Discipline

General Hospital

Chapter One

Author's note: Morgan left for Sherman-Johnston's Military Academy after Jax was presumed dead. Although Carly said she received positive letters from Morgan during his stay on how much he loved school, my story tells a different tale.

I have aged Morgan, so that he has graduated from school and is returning home.

Enjoy and feedback is always welcome!

Special thanks to my Beta, Spencersgirl27

"A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do."

~New York Military Academy's honor code

Dante Falconeri drummed his fingers against the steering wheel of his car. With his other hand, he counted down the years since he had last seen his brother, Morgan. One, two, three, four years? He couldn't be sure. Morgan hardly came during the holidays. Actually, he hadn't returned to Port Charles since he left for school years ago. Sherman-Johnston's Military Academy, to be exact. The name meant nothing to Dante. He missed his brother. He missed watching Yankee games in his apartment, playing catch in Morgan's front lawn, trading baseball cards…all right, maybe their relationship revolved around one sport, but it was still something.

Ah, what did it matter? It wasn't like Dante was going to see Morgan any time soon. Morgan was as good as gone from Port Charles, and good riddance. He deserved better than a messed up place such as this. Port Charles wasn't a good place for a kid to grow up. Port Charles was for hard headed adults—such as himself, or so he liked to think. Maybe not, maybe he really wasn't cut out for Port Charles either. Sometimes, he went back to his childhood, his many years in Bensonhurst. Those were the days. His mother, Olivia, was always there for him. Dante never felt anything but love for his mother. He was surrounded by doting aunts and uncles at all times. And those aunts and uncles had children, and those children had children.

Bensonhurst was most likely half Falconeri.

Countless family did not mask Dante's yearning for a father. He told himself he didn't need another parent. He would be his own father; he would help his mother any way he could. Very slowly, however, the absence began to weigh on him. Between various sports, homework, and everything else that came from hovering, stubborn, and completely independent Italians all day hardly left any room for being the boy—man—he wanted to be.

And if Dante thought growing up without a father was difficult enough, he couldn't even begin to fathom what living with Sonny Corinthos was like for Morgan. Constantly under the threat of a random mob attack...that fear alone would have torn Dante apart.

Sure, he wasn't glad Carly sent Morgan away, but he was happy he was safe. He wasn't Morgan Corinthos anymore. He was Morgan Benson, Carly's son, not the heir to a mobster's throne.

Before Dante knew it, he had reached the familiar door to his apartment. He sighed, shaking his head and reaching for his keys. He thought too much. All he wanted to do was to see his beautiful wife. He thought he heard a noise from behind him, but ignored it. Pushing open the door, he let the world slip away and received his wish.

Lulu Falconeri stood by the door, a phone pressed to her ear. With her free hand, she pulled her husband close. He kissed her cheek softly before letting his arms hang loose around her back, taking in her intoxicating scent and letting his head rest in the crook of her shoulder. He whispered her name softly, closing his eyes and sighing. He and his police partner, Delores Padilla, had been working on the same case for what seemed like years, and were getting nowhere. And Lulu, she had just returned from Dr. Robin Scorpio-Drake's funeral. Something in her eyes told him that it didn't go well.

"…I was just; I was wondering if it would be all right, that's all." Dante could hear snippets of the person on the other end of the line. It was a man, Dante could tell, and he sounded nervous.

"Don't you want to see your family first?" Lulu asked just as warily.

"You are my family, you and Dante." The voice on the other line said.

"Of course." Lulu nodded. "You can come whenever you'd like."

"I'm standing outside."

Lulu clicked off the phone in an instant. Her eyes were wide.

"What?" Dante looked up, pulling away. "Lulu, what's wrong?"

"It's…" She tried to find the words. "It's Morgan."

"What?"

"He's here. He's here, Dante. He's standing outside right now." Lulu explained, hurriedly moving to clean off the kitchen table, dirty with Dante's manila folders from work and other things she had set out randomly. "We're not ready."

"For my little brother?" Dante laughed off the weird feeling he had in his gut. "Lu, we'll be fine. He's been living in a military academy for years; he'll probably be relieved to see some clutter."

Lulu gave him a look, but gave in. Dante winked at her, heading towards the doorknob, pulling it open as fast as he could.

Tall. That was the first word that came to mind. He was much taller, stronger, too. Morgan had tucked his crisp, white, cotton shirt into his long camouflage pants. A large, khaki bag slung over one able shoulder. His hair was shorter, buzzed. Morgan looked at his older brother with different eyes—darker, more mature, and definitely exhausted.

"Good to see you." Dante nodded at his brother, who was nearly stronger than him now. Morgan nodded, his hands itching to salute, but he kept it by his side. He let it reach out, reach towards Dante. Dante took that as his cue, turning the handshake into a hug. Morgan was shocked at first, dropping his bag at his feet. Seconds later, his arms came around Dante's back, and he returned the hug. He couldn't remember the last time he had hugged his brother and he tightened the hold on him. It was so good to see Dante. He was the first person he talked to since returning to Port Charles nearly a day ago. He didn't know where to begin, so he parked his car under the stars and slept and restless sleep.

"All right, man." Dante laughed, pulling away. "You look exhausted."

"Yeah." Morgan admitted. He let Dante take his bag and followed him into the apartment. Lulu was standing there, smiling at him. He hugged her too—he liked this hugging business. Cadets didn't usually hug.

"How have you been?" Lulu asked. Morgan shrugged. There was so much to tell, nothing he could say in one night. He looked down, scratching the back of his head. The last time his brother and Lulu had seen him, his hair was thicker, longer. Now it was short and trimmed. He noticed the glint of diamond on Lulu's finger. Looking over at Dante, he saw the corresponding gold band. He looked so comfortable, wearing a wedding ring, like it was meant for him.

"You two got married?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, Christmas day." Dante smiled.

"It's not what you think," Lulu assured him. "It was just Olivia and us."

"Yeah, and Ma invited half of our family. They were waiting outside."

"And half of your family is like, half a million." Morgan put in. Dante laughed, patting his brother on the back.

"Where you staying, man?" Dante asked, gesturing for his brother to sit on the couch.

"Uh, my car." Morgan looked down, sheepish.

"What?" Dante and Lulu said at once.

"That's crazy," Lulu shook her head.

"It was pretty calming, actually," Morgan put in. "I got to sleep under the stars."

"That-a-boy!" Dante chuckled.

"You're just like your brother." Lulu rolled her eyes. "You can stay here tonight; we can take you to the Metrocourt tomorrow if you want."

"Yeah, uh," Morgan shrugged. "I was thinking of renting a room at Kelly's, instead."

"Don't you want to see your mother?"

The question stayed with Morgan the entire night.