“Is he okay though?” Carly’s voice was thin and little hard to hear on the overseas call.

Jason leaned against the pillar of the house and watched Michael take off running towards the ocean before jumping feet first into the waves.

“He’s fine,” Jason assured his friend.

“I just can’t believe Sonny did that. That’s got to be enough to get me custody right?” Carly demanded. “You should bring him home so he can tell the judge. Where are you anyway?”

“I needed to take a few days for myself,” Jason hedged. “And when Sonny told me to just take Michael to live with me–I knew I couldn’t leave him there alone. And right now–he’s having fun, Carly. I’ll bring him home at the end of the week.”

“But where–” Jason hung up his cell phone and moved away from the house. He watched Michael leave the ocean and plop onto the sand in front of Elizabeth’s beach chair.

He’d watched Michael attach himself to Elizabeth over the past two days and it worried him–Michael would be leaving in a few days and he would lose her company for who knows how long.

He moved over the sand until he was next to Elizabeth, belatedly noticing that she’d dozed off.

“She looks so funny.” Michael began building a sand castle. “With all that gunk on her nose and she’s not even wearing a swim suit.”

“Well, buddy, she’s having a baby and you know pregnant women can’t do everything you can.”

“How come you had to bring her?” Michael inquired. He thrust his hands into the sand and began digging out a trench for his castle’s moat.

“Well, she didn’t want to fly alone,” Jason tried to explain. “We’re old friends.”

Michael studied his uncle critically. “You’re the only person who’d wear jeans and boots on the beach,” he said shaking his head in disappointment.

“What do you suggest I wear instead?” Jason teased, ruffling Michael’s hair.

“Duh…swim trunks.” Michael rolled his eyes. “For Christ’s sake, Uncle Jason.” He sat back on his heels. “Can I stay with Liz until she comes home?” he asked.

“Sorry, buddy. She’s on extended vacation and we’re going home on Friday.”

“What home?” Michael sniffled. “Yours or Daddy’s?”

Jason hesitated. “Well, your mom wants you to tell the judge what Sonny said.”

“No!” Michael yelled. He leapt to his feet. “I don’t want to talk to the judge!” In his anger, he kicked his beach pail and it flew through the air and hit Elizabeth.

Right in the abdomen.

She woke with a start and clutched her hand over her belly. “What’s going on?”

“Are you okay?” Jason asked instantly. “Any pain?”

“N-no,” Elizabeth said, blinking her eyes. “What happened?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Michael said. He threw his thin arms around Elizabeth’s neck. “Please don’t be mad at me. I didn’t mean to hurt the baby or yell. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t hurt the baby,” Elizabeth assured him. She hugged him tightly. “It’s okay, Michael.”

The redhead pulled away and sniffled. Tears were streaming down his face. “It’s wrong to throw things when you’re mad,” he said somberly. “That’s what Mommy tells me every time Daddy throws glasses.”

“Oh…” Elizabeth shifted one of her hands to Michael’s cheek and wiped the tears from it. “You’re just a little boy, Michael. You didn’t mean to hurt anyone. What were you so angry about?”

“Jason says I have to talk to the judge again.” Michael shifted to sit on Elizabeth’s lap. Despite the discomfort, Elizabeth said nothing. “I don’t wanna talk to the judge. Can I stay here with you where there aren’t any judges?”

“You can’t run away from your problems forever,” Elizabeth told him. “What’s wrong with this judge?”

“He keeps asking me to choose and I already chose. Why does he keep asking?” Michael demanded of Jason.

“Maybe he doesn’t think you’re sure,” Jason tried to explain. “Or maybe he wants you to pick one of your parents. I mean–you know that I love you, Michael. But your parents love you, too. And they have the right to keep petitioning the judge for custody of you.”

“But you don’t yell at me and you don’t make me cry.” Michael looked at Elizabeth. “You know Uncle Jason. Don’t you think he’d be a good father?”

Elizabeth bit her lip and glanced at Jason. She knew that he’d never lied to the little boy and that he’d want her to tell him the truth. “Sure,” she said with a smile. “I think he’d be a great father.”

“Why can’t he be my father then?” Michael asked.

“You know…you’re probably ready for some lunch.” Jason stood and pulled Michael to his feet. “Elizabeth?”

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Elizabeth frowned and planted her feet firmly in the sand so she could make the struggle to stand. A moment later, Jason took her hands in his and hauled her to her feet just the way he had Michael. “This is completely inconvenient,” she complained.

Michael giggled. “You waddle like a duck.”

Elizabeth scowled. “Not nice, Michael.”

“I never got to see my mommy when she was at six months,” Michael said, taking Elizabeth’s hand in his and leading her to the house. “You’re really big for only six months, aren’t you?”

Jason couldn’t hide his smile at the innocent question. “Michael.”

“You know, Michael, you’re a great kid and you’re gonna be a heartbreaker when you get older,” Elizabeth began as she began the climb up the steps, “but if I might give you a little tip for dealing with girls?”

“Sure.”

“Big is not a word you want to use.”

---

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jason asked after he’d fed Michael and sent him to watch some cartoons. “I mean…that pail…”

“It just startled me,” Elizabeth replied, taking her dishes to the sink. “I’m more upset about Michael,” she told him honestly. “How many times has he seen Sonny get angry?”

“Too many,” Jason sighed. “I keep telling them both that Michael has always been a perceptive kid. Even when he was a baby, he could tell when someone was angry. If your body tensed while you were holding him or you just raised your voice a little, he’d get upset.”

“I guess I don’t understand why they’re putting him through this,” Elizabeth admitted, leaning against the counter. “What’s wrong with joint custody?”

“Neither of them wants to admit defeat,” Jason said bitterly.

“It must be hard for you watch them fight over the boys like this,” Elizabeth murmured, remembering the pain in his eyes when he talked about losing Michael. “Especially Michael.”

Jason cleared his throat. “We’re flying home on Friday,” he told her. “If you’ve got letters for anyone or messages, I’ll need them then. You have my cell phone number right?”

“Yeah.” Feeling a little stung at his sudden withdrawal, she moved across the room and took a bottle of water from the fridge.

“I haven’t lined up a doctor yet, but I’ll have one by the time I leave,” Jason informed her. “I’ll probably fly in one from the States if that makes you more comfortable.”

“That’s fine.” Elizabeth kept her eyes trained on her bottled water. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“Do you remember when you told me that you couldn’t picture me in jail?” Jason asked.

Elizabeth blinked and frowned as she thought about it. “Yeah–that must have been…over four years ago. When the IRS was investigating you?”

“Yeah. I didn’t understand what you meant then but when I tried to picture you in the same position…I did. After everything you’ve done for me…I couldn’t turn my back.”

“Oh…so this is just repaying old debts,” Elizabeth murmured.

“No, it’s not–” Jason began.

“I’m tired,” Elizabeth interrupted distantly. “I’m going to go take a nap.” She left the room and a few moments later, her bedroom door shut.

“She sounded upset.”

Jason turned to see a curious Michael in the doorway. “Yeah, she did.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Michael, I don’t like the idea of you talking to a judge either. I’ll try to get you out of it, but I can’t promise anything, okay?”

“Okay.” Michael climbed onto the seat he’d vacated only a little while ago. “How long is Liz going to stay here?”

“Until she wants to go home.”

“Is she having the baby here?” Michael inquired.

“Possibly.”

“Are you going to come back and see her?”

“Yes,” Jason confirmed. “What are you getting at?”

“Can I come when you come?” Michael asked.

“I don’t know buddy–it depends on your parents.” He set the last plate in the drying rack before sitting at the table with Michael.

“What’d you say that made Liz upset?” Michael asked. He reached for a banana from the basket in the middle of the table.

“She thinks I came here because I’m grateful to her for some things she did for me.”

Michael studiously peeled his fruit and took a large bite. “Why does that make her mad?” he asked through a full mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. And sometimes people don’t like to think that you’re doing something for them because they did something for you.”

“Why?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?” Jason teased.

Michael shrugged. “How you supposed to know anything if you don’t ask?” he said. “So why?”

“Good point,” Jason allowed. “I guess because people like to think they mean more than just repaying a favor.”

“Liz wants to know that you care about her,” Michael said. “Is that what you mean?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“How come if you’re such good friends, I don’t ever see her around you?” Michael asked.

“Because she and your aunt don’t get along very well. And I don’t get along with her husband,” Jason admitted. “She’s married to Ric.”

Michael frowned. “Ric? The man who kidnapped Mommy?”

“Yeah,” Jason sighed. He rubbed his neck.

“Why would she like him?” Michael asked, wrinkling his nose. “He’s mean. And she’s so pretty and nice.”

“You can’t always decide you’re going to care about, Michael,” Jason told him. “Sometimes it happens even if it’s bad for you.”

“Okay but she deserves better.” Michael shifted and finished his banana. “I’m glad you and Aunt Courtney don’t fight like my parents even though you are getting a divorce.”

“We’re not getting a divorce,” Jason frowned. “Who told you that?”

Michael blinked. “Aunt Courtney,” he said.

Jason sat back in his chair and sighed. “Well…I guess she made a decision,” he muttered.

Not noticing his uncle’s mood change, Michael reached for an apple. “I think you should apologize to Liz,” he told him. “Daddy told me that even if Mommy was acting weirdly when she was pregnant that we had to be nice to her anyways and even if we wasn’t wrong, we had to apologize cause pregnant women were specialer than regular women.”

“He’s right. You should always treat a woman with respect, whether she’s your mother, sister, aunt or a stranger on the street but pregnant women deserve even more respect and consideration. It’s not easy to bring another life into this world and it can be really stressful.”

“Is that why Liz is on vacation?”

“Yeah. She needs a break from home,” Jason told him. “And you’re right…I should apologize to her.”

“Good. Maybe she needed a break from nasty Ric,” Michael said, visibly brightened by that idea. “I should tell her so.”

“Michael,” Jason shook his head unable to hide his smile. It didn’t matter that he agreed with his nephew.

“So, you decided to help Liz because you care about her right? Not cause she used to help you all the time?” Michael asked.

“I decided to help her because she’s important to me and you should always take care of the people who are important to you, Michael. It’s part of being a good friend and a good person.”

“Mommy told me once that you took care of me when I was a baby. That you loved me like I was your son.” Michael swung his gaze down to the table. “Is that true?”

Jason’s throat felt thick and he looked away. “Yeah. For a whole year. Your mother was sick and there was no one else. So…I took care of you.”

“So why did you stop loving me?” Michael asked, his lower lip trembling. “Did you not want to be my daddy anymore?” He folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on top of them. “You know…all my daddies leave me. AJ was my daddy and Sonny was, too. Is there something wrong with me?”

“No, no, no,” Jason quickly assured him. He slid off his seat and crouched next to Michael. “There is nothing wrong with you. It’s the people around you. You were the best thing that ever happened to me,” he assured the little boy. “I thought of you as my son,” he admitted.

“Then why did you stop?” Michael asked. He sniffled.

“Because I wasn’t…” Jason closed his eyes. “It’s so hard to explain, Michael. AJ’s your father–by blood. I know Carly’s talked about this with you right?”

Michael nodded. “She said that AJ helped make me but Sonny was my real daddy but he doesn’t want me either.”

“Sonny’s angry,” Jason instinctively explained. “Michael–when AJ found out you were his son, he was angry and he wanted you for himself. I got visitation rights but I knew that it would just be more and more painful and I didn’t want you to get upset every time AJ and I were around each other. You’re such a smart kid, you always knew when people were fighting and I hated knowing I was the reason you were crying.”

“I’m sorry,” Michael sniffled again. He rubbed his eyes.

“It’s not your fault,” Jason assured him. “I just thought it would be better if I removed myself from the situation. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, Michael, but I thought you would be better off. And when Carly married Sonny, I thought–I thought it would be okay because Sonny would love you the same way he would love any child.”

“But he doesn’t.” Tears started to stream down his cheeks. “I’m just a whore’s bastard and I think that means he’s calling Mommy a bad name and he says he wishes I was never adopted and that means I don’t really have a daddy.” Michael studied Jason. “If the judge says it’s okay and Mommy does, too…can you be my daddy again? For good?”

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