Written in 58 minutes.

Never take advice from someone who’s falling apart
(You should find another)

When he’d come to their house last April, and Jake had walked down the steps, it had stunned Jason to have such a visual representation of the time he’d lost. When last he’d seen Jake, he’d been shorter than Elizabeth, his hair worn longer, his face still carrying some residual features of youth. But Jake had grown more than a foot, and his hair had been cut short, his face leaner, more angular—more adult.

Seeing him again, months after he and Elizabeth had taken him to the airport and sent him to Spain, Jason thought again of how much of Jake’s life he’d missed. Some of that had been outside his control — the long, terrible year and a half Jason had believed Jake to be dead, and then five years in the coma, locked in a lab in Russia—

Jake’s fingers tightened reflexively around the phone he held in his hand. “If you’re here to see Danny, he’s in the back.” The words were clipped, said without emotion.

“I—” Had come to talk to Dante, hoping to talk about Alexis’s intentions, looking for any way out of this terrible situation. “I was hoping to see you later today, actually. Your mother told me about school—”

“She gets to be disappointed,” Jake cut in, “but you don’t. You paid for school, and thanks, but that doesn’t entitle you to an opinion on me or what I do with my life.”

Jason absorbed the hit, dropped his eyes to the floor of the foyer, then took a deep breath. Facing mercenaries had been easier than facing the righteous anger of the son he’d left. “I know you’re angry at me. And I’m not asking you to do forget what I did. Or forgive me. I told you that last summer. I thought we’d agreed that you wouldn’t let my failings limit your future—”

“And I’m not. I’m sure Mom put you up to this. But she can’t change my mind either. Barcelona is there when I’m ready to go back next fall. By then, I’m sure wherever Danny ends up, he’ll be settled. But I’m not going anywhere.” Jake shoved the phone into his back pocket. “You were never there for me, not in any way that mattered. You showed up on holidays and birthdays, fine. But you weren’t there when I needed you, and I don’t want you here now. Thanks for paying for school,” he repeated, “because the last thing Mom deserves after taking care of all of us is putting herself in debt for me. I took the money for her. Not for you.”

Jason wanted to argue, wanted to defend himself, but there was nothing there. Nothing he could offer. No rebuttal that would make erase Jake’s anger. “Okay,” he said finally. “But your mother—”

“Don’t talk to me about my mother. You don’t get to do that. I came home for my brother. Do you know when they told us you were dead, he cried himself to sleep?” Jake demanded. “Do you know how stupid I feel for telling him that you’d died trying to help people? No. When Danny figures out that you’re not here for him, he’ll need me. And the one thing I learned from you is that when you love someone, you show up.”

“Jake—”

Jake removed his phone, did something with the screen, then turned his back on Jason. “Yo! Aiden! Let’s go! The rideshare is here!”

Jason closed his mouth when Aiden appeared a few seconds later, followed by Danny who grinned when he saw Jason in the foyer.

“Dad, hey. Jake, why didn’t you tell me Dad was here?” Danny said, then looked at his brother’s irritated expression. “Oh, you guys didn’t get into a fight, did you?”

“Everything is fine,” Jason told Danny. He kept his hands in the pocket of his jacket, balled into fists. “We’re good.”

Jake walked past him without a word, yanked open the door. “Let’s go, Aiden. I already texted Mom.”

Aiden looked back and forth between his brother and Jason, then shrugged. “All right. See ya, Danny.”

“See ya—” Danny flinched when Jake slammed the door. “You’re not good, are you? Man, I told Jake not to do this with you—”

“Jake gets to feel how he wants to feel,” Jason said, holding up a hand. “He’s right to be angry, Danny. I was gone for two years. I can’t change the choices I made.”

“Yeah, but you were helping people, weren’t you?” Danny said. “That’s why you were in Greece in the first place. You helped save Uncle Drew. Jake said he’s coming home for the spring. I tried to argue with him, but he never listens. Anyway, maybe it’s good. He’ll be around, and you’ll get to change his mind.”

“I hope I can,” Jason said. “But—”

“He’s just worried about me. And Scout, too. He takes being a brother serious.” Danny shrugged. “He gets that from Cam. Something about Jake having a really tough time when he was a kid, and Cam was made it easier. So he thinks that’s what he has to do for me. He still thinks I’m a stupid little kid. He says I shouldn’t get my hopes up that you’ll be able to find a way to keep me and Scout together. That’s why he’s so mad.”

Jason winced, then rubbed his brow with his thumb. “Listen. About that. I—I know you heard your grandmother is asking for custody of you and your sister. That’s why I came over—I wanted to talk to Dante.”

“They went to Turning Wood to see his mother. Don’t worry, Dad. I know you’re going to do whatever you can so me and Scout can stay together. I’m her big brother, so I gotta look out for her. It’s going to be okay.”

He was saying all the right things, but Jason had a feeling Danny was expecting some kind of miracle, and he just didn’t think that was possible. “I—I’m going to try very hard to make sure whatever happens, you’re okay.” His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he slid it out to find a text notification from Elizabeth on the lock screen.

Jake’s on his way home. Are you still up to talk to him? I really want to do this together.

He grimaced, considered calling her and telling her that would be a terrible idea, but maybe it would be easier with Elizabeth in the room. She always knew what to say to Jake, how to build the bridge.

He looked back up at Danny. “I have to go, but we’ll talk more. And I’ll call Dante. We’ll figure this out.”

“I know you will.”

—

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief when Jason’s short text reached her, indicating he was on his way over. With any luck, they’d figure out how to talk to Jake into going back to Barcelona, and maybe she’d find a way to apologize for last night. She’d had no right to make Jason feel worse about himself on a day when he’d buried his ex-wife, and the guilt would linger until she’d made amends.

She frowned when she heard a knock on the door a few minutes later. Had Jason been close to the house already?

But it wasn’t Jason on her doorstep — it was Sonny. “Oh. Um, hello.” She stepped back letting the other man in. “I didn’t—I wasn’t expecting you.”

“No, we really haven’t had a chance to catch up, have we?” Sonny walked in, then turned to face her. “I had a chat with Jason this morning, and I thought we should discuss it.”

Elizabeth closed the door, then folded her arms. “I don’t understand—”

“Alexis is asking for custody of the kids. You hear about that?”

She pursed her lips, then nodded. “Yes. I talked to Jason about it last night—”

“Yeah, I saw your fingerprints all over this. That explains the way he was talking to me this morning.”

She stiffened, narrowed her eyes. “What does that mean?”

“Jason’s not going to fight for his kid, you know that, don’t you? He’s gonna let Alexis run all over him, talking about how he’s not a good father, how he’s never been there, that his life isn’t good for Danny—” Sonny’s brows lifted. “Any of that sound familiar?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I don’t feel right discussing any of this without Jason in the room.” Elizabeth walked past him, heading for the other side of the room where she’d left her phone. She’d call Jason right now and tell him to get over here faster. She wasn’t in the mood for whatever Sonny was blaming her for.

“He didn’t think like this before you,” Sonny accused, and she whirled back to face him with wide eyes. “He wanted kids. You know that. You know what kind of father he was with Michael, don’t you?”

“I—”

“Hell, the whole reason he hooked up with Sam in the first place was to be a father again. But you took that away from him and you filled his head with all this crap about his life not being safe enough for kids—”

Elizabeth held up her hands. “First of all, that is not how that happened. And let’s not forget you and Carly practically teaming up to tell me what a terrible idea it would be for me to be having Jason’s child, okay?”

“Sure, blame me and Carly for your lies. But the way Jason was talking this morning about not being a good man, about how amazing Jake was because Jason hadn’t been in his life—that’s all you, Elizabeth, and you know it—”

“It is not! How dare you! I was with him last night, asking the same questions! I want him to fight for Danny, too! How could you ever think I didn’t?”

“I don’t know, Elizabeth, why do Jake and Jason have such a difficult relationship, huh?” Sonny challenged. “Maybe it’s because of you. Because you ripped out foundation by shoving Jason out Jake’s life and lying to him about who Jake’s father was. You know Jason would have stepped up and been a good father, but it wasn’t enough for you, wasn’t it? You couldn’t stand that Jason didn’t love you, and that he’d raise Jake with another woman! So you lied to him, and you lied to Lucky, and you lied to the world! And now Jason thinks he has no right to be a father because of what you started!”

She wanted to defend herself, to speak up, to change the angry words being thrown at her, but all of them were true in their own ways, and hadn’t she taken some of the blame last night? She opened her mouth, then shook her head. “It wasn’t like that. That’s not what I wanted to happen—”

“But it happened, didn’t it?” Sonny took a step towards her, jabbing a finger. “You lied to Jason, to Lucky, to the world, and you lied to Jake and the only reason the Cassadines took him was because you lied! Hell, maybe you’re the reason they went after Jason—”

“Oh, that’s not fair! I didn’t—”

“What, you didn’t know Lucky had dangerous connections? You didn’t know about Helena?” Sonny sneered. “Don’t try to sell me on that, Elizabeth. You forget I’ve been around and I’ve seen it all. How many times have you lied to those kids? You’re going to fix this, damn it. You’re going to find a way to make sure Jason knows that he’s a good father, that he deserves to be a father. You owe him that much for all the years you stole from him and from Jake. You started this, Elizabeth, and by God, you’re going to end it. I refuse to let you steal another son from Jason—”

The door opened on Sonny’s last statement, and he whirled around to find Jake and Aiden at the threshold. Elizabeth swiped at her cheeks, turning away so that the boys couldn’t see her tears.

“What’s going on here?” Jake asked, coming inside. Behind him Aiden hovered behind him. “What are you talking about? Mom? What’s he talking about? How did she steal a son from my dad?”

Sonny lifted his brows, looked at Elizabeth who couldn’t speak, her throat was too  tight. “Oh, you don’t know? When she got pregnant with you, she was married to Lucky. And told the whole world, including Jason, that Lucky was your father.”

Jake squinted, then looked at his mother. “Did you do that?”

“Y-Yes,” she finally managed to say. “But it’s not that simple—”

“And even after she told your father the truth, she asked him to let Lucky raise you. She made Jason feel like trash, like a terrible father who had no right to be in your life—”

“Stop, that’s not—”  Elizabeth grabbed Sonny’s arm. “Stop! You have no right, no place to tell him—”

“No, I’m of sick you walking around like a saint, like the world’s best mother because you raised your boys alone. Well, who’s fault is that?” Sonny threw out. “Jason proposed to you, didn’t he? He asked you to marry him when he found out about Jake.”

“He did, but—”

“And you turned him down—”

“Until I didn’t!” Elizabeth cried. “Until I said yes, and then Michael got shot in the head—don’t you dare pretend as if I had no reason to be concerned about your life, Sonny Corinthos! Your son was in a coma for a year! That terrified Jason! It terrified us both! How dare you come in here, how dare you—”

“How dare you use my son to make yourself feel better about the lies you told—”

“Oh, shit—” Aiden snagged a stunned Jake’s sleeve. “Shit, shit—” Jake turned and saw Jason looming in the doorway.

“What,” Jason began, his voice tightly controlled, his fists balled at his side, “in the hell are you doing here, Sonny?”

+39

Written in 58 minutes. Happy holidays!

The encounter with Elizabeth lingered like a bad taste in his mouth. Even as he left her in the parking lot at Bobbie’s and watched her car pull out into traffic, Jason knew he handled the conversation poorly, though he couldn’t really say what he should have said differently. She’d wanted answers that he didn’t have to give which wasn’t new. It seemed he always said the wrong thing around Elizabeth, and he’d been doing that for years.

Still, it was in his mind as he woke the next morning,  and he went over it again and again in his mind as he showered, dressed, shaved, and headed to Pozzulo’s to check in with Sonny. He knew he was supposed to call Elizabeth today, that she wanted to talk to Jake as a united front and convince him to go back to school, but Jason thought that was a mistake. Jake wouldn’t care what he thought. Hadn’t they needed to practically beg him to even take money for school?

Instead, he avoided the idea entirely. If she really wanted him for that conversation, she’d call him, wouldn’t she?

And if the irony of leaving Jake for Elizabeth to handle the same way he was contemplating allowing Alexis to have primary custody of Danny occurred to Jason, it was on a level so deep he couldn’t or wouldn’t acknowledge it.

He wanted a distraction, wanted to think about anything else other than his failures as a father and as a man, and Sonny was always good for that. There was always a task for Jason to accomplish, and this was one area where he knew what he was doing. Negotiate with Sidwell to get Sasha Corbin out of trouble? No problem. Help Anna track down Valentin to get Charlotte back? Easy. Help Sonny get away with murder? He could do that in his sleep.

Stand in front of his firstborn son and give him advice about how to live his life? Look at his other son and contemplate raising him without a mother in his life? These were impossible tasks that Jason couldn’t punch or shoot his way out of.

But Sonny didn’t want to give Jason something to do. He wanted to talk.

“I, uh, heard through the grapevine about Alexis and the kids.” Sonny sat behind his desk, leaning back. Behind him there was a bookcase filled with things Sonny had never read, and the surface was lined with pictures of Sonny with his family. With Dante and Rocco, with Kristina, with Avery and Donna—

Jason looked away, focused on Sonny’s eyes, not wanting to think about not having any photos of his sons. He hadn’t had them in more than two years. Nothing personal, nothing that could tie him to his life here—

Nothing that would put Pikeman or the men he worked with on the trail to learning that Alan Jacobs was someone with people who mattered.

“I’m handling it,” Jason said, though it was a lie. He’d never told them in his old life, preferring omissions or remaining silent to avoid uncomfortable conversations. But he’d needed the skill in order to survive, and he’d learned it well enough. “Have you heard anything about Sidwell—”

“I’ll handle Sidwell if he pops up,” Sonny interrupted. Now he leaned forward. “I want to talk about this. About what Alexis wants to do. I can talk to her, figure out a way to mediate this.  She’s hurting right now, you know, she’s been through a lot with Kristina and Molly squabbling over the baby, and well, losing Sam right as we lost our grandchild—”

Jason shook his head. “I told you, I’m handling this—”

“How?” Sonny challenged. He shook his head. “You know, I don’t get you, I really don’t. You come home and don’t talk to anyone for months, barely spend time with your own kids, and now you got the chance to have one of them live with you—finally—”

“What does that mean?” Jason cut in, not appreciating the hint of disgust beneath Sonny’s words. Was Sonny really sitting in judgment? Sonny wanted to judge the choices Jason made?

“You know what it means. You let Elizabeth push you around and out of Jake’s life, and look what happened — the Cassadines snatched him up thinking he was Lucky’s, and then they went after you and you lost all that time with him—then you let Sam push you out of Danny’s this time—”

“I didn’t let anyone do anything,” Jason interrupted, and Sonny just lifted his brows. “I made those choices, too, Sonny. And don’t you dare blame Elizabeth for what happened with Jake—”

“Well, at least some things will never change.” Sonny shoved himself to his feet. “You still act like she walks on water. I don’t get you, man. Why aren’t you fighting for your kids? Why don’t you ever fight for them?”

“Why so they can grow up and die like Morgan?” Jason shot back. “So they can get shot in the head like Michael? Be dragged in and out of court every time I’m angry with their mother? Is that what fighting for your kids looks like?”

Sonny bristled. “What the hell—”

“You want me to go to Alexis and tell her I’m taking Danny to live with me full-time so he can grow up in my life? Maybe one day he’ll cover up a murder for me the way Michael’s covering for you? Is that what I’m supposed to fight for? Are you proud of the kids you raised, Sonny? Are you fighting for Avery every time you drag Ava into court? ”

“Don’t turn this around me, damn it—”

“Why not? You think you get to sit there and call me a bad father? Maybe I am,” Jason said, “but my sons are good kids. Jake’s going to one of the best art schools in the world. And Danny’s going to be able to choose whatever he wants.”

“And none of that is because of you—”

“Which exactly how it should be. I’m not a good man, Sonny, and my boys are never going to make the mistake of thinking I am. We’re done here.”

—

Jason wasn’t the only one with regrets about their conversation, and Elizabeth was mentally writing an apology as she went to Kelly’s, planning to grab lunch for Jake and Aiden. She wanted to call Jason, find a way to apologize for taking such a horrible day and making it worse, then make sure they were on the same page about Jake before they figured out how to make their son get on a plane back to Barcelona.

“Oof—” Elizabeth nearly careened into a tall, broad chest as she left the diner, brown bag in hand. She lifted her eyes, nearly expecting the universe to have put Jason in front of her when she wasn’t ready to speak with him. But instead she found Drew. “Oh. Sorry.”

“No worries.” Drew stepped back, letting the door to Kelly’s swing shut behind them. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you yesterday. It was nice of you to come considering your, ah, history with Sam.”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “Our boys were brothers, and they love each other. Sam and I made peace because they come first.”

“I hear an expectant tone in your voice, and if you think I’m going to do the same with my brother, then you clearly don’t know what’s going on.” Drew reached around her for the handle to the door. “And it’s none of your business—”

“No? Danny is still Jake’s brother. Scout is still his cousin. Jake loves them both, and he’s talking about staying home from school next semester to make sure they’re okay. Don’t tell me that doesn’t make this my business—”

“Jake is an adult—”

“And that means he stops being my son? He stops being my responsibility? No. He’s making a mistake, but he’s doing it because he doesn’t trust you or Jason to do what’s right for Danny and Scout, and so far I agree with him—”

Drew rolled his eyes, folded his arms. “Well, excuse me, but I didn’t ask for your opinion. Not that it matters. You’ll take Jason’s side just like Carly did—”

“Who said anything about Carly?” Elizabeth demanded. “I’m talking about not knowing that the kids are freaking out, they’re upset, and they know Alexis wants custody. Scout was sobbing yesterday down at the boathouse. Did you even know that?”

Drew pressed his lips together, looked past her. “No. I didn’t—I didn’t realize that.” He scratched the edge of his brow. “Dante—he’s been taking point on the kids. I’ve been—with the election and things at work, I’ve been distracted—”

“Like I said, so far I’m not impressed by you or your brother’s handling of this. Those kids shouldn’t even know the adults in their lives are squabbling over them like they’re pawns on a chessboard. And don’t worry, I’ll have some words for Alexis when I find her. They are kids who lost their mother, and you and Jason are punching each other, Alexis is issuing demands, Jake is throwing away his life, and the only person who seems to give a damn is Dante who has zero control over what happens to them.”

Drew lifted a brow. “Who said Jason gave me these bruises?”

“Do I look like I was born yesterday? I don’t know why Jason slugged you, but I’m sure he had a good reason—”

“Like I said, taking his side—”

“Jason doesn’t usually throw punches to someone who doesn’t deserve it. But I don’t give a damn about why. I care about my son, I care about those kids—”

“And you care about Jason. Don’t forget, I know exactly how far you’re willing to go to keep Jason in your life,” Drew sneered. “How long did you lie to me—”

“Don’t remind me. I’m sorry I ever made the mistake of thinking you were someone I wanted to spend my life with. How miserable I would have been when I realized how selfish you are. But you’re the one that has to live with that, not me.”

—

Jake was only half-listening to Danny as they headed down the steps in the foyer of the Quartermaine house as he swiped through options on the ride-sharing app, ordering a car for himself and Aiden to head home. He’d avoided his mother and her worries long enough.

When they reached the bottom, and Jake had submit his request for the car, he squinted towards the back of house. “I should get Aiden before he gets too involved with Sasha in the kitchen—”

“You’re not listening to a word I’m saying, are you?” Danny demanded. “You can’t give up Spain—”

“I’m not giving it up. I’m putting it on hold for a semester.” Jake slid his phone back in his pocket. “And don’t argue, Danny—”

“Why? Because you’re the oldest? That’s not going to work on me,” Danny shot back. “Because I’m the oldest in my house, so we’re both the oldest—”

“No, don’t argue because you’re a kid and you’re not in charge of my life. I made my decision, and it’s done. I’m not going to be in Barcelona if you need me—”

“I have Dad, okay?” Danny told him. “You’ll see. Dad’s going to fix this—”

“How?” Jake rolled his eyes. His phone vibrated and he tugged it out to see that his mother was asking if she should pick them up. He started to text a response. “How’s he going to fix that fact that you, Rocco, and Scout have different fathers so you’re basically going to be separated?”

“I don’t care. Dad said he’d make sure I got what I wanted—”

“That’s what he always says,” Jake said absently. “He asks what you want him to do and then he doesn’t have to make a decision. You don’t remember him that well, but I do—”

“I was eleven when he went away, not three—”

“Went away—that’s a funny way of saying he chose to fake his death and let us believe he was dead,” Jake said. “Danny, we’re not arguing about it—”

“I’m so sick you acting like you got Dad all figured out. You’ll see when he finds a way to keep me and Scout together, okay? He can’t figure out Rocco, I know that. But he’ll find a way.”

Danny stomped towards the back hall. Jake called after him. “Hey, tell Aiden to come out here! Our rideshare will be here in like ten!”

He typed a response to his mother, giving her an ETA, then looked up as the front door opened.

And his father walked through.

+38

Written in 53 minutes. Honestly, I wrote myself to that last line and was too proud of myself to think of continuing and knew I’d never finish another scene.

Dear reader
Burn all the files, desert all your past lives

There were no time machines, no magic buttons to press, to switches to turn, nothing that could be done to turn the clocks back to the person he’d been once — to the fresh-faced young woman he’d driven home from a bar once upon a lifetime ago —

But for just a few minutes, for just a few precious moments, with the wind roaring in his ears, the flashes of road coming closer on every turn when he went just a little too fast, Elizabeth’s arms wrapped around his torso, her squeals of delight when they hit the outskirts of town and he could really pick up speed —

For just a little while, time did stand still and he was that man again. He’d seen her fighting with a stranger at Jake’s, and he’d stepped in—

And nothing had ever been the same.

He didn’t think very much about where to take her — there were the obvious choices — to the summit of the cliff roads at Vista Point where they’d shared a kiss and too many unfinished conversations — to the bridge where he’d taught her to box or where they’d stood in quiet contemplation of the son they’d thought lost to them —

But if she wanted to turn back time, if she really wanted to go back to a different moment —

Jason eased off the speed, exhaling a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. He’d wondered if this land had ever been sold — if even this had changed in the time he’d been gone. But the driveway to the old estate was still there, and the statues still at guard, though time had worn away more of the stone. There was just enough moonlight to look around.

Elizabeth slid off the bike when it was safe to do so, tugging the helmet from her hair, and her hair falling to her shoulders. She set the helmet on the back of the bike, combed her fingers through hair. “I completely forgot about this place,” she murmured, heading for the statues that had once graced elaborate gardens, long fallen into ruin. “We came here once.”

“I remember.” He switched off the bike. “You never came back?”

“No.” Elizabeth stopped by the statue of the girl, studied her for a long moment, then looked at him. “Jake’s home. I should have said something back at the house, but I was just—” She rubbed her chest with a fist. “Everything started to go wrong, and I couldn’t think anymore.”

“He said he would try to get a flight before the service.” Jason approached her, sliding his hands in his pockets. “He’s at the house?”

She nodded, folded her arms. “Yeah. He said he and Aiden would spend the night. Monica, she, ah, gave them a standing invitation. She’s been kind, you know. Like Laura, not treating any of the boys differently.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “He said he’s putting school on hold.”

“What?” Jason straightened. “Why? What happened?”

“He’s worried about Danny.” There was a bench, and she sat, perching at the edge, her knees angled towards the center. She stared down at her hands. “The kids—they were all upset. Rocco heard his dad saying Alexis wants custody.”

Jason flinched, then dragged his hands down his face. “They shouldn’t know that yet. They shouldn’t be a part of it yet.”

“So it’s true?” She looked at him, and he averted his eyes, unable to hold her gaze. “Alexis wants custody?”

“She told Drew and me tonight.” He kicked at a larger piece of rock that had become dislodged from the base of the statue. “It would keep the kids together.”

She said nothing, and when the silence became uncomfortable, he lifted his head to find her watching him. “That’s what Danny wants. He told me he wants to stay with Rocco and Scout. I—I can’t do anything about Scout, but—”

“What? You’ll let Dante have custody and you’ll visit so Danny can stay with Rocco?” Elizabeth asked, and he grimaced, looked away. When he and Dante had broached the uncomfortable topic, the suggestion had lurked in his mind, but had been unsaid. Hearing it from her lips —

It sounded wrong.

“I wish I could blame myself,” Elizabeth said, and he frowned, opened his mouth, then shook his head, bewildered. “I know I pushed you out of Jake’s life, and that I must have made you question whether you’d be a good father—”

“No—”

“Don’t do that thing where you absolve me of all wrongdoing,” Elizabeth interrupted gently, and he sighed. She rose to her feet. “You didn’t used to do that, you know? When I was wrong, you always told me. About Lucky—God, the arguments we had about Ric and Zander—but that stopped after Jake.” She tipped her head to the side. “We can save that for another argument. But I know this isn’t about that. You came home seven years ago and found out Danny was your son and Jake was alive. You went from no children to two sons just like that—” She snapped her fingers. “You were patient with Jake, you built a relationship with him. You had visitation with him. I know things were a little more complicated with Danny, but you were their father, Jason. And when we lost you three years ago, it devastated them.”

His throat tightened and he looked away. “I never meant for any of that—it wasn’t supposed to be like that.”

“Before we lost you, if this had happened, if there was a question of Jake or Danny needing to live with you, you would have done it.”

“I—”

“Something’s different about you,” Elizabeth continued. He pressed his lips together, kept his eyes on the ground beneath him. “I noticed it the first time we saw each other last April.”

“Two years is a long time,” Jason said after a long beat of silence. “It’s not like last time. I didn’t know five years had passed. I—I felt it. Every day I was gone.” He cleared his throat. “It doesn’t matter. Drew made it clear he doesn’t support Alexis taking Scout, and if he’s taking her to DC, then there’s no point in Alexis taking Danny—”

“All of that might be true, but why aren’t you saying that Danny is your son and you want him with you?”

“It’s—he’s old enough to decide where he wants to live. And he’s—they’re both so—I’ve missed most of their lives,” Jason said. He fisted his hands in the pockets of his jackets. “Danny wants to be with Scout, so I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen—”

“Do you think Carly feels that way about Bobbie? They didn’t meet until Carly was in her twenties. And Dante and Sonny—I know we’re not supposed to talk about it, but I’m pretty sure Sonny didn’t know who Dante was until he shot him. And look at them now. You never used to make excuses.” Elizabeth took another step towards him but he kept his eyes looking just past her. “Why are you making them now?”

“I’m not,” Jason said carefully. “I told you, I’ll do what’s right for Danny—”

“The way you always tried to do what was right for Sonny, and what was right for Carly, for me, for Sam—” Her fingers brushed his jawline forcing their eyes to meet. “What about what’s right for you? When was the last time you did something just because you wanted to?”

“It’s not a good idea for me to think that way.” He reached up, took her hand in his and squeezed it. “I usually get into trouble—” He started to release her hand, but she held on, turning it so that she look at his knuckles. “Elizabeth—”

“I wondered where those bruises came from,” she murmured, her fingers sliding over the bruises and one thin cut. “I saw you and Drew at the house looking like you wanted to murder each other.”

“Like I said, I get into trouble when I do what I want,” Jason said gently tugging his hand from her grasp. “And don’t ask—”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Her lips curved into a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You wouldn’t tell me anyway. It’s all right for you to rescue me when I need it, to listen when I’m having a bad day, but when I check in on you, when I try to be your friend, well, you change the topic as quickly as you can. I can take a hint. I hope there’s someone you can talk to. Spinelli. Sonny. Carly.”

Jason opened his mouth, but he didn’t have the words, didn’t have the ability to make her understand everything that was in his head, in his heart, in his gut, he never knew how to do that now. “There’s not,” he said finally. “If there was, it would be you.”

She sighed, then nodded. “All right. We should, ah, find some time to talk to Jake. Try to talk him out of staying home next semester. I think we should do that as united front, make it clear to him that you’ll take care of Danny, and that Jake needs to focus on his future. I’ll call you tomorrow when he gets home, and we’ll set up a time.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Elizabeth waited another moment, the silence hanging between them, her eyes searching his, but whatever she was looking for remained unanswered. She started back towards the bike, pausing when he called her name.

“The girl. The statue. With the long dress. I can’t tell if she’s smiling. You asked me that once, and I never—I never came back to find out.”

Elizabeth looked from him to the statue. “I can’t tell,” she said. “I guess I should have come back before now. Even statues crumble when they’re made to wait.”

I wish I could to tell you that the last line is my own, but it belongs to my queen, Taylor, and The Prophecy one of the perfect songs from TTPD: Anthology. I honestly couldn’t resist, lol.

+37

Written in 60 minutes.

Dear reader
Get out your map, pick somewhere and just run

took earlier flight n uber down at boathouse with danny.

Elizabeth squinted at the text on her phone, then held it a little further away from her eyes to read it more carefully. Maybe it was time to pick up reading glasses after all, though she still wasn’t entirely sure how she’d reached the age of forty-two with two sons in college and the third only a few years away—

Where had her babies with their curls, sticky fingers, and missing teeth gone?

The path between the main house and the boat house on the edge of the Quartermaine lake had been widened over the years and lighting had been added since the last time Elizabeth had followed its flagstones down to the wooden structure that jutted partially out onto the water.

Though it was a tragic reason to have Jake back in Port Charles, Elizabeth was eager to have her middle son back at home, even if for a few days. It had been such an anxious time, organizing the visa and financial documents, making sure Jake had secured good housing—and preparing to be parted from her miracle baby for the first time since he’d been returned to her all those years ago.

Elizabeth had rarely let Jake out of her sight for more than a few nights a time, and that had always been with the supervision of another adult — whether that was a friend’s parent or his father.

But Jake had been entirely on his own in Barcelona, and his command of Spanish was decent, but was it really good enough—

She took a deep breath — she was already spiraling and of course Jake was fine. He’d come home hadn’t he? Sent a text from his own phone.

She came around the corner and hesitated when the boathouse came into view and she saw that it wasn’t just Danny and Jake down there, but the rest of the kids had found their way here. Escaping their parents, Elizabeth thought. Out here on their own, just the way she and Emily had in high school.

Grief rippled through her, sharp and keen, wishing that her best friend was up at the house, that Emily’s children were mixed in down at the boat house. Elizabeth pressed a fist to her middle, took a deep breath. Not everyone could come back from the permanence of death, and Emily was still resting on the other side of the estate, at the family mausoleum, where she’d been for nearly twenty years.

Time. It marched on, with no respect for anyone it destroyed in its path.

Elizabeth started again towards the building, but stopped again when the voices started to rise, and the youngest of the children, seven-year-old Scout, cried, “But I don’t wanna go with Grandmom! I wanna stay here!”

“Maybe you heard it wrong,” Aiden said. He looked to Rocco. “You heard it wrong, right? Your dad said you could stay here—”

“It’ll be okay,” Danny insisted. “Okay? My dad will fix it. He asked me what I wanted, and I told him I wanted to be with you guys. He’ll tell Grandma Alexis, and we’ll stay together.”

“Danny, man, you can’t promise her that,” Jake told his younger brother. “Dad’s not a miracle worker. And you know your grandma doesn’t like him—”

With a wince, Elizabeth cleared her throat and stepped up into view, the cluster of kids turning to look at her. “Hey. I’m so sorry—I’m not—I’m not eavesdropping. Promise. I just—”

“She got my text,” Jake told Danny, getting to his feet. “I’ll be right back, okay? And cool it promising your sister things,” he warned in a low voice. “Cam used to do that sometimes and he meant well, but you’ll just have to pick up the pieces when Scout doesn’t get what she wants—”

“But she will—”

“Maybe. But her dad just got elected to Congress,” Jake said, and Danny grimaced, looked away. “Let me go talk to my mom, and I’ll be back.” He put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. I’m not going back to Barcelona until I know you guys are good.”

He crossed the deck and bounded down the steps, pulling his mother into a hug. “Hey! I missed you!”

Elizabeth held him tightly for just a moment, then forced herself to release him. She framed his face. “I missed you, too. I’m sorry if I’m interrupting, but I was going to see if Aiden was ready to go—”

“Yeah, let me walk you back up the house. I wanna run something past you.”

—

Alexis stood in front of the brothers, her chin lifted, and Jason had heard that particular tone enough to understand Alexis wasn’t expecting a discussion or a negotiation. She’d spoken, and that was the end of it.

Jason didn’t want to look over at the other man — as far as he was concerned, Drew didn’t exist. But Danny loved his little sister, and he’d been pretty clear on what he wanted.

“I understand that you want to keep Scout and Danny together,” he said finally when Drew remained silent. “That’s what I want, too. Danny made that very clear when we spoke about it—”

“Then we’re in agreement—”

“I’m sorry, but we’re not,” Drew said. He shook his head. “Scout’s my daughter, and I don’t intend to be separated from her.” He sent a dirty look towards Jason. “Maybe you won’t even notice Danny’s not there. It’s not like you’ve ever been a present father—”

“We’re not doing this,” Jason interrupted, turning to face the scumbag head on. “We’re not taking shots at each other. You know why I beat the shit out of you, and if you want to get into it right now, maybe I’ll tell Alexis why.”

Drew scowled. “You wouldn’t—”

“Uh, I’d actually like to know that very much,” Alexis said, leaning in slightly. “Because if you are going to pummel each other, the last thing either of you need is my grandchildren in your custody. They come first.”

“I’ve spoken to Danny. He wants to stay with Rocco and Scout. Dante and I have spoken about it, too. We’re looking at options that keep them all together. You can’t offer that,” he told Alexis who flinched. “I’m sorry. I wish we weren’t having this conversation. I wish Sam were still here. But she’s not.”

“I will make sure Danny and Scout have all the contact with Rocco that they could want, but I didn’t bring the two of you in to argue about it. It isn’t a discussion. It’s a statement. My grandchildren will be staying with me. And if you want to fight me in court, then I’ll do that. My only goal is ensuring those kids grow up safe and sound which isn’t something either of you can guarantee.”

With that, Alexis left the kitchen, leaving the brothers behind.

Drew lightly touched the corner of his mouth which still sported a split lip. “So, ah, I’m assuming you’ve spoken to Michael.” When Jason said nothing, he nodded. “That doesn’t change the fact you had no right to put your hands on me.”

Jason wanted to punch him again, his hands at his side bunching into fists, the anger coursing through his veins, blood pounding in his head. Just do it.

Instead, he stalked back out the patio doors.

—

“I didn’t realize the kids were so worried about being split up,” Elizabeth said, walking back towards the house, her arm wound through Jake’s. “I guess I should have. Your father talked to Danny about it, and he didn’t seem worried. He said they’d figure it out.”

“Yeah, well, Rocco overheard his dad talking to Miss Davis. She’s going for custody.” Jake made a face. “It’s stupid, but I’m glad we never had to worry about that. I never worried that anyone was gonna separate me from Cam and Aiden.” When Elizabeth said nothing, he stopped on the path, looked at her. “Mom?”

“It’s given me some restless nights, worrying about what would happen to me if you were all minors,” Elizabeth admitted. “For a long time, it was Cam and Aiden, and well, there weren’t really Spencers in town to take Aiden. My grandmother was too old. I asked Patrick to be their guardian.”

Jake looked away, then kicked at the dirt between the flagstones. “And then he moved to California and I came home.”

“And so did your father. At least, we thought he was your father. Drew—Jason—Drew—” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “It’s hard to keep it straight. But he obviously wanted custody of you when I updated everything. And I wanted to keep you together, but—”

“He didn’t want Cam or Aiden?”

“No. But then Laura came home and she was happy to sign on for all three of you. And then your dad actually came home, and I made him guardian so he could have you, and he never flinched at taking your brothers. Thank God we never had to worry about any of that.”

“Yeah, can’t imagine how Dad would have handled that,” Jake said, a bit of distaste in his tone, and Elizabeth bit her lip. “Who would he have dumped us on when he needed to pretend to be dead?”

“Jake—”

“I’m working on forgiving him, okay? I mostly have because you want me to, and well, I’m not a kid anymore, so it’s not like I have to see him if I don’t want to. But Danny still worships him. Thinks he’s a hero, that whatever he was doing was worth all the time we lost.” Jake dragged a hand down his face. “He’s still a kid, you know?”

“And you’re not,” Elizabeth murmured, her chest tight. “I’m sorry. I never meant to make you feel like you had to forgive your father.”

“You have, though, haven’t you? You forgave him the first time you saw him, I could tell. I don’t get it,” he muttered. “I never will.”

“Whether I forgive him or not has no bearing on you. It shouldn’t. I’m an adult, and he and I have been forgiving each other for so long. It’s what we do, Jake, but that doesn’t mean you have to.”

“Yeah, well, I’m just not looking forward to Danny learning he can’t count on Dad either. But I’ll be there.” Jake took a deep breath. “Because I’m gonna take the next semester off, and come home.”

Elizabeth inhaled sharply. “What?”

“I’m taking the semester off. Danny needs me. He’s my brother, and Scout—well, for a while I thought she was gonna be my sister. Cam did a lot for me when I came home from the Cassadines, and when they screwed with me. That’s what older brothers do, and hell, Aiden’s dad is here, too, so someone has to be here when he takes off. My brothers need me, Mom.” Jake folded his arms. “You can’t talk me out of this. I already filed the paperwork. That’s why I didn’t come home earlier.”

“I—”

“I’m an adult now, right? I make my own choices. You told me you moved out when you were my age because Gram didn’t think you could make your own choices.”

“Well, yes, but—” She pressed a hand to her temple. “Wait. I need you to think about this—”

“I don’t need to think about this. They need me, and well, what are you going to do? Tell them that their dads are going to fix everything?” Jake shook his head. “That’s not what they do. Sometimes fathers stick, like Dante, but mostly they don’t. And Danny and Scout and Rocco don’t have a mother to take care them like me and Aiden. So it’s gonna be me.”

“We can’t just—we need to talk—”

“No, we don’t. I’m gonna stick here tonight. Grandma always says I can stay anytime, me and Aiden because we’re family. So you can head home without us. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He came forward, hugged her again. “I love you, Mom.”

“Okay, but Jake—” Elizabeth tried to hang on him, but he was too quick and had already let her go, and was heading towards the boat house. It took everything she had not to chase after him.

But she didn’t. She couldn’t. If she did now, she’d start to cry and he’d get upset, and she was already so worried that she’d influenced him into forgiving Jason—

She squeezed her eyes closed, took a deep breath, trying to catch her breath. And then turned around, started towards the house. She walked quickly ignoring the rushing in her ears, the roaring of her brain trying to make sense of everything Jake had just thrown at her, the bombs he’d dropped—

The damage she’d done to him—the damage Jason had—

Her steps quickened as she grew closer to the long winding drive where cars had been parked, then stopped dead when she realized her car was blocked by at least two others. Oh she just wanted to go—she wanted to run and keep running—

Where had her babies gone? Where had time gone? Where had they all gone wrong and could it ever be fixed—

“Elizabeth?”

She spun around, not registering the speaker until she saw Jason several steps away. Her breath rushed out, and she pressed her lips together, trying to gather herself. “M-My car is blocked in,” she managed.

He came towards her, looked at the sedan for a long moment, then back at her. “Is that why you’re upset?”

“I’m not—” She closed her eyes again, the words wobbling. “I want to go back.”

“Back where?” His voice was closer, and she heard the crunch of gravel. “I can take you back to the house. Do you need—”

“No, just back.” Her eyes flew open. “I want to go back to the Black and White Ball and n-never leave Emily’s side, and I want to go back to that moment in your penthouse and tell you Jake is yours so he never doubts how much you love him and I want to go back to the park and just go home and back—I just want it to stop. I want it to stop. They keep growing up, and growing away, and changing, and why don’t they stop—”

Elizabeth pressed her hands against her mouth, finally stopping the spiraling spill of madness, hot tears coursing their way down her cheeks.

In front of her, Jason looked pained, his eyes glimmering, his throat tight. He looked away, swallowed hard, then looked back. “I can’t help with any of that.”

“N-No, of course not—”

“But I can give you a ride home.”

She closed her lips, then laughed suddenly, a short gasp of hysterical giggles that sounded as ridiculous as they felt. “Oh, well, okay.”

“And maybe—” Jason took a deep breath, stepped closer, so that she had to tilt her chin up to meet his gaze. “If you want, we could stop by Bobbie’s, and I could get my bike. I know it’s not really turning back time—”

“But maybe it’ll be close enough. Yeah, yeah, I want that. I want to go nowhere. Fast.”

+40

Set in current GH. No major changes to canvas.

Written in 60 minutes.

This will be the “Dear Reader” entry for my Taylor Swift collection. One of my favorite songs from Midnights.

Dear reader
If it feels like a trap, you’re already in one

November 2024

It was an unseasonably warm day in upstate New York with temperatures nearing the upper fifties, and most of the crowd milling around the Quartermaine family estate had spilled outside the great house onto the back patio and could be found winding in and around the sprawl of gardens that lined the back of the estate.

Lila Quartermaine had been famous for her rose gardens, and her daughter Tracy had terrorized more than one gardener for not perfectly maintaining the prize-winning flowers. Wandering the gardens had always brought Elizabeth Webber a great deal of comfort, even now, twenty years after the matriarch had passed away.

She’d been coming to the Quartermaine estate since she’d moved here as a teenager. First as Emily’s best friend, and then as the mother of a Quartermaine grandchild. Today, however, she’d returned not as friend or family, but —

Well, she wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing here.

Once, she would have danced with joy over the grave of Sam McCall, the architect of so many of Elizabeth’s misery as a younger woman. Elizabeth hadn’t started the war between them but it had certainly continued too long. Sam wasn’t quite the woman she’d been then — but neither was Elizabeth. They were reluctant co-parents, raising a pair of boys who adored each other.  And while Elizabeth and Sam had never quite managed to become friends, they were mothers first.

She emerged from the gardens, wondering if she’d stayed long enough, and if it was time to grab Aiden and go home. She searched the crowd for her youngest son, her eyes stopping when she saw Drew turn away from whomever he’d been speaking with, the fading afternoon light catching the edge of the cut beneath his eye, highlighting the bruise on his cheek.

She made a face, wondering who Drew had made angry enough to punch, but then caught sight of another familiar face glaring malevolently in Drew’s direction — Jason. He was standing by the back door, a bottle of beer in his hand, Carly by his side, and glaring at his brother with a look she’d only seen reflected back at men he truly loathed.

Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip, her curiosity warring with better sense. It was none of her business, she reminded herself. Drew was a ghost in the past, one who hardly seemed like the man she’d known once, and Jason was a friend who had his own life and didn’t need one more person charging in and demanding answers. He already had Carly filling that role.

Just as she’d convinced herself to mind her own business, Michael passed her, trudging towards the front of the house. “Hey. Hey.” He drew up, frowning slightly. “I didn’t know you came back to the house. I’m sorry. I usually—” He pulled a hand through his blonde hair. “How are you? How’s Jake? I haven’t…I’m sorry, I haven’t caught up with anyone in a while.”

“You have two kids and a full-time job,” Elizabeth reminded him. “Jake’s good. He was hoping to get back here for this—” She winced. “That sounds strange. Not that he wanted to be here, but he—for Danny and for Scout.”

“Yeah, sure. I get you. Couldn’t he get a flight? You should have said something.” He fell into step with her and they started to walk up towards the house. “You know I could have made arrangements.”

“No, it’s —”

“I mean that. No point in having power and money if you can’t use it. I can make a call, have a jet there tonight—” Michael reached inside his pocket. “Let me set it up—”

Elizabeth stopped him. “No, it’s—I appreciate that. He had a project he needed to be on campus. He caught a flight this morning. He won’t be here long, but he couldn’t stand being away. But I appreciate that.” She squeezed his hand. “How are you? I know you and Sam were close.”

“Not as close as we used to be.” Something flitted across his expression, a twist of bitterness. “It feels like I’ve lost touch with so many people. You, Jake, Sam, Danny, even my own sister.”

“Two young children, a wife who was ill, a demanding job—” She squeezed his shoulder. “Give yourself a break, okay? I remember when Cam and Jake were young, and I wasn’t sure what my own name was half the time. How are the kids?”

The first genuine smile spread across Michael’s face. “Amazing. Amelia’s getting so big, and Wiley—he’s just incredible. He’s so smart and he’s doing great at school. You should come to dinner. You and Aiden. We should have you over.”

“Sure. Maybe while Jake’s in town.” Elizabeth caught sight of Jason out of the corner of her eye again — and she wasn’t imagining it. He and Carly passed Drew and the men exchanged glances of loathing. At Drew’s side, Nina sent Jason her own fulminating stare, then made a show of pulling Drew away to face her. “Okay, I can’t stop myself. What’s going on with Jason and Drew? Is it something I can help with or—”

“It’s nothing—well, it’s not nothing. I don’t want to lie to you, so don’t ask me,” Michael told her, and she sighed. “They got into a fight. Jason probably shouldn’t have done it, but Drew deserved it. I wish it had been me—” he stopped. “Never mind. Listen, call me when Jake gets into town. We should do something. I mean that. All of us. Family’s important, and I need to remember who’s always been there for me.” He squeezed her hand, then disappeared into the crowd.

Elizabeth watched him troubled, then looked back at the brothers. “None of your business,” she muttered. “None of your business. Just stay out of it.”

—

Jason hated people. Individually, collectively, and whole-heartedly. The only time he ever wanted to be surrounded by people was in a bar and when he was looking for a fight.

But he’d already started one fight on the Quartermaine estate this month, and he wasn’t about to make another scene even when Nina Reeves was sending him dirty looks as if Jason had decked her and not the giant asshole next to her—

“If you keep glaring at him that way,” Carly hissed from his side, “it’s going to be impossible to have any plausible deniability. Everyone is going to know you put those bruises on his face—”

“Let them.” Jason brought the bottle of beer to his lips, took a long pull. “He deserved every mark.” More.

Carly narrowed her eyes. “You really think he won’t press charges—”

“I know he won’t.” He took a deep breath. “Carly—”

“No, don’t keep telling me to stay out of it. I’m right in the middle, okay? Because Drew is my ex whatever and you’re my best friend, and—”

“Carly—” Jason set the bottle of beer down, and took her by the shoulder. “The last time you tried to get in the middle of things, what happened?”

She glowered. “Are you going to throw that in my face for the rest of my life? Because it’s not fair. I didn’t ask you to cover for me, and I got myself out of that without your help—”

“You got out of that because Jack Brennan decided he wanted leverage over you. He made that recording disappear, it could come back. So you stay out of trouble and stay out of this with Drew—”

“I just want to know what he did that made you pound him into the ground at the Quartermaines of all places! With the kids just upstairs—”

Jason winced, then rubbed his forehead. “Carly.” The last thing he wanted to think about was Danny and Scout being upstairs while he’d beat the living shit out of Drew. Because then he’d think about where Danny and Scout had been the night Drew had slept with Michael’s wife, and he’d get furious all over again.  At Drew for being such a scumbag, at Willow for doing it, at Michael for involving him —

And at himself for not following his number one rule — the one rule he’d tried to implement since returning to Port Charles six months earlier.

To mind his business and stay out of everyone else’s.

“I’m done having this conversation, Carly,” Jason told Carly, interrupting whatever she’d been saying that he hadn’t been listening to in the first place. He picked up his beer, and walked away, leaving her in mid-rant.

—

Danny Morgan didn’t much care for people either, especially ones that he didn’t know coming up to him and telling him how sorry they were for him.

What a tragedy.

How lucky your little sister is to have her big brother to take care of her.

At least your mother died doing something heroic.

You should be so proud of her.

If one more person told him to be grateful for his mother’s last act of sacrifice, Danny was going to lose his freaking mind.

And because he figured if he started punching people, he might not stop, he left the house and went down to the boat house where it would be quiet.

He hopped onto the mossy stone ledge overlooking the pier and dangled his legs over the side,  digging his hands into the rock beneath his palms. Things would be better if his mom had been a raging bitch who’d refuse to help anyone, because then she’d be alive.

Instead, Sam had donated a piece of her liver, and was now lying in a box six feet beneath the ground, and the woman who she’d saved was still unconscious in a coma. What was the point of any of it?

He heard shoes squeaking, then thudding on the wooden planks behind him. If it was Rocco or Aiden trying to cheer him up, he might actually throw himself into the water, Danny thought, then looked back.

When he realized who was approaching, Danny scrambled to get back over the ledge. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, the tone almost harsh, the edges ragged.

His brother hesitated a few feet away. “I’m sorry,” Jake said. “I caught the first flight I could, but it’s okay if you’re pissed I didn’t get here earlier.”

“Not pissed—” Danny swallowed hard. “Not pissed. Just, um—” Had given up hoping. “I know you’re doing something important and you can’t just hop on a plane. But you’re here.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, man. I should have been here sooner. I’m sorry,” Jake said again, and came forward. He put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “But I caught an earlier flight. My mom doesn’t even know I’m here yet.”

“How’d you find me down here?”

“It’s where we always go when we don’t want to be around people. It’s either that or punch them.”

Danny grinned for the first time since Halloween, then the corners of his smile trembled slightly. “I don’t know how to do this. It’s…it’s not like Dad. Not just because he’s back, but—”

“It’s your mom,” Jake said. “You don’t have to explain, Danny. You don’t have to be anything. ” He drew his brother into a half-hearted hug. “Come on. Let’s go up to the house, and get something to eat. I’m starving. You can catch me up on what I’ve missed. Why does Uncle Drew have those bruises?”

—

Jason saw Elizabeth by the gardens, and started towards her, wondering if she had a few minutes. He wanted to talk to her about Danny, about what he wanted, and maybe she’d have a better suggestion to keep the kids together other than moving into the Quartermaines because that had to be the last resort, right?

Jason wouldn’t live here when his sister and grandmother was alive, now he was supposed to do it when the house was filled with Tracy and Drew?

No, there had to be a better way.

Before he could reach Elizabeth, Molly stepped into his view, and he paused. Sam’s youngest sister pale, her eyes rimmed with red, but her expression steady. “Hey. How are you?”

Her lips trembled, and she bit down, took a deep breath. “Thank you. For, um, asking. I’m okay—I—my mother was hoping to talk to you. If you didn’t mind.”

“Sure. Sure.” Jason wasn’t about to do anything that made this day harder for Alexis or Sam’s sisters. They’d been through enough, he thought, remembering that Molly and Kristina had buried a child only a few months earlier. Maybe Alexis had some ideas about how to handle things with Danny. Jason just really wanted to do what was best for his son —

He just didn’t know what that was — or trust that he could deliver it. What did he know about being a father?

Molly led him towards the house and the kitchen entrance. Jason grimaced when he realized that Alexis didn’t just want to speak to him—

Drew was already in the kitchen, his bruises even harsher under the bright kitchen light. “What are you doing here?” he wanted to know with a sour expression.

“I asked you both here,” Alexis said, and Jason ignored Drew, focused on his former mother-in-law. “I’m sorry to do this here, today. But we have to be practical. Some things can’t wait.”

“If this is about Sam’s will—”

“It is. Diane will be contacting you to do an official reading, but I’m the executor and I know the contacts.” Alexis folded her arms, lifted her chin. “Sam left custody of the children to you. Both of you,” she added. “Separately and jointly. If you hadn’t come home,” she told Jason, “Drew would get custody of both.”

Drew nodded. “I assumed it would be like that. I’ll do what I can to make this transition easy for everyone. Scout can wait to start school in DC until next year—”

“I’m hoping we can settle this out of court,” Alexis interrupted. “I think we should keep the arrangement the way it is now. Neither of you have primary custody, and Danny and Scout should stay together. So I’ll take them with me. Nothing will change for either of you, you’ll just visit them at a different house.”

+38