ABC/DISNEY owns GH. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hi All! Happy New Year, hope everyone is doing well. This is going to be a shorter story but I hope you still like it.

As always I love hearing from you, if you wish to leave a review please be polite.

This is a work of fiction. Not everything in it is going to be true to real life. Even topics I've researched I may still alter to fit the story. If this bothers you then I'm not the author for you.

Thanks Liason102 for the edit! It always great working with you.


Chapter 1

"What the hell?" Lucas looked up as the lights started to flicker and then went out.

"Language." Epiphany reprimanded the doctor arching a brow.

"Sorry." He replied sheepishly. It would be a very bad idea to get on Epiphany's bad side. Patrick pissed the head nurse off a few weeks back and she promptly removed Nurse Webber from his service. The neurosurgeon was still groveling.

Next to her boss Liz just smirked. Dr. Jones was new to the hospital and had been enthusiastically welcomed. Bobbie, his mother, had worked here for decades. Liz didn't work much with him though because Piph was doing her best to keep them separated for now. Carly, his sister, was not an Elizabeth Webber fan, and the siblings were pretty close. Until the head nurse knew Dr. Jones wasn't going to be a problem she was protecting her nurse.

The lights went from flickering to out. Almost immediately the emergency power switched on. However it wouldn't keep everything going. The life support and patient care machines were working. Some hall lights and room lights were on. Three ORs would have power, the same was true of two elevators. The emergency band was also up, but right now that was it. "Oh bother."

Piph looked at the best nurse on her staff and tried not to laugh. It wouldn't be good for her reputation. "I think you've been in pediatrics too long." Not only was Liz an outstanding surgical nurse, but she was amazing with the patients so Piph asked her to sometimes work the wards if they were short staffed. "You are quoting Winnie the Pooh."

"It fits though." Liz said grinning. "Plus peds has the best applesauce in the hospital. I swear they have a different brand then the adult rooms get."

Piph just grinned and shook her head.

"So what happens now?" Lucas wanted to know. He hadn't ever been here during any emergency situations.

"You try not to kill anyone." Piph said giving him a look. "Liz and I will be too busy running things to babysit you."

"Hopefully it will stay quiet." Lucas said looking around the ER. They had been seeing patients at a steady rate, but it wasn't what you would call busy. Since it was a Wednesday night, in the dead of summer, that wasn't surprising.

"It depends on how wide spread the outage is." Liz was hoping it was just part of the city and not all of it. Late last month Rochester went dark for almost a day and things got ugly.

Lucas nodded looking over at Nurse Webber. He hadn't been allowed to work with her on his own during his month here, but the staff all admired her. So did his mother. She was the granddaughter of legends in the medical community but didn't rest on those laurels. She worked hard. She had also been treated like crap by his sister when Carly lived here. Felix had filled him in on that over lunch.

"Why don't you go up and check in with the hubs on the wards." Piph told Liz. "Make sure everyone is doing what they should be." They were fully staffed, and if things went south a good many people who were already here would stay when the third shift arrived.

"I can do that." Liz wasn't expecting a crush of people to come into the ER right this minute. If the city went bonkers it would take a while before things got to that point. "I'll grab my cell phone. Want me to bring you yours?" She knew Piph's locker combination because the older woman trusted her completely.

"Yeah." That was why Piph liked working with Liz, she was smart. "Dr. Jones, go check on the patients that haven't gone upstairs yet." Piph told Lucas. At some point Monica would wander down. The Chief of Surgery was in the building. If they were lucky the Chief of Staff, Dr. Ford, would stay home.


Liz took the stairs despite the two working elevators. At this point they were for patient transport only. She also mentally thanked the universe for having the blackout happen at nine-thirty. Since visiting hours were over, dealing with freaked out relatives was not something she had to do. This was her second shift today and she had been looking forward to clocking out at ten. It wouldn't surprise her if she was asked to stay.

The nurses were doing exactly what that had been assigned at the beginning of the shift. No one slacked off because Piph always found out. Both cell phones were grabbed when Liz was on the sixth floor. On the eighth floor, after checking in with her colleagues, she went down the hall and knocked on a closed door before stepping into the quiet room.

Part of the emergency system was the single overhead light above each bed. That light was shining down on the occupant of this room. "I just wanted to check on you." Liz said standing beside her friend.

"I'm fine. Annoyed, but fine." Johnny O'Brien had been felled by a kidney stone. He kept saying everything was fine and then collapsed at the office. "Why couldn't this be on a night when Nadine was working?" He had been enjoying their flirting. "I could talk her into being bad and no one would notice."

Liz just shook her head as she straightened his blankets. "If you had admitted something was wrong, we could have treated you and right now you would be home. Where Nadine could be acting as your private nurse. But instead you had to be stubborn." Liz had been terrified when he was wheeled into the ER. They had been friends a really long time and she didn't want to lose him.

"Being ill has knocked me off my game. I never even considered that." Johnny had to admit. "I would feel bad if she postponed her vacation for me."

Liz didn't say anything but she knew Nadine would much rather be here. Especially if she could hang out with Johnny. Her fellow nurse only went home to visit her sister Jolene who was serving several life sentences for killing patients. This was an obligation visit, so putting it off would have been welcomed.

"Is the entire town dark?" Johnny had sent a text to Francis but so far his friend hadn't responded.

"From what I'm hearing, yes. My colleagues have been calling home and checking in. Everyone is reporting that their spouses, kids, and friends are sitting in the dark." Liz was hoping that this was quick fix. Although she had to be honest in that she had no idea how you turned an entire city back on. "I'm guessing we over worked the system." It had been hot this summer.

"Floyd promised to update everything in his last campaign. I knew he was lying which is why I voted for Reese Marshall. Only she didn't win." Johnny knew their current mayor only won because of friends in high places. Friends like Edward Quartermaine and Malcolm Barrington. Those two men were bigger criminals than the mobsters could ever hope to be.

"So Reese was being honest?" Liz wanted to know.

"She was lying too." Johnny replied with a smirk. "But she was lying less than he was. Are you staying here?" He didn't like the thought of her walking home in the dark, even with protection. Situations like this had people losing their common sense real quick. Even after she got home she would be sitting in her apartment in the dark.

"Emergency protocol says all essential personnel should be reporting to the hospital. However they aren't going to want us all sitting around if we aren't needed. Whether or not I stay will probably depend on who shows up." Liz explained how this was going to work. "And how out of control the city gets."

"If you leave come see me first. Please." He remembered to add. If she was getting cut he was going to send her to his apartment. The Towers would be secure. If Jason was back he would just send her to the penthouse. His friends had been dating for a couple of months now, but it was just too dangerous to make that public. Johnny knew that Liz hadn't ever stayed over at the Towers. He was guessing if they had that much time alone nature would have no problem taking its course. He wanted a godchild to spoil.

"I can do that. Are you going to be okay?" Liz was worried about him too. He had enemies and this situation might be leaving him vulnerable.

"I'm fine." Johnny wasn't allowed to have a guard. Dr. Ford wouldn't agree to it, but they had ways around him. "Scram before you get into trouble for hanging out with the patients. The staff loves to gossip."

"Please." Liz replied laughing. "If someone said anything it would be because they are trying to eliminate what they think is competition." The female nursing staff, and yeah some of the guys too, had noticed Johnny's good looks. "Text me if you need anything."

Johnny nodded and after she left waited impatiently for Francis to call.


Corelli was doing some impatient waiting of his own. He had called Johnny and gave his friend an update right after that waiting started. Francis wasn't in his office, or in his apartment. He was standing by the elevator in the parking garage of the Harbor View Towers high rise. Looking at his watch he saw that two minutes had passed since he last checked it. Then he told himself to not check the time piece again. "A watched pot doesn't boil." He muttered to no one else, since he was down here alone.

A pair of headlights splashed across the wall of the garage as a large company car turned onto the private level. Francis knew that since he hadn't gotten a call that things were either fine; or they had gone to shit and his friends couldn't report in. Seeing the cars had his blood pressure dropping. The caravan of three vehicles parked and that had him moving from where he was standing. He opened the passenger side door of the lead car and helped his girlfriend out.

"We're fine." Diane said before he could speak hoping to make him believe that. Or herself, she wasn't sure.

"What happened?" Francis asked his boss who was getting out from behind the wheel. Diane's hand was trembling.

"People are taking advantage of the blackout." Jason said shaking his head.

They had finished up their business in New York earlier than expected. Instead of needing two days it only took one long day of meetings. He left the choice of whether to stay in the city, or return home to his attorney. Diane picked home so he called the plane.

They were in the air, about thirty minutes or so from Port Charles, when they learned about the power outage. The co-pilot came out of the cockpit to announce they were being rerouted to Rochester because there were no landing lights at the private airstrip they normally used. By the time the plane touched down cars were waiting and they started home with their escort. He drove Diane, and the guys flanked them. "People are shooting at each other. We heard the gunshots while driving in. There are at least a couple of fires going based on the glow in the sky. We listened to the local news on the drive, they are reporting looting and public disturbances." Which more than likely meant fights in the street possibly between rival neighborhoods.

Port Charles didn't have a serious gang problem, but that wasn't because of the cops. It was because of the mobsters. Kids running around jacking up the crime rate would be a major headache for them. What Jason didn't know was what things were happening in Port Charles and what was happening in Crimson Pointe.

"All of our holdings are locked down." Francis told his boss as he urged Diane closer.

Jason nodded and then waged a brief internal struggle. There were two things he wanted to know right away. His heart wanted to ask one question, but his brain insisted the other was more important. With a forceful exhale from his nose he spoke. "Have you found Sonny?"

"No." Francis watched Jason's mental debate. While it might suck, the younger of his two bosses had asked the right question first. Unfortunately there was nothing to report. Sonny should be at home, but Greystone was empty. The guards didn't know where he was. In fact they hadn't even realized he left. When things settled down some retraining was happening. With Corinthos Morgan having issues with another family, Sonny should not be out without security. "He's not answering his phone."

"I'm really hoping he isn't about to do something stupid. I will not protect him from Maximus if that is the case." Jason shook his head. Things were dangerously unstable at the moment. Sonny trying to be macho could push them into a war. Jason had spent part of his day in New York with Maximus's enforcer discussing this very topic.

Shawn had known Sonny for years. He knew the Cuban mob boss tended to act before thinking. Sonny's ego was massive. Jason had hoped that it was a symptom of the bi-polar, but that proved to not be true. That ego almost cost Michael his life, and Sonny had been riding the edge of spinning out of control ever since. Jason didn't blame him, he was pissed too. But he had enough sense to not go off half-cocked. Sonny however had something to prove and one wrong move could cost a lot of good men their lives.

"Call the guys back." Jason said making a decision. "Right now things are too dangerous for them to be out there." With the police on alert he didn't want any of his guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Sonny is on his own for now."

Francis nodded and sent out a text. "That was the right call." Cutting Sonny loose ensured that he didn't drag Jason down with him if the Don got pissed. Maximus told everyone to stand down while Palermo investigated the shooting. That was why Shawn was in the country, to look into the matter. If Sonny didn't listen then whatever the punishment was he would face it alone.

Jason just nodded. He wanted Sonny to not be stupid for very selfish reasons. The blonde didn't want to run things on his own. However this whole situation was showing him that he needed to step up. Sonny needed someone who could check him if necessary, as his partner that was Jason. "Where is Elizabeth?" This was the question his heart needed answered.

"The hospital." Francis said as they went to the elevator. Standing by the car had been fine because on this private level the wall that faced the street went from floor to ceiling. "I'm locking you down." Francis told his friend and they boarded the elevator.

Jason frowned but nodded. With his partner missing they needed to make sure one of their bosses stayed safe. "Elizabeth was working a double. They are going to want her to leave, so if they start cutting staff she'll be in the first wave. I planned on going to get her since I'm home."

"It's handled." Francis wasn't going to let anything happen to Liz. She was family, and that had nothing to do with Jason.

"Johnny?" Jason was expecting to hear that O'Brien had snuck out of the hospital. The stone had been removed earlier in the day. Jason called at lunch to check in and make sure everything went okay. Since they didn't cut you open anymore a patient could conceivably leave the same day.

"The hospital." Francis passed along as they changed elevators. "He is planning on sneaking out if Liz leaves. If she isn't sent home he'll stay until she is." He couldn't really do much, but just being there made him feel better. "I sent company." Visiting hours didn't mean much to them.

Jason nodded. The first floor that the private elevator they were on could stop at was one of two penthouse levels. Penthouses one and three were on the nineteenth floor, while two and four were on the twentieth. Johnny and Cody lived in the first two, while Jason lived on the top floor across the hall from his friends. The doors opened and Cody grinned at them. "Welcome back." He was going to Jason's for a briefing.

"Thanks." Jason was wondering if he was going to get any sleep tonight. They continued up and the doors opened again. "Take your time." He told his friend as they stepped off the elevator. Francis would want to get Diane settled.

"Go with Jason." Diane gave her guy a quick kiss. While the ride over had stretched her nerves thin she was fine now. The guys needed to talk. "I'm okay." She promised. "I need to file some papers anyway." Work would relax her so she could sleep.

Francis wasn't going to push. Hopefully once he went home then he could stay there for a while and focus on his girlfriend. The guys watched while she went inside and then headed to penthouse four where Jason lived. Both units were the same size, with five bedrooms and even more bathrooms. The only difference was that the floor plans were reversed. And that penthouse two had more furniture.

"Help yourself to something to drink." Jason said heading for the stairs. He wanted to get out of his suit. "I'll be right back down." Once the meeting was done he would call over to the hospital and see if Elizabeth was still there. It sucked but at the moment business had to come first.


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