I look ahead to all the plans that we made
And the dreams that we had
I’m in a world that tries to take ’em away
Oh, but I’m taking ’em back
All this time I’ve just been to blind to understand
What should matter to me
My friend, this life we live
Is not what we have, it’s what we believe
– It’s Not My Time, 3 Doors Down

---

Saturday, September 27, 2008

St. Timothy’s Church: Anteroom

Sonny, clad in a black tuxedo and gray vest, shook his head. “I don’t need another security check,” he said. “We need to get to our seats before Maxie over there—” he gestured towards the blonde who held a clipboard and wore a headset. “Sets us on fire—

Jason nodded. “I know, but—” he began. “There’s nothing wrong with taking another five minutes—”

“Jase.” Sonny turned to him. “Do you have any doubts that your guys are up to the job?”

“No—”

“Then let’s get this show on the road.” Sonny clapped a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “And hey, don’t you have a plane to catch? Every minute we spend out here is another minute you’re in traffic.”

Jason nodded, reluctantly. They were still on schedule, even a few minutes early, but Sonny had a point. There hadn’t been a single hint of trouble. “All right. I’ll see you in there.” He left Sonny in the anteroom and went through the double doors leading into the chapel proper.

Jason took his seat in the front pew, next to Bobbie. She smiled at him, the expression tinged with a touch of sadness that he felt himself. Another moment that Michael should be here for — and instead he was lying in a coma from which he would never wake.

The tightness in his chest only increased as Jason remembered where he’d been when he’d received the call. Standing in his penthouse, looking into Elizabeth’s eyes, filled with happiness that he was finally going to have her with him — that the whole world would know that he loved her and the boys—he’d get to have his son and Cameron—

He’d promised her he wouldn’t take it back. How many promises had he broken to her over the years? How many more opportunities would she give him to be part of her life before she walked away for good? No, Sonny was right. The sooner they got the wedding started, the sooner he’d be with her.

He glanced at the clock on his phone, saw the notification from Elizabeth. She’d checked in her luggage and was heading to security. She’d see him at the gate.

Jason glanced at Bobbie again who squeezed his hand, then he faced forward, looked at the altar. Sonny was the one getting married. He’d lost Michael, but his life was still moving forward. He still had his son, his daughter. He would have a wife, soon.

Jason had been prepared to only have those things in secret, until Michael. Until he’d realized what he’d given up. Only when he’d truly accepted that the only way he’d ever have a life of his own, be a father again, was if he made changes — he just wished he could have done it years ago. Maybe Michael would still be here. Maybe his son would know him—

He glanced at his phone again, wishing it was over so he could be on his way to the airport, so he could be with Elizabeth and not worry about who was watching.

St. Timothy’s Church: Bridal Suite

“You can’t really be serious!”

Maxie grimaced when she slipped inside the room just as Olivia Falconieri’s thick Brooklyn accent hit her ears. “We have three minutes before we need to start the processional,” she warned the cousins. “Or we’ll be off schedule—”

“I’m not having this argument with you again,” Kate said, heading towards the table where their flowers had been set up. She snatched up her bouquet. “I told you, I legally changed my name. Did you think I’d get married as Constanza Louise? Really?”

“I thought you’d have some decency—”

“I am Katherine Hardwicke Howard. That is my legal name, and it’s a name I’ve worked very hard to establish,” Kate snapped. “And if you don’t like it, I’m sure Maxie will step in as my maid of honor.”

Olivia sent Maxie a dirty look, then scowled back at Kate. “Still turning your back on your whole family. I can’t believe Sonny is okay with this—”

“Time out—” Maxie said, her heart pounding as she slid between the furious women. “You can have this argument later, okay? Please. I’m begging you. We spent a lot of time setting this up,” she reminded Kate, who nodded. Maxie picked up Olivia’s bouquet and held it out. “Please. I don’t want to be the maid of honor, okay? That’s you. You’re family. I—I had a sister a-and I lost her, and I would do anything to argue with her one more time. So just take these, walk down the aisle, and be grateful that you’re both still alive to yell at each other.”

Olivia took the flowers, some of the fury fading from her dark eyes. “I’m sorry about your sister. Let’s get this show on the road.” She headed for the door.

Thank God. Maxie breathed a sigh of relief, sent a silent apology to Georgie that she’d used her that way, and turned to Kate. “Time to get married. You ready?”

Kate lifted her bouquet. “Lead the way.”

General Hospital: Emergency Room

Nadine stepped behind the counter and started to dig through the charts of patients waiting to be seen. Since the clinic had burned down earlier that month, the ER was seeing all minor illnesses and injuries again, and with Nikolas heading to California, she had a feeling that wasn’t going to change any time soon.

Unless Nikolas wanted to fund a memorial clinic in the city he was running from.

“What’s up next?” Patrick asked, winding his stethoscope around his neck. “I just cleared two stitches, a broken ankle, and our first hypochondriac of the night.”

“The tuberculosis patient?” Nadine asked, absently, glancing through the patients who’d been checked in. “The one with a light cough?”

“No, the one who thought she had smallpox. It was a rash,” Patrick said blandly. “So I guess we already have two.”

“The internet was a mistake. Everyone comes in with a diagnosis ready, and they think they’re dying.” Nadine stopped, then looked at him. “Wait. Why are you here? You’re—”

“A doctor who, despite hating people, needs to remember why I’m doing this in the first place. I picked up a shift. One of the benefits of being chief is being able to do whatever the hell I want.” He exhaled on a rush of air. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”

“No, it’s fine. I just meant—you didn’t look to see who else was working tonight, did you?”

Patrick closed his eyes, bowed his head for a moment, then lifted his gaze back to hers. “I’d like one thing to go right tonight. Just one.”

“If it makes you feel better, he hates me more than he hates you,” Nadine offered. “I broke into his room and accused him of stealing drugs from the clinic.”

“I don’t care if he hates me,” Patrick muttered, yanking a chart from the pile. “I don’t think about him at all.” He whirled around only to come face to face with the man in question. “Dr. Hunter.”

“Dr. Drake,” Matt Hunter bit out. “Coming down from your lofty office to mix with the peasants?”

“That’s right,” Patrick snarled. “So get out of my way and let me work.”

“No problem.” Matt stepped to one side and Patrick stormed off in the other direction. “Asshole.”

“I don’t understand why you guys hate each other,” Nadine remarked when Matt approached to switch out charts. “Neither of you knew the other existed. It’s your dad who sucks—”

“That man isn’t my father,” Matt cut in sharply, his eyes flashing. “And no one asked you.”

“Well, if I wait to be asked, no one ever gets to hear what I have to say,” Nadine said, but Matt just stomped off. “This is going to be a fun night.”

Port Charles Airport: Security Line

Elizabeth looked at her phone — Jason hadn’t replied to her last text which made sense, she thought. The ceremony was due to begin any minute now. In less than a half hour, Jason would be on his way to the airport, and then they’d be boarding. He wanted this trip as much as she did, Elizabeth could believe that now.

And once they were in the air, she’d have the time to tell him about that awful conversation with Lucky — the threats she’d made about what she’d do if Sam was involved with the boys at all once they were in California. She’d meant every word, too. If Sam was in the picture, Elizabeth would never put her boys on a plane or let Lucky take them.

Which meant the boys would probably never see Lucky again. It hurt, but not as much as it might have before. If she and Jason were on the road to being together in public — and Elizabeth really thought they might be — then Jason would be there. And Cameron and Jake wouldn’t even have the chance to miss Lucky—they’d barely notice anything had changed—they’d finally be a family.

She took a deep breath, moved forward as the line did. She just had to have a little patience. They’d meet in secret again for a while. And maybe around the holidays, when things were quiet, Jason would change his mind.

And if he didn’t—

Well, she was going to Italy. He’d offered her Italy once before, holding out his hand to her, and she’d rejected it. She’d had chance after chance to have all of Jason, and she’d pushed him away. She’d asked him to keep quiet about Jake’s paternity. She’d made all the wrong choices two years ago. From now on, she was going to focus on making sure Jason knew that he was the only choice she wanted to make.

St. Timothy’s Church: Chapel

The music swelled, and Jason—along with everyone else in attendance—rose to their feet as the wedding march began to play. Kate, standing at the end of the long aisle in her pristine white gown, radiating joy and happiness as she slowly walked towards Sonny.

If he hadn’t backed out of their engagement six months ago, that could have been Elizabeth, Jason thought. Or they would have been married already. He wouldn’t have wanted a long engagement. They’d waited long enough. She’d wear a dress that made her happy, even though she always looked beautiful to him. And she’d have walked towards him—

He shook himself out of the thought — it did no good to think about things that hadn’t happened. He watched as Kate walked down the aisle, drawing closer. She passed the front pew and stopped at the altar — Sonny was supposed to take her hand, and then they’d walk up a few steps to Father Coates at the top.

Sonny took a step—and then Kate gasped, the sound barely registering above the music—but Jason saw her jerk—and then—

A bright red stain appeared on the back of her dress, spreading quickly, soaking the fabric. The flowers dropped as Kate crumpled to the ground. The screams started, and Jason was on his feet, shoving Bobbie down with one hand and twisting to face the back of the chapel—

People began to flee, the screams grew louder, and someone fell—there was trampling — the church had exploded into chaos.

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