Written in 58 minutes.

The Recovery Room: Storage Room

Jason hesitated in the doorway of the storage room, and watched Mike check off items on his clipboard. How many times had Jason watched Mike count inventory at Luke’s back in the early days? How many times had Jason sought Mike out in this very bar, looking for guidance and advice once Sonny had left? He’d been so grateful he’d named Mike as Michael’s godfather.

And now Jason had to face him, knowing that Mike, at the very least, suspected that Jason had hurt Mike’s daughter in the worst way possible. It wouldn’t be an easy conversation, but it was a necessary one.

“Been a long time since you came around here,” Mike said, not glancing up. His blue eyes looked at another shelf. “Not since Michael came home that last time. You didn’t have much need of me then.”

“Didn’t want to hear what you’d say to me,” Jason said, his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. “You never liked Carly much. Always said she’d get me into trouble. Easier to avoid you.”

Mike looked at him then. “I wasn’t wrong.”

“No, you weren’t.”

“Which of my children are you here to talk to me about?” Mike set the clipboard on the shelf, turned to face Jason more fully, his arms folded. “My son who’s clearly troubled and sliding out of control, or my daughter — who isn’t the woman you walked out with last night.”

Jason exhaled slowly. “Wherever you want to start, Mike, is fine with me. I don’t know if Courtney’s told you anything—”

“She’s avoiding me, too, so the news isn’t good, is it?” Mike walked past him, and Jason followed the older man back out through the hall to the small kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee, then handed another to Jason.”

“No, it’s not.”

Mike nodded, leaned against the counter, sipped the coffee. “You know, when I first found out about all of that—you and Courtney—I thought—well, that won’t last.” The corner of his mouth curved up in a half-smile. “She’s not for you. But I didn’t say anything. I don’t have a lot of power where my kids are concerned — or authority. My fault,” he added. “But then you were engaged, and I was okay with it. I wanted you to be a good match. Because I like the idea of you being my son-in-law.” He lifted his brows. “That’s not going to happen, is it?”

“No, I—I’m sorry. I won’t lie to you. I respect you too much for that.” Jason paused. “What Sonny said last night—about Elizabeth—it’s—it’s not the way he made it sound. But maybe it is. I don’t—” He stared down into the untouched cup of coffee. “We slept together,” he admitted. “And I know it was wrong because I’d made promises, but it didn’t feel that way. And…I wasn’t sorry.”

The words hung between them for a long moment, the silence lingering. Mike absorbed that. “I wondered,” he said, finally, “at how fast it was all happening. But I was just getting to know her, you know? I didn’t think I could say to this woman I didn’t raise and didn’t know — don’t you think it’s all too fast? Marrying one man, divorcing him six months later, going to his brother, getting engaged in a few months — it all seemed so rushed. And knowing you the way I do, having been around you since almost the beginning…it didn’t seem like you.”

“Mike—”

“If you’re waiting for me to castigate you, to judge you, to throw you out, well, you’re not going to find that here. Jason—” Mike paused until Jason reluctantly met his eyes. “I like Elizabeth, you know that. I always have, even when she was the young woman with the sad eyes, bringing Sonny brownies so he knew she didn’t blame him for that fire. Tammy liked her, too. Worried about her with that Lucky business. If she makes you happy, if that’s where you think you belong, then okay. But I’m not going to throw a punch. A man with my history, whose walked out on both his kids? Who I am to judge another man’s actions?”

Some of the tightness in Jason’s chest eased, and he cleared his throat. “I appreciate that.”

“Good. Now that we’ve cleared the air there—let’s talk about what really matters right now.” Mike set his coffee aside. “Tell me about my son.”

Port Charles Park

Courtney checked her watch, then sighed, leaning back on the bench and staring at the sky. She might not have had anything better to do, but Carly didn’t know that. Was Courtney supposed to waste her entire day waiting for her sister-in-law to show up?

“Hot date?”

Courtney lurched off the bench, whirling around at the sound of Ric’s voice. He stepped onto the path from behind a set of bushes. “What are you doing here?”

“Taking a walk. Just like you.” Ric tipped his head. “Waiting for Jason?”

“Carly. So you better not stay long,” she bit out. “She wants to do a lap around the walking track to stay active, and if she sees you, she’ll lose it—”

“That’s fine. This won’t take long. I feel like I owe you a slight warning—” Ric paused. “Elizabeth knows someone was slipping me information about her shifts. And she said as much in front of Jason, so—”

“Oh, I see you’re behind on the times—” Courtney raised her hand, wiggled her fingers with a bitter smile. “Turns out just telling you what time Elizabeth worked was the dealbreaker.”

His slight smile faded. “What?”

“Oh, yeah, marrying you, having a child with you, choosing you over and over again—” Courtney huffed. “None of that seems to register with him, but I’m the devil and she’s the perfect angel. I’m out, and she’s definitely back in—”

“You had one job, damn it—”

“So did you!” Courtney cut in, slicing her hand through her hair. “You were supposed to keep her distracted so I could get Jason focused back on me and our future—I did everything right, okay? I forgave him for sleeping with her. I accepted it, and just because I wanted to rub her snotty little face in it, I’m out in the cold, you’re out of luck, and they get to ride off into the sunset together—”

“Damn it,” Ric muttered. He dragged a hand through his hair. “And Jason definitely knows you told me her schedule?”

“I wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t assured me you’d get rid of her! I don’t know why I thought you’d be able to do it, not when she had Jason back on the hook. God, it’s just like AJ said, you know? He loves a damsel in distress, and I guess I wasn’t needy enough,” she retorted. Hot tears stung her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. “I didn’t know what a conniving, manipulative bitch she is—She managed to make me the unreasonable one, can you believe that—”

“Hey, watch it—” Ric snapped, jabbing his finger at her. “I’m not the one who just had to drag Jason to Kelly’s — that was all you, sweetheart. You watch how you talk to me—”

“Oh, what are you going to do?” Courtney said with a roll of her eyes. “Lock me in the panic room, too? You can’t lay a finger on me, and you know it. So go do what you were supposed to do and get rid of that little bitch. As long as she’s in the picture, Jason will never remember that he loves me.”

“I’m working on it, but maybe you keep your head in the game and focus on what’s important. Has her schedule changed?”

“No. She’s still on closings, but just be careful,” Courtney muttered. She folded her arms, looked away. “Jason knows, and she might get it changed. You better get out of here. Carly will be here any minute.”

Recovery Room: Kitchen

“Sonny,” Jason said slowly, “isn’t well. He’s…had issues for a long time, you know that. But it’s worse now than it’s ever been.”

“I’ve seen him talk to people like that before, but never Elizabeth. Not even when all that was going on with Ric last spring.” Mike furrowed his brow. “I know he feels strongly about loyalty, but there was something in his eyes—”

“I don’t know how much of that is Sonny or his paranoia. By the time we got back to the penthouse, he had started to lose time. He didn’t know what year it was. He thought it was last year, a few years ago—he thought Elizabeth was Robin—sometimes he forgets Carly,” Jason added. “And…he’s been seeing Lily.”

“Lily,” Mike repeated. He closed his years. “God help us. He’s seeing Lily because of Carly, isn’t he? Another pregnant woman he couldn’t protect.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I think Ric telling him about his mother—the story that Sonny pushed his mother when she was pregnant — that his mother left Ric with his father and went back to Deke—blaming himself all over again for that.” Jason’s mouth was tight. “With the kidnapping—it’s brought it all back. It was too much for him. He’ll be fine for days, even weeks, but then he slips and this last time, he didn’t recognize Carly. He was shaking her.”

“Jesus. What—”

“She’s all right. Max was there, and she’s staying somewhere else. He still—he never forgets me. That’s—that’s a relief, I guess. I can always bring him back.”

“That’s not fair to you,” Mike said. “It’s not,” he continued when Jason just shook his head. “And you must know that, Jason. It’s too much pressure on you to keep him anchored to reality.”

“I—” Jason didn’t know what to say. How to even think about it. “I know.”

“Do you? You’ve always taken the weight of the world on your shoulders, Jason, and sometimes I think you don’t realize it until it’s too late. It can’t be your job to keep my son sane. Not alone.”

“I—” His throat was tight, so Jason looked away. “It’s frustrating. Courtney knew what happened with Carly. Knew that Sonny was in this mood, and maybe she was hurt and she lashed out, but she set him off. And he went to Kelly’s. He did that in front of witnesses, Mike. What if I hadn’t shown up? What—” Jason cleared his throat. “It’s just…exhausting,” he admitted, “to feel like I’m the only one who can’t make mistakes. I’ve made a mess of my life, and I’m trying to dig it out, but I can’t do that alone.”

“No, you can’t. And you won’t. Do you have any plans? Or do we need to brainstorm—”

“Bobbie’s—she’s putting together list. Of doctors. Maybe someone can talk to him, or look at him, and tell us what to do. I don’t know, Mike. It’s all I’ve got right now.”

“Okay. Okay.” Mike stroked his jaw. “Okay. I like that. Bobbie will give you good recommendations, and we can take it from there. I’ll talk to Courtney. She gets to be angry with you, Jason, I think that’s fair to say. But you’re right. If she wants to vent — she can’t do something that makes Sonny’s situation worse.”

“I don’t expect her to forgive me, and I’m not looking for it. So if you could—thanks. And thank you for not…for not being angry about the rest of it.”

“The heart doesn’t listen to logic or common sense,” Mike said. “You love who you love, and we both know that life can be too brutally short to waste a moment. You say you’ve made a mess of your life. Let’s get you back on track, too. Just like my kids, Jason, you deserve to be happy, too. And I’m not going to let you forget that.”

When Jason got back into the parking lot, he felt lighter, and bit more determined. He wasn’t handling Sonny alone anymore, and after talking to Bobbie, to Elizabeth, to Mike, he realized he hadn’t needed to be alone at all. He should have brought Mike in sooner or talked to Bobbie. Or anyone.

But he was doing it now, and as soon as Sonny was on the road to recovery, Jason could get back to focus on what mattered most—

The phone in his pocket vibrated, and Jason pulled it out, wincing when he saw Carly’s name on the notification screen. He nearly ignored the call — but he already knew Elizabeth was at Kelly’s, and he’d made plans to see her later, and of course, Carly was near her due date.

“Hey. What’s up?”

Corinthos & Morgan Warehouse: Office

Jason’s heart began to beat faster when he came into the office, saw Carly’s tear-stained cheeks. “What happened—did you see Sonny?”

“It’s—” She pressed a hand to the small of her back and closed her eyes, wincing. “No. No. I—I was in the park. I was supposed to walk, and Courtney was going to meet me there but I was late—” She sucked in a sob. “Jason, when I got there, she was talking to Ric.”

Jason’s hands fell limply to his side, and he exhaled in a rush. “Talking to him how?”

“They—they were talking like they’d made a deal—” The words were halting, forced out, punctuated by sobs. “She told him Elizabeth’s s-schedule, and she was angry because-because Ric hadn’t gotten rid of her.”

Jason pressed his lips together, the rage crawling up his throat again at the thought of Courtney throwing Elizabeth to the wolves. “She said those exact words?”

“You had one job,” Carly said softly. “And he was angry, too, because I guess Elizabeth—I guess she figured it out, and Courtney was acting like you’d confronted her, so you know about this, don’t you?”

“I knew the basics. Not the rest of it. Elizabeth said Ric was always showing up when she opened, so she shifted to the closing shift. And he knew. Courtney admitted it to me the other night.”

Carly closed her eyes. “Why? Why would she do that? It—it sounded like Courtney thinks you’re sleeping with Elizabeth, but she’s wrong. You wouldn’t do that.” When Jason said nothing, she looked at him. “Jason?”

“The night we thought we were losing Emily, she and I—it just happened.” Jason shook his head. “No. No, I’m not going to act like it was an accident. I kissed her, and I wanted it to happen. We spent the night together, and I had made up my mind to break up with Courtney.”

“Oh.” Carly’s eyes were wide and she backed up a few steps until the back of her knees hit the sofa. She rested a hand on the arm of it and slowly sat down. “But you—you didn’t. I knew something was off, but I guess—” She rubbed her cheeks, pushing some color back into them. “I suppose that explains a few things,” she murmured. “Courtney did want to go to Kelly’s a lot these last few weeks. She knew.”

“I didn’t want to hurt, and I thought—I thought I owed it to her to try to fix things. I asked her to marry me. I thought that was supposed to mean something. But I already knew it wasn’t working when I found out what she’d done. That she’d told Ric Elizabeth’s schedule. She can be angry with me, but—”

“Giving Ric that kind of ammunition—and she must have told him about you two. He didn’t sound surprised when she said something.” Carly’s breath was shaky. “She wasn’t even scared of him. You know? She was…taunting him. Like they were actually—like she actually felt like they were on the same side. I don’t—that’s what I don’t understand. She’s…” Her eyes found him, and Jason swallowed hard at the shattered expression. “She said we were best friends. Like sisters. I wanted that to be true. I wanted to believe it. But how can she hold my hand through all of this—when she knows—she knows what he did to me.” She pressed two fingers to her lips. “She knows everything,” she murmured again.

Jason crouched in front of her. “I’m sorry. I know this has to hurt. On top of everything else.”

“Was she…was it a lie?” Carly asked. “Why didn’t I see it then? I—I should know when someone’s using me. I should know when I’m being played, don’t you think? I used to know that.”

“You’re a little off your game right now. It’s okay—” Jason scowled when his phone rang. “It’s—It’s Bobbie. She said she’d call when—” He answered it. “Hey. Yeah, yeah, I’ll come by and get it. Thank you.”

“What did my mother want?” Carly held out her hand, and Jason hauled her back to her feet.

“She’s going to get us a list of doctors. Sonny needs more help than I can give him. I don’t want you to worry about Ric, okay? He’s in the ADA’s office, and it’d be suicide for him to do anything to screw with that. Right now, anyway. As soon as I’ve got Sonny sorted, believe me, Ric’s the top priority.”

“Good. Good. You go ahead, get that list from my mother. I’ll call Rocco and get the car brought around.”

“Are—are you sure?”

“Sonny’s a danger to himself, and God knows who else like this. For all our sake’s, we need to figure that out. And I really want you to focus on getting rid of Ric. Especially when it seems like he’s focusing on Elizabeth again. He’s obsessed with her, Jason. No, I don’t mean like he loves her. I mean, obsessed. He won’t stop at anything to get her back.” Carly’s mouth trembled. “And I’m afraid of what he might to do to you if he thinks you’re a threat. Or even to her if she refuses to go back.”

“I’m handling it,” Jason promised. He kissed her cheek. “Call Rocco. And I’ll let you know what Bobbie says.”

Carly watched him go, then, still troubled, she reached into her purse and removed her phone. She punched in a few numbers, then waited. When the other phone went to voicemail she said, “It’s Carly. I think you and I should have a conversation. I have some information that you should know.”

+43

Written in 53 minutes.

Vista Point

It had been a nightmare from beginning to start, and not even the ride up to the observation deck with Elizabeth on the bike with him was able to clear his head this time.

He’d asked her to come with them. He’d spent the entire day thinking about Elizabeth and the incredible, out of left field news that their night together had created a baby, and what had Jason done the first time he’d had to choose between her safety and the insanity of his life?

He’d chosen Sonny. He’d looked directly at Elizabeth, at her quiet, shaken expression, and asked her to go with them, making it clear to anyone who had been there — including Mike, Courtney’s father — that Sonny’s accusations were based, at least somewhat, in fact.

He coasted the bike to a stop, then switched off the engine and waited for Elizabeth to climb off. She removed the helmet, shaking her hair free, running her fingers  through it with one hand, handing the helmet to him with the other.

Jason stowed it on the back of the bike, then stood there an extra minute, his hands curling into fists, his chest still tight, his head aching.

“I sort of told Emily.”

He frowned, then turned to look at her. “What?”

“This morning.” Elizabeth reached for his hand, and bewildered, Jason let her draw him up the short of flight stairs to the observation deck where the lake lay below them, the lights of Spoon Island winking in the distance. “I woke up, and I felt absolutely terrible.” She leaned over the guard rail, wrinkled her nose. “I thought it was the Doritos and Mountain Dew until I came back and listened to my answering machine. Dr. Meadows’ office wanted to a follow-up, and it all popped into my head. Something that should have happened and hadn’t—” Elizabeth turned back to face him, leaned against the railing. “I bought the test, took it, and went straight to Emily. I wasn’t going to say anything, but she sort of thought I looked happy.”

He moved next to her, also leaning against the railing, looked down at the ground. “What did she say?”

“I just told her that I’d suspected it and took a test, but that you needed to be the first person to hear the results. I don’t think she missed my point.” Elizabeth bit her lip, but she was smiling slightly. “It’s crazy, I know, but I didn’t even know I was happy, you know? And then she said it, and it was like a light bulb was on in my head — like, oh, right, that’s what this feeling is. It’s been so long since I really felt truly happy, I couldn’t recognize. Even before…when I was…” Her smile slipped. “Before. I had moments, but I wasn’t happy. I wanted to be. This is so not what I was planning when I woke up this morning. Any of it. But then again, I never did plan for you.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “You think I planned for you? All I did was go to Jake’s and think about starting a fight. You’re the one that yelled at me.”

“Well, you should have told me you wanted a fight. I’d have helped you with it.” Their eyes met, and his smile was a bit bigger now. “It’s insane. The timing is so wrong. I had a minute where I thought — maybe I should hold on to this. You’re dealing with so much, and I didn’t want to give you one more thing—”

“This isn’t—”

“That’s what I thought. This wouldn’t be one more thing to you. You’d take it seriously. No, that’s not—” She made a face. “That’s not the word I want. I don’t know how to describe, but as soon as I thought it, I knew I was wrong. You’d never see a baby that way. You’d…you’d see it like you see Michael. And I just—I knew I had to tell you. I wasn’t planning on the alley, but it just fell out.” Elizabeth reached out, traced a pattern on chest with the tips of her fingers. “And you were so happy.”

“I told Bobbie,” Jason admitted,” and her eyes widened. “I didn’t mean to, but we were talking about Sonny, and she asked about the tension she saw with Courtney, and I just—I don’t know. I wanted to say it out loud. You’re right. This is terrible timing, but I just don’t care.”

“Me either.” She leaned up, brushed her mouth against his in all too brief kiss, but was already walking down towards the next level and the bench. He followed. “That being said, I was hoping you’d understand if I say we should keep it to ourselves for a little while. You and I might see this as the blessing it actually is, but…”

“Not everyone will.” He sat next to her, took her hand in his, liking the way her soft skin felt against his. “Yeah, I get that.”

“It was…the miscarriage was harder maybe than it had to be. People knew, and I had to say it over and over again. And there’s—I mean, that happened because I fell, but there’s always a risk,” Elizabeth admitted. “I just…I don’t want to go through that again.”

“I—” Jason exhaled slowly. “Yeah. I agree. Courtney…she had a miscarriage in August.” He grimaced. “I didn’t know she was pregnant until it was over,” he added when she just blinked at him. “She found out, and she didn’t tell me. Then she came to Venezuela, and—something—it went wrong. The doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to have kids.”

“Oh. Oh, I’m so sorry, Jason—”

“I feel guilty,” he admitted, “because…when she told me, I couldn’t—” He looked away, unable to face her as he continued. “I really don’t know. I didn’t feel the way I think I was supposed to. She was upset, and I understood that, but I don’t know. It was never real to me. And—since the accident,” he forced out, now looking at his own hands. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to connections to that kind of thing. It was over before I knew it existed, and I was sad for that. But I also—I didn’t grieve the way she was. And I think that bothered her.”

“I’m sorry. I know that must have weighed on you. People feel things differently. Of course you’d be sensitive to how this would feel for her.” Elizabeth reached his hand, but said nothing until he finally looked at her. “Did you think I would be upset that you wanted to keep this quiet for her sake?”

“I—no, but—”

“You’re a good man, Jason, who was in a difficult position, and I know you did the best you could—”

“Did I?” he muttered. “I took the easy way out — I stayed with her—”

“I stayed with Lucky, didn’t I? You never slammed the door in my face even when you should have. And I needed to know for sure. I needed to know that it wasn’t just the way I felt about you that was destroying that relationship. Lucky and I were broken before you came home, I just didn’t see it. I couldn’t. I don’t blame you for staying.”

“You should. I don’t know why you don’t. It’s different. I told you I loved you. We slept together. I told you I was leaving—”

“And I knew it would never be that simple. It couldn’t be. You went back, and only you know for sure if you tried. And maybe—” Elizabeth bit her lip. “Maybe I knew that it wasn’t going to last. Even with you keeping your distance, I knew if Courtney felt secure, she wouldn’t have come in so often talking about the wedding. She wanted me to feel threatened, but all I did was feel sorry for her. Which would probably piss her off.”

“You’re a better person than me,” Jason said. “If we’d…if we’d been together, and you’d gone—”

“Lucky took a knife to your throat, Jason, and I accused you of assaulting him. I believed him. I don’t blame you for any of this, Jason. Even if I had a doubt, it’s all gone now.” Elizabeth touched his face, her fingers brushing against his jaw, pressing gently so that he’d look at her. “Because you don’t lie. Not with your eyes. And I saw the way you felt when you looked at me today. When I told you I was pregnant. I know you’re excited about being a father again, but I could see you were happy that we were doing this, and it let me feel free to feel that way, too. But we’re both aware of the circumstances that exist outside all of this. I have no need to rub any of this in Courtney’s face, and that’s all it would be if we told anyone now.”

He nodded, then brought her hand to his lips. “Thank you.”

“And give yourself a break for how you’re feeling about the baby she lost. You don’t give yourself enough credit for the way you’re rebuilt your life since the accident. For what you’ve been through.”

He exhaled slowly. “Maybe I would have deserved that once, but I don’t feel that way now. If it wasn’t for you — or Michael,” he admitted, “after a night like this — I might just get on my bike and keep going.”

Her brows drew together, and the corners of her mouth dipped. “I don’t want to be the reason you stay—something that holds you down—”

“No. No, that’s not what I mean—” He shifted, turning towards her, taking both her hands in his. “You make me remember why this is my home. Why running would just be the coward’s way out. To run away from the problems I created for myself. But I don’t want to do that again. To leave you. I talked to Bobbie, and she’s going to get some doctors that can give us some ideas what to do next. It’s…it’s not all the way fixed,” he admitted, “but I have hope. Even as bad as tonight was, you know? I think maybe I can finally see an ending.”

“I’m glad. And you know Bobbie is solid. She won’t give up.”

“I’m sorry,” Jason said after another moment. “We didn’t—I spent all day thinking about seeing you tonight. About what we’d talk about, what happens next. And that’s—we didn’t get to do that.”

“Sure we did. We decided we’re both deliriously happy about this,” Elizabeth said, and he smiled slightly. “We decided to keep it to yourselves for a lot of reasons. Maybe I’ll go to Mercy for my appointments just to be on the safe side. And you’re going to focus on getting Sonny better because you’ll feel better when he is. He looked so lost, Jason, when he came back to himself, and it broke my heart.”

“It’s hard to know,” Jason said slowly, “what’s Sonny and what’s not. Or if it’s all in there. He came to Kelly’s tonight because of what Courtney said. Did he mean to do that? Or was that whatever gets in his head? He accuses Carly of having an affair with Lorenzo Alcazar, you know that? Because after the panic room, she looked rested and healthy when we found her. Sunshine. Walking. Good food. He thought she was too happy.”

“Oh, oh, that’s awful—”

“He knows when he’s clear that it’s just his paranoia, his guilt over not finding her faster,” Jason admitted. “But he keeps forgetting. So did he do that tonight? Did he just come to talk to you, and forget? Did it start when we got back? I…I just don’t know.” He sighed, looked down at their hands. “I have to talk to Mike.”

“I figured. He’s always been so good to me, and I know you’re close to him, too. He’s Michael’s godfather, right?”

“He was…a good friend when Sonny was gone. I’ve always respected him. I just—I don’t want to lie to him—”

“Then don’t. Mike’s always struck me as a realist. He cares about you, Jason. Tell him the truth about what Sonny’s going through. And what…you and I are. Or about Courtney. You have my blessing to tell him whatever you need to. Even the baby. I hope he isn’t angry with you. Or me,” she admitted. “I’ve always liked him.”

“Thank you.” He sighed. “We should get back.”

“I know, but hey, you know—” Elizabeth followed him back towards the parking lot. “I’m not fragile. Maybe we can take the turns a little faster. You know it kills you to go slow.”

He grinned, handed her the helmet. “You sure?”

“I’ll let you know when I can’t handle it.” She fastened the strap beneath her chin, her eyes sparkling. “And hey, when we have that conversation about my studio I know you’re itching to get into, I promise to be reasonable.”

Jason laughed, got on the bike, waited for her slide on behind him, her arms sliding around his waist. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Studio: Hallway

Jason stopped Elizabeth as she fit her key into the lock, wrapping his hand around her wrist. “I know…I know you said we should take some time before…before we decided anything about us, but—”

“I think we’ve sort of skipped that step again,” Elizabeth said, smiling as she turned back, leaned against the door. “But I still want us to be careful. To be thoughtful about what comes next. I don’t want us to just crash into each other when things go wrong. You know?”

“I do, it’s just—” He rested his arm above her head. “When I’m with you, everything is in focus. I can see clearly, and I know what has to be done. I know I can do it. It’s hard to watch you go inside and not be with you.”

“I don’t love it either,” she admitted. “But I meant it. I don’t want to rush into this. We have months before we have to be parents. I want to get it right this time. That being said…not rushing doesn’t have to mean we don’t get to have our fun…” Elizabeth gripped his shirt, pulled him towards, and he sank into her embrace, drawing out the kiss until their breathing was shallow. “I’m just a phone call away,” she murmured, placing her hands on both his cheeks. “We’ll be okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

+41

Written in 60 minutes.

Kelly’s: Dining Room

Jason had been on Elm Street Pier, crossing over towards the street when the call came. And at Max’s words — “Sonny’s at Kelly’s and he’s pretty ticked off at Miss Webber. Something your sister said, I think. You should get over here.” — he’d been off and running, his heart pounding at the thought that Elizabeth might end up like Carly—

He’d jerked open the door to the diner so hard that the jingle of the bells sounded harsh and strangled. Sonny was at the counter, Elizabeth standing behind it, her eyes wide, her cheeks pale. Max hovered by nervously.

And three or four tables listening to every word. Jason swallowed hard, released the door, then stepped forward.

Sonny turned, his eyes hard and dark. “Good. She said she wouldn’t answer any damn questions until you got here. Maybe we can get somewhere.” He shot Elizabeth a look so filled with loathing and disgust that she swallowed hard, looked down. “She keeps talking in circles.”

He wanted to drag Sonny away from her — wanted to take him by the arm and shove him through the door, into the car, and just tell Max to keep driving. And maybe if it had just been the three of them, Jason would have done that—

But there were witnesses, and not only could Sonny not be seen as irrational or unstable, but there couldn’t be any hint of issues between them.

Jason crossed the room, putting himself between Sonny and Elizabeth. “I’ll answer any questions you want,” he told Sonny. “But we should go somewhere and talk. These people—” He gestured around them, and Sonny looked now, squinting then blinking rapidly. He hadn’t even noticed them, Jason realized. “These people just want to eat. So let’s go talk. You and me, I’ll—”

“No, I don’t want to talk to you. I want her—” Sonny jabbed his finger past Jason. “Courtney said it was because of her, so that’s what I want—”

“Elizabeth will come with us then.” Jason shifted, turning slightly so that he could see them both, met her eyes, hoping she could see the plea. Just let me get him out of here. I’ll take care of it.

She nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’m done in twenty minutes,” she said. “I—”

Mike appeared from behind her, emerging from the kitchen, his own eyes dark and worried. He set a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “You go on ahead, sweetheart. I’ll take care of it. Go get your things. Michael and Jason, you should wait in the courtyard, all right?”

Jason looked at the other man, at Courtney’s father, knowing he’d heard whatever Sonny had said. He didn’t want Mike to find out this way — he’d always been there for Jason, especially when Sonny had been gone. “Yeah. We’ll wait out there. Sonny?”

“Don’t try to sneak out the back,” Sonny warned her, and Elizabeth nodded, then disappeared into the kitchen. He turned to Jason, those eyes still flat, hard, and furious. “Let’s go.”

Kelly’s: Kitchen

“You okay, Lizzie?” DJ asked as Elizabeth came in, tried to open her employee locker with shaking fingers. “I called Mike as soon as—”

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” She exhaled slowly. Jason had told her Sonny wasn’t doing well — that he’d been having issues, but he’d never really gone into the detail. And the Sonny she’d always known would never have started that kind of confrontation with witnesses.

“You sure you’re okay to go with them?” Mike asked from the doorway. He came over, brushed her fingers aside and used his master key to unlock it. “Say the word, and I’ll make them leave—”

“Mike—” Elizabeth hesitated. “It’s not what you think—”

“I don’t think anything right now other than my son doesn’t look well, Jason looks a little panicked, and you?” He handed her purse she’d stowed inside. “You look worried. So if you don’t want to go, then I’ll make Jason deal with it. Sonny’s out of the diner now. That’s the important thing.”

She didn’t want to go, no, but Jason had made the suggestion, not Sonny. He wouldn’t have done that unless he’d felt like he had to. “No, it’s okay. Thank you.” She met her manager’s concerned gaze. “Thank you.”

“I like Jason, I always have. He’s been like a son to me, you know. Whatever’s going on, I trust him to do his best by everyone. Including my daughter, I suppose. You’d better get out of there if you’re going.”

Kelly’s: Courtyard

“You can go ahead to the penthouse,” Jason told Sonny. “I’ll bring Elizabeth—”

“We go in the same car so you can’t get your stories straight,” Sonny retorted. “Max, call back the car.”

“We came in the limo. Dougie is circling the block,” Max told Jason as he moved aside to take out the phone, but he sent Jason an apologetic look. “I’ll get him back here right now.”

“Where the hell is she?” Sonny demanded, craning his neck, looking through the courtyard. “If she’s trying to get out of this—”

“Trying to get out of what?” Jason snapped before he could think better of it, and Sonny scowled at him. “She said she’d come with us. She’s coming. What else do you want, Sonny?”

“You don’t get to talk to me like that,” Sonny retorted, stepping towards him. “You don’t make the rules, I do—”

Jason opened his mouth, but then Elizabeth stepped out, her purse clutched her arm. “Sorry, I had trouble with the combination on my locker. Um, where—where are we going?”

Sonny reached for her, as if to grab her arm, but Jason stepped in front of him. He didn’t care if they were in public, if people were still watching from inside the courtyard. He didn’t care if Lorenzo Alcazar himself strolled into the courtyard — Sonny wasn’t going to lay a hand on Elizabeth.  “You don’t touch her. She’s coming with us, but you don’t come near her. That’s the deal.”

Sonny furrowed his brow, uncertain now. “I—” He looked at his hands, then at Elizabeth just past Jason’s shoulder. “I wasn’t going to.” His tone had changed. There was less edge now. “We’re—we’re just going to talk, aren’t we?”

“Yes. We’re going to talk,” Jason said. He nodded when Max stepped back towards them. “The car here?”

“Yeah. Yeah. We’re all set.”

Corinthos Penthouse: Living Room

The ride back to Harborview Towers was short, tense. For a moment, Sonny had seemed to shift back into his old self, and Elizabeth wondered if that meant the danger had passed — but Jason didn’t seem to think so. She’d sat next to him in the limo, on the side seat along the windows while Sonny had sat alone in the back, looking pensively out the window. She’d wanted to take Jason’s hand, to just reassure him she was here, but she was afraid it would have set Sonny off.

Max hurriedly opened the door in front of them, and Sonny strode in first then whirled around to confront them when Jason closed the door, but kept himself between Sonny and Elizabeth.

“So start talking.”

“I—” Elizabeth began, but Jason held out his hand. It was different now. They were at home, and Jason didn’t have to be as careful. He wasn’t going to put her at Sonny’s mercy.

“I want to know what the question was,” Jason said. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know what the problem is, Sonny, or why you think Elizabeth owes you any answers. So before you start interrogate her, start with me.”

Sonny pursed his lips, then stabbed a finger in Elizabeth’s direction. “Courtney told me to ask her why you’d broken up. Why you’d told my sister that you never loved her. You slept with her, didn’t you? You’re having an affair behind my sister’s back!” His voice began to rise, and Jason grimaced. He’d made a mistake — he’d tried to refocus the attention on him, but it had only pushed Sonny back to the edge—

And damn Courtney for unloading on her mental unstable brother who’d already put his hands on one woman, and sending him in the direction of another woman. A man who saw betrayal as the worst crime that could be committed against him—

“What happens with Courtney is my business—” Jason flattened a hand against his chest. “Mine. I’m the one to blame if there’s blame to be given. Elizabeth doesn’t answer for any of that, okay? She’s not part of this. You be angry with me.”

“You’re not even going to deny it?” Sonny demanded, his eyes burning. “You betrayed my sister and you’re not even going to try to lie—”

“No, I won’t. I made mistakes, and I hurt people that matter,” Jason said carefully. “I decided you were right. You remember, don’t you? Months ago, you told me Courtney wasn’t right for me. That we wouldn’t be happy. You were right. I’m sorry I didn’t see that sooner.”

Sonny squinted, confused by that. “I was…I was right?” He looked down at his hands. “I was right. You—I told you to leave my sister alone,” he said more to himself. “Why didn’t you listen?”

“I thought I knew better. Okay? But I didn’t.” Jason stepped towards Sonny, sensing that he was really starting to shift and dial back. “I didn’t. Why don’t you and I talk about it, and I’ll have someone take Elizabeth home?”

“Elizabeth.” Sonny lifted his eyes, looked at her for the first time. “She said it was your fault. But you—you were here first. I don’t understand. How does that make sense?” He turned in a slow circle. “Where’s Carly? She’ll know. Courtney’s her friend. When did that happen?” he asked Jason. “Where’s Carly? Where’s Michael?”

“They’re not here right now. Sonny—”

“I’m wearing my jacket—” Sonny looked down at his sleeve. “Did I go out?” He looked up, looked at Elizabeth again. “Elizabeth. You’re here. Good. Good. I told Jason it’s good that you’re here. That you’re safe here. Alcazar, you know—he’s ruthless. He shot at you in a hospital, he’ll keep trying to hurt you.”

Jason swallowed hard. Sonny had slipped into a different time, and that always made this harder.

“I’m glad to be here,” Elizabeth said softly. “I know you and Jason will keep me safe. You always have.”

“Have we?” Sonny squinted. “You were kidnapped. Weren’t you? Jason was looking for you.”

“He found me. I’m okay. Why don’t you let Jason take off your coat? You look warm,” Elizabeth suggested. She shot Jason a look, as if asking for permission to move towards Sonny. Jason started to shake his head, but she was already stepping around him. Reaching for his jacket.

Sonny let her remove it, staring at it with confusion. “Why am I wearing that? It’s too hot for that, isn’t it? Where’s Carly?” He took Elizabeth’s arm, and Jason jolted, but it was a gentle one. “It’s good that you’re here,” he repeated. “It’s good. Jason misses you when you’re away. But you’re going to be a doctor. We’re going to be so proud of you, Robin.”

Jason came to Sonny’s side, sent Elizabeth a look that had her stepping back. “She’s going to be a great doctor. Why don’t we go sit down?”

“Yeah, yeah, we should talk about Moreno. He’s a pain in the ass. Tell Lily—” Sonny’s eyes flicked to the terrace. “Tell Lily to come in. She’ll be cold. She’s too used to Puerto Rican winters. But that’s not how it is in New York. Tell her.”

“I’ll tell her. Come on, sit down—”

Sonny frowned, looked at Elizabeth. “You’re not Robin. Who are you?” The edge was back slightly, but it was panicked. “How did you get in here—”

“Sonny—” Jason blocked Elizabeth from his view, forced his friend to look at him. “You know me, don’t you? You know who I am.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Why are you asking stupid questions?” Sonny demanded, vaguely insulted.

“Then you know you trust me. Elizabeth is with me. You know her, too. Elizabeth. You knew what she meant to me before I did.”

Sonny squinted, then looked past Jason to Elizabeth, then back at him. “Elizabeth. You take her for rides.”

“That’s right.”

“You talk about her. You were happy. She was—” Sonny pressed his lips together. “She was kidnapped, and you found her. Then she came to stay here. Elizabeth.” He looked at Elizabeth. “You left. You left Jason. And he’s engaged to my sister.”

“Not anymore,” Jason said. “Sonny—”

“Right. Right.” Sonny backed away, dragged his hands over his face. “Courtney. She told me you broke up with her. Told me to ask Elizabeth. And I did. I went. I asked you. But I don’t know why. I don’t—what’s going on? How did we get back here?” He looked around the penthouse, and his eyes were clear now. “What’s going on? How did we get back here?”

“We came back because I wanted to tell you about Courtney without witnesses. It was none of their business,” Jason told him. “I’m sorry I hurt her. I never wanted that.”

“No. No. I told you it was a bad idea. I knew you couldn’t love her. But I let it go. I let it go.” Sonny let his hands fall away, falling to his side like a child might. “It’s—I can’t make it come into focus. Why isn’t it—why can’t I keep it in focus?”

“You need to sleep. Lay down, and it’ll be okay in the morning,” Jason told him. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“Yeah, okay. I can—I can do it myself,” Sonny said when Jason started for the stairs. “You should take Elizabeth home. It’s not safe out there for a woman. Not alone.”

Jason stood there in the middle of the living room until he heard the door close upstairs, then he looked at Elizabeth. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for doing this to you, for putting you in the middle. I’m sorry—”

Elizabeth just shook her head, closed the distance between them and slid her arms around his waist. “Is it always like that?” she asked softly. He sighed, rested his hands on her shoulders, then down to stroke her upper back. Just touching her, hearing her quiet breathing soothed him.

“Not always. But that was the worst. He was…between a few different times. And he usually remembers faster. I’m sorry. I should have left you at Kelly’s—”

“But he might not have left,” Elizabeth said, lifting her gaze to his. “And you needed him to go quickly and quietly. I know that, Jason. I tried not to say anything that would upset him, because you’d told me he was struggling. I just—I didn’t have any idea how bad it was. You’ve been managing this on your own?”

“Mostly. He didn’t used to lose time like this. The moods just—he’d get depressed. Paranoid. But he’s been seeing Lily and his mother. Forgetting who people are.”

“Does he ever forget you?” Elizabeth asked. She slid her hands up to his chest. “What if he forgets you?”

“I seem to be the one thing he doesn’t forget,” Jason said, and the bitterness startled him. “I told you, I’m going to fix this—”

“You can’t fix this alone, Jason. And you shouldn’t have to. It’s awful watching it happen, and it must be awful for him to live through it. To constantly question his own mind and memories. I’m so sorry. For all of you.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m fine—”

“You don’t have to say that to me, Jason. You know that. You don’t have to be strong for me. Or pretend to have all the answers. This is one of those temporary problems you were talking about, isn’t it?”

“You—and this baby—you come first, so I—”

“This baby and I are perfectly fine right now. And we will be tomorrow and the day after that. Why don’t we go take one of those rides you told Sonny about and we’ll talk about what happens next.”

+42

Written in 65 minutes.

Kelly’s: Alley

I’m pregnant.

He couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even form a single word. His mind had emptied and his entire world had narrowed down to Elizabeth standing in front of him and those words on repeat. Pregnant. She was pregnant.

Jason opened his mouth, then closed it, then shook his head on a quick, short release of air. “What?” He had to hear it again. Had to be sure that there wasn’t a mistake—

Elizabeth tried to tug her hand back, but he held firm. Her eyes were a bit too wide, and her lips trembled. “I’m pregnant. I—I took a test this morning. Three of them, actually, and they all—oh—” She gasped when he suddenly jerked her forward and kissed her. He framed her face, his thumbs stroking the line of her jaw.

“I just needed to hear it again,” he said when he drew back, then rested his forehead against hers. “We’re having a baby?”

“Y-yes. Yes.” Her trembling fingers touched his shirt near the collar and she licked her lips, smiling tremulously. “You’re not mad?”

“Mad? Mad?” Jason shook his head. “No. No. I could never be—” He kissed her again, and she slid her hands into his hair, clinging to him as he backed her against the brick wall of the diner. When they broke apart, he cleared his throat. “I know the timing isn’t great—”

“Story of our lives,” she said, but she was smiling.

“—but this—all of it’s temporary. The problems with Sonny—I’m fixing them. I’m going to fix them,” Jason said, more confident than he’d been this morning. “A-and Courtney—” he hesitated now, because whatever she’d done, she’d still had a miscarriage and had been told she couldn’t have children. “But all of that—it’s temporary,” he repeated. “And this…this baby—” He couldn’t stop himself from smiling when he said the word. “That’s what matters.”

“I—I just didn’t expect—I don’t know what I expected,” Elizabeth admitted, her fingers stroking the side of his neck. “Maybe mixed feelings—”

“I love you,” Jason said, and she closed her mouth, her eyes flying to his. “I meant that. The woman I love just told me we’re having a baby. There’s nothing mixed about that for me. Is—I mean, for you—” He paused. “Maybe it’s different—”

“No. No. It’s not. Which is what’s insane to me. I mean, God, it’s all such a mess. You were engaged until last night, and I’m still not divorced—but when I realized this morning the possibility — I was so happy.” Her eyes were soft, the hint of tears in the way her voice thickened. “I thought I was crazy to feel that way, but I love you. I spent so long messing it up, but I do, I love you, and this wasn’t the plan, but, oh, as soon as it was real, it was all I could think about, and you feel the same? Is it this real life? Are we both crazy?”

“If we are, then I’m okay with that.” He slid his hand down to cover her abdomen. She was carrying their child. Right now. How could he wrap his mind around all of that? “It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens next, we’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

He tucked her hair behind her ears, kissed her again, then slid his hand down her shoulders to take her hands. “But you need to get back to work, and I have to start solving those problems I talked about. I’ll come back after closing.”

“Okay. Okay.” Elizabeth kissed him one more time, then went towards the door, looking back to smile at him. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’ll be here.”

She disappeared through the back door, and Jason let out of a rush of breath, scrubbed his hands over his face. Okay. Okay. He had to focus. He had to get his life together because he was going to be a father again. First, he had to fix Sonny, and that was easier said than done.

Morgan Penthouse: Living Room

Courtney dragged the suitcase down the stairs, the bottom thudding against each and every step. She looked around the living that she’d decorated so carefully and lovingly, her chest tight at the thought of Elizabeth coming in here and taking it apart. Making it her home. She didn’t care what Jason thought, Courtney knew she’d loved him, and damn him for making her feel too guilty to even lean on her best friend right now.

She twisted the ring from her finger and flung it towards the sofa, hearing the plink as it hit the hardwood floor. Good. Let him find it one day and think about her — think about what he’d thrown away.

Courtney lifted her suitcase and headed for the hallway, taking a step back when she saw her brother on the other side of the door, his hand poised to knock. “S-sonny.”

“Hey, I was coming to see Jason—” Sonny squinted at the suitcase in her hand. “What’s this? You going on a trip?”

“I’m—I’m going to stay with Carly.” Courtney edged around him, headed for the elevator. Sonny followed.

“That’s a lot of clothes, though. Jason’s okay with you moving in with Carly for a few days? I mean, I appreciate it, but I don’t—” He scratched his chest. “I don’t want you to mess up your life because of me. I—I’m going to get this sorted. Yesterday — it’s not going to happen again.”

“For Carly’s sake, I hope not,” Courtney muttered. She jabbed the elevator button. “And don’t worry about Jason. He won’t be lonely.”

Sonny tipped his head, his mouth pinched. “What does that mean?”

She pursed her lips, then looked at her brother. To hell with it. “Jason broke up with me and told me he never loved me.”

“What? What the hell happened—”

Courtney stepped onto the elevator and pressed the buttons to close the doors. As they slid together, she said, “Ask Elizabeth Webber.”

Warehouse: Office

Wanting to get the problems fixed didn’t exactly mean Jason knew how, and he’d been a little uncertain of that even before the distraction that was currently taking over his brain. Instead of thinking of ways to get Sonny help, Jason was thinking about the state of his will, and that it would need to be updated. And what he and and Elizabeth would discuss later — she’d spoken of taking space and time — that he’d needed more time before they could talk about their future, and he’d seen the wisdom in that. But now things were different — weren’t they? And she’d kissed him back—

Every time he tried to haul himself back into the current reality, he drifted again. There would be doctor’s visits, and Elizabeth definitely didn’t get health insurance from Kelly’s. There was her divorce to consider — how to get rid of Ric would have to be on the list of priorities —

Jason glanced up when one of the guards knocked on the open door. “Yeah?”

“Bobbie Spencer is here to see you.”

Bobbie. Bobbie would know what to do about Sonny, wouldn’t she? She’d have ideas. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

Carly’s mother came in a moment later and the guard closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry to interrupt—”

“No, I wasn’t—I wasn’t getting much done.” Jason got to his feet, gestured for her take a seat. “Is Carly okay?”

“She’s at the house, resting.” Bobbie set her purse on the chair instead of sitting down, and studied him. “You’ve been under so much stress  this last year. The trial, Carly’s kidnapping, and how close we came to losing Emily — now all of this with Sonny. I wanted you to know that I’m here. Whatever you need to do to help Sonny, I want to help where I can.”

“Yeah. Yeah, maybe you might be able give me some advice. Some discreet doctors I could talk to or something. Because I can’t—I have to get this settled.” He didn’t want to be called across the hall in the middle of the night when he had a newborn—and would Elizabeth want to live in the penthouse? He didn’t think he wanted to be there, but maybe he was already six steps ahead, because what if she didn’t want to live together at all— He realized Bobbie had said something and he missed it. “Sorry. Sorry. Can you—can you repeat that?”

“I could. But you might just tune me out again which isn’t like you.” She tilted her head. “Are you getting enough sleep, Jason?”

“Probably not. I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot on on my mind.”

“You know, it’s been a long time since you and I were close, but not that long. You’re part of my family, too, Jason. I hope you know that. What you’ve done for my daughter, and it goes without saying, you’re the best uncle Michael could have.” She paused. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed…a little relieved that Courtney had already left earlier. Are you two fighting?”

“We—” Jason rubbed his mouth. “No. We broke up. Last night. But it should have been weeks ago. Carly—she doesn’t know. About any of it. And I don’t want to upset her or—”

“Trigger her into helping, I’m sure. Well, I’d say I’m sorry to hear it, but now that it’s over, I have to say, I never liked the two of you together,” Bobbie said. “I hope you don’t mind me saying that.”

“I don’t.”

“I won’t tell Carly, though she probably wouldn’t be surprised. She mentioned things seemed a bit off. That you’d basically called off the wedding. I did…” Bobbie pursed her lips, hesitated, then continued. “I did notice you talking to Elizabeth at the counter. And she disappeared not long after you left. It’s none of my business—”

“She’s pregnant,” Jason found himself saying, because he wanted to say it out loud and he thought, of all the people in his life, maybe Bobbie would understand. “We’re having a baby.”

Bobbie opened her mouth, then closed it. She pressed two fingers to her lips. “Okay, so that wasn’t in my top five, but okay. Okay. Is she—how long have you known?”

“She told me this morning. In the alley. After I ended the engagement. It’s not an affair, not like that, Bobbie. I love her.”

“I know.” Bobbie cleared her throat. “Are you happy?”

“I am. Maybe I shouldn’t be—” And Elizabeth had seemed a little overwhelmed by his reaction, too, but Jason couldn’t help the way he felt, and he didn’t want to. “I know all the reasons why this shouldn’t be good news, but I can’t pretend to feel something I don’t. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

“Then don’t.” She reached for his hand, squeezed it. “Congratulations. I suppose we need to get Sonny and Carly sorted out so you can focus on your family. Let’s get started.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

The rest of her shift flew by, and Elizabeth barely felt her feet touch the ground the rest of the evening, moving through the dinner rush almost entirely through muscle memory. She’d never expected Jason to be angry about but the baby, but the joy and excitement — she hadn’t wanted to hope for it, and she hadn’t let herself feel either until she’d seen it in his eyes.

But he was happy. Ridiculously so, she thought, and couldn’t ifght her own smile, sorting through her receipts and tips. It was absolutely insane for all the reasons she’d listed, and all the rest of the ones they hadn’t talked about yet. Jason’s job, his problems with Sonny, Carly’s innate dislike of her, the drama that Courtney would almost certainly cause when she found out—and that didn’t even begin to describe Elizabeth’s worry for Ric’s reaction. He’d completely lost the plot when Elizabeth had miscarried their child, kidnapping Sonny in retaliation. How would he handle Elizabeth being pregnant by Jason, the man Ric loathed nearly as much as his brother?

All of that was on her mind, but it wasn’t at the top of the list. Not after the way Jason had reacted. Temporary problems he’d called them, and he was right. None of that had to last forever, and at the end of it—they’d have a baby. Their baby.

What would Jason want to talk about tonight? Her studio definitely featured, she thought, and she knew she’d have to bend on that. She needed an actual bathroom. A bed. A kitchen—

So absorbed was Elizabeth in her imaginary argument with Jason about moving to a new apartment that she didn’t hear the jingle of the bell over the door, but she recognized the man who walked through it, passing the handful of tables still remaining an hour before closing.

Elizabeth set her receipts down as the man approached. “Sonny. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“It sure has.” Sonny stopped at the counter, flicked his eyes around. “I thought you’d left this job.”

“I did, but that was when—when I thought I’d have a different life. Fortunately, Mike had a spot for me. Can I get you some coffee?” Elizabeth asked, half-turning towards the row of hotplates behind her.

“You can tell me why my sister says Jason broke up with her. Why you’re the reason.”

Elizabeth’s fingers twitched on the handle of a carafe, then released it, turning back to Sonny. “That’s a question for Jason. Not me. I don’t owe you any answers,” she said carefully, noting that the guard who had come in behind him was slowly stepping towards the courtyard, his hand going for the inside of his jacket. Calling Jason? She hoped.

“You don’t owe me any answers?” Sonny lifted his brows. “You lived in that house for three weeks while my wife was being held hostage in your walls. You defended that scum while she screamed her throat hoarse.” His tone softened, adopting an edge she’d never heard directed at her. “We both know you owe me at least a few answers.”

“I owe you apologies. You and Carly. Which you don’t have to accept,” Elizabeth said, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. “Whatever anger you have for me, the disgust I feel for myself is worse. I was a gullible, stupid girl who could have done so much more to stop it.”

Sonny squinted, took in those words, nodded. “All right. So if you want to make it right, you tell me right now what my sister was talking about.”

“I think Jason—”

“I think Jason isn’t here and you are. You’re so sorry, Elizabeth, then you can do this favor me, can’t you? After all, haven’t I always been there for you?”

She licked her lips, saw the guard was in the courtyard now, the phone at his ear. She’d never be able to distract Sonny long enough for Jason to arrive. She flicked her gaze back to Sonny. “Emily. The night she almost died, Jason and I were there for each other. You now how much she means to us both. It helped us remember that we were friends once. All of us. You, me, and Jason. I could always go to you, Sonny, and you were there for me. I’m so sorry that you came to me last spring—that Jason came to me— and I didn’t do that for you. I wasn’t a very good friend. And I’m sorry.”

“You slept together,” Sonny said flatly. “That’s why my sister left. Why Jason told her he never loved her. That’s what happened that night.”

“I—” Elizabeth bit her lip, looked at the other customers who weren’t even pretending not to be listening. “I think this isn’t a conversation we should be having right now. We can call Jason—”

“If the answer was no, you’d say that. So it’s yes.”

“It’s—I don’t know what Jason told Courtney or why. That’s why you should talk to him.” She reached for the phone. “Why don’t we call him and ask him to come down?”

“I’ll get to him. But I’m not finished with you yet.”

+36

Written in 58 minutes.

Harborview Towers: Hallway

Jason approached Sonny’s door with an air of caution. “Hey. Is he up?” he asked Max.

“I…” The guard cleared his throat. “I’m not sure to be honest. I haven’t heard anything, and usually it’s…Mrs. C who lets me know. I didn’t know if I should go in or—” Max paused. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine.” Jason twisted the knob, then pushed the door open. The living room didn’t look that much different than when he’d last left it — except Sonny was sitting on the sofa, his head in his hands, each fist clutching pieces of his disheveled dark curls. Jason exhaled slowly, then closed the door behind him.

“Sonny?”

His friend looked over at him, a bit blindly, then slowly got to his feet. “Carly. She’s…she’s not here.”

“No, she’s not.” Jason came around the sofa. “Let’s sit down. We’ll talk about where she is.”

“Is she—I don’t—” Sonny’s eyes were bloodshot, his mouth pinched. But he sat down, stared down at his hands. They were trembling. “Is she okay?”

“She’s all right. She went to stay at one of our safe houses. You don’t remember yesterday?” Jason carefully lowered himself to the coffee table.

“I—” He squinted, looked at Jason. “No. No. I came home. We had a meeting, didn’t we? At the warehouse?”

“Yeah. You came here, and I went to Kelly’s. What happened then?”

“I—” Sonny licked his lips. “I—I don’t know. Why is she at a safehouse? What happened? Did someone hurt her? Did someone get in—”

“You thought you saw Lily on the terrace.”

Sonny’s head whipped around, stared at the terrace. “No. No. Lily’s dead. I know she’s dead. She’s been gone a long time. I know that.” He focused on Jason again. “Don’t I?”

“Yes. You do. But sometimes you forget. Yesterday was one of those days. And you didn’t recognize Carly.” Jason paused. “You tried to find out what she’d done to Lily.”

Sonny pressed the heels of both palms against his eyes. “I hurt her.”

“You shook her. Had her by the wrists. She was upset. Scared. Sonny. Michael was here. With her. He saw it.”

“M-Michael—” Sonny swallowed hard, leaned back against the sofa, rubbing his forehead. “I put my hands on Carly. Michael it. I’m seeing Lily. How is—I don’t understand. Carly’s home. Carly’s home. She’s safe. Why can’t I make that enough?”

Because Ric Lansing had given Sonny one more horror story of a pregnant woman Sonny had failed to keep safe, Jason thought with some bitterness. If not for Ric, none of this would be happening. Sonny wouldn’t be losing touch with reality, Carly wouldn’t have been terrified enough to leave him, Michael wouldn’t spend so much time crying — and Jason could have a life without worrying about the next phone call.

But that wasn’t something Jason could say. Not right now. Ric wasn’t a problem they’d be able to solve overnight, but one way or another, Jason was going to end the psycho’s reign of terror.

“I don’t know,” Jason said finally. “But it has to change. We can’t keep going like this, can we?”

“No. No, we can’t. Tell me what to do.” Sonny sat up, looked at him. “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

General Hospital: Hospital Room

Emily was sitting in a chair by the window when Elizabeth peeked around the door. “Hey. The nurse at the desk said you’d been cleared for visitors.”

Emily beamed. “I’m being discharged tomorrow. Can you believe it?”

“No, I really can’t.” Elizabeth crossed the room, hugged her lightly, then sat on the edge of the love seat beneath the windows. “You’re in remission. Why can’t you go home today?”

“Oh. Something about my immune system. I can live with another day, especially since I didn’t expect to have any, much less five more weeks. I can finally get on with my life, you know? This has taken over everything, swallowed me whole.” She crossed her hands in her lap, then tipped her head. “You look good. Better than the last time I saw you.”

“Oh, well, the power of makeup, I guess. And a shower. I slept horrible, and I looked it this morning.” Elizabeth twisted her fingers in her lap. “But enough about me—”

“We’ve been talking about me for weeks, babe. It’s your turn. Come on. Are things okay? The divorce? Is there finally movement and that’s why you’re so happy?”

“Oh. I—no.” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “No. Ric is fighting it. I filed, um, almost three months ago, but he’s just…using all the tricks. Alexis says it’ll be another three months unless he gives up.” She twisted the silver ring around her finger. “You think I look happy?”

“Well, happy might be pushing it. But there’s something, right? Tell me. Please. All I’ve talked about for weeks and months is doom and gloom cancer, you know. Let me have some good news if there’s any to be had.”

Elizabeth hesitated. “Well, I don’t know if it’s good news. Especially with the way the story starts. The night…the night we almost lost you, Jason and I ran into each other in the chapel.”

“I knew it! I knew something was up between you! Jason was all squirrelly and refused to talk about you, and you were all weird—” Emily coughed. “Please continue.”

Elizabeth pursed her lips. “All right. Well, we, um, we spent the night together. And yes, I mean it the way you think.”

Emily’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh. But—but Jason’s still with Courtney. I don’t—what happened?”

“It’s a long story, and most of it is sad and ridiculous. Jason thought—well, he’d proposed. That was supposed to mean something. So he decided to stay and try with Courtney.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “And I told him it was okay, and wished him happiness.”

“And he was being all weird about the wedding. I guess this is why he was pissed when she was telling me wedding plans about this month, huh?”

“Yeah, I think—and this is speculation—maybe she thought if she went ahead with planning it, she could just…sort of guilt him into it. You know? Maybe I don’t know. Either way, that was a month ago. Jason and I avoided each other. Until yesterday. When Courtney set me up to see them having lunch. He was really unhappy she did that. And then you called, and they argued, and I don’t know — there’s so much that happened.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Jason came back to Kelly’s last nigh, and we talked. He told me he’s  breaking up with Courtney. That he means it this time.”

“And you said awesome, I love you, let’s be happy?” Emily said hopefully. “Because any other ending is stupid.”

“I said he’s been doing with a lot, and that I believe he means it this time, but maybe he needs some time on his own to really think about what he wants. Away from Courtney. And me.”

Emily slumped again in her chair. “You’re no fun at all.”

“I told him I loved him,” Elizabeth added. “If that helps.”

“A little.” Emily squinted. “So you’re just happy because you think Jason’s going to be single? No. There’s more. There has to be. I refuse to believe this is the ending.”

“Well—there was one more thing. I realized this morning that I was…late.” Elizabeth met Emily’s eyes. “So I went to a drug store and bought a test.” Her best friend’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Shut up. Shut up right now. Except tell me everything. Right now.”

Kelly’s: Dining Room

Across town, Courtney was twirling a spoon in her coffee, half-listening to Bobbie Spencer wheedle and whine to Carly, wanting Carly to leave the safe house and move into the Brownstone.

After leaving Jason the night before, Courtney had intended to pour her heart out to Carly, making sure the other woman knew exactly how Elizabeth Webber had manipulated Jason into leaving her, but then Carly had looked so tired when Courtney arrived that she stopped —

Jason’s words had cut deep, and Courtney was a little ashamed that she had thought first about how miserable Carly was going to make Jason if he broke up with Courtney instead of thinking of how much Carly probably needed Jason right now. She hadn’t used Sonny or Carly to get to Jason, and she was going to prove it by keeping her mouth shut.

“I just think that you’d be so much more comfortable me to look after you. I could take care of Michael.” Bobbie reached for Carly’s hand, squeezed it. “Come home with me, honey. Courtney can…she can stay a few nights,” the redhead said, sending Courtney a hesitant look. “I just—”

“It would be like admitting surrender, Mama. Like really leaving Sonny instead of just taking a break which is all I’m doing right now. He’s sick, you know? He doesn’t mean any of this. He really doesn’t. I love him, and we were so happy last spring. Those last few weeks before—” Carly looked at Courtney. “Remember how happy we were planning the wedding?”

I’m leaving you because I don’t love you, and I’m not sure I ever did.

“Yeah.” Courtney cleared her throat. “Yeah, we were happy.” They had been, and if Jason could just stop thinking about Elizabeth Webber, they could be again. She paused. “I’m sure Jason already has a plan for all of this.” If he’d even bothered to think about Sonny last night, she thought bitterly.

“I’m sure he does,” Bobbie said. “But—” She pressed her fist to her mouth. “Oh, I’m just so angry at Scott. For not immediately arresting Ric Lansing. For hiring him! They had everything they needed — your testimony, Michael and Elizabeth as witnesses—” She let her fist fall to the table with a thud that rattled the silverware and utensils. “Damn it. How could he work with that psycho? Who would ever work with him?”

“Maybe Scott had a good reason,” Courtney said, and Carly looked at her sharply. “Well, you know, maybe there’s something Ric can get him—”

“Sonny,” Carly said. “That’s what Scotty wants. He wants Sonny’s head on a stick, he always has. He thinks Ric is the key. But putting him in power—letting him out in the world—how could anyone think he can be trusted? Much less working in the system? It’s not like it’s his word against mine. It’s his own wife’s—”

Elizabeth again. She was everywhere damn it. Courtney tensed. “Well, maybe that’s the problem. You weren’t there to interview. Michael’s just a traumatized child. And Elizabeth, well, you know, it’s not she’s the most reliable witness.”

Carly stared at Courtney as if she’d grown as second head. “What are you talking about? She’s his wife. She found me. She knew exactly how to get into the panic room. No, Scott had everything he needed, but getting revenge was more important. It makes me sick, Mama,” she said to her mother, her voice thick now. “To think him out in the world, just walking around like he isn’t evil. Everything he put me through, what he’s done to Sonny—”

“Scott’s done a lot of underhanded things in his life, but I made it clear to him that anyone who works with Ric Lansing, anyone who treats him like a human being and not a vile monster — they’re dead to me.” Bobbie touched Carly’s shoulder. “Honey—”

“You know—” Courtney started, then narrowed her eyes when Elizabeth emerged from the back of the kitchen, tying an apron around her waist. Their eyes met, and Elizabeth arched one brow before heading over to the register.

Carly followed Courtney’s hot eyes, then turned back to her. “Did you and Elizabeth have a fight or something?”

“I’ve lost my appetite,” Courtney muttered, tossing the napkin on the table. She shoved the chair back, and headed for the door.

Kelly’s: Parking Lot

No sooner had Courtney’s car turned the corner from Elm Street to Central Avenue than a motorcycle came around the other corner and pulled in the lot. Jason switched off the engine, headed for the courtyard, eager to find Elizabeth—

But he hesitated when he saw Carly and Bobbie at the table inside. He nearly stepped back, thinking he’d come return later, but then Carly caught his eye, smiled. He tugged on the handle.

“Hey.” Jason noted the third table setting. “Is—Is Courtney here?”

“Oh, you just missed her. She left maybe a minute or two ago. You probably passed her on the road.” Carly missed Jason’s relieved look when she looked back at her plate, but Bobbie didn’t. He sat in the seat Courtney had vacated.

“How are you doing?” Jason wanted to know.

“I’m okay. I’ve got my mother.” Carly squeezed Bobbie’s hand, exchanging a smile with her, before she refocused on Jason. “Have you seen Sonny?”

“I talked to him before I came here. He doesn’t remember anything, but I told him what happened. He’s…upset. Sorry for what he did. And he agreed with me that we can’t keep going on like this. Michael can’t keep doing it, and you—” He nodded at her rounded belly. “Neither you or the baby can either.”

“And you can’t either. I know Sonny and I have been a lot to deal with lately. You and Courtney seem so unhappy, and I hate that I’ve done this to you.” Carly’s eyes watered, and Jason realized Courtney hadn’t carried out her threat. Small favors. “I’m sorry. We were just talking about Ric working at the DA’s office, and how awful it is.”

“I’ll campaign for anyone who runs again Scott in the next election,” Bobbie said caustically. “I’m so furious.”

“But Ric’s not the problem right now. Sonny wants to get help?” Carly asked. “I’m so glad. I’m relieved.”

“It was a rock bottom moment for him. But maybe if I’d pushed earlier—” Jason shook his head. No point in wondering that. “I’m looking into a few options, but for right now, Sonny and I both agreed—and I hope you do, too,  that you should stay away.”

“With me,” Bobbie argued. “She should be with me.”

“No, the house is fine. It’s temporary.” Carly nodded. “It’s temporary. I’m going home to Sonny, and everything will be just like it was before. We’ll all be happy again.”

“Let’s just get through the first part,” Jason told her. He saw Elizabeth behind the counter, caught her eye. “I’m going to get some coffee and head back to the warehouse, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, Jason. I know I’m a giant pain in the ass, but I couldn’t live without you, you know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I know.” He touched Bobbie’s shoulder, then went to the counter. He lowered his voice. “Hey.”

Elizabeth smiled, a bit cautiously. “Hey.”

“I need a coffee to go, and to know when your break is. If we could talk.” Jason paused. “Because I ended it. Like I said I would.”

Her lips parted. “Oh. You—you. My break is right now. Penny will cover for me. She owes me. I’ll get the coffee and meet you in the alley.”

Kelly’s: Alley

A few minutes later, Elizabeth pushed the metal door open and stepped out into the alley just as Jason came around the corner. They stared at each other for a long moment, before she stepped forward. “A little different than the last time we stood out here, I guess, huh?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He reached for her hand, his thumb stroking along her knuckles. “I wanted to come back after closing. Tonight. To talk. To just…see you. I know you said we needed time, and I get it, but—”

“No, after closing is good.” Elizabeth looked up, met his eyes with a little trepidation, then smiled. “We should talk. We have to.”

Jason tipped his eyed, squinting slightly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing,” she repeated when he tugged her forward another inch. “I promise. We can talk about it later. I shouldn’t have said anything, except we—”  She broke off when he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Oh, I can’t think when you do that.”

“Tell me what’s going on. Why do we have to talk? Did something happen?”

She shouldn’t do this now. Not like this, not here. Not on a ten minutes break. But he was looking at her with those eyes, his voice low and soft, and he’d broken up with Courtney — she couldn’t stop herself.

“I’m pregnant.”

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