Written in 55 minutes.

---

General Hospital: Waiting Area

When Emma, Joss, and Trina stepped off the elevators doors the next day, Elizabeth was waiting for them. Joss’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, Aunt Liz, what did I do now?” she groaned. She planted her hands on her hips, then glared at Trina. “What did you snitch on me for this time?”

“Cool it, Barbie—”

“You have a guilty conscience,” Emma said with a roll of her eyes. “You’re always up to something so you’re always on the defense—”

Elizabeth hid a smirk — Joss got that from her mother, of course. Carly had spent so much time plotting, planning, and manipulating that any time anyone looked at her sideways, she went on the attack to hide her own misdeeds.

“No one is in trouble,” Elizabeth said, holding up her hands. “I just wanted to grab Emma for a few minutes. Epiphany knows you’ll be late to your shift,” she told Emma.

“Yeah, my mom always says no one is in trouble, and then I get grounded anyway,” Joss muttered. But they continued down the hall to get the assignments, and Emma hung back.

“Aunt Elizabeth, what’s up?” Emma asked. She shoved her hands into the pocket of her jeans jacket, then wrinkled her nose. “Did Cameron tell you to talk to me? Because it won’t work. He was wrong, and he needs to apologize.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth shook her head, steering her niece towards the sofa in the waiting area. “No, Cameron didn’t say anything. What happened?”

“He thinks he doesn’t have to ask me to Homecoming.” Emma flopped onto the sofa with all the drama a fourteen-year-old girl could muster. “Honestly! He’s taking me for granted and we’re not even married—”

“I—”

“And so I told him he had to put in the work, and then he got mad at me for taking him for granted, like why didn’t I ask him?” Emma demanded. “Does he think I’m not worth the trouble? Don’t I deserve to be asked?”

Elizabeth’s hands felt clammy. Hearing Emma and Cameron arguing about a dance — God, it took her back to nowhere she wanted to go. “I think,” she said carefully, “that maybe you both have a point.”

“Aunt Elizabeth—”

“You absolutely do not deserve to be taken for granted, so no, I don’t think it’s fair for Cameron to just assume you’re going to the dance together. But—” She forced a smile. “Cameron’s not wrong. If you want to go so much, why didn’t you ask him first?”

Emma folded her arms, then kicked at the floor. “I dunno. Maybe because I always have to do everything,” she grumbled. “He’s so slow. I kissed him first. And I asked him out first. I make all the plans. And he just shows up.” She bit her lip. “It’s okay because I like to plan things and I like being in charge. But, like, sometimes I just wanna be asked.”

Elizabeth smiled, squeezed Emma’s knee. “That doesn’t sound unreasonable at all. And in another day or so, if you tell him like that, he might listen.”

“Maybe. I never told him any of that, so maybe I should. Anyway, if you didn’t know about our fight, what did you want?”

“Oh, I just wanted to check in with you,” Elizabeth said. “We haven’t talked since, well, since you found out and told Cameron what happened to me as a teenager.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Are you mad?”

“Of course not, sweetheart. Never,” Elizabeth assured her. “I just wanted to talk to you. Cameron was upset about it, and I know you told your mom you felt okay, but I still wanted to know for myself.”

“Oh. Well, I guess I’m okay. It was more like—you know, you see it on television and stuff, and sometimes we see women at the hospital, and like—” Emma shrugged a shoulder. “It’s weird to think of you going through it. But, also, I know you. And you’re okay. Better than. You got a family and a job, and I don’t know—once you get past feeling bad about it, I don’t know. I didn’t think about it.” She frowned. “Is that okay? I mean, should I be feeling another way—”

“Absolutely not. I want you to feel whatever way you want. I just wanted to us to have a minute.” Elizabeth smiled. “You’re right, though. I am okay. I have an amazing family. Not just the boys and my husband, but I have your parents, and I have you. You all make my life so much better.”

“Same, Aunt Elizabeth.” Emma’s smile was more genuine now. “I remember when Mommy was gone. You helped so much and you let me cuddle and hug you when I missed her so much. Sometimes, I pretended you were my mom. I’m glad I have her back,” Emma added quickly. “But I know it was easier for me and my dad because we had you.”

“We’re all better off for your mom being back in our lives.” Elizabeth smiled and they both got up. “But I’m even more glad that we didn’t lose each other.” She pulled Emma in for a quick, brief hug. “And I’m glad you’re not settling for less than you deserve. Cameron might be my son, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be wrong. Keep standing up for what you want, baby.”

“I will, Aunt Elizabeth. Thanks. It helps to hear that I’m not overreacting. At least, not a lot.” Emma grinned at her. “I better get to work before Epiphany tracks me down.”

General Hospital: Patient Room

Robin fidgeted in the chair, twisting her hands in her lap. Patrick leaned over, placing a hand over hers. “Relax—”

Robin slitted her eyes at her husband. “You keep saying that, and it just makes me want to bash your head in—”

“If it doesn’t take this time, we’ll try again—”

“I know, but—” Robin huffed. “I’m already forty. How much longer do I even have?”

“Saw a woman in Spain get pregnant at sixty-five—”

“Shut up,” Robin muttered, but cracked a smile. “I just want this so much. I want to do so much better with this baby—” She broke off when the door behind her opened, and her doctor came in.

Britta Westbourne took a seat behind the desk, setting a chart down as she did so. Then smiled widely. “Congratulations. The test came back positive.”

Robin exhaled on a whoosh of hair as Patrick grinned. “I’m pregnant? It’s not a mistake?”

“Absolutely not. We’ll monitor closely for a few weeks to make sure the embryo has fully transferred and we’ll continue some of the hormone shots—” Britt picked up a pen. “But you’re pregnant.”

Robin turned to Patrick, her own smile spreading. “We’re pregnant.”

“We are—”

“We’re going to have another baby!”

“That was the plan,” Patrick laughed as she pulled him up, hugging him tightly. “I love you,” he murmured into her hair, still marveling after all this time that she’d come back to them. That he got another chance to be the best husband and father he could be.

“And I’ll get to do this with Elizabeth.” Robin swiped at her eyes, as tears slid down her face. “We get to do it together—oh, I have to call my parents. And Brenda! Brenda will want to know!”

“We can take it one step at a time,” Patrick told her. “Dr. Westbourne, what do we have to schedule next?”

Morgan Home: Kitchen

Elizabeth swirled a spoon in the spaghetti sauce. “I made an appointment with the OB,” she told Jason as he came into the room and headed for the fridge. “Two weeks from Friday.”

“I’ll be there.” He cracked the top from the bottle of beer. “You hear from Robin yet?”

“No,” Elizabeth muttered, staring at her phone as if it were the enemy. “Not yet. I hope the IVF took. She was so excited when she was telling me about it, and I know how much Patrick wants it, too. And it’ll be so much fun to go through this together without any of the drama.”

Jason leaned against the counter. “You mean like being blown up in a explosion?” he said, dryly, referring to the Metro Court Hotel hostage crisis when she’d been pregnant with Jake.

“Not to mention the hotel fire—standing outside, hoping that everyone I loved came out—” And worried that the fire wouldn’t eliminate the evidence of Zander’s body inside. God, it felt so strange to remember that now. She’d believed him dead at her own hands while she’d waiting behind the police lines, a hand on her belly, knowing she’d murdered her son’s father. “And they did,” Elizabeth said finally.

At least that time. Then the hostage crisis at the hotel had cost Jason his father, while the Black and White Ball — “If we have a daughter,” Elizabeth said, “I don’t want to name her Emily.”

“You don’t—” Jason frowned. “I thought you would—I mean, I haven’t thought about it—”

“Emily wouldn’t want that for her,” Elizabeth said. “But I was thinking we could find another way to honor her memory. Maybe we could name her Paige. For Emily’s biological mother. And it was Em’s middle name.” She paused. “Unless you think that would hurt Monica.”

“I don’t think so. Monica always said she and Paige were close, and I think she’d understand.” Jason stroked the small of Elizabeth’s back. “I like the idea of Paige.”

“Paige Audrey.” Elizabeth paused. “I don’t know why I’m picking girl’s names,” she muttered. She turned down the heat. “What do you think about Drake for a boy?”

Jason shrugged. “Sounds good to me. You know that doesn’t matter to me. I mean, it matters—” He paused. “It’s a name. You put some letters in order, and then you write it on a piece of paper. The person makes it their own. I know how important Patrick’s been in your life.”

“I can just hear Steven now,” Elizabeth muttered, “asking where his namesake is. I keep telling him Cameron and Jake have middle names from our side of the family—” She rolled her eyes.

“And that’s why we only visit your brother for Thanksgiving,” Jason reminded her. “It was nice when he lived here, but we like him in Memphis better.”

“Drake Morgan sounds distinguished,” Elizabeth decided. “Or like a name from a soap opera.” She checked her phone again and made a face. “Still nothing from Robin. Ugh, I hate waiting—that reminds me—” She pointed the phone to Jason. “You need to talk to Cameron. If I do it, he’ll think I’m taking Emma’s side.”

Jason scowled. “What did he do?”

“Lets Emma plan all the dates and do all the work, then threw a hissy fit when she told him she wanted to be asked to Homecoming.” Elizabeth poured a glass of water. “Typical guy. Makes the girl make all the first moves, then pretends it was his idea—”

“I never did that,” Jason said, slightly insulted. “Did I?”

Elizabeth peered at him. “Uh, who showed up at who’s penthouse in the middle of a blackout?”

“Yeah, but I kissed you,” he reminded her. “And then after Sonny’s last wedding—I kissed you then, too—”

“Because I asked you to dance.” Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled. “I create the opportunities for you to make a move, and then let you think it was your idea—”

“Oh, yeah?” Jason grinned, then reached out to snag her arm and pull her flush against him. “Is that how it was?”

“Absolutely—” She smirked. “But it was nice of me to let you think it was you—”

“Sounds like we made a good team—” He leaned down to kiss her, sliding his fingers along her jaw, then through her hair. “Any complaints about how it turned out?”

“Not a one,” Elizabeth said, fisting her hands in his shirt, still smiling as he kissed her again. She really did have the best life — and she wasn’t going to let anyone or anything mess this up for her—especially not memories from before.

Kelly’s: Courtyard

 “I have about thirty minutes before Dr. Rob sends out the dogs,” Trina told Emma as they headed towards the doorway. “Why did I have to come anyway?”

“Neutral third party,” Emma said. She stood on her tiptoes to peer inside the diner, then found Cameron sitting at table with his cousins, Michael and Morgan. “He needs to see that I’m not thinking about him or waiting around.”

“But you are, and you’re making me do it, too—”

“Yes, but he doesn’t need to know that! Honestly, Treen—”

Emma turned away from the window at the sound of footsteps behind them, freezing when a man walked into the courtyard. He stopped, too, then smiled at them.

“Hello, ladies. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Trina scowled. “No. And who asked, anyway? Go about your business.”

The man’s smile dipped slightly at Trina’s attitude, but then brightened again as he looked at Emma. “Have a nice evening. Stay out of trouble.”

He went past them into the diner, and Emma swallowed hard. She rubbed her arms — they felt itchy all of a sudden, like she had insects crawling all over her.

“Adults are so weird,” Trina complained, drawing Emma’s attention back to her. “Right?”

“I’ve seen him before,” Emma said. “Um, at Kelly’s. A few days ago—” And somewhere else, hadn’t she? She couldn’t pick it out just yet, but— “Let’s go home before your mom starts calling and demanding to know where you are.”

She wanted to be as far away from Kelly’s as possible.

← Flash Fiction: Scars – Part 10 | Flash Fiction: Scars – Part 12 →