Prologue and Chapter 1

Prologue

November 2013

Kevin Buchanan had stopped second guessing his decision to join forces with his mother's brother years ago. Their dear friend needed them and if they hadn't stepped in, she would have been lost to them forever. Yet, so while he didn't question their reasons, there was the occasional time where he pondered their methods. Like now when he was stuck with the task of interrogating the newest recruit to his and Todd's mission of mercy.

The dossier that contained the physician's credentials had been memorized days ago. Kevin found that these so-called interviews worked better when he wasn't locked into the printed page. Fumbling for information caused him to lose time that would serve him better with his eyes on the prospect and not on ink.

Typically, these meetings would be called job interviews, but the level of secrecy demanded something stronger than the casual meet and greet. His years in the political arena and in publishing served him well. Todd was often too brusque which led to suspicion. Kevin layered his steel with just the right amount of charm that hadn't created a flood of questions.

He had flown into Port Charles the night before and reserved a suite that gave him a view of the harbor. The waterfront city was nothing like his hometown. He had read how crime families ruled, and the authorities seemed powerless to stop them. On the other hand, he'd also read about its hospital and how they recruited the best in the country. He supposed that in most things, sometimes one had to take the good with the bad, so that it would all balance out.

A light tap on the door announced his guest. He glanced at his Rolex. Her punctuality didn't surprise him. However, as he opened the door, he realized that her beauty did. The photos that Todd's man had compiled didn't do the doctor justice. With round, dark brown eyes and a creamy mocha complexion, she reminded him of his dear friend. They were even the same height and close to the same build. The only difference was hair. The doctor had shoulder length curls instead of long, dark waves.

When a slight frown marred the woman's forehead, he realized that he'd been staring. "Hello," Kevin said.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Dawn Spencer," she said. "I have an appointment with Kevin Buchanan."

"I'm Kevin," he said, extending his hand. "Please come in."

They chose to sit at the table on the balcony overlooking the harbor. Smalltalk was brief. Kevin decided to dive in with questions.

"Your research background is quite extensive," he said.

"For someone so young?" she asked, finishing the question.

"Yes."

She shrugged. "I'm a fast learner."

"You completed medical school at age 16," he said. "You were offered a fellowship at one of the most prestigious hospitals in France. Yet, you turned it down to accept a residency at General Hospital."

"People require dedicated care in Port Charles just as much as they do in Paris."

"Hmm…I thought you refused because your husband was in the police academy," Kevin replied. He noted the slight tightening around her mouth. The indication of annoyance only showed for a moment, but it was enough for Kevin to recognize that he'd struck a nerve.

"My marital status is no concern of yours—"

"That's where you're wrong."

"Excuse me."

The flash in her eyes was another strong reminder of his friend. God, how he missed Evangeline. Her wit. Her laughter. Her compassion. Her friendship. Six and a half years had passed since he'd last heard her voice and not a day had passed that he didn't wish for a chance to tease Cookie or order her a dirty martini and hear about her day. She was a good woman, a kind woman. What happened to her wasn't fair. There had to be a way to make it right.

"Kevin…?"

In that instant, the doctor's voice was so similar to Evangeline's. It pulled him from his reverie. He rubbed his eyes and gave her a faint smile.

"Sorry, as we were saying—"

"You were telling me why you think you have the right to know about my personal life," Dawn said.

He took a set of folders from the table and handed them to her. "What can you tell me about this patient?"

She gave him a hard look and he wondered if he had said too much. Then curiosity won. She pulled the medical records and scanned them. Kevin couldn't imagine that she'd read anything at all considering how quickly she looked at them, but before he could protest, she was slipping the papers back inside the folders and handing them back to him.

"Well?" he said.

"The patient is in a coma and has been for quite some time. The vitals look good. Without more information, it's hard to say whether or not there's brain damage."

"And that's your specialty," Kevin said.

"Yes."

"Can you bring her out of the coma?" he asked.

A flicker of emotion played across her face. "Any doctor who tells you she can is a liar. I cannot make that promise."

"But if she comes out of the coma…"

"You want me to promise you a miracle when I don't even know what the job is, if I'm hired, or whether I want it," Dawn said. "You're asking for a lot."

"What do you want?"

"Honesty," she said. "If you want me to even attempt a miracle, I need to know who and why."

"Those questions aren't answered unless you're hired," Kevin said.

"Am I?"

"Are you?" he countered.

A few hours later, Kevin introduced Dr. Spencer to her new patient. Evangeline Williamson lay quiet and still on four-poster twin bed in his mountain cabin. His dedicated, discreet staff provided round-the-clock care but it wasn't enough. He and Todd decided that she needed a miracle. She deserved one.

Kevin watched as Dawn checked Evangeline's vitals and reviewed the medical chart. Once Dawn was done, she pulled up a chair and sat facing Evangeline. "How long has since she been this way?

"Since May 2007."

"Has the only medical attention come from the nursing staff?"

"No, the previous physician…died."

Dawn looked over her shoulder at him. "Died?"

"He had a heart attack."

She stood and came to him. "Should I be concerned?"

"No."

Her stare prompted Kevin to be more specific.

"You have my word," he added.

"Ms. Williamson means a great deal to you," she said. "I will do everything I can for her."

"Thank you. She's important to many."

"But this is a secret, correct?"

He nodded. "Correct. Your husband can't know about her. The research, yes; the patient, no."

She nodded, but her face was unreadable. Kevin wondered if he had scared her away. He and Todd decided this was the only way. This secrecy was necessary to keep Evangeline safe. One Pure People, the supremacist bastards who targeted Evangeline were co-conspirators in the attempt on Evangeline's life. Until they knew the group's partner no one could ever know that Kevin and Todd had faked Evangeline's death, not even her family. It was the only way to keep her safe.

Chapter 1

June 2014

Faint flashes of light, the distinct aroma of alcohol, and the soothing tones of a guitar broke through the darkness. There were times the sensations seemed less distinct but more and more, they became clearer, stronger. Until desire matched her willpower and Evangeline Williamson opened her eyes and croaked a scratchy, strained, "Hi," to the vision in white who stood over her.

"Oh my God!" The voice screeched. "You're awake!"

"Yes…"

Evangeline wanted to say more, but the effort drained her. She swallowed hard to soothe the achy dryness in her throat. Her mouth parted to ask for water, but the vision fluttered, wavered, and moved away. The squeak of door hinges followed with the sound of more hurried footsteps and louder, rushed voices. The conversation was too quick to follow, but some of the words filtered in.

"Conscious…vitals…brain…damage…unknown…"

A bright light beamed into her eyes, blinding her. Evangeline squinted but she was not a match against the persistence of her…assailant? No, that wasn't the word. More movement. More invasive things happening to her. Evangeline wanted to shy away from the touches, but then again, it seemed like ages had passed since she'd been held or acknowledged. If only she could break through again and speak.

"Evangeline?" A pretty pecan-hued woman with warm brown eyes stared at her. "Blink if you hear me."

The slight flicker required deep concentration but Evangeline accomplished the request with dogged determination. The eyes staring back at her glimmered.

"There you are," the woman said in a voice just over a whisper. "I'm Dr. Spencer…or Dawn. Let's forget the formalities. Can I get you anything?"

"Water," Evangeline said with a little effort.

"Mya, could you bring her water, please?" Dawn asked. "With a straw."

"Wh-what happened…to me?"

Mya returned. Dawn took the glass and put the straw to Evangeline's mouth. "Go slowly. Don't drink too much." After a few sips, Dawn removed the straw. "That's enough for now. We'll give you ice chips. That will be easier."

Exhaustion hit Evangeline suddenly, but she didn't want to surrender. She had so many questions. There was so much she didn't understand. Why did her limbs feel heavy? Where was she? Why was everyone a stranger?

"Get some rest," Dawn was saying. "Mya will stay with you, and I'm always close by."

"But…" Evangeline drifted to sleep before she could protest further.

!JOVAN!

Dawn watched her patient fight slumber and lose. The agreement had been for her to place the call as soon as Evangeline regained consciousness, but she just needed one quiet moment with her patient before hell broke loose.

"Dr. Spencer?"

Both she and the nurse, Mya, turned at the sound of their driver/protector/chef at the door. Elliot stood over 6 feet and easily dwarfed both women by several inches, but his demeanor toward them was always respectful.

"Yes?"

"You have a call. He said it's urgent," Elliot said.

Dawn nodded once. His tone gave nothing away. The caller could be their persistent, obnoxious employer, his persistent, arrogant nephew, or her persistent, estranged husband. She drew in a deep breath and gave quick instructions to the nurse before she followed Elliot into the hallway.

"Dare I ask who 'he' is?" she said.

"He said he's a cop."

"Shit," she muttered under her breath. The persistent, estranged husband.

Elliot handed her the iPhone, and she stepped onto the back terrace which overlooked the Pacific Ocean. The beautiful, rolling waves and pale blue sky usually served as visual sources of peace. Not today. The thought of responding to accusations and interrogations made her nauseous. She would always love him, but she wondered if too much time had passed to repair the damage.

"Look, Lorenzo," she said, "I told you I'd call—"

"I'm not Lorenzo."

"Who is this?"

"McBain," he said. "John McBain."

!JOVAN!

John knew there was no way he could prove that Todd Manning was involved in human trafficking. His hunches had been way off lately. So far off the mark that he had considered a leave of absence to avoid another Internal Affairs investigation. He'd been exonerated at the last grueling Q&A, but as the Chief of Police, being called in injured not only his pride but also took at strong hit at his reputation. Still, his gut nagged that Manning's Pacific ventures were shaky and instinct refused to give him peace until he followed through on this call.

"Doc?" John said when stating his name was met with silence.

"Just Dawn," she said. "Hello, John. How are you?"

"You sound like you've heard a ghost," he quipped. "I bet you're pale as Casper."

"That would be one helluva trick."

They both laughed.

He heard bird calls on the other end and the soft sighs of her breathing returning to normal. They met a few years ago when he worked with her husband, Lucky Spencer on a case that crossed statelines. The possibility that she was on Manning's payroll pained him. Manning always had a knack for charming the smart, beautiful ones. For the briefest moment, an image of a sexy lawyer with smooth skin, glossy hair and a beautiful smile came to mind. The one who got away. Rather the one, John foolishly lost. She'd been caught up in Manning's bullshit, too. Now, she was gone to everyone. He tried not to think of Evangeline Williamson and be reminded of how horribly he wasted their time together by running away. But once thoughts of her slipped in… He coughed away the lump in his throat. There were no do-overs in life. He'd blown it. Simple as that.

"I didn't know you were working on a case with Lorenzo," Dawn was saying.

"I'm not." He heard the unasked question in her voice. "But he gave me your number."

"Okay… You'll forgive me if I'm not following."

"I need to talk to you about Todd Manning," John said.

"What about him?" she asked. Her tone gave nothing away.

"You're on his payroll."

"I don't hear a question," she replied.

"What do you do for him?" John asked.

"You know I'm on his payroll," Dawn said. "You know what I do for him."

"I know what the paper trail says, but that doesn't mean it's accurate."

"What did my husband tell you?"

"He didn't care for the subject of Manning," John answered honestly. "He said that at first you were away weeks at a time and then it became months. He said he hasn't seen you in close to a year—"

"That's not true."

"You asked me what Lucky said," John told her. "He thinks you're having an affair with Manning."

Dawn gave a short, humorless laugh. "No, he doesn't."

John weighed whether or not to address that and decided against it. Instead, he opted for a different tactic. "What type of research are you doing for Manning?"

"Medical."

John rose from his desk chair. He crossed the office to grab the Eagles football that Evangeline had given him years ago. As he twirled it in his hand, he considered the woman on the other end of the phone. She and Evangeline were similar in many ways. He had no doubts that if they had ever met, the doctor and the lawyer would have gotten along. He could almost see the two beauties sitting at the bar at Capricorn, driving the men wild—

Wait, he thought. Where was all this coming from? Why did every thought lead to Evangeline? She had been deceased for years, yet there he was thinking of her as if she was still alive. He had never done that before. Not even after his fiancée, Caitlyn, died. He fell into a guest chair and clutched the football to his chest, dimly aware that he still held his cell phone to his ear.

"John?" Dawn said. "John, are you still there?"

"Look, something came up." The lie was beneath him and sounded juvenile, but it was the best he could do. He wasn't thinking straight. Memories of Evangeline clouded his mind. When he nailed Manning, he'd have to be three steps ahead, not fumbling behind in the past…caught up in bad decisions and regret.

"John?" she said softly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. I'm a cop. You know we live on caffeine, sugar and adrenaline. Nothing a trip to Starbucks won't cure."

"Sounds like Lorenzo," she said.

"Lorenzo? Oh, yeah. Lucky…Lorenzo," John said, remembering.

"It's his middle name."

John hesitated before ending the call. When he spoke to his colleague…her husband…he'd noted the same note of melancholy in his voice. Although they were years his junior, he had always admired their relationship and how they'd managed to get it right despite the job. Knowing that they were apart didn't feel right, but John had never been one to interfere. Besides what did he know about relationships? He'd been too afraid to commit when he had a great woman in his life. Instead, he allowed himself to be manipulated by a woman-child who was more enamored with the idea of him than the real thing.

"Are you okay?" he asked, ultimately unable to resist.

"Fine."

"Great," he mumbled. "Till next time—"

"Next time?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm not done with this, Dawn. If you're smart, you'll head back to Port Charles and let Manning go down alone. He's not who you think he is."

!JOVAN!

Todd Manning didn't like rules or regulations. Worse than that, he hated ultimatums. He refused to be boxed in. Regardless the situation or the cause, he would have the last say. It had to be the way. Otherwise, his world felt wrong. But this time, he couldn't swing the game to his favor. He couldn't sway with his charm or threaten with his money. His kids weren't having any of that. Starr and Jack had put him on notice. They demanded a break from him and if he didn't grant it, they would make it so. Their inheritances be damned.

He leaned back against the leather softness inside his private jet. They were halfway across the Atlantic. Paris with its runways and fashion houses was behind him while Llanview loomed ahead. He considered taking a detour to his little island in the Pacific, but the thought of seeing Evangeline lying there, still and listless, tore at his soul. Not to mention he was not in the mood to run into Kevin again. Protecting Evangeline and finding a cure was the one thing the two would ever agree on. Scratch that. They both loved Viki and Jessica. Other than that, Todd had nothing for his nephew and he found Kevin sniffing around the doctor again, Todd would kick Kevin's ass or pay someone to do it.

A light doze had started to claim him when his cell phone buzzed in his jacket pocket. The distinct ringtone woke him instantly. He snatched the phone and answered in his gruff way.

"What is it?"

"Hello, Todd—"

"Fuck, the niceties," he said. "Is something wrong? Has something happened?"

He heard Dawn release a faint breath. "Something has happened. A couple of things actually."

"Out with it," he snapped.

"You're being an ass," she said in that curt way doctor's loved.

"I don't grovel."

"No one's asking you to, but I doubt if this line is secure. To be brief…our miracle has happened, and an old friend is curious. Very curious—"

"About?" He wanted more information about the miracle. She was right—he'd be damned if he said that out loud—about using careful communication. Evangeline's whereabouts had remained a secret because of an insane amount of discretion. He would not foul that up now. "Curious about what?"

"You…me…us."

He laughed. "Us?"

"Are you done?" she asked.

"So your husband continues to see me as a threat—"

"Focus," she said. "Not him. You need to make sure your house is in order."

Fuck. Todd scratched his temple. Her cryptic code got to him. Was she saying that they were vacating the island? What exactly was she telling him? If not her bonehead detective husband, who was nosing around about them?

"I'm coming in," he said.

"That would be wise," Dawn said. "The sooner the better."

[Author's Note: June 2004, Evangeline Williamson and John McBain bonded over their past, drank wine, and made love in a basement meanwhile blowing the minds of OLTL fans. Not just because of the explosive passion of the scene, but because of the chemistry of actors and the amazing writing of these two characters. Well, it was amazing until the same ole, same ole happened, but until then, JoVan made soap history. This fic is my way of saying that although a decade has passed, I'll never forget how great they were and how amazing they could have been. As always, feedback is always appreciated and I thank you for reading. If you read my other fic, thanks and no, I haven't forgotten them.

Coming in Chapter 2: John gets a lead, Evangeline has questions, and Todd arrives.]