

“Oh, well, I was younger and dumber back then,” Luke said with a grin. “And someone had to keep Robert out of trouble.” His smile faded slightly. “It’s just not right that he’s gone. He was the hero, not me.” He cleared his throat. “Your dad probably told you lots of stories about Robert Scorpio.”

“He did, actually.” Kelsey smiled at the memory. “He loved to tell me stories about the Quartermaines and the Cassadines—and the Spencers. He used to tell me the stories before bed—Mom thought they’d scare me, but I liked them. The Ice Princess was my favorite.”

“One of my finer moments.” Luke hesitated, then nodded. “I knew your dad a bit. He did the books and legal stuff for a club I was managing back then. The Campus Disco.”

“Really?” Kelsey frowned, shook her head a little. “Lucky told me the Campus Disco was run by Frank Smith, but—” She sat back a bit as Luke set her drink in front of her. “Do you mean my dad worked for the mob?”

“Oh, no, no—Ollie wasn’t like that—” He paused as Kelsey dipped her head, took a deep breath. “You okay, kid?”

“No, it’s just—um, people don’t talk about my dad a lot,” she admitted. “When Mrs. Spencer—Laura—” she corrected when Luke lifted his brows. “When she called him Ollie—it’s just—it’s been a long time since I’d heard that name. Mom doesn’t—it still hurts.”

“I’m sure it does.” Luke was quiet for a moment. “Ollie never liked me, mind you. Because I sort of broke up Scott’s marriage to Laura. But he was always above board. Guys like Smith always need someone on the up and up to make them look good. That was your dad. Smith paid good, and I think your dad said something about wanting to put away money.”

“I just know he was a lawyer. We moved away from Port Charles really fast after he died,” Kelsey told him. “That August, actually, and no one in Buffalo knew him. When Scott told me there was a position in his office open—I thought maybe I could feel closer to him.”

“He was a good guy,” Luke repeated. “And I think he’d be highly amused that Laura’s boy ended up with his little girl. I’m sure he’d be very proud of you.”

“Thanks—”

“Hey!” Lucky was a bit breathless when he arrived. He frowned when he saw the tears in Kelsey’s eyes. “What’s wrong?” He glared at his father. “What did you do?”

“Innocent as a baby lamb, Cowboy—” Luke said, holding his hands up.

“No, no, I’m fine.” Kelsey cleared her throat. “Your dad—he knew my father, too. And we were just talking about him.” She looked back at Luke. “Maybe you can tell me some more stories someday.”

“Maybe.” Luke smiled at her. “You guys go grab a table, and I’ll make sure Claude isn’t gonna poison anyone.”

“You sure you’re okay?” Lucky asked as Kelsey grabbed her drink, and they went over to a table. “Dad sometimes doesn’t think—”

“No, no. I, um, I guess he didn’t want to get into it at dinner,” Kelsey said. “But Dad worked at the Campus Disco with Luke. He did the business stuff. It’s just—you know, I told you I don’t get to see a lot of people who knew my dad. Your parents—knowing him—knowing him well enough to call him Ollie—it’s nice.”

“Okay—” Lucky hesitated, then nodded. “Sorry I’m late. We, ah, we had some last minute reports to take.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “Elizabeth started that support group for Vinnie’s survivors—she put an ad in the paper—”

“Oh—” Kelsey winced. “She was right, wasn’t she? Some new women came forward.”

“Yeah. She encouraged them to report, so they came in today. We can’t do much with the cases—they’re both old,” he clarified. “No clothing, no evidence. Just the statements, but I told Taggert I’d take the cases.”

“How old? Within the statutes—”

“No, they ran out this year. They were both over eighteen, so the clock didn’t stop,” Lucky added. “The first was March 1998—around the time Elizabeth came in to report her attack. Vinnie set up the meeting with Dara and Garcia.”

Kelsey scowled. “God, he’s everywhere—what about the other attack?”

“That fall. October 1998, the day after Baker was arrested, we were at the PCPD giving the reports.” Lucky exhaled, looked away. “Vinnie was one of the responding officers that day. He heard Elizabeth accuse Baker.” He paused. “Neither of them was as badly—they could walk away.”

“So they walked away, then didn’t report.” Kelsey leaned back in her chair. “Five attacks in that first round. And God knows how many more women here and in Buffalo that didn’t report.”

“Or in New York City. He grew up there—went home for holidays—” Lucky jerked a shoulder. “He deserves to rot in hell.”

“Soon, Lucky.” She reached across the table, squeezed his hand. “It’ll be over soon.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Elizabeth’s face was grim when Jason came home that night, the takeout bag in his hands. He sighed, standing there for a minute, remembering that she’d planned to talk to Carly. He braced himself. “How bad?”

She sighed, then attempted a smile. “I’ll tell you everything, but you really need to feed me.” She set her hand on the curve of her stomach. “Actually, you need to feed the both of us. I am starving.”

He grinned at that, and they avoided talking about Sonny or Carly until he’d set them both up with a plate of ribs, a side of fries, and the chocolate-strawberry milkshake she’d left him a message about.

“I almost thought about asking for some vanilla,” Elizabeth confessed. “You know, a Neopolitan ice cream milkshake.” She pursed her lips. “Next time.”

“What did Carly say?”

“Sonny gave orders to all the guards that she’s not to leave the penthouse level without him.” Jason muttered something as she continued. “And he fired Leticia—”

“Leticia?” Jason cut in sharply. “Why—” He grimaced. “Because then Carly can’t just leave or go to work. Damn him—”

“Carly apparently stood her ground and offered a compromise—she gets her life back on December 1—including Leticia—she’ll follow his rules. Otherwise, she’ll leave. By the way, she volunteered you to help her pack, just so you know.”

Jason made a face. He wasn’t looking forward to that possibility, but if it came down to it—he’d hold Sonny down while Carly made her escape. He hadn’t risked everything—including Elizabeth’s life—to get Carly out of a panic room only for Sonny to lock her in a larger cage.

“Is she okay?” Jason asked. He looked towards the door, then shook his head. “Sonny’s home. I can’t check on her—”

“I told her you’d try to come by when Sonny is at work,” Elizabeth assured him. “She’s managing. I thought about offering her Cody and staying home one day, but she said she’d like to save that for something important since Sonny’s head would explode, and he’d yell at you—” She sighed when Jason just looked down at his food. “Oh, God, he’s already yelled at you. That’s why you called.”

“I shouldn’t have—” Jason muttered something under his breath, then looked at her. “I’m sorry. You don’t need to tell me where you are all the time, and I shouldn’t check on you. You don’t do that to me—”

“Because I can’t,” Elizabeth told him. “I know that. You can’t always answer my calls, and I don’t always get to know why. Don’t think I wouldn’t be calling you every hour if I could.” She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it—”

“No, I don’t own you, and you don’t answer to me. It’s enough that you take a guard everywhere, that you’re not driving yourself, and you tell me where you are most of the time—” Jason hesitated. “It’s just—Sonny came in, and he looked worried—he asked if I knew where you were, and I just—” He shook his head. “I couldn’t shake the feeling because I didn’t know. Not for sure.”

“Do you remember that time you didn’t kick me dragging and screaming from Ric’s house that first night?” Elizabeth asked, almost conversationally as she licked sauce from her thumb. “You know, the night you saw that I was drugged out of my mind?”

“Yeah—” He squinted at her. “Why?”

“You didn’t make me leave. Then the next morning—because it seemed like a good idea at the time—I ate all the food he put in front of me, then overdosed and almost died. You didn’t want me to go back, and I insisted—and I drank my weight in birth control pills because I thought it was safe.”

His mouth tightened as he looked away, remembering all the times he’d seen her drinking tap water to keep herself from feeling hungry—not even thinking about the ice she took from the freezer trays.

“Then you wanted me to go with you to the real estate agent, and I refused—and then I literally had my heart stop on the floor of that house twice.”

“Elizabeth—”

“The point is—” She set her plate aside for a minute to take one of his hands in hers. “I’ve almost died a lot this year. That’s just the times I almost died. I’m not even counting the times I’ve been attacked.” She waited for him to meet her eyes. “If there’s anyone in the world who gets to check on me for the hell of it, it’s you. Okay?”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, despite himself. “Yeah. Okay.”

“I’m also sorry for springing Thanksgiving on you like that. It’s just—” Elizabeth bit her lip. “It’s the first year without my grandmother. It’s okay if you don’t want to go, but I’d like to. Emily is going to try to get off work, at least part of the day, and I want to be there for Ned and Lois. It’s their first year without Brooke, and with this hearing—”

“I’ll go,” Jason told her. He leaned forward, brushed his lips against hers, then lightly licked at the corner of her mouth, at a small smear of sauce. “Just don’t expect me to stay all night.”

“I’ll be happy with ten minutes,” she told him. Elizabeth beamed at him, and he decided that he would do whatever it took to make sure she was always that happy.

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