Written in 65 minutes.

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Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Jason kissed Elizabeth’s forehead, holding on one more moment. “We should—we should go downstairs. Spinelli is on his way home. I don’t know if we—” He didn’t even know why he’d called him back to the penthouse. It was nearly eleven. What did Jason think he or Elizabeth could do at this time of night?

But maybe he just wanted Spinelli where he could see him, and now he wished he’d sent a guard to collect the hacker, even though there didn’t seem to be any threat to young college-age boys.

Elizabeth nodded, keeping her eyes closed. “Yeah. I—I’m sure someone is telling M-Monica a-and I don’t know. Maybe you want to just—” Her hand fisted in Jason’s shirt. “Maybe just sitting together will help. I don’t know,” she repeated.

Jason thought about the Quartermaines, the family he had pushed and shoved away for a decade now. There weren’t nearly as many anymore, he thought. Justus had died the year before. Alan. Lila. And now—

All that remained were Monica, Edward, and Ned. And he knew every single one of them had adored Emily. They all had. She and Lila had been the glue for the family, and now—

“Yeah, maybe. I don’t know. We’ll see.” He rubbed her shoulders. “If they call, we’ll go.” He released her, then went to scoop up his phone from the night stand. “Let’s go wait for Spinelli.”

“Jason—” Elizabeth looked at him, and his breath caught because her gaze was so shattered, he wondered if it mirrored his own. He certainly felt that way. His thoughts kept scattering and he didn’t know why. He was usually focus — able to push things aside. Compartmentalize—but right now— “I don’t—” She swallowed hard, closed her eyes again, took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. I’m okay.”

She wasn’t, but he knew what she meant. “We’ll check on the boys one more time,” he promised her. “It’s—it’ll be okay.”

Her lower lip trembled, and she took another breath, but it was shaky. “Yeah. Okay.” But her feet remained planted in the carpet. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just — if we go out there—” Her eyes focused on the door. “If we go out there and Spinelli comes home, we have to tell him, and it’s real. And neither of us—we haven’t said it. I haven’t—we haven’t said it. And we have to, I think, or it won’t be real, but I don’t want it to be real, and I’m—” She released his hand, raked her hands through her hair. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m trying not to do this.”

“Not to do what?” he asked, softly.

“I just want to stand here, and I want to scream, and I want to cry, and I want to hit something, and to—to—destroy something. I want to hurt someone, something—I don’t know, but I can’t do any of that because, well, I can’t, and I don’t know how to breathe. I should know how. I’ve done this before. I’ve lost people before, I know it gets—the day comes when you don’t choke on the grief anymore, but it’s different. It’s Emily, and it’s all the thousand things we don’t ever get to do. She never gets to be a doctor. Never gets to get married again and to laugh and drink hot chocolate with me or—” Elizabeth sucked in a shuddering breath. “And it’s all the ways she’s supposed to be here and just won’t. And it’s so selfish to think about any of it, and I keep putting it away, but it keeps spilling out, and I don’t want to be someone you worry about, and I know that’s how you process when things hurt too much. You lock it all up and focus on someone else and I just—”

She sat on the edge of the bed, dragged in a bracing breath. “Okay. Okay. I can do this. I’m sorry.”

He knelt in front of her, his hands on her knees. She lifted her tear-stained face to look at him. “We’re going downstairs,” he told her gently. “And we’re going to tell Spinelli. And then we’ll go out on the bike if no one else calls. We’ll both feel better.”

“Better.” She sighed. “Yeah, okay. Let’s try that.”

Quartermaine Estate: Foyer

Dillon swallowed hard when a pair of headlights turned into the drive just as Spinelli’s car had disappeared. He waited for the car to reach the house and park.

He knew, of course. He had watched enough television and film to know how this night would end. He’d lost someone essential to his existence, and the world had kept spinning somehow.

And now, Mac was stepping out of the car. The commissioner coming personally. Dillon swallowed hard.

“What are you doing out here this time of night?” Mac asked.

“Lulu, Spinelli, and I were down at the pool house, but Lucky called Lulu and Jason called Spinelli.” Dillon’s eyes burned into Georgie’s stepfather’s. “It’s bad, isn’t it? It happened again.”

“Yeah.” Mac exhaled. “Jason called? The rumors are starting to fly,” he murmured. “Let’s go inside.”

Dillon shoved the front door to the mansion open. At eleven, he knew that there wouldn’t be many people up — was this the kind of thing you woke people up for? “Wait here,” he mumbled at Mac. “I’ll go find someone.”

He found his brother in the family room, pouring over ELQ reports. Ned glanced up briefly at his entrance, then down again—but Dillon’s expression must have registered. He got to his feet. “Dillon. What’s wrong?”

“Um. Monica. We need to—We need her.” Dillon’s fingers felt too big. His head was throbbing. It had happened again. Whoever stole Georgie had taken someone else, and it hurt more now for some reason, because he was already living with the pain, and now—

Ned narrowed his eyes, then strode towards the foyer, Dillon following. He stopped when he saw Mac. Swallowed. “Christ. Mac. You’re here—” He looked back at his brother, then at Dillon. “Say it. Just say it quickly.”

Mac hesitated. “About an hour ago, Emily was found in the parking garage. She’d been—she’s gone, Ned.”

Ned flinched, then looked down, trying to gather his thoughts. Dillon knew his brother took his role as the family gatekeeper seriously. He would absorb the pain, put it away, then be the strong one for Monica and their grandfather. “Okay.”

“We need—I mean, we know who it is,” Mac said, almost awkwardly. “But we need—”

“An official identification,” Ned finished. “Right.” He took a breath. “Let me tell the family—”

“Jason knows,” Dillon said almost immediately, and Ned stopped. “I mean, I think he knows. Lucky called Lu to come down to the pier, I guess to go to tell Nikolas. And Spinelli talked to Jason. Jason wanted him home. I guess maybe someone else called him. Maybe—I mean, maybe he can do it. So that you can stay here. With Monica and Grandfather.”

“Yeah.” Ned rubbed his chin, looked at Mac. “I’ll have someone down there, but if Jason already knows — okay. Um, where?”

“The hospital. I’ll let the front desk know someone will be there. Ned—”

“Just—I’ll handle it from here.” Ned paused. “Mac, was it—was it like—”

“Yes. We suspect it’s the same.”

The same as Georgie. They couldn’t speak her name, but Dillon knew. Mac left, and Ned stared up at the darkened second floor, and Dillon didn’t envy his brother.

“Losing Alan nearly broke Grandfather,” Ned murmured. “But this? Emily? I don’t know how he’ll survive it. And Monica, Christ. How do you do this? How do you destroy someone’s world?”

“By remembering you’re not the one who did it,” Dillon said roughly, and Ned met his brother’s gaze. “You’re just telling someone what happened. But you didn’t do it. The sick son of a bitch who murdered Georgie and Emily and Chelsea—he’s the one that destroyed it.”

“It’s not going to feel that way in a few minutes. I’ll be—” Ned just shook his head and went upstairs.

Dillon waited in the foyer, and what felt like an eternity later, he heard a scream followed by sobs. He sat on the bottom step and put his head in his hands.

Spoon Island: Pier

There was an advantage of having a quick and clever little sister, even though it occasionally gave Lucky a headache. He’d met Lulu at the pier, relieved when Spinelli had been with her, not wanting her to be alone.

She’d known — he could tell in her eyes, because Jason had called Spinelli, and who else did Jason and Lucky have in common? Why would they need to meet at the pier?

He didn’t have to say it, which helped, but the trip over to the island was a quiet one. The launch pilot had been irritated at being dragged out of bed, but he’d taken one look at Lucky’s face and fallen silent. When they arrived at the pier, the pilot tied up the boat and headed over to the gatehouse where he lived, and Lucky and Lulu made the trek up to the main house.

Nikolas kept late hours, and was sipping a whiskey in the study when they arrived at the house. He frowned when the butler announced them both. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Mother? Or Luke—”

Lucky took a deep breath, squeezed Lulu’s hand. “Nikolas. Tonight, in the parking garage at General Hospital, two bodies were found.”

Nikolas’s eyes darkened, and he shook his head. “Don’t say it. Don’t.”

“Emily was one of them.”

“Don’t—” Nikolas’s voice broke. “Don’t say it. It’s not—it’s not. I won’t let it—No!” He gripped the glass in his hand, then threw it at the wall where it shattered. “Don’t say it.” His voice broke. “Please don’t say it. It’s not—”

Lulu went to her brother, embraced him as Nikolas slowly slid to the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks. Lucky stood there, in the entrance. Frozen. He’d said it. It was different now than it had been in the garage. That had been his job. He was on duty. He had an obligation to be cold, to be functional.

But standing here in a room, in a house where Emily had once lived — he could see her now, sitting on the sofa or leaning against Nikolas’s desk, smiling back at them, with that wicked smirk and glint in her eye.

The disappointment that had dulled her gaze when he’d seen her last. He’d never reached out after the custody trial, still ashamed at how far it had gone—

And now there would never be another chance.

Patrick’s Condo: Living Room

Patrick silently slid home the bolt in the door as Robin drew off her coat. He’d wanted her here where he could look at her and keep reassuring himself that she was alive, that she wasn’t lying in a morgue, not like—

His mind skittered away from that—from thinking about who was actually gone and who’d they lost because how did you wrap your mind around something that couldn’t be true? He’d just seen Leyla—she’d been one of the nurses on his patient’s case, and they’d exchanged greetings. And Emily—

How were they gone? How could it be possible—

Robin sat on the sofa, her eyes staring ahead, still somehow unseeing. The silence in the room felt like it would choke them.

“She was the sweetest kid,” Robin murmured. “I forget sometimes that we’re close in age because I feel like I watched her grow up.” She looked at him. “She moved in with the Quartermaines just before Jason’s accident, around the time Stone’s health started failing, so I don’t think I really got to know her before that. Jason tried like hell to distance himself from anyone with the name Quartermaine, but not Lila, and not Emily. You couldn’t stop yourself from loving Emily.” Her voice trembled. “Lila was grace personified, you know. Elegant and lovely, and warm. That was good for Jason, but Emily — Emily was light and air and sweet. She was silly and—” Robin squeezed her eyes closed. “She made Jason laugh which was so hard back then, and it’s how I met her.”

Patrick sat next to her. “Hard to think about him smiling or laughing.”

“He doesn’t show that side to many people. He learned how to guard himself after the accident. But Emily — he could never hold himself back from her. She struggled so hard. She  had a pill addiction, did you know that?”

“No.” Patrick frowned. “No. When?”

“Just a teenager. She started using drugs, God, when she was just fifteen. She tried to fly off the Quartermaine roof, but Jason and Ned stopped her—we were all so scared. But she got help, and she got clean, and then—” Robin’s breath was shaky. “I keep thinking if I had gone, maybe we would have been late. Maybe Emily could have waited for me to run my tests, and we wouldn’t have been there. And Leyla could have gone on with her night. But I—”

“You know better.”

“I do. I do. But I just—I also think maybe I would have been in that parking garage at the wrong moment, and it would be me there.” Robin met his eyes. “But I stayed behind. I didn’t feel up to a girl’s night. Not after I realized—” She swallowed hard. “I stayed behind, Patrick. To run a test.”

He frowned. “You said that before. What test?”

“You’re the reason I wasn’t in that parking garage,” she murmured. “A choice I made to make the world stop. And it’s why my world keeps going. It’s so odd.”

His heart began to pound. “Robin.”

“I’m pregnant.” The words escaped her lips in a rush that he almost couldn’t hear, but he did. “That night. You, um, you need to get a blood test. We should be fine because my viral load is—but I’m pregnant.”

“Pregnant.” The blood pounded in his ears, and he stared at her. “As in—”

“Sometime in June, I think, we’ll—well I’ll have a baby. You—I don’t know what you want. But—” She met his eyes. “I’m pregnant, Patrick. I was running those tests in the lab when Emily and Leyla died. It was supposed to be me, but it wasn’t. And now I get to keep breathing, and they don’t, and I feel so guilty, but I don’t know how to stop being happy and sick all at the same time—” She closed her eyes. “Can you say something that’s not repeating the word pregnant or my name?”

He so badly wanted to say something profound or useful or happy or just something, but the words—he’d forgotten every word in the English language that wasn’t Robin or pregnant. He licked his lips. “I—you’re pregnant.” When she just shook her head, Patrick tried again. “No, okay, let me—okay. This is okay. It’s okay.”

“It’s okay,” Robin repeated. “Are you—”

“Yes.” Patrick took a deep breath. He didn’t know if he’d be any good at this, hadn’t been entirely sure he wanted it, but somehow it was here. And if Robin hadn’t been running tests, she’d have been lost to him forever, so — “Yeah, this is okay. I’m okay. And you’re okay. And we’re going to be okay together. That’s what I got right now.”

“Okay,” she repeated. “Well, that’s something.” She leaned against him and he stroked her hair. “I’m going to miss her.”

“Me, too.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Spinelli unlocked the front door, and went inside, finding Jason and Elizabeth sitting on the sofa, both fully dressed. Elizabeth’s eyes were rimmed with red, swollen, and Jason—

Oh, it was something interesting to see Jason’s eyes nearly as red as Elizabeth. “The Jackal apologizes for his delay. Fair Lulu needed to meet her brother and he did not want to leave her alone. Not when he suspected—” He swallowed hard. “He suspects bad news. Noble Emily?”

Elizabeth’s lips parted, and she closed her eyes. Jason nodded swiftly. “Yes. It’s—yes.”

“Okay.” Spinelli swallowed hard. He quite liked Jason’s sister, and she’d been so kind to him. “Okay. How can the Jackal be of service?”

“We need you to stay with the boys,” Jason said roughly. “Ned called. He needs—” He faltered, and Elizabeth touched his arm.

“Ned asked Jason to identify her,” Elizabeth said. “So we need to go to the hospital. You’ll look after them? They should sleep until the morning. I don’t know how long we’ll be.”

“The Jackal will see it done. Whatever you need. He is—” Spinelli fisted his hand. “Is it—it’s the same? It has happened again.”

“Yes,” Jason managed. “They think it’s the same. We need to—we need to go.”

“Of course. Take your time, Stone Cold. The Jackal will defend the castle.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, squeezing his arm as they passed. “We couldn’t do this without you.”

He watched them go, thought of the terrible task they’d been asked to do, and hoped that somewhere, the villain who had stolen those sweet lights from the world was counting his days.

There wouldn’t be many of them left.

Written in 64 minutes.

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Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

He’d been irritated when he’d heard Sonny’s voice on the other end of the line. His partner knew Jason was spending the day with his family — had known he was hoping to find the right moment to ask Elizabeth to marry him — so when he’d heard Sonny’s voice, he’d immediately thought that he’d have to leave for some part of his job that was too dangerous or risky to ask anyone else.

He’d been wrong.

“There’s no official identification yet,” Sonny said, still talking even though Jason’s ears were ringing and he couldn’t really process anything beyond those first few words. “But Spencer’s on the scene.”

Emily. His little sister. Emily.

“Jase?”

“Yeah.” Jason cleared his throat. “I’m here.”

“I wanted you to know before it hit the news. I don’t know how long they’ll keep it back. I don’t know what’s going on yet. I’ll get more, okay?”

“Yeah.”

Sonny was quiet. “I’ll let you go. You call me if you need anything. To look after the boys, to sit with — hell, if you need to take a swing—just—”

“Yeah.”  He couldn’t produce another answer. Couldn’t do anything but form the same words over and over again. Emily. His little sister.

There was a muffled sound of a door closing down the hall and Jason took a deep breath. “I have to go.”

“Okay.” The line went dead, and Jason lowered the phone from his ear, but then he just stared at it. How long had the call been? Two minutes? Three?

How much time did you need to destroy a world?

The door slid open, and Elizabeth stepped in—freezing when she saw him. “Jason?”

He looked at her, and in even in the shadows of the room, saw her swallow hard before she said his name again.

“Emily,” he said. “It’s Emily.” He flipped the phone closed and set it gently on the nightstand. How did he do this? How did he destroy Elizabeth’s world when his own was already in tatters and he couldn’t even think about the word or what had to be done or said—

“Was she—” Elizabeth’s voice wavered. “An accident? We’ll go to the hospital. We can—” She started for the closet, dragging the door open. “We’ll get dressed. I’ll call my grandmother.” Her movements were jerky, frantic as she ripped out a sweater. “She can sit with the boys—”

“Elizabeth.” His voice sounded rusty to his ears. He rose to his feet. “Elizabeth.”

“You have her number, don’t you? Can you—I have to—” Elizabeth turned, clothes clutches in her hands. Her eyes were wide, her face pale. Some piece of her already knew. He could see it in her eyes. Somewhere deep inside, she knew. But if she kept moving and speaking, she’d never have to say it.

He walked across the room, towards her, but Elizabeth backed away from him, shaking her head. “No, no, you have to get dressed, too. I’ll call her. I can do that. You get dressed and I’ll call her—” Her back hit the wall, and her eyes closed. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around her clothes, holding them against her chest like a shield. “We have to go to the hospital, don’t we?”

“Elizabeth.” Jason gently placed his hands over hers, and her fingers went limp, the jeans and sweater falling to her feet. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with tears, and he knew the burning in his own would only be relieved when he let his own tears fall. “She’s—”

He couldn’t say it. Couldn’t form the words. How many times had he said them before? Why couldn’t he do it? He couldn’t. Because even though Elizabeth knew, even though he knew —

If it wasn’t said out loud, it wasn’t real.

Her lips trembled, and she closed her eyes. “Oh, God.” The words were ripped from her soul, a prayer to a deity who wasn’t listening. But then she dragged in a deep breath, and she opened her eyes. “Jason.” She hurled herself into his arms, and he dragged her against him, because it was true, wasn’t it? It was happening, and he hadn’t had to say the words, but they both knew.

He felt her tears as they hit his bare shoulder, and then the same sensation against his own cheeks. He lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. She drew back slightly, resting her forehead against his. “What happened?” she asked on a shaky breath. “Was it an accident?”

The words came now, though they weren’t easy. “No. They found her in the parking garage. Sonny said it was like…it was like…”

“Georgie.”

“Yeah.”

Elizabeth nodded, took another breath. She brushed her thumbs beneath his cheeks, gently brushing away his tears. But she didn’t say anything else. They just held each other.

General Hospital: Lab

“Supposed to be you?” Patrick echoed. Robin pulled out of his his arms, dragging her hands through her dark hair. “Robin—”

“Robin,” Mac said at the same time, and Patrick immediately fell silent. “Baby, can you tell me what you mean?”

She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. How could this be happening? It was too much. Too much all at once. The horror, the fear, the swirl of worry and anxiety, and the guilt—oh, god the guilt. “Kelly and Lainey.” Robin cleared her throat. “They asked me earlier. To go to Jake’s when we were done. Emily was going, too. It was—Em and I were going to meet them there.” Robin looked at her uncle, barely visible through the blur of tears. “Emily and I were going together. She was going to drive me.”

“Christ,” Mac managed. “But you didn’t go.”

“No.” And remembering why had Robin looking at Patrick with another dose of fear. If she was pregnant, oh, God, Patrick. He had to get tested — he had to be sure— She swallowed that for now. “Um. I didn’t go. I had some tests to run, and I just—I wasn’t up for it. So I told—I told Leyla. Leyla Mir. She’s a nurse here. They left together. Or they were supposed to. Leyla went because I didn’t.”

“Okay. Okay.” Mac absorbed that. “Okay. So Leyla Mir. I’ll—I’ll get someone who can identify—okay. Robin—” He looked at Patrick. “You’ll take care of her?”

“I don’t—”

“Yes,” Patrick cut in, his dark eyes eyes sweeping over hers. “Yes. I’m not letting her out of my sight.”

“Okay. I have to go—” Mac strode over and took Robin into a fierce, brief hug. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He left, and Robin lowered herself onto the stool at her workstation. “I have to call Kelly and Lainey. And Jason. Oh, Elizabeth and Jason—” She bowed her head. “Patrick. Please tell me this isn’t real. Tell me it’s not.”

He came up behind her, pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I wish like hell I could. Call Kelly and Lainey. Jason—he’s family. Someone will talk to him. And then—can you—I know you said—but I need to know you’re all right. Will you come home with me?”

She should say no. She should be with Kelly and Lainey, who would be upset and grieving, too. She should be there for them.

But Patrick was the reason Robin’s body wasn’t lying in the parking garage. Patrick who had done nothing since their break up but stand by and do exactly what she’d asked of him, even when it had hurt him.

He was asking her for something, and for once, Robin was going to do what she wanted. “All right.” She looked at him, tears burning as they fell unchecked. “Yes. I don’t want to be anywhere else right now.”

General Hospital: Parking Garage

Lucky swallowed the bile that erupted in his throat as the medical examiner and his team lifted Emily onto the stretcher, and her limbs dangled lifelessly — her arms hanging over the side until they were tucked away inside the black body bag—

He couldn’t— he turned away, forcing himself to breathe. Breathe in. Breathe out. He owed Emily his best. He’d already failed her by not finding the son of bitch in time to stop what was happening — he couldn’t save Emily — but this son of a bitch was still out there, and with two more bodies, it was clear he wasn’t done.

There couldn’t be another one. Lucky wouldn’t let it happen.

Once Emily was moved, the examiner was able to get the second victim on the stretcher. When they lifted her, the hair was finally brushed away from her face. Lucky recognized her now. He’d seen her at a hospital function. “That’s a nurse,” he said. “It’s—”

“Robin said it’s probably Leyla Mir.”

Lucky turned to find the commissioner striding up. Mac put a hand on Lucky’s shoulder. “Robin was supposed to go with Emily to Jake’s tonight. She changed her mind, and asked Leyla to go at the last minute.”

“Oh, man.” Lucky absorbed the significance in that. “Mac—”

“Which means that should be Robin. We have to consider that, Spencer. The first victims were my stepdaughter and her roommate. The next would have been my niece and her friend. So far—” Mac’s face was gray as he forced out the next words. “So far the only thing the victims have in common is their connection to me.”

“Not the only.” Lucky’s mind could function now. Emily wasn’t laying there anymore. She was tucked away and gone. “They’re all dark haired — Georgie’s hair was dark blonde. Young. Emily, I think, was the oldest, and she’s only twenty-six. The youngest was nineteen.”

“Okay.” Mac’s face eased. “But Robin—”

“She’s not much older, right? Twenty-nine?”

“Yes. Thirty this year.”

“There you go.” Lucky shoved his hands in his pockets, watching as the crime scene unit continued to work. “And location. Parking garage. It’s riskier than the campus. There are more cameras. They’re already pulling them,” he added when Mac opened his mouth. “It’s a public location. He kills in pairs, Mac. That’s gotta mean something. If this guy wanted to hurt you specifically, there are easier ways.”

“That’s true.”

“Georgie probably took breaks in Kelly’s alone. Robin drives to work alone. But this guy didn’t grab them when they were alone.” Lucky’s mind was flying now with the list of things that had to be done. “We need to get cell phone records. Talk to friends and family. Robin would have said something if she was getting the phone calls and flowers like Georgie, but maybe Leyla was. We didn’t release that information to anyone else.”

“Spencer.” Mac nodded. “Yeah, we’ll do all of that. But you need to do something else first.”

Lucky exhaled slowly. “Yeah. I need to talk to my brother.” He thought of Elizabeth. This would destroy her — and against his will, he thought of Jason. For all they’d hated one another, they’d always loved Emily. “The Quartermaines?”

“I’m on my way to handle that. When you finish that notification, Lucky, you should stay—”

“I need to get started.” Lucky watched as the medical examiner’s team wheeled the bodies towards the elevators. “I can’t let this happen again.”

Quartermaine Estate: Pool House

Nothing cheered Lulu up more than deliberately choosing one of Dillon’s favorite movies to watch, and then needling him the whole time and getting film facts wrong.

“I think the resolution to who Rosebud is was the dumbest thing in this movie,” Lulu declared as the credits for Citizen Kane rolled. Dillon’s fingers tightened around the remote and he sent her a glare. “You know you agree.”

“I think I regret the day I met you,” he muttered. “Philistine. Imagine criticizing what every critic says is the best movie ever made—”

“Pfft…” Lulu grabbed a handful of popcorn. “Old white men. Everyone knows the best movie is Steel Magnolias.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh, no, wait. I think Naked Gun is the best—”

“It’s the best movie with a murderer in a starring role,” Dillon scowled. “You know, the fact that I ever thought I was interested in you boggles the mind—”

Spinelli watched them bicker back and forth, and found himself relaxing, even enjoying it. Lulu knew exactly how to push Dillon over the edge, and it truly was an amusing sight to see the Conflicted Film Major get all flustered and frustrated.

“Spinelli, tell Dillon I’m right.”

“Spinelli, tell Lulu that she’s going to burn in hell for—”

“Au contraire. Neither of you are, in fact, correct.” Spinelli grinned. “The best movie ever made is Hackers.”

Lulu gasped in mock horror and threw popcorn at him. “You need to take that back—”

“You would think that,” Dillon muttered.

Spinelli snickered, and leaned to the side to fish out the cell phone vibrating in his pocket. He frowned when he saw Stone Cold’s number. “That’s weird—”

Lulu opened her mouth, but then her phone started to ring. She flipped it open as Spinelli answered his phone.

“Stone Cold?”

“Spinelli. Can you—” Jason’s voice took a moment to steady itself, and a chill slithered down Jason’s spine. “Can you come home?”

“Of course. Is everything okay? Little Dude and Stone Cold the Sequel? Fair Elizabeth?”

“They’re—they’re okay. I just—if you could.”

“Of course.” Spinelli closed his phone, something swirling in his stomach. “Blonde One?”

“That was my brother.” Lulu’s blue eyes met his. “Lucky wants me to meet him at the boat launch. He said we need to go talk to Nikolas.”

Dillon frowned. “That’s weird. All at the same time? What could—” He stopped. “Wait.”

“Stone Cold said the family was good,” Spinelli said slowly. “But—”

“Jason and Nikolas only have one person in common,” Lulu said grimly. “Spinelli, we have to go. And Dillon—”

“Yeah, I think I need to head up to the main house.” Dillon dragged a hand through his wild blond hair. “Please tell me this isn’t happening again.”

Spinelli very much feared that Dillon’s hope would an empty one. “I’ll drop you at the pier,” he told Lulu. “Let’s go.”

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Elizabeth’s fingers were shaking as she buttoned her jeans. “Do you think they’ve told Monica yet?” she asked dully. She glanced over at Jason who was pulling on a t-shirt.

“By now.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know if we should—should we go over there or wait for them to call us—”

“Maybe Sonny knows. He said he’d keep you in the loop.” One foot in front of the other make. Make a list of what to do. There were steps that needed to be taken. Get dressed. Make sure someone was sitting with the boys. Then—

Elizabeth couldn’t fall apart again. Not yet. She didn’t want Jason to have to take care of her. She’d done that earlier. When he’d still be grappling with the horror, she’d broken, and he’d had to worry. She couldn’t do that to him. Emily was—

No, no. Don’t think about it. One foot in front of the other. Deep breath. One foot in the front of the other—

“Do you want to call your grandmother?”

“Spinelli should be fine. Gram—” Elizabeth rubbed her throat. Every word felt like it had to be dragged from deep within. “Gram is asleep. And I’m afraid of waking her with news like this. The boys—” Oh, God. Her babies. Cameron loved his aunt, and now Jake would never—

She bit down hard on her lip. Don’t fall apart. Don’t do it. One foot in front of the other. “They’ll sleep through the night.”

They stared at each other from opposite sides of the room. They’d both put on clothes. Jason had made his call.

And now—

“Um, I should call—” There had to be someone, didn’t there? Someone that needed to be told, something that she could do to fill the gap in the moment, because if she stopped—

One foot in front of the other. Keep moving. Don’t stop. Don’t think. Don’t look at Jason too hard because you’ll see it in his eyes and then you’ll fall apart and you need to be strong because he’s always the strong one and he doesn’t—

“Patrick. Or—” Her fingers fluttered and she found herself twisting the ring on her finger. The ring— She stared down at it. The ring he’d put on her finger a few hours ago.

Had that been tonight?

“Elizabeth.”

“We should go downstairs and wait for Spinelli,” Elizabeth said, but he snagged her elbow as she passed him, and she finally looked at him. “We have to—there are things to do, aren’t there?”

“No.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “No. Not right now. You can stop moving. There’s nothing to do.”

The tears spilled past her lashes and she shook her head. “No, no. There is. I just have to think of it—” She bit her lip again, and tasted blood. “Because if I stop, and I look at you too long, it comes back and I think about Emily and how she’ll never know that we’re getting married and what a stupid, selfish to think about—but now Cameron won’t know her and Jake will never know her and why is that what’s going through my head and no!” She stopped him as he came towards her. “No. Don’t. I’m fine. I’m fine. You don’t have to take care of me. I’m supposed to—”

One foot in front of the other.

“I’m supposed to—” Her voice broke. “I can’t be selfish. I don’t want to be selfish and make you worry about me. I want to worry about you, but I don’t know how because there’s no room for any of it, because none of this is real, and this—” Her voice faltered and there was nothing left.

“Okay. Okay. I won’t worry about you.” Jason took a breath. “Then let me hold you because I need to. That’s what I need. I need—”

She didn’t let him finish, she went into his arms, wrapping hers around him tightly, his face buried in her hair as his shoulders shook. Okay. They’d find a way to take care of each other. Somehow.

Written in 55 minutes.

---

General Hospital: Lab

This couldn’t be happening. In fact, Robin decided that it wasn’t happening. The first time she ran the test, she was sure it was false. She’d made a mistake. She’d used the wrong calculations — she’d fed the information into the system incorrectly — she hadn’t drawn enough blood. Whatever it was, it had been wrong.

So she drew another vial of her blood and ran the test again. When it was still positive, Robin  went up to the locker room, snuck into Kelly’s locker and stole one of the emergency tests that her roommate kept, arguing to herself that Kelly would both understand and support this crime.

She returned to the lab, went into the bathroom, then waited five minutes for the results.

And despite the fact she’d run more scientific test twice first, it was the test Kelly had bought over the counter in a convenience store that convinced Robin.

She sat hard on her stool, the little white slab of plastic in her hands with a plus sign. There could be no mistake. Her hormone levels had been elevated in her blood, and then she’d peed on a stick.

She was pregnant. With Patrick’s baby.

Oh, God.

General Hospital: Parking Garage

“An orderly found the body,” Cruz told Lucky as they jogged down the aisle towards the site. “He didn’t do anything but see the legs sticking out from the car. Called it in right away.”

“He didn’t look?” Lucky demanded, his heart pounding as they rounded the last corner. “He didn’t try to identify it?”

“No—got spooked—”

Lucky stopped when he saw the cluster of uniforms standing at the end of a row. They were crowded around a red sedan.

A red sedan Lucky recognized. A terrible, hollow feeling swirled in the pit of his stomach and raced through his lungs, into his throat, and he just stood there, frozen. He couldn’t move a single step closer.

There was a set of legs just barely visible by the wheel. The toes were painted a cotton-candy pink, laced into a pair of strappy sandals.

“Spencer?”

The car had frozen him to the spot, but recognizing the shoes — oddly, they broke the paralysis and Lucky was able to move. He closed the distance and the uniforms stepped back, revealing the full scene.

Two bodies, tossed between the cars like broken dolls. Toward the back, by the wall, a woman lay on her side, her dark, almost black hair hanging over her face. A hand was extended, disappearing under the car. She wore a green tank top and a pair of black pants — the legs were obscured by the second body.

She lay on her back, her light brown hair tangled beneath her. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slack. Her arms were limply hanging by her body, likely where they had landed when she’d been thrown away like garbage. When her killer had completed the job —

Around her neck was a thin cord that Lucky recognized as the same that had been looped around Chelsea Rae’s. And he knew, even though he couldn’t see the neck of the first woman, he knew she would have the same dark, strangulation marks as Georgie Jones.

The same killer. The same victim profile. The same murder weapon.

“Spencer?” Cruz said again, but his voice was subdued. They all knew the identity of the second woman, but no one wanted to say it out loud.

But Lucky had a job to do. And she deserved the best he had to give.

“We’ll need family members to make the official identification, but someone needs—” He took another deep breath, and knelt down to look more closely at the bodies. “Victim number one is a young woman, likely in her early to mid twenties. Victim number one is in her late twenties and is tentatively identified as Emily Quartermaine.”

General Hospital: Operating Suite

Patrick tossed the remains of his mask into the garbage along with the protective yellow gauze gown he’d worn. He washed his hands, then removed the surgical cap with racing cars from his head. “I’ll be up to check his post-op in the morning,” he told Epiphany as they emerged from the operating room into the hallway. “You know the drill.”

“That I do—” Epiphany squinted. “What’s going on down there?” She gestured at the check-in desk where a cluster of doctors and nurses were talking.

“Don’t know.” Patrick made his way to the group. “What’s going on?”

Regina Johnson, one of the surgical student nurses, turned to him, her eyes wide. “Dr. Drake. Oh my god. They found a body in the parking garage—”

“Two!” Another nurse corrected. “They said it was two women—”

Two women. Christ. Patrick’s heart leapt into his throat. Robin was working tonight. What was her schedule? When was she done? “Do they know who?”

“Not yet. PCPD just sealed off the garage,” Andy Archer, an anesthesiologist said with a shudder. “Damn. I hope they didn’t work here—”

Patrick went for the elevators, jabbing the buttons rapidly. Damn it, damn it. He needed to get to the lab. He needed to know. When the elevator didn’t open fast enough, he raced for the stairs.

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Elizabeth snuggled into Jason’s embrace, her left hand laying across his chest. She wiggled it so that the diamond glinted in the moon light slithering through one of the windows. “It still doesn’t seem real,” she murmured.

He stroked her hair lazily, sifting through the chestnut strands as they cascaded over her bare back, shoulder, and onto his own skin. “I wasn’t sure if it was too soon—”

“I don’t care.” She tilted her head up. “You and I both know it wasn’t. We’ve been dancing around each other for so many years. I wish I’d said yes last year.”

“Which time?”

She grinned. “Any of them. All of them.” Then her smile faded slightly, though her eyes stayed bright. “You asked before you even took the paternity test. I always wondered if you meant it.”

“I did. And I was disappointed when you said no. Both times,” he admitted. “I should have probably thought about that more than I did.”

“I wanted to say yes. I just—” She sighed, closed her eyes and laid her head back down. “But I’m also glad it was this way. Just us. No guilt. No lies. We had such a great time with the boys, and then you asked me when we weren’t trapped in an elevator. It was so normal.”

“Normal,” Jason repeated. “That’s a good thing?”

“It’s a great thing. So much of our lives can’t be normal, and I accept that. You’ll start working more, and I know what comes with it. But I like this this little piece of it—you, me, the boys—”

“—Spinelli—”

“We’re just a normal little family. Mom, Dad, two kids, and Spinelli.”

“I like it, too. Even Spinelli,” he admitted, and she laughed. “When do you want to start decorating a room for him?”

“We’ll have to make sure it’s just right so he doesn’t find out too soon—” Elizabeth paused when a phone rang in the distance. She sat up. “That’s the land line. Who would be calling it this late?”

“If it’s the front desk,” Jason said, also sitting, looking at the night table for his phone. “Wally will call my cell—”

The line downstairs rang twice more before falling a silent. A moment later, Jason’s phone lit up. He frowned. “It’s Sonny—”

“Guess it’s time for that normal to end,” Elizabeth said with a knowing smile. “I’ll go check on the boys.”

“Okay.” Jason watched her slid into a satin robe, then leave the room before flipping his phone open. “Sonny? What’s up?”

There was a heavy sigh on the other end that made Jason’s hair stand on end. “Jase. Listen. We just had a call from our guy at the PCPD.”

General Hospital: Lab

Patrick didn’t realize how convinced he was that Robin was one of the bodies in the parking lot until he shoved open the door to the lab and saw her at her workstation. The relief that flooded him was almost dizzying and he had to brace himself on the wall to keep his balance.

“Patrick?” Robin slid off the stool, her dark eyes creased with anxiety. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“They found—” Patrick took a deep breath, dragged both his hands through his dark hair, leaving it disheveled. “They found—in the parking garage. They found two bodies. Two women.”

“Two—” She took a step towards him, and he lost it. He had to touch her, had to know she was real — Patrick yanked her into his arms, burying his face in her neck.

“It’s not you. I thought it would be you. Oh, God, I thought it was you.”

Robin patted his back a bit awkwardly. “You—okay, that’s too tight, Patrick.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry—” He stepped back, but didn’t release her—he couldn’t. What if  this was a dream? A hallucination? What if he let her go and she faded away, and she was really—

“I’m okay,” she told him, her dark eyes searching his. “I’m okay. I’m right here. They—they don’t know who it is? Were they visitors or—how could it happen in the parking garage?”

“They didn’t say anything else.” Patrick forced himself to take a deep breath. She was here. She was making conversation. This was real. “I don’t think they know who it is yet. I just—I knew you were working, and you were done about now—”

“Oh, God—” Robin covered her mouth, the sharp cry echoing in the empty room. “Oh, God!”

“Robin?”

“It’s—” She looked around frantically, her eyes fastening on the clock on the wall. “It’s—it’s ten. When—when did they find them—”

“Robin—”

“Emily. Emily.” She lurched away from Patrick, back towards her workstation and scooped up her phone, her fingers trembling. “She’s not picking up her phone. She’s not—”

Realization dawned and Patrick swallowed hard. “Emily was working tonight?”

“We were supposed to go to the bar. Girl’s Night. She was meeting—She’s not answering because she’s driving. Or she’s dancing with someone.” Robin’s hand jerked as she dialed another number. “Kelly? Kelly! Did Emily get there yet?”

Patrick watched Robin’s expression, and he knew the minute it sunk in. Her eyes widened, found his, and then horror crept in. “She never showed up,” Robin said. The phone clattered to the ground. “Oh, God. Is it Emily? Oh, God.”

He strode forward and jerked her back into her his arms. “We’ll find out, okay? We’ll go—”

The lab door opened again, and Patrick turned to find Mac there. His face was grave. “I came to tell you—but I guess the rumors are already flying.”

“Mac?” Patrick asked, roughly. “What—who?”

Mac’s hands weren’t quite steady as he stepped inside and closed the door to the lab. “Emily was found in the parking garage,” he said quietly. “We’re still doing the notifications, but we can’t identify the other woman. Her hair is covering her face and the CSU—”

“Leyla Mir.” Robin’s cheeks were tear-stained, her voice trembled. “They were going to Jake’s together. I asked Leyla to go. Instead of me. Oh, God, it was supposed to be me.”

Morgan Penthouse: Bedroom

Elizabeth tucked Cameron in a little more tightly, brushing his curls back. Then she went over to Jake in the crib. He lay on his back, his arms stretched out his sides, his little hands curled in fists. She spent an extra minute staring at him, then stroked the silky blonde hair that was coming in more thickly. It was white-blond now, but she thought it would darken as he grew older. Would it be Sarah’s shade or Jason’s?

It almost seemed like a dream, she thought. A few months ago, they’d had their own rooms in a house that had never felt like their own. Now, they shared a room but she liked that. She wanted them to grow up and be close, to love one another the way she, Sarah, and Steven never had.

She touched the night light as she passed it, wondering again where Spinelli had found the motorcycle whose headlight emitted the soft light that kept the monsters away. He really was the sweetest kid.

She closed the door, then went down the hall, hoping it had been enough time for Jason to complete his business with Sonny. Oh, she hoped he didn’t have to leave. She had told him she could accept the less than normal nature of his job, and she really meant that, but tonight — when he’d just asked her to marry him — when it was nearly her birthday — oh she hoped he could stay. Just to stay in their bubble a few hours more.

Elizabeth had closed the door when she’d left, wanting to give Jason full privacy. She knocked lightly, but heard nothing in response. Worried, she pushed it open. He’d turned on the lamp at the side of the bed, and she could see Jason on the edge of the bed, the phone still flipped open in his hand but he was staring at it.

“Jason?” She tipped her head. “Is everything okay? Do you need to go?”

His shoulders tensed, and he took a deep breath before looking at her. His eyes were still shadowed, and she couldn’t see them clearly.

But she knew him. She knew every line of his body, his face— “Jason?” she asked again, but her voice was quiet.

Whatever he said next, she knew, oh, she knew it was going to be devastating.

And even though she had braced herself for the worst, oh God, nothing could have prepared her for it.

“Emily,” Jason managed. “It’s Emily.”

Took 68 minutes. Started ten minutes late because my mom called and then I took an extra eight minutes to finish it well. See you Monday. *evil cackle*

---

Street

“You know, I could get behind the idea of a leash,” Elizabeth called as Jason lengthened his stride to catch up with Cameron as he zoomed down Maple Avenue as fast as his little legs could carry him. Elizabeth followed behind more sedately with the double stroller, Jake dozing inside.

She had to laugh as Jason caught up with the miniature Spiderman just as he reached the edge of another residence. He scooped up Cameron, who just giggled. It wasn’t the first time he’d made Jason chase him tonight, but it might be the last. Her grandmother’s house was only a few away.

How did Cameron still have energy after going door to door at the Towers, stopping in at Kelly’s, and then hitting her grandmother’s neighborhood? It was truly mystifying, and she was a bit envious—and worried. Next year, they’d have two of them.

She waited patiently on the sidewalk as Jason helped Cameron climb the stairs to the next house, hold out his bucket and his brother’s. She couldn’t quite let herself believe that a year from today, she would still be living this dream — this fantasy life where she had a healthy relationship with a man she’d loved for most of her adult life, raising two healthy, perfect little boys.

“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy—” Cameron panted as he dashed back down the front walk. “I gots a huge Hershey bar—look! No fun size!” He yanked out the full-size bar. “Best house.”

Elizabeth looked at Jason. “How about I chase him for the rest of the walk, and you can take the stroller?”

“You mean, after I did it for three blocks, you want the last three houses?” Jason grinned, kissed her lightly. “I can finish it. He’ll fall asleep five seconds after we get to Audrey’s.”

“Let’s hope so, otherwise he’ll want to eat more candy and then he’ll never go to bed.”

PCPD: Squad Room

Lucky was not in the mood for whatever scheme Sam had cooked up, but he saw the eyes of the uniforms behind him. “Okay,” he said, reluctantly. “Let’s go talk. You can tell me what happened—”

“I just told you—” Sam wrenched out of his grasp when he touched her shoulder, intending to direct her towards his desk. “I told you what happened. Go do something about it!”

“I need a few more details. Sam, you can either file a full report or go home. These are the options,” Lucky said, and his tone must have broken through because she scowled, then marched over to his desk and sat down.

“I want you to arrest him. Tonight. Go find him—”

“First, you tell me what happened.” Lucky sat down, picked up a pencil and reached for his notepad. “Where were you and what was the threat?”

“I was just minding my own business, going to Kelly’s, and he was there with your whore ex and their bastard—”

His fingers clenched around the pencil, though of course it wouldn’t be a surprise that they were out as a family on Halloween. He exhaled slowly. “What did he say to you?”

“He told me no one would even miss me if I disappeared, and that’s not true! But he—” Sam’s voice shook, and he looked up to see fat tears sliding down her cheek. “He told me that I had to go away. To leave Port Charles. He wants me gone, and if I don’t leave on my own, he’ll make me go—”

Lucky frowned. “He told you all of this with Elizabeth and the kids right there?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you calling me a liar?”

Lucky had little doubt that there had been some kind of run-in with Jason that night, but the words rang him false. He’d known Jason Morgan for a decade. A few weeks ago, he thought, he might have leapt to accept the story.

But tonight, after reviewing the cold case file of two murdered young women, Lucky was just tired. And in no mood for Sam’s schemes.

“I am asking you if Elizabeth heard him,” he said carefully, “because then she could be a witness—”

“She’d just lie! You know that! That’s all she does is lie—”

“It happened at Kelly’s?” Lucky said. “There’s security cameras there—”

Sam nodded. “Yes. Yes. They’ll show what happened. You’ll see it. I just went into the courtyard and they were there, and he grabbed me and yanked me into the alley. Look—” She dragged up her sleeve — but there wasn’t a single mark. “It’s red—”

“It’s not.” Lucky set down his pencil. “You’re not going to tell me that maybe you said something to start a scene?”

“So what if I did, that makes it okay—”

“It makes it understandable if you started calling Elizabeth names in front of her kids that Jason would want you to get away from her—”

“He doesn’t have the rights to put his hands on me. That’s assault!”

“Uh huh. Well, I’ll go the diner in the morning. Get the tapes.” Lucky shrugged. “We’ll see what it says.”

“No! No!” Sam leapt to her feet. “You have to go after him now! Tonight! I want him arrested!”

“You mean track him down while he’s out with the kids, so Cameron can watch him be arrested,” Lucky said, and the flush in her cheeks only deepened. Bullseye. “Not a chance, Sam. It’s not a high priority, and it’s just your word against his. He’s not a flight risk. I’ll pull the tapes—”

Sam growled and swiped at his desk, shoving files and anything else to the floor. The uniforms at the desk snapped to attention, but Lucky held them off with a hand. “You’re a weak bastard! You won’t even act when I’m giving you everything!”

Lucky hoped, even on his worst day before he’d lost the custody case, he wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to humiliate Jason in front of the kids—in front of Cameron, who had already seen too much. But he knew himself better than that. He’d already done it once — arrested Jason the night the man had brought Jake home. He’d done that in front of Cameron—

“You’re giving me a story that I have to verify,” Lucky said. He rose to his feet. “You can sign the statement, and I’ll pull the tapes. Or you can go home and forget all of this. Those are the options, Sam—”

“Go fuck yourself. I’ll take care of it myself,” she spat and stalked out. He sighed, and started to clean up his desk.

He didn’t want to get involved, but for the sake of the boys, he’d call Emily in the morning and ask her to pass on the message to Jason and Elizabeth — Sam wasn’t going away quietly.

For now, he’d clean up his desk and go back to hoping for a miracle — that a lead would break in Georgie and Chelsea’s case.

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

Emily checked her watch. “An hour. Sixty minutes until we get out of these scrubs and go have some fun.” She nudged Robin in the shoulder as she stepped into the nurse’s station. “Are you ready?”

Robin bit her lip, looked at the doctor from the corner of her eye. “You’re going to be mad.”

“Oh—you’re not ditching me, are you? Come on. Kelly and Lainey still think I took the wrong side in the divorce—”

“Oh, I wish you wouldn’t say it like that,” Robin grumbled. “Just call it a breakup—”

“I would, but your roommates have decided that it’s more like a divorce, and we’re the kids choosing between Mom and Dad.” Emily rolled her eyes. “I love them, but—”

“But sometimes they support you so much that you want to set them on fire. I get it. They mean well, but I don’t have the energy for their kind of support.” Robin shook her head. “Go out with them tonight. Have a few drinks. Ogle some guys. You’ll be fine.”

“Why are you ditching me?” Emily demanded, planting her hand on her hip. “Give me one good reason.”

“I’m tired. I just want to go home, curl up in bed, and just—” Robin returned to the computer, tapped a few keys. “I want to go to sleep.”

“Did you ever make an appointment with your doctor?”

Robin made a face. “No. It’s just—”

“Robin. You promised me you would do that. Over a week ago. Listen.” Emily stepped closer, lowering her voice. “I know how hard it is to lose someone you love so violently. My dad died of a heart attack, but he might have survived if he hadn’t had to wait for medical attention. And there are days that still make me stop, to force myself to stop looking for him everywhere I go at home.”

“Em—”

“And I’m not saying that six weeks is enough time to get over what happened — a lifetime won’t be—”

Six weeks when it felt like a life time— Robin’s thoughts stuttered to a stop. Six weeks. She swallowed hard. Georgie had been murdered on September 14. Her service had been a few days later. And it was now October 31.

Oh, God.

“Robin?” Emily touched her shoulder. “You just went all pale and weird. What’s up?”

“It’s been six weeks.”

“Yes,” Emily said, a bit hesitantly. “I know. And it’s—”

“No. No. That’s not—” Robin scrubbed her hands down her face. “Never mind. Never mind. Um, look, tell Kelly and Lainey that I dipped because I was tired. I promise we’ll do something next week, okay?”

“Okay,” Emily said, a bit hesitantly. “Maybe I should call them and tell them I won’t come here—”

“No. No. You should, and if you’re nervous about hanging with Kelly and Lainey on your own—” Robin looked around, her attention snagged on the pretty dark-haired nurse at the other station. “Leyla.”

Leyla Mir turned, frowned slightly. “Yes? Did you need something?”

“Do you have plans tonight?” Robin asked. “Emily needs some reinforcements since I’m dropping out of Girl’s Night. Why don’t you go with her?”

Leyla looked at Emily. “When?”

“Oh. In about an hour — well an hour and some change,” Emily corrected. “I have to change. You in?”

“Sure. I’ll be done then, too.” Leyla picked up her chart. “Sounds like fun.”

Hardy House: Living Room

Jason had predicted correctly — the adrenaline rush of the night caught up with Cameron nearly ten minutes after they arrived at Audrey’s.

He’d been on the sofa playing with his action figures while Jason changed Jake’s diaper and Elizabeth and Audrey sorted through the candy. One second, he’d been planning the death of his Deadpool character — and then the next, he was leaning back, his little mouth open and his eyes closed.

“Oh, uh oh. Man down.”

“He had himself quite the adventure,” Audrey said. “You should change him into his pajamas so you can just put him to bed when you get home. Before he’s completely out.”

“Yeah, otherwise, he might get his second wind.” Elizabeth retrieved the PJs she’d brought just for that reason and went to the couch, carefully stripping off the costume. Cameron grumbled but didn’t really fight.

“He seems so happy,” her grandmother murmured, and Elizabeth looked over at her. “He’s adjust well to everything that’s happened.”

“Better than I thought,” Elizabeth admitted. “I worried, I guess. This last year, he’s been through so much.” She stroked Cameron’s curls. “From the apartment to here to living at the house, then here again, and now another new room. But it’s been smoother than I expected. Than I deserved, really.”

“Jason seems to have an excellent relationship with him.”

“He and Cameron connected almost instantly, but it helped that Cam already knew him.” Elizabeth slipped socks onto Cameron’s feet, then came back to tuck away the costume for playtime use.

“Have you talked to Cameron about the adoption?”

“No, no, I think he’s just a little young to really understand it. He doesn’t ask for Lucky anymore. Not since, oh, I think, a week or two after we moved into the penthouse. Jason’s home with them everyday, so I guess he doesn’t even notice Lucky isn’t around. He wasn’t around much this last year anyway.” Elizabeth started to pack the candy back into the buckets, having divided it more evenly between Cameron and Jake’s, so that Spinelli would have some to enjoy, too. “We thought that once we start calling Jason Dad around Jake, Cameron might just…”

“Start doing it, too?”

“Or it’ll help us start the conversation, at least. I don’t know. How did you handle it with Gramps and Uncle Tom?” Elizabeth asked. “He was around the same age, wasn’t he?”

“Oh, well, we didn’t even bother with adjustment. I just started to referring to Steve as Daddy, and Tommy went along with it.” Audrey glanced up as Jason came back from the kitchen, with Jake in his own pajamas and freshly diapered.

“He didn’t make it long,” Jason noticed, handing Jake to Elizabeth. “Do you want to head home? We’ll see you tomorrow, right?” he asked Audrey. “For Elizabeth’s birthday?”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “Oh, we don’t have to do anything—”

“Hush,” her grandmother said, smacking her hand playfully. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But you better take my great-grandbabies home and tuck them in safely. Thank you for bringing them by and letting me enjoy them.”

PCU Campus: Kappa Sigma House

“This party is stupid,” Lulu grumbled, folding her arms over her white robes. “And my hair itches. Why can’t you ever let me make changes?”

“Leia is, like, iconic for the buns,” Dillon said, glaring at her. “Why’d you put me in charge of the costumes if you were going to complain all night?”

Spinelli just rolled his eyes and swirled his orange soda in the red plastic cup he carried. Lulu and Dillon had spent too much time bickering with one another, and it mostly felt forced, he thought. As if they wanted to bring back their old dynamic of Dillon taking movies too seriously, and Lulu making fun of him —

But it didn’t work anymore. Georgie wasn’t here to take Dillon’s side, and Spinelli couldn’t pipe up with any of his weird movie facts that would cut all the tension — Maxie had refused to come along, so there was no one to be sarcastic and call them losers —

Everyone had had their own little role to play in the group, and now it was empty.

“I don’t hate the hair,” Lulu said, suddenly. She exhaled slowly, looked at Dillon. “I’m sorry. I’m just—I thought if we came tonight, if we tried—”

“Yeah.” Dillon hesitated. “Let’s do something else. Why don’t we go grab Maxie and Coop and we’ll head over to the pool house on the Q estate?” he suggested. “We’ll just—we’ll do something that’s just us.”

“He means we’ll watch movies and argue about them,” Lulu told Spinelli, “but yeah, that’s better than this. Let’s go.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

“Well, they’re both sound asleep,” Elizabeth said, stepping off the last step just as Jason set the phone back on the receiver. “Who was that?”

“Spinelli. He’s going to spend the night with Dillon.” He drew her into his arms, and she went, happily. “So it’s just us.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth raised a brow. “Really? All by ourselves with the whole downstairs to ourselves? We don’t have to worry about Spinelli coming in and surprising us? Whatever will we do?”

“I have a few ideas.” He dipped his head, kissing her, softly, lingering over it. He didn’t mind Spinelli living here — and he knew Elizabeth and the kids loved him. But it was nice, every once in a while, to have Elizabeth and the place to himself.

“Sometimes, I wish we’d had more time by ourselves,” she said wistfully. “You know. Dating before we became parents. Does sound selfish?”

“No.” He slid his hands down, tucking them into the back pockets of her jeans. “Being able to just take off, go for a drive without thinking about who’s going to watch the boys—I get it.”

“But…” Elizabeth slid her hands down his chest, smiling up at him. “But I also love it. Being out there with you tonight, watching you chase after Cameron to keep him safe but also letting him be a wild and crazy kid—I hope it never gets old. That I never stop appreciating how amazing it’s been these last few weeks.”

“You won’t, and neither will I. I love watching him experience life, and to do all these little things. To be with them everyday when I thought I’d never get to be in Jake’s life at all—” Jason shook his head, with a bit of amazement. “I just wish I could promise it’ll always be like this.” When she frowned slightly, he added, “Quiet, I mean. I have to start going back to work a bit more. Sonny was holding things down because of custody—”

“Ah.”

“But it won’t be all the time. I told Sonny that I want time. That I need it for us.” He kissed her again. “It won’t be like the last time you lived here, Elizabeth. I promise.”

“I believe you. And I wasn’t worried about that. We’re different now.”

“Actually—” Jason stepped away from her and went to his desk, opened the drawer. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about. To, uh, bring up when the custody hearing was over, and your divorce was close to being finalized. Diane said it would be another week, maybe two?”

“Something like that, I forget the actual date, but yes. She wanted to give me the name change paperwork so I can go back to Webber, and we’ll need to take care of the boys—”

“I was thinking maybe you could hold off. On taking back your maiden name.” Jason held out a ring box, flipped open to a diamond ring.

Her eyes widened, as she looked at it for a long moment, then at him. “Jason.”

“If it’s too soon, that’s okay. I just wanted you—”

“Yes.”

He stopped, swallowed. “Yes, it’s too soon, or—”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and put her arms around his neck. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Just name the time and place. I should have said yes the first three times you asked—”

“As long as you said it eventually.” He kissed her, then slid the ring on her finger where the stone caught the light. “Happy early birthday,” he told her, then kissed her again, promising himself and her that this was only the beginning.

General Hospital: Parking Garage

“It’s all right if I’m bit a nervous, isn’t it?” Leyla asked. “It’s not as though Kelly and Lainey are my biggest fans — not after last fall—”

“That puts you in good company,” Emily murmured, stopping at the edge of the parking garage, trying to remember where she’d parked that morning. “Oh, okay. I’m down this way. End of the row.” They started towards her car, the only sounds the clicking of their shoes against the concrete.

“Kelly and Lainey don’t love me right now either because of Patrick, so at least I’ll have an ally,” she told Leyla. “They’ll have to get over it sometime, because I’m not in the mood—”

Leyla had fallen a step or two behind Emily because of her shorter legs, so it took Emily a moment to register the strange grunt she heard — and by the time she was spinning around and heard a sharp cry cut off — all she saw was a blurred figure and something in his hand as he raised it up.

Then her head exploded in pain, and Emily fell to the ground, the vision graying until it went black.

And then there was nothing.

Written in 58 minutes.

---

General Hospital: Locker Room

“We need a Girl’s Night,” Kelly declared. She leaned against Robin’s locker. “Come on. Tell me you’ll come out with me and Lainey tonight.”

Robin started to close her locker, her eye catching the Christmas photo again, Georgie’s bright smile. Six weeks. How could it be so long already? Hadn’t it been only yesterday?

And somehow it felt like it had been years since that terrible day.

“Emily said she’d join us. It’ll be like old times.”

“What about Elizabeth?” Robin asked. Kelly winced, looked away. “Yeah, so much for old times, right? She’s still angry with Lainey—”

“Lainey was just doing her job—”

“She never should have agreed,” Robin muttered, then took a deep breath. “Lainey was Elizabeth’s friend. It was a conflict of interest. Elizabeth has a right to be angry, and Lainey is the one who should apologize.”

“I guess that’s a no—”

“Kel—” Robin shook her head. “No, I’ll go. Elizabeth couldn’t go today anyway. It’s Halloween, and she’s got kids.”

“Great. We’ll meet in the lobby after shift. Around seven?” Kelly asked.

“I don’t get done until nine,” Robin said. “You guys go without me and I’ll meet you at the bar.”

“We’ll have a great time. You’ll see.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Elizabeth rolled up the bottom of the blue spandex pant legs — Cameron was just a bit too short for the ones at the store, and she hadn’t had a chance to hem them. “Now remember, you are a human boy,” she told him.

“Yes, Mommy. Human boy.” He flashed her a smile. “But Spiderman climbs walls.” He raised his hands. “I climb—”

“Nothing. Human boy.” Elizabeth straightened his red and blue top that matched the legs, and looked over at Spinelli. “You look fine.”

“The Jackal feels very uncomfortable,” Spinelli muttered as he adjusted the long brown robe. “The Blonde One would not listen to reason on the situation.”

“Come here.” Elizabeth went over to the tech and checked the fit on the robe. She knelt down to pin up the bottom. “You make an excellent Obi-Wan Kenobi. And you know, it just shows you how smart Lulu thinks you are—”

“Conflicted Film Major is Han Solo,” Spinelli said glumly. “And the Fair One is his Princess Leia. The Jackal thinks he is out of luck.”

“The Jackal—” Elizabeth rose to her feet, and smiled at him. “The Jackal is going to find someone who loves you just the way you are. You’ll go to this party tonight, you’ll try very hard to have a good time—”

“You look awesome, Snelli.” Cameron offered a thumbs up, and Spinelli smiled. “We go battle?”

“Wish I were going out with the Stone Colds,” Spinelli muttered. He looked over as Jason emerged from the kitchen where he’d been cleaning Jake up after dinner. “What is the Littlest of Dude’s costume tonight?”

“Oh, I found the best one for his first Halloween.” Elizabeth returned to the bag on the desk and pulled out a package filled with soft green fabric. “Jake’s going to be a dinosaur.” She grinned at Jason. “He’s going to look so cute!”

“Dinos not cute, Mommy,” Cameron told her seriously. “They roshus.”

“Roshus?” Spinelli asked.

“Ferocious,” Jason corrected. He held Jake out, and Elizabeth started to wiggle him into the full body costume. Jake protested and squirmed, but Elizabeth was determined. Jason glanced over at Spinelli. “You’re going to stick with Lulu and Dillon all night, right?”

“Yes, sir, Stone Cold. The Jackal has his orders. The Blonde One had it directly from Detective Dingus. Drive together. Stick like glue. Leave together. The Jackal will make no more mistakes.”

“You trick or treat, Snelli?” Cameron wanted to know. “Get candy? I gets lots of candy. Mommy said I not eat it all.”

“No candy for the Jackal.” Spinelli sounded more disappointed than a nineteen-year-old probably should, but Elizabeth thought maybe there hadn’t been many Halloweens in his youth. He so rarely spoke about his childhood.

“Well, Jake is going to have a whole bucketful, Spinelli. You and Cameron can overdose together,” she promised him. She zipped the back of Jake’s costume and adjusted the hood so that Jake’s face peeked out of the dinosaur’s large mouth rimmed with white fabric teeth. “Okay, time for pictures.”

Jason waited for Elizabeth to set Cameron on the sofa, then put his brother  next to him. Jake looked confused and kept waving his hands, grabbing at the teeth. He glanced at Spinelli who was making his way towards the door. “Hey. Where are you going?” he asked Spinelli. “You heard Elizabeth. Pictures.”

Spinelli stopped, his eyes wide. “The Jackal?”

“You’re in a costume, aren’t you?” Elizabeth snagged his elbow. “Next year, I’ll find a way to get you into a costume,” she warned Jason. “Just you wait.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Stone Cold protests too much.” Spinelli went to the sofa, and sat next to Cameron. “The Fair Elizabeth could do it.”

“I have a whole year to plot,” Elizabeth promised Jason, who looked a bit more worried than he had before. “Now—” She raised her digital camera. “Pictures.”

Scorpio House: Living Room

Maxie ripped open a bag of cheap candy and poured it into a white bowl, not even noticing as it spilled over the rim — or maybe not caring. The door opened and she looked over to find Mac coming in. “Hey.”

“Hey. You all ready for trick or treaters?” He kissed the top of her head, rubbed her shoulder.

“Yeah. I was gonna go sit on the porch. Coop is coming by later to keep me company.” Maxie bit her lip. “Mac?”

“Yeah?” He glanced up, a stack of mail in his hands. “What’s up?”

“I’m sorry.”

He tipped his head. “For what? Did I miss something?”

“No. Nothing new, I promise. I, um, for everything, I guess. For going crazy last year.” Maxie  nibbled on her bottom lip. “After Jesse, it all felt like a blur, and I was so stupid thinking Lucky was the answer to any of it, and I did terrible things to keep him and then I was so out of control, you had to keep fixing me—”

“Maxie—”

“And you worried so much about me that you couldn’t even see Georgie, and Georgie needed you more than I did, but she felt like she couldn’t ask, and that’s my fault. And I guess I’m sorry for what happened at her memorial. I’m supposed to be sorry for that.” The words poured out of her because now she’d started and couldn’t stop. “But I don’t know how to be. I was just so mad and I miss Georgie, and I miss my mom, and damn it—” She dug her the heels of her palms into her eyes. “Damn it. I missed my dad. I knew him, you know? He was here, and then he wasn’t. And they’re both not here. And now Georgie’s gone and it feels like everyone thinks the wrong sister died—”

“Hey. Hey.” Mac came to her, dragged her into a hard hug. “Stop it. No one thinks that.”

“They do, you know they do—”

“Well, I don’t think that,” Mac cut in. He kissed the top of her head again. “You’re okay, honey. It’s okay. You’re handling it the best you can, okay?”

Maxie sniffled. “It’s so hard. It’s like I’m drowning and every time I come up for air another waves crashes over, and I go down again, and I just—I don’t want to get up anymore. Because Georgie should be here, and it’s stupid, and I hate it. I hate everything. I hate my life. I hate myself. I hate anyone who ever smiles. How can anyone be okay?”

She pushed away from her stepfather, her chest heaving. “How is anyone okay? The world stopped spinning and it’s like no one noticed! No one cares! Georgie should be here. Why isn’t she here? Why did this happen?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have the answers.”

“There aren’t any.” Just as quickly as the rush had fallen over her, it faded and Maxie was just standing here, pale-faced, cheeks tear-stained. “There aren’t any answers. That’s the truth. Even if you find out who did this, it won’t answer the question. His why won’t make sense, you know? Because there is no why. There is no reason. There’s no point to any of this.”

She swiped her eyes. “And that’s the real question. Why everyone keeps pretending like any of it matters. We just breathe until we die, and there’s no point to anything in between.”

“Maxie—”

“I’m fine. I’m fine. It’s—I’m not going to do anything stupid.” She forced a smile. “I can’t. I have to live for all of us now. For BJ because she never got the chance and now for Georgie. It’s up to me. I have to find a way to be okay. Because I’m all that’s left.” She picked up the bowl and went out to the porch, leaving Mac alone and speechless.

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

“I’m going to be stuck here for the rest of my life,” Emily muttered, tapping away at keys. She looked up as Kelly and Lainey emerged from the hallway that led to the locker room. They’d already changed for the bar, done their hair and makeup. She hated them both right now as she was still in her scrubs, her hair shoved into a messy tail.

“You’ll save me and Robin a table, won’t you?” she asked Kelly as they approached. “I promise, I’ll drag her out with me.”

“You’d better,” Lainey threatened. “She needs to get back into the world. We’re going to try to find her Mr. Right—”

“Or Mr. Right Now,” Kelly added.

Emily just rolled her eyes. She picked up her next set of charts, left the nurse’s station, avoiding the maintenance worker who nearly ran into her on his way to the elevator. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll be there.”

“Don’t let Robin flake,” Kelly ordered, stabbing a finger at Emily. “You both finish at nine. I expect you at Jake’s no later than nine-thirty.”

“Yeah, okay. Have fun and don’t drink all the liquor before we get there.”

Kelly’s: Courtyard

“Please, please, please—” Cameron danced in front of Elizabeth. “Just one piece. Just one, Mommy?”

Elizabeth sighed, and looked at Jason. “What do you think? You think he’s been good enough for a piece of candy before we go see Gram?”

“I think—” Jason lifted Cameron onto a chair. “Just one won’t hurt anyone.”

“Really? Because he did just have an entire milkshake and ice cream cone at lunch the other day,” Elizabeth reminded him dryly. Jason made a face. “He’s tough to say no to—” They both looked at Cameron, standing on the chair, his Spiderman mask pushed back on his head. He grinned and waved at them. “Get his bucket.”

Jason snorted, and went to the stroller to pick up Cameron’s orange bucket, filled nearly to the brim with candy. As he brought it to the table and started to pluck through it for a sealed piece that seemed safe, he heard footsteps behind him.

“Well, isn’t this cozy.”

He tensed, turned to find Sam in the arched entrance. Elizabeth went to the stroller to lift Jake into her arms.

“You know what, Cam?” Jason said. “We’ll get candy at your grandmother’s.”

“Oh, don’t leave on my account.” Sam sauntered into the courtyard. “Looks like you’re having a fun time. Cameron, right?”

Cameron’s face was scrunched up because, even as a small child, he could read the tension in the air. “Mommy?”

“Looks like Mommy has her hands full,” Sam said as Elizabeth opened her mouth. “Has to keep an eye on your little brother. You know, bad things happen when you look away.”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, her mouth was pinched. She looked at Jason, and he grimaced. He set the bucket down and strode across the courtyard. He took Sam by the arm, squeezed it tightly. “Let’s go.”

He didn’t give her a choice, nearly dragging her out of the courtyard and around the corner. He released her with almost a shove, and Sam hit the wall.

“Wow, you’re rougher than you used to be,” she said with a wince. “Didn’t know you were abusing women—”

“Don’t come near them again,” Jason said, and she looked at him, smirked. “I could have told the police what Maureen told me,” he told her. “Amelia still could.” Sam’s smile faded. “Maybe the charges wouldn’t stick, but the damage would be done. Everyone would know what you did.”

“You—”

“I told you. Stay away from Elizabeth. Stay away from the kids. Did you think I was bluffing?” he demanded. She glared back at him, her eyes glittering. “Did you think that because you’re a woman, you’re safe?”

“I didn’t—”

“You’ve done enough,” he cut in. “You have a choice, Sam. Walk away and get over it, or keep pushing me. Do you really think anyone would miss you if you disappeared?”

Her mouth fell open and he could see now that she believed him. “You wanted to marry me—”

“That was before I knew who you really are. Someone who uses children. Doesn’t care about hurting them. The woman I loved, Sam? Doesn’t exist. I was just another mark to you—”

“That’s not true—”

“Make your choice, Sam. Because I won’t warn you again.”

He left her standing there, pale and shaking and returned to his family, without an ounce of regret in his heart. Whatever history, whatever affection he’d had for her, it had disappeared the moment he’d learned her role in Jake’s kidnapping. And whatever guilt he’d felt was gone now too.

He wasn’t going to let Sam keep sabotaging his life. No matter what he had to do.

“Everything okay?” Elizabeth asked when Jason came back. He nodded and went over to Cameron who was still standing, a bit confused.

“Hey, buddy. Let’s find you some candy, okay?”

PCPD: Squad Room

Lucky stared at the results of the lab testing, a sick feeling swirling in his gut. He knew he’d have to call Mac with this, have to tell the man that despite all their best efforts —

They had nothing.

They’d developed a DNA profile from Georgie’s fingernail clipping, but there was no match in the system. There were no more leads. Nothing to follow.

The case was cold. He sighed, set the test down. It could wait until tomorrow.

“I don’t care!”

He glanced up at the familiar voice, grimacing when he recognized it as Sam. She pushed past one of the cops at the front desk. “Lucky. Lucky. You need to help me.”

He slowly rose, already exhausted. “What?”

“Jason.” Her lower lip trembled. “He just threatened to kill me.” A tear slid down her cheek. “You have to help me. I’m so scared.”

Written in 63 minutes. Went over because Sam kept talking, and then all of a sudden, I had that scene and there’s no room for that, so I had to shove in a Liason scene to resolve it, lol.  Worth it, I think.

---

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

“The Jackal does not understand why he must read such drivel,” Spinelli muttered, trotting down the stairs, jamming a copy of Moby Dick into his satchel, then looping the strap over his shoulder to lay across his chest. “Stone Cold—”

“I don’t care how much I pay for you for tech,” Jason said, glancing up only briefly as he wrestled a squirming Cameron into a t-shirt. “You’re finishing college—Cameron—”

“Don’t need clothes!” Cameron wiggled and finally escaped Jason’s grip, dashing across the room in nothing but a blue t-shirt and a pair of Spiderman underwear.

“Little Dude has the strength of six men,” Spinelli said sagely. “Stone Cold—”

“It’s a good book, Spinelli, and it won’t kill you to read something that isn’t on a screen.” Jason waited until Cameron made a lap around the sofa, and scooped him up. “Do you want to go meet Mommy for lunch?”

“Can I get ice cream?”

“This—” Jason frowned. “This isn’t a negotiation.”

“What’s goat-shin?” Cameron screwed up his face. “Does it have ice cream?”

Spinelli snickered. It truly was an experience to watch the infamous enforcer be laid low by a toddler. He should sell tickets.

As Jason tried to explain why little boys couldn’t go to Kelly’s in their underwear, Spinelli snagged the ringing phone from the base. “Hello, ’tis the Jackal. You’ve reached the residence of the Stone Colds.”

“Hey, Spinelli. We got Mrs. C in the lobby. Can she come up?” the front desk guard asked.

“Uno momento, kind sir.” Spinelli looked at Jason. “Stone Cold, the Valkyrie is in the building, requesting admission.”

Jason grimaced as Cameron took off again. “She’s got kids,” he said. “Yeah, let her up. Maybe she can get him dressed.”

Spinelli cackled as he gave the agreement and hung up. “The Jackal counts himself blessed to have a front row seat to the parenting of the great Stone Cold.”

Jason glared at him. “Go to class.”

“Arrivederci, Stone Cold. Adios, Little Dude.”

“Bye, Snelli!” Cameron reappeared around the pool table and Jason snatched him up again. He giggled and squirmed. “No pants!”

“Yes pants,” Jason grumbled, trying to hold him with one hand but he couldn’t get either leg in — “Cameron.”

“Yes.” Cameron grinned at him, and Jason just sighed, finding it impossible to be actually annoyed. Maybe it was because he’d never quite be able to stop remembering the tear-stained cheeks and the quiet that day in the park, where even snuggles with Mom, orange soda, and pepperoni pizza hadn’t been able to put the sparkle back in his eyes.

“You need to get dressed. Your mom only has so much time for—”  There was a knock on the door, so Jason just tucked Cameron under his arm and crossed the living room, Cam giggling maniacally.

He pulled the door open to find Carly on the other side. She immediately burst into laughter. “You planning to go for a touchdown?”

“What? No.” He held out Cameron out to her. “Do you know how to get him into pants?”

“Two options.” Carly breezed past him to scoop up the pair of blue jeans Jason had discarded by the pool table. “You pin him down like a wrestler and force it or you bribe them. If there’s a third way, I haven’t found it.”

Jason sighed, looked at Cameron. He didn’t have the heart to pin the kid down.  “If I promise you ice cream at lunch, will you put on the pants? We can’t go out until you’re dressed.”

“Ice cream and shake.” Cameron cuddled into Jason’s arms. “Ice cream for pants. Shake for shoes. Cam good boy.”

“Oh, damn,” Carly said. “He’s good.” Jason shot her a dirty look, then just sighed.

“Okay. Fine. Ice cream and a milkshake,” he muttered. He took the pants from Carly and knelt down to help Cameron step into the jeans. “Your mother is going to kill me.”

“No. Cam say not to.” He kissed the tip of Jason’s nose. “I get shoe.” He raced off to the basket across the room where they kept shoes and boots for him.

“That is going to be the highlight of my entire week,” Carly decided. “Is it always like this? Can we film it?”

“What do you want, Carly?” Jason asked. “No, Cam, they have to be the same shoes,” he called out as Cameron took out a sneaker with velcro straps and a rain boot. “Match them.”

“Well, Sonny told me you were going to be…” she glanced over at Cameron who had dumped out the entire basket of shoes. “Adopting Cam,” she continued, lowering her voice so he didn’t hear her. “And I was thinking maybe he and Morgan can spend more time together.”

Jason folded his arms. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch.” Carly held up her hands. “Promise. Elizabeth will absolutely never be my favorite person, but you’re happy. You’ve got Jake in your life which is the most important part. And Sonny says Cam and Morgan get along when they’re around each other. Not a lot of parents want Morgan around, you know.” Carly studied Cam. “And he’d be good for Morgan, I think. He’s so…Morgan’s quiet. I want to see him break out of that.”

Jason nodded. “Okay. Yeah. That sounds good.”

“Great.” Carly bit her lip as she watched Cameron shove rain boots on his feet. “You want me to help him get shoes that are weather appropriate?”

“No, I’ve got to figure it out sometime. I’ll see you later, Carly.”

“Have fun.”

PCPD: Squad Room

Lulu searched the squad room for some sign of her brother, rising on the tips of her toes to see over the cluster of uniforms that had gathered by the entry way. She ducked around them and found Lucky at his desk, scribbling something.

“Hey.”

Lucky glanced up. “Lu. What’s up?”

She dropped into the wooden chair next to his desk. “Are you still mad at me? It’s been a week.”

“I wasn’t mad in the first place,” he said almost absently, reaching for a folder on the edge of his desk. “You did what you had to do.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I was really proud of you. I know it wasn’t easy to step back like that—and I’m sorry because I know you’re hurting.”

Lucky sighed, rubbed the back of his neck. “It was the right thing to do. Did you have something you wanted to talk about Lu that isn’t about my personal life? Because I’m busy—”

“Oh. Well, yeah. Kind of. Um, Dillon came home for the holidays — he’s staying until Christmas,” she added. “And there’s supposed to be a party on campus at the Kappa Sigma House on Wednesday for Halloween.” She picked at the edge of her thumbnail. “We were going to go—me, Dillon, and Spinelli, but I wasn’t sure if it was safe. I mean, the campus.”

Lucky sat back in his chair, looked at her fully. “Because of Georgie and Chelsea.”

“Yeah. It’s been weird on campus this semester,” Lu confessed. “They canceled all the parties and did a curfew — which no one argued about — but they lifted that last week, so this is the first big one, and they wouldn’t have done that if they thought there was any danger, right?”

“There’s nothing that we can point to no,” Lucky said, almost reluctantly. “But I can’t promise that. So I need you to do two things for me. Please.”

“Whatever you need.”

“Don’t walk across campus. Drive to the party,” he said. “And stay with Dillon and Spinelli the whole night. Not that either of them are great for security—”

“But if we drive together, go in together, and leave together, you’ll feel better.”

“Yes.”

Lulu nodded. “I promise. I’ll do exactly what you ask. I keep thinking about how awful it is for their families. I don’t know Chelsea’s family—she wasn’t from here. But everyone else is so broken up. Maxie — I don’t like her — but she’s really messed up. She wasn’t even that stable to begin with. And Dillon’s just trying to be normal, we all are. But it’s like we’re faking it, you know? And I don’t even know if I have a right to feel bad because I was mean to Georgie—”

“Not being friends with someone, Lu, doesn’t mean you want anything to happen to them. You and Georgie had your issues, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grieve for her. You knew her all your life.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So, um, thanks. And I know you’re going to get this guy. I just know it.” She embraced him quickly, kissing his cheek, then left.

Lucky watched her go, unsure and worried. There was no reason to think there was still a threat on campus, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that no one should be walking anywhere after dark.

Kelly’s: Courtyard

Elizabeth flicked her wrist to check the time, then sighed. She should probably grab a table and order — she didn’t want to be late getting back to work. She craned her neck to check the parking lot, hoping to see the SUV pull in.

“Waiting for someone?”

She turned at the question, her eyes already narrowing at the sight of Sam strolling into the courtyard from the sidewalk entrance. “We have nothing to say to each other—”

“Oh, maybe you have nothing for me,” Sam retorted. “But I got plenty for you—”

“I really don’t want to do this—” Not when Jason and the boys would be here any minute. “You need to get a grip and move on—”

“Why?” Sam snagged Elizabeth as she started towards the door of the diner. Her fingers wrapped tightly around Elizabeth’s wrist, holding her in place. “So you can swoop in and steal something else from me?”

“I didn’t steal anything from you—”

“The hell you didn’t! You stole the child I wanted to have with Jason, and now you have him—”

“Oh, screw you,” Elizabeth cut in, yanking her arm away from Sam. “I didn’t do either of those things. You sure like to forget that the only reason Jake exists is because Jason saw you on the floor with your mother’s husband—”

“And he was drunk when he slept with—”

“He’s not drunk now,” Elizabeth tossed back. She folded her arms. “If he wanted you, Sam, he’d have you. You know that. He knew for months Jake was his son, and he stayed with you, so please, spare me this narrative. You know the reason you’re not together—”

“I only did it because I was angry!” Sam hurled back. “It was a moment of weakness—”

Elizabeth frowned. What the hell was Sam talking about? What had she done? Was she talking about Ric? “A moment of weakness? Please. More like a moment of selfish, callous—”

“I just wanted him to disappear!” Sam exploded. “If he didn’t exist, Jason wouldn’t want you!”

If he didn’t — “Are you talking about Jake? Are you talking about my son?” Elizabeth grabbed Sam by her elbows, shook her. “What the hell did you do to my son?”

“Nothing!” Sam snarled, shoving Elizabeth away. “You got him back, didn’t you? It doesn’t even matter!”

“Got him—” Her heart stopped for a moment. Oh, God. Oh. God. “You knew. You knew about Maureen Harper.”

“You act like I helped her! I just didn’t stop her, okay! That’s all! And you’re walking around like you’re innocent!”

Red flooded Elizabeth’s vision. “You fucking bitch!” She shoved Sam against the brick wall on the far side of the courtyard. She fisted her hands in Sam’s shirt. “You helped her! You came to me and you said nothing! You wanted me to think my son was dead!”

“Whoa, whoa—”

Elizabeth felt herself being dragged back, but she struggled against the hold. Sam started for her, but another set of hands pulled her away. Lucas Jones had a hand wrapped around Sam’s upper arm—

She shrugged out of the grasp of whoever was holding her, and saw Dillon Quartermaine. “Don’t touch me—”

“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on,” Dillon said, putting his hands up. “But your kid is in the parking lot—”

Elizabeth whipped her head around and saw that the SUV had arrived, and Jason was pulling Cameron out of the back seat.

She turned to Sam. “Jason knows what you did, doesn’t he?”

Sam’s lips curled into a smirk. “He sure does. But it looks like you didn’t. Isn’t that interesting? Enjoy your lunch, princess. The good times aren’t going to last.”

She sauntered out the way she came, as Elizabeth tried to process the scene in her head. Sam had witnessed Jake’s kidnapping. And Jason knew. How long—

She swallowed hard, looked at Lucas and Dillon. “Thank you. For—thank you.”

“Yeah, sure. She probably deserved it.” Lucas gestured towards his friend. “Let’s go inside.”

They disappeared just as Jason got to the courtyard, holding Cameron’s hand with Jake in his other arm. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Mommy?” Cameron said. “Your face is all red.”

“It’s fine. It’s fine.” She met Jason’s eyes. “But I ran into a friend of Jason’s. And we’ll talk about her later.”

Jason hesitated. “Elizabeth—”

“I can’t to hear all about Sam and Maureen Harper.”

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

Emily flashed a concerned look at Robin as the doctor braced a hand against the counter, and took a deep breath. “I thought you were making an appointment with your doctor.”

“I am—”

“You told me that a week ago,” Emily said. She came around the side, reached for Robin’s wrist. “How often are you getting the vertigo?”

“Not often. Just when I stand up too long. Em—” Robin waited until her friend had finished taking her pulse. “Well?”

“It’s fine. But—”

“I need to sleep more. It’s the same thing as last week—”

“But—” Emily cut off her protest as Nikolas strode off the elevators. “Oh, man. Can you stay here?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Emily, I was hoping we could take a minute.”

“Nope. I’m busy. Tell him, Robin.” Emily looked beseechingly at her friend. “Right?”

“Yep. Busy, busy.” Robin reached for a chart. “You want to go see that patient now—”

“You can’t avoid me forever,” Nikolas called as Emily started to follow Robin. Emily turned.

“Watch me.”

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

After a tense and awkward lunch, Jason had reluctantly returned the boys home to wait for Elizabeth to finish work. He’d wanted to find out exactly what happened in the courtyard before they’d arrived, and had even considered leaving the kids with Spinelli or calling Audrey to watch them so he could confront Sam.

Would he never be rid of her? He should have done more after the kidnapping, he realized that now. He should have known that she wouldn’t go quietly. Interfering with the custody hearing, showing up there—

When Elizabeth finally got home, she still wouldn’t talk to him. Not around the boys, she’d said in a clipped tone, and Jason was almost relieved. Because he didn’t really have the first clue what he’d say.

Finally, the boys were down for the night, and Spinelli was in his room, sweating over his literature homework.

Elizabeth went into the bedroom ahead of Jason, and he closed the door. “Let me explain—”

“She wanted Jake to disappear,” Elizabeth said flatly. He faced her, swallowed his words. “You knew that. I told you that weeks ago when she came to see me. She wanted me to think about Jake being dead. Because if he wasn’t around, you would stay with her. That’s what she believed.”

“Yes—”

“And when I told you that, you were angry. I could see it. But I didn’t really understand why.” She paused. “I do now. Because she’d fed you a sob story about standing by and watching Maureen Harper take Jake out of his stroller and walk away with him. She somehow found a way to make you keep quiet about what she’d done, even though she knew for days where our son was.”

“I didn’t—” Jason exhaled slowly. “I didn’t know for sure what she’d done until I went to get Jake. I didn’t know until after I brought him home.”

“But you knew since then.” Elizabeth looked at the carpet. “And that’s why you broke up with her.”

“It’s—it’s part of it. The final straw. Elizabeth—”

“All day, I wondered—” Her voice trembled, but she continued. “I wondered if you kept quiet for payback. I’d been making decisions about Jake since the beginning, and this was your chance to keep something from me—”

“I would never—”

“I know that.” Elizabeth raised her eyes to his, and he was relieved to see some of the chill had faded. “I know. And I’ve met Sam. I’ve seen her work first hand. She made you feel like it was your fault she’d done this. That you drove her to it by keeping Jake a secret in the first place.”

“Yes, but—”

“A moment of a weakness.” Elizabeth closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. “Is there anything else Sam has done that I should know about?”

“Not—no. I don’t know about anything else. Just Maureen.”

“Okay. Okay.” She scrubbed her hands down her face. “Well, it’s not like I don’t know about feeling responsible for someone else’s crimes. Lucky got addicted to drugs, had an affair with a teenager, and somehow I got to be the villain in that story, so—okay.” She met his eyes. “But we’re done now, okay? With the secrets. With lies. This is the last one?”

“The very last.” He went to her know, took her in by the elbows. “I’m sorry. I never should have kept quiet.”

“You’ve forgiven me for so many things, Jason.” She smiled, though it was a bit sad. “So many things that I don’t deserve.”

“Hey—”

“So I spent a few hours being angry with you—angrier than you’ve ever been with me—and now I’m just tired. I don’t want this to be our life. You promise me there’s nothing else you’re holding back about Sam?”

“Nothing. I wouldn’t.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry.”

Elizabeth sighed, then her arms curled around his waist, and he exhaled easily for the first time in hours. “I’m sorry, too. I love you.”

“I love you.”

Written in 59 minutes.

---

Port Charles Courthouse: Family Court

“Do you want to tell me what that was about?” his lawyer demanded.

Lucky tore his eyes away from Elizabeth as she and Jason embraced, then she hugged Diane. He focused on his attorney. “I’m sorry. You get paid whether I win or lose—”

“We discussed a strategy—”

“And I decided I didn’t want it—” Lucky turned away, relieved as Elizabeth and the others made their way out of the court room. “Listen, I appreciate everything. But you had to see the writing on the wall—you didn’t even go after Elizabeth in her testimony—”

“I think you should have given yourself a chance to fight, Lucky—”

“For what? The chance to drag Cameron out of his house every other weekend and force him to come see me—” Lucky looked at the empty doorway. “Diane Miller was right. I had a chance to be a good father. I chose to put myself first—”

“Your wife is putting herself first—”

“The custody case is over,” Lucky said flatly. “Make sure the divorce goes away. I want it over.”

He started towards the back of the courtroom, but Nikolas grabbed his arm as he passed. “Lucky—”

“I don’t want to hear it—” He walked over to the back pew where Sam still waited, her eyes hot with fury. “And I don’t want to hear what you have to say, either. No one asked you to be here. It has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me,” Sam spat, rising to her feet. “You just let her off the hook for all of it—”

“I told you that I didn’t want your kind of revenge. I don’t want any of it. I just want to get on with my life. You should try it sometime.”

Sam glared after him as Lucky left, followed by his annoyed lawyer, then she looked at Nikolas. “It’s not fair for her to get away with everything like this. She gets to walk away with her happy ending—”

“Sam—” Nikolas shook his head. “I get that you’re still angry at how things ended with Jason, but that was months ago—”

“Diane humiliated me on that stand—”

“You humiliated yourself. Get over it. Lucky’s right. Maybe it’s not fair how it all came out, but it’s over. Time for everyone to move on.”

He left her standing there, fuming. Well, if those assholes weren’t going to make sure that perfect Elizabeth Webber didn’t get to walk away scot-free, then Sam was going to do it herself.

Hardy House: Living Room

Audrey was on her feet as Elizabeth opened the door, her expression creased in concern. “How was it? Did—did you get a ruling?”

Elizabeth embraced her grandmother. “I’m still a bit shell-shocked. Lucky—he didn’t testify. He told the judge to rule in my favor.”

“What?” Audrey looked past her to Jason, then back to Elizabeth. “He didn’t testify?”

“He dropped the objection to the paternity suit even before we got started. I guess listening to Lulu and me — I don’t know. I guess he decided it wasn’t…that putting himself through it wouldn’t be worth it.” She sighed. “I don’t really know how to feel about it, I guess. I just want to get the boys and go home.”

“They’re upstairs. Cameron’s playing, and Jake was napping.” Audrey touched her arm. “I’m relieved that it’s over, darling. It’s all right to feel a bit unsettled.”

“I don’t know why,” Elizabeth said to Jason as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. “This is what I wanted. Lucky stepped aside. We’ll get divorced and…it’ll be over.” She rubbed her arms. “I still want that—”

“It was a hard testimony to sit through,” Jason said. He stopped her as they approached the bedroom the boys used at Audrey’s house. “I didn’t—” He gritted his teeth for a moment. “I didn’t know he’d put his hands on you.”

“It—it was just that once—Jason, it was just that once. And he didn’t mean to do it. I left that night.” She laid a hand on his cheek. “Look at me. It was once. And I don’t know how much he even remembers.”

“I wish you’d told me.” Jason shook his head. “I would have—I don’t know. I would have—”

“Offered to marry me before the paternity results came back? Offered to marry me again when you did know? Jason. You did everything you could—”

“If that was true, you would have told me the truth about Jake that day you came over,” he broke in, and she closed her mouth. “Because I didn’t think it was for the best, I just wanted you to be okay, and I thought—I thought it was what you wanted.”

“You were trying to protect me. And I was trying to protect you. And neither one of us told the truth that day. There’s a lesson to be learned from that, I think.” She leaned up to kiss him, and he held her against him. “We both did the best we could in the moment. But we’re going to do better now.”

“Much better.”

“Let’s get the boys and go home.”

General Hospital: Locker Room

Robin rested a hand against the row of lockers, and took a minute to catch her breath, squeezing her eyes shut, hoping it would stop the room from spinning.

Vertigo was always such a strange trip, she thought. You stayed still, but the room started to move, and then you were on the floor.

“Hey.” Emily came around the corner, went for her locker. “You okay?”

“Hey. Just—I don’t know. Felt dizzy for a minute.” Robin smiled weakly, then sat on the bench. “Not enough sleep. Or eating. I don’t know.”

Emily studied her for a minute. “You look pale. Robin—”

“It’s fine. I know better. I know I have to keep myself healthy—” She forced a smile. “I’ll make an appointment with my doctor, okay? You don’t have to be so worried.”

“I can’t help but worry. It’s in the DNA.” She sat next to Robin, reached for her hand and laid two fingers on her wrist. A moment later, she nodded. “Pulse is okay. Let me check your pupils—”

“Em—”

“Shut up—” Emily tilted her head. “No dilation.”

“I told you. Just a little run-down. I’m not sleeping well.”

“Still?”

“I know it’s been a month,” Robin murmured. “But sometimes, I get—it just wakes me up. And—” She grimaced, stared at her hands. “Can I tell you something without judging me?”

“Of course.”

“And—you’re like my doctor right now. Confidential—”

“It would be confidential even if I hadn’t taken your pulse. You can tell me anything, Robin. You know that.”

“Right.” Robin bit her lip. “Then night of Georgie’s memorial, I went to Patrick’s. And I stayed with him that night.” She waited. “You don’t look surprised.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re not going to tell me he’s only going to break my heart?”

“Of course not. You already know all there is to know about Patrick Drake,” Emily told her, gently. “He loves you. If you’d told him that getting the moon would make you feel better, he’d give it his best shot.”

“That was the only time since all of this happened that I slept through the night,” Robin confessed. “And I know, God, I know if I called him right now, he’d come over, and he’d just hold me and I’d be able to sleep, and I could close my eyes, and not see her—”

Emily squeezed her hand. “But you won’t.”

“I can’t. I can’t. It hurts so much.” Robin’s voice broke. “And it’s not fair. He started talking about how maybe we could figure out something, and what kind of person would I be if I let him make this change because I’m such a mess?” She swiped at her tears and forced herself to her feet. To open her locker. “And I hate myself because I lay there at night, and I think about calling him because I just want it all to stop, and it won’t.”

“It’s hard to walk away from someone you love,” Emily said. “Especially when you’re doing it for the right reasons. Patrick would probably be an amazing father. I think he’s surprised himself with how much love he’s found in himself over these last few years. But I respect him for not taking the plunge without being more sure. That doesn’t make his choice hurt any less, Robin. It just makes it harder to hate him for it.”

“What about you? I thought you and Nikolas were all but engaged—” When Emily made a face, Robin clasped her hands in front of her. “Please. I’m begging you. Distract me.”

“I just—he took Lucky’s side in all of his, which, okay that’s fine. I took Elizabeth’s. We weren’t going to do that first,” she added. She spun the combination dial. “We were just going  be neutral, but Lucky started to pull all this crap with Cameron, and even though Nikolas knew it was wrong, he got Lucky a lawyer who made all these threats—” She broke off.

“I know it shouldn’t have anything to do with us,” she finally continued, jerking open the locker. “It shouldn’t. But I hear him talk about Elizabeth, and we both knew what she was going through last fall. And it’s like — he expects her to have let it all go because Lucky got clean and stayed that way. Like it’s a switch you can flick on and off. But it’s now how it works. Elizabeth built up this whole system in her head where she was responsible for Lucky’s sobriety, and we fed into that. We all did, and now we’re going to be angry because she didn’t do it perfectly?”

Emily huffed. “Lucky spread those rumors about Patrick and Elizabeth last year, you know that, right? He made such a production about them that Epiphany and Kelly both thought Elizabeth slept with him and that was why they needed a paternity test.”

Robin frowned. “I didn’t know that—”

“Yeah, okay, she went out and she did have an affair eventually. But now when Lucky was screaming at her about it, and not before he had an affair—” Emily gripped her locker. “Maybe it’s that simple for me. Maybe it’s knowing Elizabeth was trying so hard most of last year, and she had one little slip with Jason that she kept to herself, and tried to protect everyone except herself — and it didn’t matter. Because Lucky was screwing around on her first.”

“I thought…the pills—”

“I’ve had a drug addiction,” Emily spat. “I watched my father go through it. I know what addiction looks like. He was dependent on it, but he wasn’t at the point where his personality should have shifted. Not like that. No, he never believed Elizabeth picked him. He always felt like she settled, and he was fucking so insecure about it, that he had to go prove his virility by—” Emily closed her mouth. “I’m sorry. I forgot—”

“I know what Maxie was doing last year. You don’t think Lucky had the affair  because of the pills.”

“I think the pills gave him the excuse. But no, I think Maxie made Lucky feel like a hero. And Elizabeth didn’t. Simple as that. And all of this custody bullshit started when Elizabeth made it clear that she was going to let Jason be Jake’s father. Because Lucky couldn’t stand to come second. Nikolas couldn’t accept that Lucky had any fault in this. He won’t see it, and he couldn’t see it when he did the same thing to me.”

Emily sat on the bench, tears shimmering in her eyes. “It was so hard, Robin. So damned hard to look at him for so long. Connor Bishop looked just like him—do you know what it’s like to be raped by a man who could be your husband’s identical twin? To see his face in your nightmares?”

“No.” Robin sat again, touched Emily’s shoulder again. “I don’t.”

“And maybe I needed more therapy. And maybe we were always going to get divorced. I don’t know. But he didn’t say anything. He promised to my face that we would get through it, and behind my back, he was having an affair. Because that’s what he and Lucky do. They talk a good game, but they will always take the easy way out.” Emily stopped. “So, no, Nikolas and I aren’t going to get back together. I had a glimpse of the man who did that to me with all of this, and I’m not interested in repeating the same mistake.”

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

Patrick saw Mac Scorpio at the nurse’s station and nearly did an about face to walk the other direction. He and Mac had always had an uneasy relationship, and it likely wasn’t going to get to much better now that he and Robin had broken up.

But Epiphany had already seen him and was gesturing in his direction, so Mac turned and there was no escape.

Especially when it seemed as if Mac had sought him out. Patrick sighed and went forth into battle.

“Patrick. Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He handed a chart to Epiphany, then went to the waiting area. “Um, I’d ask how you are but it feels like a stupid question.”

“I’m—” Mac rubbed his chin. “Surviving,” he said finally. “Which is about all I can ask, I guess. Uh, I wanted to stop by—I should have a few weeks ago, but—” He paused. “Thank you. For being there for Robin.”

Patrick blinked. “What? When?”

“The day we found out. You—you were. I remembered. And you came that day. To the house. I remember you were there. And at the church. Robin—she doesn’t let anyone take care of her. I’m sure you know that.”

“You raised an independent woman, that’s for sure,” Patrick said. “But it’s a good thing—”

“Until it’s not. I just—I don’t want you to think it went unnnoticed. Or unappreciated.” Mac waited a moment. “I know you aren’t…that you’re not seeing each other anymore. Robin said it was about the future. About not having the same plans for it.”

“Something—” Patrick shook his head. “She wants kids. And I want her to have everything she deserves. I know she didn’t think they were a possibility, and now they are. She’ll be an amazing mother, and I want it for her.”

“And you don’t want it for yourself?”

Patrick fisted his hand at his side. “Not enough to dive into it. And I think you should be more sure before you bring an entire life into the world, you know? Like maybe it shouldn’t be an afterthought.”

“No, it shouldn’t.” Mac studied him for a long moment. “And they’re not for the faint of heart. I don’t have biological children. Just the—” His voice faltered for just a moment. “Just my girls. Stepdaughters. A niece. Kids that I didn’t plan or ask for—and I wasn’t ready when Robin became my responsibility either.”

“But you stepped up.”

“You would, too. But it’s not enough to just step into the role. You gotta enjoy it. And I did—” Mac grimaced, looked away. “It takes a lot to give someone your heart and then just let them walk around the world with it.”

“You’d still do it again, wouldn’t you?” Patrick wondered, and Mac looked back at him. “Even now. With losing her. You’d do it again.”

“Even knowing that I’d lose my Georgie this way, I’d live every minute again. God, what I wouldn’t do for just one more minute.” Mac bowed his head, took another deep breath. “Anyway. You’ll do what’s right for you. But thank you. For taking care of Robin.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Elizabeth still felt restless later that evening, even as Spinelli insisted they celebrate with pepperoni pizza for Cameron and orange soda for him. He poured just a little bit into Cameron’s sippy cup when he thought Elizabeth didn’t notice, and Cameron nearly bounced off the walls.

“He’s never going to go to sleep,” Jason said as they watched Spinelli try to explain the finer points of a video game to the toddler. “We probably should have stopped it.”

“It’s one night. It won’t kill him.” She leaned her head against the door frame of the kitchen. “Diane said the adoption won’t take long. With Lucky out of the picture legally, it’s just the six month waiting period.” She glanced back at him. “Do you want to talk to him about it? Or—”

“I think we should just see what happens. He still remembers Lucky, and I don’t want him to get confused or upset.” He hooked an arm around her shoulders, drew her back against him. “For now, I’m happy with the way things are.”

“Me, too.” She leaned into his embrace and told herself to concentrate on the good and to let go the guilt. It was time to move on.

I went WAY over with this one, lol. 90 minutes. But it feels worth it, I think.

---

Port Charles Courthouse: Family Court

“Let’s move on to the next matter. Custody of Cameron Hardy Webber and Jacob Spencer.”

Elizabeth’s hand, already clutching Jason’s, tightened and he squeezed back, reassuring her. The paternity claim had been the easiest part of their petition, he knew that, and one that they would win fairly. Custody of the boys — while Jason had made his calls to assure they’d win, he still wanted to win on the merits. He wanted the judge to cut the last tie that held Elizabeth to Lucky.

Maybe it was selfish to watch Lucky out of their lives entirely — and maybe Jason would be the better man if he’d encouraged Elizabeth to give Lucky another chance after the park so that Cameron would have the same father he’d always known.

But Cameron’s sobs still echoed in his mind, and the way the toddler had clung to his mother, begging her to bring his father back — that he’d behave and be a good boy. Maybe Lucky had made a mistake —

Jason didn’t care. He wasn’t giving Lucky the chance to hurt Cameron that way again.

“Ms. Miller, your client has filed an amended petition.” The judge peered at his notes. “Mrs. Spencer is no longer requesting joint custody of the older boy? Please explain this position. I understand that while Mr. Spencer is not Cameron Webber’s biological or legal father, he’s stood in the role for most of the child’s life.”

“Your Honor.” Diane got to her feet. “When my client separated from her husband in mid-August, she made her position clear. She’d made a grievous error in judgment, lying about the paternity of the younger son. She wanted to correct that mistake, and try to make amends. At that time, Mr. Spencer indicated he wanted nothing less than joint custody of both boys — and if Jacob wasn’t included in a custody agreement, he would walk away entirely.”

The judge nodded. “Yes, I see that in Mr. Spencer’s original filing.” He glanced over to Lucky and his lawyer. “Mr. Frazier?”

“Your Honor. Mr. Spencer was terribly hurt and humiliated after his wife admitted to an affair and lying about the paternity of their son. This admission was broadcast on regional television, and added layers to an already terrible situation. He took some time to consider his position, and decided that he had raised Jacob since birth, and wanted to continue in the role. Mrs. Spencer refused to consider even visitation on the matter. My client simply wished to force his wife to come to the table and negotiate something that was fair. Cooler heads have prevailed, and now my client has agreed to joint custody for both boys or just Cameron if the court so chooses.”

“Ms. Miller, your answer to that?”

Jason hated all the legal speak, hated how reasonable the lawyer had made Lucky’s demands sound. Elizabeth’s hand gripped his so tightly, that her knuckles her white. He covered their joined hands with his free hand, and she glanced at him, misery swirling. She carried so much guilt for the last year — he wanted her to let it go. To put it behind them.

But they wouldn’t until this was over. And there would always be a piece of her that blamed herself for everything.

“Your Honor, Mr. Spencer only revised his demand after a terrible incident in Port Charles Park on September 14,” Diane responded coolly. “As Lesley Lu Spencer, his sister, will testify to, Mr. Spencer came across my clients in the park with both boys. Cameron recognized Mr. Spencer as his father, and ran to him. Mr. Spencer didn’t simply walk away, but—”

“Counsel is testifying, Your Honor,” Lincoln Frazier interrupted, almost lazily.

“Ms. Miller, perhaps the details can wait for Ms. Spencer’s testimony.”

“Of course. Our position is that on that day, Mr. Spencer had the opportunity to assert himself as Cameron’s father. He chose not to. My client is not under any legal obligation to allow Mr. Spencer any continued contact with Cameron. After two and a half years, most of Cameron’s life, Mr. Spencer declined to adopt Cameron and gain any legal standing.”

“Was adoption discussed?” the judge wanted to know.

“Yes. On several occasions. Mr. Spencer suggested that money was tight and that it was unnecessary.” Diane lifted her brow. “Again, Mrs. Spencer was happy to allow to her husband to maintain his role as Cameron’s father, perhaps making adoption part of the divorce settlement. But Mr. Spencer has proved over the last two months that he is not interested in being a hands-on father. With the testimony of my client and her sister-in-law, we will demonstrate this fact.”

“That’s your argument as to the older boy. As I understand, your client was never interested in visitation with the younger boy?”

“As Your Honor just ruled, visitation with Jacob is not a matter for this court. Lucky Spencer has just relinquished any legal standing he has to the child. Mrs. Spencer, having told what she will admit, was a terrible lie for almost a year, was unwilling to promise Mr. Spencer continued contact. She will describe her position more clearly.”

“All right.” The judge slid off his reading glasses. “I’m ready for testimony.”

——

Lucky had listened to Diane present the case with a twist in his gut, knowing that there was nothing he could do or say today that would change the outcome of the situation. Any chance he had of explaining away that terrible day in the park would be diminished when his own sister described the scene from her point of view.

When Diane called Lulu to the stand, Lucky turned to see his sister stand up from the back row, then his eyes caught someone else. Sam.

She must have come in after the arguments had started. Lucky glanced over at the other table, saw Elizabeth’s startled eyes, and Jason’s scowl. Neither of them had seen her until then either.

Sam merely lifted her eyes at Lucky, as if to suggest that she could still help.

Lucky turned away, faced forward. There was no help for him. There was only finishing what he’d started.

Lulu looked miserable as she took the oath and sat in the witness box. She adjusted the microphone, then kept her eyes on Diane.

She wouldn’t even look at her.

“Good morning, Ms. Spencer.” Diane went to a podium, a sheaf of yellow papers in her hands. “On the afternoon of September 14, did you have occasion to go to the park?”

“Objection, leading—”

“It calls for a yes or no answer, it does not suggest the answer,” Diane snapped before the judge could answer. “Go back to law school—”

“Objection overruled,” the judge interrupted. “Ms. Miller—”

“My apologies, Your Honor.” Diane looked back at Lulu. “Ms. Spencer, September 14?”

“I went to the park, yes.” Lulu cleared her throat, then fidgeted with the microphone.

“Did you go with anyone else?”

“Yes. My brother. I met him at the pier because he’d been staying with our brother on Spoon Island.”

“Why were you meeting with your brother?”

“Objection, to the extent it calls for hearsay—”

“Mr. Frazier—” The judge leaned forward. “This is not a murder case. This is a family court proceeding. Objection overruled.”

Lulu was thrown off by the interruption. “Uh, I wanted to talk to him. About the divorce. And the custody. I was angry. Because he was making everything harder. Um, I knew he was trying to force Elizabeth to give him visitation with Jake and he was using Cameron to do it. I wanted to talk him out of it.” She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “So we were in the park, and we went towards the playground.”

“What happened when you reached the playground?”

“Objection—”

“What, if anything,” Diane said, through clenched teeth and a dirty look at Lucky’s lawyer, “happened when you reached the playground?”

“Oh. Um, we saw Cameron first. In the sandbox, playing. Elizabeth was there, too. And Jason. They were at a picnic table. Jason was holding Jake, and Lucky got all mad—”

“Objection—”

“His face got red and I saw him fist his hands,” Lulu said. “That’s how I know he was mad. Sorry, I know I’m supposed to describe what I saw.”

“Objection overruled,” the judge said. “Ms. Spencer, please wait for me to rule before you continue answering.”

“Sorry. I’m just—I’m nervous.” Lulu licked her lips, focused on Diane.

“That’s all right. What happened then?”

“Cameron was so happy—he scrambled out of the sandbox, and he ran so fast he nearly tripped—” Lulu smiled faintly. “And he was smiling, calling out for my brother—calling him daddy. But Lucky—he just held up his hands to stop Cameron from coming near him.” Lulu demonstrated, raising her own.

Lucky dipped his head, the regret and bitterness swamping him again. He was going to lose everything for a single incident. For one terrible reaction.

“Cameron didn’t seem to understand. Of course he didn’t. He was just—he’s a baby. So he kept coming anyway, and he hugged Lucky’s leg.” Lulu’s voice faltered, and she swiped at her cheek.

Lucky couldn’t look over at the other table, didn’t want to know what Elizabeth looked like as his sister recounted that horrible day.

“What did your brother do, if anything?” Diane asked.

“He picked Cameron up and he—he held him away—like maybe you would when a baby has a smelly diaper—” Lulu, again, demonstrated, by stretching his arms. “Cameron was confused at first, and then started to cry. Lucky shoved him into Elizabeth’s arms and told Cameron to ask his mother why he couldn’t be with him. And then he walked away.”

“Objection, hearsay.”

“Statement is an admission of a party-opponent,” Diane said immediately.

“Overruled, Mr. Frazier. Once again, this is family court and a certain amount of hearsay is allowed.”

Lucky grimaced. He knew his lawyer was just trying to keep out of the worst of the statements, but it probably wasn’t helping.

Nothing would.

“Did Mrs. Spencer or Mr. Morgan react in anyway?”

“I don’t—I left right away. To go after Lucky. But not that I saw. I think—I don’t know. It happened so fast. Elizabeth looked so surprised, and Jason—he wouldn’t have done anything—” Lulu paused. “I don’t know. I left. But I could hear Cameron sobbing — I didn’t stop hearing it until we were far enough away.”

“Thank you, Ms. Spencer.” Diane turned to Lincoln. “Your witness.”

Lulu finally looked over at the table, and met Lucky’s eyes. The shame he already felt amplified as he saw the distress in his little sister’s expression. She had seen herself in Cameron that day. He didn’t know if she’d ever respect him again.

“No questions, Your Honor.”

“Ms. Spencer, you may step down.”

Lulu hurried out of the witness box, and practically ran out of the courtroom.

“I’d like to call my final witness, Elizabeth Spencer.”

——

Lulu’s testimony had been terrible to sit through — to hear that Elizabeth’s own reflections of the matter were right — that it had been as dreadful as she remembered.

Elizabeth took the oath and settled herself in the box that Lulu had just vacated. In the back of the courtroom, she saw Sam sitting in the back row, a smirk on her face.

“Mrs. Spencer.”

Elizabeth focused on Diane. Her lawyer waited another moment. “Can you describe for the court, the situation in which you found yourself last fall when you discovered you were pregnant?”

“I—” Elizabeth fisted her hands in her lap, then looked at Jason. Found the reassurance she needed. “My marriage was on life support. In mid-August, I learned that my husband was not only having an affair, but that he was addicted to pain medication. We’d been having a rough time since he’d been injured,” she continued. “He thought I was having an affair with a friend from work, but I wasn’t.”

“Were you having an affair with Jason Morgan prior to mid-August, prior to learning about Mr. Spencer’s affair?”

“No. No,” Elizabeth repeated. “Jason and I have been friends for years. We—years ago, we were sort of dating. But it never went that far. I was—it just didn’t work out, and we both moved on. But we reconnected again last spring as friends. I knew Lucky was struggling after the injury, and Jason was a—he’s a good listener. And he helped me work through my worries.”

“But nothing physical happpened?” Diane asked.

“No. I wouldn’t have—as bad as things were with Lucky, I was still committed. For better or worse. I meant that part. And he’d gotten hurt trying to save me. How could I hold it against him? But he was so angry. All of the time. And with me.” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Then, in August, I found him in bed with another woman. I confronted him about that, about the pills, and it was like—he made it my fault. He threw the colleague in my face, but I didn’t understand. Patrick—” She grimaced. Oh well. “Patrick and I were just friends. Back then, I barely even knew him.”

“After this argument, what happened?”

“I took Cameron and I went to my grandmother’s.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “But then I went back to the apartment, trying to tell myself that I made vows, and Lucky was clearly addicted to the pain pills. It all had to be part of that, didn’t it? Because—” She looked at Lucky for the first time, but he was staring at the table. “Because we loved each other. And I’d made those vows. I’d promised him. I wanted to keep that promise.” She paused. “He had the other woman in our apartment. In our bed. The same day I’d left him. Twice within twenty-four hours—” Her voice faltered and she looked down. “So I left.”

“And went where?”

“To where I always go when things fall apart.” Elizabeth looked up then, at Jason. “To Jason.  I knew he’d talk me through it. He’d make me understand what I’d done wrong. Why this was happening to me. He always does.”

Jason scowled slightly, and she knew it was because he’d remembered that night, and how she’d asked him, desperately, What’s wrong with me? Nothing. He’d told her that, almost angrily. Nothing was wrong with her.

“Mrs. Spencer, what happened when you got there?”

“Jason wasn’t having a good night either. Um—” She flicked her eyes to Sam in the back, and the other woman was glaring at her, almost malevolently. “It’s not important why. Just that we were both—we were hurt. So we started talking about the old days. Our friendship from before. When we’d sort of dated a few years ago. I think maybe we were both thinking about the road not taken.” She exhaled slowly, her chest didn’t feel so tight. “I know I was. Maybe if I’d been stronger, or more stubborn, or something—maybe I wouldn’t have made so many mistakes. We slept together that night. And I stayed until the morning.”

Elizabeth waited a moment, to gather her thoughts. “The next morning, I went home, and Lucky seemed to be a different man. He was promising to get clean, to be a better husband. And—I’d made those vows, hadn’t I? He wanted to get clean. If I left him, wouldn’t he just…wouldn’t he fail? How could I live with myself if I didn’t stick by him? Marriage is supposed to be hard. I knew that. So I…I stayed.”

“Did Lucky get clean?”

“No. No, he didn’t. I didn’t know for sure yet first. I found out I was pregnant, and I was just—everything was so complicated. If I told Lucky the baby might not be his, what would he do? And I didn’t even know. What if I blew up his recovery for nothing? And Jason—God—how would this affect his life? He wasn’t planning a child.” Her mouth twisted. “Not with me.”

“What about Lucky? How was his recovering progressing?”

“I found pills. I was so angry, so furious—here I was, pregnant, scared to death about what it might mean, trying to find the courage to tell Jason that I was going to ruin his life—and I’d sent Cam to stay with my grandmother so that I could be there for Lucky—and he was still on the pills—” Her voice broke, and she had to suck in a deep breath. Diane handed her a box of tissues.

“How did you find out?”

“I found them in his jacket. I—I was so stupid,” Elizabeth murmured, her mind drifting back. “So stupid. I confronted him. And he was angry, too. And somehow it was my fault again, which—I don’t know. How could it be my fault? He didn’t know about Jason. And I didn’t—” She shook her head. “I tried to leave, but he grabbed me. He stopped me.”

At the table, Jason tensed, and she couldn’t look at him. She could only look at Diane. “He stopped me. He grabbed my arms and shook me. He told me I couldn’t leave.”

“Did you leave?”

“Not—I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me go. So I—I tried to get away, and then I was on the floor.” She crushed the tissue in her first. “I was on the floor, and he was confused. And then Nikolas was there.”

And Nikolas was there again today, sitting behind his brother. She hadn’t let herself focus on that. She found him now in the audience, his expression somber.

“Nikolas got me out of there. He took me to the hospital. Um, I left after that. I couldn’t keep—I couldn’t keep going. I told Jason, and he took a paternity test.”

“And then you lied about the results,” Diane said. “Why?”

“I didn’t mean to. It’s just—Lucky checked into rehab when he found out about the baby. He hadn’t known until after I left. And this time, he was getting real help. And Jason—he was back together with his ex-girlfriend, or almost. And—I didn’t mean to,” Elizabeth repeated. “The results—they came in. And Jason wasn’t there. A friend of his was, and she thought she knew the results. I didn’t—I didn’t tell her. But she assumed for whatever reason that it was Lucky’s baby, so she went to tell Jason that.”

She swiped at her tears. “When I got there, Jason told me that he knew the baby was Lucky’s, and that it was for the best, and I just—I just kind of fell apart. On the inside. Because part of me had been relieved Lucky wasn’t the baby’s father because I wanted to get out. I wanted to be done. But I thought—” She shook her head. “I’m not proud that I let him believe that. But I thought it was how he wanted it to be. For the best,” she murmured. “For all of us. And, on the surface, yes. It made it easier. Lucky would never have to know. He could get clean, and Jason could have a life with—with someone else.”

“Did you ever try to tell the truth?”

“I started to a thousand times,” Elizabeth said with a sigh. “But there always seemed to a be a reason not to. And Lucky actually—he went into recovery. He’s stayed that way, and I’m proud of him for that.” She looked at Lucky, hoping that he would raise his head. But he didn’t. “And Jason was trying to have a baby with his girlfriend, so I don’t know. I just—I let it go. For a while.”

“The time came when you told the truth.”

“Yes. Yes, um—” Elizabeth sighed, looked up at the ceiling. “The Metro Court. Hostage crisis. I was—Jason and I got trapped in the elevator, and I was so scared I’d do, and he’d saved my life, and I just blurted it out. I was going to tell everyone the truth after that, but I didn’t. I kept lying. I’m not proud of that. I asked Jason to keep—” She bit her lip. “I asked him to let Lucky raise the baby. Lucky wanted us to get back together, and I was just—I was so tired. And lonely. And scared.”

“Jason agreed?”

“He had his reasons, I know that. And I had no right to ask him. No right at all. It was just—it was a terrible mistake. And it kept getting worse. I wanted it to be over. I married Lucky again, and it was a mistake. I’m sorry for it. I wish I hadn’t. I felt like I was trapped under all of these lies, and if I tried to tell the truth, it would just mean I’d spend the rest of my life digging my way out, and I knew how angry everyone would be. And I was just—” Elizabeth closed her eyes. “I was so tired. I just wanted it all to go away.”

“But you told the truth on the stand in August,” Diane said, her tone almost kind. And Elizabeth was grateful she hadn’t probed more deeply into why Elizabeth had asked Jason to continue the lie. She’d admitted the shameful truth to Jason once, and that was more than enough for a lifetime. He’d forgiven her, and she really wanted to move on.

“I couldn’t keep lying. I couldn’t—to stand in front of the entire world—I looked at Jason, and I just—I couldn’t tell the world he wasn’t Jake’s father. I couldn’t keep doing this. When Jake got kidnapped, it was Jason who found him. He brought him home, but Lucky put him in jail for going across county lines while on parole. That’s how Lucky thanked him for bring Jake home. By sending him back into lockup. He’d sacrificed his freedom and I was supposed to keep lying? Looking right at him? I couldn’t. I’m sorry for how it came out. I know it was the worst way. I know it was worse for Lucky. And I’m sorry. But I just—I couldn’t.”

“All right.” Diane reshuffled her papers. “Your sister-in-law testified about the incident in the park on September 14. Does her recollection match yours?”

Relieved to be off that terrible topic, Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Yes. Cameron was devastated. He kept screaming that he’d be a good boy. And he was crying when we got home, and just…so listless the rest of the day. He’s usually so full of energy and life, and laughter. And he couldn’t be cheered up. I couldn’t fix it. And I’d started it. I knew it was my fault, partially. But Lucky finished it. Whatever I did to him, however I hurt him, I can take it. But Cameron—he’s a baby. And he wanted his daddy. And Lucky walked away.”

Diane paused. “You’ve separated from Mr. Spencer twice in the last year. Between September 2006 and March 2007, did Mr. Spencer ask for visitation?”

“No. We saw him at Christmas, but no. He never saw Cameron. Never asked to. He was in rehab for part of it, but no. Other than that.”

“And since the date of separation?”

“No. He’s never asked to see Cameron.”

“Thank you. No further questions.”

“Mr. Frazier.”

Lincoln Frazier got to his feet. “Mrs. Spencer, where do you currently reside?”

“Harborview Towers.” Elizabeth lifted her chin, met the lawyer’s gaze head on.

“Do you live alone?”

“No. I live with Jason Morgan, the boys, and Damien Spinelli, a family friend.”

“When did you move in?”

“September 14.” Elizabeth looked at Lucky, a bit more coolly, and now he raised his head. Their eyes met. “After the park. I decided there was no point in pretending it wasn’t where I wanted to be to spare anyone else’s feelings.”

“And if this custody hearing should conclude in your favor, what are your intentions once your divorce are finalized?”

Elizabeth frowned. “I don’t understand the question.”

“Do you intend to marry Mr. Morgan?”

“We haven’t discussed that.”

“Does he intend to adopt Cameron?”

“Yes.” Elizabeth paused. “We never discussed that until after the park. Until then, Jason supported my position entirely. But after that, yes, we decided that Jason would adopt Cameron. It’s my intention to do that regardless of this custody hearing. As his mother, I have the right to object to any attempt Lucky may make with regards to Cameron. He had two years to adopt him. He chose not to.”

“And what happens if my client wins?”

“The judge will decide that. That’s not up to me. All I can do is present my case.”

Lincoln waited for a long moment. “You married my client a second time. You renewed your vows. Even after you wanted to leave. Did you love my client at the second wedding? Did you want to marry him?”

“Part of me will always love Lucky,” Elizabeth said. “So the answer to that is yes. I still had hope that we’d be able to make something work. I wanted to believe in the dream we’d had since we were teenagers. But I didn’t recognize that we’d both grown apart. That we were too different. That I didn’t love him enough. I’m sorry for that. But it doesn’t change what I believe to be right for my children.”

“No further questions.”

——

Lucky exhaled slowly as Elizabeth finally stepped down and returned to the table with Jason. It had been worse than he thought to sit through all of that, to remember all the ways he’d battered Elizabeth down during those terrible months last year.

He’d wanted to believe that he’d recovered. That he’d tried hard enough the second time around to be redeemed. That he hadn’t done anything to deserve the way things had happened — not this time.

But the truth of it was that he’d destroyed enough of Elizabeth’s love and respect for him that they were always going to end up here. He’d done nothing but hurt her for years.

“Your Honor.” Lincoln got to his feet. “I’d like to call my first—”

“I don’t want to testify.”

Lincoln stopped, looked at Lucky. “What?”

“What?” Diane demanded.

Lucky got to his feet, looked over at Elizabeth, at Jason. Ignored the bitter hatred that licked at the back of his throat. “I never—I never thought about all the ways I broke you,” he managed. “All the ways I made you feel like it was your job to fix me.”

“Lucky—” Elizabeth began, but Diane put up her hand.

“Mr. Spencer—”

“Your Honor,” Lucky said, cutting off the judge. “I love Cameron. I love my son. I will always love him. I love both of them. I did this so that no one could ever say I was like my father. That I ran away when it got hard. I thought—last year, I was addicted to pain pills, so I ran then. But this—I’m clean now. I’m strong enough, I thought. And I am, I guess. I could keep dragging this out. I could appeal if I lose today. I could keep fighting. But I never stopped to think—” He took a bracing breath, almost surprised at himself. “I never stopped to think about how much damage I’d already done. How much I’d already ruined.” He looked at the judge. “I want to do what I should have a long time ago.” And now he looked to Elizabeth, who was crying. “I want to let you go. I want to let us go. We’re not those kids anymore, Elizabeth. And I’ve ruined too much holding you to promises we made in a church a lifetime ago.”

He cleared his throat. “I can withdraw my custody petition, right? Or you can just—you can give Elizabeth custody. Okay? Let her win. She’s an amazing mother, and I know—I know she’ll love them the way they deserve. What I did to Cameron—she never would have done that. So whatever makes this easy, do that. But I’m not fighting anymore.”

He sat down, his head clear for the first time in a long time. And strangely, relieved.

It was over.

“All right,” the judge said almost cautiously. “Then I rule in favor of Elizabeth Spencer, and award sole legal and physical custody of Cameron Hardy Webber and Jacob Martin Spencer.”

Written in 60 minutes.

---

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Jason emerged from the bathroom, fastening the last button of his dress shirt, then frowned as he saw an item of clothing fly from behind the open closet door and land at the foot the bed — where there was a cluster of sweaters, dresses, and pants.

“Elizabeth?” He stepped around the door to find Elizabeth basically inside the closet, her robe falling off one shoulder as she sorted through various hangers. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is that half my clothes don’t fit, and the other half are just wrong—” Elizabeth yanked out a purple dress with thin straps. “Does this look like the responsible mother of two?”

“It looks like a dress.”

She sighed, tossed it over her shoulder. “I don’t fit into almost anything from before Jake, and the only thing thats seem to fit are black dresses I’ve worn to funerals—maybe that’s what I should wear—” She flicked through another set of hangers and pulled out another dress. “Does this make me look reasonable and rational and not like a terrible woman who just lies all the time?”

Jason hesitated. “You look beautiful in everything—”

“I don’t want to look beautiful, I want to look reasonable, rational, and responsible—” She shoved it back in the closet. “My boobs are too big.” She glared at him. “Don’t say anything—”

“I wasn’t—”

“It took almost eight months when Cameron was born, and I was breast feeding him—I couldn’t with Jake. I tried, but I was so stressed, and it never—” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “I’m not crazy.”

“I didn’t say that.” He took her by the elbow, relieved when she let him lead her away from the closet. “I know you’re nervous about today. I know you don’t want to testify—”

“I just—I know that I have to get up there, and Lucky’s lawyer is going to ask me all these questions, and he’s going to make it look like last summer was worse than it was. I didn’t—” Elizabeth dug her fingers to her scalp, then slid her hands back until they were clasped at the nape of her neck. “In hindsight, yes, I think maybe I was stepping over a line with you—emotionally. Not you. I know you weren’t. But he’s going to ask me if I was in love with you, and I’ll have to say yes, and then the judge isn’t going to care that—”

“Hey. Hey.” Jason sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her down with him onto his knee so he could hold her. “Listen. Last summer, we were friends.”

“Jason—”

“Did we have feelings for each other? Yes. But neither one of us acted on anything until the blackout. We’d been managing our feelings for years and neither one of us ever actually stepped over a line physically. That’s going to matter, Elizabeth.”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “It’s just—it’s so hard to explain everything that happened in a way that doesn’t make me look terrible, which is fair because I was terrible—”

“Lucky has to explain things, too,” Jason reminded her. “If last summer is fair game, then what about Lucky accusing you of an affair with Patrick and having you followed? What about Maxie? The lawyer might stay away from a lot of that, because Lucky comes off worse. And you started your lie for a reason that made sense. You thought I didn’t want Jake—”

“I was an idiot—”

“I didn’t help. And you tried to tell me.”

“Don’t let me off the hook—”

“I’m not. I knew you were struggling with something, and I didn’t push enough. Hey. Can you look at me?”

She did, and he brought her hand to his mouth, kissed her knuckles. “We’re going to win today because our case is better. And—” he paused. “I made some calls.”

“You—” Elizabeth frowned. “You did?”

“I didn’t want to take any chances,” Jason admitted. “Jake is a lock, but Cameron might not be. And I don’t want to lose him. Maybe that’s selfish,” he added. “But I couldn’t forget that day in the park, and all the times Cam asked for Lucky back in the beginning. He’s never once tried to see him.”

“So today—”

“Is a formality. It’ll be tough, it’ll be painful, and embarrassing for all of us. But at the end of the day, we’re going to win. We probably would have anyway, but I couldn’t leave it to chance. Cameron’s too important.”

Elizabeth sighed and stood, going back to the closet. Jason rose. “Did I—Should I have talked to you about that first?”

“No. No. It’s just—I don’t know.” She folded her arms. “I’m glad that we know, and you know  how much it means to me that you love Cameron that much. I guess — after today, it all ends and I don’t even know what to do with all of this—” She gestured. “Anxiety. Stress. It’s been having over my head like a sword for all these weeks—months. And today, it’ll be over. Lucky could appeal, but he wouldn’t win, and then we just—” Elizabeth turned back to the closet and pulled out a dark green dress. “We just move on. And you probably think I’m crazy. Because I want to move on. I don’t want to live like this, but—”

“I think you’ve been under so much stress since Manny Ruiz kidnapped you that it’s part of you now,” Jason said gently. “You went from the kidnapping to Lucky’s injuries, then Manny on the run, I got hurt, the drugs, the pregnancy, the affair, the hostage crisis, Jake’s kidnapping, the trial—” He went to her, took her by the shoulders, rubbed them. “I don’t think either of us are going to know what to do with ourselves when we don’t have to think about this.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” She forced a smile. “I just want it over with. That’s all.”

“Today.” He kissed her, and she clung to him another moment. “I’ll get the boys up and make sure they’re ready to go to Audrey’s.”

“Thanks. I’ll finish getting ready. I promise. I won’t keep rummaging in the closet.”

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

“You’re not going to the custody hearing?” Robin asked, coming up behind Emily at the counter. She leaned around Emily to put away a chart. “I thought you’d be testifying.”

“Elizabeth said she wasn’t comfortable with asking me.” Emily made a face. “I wanted to. Because Lucky told me he was going to refuse custody of Cameron if he didn’t get visitation with Jake, but then the park happened, and Lulu is a better witness.”

“I guess.” Robin paused. “I’ll never understand how Lucky could have raised Cameron for so long and then be okay with walking out of his life.”

“Some douchebags shouldn’t be fathers,” Patrick muttered, and Robin turned, surprised to see him. “What? Look, any guy can show up and call himself a father. It doesn’t make him one.”

“No, that’s true. But—”

“Lucky was with Elizabeth for, what, two years? Cameron’s three.” Patrick scribbled his signature on a chart. “That means the kid only knows him. Doesn’t remember anyone else. Just Lucky. That’s his dad. And he’s going to walk out on that because he wants to throw a tantrum.” He snorted. “Takes a real dick to walk out on a toddler. It’s like kicking a puppy.”

Emily folded her arms. “I think he ended up backing down on that,” she said softly. “After the park. Elizabeth said he changed his petition. He still wants split custody of both boys, but it’s not an ultimatum anymore. But it was too late. Elizabeth was too angry. Too hurt.”

“She’s better off. I don’t know if Jason’s a better father, but he probably won’t screw a teenager—sorry,” he added to Robin because the teenager was, of course, Robin’s cousin. “I should have told her the first time I saw her together.”

“I didn’t believe you,” Robin murmured. “I feel terrible about that now. I talked you out of it.”

“Nah, I didn’t care enough to push. I didn’t know Elizabeth that well yet, but now I do.” He looked at Emily. “I know he’s your friend, too. Must be hard to take sides.”

“You’d think that,” Emily said, “and Lucky’s definitely pissed because I did. I don’t know, I was prepared to be more neutral—and I was trying to—but then he started all of this with Cameron. Even if he has a point — even if I understand how angry he was over how Elizabeth handled this — she’s the only one I see trying to protect the kids from the fallout.”

“And there you go. You can feel sorry for the guy — finding out like that must have been harsh. But how he handles it is on him. She did a shitty thing. Objective speaking, she should be the villain—” Patrick shrugged. “But I can’t find it in me to give a damn about him after how he abused her—”

“Oh, and the way he treated her during the kidnapping—” Robin reminded him. “The whole reason Lainey got involved was because Lucky agreed to it. He thought she’d hurt Jake.”

“She told me,” Emily said, remembering with a pang, “that Jason was doing more to support her from a jail cell than Lucky was while standing in front of her. I remember telling her it was because Jason wasn’t Jake’s father, but it hits different now.”

“See? He’s an asshole, and sometimes the universe hands dicks like him an extra dose of karma that no one even asked for. I hope he rots in hell.”

Patrick sauntered off, and Robin looked after him thoughtfully. “He’s really angry about this. I knew he and Elizabeth were friendly, but—”

“You know Lucky was just an idiot last summer,” Emily said, hurriedly. “It’s not like that with Patrick and Elizabeth—”

“What? Oh.” Robin shook her head. “No. No. I know that. It’s not the vibe I get anyway. He’s just—I don’t know. It just surprised me.” She picked up a chart. “Two years ago, he’d never had a female friend he didn’t try to sleep with, and now—he’s just changed a lot. I have to get on my rounds. Let me know if you get any updates about the custody hearing.”

“Will do.”

Spencer House: Living Room

Lucky stepped up to the mirror over the fireplace and tightened the knot on his tie. Behind him, the door opened and Nikolas came in.

“I thought I was meeting you at the court house.”

“I wanted to stop by and see if you’d changed your mind.” Nikolas remained at the landing, and Lucky went towards him, grabbing his coat as he did. “I can testify—”

“To what?” Lucky picked up his keys and wallet. The brothers left the house, heading down the steps. “My drug addiction? Throwing Elizabeth on the floor?”

“To the lies,” Nikolas said. “I mean, Elizabeth lied to all of us—”

“She’s not going to dispute that.” Lucky stopped, turned towards him. “I appreciate the offer. If I thought you had anything that might actually help, I’d let you do it. But you don’t. And Elizabeth didn’t put Emily on her witness list either.”

“No, it’s just Lulu,” Nikolas said, his mouth tight. “I blame Spinelli. He probably—”

“She called Diane the same day as the park,” Lucky cut in, and his brother fell silent. “She was thinking of herself, and all the times she begged Dad to stay. You and I both know any chance I had with Cameron disappeared when I did that. Even if I own up to it with the judge—I don’t have any legal standing with Cameron. I never adopted him.”

“You didn’t need to—”

“I made my choices. Bad and good. They’re mine to live with. I don’t see the point in dragging you into the middle of it when there’s nothing you can do.” Lucky opened his car door. “Do you want ride over with me?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I will. Lucky—”

“I’m going to fight as hard as I can, but—” Lucky paused. “There’s part of me that thinks maybe this is for the best. Maybe, after what I did last year, how I handled all of this, maybe this is how it’s supposed to be.”

“You can’t—”

“The boys are in good hands. Elizabeth is a good mother, and I remember Jason with Michael. They’ll be okay. They won’t be mine, and that’s hard.” Lucky paused, took a deep breath, forced down the bitterness. “It changed for me, Nikolas. You know that. The day I stood on the PCU campus, and I looked down at those girls.” His throat was tight. “At Georgie, this kid I’d known all her life. She was bruised and broken—and just gone. And it’s my job to find the bastard who did this.”

“Lucky—”

“I went to notify Spinelli,” Lucky continued, “and I couldn’t go inside the penthouse. Cameron was there, and Jason didn’t want me anywhere near him after the park.”

“That’s not his place—”

“No.” Lucky’s smile was sour. “No, it was mine. I was supposed to protect Cameron. And I didn’t. Mac blames himself. For not being there for Georgie, for not knowing something was wrong. Who do I have to blame for what happened but myself, Nikolas? Elizabeth didn’t force me to walk out on her for two weeks without a word. She didn’t force me to tie Cameron’s custody to Jake. She didn’t change her phone number or refuse me visits with Cameron. All of that was me.”

Nikolas was quiet for a moment. “Lucky—”

“My ego and my pride was more important to me than my son. Not just for a moment in the park, but for weeks.” Lucky paused.  “I have to live with that. I can’t change what I did last month. What I did last year. Yesterday. But today, I can go into court, try my best, and walk away when it’s over.  That’s all that’s left.”

Port Charles Courthouse: Family Court

Elizabeth waited tensely as the judge began the hearing and rifled through paperwork. At her side, Jason held her hand tightly. Even with the news that he’d made arrangements behind the scenes, she still couldn’t quite believe it would all be over after today.

“All right, let’s begin.” The judge slid on his reading glasses. “The first matter on the docket is a petition from Jason Morgan to establish paternity of Jacob Martin Spencer. I have the results of the DNA test and an affidavit from Elizabeth Spencer attesting to the facts.” He switched his gaze to Lucky and his lawyer at the next table. “Mr. Frazier, your client has filed an objection to the paternity petition.”

“My client is withdrawing that objection.”

Elizabeth blinked, swung her head to look at her estranged husband. Lucky was dropping his opposition to declaring Jason as Jake’s legal father?”

The judge raised his brows, then looked at Diane. “Ms. Miller?”

“Ah, if the respondent has no objection, then the petition should be granted. Lucas Spencer’s rights should be terminated, and Jason Morgan named as Jacob’s legal father.”

The judge waited for Lincoln Frazier to offer anything else, but the lawyer remained silent. “The plaintiff’s petition is granted.”

Elizabeth exhaled — at least the worst of the wrongs had been righted. She traded a relieved look at Jason, his eyes bright. He was Jake’s father in the eyes of the world and now according to the courts.

“Let’s move on to the next matter. Custody of Cameron Hardy Webber and Jacob Spencer.”

Written in 60 minutes.

---

Spencer House: Living Room

Lucky opened the door, then nearly wished he hadn’t when he saw Emily on his porch. “I’m on my way to work—”

“So am I, so this won’t be long.” Emily raised her brows when he didn’t move. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

He made a face, then stepped back. “I really—”

“Don’t have a lot of time, I heard you.” She remained on the landing. “The hearing is tomorrow. It’s not too late—”

“Em—” Lucky stepped down from the landing and back over to the table where he’d left his coffee cooling. He picked up the mug, sipped it. “I don’t want to have this discussion again.”

“It’s not much of a discussion when you’ve been ignoring everything everyone’s said for months. Lucky, you haven’t seen the boys since the beginning of August—”

“Since Elizabeth testified.” He carefully set down the coffee, turned to face her. “I’m aware of that. I never came home that night. I went to Wyndemere so that I wouldn’t be alone. You know where I went first?” She shook her head. “Courtland Street. My old dealer is still around.”

“Lucky.”

“I nearly broke ten months of sobriety, so I went to stay with Nikolas. And no, I haven’t seen the boys since then. Not for longer than a few minutes. That’s not my fault—”

“You could have petitioned for visitation pending the custody hearing, and you know that.” Emily folded her arms. “Elizabeth moved out in mid-August. It’s two months later. The only time you’ve seen them is in the park. What do you think the judge is going to say tomorrow?”

“I made a mistake.” Lucky exhaled slowly. “One mistake. I let my anger take over, I let it blind me to what really mattered. Elizabeth lied over and over and over again — but she gets a free pass, doesn’t she?” He smirked. “She points to the drugs and Maxie as reason enough for why she lied to me for a year, but I don’t get the benefit of the doubt for a moment?”

“Lucky—”

“I know I’m not going to win.” Lucky took the coffee cup into the kitchen, and Emily followed. He dumped it into the sink. “Even if I had a decent case, which I don’t, Jason would just bribe the judge. You think I’m stupid?”

“Then why—”

“Because as much as Elizabeth wishes she could erase these last few years, she can’t. Because Cameron and Jake are going to grow up and I’m part of their story. I’m in the pictures. Jason isn’t anywhere to be seen. And if the question ever gets asked, I want to be able to say I fought.”

“You’re going to put everyone through this custody hearing tomorrow for that?” Emily scoffed. “Lucky, come on—”

“She humiliated me,” Lucky murmured, though the words lacked the heat he’d felt only weeks ago. “I sat in that court room and listened to her testify that she’d spent the night with Jason, that my son wasn’t mine. And I found out at the same time as the rest of the world. Maybe I deserved that, I don’t know. The addict did, sure. I was brutal last year, and I had the affair, and I did everything wrong.” He turned to face her. “For six months, I treated Elizabeth like garbage. I accused her of affairs that didn’t exist while I was taking so many pills, it’s a miracle I’m alive. Even when I promised to get clean, I didn’t do it. I kept sleeping with Maxie. Do you think I don’t know exactly how we got to this point?”

Emily said nothing, just stared at him, so he looked away, towards the window. “And if she’d divorced me, announced the paternity to the world, and went on her merry way, I wouldn’t blame her. But that’s not what she did.”

“No.”

“She came back to me. She told me she loved me. She married me again. And she let me believe in a family that wasn’t mine to keep. She lied every day she woke up and wished I was someone else.” Lucky met Emily’s gaze. “And then she humiliated me by announcing to the world that I’d been a fool. That’d I been lied to. A month later she moved in with Jason Morgan, and now she wants to give him the family she let me believe was mine.”

“I know Elizabeth made mistakes—”

“But her mistakes are okay because I was addicted to drugs, right?” Lucky cut in, scathingly. “Her mistakes get forgiven because she was scared and stressed and panicked, right? She gets the redemption because, hey, can you blame her for how it happened? But me? I got clean, Emily. I did exactly what I promised her I would do. I got clean, I stayed clean, and right until that day in court, can you tell me one thing I did deserve what’s happened?”

“I don’t think you’re wrong, Lucky,” Emily said carefully. “But—”

“But you’ve chosen sides. That’s fine. But you don’t get to tell me I have to let Elizabeth walk away without a fight. She can go screw your damned brother all she wants, but she had no right to start a new life while mine was still in ruins. She burned it down, Emily. Not me. I didn’t do a damned thing to deserve any of this.”

Lucky took a deep breath. “I’m going to lose tomorrow. I’m trying to make peace with that. I don’t think what I did in the park merits me losing Cameron forever, but she does. And I didn’t adopt him, so I guess I have to live with that. But I love him. I love them both. And I’m going to the hearing tomorrow so I can tell her that. So that she can see that her new, perfect life with Jason has a price. I’m going to that hearing so she has to tell the world what she did. So that she has to explain why the hell she let me believe that little boy was mine and why she married me again when she didn’t love me anymore. When she didn’t even respect me. Is that good enough for you?”

General Hospital: Lab

Robin flipped to a fresh sheet of paper in her notebook and scribbled a few lines — the formula needed some adjusting, but she was pleasantly surprised by the results —

She glanced over at the tap on her cubicle, finding Patrick there. “Oh. Um. Hey.” She’d gone out of her way to avoid him since Georgie’s service, since she’d spent the night with him. Instead, she’d buried herself in the lab, hoping that the monotony of the work would keep her brain occupied.

“Hey. Sorry to interrupt.” Patrick held out a thick case file. “I have a patient with an aneurysm in the subarachnoid. I know you’ve had some success in reducing the size with your drug therapy.”

“Oh.” She pushed back on her stool to give him space to come inside the workspace. He dragged over a chair and handed her the file. She flipped through it, finding the scans. “It’s not a good candidate for a surgery?”

“Not with the size of it. I’m thinking, in combination with your therapy and a WEB device, I can reduce the risk of rupture with an eye towards surgery then.” Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s probably one of the worst cases I’ve seen, but I don’t want to send this guy home without even trying something.”

“Because if you don’t operate, it’s a death sentence.” Robin skimmed the results of recent blood tests, then looked at the patient’s personal information. “He’s young. Only twenty-five. That’s a point in his favor.”

“Yeah, and pretty healthy. I don’t even know what would cause an aneurysm in a case like this. But—” Patrick caused. “He just got married, and there’s—his wife is pregnant.”

Robin’s eyes flew up. “You know personal details? That’s not like you.”

“He introduced himself that way,” Patrick said with an amused smile. “Hi, I’m David. This is  my wife, Halle. And I need you to keep me alive so I can meet my son.”

Robin’s amused expression faded. “No pressure, huh?”

“What do you think? Can we work on this? I didn’t promise him, but all the same—”

“You want to give him his best shot.” Robin closed the file. “There are other pathologists that can administer the treatment, Patrick. It doesn’t have to be me.”

“You’re the best, and it’s your research,” Patrick told her. “I wouldn’t ask if I thought anyone else could do this.”

“I know.” She paused. “Yeah. I need to do a few more tests and talk to him myself, but he’s a good candidate. Let’s see what we can do to keep him around to meet his kid.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Elizabeth emerged from the laundry room with a basket on her hip. “How can two small children go through so much clothes?” she grunted as she set it on the coffee table. “Spinelli, do you need any laundry? I’m going to toss in one more load for the boys—”

“No thanks, Fair Elizabeth. The Jackal doesn’t want to create more work for you.” The tech’s fingers flew over his keyboard. “Little Dude and Stone Cold the Second have you busy enough.”

“Hmm—” Elizabeth looked over at the playpen tucked under the windows, in the corner. Cameron was standing outside of it, dangling a stuffed rabbit that he’d let Jake grab, then take away, then grab again — “Cam, don’t tease your brother.”

“No tease, Mommy. Play. Jake like it.” Cameron lowered the rabbit again and Jake babbled, his tiny hands reaching for it.

She smiled as she watched them. They’d been at the penthouse for a month now, and every day Cameron seemed to be more and more comfortable. And after tomorrow, after the hearing, Elizabeth was looking forward to nothing more than a boring routine of going to work, coming home to her guys, and watching her boys grow and change.

Behind her the door opened, and she turned, smiling as Jason came in. It was one of the rare days he’d gone into the warehouse since the trial. “Hey. You’re just in time for dinner. I ordered from Eli’s.”

“Sounds good.” He kissed her lightly, curling his arm around her waist. Then he went to the closet to take down his lockbox. She followed him into the kitchen where he removed the gun from the holster at the small of his back, then tucked it inside the metal box.

“Diane called,” she said, leaning against the counter. “She said we’re all set for the hearing tomorrow. She’s only going to call Lulu, you, and me as witnesses.” Elizabeth paused. “Lucky isn’t calling anyone.”

Jason frowned, turned to her. “What? I thought we had his list—”

“He changed it. Nikolas isn’t going to testify for him, and Luke was supposed to be on the list, but apparently, he took off and can’t be located. I think Mac was going to testify—but that was before Georgie.” Elizabeth made a face. “I feel guilty, even though I shouldn’t. I didn’t go looking for Lulu. She came to Diane.”

“Don’t feel guilty.” Jason came to her and drew her into his arms. “You were willing to give him joint custody of Cameron. He’s the one that used him for leverage and pulled that stunt in the park.”

“I know. It’s just—” Elizabeth shook her head, flattened her hands against his chest to look up at him. “No. I won’t do this. I promised you and myself that I was going to stop this. Diane and I talked about something else —” She licked her lips. “When the hearing is over, if it goes the way we expect it to, I was hoping you might want to start the paperwork to adopt Cameron.”

Jason tensed, but his eyes were soft as he searched her expression. “You’re sure? We—we haven’t talked about it since I brought it up—”

“I know. And I wanted to take some time. To let Cameron settle in here, to let us settle,” she added. “But if it’s something you want, too—”

“You know I do.”

Elizabeth smiled, leaned up to kiss him, lingering. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

“What do you want to tell Cameron?” Jason asked as she slipped away to go to the doorway and check on the scene in the living room. Somehow, Cameron had convinced Spinelli to put down his laptop and come join them. The tech was on his knees with a stuffed brown bear, dangling over Jake so that the infant was reaching for it with his left hand while his right hand was still trying to get the rabbit from Cameron. Jake was babbling excitedly, Cameron was giggling, and Spinelli—

“It’s good to hear Spinelli laughing,” she murmured. “He hasn’t done that much these last few weeks.” She cleared her throat, looked back at him. “I don’t know what to tell Cameron. He doesn’t ask for Lucky anymore, but I also don’t know if we just sit him down and tell him or ask him, or just…let it happen naturally.” Elizabeth rubbed her finger across her lips. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know. He’s older than Michael was when he went to live with Sonny.” Jason joined her at the living room. “Cameron’s old enough to know I wasn’t always there.”

“He won’t remember that forever. I don’t remember anything about being three,” Elizabeth said.

“Why don’t we just let it go on like for a little while longer?” Jason suggested, curling his arm around her waist again. He never went that long without touching her in some way, and it was definitely one of her favorite things about their relationship. It was like they’d bottled up years of wanting to touch each other, and it kept spilling out in small ways. He liked to touch her hair, and she was always taking his hand—

“I think that’s a good idea. Oh, I was thinking that the last guest room — what would think about redoing it for Spinelli?” Elizabeth suggested. “He’s been in Brenda’s old room since he’s been here, and while I think he’s used to the pink room, it might be nice for him to have his own space. A workstation with a good computer—” She broke off when he just smiled. “What?”

“A few weeks ago, Spinelli offered to move out. He was worried he was….intruding,” Jason added.

“You told him no. Of course you did. It would be so strange here without him. The boys love him — he’s like a silly uncle who’s not too grown up to play their games—” Elizabeth rested her head against Jason’s shoulder. “And he keeps you from being too serious. Plus, I’d worry about him being on his own right now. He’s still carrying so much weight from Georgie and Chelsea.”

“I told him no,” Jason said. “And I think it’s a good idea. We’ll have to find a way to make it a surprise. I’ll get his class schedule, and they can work around it.”

“I love that. Oh, this will be fun. I’ll get Cameron to help — just like Spinelli set up their room. I’m sure Cam would love to help him, too.” She kissed him, and he held her close for another minute when she would have pulled away.

“Tomorrow will go just the way we planned,” Jason assured her. “And then we can get started on the rest of our lives.”

“That sounds like a great plan.”

PCPD: Commissioner’s Office

Lucky set the most recent case report in front of Mac. “I traced the burner phone that made the hangups to a batch sold from a convenience store, but it was a cash sale last July. And any security footage is long gone.”

Mac sighed. “And the florist?”

“I can’t find a single floral delivery service in the city that had an order delivered to Lewis Hall.” Lucky paused. “I’m leaning towards it being personally delivered by our suspect. But the video footage doesn’t give me more than an estimate of his height and build. Lewis Hall doesn’t have any visitors logged in for that day.”

“That doesn’t tell you anything?” Mac demanded.

“Not having a visitor signed in means our guy even slipped through a crack which isn’t unknown. Emily lived on campus for a while,” Lucky added, “and it wasn’t that hard to get into a dorm room. But I’m also looking into anyone who had access to the campus and wouldn’t need to sign in. It’s a longer list than I’d like, and I don’t have a lot to exclude anyone.” He paused. “I’m hoping that we get a DNA profile back in a week or two.”

“You can do a fishnet search?”

“Yeah. That’s the plan. With a profile, we’ll ask anyone on campus who had access to volunteer a sample for comparison. And then make a list of anyone who refuses.” Lucky paused. “But that’s all I’ve got Mac. I’m sorry. I know you wanted more. I wish there was more.”

“Robert’s been looking over the reports,” Mac murmured. “I worried I wasn’t being objective, that I wasn’t seeing things clearly — but he says you’ve done everything the way he’d have ordered it. So—” Mac slid the report back to him with tired eyes. “I guess we hope for a miracle.”