When Jason’s car pulled into the driveway, Michael was standing on the porch with Elizabeth behind him, her hand on his shoulder. “I bet Morgan’s grown a whole inch in the last month,” Michael said, bouncing back and forth on his heels. “He grows really fast.”

“I know what you mean.” Elizabeth squeezed his shoulder. “I remember when you were no bigger your brother and now look at you.”

“It’s gonna be so cool having everyone here,” Michael continued. “My whole family, all in one place with no yelling or throwing stuff.”

Carly pushed open the door and Michael flew down the steps to launch himself at her. “Mr. Man!” she wrapped him in a tight bear hug.

Jason got out of his side and went into the backseat to unstrap Morgan. He lifted the baby in his arms and went over to Carly and Michael. “Let’s get you guys in the house and then Michael and I can come get the bags.”

As Carly came up the stairs, an arm wrapped possessively around her son’s shoulders, she slid her sunglasses up. “Elizabeth.”

“Carly.” Elizabeth shifted. “I’m glad you’re finally here,” she said after a long pause. “Michael’s been chattering on about inviting you here practically since day one.”

“Yeah?” Carly brightened and grinned down at her son. “Missed me, did you?”

“Totally,” Michael said. He tugged on Carly’s hand. “Come see my room!”

Carly followed Michael inside but Elizabeth waited for Jason and Morgan. “He was so small in April,” Elizabeth said as she followed them in.

“Yeah, I haven’t seen him as much as I’d like with everything that’s going on.” Jason set Morgan in the playpen and turned to her. “You all right with Carly while Michael and I unload the car?”

“I doubt we can get into much trouble in fifteen minutes,” Elizabeth remarked

“Maybe you can’t,” Carly said from behind them. “But I can get into serious trouble in less time than that.” She touched Michael’s shoulder. “Go help Jason unload the car and Elizabeth and I will get caught up.”

Michael darted out the door and Jason gave Carly one last look of warning before following him.

“Good God, what does he think I’m going to do?” Carly rolled her eyes and planted her hands on her hips. “If I got into as much trouble as Jason seems to think I’m capable of…” she shook her head and focused on Elizabeth. “Michael’s been talking about how great it is to have his family in one place and he can’t wait until his new cousin is born.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “He thinks of Andi as his cousin, I hope you don’t remind.”

“Of course not.” Carly shrugged and wandered over to the windows to peer out at her son and his guardian. “Michael’s been happier and doing better in school in the last three months than he has his whole life. I know a lot of that is Jason’s doing but I won’t ignore that you’ve had your own influence on him as well.” She eyed her old nemesis. “For example, when you first came here and Michael had just been kicked out Sonny’s…I know you were there for him and I know what you mean to him, to Jason.”

Elizabeth flushed. “Carly–”

“Michael is my number one priority. Both my sons are.” Carly paused and took a deep breath. “And Jason’s right up there with them. If there’s anyone in my life that deserves to be happy and get exactly what he wants, it’s Jason.”

“I agree,” Elizabeth said softly.

“There’s nothing that’s going to take Michael from Jason this time,” Carly continued. “There are no lies, no threats to his guardianship. He is Michael’s…” she fumbled for the right word.

“He’s his father,” Elizabeth supplied. “In every way that really matters and I’m glad that nothing can change that this time.”

“Good. I’m glad you understand that because a lot of women wouldn’t. They would resent a child that shares no blood with him and neither of them deserves that. I’m glad that you can understand and appreciate that.” Carly folded her arms. “So, when are you due?”

“Any day actually,” Elizabeth said. She touched her abdomen and sighed. “I just hope it all goes well.”

“Has Jason arranged for any drugs?” Carly asked. The door opened before Elizabeth could answer. She turned to Jason who was carrying three suitcases over the threshold. “Have you arranged for any drugs for the delivery?” she demanded of him.

He frowned. “What?”

“C’mon, Jason, this is heavy!” Michael complained from behind his guardian as he lugged yet another of Carly’s suitcases up the stairs. “Don’t stop in the doorway!”

Jason moved aside to let Michael enter. “What drugs?” he asked.

“For the labor,” Carly clarified. “Epidural, pain meds, stuff so Elizabeth doesn’t break your hand.”

“The pain is really that bad?” Elizabeth swallowed hard.

“It’s not my favorite way to pass the time,” Carly shrugged. “So?” she prompted Jason.

“The doctor said he’d arrange for all that.” Jason started down the hall towards Carly’s bedroom. “I’ll give him a call to confirm it.”

“Drugs are bad,” Michael said as he passed his mother and Elizabeth. “That’s what Mr. Mackey always says.”

“Yeah, just wait until you have to push a watermelon through a lemon,” Carly muttered. She went off to examine her new room.

Elizabeth sighed and sank onto the sofa, watching Morgan chew on the ear of a stuffed rabbit. In a matter of days, she might be holding her little girl in her arms. She touched her tummy and closed her eyes.

Jason entered the room and saw her sitting there–her eyes closed, her hand clutching at her middle and immediately assumed the worse. “What’s wrong?” he demanded. In two quick strides, he knelt at her side and looked at her, panicked. “Is it the baby?”

Elizabeth shook her head and opened her eyes, smiling. “No, no. I was just thinking about what it would be like to hold Alexandria for the first time. She’ll be here any day now and I just…” she exhaled slowly. “I almost can’t wait anymore.”

“Oh.” Jason sat back on his heels. “I just–I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she reached out and took his hand. “Jason…I just want to thank you–”

He shook his head, not wanting to hear her gratitude. “You would have done the same for me,” he cut in.

“No…that’s not what I was going to thank you for,” Elizabeth told him. “Thank you, for being here with me, especially these last few weeks. I was feeling sorry for myself before you and Michael came, thinking about the lonely life I had to look forward to before you gave me the courage to file for divorce. When I go home, it won’t be to a marriage that makes me miserable but to a family that means more to me than anything in the world.” She touched his cheek. “Thank you, Jason, for being one of the people that I trust more than anyone else.”

He wasn’t sure what to say to that and he could tell she wasn’t expecting an answer. Instead, he sat next to her on the sofa and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She tucked herself into his side and fell asleep, her breath warm on his neck.

Carly came into the room to ask about something but went unnoticed at the entrance to the living room. She watched Jason tenderly tuck Elizabeth’s hair behind her ear and kiss her forehead. She backed away and went to her room, uncomfortable with the idea that she may have been wrong about Elizabeth all along.

---

By the time Michael set the table for dinner, Carly and Morgan were all settled in the guest rooms. Jason had cooked a simple dinner and had been trying to talk Elizabeth into taking an early night.

“I had a nap this afternoon,” Elizabeth complained as she lowered herself into one of the chairs. “I’ll go to sleep when I’m tired.” She rubbed her lower back and fidgeted in the chair.

“Leave her alone,” Carly said. “Did you call the doctor?”

Jason nodded. “He’ll have the whole range available but if you want an epidural,” he told Elizabeth who grimaced, “you have to call him in as soon as the labor pains start.”

“So, Michael tells me you’re going to name her Andi,” Carly remarked as she spooned some potatoes onto her plate. “That’s a cute name.”

“It’s short for Alexandria.” Elizabeth shifted again. “Alexandria Audrey.” She reached for the plate of chicken but Jason beat her to it and shifted some pieces onto her plate.

Carly nodded. “For Zander,” she said softly. “That’s real nice.”

“I know it might seem hypocritical…” Elizabeth shrugged uncomfortably. She sipped her water and grimaced a little, reaching to rub her lower back again.

“I don’t think so at all,” Carly remarked. She glanced at Michael but he was seeming engrossed in building a mashed potato fort. “Zander was good friend to me too at one time. And speaking as a mother, I can understand doing whatever it takes to protect your children.”

“I think anyone who knows you knows the lengths you’re willing to go for your kids,” Elizabeth replied. She fidgeted again and this time when her hand strayed to rub her lower back, Carly focused on it.

“Has it been hurting more than usual today?” Carly asked.

Eliabeth hesitated and thought about it. “I guess,” she shrugged. “Why?”

“What’s wrong?” Jason asked. His worried eyes fixed on Elizabeth. “Are you in pain?” he demanded.

“Chill, Daddy,” Carly quipped. “Because labor pains usually start as lower back aches. I think you’d better call the doctor–just to be on the safe side.”

Michael perked up. “Liz is having the baby?” he demanded with glee. “It’s about time!”

Jason leapt up from the table and went to the phone hanging on the wall by the refrigerator. Carly smirked at his unusual demeanor as she helped the bewildered mother-to-be out of her chair. “Let’s go set you up in the bedroom,” she said. “It’s going to be a long night.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “You’ll stay with me right?” she asked Carly. “Because I don’t think I can do this alone.”

“Can I watch, can I watch?” Michael danced after them. “Pretty please?”

“Absolutely not,” Carly remarked. She pushed Elizabeth’s bedroom door open and pushed her towards the bed. “Go watch cartoons, okay? We’ll call you if we need you.”

“Aww…that’s not fair,” Michael grumbled. He left the room and Carly helped Elizabeth change into a nightgown.

“You’re awfully calm about this,” Elizabeth remarked suspiciously as Carly propped a pillow behind Elizabeth’s head.

“It’s always easy to be calm when everything’s going right,” Carly shrugged. “You had a healthy pregnancy, you’re in good physical shape, the doctor is on their way and you caught the labor pains early enough to get an epidural. It shouldn’t be that difficult at all.

Carly would wish she could take those words back six hours later as Elizabeth’s contractions were slamming into each other one after the other and the epidural had long since worn off. Her hair was soaked and shoved off her forehead and she was clutching Jason’s hand so tightly he thought he felt the bones crack.

Carly twisted her fingers together as she stood at the foot of the bed with Elizabeth’s doctor. Maybe she’d tempted the fates by saying Elizabeth would have a relatively easy delivery. Since when had women from Port Charles had an easy time of any thing?

“Should it be taking this long?” she hissed.

Dr. Paige Huma glanced up at her nervous companion. “It can take more than twenty-four hours sometimes.” She leaned back and reached into her bag for a bottle of pills. “Crush two of these into a fine power and put it into a glass of water for her to drink. It’s the only kind of meds I can give her right now.”

Carly rushed from the room to carry out her task and stopped only to assure Michael that everything was going okay. She wasn’t sure if he believed her but then again, she wasn’t sure she believed herself.

“Nothing’s wrong with my baby, right?” Elizabeth managed to gasp out between pains. She gripped Jason’s hand harder but the only outward indication of his own pain was a slight tick of a muscle in his jaw.

“Nothing at all,” Paige replied with a bright smile. “Some labors take longer than others.”

“But she’s in so much pain,” Jason said. “Is this normal?”

“Sure is,” Paige said cheerfully. “Shouldn’t be too much longer though, Mrs. Morgan. The baby is finally crowning so let’s give it one more push, okay?”

Carly stopped in the doorway. “Mrs. Morgan?” she demanded.

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