I couldn’t get the last line exactly the way I wanted it, but I’m way over time, lol. Happy Friday! Written in 72 minutes.

Hardy House: Elizabeth’s Bedroom

Elizabeth murmured something, then shifted, trying to roll on her side, then wincing when she bumped her injured shoulder. She clutched her shoulder with her left hand, starting to sit up—and then she felt an arm at her back, a warmth at her side.

“Careful, don’t sit up too fast—” Jason said, sitting on the edge of her bed, bracing her against his chest. She leaned back for just a moment, resting her head against his jaw, closing her eyes.

“Hey.” She set her hand along the one he’d wrapped around her waist, the button down shirt he’d worn to court cool against her fingers. “You’re here. What time is it?”

“I don’t—almost six.” Jason brushed his lips against her temple. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore. Still tired.” Elizabeth opened her eyes, shifted to set her feet on the ground, her toes curling into the carpet. She touched his jaw. “Have you eaten or—”

“Not yet. I will.”

She exhaled slowly, then rubbed the side of her face. “You went to the Towers. How—how did that go?” When Jason didn’t say anything right away, Elizabeth frowned, focused on him. “Jason?”

“I didn’t get upstairs to talk to Sonny. I wanted to check the security footage first, and then—” He leaned over, switched on the lamp next to her bed, flooding the room with soft light. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Why did you want the security footage?”

“I wanted to know if it was Sonny. If—” Jason grimaced, looked away. He leaned forward, bracing his elbow on his knee, then dragged his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I guess I just wanted information. When, where, how, who—I don’t know if Sonny did this. I can’t see how he could have made it back in time, and the gun the court said they have—it’s not with him. So—”

“So how did Courtney get it to turn in?” Elizabeth finished. “I guess that’s a question for her—” As she spoke, Jason looked at her, and there was something in his eyes, something that sent a chill down her spine. “What happened?”

“She’s dead.”

The words hung in the air, suspended between them, and Elizabeth couldn’t wrap her head around them. Couldn’t make sense of it. “I don’t—what do you mean, dead? What are you talking about?”

Jason sat up, then pushed himself to his feet. He went to the window, pushed aside the sheer curtain and looked out over the front lawn. Then he finally looked at her. “After I made bail, someone went to the hotel and shot her. She’s dead.”

“Oh my—” Elizabeth pressed her hand to her mouth. “Oh my God. Oh my God. What is going on?”

“I don’t—” He faltered, shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Elizabeth rose slowly, putting her free hand on the sling to brace herself, then went to him. “Jason.”

“I thought I knew what was happening. What was going on. The idea that Sonny did this—” Jason looked at her, and she saw the anguish now, the uncertainty. “That was hard enough, but I could make that work in my head. He’d never have hurt you or Carly. But—I don’t know what’s going on with the gun. And Courtney—was she just another way to frame me? Why?”

He looked back out over the street, and Elizabeth wrapped her one arm around his chest, rested her forehead against his back, wished with everything she had that she could wrap both arms around him. To give some comfort. Until a week ago, he’d been trying to make things work with Courtney. She’d been his fiancee. And then she’d tried to frame him for attempted murder, working with his enemy to do so—and now she was dead.

“It seems impossible that all of this has happened in the space of a week.” He turned and her hand slid down to rest on his chest. She lifted her gaze to his. “A week ago, I was standing in the alley at Kelly’s, telling you I was pregnant. And for just a moment, just one single moment, everything was perfect. The world and its complications—none of that it existed. It was just you and me, and this amazing secret we shared.” She took his hand, brought it to her abdomen, his fingers curling slightly. “I know it’s all gone to hell since then. Somehow it all got so much worse, but I just—I think if we both just take a breath, and let that moment back in—we can get through this. Whatever this is. Because it hasn’t changed. Our baby—you and me? That’s all still okay. We’re all still here.”

She felt the tension melt from his body and he lifted her chin up, captured her mouth for a brief caress with his lips. Just long enough to bring that memory back, that sense of peace. Then he pulled her against him, and they stood there, letting the world settle around them.

“I’m sorry about Courtney. Whatever her faults, whatever her plans, she didn’t deserve this.” She lightly stroked his back, then stepped away so that their eyes could meet. “What happens next?”

He rubbed his eyes. “Scott and Mac—I told them about Sonny. What we thought had happened. They’re going to confront Ric, I guess. If someone is eliminating witnesses, he’s next. Bobbie’s with Carly, and I sent over some extra guards. I put more people here.” Jason paused. “I have to go back to the Towers. I have a doctor who can see Sonny, but I have to—I have to talk to Sonny.”

“Okay. Then I’m going with you—” Elizabeth said, and when he opened his mouth, she raised one single finger. “I can rest across the hall and wait for you. But I don’t want you to do this alone. Let me be here for you in any way I can. Please.”

“All right,” Jason agreed. He kissed her forehead. “All right. Let’s go.”

General Hospital: Hallway

Scott stopped after rounding the corner, and Capelli bumped into his back. “Oh, that can’t be good,” he said.

“What—” Capelli focused on the hospital room a few steps away, grimaced. There were no officers—and they could see from here with the door partially open, that the room was empty. “Oh, hell.”

The detective spun on his heel and headed for the front desk, Scott just behind him. “Hey. Hey. What happened to the Patient in 1303?” Capelli demanded, smacking his palm against the counter.

A harried nurse came over, rolled her eyes. “Don’t you guys ever talk to each other? He’s been transferred to Mercy just like the order said—”

“What order?” Scott demanded. “He was under guard—”

The nurse hesitated, sensing the tension. “Two cops came. They showed the order to me and the doctor, and then to the cops on duty. They left, and the patient was transported in the police car. We had all the paperwork—”

“Damn it. Damn it.” Scott grimaced. “Where the hell is that son of a bitch?”

General Hospital: Morgue

A few floors down, Mac watched as Mike prepared himself to go inside the main room of the morgue. The older man stood very still at the door, waiting for the pathologist to open the door and indicate they were ready to start.

“An identification isn’t necessary, Mike—”

“It is to me,” Mike interrupted. He looked at Mac. “You need it done. And there’s no one else. No one who loves her the way I do. Except maybe her mother, and I can’t call her to do this. I can’t make her do it. For all the times I wasn’t there, I need to be here now.”

Mac decided not to argue. Sometimes family members needed to see the body to be sure, to make it real, and he wasn’t going to tell anyone how to grieve. He followed Mike into the colder room, standing a respectful distance from the row of drawers.

The pathologist tugged on a handle, and the drawer slid open. The body was covered in a white sheet that the pathologist gently folded down to reveal the pale, still, body of Courtney Matthews. Her eyes were closed, and if not for the bluish tint to her skin and the small, neat hole in her forehead, she might have been sleeping. Even the blood had been rinsed from her hair, and had been laid out to disguise the damage the exit would had done to her.

Mike stood there for a long moment, then raised one trembling hand to Courtney’s forehead, stroked the hair. “My little girl. I threw away so much time with my children. Arrogantly, I thought I could make up for it, but you really can’t turn back the clock, can you?” He raised his eyes to Mac. “You’ll find who did this, won’t you? You won’t let Scott get sidetracked going after Michael or Jason. You’ll—” His voice quavered. “Whatever mistakes she made, whatever she tried to do in those last few days or weeks, she didn’t deserve this. She didn’t—”

“I promise, Mike.” Mac stepped up to the older man, put an arm around his shoulder, gently pulling him away. “I’m going to find out what happened. Whatever I have to do.”

After finishing the identification, Mike went to the restroom, to take a minute, maybe splash some water on his face. While he waited, Mac looked through his phone and saw a missed call from the crime scene tech.

“Stevie? Yeah, I just got the call. What do you have?” Mac paused, listened to the response, took a deep breath. “You’re sure? There’s no mistake? Okay. Okay. Get me that in writing as soon as possible.” As soon as he hung up with the tech, the phone rang again. “Capelli—what?”

When Mike emerged from the restroom, Mac was at the elevators, jabbing at the button. “We have to go,” he said, sharply. “Now.”

“What happened?” Mike demanded, following Mac onto the elevator. “What do you know?”

“The gun doesn’t match. It’s Jason’s, but it wasn’t used in the shooting. The bullets didn’t match.” Mac’s mouth pinched. “And Lansing has disappeared.”

Harborview Towers: Hallway

Jason hesitated after stepping off the elevator. He looked towards the penthouse where Sonny had been kept for the better part of the week, mostly against his will. Then back at Elizabeth who had stepped out after him.

“Let me get you across the hall—”

“Just give me the key—” Elizabeth said, holding out her hand. “And I’ll wait for you. I can unlock a door, Jason.” But her tone was gentle, and he knew she wasn’t irritated with him—knew that Jason was just stalling from what he had to do.

He had to talk to Sonny for the first time since that night, still half-worried that despite the evidence, Sonny had done this. And if he wasn’t, what to do with a mentally ill man whose pregnant wife was lying in a coma? What would that do to Sonny’s fragile psyche?

“If you hear anything, you close the door and lock it. Deadbolt,” Jason said, dropping the key in her palm, closing it and holding it in his own hand. “Don’t open it for anyone but me.”

“I understand.”

Jason waited for her to go around the corner, to open the door and let herself in. Only when he heard the tumbler click, indicating that she had, at the very least, engaged the basic door lock—only then did he round the opposite corner and head for Sonny’s.

It was time to deal with Sonny, something he should have done weeks ago. Months. And maybe years.

A Bedroom

Ric winced as he twisted in the bed, rolling onto his side, trying to avoid putting pressure on the bullet wound in his back. Of all the times he’d taken a bullet, this had to be one of the worst places, he thought.

He’d woken in this room with no idea where he was until it had bobbed slightly, and he’d heard the sound of water. Only then did Ric realize he was on a boat.

And that was a mildly terrifying piece of knowledge because if he’d been taken from the hospital and put on a boat, that only meant one thing—and one person—

The door opened then, and Lorenzo Alcazar came in, the corner of his mouth curled up in a half smile. “Well, well, the prodigal wakes.”

“What the hell is going on—” Ric started to lift his hand, then scowled, realizing he’d been cuffed to the bed. “What the hell? Why would you take me from the hospital—”

“I was very disappointed in you this past summer,” Lorenzo said, removing a cigar from the inside of his jacket pocket. He lit it, then brought it to his mouth. “I thought you would recognize me.”

Ric leaned back against the pillows, grimacing. “Why? I never knew Luis had a brother, much less a twin—”

“Ah, Ricardo—” The lilt of Lorenzo’s words changed, and the way the Spanish name rolled off his tongue — Ric went very still. “Ricardo, I thought one estafador would recognize the other.”

“I’m not a conman—”

“Nor are you Sonny’s brother, but you did an excellent job preserving your own life with that little tale.” Lorenzo tipped the ash from the cigar onto the ground. “And that told me everything I needed to know. Not even bothering to confirm the existence of a sibling? No demanding DNA? You could have done so much with that information, my dear Ricardo. But perhaps you, like myself, have the same fatal flaw.”

Ric exhaled slowly. “And what’s that?”

“The lure of a woman. For me—” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Brenda. There can be no other. And for you, well, I suppose that’s obvious. Tell me, Ricardo, did you enjoy when Sonny’s sister came to you with her little lie? With her plan to frame Jason Morgan?”

Ric tilted his head back for a long moment, then took a deep breath, then met the other man’s amused eyes. “I will admit, Luis, I couldn’t resist the chance to see Jason behind bars even if it was a silly story that won’t hold long. I’ve always had trouble with my impulses.”

“No, I certainly understand that. Well, I’ve done you a favor, mi amigo, and snipped off a loose end, but I have one very important question.” Luis tilted his head. “How do you plan to tell Sonny that not only did he shoot his pregnant wife, but he also nearly killed his other little sister?”

+36

Written in 68 minutes. The cat and I had a disagreement about napping with her head on my number keys, lol, so it took a minute.

Harborview Towers: Security Suite

Jason watched the video again,  studying every line of the image on the screen, looking for anywhere on Sonny’s body he could be hiding the gun—

But there was no bulge at his back where he might have tucked it, the trousers he wore had no strangely shaped pockets, and nothing was in his hands.

“I need to talk to Courtney,” Jason said. When Justus started shaking his head, Jason scowled. “Okay, then you need to talk to her. She was the first person to see him directly after he came back—she comes through the lobby maybe ten minutes after he gets here. She knows where she got the damned gun—”

“Why can’t Jason talk to Courtney?” Mike asked, his brows drawn together. “What’s—” He stopped. “Wait. What do you mean she had the gun? I thought the police had it.” Realization rippled across his expression. “Oh, hell—”

“Courtney is one of the witnesses,” Justus confirmed, and Courtney’s father just closed his eyes. “The other is Ric.”

“Ric—No, no, that’s not—” Mike shook his head. “There must be some mistake. Because if Courtney and Ric are both pointing the finger at Jason, then they’d need to be working together, and that’s just not—Christ.” He turned away, dragged a hand through his hair.

A phone rang on the other side of the suite, and Max went to answer it. Jason focused on Mike. “I know this is a lot to take in. I’m sorry—but Ric and Courtney were in contact before that night. She was giving him Elizabeth’s schedule.”

“She—” Mike faced Jason, stricken. “She gave Elizabeth’s schedule to that monster? That’s how he knew when to show up to bother her? Christ. Nikolas said something about that—why would she go to him? Over you? Over the affair?” he demanded.

Jason nodded grimly. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t apologize—don’t—if she’d—” Mike fisted his hand in front of him. “She had a right to be angry with you, to maybe even want some revenge. But Ric Lansing—that’s—no, there’s a mistake.”

“Well, we won’t know anything until we talk to Courtney,” Justus said. “And Mike, you’d be a lot of help in that area.”

“Whatever you need, sure.”

Max came back to Jason, holding the cordless phone in his hand. “Jase, Wally at the front desk—he says the Baldwin and the commissioner  need to talk to you.”

Jason opened his mouth to send him away, but stopped. Remembered the call Mac had received at the courthouse, Scott’s expression when he’d learned whatever Mac knew. He nodded. “Send them back here.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Justus warned, but Max was already lifting the phone to his ear. “Jason—”

“Something happened at the courthouse. Before they left, Mac got a call, and he looked surprised. Not just surprised. Flattened. He hurried Scott out of there. And now, half an hour later, they’re here? I want to know what they want,” Jason said.

“Okay, but they do all the talking,” Justus said.

“Should I go?” Mike wanted to know. “I can go track down Courtney—”

Before Jason could agree, there was a knock on the door, and Max twisted the knob. Mac came in, followed by Scott. The two of them looked around at the group in the security office, and Jason saw Mac’s eyes focus on the image on the screen. On the image of Courtney in the lobby.

“That the night of the shooting?” Mac asked gesturing.

“Yeah.” Jason folded his arms. “What do you want?”

“Actually—” Scott scratched his cheek. “It’s a good thing Mike is here. We—we were going to see you next.”

“Is this about Kelly’s? Do you need to get more time in the courtyard?” Mike asked, coming forward.

Jason saw the way Mac and Scott looked at each other, and his stomach dipped. “What happened? You got called away from the courthouse. Why?”

“Yeah, I did. By the manager at the Port Charles Hotel. Courtney checked in there a few days ago,” Mac said. He looked at Mike, angled his body towards him, and Jason knew—he knew what was coming next.

And it still hit like a ton of bricks when the words were spoken. “I’m sorry, Mike. We were called there to report a murder. Courtney. She’s gone.”

Hardy House: Living Room

“I was going crazy at the mansion,” Emily said, accepting the cup of tea Audrey handed her. “We can’t move into the cottage yet, but they refused to let Zander stay in the house. And don’t make that look.”

“I’m not.” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “You should still be in isolation—”

“I can’t go to the hospital, no. But I can get in a car and come here where there’s only you and your grandmother. I just needed to see you. To see for myself that you were okay. And I thought Jason would be here—I thought he was bailed out.”

“He went to handle a few things.” Elizabeth picked up the glass of water, a bit awkwardly. It was difficult to handle things with her left hand. “The first priority is finding out what happened that night so that he can get these ridiculous charges dismissed.”

“Grandfather was the on the phone as soon as we got home, I left him yelling at the phone at some congressman.”

“Representative Boehlert,” Audrey said, taking a seat in the arm chair. “I have a call of my own into that office,” she told a surprised Elizabeth. “Your grandfather had a lot of friends, darling. And I’m not above using my own network. You’ve been through something so terrible, and you should have Jason at your side, not off fighting for his freedom.”

Emily furrowed her brow. “Wait. I missed something.”

“Gram has turned over a new leaf and is now Jason is her favorite person,” Elizabeth said with a wry smile. “Mostly because he keeps telling me to rest—”

“And he’s the only person you’ll listen to,” Audrey said, lifting her chin. “Speaking of that, Emily, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like, but—”

“I know, I know, I promised I’d lay down and nap.” Elizabeth offered Emily a smile. “I’m sorry—”

“No, no, you need to take care of my future nibling.” Emily leaned forward, kissed her cheek and hugged her lightly. “I have a leash of my own, but we won’t be down for long. Trust Jason to get this sorted out. I know it sucks to let him deal with it, but there’s a reason I should have called Jason all the times I got into trouble. Can you imagine how much trouble it would have saved us both?”

Harborview Towers: Security Suite

Mike took a step back, reached out with his hand, braced himself against the wall. “What? What are you saying right now?”

“Courtney was shot sometime between two and two-thirty this afternoon,” Mac said. “I’m sorry, Mike. I don’t know if it helps, it probably doesn’t. But she—it was quick. She didn’t suffer.”

“Christ. Christ. My baby? My baby is dead—” Mike’s knees started to buckle, and both Jason and Justus came forward, helped him to sit down.

Courtney was dead. Murdered. Jason found his hand trembling slightly as he put it on Mike’s shoulder, looked back at Mac and Scott. No wonder they’d looked so damned upset at the courthouse. “That’s only an hour ago.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Around twenty minutes after the judge set bail.” Scott cleared his throat and put up a hand when Justus opened his mouth. “That’s not me saying anything about—obviously, we know where you were, Morgan.”

“The thing is—” Mac rested his hands on the back of the chair that sat in front of the row of cameras. “Scott told you that arresting you was just a ploy to make Ric and Courtney think we believed them. I thought it was a stupid plan,” he added, shooting Scott a dirty look. “But he meant it when he said we know what happened at Kelly’s wasn’t you.”

“We thought it was Sonny,” Scott forced him. “We heard some rumors that he wasn’t altogether in his right head. With Lansing being the obvious target—” He scrubbed both hands on his face. “But we don’t know what the hell is happening. Because I’d say a lot about Corinthos, but this? No. No. This wasn’t him.”

No, it wasn’t, Jason thought, and that realization had him taking a seat of his own, his mind racing. It wasn’t Sonny that night in the courtyard, and it hadn’t been Sonny killing his own sister. That only left one obvious suspect, but why would Lorenzo Alcazar go to any of this kind of trouble? What was the point? How did it help—and why would he leave witnesses—

Witnesses he might now be eliminating.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Jason said, almost more to himself. He lifted his gaze to Mac’s. “Courtney and Ric’s story didn’t make sense. And it wouldn’t have matched the evidence. Elizabeth doesn’t remember who shot her, but she sure as hell knew Courtney wasn’t there—”

“But killing her eliminates that problem. Now she’s just a dead witness.” Justus winced. “I’m sorry, that’s—”

“It’s accurate,” Mike managed. “She got herself in trouble somehow. Got twisted up with that monster, lied to get revenge on Jason. So stupid,” he bit out. “So stupid to tell such an obvious lie. So why do this? Why—”

“Because you believed her,” Jason said, and Mac frowned, looked at him. “That’s what the world thinks. No one knows that you kept investigating. I just don’t understand—if killing her was supposed to frame me further, why didn’t they wait?”

“She was found almost two hours before she would have been,” Scott said.  “The maid reversed her schedule. Time of death would have been harder to pinpoint.” He looked at Mac. “And the crime scene tech said something—”

“They put the air on,” Mac murmured. “It would have messed with—it would have made it harder. Jason—arresting you to get to Sonny—that was stupid. But—”

“I thought it was him,” Jason said softly.

“Jason—” Justus began, but Jason shook his head.

“We can’t keep doing this. I can’t—someone is eliminating witnesses. They went for Courtney first because she was alone. You should put people on Ric in the hospital because he’ll be next. And—Carly, she’s in a coma. Elizabeth—” He looked at Max. “The house—”

“We got people on it. As soon as we found out Miss Webber was being discharged, Jase. I knew you’d want her to be top priority,” Max assured him.

But Jason wanted to be there, wanted to see for himself. But first—he got to his feet. “I thought it was Sonny,” he repeated. “Just like you did. He’s been having hallucinations. Struggling with staying in the current time and place. And he went missing during the time period we knew the shooting happened.”

“It might still be Sonny,” Scott said. “But—”

“You said Courtney gave you a gun registered to me. I don’t know where she got it. I don’t know anything about it. But Sonny—” Jason went over to the keyboard by the cameras, pressed a few keys to rewind the footage. “He was back here less than ten minutes after the 911 call. And he doesn’t have a gun on him. So where did Courtney get it?”

“Ten minutes from the pier to the Towers is…a very tight schedule. Was he on foot?” Mac wanted to know.

“I think so. We were just realizing it ourselves that it couldn’t be him. I wanted to talk to Courtney. She comes in just a little while later. Max—”

“She was upset. I think Mr. C was rough on her. She ran out of here, crying. But she came back later. Twice,” Max added. “Wally could confirm it. The first time, he told her about the cops coming by, and she left. Then she came back.”

“To get the gun?” Scott asked Mac who nodded. “Okay. Okay. Well, we can’t ask her whatever she might have known. So—” He looked at Jason. “Who else might have done this? You have to have a name in mind.”

Jason hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. I do. But I don’t understand how or why he’d have done this.” He waited another beat. “Lorenzo Alcazar.”

General Hospital: Carly’s Room

Bobbie sighed in relief. “The swelling has gone done?”

Tony nodded, looked down at the chart again, flipped through a page. “The edema has almost entirely resolved itself. I expect that to continue to subside throughout today. She’s scoring a six on the Glascow Scale—that’s up from a 4 when she first came in,” he reminded her. “She’s responsive to pain, and her eyelids are starting to flutter.”

She looked back at her daughter, still quiet and still, before facing Tony again. “When she wakes up, do we know—”

“We won’t know anything until we can speak with her, Bobbie. But this is a good sign. An excellent,” he corrected.

“Thank you. Thank you.” She pressed trembling fingers to her lips. “I know how hard this is for you—”

“She’s just a patient, Bobbie. Your daughter. That’s all that matters to me right.” Tony touched her elbow. “I wouldn’t wish losing another child on anyone. I’m relieved to be delivering good news.”

“Thank you, I—” Bobbie paused, reached for the cell phone vibrating in her phone. “Hello?”

“Bobbie,” Jason began. “We have a problem.”

When she closed the phone, she looked back at Tony. “Can you keep this to yourself?”

“Keep what?” Tony asked, frowning. “Is everything all right—”

“It will be. But Carly’s improvement, the odds of her waking up—can you keep that quiet? Because something has just happened, and I don’t want anyone to know Carly might wake up and tell anyone what happened. It’s life or death, Tony. Promise me.”

“I promise, but I need you to tell me what’s going on.”

“I will, I just—” Bobbie took a seat, took a breath. “Everything I thought I knew only an hour ago has turned upside down, and I don’t know if I can make sense of any of it.”

Hardy House: Living Room

“Oh, Jason, Elizabeth will be so pleased you’re here.” Audrey stepped back, allowed Jason to enter the house. “You missed a visit from your sister, but it was definitely a boost to Elizabeth’s mood.”

“Emily has that way about her,” Jason said. He didn’t know what to do with his hands, still unsure what to do with Elizabeth’s grandmother being supportive or kind to him. “Is—Elizabeth in the kitchen or—”

“Of course, you must be worried about her. She went upstairs to rest, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you went up. Let her know I’ll have dinner ready soon, but not to hurry herself.” She patted Jason’s arm. “Upstairs, third door on the left. Her room overlooks the front of the house, if that helps.”

Jason climbed the steps, and found the right door. He knocked first, and when there was no answer, he went inside, exhaling a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding in. Maybe some part of him had expected something else when he opened the door — maybe to find Elizabeth on the floor or worse, not in the room.

But she was laying on her back, her right arm still set in the sling. She’d changed after court, into a pair of long gray pants and blue shirt. Her eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling in a regular pattern.

She was safe. Sleeping.

He pulled out the chair that was tucked beneath a desk just at the end of the bed, and sat down. He might have a thousand things to do, but right now, in this moment, all he wanted to do was be alone, in the quiet, watching Elizabeth breathe.

Port Charles Harbor

The sleek white yacht had been anchored in the harbor for a few weeks now, and it reminded many of the dock workers of a similiar ship that had been docked a year earlier. That had been named La Venganza — and most had wondered at anyone who’d name their vessel revenge.

This yacht did not have such an ominous name—it was more innocuous, more optimistic, more common. Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

A man strolled outside one of the decks, a cigar in his hand. His dark eyes scanned the shoreline, wondering if his present had been located yet. If his quarry knew that game had changed.

Of course, they wouldn’t know the true purpose of any of this. How could they? They thought had all the answers. All the necessary facts—and they did.

He was here for revenge. He did wish to avenge his brother. That poor bastard.

There was just one problem with that theory.

“Señor?”

When the first call didn’t work, the woman tried again. “Señor Alcazar? Will you want dinner?”

“Yes, Marta.” He turned to smile at her, his teeth bared. “I find myself starving.”

And this that, Luis Alcazar tossed his cigar overboard and went inside.

+28

Written in 65 minutes.

Port Charles Courthouse: Hallway

When Elizabeth flinched, slid back on the bench slightly, Jason winced. “That’s not—I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you everything, but I can’t. I shouldn’t.”

“I don’t understand—I don’t understand any of this!” Elizabeth took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was steadier. “Why do they think you did this? What witnesses—”

“I can’t tell you anything until you give a statement to the PCPD. Justus told me there’s nothing on record yet,” Jason said, and Elizabeth closed her mouth, furrowed her brow. “Have they talked to you since I—since the arrest?”

“No. No. Justus doesn’t—because you might be accused of tampering with a witness—okay, that makes sense—and no. No, they haven’t. That’s strange, isn’t it?”

Not where he was sitting, but Jason didn’t want to give Elizabeth a reason to ask anything else. He didn’t want her to find out just yet what Scott said he was planning with the arrest—though the performance in the courtroom had Jason leaning a little bit more towards believing the idiot district attorney that this was all a ploy.

“Maybe. So let me just get you home, and then—”

The doors to the court room opened, and Scott strode out, with Mac on his heels. Before Jason could stop her, Elizabeth was on her feet and closing the distance between them.

“Elizabeth, should you be on your feet?” Mac wanted to know. He reached out, as if to take her arm—but when he caught Jason’s hostile glare, his hand dropped to his side. “Surely the doctors didn’t release you already—”

“Take my statement. Right now,” Elizabeth interrupted. “So I can tell you this is all bullshit and Jason can tell me how you’re framing him.”

Scott tipped his head. “You don’t know yet?” He looked at Jason. “You didn’t tell her?”

“And have you accuse me of tampering with a witness? No. Elizabeth, we should get home—”

“No—” Elizabeth stepped away, raising her free hand up in a fist. “No. This happened to me, and it happened to Carly, but she can’t tell you anything. Okay? And because of whatever ridiculous evidence you’ve cooked up this time, Jason can’t be where he needs to be. There’s a scared little boy who keeps asking for Uncle Jason—”

“And where is that boy’s father?” Scott asked. Jason kept his expression even, was relieved when Elizabeth just turned that angry gaze from Mac to Scott and didn’t even flinch.

“Jason didn’t shoot me. I can’t believe I have to explain this to you—”

“Elizabeth—” Mac began, then shook his head. He rubbed his temple. “Okay. Okay. You want to give a statement? Let’s go down to the station—”

“No. No. I want to do it right here so I can go home. It won’t take long. I was unconscious for most of it,” she bit out. “So ask me the questions already.”

Scott glanced at Mac. “We can get the basics here. At least enough so that Morgan here can fill her in on the charges against him.”

“Fine. Elizabeth, do you know who shot you?” Mac said, and he held up a hand before she began to speak. “And don’t tell me who it wasn’t. That’s not a lot of help.”

She pressed her lips together, then took a deep breath. “I don’t remember much. It’s all in pieces and flashes. Carly and I were in the courtyard arguing. I wanted her to wait for Jason, and she wanted to leave. She knew he’d be upset she’d come to Kelly’s without a driver or a guard.”

Scott lifted his brows. “Just you and Carly?”

“Yes. She called me earlier that day. Said she wanted to talk to me alone. I was already at work, and I told her to come just before closing. Otherwise it would have to wait. I thought she’d found out—I thought she was going to yell at me, and I figured—” Elizabeth looked at him. “Well, she might as well show up when you’d be there and get it all over with.”

“So she was  going to confront you about the, uh—” Mac paused. “Relationship between you and Jason,” he said finally.

“I thought so, but when she came in, I realized she was upset. Not angry.” Elizabeth rubbed her fist against her chest. “She wanted to tell me that she’d overheard Ric and Courtney in the park. Talking about working together to get rid of me.”

“Get…” Scott set his briefcase down. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. Courtney gave him my schedule so he could harass me. I don’t know what she thought would happen. I don’t particularly care. But Carly was upset. She wanted to tell me things that happened while she was in the panic room this summer.”

“You said you and Carly were fighting,” Mac reminded her. “It was just about the guards?”

“I want to go back to this summer,” Scott said, but Mac shot him a dirty look. “We can do that later.”

“Yes. Yes. We were standing there, and then Ric showed up. We wanted him to leave.” She pressed her fist to her lips now. “It—it’s not clear after that. There’s just screaming. And pain—”

“That’s enough,” Jason said, stepping in finally. “You have what you need—”

“Almost,” Mac said, putting up a hand. “Just one or two questions to clarify something, Elizabeth. If you remember. It’s okay if you don’t.”

Jason grimaced, but Elizabeth nodded. “If it helps you find out what really happened, then ask.”

“You said Ric showed up. What entrance?”

Elizabeth frowned, and Jason looked at the commissioner with some confusion. Why would that matter?

“The…street. Not the parking lot.”

“So through the arch?” Mac continued. “What about the gun shots? Where did they come from?”

“I don’t—” She closed her eyes, some of the color having leeched from her skin during the interrogation. “I don’t—I don’t know for sure. Carly and I were facing Ric, but we were—we were arguing. I kept trying to get in front of her, because she was so far along, and she kept shoving me behind her because Ric was there to talk to me—” Her voice wavered, and Jason put an arm around her shoulders.

“That’s enough,” he repeated. “You have what you need.”

The phone at Mac’s side vibrated, and he stepped away, pulling the phone from his belt to answer the call.

“Yeah,” Scott said. “We have what we need. For what it’s worth, Morgan, I’m sorry for what happened in there—”

“You know he couldn’t have done this. He wouldn’t hurt me or Carly. Not for anything in the world. So if you’re sorry, then let him go.”

“I—” Scott opened his mouth, but then Mac came up, took the district attorney by the arm.

“We have to go.”

“What—”

“We have to go,” Mac repeated. “Jason, you tell Elizabeth whatever you want. We need to go right now.”

Jason frowned, watching the two of them head for the elevator. He continued to watch as they waited for the doors to open—Mac whispering something in Scott’s ear, and the attorney whipping his head around to stare at Mac in surprise.

“Something’s happening,” Elizabeth murmured.

“I want to get you back to Audrey’s,” Jason said. “Come on—”

“And then you’ll tell me what’s going on?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I can do that now.” He waited for the elevator doors to close on Scott and Mac before leading Elizabeth over and pressing the button. “I’m glad I waited. That they know you didn’t have any information from me.”

“Why?” Elizabeth asked, her brows drawn together, the question in her eyes. “What does it matter? I don’t know anything.”

“Because Ric and Courtney are the witnesses against me, and you just told them independently that they were already working together before this happened.”

Forest Hill House: Kitchen

“It’s a blessing, really,” Leticia said, closing the door to the living room where Michael could still be heard playing video games. She looked at Bobbie. “When I told him his mother was sick and couldn’t see him, he didn’t even question it.”

“No, not after this summer. I suppose he wouldn’t.” Bobbie sank into a seat at the table, put her head in her hands, combing her fingers through her hair. “I don’t know if we’re doing the right thing, keeping it from him.” She looked at the nanny. “You know Sonny and Carly were having problems.”

“I know that I often heard yelling,” Leticia said carefully. She sat across from Bobbie, her dark eyes guarded. “That Mrs. Corinthos was very upset when we left. And that Mr. Corinthos was not doing well. That he has not been here.”

“We don’t know anything yet. And before we could find it out, Jason was arrested.” Her mouth pinched, Bobbie looked towards the window. “Until that’s settled, until I know what we’re doing with Sonny, I need you to keep Michael happy. Keep him out of school. Away from the news. It won’t be more than a few days. Jason’s out on bail now, so we can start sorting this all out.”

“Of course. Anything for Michael. I hope Mr. Morgan is exonerated quickly. And that Mrs. Corinthos wakes up and makes a full recovery.”

“So do I,” Bobbie murmured. Because any other outcome would be unthinkable.

Port Charles Courthouse: Parking Garage

Elizabeth saw her grandmother standing by their cars, talking with Mike and Justus. Her mind still whirling from everything Jason had told her on the elevator. He was being framed by Ric and Courtney—

“You can’t trust Scott,” Elizabeth said, catching Jason by the arm before he started towards the cars. “Maybe Mac. But not Scott. He let Ric go this summer.”

“He says that’s why he’s doing this. To make up for that.” Jason laced their fingers together. “But Justus agrees with you. So for now I’m staying silent.”

Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip, looked down at the cement floor before lifting her gaze back to his. “Sonny wasn’t there today. And I haven’t seen him. That’s not the Sonny I know, so I guess I have to ask—and I understand if you can’t answer—” Her voice trembled as she continued, “Was it him? Did he think Ric was trying to hurt us? A-And we got caught up by accident?”

“I don’t—” Jason exhaled on a low shaky breath. “I know what I suspect. But I don’t know anything for sure.”

“Right. Right. You got arrested that same day.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “I can go home with my grandmother. You should go find out.”

“Elizabeth—”

“This is putting me first,” Elizabeth said, and he closed his mouth. “Finding out who did this to me, to Carly? That has to come before the rest of it. I can’t help you there. I don’t remember anything. I can be there for you, I can offer advice, but we both know there’s nothing I can actually do.”

“I don’t—” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “I know, but—”

“And Gram will watch over me. You know that. She’s already giving me the evil eye because this is longer than I was supposed to be up and on my feet. I’ll probably sleep for a week. She’s monitoring me,” Elizabeth added. “Taking all my vitals. She was a trauma nurse, you know. You can trust her and me to do this part. So you should go with Mike and Justus and find out what happened with Sonny.”

“All right. All right.” Jason brought her hand to his mouth, kissed the inside of her palm, then he leaned forward to brush his lips against her forehead, lingering for a minute. “I’ll come by later. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Port Charles Hotel: Suite

Mac pressed his lips together, then looked at Scott. “So what next, counselor? You want me to pin another crime on Morgan that we know he didn’t do?”

They both looked down at the body between them, sprawled out on the creme colored carpet. Blue eyes were open and pointed towards the ceiling but the slight glaze of death had already descended. A small round hole could be seen between those eyes, just slightly above the brows. The entry wound was neat and tidy, but the exit wound hadn’t been judging from the blood that soaked the wheat-blonde hair and the carpet beneath her.

Courtney Matthews was dead. Freshly dead.

“Well, he’s got one hell of an alibi, doesn’t he?” Scott murmured. “How long—”

“They think maybe half an hour. Housekeeping found her. And a half hour ago—”

“Jason was standing in the hallway of the court house with us,” Scott said. “This can’t be someone trying to frame him—it’s too close—”

“Let’s step out in the hallway. I can’t—” Mac gestured towards the door and Scott followed him. Outside, they discarded their gloves and the protection they’d worn over their feet. “The maid told the officer who responded to the call that she doesn’t usually work this floor first.”

Scott lifted his brows, interest engaged. “Really?”

“There’s a VIP checking in—well, supposed to have,” Mac said, moving further towards the wall to let more crime scene technicians through. “So she decided to switch. This is nearly two hours before she would have come through.”

“Two more hours would have made time of death a little bit harder to pin.  Some wiggle room if you know Morgan’s out on bond.” Scott stroked his chin. “Yeah, okay, I can see that. But that still leaves us with a problem.”

“Someone’s eliminating the witnesses, and it’s not Jason Morgan. And I gotta tell you, Scott—I don’t see Sonny Corinthos executing his little sister in cold blood. I bought that he took out his wife and Elizabeth by accident going after Ric, but this—this is an execution. Textbook.”

“Cameras?” Scott asked.

“Checking on them. They’re only at the elevators, not the hallways. Not on this floor. For privacy,” Mac added. “And something tells me we’re not going to have a lot of luck there.”

“Christ. We need to start at the beginning. Start with throwing out everything we think we know.”

“You mean investigate like a real cop?” Mac said dryly. “Sure. But I think we should start with the notification. If Jason is holding back, he’s going to want to know someone just raised the stakes. ”

Harborview Towers: Security Suite

Jason shook his head. “Run it again,” he ordered the security guard sitting by the strip of televisions. He needed to see the footage again, to see the timestamps—because this didn’t make any sense.

It couldn’t.

“I don’t understand,” Mike said, coming away from the wall, mystified. “I don’t understand what this is showing us—”

“911 call came in at 11:54 PM. Six minutes before midnight. Jason and Bobbie were in the parking lot. How many minutes between the shots and the call?” Justus asked looking at Jason.

“Two. Three at the most.”

Jason reached over the guard’s head and pressed the rewind key again. Watched as Sonny returned to the building at 12:02 AM, passing through the lobby doors, his hair disheveled. A guard approached him. “Is that enough time to get to Kelly’s and back?” he wanted to know.

“I mean, maybe. Ten minutes is tight—” Max furrowed his brow. “But not impossible.”

“But he’s already hid the gun?” Mike asked, and Jason looked at Sonny’s father. “Ten minutes. He ditched the gun along the way, maybe. But Scott said they had it—”

“Scott said they had a gun registered to me they thought was used,” Jason murmured. “It was handed over to them.”

“By who?” Mike demanded.

It didn’t fit. It couldn’t be this way. Sonny had no weapon when he’d returned to the building, so how had Courtney found it? And how had Sonny gotten his hands on one of Jason’s guns when they were locked in the closet—

Jason sat down, dragged a hand down his face. “I think maybe we need to start at the beginning. Because I don’t think Sonny—” he looked at Sonny’s father. “I don’t know if Sonny did this. But if he didn’t do it—”

Max grimaced. “Oh, this just got really bad, didn’t it?”

+38

Written in 66 minutes. For obvious reasons, the final scene had to be just right.

Port Charles Courthouse: Holding Room

Justus glanced over at the deputy with raised brows. “You really have to leave him cuffed? Come on, man—”

“I’ve got my orders.” The deputy just lifted his hands in surrender, then backed out of the room.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jason said, though he hated when they went a step further, shackling his cuffed hands to his matching cuffs around his ankles, preventing prisoners from sprinting to freedom. “You said bail looked good, so I’ll be out of here anyway.”

“I said that if Scott was serious about wanting your cooperation, he’d be smart not to put up resistance to basic bail,” Justus said. “We’re about to find out exactly how on the level Baldwin is playing this. After all, he did make you wait almost the entire seventy-two hours before this hearing.” He lifted his briefcase, headed for the door connecting the room to the court room. “Look, by the way, Elizabeth was released from the hospital last night.”

“Released—” Jason shook his head. “No—it’s too early—”

“Maybe not. It’s a good sign, Jason. She’s out there with her grandmother. I just didn’t want you to be surprised—”

“She should be resting,” Jason muttered.

“It’s another sin we’ll lay at Baldwin’s feet, because no doubt, she’d be at home if you weren’t in here.” Justus knocked on the door. “We’re ready.”

The courtroom was filled—Jason was used to that, though he was less enthused when he realized about half the occupants were members of the Quartermaine family, including the old man. Nikolas Cassadine sat behind Elizabeth, and was leaning forward, talking to her in a low voice. Emily wouldn’t be there, Jason knew that, but Zander was sitting in the back corner, ostensibly to report back to her.

And Elizabeth sat in the front row, flanked on either side by her grandmother and Bobbie. Mike sat next to Bobbie, and Felicia Jones on the other side of Audrey.

Scott had no one on the prosecution side, save for himself, and Mac Scorpio sitting at the table.

Elizabeth looked pale, Jason thought, dressed in a simple blue dress with a sweater opened in the front. On the right, the shoulder of the sweater hung loose over her arm, pulled up in a blank sling. But she looked better than when he’d left her in the hospital, and for that, he had to be grateful.

“Jason…” Elizabeth rose as the deputy brought Jason to his seat. “Oh, it’s so good to see you. I wanted to come yesterday, but—”

“I said no,” Audrey said firmly, rising alongside her granddaughter, placing a steadying arm around her waist. “Because we had an agreement, didn’t we?”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose, then looked at Jason. She held out her hand, and Jason took it, squeezing it. “I promise. I’m okay. We’re both okay.”

“I trust you. I’ll be out of here soon.” He didn’t want to release her hand, but he had no choice in order to take their seats. Still, as much as he wished she were at home, that she were anywhere else, knowing where she was, having her safe in the same room—for the first time since he’d been arrested, he could breathe a little more easily.

Three days had been lost because of Baldwin’s antics. Three days of not knowing what the hell was going on with Sonny, with Carly, of not being there for Elizabeth—was her arm better? Was there improvement? And Michael. How was he handling everything—

Jason barely heard the bailiff call the court to order, only rising when Justus prompted him. The judge took his seat, and Jason sat.

“Case of New York versus Jason Morgan, one count of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon,” the clerk said, handing the file to the judge who skimmed the contents.

“All right. Appearances?”

“Scott Baldwin for the district attorney’s office,” Scott said, rising and buttoning his jacket.

“Justus Ward for the defense, Your Honor.”

“I’ll hear the prosecution on bail.”

“Your Honor, the DA’s office has no opposition to a reasonable bail being set for Mr. Morgan. He has ties to the community, and we don’t expect him to be a flight risk.”

Jason frowned, looked over at Scott. What game was he trying to pull?

And clearly Scott’s request had surprised the judge who peered at him over his reading glasses. “Mr. Baldwin, didn’t your office try to deny bail for Mr. Morgan just a year ago when he was arrested for the murder of Luis Alcazar?”

Scott blinked. “Oh, Your Honor, forgive me. I didn’t realize that, you, ah, had presided over that case. Well, as you know, that was an unfortunate miscarriage of justice which the DA’s office was more than happy to remedy. As you know, Mr. Morgan was set free—”

“To apparently commit further acts of violence. According to you,” the judge said dryly. “Do I have the facts correct? Attempted murder of an assistant district attorney, shooting wildly in a courtyard, injuring two pregnant woman, one of whom is still in a coma?”

Scott opened his mouth, then closed it, considering his words carefully. “Ah, well, yes, those would be the facts.”

“Case file says there are two witnesses, that you have  the weapon used in the crime registered to Jason Morgan—”

Jason snapped his head to look at Justus, who just shook his head. That was news to him, too, Jason thought grimly.

“I’m actually surprised we’re not talking about a plea deal. It’s a very strong case from what I can see—”

“Your Honor, the defense has not yet had a chance to test any of that evidence,” Justus interrupted. “Two witnesses with very dubious credibility, I might add. The gun in question has not been tied successfully to this crime, at least not that I’ve seen, and my client has an alibi—”

“One of the women he’s accused of shooting is his mistress pregnant with his child, Mr. Ward. Should I let him out so he can finish the job? What’s the matter, Mr. Morgan, not interested in child support?”

Shaken, Jason just looked at Justus who seemed a bit dumbfounded by the turn in the bail hearing. Would the judge refuse to set bail? What would he do—

“That’s not true,” he heard Elizabeth hissing from behind him. “No, it’s not—”

“Silence, or I’ll clear the court room,” the judge said, banging the gavel. “Mr. Baldwin? Are these not the facts in the case?”

“Those are the facts read in the worst light,” Scott said slowly. He smoothed his hand down his shirt front. “The PCPD turned up no evidence that Carly Corinthos or Elizabeth Webber were intentional victims. It seems as if they were in the wrong place in the wrong time. And there is some questions of fact that a jury is entitled to determine. Mr. Morgan is free to plead not guilty, which I assume he plans to do, and as you’ve pointed out, he’s not new to the criminal justice system. Despite the resources available to him, he’s never failed to fail up for a court appearance.” Scott cleared his throat. “And as such, bail is not meant to be a punishment in itself, only an assurance that the accused completes the process. Furthermore, you’ve never held a defendant without bail in anything less than a capital case. Which this is not.”

The judge tipped his head. “Mr. Baldwin, that’s a very eloquent defense of Mr. Morgan. Have you changed sides while I wasn’t looking?”

“I represent the constituents of my district. All of them. Jason Morgan is, unfortunately, one of them,” Scott said. “And he’s entitled to due process and a fair, impartial hearing of the evidence. Your Honor.”

“All right. Mr. Ward, any other thoughts?”

“Mr. Morgan would surrender his passport in addition to reasonable bail. I share Mr. Baldwin’s view of the situation. My client is not a flight risk. He’s eager to absolve himself of these scurrilous charges, and I look forward to embarrassing the district attorney in court as soon as possible.”

“All right. I don’t want hear any complaints when Miss Webber has another mysterious accident that puts a child at risk. No editorials about womens’ right,” the judge said with distaste. “Bail is set a five hundred thousand dollars. Next case.”

Port Charles Courthouse: Hallway

“I will have that son of a bitch removed from office by end of day,” Edward Quartermaine thundered as he stalked from the room, heading for the elevators, followed by Alan and Monica. “The insult, the audacy—” His furious voice disappeared when the doors slid closed.

Elizabeth lingered outside of the court room, waiting for Justus to finish with Jason, for him to be processed and released. Her throat tightened. “Did you hear the way the judge spoke about him? It’s so awful—why would anyone—”

“It’s all right, darling. Let’s go sit down. We’ll wait for Jason over here.”

“Jason would never hurt me or Carly. Never! He loves this baby—”

“I know he does, sweetheart.” Mike came to Elizabeth’s other side, guided her over to the bench, a bit more forcefully than Audrey. “Sit down, let’s all take a deep breath. The judge, as Scott said, looked at the facts in the worst light. We all know the truth.”

“I’m sorry—” She bit her lip, looked at Mike. “I mean, I know this—Courtney—”

“Don’t you worry about that right now, all right?” Mike patted her shoulder, then went back over to where Bobbie and Felicia were talking to Nikolas. “What the hell is Scott Baldwin pulling? That judge was ready to throw Jason to the wolves—”

“Election year,” Felicia said. She rubbed her forehead. “And he took a beating in the press two years ago when he released a man accused of domestic abuse. I remember Mac was just furious—the man violated the restraining order. Put the woman in the hospital.”

“And he doesn’t want more bad press,” Bobbie said. “Well—”

“I’m sorry, perhaps I’m still playing catch up,” Nikolas said, “and believe me, I’m sure there’s something I don’t know. But are we not listening to the part where there are witnesses and they have the gun? Whatever case Scott has, the judge didn’t throw it out. It’s not as flimsy as you had me believe—”

“Oh, Nikolas, do you really think Jason shot Elizabeth and Carly?” Bobbie said, with a roll of her eyes. “I thought you’d agreed to let go of all of that—”

“I believe he hated Ric enough to do something stupid,” Nikolas said, dryly. “He’s not perfect—”

“Shut up.” Bobbie jabbed a finger in his chest. “Shut up right now, Nikolas Cassadine. I don’t want to hear any word from you that isn’t how can I help? Because this isn’t what Elizabeth needs right now, damn it.”

“I only meant—”

“If you have a single doubt in your head right now that Jason is being railroaded, then you need to get out of my sight. Because you’re accusing me of lying if you believe Jason did this. He was standing right to me when those damn bullets ripped through the night, when my daughter was shot in the head, Jason was with me—” Bobbie broke, put her hands on her face, turning away.

“Come on, let’s go take some fresh air,” Felicia said, putting an arm around Bobbie’s trembling shoulders. She threw Nikolas a dirty look, then guided the redhead away.

“I forgot,” Nikolas said. “I forgot Bobbie—” He looked to Mike. “I forgot.”

“You said you wanted to help, to be here for Elizabeth, and that’s fine. I won’t speak for her,” Mike said. “But you might want to think about what you say before you put it into the world. Because that girl has been through more than enough these last few days. And Bobbie’s already buried one child. Do you really think she’d protect the man who might take another from her?”

“No, no, of course not. And if you’re standing by Jason despite being Courtney’s father, then I can’t do any less. I’m sorry.”

Mike opened his mouth to respond, but then Jason came around the corner, Justus on his heels. Elizabeth saw him, too, and to Audrey’s dismay, all but jumped to her feet, rushing to him. Jason caught her against him, carefully to one side so he didn’t jar her injured shoulder, then buried his face in her neck, clinging to her.

“I take it all back,” Nikolas murmured. Mike looked at him. “But if he didn’t do it, then who the hell are these witnesses? And how did they get the gun?”

“You should be at home, resting.” Jason smoothed her hair back from her face, drawing back to press his lips to her forehead. “You and the baby are more important—”

“I would have gone crazy being at home, and I’m glad I came because that judge was so out of line, and Justus—” Elizabeth looked past to Jason’s lawyer. “You should get him thrown off the case. He was so unfair.”

“Hoping it won’t come to that.” Justus touched Jason’s shoulder. “Remember what we talked about, all right? And get me those files.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thank you.”

“I’ll talk to you later.” Justus picked his briefcase up, headed away. “Mrs. Hardy, why don’t we take the elevator before Jason and Elizabeth? Give them a minute.”

“Of course. Elizabeth, I’ll be in the parking garage. And Jason, you’re welcome to come to the house if you like,” Audrey said. “We should find Bobbie and Felicia,” she said as she and Justus left. Mike and Nikolas following.

“Let’s sit down for a minute, all right? Humor me,” Jason said, when Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest. He led her over to the bench. “How are you feeling? Really,” he added. “Don’t sugarcoat it.” He reached for the fingertips of the hand in the sling.

“I’m tired. Sore,” Elizabeth admitted. “Better than yesterday. Gram’s cooking is better. And my bed at her house is better than the sofa in the studio. But if you’re asking about my hand—my arm—nothing yet.”

“Nothing—” Jason stopped. “Nothing at all?”

“Tony says it’s not uncommon for temporary paralysis of the nerves, based on where the bullet was located. It’s—it’s possible that once the healing is done, the swelling has gone down, that it’ll be fine. But…” She picked at loose thread in her skirt. “There’s also a just as likely possibility that while I’ll get feeling back, full control might not  be possible. Especially fine motor skills.”

Like picking up a paintbrush, holding it for a hours. Jason exhaled slowly. “But not definitely. There’s medications. Physical therapy. We’ll try it all, okay? Everything. I don’t care—”

“I’m not—I’m not going to focus on that right now.” Though her grim smile told him that it was easier said than done. “It’s the baby and you, in that order. Finding out who did this so they’ll leave you alone, and we can worry about everything else.”

“That’s what I’m going to do. Justus and I have a plan.”

“I’m so glad Bobbie called him. Luke always said Justus was the best, and you told me how much you trusted him. So this is good. It’s a good thing. Tell me everything. What are they talking about? What witnesses? How did they get a gun registered to you? What are you and Justus going to do?”

Jason sighed, looked away for a moment, then brought his gaze back to hers. “I can’t tell you any of that.”

Port Charles Hotel: Suite

She’d had second thoughts, of course. Third, fourth, and fifth. And now, today, as Courtney paced the length of her hotel room, glancing occasionally at the newspaper laying across the remains of the breakfast she’d barely been able to touch.

Jason was being arraigned today. He’d been arrested, charged, and now he was out on bail. What had she done? What had she done? She kept asking herself that over and over and over— she’d thrown in her lot with her brother’s enemy, with Carly’s tormenter—and while giving Ric Lansing Elizabeth’s schedule had been a minor crime—

Helping him frame Jason for Carly’s shooting was another.

She caught sight of herself in the mirror, her wide blue eyes, disheveled hair. And it was so stupid, she thought. She’d told a story that could fall apart at any minute. But she’d been so angry, so furious that Jason was giving Elizabeth child she could no longer have that all Courtney could think about was revenge.

Until the newspaper this morning made it real. On her word, on Ric’s word alone, they’d arrested Jason.

The knock came at her door, and Courtney went towards it with some trepidation. If Jason made bail, he’d come straight for her, wouldn’t he? He had to know by now that she was behind it—

Maybe if she came forward, maybe if she stopped it, he’d be able to understand how she’d just lost her mind for a little while. Temporary insanity. Just like Sonny, right?

But when she pulled the door open, it wasn’t Jason standing there—

It was Lorenzo Alcazar, his brows raised. He had one arm against the doorframe, leaning forward slightly. “Well, well, we’ve been up to a little bit of mischief, haven’t we, Miss Matthews?”

“What do you want?” Courtney demanded.

“Oh, so many things. I’m particularly disappointed that you’ve decided to give Jason all the credit when I tried so very hard to make sure Sonny took the fall.”

She stepped back, her mouth slightly parted. “What?”

“But you’ve ruined everything with your little petty vengeance.” He came forward, and she backed up fast. He closed the door. “The only question is—do I make you pay for that or is there a way for you to make it up to me?”

She blinked rapidly, but her throat was closed. No words could come out.

“And I thought—” Alcazar continued, pulling a gun from the inside of his suit jacket. “What’s the best way to use this to my advantage? How can I put this back on the right track? And it came to me, of course. Thank you. For your service.”

And before Courtney even realized what he intended, he’d aimed the gun and pulled the trigger.

She was dead before she hit the ground.

+46

Written in 58 minutes.

PCPD: Squad Room

Mac lifted his brows when Scott stalked out of the interrogation room, folder in hand, a scowl firmly etched on his face. “So,” he drawled, “how did it go?”

“You think this is funny?” Scott demanded.

Mac snorted, just shook his head. “No. I think it’s tragic. You can’t ever just to be content with the little guy, can you? You have to go for the kill, for the headlines—” He shrugged, took the folder from Scott. “What did I tell you about making a dramatic arrest in front of Elizabeth Webber?”

“Look—”

“I said if you want to piss off Jason Morgan, then go ahead and make a scene in front of the woman pregnant with his child and at risk for a miscarriage. Go for it. Hope it’s worth it.” He cocked his head. “Are we ready to do this my way yet or are you going to keep chasing your tail—”

Scott leaned in. “You keep making your jokes, Mac, but I’m on the side of the angels here. I got an iron-clad case that’s going to wrap two major criminals up at once—I get to charge Lansing with kidnapping, Sonny of attempted murder, and as a bonus, I get the stupid blonde for obstruction of justice and, hey, if I play my cards right, maybe I get Lansing and Goldilocks for aiding and abetting after the fact. Maybe you don’t want to clear a case—”

“Maybe you should kiss my ass because my officers handed you that kidnapping case in July, jackass. And you not only told me to disregard it, you hired the primary suspect! So if you want a reason Jason Morgan doesn’t trust this office to do diddly squat, look in the goddamn mirror.” Mac slapped the folder against Scott’s chest. “You do what you have to do. We’re going to keep investigating the weapon turned over, and when I find the evidence that links Sonny to the shooting, I’ll handle the arrest. Stick with tanking your own career, and leave me out of it.”

Harborview Towers: Morgan Penthouse

Max dragged his hands down his face. “What? What do you mean Jason was arrested? Are these guys high? I know the PCPD doesn’t have a lot going for it, but come on!”

“Yeah, I’m kind of at a loss.” Mike perched on the edge of the sofa, exhaled in a slow breath. “Scott kept talking about witnesses, but how is that possible? Bobbie and Jason were together the whole time! And you and I—well, shit, Max, we both know what’s going on here, don’t we?”

“Yeah.” Max put his hands at his waist, looked down. “Yeah, we do. I could look at the security footage to be sure, but Mr. C was no where to be found around the time this happened.”

Mike frowned, got to his feet. “You haven’t looked yet?”

“Well, I didn’t want to know, okay? And Jason—I figure Jason will come here and he’ll tell me what to do. Okay? I am not the decisions guy, Mr. Corbin! I follow orders! And no one’s giving me any orders!”

“Okay. Okay. Okay.” Mike took a deep breath, looked around the room. “Walk me through last night. You found Sonny missing.”

“Yeah. I called Jason right away. I looked in every room. He wasn’t here. We think he took the stairs. I looked on the elevator, and he wasn’t there. We don’t have cameras on the stairs.”

“Well, that’s a bit of an oversight, don’t you think?” Mike demanded.

“Hey, what part of not the decisions guy are you not getting? I’m doing my best, man.” Max huffed. “I called Jason. He was with Bobbie. He said find him, and I figured he was going to look or maybe check on Carly. I don’t know. But he went to Kelly’s, obviously.”

“To secure Elizabeth first. That would have been priority. Carly—if she’d been with her guard the way she was supposed to—” Mike closed his eyes. “But Elizabeth didn’t have anyone.”

“That tracks. Okay, back to me. I go down to check security footage. I’m watching the elevator, he’s not on it. But then I found him in the the parking garage, leaving. I went to go call Stan, our tech guy. Maybe we could get something on traffic cameras, you know? By the time I get back, security is telling me we got Sonny back in the building. I go upstairs, and he’s in with Miss Matthews—”

“Courtney?”

“Yeah, yeah, she was here, I think to get some things. She had to come back later. But when I came in, she was crying. Upset, and she left. Sonny was destroyed. Just crying. Sobbing,” Max remembered. “So I got the sedatives and I did what Jason said. And we’ve kept him sedated ever since.”

“Courtney came back twice? She hasn’t answered any of my calls,” Mike said. “I know she must have heard about Jason and Elizabeth, about the baby, but I figured she’d be with Carly. Did she know about the shooting?”

“Yeah.” Max frowned. “She left the first time, and came back. She’d forgotten a suitcase. And then she came back a few hours later. She was in the living room across the hall when I came down from checking on Sonny. She said she wanted to see how he was. She had some clothes in her arms, she wanted to get some things for Carly, for Michael. I didn’t think anything about it.”

“Okay. I’ll track her down. Right now—” Mike considered the options. “My instinct is to go to the PCPD, to come clean. But they’ve complicated all of this by dragging Jason in there. I don’t know if telling them about Sonny right now would help or hurt. I don’t want to do anything that’s going to screw things up for Jason more than they already are.”

“Totally fair. So maybe we just keep things status quo until we hear from Jason?”

“Keep Sonny calm. Whether that means you just keep—let’s just keep him where he is. Full-time guard. Christ, I don’t know. This is such a mess.”

“It’ll be okay. Jason will get out of jail, and he’ll tell us what to do. I’m just the orders guy, Mr. Corbin, and I think maybe you are, too. Jason’s the decisions guy. I’m not doing anything without his say.”

“Good. I’ll update Bobbie on this, and I hope like hell his lawyer is here by now.”

“Oh, yeah? Who are we going with? I figure we’d run through most of what PC has to offer.”

PCPD: Squad Room

Scott heard a familiar voice, and winced. He turned to find Bobbie striding through the double doors with Justus Ward hot on her heels. Well, this wasn’t great news, he thought. He’d never worked with Justus, but he’d heard enough to know that the cooperation he wanted from Jason wasn’t just on life support, it was dead in the water. For now.

“Bobbie, I hope you’ve had some time to rest—” Scott’s words were cut off when her hand connected to his cheek and his head snapped to the side.  A few officers rose from their desks, but he held them off. “Settle down, fellows. She’s had a long night. And, uh, I had that one coming.” He rubbed his jaw. “I see you brought Junior a lawyer.”

“My daughter is in a coma, and might never wake up. My grandson is at home alone with a nanny, and you have me here fighting you when I should be fighting for them,” Bobbie hissed, and he had to look away from the fury—from the disappointment in her eyes. “Jason is here when he should be with Elizabeth. Did you know she might have nerve damage? That while you’re here playing games with her case, with Carly’s, that Elizabeth might never pick up another paintbrush? Does it matter to you that my grandchild might be born and my daughter never knows? Never holds him?”

“Bobbie—”

“No! No! Because I know you know this is bullshit. You know I’m not lying. You know Jason was with me the whole time. So whatever you’re doing, it’s a game. You’re thinking about winning! How dare you play these games? Wasn’t it enough what you did this summer? Did you have to continue to prove how little I matter to you? Don’t think I know that after all these years?”

Scott flinched, dropped his gaze to the floor, swallowed hard. Then he lifted his head, looked at her. “I promise you, Bobbie, that I’m doing what I think is best for everyone to get justice. Carly and Elizabeth are not far from my thoughts. They’re the reason I’m doing this. And as angry as you are with me—and as much as I deserve it for what I’ve done, for the millions of ways I’ve disappointed you—” He paused. “I’m doing what’s right. I can’t fix Carly, okay? I can’t fix any of that—it’s not in my power. But punishing the man who caused it? Who started all of this? That’s what I’m doing. Now you can either get on board with that, Bobbie, or you can get out of my way.”

She searched his eyes, then only scowled more deeply. “You actually believe that, don’t you?”

“I don’t know, Bobbie. Why don’t you tell me where your son-in-law is? Why don’t we have a conversation with him about this case? His best friend, his wife—” Scott lifted his brows when she just pressed her lips together. “Who’s playing games now, huh?”

He looked past her to Justus who had remained quiet throughout the exchange. “Your client is in the room. But she stays out here. You know, pesky privilege and all.”

“Bobbie’s going to come in for a few minutes to pass information about my client’s—” Justus shifted his eyes to Bobbie. “She has a health update. If you care so much about Carly Corinthos and Elizabeth Webber, I’m sure you won’t mind that. And then she’ll leave so that I can get to work.”

“Fine. Do whatever you want. You will anyway.” Scott stalked off in the other direction, bitterly disappointed in Bobbie. Maybe he wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t protecting a crime boss who was hiding from something and if it was the last thing Scott did, he’d find out what that was.

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

Elizabeth looked in the doorway expectantly as Audrey stepped in, then closed the door. “Is there an update? Did the police release Jason yet? Can I go home?”

“All I know about Jason, dear, is that Justus Ward has arrived, and they’re at the PCPD right now. We just have to trust that Justus and Bobbie will look after him now, all right?”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, nodded. “Justus. Jason trusts him. I know he does. It’ll be okay if Justus is here. Alexis would be better.”

“No doubt, but she’s having her own troubles.” Audrey took a seat next to the bed. “I spoke at length with Tony about your case. He wants to keep you here another three or four days. Your risk of miscarriage is not zero, though no one has any serious worries on that score. But you did have a head injury. I reminded Tony that those extra days are about observation, and I am fully capable of doing that.”

“And?”

“He will allow you to check out tomorrow afternoon if your condition remains stable or continues to improve. I think that’s very fair, darling. And as for your worry about Ric Lansing down the hall—” Audrey pressed her lips together. “Well, I just spoke to a very nice man outside. It seems Jason had already made arrangements prior to all this. You’ll have someone on this door until you leave. And then at the house.”

“Oh. I should have known Jason would—” Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “All right. All right. Um, if Jason—if they don’t let him go, he has to be arraigned. I want to go to that if I’m out in time, but if I’m not, you’ll go. You’ll tell him I’m all right. I don’t know if they’ll let him out on bail. I mean, they arrested him for nothing—”

“Don’t get so upset or worked up. Jason is an adult with a strong support system. I spoke to Alan and Monica, and it seems Edward is working behind the scenes. But yes, if you are not able to be there—and I’m strongly encouraging you to stay home—then I will be there, in your stead. On one condition.”

“That I rest, eat when I’m supposed to, and not get upset,” Elizabeth muttered. Audrey smiled.

“Precisely. How wonderful that we don’t even have to argue.”

PCPD: Squad Room

“How’s Elizabeth? Carly?” Jason asked, half-rising as soon as Bobbie and Justus stepped inside. He blinked, seemed to actually realize who Bobbie had brought with her. “Justus. I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“You had other priorities. That’s fair.” Justus set the briefcase on the table. “Bobbie?”

“Carly is unchanged. The baby is stable. I spoke to Leticia, she’s going to keep Michael out of school this week to avoid the news. Right now, he just thinks Carly is getting some help for his little brother. I thought—well, I’d hoped we could talk to him together when this madness has ended.”

Bobbie paused. “Elizabeth is fine. Stable. So is the baby. Everyone is all right, Jason. I want you to focus on getting out of this mess. And I want you to do whatever Justus says will make this go away.” Her eyes found his. “Whatever that is. Do you understand me? You are the priority. I need you with me for what happens next. Elizabeth needs you. Your child needs you.”

“I hear you, Bobbie.”

“Good.” Bobbie looked at Justus. “Get him home. Whatever has to be done.”

Justus watched her leave, furrowed his brow, then looked back at Jason. “Okay, yeah, you’re going to start from the beginning and don’t leave anything out. Because I got a feeling there’s some fuckery afoot.”

General Hospital: Ric’s Hospital Room

Capelli nodded to the officer on duty, then closed the door behind. “Ric. Doc says you might be up for more questioning.”

Ric winced as he adjusted himself in the bed. He looked like hell, Capelli noted, with deep lines in his face, his hair disheveled across his forehead. “They won’t tell me. Elizabeth. Carly.”

Capelli tipped his head to the side. “Elizabeth is stable. Carly’s in a coma. Why don’t you tell me what happened last night? Start with why you were at Kelly’s.”

Ric cleared his throat. “It’s…fuzzy. You know? Like—” He gestured weakly with his hand. “A film is over it in my head. I went there to talk to Elizabeth. The divorce—”

“Don’t you have attorneys for that?”

Ric grimaced, closed his eyes. “Yes. Wish I’d stayed home. But I know if I just could just talk to her, just the two of us—”

“You mean get her alone?”

Ric opened his eyes, squinted. “What?”

“Never mind. You got to Kelly’s to talk to your ex-wife.” Capelli jotted a note. “Was she alone?”

“N-No. No. Um—Carly was there already. And Courtney. I think—they were arguing. All of them. About the affair. Courtney knew about it,” Ric said. He furrowed his brow. “But Carly didn’t. This—she was just learning about it. I stepped up behind them. Then—then I heard footsteps, and I turned—and it was Jason. He was angry that—” Ric closed his eyes. “I didn’t care. I turned away from him, I walked towards the women—and then I felt the pain. The shot.”

“So you didn’t see Jason shoot you?” Capelli asked, lifting his brows.

“No, but I saw him an instant before I was shot in the back, so you do the math.”

“Don’t worry, Ric.” Capelli made another note. “That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

PCPD: Squad Room

Justus strolled out of the interrogation room, found Mac waiting for him. “I wish I could say it was good to see you,” he said dryly.

“Feeling’s mutual. Look, I don’t know if Jason told you what Scott’s plan is—”

“Oh, he did. I’ve never worked with Scott Baldwin, but his reputation for being…” Justus pursed his lips. “Ethically loose, shall we say? That’s pretty well-known. But you, Mac? You’d never go along with this. My client and I are calling bullshit. And we’re calling your bluff. We want an arraignment, and a bail hearing. My client has places to be, and people counting on him.”

“Scott’s on the level, I promise. He’s an idiot, but—”

“If what Scott told my client is accurate, then you don’t need him to prove anything about your so-called witnesses. We both know that’s not the plan. So maybe Scott knows Jason is innocent, but he sure as hell isn’t being straight on what he wants. You have to what you need to discredit your witnesses. And my client is here for nothing. So book him and let’s set some bail, or let’s all go home. Your choice.”

+39

Written in 60 minutes.

General Hospital: Hospital Room

The figure stretched out on the hospital bed, skin nearly as pale as the sheets beneath her, head wrapped in gauze, any hint of her honey blonde hair tucked away—the patient barely resembled her daughter, and if not for the rounded belly, Bobbie might think she was in the wrong room.

“Hello, sweetheart.” Bobbie sat down, took Carly’s hand, ignoring how limp it was. “I’m sorry I wasn’t in earlier. I meant to — I sat all night and morning in the waiting room, just ready to pounce as soon as they told me I could be with you. But then this awful tragedy was just compounded, and I knew—” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “I knew that you’d want me to look after Jason. That if you were awake and able, you’d be down at the PCPD, railing against the injustice. So that’s where I’ve been.”

Carly’s face didn’t move. Not even a twitch of her lips. Bobbie swallowed the small bubble of hysteria that rose in the throat, forced it back down. “And Michael — he’s in good hands. You know how he loves Leticia. She’s looking after him. Everything is just fine. You rest, you heal, and we’ll take care of everything else.”

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

Down the hall, Audrey had a cell phone in her hand, using her reading glasses to peer at the small print. “Oh, heavens, I simply will never learn to use these until they make these buttons easier to read.”

“Just find number three,” Elizabeth murmured, turning her head slightly, pressing her cheek against the pillow. “Press down. It’ll make the call.”

“Oh. All right—oh, there we are. If we wait any longer to call Emily, she’ll show up here, and you know that can’t happen—”

“No, not until her immune system has recovered.” With her free hand—with her only hand—Elizabeth retrieved the phone from her grandmother.

“Elizabeth? Oh thank God, I was about to have my parents storm the hospital, because let me tell you, this house is in chaos—between you and Carly, and then this absolutely fuckery—I will—” Emily stopped, and Elizabeth audibly heard her friend take a breath. “I’m sorry. Are you okay? What’s the situation? What can I do? Who can I fight? What do I do? I need you to give me something to do.”

“I’m…okay. Cautiously in stable and good condition. And I know your brother would hate it if your family was involved in this, but if it gets him out of that awful police station—” She closed her eyes, swallowed. “I don’t care. Tell Edward to call a Senator. He always threatens to. I’ll take the blame.”

“Listen, that’s on the menu, believe me. And—Liz, listen, you know that—well, everyone knows. About the baby.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I gather Jason said something to the paramedics, and well, it didn’t take long. I  can’t be bothered with that right now.”

“Of course not. Plus, we already agreed that this is the best thing that ever happened to all of us, so anyone who doesn’t agree with us can go pound sand for all I care.” There was a pause. “But can you—I mean, is that—are we all systems go on that? Because I know there’s risks after surgery, and with what happened—”

“So far so good. Um, I think—I think the risk was already at eight percent before I woke up, and it falls every day or so as I recover.”

“Good. Good. That’s the best thing. What can I do? Give me something.”

“You can focus on your health. On getting better. So that your niece or nephew has a aunt to spoil them and take their side.”

“Liz—”

“I can’t do anything either, Em. All I want—” She closed her eyes, the tears hot as they slipped past her lashes. “I want to be at the PCPD, screaming at anyone who can listen. I don’t know what they’re thinking or why any of this is happening—I don’t even know what happened—I just know Jason should be here with me.”

“Then we’ll get him back to you. I’ll call Grandfather and unleash the dragon. You’re right, Jason can be mad at us later. The important thing is getting him back to you and my niece or nephew—you know, they call them niblings when you’re talking about a mixed group, so that’s what I’m gonna do until we have a name. You take care of my nibling, and I’ll get the President involved. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Audrey took the phone, closed it, then removed her reading glasses. “Can I get you some more water, or—”

“You can—” Elizabeth took a deep breath, winced as she moved slightly. She looked down at her arm, at the hand she couldn’t move. Couldn’t feel. No. No. Not thinking about that right now. Couldn’t. Jason said he’d find a specialist to fix her, and she believed him. Now was the time to focus on Jason. To put him first. “You can find a doctor. How long do I have to be in the hospital?”

“Elizabeth—”

“I know. I just had major surgery. I’m at risk for a miscarriage, but I hate it here. Ric’s down the hall, I heard the doctors say so. I don’t want to be here, Gram.”

Audrey stroked her hair. “All right. All right. I’ll talk to Tony. I’ll do whatever I have to do. We’ll get medical equipment at the house. You and my great-grandchild are my only priority.”

The tears continued to spill down her cheeks, but Elizabeth didn’t have the energy to wipe them away. “You mentioned the baby. You didn’t before.”

“Well, I learned quite by accident, and then Jason told me you’d only learned about it yourselves. And that you were happy.” Audrey smiled, continued to stroke Elizabeth’s hair away from her forehead. “And when we learned that you’d made it through the surgery, that the risk to the baby was so low, oh, the relief on that man’s face! I remember him, you know, with Michael. He was such a devoted father.”

“You’re not m-mad? D-disappointed?”

“I’m disappointed in myself, my darling. A week ago, I might have thought of the circumstances first, or started another one of our old arguments about Jason. And I’d have been wrong. Very wrong. You are my granddaughter, and there is nothing you have to do to earn or keep my love. It simply exists. You are going to be a wonderful mother, and I want to be here to support you on every step of this journey. What a joyous blessing for us all. Something to look forward to, to plan for this in this dark time.” Audrey kissed her forehead. “Something to fight for. I couldn’t be happier.”

PCPD: Interrogation Room

Courtney. Courtney was the other witness.

He couldn’t wrap his mind around that fact, couldn’t make it real. Courtney, the woman he’d asked to marry him—the woman he’d planned a life with—had turned away a future with Elizabeth for—

—who he convinced himself he loved because she fit in his life, because she understood it—

Courtney was the other witness.

Scott had continued to talk even as Jason’s thoughts had raced in other directions, and now he turned back into the district attorney.

“Like I said, I was pretty sure that Ric was lying about the whole thing. His version didn’t match our preliminary evidence,” Scott continued. He scratched his chin. “Well, it did, and it didn’t, you see? Because we figured Liz and Carly—they were accidents. Or at least, not the primary target. But what I couldn’t make work—what tripped up Mac, too—was that you’d ever open fire with them so close.”

Jason forced his expression to go blank. Couldn’t let Scott know what he was thinking, couldn’t give the man an inch. Maybe Scott was saying he didn’t think Jason had pulled the trigger, but Jason was still in handcuffs. Still under arrest for attempted murder.

No, better to let Scott keep talking and find out exactly what the man thought, what he wanted, and then make any necessary decisions.

“At first, when she showed up with the gun, I thought—well, it can’t matter what I think you’d do. Or what Mac feels about your character. What matters is the evidence. And we had two independent witnesses saying the exact same thing. And you’re known to them, you know? No mistaken identity. Plus, the weapon Courtney had recently been fired, but wiped for prints.”

Courtney had the gun, Jason thought. She’d been at the Towers last night. Max had said as much. When? What time? She could have gone in to see Sonny, found the gun.

“So we take her back here. Get a full statement. But she’s not adding details, you see? Just the same set of facts over and over again. Not adding, not elaborating. And for a while, I thought, well that’s the truth then. Story never changes. Never trips up. But then I watched the video we made. And I watched her repeat that story. And she didn’t have a story so much as she had a trio of facts.”

Scott held out his hand, one finger raised. “One. She was at Kelly’s last night. Two. She saw you shoot Ric, and Liz and Carly were accidentally hit. Three. You gave her the gun to hide and told her to leave. Never deviated. And you know why? Because she’s lying.”

Jason wanted to ask how he was so sure Courtney was lying — normally, sticking to the story was a good thing, especially when she wouldn’t have had time to rehearse. Or talk to Ric— Jason squinted. Unless—

“I think she kept her story limited until she had time and space to think,” Scott continued. “Normally, someone telling the truth? They’ll give you more when you ask for it. Why were you at Kelly’s, I ask. She doesn’t know. Why were Liz and Carly there? She doesn’t know. When did you get there? Where was Bobbie? She won’t answer any of these questions. Tries to act like it’s all a blur except for those three facts. But that’s not how someone tells the truth, Morgan.”

Scott looked away. “But I couldn’t explain it. I couldn’t explain why she and Ric were telling the same story without talking to each other, and she wouldn’t have seen him. I was there when he woke up. And no one else came in that room before I talked to Courtney. And Bobbie? I believe her. You, I’d never believe a word you said, I’m just gonna be straight with you.” He twisted in the chair, leaned forward. “But you also would never tell me anything, so  that doesn’t matter. Bobbie? Bobbie’s not going to lie or protect the man who put her daughter in a coma, endangered her grandchild. Who shot Elizabeth and put that baby at risk. She says you were with her in the parking lot when you heard the gunshots. Says there was maybe one minute, two before you got to the courtyard.”

“We parked near the street,” Jason muttered. He dragged a hand down his face. “I always park near the street.”

“For quicker getaways, I’m sure,” Scott said dryly, and Jason shot him a dark look. “Fair enough. You had to cover the entire parking lot, and it’s not a small one. They share it, right? With other businesses on Elm. Right. Anyway. Back to what I was saying. I couldn’t explain her story, Ric’s story, and make it come out with what I know is the truth — Bobbie.”

“It’d be easy to just discard the story, you know? To just say well, Ric hates you because you’re Sonny’s best friend, his chosen brother, and apparently, Ric’s got mommy issues or something. Courtney’s an easy sell. She hates you because you knocked up another woman. But that’s where she made her mistake. That’s where I finally realized why they were telling the same story.”

Jason frowned at him, shook his head slightly. He didn’t follow that.

“Courtney shouldn’t have known that fact. Not yet. Not if you believe the rest of her story. She said she was at the Towers, freaking out, then she went to Carly’s to check on Michael. Mac and Capelli told her the news — she didn’t know that yet. And I’m gonna tell you, Mac was there for both statements — he said she was lying from the beginning. Because he believes her surprise was genuine. Which means — she doesn’t know about the shooting. And if you don’t know about the shooting, you don’t know that the paramedics came into the ER and said the word pregnant a little too loudly. Only a handful of hospital staff would have known. Then. I looked at that list, just to check my thinking. No one Courtney would know. It’s not in the media. Not in the papers. It’s not out there unless you know the players.”

Jason exhaled slowly, looked at the wall, considered Scott’s theory. Learning about the pregnancy could be a trigger, he thought. One to make Courtney angry enough to look for revenge. To make Jason pay.

“And then I remembered who else talked about it in the hospital. Me. Mac, Capelli, and me. We were discussing Ric’s story, and Capelli asked about the pregnancy, and I said you were the father. Then maybe a minute, maybe two later, she rushes up and she’s got the gun. And this story. She overheard that detail, and she changed her mind right then and there. I think she was going to turn in whoever actually did this, Morgan, and decided to pin it on you.”

Scott leaned in. “What do you think about that?”

Jason faced forward, looked down at his hands, still cuffed to the table, then raised his eyes to Scott’s. “If you know they’re lying,” he said flatly, “why am I here?”

“Because I’d like to right a wrong. I’d like to nail Ric, and Courtney’s asses to the wall for obstruction and interfering with an investigation. I’d like to see what I can do about getting some justice for Carly for this summer. I can’t go back and undo what I did. But I can maybe go forward and do better. I need your help. And I needed Ric and Courtney to think I believed them.”

Jason squinted. “Let me get this straight. You know I’m innocent. You want my help. And you thought the best way to get that would be to walk into Elizabeth’s hospital room after she’d been shot and operated on, with the risk of miscarriage on the table, and you put handcuffs on me in front of her. In front of Carly’s mother. That seemed like a good idea to you? Knowing you were going to ask for my help?”

Scott opened his mouth, then closed it. “Okay. I see your point. I wanted a dramatic moment to prove things like I said—”

“You can go to hell. I don’t believe you. I don’t believe this isn’t a trap. So you go out there, you tell Mac that this didn’t work, and then you put me in lockup because I’m not talking to anyone until my lawyer gets here. That’s what I think about that.”

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

Elizabeth rested one hand on her still flat belly, her eyes watching the fetal heartbeat monitor, listening to the steady beat of her child. The child Jason had been so emotional about that it had melted any resistance her grandmother had ever shown towards him.

“He’ll be back,” Elizabeth said. She closed her eyes. “Don’t worry, baby. Daddy will be back for both of us. We just have to rest and be patient. He always comes back.”

Brownstone: Foyer

Bobbie dropped her purse on the table next to the door, but in her fatigue, misjudged the placement, and the purse tipped over, spilling its contents across her hardwood floor.

“Damn it.” She knelt down, started to shove it back inside. All she wanted to do was take a shower, to change, and maybe an hour of sleep.

She had just risen to her feet when the doorbell rang. Her purse clutched against her chest with one hand, she opened the door with the other—

And all her fatigue melted away. She grinned brightly. “You came so fast!”

“Well,” Justus Ward said, “you said Jason was in trouble, and I promised him I’d always be there if he called. What’s he gotten himself into into?”

“I barely know where to start, but I am so glad to see you.” She stepped back to let him in. “Let’s get to work.”

+42

Written in 52 minutes.

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

“What just happened? What just—” Elizabeth fumbled with her one good hand for the control for the bed, wincing as she raised herself to a slightly sitting position. “Gram—”

“Darling, let’s just—” Audrey took the seat Jason had vacated, her hands trembling. “Let’s just take a minute—”

Mike reappeared in the doorway, Bobbie on his heels, both of them grim-faced. “They’re gone.  What the hell can Scott and Mac be thinking?” he demanded. “Jason wouldn’t have done this—”

“He’s gone too far. Too far—” Bobbie fisted her hands at her side. “He’s probably trying to get Jason to flip on Sonny, because God forbid we do any investigation—”

“I don’t understand. Gram—why did they arrest him? Why—”

“He said there were witnesses,” Bobbie bit out. “When he got to the waiting room. Well, those witnesses are full of shit. I’ve a witness, damn it. I was with Jason for over an hour before we got to Kelly’s—I was with him when we heard the damn gunshots—” She pressed her hands to her mouth, closed her eyes. “Oh, God. Oh, God. What’s happening? Why is this happening?”

Mike went to her side, and Audrey just gripped Elizabeth’s hand more tightly. “We’ll get to the bottom of this darling,” she promised. “Whatever evidence Scotty thinks he has, it surely won’t take them long to learn it’s faulty. Jason would never put you or your child in danger.”

Elizabeth winced, closed her eyes. “Oh, God. Everyone knows?” Her head started to ache. “I don’t even understand what’s going on.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” Mike told her, patting the top of the covers. “You either, Audrey. We’ll get Jason’s lawyer and he’ll be out in no time.”

For just a few minutes in the alley that day, her world had seemed perfect. She was pregnant and the man she loved was excited to become a father.

It seemed so far away now.

PCPD: Squad Room

The entire room was quiet as Capelli directed Jason through the double doors of the entryway towards the interrogation room. Jason’s expression was as stone-faced as ever, though there were some evidence of his sleepless night in the disheveled nature of his hair and the weariness in his eyes.

But most of the cops weren’t interested in looking that deep. All they ever saw when they looked at Jason was a killer who’d gotten away with his crimes for far too long.

Capelli settled Jason at the table, locking the handcuffs to the table. “Someone will be right with you.”

“I’m not talking to anyone without a lawyer,” Jason said flatly, his eyes trained on the table below. “So there’s no point.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.” Capelli closed the door to the interrogation room, then joined Mac and Scott across the room. “What do you want to do now?”

“Let him stew for a little bit,” Scott said. “Make him wonder why we think we have enough for an arrest.”

“If this comes out wrong—” Mac slapped the file against Scott’s chest. “You’re the one going down for this, you know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

General Hospital: Hallway

Courtney edged around the corner, made a face when she realized there was an officer on Ric’s door. Why couldn’t anything ever go her way?

She’d spent half the night at the PCPD, telling her story with the least amount of details, not even sure that Mac or Capelli were believing a word she’d said. But then she’d seen Jason being marched through the lobby of the hospital in handcuffs, so they must have believed it enough to act.

Now she just had to make sure that she tracked down anything that could go wrong, and unfortunately, the list was long. It wasn’t easy to frame someone after the fact, Courtney thought, with some irritation.

How did she get the cop to leave the room long enough for her to get in and make sure he was gone long enough for to also make her escape?

She went back to the nurse’s station and stood at the counter for a long moment. She couldn’t get the cop to leave by crying for help herself — everyone knew who she was. If only she could find away for an unrelated person in the area to need a cop—

She watched the people in the waiting area for a while, pondering her options, and finally, after nearly twenty minutes, she saw her chance. An older lady rose and headed down the hallway — leaving her handbag behind.

Courtney waited an extra beat before hurrying over to the area, snatching the purse, then shoving it under the sofa. Then, she followed the lady, caught up to her relatively quickly. “Ma’am, ma’am?”

“Oh, yes?” The woman turned, smiled faintly. “Can I help you?”

“I was going to tell you—you left your purse back in that waiting area, but before I could grab it and bring it to you, someone else ran off with it.” Courtney widened her eyes. “I think he headed for service stairs!”

The woman gasped, felt her arm where the strap should be. “Oh, oh, I need security! Oh!”

“I thought I saw a cop around the corner! Why don’t you go check and I’ll go to the desk to get security?” Courtney suggested. She waited for the woman to rush off, then headed into the hallway that fed into another hallway where she could approach Ric’s room from the other side.

She grinned when she saw the cop leave his post. Finally. Time for Step 2.

General Hospital: Hallway

“No, no, you’re doing everything you can, Leticia.” Bobbie sighed, turning away just as the cop a few doors down left the room he’d been guarding. By the time Courtney had snuck around the corner, Bobbie was staring in the opposite direction, listening to her grandson’s nanny on the other end of the line and never saw her go inside the room where Ric was recovering from his own surgery.

“No, I don’t think we’ll be able to rely on Mr. Corinthos right now. And well, I understand Jason’s the emergency contact, but—” Bobbie nodded. “Okay. I’ll stop by later. And keep you in the loop.”

She clapped her phone closed, and looked at Mike stepping outside of the room. “Was Audrey able to get Elizabeth settled?”

“Yeah, she’s going to get something to sleep. I don’t like this, Bobbie, I don’t like this at all.” Mike shook his head. “How could anyone think Jason would do this?”

“Scotty only saw a link to Sonny and that’s all he cares out,” Bobbie said bitterly. “My mistake was not raising holy hell when he hired Ric Lansing.” She looked at Mike. “I don’t know how much you know about what’s been happening since this summer, but—”

“I know you and Jason were together talking about doctors for my son,” Mike said, pitching his voice lower. “And I know that when I went to the Towers last night, that guard told me Sonny had been sedated but that things had been difficult earlier.” He paused. “That Sonny had gone missing, but that he’d turned up.”

“Oh, God.” Bobbie dragged her hands through her hair, stared blindly down the hall. “He did it. He had to have done it. He was in the middle of one of his episodes, and he thought Ric was a danger.” She looked back to Mike. “Does Jason know?”

“He knows what I know, yeah. At that point, he was willing to let it sit while he waited to find out how Carly was. What Elizabeth would be dealing with.” He paused. “Jason was adamant that he be here when she woke up. He didn’t her to hear from some doctor about the possibility of nerve damage. But I don’t know what, if anything, he planned after that.”

“Probably nothing.” Bobbie stared down at the phone in her hand. “Even if we turned Sonny over now, it wouldn’t be proof. They said there were witnesses. As much as I want to throw Sonny to the wolves—”

“We’d better wait for Jason before we make any moves. And not do something we can’t take back. But we have to get him out of there—”

“What we need is someone who knows the lay of the land and won’t have a problem playing a little dirty politics.” Bobbie looked at Mike. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I’m thinking how fast is the flight from Philly?”

PCPD: Interrogation Room

Scott stepped inside the room, then closed the door behind him. Then he set the file on the table and took a seat, finally lifting his gaze to Jason’s.

The anger radiated so visibly from Jason’s broad frame that the younger man was practically vibrating—and the hatred and fury banked in his blue eyes made Scott visibly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, shifted in his seat.

“Let’s get started.” Scott flipped open the file. “Where were you last night around ten-thirty—”

Jason leaned forward and only said one word. “Lawyer.”

General Hospital: Ric’s Room

Courtney leaned against the back of the door, took a deep breath. “Okay, I only have maybe five minutes so let’s make it clear.”

Ric, already sitting up, a plastic cup in his hand, frowned at her. “What are you doing in here? You playing messenger for your damn brother, trying to finish the job?”

“Believe me, Ric, the last thing you want is for me to tell people what I actually know. I backed your story up to the cops.”

“My—” Ric’s eyes went cool. “Are you wearing a wire?”

“I told them that I was there last night. That I saw it. That Jason shot you, accidentally hit Liz and Carly, and gave me the gun to hide.” Her lips twitched. “Isn’t it lucky for you that I ran into the real shooter and got my hands on the incriminating gun?”

“What’s your game here?” Ric demanded.

“Look, we don’t have a lot of time because I also have to avoid Bobbie and Mike because, of course, Elizabeth would be recovering just down the hall. And of course that bitch is still pregnant, because why not? Why wouldn’t she take everything from me?”

Ric opened his mouth, then closed it. “I’m lost.”

“You can either play along and get some real revenge—and help me get the same— or you can tell them the truth, watch Sonny get locked up in the loony bin while Jason and Elizabeth get to walk away like nothing happened.” Courtney raised a brow. “What it’s going to be?”

PCPD: Squad Room

Scott nodded, jabbed a finger at Jason. “Good. Good. You keep being smart, and maybe this will go the way it should. So don’t talk until we get you someone. Is Bobbie already calling or should I get the public defender’s office on the line?”

Jason didn’t even have a lawyer to call, but he was almost sure that Mike and Bobbie would have someone down here, and then this circus would be over. How could anyone think he was responsible for what happened? Did they think he was stupid enough to open fire with so many people around?

Did they think he was too damaged to realize that bullets would ricochet in that tiny enclosed courtyard?

Whatever they thought, Jason didn’t care. A lawyer would show up, slap Bobbie’s witness statement in front of them, and then Jason could focus on what was next. Handling Sonny, making sure Carly had what she needed to wake up, and most importantly, flying in as many nerve specialists as it took to restore Elizabeth’s hand to perfect use.

Anything not on that list didn’t matter to him, so Jason leaned back and prepared to ignore whatever Scott would say next.

And then Scott started talking, and suddenly had Jason’s full attention.

“I’m sorry about this, I am. It had to be this way, though I get that you don’t see that right now. But we know you didn’t do this. We being me, Mac, and Capelli. I believe Bobbie. You were with her the whole night, with her when you heard the shots. I know you didn’t do this, and maybe you do. We can talk about that if you want. But here’s what I do know.”

Scott hesitated. “I made a mistake this summer. I believed the wrong person. I believed Lansing when he said his wife was being vindictive and telling stories. Hell, maybe I just told myself I believed him,” Scott murmured, more to himself. “I thought Lansing could finally get me the Holy Grail, that I’d finally get to see Sonny go down like the rat he is. But I didn’t think about Carly. And I sure as hell didn’t think about Elizabeth.”

Why was Scott saying any of this? Jason squinted, but said nothing.

“I think part of me believed him all the way up until last night. I went to him after his surgery. And when he woke up, he looked at me, and he told me you’d shot him. That it was you.”

Jason pressed his lips together. Ric had identified him. Okay. That made it slightly more sticky. Carly was in a coma and Elizabeth didn’t remember anything. It had been a risk for Ric, but he’d banked on being the only survivor without a head wound. But one witness wasn’t enough. It couldn’t be—

“I didn’t have a reason to doubt him, but it just—” Scott shook his head. “It felt wrong. You know? My gut said it wasn’t right. I was still thinking it through in my head, running it past Mac and Capelli, trying to understand the story even though it didn’t match the evidence—and then Courtney told us the same thing.”

Jason knew he couldn’t hide the reaction to that news. He jerked slightly, sat up, shook his head. Scott nodded grimly. “Yeah. That’s what I figured. So that’s why it had to be this way. I know they’re lying. But I can’t prove it. That’s where you come in.”

+41