Song: Glass House (Gabbie Hanna)

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1
I got people blamin’ me for shit they did to me

Taggert slammed the door, then scowled at Mac, his hands at his waist. “She’s running.”

Mac exhaled slowly, closed a folder on his desk, then looked at Garcia. “What’s your take?”

“Hard to say, to be honest. No way she knew we were going to bring her in today,” he pointed out. “It’s been a week. She’s suspended from work and getting a lot of flack from the public on being a suspect and who she was with when she found the body.” The detective shrugged. “She might have just taken off.”

“So, she’s a fugitive—”

“I don’t think that’s fair,” Mac cut Taggert off. “She didn’t see you, then run. She just wasn’t home when you tried to take her in. What about Morgan?”

Garcia sighed. “The guy at the Towers says Morgan didn’t leave, but honestly, we all know he didn’t drive himself out of the building. It’s hard to keep tabs on the guy. He was home when we went by this morning but refused to say anything without an attorney.”

“He’s hiding her—”

“Morgan never talks to anyone without an attorney present,” Mac said. “Look, we’ve got an APB out right now. Maybe she’s in the wind, but maybe she just wanted to get out of town for a bit. We’ll run it on the news and see what’s going on. I’m not ready to call her a fugitive yet—”

“You and the damn DA have been tiptoeing around this girl like she’s some kind of princess—”

“You’re not from Port Charles. Either of you.” Mac shook his head. “And neither is Dara. Elizabeth’s grandparents were well-respected pillars of the community. Elizabeth was considered a good kid until she started having run-ins with Carly Roberts. We fuck this arrest up, it’s going to blow up in our faces. If you don’t like it—” Mac pointed. “There’s the door.”

2
Lots of people shamin’ me for shit they didn’t see

“So am I fugitive or what?” Elizabeth asked, emerging from the maid’s room next to the kitchen after Jason had turned away his second visit from the PCPD that day.

“No.” Jason scowled, flipping the locks even though no one got access to the penthouse floor without a special elevator code. “No,” he repeated in a calmer tone. He turned to face her. “You’re a person of interest. The APB just says be on the lookout.”

“It’s weird,” she murmured, turning to the windows overlooking the city. “I want to fight this, I do, but that’s when I thought they were working with real evidence. Not someone framing me—”

“Did you finish reading the letters?” Jason came up behind her, put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing gently. “Anything Lee can use to prove they’re not yours?”

“It looks a lot like my handwriting, but it’s not my voice,” Elizabeth said. “A handwriting analyst looks at that kind of thing, don’t they?”

“I think so. And we’ll find the best one—”

“There’s nothing in the letters content-wise—just notes to Carly about backing off.” She paused, then turned to Jason. “Except some of them are dated. I think Lee can probably work with it—the earliest one is from November 12, and it’s warning Carly to stay away from you.”

Jason squinted. “But that doesn’t make any sense. Carly was still with Tony—”

“And I’d have no reason to tell anyone to stay away from you,” Elizabeth pointed out. “We didn’t start hanging out at Jake’s until after Thanksgiving, when my schedule changed. I started to come in on nights when you were there. Jake could probably verify that.”

She smiled wanly, turning to face him. “It’s not much, but it might be enough. Lee might be able to find more. But if I call him, he’ll want to know—”

“He’ll have to wait until the DA turns it over for discovery. We can’t show him our copy.”

“Which could take weeks.” She dropped her head against his chest. “What do we do? Do I turn myself in?”

“We could wait a few days while I look into Lorraine Miller,” Jason offered, “but then you’d have to explain where you were and how you missed the APBs—”

“That looks suspicious. Especially if I try to lie. I wanted time to look at the letters. Now I have.” She met his eyes. “I have to turn myself in.”

“I know.” Jason paused. “If you go tomorrow morning, you might be able to get a bail hearing before the end of the day. I’ll be there—”

“Maybe you shouldn’t post bail right away.” Elizabeth held up a hand when Jason scowled. “Let me explain—if I’m in jail, Lorraine will think she’s getting away with it. She might make a mistake—”

“I’m not leaving you in jail,” Jason said with a shake of his head. “Not happening—”

“But—”

“If you’re under arrest, that’ll be enough for Lorraine—or whoever did this—to think it’s working.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he added, “Trust me. I’ve spent a few days in lock up. You don’t want to be there.”

And since he was the resident criminal who’d been arrested often enough, Elizabeth nodded. “All right. Then let me ask this. If Lorraine killed Carly, why is she still selling her secrets? She mentioned you, but we know she never got in contact. Who else might want dirt on Carly even after she’s gone?”

3
So point the finger, pull the trigger, throw them off your trail

“Hey.” Robin flashed AJ a smile as she sat across from him at Kelly’s. “You look tense—”

“Don’t start,” AJ muttered. “I’m sure you’ve already forgiven my brother. Are you helping him cover up what he did?”

Robin’s eyes widened. “AJ, why would I help Jason keep the baby from you? If you’re the baby’s father, then he’s not—”

“I know he’s lying,” AJ bit out. “He’d never cheat on you like that. Not with Carly. So either you know that, and you’re lying to me, or he’s still lying to you.”

“How can you be so sure? The DNA test didn’t rule Jason out yet—”

“Because I have someone who worked with Carly,” AJ retorted. “Someone who helped her lie about everything.”

Score one for Elizabeth, Robin thought. It looked like Lorraine had found a buyer. “If you have this, then why aren’t you using it in court?”

“I still need the DNA test.” He sat back. “I’m not going to let Jason take this from me. I’ve tried so hard to make amends for what I did. I can’t ever take the accident back, Robin. I can’t bring back my brother, but I’ll be damned if I pay forever—”

“AJ—”

“If he thinks stealing my son is revenge—he’s going to regret it. So you tell him that I’m not stopping until I get my son back, and I’ll make sure anyone who was part of this pays for keeping this secret. Even if it’s you.” AJ shoved away from the table and stalked out.

Shaken, Robin twisted to watch him leave. Lorraine might be a blackmailing bitch, but was she really a killer?

Or had the killer just left?

4
You’ll get yours eventually

Lorraine unlocked her apartment door, scowling at the bills in the mail. AJ’s original payment had already dried up, and he was being bitchy about a second round—he hadn’t seemed interested in more of Carly’s secrets—

“As if DNA is going to be enough,” Lorraine snorted, dumping the mail, her keys, and coat on the sofa. “He should know better.” Jason Morgan had money and people everywhere.

The light flashed on her machine, and Lorraine pressed play absently. Probably another debtor—

“Hey, Lorrie, it’s me—” Lorraine turned at the sound of a nurse from Mercy. Amanda. Allison. Audrey? “Listen, I only have a few minutes, but I overheard that bitch Kelly talking to Patty about you working at GH. She said she ran into someone who mentioned it.”

Patty. The nursing supervisor who had turned her in for falsifying records. Lorraine’s palms began to itch. Damn it. Patty was tight with the staff in the nursing program—that was how Lorraine had gotten the job at Mercy after graduating from the program at GH.

“I don’t know how long you have, but someone’s gonna say something. You should get out of town.”

Lorraine deleted the message, but her pulse was already throbbing, her head pounding. She had to go — but she didn’t have the money. She didn’t have the resources.

Which meant it was time for the last resort.

5
I got people whisperin’ as if they know my life

Bobbie stepped up to the nurse’s station, flashing a hesitant smile at Monica at the computer. “Uh, hey.”

“Oh, Bobbie, I’ve been thinking about you.” Monica turned to her. “Ever since that APB was on the news this morning—they’re going to arrest her, aren’t they?”

“It looks that way.” Bobbie pressed a hand to her stomach. “I’m just glad Steve and Audrey aren’t here to see it—” She took a deep breath. “I mean, she didn’t do it, but with Steve’s heart, this would have done him in.”

“After the drug charges last year, I don’t doubt it.” Monica tipped her head. “Is she hiding? Has she contacted you?”

“I haven’t heard from her in a few days. I think she was keeping to herself. I’m sure she’ll call Lee as soon as she finds out they’re looking for her.” Bobbie put a hand on Monica’s arm. “I told Mac.”

Monica drew her brows together. “Told Mac what?”

“That you were lying about AJ’s alibi.” Monica sucked in a breath, but Bobbie kept going. “He’d just told me that Tony was in the clear, and God, Monica, it just leaves AJ and Elizabeth, and I know she didn’t do it—”

“You’ve always favored her,” Monica said, her tone short and clipped. “Since the day Jeff and Carolyn left her with Steve and Audrey—”

“I’m her godmother,” Bobbie said, “and yes, maybe I have looked out for her. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know who she is. So, Monica, look me in the eye and tell me you think Jeff’s daughter, Steve and Audrey’s granddaughter, murdered Carly and left her to die on a supply closet floor.”

Monica closed her eyes. “If it’s not Elizabeth, that only leaves my son. And I can’t let that be the truth either.”

“All right. I can understand that. But I had to make sure the police had all the information—”

“Well, it looks like it didn’t matter, did it?” Monica bit out. “Because you told them, and they’re still arresting Elizabeth. So maybe you don’t know her as well as you think.”

6
Friends can turn to enemies if you hand them the knife

Taggert nearly launched himself out of his seat when he saw Lee Baldwin striding through the squad room doors, Elizabeth on his heels.

“My client has become aware of the APB out for her arrest,” Lee said coolly, stepping in front of Taggert. “She’s here to turn herself in. You’ll arraign her quickly so that we can post bail—”

“No way in hell you’ll get bond when she resisted arrest and fled the jurisdiction,” Taggert retorted.

Lee arched a brow. “Do you have proof that my client did any such thing?” When Taggert just glared at him, Lee nodded. “I thought not. Come along, my dear,” he told Elizabeth, reaching for her elbow. “We’ll head down to booking. I’m sure the detective will send an officer with us—”

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to miss a moment of this—”

Taggert was interrupted as Mac strode into the squad room, relieved when he saw Elizabeth. “Elizabeth, oh, good, you heard about the APB?”

“And naturally came right in,” Lee volunteered as Elizabeth remained quiet.

“I’m just about to walk her to booking,” Taggert said.

“Let a uniform do that—Carmichael—” Mac gestured to an officer behind the desk. “We have a problem—”

“A problem?” Lee demanded. “What kind of problem?”

“None of your business—” Taggert began, but Mac glared at him, and the detective fell silent.

“Carly’s social security number,” Mac said. “We ran a background check on her, and Carly Roberts’s number comes back to a Charlotte Roberts who died in Florida several years ago.”

Elizabeth blinked, then looked up at her lawyer. “Lee, what’s going on?”

“It seems that our Ms. Roberts was using an assumed identity,” Lee said coolly. “And that will be an excellent defense for us in court. Officer Carmichael?” he said to the uniform lurking behind them. “We’ll go to booking now. My client would like to be home by dinner.”

7
You’re diggin’ me my grave, but keep the shovel nearby
Dig your own right next to mine

Jason paced the waiting room, feeling like he was going to burst out of his body. Right now, he knew Elizabeth was being fingerprinted and having her mugshot taken. He knew Taggert wouldn’t be able to resist interrogating Elizabeth once more. Still, Lee was sure that he’d get a bail hearing that day.

“I told you, Jason,” Justus said in low tones as they both kept one eye on an angry AJ who was at the other end of the room, Monica talking to him quietly. “She’s got a clean record, and there’s no physical evidence. Lee will get her bond posted, and this case might not even go to trial—”

“Lee’s one of the best,” Robin said from Jason’s other side. “He’s not going to let anything happen to Elizabeth.”

“Easy for you both to be so confident. You’re not the one facing murder charges—” Jason wished he could be with Elizabeth, to stand next to her as she turned herself in. He’d encouraged her to do it, but his being there would only make everything worse.

The pathologist stepped out of his office, then cleared his throat. “Uh, I’ve already sent a copy over to the court,” he said, “but I’ve made one for both of you—”

“Just tell me what it says,” AJ demanded, “so I can go upstairs and be with my son—”

“I’m sorry,” the man said with a shake of his head. “Mr. Quartermaine, but that won’t be possible.” He gestured at Jason. “The DNA test confirms that the baby’s father is Jason Morgan.”

Robin gasped in horror as Justus frowned — then AJ launched himself across the room, reaching for Jason’s throat.

“You son of a bitch!”

8
In your glass house
Are you sure you’re ready for the fall out

Lorraine wound her way through the crowd of patrons until she reached the bar and found the man she was looking for. She’d saved him as her absolute last resort. If he didn’t want what she was selling, Lorraine would be out of options.

Luke turned away from an argument with his bartender only to meet Lorraine’s expectant eyes. “Can I help you, darlin’?”

“Yeah. You can tell me how much it’s worth to you to make sure your sister never finds out who Carly Roberts really was or that you knew all along.”

The warm glint disappeared from the man’s face, and his expression grew so cold Lorraine nearly shivered. Maybe that hadn’t been the right way to start the conversation—

“Listen to me, little girl.” Luke leaned forward, his voice hushed. Yet Lorraine could hear every word over the din of music and people. “Whatever you think you know, you’re going to keep to yourself. If you step near Barbara Jean or say another word about Carly Roberts to anyone, you will regret every single moment I allow you to breathe.”

Lorraine swallowed hard. “Wouldn’t it just be easier to pay me to go away—”

“I don’t give in to blackmail. You think you’re big and bad, Miss Lorraine Miller—” Luke smirked when Lorraine’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I know who you are. I knew every single thing my worthless niece did in Port Charles, and as long as she left my sister alone and only tortured that moron Tony, I let her get away with it. So I know who you are and what you’ve done. You take whatever you think you know and get out of Port Charles. Immediately.”

Lorraine fled into the crowd. Luke’s eyes followed her out, then sighed. He was going to have to deal with this, after all. That one wasn’t going away so easily.

9
Throwin’ stones, I think you need to slow down

Elizabeth rubbed her hands, wincing as Jason scribbled his name at the bottom of the check for her astronomical bond. “Lee, couldn’t you have—”

“It’s fine,” Jason reminded her as her godfather just sighed. “It’s worth it. You didn’t even have to go into a cell—” He met her eyes. “And I’ll get it back after they drop the charges.”

“Awfully nice of you to bail out the mistress—”

Jason’s eyes iced as he lifted his head, turning to find Taggert sauntering into the clerk’s office. He said nothing. He ripped the check from the book and slid it across the desk.

“Detective, we have nothing further to say,” Lee said, stepping in front of Jason and Elizabeth. “My client has no statement—”

“Oh, I’m not here to ask her any questions.” Taggert smirked. “Just wanted to let you know, Mr. Baldwin, that we got the copy of the DNA test—”

Jason’s jaw clenched. “Shut up—”

“I’m sure Miss Webber will be interested in learning the outcome—”  Taggert looked at Elizabeth. “I’m sure Morgan here wove you a pretty tale about Carly lying to him and using him and blackmailing him—whatever he had to say to convince you to slice her throat—”

“That’s enough—”

“And he can afford to be generous with the bail. You’ll go on trial, be convicted, and he’ll get the money back. He gets the best of all the words. The money, the kid, and no pesky women around asking for promises—”

Elizabeth shook her head and looked away. She wasn’t going to listen to him—but—if the DNA test came back, then didn’t it mean—She looked at Jason, who was glaring at Taggert with malevolence.

“What are you babbling on about?” Lee demanded, speaking for them all. “Just say it and be done—”

“AJ Quartermaine seemed so sure,” Taggert said, “but it’s just like Carly said. Jason’s the daddy. What a guy, huh?”

10
I can see right through you from my glass house
Your glass house

Lorraine had a bad feeling when the elevators opened in front of the nurse’s station, and AJ Quartermaine stepped out. His eye was already turning purple and a cut lip, oozing blood.

She started to back up so she could duck out of sight before he saw her, but unfortunately—

“Oh no, you don’t,” AJ muttered, following her even as a few other nurses and doctors stopped to look at him. He grabbed Lorraine by the arm and steered her into an empty room. “You fucking bitch. I want my money back—”

“What are you talking about?” she squeaked.

“You promised me that Carly was lying about the baby and Jason,” he hissed, backing her up against a wall. “I paid you for the evidence! And it was for nothing! That bitch was lying the whole time! It’s not my baby!”

“It is, I swear!” Lorraine jerked the chart up, twisting her face away. “What are you talking about? All of that is true—I got fired because of it! You can even ask Mercy!”

AJ glared at her but then backed up. “Then why did the lab just confirm that Jason is that baby’s father?” he demanded.

What? Lorraine’s breath was rapid, and her head was spinning. “No! No! That’s not possible! It has to be a lie! Someone messed up the test! I know it’s yours!”

AJ narrowed his eyes, then clenched his jaw. “You’re going to tell me everything you know about Carly. Start from the beginning. And don’t you dare ask me for one more damn cent,” he growled.

11
I got people sayin’ take an eye for an eye

Elizabeth leaned back against the passenger seat of the SUV. She was grateful to be out of lockup and away from the reporters and cameras waiting outside the station.

“I didn’t lie to you,” Jason said abruptly as he drew the car to a stop at a traffic light. “What Taggert said—”

She looked at him, turning her head against the seat, drained of all energy. “About the paternity test? No, I know you didn’t lie. I just thought you’d changed the test to give you more time.” It would have been nice if he’d warned her, but—

“I would have,” Jason muttered, “if I had enough time, but I didn’t. I was going to fight AJ in court. Force another test or something until we knew for sure if he was guilty. I don’t understand—” He swallowed hard, his hands flexing on the wheel. “I never touched her again. I wouldn’t have done that to Robin. I didn’t even—”

“If you didn’t change it—” Elizabeth furrowed her brows. “Who could have?”

“I don’t know.” He checked the clock on the dashboard. “I’ll drop you at your place so you can get your car and get ready for your meeting with the board. How long do you think it’ll take?”

“That depends, I guess. My union rep wanted to protest the suspension and scheduled this before I got arrested.” Elizabeth’s smile was faint. “I don’t think they’ll rescind my suspension now that charges have been filed.”

“We’ll get your job back—”

“Maybe. But it shouldn’t be more than a half-hour. Why?”

“I’m meeting Robin at Kelly’s. We’ll wait for you there,” he told her, making the turn onto her street. He pulled in front of the building and put a hand out to stop her when she reached for the handle. “Come straight there, okay?”

“What, do you think I’ll hunt Lorraine down myself?” Elizabeth asked. She rolled her eyes. “I’m not stupid, Jason, and I don’t think Lorraine’s going to kill me even if we run into each other. How can she frame a dead woman?”

“Elizabeth—”

“Relax. I’ll listen to the board tell me I’m still out of the program, and I’ll meet you at Kelly’s.” She leaned over to kiss him, lingering. “I promise.”

12
I just turn the other cheek cause you ain’t worth my time

But Robin wasn’t at Kelly’s. Instead, Jason found Brenda sitting at one of the tables, tapping her fingertips restlessly. She jerked to her feet when he approached. “Hey. Hey. You’re here. Great. We need to talk—”

“I don’t have time for this—” Jason began, but Brenda was already shaking her head.

“No, Robin asked me to wait for you. She said she wanted to talk to AJ.” Brenda looked at Jason somberly. “She told me the truth. Or at least the truth as she knew it. I want to help.”

“Why is she talking to AJ?” Jason demanded. “And did she go alone?” He still wasn’t convinced Elizabeth wouldn’t attempt to confront Lorraine on her own, and now Robin was going after AJ—

Why couldn’t they just trust that he knew what he was doing? He was the damn criminal, not them.

Brenda bit her lip. “I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen. She said AJ seemed so angry after the results came back—as if he knew something the rest of us didn’t. She went to find out—”

“Where was she meeting AJ?”

“At the hotel, but let me go with you,” Brenda said. “I’m worried about her. And I want to help get to the bottom of this.” She got to her feet. “Please.”

13
‘Cause you see in black and white

“I’m sorry,” Epiphany said, closing the door to the conference room behind her and Elizabeth as they left the meeting with the board, her union rep already long gone. Useless asshole. “I tried to go to bat for you, but—”

“No, I appreciate it,” Elizabeth said with a sigh, looking back at the room. “It’s just hard to believe they’re taking Carly’s word for everything even after knowing that she framed me last year for the drug stuff. And that she wasn’t even who she was supposed to be!”

“They’re just covering their asses. As soon as you get this cleared up with the PCPD,” Epiphany told her, “we’ll be able to try again. You’re a good nurse, Webber. Don’t give up.”

“Thanks,” Elizabeth said. “It was nice to have you here and actually believe in me. Last year, the union rep told me I should just withdraw from the program quietly and avoid criminal charges.”

“Yeah, well, I believe in my nurses.” Epiphany patted her shoulder. “You let me know if I can help you with anything.” She left Elizabeth to return to her shift.

It was hard to accept that even if she could get rid of these charges, the hospital might not allow her to return. She’d never finish her nursing certification. Even if she started over somewhere else, there was no guarantee another hospital wouldn’t unearth the reason she’d been dismissed from this one.

At least her grandparents weren’t alive to be disappointed all over again.

Elizabeth headed for the elevators but then saw Lorraine out of the corner of her eye, ducking down a quiet hallway.

She hesitated because she’d promised Jason she’d go straight to Kelly’s, but damn it—Lorraine was right there. They knew she was trying to sell Carly’s secrets. What if she gave up and left town?

No, it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. Jason would just have to get over it. Lorraine was right in front of her, and Elizabeth wasn’t going to let the bitch get away with ruining her life again.

14
There’s more than just wrong and right

Robin was in the lobby of the Port Charles Hotel when Jason and Brenda showed up. Jason took Robin by the elbow and drew her away. “What are you doing, meeting AJ on your own?” he demanded. “You know we’re not sure that Lorraine did this—”

“Yeah, but AJ hated Carly. He doesn’t hate me, and I insisted on meeting in a public place.” Robin removed his hand. “I can take care of myself, Jason. He said he had proof you were lying about the test.”

“I’m not lying about it,” Jason retorted. “I didn’t even do anything except give blood—”

Before Robin could protest, the hotel lobby opened, and AJ strode in, a manila envelope in his hands. He growled when he saw Jason standing there.

“What the hell are you doing here?” AJ demanded.

“He wants to find out who murdered Carly,” Robin interjected before Jason could say anything. “We know it wasn’t Elizabeth, but Carly had a lot of enemies. And she wasn’t even who she said she was.”

AJ exhaled slowly, glared at Jason, and shoved the envelope at Robin. “I know you’re lying and keeping my son from me. I’m already demanding another test—”

“What is this?” Robin asked as she glanced through the files, confused. “Sonograms?”

“Proof that Lorraine worked with Carly to fake a sonogram and other tests to convince Tony he was the father. If Jason was actually his father, she would have screamed it from the rooftops a long time ago. She was at Jake’s that night to find him,” AJ accused Jason. “She threw you out as a Hail Mary, and you were dumb enough to let her—”

Robin wrinkled her nose. “When did you get these?”

“A while ago,” AJ said. “But I was in negotiations before Carly died. Lorraine kept screwing around on the price. She would only give things in drips and drabs. She kept wanting more. After the murder, I just paid whatever she wanted. I didn’t want to give you a chance to mess with the tests, but I didn’t need to kill Carly.”

“If AJ’s telling the truth, and he had this ammunition—no judge was going to give Carly custody. Not over a Quartermaine,” Brenda said reluctantly to Jason. “I mean, the only we’d know for sure is if Lorraine admits it—”

“I confronted her after the test came back,” AJ cut in. “She swears she didn’t know anything about the test. Carly told her from the start that I was the father.” He lifted his chin at his brother, defiant. “Admit it, Jason. You’ve known all along you’re not the father. I didn’t need to kill Carly. Why would I when I’m this close to having my son?”

Jason could think of several reasons AJ might have done away with Carly, but the man had a point. He would have won custody easily with all of this evidence. He scrubbed his hands down his face. “I don’t know,” he said with a shake of his head. “It could be you, or it could be Lorraine.”

“It has to be Lorraine,” AJ said, putting his evidence back into the envelope. “She’s been shopping Carly’s secrets around for weeks. There’s a big one she said she’s keeping back, but Lorraine said Carly was threatening to tell the hospital why Lorraine was fired from Mercy.”

“It was in her best interest for Carly to be quiet while Lorraine negotiated for a buyer,” Robin said. “I don’t know. It sounds like Lorraine had the best motive.”

“What good are Carly’s secrets if she’s dead?” Brenda wanted to know.

“I guess that depends on the secrets,” Jason replied. “We need to know what they were.”

15
In your glass house
Are you sure you’re ready for the fall out

Lorraine went into the staff break room, and Elizabeth followed, slamming the door. The nurse blinked in surprise, coffee sloshing over the rim of her coffee. “I thought you were in jail—”

“Yeah, I bet you did,” Elizabeth said, staying on the other side of the room. “Since you forged the letters that got me arrested in the first place.”

Lorraine’s eyes opened comically wide. “What are you talking about?”

“You have a talent,” Elizabeth retorted. “You forged letters last year, remember? ”

“You’re obviously insane, and you shouldn’t be here. Aren’t you suspended—”

Elizabeth stepped in front of Lorraine to stop the other woman from leaving the staff room. “What made you finally snap?” she wanted to know. “Why’d you do it?”

“Do what? Oh my God, do you think I killed Carly?” Lorraine stepped back. “You’re crazy! I never touched her! Why would I—”

“Don’t pretend—”

“No! I didn’t kill her, but—” Lorraine swallowed hard. “Okay, I might have forged those letters. I needed the money, and I didn’t want AJ to be arrested. You know he had to have done it—”

“Don’t you dare—”

“No! I only did it to buy time, okay? I’m going to tell them they’re not your letters, I promise—I just needed to get out town, and I had one more buyer on the line for Carly’s secret—As soon as I get payment, I’ll call from wherever I end up, and I’ll tell the truth—”

“You wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you in the ass—you slit her throat and left her to bleed out. So why the hell would I believe you!”

“Why would I kill Carly? I could have kept blackmailing her,” Lorraine cried. “I’ve been doing it for months!”

“Just stop—”

“No, listen to me! I knew from the beginning only Jason or AJ could have done this! Carly told me she was going to make sure Jason ended up in jail if he didn’t help her, and AJ—” Lorraine’s hands were trembling. “Do you know everything she did to him to cover this up? God, Liz, it was terrible. She drugged him and lied to him—she made him think he was drinking again! He was so angry when he found out—”

Elizabeth hesitated. “Look—”

“I mean, do you think it’s any coincidence that Carly was murdered right after having the baby? Sure, AJ might have won in court with the evidence I gave him,” Lorraine continued. “But he’d still have to deal with Carly for the next eighteen years. Now—he’ll get his son, and she’s gone. AJ killed her!”

16
Throwin’ stones, I think you need to slow down

“I’ll have Lorraine paged,” AJ told Jason as they approached the nurse’s station. “She’s expecting me to come up with another payment anyway. You stay here—”

“No, I want—”

“Jason!” Bobbie slowed to a stop as she approached the nurse’s station, spying AJ next to him. “Are you looking for Elizabeth?”

“No—” He shook his head. “She should still be at her meeting—”

“No, I saw Amanda Barrington and Edward leaving about ten minutes ago—”

Jason grimaced. He checked the clock by the elevator. “I need to call her place. Or leave a message for her at Kelly’s. “Do you think Robin and Brenda are done at the PCPD yet?” Maybe they could swing back to the diner—

“Why are Robin and Brenda going to the PCPD?” Bobbie demanded.

“We think we know who killed Carly,” AJ said. “Is Lorraine Miller working today?”

“She’s working in the post-op recovery ward on the ninth. What does Lorraine have to do with anything?”

“Bobbie—” Jason exhaled. “I’ll explain in a minute.” He looked at AJ. “Convince Lorraine to go to the conference room on that floor. Make up a reason you’re going to pay her there. I’ll call Kelly’s and try to catch Elizabeth and see if Robin is on her way with Mac.”

17
I can see right through you from my glass house

“Lorraine Miller?” Mac repeated as he listened to Robin’s story with an air of skepticism. He flipped through the records they’d given him. “She was working with Carly?”

“Apparently. She knew Carly in high school,” Robin said. “Which means she knows who Carly really was — not the identity she was using here.”

“Which is probably the secret she’s been trying to sell without any luck,” Brenda continued. “Come on, Mac. Isn’t it more likely that she did this? She already forged Elizabeth’s handwriting before—”

“We don’t know that for sure—” Mac wrinkled his nose. “She got fired from Mercy?”

“For messing with records and some other things. I don’t know. You could probably stay here and find out, or you could come to the hospital and question her,” Robin said, irritated. “Come on, Uncle Mac. You know Elizabeth didn’t do this!”

18
Your glass house
Glass house

“You need to tell the PCPD what you know,” Elizabeth told Lorraine, her throat tight. Could AJ have done it? Were they wrong about Lorraine?

“I will. As soon as I get this last seller squared away. He’s balking, but I know he’ll want what I have—”

“No, you’re going to do it now!” Elizabeth cut in sharply. “I’m not going to spend one more day being accused of murder! God damn it, Lorraine, don’t you have a conscience?”

“Some of us can’t afford it,” Lorraine bit out. “Some of us didn’t grow up with grandparents who gave us everything—”

“Don’t you dare—”

“It’s just a matter of time before GH finds out why I got fired from Mercy! I have to get out of town, and I’m not going without my retirement plan—”

“Oh, screw this,” Elizabeth snarled. She yanked open the door and stalked out.

“Wait! What are you doing?” Lorraine demanded, her voice echoing in the halls as a high-pitch shriek. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to tell the PCPD myself!” Elizabeth called over her shoulder.

“You can’t do that!” Lorraine grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and swung her into the wall hard. Elizabeth’s shoulder radiated with fire, but she shoved Lorraine away, grunting. The other woman fell, and Elizabeth started to run.

19
Are you sure you’re ready for the fall out

Jason grimaced as he approached Bobbie at the nurse’s station. “Ruby said Elizabeth hasn’t shown up yet.”

“I bet she’s in traffic. I keep telling her to get a cell phone, but we get absolutely no reception in the hospital, so she hasn’t bothered,” Bobbie told him. “Can you tell me what this is about?”

“If you have the time, you can come with me to the conference room, and—” He turned, and the elevator opened. Brenda came out first, then Robin practically pulling her uncle. Their hair and clothing were damp from the storm that began after Jason arrived at the hospital. “You convinced him?”

“Not exactly,” Robin said with a huff. “But he agreed that maybe Lorraine needs to answer some questions.” She looked around, then frowned. “I

thought Elizabeth would be here.”

“She already left,” Jason said. “The meeting was over—”

“No—we drove past her car,” Brenda cut in, her eyes wide. “When we parked.” She tugged on Robin’s jacket. “Didn’t you see it?”

“Yeah—”

Elizabeth had never left the hospital? Damn it—

“Wait—” Bobbie snaked out a hand. “Wait! The board meeting! They had Lorraine come down and answer questions earlier before Elizabeth came in! She knew Elizabeth was going to be in the hospital. Is she dangerous?”

“Not unless—” Robin grimaced, looked at Jason. “Elizabeth might have seen Lorraine after the meeting. Lorraine could have hung around to see how the meeting turned out. And if Elizabeth saw her—”

“I’m going upstairs,” Jason told them, then stalked towards the elevators without waiting for anyone to say differently. If Elizabeth had seen Lorraine, she might have seized the opportunity to go after her.

But Lorraine might have murdered Carly in the middle of a crowded hospital. Jason didn’t have Elizabeth’s conviction Lorraine wouldn’t panic and go after her. She might be desperate—

And desperate people did stupid things.

20
Throwin’ stones, I think you need to slow down

It wasn’t until Elizabeth reached the end of the hallway that she realized she’d missed the turn towards the elevators, and the only door left was the access stairs to the roof—

There was nowhere to go but up.

Elizabeth shoved the heavy door open. She’d get to the roof and find a place to hide. Maybe she’d have enough time to bar Lorraine from coming through the door—

“Stop!” Lorraine cried after her. “I just need you to stop!” Elizabeth heard the heavy door open again and quickened her race up the stairs.

AJ turned the corner and saw the service door swinging behind Lorraine. Without hesitating, he followed.

21
I can see right through you from my glass house
Your glass house

Elizabeth shoved open the roof door, then slipped on a puddle of water—she went flying, slamming her knee into the concrete as she hit the ground.

She cried out, rolling over, then scrambled to her feet. She heard the door open, and then Lorraine was there. She advanced on Elizabeth, already soaked.

“I just need you to stop and listen!” Lorraine grabbed Elizabeth’s arm as she tried to get past her. “You’re going to ruin everything!”

“You’re trying to frame me for murder!” Elizabeth shot back. She shoved Lorraine away, but Lorraine launched herself at Elizabeth. She tumbled backward again, slipping on the wet concrete and slamming into the corner of the metal fire escape, her head spinning and exploding.

She landed on her hands and knees, dizzy and disoriented. The sun was long gone, plunging the roof into slick darkness with the rain pounding around them. Lightning flashed, illuminating the rooftop.

She couldn’t stay away, couldn’t stop herself—she slumped over, letting herself drift. Letting the rain slide around her. She heard shouting — and then a scream.

Elizabeth forced her eyes open and saw AJ standing at the roof’s edge.

22
You see in black and white

They found a mug of coffee broken on the floor, liquid pooling around it. The floor was mostly deserted as there weren’t many post-operative patients to look after. At the nurse’s station, they found a tired woman who admitted heard a fight maybe ten minutes ago, but the hallway was empty when she went to investigate.

The hallway with the stairs to the roof. Jason swallowed hard. The last thing he wanted to think about was Elizabeth alone on the roof with the woman who’d murdered Carly—

And where the hell was AJ? Had he been part of the fight? Had he followed?

The door to the roof opened just as they reached it, and AJ emerged, half carrying, half dragging Elizabeth. They were soaked from the rain, and Elizabeth was shaking—blood tricking down her cheek.

Jason’s heart lurched as he moved forward, taking Elizabeth from his brother and lifting her into his arms. Elizabeth tried to open her eyes, then winced at the light, moaning slightly. “What the hell happened—” he demanded of his brother.

AJ leaned against the wall, blood trickling down his face. “I got here just in time to see Lorraine chasing Elizabeth into the stairwell. So I followed—” He accepted the towel that Brenda retrieved from a nearby cart, blotting his face. “When I got there, Elizabeth was on the ground. I think she’d hit her head on the fire escape. Lorraine was going towards her—she had something in her hand. It looked like a needle.”

“A needle?” Robin repeated.

“She couldn’t just kill Elizabeth outright,” Brenda pointed out. “She might have wanted to make it look like a suicide or overdose. Maybe she panicked.”

“Where is Lorraine?” Mac demanded.

“I—I shoved her away from Elizabeth,” AJ managed. “But she went flying.” He met Mac’s gaze. “She went over the side. I think she must be dead.”

23
You see in black and white

Three days later, Luke knocked on Mac’s half-open door, then closed it behind him when the commissioner gestured for him to come in. “Question for you, Bubba.”

Mac leaned back in the chair, raising a brow. “What do you want?”

“Carly Roberts.” Luke paused. “You closed the case, didn’t you?”

“We did. Unofficially, it’s going down as unsolved, but we’ve got enough circumstantial evidence that Lorraine Miller was responsible.” Mac tipped his head. “Why do you care?”

“You don’t need to dig into Carly’s past anymore, then?” Luke said, visibly relieved. “It doesn’t matter who she was or where she came from?”

“You mean, am I going to tell your sister that Carly Roberts was really Caroline Benson—and her daughter?” Mac asked gently. Luke closed his eyes. wincing. “We looked into Charlotte Roberts, the woman who died, and got her yearbook. I figured that Carly was posing as someone she knew since they claimed to be from Florida. It didn’t take me more than a few days to find Virginia Benson and unravel Caroline’s past.”

“She came here to destroy my sister’s life,” Luke said hoarsely. “And if she wasn’t dead, she’d still be trying.”

“Maybe.” Mac closed a folder on his desk. “As far as I’m concerned, the case is closed. There’s no reason Bobbie ever has to know.”

24
You see in black and white

“Flight 2193 to Paris. Rows 1-5 boarding now—”

“That’s me.” Robin turned to Jason, sliding the strap of her carry-on over her shoulder.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’ll call when you land, won’t you? Or at least let Brenda know—”

“Yeah. I always do.” Robin bit her lip, met his eyes. “I’m glad I came home for the holidays,” she told him. “That we could see each other again. I feel like we didn’t really have closure when you came to Paris in October.”

“I know.” He’d gone hoping Robin had changed her mind, but when she hadn’t—

She forced a smile. “And I really am glad you’re dating. I’ve always liked Elizabeth. It’s weird to think of you with her, I think, but I’ll be used to by the time I get home in June.”

“Robin—”

She held up a hand, and some of the discomfort faded from her expression. “I mean that. I love you, Jason. I will always love you, and I know you’ll always love me. But we don’t want the same things. So it’s better this way. And now I know we’ll be able to be friends. That’s all I wanted.”

He kissed her cheek, his hands resting on her shoulders for a moment. Then he stepped back. “Have a good flight, Robin. I’ll see you in June.”

“See you in June.” Robin took a few steps towards the gate, then turned back, a guilty expression sliding across her face. “Wait. There’s something I forgot to tell you with all the craziness after Lorraine—”

“What?” Jason frowned.

“About that paternity test.”

25
See in black and white

Bobbie stood next to the phone, the receiver still in her hand, as Virginia Benson’s sobbing voice echoed in her head.

“She’s dead, my baby—our baby girl—she’s dead!” the woman had wailed. Bobbie had been so confused—she hadn’t heard from Virginia in years, not since Luke had brought him the tragic news that her daughter had died long ago.

Had Virginia had a breakdown with the holidays? Bobbie knew how grief could sneak up and swamp you when you least expected it—

But then Virginia had dropped a bomb into Bobbie’s peaceful world. “Why didn’t you tell me she was there? Why didn’t I know?”

“Where?” Bobbie asked gently. “Virginia, Caroline’s dead—”

“Why didn’t you call?” Virginia wailed. “I would have buried my baby! Instead, some stranger told me she’d been murdered—”

Bobbie squeezed her eyes shut. “Virginia—”

“Her throat was slit—why didn’t you tell me, oh why didn’t you tell me Caroline was there? My baby!”

The dial tone broke into Bobbie’s trance, and she stared at the phone, even as the sound dug into her brain like an ice pick. Caroline was dead. Had died only recently.

Her throat slit.

Murdered.

In Port Charles.

Oh, God. Didn’t that explain everything?

Bobbie swallowed hard, set the phone back on the base, and pressed her hands to her face. Carly Roberts had been her biological daughter—

Which meant Luke had known. And lied about it.

26
See in black and white

Elizabeth pressed her hand to her temple, still sore after the last few days. She accepted Jason’s help as she sat on the sofa. “Wait, what do you mean Robin changed the test? Why didn’t she tell you—”

“She didn’t know if her contacts would come through,” Jason explained. “She wanted to buy us some time—and she thought it might push AJ.”

“Well, it certainly worked—” Elizabeth closed her eyes, leaning into the sweet relief and the comfort of Jason’s other arm curled around her. “AJ wouldn’t have come clean to us about Lorraine being part of the paternity cover-up.”

“I just wish she’d told me she was going to try it,” Jason muttered, then sighed. “But I’m glad she did it. And I’m glad we were able to talk before she went back to Paris.”

“Mmmm, she’ll be back in June, and I definitely don’t want things to be awkward,” Elizabeth gently pushed the icepack away from her. “I mean, if we’re still—” She made a face. “If we’re still together. Not that we’re together, I mean—” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re laughing at me.”

“Me?” Jason arched his brows. “I’m not saying a word.”

“You’re laughing with your eyes,” she muttered. “Don’t think I don’t know that.” She stuck out her tongue.

“I think,” Jason said gently, returning the ice pack to her temple. “That we don’t have anything to worry about. The charges are dropped, but you can’t go back to work until the doctors clear your concussion. So why don’t we go away for a few days? We can’t go far because you can’t fly, but it’d be nice to be alone for a while.”

“Mmmm…” She leaned up to kiss him. “Why don’t we?”

26
All you see is black and white

In the nursery where Jason and AJ had spent some of their formative years, AJ sat in the rocking chair, cradling his newborn son, who had been released from the hospital only that day.

Edward Alan Quartermaine, already affectionately known as Teddy, batted his cloth-covered hands against another before, his eyes fluttering. Finally, he drifted into a light doze.

“Everything I have is yours,” AJ promised him, stroking a finger down his cheek. “And everything I do is for you.”

It was better this way, he reminded himself. Teddy would never have to think about Carly. No custody battles. No being used like a meal ticket or a weapon. And no Lorraine lurking around with her secrets and lies, betraying anyone who looked at her twice—

AJ had made sure of that.

27
All you see is black and white

The rain pounded down around them, lightning flashing, thunder roaring. AJ bent down next to Elizabeth, relief flooding him as he felt the pulse in her throat.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her!” Lorraine cried as AJ rose from his crouch. “I just needed her to listen! If you give me what I asked for, I’ll go away, and I won’t tell anyone—”

“Tell anyone what?” AJ demanded, advancing on her. “What do you know that anyone cares about anymore?”

“You killed Carly,” Lorraine said, her voice trembling, barely audible over the downpour. “I get it, okay? She was making us all miserable, and we’re better off, but no one ever has to know! Just pay me, and I’ll go away!”

“Why pay when I can make it happen for free?” AJ said. She frowned, but realization dawned when he took another step towards her. He grabbed Lorraine’s arm, dragging her towards the edge. Her nails dug into his forearm, but he easily overpowered her.

“No! No! Please! You’re not a killer! You’re not—”

“No? You and Carly can argue about it in hell.” Then AJ flung her over the side, a blood-curdling scream cutting through the rain—

And then it stopped.

28
All you see is black and white

The grim satisfaction AJ had felt when Lorraine had gone over the edge was nothing compared to the triumph that had flooded his veins when he’d dragged that scalpel across Carly’s throat, making her choke on every ugly and dirty word she’d been spewing.

He smiled down at Teddy. He’d done the world a favor, and that was enough for him. No one would ever have to know.

As long as Elizabeth never remembered what happened on that rooftop.

All I see is red

 

THE END

Song: Dandelion (Gabbie Hanna)

---

1
When I was a little girl, my mama said to me
“What’s your favorite flower, darling? I’ll get you the seed”

As soon as the first scream escaped Elizabeth’s lips, Jason clapped a hand over her mouth. He dragged her away from Carly’s body, his eyes remaining fixed on the pool of blood beneath her. He avoided looking at her face. At her clouded, lifeless eyes facing them. He took his own deep breath, forced down the bile in his throat, and got himself together.

Maybe no one had heard Elizabeth’s scream over the excitement, but he couldn’t know that. They had maybe seconds to get their stories straight.

Elizabeth continued to scream, the sound now muffled by his fingers, but it subsided as her body began to tremble. He removed his hand.

“Jason—” Elizabeth turned in his arms, her own eyes wide, the pupils pinpricks. She pressed her hands to her face, then jerked them away, but it was too late. Carly’s blood was smeared across her cheeks, staining her hands. “Oh my God, oh my God—”

“Look at me—” He took her by the shoulders. “Hey, focus on me, okay? Elizabeth—”

“She’s dead, she’s dead—”

“I know—” And they had to call hospital security, Jason thought with some irritation. There were cameras everywhere and likely had caught them going into the closet. He desperately hoped that the cameras would also see whoever had done this.

Otherwise, they were both screwed.

He stooped down and grabbed his shirt, tugging it over his head. Then he found Elizabeth’s scrub top and pulled it over her head, scooping her hair out of the collar. “We have to call the police,” he told her. “Okay? We came in to talk, and you tripped—”

“I—” Elizabeth stared down at her hands. “Oh, God. There’s blood on my hands, on my face—”

“We have to go now. We’re going to call the police,” he repeated, towing her towards the door. “We’ll report the body, then say nothing—”

“But—”

“Everyone knows Carly was making me miserable, and she just signed another complaint against you,” he reminded her. Elizabeth swallowed hard. “We found her body, Elizabeth. We’ll be the first suspects. Say nothing. We’ll talk later.”

“O-okay,” she said, and then he jerked open the door, the hospital light nearly blinding.

2
I said, “Dandelion, dandelion! That one’s so pretty!”
She said, “Child, that one’s not a flower, that one’s just a weed”

Carly was dead. She’d been murdered, her throat sliced open, and she’d bled to death in that closet. How long had she been dead? Oh, God, had she died while Jason and Elizabeth were on the other side of the shelf? Her stomach rolled, and the bile rose in her throat. She was still stained with Carly’s blood on her hands, light streaks dried on her cheeks—

She stood numbly in a conference room, blinking in confusion as Detective Alex Garcia repeated the same question to Jason that Elizabeth knew he’d already refused to answer twice.

“I’ve made my statement,” Jason said without an ounce of emotion in his voice. She knew he felt something—she’d felt his body trembling against hers when they’d been in the closet when he’d been trying to stop her from screaming—but now, the Jason Morgan that the rest of the town feared was firmly in control.

He might as well as have been explaining the weather as he recounted the events of the evening. He had last seen Carly almost three hours earlier in her hospital room. He’d been in the NICU he’d met Elizabeth. They’d gone to talk in the supply closet and found Carly’s body.

The other officer with Garcia had a knowing glint in his eyes when Jason had said he and Elizabeth were only talking and had tripped over the body. She wrapped her arms around her body, her shoulders still shaking.

Carly was dead. Carly was gone. She’d been murdered, slashed in the throat—

And from the clenching of Garcia’s jaw and the sneer on Detective Marcus Taggert’s face, Elizabeth knew that talking wasn’t the only thing they thought Jason and Elizabeth were lying about.

“You’re telling me you have no idea what the mother of your child was doing in that supply closet?” Taggert sneered. “You sure you didn’t drag the mistress in after you got rid of her competition—”

Elizabeth blinked at him, opened her mouth, but she could feel Jason tense beside her, the arm brushing hers like stone.

“If you have any further questions,” Jason said coolly, “you know where to find my cousin. I’m done here—”

“But I’m not done with Nurse Webber. I’m not satisfied with her timeline,” Taggert said, holding up a hand.

“That’s your problem,” Jason began, but Elizabeth knew it wouldn’t look good if Jason did all of the talking. She had to do her part to protect herself—and him.

“You can check the cameras and my access codes,” she said softly, wishing her voice was as cold as Jason’s. But she couldn’t fight the nerves lacing her tone, causing it to tremble. “If you have any other questions, I can give you Lee Baldwin’s name. He’s my lawyer.”

“Does that come as part of the starter package?” Taggert demanded. “Being Jason Morgan’s whore entitles you to your own lawyer—”

“Marcus,” Garcia hissed.

Elizabeth lifted her chin, and now it was easier to keep her voice steady. She knew she was innocent. “No, being Steve Hardy’s granddaughter and Lee’s goddaughter entitles me to his representation. If you have any other questions, call him. I’m done being insulted.”

She turned on her heel and left all three behind her, trying to walk, not run to the nearest bathroom. She shoved the door open, stumbling until she crashed into a stall, her knees hitting the floor with a flash of pain. Then she leaned over the toilet and vomited until she nearly blacked out.

When she’d finally emptied her body, she slid to the floor of the bathroom, tears streaking silently down her cheeks, still stained with Carly’s blood.

3
Oh, what a shame
Now it don’t look the same

“Oh, Alan,” Monica said, her eyeliner smudged from the long night. She paced the Quartermaine family room, the gold dress she’d worn to the Port Charles Hotel New Year’s Eve gala rustling with every step. “What if he did it?”

Having attempted the murder of at least one of his wife’s lovers, Alan just shrugged. “I imagine he knows how to get himself out of trouble—”

“Oh, don’t you dare—” Monica glared at him.

“Please. As if you weren’t relieved to learn that harpy had been exterminated—”

They were interrupted when the front door opened, and they heard stumbling. Monica and Alan went to the double doors. Monica’s brow creased in concern as AJ stumbled in, his hair disheveled and his clothing rumpled.

“I thought you had stopped drinking,” Monica said sharply.

AJ turned to look at her, his eyes worn and bloodshot. “What?”

“You look like you’ve rolled in an alley,” Alan retorted. “You need to get yourself together if you’re insisting on that paternity test. With Carly out of the picture, there’s no obstacle for you or your brother—”

“What are you—” AJ closed his mouth. “I’m not drunk—”

“Go clean yourself up,” Alan ordered, “and don’t let your grandfather see you like this.”

AJ growled at both of them, then went for the stairs.

“Alan—” Monica came up to her husband’s elbow. “You don’t think—”

“I don’t think anything,” Alan said flatly, “and neither do you. Let’s go to bed.”

4
Guess it don’t look the same
Oh, what a shame

Bobbie had barely laid down before she heard banging on the front door. She attempted to ignore it, but it wouldn’t stop.

She drew on her robe, shivering as she opened the door to the bitter January winds. “Tony, what on Earth—” She stared at him, taking in the bloodshot eyes, rumpled hair, and strange smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m free,” he told her. He grasped her shoulders. “Do you understand, Bobbie? I’m finally free! I’ll get my son, and we’ll never have to worry about her again—”

“Tony—” Bobbie wrenched out of his grasp. “What are you talking about—”

“Carly.” His eyes lit up with glee. “She’s dead. Someone slit that little bitch’s throat. And now we’re all free!”

5
Call me what you want
Dandelion, dandelion

The next morning, Elizabeth dragged herself into the shower and got ready for work. She was innocent, she reminded herself, and she knew Jason was, too. He never would have let her drag him into that supply closet if he knew Carly was dead inside.

She wiped the steam from the mirror, studying her bedraggled and worn expression. At least she hoped she knew him well enough to assume that. She knew what he did for a living, after all. But even so—

She got dressed and headed into the hospital, bracing herself for more whispers and stares. She was so tired of being the center of attention, the source for gossip and rumors.

She stepped inside the security entrance, heading for the elevator, only to be stopped by a security guard.

“What’s—”

“Elizabeth—” Epiphany was nearly wheezing when she rounded a corner. “I’m sorry, I thought I’d be down here before you arrived—”

“What’s going on?” she asked her supervisor. “Harry says I can’t—”

“I’ll take it from here,” Epiphany said to the guard who returned to his desk. She turned worried eyes to Elizabeth. “I’m sorry, honey. The board met early this morning for an emergency session—”

“Am I—” Her throat was tight. “Am I out of the program?”

“Suspended,” Epiphany assured her. “They need to investigate the last complaint Carly made, and well—”

“The fact that Carly was found dead after I was informed of the complaint—” Elizabeth pressed her hands to her face. “And I’m sure finding the body while I was in the supply closet with Jason instead of being on duty—”

“I don’t think that’s registered to them,” Epiphany said. “They pulled your file because of it and saw the new complaint. With everything else—they’re worried about the liability.” She paused. “They sent your file to the PCPD.”

“What? Already? The PCPD couldn’t have—” Elizabeth pressed her lips together. “They didn’t get a warrant or anything, did they? The board just handed me over.”

“Elizabeth—”

“It’s fine. I’ll just—I’ll go home.” Elizabeth looked around the hospital lobby, her eyes focusing on the memorial portraits of her grandparents. She’d worked so hard to get here. To prove to her parents, her grandparents, to everyone that she belonged here.

Carly had destroyed it all, just like she’d promised to, and Elizabeth didn’t even have the satisfaction of being the one who’d killed her.

6
You can’t stop me multiplyin’
Pull me from the dirt

It was probably too early for the whiskey in his shot glass, but Luke Spencer had never cared much about clocks and calendars or what people thought was proper. And he needed the burn of the alcohol sliding down his throat.

He studied the Port Charles Herald headline gleefully announcing the death of Carly Roberts, town pariah and whore. Not that they used those words, but it was the truth, wasn’t it? Not that Luke cared all that much—

Except that he knew who Carly really was and that Barbara Jean didn’t. She already believed her child dead, and it would do no good to bring the truth to her now—

But this investigation—

Luke picked up the paper again, studying the quote from Mac Scorpio, promising justice. How deep would they dig into Carly Roberts’ past? Would they unearth Caroline Benson? Would it all come out anyway?

Troubled, Luke took another sip of the whiskey and offered a silent prayer to a God he scarcely believed in, asking for some grace for his precious baby sister. She deserved so much better than he or the world had given her.

7
Dandelion, dandelion
No, you don’t want me in your garden

“What do you mean they think she did it?” Jason demanded, whirling around to face his cousin, his eyes hot with fury. “What the hell—”

“Our guy at the PCPD said Elizabeth’s file was volunteered to the PCPD,” Justus answered. Jason grimaced, then crossed the room to glare out over the city. “It’s full of run-ins with Carly—Carly filed complaint after complaint against Elizabeth. Most of it was in the nursing program—”

“I know—”

“Some of it stuck, but most were dismissed. Still, it’s motive. Add in these two recent complaints — Elizabeth was suspended this morning. They also can’t alibi her for the time of death.”

Jason frowned. “What? What do you mean? She was working—”

“The hospital security cameras have Carly going into the closet at 11:16 PM. They can’t find Elizabeth on any of the other monitors — and at 11:20, something happened to that camera. It went out. By the time the guard realized it, Carly’s body had already been reported. But Elizabeth can’t be located between 11:15 and 11:30 when she shows up on the NICU floor.”

“That’s crap—”

“That’s the case right now,” Justus cut in. “The theory is that Elizabeth resented Carly for dinging up her reputation and nearly costing her the job—then wanted to get rid of a romantic rival. She used you to look innocent.”

“That’s not—”

“I know that,” Justus told him patiently. “Fortunately, all they have are these complaints and the gap in her timeline. That’s not enough for an arrest. Lee Baldwin is a good lawyer. Plus, the PCPD knows Carly has a credibility problem. They have no evidence that Elizabeth even confronted Carly over these complaints or made any threats.”

Jason dragged his hands down his face. “They won’t find any. She was avoiding Carly at all costs.” And had done a pretty good job of that until Jason had ruined everything.

“Okay.” Justus paused. “You need to stay away from her right now, Jason. You make each other look guilty. The PCPD will go harder at her to get to you.”

“I know. I just—” Jason stared back out the window at the clouds gathering on the horizon. “I just don’t want her to think I’m abandoning her.”

8
I still loved those mellow yellow petals anyway
What’s that thing they say about a rose by any other name?

Robin nearly walked past the forlorn figure sitting on the bench, but then she recognized her.

“Elizabeth.”

The nurse blinked and turned back to face her. “Robin.” She slid down to make room. “Are you sure you want to be seen with me?” Elizabeth said dryly. “I’m apparently a murderer.”

“Yeah, but it was Carly, so we’re better off,” Robin said with a half smile. She sobered. “I know you didn’t do it. If you didn’t kill her last year, you weren’t going to give in this year.”

“Maybe I should have,” Elizabeth murmured, turning to stare at the gray water. “If you know about Carly, then I guess you know how I found her.”

“In the supply closet. With Jason.” Robin tilted her head. “Brenda told me you were involved.” She paused. “How long—”

“Not—not long. A few weeks. We’ve been—” Elizabeth looked at her hands. “We met a few times at Jake’s, played pool. Talked. Things hadn’t really gone anywhere yet, and then Carly—I found out about Carly.”

“That’s an understatement.” Robin wrapped the edges of her coat more tightly around herself. “But I guess you’d decided to look past it if you were together last night.”

“You could say that.” Elizabeth was quiet for a long moment. “You should ask Jason about it again. It’s safe now.”

“Safe?” Robin echoed, but the other woman got to her feet. “Elizabeth—”

“Just ask him. I have to go talk to my lawyer.”

9
Then my fragile flower turned into a ball of gray
So I took a breath and made a wish and blew them all away

“I just can’t believe it,” Monica murmured, stepping up next to Bobbie in the nurse’s station. “Are we allowed to be relieved?”

Bobbie flashed her old friend an irritated glance. “Not if Elizabeth is going to be railroaded for this.” She jabbed a pen into a cup on the counter. “As if she was the only person in Port Charles angry enough to kill Carly—”

“No, unfortunately that list is long.” Monica tapped a pencil against a chart. “I lied,” she confessed in a small voice. “Mac came to talk to us this morning, and I—” She swallowed hard. “I told him that Alan and I were with AJ last night.”

“Monica—” Bobbie turned to stare at her. “Are you insane?”

“I’m not sorry she’s dead,” Monica whispered furiously. She looked around to be sure they were alone, then lowered her voice even further. “And neither are you. Admit it.”

“Of course not, but Elizabeth doesn’t deserve this! She didn’t do it—”

“No—”

“And neither did Jason. He would never have gone with Elizabeth in that supply closet and put her at risk.” And they both knew Jason would have done a cleaner job disposing of Carly.

Bobbie closed her eyes. “It could have been Tony,” she said softly. “He came to my house last night and he was so happy. So strange looking. God, Monica, what do I do if it was Tony?”

“What if it was AJ?” Monica speculated. “What if Alan and I let him get away with it? And what’s going to happen with that baby? This is such a disaster, Bobbie.”

10
Oh, what a shame
Now it don’t look the same

Later that afternoon, Jason reluctantly returned to the hospital, irritated when he found himself in a waiting room alone with AJ and Tony. The three of them had been court-ordered to submit blood samples for the paternity test, and the only reason Jason hadn’t entirely turned his back on all this bullshit was he didn’t know who’d killed Carly.

He had hated Carly by the end, but that didn’t mean he’d wanted her dead. He cared what happened to the baby and didn’t want him to end up with a murderer who didn’t mind letting an innocent woman get railroaded in their place. He wanted Elizabeth exonerated and back at work. He wanted both of them to be safe.

“Little brother,” AJ said with his characteristic sneer, but it lacked its usual heat. He ambled over to a seat and dropped into it, resting his elbows on his knees and staring hard at the linoleum.

Tony’s eyes looked a little wild, but Jason knew that the other man had been through hell the last few weeks. He regretted adding to the misery, but then again—he had just as much of a reason to kill Carly, if not more. Carly had humiliated this man, hadn’t he? Made him angry enough to kill.

“Now that the bitch is gone,” Tony said flatly, “why don’t you just drop this pretense?” he demanded of Jason. “Admit that Carly lied about the paternity and let me and the drunk battle it out. Don’t waste the hospital’s time—”

Even if Tony had a point, Jason didn’t appreciate being told what to do. He met Tony’s eyes, then slid up his sleeve. “I’ll go first,” he bit out. “Let’s get this over with.”

11
Guess it don’t look the same
Oh, what a shame

“Now, Elizabeth, dear—” Lee Baldwin patted her hand as they waited in the PCPD interrogation room. “Don’t be nervous. This is a good sign.”

“A good sign?” she echoed with scorn. “It’s been three days, Uncle Lee. I’m out of a job, my savings are low, and the whole world thinks I murdered someone. Now I’m sitting in the police department—”

“You weren’t arrested. We came in to see what they have. I am confident that we’ll clear this up today—”

Elizabeth sighed, then turned to the door as it opened. Garcia and Taggert strode in. Taggert dumped out a box with evidence bags while Garcia sat down with a manila folder. He flipped it open.

“Ms. Webber, when did you meet Carly Roberts?” Garcia asked.

Elizabeth glanced at Lee, who nodded. “Last April, over a year ago, when she moved to Port Charles. We were in the nursing program together, and we met on the first day of orientation.”

“Did you get along?”

Lee shook his head, so Elizabeth remained silent. “That calls for a conclusion, and we won’t be answering it. Do you have something specific to ask her?”

“All right.” Garcia set down a complaint. “This was filed on May 25, 1996. It accuses you of stealing Carly’s watch so that she was late for rounds. The watch was found in your locker.”

“If you’ve read that far, I hope you also read that it was considered an unfounded charge. Carly arrived at the hospital before I did that morning, and my time was accounted for. I was with Bobbie Jones from the moment I arrived until I went to my locker and found the watch—which I found with witnesses. Lorraine Miller was there. So were several other nursing students. Those witnesses should be all listed.”

Garcia arched a brow. “But you were probably angry about the accusation.”

“Anyone would be,” Lee said shortly. “Next question.”

“The next complaint comes two days later. Carly Roberts accused you of changing the schedule so that she went to the wrong rooms during her rounds.”

“That was also dismissed for lack of evidence,” Lee stated. “As was every single complaint Ms. Roberts filed against my client.”

“Yes, including this one—” Garcia slid over another complaint. “Filed  August 1996. Drugs went missing on your shift. You were in charge of distributing them to the patients, then returning the cart to the dispensary. When you arrived, you were short several bottles of Percoset. As a result, you were suspended indefinitely, pending a criminal investigation.”

“Now, we know that you were framed for that,” Taggert said coolly before Elizabeth opened her mouth. “We have the investigation records indicating that Carly was actually dispensing drugs that day and left a cart untended. She was kicked out of the program, and you were cleared. But you weren’t exonerated until after your grandfather had passed away. He never learned you were innocent.”

“How dare you—” Lee began, straightening his shoulders, nostrils flaring.

“I find it hard to believe you didn’t hold a grudge against Carly Roberts for that.” Taggert planted his hands on the table, leaning forward. “She stayed off your radar for over a year, but then she comes crashing back into your life. Witnesses from Jake’s say you and Morgan started seeing each other around Thanksgiving. Then the big bomb drops. Carly’s carrying his bastard—”

“Well, maybe she was,” Garcia pointed out. “Carly was lying to a lot of people about that kid. I bet that made you mad, Elizabeth. She had blown up your life over and over again, was trying to get her hooks into Morgan, torturing AJ Quartermaine and Tony Jones—” He raised a brow. “You probably did the world a favor. You come clean now, I bet Mr. Baldwin could get you a lighter sentence. A jury would feel sorry for you, and maybe the DA will, too—”

“Are you arresting my client?” Lee cut in. When Garcia just stared at him. “I thought not. Then we’re free to go—”

“But before you do—” Taggert held out a hand as Elizabeth started to stand. “You need to understand how much danger you’re in. We have motive, we have opportunity, and you have access to the murder weapon—” He folded his arms. “We just need one more thing to tie this together.”

“What you have,” Lee said, “is a list of crimes committed against my client by a woman who had many enemies with the same motive. Until you have evidence that ties Elizabeth directly to this murder, then you will leave her alone. We are done making statements.”

12
Call me what you want
Dandelion, dandelion

Jason waited until his brother reached his car, then lunged out of the shadows of the parking garage to grab AJ around the neck and drag him out of camera view.

“What the hell—” AJ clutched at the hands, trying to shove Jason away from him. “What is your goddamn problem—”

Jason shoved AJ against the wall. “You did it, didn’t you?” he demanded. “You killed Carly, and you’re going to let Elizabeth get dragged through the mud—”

“Don’t act like you’re any better than me,” AJ retorted, shoving Jason back. “I didn’t kill her,” he said. “I didn’t have to. The paternity test will come back, and we know the only reason you got involved was to buy Carly time. I don’t know what the hell she had on you, but it had to be big for you lie like this—”

Jason’s glare only intensified, but AJ didn’t seem to care. “You wouldn’t hurt Robin like that, and I know damn well you didn’t kill Carly, either. Just tell the truth about the baby—”

“I’m not doing anything,” Jason growled, then shoved past his brother. If AJ hadn’t killed Carly, then who else could have? Tony seemed angry enough, but did he really possess the capability to kill?

13
You can’t stop me multiplyin’
Pull me from the dirt

Elizabeth wanted to leave it alone like Lee had told her, wanted to forget about it, and shove it out of her head, but how could she? Her entire future rested on Carly’s murderer being revealed. If the shadow guilt lingered indefinitely, she’d never be able to go back to the hospital —

And whatever she might have had with Jason was gone, too. The rumors would follow them both. The list of people who might want to kill Carly was long, but Elizabeth knew the police were asking the wrong question.

Many people wanted Carly dead, but someone had lured her into that closet to talk. How many of her enemies could have done that? Carly wouldn’t have gone to the end of the block with Elizabeth.

“You know—”

A familiar, if unwelcome voice, broke into Elizabeth’s thoughts as she waited at Kelly’s counter for her order. She turned to find Lorraine Miller with her expectant eyes.

“I don’t think you killed her.”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together, then turned away. The last thing she wanted was to discuss with Lorraine. “Go away.”

“No, I’m serious. Everyone hated Carly, but I know you. You wouldn’t have done it.” Lorraine wrinkled her nose and slid onto a stool, picking up a menu. “At least not at the hospital. You’re smarter than that.”

“I already—” Elizabeth paused, then narrowed her eyes. “You said you wanted Carly to pay, didn’t you?”

Lorraine scowled. “Yeah, but I meant financially.” She snorted. “I knew a bunch of things about her that she didn’t want any of the baby daddies to know. She can’t pay me if she’s dead, can she?”

That was true, but — “What did you know?”

“Oh, no. I’m not saying a word for free. A girl’s gotta have a backup plan, and I’m working on mine.” Lorraine perked up. “You think Jason Morgan would be interested? He has a lot of money—”

“Never mind,” Elizabeth muttered. She grabbed her order and left.

14
Dandelion, dandelion

“It’s what we expected,” Justus told Jason a week after Carly’s murder. “Tony’s been ruled out, but they need to do more advanced DNA testing because you and AJ are related.” He handed Jason a copy of the results. Jason set them aside because they didn’t matter.

“How long until they’re in?”

“Maybe another couple of days. Longer if the lab gets backed up. These aren’t really a priority, and the family court is satisfied that the baby is in good hands.” Justus arched a brow. “He’d be more satisfied if you named the kid—”

Jason winced, turning away from his cousin and lawyer. “I can’t do that,” he muttered. “What did you tell him?”

“That you and Carly hadn’t decided on a name and that you’re grieving.” Justus smirked. “You’re gonna pay extra for me lying to the man. At least it wasn’t in court or on the record.”

“I can’t just turn the kid over to AJ,” Jason told him. “You understand that, don’t you? I mean, if the DNA comes back and I’m forced to—” He put his hands on his waist. “That’s one thing, but—”

“But right now, AJ and Tony are suspects number one and two, and you don’t want the kid with someone who murdered his mother and is fine with screwing Elizabeth over. I’m not arguing with you on that, Jase.” Justus paused. “But you’re running out of time. You either have to find out what happened to Carly or come clean with AJ and the court.”

“The PCPD isn’t even trying, are they?” Jason demanded. “They’re still investigating Elizabeth?”

“Yeah,” Justus admitted, “and my guy says they just need one piece of evidence to push the DA into charging her. A threat, a witness, something tying Elizabeth to the scene outside of finding the body.” He folded his arms. “Do you think AJ did this?”

“I think AJ was angry enough to do it, but—” Jason exhaled slowly. “I don’t know. Tony was angry, too. And that’s just the people we know about. If Bobbie didn’t have an alibi, I’d even put her on the list.”

“If the cameras hadn’t found you in the NICU around the same time as Carly’s time of death, you’d still be on the list for the PCPD.” Justus paused. “They’re watching you and Elizabeth closely. The working theory is that she either did it on her own without you or on your orders, so you’d have an alibi. Either way, they’re focused on her. Getting you is just a bonus.”

“They’re idiots—”

“I know, but—” Justus met his eyes. “Unless something breaks, Elizabeth is going to end up charged. There’s enough circumstantial evidence as it is, and I’ve seen weaker cases go to court. If you’re planning to do something about this, I’d do it fast. And don’t get caught.”

15
No, you don’t want me in your garden

Robin had thought about Elizabeth’s words that day on the pier for nearly a week, but she hadn’t gathered the courage to actually do anything about it. What if she did ask Jason again about the baby, and he actually said the words this time? Confirmed it?

As long as she never asked, she could live in denial. She could pretend that it wasn’t true, that Jason hadn’t become frustrated by her own sexual limitations and their long-distance relationship. She wanted to believe that he wouldn’t turn to someone who had hurt her so much—

But maybe that was why she needed to do it. With this doubt lingering, the memories of her relationship with Jason would always be tainted. They’d broken up because of who they were and what they wanted from life—Robin needed that to be the truth.

So she stood here in front of the penthouse where Jason now lived—the penthouse where Stone had died only two years earlier—and knocked.

Jason jerked open the door, then his eyes widened. “Robin—they didn’t—” He swallowed, then stepped aside to let her in. “They didn’t tell me you were coming up.”

“Max was downstairs—I asked him not to.” She wanted him to be caught off guard. “I think he still has a soft spot for me.”

“Probably.” Jason closed the door, then cleared his throat. “Um, what’s up?”

“I need to ask you—” Robin met his eyes. “I never did. I just believed what Brenda said, but I never asked you. I asked you why. I asked you how, but I never asked—” She swallowed hard. “I never asked if it was true. Elizabeth told me I should.”

“Elizabeth?” Jason echoed, his brows drawing together. “When?”

“The day after Carly was murdered.” Robin exhaled slowly. “Because it’s safe to ask now. Carly is gone. You can tell me the truth now. That’s what Elizabeth meant, isn’t it?”

Some of the tension slid from Jason’s expression, and he nodded. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I mean—it’s safe. I couldn’t have—” He dragged a hand down his face. “I couldn’t have told you before. You wouldn’t have let it go.”

“So, it’s not—” Tears burned, and hope flooded. “It’s not true.”

“No.” Jason shook his head. “It’s not. I never—I promise you. I never touched her, and I never thought—” He stepped towards her. “I never would have agreed to lie if I had thought— I didn’t think it through. I didn’t expect anyone to even tell you, and it wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“What was it then?” Robin demanded. “How did you think pretending to be the father of a child conceived while we were still together was supposed to go—”

“I didn’t think about any of that,” Jason admitted. “Not until Brenda came in. I didn’t remember how long Carly had been pregnant. I just—” He spread his hands out as his sides. “The Quartermaines were threatening to take the baby from her, Tony was doing the same. Because they said she wasn’t good enough. That she was trash and couldn’t raise a baby.”

“Man, she knew how to play you,” Robin bit out. “She knew exactly what to say, huh? Because they said the same thing to you.”

Jason nodded, his cheeks flushing. “I’m not—I was wrong. I just—she was supposed to have the baby, then disappear. And then I could tell the truth to anyone who cared.”

Robin turned away, irritated at his obliviousness, but understanding that Carly had appealed to Jason’s need to prove to the world he wasn’t damaged and to punish the people who’d thought him little better than a walking, talking vegetable after the accident. She pressed her fist to her mouth, then faced him. “And once you agreed, she wouldn’t let you back out.”

“No.”

“Now she’s dead.”

“Yeah.” Jason folded his arms. “I didn’t—”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Robin said with a shake of her head. “I know you didn’t. You wouldn’t. And even if you would, you’d never let Elizabeth go through any of this.” She hesitated. “Elizabeth knew about the baby, didn’t she? You told her.”

“I—” Jason nodded. “Yeah. I told her. As soon as she told me it was a problem. I didn’t know about her history with Carly.”

“No, I guess I never talked about it much, and you never really got to know Elizabeth again after the accident.” She tipped her head. “But that’s changed, hasn’t it?”

Jason grimaced. “Robin—”

“I’m not angry that you started dating again, Jason.” Sad, a bit wistful, but not angry. “When we broke up in August, we knew we were doing the right thing. You like your life the way it is. You like this…job,” she finally settled on. “And I don’t see a future with you that way. Even after October—” She shook her head. “That hasn’t changed.”

“I just—”

“I had a date last month,” she told him, and he stopped. “I mean, I’m not ready for another relationship, but when we started seeing each other, I didn’t believe I could be with anyone again. You gave me back that dream, Jason. You gave me back my future. How could I want anything for you but happiness?”

“I don’t know if that’s what—” Jason put his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t plan it. I didn’t even know there would be anyone else. But—”

Robin took a deep breath. “We agreed that we would try to be friends, Jason. And now that I know you didn’t do this—that the baby isn’t yours—I can do that now. Let’s stop apologizing to each other. I’d rather talk about how the hell we’re going to get you, Elizabeth, and the baby out of this.”

16
Dandelion, dandelion

When Garcia got to the squad room that afternoon, he found Taggert sitting behind his desk, a grin on his face. “You look happy. You steal candy from a baby?” he asked, stripping off his coat and tossing it over the desk. He reached for the papers in his tray, glancing through them.

“You bet I am. We got a hit on the Roberts murder from the hotline.”

Garcia glanced up, intrigued. They’d run into a wall on that—they were both sure the Webber woman had done the deed, but they needed just a little something more. “Yeah? Credible?”

“Oh, yeah. These came in about an hour later.” Taggert shoved an evidence bag over to him. “I was about to walk them down to evidence to get them dusted and photocopied.”

Garcia tossed aside his own paperwork and reached for a pair of gloves. “What was the tip?”

“A source said that Webber was blackmailing Carly Roberts and sending threatening letters. These are supposed to be them.”

Garcia grimaced. “How’d they get them?”

“Carly was scared of Webber and gave them to the source,” Taggert continued. “I imagine the defense will have fun with that for a while, but if the handwriting expert says it matches Webber’s writing, it won’t matter, will it?”

Garcia thought it might, but that was a problem for the DA’s office, not him. He scanned the first one, then grinned at his partner. “Jackpot. Let’s call the DA.”

17
Call me what you want

It went against Bobbie’s better judgment, but the moment she learned the results of the initial DNA tests, she went to Tony’s apartment to check on him.

For all the humiliation, for all the pain and anger, Bobbie still loved the man she’d married, the man with whom she’d raised and buried a child—the man who had never, ever truly recovered from BJ’s death.

To lose another child, even one that had never been his—

Bobbie knocked a third time, then Tony finally pulled open the door. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes bloodshot. He looked little better than he had the night he’d appeared on her doorstep, gleeful over Carly’s murder.

“You here to gloat?” Tony bit out. He stalked into the apartment, leaving the door open. Bobbie entered, then closed the door after herself.

“No. For all that’s happened, Tony, you’re still Lucas’s father, and I’m worried about you. I know how much you wanted this child.”

Tony squeezed his eyes closed and sat on the sofa, dragging his hands through his hair. “I wanted it to be worth it,” he muttered. “I wanted to be a father again. A chance to be better.”

Bobbie exhaled slowly. “You are still a father—”

“That’s not. I didn’t—” Tony shook his head. “That’s not what I meant, Bobbie. I love Lucas. He’s my son, and I’ve never treated him differently from BJ. You know that—”

“I do—”

“But he’s never forgiven me for Carly. I don’t know if he ever will. This child would—” A tear slid down his cheek, and Tony swiped at his cheek angrily. “It would have made everything I put us through worth it.”

“Maybe.” Bobbie perched on the arm of the sofa. “But that’s a lot of pressure to put on a child. Perhaps it’s for the best.”

“For the best,” Tony gritted. “For a drunk or a gangster to be his father? He should be mine. After everything I did—” He lunged to his feet, and Bobbie flinched. “I ruined my life for her! And what do I have to show for it? Nothing!”

Bobbie got to her feet, her hands shaking. “You didn’t—you still have your career—”

“Oh, yeah, where that bitch made me a laughingstock—” Tony growled. “Well, she got what she deserved, didn’t she? I hope she’s rotting in hell.”

Then he stalked into his bedroom, slamming the door, leaving Bobbie with the fear that Tony had done something worse than having an affair with a younger woman.

18
Dandelion, dandelion

Elizabeth thought she was hallucinating when she looked through her peephole and saw Jason at the door. She yanked him inside. “Are you insane? The PCPD is watching my building, you know they are—”

Jason arched a brow at her, and she flushed, remembering that she was lecturing the town’s resident criminal on the workings of the police. “I know they are. They’re out front and back, but I can get around them.”

She glared at him. “We’re not supposed to be seen together. I’m sure Justus told you that, and Lee made it very clear—”

“I know.” He stepped closer to her, their bodies brushing one another. “But I couldn’t stand it. I don’t want you to be in danger because of me—”

“I wish it was just because of you,” she muttered. She leaned her head against his chest, then felt his arms encircle her. “But Carly hated me long before you came along. You’re just the motive for why she started targeting me again.” She looked up, met his eyes. “But I don’t blame you for that. Carly was always going to circle back to me.”

He brushed his lips against hers, gently at first, then harder, pulling her closer. Elizabeth dug her fingers into his shirt, then slid them up into his hair—

“They’re going to arrest me,” Elizabeth said when they separated. “But if you stay away from me, they won’t think you’re involved—”

“The PCPD doesn’t care that you didn’t do it,” Jason interrupted. He framed her face with his hands. “So it doesn’t matter if they can tie me to you or not. They’re coming after you. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let you deal with this alone.”

“But—”

“We have to find out who did it,” he continued. “You need to be free, and the baby—I need to know if it’s safe to turn him over to AJ. You know it might have been him.”

Elizabeth sighed, letting her head drop slightly, his lips against her forehead. “I know.”

“I’ll make sure the PCPD doesn’t see me with you,” he continued, “because I know that’s better for you. I don’t care what they think about me, but don’t ask me to leave tonight.”

“Jason—”

“Let me stay,” he murmured, threading his hand in her hair, his fingers sliding through the strands. He kissed her again. “Please.” Their eyes met again, his burning. “You told me you didn’t want to wait on the sidelines anymore. How can you expect me to do the same when you’re in trouble? I know you can do this without me, but you shouldn’t have to.”

She closed her eyes, tears stinging. She was so tired of being alone.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. If the PCPD was determined to make her pay for Carly’s murder, then at least she’d have this to hold on to. Elizabeth drew out of his arms. She went to the door, flipped the locks, and turned back with a smirk and a raised brow. “I hope you weren’t planning to sleep tonight.”

19
You can’t stop me multiplyin’

Elsewhere in Port Charles that night, Monica had her own thoughts about the PCPD and their investigation. She paced her bedroom from one end to the other, irritated with her own doubts and misgivings.

“I know that you don’t think Elizabeth could have done this,” Alan said, watching Monica, “but you and I both know anyone could have committed the actual murder. A scalpel across the throat from behind—with the right amount of surprise—”

“Oh, please, don’t tell me you think Steve and Audrey’s granddaughter could have murdered a new mother and left her to bleed out on the floor—” Monica glared at her moronic husband. “Not to mention, we both know why Elizabeth dragged Jason into that supply closet. Heaven knows, we found similar uses for those closets.”

Sometimes they’d even used them together, she thought bitterly.

“All right, while Elizabeth is physically capable, I do think she likely didn’t—but that does not mean one of our sons did—”

“I don’t see Jason doing it and not doing a better job,” Monica muttered. “But AJ—” She turned to him. “We gave him an alibi, Alan. Are we sure that was the right decision?”

“With the way the PCPD have tunnel vision about Elizabeth? Unless there’s something actually tying AJ to this mess, I’m glad he’s not a suspect.” Alan folded the newspaper he’d been reading and got to his feet. “Tony is still on the list—”

“I just—how can we go on, not knowing for sure?” Monica demanded.

“We might not have a choice, Monica. Why don’t we hope for the best and remember the silver lining.” When she frowned at him, he reminded her. “Carly Roberts is gone for good. That’s better for everyone.”

20
Dandelion, dandelion

Mac looked up when Bobbie knocked on the door to his office. “What brings you here so late?”

“It’s this Carly situation.” Bobbie took a deep breath. “Tony came to my door the night it happened. Around two in the morning. I was upstairs that night with you and Felicia, remember? You were called into work.”

“I remember—”

“Tony came to tell me, but I already knew. He looked—he looked terrible but so happy.” She rubbed her arm. “It was chilling, but I put it away. I had to. Then I talked to him earlier—the DNA results are in, and he was excluded—” Her voice faltered. “Mac, I think Tony had something to do with Carly’s murder.”

Mac grimaced. “He was high on the list of suspects,” he told her. “Number two, honestly. And I made sure Taggert and Garcia investigated him thoroughly. It took a few days, but we finally were able to eliminate him tonight.”

“You—” Relief flooded her. “You were able to eliminate him. How?”

“Bobbie—” Mac sighed. “He was with a prostitute that night, and we were able to corroborate it. He checked into a motel and paid with a card. He was checking in around 11, and, uh—” His cheeks flamed. “He was occupied at the time of death.”

Bobbie pursed her lips, then nodded. “All right.”

“Don’t worry, Bobbie.” Mac touched her shoulders. “Lucas’s father is not a murderer. He’s a moron, but not a murderer.” He paused. “Is that all?”

“Tell me you’re close to eliminating Elizabeth, then. You know she’s innocent, Mac—”

Mac closed his eyes. “I can’t comment on that, Bobbie. It doesn’t matter what I think—”

“It should! She babysat for Felicia’s girls! She practically grew up with Robin—”

“And that’s why it can’t matter what my opinion is,” Mac cut in. “I have to go with the evidence—”

Bobbie slapped his hands away from her. “She didn’t do this, Mac Scorpio! Have you even bothered to investigate AJ Quartermaine? He was just as angry as anyone else, if not more—”

“We talked to Monica and Alan—”

“And they’re lying—” The words were out of Bobbie’s mouth before she realized it, and she closed her mouth as Mac frowned at her. “They’re covering for him. They have no idea where he was.”

He exhaled slowly. “All right, I’ll follow up, but—”

“But Elizabeth is still the number one suspect.” Her throat burned. “Shame on you if you don’t stop this. You’re supposed to stand for justice—”

“I’ll look into it, Bobbie. That’s all I can promise.”

21
Pull me from the dirt

Headlights flashed through the sheer curtains, jerking Elizabeth from a light doze. She frowned at her window for a moment—why hadn’t she pulled down the shades—

Then she felt movement behind her as Jason shifted, curling an arm around her waist, drawing her against him.

“Are you awake?” she murmured, twisting slightly.

“Yeah.” She could hardly see him in the shadows, but his warmth surrounded her. “I should probably go soon.”

“Maybe.” Elizabeth sighed. “What time is it?”

“Almost four. I should be gone before the sun comes up.”

“You have sources in the PCPD, don’t you?” she asked. “How close am I to being arrested?”

She felt him tense and wondered if he was going to refuse to answer. Was she allowed to ask questions like that? Finally, he sighed. “They’ve asked the DA for an arrest warrant a few times, but my source says they’re waiting for something more. They can’t prove you were anything more than Carly’s victim, and there’s more than enough of those in Port Charles. So they have motive and opportunity, but it’s not enough.”

“It’s not?” She twisted to face him.

“No.” He paused. “If they can prove you made threats or something—”

“I didn’t, but that doesn’t mean they won’t find something.” She sighed. “I keep trying to think of who could have done this, but it’s really just AJ or Tony.”

“AJ says it wasn’t him, but I don’t believe him either.” Jason’s fingers trailed down her forearm. “The autopsy results suggest that whoever used the scalpel was Carly’s height or shorter.”

“The angle of the cut?” she asked, and he nodded. “Well, that doesn’t help,” she muttered. “Because that’s me—”

“Maybe—but that kind of thing can be faked.” Jason grimaced. “If you’re trying to frame someone, you can adjust—” He shook his head, and she could tell he was uncomfortable talking about this with her.

“You mean someone taller could adjust the knife to frame someone shorter,” Elizabeth finished. “Well, I’ll make sure Lee remembers that when I’m on trial.”

“I’m not going to let it get to that—”

“We might not have a choice—” She touched his cheek. “Hey. If I get arrested, I’m not going to let them scare me into a plea deal. I’m going to fight.”

He dropped his head to her shoulder, his breath hot against her skin. She stroked his hair for a long moment as they lay in silence.

“You can’t let AJ have that baby,” Elizabeth said. Jason raised his head slightly so that they were face to face, inches apart. “Unless you can be convinced that he didn’t do this. He was so angry at her. He could have done this. I don’t care about Carly, but I don’t think that baby should be with someone who murdered his mother.”

Jason kissed her, long and slow. “That would mean paying off the lab to fake the test,” he murmured. “Committing perjury. And then the baby—he’s mine. So I’ll have to raise him.”

“Then you’ll have to do it. He’s your nephew. And even if he weren’t—” Her eyes burned. “He didn’t ask for any of this. The same reasons you stuck by him after he was born and when he needed surgery—I didn’t even ask. How is he?”

“He’s doing well,” Jason told her. He smoothed her hair back, his fingers trailing down her face. “Recovering. The doctor said I can bring him home in a week.”

“Good. I’m glad. One day, you can tell him the truth, maybe. But as long as we don’t know who murdered Carly, promise me you won’t let that baby go with AJ.”

“I promise.” He paused. “As long as you promise to not push me away if you get arrested. If you end up on trial. Unless Lee thinks a jury will convict you because of me—”

“Whatever Lee tells me to do to be free, I’ll do it.” She gently pushed Jason onto his back and slithered on top of him. “But until then, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him or me.”

22
Dandelion, dandelion

Robin approached her uncle’s office, a cup of coffee and a bag in her hand, intending to pump him for any information on the investigation. Like everyone else, she was concerned that the baby’s father had murdered Carly.

The rest of the world might be okay with Carly being dead and getting what she deserved, but Robin still thought it was a horrible way to die. But, more importantly, they couldn’t let an innocent child be raised by someone capable of that.

And that meant Robin needed to get to the bottom of this case before she returned to Paris in a few weeks. She wanted to make sure Elizabeth was exonerated, too. It was the least the woman deserved after everything she’d been through.

She heard voices outside Mac’s office, so Robin slowed, stopping just outside the open door.

“I know you have doubts,” she heard Taggert saying, “but I don’t actually need your permission. Dara already got a judge to sign off on a warrant.”

Robin’s eyes widened.

“It doesn’t bother you that we had a source just drop these letters into our hands?” Mac demanded. “We don’t know where they came from—”

“No, but the preliminary reports say the handwriting is enough of a match with Webber, Mac. This is a problem for her defense attorney. Not us.”

“It should be our problem—”

“I have the warrant, Mac. Are you telling me to stand down?”

Robin held her breath as her uncle remained silent for a long moment. Then he sighed. “No. I’m too close to this. Pick her up.”

Robin bolted down the hall, throwing the coffee and bag into the trash.

23
No, you don’t want me in your garden

Lorraine gritted her teeth, tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for the Quartermaine scion to leave Kelly’s.

He was her last, best chance to make any damn money off all of this. Carly’s murder had brought her a little time as the board was too busy fighting off Lee Baldwin’s lawsuit threats over Elizabeth’s suspension, but Lorraine knew it was just a matter of time before they learned why Mercy had fired her.

She needed to cash in and get the hell out of here. Start over somewhere else where no one had ever heard of Carly Roberts.

“Hey—” Lorraine said as AJ appeared in view. “Wait—wait—”

AJ cast her a suspicious glance, then paused, squinting, recognizing her. “Get away from me—”

“You need to listen to me! I can help—”

“I don’t need your help,” he cut in. “The paternity test will do that. So thanks, but go blackmail someone else—”

“Don’t you dare walk away from me!” Lorraine cried, desperate now. She grabbed his arm. “Listen. Listen to me! I didn’t tell you everything before! And you know as well as I do there’s no guarantee Jason Morgan is going to let you have that kid!”

“Why the hell wouldn’t he?” AJ demanded.

“You think he’s going to give you that kid while he thinks you murdered his mother?” When AJ’s expression changed, she nodded. “That’s right. So you need to listen to me, and you need what I’m about to give you. And you’re going to pay for it, you get me? Or I’ll sell it and everything else I gave you to Jason, who will definitely be interested in burying any evidence that you’re the kid’s father.”

24
Dandelion, dandelion

“You think there’s something to what Mac was saying?” Garcia asked as they approached Elizabeth Webber’s apartment. “About the source just dropping things in our lap this way?”

“Maybe,” Taggert admitted. “But the expert said it was probably her writing. You think someone forged it?” He knocked briskly on the door. “Who hates Elizabeth Webber that much and isn’t already dead?”

“Someone hates her enough to turn her in,” Garcia pointed out.

“Maybe, but—” Taggert gritted his teeth, then banged on the door again. “Webber! It’s the PCPD! We have a warrant for your arrest and to search the place.”

The door across the hall opened, and an irritated man with dark hair stepped out. “Hey, some of us are trying to sleep, asshole—”

“Have you seen the woman who lives in this apartment?” Taggert demanded, trying the knob. It wouldn’t open.

“Not today—” The man grimaced. “Why?”

“Because I have a search warrant, and I’m about to break down the damn door,” Taggert retorted.

“Don’t do that—” The guy dragged a hand through his hair, then disappeared into the apartment. He returned with a key. “I work with her at the hospital. Show me your badges and the warrant. I’ll let you in.”

Once they’d satisfied Dr. Patrick Drake of their identity, he unlocked the door grumbling about moronic detectives on a witch hunt. “The last thing she needs once you idiots find out she’s innocent is to replace her door. Don’t break anything. I’m gonna stand right here.”

Taggert looked like he might not mind arresting him, but Garcia stopped him. A quick examination of the apartment revealed that Elizabeth wasn’t there.

“Call the guy at the Towers,” Taggert told Garcia. “Maybe she went there—”

“Unlikely. They haven’t stepped foot near each other since that night,” Garcia muttered. He went over to the landline and picked it up. “Mac? Yeah. No, either she happened to be out for the first time all week, or she’s in the wind. I don’t know. Put out an APB.”

25
Dandelion, dandelion

Hours later, Robin approached the stone bridge with some trepidation, her heart pounding. The wind and snowflakes swirled as she caught sight of the duo on the bridge, standing close, whispering.

While there were some pangs of personal resentment that she couldn’t have brought herself to accept Jason’s life or that he didn’t love her enough to leave it behind, Robin forced it away. That was her issue, not theirs, and they had much more important problems to worry about.

“Hey,” she called softly. Jason and Elizabeth turned to her. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“It’s okay.” Elizabeth smiled gratefully as Robin handed over the envelope she carried. “If you hadn’t called me this morning, I’d be in jail right now. Right now, at least I can say that I don’t know about the warrant.”

“As soon as you told us about these letters—” Jason shook his head. “Someone is trying to frame you. If the PCPD charges you, we don’t have a chance to find out who it is. And we might not get bail.”

Robin flinched. He talked about we as if they were already a team. And maybe they were. She exhaled slowly. “It took me a while before I could get a copy of them, but Uncle Mac finally left his office. And don’t worry—I was wearing gloves, and I used the machine in the office to make copies.” She grimaced. “It helps to be considered a goody-two-shoes. Since these letters won’t actually go missing, they’ll never suspect anything.”

“Thank you for taking this risk. I’ll never be able to repay you,” Elizabeth said. She opened the envelope. She scowled as she skimmed the first letter. “This is my handwriting—”

“That’s what Taggert said—”

“But I didn’t—” Elizabeth passed it to Jason. “I didn’t write this. Someone forged it.”

“Who would have done that?” Jason asked. “They’re deliberately framing you now. Before, it felt it was just convenient to let you take the fall—”

Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “This has happened before. A few times. The first time,  Carly filed a complaint about me saying I’d left a note in her locker, threatening her. But they knew it wasn’t me because I hadn’t even been in the day they found the note. I was scheduled, but I’d called out. So they just decided Carly was wrong to accuse me and assumed someone else was threatening her.”

“But someone forged it to set you up,” Jason said. “Who would have done that?”

As soon Jason asked, Robin and Elizabeth locked eyes, and the epiphany hit simultaneously. “Of course,” Robin breathed.

“I should have thought of her,” Elizabeth said with a wince.

“Who?” Jason demanded.

“The only person who ever seemed to hang around Carly,” Robin said.

“Lorraine,” Elizabeth clarified. “She was Carly’s partner-in-crime, and she used to talk about forging notes in college all the time to get answers on the exams. I know she helped Carly forge the notes against me and the records in the drug investigation. Lorraine knew a lot of Carly’s secrets, and the last time I talked to her, she was trying to sell them. If Lorraine forged these notes—”

Robin grimaced. “Then she’s the one framing you.”

“And that means she probably killed Carly,” Elizabeth finished.

So I took a breath and made a wish and blew them all away

Song: Bad Karma (Gabbie Hanna)

---

1
Skeletons in my closet
I got secrets that’ll shake you to your bones

Carly gingerly made her way down the stairs, bracing one hand on her back and the other clutching the railing for dear life. Everything hurt, and she was so worn out and exhausted. One more week until her due date, and then this terrible pregnancy would be over—

She glanced out into the darkened living room, scowling as she realized she was alone in the penthouse. Jason must have come home late the night before — if he’d come home at all, she realized now. She’d tried to wait up for him, hoping to engage him in conversation, but he’d barely looked at her since she’d come to stay.

This all fell apart if Jason stuck to their agreement and forced her out after the baby was born. She could only stay in Port Charles with her baby if Jason promised to keep the lie going. And she needed to stay in Port Charles. She hadn’t yet finished making Bobbie pay for ruining her life, and now there were other people on her list—

Carly exhaled slowly as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Had Jason come home last night? Oh, God, what if he was still with that stupid bitch? What if Elizabeth had learned of the complaint Carly had filed and gone straight to Jason? Carly grimaced. She should have waited, should have bided her time, but she’d been so angry—so incredibly pissed off that Elizabeth was right there, waiting in the wings to take someone else Carly wanted. First, the bitch had taken Bobbie, and now she wanted Jason?

There was no way in hell Carly was going to let her get away with it—and if ruining Elizabeth’s life brought Bobbie pain, that would just be a bonus.

But she hadn’t calculated on Jason finding out so quickly about the complaint—damn it—

The phone rang across the room, but Carly ignored it, moving towards the kitchen. It continued to ring, the shrill sound echoing in the dark, empty room. Carly reached the entrance as the answering machine clicked on.

Then a voice poured out of the machine, and Carly growled, lurching back around the corner, rushing towards the desk next to the front door, moving faster than she had in weeks because that was Lorraine—

“—hoping you can give me a call back because I think we have something to talk about—”

Carly’s foot snagged on the corner of a table, and she went flying, the room tilting at terrifying angles. Then she slammed her head into the corner of the table and fell onto her back, her head lolling to one side.

2
It ain’t worth all the drama
Might be easier if I just die alone

After leaving Elizabeth at her apartment, Jason had been in no mood to return to the penthouse and be confronted with the massive disaster he’d invited into his life. He’d returned to the bar, and mercifully, Jake hadn’t said a word when the bar closed, but he hadn’t made a move to leave.

The bartender had locked up, leaving Jason with a few bottles of Rolling Rock and stewing in his own thoughts, angry at himself for how he’d handled everything. Robin had always warned him that his lingering anger and distrust for Quartermaines would eat away at him. That his burning desire to prove himself undamaged to the rest of the world would haunt him. He’d thought she was just feeling guilty for always taking their sides and had dismissed her concerns—

But Robin was right. Jason’s loathing of that family, the miserable memories of the weeks he’d spent in that house still lurking in his mind, the feeling of always being wrong, always being incompetent—it had been simmering, waiting to boil over. Carly had only had to look at him and say the things he thought about himself—

“They think I’m trash,” she’d sobbed, her hands pressed against her face, the words muffled. “That I can’t do anything, that I don’t deserve my baby—they think they can control me and make me do what they want—I’ll never be able to have my son—”

Had Carly somehow suspected how he felt? Had she known how to play him, or had she just gotten lucky? There was truth to her statements. He knew Alan and Monica thought Carly was less than the dirt beneath their feet and that Edward would never want someone like Carly anywhere near his family. Even kind and gentle Lila would think twice at Carly’s brashness and lack of empathy for anyone.

The family would absolutely go after Carly and control that child, and Jason hadn’t thought beyond that. He hadn’t known Carly had been a one-woman wrecking ball through everyone‘s life—only that she’d broken up Bobbie’s marriage and had treated Robin like garbage. That should have been enough. Why hadn’t it been enough?

He stared miserably at the half-empty bottle in his hands. Drinking wouldn’t solve anything. Hadn’t AJ’s history taught him that? He almost understood how his brother had lost himself in the alcohol. There was a comfort in letting everything fall away, letting it feel fuzzy and less important. The destruction he’d created didn’t hurt as much when he couldn’t feel it.

There was a pounding at the front of the bar. Jason lumbered to his feet and crossed the bar, scowling when he saw Francis Corelli, a guard from the Towers, on the other side of the door. He pulled it open, squinting. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve got a problem, boss—” Francis’s face was pale. “Carly fell at the penthouse this morning. She had to be rushed to GH, and the paramedics said the fall triggered labor.”

3
What goes around comes around
Do unto others and all that other shit

“How did you end up with this?” Patrick wanted to know as he scribbled something in the chart. “I mouthed off to the chief again, so I know why I’m stuck in the ER on Christmas, but who’d you piss off?”

“Some days,” Elizabeth sighed, “it feels like the entire universe. But, actually, I’m on probation.” He scowled at that, and she shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah, again. One of the terms meant being reassigned. So I get to float to all the departments now,” she continued with a sour smile. “And work the trash shifts. They called me in at four this morning.”

After less than three hours of fitful sleep, the scene with Jason at her door still haunted her. Was she right to give up? To walk away from something that had seemed so promising? If the hospital was willing to take Carly’s complaint seriously after everything that had happened, did Elizabeth even want this anymore?

And did she really care about being a nurse? Hadn’t she pursued this career to make her grandparents proud? Gram hadn’t believed in her, but Gramps had. At least until those last few weeks. Had her scandal, the charges — had it triggered that fatal heart attack—

Familiar waves of grief mixed with guilt swept through her, and Elizabeth had to take a deep breath to stop the tears that always seemed to be hovering. “Anyway,” she continued, “I didn’t really have plans today.”

“Still—” Patrick glanced over as another nurse took a scanner report that an unconscious woman was in labor. “The ER on Christmas is depressing as hell—”

“Can’t be any worse than my everyday life,” she muttered as she went to the front doors with her co-worker to be ready for the incoming patient. Her eyes bulged as the familiar guard came in, along with the paramedics rolling Carly in on a stretcher. “Oh my God—” Her eyes darted behind him, expecting to see Jason.

But he was nowhere. Carly was unconscious, bleeding from a severe head wound, and in labor all alone. She swallowed, shoved everything else out of her head—and got to work.

4
Guess I had to learn my lesson
You were one hell of a lesson

Jason pushed through the doors to the emergency room, craning his head to find a familiar face before approaching the front desk. His head was swirling from the lack of rest, the guilt of not being at the penthouse, and worry. He might not be the father or all that fond of Carly, but that didn’t mean he wanted anything to happen to either of them.

Even if getting rid of Carly that way would solve everything—

“Jason—” Bobbie left the treatment area shielded by a curtain, her brown eyes anxious. “You’re here—”

“Carly—”

“Is in recovery,” Bobbie confirmed, taking him by the hand and heading towards the elevators. “She hit her head pretty hard, but it’s just a concussion. Unfortunately, the fall triggered labor—”

“It’s only a week before her due date. Things should be fine, though—” Jason frowned at her. “Right?”

“I don’t know all the details,” Bobbie said. “Elizabeth just—”

“Elizabeth?”

“She was on call in the ER when they brought her in, so she and Patrick took the case,” Bobbie clarified. “She paged me to make sure someone was here when you got to the ER—Jason, the baby is in the NICU. There’s a problem. You need to get up there because Carly is still unconscious, and decisions need to be made.”

Jason stared at her, dumbfounded. “But—”

“Carly updated her paperwork right after she moved in with you,” Bobbie reminded him. “You’re the father on record, and your son needs you.”

5
Energy’s in full rotation
Knew I would regret ya

Tony gritted his teeth as he left a patient’s room and stalked to the nurse’s station. Working on Christmas when he could be at home with Lucas. Somehow he and Bobbie had both ended up being scheduled to work today, so his son was celebrating with Luke and Laura instead of his parents.

He tugged another chart out of the pile, then frowned, feeling someone’s eyes on him. He looked over to see Amy Vining. “What do you want?” he demanded, then winced at the harshness of the tone.

“I was wondering if you’d heard,” Amy said gently. “Carly was rushed in today, unconscious and in labor. The baby’s in the NICU—”

“What?” Tony snapped, his heart thudding loudly, almost vibrating up to his ears. “What are you talking about—”

“I don’t know what happened or why,” Amy continued, putting a hand on his arm. “I just know that you still think there’s a chance it’s your son, and I—”

Tony shrugged off her arm, his hands shaking. He turned away from her, blindly wandering the halls until he found himself in front of the hospital’s chapel.

He went inside the quiet room and up to the altar, staring numbly at the candles already lit. He closed his eyes, bowed his head —

“Please don’t take another child from me,” he begged, his voice faltering. “Please. I can’t—please don’t take him from me.”

6
Payin’ for my past mistakes
You’re bad, bad karma

Elizabeth emerged from Carly’s room, slid her chart back in the door, and went to the nurse’s station. She eyed the elevator. The NICU was just one floor up, and she knew from Bobbie’s page that Jason had arrived and was upstairs.

He must be so worried and confused—dealing with whatever health issues the baby had suffered as well as guilt for not being home when Carly fell.

Not wanting to be involved didn’t stop her from feeling like she already was.

“It’s a damn shame,” Epiphany muttered as she ambled into the hub and dropped off a chart. “How’s Carly?”

“She’s all right,” Elizabeth said. “Recovering from the C-section and concussion. Patrick and I handed her off to Dr. Meadows after getting her stabilized.” She tapped a pen against her palm. “Do you know—I mean—all I heard was that the baby was in distress when he was born—”

“They don’t know anything yet. Something about his breathing. They had to put him on a ventilator,” Epiphany said. She exhaled slowly. “It’s a tragedy. Whatever Carly Roberts has done, I hope and pray that baby isn’t paying for her sins.”

“That wouldn’t be fair, would it?” Elizabeth folded her arms. “I mean, that’s not how God is supposed to work—”

“He works in mysterious ways,” Epiphany reminded her, “and we’re not always privy to his motives. It’s a terrible first day of fatherhood for Jason. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. When my Stanford was sick as a child, I would sit and watch him breathe. Even as a nurse when I knew he was just sick with a cold, I still worried.”

Elizabeth bit her lip, sweeping her eyes over the elevator again. How many people were thinking about that? Worried about Jason stepping into fatherhood with a sick baby and unconscious mother? How was Jason dealing with it?

She closed her eyes, swallowed hard, then opened them to meet Epiphany’s gaze. “I’m assigned to Carly because I was here when she came in, but with everything we’ve been through—with what she might wake up to—”

“You don’t think she’d be happy with you as her nurse,” Epiphany said, nodding in understanding. “You don’t have to explain, honey. I’ll take over.”

7
Fucking up my reputation
Should’ve seen it coming

He hated the hospital. Hated sitting in a hospital room. His earliest memories were of walls that looked like this, painted a dark color that made him feel like everything was closing in on him.

And that was no different today, twenty-four hours after Baby Boy Roberts came into the world, and Jason realized that he was trapped.

Carly lay in the bed, tears streaking silently down her face. Jason tried to take in what Monica, the hospital’s head cardiologist, was trying to tell them. Her voice was cracking because, of course—she thought it was Jason’s son. Her grandson.

And the boy was her grandson, which made Jason feel even lower. Should AJ be a part of this? Should be this a secret they continued to keep?

“I d-don’t understand,” Carly managed, swiping her at cheeks. “T-The doctors said everything was okay at my last appointment—”

“It’s not a condition we can catch until after the baby is born,” Monica told her. “It’s an extra duct that closes within a few days after birth. However, in rare cases, the duct is too large, and the blood from the aorta mixes with blood in the lungs, and it increases blood pressure in the lungs.”

“Why was he in trouble right away?” Jason wanted to know. “If it’s supposed to take a few days—”

“The cord was wrapped around his neck at birth,” Monica said. “That can happen as the baby moves into position. It forced his lungs to work harder, which meant his blood pressure was too high. So we’ve been able to diagnose him earlier than we might have, which is a blessing in some ways.” She paused. “The baby—we, ah, still don’t have a name?”

Carly just started to cry again, and Jason shook his head. “No,” he said faintly. “No, not yet.”

“All right.” Monica frowned but didn’t comment on it further. “We have the baby on a ventilator to stabilize his oxygen levels, and we’re monitoring him for a few days to make sure the duct closes on its own. We have several treatment options available to us,” she added, “but we want to be careful we avoid endocarditis, an infection in the heart—”

“Oh, God—” Carly moaned.

“We can treat with medication, catheter—and if we need to—surgery.” Monica grimaced. “The risk is small, but it’s also not nothing. I promise you—” She flicked her eyes to Jason. “We’re doing everything we can.”

8
Is it my imagination
Or bad, bad karma?

AJ pushed open the door to the hospital chapel, hesitating when he saw Tony sitting in the front pew. He should leave the man alone and go somewhere else, but—

Tony twisted on the seat, his eyes narrowing in anger. “What the hell do you want—”

“The same as you,” AJ said, his mind made up. He let the door swing closed behind him and sat on the other side of the aisle, but also in the front pew. “To say a prayer for the baby.”

“He’s my son—”

“I know you want that to be true,” AJ said gently, reminding himself how hurt and angry he’d been to learn the woman he thought was a friend had set out to destroy his life to keep her secrets. Carly had targeted Tony and broken up his marriage, lied to him for months about the baby—was still lying to him. And Tony had already lost a child.

“It is—”

“Maybe Carly’s lying to us all. Maybe everyone is,” AJ murmured. He looked forward at the altar. “Wouldn’t be the first time. I was drunk, Tony, the night I slept with her. It doesn’t make me a good person, but you were stone cold sober when you began your affair—”

Tony closed his eyes, color leeching from his face, and he, too, faced the front of the altar. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I wish I could blame the alcohol—”

“Blaming the alcohol makes it too easy to give myself a break.” AJ clasped his hands loosely in his lap. “I chose to take the drink. Whatever happens after that, even if I don’t remember, is on me. Just as your choice is on you.”

“The baby—” Tony closed his eyes. “He should be okay. I read the charts. The risks are low, but—”

“But they exist. And I think we’re all wondering if maybe that baby is paying for the sins of his parents.” AJ’s mouth quirked up into a half-smirk. “God knows, we all have enough to go around.”

“Jason’s a smokescreen,” Tony bit out. “I don’t care what anyone says. He’s lying for her—”

“Why would he do that?” AJ wanted to know. “What does he have against you?” Jason wouldn’t cover up Carly’s secret if Tony were the father—

But he might if he knew AJ was. AJ was a Quartermaine, and the family had already made threats. And God knew Jason had a right to suspect AJ would be a terrible father. Maybe it was as simple as that, but AJ had thought they were closer than that. Not exactly friendly, but at least civil.

“I’m getting a court order for a paternity test,” AJ said. “I’m sure you have one in the works—”

“Damn it—”

“One way or another, we’ll get to the bottom of this—”

Tony jerked himself to his feet, lumbering over AJ, his eyes bloodshot and laced with fury. “And when I have my son, I’ll make sure that bitch never gets anywhere near him! This is all on her—”

He stormed out of the chapel before AJ could say anything. Tony was wrong — this wasn’t all on Carly. They’d all played a part—

But AJ couldn’t help but agree with the irate doctor. As soon as paternity was established, they’d all be better off if Carly just disappeared.

9
Bad, bad
Bad, bad karma

Elizabeth fought the urge to seek Jason out for nearly three days. Finally, her curiosity, her worry, and her regrets won out, so she went up to the NICU floor around the time visiting hours ended.

Jason exited through the security door, shoving a yellow protective gown into a nearby trashcan, then turned—stopping when he saw her. “Elizabeth.”

“Um, hey.” She folded her arms. “I was hoping you had a minute to talk.”

“Sure.”

Elizabeth glanced past him to Leyla Mir, doing a terrible job pretending she wasn’t listening. “Come with me.” She went down a hallway. Jason followed. She looked around to see if anyone was watching before opening the door to a supply closet. “I don’t want anyone to see us.”

“You think someone is going to report back to Carly?” Jason asked, but he followed her inside.

“How’s the baby?” Elizabeth said.

“He’s, uh—” Jason rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Managing. Surgery is looking more likely,” he admitted. “But we’re hoping it can be avoided.”

“And Carly?” Elizabeth asked reluctantly. She folded her arms. “Is she—”

“She’s fine,” Jason muttered. He shook his head. “I don’t know. I was going to force her out when the baby came. I told her if she didn’t take the baby and go, I’d tell everyone but—”

Her stomach clenched. “But?”

“He’s so small. And he’s—he didn’t ask for this.” Jason exhaled slowly. “I want her to stop hurting people.” Their eyes met. “I don’t want her to hurt you anymore—but she was crying when they told her the baby might need surgery—”

Elizabeth’s throat felt tight as she thought of how hard that news must have hit. She didn’t want to think of Carly as a person, a mother, going through the worst thing a parent could face. “And it goes without saying that dragging paternity and all of this into that baby’s life right now—I mean, I guess it’s not an argument you want to have—”

“I want this to stop,” Jason told her. “I want—I want Robin to know I didn’t do this to her, and I want Carly out of my life.” He reached for Elizabeth’s hands, and, reluctantly, she let him. “I want to be where we were two weeks ago. The night I kissed you.”

“I don’t—” Elizabeth bit her lip. “I guess maybe that’s why all of this hurt so much,” she said softly, searching his gaze, looking for answers, looking for something that would explain to her what had happened. “I thought we were going somewhere. Not that I was looking for forever or promises, but I just—”

“I’m sorry,” Jason told her. He released one of her hands to touch her face, tuck a piece of hair behind her ears, his fingertips trailing down her jaw. “I didn’t—I didn’t think it through. She begged me to protect her from the Quartermaines, and they—I just—I saw red. I didn’t think it’d get this complicated.”

“But it is.” Elizabeth sighed. “You’re not forcing her to tell the truth yet, are you?”

“If you need me to—if that would change your mind—”

“I don’t want you to do it because I asked you to. If you think waiting a few more days until you know what’s going to happen to the baby—” She paused. “You need to be able to live with this, Jason. Is that what you want to do?”

“I don’t know what Tony or AJ are going to do, but yeah. It’s what I want to do,” Jason confessed. “Not for Carly, but—”

“But for that baby that didn’t ask for any of this.”

“Will—” Jason hesitated. “Will you give me another chance?” he asked. “After all of this? I know what you said before, but you’re here. Does that mean you changed your mind—”

“I—”  Elizabeth slowly drew her hand out of his and stepped back. His hand fell away from her face. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “I want to. I just—I guess I’m not ready to make any decisions until we know what’s going to happen with Carly.”

Jason studied her for a long moment, then looked away. “A few days ago, you told me that if I wasn’t important enough to you to drop Carly, then we didn’t have anything else to say to each other.”

“I know—”

“If I’m not important enough to give me a second chance when I’m doing everything I can to make this go away without making it worse,” Jason said, startling her, “then maybe you’re right. Maybe we don’t have anything else to say to each other.”

“Jason—”

“I didn’t lie about Carly to hurt you. I’m sorry it did,” he added, “but I didn’t know you and Carly had issues, and you didn’t tell me how bad it was. When you did, I told you I’d send her away that night. You told me to wait. You told me you didn’t want anything to do with me as long as Carly was in the picture. Did you change your mind?” he asked again.

“No—yes—” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I want to. I just don’t know if I can—”

“What else do you want from me? What am I supposed to do?” Frustrated, he spread his hands out at his side. “Elizabeth—”

“I don’t know,” she said finally. “But as long as Carly’s in the mix, Jason, I’m not making any promises. I can’t. I’m sorry. You’re going to have to decide if that’s enough.”

He exhaled slowly. “It’s not,” he said. He reached for the handle, then turned back. “If you don’t want to be mixed up in this, you should stay away. Carly’s going to be distracted, so maybe it’ll be enough for her to leave you alone.”

Then he left, and Elizabeth was alone. Her breath hitched, and she pressed a fist to her mouth. He was right, of course. He hadn’t come looking for her. She’d told him she couldn’t do it, and he had a right to be angry that she was sending mixed signals.

Was she going to live her whole life fearing what Carly might do? Running from anyone or anything that might put her in Carly’s path? Was she really going to let Carly win?

10
Bad, bad
Bad, bad karma

Lorraine edged into Carly’s room, casting one more look up and down the hall to be sure that no one saw her go inside.

Carly narrowed her eyes. “What the hell are you—”

“I’m here,” Lorraine said, approaching the bed with narrowed eyes, “to get what I’m owed. You’re still here on Jason’s dime, and he’s hanging around playing Daddy, so he must have decided to keep you. So it’s time—”

“It’s not that simple,” Carly snapped, fisting her hands in the hospital blankets. “He hasn’t agreed to anything yet. And he probably won’t push until we know about the baby—”

“Doesn’t change my situation,” Lorraine retorted, her eyes flashing. “Any day now, GH could find out why I got fired from Mercy. You either pay up, or I’m going to offer what I know to the first guy who opens his checkbook—”

“Damn it, Lorraine, I need more time!”

“I’ve given you enough time!” Frustrated, angry tears stung at Lorraine’s eyes. “I’ve given you everything and helped you every time you asked for something! And what I have got to show for it, huh? Nothing! My career is on the line—my entire life—I could be arrested for screwing with records!”

“I need—”

“You’re out of time, Carly. The hospital is releasing you on January 1. You have until then to get me enough money to start over somewhere else. You miss that payment—” Lorraine hissed, “and I’ll make you sorry you ever asked me for help.”

11
I recognize what you’re doin’
Wasn’t long ago that I was just like you

Brenda slapped a hand over the phone, and Robin snatched her hand back, making a face at her best friend. “What?”

“I know what you’re doing,” Brenda said, plucking the phone cord out of the base, grabbing the receiver, carrying it over to the fireplace. She whirled around, clutching the blue piece of plastic to her breasts. “And I know what you’re thinking.”

“You do not,” Robin muttered, drawing her knees up to her chest, staring at the fire burning behind Brenda.

“You were going to call him.”

“Was not—”

“Was to—” Brenda plopped back down on the end of her sofa, scowling at her best friend. ” You’ve been thinking about it ever since Felicia told us.”

“I just—” Robin wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think it’s a terrible idea just to leave a message and let him know I’m thinking about him—”

“You want to leave a message for your ex-boyfriend because his kid is sick — a kid conceived while the two of you were together. Jason’s got friends for that—”

“Brenda.”

“Robin. This is how it starts,” Brenda stressed. “You reached out because you’re kind, and Jason will make you somehow forgive him, and then you’re playing stepmother to Carly’s kid. You hate her. And you—”

“Jason and I aren’t getting back together. We’re not. That ship has sailed,” Robin insisted. “He’s dating again, and I told you there might be someone in Paris—”

“I still—”

“If I reach out to Jason,” Robin said, “it’ll be because I am kind and because that baby didn’t ask for Carly to be his mother. No kid would ever want that. And Jason and I were friends first. I’d like to be civil with him—”

“He doesn’t deserve it,” Brenda muttered, but she handed Robin the phone. “He doesn’t.”

“Maybe not.” Robin plugged the phone base in but didn’t make the call. “I have to live in this town after I come home this summer,” she reminded Brenda. “And Felicia said the baby is supposed to recover. If I don’t find a way to make peace with this, it’ll just eat away at me. I don’t want it.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky, and Carly will take her kid and disappear,” Brenda said brightly. “That would solve all our problems, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t think we’re going to get that lucky. Carly is the kind of woman who hangs out forever, destroying everything she touches.”

12
Did a little self-improvement
But it seems you’re still rotten to your roots

AJ saw Jason emerge from Carly’s hospital room and made his move. He approached his brother, hands shoved in the pockets of his pants. “You gotta minute?”

Jason nodded—his expression wary. “Why?”

“This needs to end,” AJ said. He rocked back and forth. “And don’t ask me what I’m talking about. We both know you’re lying. Whether it’s because you just hate me or you hate the family—”

Jason just stared at him, but AJ liked to think there was a twitch in his cheek. “Are you done?”

“You and I both know that’s my son up in there in the NICU,” AJ said roughly, his throat tight. “And I have the right—”

“It’s always about you,” Jason retorted. “Isn’t it? What you deserve. What you’re entitled to. That’s all you worry about—”

“Damn it—” AJ bit off the angry retort. “I know you might be worried about what I might do. That I might start drinking again—”

“That’s none of my business—”

“You think the baby will be the next life I destroy—”

Jason pressed his lips together, looked down at his feet, and AJ exhaled slowly. “I just want to be a good father—and we both know Carly will be the world’s worst mother. You’re protecting her for some reason, but all Carly knows is how to use people. Don’t be someone else she uses, Jase. You don’t need this crap. Carly is my problem—”

“Carly is everyone’s problem,” Jason said quietly. “You want the truth? Get a blood test. That’s the only way out of this.” He pushed past AJ and disappeared around the corner.

13
What goes around comes around
Do unto others and all that other shit

Jason passed the waiting area on the maternity floor, ignoring the sounds of Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve and the people crowded around, patients and hospital staff both. They were making resolutions and talking about what they wanted to change.

Jason had never understood the idea of making resolutions. Why wait until the last day of the year to make a change? Why not just do it in the moment?

Then again, wasn’t Jason on his way to make his own resolution? Wasn’t he trying to make his own change?

It had been a week since the baby, still unnamed, had been born and rushed to the NICU. Four days since he and Elizabeth had stood in a supply closet, a line drawn clearly between them with Carly’s name on it, and neither of them willing to cross it. Maybe they didn’t know how, he thought. Elizabeth had the right to want Carly out of her life—but was he so wrong to want her to give him a sign that she’d wait for him to fix this?

He shoved that out of his head and headed down the hallway to Carly’s hospital room. She’d been recovering from a concussion and the C-section, but she was going home in the morning. The baby had had a successful surgery to correct his heart condition, and he’d be able to go home in a week, maybe two.

Jason was out of time to make Carly live up to her end of the bargain. Where she was going next, it wasn’t going to be his problem anymore. He’d done everything and footed the hospital bills in addition.

He wanted to be done.

He shoved the door open, unsurprised to see Carly sitting on the sofa under the windows, watching the same New Year’s Eve special.

“I thought you were going to Luke’s tonight,” she said, dropping her feet to the ground. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m going later,” he said. “After we’re done here.” And after he went to the NICU to say goodbye to the baby he’d been watching over for the last few weeks. The kid wasn’t his son, but he was Jason’s nephew, and he’d become used to spending time with him. But after tonight, the only way to be around the baby would be to keep Carly in his life.

And Jason wasn’t interested.

Carly narrowed her eyes. “That sounds ominous—”

“Because it is. I did everything I said I would,” Jason said flatly. “The baby is born. We know he’ll be okay. When you’re released tomorrow, you’re going to a room at the Port Charles Hotel. I’ve paid for it,” he added. “You’ll stay until he’s released. Then I’m putting the two of you on a plane. I don’t care where you go, but you’re getting out of Port Charles. Just like you promised.”

Carly studied him for a long moment, then rose to her feet, wincing and setting a hand at her middle. “No. I’m not going anywhere—”

“I’m not giving you a choice—”

“If you think I’m done in Port Charles, then you’re wrong. I have things left to do.” Carly tossed her hair over her shoulder and folded her arms. “Now you have two choices. You can pick me up tomorrow and take me home to the penthouse where my son and I will be living—”

“No—”

“Or I will make sure the complaint I filed against your precious little Elizabeth isn’t the last grenade I throw at her,” Carly cut in. He stared at her and her lips curved into a malicious smile. “She’s probably filled your head with all my terrible, awful deeds, but she deserved everything I’ve ever done to her and more.”

“That’s not—”

“If you protect me and my son and make sure whatever blood test AJ and Tony throw at me name you as the father, I’ll let Elizabeth live her life in peace.”

“What else can you do to her?” Jason demanded. “She’s already on probation, and she hasn’t been near you to give you a reason to file another complaint—”

“Oh, there are ways to make sure she loses this job,” Carly said with an indifferent shrug. “And she might think there’s nothing left I can take from her, but there’s always something. And when I’m done ruining her life, I’ll circle back to Robin. So I guess—” She raised her brows. “The real question is—are you willing to risk crossing me?”

14
But you’re caught up in the cycle
I broke myself out of the cycle

Elizabeth emerged from a patient room and slid her chart into the slot on the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a familiar face.

A face not assigned to this floor.

Suspicious, Elizabeth caught Lorraine just as she turned into the hallway where Carly’s room could be found. “What are you doing on this floor?” she demanded.

Lorraine hissed, jerking her arm from Elizabeth’s grasp. “None of your business—”

“It is my business. These are my patients—”

“This week,” the other woman sneered. “Next week, where are they sending you, huh? Little floater who can’t be trusted to stay anywhere. You’re the hospital charity case, Lizzie. They can’t kick you because of your grandparents—”

Elizabeth stepped back, a chill sliding down her back. “We’re back to insulting me, which means you made up with Carly.”

“Oh, don’t pretend you give a damn—”

“I don’t. I know that just last week, you wanted me to help you beat her. And now you’re back to this.” Elizabeth folded her arms. “Whatever Carly promised you, it won’t stop her from turning on you when it’s convenient—”

“Don’t act like you know anything,” Lorraine retorted. “Because you don’t—” She stalked in the opposite direction, and Elizabeth looked after her, troubled, wondering what Carly was planning next.

15
Energy’s in full rotation
Knew I would regret ya

AJ didn’t bother to knock. He knew Carly was alone—had watched her room for almost a half hour — no one ever stayed longer than ten minutes — and he didn’t want an audience for this.

He pushed the door open and found the woman in question, pacing the floor, biting at the nail on her thumb. “You look concerned,” he said, leaning against the door frame.

Carly jerked up her hand and glared at him. “Get out—”

“Not until I serve you with this—” He tossed the papers on the bed, and she scowled at them. “That’s a court order for a paternity test. Get it done by January 2, Carly, or the court will do it for you—”

She snatched the packet up, then scowled at him. “This isn’t just a blood test order—”

“No, I’m sure you already know what custody papers look like. I hear Tony served you earlier today.” AJ shoved his hands in his pockets. “Time’s up, Caroline. When that test proves the baby is mine, I have everything I need to make sure I get custody—”

“Like hell—”

“I don’t have proof you drugged me,” AJ said, and Carly quieted. “But you’ve done enough over the last few weeks to prove that you’ll interfere with custody. If you’re lucky, a judge might  give you supervised visitation—”

Carly crumpled the papers in her hand. “You’re so damned arrogant, but I’m ready for you. And I’m ready for Tony—” Her voice cracked, but her face florid with fury. “No one is taking my baby from me! Do you hear me?”

“The baby you care so much about you haven’t even bothered to name him,” AJ mocked. “That’ll look good for the judge, huh, Carly? Worried I’m going to take your meal ticket away?”

“You won’t—”

“We’ll see.” AJ sauntered out, smirking as he heard something crash against the wall behind him.

16
Payin’ for my past mistakes
You’re bad, bad karma

Elizabeth grimaced at the order to head up to the NICU and drop off some paperwork. That was the last place she wanted to be, and she was only grateful she wouldn’t have to go into the ward itself, only the nurse’s station outside.

“Hey, Leyla,” she said. “I brought up the schedule changes for next week—”

“Oh, wonderful,” Leyla said with a roll of eyes. “They’re going to float me to the emergency room, Bobbie already warned me. What the bloody hell do I know about emergency medicine?” She took the schedule.

The ward doors opened, and Jason stepped out, tossing the protective gown he’d been wearing into the disposal basket and stripping off the gloves. Their eyes met. “I’ll talk to you later, Leyla,” she told the nurse.

He shoved his hands into his jeans. “Hey.”

“I was dropping off some paperwork—” Elizabeth glanced behind him. “How’s—um—does he have a name yet?”

“No,” Jason admitted. “Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Elizabeth gestured to the outer doors of the unit, glaring at Leyla over her shoulder as the other woman looked irritated to be cut out of possible gossip. “Why hasn’t Carly named him yet?”

“I don’t—I don’t know. I didn’t ask.” Jason followed her into the same supply closet as before. “I’m sorry. I know you said you didn’t want to be involved—”

“It’s not—” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “It’s not that I don’t want to—I just—Carly’s unpredictable, and I don’t want that in my life. It was hard enough to get her to forget about me the first time—”

“I get it, I do. And I’m going to make sure she can’t hurt you anymore. That’s why I needed to talk to you,” Jason told her.

Elizabeth frowned. “What—”

“She gave me an ultimatum. I keep the secret, or she goes after you,” he said, and Elizabeth stared at him. “And Robin. Until I can figure out something else, I have to let her stay. I can’t afford to call her bluff.”

Couldn’t afford to give Carly motive to go after Elizabeth and Robin—the truth of what Jason was planning to do hit her hard. He was sacrificing himself. She couldn’t let him—

“Jason—” Elizabeth shook her head. “Don’t—don’t do this. Don’t let Carly win—” But hadn’t she pushed him to this? Hadn’t she made it clear that keeping Carly out of her life was what she wanted? Wasn’t Jason just trying to do what she asked? Protecting her—and Robin—from the mistakes he’d made?

“It’s not—” He hesitated. “I did this. I let her lie and get away with it. I have to make sure no one else gets hurt.”

“But you can’t—that’s not how Carly works, okay? She’s made my life miserable almost since I met her. At first, she just made comments and tried to undermine me. She made sure any mistake I made was amplified and always questioned everything I did. And then she was hiding paperwork on my patient’s charts—” She rubbed a fist over her heart. “My grandmother always said I wouldn’t make it out of the program. I wasn’t like Steven or Sarah. My grandfather—he still believed in me—but every time something happened, I could see him starting to doubt me.”

“I’m sorry—”

“But that’s what she does. She hits you where you’re the weakest—in ways you didn’t even think she could.” Elizabeth lifted her chin. “We can’t let her win, Jason. If she sticks around, she’ll just find new ways to hurt and use you. If it’s not through me or Robin, it’ll be through that baby. You’re a good person—you’ll fall in love with that baby if you’re acting like his father, and she’ll never let you go.”

He closed her eyes, and she knew he’d already started that slow slide. Knew he’d spent nearly every waking moment with the little boy in the NICU.

“I don’t know another way out of this,” he confessed in a low, pained voice. “I just—I wish I’d listened to you, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. It was already too late.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t—I didn’t tell you so you’d feel sorry for me. I just—I wanted to tell you that you were right to steer clear of this, and I’m going to make sure you and Robin aren’t going to be in the middle anymore.”

“No—”

He reached out, skimmed the back of his fingers down her cheek. “I’m sorry. I wish we could go back to Jake’s and pretend none of this ever happened.”

“I—” Elizabeth’s beeper at her waist buzzed. She winced. “No. No. I’m not going to let you sacrifice your life to save me some grief. And Robin wouldn’t want it either if you asked her. You made a mistake, Jason, but you shouldn’t have to pay for it forever.”

She leaned up on her toes, gripping his shirt in her hands, and kissed him. Jason’s hands fisted in her scrub top, pulling her tight against him—then the beeper at her side buzzed again.

“I have to—” She drew away, then kissed him again, swaying a little as she settled back on her feet. “I have to go. My shift will be over at midnight. Will you meet me here?”

“Okay.” Jason cupped her chin. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m not sure of anything, but I’m not going to stand on the sidelines anymore. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let Carly win. Not again.”

17
Fucking up my reputation
Should’ve seen it coming

Tony scowled when he saw AJ at the elevators on the maternity floor. He stalked towards him, his jaw clenched. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

AJ raised his brow. “The same reason you are,” he said. “I just gave Carly the court order for a paternity test.”

He hated this—hated every minute of it. “You have no right—I told you I would handle this—”

“And I told you that I would help you if it turned out the baby was yours. I would hope you’d do the same for me. You might hate me right now,” AJ told him, and Tony narrowed his eyes. “But we both hate Carly more for what she’s done. The only way to get this over with is to work together to make sure she pays. She has until January 2 to conduct a paternity test on the baby, or the court will do it for her.”

Tony growled. “It’s my baby—”

“You can keep telling yourself that, but the blood test will finish this.” AJ grimaced, pressing the buttons. “I’m not looking forward to fighting Carly for the next eighteen years, but I guess it’s a price I’ll have to pay.”

Tony shook his head. “I’ll pay her off—she’ll lose interest—”

AJ snorted. “Not bloody likely,” he said sourly. “You don’t have enough money to keep her away forever,” he reminded Tony, “and Carly will just bleed me dry if I try that. I have to find a way to prove in court that she shouldn’t be in the kid’s life at all.”

He stepped onto the elevator, and Tony turned back towards the patient rooms, thinking about the future AJ had painted, dealing with Carly, and battling her every day—

If only there was another way.

18
Is it my imagination
Or bad, bad karma?

Carly just wanted everyone to leave her the hell alone tonight—AJ and Tony had come by with their court orders and angry eyes, and Jason had pulled that bullshit by thinking he could get around her—and goddamn Lorraine was in her face again—

“What’s it going to be?” Lorraine demanded. “I want my money—”

“Shut up,” Carly hissed. She stalked towards the brunette, jabbing her finger at her. “Shut the hell up, do you understand? If you keep threatening me, I’ll make sure GH finds out and the rest of the world, too!”

Lorraine slapped her hard, and Carly’s face snapped to the side. She shoved Lorraine. “Yeah, you forgot this works both ways, didn’t you, you fucking bitch?” Carly snarled. “I have the power, remember? I know everything—”

“And I know everything about you.” Lorraine jerked open the door. “You call me when you remember who the hell can do more damage. I’ll lose my job—what do you have on the line?”

She stalked out, and Carly scowled, dragging her hands through her hair. A moment later, Jason came in, closing the door behind him. “Did you come to tell me you’re taking the deal?” Carly demanded. She’d make sure access to his accounts was part of the negotiations—damn it, she needed Lorraine to go away—

“No,” Jason said shortly, and Carly gaped at him. “Whatever you think you can do to Elizabeth, Robin, or anyone else—I can handle it. And so can they. You need to go, Carly.”

“That—” Carly’s heart began to pound. “This not the plan, okay?”

“You either tell AJ the truth tomorrow morning, or I’m going to do it for you.”

“What? Wait—” Carly went for Jason’s arm as he started to leave. “Wait—”

Jason jerked out of her grasp, pushing Carly away from him. “Get off me—”

“No, let me disappear—” She could always come back—she could fight another day—

“That’s off the table,” Jason retorted. “You had your chance to keep our deal, and you screwed me over. The only thing left is who tells AJ. Me or you. And if it’s me, I won’t be nice about it.”

He left then, and Carly stared at him, her face pale. Oh, damn, damn, damn—she’d overplayed every hand, and now there was no one left to turn to—Oh, damn it—

If Jason thought she would let him get away with this—if she was going down, she was going to take him with her. One way or another.

19
You have a hunger for disaster
But you’ll never get your fill

“Planning a quiet night at home?” Ruby Anderson, the owner of Kelly’s diner, asked Robin, setting the takeout bag on the counter.

“Yeah, Brenda and I are just gonna stay at the cottage and watch the ball drop.” Robin flashed a smile. “Thanks for the last minute order.”

“You got in just in time,” Ruby said. “Have a good night—oh, AJ—did you need something?”

Robin turned to find Jason’s brother behind her. “AJ. Hey.”

“Hey,” AJ said shortly. “Ruby, you got any chili left?”

“I can put something together,” the older woman said, disappearing into the back.

Robin managed a smile for her childhood friend. “Haven’t run into you since I came back. So, um, how are things?”

“Please.” AJ perched on the stool, staring darkly at her. “You know exactly how things are. What I don’t understand is why you aren’t forcing Jason to tell the truth—”

Robin squinted. “What do you mean?”

“Do you really think Jason cheated on you?” AJ demanded. He tugged out his wallet and pulled out a twenty. “After everything you’ve been through?”

“What I think is irrelevant,” Robin said carefully. “She’s living with him, and he’s taking care of the baby—”

“Which only begs the question—” AJ exchanged the cash for the bag Ruby handed him. “What the hell does Carly have on Jason to force him to go through with this?”

“Wait, do you think Carly’s blackmailing—”

“Jason doesn’t like me,” AJ said shortly, “but he doesn’t hate me enough to destroy his entire life. So I know he’s lying about the baby for another reason.”

“Maybe he’s not—”

“All I know is Carly’s up to something, and I’m going to find out what the hell is going on.” He slid off the stool. “Happy New Year, Robin.”

20
If by bringing someone down
You thought that you’d feel better

Bobbie checked her watch again. Almost eleven—

“He’s not coming.” Felicia offered the bowl of popcorn. “And Lucas is having fun with his cousins. He barely notices his father forgot to pick him up—”

“That should bother me.” She sunk down on the sofa, watching the television as the screen flashed to the ball that wouldn’t drop for another hour. “Lucas should miss his father more—”

“Tony has dropped out of everything since things exploded with Carly,” Felicia said. “Thanks—” she said as Mac came in from the kitchen and handed them both a glass of wine. “He’ll get himself together once the blood tests come back—”

“And when he finds out that baby isn’t his?” Bobbie wanted to know.

“It’ll be the best thing for all of you. It would mean Carly was completely out of your life,” Mac said, settling into a chair with a beer. “Don’t you want that?”

“More than anything, but I just—” Bobbie sighed and leaned back against the cushions. “I just wish he’d called and said he wouldn’t be here. I had him paged at the hospital, and nothing. He’s not answering the phone at the apartment, either.” She looked out into the dark, inky night with the snow falling softly. “I wonder where he is and if he’s okay.”

21
Then why are you so unhappy still?
Energy’s in full rotation

Carly paced her room, watching the door warily. Any minute now and the ax would drop. Jason would get a taste of what she’d do to the precious bitch if he didn’t stop this crap — she’d promise to take it all back if he just—

The phone on the nightstand rang. She jerked the receiver up to her ear. “Hello? What do you—” She narrowed her eyes. “So you want to make a deal, huh? No more threats? Okay. Okay. We can talk. Where do you—okay. I’ll be there in—” she checked her watch. How long would it take her to toss on some clothes? “I’ll be there in fifteen.”

22
Knew I would regret ya
Payin’ for my past mistakes

“Hey, look who’s eager to be off shift,” Patrick teased as Elizabeth edged around a row of lockers and went to the next aisle. “Any plans?”

“Not really—” Elizabeth opened her locker, grabbing the breath mints. She was going on rounds and wouldn’t be able to get back here before meeting Jason— “I’m not off for another hour.”

“Oh, sucks to be you.” Patrick jerked a sweater over his head. “I’m gonna head to Luke’s. Supposed to be good music, and you’ll know the place will be open until dawn tonight. Come by—”

“I would, but—” Elizabeth pursed her lips. “I’m meeting Jason.”

“Jason Morgan.” Patrick arched a skeptical brow. “I thought you cut things off after the news hit—”

“I did. But—”

“And didn’t she just file a complaint against you? That’s why you’re floating—”

“I know—”

“Bad idea,” Patrick advised, dragging a brush through his dark hair and arranging it to look careless and casual. “You barely got out of the last round with your job—”

“Patrick, do you think I don’t remember any of this?” she demanded, putting a hand on her hip. “I know what I’m doing—”

“Just reminding you to be on your guard.”

“I will. Have a good time at Luke’s.”

Elizabeth left the locker room and headed to the nurse’s station. She slowed her steps when she saw Epiphany standing there, a folder in her hands and a look in her eye.

“What?” Elizabeth asked warily.

“You’ve had another complaint filed against you,” Epiphany told her, handing the folder. “I’ve left a message for Bobbie. We’re going to pull all our favors—”

“Carly—” Elizabeth stared at the paperwork, her vision blurring slightly before raising her gaze back to her supervisor. “I haven’t even—”

“I know. It’s bullshit. It’ll be dismissed just like all the others, but—”

“But.” Elizabeth gritted her teeth. Well, Jason must have done something, or Carly was just lobbing a warning shot to make sure they knew what she was capable of.

It was time for Carly to lose, and Elizabeth couldn’t wait to put the bitch in the ground.

23
You’re bad, bad karma
Fucking up my reputation

Monica wound her way through the crowds in the Renaissance Room, forcing herself to smile every time someone wished her a Happy New Year.

She hadn’t wanted to come to this stupid party, but Alan had insisted, and now—

“Finally.” She tugged on her husband’s arm, dragging him away from a board member he’d been talking to.

“Monica, I was just talking to Amanda about funding for the pediatric program—”

“You can do it later. AJ promised us he’d stay home tonight,” Monica reminded Alan. “He didn’t want to be tempted by going to any of the parties and being around alcohol—”

“Is he here?” Alan craned his neck, looking around.

“No—but I called the house. Reginald said AJ left a few hours ago, and he hasn’t seen or heard from him since. Alan, what if he’s out drinking?” Monica wanted to know.

“We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it,” Alan assured her. “Come on. Let’s see if we can get the Barringtons to increase their annual donation.”

24
Should’ve seen it coming
Is it my imagination

Jason was already waiting for her when Elizabeth arrived at the supply closet just before midnight. She’d passed by some of the staff at the nurse’s station, watching the New Year’s special. She checked her watch. Five minutes to midnight.

Jason was leaning against the door, his hands tucked in his jeans. She exhaled slowly. “Hey—”

“Hey.” He straightened. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you—Did you tell Carly you weren’t going to go along with her plan?” Elizabeth asked.

Jason’s face tensed. “What happened?”

“She filed a new complaint against me. I’ll take that as a yes,” she said when Jason muttered something and looked away. “What did you say to her?”

“I told her she could tell AJ herself or I would, and I gave her until tomorrow morning.” Jason shook his head. “I’m sorry. I should have waited—”

“Why?”

“Because—”

“Carly was always going to make you pay for giving her an ultimatum, whether you waited and we talked about how to do it.” Elizabeth shrugged. “You just forced her hand early. Will you tell AJ?”

“I’ll have to. She’s going after you—” Jason pressed his lips together. “I’m sorry. But telling AJ means he’ll drag her into court, and hopefully, she’ll be too busy—”

“Oh, Carly will make time. But I don’t care.”

Jason stared at her, and in the silence, she heard the excitement down the hall as the clock ticked one minute closer. 11:59. Down the hall, someone started a countdown from sixty began as the ball began its descent in Times Square. “59, 58, 57—”

“You don’t care.”

“I don’t care,” Elizabeth repeated. “Carly can come after my job, fine. She’s done that once, and I beat her. I meant what I said earlier.”

“Elizabeth—”

“I’m done letting Carly win. So instead of walking away—” Elizabeth pulled the supply closet open and took Jason by the hand. “I’m going to go after what I want, and I’m not waiting another minute.”

“40, 39—”

25
Or bad, bad karma?
Bad, bad

Jason followed Elizabeth into the supply closet, a bit surprised, bewildered, and turned on as hell by the glint in her eyes and the smirk on her lips. Just like the first night he’d met her at Jake’s—

She reached past him, her body brushing his, and he heard the lock tumble into place behind him. Then Elizabeth arched a brow, gently pushing him against the door.

“10…9…”

She stepped back, crossing her arms and reaching for the hem of her shirt. She dragged it off, revealing a thin camisole underneath and the strap of a purple bra sliding down one shoulder.

“8…7…”

Jason grinned, then reached for her, crushing her against him and devouring her mouth with his. He’d wanted to get his hands on her for weeks, and if she was going to give him another chance—

“6…5…”

She pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it aside. “Come back here,” she murmured against his mouth. “Behind the shelves. In case anyone comes in—we can hide.” Elizabeth giggled as he lifted her in his arms.

“4…”

Then he stumbled.

“3…”

“Oof—” Elizabeth fell to the floor. “Well, that wasn’t very graceful—What the hell—what’s wet—” Her words stumbled to a stop as she rolled to her side and caught sight of what Jason was staring at, his eyes wide.

“2… ”

Carly was lying on her back, her head turned towards them, her eyes wide open and glassy. Blood had pulled beneath her head from the gaping slash in her neck.

“1…”

Elizabeth raised her hands, staring at the streaks of red on them.

Then started to scream.

“Happy New Year!”

Bad, bad karma

Song: Goodbye, For Now (Gabbie Hanna)

---

1
Maybe, maybe, maybe
Maybe, maybe, maybe

It was falling apart in front of her eyes, and there was nothing Carly Roberts could do to stop it. She couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t focus on the words Tony Jones was saying, the threats he was making because all she could hear was you’re not good enough, trash, trash no one wants you no one stays—

“I was willing to do whatever it took to get Lucas away from Bobbie when she was married to Stefan Cassadine,” Tony told her with that pompous, condescending tone that made her teeth hurt, “and I’m going to do the same with you. You committed a crime when you stole my custody papers—”

Carly scoffed and rolled her eyes, but he kept going. Steamrolling over everyone just like he always did—pretending he knew best.

“If you make me,” Tony continued, patiently, smugly, as if he had all the answers, as if the ending to this scene was already written, “that’s what I’ll do. Now, I don’t want a street fight—”

It was time Carly ripped that ending to shreds. Tony Jones thought he knew who he was dealing with?

Oh, he hadn’t begun to understand.

“It doesn’t matter,” Carly snapped, and Tony cut off, staring at her with squinted eyes. “It doesn’t matter, okay? Because everyone was right about me. I’m trash, and I’m a liar. I lied to you about my pregnancy.”

She fisted her hands at her side. Couldn’t tell him the truth. Couldn’t tell anyone the truth. AJ had made that clear. If they knew the truth, they’d take the baby. She needed the baby. She needed him, he was the key to everything, to getting revenge, to getting that love she damn well deserved—

“What does that mean?” Tony retorted.

“You have no rights to my child,” Carly gritted out, “because it’s not yours. No, really,” she continued when he snorted. “Not legally, morally, and certainly not biologically.”

And at that, Tony’s mouth snapped closed, and he stared at her. Carly tossed back her hair. “What’s the matter? I shock you? You’re surprised your little playmate wasn’t faithful?”

Tony pressed his lips together. “If it’s not my baby, then whose is it?”

Carly said the name almost as soon as he finished speaking because part of her realized she’d been waiting for this moment, waiting for this opportunity, and now it was here—

“Jason.”

2
Maybe we could meet again as strangers

Maybe tonight was the night. Maybe it was time to find out if Jason Morgan’s ass looked as good out of those jeans as it did in them.

Elizabeth Webber turned at her door, lifting her face with a smile as the man in question stepped up behind her. It was the fourth time she’d let him drive her home from the bar, but he’d never made it past the threshold—

It didn’t matter how gorgeous he was or how much she wanted those hands on her—he was still Jason Morgan, and a girl had to think before she went too far. He was the newly minted leader of the Port Charles underground, a criminal with a killer smile and eyes, but secrets lurked everywhere she looked.

And if that wasn’t enough, Elizabeth wasn’t entirely convinced he’d been single long enough to be getting anywhere near her bedroom. And maybe her moral compass was damaged or whatever, but she didn’t want him thinking about the last petite brunette he’d been in love with while in bed with her.

But maybe—

Jason arched a brow at her, his face shadowed, their bodies close enough to brush one another. The door pressed against her back, and all the air seemed to have been sucked out of the hallway—

He’d never ask. Any other guy would. They’d ask for her keys, maybe for coffee or a drink — they’d make the first move. But that wasn’t Jason’s style. It was her apartment, her ride home —

And her decision to make.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to ask him in for a beer but then closed it at the last minute, doubts swarming.

She looked like Robin, didn’t she? Hadn’t people at Jake’s mentioned that more than once? Jason couldn’t have the perfect town sweetheart Robin Scorpio who didn’t want the hassle of the life he’d chosen, so he was settling for second best, less than. An imitation. Robin was going to be a doctor, Elizabeth was barely getting through the nursing program.

She’d never measured up to her brother or sister as far as her family was concerned. Did she really want to invite more of that into her world? What did Jason even know about her? She hung out at the same bar as he did, could kick his ass in pool, and would ride on the back of a motorcycle for hours. Did he even know they’d grown up together before the accident that had stolen his memories? Did he know she knew anything about Robin? That she and the ex-girlfriend were friendly? And what would Robin think of all this? Would she be irritated or angry—did she owe Robin a call before—

Elizabeth gripped the lapels of his leather jacket, her fingers digging into the material. Just ask him, she told herself, but her nerve escaped her. She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t take the risk. Not yet.

She needed more. Something else.

She needed to know it was Elizabeth he wanted and not just a random brunette he could pretend was Robin.

So Elizabeth licked her lips and forced a smile. “Thanks for the ride. I, um, have work tomorrow, so I better—”

Jason stepped back slightly—his body no longer brushing hers, and she felt the air between them, the rush of cold air sliding in. “Sure. Anytime. I’ll see you around—”

“Wait—” Elizabeth reached out as Jason turned to go, her fingers sliding over his sleeve. “Wait,” she repeated. She bit her lip. “Listen.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Jason turned back to her, and she could see the shadows of his mouth curve into a smile. “It’s just a ride home—”

“No, but—” Elizabeth made a face. “I’m just not that person, okay? I mean, how long have we known each other?”

Jason faced her, his body tense. “What do you mean?”

“I mean—” What the hell did she mean? Oh, God. Just ask the man inside and jump him. Why was this so difficult? Why did she have to think everything to death—

“I mean,” Elizabeth tried again, “that we’ve only really talked a few times. And played pool. And, um—” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Never mind. Never mind.” What if he just wanted sex, and now she was being a dumb girl and thinking they needed more—

She jumped when his finger slid down her cheek and opened her eyes. “Hey. You wanna do something tomorrow?” he asked, his voice low. “Not Jake’s. We’ll take the bike out and go somewhere.”

“Um, I mean, I like Jake’s,” Elizabeth said stupidly, her mind racing. What was he doing? Was he asking her on a date? Did Jason Morgan actually date? What would that even look like? “It’s not Jake’s. It’s just—”

“It’s just we play a few games of pool, have a few drinks, and then I take you home,” Jason finished. He was close to her again. He cupped her chin and lifted her face to his. “I like you.”

I like you.

The words shouldn’t make her knees feel like water, and she shouldn’t be that easy, except—

Elizabeth gripped his jacket again, raised herself on the tips of her toes, and gave into the urge she’d had since high school except Jason Quartermaine had never seemed like sex on a stick, so maybe she shouldn’t keep making that comparison—

She kissed him, plastering her body against his with such force that he nearly took a step back. Then his hands dove into her hair, and he took control, slanting his mouth over hers, licking and nipping until the only thing keeping Elizabeth on her feet was the way he was holding her—

She could be that girl. In fact, if he’d just move one of those hands slightly lower, she could be that girl right here in this hallway because who really cared who saw her as long as—

Jason drew back, his breathing shallow and his chest rising rapidly. Elizabeth clutched his black sweater visible through his open jacket, her fingers sliding over the smooth, muscled skin beneath it—

“Tomorrow,” he said, and she blinked, forcing herself to listen. To focus. “I’ll meet you at Jake’s,” he continued, and she nodded. “We’ll go somewhere else,” Jason promised. “Or not. Whatever you want to do.”

“Okay.” Elizabeth fished her keys from her jacket pocket, her fingers trembling. “Okay,” she repeated. “Tomorrow. Same time as usual.”

“Yeah.” He dipped his head down and captured her mouth again. “Tomorrow.”

3
Start over, get to know each other

Jason barely acknowledged the guys at the security desk as he passed from the parking garage elevator through the lobby, his mind still drifting to Elizabeth and thinking about the next night. It would be Friday, and he knew she didn’t work Saturdays — that was better, he decided, stepping on the elevator and pressing the button for the fifteenth floor of Harborview Towers. For the penthouse he’d been living in since Sonny Corinthos had jilted his fiancée at the altar in September, leaving Jason holding the bag for literally every piece of Sonny’s life.

But for the first time in months, Jason wasn’t thinking about the added pressure he was under, running the territory after barely more than a year in the business. He wasn’t thinking about his former partner and best friend or the woman Sonny had made Jason jilt for him —

He wasn’t even thinking about the sad-eyed Robin who had broken up with him in August and then had left him again only in October, reminding Jason of everything he’d given up for the business.

And it was a relief not to be thinking about any of that. He’d gone to Jake’s one night and caught sight of the sexy brunette in tight jeans running the tables, taking one guy after another at pool, each of them thinking that they couldn’t possibly be beaten by a woman.

And Elizabeth Webber had taken their money with a wicked glint in her eye and smirk that shoved everything else out of Jason’s head. For three weeks, he’d gone back, playing the occasional game with her — and never once thinking about anything other than her.

In fact, Jason’s head was so full of Elizabeth and thinking about the next night, planning where to take her and what to do if she’d agree to come back here—he could spend hours in bed with her, exploring every inch—

He nearly missed the tear-stained, bedraggled woman standing in front of his door. Jason blinked, confused when Carly Roberts stepped out of the shadow, her mascara and eyeliner running in streaks down her cheeks. It had been raining, he remembered now. Or snowing. Something.

He had barely seen Carly over the last few months — what the hell was she doing here?

Carly ran an arm under her nose, sniffling. “You—you have to help me,” she said. “Please—”

“I really don’t,” Jason said, not unkindly but straightforward. Carly didn’t really bother him, but she’d been unkind to Robin, and she was a reminder of who he’d been after the accident. He was different now—

“P-Please. The Quartermaines are going to take everything from me.”

At that name, the name of the family that dogged his every step and still looked at him like an animal who didn’t deserve to breathe, Jason turned. Squinted. “What are you talking about?”

“T-They think I’m t-trash, and they’re—” Carly sucked in a nearly hysterical sob. “They’re going to take my baby from me, and they can do it because I don’t have anything. I’m nothing, and they know it. Please. Please, just listen.”

I’m nothing, and they know it.

Jason grimaced, then slid his key in his lock. “Okay,” he said reluctantly. “Come in, and we’ll talk about it.”

His back was already to Carly, shoving the door open, so he missed the smirk that flitted across Carly’s lips. By the time he turned back to show her inside, it had disappeared, and she was crying again.

4
Make another first impression
Cause it turns out I don’t know you that well

Elizabeth reported for work the next morning, almost floating into the staff locker room. She was too absorbed in her own plans, her own dreams, and her own thoughts to notice the whispers. Drama was always happening at General Hospital, and Elizabeth had had enough of it the year before. So she made it her business to stay out of it.

So it made sense that she didn’t hear any details until she floated to the nurse’s station, looking for her charts, and came across Bobbie Jones. She smiled brightly at the redheaded nurse. “Good morning.”

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Bobbie teased, but then Elizabeth saw that her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Elizabeth asked immediately. More than just one of her supervising nurses, Bobbie Jones was family. Her parents had asked Bobbie to stand as godmother when Elizabeth was born. Bobbie had been more of a mother to her than Elizabeth’s own. “Are you all right?”

“Nothing that I can help,” Bobbie said, reaching for another form. “Tony and Carly had a fight in his office last night, and even though the doors were closed—”

“The whole hospital seems to find out everything,” Elizabeth said, with a grimace. “Yeah, I know all about that.”

“I know, sweetheart. It’s just—” Bobbie shook her head, then smiled absently when Brenda Barrett emerged from the elevators. “Brenda. What brings you by?”

“Oh, you know Lucy.” Brenda shrugged a shoulder. “The Nurse’s Ball is in six months, so she’s sending me to start begging people to participate. She thinks we’ll avoid some of those disasters if we prepare earlier.”

Those disasters often included Lucy ending up on stage in her underwear, so Elizabeth understood the woman’s desire to keep things under control for the ball’s fifth year.

“I hope I can put you both down for doing something on stage,” Brenda said, leaning forward. “Bobbie, you practically run this place—”

“Brenda—”

“And Elizabeth!” Brenda beamed at her. “Your grandparents founded General Hospital, your parents worked here, and you’re third-generation—”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. She’d managed to avoid participating in the ball since her grandmother had died a few years earlier. Unfortunately, both her grandparents were gone now—she was the last Webber/Hardy left in Port Charles. And it was nice to see Brenda perked up since that terrible wedding in September—Elizabeth had heard rumors Brenda had really been struggling—

“I guess. As long as you don’t make me sing. People have been tortured enough,” Elizabeth replied.

“Excellent—” Brenda’s smile widened. “Amy! What about you?”

“Me, what?” Amy Vining wanted to know, stepping up to the counter and dumping a pile of charts in front of Bobbie. “Bobbie, I just heard, and I am so sorry. We should have known how terrible he was after what he did to poor Brenda—”

“What are you talking about?” Brenda asked. “Who did what to me?”

“You haven’t heard?” Amy’s eyes widened, and Elizabeth had to admit—the blonde had patented that mixture of glee and concern when sharing gossip. “Jason Morgan is the father of Carly Roberts’ baby!”

Elizabeth dropped the pen she held, her eyes widening even as Brenda scowled. “What? That has to be a lie!”

“Of course, she’s lying,” Bobbie insisted. “Everyone knows Carly lies—”

“Well, we thought she was until Rachel saw Carly at the Towers this morning. Rachel lives on the lower floors,” Amy reminded Bobbie, whose face had paled. “Looks like she had some bags and boxes with her. Carly must be moving in.”

Elizabeth’s chest tightened, and she shook her head. “But—”

“But it’s not possible,” Brenda insisted, Elizabeth’s reaction swallowed up by hers. “Carly got pregnant in April, and Jason was still dating Robin—”

“Brenda—” Bobbie said with a wince.

“No, no, he promised her that was over!” Brenda continued. “Okay? Because he was stupid after the accident. We all know that, and he didn’t get it—but he promised Robin he wouldn’t cheat on her again.”

“Cheat on her again?” Elizabeth repeated numbly. What? How—

“We don’t know—”

“She’s sure she saw—” Brenda closed her mouth as the elevator behind them opened, and Carly stepped out, her hand on her belly. And a man in a dark suit behind her. The blonde raised an eyebrow at the four of them, then turned to say something to the man with her. She locked eyes with Elizabeth for a moment, then lifted her nose in the air and sauntered down the hall.

Elizabeth’s stomach pitched. She knew that man. The first time Jason had driven her home, he’d had someone take her car. The man had knocked on her door and dropped off her keys—

And now that same man was trailing after Carly—

Jason was involved with Carly Roberts. Was now living with her.

Well, hell.

5
Maybe we could fall in love again

AJ Quartermaine quietly closed the front door behind him and started for the back library, where he was sure to find his grandmother at this time of day. He really wanted the comfort of Lila’s presence, the one member of the family that still thought he had something to offer the world.

The last few weeks had been like a nightmare as he’d learned the truth about his supposed relapse and the depths to which Carly would go to hurt him and hide the truth. He’d been stung by her betrayal, so sure that they’d were closer than that.

He’d been her friend, had confided in her, and she’d used it against him. Used his fear of relapse to cover up her own misdeeds, and as if it wasn’t enough that she’d been lying to AJ and drugging him, she’d been lying to Tony.

He wasn’t convinced that Jason was truly the father of Carly’s child, but he knew enough that his baby brother wasn’t much of a liar. AJ thought maybe Carly was using Jason, too, playing on Jason’s loneliness since breaking up with Robin. There was a slim chance that Jason might be the father, but AJ knew the truth. Carly had done too much to keep their night hidden, had gone to terrible lengths to drive him out of town—

“What are we going to do?”

AJ heard his mother’s anguished voice as he passed the family room and paused just outside the ajar door.

“Monica—”

“I thought with Sonny out of the picture, we might have a chance of getting him out of that life,” his mother continued. “But if it’s true, if Carly Roberts is having his baby—”

“We can make her go away,” Alan Quartermaine assured his wife. “We have the money. We have the power. Father is already working on it. And then Jason will need us. He’ll need you. Alone with a baby—if we can get Carly out of the picture—”

AJ scowled. Jason might be a son of a bitch covering for Carly, but he wasn’t helpless. And once he filed those paternity papers, everyone would know Carly had been lying to more than just Tony. Even if that baby wasn’t his, he was going make Carly regret everything she’d done to him.

And if it was—he’d be damned if he’d let his family steamroll him like they planned to do to Jason. He was done being the whipping boy of the Quartermaines. It was time everyone started taking him seriously.

6
But, maybe this time, we’ll end up as friends

Jason didn’t work at the hospital, and he mostly kept to himself, so he had no way of knowing that Carly’s announcement to Tony had spread like wildfire. Or that Carly had taken a guard to parade around the hospital like a trophy.

He thought he’d agreed to do Carly a favor that would last a few weeks, and then it would be forgotten when she left town as she’d promised.

Before meeting Elizabeth at Jake’s that night, Jason had gone to Luke’s to check the books. When he had finished, he emerged from the office and found Brenda sitting at the bar. Her long legs were elegantly crossed, and a martini grasped between her fingers. She met Jason’s eyes, sipped her drink, and raised a slim eyebrow.

Then smirked.

The hair on the back of Jason’s neck stood up. The supermodel hadn’t offered an ounce of kindness in months. Not since that terrible September day when she had waited at the end of the aisle in her wedding gown, and he’d had to tell her about Sonny.

To see her smiling at him now—

“I heard the most interesting news at the hospital today,” Brenda said. She set down the martini glass, then leaned forward, her brown eyes sparkling with malice, her voice cold enough to freeze boiling lava.

Warily, Jason folded his arms, keeping his own expression blank. He said nothing.

She leaned forward. “I guess congratulations are in order.” She paused. “Daddy.”

He narrowed his eyes. There was something else here. She had an angle she was going to play—

“At first, I argued there must be a mistake,” Brenda continued, “because despite what you did to me, that wasn’t who you were. Then Carly showed up at the hospital with a guard.” Brenda stared at him with disdain. “She’s living with you, isn’t she?”

He still said nothing.

She tilted her head. “Carly is due in a few weeks. How could you be the father, Jason, when Carly got pregnant in April?”

His stomach dropped, and now it was harder to maintain his blank expression. Because now he understood why she was here.

Brenda leaned back, sipped her martini. “Naturally, Robin was devastated.”

Jason closed his eyes.

“Why would you do that?” he asked roughly. “She’s in Paris. This has nothing to do with her.”

“Nothing?” Brenda repeated. “Did I miss something, Jason? Did I confuse the timeline? When did you and Robin break up? When she did finally get sick and tired of waiting for you to die?”

“What does that—” Jason grimaced. August. They’d officially broken up in August. How long had Carly been pregnant? Damn it—

“August,” Brenda said. “Which, according to my calendar, comes after April.” She finished the last of her martini, popping the olive between her lips. “Did you really think no one would do the math, Jason? Did you think that you could get away with this? No one cares about you, Jason,” she reminded him. “But people love Robin.” She shrugged. “If it wasn’t me, it would have been Mac or Felicia.”

Jason exhaled slowly. “You think you did Robin a favor,” he told her quietly. “You think you were doing the right thing. But you hurt her to get back at me. I never meant to hurt you, Brenda.”

Her eyes glittered. “Don’t you dare—”

He exhaled slowly. “Congratulations. That makes you just as selfish as the man who left you at the altar and made me pick up the pieces.”

He stalked out of the bar, digging his keys out of his jacket. He had to call Elizabeth.

7
But if we keep trying in this moment
I know it’ll surely be the end

Bobbie braced herself for the uncomfortable confrontation she was about to have, then pulled open the front door to the Brownstone. “I meant what I said on the phone, Tony—”

“And I told you,” Tony said, his teeth clenched, “that I have a right to see my son. We have a custody agreement—”

“You could force me,” Bobbie told him. She nodded at the phone that sat on a table in the foyer, pulling the door open slightly as if to offer him its use. “Go ahead. Call the police. Taggert still has a place upstairs. You want to tell him that you’re going to force Lucas to go with you today?”

Tony pressed his lips together. “You have no right to keep me from my son—”

“Lucas has spent the last year being teased and laughed at in school,” Bobbie cut in ruthlessly. “Today, he came home crying because he was talking about how excited he was for a little brother, and someone laughed at him. Told him he wasn’t getting anything.”

Tony flinched, closed his eyes. “Don’t you think I’m dealing with enough?”

“I think that you need to put Lucas first—”

“That’s rich coming from you—”

“I never claimed not to make mistakes,” she said gently. “And I’ve hurt my son, too. We both have. Right now, he’s upstairs crying because he’s lost another sibling. You weren’t the only one hoping for a new start, Tony. Lucas lost BJ, too. His older sister. And now he’s lost his chance to be—”

“We don’t know anything yet—”

“I know that even if Carly’s child is yours, she’s not going to stop fighting to keep you out. Are you really going to force Lucas to face this today when you’ll both be facing it for months? I’m asking you to give him time—”

Tony fisted his hands at his side, and Bobbie tightened her hand around the doorknob. Would he really call the police and force her to surrender Lucas? Would he really drag Lucas out of the house kicking and screaming, if necessary?

Finally, he exhaled and closed his eyes. “She’s taken everything from me, Bobbie. And now she’s taking the only child I have left.”

“Tony—”

“He can have his time,” Tony cut in. “One way or another, I’ll make this go away.”

8
So I’ll say goodbye for now
I don’t know for how long

Jason gritted his teeth when he heard Elizabeth’s answering machine pick up again, and he hung up again without leaving a message. He wanted to tell her the deal with Carly before anyone else could. He’d been trying to reach her since he’d returned from Luke’s—

She was at the hospital, surrounded by people who likely already knew. It would be a minor miracle if she didn’t already know. If Elizabeth had heard this from someone else, she’d jump to all kinds of conclusions—but he was sure—he was positive if he had a chance to make her understand—

He could go to the hospital, but that might make things worse. People would be looking at him, and the Quartermaines were always there—

He dialed her number again, and this time, when her machine picked up, Jason left a message. “It’s Jason. I need you to call me as soon as you get this, okay? I need to talk to you.” He reeled off his home line and the cell phone he’d recently begun to carry everywhere. “Please.”

And that was the best he could do. He would calmly explain that Carly was being threatened by people he loathed, and it was just for a few weeks. After that, it would all be over, and it would be like it never happened at all. It didn’t have to matter.

Elizabeth was a good person, and he knew she was kind. Maybe she’d even feel sorry for Carly. But she needed to know the truth, and he needed to know she believed in him.

9
But the time has come
That we don’t get along
So goodbye for now

Elizabeth emerged from the bedroom, tugging down the hem of her sweater and moving towards the blinking light on her answering machine. She’d finished her shift in a fog, numbly completing the tasks and rounds she’d been assigned—

Jason was the father of Carly’s baby and cared enough about the viper to let a guard follow her around. Had he always known there was a possibility? Had Carly lied to him, too? And what about the other rumors that were flying around about AJ?

For six months, Elizabeth had been able to live in a Carly-free world as long as she tread lightly and avoided certain places and people. She’d worked so hard to put all of that behind her, but now—

Elizabeth pressed the blinking light, tensing as Jason’s voice flooded the room, low and urgent. Worried.

It’s Jason. I need you to call me as soon as you get this, okay? I need to talk to you. Please.

She let the message play until the end, then pressed replay, hesitating on that final word. That pause just before he’d said please. Had he really not known?

It shouldn’t matter, she reminded herself. Absolutely shouldn’t. She and Jason had only begun to consider the potential of dating—and barely even that, she acknowledged. What did they really have? Jake’s? Pool? A bit of heat, she admitted. A lot of heat. But she’d listened to Brenda tell Bobbie all the gory details of what Robin had confided the year before —

Jason had shared all those things with Carly, too.

What did she really know about him other than he picked up women in bars and cheated on town sweethearts?

Elizabeth played the message a third time, then deleted it.

Even if it wasn’t Carly, any woman would hesitate with the information she now possessed.

But it was Carly — and that made all the difference. Whatever she and Jason might have had was over. She exhaled slowly — she should make her point and stay home tonight. Surely, Jason would understand if she just didn’t show.

But maybe he wouldn’t. After the accident, she knew he sometimes had trouble with those kinds of cues. Did she owe it to him to explain herself? Would he seek her out if she didn’t show?

Now she was overthinking again, just like she always did. She went to Jake’s on Friday nights. If she didn’t go tonight, she was letting Carly win again.

And she was done letting Carly control any piece of her life.

10
I’m tired of feeling like the bad guy
And you’re tired of making me cry

Elizabeth smirked as she counted out the twenties Zander Smith had just slapped down on the pool table. “I don’t know why you thought you thought you had a chance,” she said, folding the bills in half and sliding them into the back pockets of her jeans.

Zander glared at her, snagging his beer from the edge of the table. “You’re just a goddamn shark. Pretending you barely played in college–”

“Is that how I described it?” Elizabeth asked the man slouched against the wall. “I thought I was pretty clear—”

“Your college team won nationals, and you were MVP,” Patrick Drake, an intern from General Hospital,  replied with a jerk of a shoulder. “His fault for not asking for more details.”

“Ah, fuck you.” Sour, the man slunk off towards the bar to order another drink.

Elizabeth snorted, then started to chalk up her cue. “You wanna take me on?” she asked Patrick.

“Not even a little bit,” he said pleasantly. “You kicked my ass the first time. Unlike Smith, I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

“Spoilsport,” she muttered. Most of Jake’s regulars had played and lost to her at least once, and very few came for a second round. She’d been able to almost pay off her car hanging at the bar over the last year—

“Good, Morgan’s here to stop your reign of terror,” Patrick said. Startled, she jerked up and missed her shot, the cue ball slapping uselessly against the felt walls of the table. She turned to the darkened hall that led to the entrance, wincing when his familiar form entered the bar.

“You’re just in time,” Patrick said to Jason, tossing a cue at him. “She’s already murdered the new guy, and Smith was dumb enough to play her again.” He picked up his whiskey. “I need a refill. You want something?” he asked Jason.

“I’ll get it,” Jason told him, and Patrick nodded, sauntering off to the bar. Elizabeth wrinkled her nose as her sort of friend left her mostly alone with the man she was trying to avoid.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here tonight,” Elizabeth said, meeting his eyes briefly. Then, she glanced away, sliding around him to reset the table.

“We made plans, didn’t we?” Jason said, narrowing his eyes. His fingers curled tightly around the stick. “Didn’t we?” he repeated when she didn’t say anything.

Now that she had the chance to shake him loose, she found she didn’t really know how to do it. Maybe she should just be casual about it. He couldn’t be that invested, after all. Maybe he’d be mad he wasted time, but there had to be a thousand other women who could look past Carly and Robin—

“What do you mean?” she asked. She hooked her thumbs in the belt loops of her jeans. “I just didn’t think you’d make it. You’ve got a lot on your mind.” When he took a step towards her, she stepped back, and his eyes darkened. “Look—”

“You heard,” Jason said with a grimace. “I wanted to tell you first—I didn’t realize it would spread so fast—”

He stepped towards her again, but this time she held her ground. She tilted her head up to meet his eyes, the light blue almost black in the shadows of the bar. Their bodies brushed against one another, and shivers slid down her spine.

“Look, it’s nothing personal,” she managed, licking her lips. “It’s just I made a rule a long time ago that I was going to stay as far away from Carly Roberts as I could—”

“What does she have to do with this?” Jason demanded. “I don’t want to be with—”

“She’s the mother of your child—”

He hissed, then looked up at the ceiling. “Goddamn it.”

“She’s a terrible person—”

“But I’m not her—”

“She’s living with you, isn’t she?” she said. “I mean, look, it’s great that you’re stepping up and all that, but you’re about to be connected to her for next eighteen years, if not longer. There’s no way in hell I’m getting on that roller coaster—”

He gritted his teeth, tossed the pool cue on the table, and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “Come with me.”

“Hey, hands off—” She slapped at his chest, and he released her immediately. “We flirted a few times, but you don’t get to drag me anywhere—”

“That’s not—” Jason took a deep breath, dipped his head. When he looked back up and met her gaze, he looked more his old self — like the sweet, sexy, frustrating guy she’d been flirting with all these nights, not the angry, irritated jackass who had clearly come to the bar to grab at her ass. “Let me explain,” he said finally. “Please, Elizabeth.”

Damn. She really was weak, wasn’t she? All he’d had to do was say please, and her name—dropping his voice a whole octave like that should be a crime, she thought bitterly. “All right. Fine. Explain. If you can.”

11
We could try this at another time
But I think that we could both use some space

Even as he grabbed a set of keys from Jake, the bartender and owner, he had a sinking feeling that no matter what he told her, she’d still look at him like he was something she’d scraped off her shoe.

Why did everyone give a damn about who the father of Carly’s kid was? Why did Brenda have to go and tell Robin? Why was Elizabeth acting like it changed everything?

“I hope you’re not getting any ideas,” Elizabeth muttered as he unlocked the door to one of the run-down rooms over the bar. There wasn’t much to the room—just a plain double bed with a squeaky mattress, some dingy nightstands, and a dresser that was missing a drawer.

“No, I just—” He closed the door. “Look, it’s not what you think.”

“You don’t owe me any explanations.” She jerked a shoulder. “We’re not dating. I mean, maybe we almost—” Elizabeth arched a brow. “You don’t owe me anything,” she repeated. “But I sure as hell hope Robin kicks your ass when she finds out.”

Jason closed his eyes. Damn it. “You know Robin.” Of course, she did. She worked at the hospital, didn’t she? That goddamn building.

“Uh, yeah—” Elizabeth started to roll her eyes, then cleared her throat. “Right, look, you hate talking about things before your accident, so I didn’t say anything. We all grew up together here, Jason. Robin and I went to high school together. We lost touch when I went to college in Boulder.” She folded her arms. “I moved home for the nursing program—I think you’d just gotten out of the hospital. You and I didn’t really have a reason to reconnect after your accident,” she continued, “but Robin and I were always friendly.”

He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I didn’t know that,” he muttered. “I know you just said that but—”

“It’s fine. I’m sure it sucks to have this kind of thing pop up—” She shook her head. “Anyway. All I’m saying is that it’s one of the reasons I’m cutting this off before it gets complicated. It’s not just about Carly. It’s mostly because of her,” she continued, “but I don’t sleep around. And I’m not about to start anything with a guy who’d cheat on Robin after—”

“I didn’t—” Jason snapped, then closed his mouth when she frowned at him. “What’s your problem with Carly? You don’t even know her—”

“You really don’t pay attention to anything outside your little bubble, do you?” she asked coolly. “Carly and I enrolled in the nursing program together, and she’s hated me almost since the first day I met her. I don’t know why. Maybe because Robin and I were friendly, and she hated Robin. She tried to get me kicked out of the program. Repeatedly. She’s not a pleasant person to be around, but hey, maybe she’s good in bed.”

Elizabeth started past him, towards the door, but he flattened his hand against the thin wood, holding it closed. “I want to go,” she said.

“No, look, you didn’t give me a chance—” He grimaced as she turned to glare at him, her dark blue eyes flashing. They were close again, pressed against each other, and she shifted, trying to edge away.

He was going to have to tell her the truth. There was no way out of this. If he kept it from her, she’d always see him as the asshole who’d slept around on a woman he’d loved and respected.

And he was going to have to call Robin with the truth and hope she’d understand, he realized. He might have been able to ignore it for a few weeks, but Elizabeth, standing in front of him with a mixture of hurt and disgust, made him think of how Robin must be feeling.

He couldn’t stand for either of them to think he was this person. He wasn’t. And if it meant he had to break his agreement with Carly to keep it a complete secret, then fine.

“It’s not true,” he said finally. “About Carly, I mean.”

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed into slits. “What about her? That she’s a terrible, nasty bitch? What, you think because she’s pregnant—”

“No, I mean, it’s not true about Carly and me. It’s not my baby.”

Elizabeth closed her mouth, drawing her brows together in confusion. “What are you talking about—”

“Carly panicked.” Sensing that Elizabeth might not make a run for it, Jason stepped back, his hand sliding away from the door. “She overheard Tony making custody arrangements. He’s threatening to take the baby from her. Cut her out of everything.”

“Good for him,” Elizabeth muttered. “Why is that your problem?”

“It wouldn’t be,” Jason admitted, his chest tightening, “if Tony was the baby’s father. You can’t tell anyone. I promised her I wouldn’t.”

“Tony’s not the father? Oh, God. Of course, he’s not.” Elizabeth scoffed. “Well, he deserves the humiliation for what he did to Bobbie, but—”

“AJ is,” Jason cut in. “And he knows there’s a possibility. He told her he’d take the baby from her, too. And with the Quartermaines behind him, she’ll never see the baby again. I know she’s done terrible things,” he continued, “but that’s not why they’ll do it.”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together, then folded her arms. “They’ll do it because the baby’s a Quartermaine, and she’s not.”

“They’ll take that baby from Carly and raise it to be just like AJ. Or Tracy. Or Ned. Lying, backstabbing—”

“They also raised Jason Quartermaine,” she said gently. “And he wasn’t any of those things.”

“No, but he was dumb enough to get into a car and get his brains bashed in,” Jason retorted. “Carly’s not a good person, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have any power. They’ll run over her, and she’ll never be able to stop it.”

“Okay,” she drawled, “but if AJ knows there’s a possibility, and Tony’s already demanding a paternity test, how is this supposed to go—”

“Carly just needs time,” Jason said, relieved she was hearing him out. If Elizabeth could accept and understand, Robin would, too. They wouldn’t think he was a terrible person. “After the baby is born, she’s going to leave—”

“She’s definitely not going to do that,” Elizabeth muttered, and Jason frowned at her. “You really think she’s going to walk away? You said she panicked, Jason. You’re giving her time to think of another way to screw with people.”

“No, I told her I’d help her disappear—”

“She’s going to use this time to figure out how to use you,” Elizabeth interrupted. “And how to manipulate AJ. She’s got both of you on the hook now with Tony as a backup. She’s panicking, but she’ll recover.” She narrowed her eyes. “She always does, and she’s got millions of dollars in motivation.”

“But—”

“I’m glad it’s not your kid,” Elizabeth continued, “and thank you for trusting me. I won’t tell anyone,” she promised, “but it doesn’t change anything for me.”

Jason blinked. He hadn’t expected that. “I didn’t cheat on Robin,” he said because maybe he hadn’t made that clear. “And Carly is only going to be around for a few weeks—”

“If Carly so much as guesses that you and I know each other.” She wiggled her fingers. “She will make me pay for it. Even if you backed out now, she’d want to know why. I don’t need that in my life. I’m sorry. Carly nearly ruined my life last year. She only forgot about me because we’re not around each other anymore. I’m not giving her the chance to come after me again.”

“I won’t let her—”

Elizabeth leaned up, brushed her lips lightly across his, and it felt like a goodbye—he couldn’t let that happen—Jason tugged her closer, sliding an arm around her waist, drawing against him, deepening the kiss, pouring every bit of frustration and desire he could—he couldn’t let her just walk away—

She pressed both her hands against his chest, pushing gently, and he let her go, reluctantly. His hands slid away from her, over her hips, his thumbs brushing the bare skin between her sweater and jeans. She shivered. “Don’t go,” he murmured, dipping his head one more time. But she blocked him, placing her hand over his mouth.

“Your first mistake is thinking you can control Carly. I’m sorry. I really am. But I can’t do this again.”

Jason frowned, opened his mouth to ask what the hell Carly had done to her, but she’d reached behind her and opened the door. He stepped back, swallowing hard.

“Good luck,” Elizabeth told him, wistfully, looking over her shoulder. “You’ll need it.”

12
For a few weeks, months, maybe a year
I could work on myself, you focus on your career

Lorraine Miller sipped the cheapest beer Luke’s had to offer and studied the man whose name was emblazoned on the sign out front. A girl had to plan for the future, and Lorraine knew hers was up in the air.

Mercy had fired her after finding out that she’d played around with some files, but she’d been able to land another job at General Hospital due to a nursing shortage. Eventually, once the holidays were over, word would begin to spread. There were plenty of people who knew why she’d been fired—it was insane to think no one at GH would find out—

And that would be the end.

Lorraine wasn’t about to find herself on the outside looking in. She needed to get out of Port Charles and head somewhere else that didn’t know about her. That couldn’t torpedo her career. She’d made the mistake of trusting Carly, and now her life was in the gutter.

But you needed money to start over somewhere else, and Lorraine was completely tapped. Carly had managed a few meager payments, but she hadn’t been able to tap Tony Jones for much, but Lorraine had set her eyes on bigger fish.

Luke Spencer might be interested in making Carly’s secrets go away. After all, wasn’t he keeping one of the most damaging? But he also had a reputation that sent chills down her spine, so maybe she should save Luke as a last resort.

There were babydaddys on the hook, and maybe now Carly had access to the millions in Jason Morgan’s accounts. Yeah— Lorraine finished the last of her beer. She had options, and it was time Carly understood that.

Either Carly would pay Lorraine to keep her mouth shut, or her secrets were going on the auction block.

13
It’s kinda scary, the futures so unclear

Tony gritted his teeth as he saw a familiar figure turn a corner and walk towards him, towards the bank of elevators.

Carly had one hand at the small of her back and the other cradling the bump of her belly as she turned to talk to the man following her. One of the goons that Jason Morgan had given her. He hadn’t waited long to make his mark, Tony thought sourly, as his ex-fiancée slowed her approach.

He’d been sloppy—he’d let her catch him making plans to sue for custody. A few more weeks, the baby would have been born, and he could have been rid of her. But, for now, wherever Carly went, the baby went with her.

“Tony,” Carly said coolly. She tilted her head. “Are you following me?”

“Hardly,” he snorted. “Some of us have jobs.” He snatched up the patient’s chart and stepped out of the nurse’s station. He glared at the guard for a long moment before fastening his gaze on her. “Don’t think Jason and his money can stop me. I’ve already filed paperwork. I will have my son—”

“I told you,” Carly retorted, “he’s not yours—”

“A lie,” Tony scoffed. “It took me long enough to see you,” he said, “but now I know who you are—”

“Do you?” Her lips curved into a smirk. He wondered again at how deftly she’d hidden this part of her. How had he missed it? He’d seen only what he’d wanted.

He’d seen another chance, another dream, another try at love. He should have known. That had disappeared the day Tania was killed in the car accident and crushed when God had taken BJ from him.

He’d been blinded by grief and desperation, but now his eyes were clear, and all he saw was her malevolence.

“What made you the way you are?” he found himself asking softly. “I was good to you—”

“You suffocated me,” Carly bit out. “I was never good enough for you, but I don’t have to settle anymore—”

“You don’t have to—” With dazed laughter, Tony shook his head. “Okay. Sure. Jason might be covering for you now, but when that baby is born—”

“You think I’m lying about being with him?” Carly asked. She stepped closer, her eyes darkening as her smirk deepened. “I’ve been with him more than once. Dozens of times. He couldn’t get enough of me—”

“Shut up—”

“Being with him was the only way I could stomach your disgusting hands on me,” Carly snarled. “Every time you breathed on me, I closed my eyes and pretended you were him—”

Tony hissed, tightening his hands around the chart in his hands. “I wish to God I had never met you. We’ll get the paternity test, and we’ll see what’s true.”

“Yeah, I guess we will.” Carly tossed her hair over her shoulder and sauntered away. The guard flashed Tony a look that looked almost like a mixture of embarrassment and apology, but then he was gone.

This was what she’d reduced him to—quarreling in the halls like a degenerate, having goons feeling sorry for him—

Carly Roberts had humiliated him for the last time.

14
But you’re not the man I need you to be

Elizabeth tossed a five down on the counter, picked up her coffee, turning to make a hasty exit, only to run directly into Brenda. “I’m sorry—”

“No, no, it’s okay—” Brenda held up her hands. “I wasn’t paying attention. It’s been an irritating couple of days,” she muttered. She stepped up to the counter and slid onto one of the stools. “I feel like I haven’t slept since Friday.”

Elizabeth nodded sympathetically. “Lucy running you ragged for the ball?”

“Well, yeah, but—” Brenda snapped open a menu. “I’m feeling torn,” she muttered. “Guilty even.” She twisted and looked at Elizabeth. “Look, if you found out your best friend was being cheated on, you’d tell her, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah, of course—” Elizabeth paused, her eyes widening. Friday. “Wait, Brenda—did you call Robin?”

“Yes, and now you’re making the same face Jason did.” Brenda huffed. “I didn’t want her to hear it from someone else, okay? Mac and Felicia were thinking about it, and didn’t you consider it?”

“No,” Elizabeth said, exhaling slowly. She’d been concentrating on her own pain, tortured at the thought of the one guy who’d held her interest for longer than a minute being tangled up in Carly’s exploits. Maybe she’d have thought about it later, but— “What did you do, leave the hospital and immediately call her?”

“I bet you think I’m a terrible person,” Brenda muttered. “I wasn’t trying to hurt Robin, I wasn’t. I don’t care what Jason says—”

“What does Jason say?”

“That I did it to get back at him, but I didn’t—” she huffed. “I mean—”

“If you didn’t do it to slap at Jason,” Elizabeth said slowly, “then how does he know you did it? Did Robin tell him?”

Brenda made a face, looked down at the counter. “Okay, so this is where I sound like the bad guy.”

Elizabeth sat on the stool next to her. “You told him. You went to see him and told him Robin knew.”

“Yes.” Brenda met her eyes. “So maybe I did that part to hurt him, but I promise it’s not why I told Robin—”

“Maybe not. I know you love her.”

“And so what if I did hurt him?” Brenda demanded. “You know Carly. You and Robin are friends. Jason deserves it.”

Maybe that was true, too. Even if Jason was lying to protect Carly’s secret, it still meant the world thought Jason had cheated on Robin. It must be humiliating—

“It’d be one thing if Jason hooked up with someone else while Robin was away at school,” Brenda continued. “I mean, long-distance is tough, right? And it’s part of why they broke up. But to do it with Carly after everything Robin has already been through?” She shook her head. “Jason deserves it. He does. He deserves to have his life ruined by that bitch—”

“I don’t know if anyone deserves this.” Elizabeth gripped her coffee more tightly. “Is Robin okay?”

“Yeah. I mean, no, but she’s managing, I guess. Maybe I shouldn’t have told her,” Brenda said after a moment. “Mac and Felicia probably could have been talked into not saying anything, and no one else really knows how to get in touch with her, right? I mean, except you, and why would you even care? You and Jason barely know each other.”

Elizabeth hesitated, then sipped her coffee. Brenda narrowed her eyes. “Or maybe you do know each other. Didn’t you say you’d basically paid off your car playing pool this year?”

“Jason and I didn’t really run into each other at Jake’s,” Elizabeth said carefully. “Until my schedule changed and I started hanging out there on weekends.” And she knew for sure Carly hadn’t been back to the bar in months—Patrick had helped her out there. “We’ve played a few games.”

Brenda studied her, then shook her head. “That’s not everything.”

“It almost is,” Elizabeth assured her. “After Thanksgiving, we might have—I mean, there was potential,” she admitted. “But it never went anywhere. And now it won’t.” It couldn’t.

“Yeah, I guess not. Jason probably shit himself when Carly showed up at his place to tell him she’d been lying to Tony.” Brenda snorted. “As soon as she told him, he must have known any chance with you was over.”

“He didn’t—” Elizabeth sighed. “He doesn’t really know what happened with her. And he still doesn’t know the details.” She didn’t want him to feel worse than he probably already did, and what was the point? Jason was tied up with Carly now. If he backed out, Carly would wonder why.

And she’d come gunning for Elizabeth all over again. No, thanks.

“I’m sorry, Elizabeth. The Jason I thought I knew—” Brenda shook her head. “I can accept that what happened in September wasn’t his fault, as much as I want to make it his, but this? This isn’t the man I knew.”

“People can surprise you,” Elizabeth said faintly. “I need to get going. I’ll see you around.”

15
So I’ll say goodbye for now
I don’t know for how long

Carly had nearly made it out of the hospital when she spied a familiar redhead walking down the hall. Intending to swoop in and get in some jabs, Carly ducked into an empty patient room, closing the door to give her the element of surprise.

Before Bobbie passed the room, however, Carly heard another voice. She edged the door open slightly, then clenched her jaw.

Elizabeth Webber. Of course.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Bobbie touched the younger woman’s arm gently. “How’s it going? You look tired.”

“I’m fine.” Elizabeth paused. “How’s Lucas?”

“Better than he was on Friday,” Bobbie said. “He actually refused to go for his weekend with Tony,” she continued, “but he’s come around to feeling sad for his father.”

“Oh, good. Lucas has such a sweetheart,” the younger woman continued. Carly rolled her eyes. God, could she be more fake? “I knew he’d realize that they’ve both been hurt. I do feel bad for Tony. I tried not to,” she added, “considering what you’ve been through, but—”

“I know. I just hope this is the last drama Carly will cause for all of us. Once this baby is here and we all know the truth, she’ll be around the hospital less.”

“I doubt it,” the brunette muttered. “She’s like a cockroach.”

Carly narrowed her eyes. Fucking bitch. She’d loathed Elizabeth Webber from day one. Carly had arrived at her first day of the nursing program, looking forward to spending more time with Bobbie so she could really dig the knife in when Carly destroyed her life—

But no, stupid, little Lizzie Webber was there, with her dumb doe eyes and history with Bobbie. She was a fucking hospital legacy thanks to her grandparents and Bobbie’s goddaughter—

Carly’s biological mother fawned all over the wench like she was important. More proof that Bobbie Jones was a terrible mother. She couldn’t even recognize her own daughter standing right in front of her.

“That might be true,” Bobbie agreed, “but she can’t hurt you anymore. She flunked out of the program—”

Elizabeth was right to worry about Carly — she hadn’t forgotten the reason she’d been kicked out of the nursing program, and somehow she’d make Elizabeth pay.

“Maybe, but—” Elizabeth paused. “This whole thing—with Jason—”

“Jason’s made several terrible choices since the accident,” Bobbie said bluntly, “but this is the worst.” There was a pause. “You seem more upset I am about all of this, darling. What’s wrong?

“Jason and I—we were—well, we’ve been flirting, I guess—” Elizabeth sighed. “We were supposed to have our first date on Friday, but I told him I couldn’t. I just can’t go through with this.”

Jason had almost started dating Elizabeth Webber?

Maybe Carly would have to deal with the bitch sooner rather than later.

16
But the time has come
That we don’t get along
So goodbye for now

Lorraine shifted uncomfortably, keeping one eye on the security desk and another on the elevators from the parking garage. She’d already been waiting too long in the lobby of Harborview Towers. The hulking men behind the desk had been watching her since the moment she entered.

But she was running out of time and patience. She’d gone to the wall for her old friend, and she was going to get what she deserved.

Finally, the doors slid open, and Carly emerged, fat and waddling with her advanced pregnancy. Lorraine darted forward, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it against her chest.

As her hand closed around Carly’s wrist, Lorraine saw the men behind the desk standing up, tensing. “Tell them I’m a friend,” she hissed to Carly, who glared at her.

“It’s fine,” Carly told him, not taking her eyes off Lorraine. “I know her. What are you doing here?” she hissed.

“You know why I’m here. How long do you think before GH finds out I was fired from Mercy?”

“That’s not my problem—”

“I got fired for tampering with records, Caroline,” Lorraine growled. Carly narrowed her eyes at the use of her real name. “Records I changed for you.”

“I paid you—”

“That was before I lost my job. It’s only a matter of time before someone slips up and gossips. GH will find out, and I’ll be fired for lying.” If GH hadn’t been desperately trying to fill a nursing shortage, Lorraine might not have been hired in the first place.

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t—”

“You got this new cushy setup and three guys on the hook,” Lorraine retorted. “At least two of them have serious money. You’re going to make it worth my while to keep my mouth shut.”

“Tony knows the baby isn’t his, so why should I care?”

“That’s not the only secret I’m keeping,” Lorraine purred. “Don’t forget. I know who you are. I know why you’re here. What would Carly think?”

“Carly thinks you’re a bitch—”

“Carly would be horrified that you used her this way,” Lorraine cut in. “Charlotte Roberts was a better person than us both, and you’re the reason she’s dead.”

“Shut up—”

“Does the new baby daddy know who Caroline Benson is? Why you came here to seduce Tony Jones?”

Carly flicked her eyes towards the elevators that led to the upper penthouse levels, then met Lorraine’s eyes. “Yes.”

“You’re lying. You think I’m an idiot, but I’ve been spent days trying to find out what your secrets are worth. Jason Morgan likes Bobbie Jones.” Lorraine’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “What would he think about you coming here to hurt her? Would he keep your secret then? Is that a chance you want to take?”

“What do you want?” Carly growled.

“I want you to make me an offer to shut up and go away,” Lorraine said pleasantly. ” I’m on borrowed time, Caroline, and you’re going to make sure I don’t get screwed, or else I’m going to make you wish you’d never met me.”

“I already do.” Carly yanked her arm out of Lorraine’s grip and stalked away.

17
There’s so much to say
But we’re so damn different

Still seething from the confrontation, Carly closed the penthouse door behind her. She couldn’t run the risk that Lorraine would reveal her true identity. She’d made too many enemies.

Even if Jason decided to keep helping her (and that was a big if since she’d already promised she wasn’t keeping any more secrets), she’d used someone’s information to file taxes, to gain employment. Plenty of people might use that against her.

And more important, Carly wasn’t done getting even. Getting justice. She had a list of people that needed to pay, and Bobbie Jones was at the top. She had to keep Lorraine quiet, but where the hell was she going to get the money—

She turned as she heard footsteps. Jason emerged from the kitchen, tensing when he saw her. Carly waited for him to say something, to ask about her doctor’s appointment, to show some interest.

But he just stared at her, then turned away, heading for the table by the window. “You’re not even going to say hello?” she demanded, wincing when she heard the anger in her voice. She took a deep breath. “What crime did I commit while I was gone?”

“I told you I’d keep your secret,” Jason said flatly. He turned to face her, scrutinizing her. “Until the baby was born. The second you and the baby are healthy enough to leave Port Charles, you’re getting out.”

The first flicker of fear licked at her throat. Everything hinged on convincing Jason to change his mind, to keep her and the baby around longer. She’d hoped to talk him into getting revenge on the Quartermaines, fueling the flames of hate. And Jason was a good person. He might even like the baby and want him.

And then when Carly was back in shape, when she looked good, she’d remind him how good they were together, and she’d finally have the power to destroy the people who had used and thrown her away.

It was a solid plan—but it all fell apart if Jason hated her. What rotten luck for him to be screwing around with another woman who hated Carly, too.

What was it about pasty little brunettes?

“I know people are being terrible,” Carly said slowly, “and I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d get a lot of crap. People don’t usually blame the man—”

“They do when he was dating someone else,” Jason muttered. He dragged a hand down his face, then took a deep breath. “I was with Robin when the baby was conceived. I’d forgotten that.”

Carly perked up. The memory of Robin was already fading, and whatever was happening with the Webber bitch was probably new. Jason was probably just horny and mad that he’d been cut off. She could work with that.

“I’m sorry—” she began, but Jason continued speaking.

“I forgot when you got pregnant,” he added and her mood darkened. “I wasn’t thinking about you until you showed up here.” He shook his head. “The damage is done for now, and people are too mad to listen to me. I’ll figure it out how to fix it when you’re gone.”

That didn’t sound so good. If he had another woman waiting the wings that didn’t have Carly’s baggage, it was going to be harder to seduce him. Carly pursed her lips. Maybe Elizabeth Webber was going to have get out of the picture sooner than Carly had planned.

18
Fought through the pain
Didn’t make a difference

Elizabeth waited impatiently for the elevator doors to slide open, eager to complete her paperwork and get out of the hospital. She would head to Jake’s, find someone to challenge in pool, and drink her cares away.

She stepped off the elevator and grunted as someone turned the corner at the wrong moment and slammed into her.

“Hey, watch where you’re going—Oh.” Lorraine wrinkled her nose. “It’s you.”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Elizabeth folded her arms. “What are you doing around GH?” she asked. “I thought you worked at Mercy.”

” Unfortunately, things didn’t work out there. I just started here last week. ” Lorraine shifted from one foot to the other. “You must be nearly ready to graduate,” she said, forcing a polite smile. “Heading back to Denver?”

It was Boulder, but that didn’t matter. “I have to things to do,” Elizabeth said, not interested in bantering with the irritating brunette.

“Oh, look, don’t be that way,” Lorraine said, grabbing Elizabeth’s arms. “I know we didn’t really vibe when I was in the program, but that was a year ago—”

“Not long enough. How’s Carly?” Elizabeth said pointedly. Lorraine had been as thick as thieves with Carly, graduating the nursing program not long after Elizabeth and Carly had begun. Any friend of Carly Roberts was no one that Elizabeth was interested in knowing.

“The bane of my existence. I don’t know how I forgot what she was like,” the other woman muttered. “She was a pain in the ass in high school, too, but I let myself forget it.”

“High school?” Elizabeth squinted. “I thought you guys met in college—”

Lorraine blinked. “Right. That’s what I said.”

It wasn’t, but Elizabeth really did not give a flying shit. “Whatever.”

“Wait, you didn’t let me finish—”

“And I’m not going to—”

“But I’m on your side now,” Lorraine said. “We both hate Carly. Don’t you want to get even?”

“No, I really just want to forget she ever existed—” But the universe just refused to let Elizabeth have that fantasy. “And you weren’t just her friend, Lorraine. You nearly got me kicked out, too. You forged that letter—”

“Yeah, but that’s because Carly lied about you! That’s what she always does, you know? She lies.”

Elizabeth hesitated. Did Lorraine know about Carly’s newest antics? “Yeah, I know. But you helped her.”

“I know, and it’s got me nothing to show for it,” Lorraine muttered. She folded her arms with a huff. “Is she even grateful? No! She knocks down one person and heads right for the next. I feel sorry for the guy that she’s shacked up with now. He has no idea what he’s in for.”

“He has some idea,” Elizabeth said without thinking, and Lorraine perked up.

“You know him? Can you help me get in touch? I know he’d want some dirt—”

“I am not getting involved,” Elizabeth said with a shake of her head. She turned and started for the nurse’s station. Lorraine followed her. “And you shouldn’t either. If you’ve seen how horrible she is, then you should stay away.”

“I can’t.”

“Lorraine—” Elizabeth sighed and looked back at her one more time. “Look, don’t get in the middle of this with Jason and Carly. And all the other people involved. I’m serious. If Carly finds out you’re turning on her, she’ll just make your life miserable. Just look at what she did to me last year.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised she had time to go after you considering she was seducing that guy away from his family. You know, she’d never tell me why she hated you,” Lorraine continued, “but, man, she wanted to do some real damage.”

“Well, she did. I ended up arrested and nearly kicked out of the program, and thanks to her, my grandfather’s last memory of me—” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “The last thing my grandfather thought about me was that I was a spoiled brat, trading on the family name to get myself out of trouble. Do you have any idea what that’s like?”

“I’m sorry,” Lorraine said, and this time she sounded almost sincere. “Carly has a way of making sure you want to be on her side. I thought it was better to work with her than against her. But that’s what I’m trying to fix now, okay? I’m going to find a way to make her pay.”

“Good for you. Just leave me out of it.”

19
Drives me insane how you’re so indifferent
And I don’t wanna waste your time

Lorraine was going to be a problem, Carly thought darkly, as she watched her former friend walk away from Elizabeth. She’d come to the hospital to see if she could help the administration get rid of Lorraine sooner and had found the two talking intently, both looking irritated.

The only person Lorraine and Elizabeth had in common was Carly. The last thing Carly needed was Lorraine to tell Elizabeth about Tony and AJ. If Elizabeth suspected Jason wasn’t this baby’s father, she’d scream it from the heavens to get rid of Carly and keep Jason for herself.

Carly waited for Lorraine to get on the elevator before taking action. Then, she stalked over to the nurse’s station.

“You look so tired, Lizzie,” Carly said with a sweet smile, fluttering her lashes. “It’s a shame that you can’t take more time off to get a life.”

Elizabeth reached for a pen and started scrawling something on the papers in front of her. And said nothing.

Carly narrowed her eyes. Little bitch was going to try to pretend she wasn’t there? Ignore her? Not when Carly knew exactly how to get a rise from her.

Knowing how to press someone’s buttons and get their attention was a talent that Carly enjoyed wielding like a weapon.

“But maybe you’re trying to make up for lost time,” Carly continued. “Not that it matters since Grandpa isn’t here to impress anymore.”

Elizabeth’s fingers tightened around her pen, and a muscle in her cheek twitched. Still, the bitch said nothing.

“Your grandmother never thought much of you. At least that’s what everyone says. You barely made it out of high school, and everyone thought you’d flunk out of college—wasn’t Grandpa Steve the only person you had left in the world who believed in you?”

Still nothing.

Nearly growling with the frustration, Carly leaned forward. “Be careful, Lizzie. If you don’t stay away from what’s mine, then I’ll make sure you don’t even have this pathetic job to fill your empty life.”

Elizabeth looked at her then, arching a brow. “I knew if I was quiet long enough, you’d get to the point,” she said in a flat tone.

“Stay away from Jason,” Carly hissed. “He’s mine—”

“Then you should probably tell him that, and not me.” Elizabeth snorted, reaching for another folder. “He gave me the impression that he couldn’t wait to run away as far as he could from you—”

Because Carly knew that was the goddamn truth, at least for the minute, it only made her blood boil hotter. She slapped her hand over the form Elizabeth was filling out, forcing the brunette to look at her. “If you don’t, I’ll make you pay.”

Elizabeth’s eyes remained cool. “With what? You couldn’t get me kicked out of the nursing program, and as you just said, it’s not like I have any family left who cares. You can’t hurt me, Carly. There’s no one left who will listen to you.”

“Really? What about Jason?” Carly said. “Did you tell him your little sob story about what you think I did to you?”

Elizabeth’s lips thinned, but she said nothing.

“Oh, you did?” Delighted, Carly perked up. “And he either didn’t believe you or didn’t care, did he? Maybe you’re not the threat I thought you were.” She straightened, reassured. Jason was still hers for the taking—

“I didn’t tell him the details,” Elizabeth said quietly. “Just that you and I have a history, and I’m not interested in being around you. I just have to wait until he’s done with you. We both know it won’t be long.” Her lips curved in a smile. “After all, if he were yours to keep, you wouldn’t be standing here threatening me.”

Carly opened her mouth, but Elizabeth picked up the folders and walked away. Goddamn bitch. She’d have to give her a taste of her own medicine and remind her that no one crossed Carly Roberts.

20
Love’s got nothing to do with this

Jason hated General Hospital. Every time he was here, he remembered the long recovery after he’d emerged from the coma, the few follow up appointments he’d bothered with, and of course, the time he’d been at the hospital when he’d been shot and Sonny had fired him —

This place held nothing but bad memories, and the last thing he wanted was to be in these halls, but he didn’t have a choice.

He’d done nothing but hurt people that mattered to him, and the other night, the way Elizabeth had looked at him—it brought back that look on Robin’s face when she’d learned he’d slept with Carly.

He had walked away from Carly then. He’d known how terrible she was, how she used people —

Why had he let her back in? And how was he going to get rid of her without making things worse for Elizabeth? Elizabeth was right. If he backed out now, Carly would wonder why. She’d find out about Elizabeth, and whatever mysterious history Carly and Elizabeth shared would make that worse.

Before he could get rid of Carly, he needed help understanding what the hell he’d walked into and how to prevent anyone else from getting hurt.

He stepped up to the nurse’s station. “Uh, Bobbie Jones is supposed to be working today,” he said hesitantly to the nurse on duty. “Can you page her?”

“Sure, give me a second.”

“Thanks.”

He turned towards the waiting area and stopped when he saw a very familiar face turning the corner.

“I thought you were in Paris,” he said without thinking.

Robin Scorpio pursed her lips and folded her arms. “Yeah, well, I didn’t see much point in giving you my travel plans.” She shrugged. “After Brenda called me last week, I mean—”

“I—” Jason shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you are. Well, congratulations,” she said sourly. “I’m sure we can stay out of each other’s way when I start my internship next year.”

She started to walk past him, but he touched her elbow gently. “Wait, can you give me—”

“No, I really can’t.” Robin jerked away from him. “After October, I knew we were both going our separate ways. It’s for the best,” she added. “We want different things, okay? You have this life, and I have mine. I was okay with that, and I thought you were, too.”

“I—” Jason hesitated. “I was. I am,” he corrected. They’d agreed in August and then argued again in October before coming to the exact same realization. Then he’d met Elizabeth, who didn’t seem to give a crap what he did for a living. He’d always love Robin, but she was right. They didn’t want the same things.

“But this isn’t that. This isn’t you moving on two months later, which I can live with, because, God, I left in August. You get to have a life, Jason. I wanted you to be happy and find someone who could accept you. You deserved it—I thought you did. Anyway. But this—” Her voice faltered. “This is humiliating,” she said through clenched teeth. “Why didn’t you tell me when it happened? I wasn’t even in Port Charles, you know? I could have—I could have lived with it, maybe. I don’t know—” She put up her hands before he could open his mouth.

“No, this was the reason we broke up,” she said. “I was never here, and we wanted different things. You just should have told me.”

He wanted to tell her now, to tell everyone, but his concern about Elizabeth was real, and it went without saying that Carly could just as quickly shift her fury to Robin. What would she do if she knew Robin or Elizabeth knew the truth?

He’d hurt them enough. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But I understand if you don’t forgive me.”

Robin frowned, then narrowed her eyes, searching his. “What’s going on?” she asked suspiciously. “You’re acting weird.”

“I just—I hate that this is happening.”

“Yeah, but—” Robin shook her head. “No, I’m not getting involved. I have to go.” She turned on her heel and walked away. Jason sighed, then went back to the nurse’s station to wait for Bobbie.

21
Love’s not enough to go through with this

Carly grimaced, bracing a hand at the small of her back as she lumbered towards Kelly’s courtyard, stopping when she heard a familiar voice.

“Come on, Liz, there’s nothing you can do to help?”

Carly peeked around the corner of the building, scowling when she saw AJ standing near Elizabeth. Why was that bitch everywhere she looked lately?

Elizabeth stood outside the door, a brown paper bag under her arm. “No. I’m not getting involved. And you should stay away as long as you can—”

“That’s not possible. I know it’s my baby—”

Carly growled. She needed to find a way to keep AJ from getting that court order. If she couldn’t bring Jason around by the time the baby was born, she was going to have to seriously consider disappearing. If they wrested control of this baby from her before Carly could get herself some power behind her—she was screwed.

“It’s not my business,” Elizabeth said, and Carly nodded. Damn right. Sounded like she’d learned her lesson.

“I know that, but Mom said you and Carly clashed in the program. After the tests come back, I might need help in a custody battle.” AJ put out a hand to stop Elizabeth from walking away. “Aren’t you tired of her constantly getting away with all this damage? What she did to you? To Bobbie and Tony? To me?”

Elizabeth hesitated. “I’m aware of what she’s done to everyone,” she said, and Carly’s ears twitched at the way the other woman said everyone. If Elizabeth knew there was a possibility that Jason wasn’t the baby’s father—what if Jason had told her? This was bad. This was so bad.

No. No, of course, she didn’t know, Carly reassured herself. If Elizabeth knew, she’d have told someone. Everyone. Her secret was still safe.

For now.

“Just think about it,” AJ told her. “Please. I know I haven’t always been the best person, but I’ve been trying. I am—”

“AJ, what happens if you are the father?” Elizabeth asked. “You know that your family will jump at the first chance they can to point to the drinking—”

“I’m in AA again, and it’ll stick this time. It did last time,” AJ reminded her, and Carly felt that familiar twinge of regret. She really hadn’t wanted to hurt AJ—he had been the closest thing to a friend. He hadn’t been so great in bed, and she didn’t really care much about him, but she hadn’t enjoyed making him think he’d relapsed.

“I’ll think about it,” Elizabeth said, finally. “But I really don’t want to be involved if you can help it. I’ve had enough of Carly Roberts.”

“We all have,” AJ promised.

Carly watched as Elizabeth finally left the courtyard and gritted her teeth. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, stalking out from her corner.

AJ turned, frowning at her entrance. “Where did you come from?”

“You think you and that bitch are going to take my baby from me—”

“And how do you plan to stop me?” AJ asked pleasantly, his smile stopping Carly in her tracks. “The only worth you have to anyone is that baby. As soon as you’re separated from him, you’ll be dragged into court by everyone involved. If I’m not the father—” He paused, arching a brow, “even though we both know I am.”

She bared her teeth. “The hell you are—”

“If I’m not,” he repeated, “if it’s Tony or Jason, it doesn’t matter to me. What you did to me—” He stepped closer to her, and Carly instinctively stepped back, setting a hand over her belly. “I will make sure that you will never touch this baby or have a chance to hurt anyone else again. You’ve done enough damage, Carly. There’s no one in Port Charles willing to help you anymore. You’ve burned all the bridges.”

Carly opened her mouth, but AJ turned his back and walked away before she could manage a response.

22
Love alone won’t make our problems go away
So I’m sorry but I’ve gotta say

Robin couldn’t quite get the conversation with Jason out of her head, and it continued to linger even after she finished meeting with Alan—who could barely look her in the eye. Something didn’t feel right.

Jason had promised her he was done with Carly, and she’d understood how the affair had happened. She’d forgiven it—they weren’t even really dating when it had started, and she knew he’d been telling the truth about it being over.

If Brenda hadn’t told her about the baby, then Robin would have thought it was just another lie. It had to be true—Carly was living with him, after all. Why would Jason put Robin through this if it wasn’t true?

“I’m sorry,” Brenda said as soon as Robin sat down across from her at Kelly’s. “I shouldn’t have called you.”

“Brenda—” Robin wrinkled her nose, reaching for the menu. “You knew I was coming home for Christmas, and you just wanted to warn me—”

“That’s what I said to you, and what I told myself, but—” Brenda sighed and leaned back against the chair. “It’s not why I did it.”

Robin frowned at her. “What are you talking about?”

“I called you, I told you, and then I ran right over to Luke’s because I knew Jason would be picking up the books. I made sure that you knew, and that he knew that you knew. And I made sure I was the one to tell him. I did it to hurt him.” Brenda’s eyes were damp with tears. “Jason told me it was a bitchy thing to do, but I didn’t listen to him. I enjoyed telling him, Robin, twisting the knife.”

“Because of Sonny and the wedding.”

“Yeah.” Brenda’s voice faltered. “Because of how hard it’s been since. I had a nervous break down a few weeks ago, Robin. And Jason’s here. I can scream at him, you know? I was trying to hold it in mostly, but then I broke down, and then—well—I just—I wanted to him to hurt the way I was.”

“Jason didn’t—”

“Didn’t mean to hurt me,” Brenda managed. She smiled, pressing fingertips to the corners of her eyes to dab at her tears. “Yeah. I know. I’m the one that walked down the aisle. I’m the one that forced him to tell me in front of the world. He would have rather done it in private. I just—” Her voice broke on a sob. “I just believed in him so much. In Sonny. In how much I thought he loved me.”

“I know.”

“But he’s not here to scream at. He’s not here to humiliate and hurt. Jason is. And he’s complete shit for what he did to you. For hurting you this way, but I made myself part of it. I hurt you to get back at him. And I’m sorry.”

Robin reached across the table and squeezed Brenda’s hand. “It’s all right. I’m glad you told me when you did. I’m glad I had time to think about it. It’s rough—people are looking at me, and I’m trying not to think about it—but I’m glad I knew. I forgive you.”

“That’s because you’re nicer than me,” Brenda said with a sigh. “Well, at least now, I have a good reason to hate him. And not just because of what he did to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh.” Brenda grimaced. “I mean, it doesn’t matter. Elizabeth said they were sort of—well, they weren’t dating, but maybe thinking about it?” She shrugged. “She said Jason didn’t know Carly had basically tortured her, but how could he not have known? You helped Elizabeth get out all that trouble last year.”

“I don’t think I ever—” Robin struggled to focus. Jason had been seeing someone else? He’d started a new relationship? With Elizabeth? “I don’t think I ever told him much. Jason wasn’t interested in the hospital, and I helped Elizabeth, yeah, but not a lot.”

“That’s why I’m glad you guys ended up breaking up,” Brenda pointed out. “You want to be a doctor, and he can’t be bothered to listen to you talk about your job which matters so much to you—”

“It wasn’t like that. He was just—there was a lot going on, and I—” Robin shook her head. “You’re looking for reasons to hate him, Bren, and this just isn’t one of them, okay? What he did to me, yeah. That’s a reason, I guess. And I’m sorry to hear Elizabeth was mixed up in this.”

“Weird, huh, to think they were almost dating, huh?” Brenda asked. “I think back to high school. You both had such a crush on Jason Quartermaine.” She sipped her water. “And then you both ended up catching Jason Morgan’s eye.”

“Yeah, strange.”

“And Carly poisoned the well for both of you,” Brenda said. Her eyes darkened. “I hate her for what she did to you. And I just know that something isn’t right about all of this. I wish someone would get rid of her. For good.”

23
I gotta say goodbye for now
I don’t know for how long

Elizabeth was overjoyed not to work the Christmas Eve party. Surrounded by happy people celebrating the holiday season made her want to vomit most of the time, but especially this year—

She’d always loved Christmas growing up with her grandparents, and she’d attended the Christmas Eve party every year until she’d left for college. First, as a child listening attentively to her beloved grandfather reading out loud to the children in the hospital, then as a teenager volunteering as an elf to pass out gifts and lead the kids in carols—

Then she’d come back from college. Her grandmother had died at Christmas, their last argument echoing in Elizabeth’s head every time she saw a Christmas tree. Audrey’s doubt that Elizabeth would be able to complete the program convinced that she didn’t have what it took to be a nurse—

Then her grandfather had died, and Alan Quartermaine had taken over reading to the children—

She had spent all her favors to get out of the hospital this year. She wanted to get a bottle of wine at the liquor store and curl up on her sofa away from anyone trying to spread any Christmas cheer—

Then Epiphany Johnson, the nursing program director, flagged her down just as Elizabeth pressed the button for the elevator.

“I’m glad I caught you,” Epiphany began briskly.

“I’m not working—” Elizabeth began, sure that she was about to be screwed over. If they even tried to make her take a shift, she would absolutely riot—

“I’m afraid that’s not the problem. We need to head to the conference room.” Epiphany’s expression was grim. “Your union rep is already there.”

Elizabeth stared at her, then swallowed hard. The last time she’d heard those words, her life had nearly been destroyed.

She’d dared Carly to find something else to take away from her. She should have known better.

24
But the time has come
That we don’t get along
So goodbye for now

Elizabeth stalked up to the bar, a scowl stretched across the face. She slapped down a twenty and said to the bartender, “How much vodka will this buy?”

Jake, the pretty curly-haired blonde bartender, raised a brow and bent down under the bar. She came up with a bottle of Grey Goose. “I’ll toss in the extra fifteen if you tell me what crawled up your ass and died.”

“Sold.”

Jake poured them each a shot, and Elizabeth tossed back the alcohol, feeling the burn slide down her throat. “I’m on probation,” she said. “Again.”

Jake pursed her lips, refilled the shot glass, then drank her own. “Not after everything that happened last year.”

“I don’t know how the hell that bitch managed it,” Elizabeth muttered. “Who would even listen to her?” She drank the second shot.

Jake refilled it without a word. “Sorry about it, kid. The hospital is lucky to have you.”

“What does it even matter now?” Elizabeth said, staring into the glass. Her grandfather was gone and had died thinking Elizabeth was a failure, just like her grandmother had. Neither of her parents had thought she’d amount to anything. Wasn’t that why they’d dumped her on her grandparents basically at birth?

Maybe they were right. Maybe she was nothing.

She felt someone sit next to her, and she turned her head, ready to politely ask them to slide down another stool.

Except it was Jason sitting next to her, and he looked concerned. “Oh, hell no.” Elizabeth grabbed the vodka from Jake, her empty glass, and started across the room.

“Elizabeth, can you just let me—”

“Absolutely not—” She whirled around, only to find that he’d followed her. Her chest bumped into his, and she almost lost her balance, the three quick vodka shots already swirling in her empty stomach. He caught her with an arm around her waist, drawing her against him. Her cheeks flushed, heat spreading all over.

“I should have slept with you,” she muttered. Elizabeth shoved him away, then continued across the bar to find a dark corner where Carly’s spies (she had to have them, how had she known about her and Jason in the first place?) might not see her. “At least then I’d have that to comfort me in the unemployment line.”

She ignored the shot glass and took a long pull from the bottle itself. Jason dragged a chair out and sat down. “Bobbie called me—”

“I hope Carly didn’t overhear that,” Elizabeth said darkly. She poured the vodka into her glass and shoved it at him. “If I drink this entire bottle by myself, I might actually die.”

Jason ignored the shot glass. “She said you’d been written up because of Carly. I don’t understand—”

“Don’t you?”  Elizabeth met his eyes, miserable. “I told you. I told you that this would happen. If we had kept going, she was going to make me pay for it. I told you—”

“I know, but—”

“I said she tried to get me kicked out of the program. You didn’t listen to me. How did she know about me? There’s not even anything to know—we flirted, you know. There was some pool and some—” Well, he’d driven her home a few times, and there were those kisses— “Did you tell her?”

“No, can you just let—”

“My grandfather was the only one who never looked at me that way,” Elizabeth said, ignoring him now. Her throat tightened, and her eyes burned. “Never looked at me with that Oh, Lizzie look. But then he did, and he died not believing in me, and it was all her fault.” She took another pull from the vodka, her head beginning to swim.

She just wanted it to go away.

“Elizabeth—” Jason reached for the bottle and took it from her. “Bobbie said you’d been put on probation. I’m sorry—”

“There’s no point in trying to fix this. None. Carly just makes up her mind to destroy someone, and that’s it. She’s single-minded. Last time, she framed me for stealing drugs from the hospital. I got caught red-handed, did you know that? She left a full cart out, and I was putting it back, and I don’t understand—I don’t know how it happened, but everyone believed her, and no one believed me, not even Gramps.”

She put her head in her hands. “I told you I couldn’t do it. That I needed to get Carly out of my life, and you didn’t hear me.”

“I didn’t—” Jason exhaled slowly. “I didn’t realize how bad it was.”

She looked at him, her vision a bit blurred. “So now you do. But you already knew what she was. You knew she’d played with Tony Jones — he’s not perfect, but she went after him, and she humiliated Bobbie. And you know what she did to Robin. So how could you give her another chance?”

“It’s not her—” Jason fisted his hands. “I’m not doing it for her.”

“The kid, right.” Elizabeth snorted. “The kid who’s somehow better off with Carly Roberts than in the Quartermaine Mansion, suffocated by people who just want to control him. She’s using the baby as a meal ticket, Jason. How is she any better?”

“She’s not—”

“Then what’s the point?” Elizabeth shoved her chair back. “Why are you even doing this? She made this bed. Let her fix it.”

“I told her. As soon as the baby is here—”

“She’s not going to do it,” Elizabeth said. She looked around for her purse and coat, then saw Jake holding them up at the bar. “She’s going to keep using you.”

“Not if I don’t let her—”

“How many more people does she have to hurt, Jason, before you get it?” She dragged a hand through her hair, her stomach rolling. “You can’t save her. You can’t fix her. No one can. I feel sorry for that baby. The best thing that could happen if is Carly just disappeared.”

She started towards the bar, and Jason followed her. “Don’t—forget I existed,” she told him. “It’s the only way she’ll leave me alone.” And even then—

“But—”

“If I’m not important enough to you to drop Carly right now, then we have nothing else to discuss.” She lifted her chin, her eyes burning into him. “And I know I’m not because Robin wasn’t enough for you to slam the door in her face when Carly asked for help.”

“I’ll tell her tonight,” Jason said roughly, signaling to Jake to put down the phone where the bartender was likely calling for a cab. “I will. I’ll go right to the penthouse and tell her she has to leave tonight.”

Elizabeth blinked, then wobbled. Jason put his hands on her shoulders to keep her upright. “Wait, what?”

“I’ll tell her she has to go.”

“I—” There was a catch. She narrowed her eyes. “It’s Christmas Eve. So you’ll kick her out on Christmas Eve?”

“If that’s what you need me to do—”

“It’s not—” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “It’s not about what I need because she’ll just destroy me harder now—”

“Then what—”

“I don’t know. It’s complicated now!” She threw up her hands. “I didn’t expect you to agree with me!”

“Okay—”

“You can’t kick her out now,” Elizabeth muttered. She folded her arms. “She’ll just come at me harder, and she’ll do something to hurt you. So we have—” Her stomach lurched, and her head was spinning.

“Let me—” He grabbed her purse and coat. “Let me take you home.”

“Okay.” Exhausted, her head swimming, and confused, Elizabeth leaned against Jason, and they left Jake’s together.

25
But the time has come
That we don’t get along
So goodbye for now

Jason put his arm around Elizabeth’s waist as he helped her up the second set of stairs, bracing her when she swayed slightly.

Everything was wrong. Everything was a mess, and it was all his fault. Robin hated him and thought he was the scum of the Earth, and Elizabeth—the woman he’d thought might be his future—hated him now, too. Why hadn’t he turned Carly away that night?

Why had he let the way he felt about the Quartermaines get in the way—

“I need my keys,” Elizabeth said, the slurred tone fading away, leaving only exhaustion. She leaned against the wall next to her door, her eyes closed. The hallway was as dimly lit as it had been a week earlier—

How much had changed since they’d walked down this hall only seven days ago—

Jason dug inside a pocket in her purse, pulling out the keys and handing them to her. “I’m going to make this right—”

“You can’t.” Elizabeth straightened, and he wished he could see her. Wished her face wasn’t hidden by the shadows so he could see her eyes. He never wondered where he stood as long as he could see them—

“I told you, I’ll tell her to go—”

“And if you do that, she’ll be angry at you. She’ll make it her life’s work to destroy you, and then she’ll blame me. Or maybe she’ll blame Robin. I saw her yesterday. I know she’s home. Carly will think you got cold feet because of that.”

Jason swallowed hard, then tried again. “She’s just a person, Elizabeth. I have power, too—”

“In your world.” Elizabeth pushed her door open, then turned around to face him. “Carly doesn’t come from that world, Jason, and she doesn’t live by those rules. And unless you’re prepared to actually make her disappear—”

He flinched, but she continued, “Then I don’t know what you think you can change. Whatever we might have had—it was over the minute Carly went to you for help. Even if you’d said no, she’d have blamed me for it.”

“That’s not—”

“It’s how Carly operates. She decided to hate Bobbie for no reason at all, and she destroyed Bobbie’s life. And while she was doing that, she found time to repeatedly humiliate Robin, and I guess maybe she went after me because Bobbie cares about me. Or because Robin and I are friends. I don’t know.” Elizabeth sighed. “I’m sorry. I wish it could be different—”

“It can be. We can’t let her win—”

“I can’t do it again.” Her eyes burned. “I can’t. The program is all I have left. If I lose this, there’s nothing here for me, okay? I can’t fight her. I don’t have it in me. I’m sorry. I’m sorry if that makes me weak or a coward. I’m tired of losing, and that’s all I’ve done since Carly put me on the list of people she hates. I hope you get out of this. I hope she lets you go. But I’m not part of it. Not anymore.”

Jason didn’t know what he could say, but he didn’t want to give up. There had to be something he could do or say—

Then a clock somewhere in her apartment began to chime. Once, twice, three times—it continued to chime. Midnight.

Elizabeth smiled sadly, then leaned up to kiss him, fisting her hand in his shirt. He put his hands at her hips, dragging her against him, trying to hold on to any piece of her that he’d let him touch—

“Merry Christmas,” She murmured against his lips, then stepped back. “Goodbye.”

Then she went inside.

So I’ll say goodbye for—