Written in 58 minutes.

---

Dear reader
Bend when you can, snap when you have to

He should have known.

He should have known that Sonny wouldn’t let that morning’s argument go unanswered, and even more—he should have known Sonny wouldn’t—couldn’t—challenge Jason’s words face to face.

So he’d taken that anger and turned it loose on the one person who might actually listen—might actually believe him —

Jason didn’t have to know exactly what Sonny had said before he’d heard Elizabeth’s anguished voice when he’d approached the open front door—

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

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

Jake and Aiden were blocking the doorway, but Aiden saw Jason first, his eyes comically widening. He tugged Jake’s sleeve, and his son turned to look — his expression frozen in shock, his face white—

Christ, what the hell had Sonny said to make Jake look like that —

Jason stepped into the open space left by Aiden dragging his brother out of the way. “What the hell are you doing here, Sonny?” he demanding, blood pounding in his ears, the nerves just beneath his skin tingling as pure rage simmered just beneath the surface.

Sonny stood in the center of Elizabeth’s living room, his mouth pinched. Closer to the fireplace, Elizabeth’s arms were wrapped around her torso, as if she were trying to shield herself from a blow — from the verbal punches that Sonny was clearly throwing. Tears stained her cheeks.

Sonny’s hand fell to his side and he scowled at Elizabeth for another moment before facing Jason fully. “What do you think I’m doing here? Trying to stop you from making another mistake like the one you made with Jake—”

“He said my mother lied to you,” Jake said, and Jason whipped his head over to look at his son. “Did she? Did she tell you that you weren’t my father?”

Jason exhaled slowly, then dragged both hands down his face, counting to five in his head slowly because if he spoke now—if he said a single word before he could find a measure of calm—he’d say too much in front of Elizabeth and the boys—

“See, he’s not denying it—”

“Did you tell Jake the rest of it?” Jason said, his hands falling down. He reached for the edge of the door, slammed it so hard it shook in the frame. “Did you tell Jake every last damned detail?”

Sonny pursed his lips. “No—”

“What else is there? I deserve to know—”

“No, you don’t.” Jason looked at Jake then, at the flush in the younger man’s face. “You think you do, and I understand why that is. But you don’t deserve to know anything about my life or your mother’s before you were born. We were people who made mistakes that had nothing to do with you or with how much we love you.  It has nothing to do with why you’re angry with me now or why I haven’t told Alexis I’ll fight her for custody.”

“The hell it doesn’t—” Sonny started, but Jason took a step towards him and his friend must have realized he wasn’t entirely safe. He closed his mouth abruptly.

“Well, it’s too late now because I know—”

“You don’t know anything yet. Because Sonny’s about to tell you why your mother lied to me. Go ahead, Sonny.” Jason took another step towards him and Sonny actually backed up. “You wanted to have this conversation. Let’s have it.”

“Jason—” Elizabeth put herself between them. “I know you’re angry with Sonny, and you should be. But the boys—”

“They’ve heard enough, Elizabeth,” he said, careful to soften his tone. He reached for her, touched her elbows and gently guided her towards her sons. “I’m not saying we tell them everything, but if Sonny wants to talk about the day you supposedly lied to me, then let’s talk about it.”

“Supposedly? What—”

“Why am I not surprised you’re going to protect her—you have a right for your son to know everything, damn it—”

“Then why did you tell Elizabeth that it was a good thing I wasn’t Jake’s father?” Jason wanted to know. “Why did Carly rush over to tell me that I wasn’t the baby’s father before Elizabeth could tell me herself?”

“She was going to lie—”

“I w-wasn’t—I wasn’t—”

“And she didn’t. She never once told me Lucky was the father.”

Sonny opened his mouth, then closed it, grimacing. “You’re twisting what happened—”

“If I am, then I learned it from the best. You’re going to leave now,” Jason told him. “And you’re never going to speak to Elizabeth again. Not about this, not about anything. And especially not my son. Get out of this house before I remove you.”

Sonny stood there for another moment, clearly unsure of his own safety if he passed Jason which was the only exit available. Then, as if realizing Jason probably wouldn’t do violence in front of the boys. He dipped his head and left, slamming the door again.

Elizabeth flinched, then turned to her son. “Jake, I need to—”

“I don’t understand what the hell is going on right now. What was Mr. Corinthos talking about?” Jake demanded. “And why is Dad covering for you? Either you lied or you didn’t—”

“Your father is trying to—”

“I’m not covering—” Jason and Elizabeth spoke at the same time, then looked at one another, uncertain.

“I want some damn answers. Now,” Jake added, his voice breaking. “Is my whole life a life? What else aren’t you telling me?”

“Listen, um—” Aiden inched out from behind his brother. “As much I want to stay, maybe this would be easier if I weren’t here. I’ll, uh, go take a walk or something—”

“No, don’t bother. I’ll be the one to leave. I’m done with the both of you—” Jake headed for the door, yanking it open and was out the door before anyone could argue.

Elizabeth let out a cry and started after him, but Jason stopped her. He took her by the shoulders. “I’ll go. This happened because of me, okay?”

“But—”

He squeezed her shoulders, waited for her look at him, wishing he’d slugged Sonny anyway when he saw the abject misery in her eyes. “I’ll bring him back in. I promise.”

Without waiting for her answer, Jason sprinted out, catching Jake near the end of the drive way. He reached for Jake’s arm, intending to just stop him, but Jake swung out and clipped Jason on the edge of the jaw.

It stung slightly, but it didn’t knock Jason off balance. “You damn well better have known it was me coming after you,” he said flatly, holding Jake in place by the arm when he tried to struggle free. “Because if you ever swing on your mother, I’ll kick your ass.”

“I would never do that!” Jake retorted, disgusted. “I knew it was you, and I just wish I’d hit you harder—let me go—”

“Not until you listen to me, damn it.” Jake tried to wrestle free again, but Jason’s grip was like granite, and for once in his life, he knew exactly what to say. Exactly how to handle this. He wasn’t defending himself, wasn’t even thinking of Jake’s feelings towards him.

All he could think about was the grenade Sonny had just thrown in the middle of Elizabeth’s living room, and he’d be damned if Sonny would destroy her relationship with Jake.

“You want to know what happened before you were born, I’ll tell you. But none of it is pretty, and some of it isn’t about me or your mother. It’s about other people who aren’t here to defend themselves—or do you think this is how Aiden should learn his father was a lying, cheating slimy drug addict who did nothing but make your mother miserable?”

Jake froze, then swallowed hard. “W-What?”

“Yeah, I didn’t think Sonny would mention that part.” Jason released his son, relieved when Jake remained still.  “Your mother and I were friends for years. And years before that summer, we’d nearly been more. But our timing was never right. I had just broken my engagement to Sam, and she was married to Lucky. She was happy with him until he was injured, developed a pill addiction, and slept with another woman. She caught him in bed with her, and left. Things happened, Jake, and when she realized she was pregnant, she told me, and we did a paternity test. But communication got crossed, and I thought—I thought you were Lucky’s. So I told her it was for the best before she could ever tell me the truth.”

Jake stared at him, his mouth slightly open. He looked down, swallowed hard, then looked up. “You didn’t want me then either?”

Shit. “All I could think about was how much I wanted to be your father.” Jason flattened a hand against his chest. “I’ve loved you since the second I knew you existed. I loved you before I knew you were mine. When Carly told me you weren’t, it killed me. But I didn’t want Elizabeth to know, I didn’t want her to think she’d disappointed, so I lied to her. It’s the only lie I’ve ever told her, and I’ll never regret anything more in my life. I used to think about it all the time — wishing I had that moment back and I’d just told her how much I wanted you.”

“I d-don’t—” Jake swiped his hand angrily across his cheek, brushing away a few errant tears. “I don’t understand. I don’t understand. Why was Mr. Corinthos yelling at Mom? Why did he tell me?”

“Because he and I had an argument, and Sonny doesn’t know how to fight his own battles,” Jason bit out. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s complicated, everything that happened later, but I need you to go back inside. I need you to not to walk out on your mother. She loves you, and she didn’t deserve what Sonny just did. She was—and probably is—still deeply ashamed for how she handled everything back then, but I forgave her a long time ago.”

“How—she lied to you—she could have told you anyway?” Jake shook his head. “I don’t understand any of this. Mom lied to you about me. She said someone else was my father—”

“Why I forgave her isn’t important. Just know that I did almost immediately. Please—”

Jake looked past him, towards the house. “I don’t understand. I wouldn’t be able to forgive that. I don’t know how I’m supposed to forget that she did that—how am I supposed to forget that you left me—” He closed his mouth, squeezed his eyes shut. “You left me. And you didn’t care—did you even think about me? Or-or Danny?”

“I wouldn’t let myself. I couldn’t.” Jason had to force the words, had to find the right words to make Jake go back inside. “Because I couldn’t come home. I can’t—” Couldn’t talk about it. Couldn’t think about it. “Jake. When I said that I’ve loved you since the beginning, I mean that. There has never  been a single day, a second that I haven’t wanted you. That I haven’t loved you. I know you don’t believe that, and I understand it—but your mother—”

“You keep defending her, but she lied—she lied just like you did—” Jake shook his head, took a step back. “I can’t. It’s like I don’t know either of you—”

“Really? Really? You’re going to let one lie that she told before you were even born change every thing you know about your mother?” Irritated beyond reason, Jason released his son. “She nearly died bringing you into this world, but I guess that doesn’t matter to you, does it? She walked through a burning house to save your life, but that doesn’t matter. When you were kidnapped, when the Cassadines made her believe you were dead, she grieved until she nearly drove herself mad—when has your mother ever given you a reason not to believe in her? If you let something some angry son of a bitch screamed at her so that he could feel better about himself—if you let that change the last seventeen years of your life, then maybe you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”

Jake pressed his lips together, looked down at the ground. “I’m angry all the time,” he admitted in a quiet voice. “And I don’t know how to stop. I don’t know how to stop being mad at you, and now Mom—and Danny—he makes me mad too because he believes in you, and I want to tell him to stop, I want to stop him from thinking you’ll save the day, because I used to think that and then you were alive and not dead, and I hated you. I hated you for leaving, for not coming back, for not loving me enough to stay—and you’re doing it again to Danny, and Mom is always defending you just like you defend her—and I’m just angry—” He broke off, looked away. “I don’t know how to stop,” he repeated.

“I can’t fix that in a day. In a conversation,” Jason said. He tipped his head to the side, trying to capture Jake’s gaze, waiting until their eyes met. “And I can’t stop your mom from defending me. I’ve been trying that since before you were born. She doesn’t listen very well, does she?”

“No. No, she doesn’t.” Jake swiped at his cheek again. “Are you going to let Danny stay with his grandmother? Are you going to leave him again?”

“I’m done with all of that. I’m done being anything other than your father. Being Danny’s father. I’m not leaving him. Or you again. But I can’t prove that today. If you want me in your life—if he wants me, then I’m here.”

“We’ll see,” Jake muttered. He looked past Jason again, at the house. “Did you tie Mom down or something? I figured she’d be out here by now.”

“I told her I’d bring you back to her. That’s one promise I’ve never broken, and I’m hoping to keep it again today. Will you come back inside and talk to your mother?”

← Flash Fiction: Dear Reader – Part 5 |