All you did was save my life
Pulled me out of that flat line
Put the heartbeat back inside
I’m not dying
All you did was get me through
I owe every breath to you
Heart and soul unparalyzed
All you did was save my life
– All You Did Was Save My Life, Our Lady Peace

---

Tuesday, December 9, 2003

Hanley: Court Room B

The judge cleared his throat, peering at the court over a pair of half-moon glasses before glancing at his notes.

“The purpose of this hearing was to determine whether the Port Charles District Attorney’s Office would retain control of the State versus Vincent Esposito, a former detective with the Port Charles Police Department. Mr. Esposito was charged with seven rapes, attempted rape, attempted murder, and assault and battery on a public official.”

He glanced over at the empty space where the United States Attorney had been seated when the hearing began. “This petition was brought by Mr. Esposito and supported by the United States Attorney’s Office for Northern New York. While we were recessing after Officer Falconieri’s testimony, the NNY office withdrew their support.”

Elizabeth’s breath caught, and she traded a look with Jason. “That’s good, isn’t it?” she murmured under her breath.

“Mr. Esposito argued that his civil rights were violated when he was framed by a corrupt police department for a series of brutal rapes that left seven young women traumatized and a town demanding blood.” The judge cleared his throat. “The argument that the Port Charles Police Department was complicit in this conspiracy was supported by affidavits and evidence that several cases were mishandled and that officers frequently misused their power,  putting people in harm’s way.”

Elizabeth swallowed hard. That sounded less like support.

“Due to the DNA evidence in the case, I was prepared to entertain a motion that Vincent Esposito would be better served if he were tried by the federal government as it is often difficult to obtain local convictions for police officers charged with crimes.”

The judge set his notes down, focused on the audience gathered. “I am satisfied that the District Attorney’s office has met the proof of burden required to bind this defendant over for trial, and moreover, that if this were to go to a jury trial, Mr. Esposito would likely be convicted due to his own confession.”

He paused. “I am denying the defendant’s motion to dismiss the charges. I find there has been no violation of his civil rights. Furthermore, I have no concerns that he will receive a fair trial in the jurisdiction of Port Charles. The defendant will therefore be transported back to the county jail in Port Charles, remanded for trial in that jurisdiction.” He banged the gavel, and across the aisle, Elizabeth heard a woman wailing—Vinnie’s family—maybe his mother or grandmother.

“We won,” Renee breathed. “Didn’t we?” She swiped at her tears, looked at Elizabeth. “We won.”

“We won,” Elizabeth repeated. She exhaled slowly, got to her feet, and turned to the teenager, hugging her tightly. “It’s almost over.”

As long as Vinnie didn’t back out of his plea agreement, this would be over. He just needed to be sentenced. Elizabeth looked over just in time to see a furious Vinnie being dragged out court. Then she smiled.

She might not be able to put Ric away, but she’d stood up to the first monster who had haunted her dreams.

Vinnie could never hurt her again.

Hanley Courthouse: Steps

Dante lingered at the bottom of the steps, watching with a faint smile as the judge’s decision spread through the lines of protesters. There were hugs, laughter, even tears—

“Feeling proud of yourself?”

The words were hissed from somewhere behind him on the steps, nearly lost on the bitterly cold wind whipping around them. But Dante turned to find his grandmother standing there, her dark eyes lit with fury, with shame.

“I’m sorry, Grandma—”

“You don’t have the right to call me that! You’re no grandson of mine! Turning on your own like that—”

Dante swallowed, staring at her. “Didn’t—you heard the tape—”

“I heard you push him into saying those things—” Marta Falconieri pointed a long, bony finger at him. “Bastardo—all you cops are the same! You were angry at my boy for not solving the cases—”

“No, that’s not—”

“Cazzato!” Marta snarled. “You were always jealous of Vinnie, always tagging after him—you saw your chance to make yourself look better, and you took it, didn’t you?”

“I had to do the right thing, Grand—” She slapped him hard, his face snapping to the side. Dante took a deep breath as people around them gasped and started to point. “I had to,” he said quietly, more to himself now than her. “For Brooke, for the women he hurt—”

“You are no better than your father!” Marta hissed, stepping closer. “You destroy everything you touch, just like he did!”

Dante blinked and tried to absorb that. He’d never known his father. Never knew that anyone other than his mother knew who he was. “My father?” he repeated numbly. “I—”

“Did he put you up to this? That puta, Gloria, said he was here now—did he pay you to take my boy down?”

“Did he—” Dante cleared his throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know my father. You know that—” His voice trembled slightly. This was the woman who had looked after him, who had baked him cookies, and given him his first condom—

And now she hated him.

“You’re just like him. Just like that Corinthos scum.”

Dante couldn’t hear anything else—just that one word—that single name. He blinked as his grandmother stalked away, stalked over to where his aunt Francesca was waiting for her.

And he saw a group of people walking down the stairs—the tall figure of Jason Morgan with Elizabeth Webber. Behind them, Carly Corinthos—

And Sonny. The dark-haired man that he knew had grown up in his neighborhood, who had known his mother, dated her once—

Oh, God. Was he—

Was Sonny Corinthos his father?

Harborview Towers: Parking Garage

The trip from Syracuse to Port Charles usually only took forty-five minutes, but Elizabeth still dozed on the way back, waking when Jason pulled the SUV in the parking garage. It had been a long day, and she’d been up since almost dawn. She looked around, twisting slightly. “Are Sonny and Carly still behind us?”

“No, we lost the limo somewhere on the highway, and Sonny said they might stop for something to eat,” Jason said. He switched off the engine, sat back in the seat, then looked over at her. “I can carry you if you need it—”

“I’m fine.” Elizabeth popped open the door, then stepped out, waiting for Jason to come around the side of the car. “I need to get up and move around. We probably should have stopped more than once,” she admitted, “but the way you speed—” She slid him an amused glance, lacing her fingers through his as they walked towards the elevators. “I figured we’d be home in twenty minutes.”

“Very funny,” he muttered as he slid his elevator key into the access slot, then waited for the doors to open. “Chinese for dinner?”

“Mmm….no, what about Thai? I feel like something spicy.” As they stepped onto the elevator, Elizabeth’s phone buzzed with a text notification. She pulled it out of her pocket, flipped it open, then smiled as she read it.

“What is it?”

“Scott. It just says Deal still on. Sentencing after Christmas. It’s over.” She closed her eyes, pressed the phone to her chest. “He’s not backing out.”

“He’d be stupid to,” Jason said. He pressed the button for the penthouse floor, then used the elevator key again—the second layer of security. “If Baldwin got that tape admitted once, he could do it again. The deal is his best chance at parole.”

“He’ll never make parole,” Elizabeth murmured. She looked at Jason, who frowned at her slightly. “Between the DNA results, the cases from Buffalo, that tape—” She stared at the lights over the elevator. “In twenty-five years, I’ll go to that hearing, and I’ll make sure they never let him out.”

Jason squeezed her hand. “That’s if he lasts that long.”

He unlocked the door to the penthouse, turning to her. “I’m not saying I’d do anything,” he continued, “but people accused of what he did, to women as young—” He lifted a shoulder.

“Scott said the same thing. I honestly don’t care what happens to him,” Elizabeth told him. “As long as he’s off the streets. It’s—it’s not the same. Not like Ric. I wish I could explain why.” She unbuttoned her jacket, handed it to him so he could hang it up. “He’s a nightmare that I thought I’d put away a long time ago, but this time it really is over.”

She smiled up at him, sliding her hands up the lapels of his jacket, gripping them before leaning up on her toes to kiss him. Jason framed her face with his hands, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss.

“I’ll go get the menu,” she murmured a moment later, drawing back and wandering over to the drawer where they kept the takeout menus.

When Elizabeth turned back, menu in hand, she stopped short at the sight of Jason standing right in front of her—a velvet box in his hand.

She stared at it for a long moment, then raised her eyes to his. “Jason.”

“When we talked about it on Thanksgiving,” Jason said, “you said you wanted to wait for another moment. But I already knew when I wanted that moment to be. I’ve known for months.”

“You—” Elizabeth swallowed hard. “You did? When? I mean—” The menu floated out of her hands as she raised her hand to her chest. “When did you know?”

“Not long after you moved into the condo,” Jason told her, stepping closer, tipping his head down slightly to keep their eyes in contact. “We were sitting on the sofa, and you were watching one of those movies that I hate—”

“Oh, real nice—” She rolled her eyes with a smile.

“And I just—I wanted to spend every night like that.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “But you didn’t ask,” she said, her voice small, unsure. “Why?”

“Because it was almost a month to the day after I was supposed to marry another woman,” Jason said with a wry smile. “And we were still—we were figuring things out. I didn’t know— I couldn’t be sure you wanted to have the conversation. Not just then. You’d barely filed for divorce.”

When he put it that way—

“And then things happened with Brooke, and the Baker letter—there just—there never seemed to be a good moment,” Jason continued. “When you got pregnant, I didn’t want you to think—it was important that you didn’t think I was asking you because of the baby.”

She touched her lips with the tips of her fingers. “Oh. I—” Elizabeth paused. “So you—you were waiting for today?”

“Actually,” Jason said as he turned the box around, open it—opened it so that whatever was inside was visible only to him. “I wanted to wait until you’d testified against Ric. Because that felt like it would be ending that part of our lives.”

“But that’s not going to happen anymore, so—” Elizabeth bit at the nail on her thumb. “So—”

“So, I wanted to ask today.” He turned the ring to face her, and Elizabeth sucked in a sharp breath. It wasn’t a traditional diamond, but a dark red ruby—nearly the same color as the glass he’d given her that Valentine’s Day—their first Valentine’s Day.

“It matches my dress,” she said, blankly, taking the box from him, staring at it. “I—I—” Elizabeth cleared her throat, looked at him. “You remembered.”

“I remember every moment we’ve shared,” he told her, his voice low and gravelly. He swept her hair out of her eyes. “I told you the lights were different in Italy. I want to show you. We can’t—we can’t go now, but later—when the baby is older—maybe this summer. We’ll take him with us.”

“A family.” She took it out, then set the box behind her on the table. “You—” Elizabeth met his eyes, then managed a smile, her heart beating so fast she was sure he could hear it. “You haven’t actually asked me yet.”

“No, I guess I haven’t.” Jason took the ring from her. “Over the last six months,” he told her, taking her hand in his, their eyes locked on one another, “I’ve watched you fight so many battles, and I’ve been in awe of your strength, your courage, your beauty. Not just on the outside—though—” He tilted his head, that wicked spark she loved so much in those gorgeous eyes, “—we’ve agreed you look amazing in red—”

She laughed, the sound more of a choking sob, as she pressed her free hand into a fist against her mouth. “That’s true—”

“But inside, where it counts. You risked so much for Carly, for Brooke, for so many people—for me. I want to share the rest of my life with you.” He paused, waited for her to look at him again. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Elizabeth wiggled her fingers, her smile so broad on her face that her cheeks were stinging. “Yes!”

He slid the ring on her finger, then crushed her against him in a hug, burying his face in her hair—then swung her in a circle, lifting her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing. “I love you,” he murmured against her ear.

“I love you, too.” Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut and hoped her feet would never hit the ground.”

Luke’s: Bar

Lucky glanced over at his best friend as Dante nursed his second beer of the night. That usually wouldn’t worry him, but Dante had only sat down about thirty minutes earlier — Lucky hadn’t known Dante to drink that much that fast before.

Dante had driven back with his mother, so neither Lucky nor Cruz had had a chance to check in with him to see how he was handling things. Lucky had invited both of them to hang out at Luke’s while he picked up a shift tending the bar.

He traded a concerned look with Cruz and was about to start over to where Dante was sitting at the end of the bar when he saw a familiar brunette walk through the front door. Leaving Dante to his roommate, Lucky strode across the bar to greet his girlfriend.

“Hey!” Kelsey was grinning when he reached her. “Scott just called me with the great news—Vinnie is going with the plea deal—it’s over. He’ll be sentenced after Christmas.”

“I know—he sent me a text—” he kissed her hard. “I’m sorry you couldn’t go, that you couldn’t be there.”

“Someone had to protect Port Charles while the rest of you were gone.” Kelsey glanced over at the bar with Cruz was talking to Dante, who didn’t seem to be responding. “How did he do?”

“He did great, but I think his grandmother wasn’t expecting Vinnie to lose the motion.” Lucky sighed. “I don’t know if she found him after the hearing because Cruz and I left—”

“Scott said he didn’t have to say a lot on the stand, only introduce himself and his relationship to Vinnie, but—” Kelsey bit her lip. “He said the tape was hard to listen to. That Lois and Elizabeth left before it was over.”

“You heard it,” Lucky muttered. “You know that transcripts couldn’t really paint the picture—” He shook his head. “I talked to Jason after the hearing—he said Elizabeth was handling it, but I guess I’m still worried.”

“I’m sure it’s a lot right now,” Kelsey said. “But it’s over. That should bring her some comfort. Scott said she was a star. I hope she can put this behind her.”

“Me, too.” He took her hand. “Come on, let’s go check on Dante.”

---

Dante grimaced as Kelsey slid onto the stool on the other side of him. He should have gone home, he should have just started screaming in the middle of the street, then maybe he’d be locked up somewhere he could just be alone.

He couldn’t think, couldn’t make sense of what his grandmother had said, but he couldn’t reject it—couldn’t stop thinking it was true.

He even looked like Sonny—he could see that now—dark hair, dark eyes—their chins— He stared at himself in the mirror on the other side of the bar, taking in his features, cataloging them, looking for similarities.

Sonny fucking Corinthos was his father. A gangster who was rumored to have killed his own mother back in the neighborhood. And his cousin? His cousin was a violent rapist who’d stalked and brutalized women.

He was screwed on both sides of the gene pool.

“Gin and tonic,” Kelsey told Lucky, who went around the other side of the bar. “I’m celebrating,” she told Dante and Cruz. “I wrapped another case today. “ She smiled at Dante, and he realized she wasn’t going to ask.

She wasn’t going to press him, ask him how things were—if he’d talked to his family—not like Cruz or Lucky. They meant well, but Dante just didn’t want to fucking think about any of it. He wanted it not to be true, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it, and everyone kept asking him—

But Kelsey was just smiling at him. “It’s actually one of your cases,” she told him. “That robbery on Van Ness?”

“Oh?” Dante cleared his throat, his voice slightly rusty as if he hadn’t spoken in days rather than a few hours. “They plead down?”

“They did. Good work.” She looked Lucky with a wicked smirk. “It’d be nice if you and Cruz could make me look that good in court.”

“Hey, I’m not a miracle worker,” Cruz said with a snicker. Kelsey tossed a pretzel at him in mock protest, and blissfully—no one bothered Dante the rest of the night with any more questions about his day or his family.

PCPD: Commissioner’s Office

The last thing Mac had to pack that night was the cluster of photos that sat on his desk. A photograph of he and Robin at her graduation from medical school—Maxie and Georgie’s senior portraits—a photo of himself and his brother—

He stared at the last photo for a long moment. He was glad Robert wasn’t here—that he hadn’t lived to see how right he’d been about Mac. The kind of person he’d turned out to be.

“Hey.”

He looked up, blinked in surprise when he saw Maxie in the doorway. “Maxie. It’s late—”

“Mom said you’d probably still be here.” Maxie walked into the office, looking around at the empty shelves. “Crazy. You’ve been here as long as I can remember.”

“Yeah, well, all things come to an end.” He picked up the frames and set them in the cardboard box on his desk. “What brings you by?”

“I hate being like this with you,” she told him. “I know you’re not my dad, not really—but you never gave up on me.” Maxie met his eyes, hers damp with tears. “And I just—I just didn’t know how to handle it. You know? I mean—it was so bad. What happened. Your part in it.”

“I’m sorry, Maxie. I was trying to protect you, your sister—our life—but I made a terrible mistake—”

“I know.” She walked around the desk and hugged him tightly. “But it’s okay. That’s what you always told me, wasn’t it? You make a mistake, you apologize, and you do better next time.”

“Yeah.” Mac kissed the top of her head. “I should take my own advice, huh?”

“Yeah. Come over to our house, Mac. Mom is holding dinner for you.”

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

Carly wished her mother had driven with them to Syracuse, but Bobbie had, of course, cine with Scott, Lucas, and his boyfriend, leaving Carly alone in the limo with her husband. Max drove a lot slower than Jason, and Sonny’s insistence on stopping for dinner had put them nearly two hours behind Jason and Elizabeth returning.

She glanced at Sonny as he tossed his keys and wallet on the desk. “Elizabeth did really good today,” Carly said as she removed her jacket, laid it over the sofa. “It was…it was hard listening to her testimony.”

“Yeah. I, uh, it’s tough to think about that happening across the hall,” Sonny said. He poured himself a bourbon. Sipped it. “But that’s what happens when you cooperate with the PCPD.”

Carly narrowed her eyes. “Cooperating with the PCPD did not get Elizabeth attacked in her own home, Sonny—”

“Actually, it did. Twice.” Sonny held up two fingers as if she were an infant who didn’t know how to count. “Courtney called the PCPD, didn’t she? They got involved in your case, and Capelli leaked the story that had Ric throwing Elizabeth around the damn living room—”

“You heard Elizabeth—that was Capelli. Not the rest of the department—”

“Oh, you are not going to defend the cops to me, are you?” Sonny demanded. “Do you know who the hell you married?”

“Yeah, Sonny, I’m mildly familiar.” She crossed her arms. “But that doesn’t mean I have to agree with you all the time. Capelli is an idiot. And so are some of the others. But don’t stand there and tell me they didn’t try to find me. You know they did. No one knew about the panic room—”

“I don’t want to have this argument with you,” Sonny bit out. “I didn’t like it when my own sister fed me to the wolves, I don’t appreciate you doing it, too. Thanks to you and Elizabeth, Ric Lansing is out there, running wild, planning his next attack, so spare me the valor and courage of the fucking Port Charles Police Department.”

Carly scowled, then lifted her chin. “You know what, Sonny? I’m done with this. I am done pretending that I don’t matter—”

“When have you ever—”

“I have tried to give and give and give, but all you do is take.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Have you even bothered to get that list of nannies you promised me? Where’s my new guard?”

Sonny stared at her for a long moment, then finished the bourbon. He set the empty tumbler on the minibar. “You promised you’d stay here until Ric was found.”

“I promised I’d move back in the penthouse. I didn’t promise never to leave—damn it, Sonny, what if we never find him?” she demanded. “Your so-called tip didn’t pan out, did it? No. He’s nowhere, and I am done putting my life on hold. I’m hiring another nanny myself and going back to work every day—”

“No, you’re not. Ric is out there—” Sonny broke off, his scowl deepening as Carly changed past him, up the stairs. “Carly! Carly, come back right now!”

Carly shoved into the master bedroom and dragged out her suitcase. “I’m so tired of having this argument, of pretending that what you need is more important.” She grabbed a stack of hangers out of the closet, not caring what she grabbed or that it was a collection of skirts and dresses.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m leaving,” Carly spat at him. “I’m going to get my kids from Laura Spencer’s house—so much for worrying about their safety. You didn’t ask where the hell they were while we were in Syracuse—you don’t care about them unless it’s to control me—” She tried to zip the suitcase shut, but it got stuck on a hanger. She started to yank at it. . “I’m getting the kids and going to my mother’s. I’m done—”

“The hell you are—”

Sonny grabbed the suitcase, hurling it across the room. Carly’s clothes tumbled out, falling over the ground. “You’re not leaving!” he growled, whirling on her, his eyes wild—his hair falling in his face. “You’re staying right here where I can keep you safe—”

“You can’t stop me!” Carly cried. She started past him but gasped in pain as he grabbed her elbow, swung her back. She tripped over the sleeve of a sweater, and hit the ground. She tried to get to her feet, tried to get to the door before he could—

But Sonny had stormed out into the hallway—the door slammed—

And then she heard it—a light snick as the door lock latched. Stunned, Carly reached for the knob, twisted it.

It wouldn’t move.

Carly tugged at it, pulled—but nothing. “Let me out! Sonny!”

“Not until you come to your senses,” he shouted through the door. Then she couldn’t hear anything. She kept screaming, kept crying for him to let her out, to unlock the door—

He was gone. She was alone.

Carly turned, her hands trembling as she dug her hands through hair, looking wildly around her room. The master bedroom was in the interior of the building—no windows.

No windows.

It was a room with no windows. And she was locked inside.

She ran at the door, beat on it with both fists. “Sonny! Let me out! Sonny!”

Nothing.

“Jason! Max! Somebody let me out!”

Nothing.

“Somebody—”

Carly fell to her knees, screaming Sonny’s name, screaming for Jason, for Max, for anyone—

No one came.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

No sooner had their dinner arrived than Jason got a call from the lobby downstairs, letting them know that Bernie and Justus were waiting—and it was an emergency.

“I’m sorry,” he told her, getting to his feet, wincing. Jason had wanted to spend the night with Elizabeth, being happy for five minutes without something terrible happening.

No such luck.

“It’s okay.” Elizabeth shrugged. “I’ll eat until they get here, then go upstairs.” She smiled when his pinched expression didn’t change. “Jason. You know Justus and Bernie would never just show up unless it was important.” She gestured at his container. “Can I have your wontons?”

Jason went over to answer the door, frowning slightly as he heard some shouting from next door when he pulled the door open. Elizabeth couldn’t make out the words—but she could definitely hear someone shouting—

“What are Sonny and Carly fighting about now?” Justus asked as he and Bernie walked past Jason into the penthouse. “Hey, Elizabeth. Congratulations on the case. Ned said you did a great job.”

Picking up her food—and Jason’s wontons—Elizabeth got to her feet. “I guess. Whatever it was, the judge ruled for Scott, so it’s almost over. Finally. I’ll just go upstairs—”

“Actually—” Justus put up a hand to stop her, turning to Jason. “It’s about Ric, so maybe—”

“Oh.” Elizabeth looked at Jason, uncomfortable, not wanting to assume anything—

“Yeah, yeah. Stay. Sit—” He started towards the sofa, intending to help her sit back down, but Elizabeth had it covered and was already starting on the wontons. He turned to Bernie and Justus. “What’s up?”

“Another sighting in Caracas. We sent our team.” Justus lifted his brows to Jason. “I notified all interested parties—”

Jason nodded — that explained why Justus had been on the phone with the mayor at all today. “Okay.”

“Normally, this would keep until tomorrow, but we wanted to see if maybe—” Bernie hesitated. “Maybe we should keep it between us until we know more—”

Cody knocked, then pushed open the door as Sonny stalked in, barely waiting for the guard to step out of the way. “Jason, you have to get Carly—” He frowned, looking at them. “Bernie? Justus—what’s going—”

Elizabeth got to her feet. “What’s wrong with Carly—”

And then they heard it. Not shouting. But screams. Horrific screams—

Max was in the doorway, his face pale. “Mr. C—I think Mrs. C’s hurt—”

“She’s fine,” Sonny said flatly. “She just needs to realize I’m right—”

“Why is she screaming like that—” Elizabeth started walking across the living room. Something terrible lurked in the corner of her mind, but he wouldn’t—surely, Sonny would never— “Sonny, where is she—”

Then the screams cut off abruptly, leaving the room in an eerie silence. “I’m going to check on her,” Elizabeth told Jason. “You guys stay and talk—”

As soon as she passed Sonny—he grabbed her arm, shoved her back. Startled, Elizabeth fell against Bernie, her eyes wide as Jason muttered a curse, stepping in front of her. “What the hell—”

Bernie put his hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders to steady her.

“You leave my wife alone!” Sonny snapped, shaking a finger at Elizabeth, who stared him in confusion. “Stay out of this!”

There was another scream—but this was more like a long wail—and it was all Elizabeth was going to listen to. She shoved past Sonny, stomping on his foot when he again tried to stop her—and charged into the hallway, Jason on her heels.

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