Written in 70 minutes. Epilogue took a few minutes to get right.

PCPD: Interrogation Room

Mac pulled out the chair, took a seat, then looked at the woman sitting across from him. Brenda, her eyes rimmed with red and tears staining her cheeks, lifted her chin. “I suppose you have some questions.”

Mac tipped his head, leaned back. “There’s no way you and Morgan came up with this plan. He might be a lot of things, but he’s not sending a woman to do his job.”

“That’s awfully sexist of you.” The corner of her mouth tipped up. “You haven’t read me my rights.”

“You’re not under arrest. Yet.”

She exhaled slowly, cast her eyes towards the ceiling for a long moment, then met Mac’s gaze. “If you’re asking me whether or not Jason knew what I was planning, the answer is no. He intended to play this straight. Whatever you think about him, whatever you suspect he’s done, the man’s not an idiot. With you and Scott looking over his shoulder, he was never going to take chances. He didn’t know I had the gun, and he didn’t know what I was planning.”

“So you planned it.”

“Do you mean did I ask Jason to agree to a plan that would send his pregnant girlfriend out into the night alone with nothing more than my charm to protect us? You’re damn right I planned it. Whether or not he was Luis or Lorenzo Alcazar didn’t matter to me. He was never going to stop, Mac. Revenge, obsession. Pick your motivation.”

She folded her arms on the table, leaned towards him. “This started because of me, and I ran last year. I let Sonny and Jason and Jax fight my battles. I kept running, Mac. Wasting my life, my time, my dreams. This started because of me,” Brenda repeated. “So I made sure I finished it. Whoever he was, whatever he wanted, he’s dead. They both are. You can sort out who’s who yourself. Arrest me, charge me, do whatever you want. I’ll sleep like a baby tonight either way.”

Mac studied her for a moment, then nodded. “At this time, the PCPD doesn’t intend to press any charges. And as far as I’m concerned, we don’t have your statement on record. If and when you’re charged, this conversation never happened.” He pushed his chair out, stood. “You’re free to go.”

General Hospital: Emergency Room

Elizabeth laid back on the hospital bed, trying to block out the bustling sounds of the hospital around them—the voices, the beeps, alarms. “I’m fine. Didn’t Dr. Meadows tell you I was fine? No one even touched me.”

“All of the same,” Emily said, hopping in before Jason could open his mouth. “Nothing wrong with getting your vitals checked and making sure my nibling is in good health. You’re doing this for me, not Jason. Be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at anyone.” Elizabeth pressed the heel of her palm against her eyes. “But the lights are irritating me—”

“I didn’t know she was going to kiss me,” Jason said, and both she and Emily looked at him, confused. “But I had to—”

“Kiss her back, I know.” Elizabeth made a face, looked at her friend. “Can you go find me some water or something? We’re going to be stuck here all night.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t be stupid, big brother,” Emily told Jason, then left the curtained area.

“I didn’t—”

“Jason.” Elizabeth looked at him, a bit exasperated. “Look, was it a little more aggravating than I thought it would be? Sure. And maybe I laid it on thicker than I had to, but considering what I knew about your history with Robin, and well, what happened with us, it was just the first thing that popped in my head.”

“Because you think it’s true, and it’s not—”

She reached out for his hand, then settled for a piece of his sleeve when he just stood there. “I don’t think it’s true. We’ve talked about this, haven’t we? Even when you went chose Courtney, I knew you weren’t choosing her instead of me. You were choosing the life you had with her. The safety of that. The familiarity of something that sort of worked.”

Jason sighed, and some of the anxiety eased from his expression. He sat on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t know it was Brenda’s plan. Any of it. I didn’t know she was going to—”

“She knew it had to look good. She knew we’d have one chance to force Alcazar into making a move. If it was Luis Alcazar out there tonight, who would know better than Brenda how to manipulate him into showing his hand? As for how it ended—” Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip. “Well, I’m not mad. It’s over. Really over. No court. No trials. Nothing. Just a body in the morgue. I just hope she finds some peace.”

“I should have done a better job last year or this summer. I thought it was enough to help Brenda hide from him, but it wasn’t—”

“You thought he was Lorenzo Alcazar, looking for revenge,” Elizabeth said. “And it’s not your job to fix things for everyone. For Sonny and Carly, for me, for Brenda, for anyone but yourself.”

“I know. I know,” Jason repeated when she just lifted his brows, but then he sighed again, dragged a hand down his face. “But I still expect it, so maybe it’s a lesson I’ll have to keep learning for a while.” He focused on her. “You’re sure you’re not really mad about Robin or—”

“No. You’re not mad at me because I slapped you, right? Because I had to make it look good. And I’m sorry about the Courtney thing—” She wrinkled her nose. “It’d be stupid if we were mad at each other because we executed the plan perfectly, right? I mean, it worked and I barely got a scratch on me.”

“Just took a few years of my life when I heard the gunshots,” Jason told her, then leaned forward to kiss her forehead, his lips lingering for a moment against her skin, then she lifted her face to kiss him. “We’re going to be all right,” he murmured.

“We’re going to be great,” she corrected with a half smile. “All three of us.”

St. Timothy’s Churchyard

Courtney was laid to rest a few days later, on a gray November afternoon. The crowd at the graveside was sparse. Sonny had been given a day pass from Rose Lawn, and it had been a bittersweet reunion as he saw Carly and Elizabeth for the first time since that night in the courtyard.

He looked more like his old self — clean-shaven, hair neatly slicked back, lucid and clear-headed, but his eyes carried a terrible somberness. Carly attended in a wheelchair, still not strong enough to stand on her own feet for long periods. Sonny stayed on one side of the grave, with his father, and Carly had remained on the other, closer to the road and her mother. A gulf that only time and patience would heal, if it could be done.

Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she should go, even with the thaw between Mike and Jason, but Jason had assured her, and she’d wanted to show her support. For all of Courtney’s faults, she’d been almost a friend once and she hadn’t deserved the ending. She met Sonny at the cemetery, and they’d hugged. She assured him she understood what had happened, and that she was only glad he was getting help. It was easier to hold grace for him knowing she’d fully recover and that her child was safe.

Neither she nor Jason had told Sonny about the strange story Ric had told her that night on the phone — of Luis Alcazar’s convoluted belief that she was Sonny’s sister, and that she’d been a planned part of Sonny’s destruction.

Ric had repeated the story when Mac and  officers from the PCPD had raised Alcazar’s yacht, but the only  truth that had emerged was that Richard Lansing was nothing more than a con artist who had snowed every one in his path, from Luis to Sonny to Elizabeth. When his fingerprints had been run through a database, there were more than a dozen law enforcement agencies, international and national who were interested in him. Whoever he turned out to be, he wasn’t Sonny’s brother, and that was all that mattered in the end. He would be someone else’s problem to solve.

Courtney’s coffin was lowered into the ground, and even the few mourners had faded away, leaving Mike standing alone over the open space, looking at the wooden box holding his daughter.

“Mike?”

He jolted at the voice, looked up to find Brenda there. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She came up next to him, looking down into the grave. “I’m sorry I didn’t kill him sooner,” she murmured. She wound her arm through Mike’s. “I’m sorry you lost your daughter.”

“I appreciate that.” He patted her hand. “How are you? No one’s threatening charges, are they?”

Brenda’s smile was faint. “I think maybe Scotty’s mad he was deprived of his publicity, but Mac hasn’t said a word, and I’ve already booked our tickets back to Paris. Port Charles—” She looked around, saw the limo in the distance where Sonny was standing. “Too many memories to stay right now. I brought so much horror onto people I care about. What Luis did to Sonny, to Courtney—even what happened to Carly and Elizabeth—” Her eyes glittered with tears when she looked back to Mike. “I’m so sorry I brought him to all of you.”

“How are you going to apologize for the evil acts of an obsessed man? None of this is your fault, sweetheart.” He clasped both of her hands in his. “Just like what happened to Sonny isn’t your fault. Or Jason’s. Or mine. What happened to Courtney? Not on any of us. It’s easier to take the blame. To assume the guilt. Because then there’d be some control. No one wants to be powerless. But you and I and all of us had no power to stop a man who was determined to destroy anyone who stood in his way. You’re not to blame, Brenda.”

“It’s hard to believe that. All the way inside.” But she smiled at him. “But thank you for that. Take care of yourself and everyone else here. Even Carly.”

Mike smiled faintly. “That must have hurt to say.”

“You have no idea. Tell no one.”

Epilogue

Seven months later

General Hospital: Maternity Floor

“I’ve counted his toes and fingers twice,” Emily said, cuddling her nephew against her chest. She beamed up at her brother. “They’re so little and cute, and he’s so perfect.”

Jason put an arm around his sister, pulled her into a half hug, kissed her forehead then leaned down to brush his lips against the top of his newborn son’s. “I’m glad you were here.”

Laying back in the hospital bed, her face pale, but her eyes shining, Elizabeth grinned. “But Gram is never going to forgive herself for being in Memphis with Steven. I guess Cam didn’t want to wait another week.”

“Well, Cam just wanted his aunt in the room when he came into the world.” Emily smiled smugly, then gently handed the newborn back to his mother. “I plan to lord that over Carly for the rest of our lives.”

“Emily—” Jason looked at his sister. “Really?”

“Well, I can either brag about that or about the time I almost died, and now you two are married and have a kid.” Emily lifted her brows. “Either way, Carly loses, and I win, so really, no bad choices here.”

“She’s never going to let us forget about that,” Jason told Elizabeth, but he was grinning when he said it.

“No, she really isn’t. I guess we’ll have to let her have this one. I’m not complaining at the outcome.”

“Me either.” He kissed her forehead, and they both looked down at their son, ignoring Emily dancing out to the hallway and Carly’s wail of protest when she realized was too late.

THE END

+35

Written in 66 minutes. See you tomorrow!

Luke’s: Main Bar

The direction from Brenda had been simple. Wait for her cue, and react. No scripts, no hints for improvisation. Just imagine that everything you see and hear is real. And whatever your instinct is? Dial it up to a hundred.

In other words, make a scene and find a reason to storm out of the bar, out into the vulnerable, dark, cold night where Alcazar should be waiting to take advantage. Whether he was Luis or Lorenzo wasn’t important anymore. That was a problem for someone else to sort out.

Elizabeth’s only goal was to make sure no one else was gunning for Jason and the people important to him.

She flexed her hand again, and across the table Emily caught sight of her. She smiled faintly. “It’s better, right? You’ll get full range back?”

“I think so, yeah.” Elizabeth bit her lip, watching Brenda and Jason on the dance floor. Brenda was smiling, Jason look pained. She tapped her water glass, trying not to fidget. She had her own part to play, and she worried she wasn’t up to it.

And what scene was Brenda planning? Her feud with Jason had been off and on for years, but it had been publicly laid to rest. Robin’s conversation with Jason had been tense, but nothing that would make anyone flee the room—

“Is everything okay?” Emily’s foot nudged her under the table, and Elizabeth refocused on her best friend. “I was surprised when you and Jason decided to come. Even more, uh, surprised when Mike came with you guys. Considering.” She tipped her head. “Is there anything I should know?”

“Nothing I can tell you now. But, um, if I have to make a scene, I could use your help, no questions asked. You’re more dramatic than I am—”

Emily rested her chin on her first, then fluttered her lashes. “I’ve been known to throw a tantrum or two. What’s my motivation? What are my lines?”

“That’s the problem. I just know that Brenda is supposed to cue something that’s going to make a scene, and I’m supposed to storm out of the club with her rushing behind me to explain—”

Emily’s smile faded and she looked around to make sure Zander was still at the bar, ordering another round of drinks. She scooted closer. “That’s why she’s here? I knew it was odd. You don’t know what she’s going to do—”

“No, but it needs to look real. Like it’s not a trap we’re—” Elizabeth closed her mouth when Robin walked up to Jason and Brenda, and Brenda let her cut in as the music shifted to something slower.

“Is that your cue?” Emily asked, furrowing her  brow watching the exes trade a few words, then . “I feel like it’d be more dramatic than that—uh—more like that,” she said when Robin kissed Jason—

And he kissed her back.

Two minutes earlier

Brenda hadn’t been very clear on the details of her plan, and Jason regretted not knowing exactly how she intended to orchestrate causing Elizabeth to storm out with Brenda on her heels in a way that didn’t look like a set up. But he hadn’t tried very hard to find out —it was Brenda, after all, and Jason didn’t much care how it got done.

Just that they trapped Alcazar into something that could get him called into the PCPD and his yacht raided. Any other permanent ending was out of the question — Mac and Scott were wrapped into all of it too deeply to do anything but play this straight.

But now, as Jason waited for Brenda to make her cue, he realized that he probably should have asked for some details, but maybe he was supposed to look surprised when Brenda stepped away, letting Robin cut in just as the music shifted to a slower song.

“This is part of the plan,” Brenda said, patting his chest before turning a bright smile, knowing smile at her best friend. “There you go, just like I promised,” she told Robin, raising her voice slightly. Not enough to be heard across the room, but definitely enough so that people around them could hear it. “Now, you promise to hear her out, don’t you?” she told Jason.

He wanted to make a face, wanted to look over at Elizabeth, but didn’t. “Yeah, okay,” he said, realizing Brenda hadn’t told them the plan for just this reason. So that his reaction — and Elizabeth’s would be genuine.

Which meant whatever was on the menu was not going to be terrible.

Robin stepped into his arms, and they fell into a dance, like they had a thousand times or more during their relationship. “Well, some things never change,” she murmured, looking up at him. “You still have no rhythm.”

“No, I don’t. Robin—”

“She’s my best friend and I’ll do anything to make sure she’s free to live her life again.” Robin’s dark eyes searched his. “Wouldn’t you do the same for someone you loved? Whatever it took?”

“Yeah, yeah, I would—”

“Then you need to make this look real.”

Jason opened his mouth to ask another question, but she leaned up on her toes and kissed him, sliding her hands into his hair. His own froze at his side for a minute, his mind whirling at the familiar sensation of Robin’s mouth on his, the feel of her body pressed against his—

And the knowledge that Elizabeth was sitting a few dozen feet away—ready to play her part in the farce Brenda had designed.

Jason hesitantly laid his hands on Robin’s hips and kissed her back for just a moment. Then he gently set her back a step, licked his lips, raised his head—

To catch sight of Elizabeth striding across the dance floor, her face flushed, her eyes burning. The people around her stepped out of the way. She reached them just as Brenda danced back over to them.

“I knew it! I knew if I just got you together you’d remember,” Brenda said, clapping her hands together. “Oh—” She looked at Elizabeth, guilt flashing in her eyes. “Oh. I wasn’t thinking about—oh, I’m so sorry—” She pressed her hands to her mouth. “Oh—”

She closed her mouth abruptly when Elizabeth slapped Jason, his head snapping to the side. Elizabeth winced, holding her arm against her side, and Jason realized she’d used her injured arm out of habit. Tears glimmered in her eyes.

“I guess Courtney was right about you,” she bit out. “You’re never happy. There’s always someone else you want more. I hope you rot in hell.” She glared at Brenda. “And I wish you’d stayed dead.”

And then she stormed out, the people parting around her as if she were Moses parting the Red Sea.

“Oh, crud, I wasn’t thinking—” Brenda looked back at Jason and Robin. “I’ll go get her, okay? I’ll talk to her and make sure she understands you just can’t deny destiny—she won’t want to talk to either of you—and, oh—” She winced when she saw Mike and Emily coming towards them. “You’ll have your hands full with that. Good luck.”

“I am going to kill her,” Jason bit out, then glared at Robin. “And you, too. What  the—”

“Shut up,” Robin said, clenching her teeth. She grabbed his shirt sleeve and started to drag him through the club, towards the back. “I didn’t just embarrass myself so that you could screw it up now—”

They reached the back hallway and Jason pushed open Luke’s office door, stepping aside so that Robin could go in, quickly followed by Mike and Emily. He slammed it, and turned on Mike. “That was—”

“A plan,” Emily finished quickly. “Elizabeth warned me she had to make a scene, and I said I’d play along. So Mike and I are here to yell at you—”

“Who the hell came up with this idea?” Jason demanded.

Robin rolled her eyes, folded her arms. “Please. Brenda did. Do you think anything I’d come up with would put me anywhere near your mouth? Who knows if you bothered to bleach it after you were finished with Carly.”

“All right, let’s all take a deep breath,” Mike said, stepping between Robin and Jason. “Robin, it’s been a long time since you were here—”

“Not long enough. Brenda told me that you’d been engaged like two months ago, and that you got someone else pregnant. Are you actually this kid’s father or is it another lie?” she demanded. “Did you learn anything from all of that or did Carly warp your brain too much—”

Jason grimaced, dragged his hand through his hair, and went over stand by the window. He tugged the phone his pocket, willing it to ring again, to indicate that Alcazar was heading for the alley.

“Robin, maybe you take it down a notch, okay?” Emily said. “It’s not like you weren’t perfectly willing to lie to my other brother as long as Carly stayed away and you and Jason could play house with a baby you both knew wasn’t his. So just save the self-righteous act for someone gives a damn. Go away and stop pissing me off.”

“Whatever. I did what I had to do for my best friend, and now I’m out of it.” Robin yanked the door open and stormed out.

“Mike—” Jason looked at him. “I don’t know if—”

“I’ll go with her. Make sure she’s safe. You stick to the plan.” Mike closed the door behind him, and Jason exhaled in a low sigh.

“She doesn’t believe what she said, you know that,” Emily said, stepping up to her brother. “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why you needed to make this scene, but it’s going to work. Elizabeth knows it was just an act. She just wanted to make it look real.” She tried to smile. “She did such a good job you think it was. So whoever you’re trying to trick probably does, too.”

Jason looked at his sister, then sighed again, looked out the window, wishing it had a view of the alley. “I made so many mistakes,” he muttered, then stared down at the phone, willing it to ring. “You know we were together that night in the hospital.”

“Elizabeth said as much. But you’re okay now. She’s having the baby, and you’re happy—I know it’s complicated with everything else that happened. But that part is good, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So what if you went home and picked the wrong woman? She picked the wrong guy. A lot. I mean, geez, Jase, she picked Ric, right? If anyone understands making the wrong choice, Elizabeth does.” She poked him lightly in the arm. “When this is done, and you guys are the winners at the end of the day, you’ll have all the time in the world to stop and take a breath. Robin can go wallow in her own acid, Brenda can have her life back, Sonny and Carly will figure out whatever they’re going to do, Mike will—well, we’ll be there for Mike. And you and Elizabeth can focus on each other and the baby.”

“When did you get so smart?” Jason wondered.

“I had a really great older brother.” Emily slid her arm around his waist, leaned in to hug him. He kissed the top of her head. “Also, I’m absolutely going to credit for being the reason you and Liz get together. I should almost die more often, huh?”

“Never again. I couldn’t even handle almost losing you.” He rubbed her back, his hand freezing when the phone vibrated in his hand.  “Thanks for playing a part and not asking questions, but—”

“But time for me to go, and for you to go save the world.” She kissed his cheek. “Good luck storming the castle.”

Jason made a face but his sister just waved and left the room. He went over to the desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out the gun he’d stowed there earlier that day.

Luke’s: Parking Lot

Elizabeth burst out the front doors, then made a beeline for the side of the building, her heart pounding, her throat so tight she could barely squeeze a breath through—

Jason had looked so stricken, so hurt when she’d slapped him and thrown that barb about Courtney, and even though she knew it was all an act, and so did he—

Damn Brenda for being right. For knowing that it would be more realistic without the details, because part of Elizabeth had been actually furious, and the words she spoken—the fear that Jason wouldn’t be happy with her—

They weren’t exactly untrue, and maybe that’s why they’d fallen so easily from her lips.

She heard heels clacking behind her, and Elizabeth turned, still in motion so that she walked backwards for a few more steps. “Go away, Jason—”

“It’s not Jason!” Brenda held up her hands in mock surrender. “I come in peace, okay? I just wanted to come out here. Make sure you were okay—”

“Oh, like you care about that now,” Elizabeth retorted, fisting her hands at her side.

“I didn’t tell Robin to kiss him, okay?” Brenda rolled her eyes, planted one hand on her  hip. “Please. Jason hates public displays of affection. When we were married, I tortured him all the time because he hated it—”

“This is your idea of helping—” Where are you, you asshole? Elizabeth thought. How long were she and Brenda supposed to pretend to fight?

God, what if they’d done all of that for nothing—

“No, but it’s not my fault that arranging for them to have a minute alone together—”

“Alone in the middle of a packed bar? Are you kidding me?”

“I repeat, I did not tell anyone to use lips.” Brenda wrinkled her nose with some distaste. “Or tongues. There better not have been tongues — ew, now that picture’s in my head—”

“You really haven’t changed in the slightest, have you, darling?”

The slow, silky tone was quiet and Brenda immediately closed her mouth, turning around and backing away at double speed until she was standing right in front of Elizabeth, her arm held out.

“Who’s there?”

“Oh, I think you know.” Alcazar stepped out from the back parking lot, a cigar in his hands, the tip glowing in the dark night. He brought it to his lips. “Hello, Brenda. It’s nice to see you again.”

Brenda’s body was trembling hard and she fumbled with the purse in her hand.

“Oh, are you calling the police? Perhaps Morgan? I saw him running towards the back office with his paramour—poor Miss Webber—” Alcazar said with a sad sigh.

Brenda retrieved something from her purse, the little gold bag falling to the ground—

“Go ahead, call whoever you want. It’s already too late—” Alcazar continued.

The single gunshot echoed along the walls of the alley, Elizabeth jolted from the shock of the sound. Alcazar clutched his hand to his chest, his eyes wide. He stared at Brenda with a stunned expression. “What—”

“This time you’re not coming back,” Brenda bit out. And pulled the trigger a second time.

Then a third.

Alcazar fell to the ground, knees first, looking at them both with such bewilderment, even as the blood trickled from his mouth.

Then he fell face forward into the dirt and gravel, and didn’t move again.

+26

Written in 59 minutes

Luke’s: Main Bar

Jason hadn’t spent much time inside the old club since his return to Port Charles the previous year but there had been a time in his life when he’d spent much of his time here. Prior to leaving Brenda at the altar and fleeing town, Sonny had operated most of his concerns from inside the club, using it as a meeting place. Jason had parked cars, worked inventory, security, and accounting and any other number of tasks.

Stepping inside the club tonight almost felt comforting, even with the noise of the crowd and music pouring out from the stage across the room.

He’d made sure to time their arrival after Brenda, knowing that she’d get most of the attention. She had one of Jason’s guards on her arm posing as her date but meant to stick to her side like glue. Jason intended to circulate and keep Brenda in sight at all times, but the whole point of this operation was to use Brenda as bait, and Alcazar would never strike if Jason was breathing down her neck.

It had seemed like such a simple idea when Baldwin and Mac had suggested it, and while Jason cared what happened to Brenda, he could focus on her without going out of his mind.

Elizabeth, on the other hand—

Jason was forced to keep his distance slightly from her as well, watching her cross the room on Mike’s arm. There were looks and whispers as Mike escorted her to where Emily and Zander with Nikolas. Mike left her, then went to the next table and an empty seat with Felicia, Kevin, and Mac. Elizabeth was smiling and looking at Mike, who was understandably subdued but not particularly somber.

That phone call had changed everything, throwing Jason’s entire perception in the air. Who was in danger? Who was the target? Had Ric called just to throw off the scent? What if Jason focused entirely on Elizabeth, leaving Brenda out to dry? Was that what Alcazar wanted? Or what if Ric had actually been trying to save his own skin and tipping Jason off to Luis’s plans for Elizabeth?

And how many cons had Ric been trying to pull at once? Sonny wasn’t his brother? Floating theories to Luis about Sonny’s dead sister?

Since the shooting, there had been too many players, too many pieces on the chessboard, and every time Jason wrapped his mind around the situation, someone flipped the board, and changed the game. How many opportunities was he going to get to reset the players and start over?

Jason edged around another crowd of people, then hissed when he bumped directly into Robin. He held his hands out to steady himself and to keep her from falling, but snatched them back before he could touch her.

Her hair had grown since the last time they’d seen each other — she’d cut it short, close to her head, and now it fell just below her chin. But she was older and her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Jason,” she said.

“Robin.” He cleared his throat, then looked over at the bar. “Uh, did you and Brenda get into the hotel okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. Thanks for the security.” Robin looked back the way she’d come, to the table where Elizabeth was flexing her hand, talking to Felicia. “So you’re dating Lizzie Webber. Wasn’t she in high school when I left?”

Jason exhaled slowly, then scratched his eyebrow. “Yeah. She graduated that year. How’s medical school?”

“Fine. Nice when I’m not being threatened at every turn by your latest enemy, so I’m glad I don’t have to dodge that anymore.” Robin folded her arms. “I hear you’re still having trouble being faithful.”

Jason flinched, then took another deep breath. “You want to take shots at me, that’s fine. But maybe it can wait until this is done—”

“Why? You can’t multi-task? You don’t have enough security to keep Brenda safe? I mean, you dragged her all the way here—”

“And if you were that worried about safety, Robin, you’d have stayed in Paris,” Jason cut in, and she closed her mouth. “Where you don’t have to dodge my enemies, right? You’re the one that put yourself in the middle again. I don’t have time for this,” he told her.

“No, you better go check on your mistress—oh, I guess it doesn’t matter now that your fiancée is dead, right?”

Jason was already striding away from her, but flinched again at the parting barb. Robin had every reason to be angry at the way they’d ended things, and the way he’d treated her those last few months, but he’d forgotten how cutting she could be when she wanted to unleash that streak of vindictiveness that she kept well hidden.

He reached the table where Elizabeth sat, jerked out a chair, angling so he could keep an eye on Brenda near  the bar. She was laughing, glowing, her dark hair in glossy curls, a wine glass in her hand. She turned to say something to Lucy, then laughed again.

Brenda had always been an excellent actress.

“We have guys on the docks,” Mac told Jason, his own eyes on his stepdaughters across the dance floor. “Ready to hit the yacht as soon as we can, but we don’t have probable cause. Not yet. They’re tracing the call from your place. If they can put it on the boat—”

“No sign of Alcazar,” Jason cut in, tense. And even if Alcazar showed up, it wouldn’t matter. He wasn’t a fugitive, and arresting him wasn’t going to solve anything. They needed to catch him in the act. He glanced away from Brenda to find Elizabeth at the end of the table, leaning over to say something to her Emily. “And we’ve got guys on every entrance, every possible street corner watching.”

“Things looked tense with you and Robin. Anything I have to worry about?”

“Not unless you’re planning to arrest me for something else I didn’t do.” Jason shifted away from the commissioner, towards Mike. “If we did this all for nothing—”

“Sometimes you gotta play a hand just to see what the other players will do,” Mike said. “Maybe he doesn’t strike tonight. Maybe he just watches. Or maybe—”

“Maybe we’re not giving him enough room to act.” Jason exhaled slowly, dragged a hand down his face. “Brenda’s surrounded by people—”

“And Elizabeth hasn’t moved since we got here.”

Jason looked at Mike, saw the worry on his face. “We’re being too careful maybe, but I don’t know any other answers.”

“No, and I’m not going to tell you to take chances. Not with Brenda who’s been through too much, and Elizabeth has a lot to lose.” Mike looked over at his son’s ex-lover. “I’m not interested in one more women paying for the obsession and failings of men.”

“That’s not on the table,” Jason began, but stopped when he saw Brenda coming towards them. He rose when she reached them, as did Mike.

“Well, if it isn’t two of my favorite people.” Brenda embraced Mike tightly. “Hey. I’m so sorry about Courtney,” she told him, the glow slipping slightly. “I know I can’t fix that, but I hope that anything I do helps.”

“Just being willing to come home, Brenda, it matters.” Mike kissed her cheek. “I can’t wait until you’re free to live and love the way you deserve.”

“Same.” Brenda turned to Jason, hugged him. “My favorite ex-husband.”

“The only legal one you have,” Jason reminded, and she smiled.

“I’m sorry if Robin bit your head off. Coming home—” Brenda looked around the room, her dark eyes somber. “It brings back memories, you know? Puts you back into a mindset. But when she insisted on coming back, I couldn’t stop her.”

“It’s her home, too,” Jason said. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing okay. A little shaky, but I know how to put on a show.” Brenda looked past him to Elizabeth who was doing a great job of not looking at them. “Lizzie Webber—”

Jason sighed. “Brenda—”

“Right. We’re friends now, so I’ll say that I’m happy for you if you’re happy. No matter what you had to do to get there.” She leaned in, made sure Mike had moved on, returning to the rest of the table. “I’m sorry she’s gone, but I never liked that other one. You know how I feel about mouthy blondes.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Speaking of her—” Brenda made a face. “How—how is she? Recovering?”

“Yeah. She’s doing good. Brenda, if this ends up being a waste of time—”

“No, not a waste. It’s never a waste to face your fears.” Brenda licked her lips, took another deep breath, trying to cover her nerves. “But we have to give him an opportunity, don’t we? So if you’re up to causing a scene, I think we might be able to force his hand.”

Jason furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Well—Mac filled me in when I got here. You think there’s a chance Luis might go after Elizabeth or me. You don’t know who the target is.” Brenda met his eyes. “So why not let him try for both of us?”

General Hospital: Carly’s Room

Bobbie listened to the person on the other end of the phone, then laid her hand over the receiver to block her voice. She looked at Carly. “Dr. Winters thinks now is a good time if you’re up to a quick phone call.”

“Now? Like—like right now?” Carly blinked, looking at the phone. Was she ready to talk to Sonny? The first time since that terrible day at the penthouse, when he’d shaken her, demanding to know what she’d done with his wife— “Is she sure?”

“She is. She’s there, monitoring. But if you’re not ready—”

“Ready is a strong word,” Carly admitted, but she held out her hand for the phone.

“She’s up for it,” Bobbie said, then set the receiver in her daughter’s hand.

Carly lifted it to her ear. “Hello?”

There was a shuffle, some muffled voices, and then—

“Carly?”

She closed her eyes, the sound of Sonny’s familiar, beloved voice. “Sonny. Um, hey. Hi.”

“Hey.” The silence hung long on the line. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Yeah, I—I know what you mean. How—how are you?”

“Am I still a raving, violent lunatic?” The tone was clipped, irritated, but there was a different tenor to the words. More self-deprecating—his distaste was internal, not directed at her. “No. I still have some…I have some work to do. I promised—” There was a pause. “I promised Jason I’d stay here until I was sure I wasn’t going to hurt anyone. Jesus, Carly, I never—I never wanted this. I never wanted any of this. To hurt you, to hurt Elizabeth.”

“I know.” Her voice faltered, her head started to ache. “I know you, Sonny. Inside and out. I would have stayed if I could. I just—”

“You had to protect the kids. You stayed too long. Longer than I deserved. I hope—I hope when you’re up to it, maybe—maybe you could come see me.”

“I could bring the baby. Morgan. You should see him, Sonny. He looks just like you. Right down to the dimples.” Carly pressed two fingers to her lips. “As soon as the doctors say it’s okay, I’ll bring the boys to you. Okay? You’ll get better, and I’ll get better, and this—we’ll fix what was broken.”

“When you say it, I almost believe it. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Carly held the phone against her chest, even after  the line had gone dead, squeezing her eyes tightly. “I just want this over, Mama. I want Sonny to come home, and I want us to be a family again.”

Bobbie gently took the phone from her, laid it back on the base, then held Carly’s hands tightly. “And you will be. I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way. And we’ll trust Jason to finish this. He’s never let you down before, has he?”

“No. No, he hasn’t.” Carly smiled. “Sonny sounded good, you know. Like himself. That’s—that’s something. It’s everything.”

Luke’s: Main Bar

Brenda’s idea was perfect, of course, designed to create a opportunity that even a man expecting a trap couldn’t resist —

Jason hated every single detail, but once Brenda had pulled Elizabeth into the loop and given Robin her role to play, he’d been outvoted.

Especially since his only protest had been Please don’t put yourself in danger which was a personal request to Elizabeth, and nothing rooted in practicality. Jason had every inch of the alley covered, but they couldn’t put the plan into motion until there was a reason.

Until Alcazar’s location was determined. What good was dangling a carrot if there was no one to take it?

“If you think Robin’s going to screw this up because she’s still pissed,” Brenda said, dragging Jason onto the dance floor for another conference, “you’re just wrong. Her fight isn’t with me or Elizabeth, and we’d be the ones in danger.”

“That’s the part I don’t like,” Jason muttered, his gaze finding Elizabeth, still where he’d left. Just as she’d promised, she’d stayed with Emily all night, Mike close by. Nikolas had drifted back and forth between their table and another with Lucky and someone he’d brought.

But he couldn’t stop worrying, couldn’t stop thinking that Elizabeth might have survived the courtyard without lasting damage, but that it couldn’t last. Jason wasn’t supposed to have anything or anyone good in his life, wasn’t that what he’d told himself over and over again?

“Hey, focus—” Brenda said, jerking Jason’s attention back to her. “Robin’s going to do her part, I’ll stick with Elizabeth like glue, and you trust your guys, don’t you? You wouldn’t let Elizabeth be guarded by just anyone, would you?”

“No,” Jason muttered.

“Okay, then. So let’s go over it again—”

The phone vibrated in his pocket, but he didn’t touch it. Didn’t answer. His actual phone was with Elizabeth, in her little black bag. The phone he carried was only to ring if Alcazar was sighted. “Brenda.”

His tone clued her in, and Brenda closed her mouth. She kept the smile on her face, but her eyes shifted slightly. “Game on?”

They didn’t have a better plan, and as much as he hated it, Brenda’s was their best chance. And now that he had confirmation Alcazar had been seen in the area of the club—

“Yeah. Do it. Let’s end this. For good.”

+27

Written in 65 minutes .

Port Charles Hotel: Suite

“You don’t think it’s a little, uh, morbid to have booked the same suite?” Robin Scorpio turned away from the locked terrace doors to find Brenda by the fireplace, staring at the crackling flames. “We could have stayed with my uncle. Or Ned.”

Brenda looked at her friend, her dark eyes slightly unfocused, then sighed. “No. No. I wanted to do this on my own terms. To stop running. I’m so angry with myself for letting Lorenzo—Luis—whoever he is scare me away from the life I wanted to build. I’ve lost too much time. It ends here. Where it should have ended last year.”

“All right, you get to handle this however you want. I just wish I understood why this is the plan,” Robin complained. She crossed to her luggage, still piled by the door. “A Halloween party at Luke’s? It’s such an obvious trap—”

“It is, but if Scott and Mac are right—” Brenda folded her arms, wrapping them tightly around her torso, “if this is Luis, he won’t be able to resist. For all he knows, I’m really here to do Lucy a favor.” She hesitated. “But I understand if you’ve changed your mind about going to the party. It’s…it’s the first time you’ve seen Jason since you left—”

“Since I blew up his cozy little lie with Carly, you mean,” Robin said coolly, “and he told me he never wanted to see my face again. Yeah, that’s going to be a little awkward. But since he managed to Michael away from AJ again and he’s moved on with Lizzie Webber, I’m not worried about his reaction. And I’m not interested in what he thinks anyway. I came here to support you. He’s just going to have to deal with it.” She lifted her suitcase and stalked into one of the adjoining bedrooms, slamming the door behind her.

Brenda flinched, then looked back at the flames. One way or another, it was all going to end, she told herself. Even if she had to kill Luis or Lorenzo herself this time.

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bathroom

Elizabeth gripped the eyeliner more tightly and leaned in closer to the bathroom mirror. It was hell trying to apply this with her weaker hand, but after more than a week of using her left, she was starting to get the hang of it.

And then the liner slipped, and a streak of black hit her nose.

“Damn it.” Elizabeth nearly threw the little stick right in the trash, but took a deep breath. She slid her other arm out of the brace, and flexed her hand. She could move her fingers now which was an improvement, but—

She bit her lip, transferred the eyeliner to her right hand, took a deep breath, and tried again.

A few minutes later, the eyeliner had been applied, outlining her blue eyes with smoky black color, lightly smudged. She’d had to go very slowly and she hadn’t been able to grip very tightly, but—

It was progress. Real progress. Just maybe she’d be able to hold a paintbrush again one day or a colored pencil, and watch it fly across the canvas or paper, the images in her head appearing in front of her.

“I still don’t like this—” Jason began, stepping inside the bathroom. He hesitated, one hand on the door frame. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing—and I’m not going to cry,” she managed, her voice thick, She looked at him, smiling tremulously. “I put on my makeup. And I used my right hand.”

Jason dropped his eyes to her hand, saw the eyeliner still clutched in her fingers and he exhaled slowly. “You used—you used your hand.”

“I think maybe it’s starting to—” She closed her palm around the stick. “I still don’t have fine motor control, but it’s like Tony said. Maybe the nerve just needs to heal.”

“That is—” Jason came forward, his hand sliding away from the doorframe, reaching out for her. He dipped his head down, brushed his mouth against hers. “That’s really good news.”

“I know.” She tipped her head back so that their eyes met. “And I know you don’t want me to go tonight. I don’t want to go either. But we agreed. We want this to look like a normal night. Lucy’s throwing a charity benefit for the pediatric AIDs wing. You’ve always donated to that. And if you bring me, it doesn’t look like you’re worried about my safety—”

“I am—”

“Nikolas is going to stick to my side all night. Emily offered Zander, but—”

“I don’t want him anywhere near this,” Jason muttered, and Elizabeth nodded in agreement.

“I won’t be alone. I’m not the target tonight, Jason. If we’re right, Brenda being out in public — he won’t be able to resist. And he won’t want to hurt her.”

Jason sighed, tugged her into an embrace, and she curled into it, ignoring the tenderness in her shoulder. “Even if we grab Alcazar, it doesn’t solve our Ric problem—”

“One psychopath at a time,” Elizabeth said. She kissed the edge of his jaw. “Now, go get ready.”

“I’m not wearing a costume,” he reminded her, and she rolled her eyes, leaving him behind in the bathroom to take his shower.

As if she were stupid enough to think he’d put on a mask or even a themed jacket. She’d found one of his all black suits, and figured that was good enough. She’d located one of her black dresses and Bobbie had brought her a pair of cat ears attached to a headband. That was as dressed up as she wanted to be tonight.

She headed downstairs, leaving the brace off. Maybe her hand would improve even more quickly if she used it more.

As she stepped off the bottom step, there was a knock at the door. There hadn’t been a call from the security desk so it meant someone on the approved list. When she pulled the door open, she found Mike on the threshold.

“Oh. Um, hi.” Elizabeth tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, stepped back. “I didn’t know you were coming by tonight.”

Sonny’s father stepped inside, his hands in his pockets. “I wasn’t—I wasn’t going to, but,  well, Bobbie filled me in when I went to see Carly and the baby today.” He furrowed his brow at the sight of her hand wrapped around the edge of the door. “Your arm is better?”

“Getting there.” Elizabeth released the door, flexed her fingers again. “It’s the best it’s felt yet.”

“I’m glad. Really. I know you were worried about your art, and well, that’d be a shame. I, ah, wanted to know if there was anything I could do tonight. Um, you know, to help.”

Elizabeth bit her lip, considered. “Well, Jason’s nervous that I’m going, and Nikolas is supposed to stick with me all night. But I know if you were there, too, he’d feel even better.”

Mike blinked. “You’re—you’re going? I would have thought—with the baby—” He cleared his throat. “I mean, you know best. I just didn’t think you’d risk it.”

“It’s important that tonight look normal, like any other charity. If Jason goes alone, it’s suspicious, don’t you think? He could just donate. So if I go, it looks like he’s doing it for me.” Elizabeth flexed her hand again, staring down at it. “I know it seems awful, going tonight with everything—”

“Life has to go on, Elizabeth,” he said gently, and she looked at him. “I’m trying to be a better father and better friend than I was a few days ago. Than I’ve been all my life. Jason’s a good man, and you and I have always liked each other. That doesn’t have to change.”

Her eyes watered, and she closed them. “Oh, man, it took forever to get this eyeliner on,” she managed, heading for the desk and plucking at a tissue. “It means a lot to me that you feel that way, Mike, and I know Jason’s going to be relieved.”

“If this man killed my little girl, then I want to make him pay. Whatever that takes, and if the best way to make sure Jason can focus is look after you, than that’s what we’ll do.”

“Good. Good—” Elizabeth leaned over to pick up the ringing phone, sure that it was someone at the desk. Maybe Brenda had decided to come here instead. “Hello?”

“Elizabeth? Oh, thank God. You’re the one that answered. You have to help me. He’s insane, and you’re the only one who can help.”

Elizabeth looked at Mike, her eyes wide, her blood running cold. She forced her voice to remain even. “After everything you’ve done, I wouldn’t help you across the street, Ric. Give a reason to change my mind.”

General Hospital: Hospital Room

“I told you, Mama, you should go tonight. I know you’re worried—”

“No, no, I’d be one more person for Jason to keep track of.” Bobbie folded her arms, tried to force herself to remain seated, but then was up and pacing the room again. “It’s just come together so quickly, and I’m worried. What if it doesn’t work? What if Alcazar just disappears?”

“What if the sky falls down?” Carly said, trying to tease, but her voice faltered. “We have to trust Jason—”

“I trust him. But he didn’t come up with this plan. Scotty did. And I wouldn’t trust him with an ant farm right now,” she muttered.

“It’s a good plan. It is. Trying to draw Alcazar out into the open, baiting him with Brenda.” Carly made a face. “Not that I’m happy she’s back. I was glad to be rid of her.”

“Oh, don’t start any of that again.” Bobbie looked back at her daughter. “She’s been through hell.”

“And she brought that pasty-faced brat with her for emotional support. Haven’t I been through enough?” Carly asked, turning her face to the ceiling. “Shot in the head by my own husband, and now the universe brings two of the most annoying people on the planet back to town. If Miss Goody Two Shoes tries to screw with Jason’s head again, I’ll get out of this bed and pop her—”

“You’re trying to distract me, and it’s not going to work.” Bobbie returned to her seat. “Brenda and Robin are here to help us, Carly. Not take your husband.”

“I just—” Carly closed her eyes. “I just wish I could talk to him. It’s been so long since we could even hear each other. Can you— I mean, could you find out if he…I just want to know how he is. To tell him I know he didn’t mean to do this. He’d never mean it. He was so broken, Mama.”

“I’ll reach out to Rose Lawn and find out.” Bobbie squeezed her hand. “We’re going to get through this. We’re almost done.”

“That’s what I thought when they brought me home from Venezuela, but well—” Carly sighed. “Here we are, still hoping it’s almost over.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Jason jogged down the steps, tugging the hem of his black suit jacket down to his wrist, coming to a stop halfway when he realized Mike was standing by the desk—and Elizabeth was on the phone, her face pale.

Mike saw him first, gestured for him to stay quiet. Jason, his heart pounding, came down the last few steps, crossing to them slowly.

“I don’t care what mess you’ve gotten yourself into this time, Ric. You’re nothing but a liar, and so far you haven’t given me a good reason to do a damn thing for you—”

Jason scowled, sent Mike an irritated look. The older man just shrugged.

Ric said something else on the phone and Elizabeth grimaced. “Well, thanks, but we already figured out that Luis was still alive. You have nothing we want, Ric. As far as I’m concerned, you can go rot wherever you are—” She stopped, bit her lip, then looked at Jason, something shifting in her eyes. “I need to talk to Jason. I’m not making any promises. Do you know the number you’re calling from?”

Mike was already handing her a pad of paper and a pencil. Elizabeth scribbled something down with her bad hand, but it was mostly legible.

“If we decide to do anything with this, you’ll hear from us. But don’t hold your breath—” She clicked the phone off in mid-threat, then looked at Jason. “He stole a cell phone from one of the guards on a yacht that’s docked in the harbor. That’s why he had service. Because Luis is here in Port Charles.”

Jason exhaled slowly. “A yacht. That makes sense. Easy for him to go off grid. Anything else?”

“He wanted to trade information for his safety. I wasn’t impressed by the Luis reveal, but he told me that Luis has a plan that isn’t about Brenda. Or he did. Ric doesn’t know if he changed it.”

“What’s the plan?”

Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “Get Sonny and me into a room so he can tell Sonny he nearly killed his sister.”

Mike jolted. “What?”

“It’s a lie,” Elizabeth added quickly. “Ric cooked something up — Luis thinks I’m Sonny’s sister. I don’t know what’s going on, but—”

“You’re not leaving the penthouse,” Jason said immediately, snatching up the cordless. “I’m calling Mac. As soon as we have eyes on Alcazar at the party, he can raid the yacht. But you’re not going anywhere near the party—”

“I have to go, Jason,” Elizabeth insisted.

“He’s right, Elizabeth. If there’s a chance Alcazar is going to try to get you—” Mike began, but she shook her head.

“We don’t know what’s a truth or a lie. Ric could be setting you up,” she told Jason who scowled. “All he does is play games. You said he worked for Luis before all of this started. He told me he came up with this ridiculous sister thing because he thought he could con Sonny with it. I don’t know why he thought it would work—”

“You’re the right age,” Mike said roughly, and both Jason and Elizabeth looked at him. “Adela. She was pregnant when she died. The baby died with her. It was the last time I saw Sonny at her funeral. He blamed himself. But you—you’re the right age. You and Courtney. Born the same year.” He dragged a hand down his face. “Christ. I haven’t thought about that in years. Sonny blamed himself for not getting rid of Deke sooner. Blamed himself for his sister’s death. And he’ll blame himself when we tell him about Courtney. I went to the funeral, and he saw—he saw a picture of Courtney in my wallet — I didn’t mean to — he was furious with me. Furious that I’d started another family while his mother was in her grave. It was the last time we saw each other until I came to Port Charles.” He looked at Jason. “Sonny, in the condition he’s in, he wouldn’t think about all the reasons it doesn’t make sense. If he thought for a second that he’d nearly killed his pregnant wife and his pregnant sister, on top of his mother and Lily—”

Jason scrubbed his hands through his hair, trying to absorb everything Mike had told him. It lined up with what Sonny had talked about that last night. The guilt. Ric finding out about that dead sister—

“Wait. Wait. That doesn’t make sense. Why would Ric think that would work?” Elizabeth asked. “He’s Sonny’s brother—how could he tell anyone I was Sonny’s sister— ” She stopped, looked at Jason. “Isn’t he?”

“I think,” Jason said, carefully, “that Mac needs to make sure we take Ric alive. Because if I go near him right now—” He shook his head. “One lunatic at a time,” he muttered. “I’ll call Mac, pass this information on. But you’re staying home—”

“I’m going,” Elizabeth interrupted. “Mike is going with us, and between him and Nikolas, I won’t be alone all night.” She lifted her chin. “Now do you want to keep arguing or get this over with?”

+29

Written in 58 minutes.

Forest Hills: Living Room

“What a wonderful blessing,” Audrey said, smiling down at the photo of a tired, but smiling Bobbie holding a newborn in her arms. “And for Carly to come through it so well—”

“She’s still weak, but all things considered, we’ve been lucky.” Bobbie pressed the photo to her chest. “I wish I could wrap her in cotton and send her to the island with Michael today, but she and Morgan can’t leave the hospital just yet.”

Audrey made a face, then went to the window overlooking the circular drive and the guardhouse by the wrought-iron gates. “You said last night that they want me to go as well. I’m not sure that’s a good idea. If it isn’t safe for me, then perhaps Elizabeth ought to go with me as well.”

“She needs to be here with her doctors,” Bobbie said. “And I think Jason might worry more with her out of his sight. This man—whether he be Lorenzo or Luis—isn’t predictable, and we’re just trying to keep everyone safe. You’re important to Elizabeth.”

“I—” Audrey glanced over at the sound a car rolling over the gravel. “That’s her now. I suppose she’ll be asking me to go, and I just—I thought about what you said last night. That this all started with one man’s obsession with Brenda, and the way it’s spiraled out to hurt so many people. I don’t like leaving Elizabeth when she needs me. I’ve let her down one too many times.”

“She knows you’re here for her, that you’ve been supportive. You can’t let the past push you into making mistakes. Jason and Mac think they’ve got a plan to end this.” Bobbie took Audrey’s hands. “We’ll put our trust in them, and think about something more important—a year from now, you’ll be holding your great-grandchild, and my grandbabies will be running around, driving us all crazy.”

“It’s a lovely picture you paint. All right, if Elizabeth says this is what she needs for me to do, then I’ll see it done.”

Luke’s: Main Bar

Lucy spun in a slow circle, pursing her lips. “It’s a lot to ask me to pull off in only two days,” she told Scott, then planted her hands on her hips. “A Halloween bash so well-attended that the media will cover it?”

“Hey, if you’re not up to the challenge—” Scott held up his hands. “Just say the word—”

“Ha,” Lucy muttered, shooting him a dark look. “I need a better hook to get the Sun interested, and without them, no one else will bother. This is Luke’s — is he calling in some favors? A good headliner?”

“Uh, we’re not going through Luke for this. He’s turned it over to Bobbie while he’s in London.” Scott made a face at the thought of his ex-wife’s husband. “And if you want a hook, Lucy, try this: Famous Supermodel Back from the Dead Returns Home!”

Lucy whirled a round, her eyes widening. “Scotty Baldwin! Why didn’t you tell me this was about Brenda? This is a welcome party? For Brenda Barrett? You should have led with that!” She turned back to the stage area, clasping her hands together. “Oh, I have so many ideas.”

“All the hair, just—” Scott gestured. “Stood up on  the back of my neck. Send the bills to Jason Morgan, okay? He’s picking up the tab.”

“Oh, even better!” Lucy did a little dance. “Unlimited budget and no one to tell me no? Christmas came early! You just leave this to me, Scotty. I’ll throw a Halloween party no one will ever forget.”

General Hospital: Carly’s Hospital Room

Carly leaned back, her face pale but her eyes were happy, watching Jason carefully lift Morgan from the portable crib by her bed. “I can’t believe he’s here.”

“Bobbie said his scores were perfect,” Elizabeth said, taking a seat by Carly’s bed, watching Jason with the baby. Carly wondered if she was thinking about the future, seven or eight months away. She turned her gaze to Carly. “Is there anything we can get you? Food, magazines—”

“Tell me this is almost over,” Carly said, but she was looking at Jason. Their eyes met. “I can live with Sonny not being ready to leave Rose Lawn. He’s exactly where he should be, getting the hold you and I should have pushed him to get years ago. But I want my son. I want Michael and his brother together and I want to be with them. Please tell me when the hospital says I can go home, it’ll be safe.”

“We’re…” Jason hesitated. “We’re planning something for Halloween. Two days.” He gently laid Morgan back in Carly’s arms, then took the other seat across from Elizabeth. “I’m doing everything I can, Carly.”

“I know. I know, I didn’t mean to—” Carly  bit her lip, looked down at Morgan, who was yawning, settling in for a doze. “I didn’t mean to sound like you weren’t. I know I lean on you too much, and don’t tell me you don’t mind. We both know that’s not true.”

Jason sighed, dipped his head for a moment, then lifted a gain. “You’ve always depended on me too much. You don’t trust yourself enough. I used to be better at keeping boundaries. At telling you no. I never blamed you.”

“Well, you should. You—you have your own family now,” she told him, then looked at Elizabeth who looked away, her cheeks flushing slightly. “It’s so hard. When I woke up, and Mama told me everything I’d missed, and I remembered everything that happened. Sonny, Courtney, the shooting, and—oh, the horrible thought that Lorenzo Alcazar has been dead all along, and that Luis is still here—it’s too much. I think sometimes I’ve wrapped my head around it all, and then I lose it again.”

“Yeah, I—” Jason stopped when the door opened slightly and Mike stepped inside.

“Hey. I thought I’d come by, see my new grandbaby.” Mike looked back between Jason and Elizabeth, then at Carly. “How are you, honey?”

“I’m good. Come see your grandson, Morgan Stone.”

Mike gently lifted Morgan from Carly’s arms, grinning. “Morgan Stone? That’s—that’s a fine name. Two very good men.”

“The best,” Carly murmured. Her head listed to the side, and she felt fatigue sinking in. “I’m so sorry, I keep—I keep falling asleep.”

“Don’t worry,” Jason told her. He kissed her forehead. “Rest. We’ll get Morgan back to the nursery, and Bobbie will be back.”

“Thanks, Jase. For everything.” Carly forced herself to keep her eyes open. “A girl couldn’t ask for a better friend. You never let me down. Even when you should. I’m so glad you’re going to be a daddy. You deserve it more than anyone.”

She was already asleep by the time Jason reached for the call button.

Once a nurse came by to whisk Morgan back to the nursery, Jason was left standing awkwardly in the hall with Mike, Elizabeth having excused herself to use the restroom.

“I—about yesterday—” Mike began. He paused, dipping his head until his chin touched his chest. “I just—I didn’t mean to do any of that.”

Jason grimaced, slid his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “It’s fine—”

“It’s not. None of this is. And I’m just—I’m just trying to make sense of things. And I went down the wrong road. I just—”

“It’s not me you need to apologize for.” Jason shook his head, looked away. “You get to be pissed at me for what happened, but none of this is on Elizabeth—”

“I know that—”

“Do you?” Jason looked back at Mike. “Because you sat in that bar and talked about how you didn’t feel right about casting stones. Because of the things you’ve done wrong. Tell me how you square that with what you threw in her face yesterday? Did it make you feel better to accuse her of lying?”

“N-No—” Mike flushed, dragged his hands down his face. “I just—I just lost myself and I just—I regret it—”

“What I did was wrong, Mike, and I’m sorry for it,” Jason told him roughly. “But my part in this ended before that night in Kelly’s. I ended things with Courtney because it was the right thing to do. She’s the one that chose to get revenge. Not me.”

Mike sank onto a nearby bench, pale. “I know it. I listened to myself spew all that crap at Elizabeth, and I just wanted it to be true so badly. I needed—” He closed his eyes. “I needed it to be someone else’s fault. Not my little girl. She’s gone and I don’t know how to do this, Jason. I don’t know how to handle what she did, and being gone—”

Elizabeth appeared around the corner, stopping when she saw Mike’s crumpled expression, and dejected form on the bench. She looked at Jason, a bit worried. “Is everything okay?”

Mike’s head snapped up and he was on his feet before Jason could answer. “Elizabeth. I need to apologize—”

“You don’t—”

“Yes, he does—”

“He doesn’t,” Elizabeth told Jason. “He’s hurt, and I’m not going to hold any of this against him. Not when he’s never been anything but kind to me. I told you that—” She stopped, took a deep breath, went to Mike. “Jason’s angry, and I guess I can’t tell him not to be. That’s not for me to decide.”

“I’m just sorry—”

“It hurt when you accused me of lying,” she told him gently, and he grimaced, looking away. “But I understood it. I had chances last year to see the truth. Jason tried to tell me. Courtney. Carly. Sonny. But I was so angry, so hurt, so broken that I let it blind me. I made a choice to trust a terrible man, and I don’t know how much of that choice led us here. I don’t know if what Jason and I chose to do started a domino effect that was always going to end up here. I don’t like thinking that an impulsive personal choice I made could hurt so many people.”

“It’s not your fault—”

“And it’s not yours. I know it’s hard to think Courtney did something so awful in her final days. I hate that it’s the last thing she did. But she made a mistake, Mike. She was hurt and she was broken, and she did something terrible. Just like me. It’s not fair that I get a second chance to fix what I broke, and that she doesn’t. It’s all right to resent me. I understand, and if it gives you any peace of mind, that’s okay.”

“You’re a good kid.” Mike took her hand, patted it. “You’ve always been good to me, even when I didn’t deserve it. She was a good person. The sweetest smile, kindest little girl. I couldn’t be the man she thought I was, so I ran, and I’ll never get that time back. Don’t end up like me, swimming in regrets. You made a mistake with Ric, and I never should have thrown that in your face. I’m sorry.”

“I accept your apology, and I hope you’ll accept mine. And that you and Jason won’t let this stain your relationship.” Elizabeth looked at Jason who had remained silent throughout the conversation. “Please. We’ve lost so much.”

“I don’t want to be angry with you, Mike,” Jason said finally. “I never wanted that.”

“I don’t want it either. I want—I want to help. To be part of whatever stops this. To make it over.”

Jason opened open his mouth, but then reached into his pocket to dig out his ringing phone. “Yeah?” He listened to the voice on the other end, then looked at Elizabeth and Mike. “She’s here. At the penthouse.”

“Who is?” Mike asked, helping Elizabeth to her feet. “Who is it?”

“Brenda,” Jason told Mike. “And she didn’t come alone.”

+28

Written in 61 minutes.

Morgan Penthouse: Kitchen

Jason winced at the empty interior of his fridge, then closed the silver door revealing Elizabeth leaning against the counter cradling a bag of pretzels between her brace and chest and digging with the other hand to the bottom of the bag. “Sorry. We should probably order something or I can send someone for Kelly’s—”

“Mmm, chili or pizza?” Elizabeth closed her eyes, considered the choice. “Oh, they both sound good. But that’s not helpful. And don’t feel bad. It’s not like you were expecting an overnight guest.” She wandered over to the other side of the kitchen to dispose of the now empty bag, leaving Jason to frown after her. Overnight guest? The wording didn’t entirely sit right with him, but the vibration of the cell phone put distracted him.

He tugged it from his back pocket, moving towards the living room and the junk drawer where he kept a stack of takeout menus. “Yeah?”

“Hey, it’s Francis—”

Jason stilled, halfway to the living room. He saw Elizabeth poking through some of the other cabinets, finding them nearly as empty as the fridge. Francis was the guard sitting outside Audrey’s house.

“What’s wrong?”

“Not sure, but the same car has circled the block three times in the last hour. The first time was just before you stopped by, then twenty minutes ago. And just now. I didn’t know if you wanted us to wait on a fourth go to catch the driver, or—”

“You ran the plates?”

“Yeah, Stan did. It’s a rental, and he can’t get into their database to see who picked it up. What do you want us to do?”

Could mean anything, really. Could be someone who was lost and looking for a house, but the even intervals made that unlikely. Had someone seen him leave the house earlier with the bag? Did they know Audrey was alone? Or were they waiting to get a chance at Elizabeth?

Jason rubbed his temple. A wrong move here could be catastrophic, and he didn’t know how many more mistakes he’d be able to come back from. He opened his mouth, then hesitated when he saw Elizabeth in the doorway, clutching her injured shoulder.

“I want you to sit on the house and not to do anything. If they’ve come around that many times, they could be looking at all the cars, checking who owns what. If you or me come back to the house, they might think they’ve been made. I don’t want that.”

Elizabeth came closer, her eyes wide, but she remained silent.

“Okay, and Mrs. Hardy?”

“I’m going to call Mac Scorpio. Have him send a uniform or someone to pick up Mrs. Hardy. Take her to the hospital. He’ll be able to reassure her better than the rest of us. Then you stay on the house the rest of the night and report back.”

“Got it.”

Jason ended the call and was already dialing the number for the commissioner’s direct line, and was once again grateful when Elizabeth said nothing, just watched and listen.

“Jason, hey, we’ve got an update on the event—”

“Mac, there’s a car circling Audrey Hardy’s house and we don’t know who it belongs to,” Jason interrupted. “I need you to send someone to convince her to go to the hospital.”

Mac waited a beat. “Okay, I’ll ask an obvious question. Why aren’t your guys grabbing her right now?”

“Because she might not go with someone she doesn’t know, and if someone’s watching the house, they might think something’s up. I’m going to take a chance that no one expects me to be in contact with you. Mac—”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll run by myself. Audrey and I have a history, I can convince her faster. Jason, once she’s at the hospital—”

“I’ll handle it from there and get you the license plate number. You can get the information faster than me. Thanks.”

“I’ll call once we’re in the car.”

Jason flipped the phone shut, then looked at Elizabeth whose pallor had faded until it was stark white. “I know you have a lot of questions—”

“She needs to go to the hospital and not here because you don’t want anyone to know you caught them. You don’t want them to dump the car when you might be able to trace it. But right now you need to call Bobbie because she’s at the hospital, and we—we—can’t go there. So someone has to talk to my grandmother.”

“And with Bobbie’s help, I can get your grandmother out to the Forest Hills house. It’s got security at the gate,” Jason said, pressing the speed dial for Carly’s mother. “I should have moved her earlier, but—”

“It’s okay, just call her. And we’ll—we’ll wait for Mac to tell us that he was able to talk to my grandmother.” Elizabeth swallowed hard. “She’ll go with Mac. That was smart. She’ll go with Mac,” she repeated, more as a mantra than as a statement of fact, as if she said it enough it would make it true.

And if it was the last thing Jason did, he’d make sure it would be.

Hardy House: Front Porch

Audrey peered through the peep hole, then slid the deadbolt open, flipped the other set of locks, tugging the door towards her. “Mac? What on Earth?”

“Hey, Audrey. I’m gonna come in, all right?” Mac said, but then didn’t wait for an answer. He came forward, and Audrey stepped back automatically crinkling her brows.

“What’s going on—”

“There’s a car circling the block,” Mac told her and Audrey closed her mouth. “One of Jason’s guards has been timing it. Every twenty minutes. They don’t know anything else, and I’m tracking it down, but we needed to move you somewhere safe in a way that doesn’t let anyone know we caught their car.”

Audrey exhaled slowly, pressed a fist to her chest. “Jason just picked up some things for Elizabeth. She called and said she needed to be somewhere safer. Has something happened? Is someone else hurt? Oh, please don’t tell me someone else has died—”

“To the best of my knowledge,” Mac said, “everyone is fine. Jason sounded fine, and I don’t think he would if Elizabeth were hurt, all right? We’re together, Audrey. Jason’s cooperating with the PCPD, so this is above board. We think we’re starting to narrow down on the who and the what, and we’re working out a plan to prove it. But it’s important that we keep everyone safe while not tipping them off.”

“All right, all right. I won’t—” Audrey picked up her purse. “If you’re here, then it is obviously important. But I will be wanting some answers when I get where I’m going. And I won’t take no for an answer.”

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

The moment the cell phone rang, Jason snatched it up and flipped it open, answering it and pressing the speaker button. “Mac?”

“We’re in the car on our way to the hospital,” Mac said. “And no one following that I can tell. There’s a squad car sitting at the hospital that’s going to trace any car that drives by after I pull into the parking lot.”

“Gram?” Elizabeth said, stepping towards the speaker. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”

“Just tell me you’re all right, darling.”

“I’m okay. I’m better now that I know you’re safe. Thank you, thank you for going with Mac.”

“When this is done, Elizabeth, you and I are going to have to have a conversation,” Audrey said with a tone Jason recognized, but Elizabeth didn’t look bothered.

“I’m looking forward to arguing with you, Gram. I love you, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jason closed the phone, then looked at her. “I’m so sorry—”

“Don’t—don’t apologize—” Elizabeth went into his arms, and he pressed his lips to her temple. “Gram’s okay. I don’t care if I argue with her for the rest of my life. This is going to be over soon. Brenda’s coming home, and if this is about her, Lorenzo Alcazar or whoever he is won’t be able to resist the chance to get his hands on her. Obsession or revenge, it’s the same sickness and it’s going to be his undoing.”

Yacht: Dining Room

Luis strode through the double door entrance, and Ric sighed, sliding his plate away from him. From the expression on the crime lord’s face, it was clear he was in a rotten mood and he had a habit of sweeping dishes from tables when he was like that.

“Lost a kitten?” Ric asked, and Luis looked at him, glowered. “Sorry, I was trying to lighten the mood.”

“Morgan,” Luis muttered, and on that subject, Ric could commiserate. Jason Morgan had a way of making you feel insane. He paced across the room, then back to the table. He laid his hands on the surface, flattening them. “You know him. Why would he wait until today to start herding the chicks into the coop? Why not immediately after I made you disappear and disposed of that twit blonde?”

Ric frowned, tipped his head. “What does that mean?”

“Elizabeth Webber left her grandmother’s house this morning with just her guard in tow. Just like any other day since her release from the hospital.” Luis scowled. “She hasn’t returned. Nearly an hour ago, Morgan picked up a duffel bag. I assumed the woman was spending the night.”

Ric fought to keep his mouth twitching into a matching scowl, but he obviously failed since Luis’s expression slid into a sly smile. “Don’t like that, do you?”

“She’s still legally married to me,” Ric muttered, “not that you know it.”

“No, not with her two months gone with Morgan’s bastard. In any case, it was unfortunate but nothing that tripped my suspicion. But the commissioner of the PCPD just picked Audrey Hardy up and left with her.”

Ric opened his mouth, then closed it. “You think that’s connected to Morgan?”

“You don’t?”

“I—I don’t know. That’s—” Ric shifted, wincing at the soreness in his back. “Audrey Hardy loathes Jason Morgan. She kept saying that she was glad Elizabeth was away with him. And Elizabeth never tells her anything about her life. She never spoke a word of any of my…shortcomings,” he concluded. “I find it extremely difficult to believe that Mac and Jason and Audrey would be working together on anything. Didn’t Mac arrest Jason?”

Luis straightened, his features easing. “That’s true. He dropped the charges when Corinthos was committed, and well, that case was never that strong.” He folded his arms. “Perhaps an actual emergency at the hospital?”

“Carly’s still there. Bobbie and Audrey are old friends. Could be anything, Luis. Were you planning to grab the old woman? How does that get Sonny and Elizabeth into a room together?”

“It doesn’t. I wanted to figure out if Morgan had any cars on the house, but my people didn’t finish getting a full list of parked cars.” Luis tapped his chin. “All right, we’ll see how this plays out. In any case, it doesn’t affect my plan very much. I can make adjustments.”

“Like what?” Ric asked suspiciously. “How are you planning to get Sonny and Elizabeth alone in a room together?”

Luis smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he called over his shoulder, sauntering towards the door.”

“Yes, actually!” Ric called after him. “I thought I made that perfectly clear.” He sighed, then picked up his fork and began eating.

General Hospital: Hallway

Bobbie stepped out of Carly’s room pulling it closed, then embraced Audrey in a tight hug. “I’m so relieved to see you.  My heart’s been pounding since I spoke with Jason.” She reached over, squeezed Mac’s hand. “Thank you.”

“We’re running those plates now, and if we can get the shell company Alcazar’s using, I think it’s going to give us a fresh lead. I’ll keep Jason in the loop,” Mac told them.

When he was gone, Audrey shook her head. “I am trying to be understanding about all of this, Bobbie, and I think I’ve been very supportive, but since the moment Elizabeth was shot, all hell has broken loose, and my granddaughter seems to be no safer than she was that day—”

Bobbie pressed a finger to her lips, then pulled Audrey inside the hospital room where Carly was resting. “Keep your voice down. And don’t tell me you’re blaming Jason for that—”

“Who else—”

“Lorenzo Alcazar. Or Luis Alcazar. We think he faked his brother’s death so that he could drop out of sight and get his hands on Brenda. But Jason’s had her in hiding for months.”

Audrey blinked, took a step back. “What? What?”

“All of this goes back to Brenda Barrett. If it’s Luis, then it’s a sick, twisted obsession for a woman who doesn’t want him. He’s nothing better than a stalker, and he’s stolen years of Brenda’s life. If he’s Lorenzo, he’s a twisted bastard looking for revenge against a woman who escaped her stalker. The only thing Jason is guilty of is hiding a terrified woman, protecting her. What would you have him do, Audrey? Feed Brenda to the wolves?”

“No, no, of course not.” Audrey swallowed hard. “I hadn’t thought of it that way—”

“Well, once you stop looking at Jason like the enemy, it gets easier to see the rest of the world. Is he a perfect man? No. Does he live his life entirely on the right side of the law? No. Do you think I was happy when my daughter married Sonny? Or kept Michael in that life? Of course not, Audrey. But none of this happened because of the life they chose. It’s because Sonny’s untreated mental illness was exploited by a twisted man who thinks he has the right to kidnap and terrorize women.”

Audrey closed her eyes. “It’s so much, Bobbie. I’m so scared for Elizabeth, for that child—”

“The safest place she can be right now is at the Towers with Jason. You were here that night. Can you tell me he’s going to let anyone near her again?”

“No, no.” Audrey pressed two fingers to her lips. “All right. All right. Whatever I need to do, I’ll do it. I just want my granddaughter and that precious baby safe, Bobbie. That’s all.”

“That’s—” Bobbie broke off when the monitor began to beep wildly. She turned around and by the time she got to the bed, Carly was awake, clutching her hands to her belly. “Carly?”

“Oh, God, I think I’m in labor!”

+28

Written in 58 minutes.

Morgan Penthouse: Master Bedroom

Jason set down the duffel bag by the closet, then crossed to the window overlooking the harbor where Elizabeth stood, massaging her injured hand, as if willing the feeling and full control to return.

“My grandmother didn’t argue when you picked up my things, did she?” Elizabeth asked. “She promised she understood when I called why I wasn’t there. I just wish she’d have let you move her to a safehouse.”

Jason dropped his hands on her shoulders, his chest easing when she leaned back against him. “The guards are staying at your grandmother’s even if you aren’t,” he told her. “You were there long enough, and well—”

“If Ric is with Alcazar—whichever brother he is—he’ll know about my grandmother.” Elizabeth sighed, her body shuddering slightly. “How sure is Scott that the Alcazar brothers are involved with Ric? Or were?”

“Involved enough that Luis threw him in jail for stealing.” Jason hesitated. “The guards are staying, and if you want, we can talk to her again tomorrow about a safe house. Or the island. Leticia’s taking Michael tomorrow—”

“That poor little boy,” she murmured. She pulled out of his arms, wandered over to the dresser, the top left completely bare. “I’ll talk to Gram, but she won’t go. The security system is enough. I never should have gone to stay with her—”

“We didn’t know,” Jason said, but the tightness was back in his chest. It all came back to his life, and the danger it held. Michael had been through so much in the few months. Moving back and forth to the island as the danger rose and fell, terrified at losing his mother, listening to his parents arguing—

And Elizabeth’s grandmother who had put aside so much of her distrust and worry to be support Elizabeth through all of this being confronted with the realities of Elizabeth’s choice to stay with him. He swallowed hard, slid his hands in his pockets.

She turned to look at him, a ghost of a smile flitting across her face. “That’s not me rethinking any of this. Just regret. I wish we’d known sooner that there was something bigger going on, but there really wasn’t a way to know. Not until…”

Until Courtney’s murder. Jason dragged a hand down his face, feeling the growth of stubble beneath his fingers. “The guys will stay there. The security is good. The system is top of the line.”

“That was Gramps. He always told Gram to spare no expense. Money was no object when it came to protecting the most precious person in his life.” She trailed her fingers over the dresser. Then looked back at him. “Tomorrow, if there’s time, you should tell Mike what’s going on.”

Jason nodded, then folded his arms. “I’ll have Mac or Scott—”

“If you think that’s best. But I don’t want you to be angry with him because of what happened today. I mean, I’m not telling you how to feel — it’s just—I’m not angry with him. How can I be? So much of what he said was true—”

“It wasn’t—”

“It was,” she insisted. She came over to him, once again cradling her injured arm against her chest. “You warned me over and over again about Ric. Courtney warned me. Sonny. Even Carly. All of you. And I chose to ignore you. Deliberately chose to ignore everything you told me. I was so hurt and so angry about what had happened between us that I told myself it was lies. Mike knows all of that, why wouldn’t he doubt me now? He lost his daughter, Jason, and he’s trying to make sense of this awful thing she did before she died. Please. You don’t have to forgive him, but tell him what’s going on. Give him a chance to fix this. If he doesn’t want it, then okay. But I know his friendship was important to you. Don’t let it go over this.”

Jason exhaled slowly, then rubbed his temple. “I know everything you’re saying is true,” he said finally. “And Mike was taking everything that happened…he was taking it better than I had a right to expect. He knew about the baby, knew what that meant, and he still stood by me. I just—” He paused. “I can’t stand looking at him, knowing that while he was at the courthouse supporting me, his daughter was being murdered. If he’d been angry with me like any other father would have been, maybe he’d have been with Courtney. How do we get past that?”

“If he’d been with Courtney that day, he’d be dead, too,” Elizabeth told him, and Jason nodded, accepting that truth. “I just know that Mike never had a harsh word for me, not until today, and I just can’t find it in my heart to be angry. Maybe with a little space, he’ll want to turn the page. But even if he doesn’t, Courtney was his daughter. And Sonny’s still his son. Alcazar — whichever one he is — is the reason for all this pain. Mike should get to know what’s happening.”

General Hospital: Carly’s Room

Carly licked her cracked lips, then took a deep breath. “I’m going—you need to tell me again. What?”

Her mother sighed, folded her hands in her lap. “I know it’s a lot to take in, and maybe I shouldn’t be telling you anything with your recovery still so fragile—”

“Mama.”

Bobbie made a face, then nodded. “Scott turned up some things in Ric’s background check that suggests he knew Luis Alcazar before everything went down last fall. And that there’s some question that Luis and Lorenzo are—well, that the man you knew as Lorenzo Alcazar  is actually Luis. It seems Lorenzo, the real one, went off the radar last year prior to his brother’s fall. And didn’t pop up again until a few months ago.”

“I—” Carly closed her eyes, leaned her head back against the pillow. “I don’t understand. I don’t—”

“I don’t know what role Ric’s playing in all of this either, honey. If he and Luis planned this all along, though I can’t believe that. It seems to be that if Luis did fake his death, he didn’t clue Ric in until he had to.”

“How did…how did it all happen—how did Sonny’s brother end up—” Carly had opened her eyes just in enough time to see Bobbie wince. “Mama? Do you know something?”

“I—nothing I want to say for sure. Not until some tests come back. Nothing I want to put in front of Jason,” Bobbie added when Carly’s eyes widened. “But Scott found some medical records — and Ric’s blood type, honey, there just doesn’t seem to be a way for him to be related to Sonny. We’re running the marker test to be sure, but I just—”

Carly exhaled in a rush, tears pricking her eyes. “It was a lie. Oh, God, it was all a lie. Sonny thinks he hurt his pregnant mother, and it was a lie. Ric told it on purpose?”

“We don’t know—”

“Why he kept blaming Sonny for Elizabeth’s miscarriage—he knew—oh, God, he knew—and Lorenzo—” Carly’s breathing picked up. “He tried to hurt Sonny on purpose. Why? Why?”

“Honey, honey—” Bobbie rose to her feet, grimacing, and looking to the monitors as the heart rate began to pick up. “I need you to calm down—”

“It’s all a lie—”

“Maybe, yes. We don’t know.” Bobbie took Carly’s hand. “Look at me, baby. Can you look at me?”

Carly forced her eyes open, forced herself to focus on her mother. “Mama.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything, and I’m sorry for that. Jason doesn’t know yet. I knew if he found out, I’d have to tell Elizabeth, and I just—I know how much she’s blaming herself. I shouldn’t have said anything without knowing.”

“He came here to hurt Sonny for fun?” Carly asked, tears sliding down her face. “Or no—he came here for Luis. Luis told him to destroy Sonny. And he did. They did. Look at what Sonny did to me. To Elizabeth. He broke us, Mama. Why did he do that? Why did he want to hurt us?”

PCPD: Commissioner’s Office

Mac strode into the office, flipping his cell phone closed. “Just got off the phone with Jason,” he said to Scott, the district attorney seated at the conference table. “Brenda’s coming home.”

“Okay. Okay.” Scott rubbed his chest. “I feel like I got heartburn,” he muttered. “And he’s in on the plan? Now that Brenda’s on board?”

“I got that sense yeah. We just got to find the right place to dangle Brenda like a carrot. I suggested the funeral, but—” Mac shook his head. “Jason vetoed it.”

“Oh, good—”

“What do you mean, good? That was your idea!”

“Right, so you took the hit on looking like a ghoul for suggesting it. Hey,” Scott said when Mac just scowled, “it had to be put out there. I do it, and I’m the bad guy. Morgan still sort of trusts you. For whatever that’s worth.”

“The only reason we’re in hot water with Jason Morgan is you dragging him out of that hospital room in cuffs,” Mac reminded him darkly. “The last time I let you tell me how to execute a search warrant.”

“Yeah, yeah. Funeral’s out. Do we have any other big, splashy events where Brenda can make a splash?”

“Why are you asking me? Do I look like the kind of guy who knows that sort of thing?” Mac demanded.

Scott rolled his eyes, went over to the desk and yanked Mac’s phone from the hook. “I’ll call Lucy. She’ll have something or worse, she’ll offer to throw a party just to be involved.”

Maple Avenue

The cigarette lighter popped out of the dashboard with a clink, and the guard lifted it to the tip of his cigarette. “You know, when I watched the Godfather, I don’t remember the mistress’s grandmother getting a guard—ow!” He scowled, clapping his hand to the back of his head. “What was that for?” He glowered at the man sitting in the driver’s seat.

“You say that about Miss Webber again, you’ll get my foot up your ass. Or if Jason finds out, you won’t have to worry about that new cigarette tax you were bitching about, you’ll be too dead to pay it.”

The guard rolled his eyes, then looked back to the street. “Whatever. Maybe the guy will go for Granny, and I’ll finally get some action. This is the most boring crime I’ve ever committed—” He paused, then squinted. “Hey, you got that list of license plates handy?”

“A new one to add to the list?” The driver handed the notepad over.

“No—no—” The guard grimaced, made a tick next to one of the plate numbers. The third tick. “Worse. This car has circled the block three times in the last hour.”

“Oh.” The driver winced. “That’s not good.”

“No, it’s not. Call the boss.”

+28

Written in 61 minutes.

Jason closed the door behind Mac and Scott, but he didn’t turn around right away. He stood there another moment, both hands flat against the door, his head bowed for a long moment, absorbing everything the commissioner and district attorney had thrown at him, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

It was too much, too convoluted, to horrifying to be true, and everything inside of him was rejecting the idea that Luis and Lorenzo Alcazar had switched places a year earlier because a vengeful brother was something Jason could almost understand, but a psychotic obsessed lunatic was harder to grasp—

And the last thing he wanted to do was turn around and listen to Elizabeth ask him to take her back to her grandmother’s, to watch her walk away. Again.

So he stood there, his back to the rest of the room for just another moment, hoping that somehow, with the extra time, he’d find the words that he’d never found before.

How to make her stay.

She hadn’t the day in the park, when he’d all but begged her to see what was in front of them or a year earlier when he’d mishandled everything about Sonny’s fake death—

And it didn’t seem as if he was going to find those words again today. He had nothing left to give. Not after seeing Sonny, the confrontation with Mike, the awful scene with Elizabeth before Scott and Mac had dumped more on his shoulders.

He’d just have to take her to Audrey’s and hope the next time—

Jason jolted when her slim arm curled around his waist and he felt her lean against his back. He reached for her hand, then slowly turned, drawing his brows together. “What?”

“I’m sorry.” She lifted her eyes to his, and he was relieved to see that swirl of anxiety and panic had faded, though the shadows beneath them seemed to have deepened. “You’re so steady, so certain, and I take it for granted. That you’ll always be that way. No matter what gets thrown at you.”

Mystified, he looked down at the hand he held, and then at the one resting at her side, still out of the brace. He lifted it, placing it on top of her other hand, then clasped both his hands around them. “I don’t understand.”

“I think I lost sight of just how awful things were before this happened. You were so unhappy, Jason. So worried about everyone, and then this happens, and it all gets so much worse. I didn’t even think it was possible,” she managed, her throat tight. “But all of those things happened to you, too. And if I’m pushed to the edge of my sanity, it’s not fair to expect you to hold on to my crazy and keep yourself together, too.”

“It’s okay—”

“It’s not. It’s really not.” Tears clung to her lashes, but they didn’t fall. Her lips curved up at the corners, but there was no humor in her features. “Sonny’s like your brother, and I know how much Mike means to you. A-nd Scott and Mac think Luis Alcazar is back? Brenda must be terrified—”

“She doesn’t—” Jason furrowed his brow, considering now if part of Brenda had worried. “She didn’t know that. She thought—thinks—it’s Lorenzo Alcazar. And we still don’t know.”

“No. Just one more awful question. Too many of those and not nearly enough answers.” Elizabeth exhaled in a long, slow, but shaky breath. “I’m okay now. I think maybe I just needed to flip out and let all that awfulness out. I came in here, and God, it looks like the night I left, and I think I broke a little inside. Because what if I hadn’t left? What if I’d stayed?”

Jason looked up, looked around, and really took in the stark surroundings. “I—Mike wanted to get Courtney’s things. I told him there was no hurry. I asked—I asked the guys who’d helped her last spring when she moved in. I don’t know if—maybe they thought I wanted to get rid of everything.”

“It’s fine—”

“It’s—I don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen. We can’t do that.”

“And that wasn’t fair of me to say.” She started to move backwards, and her hands fell from his grasp. She turned in a slow circle, her eyes drinking in the emptiness, the way their voices bounced off the walls. “It’s me, you know. That wishes it hadn’t happened. Listening to Mike—”

“He was wrong—”

“Was he? About Courtney, yeah. I don’t blame him. It’s an awful thing to face, and if it gives him comfort to think it’s a mistake, that I’m a villain, I can live with it. But he wasn’t wrong about the way I took Ric’s side. Over and over again.” Her eyes found his again. “I wish I could say I did it because I truly loved him. Or believed him.  I told myself I did, but I think deep down I didn’t. And because I didn’t, I dug in harder. Just like I did with Lucky. I ignored everything that didn’t fit in my fantasy, and when it all blew up anyway, the fall was so much harder. Because if I hadn’t been so scared, so stupid, none of this would be happening.”

“I know it upsets you to think of that,” Jason said carefully, and she just sighed. “And I was angry with you. For a long time. Especially when you married Ric even after everything you knew. When Sonny told me, I thought—” He grimaced, looked away.

“What?” she asked softly. “What did you think?”

“That I wasn’t going to waste my breath talking you out of it. That I’d done it over and over again, and there was no point. Whatever happened next would be your fault, not mine.”

He didn’t know what reaction he expected, but then she smiled, a full one, with a crinkling of her eyes. “Oh, no. How terrible. What a jerk. How can I even look at you now?”

Jason tipped his head. “That doesn’t make you mad?”

“It’s actually—” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s actually a relief, which sounds insane. I’ve been over here, wracking myself with guilt because of the things I said to you, and you’d never given up on me. But you did. Even if I didn’t know it. I don’t know why that comforts me.” She leaned against the arm of the sofa. “Jason, you had every right to be angry with me. And if you’d held that against me for the rest of our lives, I’d never be able to blame you.”

“What’s the point of doing that?” He came closer, feeling oddly reassured. Maybe they really should have talked about all of this before. And maybe they would have — if there’d been time. If the world hadn’t crashed down around them. “Do you think I felt any pleasure in being right? That he hurt you and that you ended up regretting it? I don’t.”

“I know.” She bit her lip. “When we found out I was pregnant, the original plan was to keep things quiet and let things happen. To let things cool off with you and Courtney. To give you time and space to figure out Sonny and Carly so you’d be able to worry less about Michael. To give us space. Because we can’t just jump into what happens next. I’ve spent too much of this last year lurching wildly from point to point, and just never taking the time to breathe.”

Jason made a face, looked away. “I know. And that was a good plan, but—”

“But it’s not on the table anymore. I don’t know how we fix this. I don’t know what to do except keep moving forward. Doing what feels right in the moment, and just being honest. I’m scared, Jason. Not of Alcazar. Because you’re going to tell me what to do and I’m going to do it. If that means being locked up here in the penthouse until you have answers, then we’ll do that.”

“It—it might,” Jason admitted with a grimace. “If Alcazar doesn’t scare you—”

“That we’re going to mess this up. That I’m going to get too freaked out and run or that you’ll shut down, and I just—don’t know. I lost it today. I mean, I really lost my entire mind, and if Scott and Mac hadn’t shown up—” Elizabeth sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I would have made you take me home, and that would have been the end of it.”

“I don’t want you to feel obligated to be here because of that. Because all of that will be going on whether you’re here or not,” Jason told her. “If you feel sorry for me—”

“I don’t feel sorry—oh, that came out all wrong, but it’s how I made it sound, didn’t it? No. No.” She straightened, standing up. “No,” she said for a third time. “It’s not that I felt sorry for everything you’ve got on your shoulders. I just got some perspective, that’s all. And a reminder that it’s not fair to look at you for the answers. Too many people do that, Jason, and I refuse to be one more person you have to take care of. I don’t know what tomorrow looks like, what we look like, but I want to be with you. Mac and Scott just dropped this enormous problem on your lap.” She lifted her chin. “What do we next?”

Vannes, France

The brunette had taken the cottage near the harbor some months ago, but mostly kept to herself. There were whispers that she looked familiar, but no one could quite place her. Her accent, the few times she’d ventured out, was obviously American though her French wasn’t too terrible. Boarding school French, to be sure.

If anyone in Vannes suspected that the mysterious woman was the former supermodel Brenda Barrett, whose mysterious return from the death remained cloaked in rumors and scandal, no one breathed a whisper of it. They might gossip around their own, but anyone who had one fake death on their resume had enough trouble without adding to it.

So she lived her life, wondering if this was the day he found her. If this was the last day of her life — or if she’d ever really get her own life back.

The answer came late one night, just after ten. The phone rang in the kitchen and she stared at it for a long time, letting it ring once. Twice. Then a third time. She nearly didn’t pick it up.

But she had her own promises to keep. “Has he found me?”

“No, but it’s time to come home.”

“It’s—” She closed her eyes, tears pricking the corners of her throat. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you’ve run long enough, Brenda. We’re going to deal with this, once and for all. I promised you that I’d keep your safe. But I need your help to do it. Will you come?”

“I—” No. No. The words screamed in her head, but the louder the voices grew, the angrier she became.

How many years was she going to let that man steal? How many more nights would she wake, listening to the dark, waiting for him to emerge from the shadows?

“I’ll come.”

General Hospital: Hallway

Bobbie saw Scott coming down the hallway, narrowed her eyes and turned her back on the irritating man. “I don’t have time for you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m scum of the Earth, you can get back to hating me when I’m done.” Scott took her elbow, gently pulled her back to face him. “I need to talk to Carly. We need to find out everything she knows about Lorenzo Alcazar. About Venezuela. And the panic room.”

Bobbie scowled. “You think I’m going to let you talk to her after you threw away her case—” Scott handed her a file and she closed her mouth. “What’s this?”

“When we went to Morgan, we told him our theory. Elizabeth was there and told us Alcazar was there at her house the night Ric brought Carly there.”

“What? What does that mean?” Bobbie frowned. “We knew Alcazar knew about the panic room—”

“We thought Alcazar was looking for Elizabeth. Because Jason’s hiding Brenda. I’ll come back to that—but maybe we had it backwards. Maybe there’s something none of us knows. Because I have some questions about Ric Lansing.”

Bobbie opened the file, frowned. “This police report, it’s in Spanish, and—is this his medical file?”

“That police report is for Ricardo Lansing who was thrown in a Caracas jail about a year ago. For stealing from Luis Alcazar.”

Bobbie opened her mouth, then closed it. Looked at the medical report again. “And this?”

“Look at that blood type, Bobbie. Do you happen to know Sonny’s blood type?”

“That’s—that’s not—” Bobbie lifted her stunned eyes to his. “He and Sonny aren’t related. They’re not brothers.”

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