Written in 65 minutes.

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You need to hear the truth—

Jake made a face, then attempted to walk around Lucky and ignore the interested looks from other patrons. “I really don’t think this is any of my business—”

“That’s not the way your mother made it sound,” Lucky said, and Jake sighed, pausing at the counter, his hand resting along the edge. He didn’t turn around. “You’re angry with her, and you should be—”

“Okay, so what we’re not going to do—” Now he faced Lucky again, but kept his voice pitched low. “What you’re not going to do is act like I’m a child of divorce and you’re fighting over me. You walked out on me and my mom a decade ago. You don’t get to walk back in and start trashing my mother.”

Lucky pressed his lips together. “I just meant—”

“You’re not my father. You brought me home from the Cassadines, and that’s great. But it’s your fault and your alcoholic trash of a dad who put me in Helena’s cross hairs in the first place. My dad is Jason Morgan, for better or for worse, so take whatever this is—” Jake gestured with both hands. “And go talk to Aiden. He actually gives a damn about you.”

“I was your father for the first four years—”

“Yeah, I’ve seen the pictures.” Jake pointed at his temple. “But up here? Where it matters? I got nothing for you, dude. Dads show up. And you haven’t shown up for me, Aiden, or Cam. Maybe you can still snow Aiden into thinking you’re worth knowing, but he believed in Santa Clause until he was like twelve, so—”

“I just want a chance to tell you my side—”

“You don’t get it,” Jake snapped, his tone rising. “You don’t have a side that matters to me. I don’t care if you were high on crack cocaine screwing everything that walked — you don’t matter to me, Lucky. I don’t give a damn about why she lied about you—you know what—” He held up both hands. “That’s not it. I do care why. Because she couldn’t have picked a more useless piece of a shit as my father—”

“You’ve got a real smart mouth,” Lucky bit out. “You think Jason Morgan’s a better dad? He’s so perfect, huh? Where has he been for two years?”

“I don’t know, asshole. Where were you?” Jake demanded. “When Mom had a breakdown and we had to live with your mother? You were nowhere. You’ve been nothing to me my whole life. Let’s keep it that way.”

He shoved past Lucky, his appetite suddenly gone, then stopped when he saw his brother standing in the entrance, when he looked around the rest of the diner and realized that he’d forgotten about anyone else in the room. Shit.

—

…Jake should live with me.

Jason stood there, his feet slightly set apart, his shoulders tight, hands fisted at his sides.  Elizabeth tipped her head to the side, squinted. “You look like you’re ready for an argument.”

His lips parted slightly. “What?”

“Was that supposed to be my cue to refuse? To fight you?” She lifted her brows, relieved when his expressed eased and he seemed to relax. “First, even if I wanted to, which I don’t, Jake’s not an infant. He’s not a kid anymore. He’s six months away from turning eighteen, and we already put him on a plane to live in a foreign country to live on his own.”

“I—” He nodded. “Okay, but—”

“Will it be weird for him to be in Port Charles and not living with me? Of course. And I do hate the idea of him living somewhere else the way things are — he’s so angry with me.” She folded her arms. “But maybe some distance is what he and I need.”

“I don’t want—I don’t want to do anything that makes that worse. I didn’t—” Jason shook his head. “I didn’t think about that when I came up with this—I should have—”

“No, you just thought about what you wanted. And what might be best for Jake. For the both of you. For Danny, too, if it comes to that. Which is how you should phrase it to him if you want to agree without a fight.”

Jason rubbed his forehead. “Yeah. That’s what I thought. He came home to be there for Danny. I don’t think we’ll be able to get him to change his mind about Barcelona. And I don’t think Drew’s going to agree to leave Scout in Port Charles when he goes to DC, so—”

“Having Jake with him might make the transition either. And Rocco will still be around. I know you and Dante will do whatever you have to keep them close.” Elizabeth tried to smile, but dropped her gaze when she couldn’t quite manage it. “I think it’s a good idea. I’m glad you brought it up.”

“Are you sure?” Jason stepped towards her and she lifted her gaze to his. “I meant what I said. I know it’s hard after what happened with Sonny, and I don’t want to do anything to make it worse—”

“Why? You think it’s strange he needs more than thirty seconds to forgive me for lying to him?” Now she did smile. “I guess he didn’t inherit your inability to actually be angry with me for longer than an hour.”

“You didn’t lie to him—”

“I did, though. Every time I called Lucky his father in front of him.” Her throat was tight, and she had to look away. “Just because he doesn’t remember, it doesn’t mean I don’t. It matters, Jason. Don’t defend me to him. He hates when I do that for you. Don’t make that mistake.”

“I’m going to tell him the truth, and if he feels like that’s a defense, that’s not my fault.” Jason paused. “You’re not angry that I want him to live with me? At least for a little while—”

“Even if I were—it shouldn’t matter. You’re his father, Jason. I lost four precious years to the Cassadines but I’ve had all the rest. You deserve this time, and I want you to have it.”

—

TJ dropped his duffel bag on the ground by the front door and closed the door with some hesitation. Across the room, Molly refused to look up from the table where paperwork was spread out. “Hey. Can—can we talk?”

“I’m busy. My mother petitioned to have me removed as Jason’s lawyer—” Molly lifted her eyes to him briefly before returning to her work. “So I need to finish the response to that.”

“Why does she want you removed?” TJ tugged out the chair across from hers. “Because you’re her daughter?”

“She thinks it’s a conflict of interest.” Molly was grim when she looked up again, laid down her pen. “That I can’t represent someone in a case against my mother. I’m not worried. It’s waivable, and Jason and I have discussed it. He understands—”

“Then try to explain it to me. Please,” TJ added. “I don’t like how we ended things yesterday—”

Molly hesitated, then sat back. “I’m sorry,” she said lamely. “I shouldn’t have dumped that on you in the middle of your shift. Or pushed you into that corner. It wasn’t fair.”

“You might have pushed me, but I didn’t have to go where I did. And I need you to know that I don’t feel that way. Of course you were Irene’s mother—”

Molly closed her eyes, turned her head away. “But not biologically—”

“So what? So what? Curtis isn’t my biological uncle, is he? He’s known that for years. But it’s never stopped him or Aunt Stella. I felt so awful if I made you think for a second that I would ever think that. I just—” He gestured at the papers. “You took a leave of absence to defend a man you were prosecuting for murder six months ago—”

“He was innocent. And he’s not just any man. He’s Jason. You didn’t know him as well as I did, okay? He was gone most of the time we were together. But he’s the reason my sister lived as long as she did. He saved her life over and over and over again. When Danny was kidnapped as an infant he brought him home—Jason’s—”

“I didn’t realize how much he meant to you,” TJ said, and she sighed. “Or how hurt you were about your mother. Kristina, yeah. But not Alexis.” He dipped his head, trying to catch her gaze. “Talk to me, Molly. We could always do that, right?”

She was quiet for a beat, then picked up her pen. “I have to remember every morning Sam isn’t here. I open my eyes, and for little while, I forget. Maybe I get all the way through my shower, to that first cup of coffee if I’m lucky, but I always remember. And it hits the same every time. It’s like losing her over and over again. My sister—my sister is dead.” The words felt wrong on her tongue, as if they belonged to someone else. “All that’s left of her in this world are those kids. She loved them more her own life.”

“I know that—”

“She thought for so long she’d never have kids. But Danny and Scout, they’re her miracles. And they never get to have another second with her. Scout’s so young — one day, her mother is going to be a fuzzy memory. A warm thought and a picture. Sam’s not here to protect them.” Molly’s voice faltered slightly. “I can’t protect Irene. I can’t go back in time and choose someone else to carry her, to protect her. I don’t know if Ava pushed Kristina, TJ, we might never know that for sure. But Kristina went to that room and picked a fight with a woman who has already murdered someone else for just getting in her way. I didn’t protect our baby, TJ.”

“Mols—” His eyes were damp. “You did everything you could—”

“Not everything—not enough. Irene…she’s with Sam, and I know my sister will look after our little girl until we can join her. So it’s my job to do the same. Danny and Scout lost their mother, and they’re probably going to lose each other. I can’t stop Drew from taking her to DC, but Danny needs to be here. With his family. And Jason is his father. Mom and Kristina wanted to make you disappear, TJ. Mom lied for years about who Kristina’s father is, and she’s done everything she can to make it harder for my dad to be with me. She’s not taking one more father from their child. Sam wanted Danny and Scout to be with their fathers. She knew her kids better than anyone. I’m doing what’s right, TJ. For me, for the kids, for my sister. I just hope you can understand.”

—

Scout curled up in the window of the nursery at the Quartermaine’s, watching the front drive three flights below her. The cars driving in and out of the long gravel road. She pressed her cheek against the window, the coolness of the glass somehow a comfort. Maybe it would break, and maybe she’d fall out. What would that feel like? Would it hurt? Had it hurt when her mother died?

She heard voices in the hallway, muffled at first — she couldn’t quite make them out. But then they came closer, and she realized it was her father. And her aunt Willow. A hesitant smile curved her lips. Aunt Willow was a girl. She might play dolls. Rocco and Danny just laughed and went to play video games.

Mommy had always played dolls with her.

The door opened, and Scout sat up ready to greet her daddy and aunt — but Daddy came in and turned back to face her aunt so fast that he didn’t have time to notice her. And there was a giant teddy bear in front of the window seat. That was why, Scout thought. Daddy would have seen her for sure—

“Drew, this isn’t a good idea,” her aunt hissed, shutting the door and looking at Daddy. “We can’t talk about this here—what if Scout—”

“She’s still at school,” Daddy said, and Scout furrowed her brow. It was long past school time, didn’t he know that? She would just set him straight—

But then her daddy did something strange, and Scout closed her mouth, stunned into silence when her daddy pulled Aunt Willow close, and…kissed her???

 —

 Jason fished in the pockets of his jeans for the keys to his room above Bobbie’s, already mentally planning the call to Diane. He needed an apartment with three rooms — or a house. Near Elizabeth would be better, he thought. For Jake. And for Elizabeth. Jason was relieved that she was on his side, though still a bit wary. He didn’t quite know where he stood with her these days — not since that terrible day at Sonny’s or even the night before after the funeral —

He had just reached the entrance to the courtyard when the door to Bobbie’s flew open, and Aiden strode out, his face florid. Jason opened his mouth to ask what was wrong—but Jake was hot on Aiden’s heels, followed by—Jason grimaced. Lucky.

“I don’t want to hear it—I don’t want to hear anything from you,” Aiden retorted, whirling back to face his father. “I’ve been calling you and leaving you messages and texting you and for what? For what? To walk in on you begging Jake to listen to you?”

Lucky took a step forward, but Jake stepped between father and son. “He told you to fuck off—”

“That’s not what he said—”

“I said I don’t want to talk to you, so same thing,” Aiden shot back, and then turned, startled when he saw Jason. “Oh. Oh. Good. You can tell me what’s going on since my own father would rather talk to his fake son.”

“Damn it—” Lucky winced. “I told you—”

“You had your chance,” Aiden cut in. “You didn’t want to talk to me. You never want to talk to me. I bet you even call Cam more than you call me.”

“That is not true—”

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this right here,” Jason said, uncomfortably. He slid his hand in his back pocket for his phone. And Elizabeth should definitely be here for this.

“No, I want to know. And since Dad won’t tell me, and neither will Maxie Jones—”

“Maxie? You told him about Maxie?” Lucky demanded, his cheeks flushing. “You son of a bitch, what gives you the right to talk to my son about anything? None of that is his business or yours—”

“Told me what about Maxie—” Aiden closed his mouth, bewildered. “I just—”

Jake’s hand shot out, covered his brothers. “He didn’t tell us anything about Maxie Jones,” he told Lucky. He tipped his head. “But you just did. Aiden, I think we found out who the other woman was.”

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