In a way, I know my heart is waking up
As all the walls come tumbling down
Closer than I’ve ever felt before
And I know, and you know
There’s no need for words right now
– Breathe, Faith Hill

---

Wednesday, January 12, 2000

Quartermaine Mansion: Family Room

Carly’s palms were sweating as she followed AJ into the family room that morning. This was too soon, she told herself. What if Jason heard and had questions? What if he told Sonny and demanded a paternity test? What was AJ thinking? If they could just wait a few more weeks to give them all time and space—

“It’ll be fine,” AJ told her before turning to his family scattered between the breakfast table and the sofa where Lila was sipping her tea and Edward was reading a newspaper. “Good morning—”

“Hardly,” Edward muttered. “Did you see the stock market? I’ll be making some calls—”

“Don’t call Moynihan again,” Ned complained from the table. “We need him for actually important things—”

“Don’t tell me—”

Lila ignored her husband and grandson and offered AJ a warm smile. Though it cooled just a touch when she met Carly’s eyes, it was still less hostile than the rest of the family. “Good morning, darling. How lucky we are to have you both join us.”

“Lucky isn’t the word I’d use,” Alan muttered and Monica elbowed him.

Carly folded her arms, looked at AJ. “I told you,” she muttered, but he didn’t indicate that he’d heard her.

Instead, he raised his voice, “Carly and I have something to tell everyone.”

The conversations dimmed and now they were all looking at AJ and Carly. Oh, man, he was doing this to torture her, wasn’t he? This was terrible. This was stupid. Why had she agreed to this—

“Do you?” Monica asked. She twisted in the chair and arched a brow. “Go on.”

“Michael is going to be a big brother soon,” AJ declared, sliding an arm around Carly’s waist. He pinched her and she forced a smile. “Carly’s pregnant.”

“Oh, how lovely,” Lila said with a smile that actually looked genuine. Monica pursed her lips and Alan picked up his coffee. “Another baby—”

“Not that we got to enjoy the last one as an infant,” Edward muttered.

“When are you due?” Ned asked, rising to his feet. “I didn’t realize you were thinking of expanding the family.”

“It was a bit of a surprise,” AJ said. He turned to Carly. “When did you say you were due?”

Ned was only asking to check conception dates, and Carly bristled at it. What, was he going to count back forty weeks and see if AJ was in town?

“September 10,” Carly said. “Give or take a week or two. You know how inaccurate they can be. Michael wasn’t due until January—”

“No, that’s certainly true.” Monica rose. “Well, congratulations.” She kissed her son on the cheek, ignored Carly. “You’ll have to excuse your father and I. We have a meeting at the hospital.”

Alan’s brows drew together slightly, the only indication that he hadn’t heard of this meeting before now. Still, he set aside his coffee. “Of course.” He shook AJ’s hand and kissed Carly’s cheek. “Michael will be an excellent big brother.”

Carly managed a weak smile. Either they didn’t think AJ was the father of this child or they were all horrified that Carly would have a second claim on the Quartermaine fortune and name. Indignation flooded her veins. She was good enough for their son to marry but not have another child with? It didn’t matter that the baby wasn’t a Quartermaine by blood—neither was that stupid bitch, Emily, but this baby would be born in wedlock.

She was glad now that she was foisting Sonny’s kid on them. They deserved it. Bunch of stuck-up snobs.

PCPD: Squad Room

Taggert tossed aside a robbery file, then dug through the stack of open cases on his desk—pausing when he saw the Moreno file.

His blood boiled all over again, knowing this case was not only going to remain open but go cold. He glanced across the squad room where Capelli’s empty desk sat. The asshole had only ended up with a ten-day suspension, which in Taggert’s opinion, wasn’t nearly enough. He’d tanked Taggert’s case and engaged in vicious witness intimidation. Capelli should be off the force.

He opened the report, removed the statement Carly had given. He read it for what had to be the hundredth time, looking for something—anything—that might give him a fresh lead.

Carly couldn’t say when Jason had been shot, only that she’d seen him November 30 at Kelly’s with Elizabeth Webber, and then two weeks later, she’d seen him at Elizabeth’s art studio. He’d been sleeping on the sofa, clearly injured. Carly had tried to encourage him to go to the hospital, but he’d refused.

Taggert saw a scribble in the margins — there’d been a false fire alarm at the studio around the same time. Maybe Carly pulled it?

There was something about her statement that felt off to him, and he wondered how Morgan had recovered from a gunshot wound in that cold, damp studio. He’d had help, of course. Corinthos had any number of doctors on his payroll.

He could always check in with Bobbie Spencer. Elizabeth was close to her—and it would make sense if Carly had left her out of the statement.

How far would he get? Bobbie wasn’t a green kid. She’d likely refuse to answer questions and that would be the end of it. He’d never be able to prove it.

Taggert tossed the file back into the stack. No, he’d need a real break in the case, and that was as likely as a blizzard in July.

Wednesday, January 12, 2000

Hardy Home: Dining Room

Dinner with Elizabeth’s grandmother began as awkwardly as Jason expected, but he was determined to get through it without showing his unease. Audrey Hardy didn’t like him, but she clearly loved her granddaughter.

Elizabeth had spent most of the evening searching for topics they could talk about safely, but they really didn’t have much to work with. Jason didn’t have a lot of interests, and Audrey had bitten her tongue more than once to avoid talking about what he did for a living.

“You know, my grandmother used to be a flight attendant,” Elizabeth said to Jason about halfway through the meal of pot roast and potatoes. “Jason has a whole shelf of travel books,” she told Audrey.

“Really?” Audrey cleared her throat. “Do you enjoy traveling?”

“I haven’t really—” Jason saw Elizabeth’s hopeful expression because she was clearly grasping at anything she could find. “I haven’t traveled much,” he continued. “Since the accident, I mean. But I want to.”

“Oh, well—” Audrey’s eyes softened a bit. “I do recall you traveled often during the summers. You did a lot of internships and programs that took you everywhere. Maybe…well, maybe there’s a piece of you that does remember that.”

He hadn’t known that, but— “Maybe,” he allowed. “I remembered some of the medical things I studied. That make sense.” He didn’t like talking about his accident. “So you weren’t always a nurse.”

“Well, I had completed my studies,” Audrey said, “but rather than going to work in the field, I decided I wanted to see more of the world. Lucille thought I was wasting my life. My older sister,” she clarified when Jason frowned. “But I thought the world was much bigger than Port Charles and I was determined to see it.”

Jason nodded. He could understand that. Sometimes he wondered about the world outside, and wanted to see the places in the books he’d read. “What made you change your mind?”

Audrey smiled at Elizabeth, before looking at Jason again. “Well, I came home to visit Lucille, and I went to General Hospital. The emergency room had just opened the year before,” she said, “and they were looking for nurses. Lucille was trying to get me to apply—to make something of myself—and I was refusing. But then—”

“You saw Gramps,” Elizabeth finished, putting her chin on her fist, her eyes shining. She’d clearly heard this story before. “Right?”

“It seems silly to me now that I changed everything just because I’d met someone, but I just felt something click.” Audrey’s fingers rested on her fingers. “Of course, Steve and I didn’t quite manage to get it right, and I ended up leaving. I worked in Vietnam during the war,” she told Jason. “But the few years I lived here working as a nurse, it became clear to me that was what I was meant to do. But I’m so glad I took the chance and saw the world first. Oh, flying was so different then! Pilots and stewardesses were treated like traveling VIPs, and I was so lucky to be given an international route. I was able to see London and Paris, and for a time, I worked on the Barcelona tour, and I flew to Cairo—”

“You’ve been to Egypt?” Jason interrupted. “Did you see the pyramids?” He’d read about them, but the pictures didn’t look right, and he’d wondered about them ever since.

“Oh, of course! Giza is just outside of Cairo, and I couldn’t pass up the chance. Have you?”

“No, but I—” Jason paused. “No, but I read about Egypt a lot. A lot of the books are about Africa,” he added. “The Egyptian ones are my favorite. I like the history.” It had appealed to him, all the long-lasting dynasties, maybe because he hadn’t any history of his own. “And—” His throat tightened. “Michael liked hearing about the animals.”

“I always wanted to go back,” Audrey said. “To see the animals. To do a safari. Steve and I—” Her voice faltered. “We talked about traveling when we retired, but—”

Jason remembered now that Steve Hardy had died in his office at GH—that he had never retired. And he knew Audrey still worked. They’d never had that chance. “I’m sorry. Dr. Hardy was a good doctor.”

“The best.” Audrey took another deep breath. “Well, Elizabeth has also talked often about traveling. There are so many museums she wants to see.”

Elizabeth cleared her throat when they both looked at her. “Um, yeah, I guess. I took an art history class last semester and I knew some of it, but the Renaissance really—I want to see Italy,” she added. “And definitely France. There’s some really amazing architecture and beautiful buildings. But I don’t really have the time for traveling right now with school and work.”

Audrey tilted her head. “You’re still at Kelly’s? I would have thought—”

Elizabeth made a face. “Gram.”

Whatever Audrey had intended to say, she dropped it. Instead she smiled, “Summer will be here before you know it,” she told her granddaughter. “I can understand not taking a honeymoon right now with classes starting in a week, but—”

“Gram—” Elizabeth’s cheeks flushed, and she shoved her hair behind her ears. “We haven’t talked about that—”

“But we could,” Jason said, and Audrey smiled at him. A genuine one with warmth and softness. They’d taken a turn there during the dinner, even though he wasn’t really sure where. He was just glad it had happened, and that Elizabeth was smiling even as her cheeks were still stained with the flush of embarrassment. She met his eyes as she sipped her water and smiled at him. Maybe she would go with him this summer. He could take her to Italy, couldn’t he? And she could see the pyramids with him in Egypt. Why not?

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

“Do you have anything better to do than sic contracts on people?” Sonny wanted to know Alexis set yet another pile of paper in his face. “What’s this one?”

“Your partnership agreement.” She sat down. “Jason wanted to update it, remember? A survivor contract—”

“Right. Right.” Sonny skimmed it. “Do I have one of these?”

“You didn’t need one,” Alexis said. “Your estate leaves everything to Jason, including the business. This—” She tapped the paper. “Protects Elizabeth from you stealing Jason’s side of the business if he’s not there to advocate for himself. Not that you would, but it’s just safer to have it in writing.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” Sonny initialed the first page. “I’ve been thinking of updating the will. You know, because Jason was complaining about all the paperwork — I was thinking maybe of leaving something to Elizabeth.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I mean, Jason doesn’t need any of it. And I just have my dad. I’d leave him something, I guess.” Sonny wrinkled his nose. He hoped Mike would stay away from the gambling tables long enough to enjoy an inheritance. “But you know, Jason doesn’t need the money—”

“Mmmm—” Alexis rested her chin on her fist. “And how do you think Jason would feel about you leaving your estate to his wife?”

“I don’t think he’d care—”

“This is about that reception next week. The one at the restaurant.”

Sonny shoved the contract back at her. “Look, it was just a thought—”

“Did you do something to piss Jason off?” Alexis straightened the edges of the contracts, then slid them into an envelope. “He doesn’t seem happy with you.”

Sonny sighed. “Do you want me to answer that or do you want plausible deniability?”

Alexis just stared at him, and he sighed. “There’s a way to do things—”

“I’m a Cassadine,” she interrupted. “And I’ve seen the Godfather.” She tipped her head. “Is that why you started going by Sonny?”

“No.” Sonny wiggled his shoulders. “It’s just a coincidence,” he muttered.

“Uh huh, well, as long as you don’t plan to have the same fate as your namesake—”

“Are you just gonna crack jokes, or—”

“No. Sorry. Go ahead.”

“I’m not planning any crimes,” Sonny said after a long moment. “I don’t have specific knowledge of any that are going to be committed either,” he added. “But I’m not going to be mad if they are.” He paused. “You’ve read about Joseph Sorel in the papers.”

“Ah. So this reception is designed to assist you with the problem.”

“I have no idea what’s going to happen at this reception once I leave,” Sonny said, flatly.

“Right.” Alexis squinted. “Why do you need an elaborate reception so you can deal with this guy when the lake is right there?”

“You really don’t want the answer to that—”

“I think the reason you’re doing this is why Jason’s pissed at you, so I do. If I’m supposed to represent both of you—”

“Fine. There were two ways I could have dealt with Sorel.” He went over to the window. “One was quick and painless for everyone. And the other…” He raised his head and caught his reflection in the mirror. He looked away. “The other way served my long-term goals.”

“Ah. And your long-term goals were important enough that you decided to drag Elizabeth into all of this.” She rose. “I begin to understand Jason’s position.”

“Alexis—”

“It’s common courtesy to inform you that you may need to engage another attorney to continue representing you,” Alexis said finally. “At least when it comes to your partnership agreements.”

Sonny frowned. “What? Why?”

“Because if I am asked to draw up a contract to make Jason a silent partner or sell his share of company, it wouldn’t be ethical to represent a potential buyer. And Jason is the one who retained me.”

Sell— “Jason is thinking of selling out of the business.” Sonny rubbed his chest. “I—I didn’t—”

“I don’t know if he is or isn’t. Just that we need to prepare for that. Unless he agrees to waive any possible conflict of interest. Something you should keep in mind, when you’re considering any other long-term goals.”

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Elizabeth switched off the bathroom light and crawled into bed next to Jason who had one of his travel books in his hands. She curled on her side, watching him read for a while before she realized the cover was the Piazza del Marco from Venice.

“You’re reading about Italy?”

Jason laid the book on his chest. “Yeah. I bought it when I replaced the others.” The only personal possessions of Jason’s that had been destroyed in the police search. He often reread his favorites, she knew, and Egypt was sitting on his nightstand. His usual go-to night reading. “I thought I’d brush up on it after dinner tonight. It was nice, talking to your grandmother about the places she’d been.”

“Yeah. Sometimes I forget what a full life she’s lived. I’ve always known her as the upright and steady nurse who took on her husband’s grandchildren and loved them like her own. She’s not my biological grandmother,” she added. “And she didn’t even raise my dad, but I’ve never once felt that way.”

“You’d never know it,” Jason said. He paused. “Monica’s not my biological mother, either,” he said. “But I know she raised me like I was.”

“That must have been strange after the accident,” Elizabeth said, “learning about all the secrets and craziness from when you were a kid.”

“Not really,” Jason said. “Monica used it to try to explain that even if I didn’t remember her, that it wouldn’t change anything. Blood didn’t make a family.” He stared at the ceiling for a moment. “It’s always been easier with her. Not as easy as Emily or my grandmother, but more than anyone else.”

“I’m sorry if Gram brought back any sore spots with the accident—”

He shook his head. “It’s fine. It’s—” He frowned. “It’s interesting, I guess, what stayed the same. I used to think of myself as a different person but the more time that passes, I can hear about him now. Or myself. I still know some medical things, and the traveling—I didn’t know I’d been a lot of places.”

“You spent a summer with my parents,” Elizabeth told him, and he blinked at her. “Doctors Without Borders. Before they joined it permanently a few years ago, they did a stint that summer, and you applied to the program, I think, your freshman year. You were in Sarajevo.”

“I didn’t—” He exhaled slowly. “Sarajevo, my freshman year. That would have been when things were getting bad.”

“Yeah. It’s one of the reasons Mom and Dad kept going back, and why they just…made it their life’s mission. They’re terrible parents, but amazing doctors. The world’s lucky to have them.” Elizabeth reached for the book laying on his chest. “You always read about all these places. Why haven’t you gone?”

“Never seemed like a good time,” Jason told her. “First I didn’t have the money, and then I was working for Sonny. I went to Paris to see Robin,” he added. “But Sonny left, and there was Michael—” He shook his head. “You never told me about your art history class before. We could go, you know—”

“Oh, don’t let my grandmother think—”

“You don’t have to work at Kelly’s,” Jason said, and she frowned at him. “I mean, you can. I know you like it. But you should have more time for your art. I just…if you wanted to.”

Elizabeth sat up, thumbed through the pages of the book, sliding her fingers over the pictures. “Tammy said the same thing,” she murmured. “She said I’d always have a place there, but when classes start next week, I won’t have much time. Last semester, I felt like I always working and going to class. Maybe that’s why my art wasn’t as good. I was so tired.” She looked at him. “I’ve heard the light in Italy isn’t like anywhere else in the world. That’s it’s amazing for artists and why so many important works are from there.”

“We could find out. After your semester is over,” he added. “But—”

“We could,” Elizabeth said. She handed him back the book. “One condition. We go to Egypt first.”

He grinned, tossed the book aside and reached for her. “Anything you want,” he murmured against her mouth.

“I’ve got everything I want right here.”

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