Unsettling Realizations

By Didi

Disclaimer: General Hospital, if I'm not mistaken, is owned by the American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. I don't own it, never imagine that I will; I've come to turns with that and so should you. No profit is being made from this little adventure and none shall be in the future. No infringement intended though we all know it's actually happening. I'll stop if you tell me to; no need to sue.

Summary: Jason finds something rather unexpected as he deals with the truth coming out and everyone reacts accordingly. Oh, and the mob wars take a rather nasty turn. (This will be an ensemble piece.)

Timeline (Read This Please): Go back to Chapter 1 and read the timeline there. Already done that? Great! Now I'm adding to it. Currently there's a stupid Nikolas story involving the notorious Mr. Craig: I hate it. I get that the writers need to give these characters things to do, conflicts to solve and such… but I really have no interest in Mr. Craig pass his deliciously devious turn as the head hostage taker. That story is over and I'm done wit it; plus it would be a real pain to attempt to write it in. Robin and Patrick's story has been bland ever since they got together. Emily and Nikolas are equally boring to me though I do love the romantic sense in them. So, I'm just going to ignore that whole plot devise and move on. You'll still see the four characters in my story but they will probably not be in the main plotline. Okay? Thanks.

And now, on with the story.

Author's Note: So this story is kind of a work in progress. I haven't really decided on couples yet other than Lucky and Liz, and that's mostly because I kind of want to redeem Lucky's character a bit more than what the show has already done. If you can't tell yet, Jason, Carly and Lulu are my favorite characters right now and I'll probably be giving them the bulk of the story. But I'm kind of rewritings to weave in my own ideas so there will be multiple plots running as if you're actually watching the show. Don't know how all of this is really going to work out so bear with me on this little journey. I'll strive to entertain.

Rating: T

Key: "Spoken," "Thoughts." Anyway questions?

Chapter 2 – Regrets

With the hot coffee cup slowly burning the insides of his palm, Lucky sat in the cafeteria waiting for his heart to return to normal and his mind to stop burning with images of Jason and Liz tangled together, creating the child that he had once thought his own. He thought of the many times Maxie Jones had warned him that Liz was lying to him, that Elizabeth didn't really love him and only took pity upon him. He remembered defending Liz to Maxie and Carly, listening to her excuses when he found her in close quarters with Jason, seeing her troubled eyes as they followed him around the Spencer house and the way Elizabeth had looked in her white gown as they took their vows once more in his mother's house. He remember the Lamaze classes, feeling the baby kick, watching the sonogram appear on the monitor during visits to the doctor's. He remembered picking out paint, buying toys, telling his mother of her new grandchild and promising to bring the baby to see his beautiful grandmother one day. He remembered so much… too much.

"Lucky…" Nikolas stared at his brother for a moment. There was nothing to be said. He couldn't even begin to fathom the kind of pain Lucky was dealing with. And in the back of his mind, Nikolas had a kernel of fear that Lucky would turn back to pills for comfort. God, this wasn't the time for any of this to be happening. After everything they've all gone through in the last year, they should have happily ever after. "Thank you."

Lucky turned his head, confusion overriding his own thoughts for a moment, "For what?"

"For not jumping on Jason earlier," the Cassadine prince clarified, "I know you wanted to. God knows, no one would really blame you if you had. But right now, with Lulu in the hospital like this…"

A tired, bitter smile answered that comment. Lucky sighed. "You're right, I wanted to but I couldn't. I…I'm just…" he shook his head and took a deep breath, his face ravaged with exhaustion. "I don't have the energy for it anymore. I don't want to fight with him, with anyone else right now. I just…. I feel so numb from everything." It took every ounce of energy in him to get up and face the world every day. Everything little thing in his life seem to take double the energy, double the strength, double the effort, he simply didn't have anything left to fight with.

"I wish I had some kind of answer for you," Nikolas said, patting Lucky on his shoulder and, not for the first time, wishing his mother was around. He's never seen his brother so defeated, even at the lowest point in his life Lucky was a fighter; Spencers were born fighters. But the beaten down look in his brother's eyes scared Nikolas as nothing else would. "I'm here, you know, if you ever need anything or anyone to talk to. I can't say that…"

"Nik," Lucky stopped him with a sad smile that would have broken anyone's heart, "I'm not going to go back to drugs; I promised Mom that I wouldn't ever touch the stuff again and I mean to keep that promise. I've wasted enough of my life and lost too much because of that stuff. But I appreciate it." He patted his brother's back and sighed. "Right now, I want to concentrate on Lulu and whatever the hell she's gotten herself into. I swear, the girl is worse than Dad sometimes. At least with Dad, I know he can get himself out of trouble. But Lulu… she's had a hard year and I didn't exactly make it any easier on her with my drugs and secrets and…" he sighed stop this useless tirade. "God, the things I said to her last year when she needed me the most. I haven't really been a good brother to her lately."

"Don't," Nikolas warned, heartened by the determination in Lucky's eyes at the mention of Lulu. Maybe that's what he needed right now, something else to concentrate on other than Liz and the child that wasn't his. "You're not being fair to yourself and you're not being fair to Lulu." Nik pulled a tired hand through his hair. "Lulu understands a great deal more than you're giving her credit for. And while she will always appreciate having you watching her back, she's not a child anymore."

"I know," Lucky conceded with a helpless look. "Our baby sister is all grown up and making waves."

Nikolas had to laugh at that. "Yeah. You know about the three that's been panting after her, right?"

"The Three Stooges?" Lucky asked with a grin, "That's what Dad calls them."

"The what?"

"Nik, we're so going to have to catch you up on American culture," Lucky said getting up and tossing his now cold coffee away. "Come on, I want to see Lulu and get to the bottom of this."

-&-&-&-

Carly put her car into park and sat there for a moment, staring at the gates before her. She didn't know why she was here, only that she needed some answers. She would have much rather stay at the hospital and wait to speak with Lulu but things are too chaotic for the young Spencer and the last thing she wanted to do was bombard her with more questions. Besides, it's always a good idea to go straight to the source for a reliable answer.

With the safety of her young cousin in mind, Carly put the car into drive again and approached the gates as if she owned the place. When the guard that defended the gates popped his head out, she said in no uncertain terms, "I want to see Lorenzo."

Stunned and more than a little uncertain, the guard froze.

Carly gave an impatient sigh. "Get on the phone and tell Lorenzo that I want to see him now."

Swallowing, the guard picked up his phone and spoke in a harsh whisper while keeping one eye on the stunning former Mrs. Alcazar. He might have been mistaken but Carly Corinthos Alcazar seem to have become more stunning with time. Hanging up the phone, the guard approached the car cautiously. "Mr. Alcazar is waiting for you in the solarium," then hit the release button on the gate.

Without so much as a glance, Carly drove by with a breezy, "Thanks."

The house she had shared with Lorenzo hasn't changed so much as a stick since she left it. It was still at the height of elegance and reflected a great deal of the woman that had decorated it. Carly was rather surprised actually, she had fully expected Skye Quartermaine to have torn out everything in the house that had once belonged to her. "I certainly would have." She smiled as she entered the solarium, fully expecting a verbal war with Skye yet again… as were their usual encounters. But she found only the master of the house.

"Carly," Lorenzo smoothed his necktie down with one hand and leaned against a cane to stand with the other. "This is a surprise."

"Is it?" Carly asked, tossing her purse down on the nearest flat surface and crossed her arms defiantly.

"You haven't been here since…" he paused, not certain he wanted to bring up their disaster of a marriage.

"Since they carted me out of here in a straitjacket?" Carly offered helpfully with ease.

Taking a breath, Lorenzo braced himself for Hurricane Carly. But then again, that was what he liked about her; the strength, the wit, unrelenting energy and determination and an ability to bring a man to his knees with just a simple mysterious twist of her lips. She was a burning candle that seemed to burn brighter and brighter, destined to burn itself out. When her mind collapsed, Lorenzo had been certain that it had broken the Carly he had known and desperately loved. But as unpredictable as the wind and every resilient like the willow tree, she fought back hard and came up on top once more. And now, standing there in the room she had created to be theirs, she was more stunningly brilliant than he remembered. Carly Corinthos simply refused to go quietly unnoticed.

"Skye here?" Carly asked somewhat a little surprised that Loranzo's champion wasn't already ready to scratch her eyes out the minute she walked through the threshold.

"No," Lorenzo answered coming closer. "She went to run some errands."

"Um…" Carly glanced around the room, a little unsettled by the fact that it had been left completely untouched by Skye's presence. "Yeah, this isn't creepy at all." There was a haunting feel of déjà-vu.

"Is there something I can do for you, Carly?" he asked calmly, patiently waiting for her to get to the point of the visit. He considered briefly whether or not to ring for coffee or tea but concluded that it would be a waste of time. Carly wasn't here to play nice.

Squaring her shoulders, Carly turned back to Lorenzo with steely eyes. "I understand that there's a turf war going on between you and Sonny. I even understand that the two of you are going to be rising a ruckus and there's going to be some hurting going on. What I don't understand nor appreciate is you putting my baby cousin in the middle of all this. I get that you and Sonny and Jason all live dangerous and deadly lives, which by extension means that it sometimes spill over to those of us that once upon a time shared your lives, and I get that there's not a damn thing I can do about it. I wouldn't dream of interfering in business, despite what that may do to my kids. But I will not stand back and watch you put Lulu into the mix, I'll bring down a world of trouble for you first."

Loranzo's eyes narrowed, all pretenses of illness gone. "Carly, what are you talking about?"

"Did you order a hit on Lulu?" she asked straight out.

"What?"

"Did you order a hit on Lulu? Or was she just collateral damage to your turf war?"

"Lulu is not involved."

"The two bullet holes she's currently sporting say otherwise," Carly informed him angrily.

Though he held himself perfectly still, Lorenzo couldn't hide the astonishment in his eyes. "Lulu's been shot?"

Carly was quiet for a moment. She's rush, not stupid; it was clear that Lorenzo was genuinely surprised by the news. "You didn't know."

Pulling himself together, "I would never hurt Lulu."

"Really?" she asked in disbelief. "It wasn't so long ago that you were trying to kill her and that computer kid."

"That was a misunderstanding," he said as if it was perfectly plausible.

Shaking her head, Carly sighed. "You almost sound like you believe that's true. It doesn't matter anyways. I'm just here to tell you that you do not get to pull Lulu into this war."

"I didn't," he restated a little more forcefully. "All my men have been given strict orders to never put her in danger in any way. Lulu is safe from me, now and always."

"Because you promised Skye so she and Lila Rae would live here with you?" Carly asked sarcastically. "Yeah, I'm sure that's a promise you'll keep in the heat of a moment. By the way, I think Skye has fitted right into this little life you've built."

Lorenzo stared at her, ignoring the dig. "Lulu is safe because she was one of Diego's true friends. I will honor my son's memories. Lulu has nothing to fear from me, I would never harm her; I give you my word."

There was silence as Carly studied the handsome face before her, trying to read the man she had once pledged her life to. One of the reasons she had once loved him was because he had integrity. "I think you really mean that."

He didn't deem the statement in need of an answer. "Whoever shot at Lulu does not work for me."

"Jason," she corrected absentmindedly.

"Excuse me?"

"They were aiming for Jason," she clarified quietly, more than a little disturbed by this latest news. "Lulu simply got in the way."

"My men would never open fire on Morgan if Lulu had been in the vicinity. They've been ordered to protect her, not harm her."

"Do you think someone may have gone rogue? Gotten a little trigger happy?" she asked.

"No," was the answer given with absolute certainty. He ran a tight ship and every single man on his payroll knew the consequences of disobedience.

Carly frowned, her mind turning quickly as she got a sickeningly sinking feeling. She believed him; and Skye would never harm Lulu. Which means that the Alcazar organization wasn't involved in this… which means there's an unknown element here. Carly didn't like surprises (unless she's the one giving them). With still too many questions, she picked up her purse. "Thanks for the information," and started to head out.

"Is she all right?" Lorenzo asked, more than just a little concerned. Little girls are precious, in need of protection; otherwise they grow up to meet men like him.

"She'll live," Carly replied as she continued toward the door.

"Carly," he called out to her.

Stopping with her hand on the handle, Carly turned to look at him, noting the way he leaned heavily against his cane. Something tugged gently at her heart; he had been, after all, her husband. "How's your leg?"

Lorenzo glanced down, forgetting for the moment that he was still pretending to be weakened by the head wound. "I didn't think you cared," remembering the scene at the Metro Court several weeks ago where Carly had clearly stated that he deserved what he got.

Blue eyes softened, "I always care, Lorenzo," she told him, "I just hate saying it… especially to your girlfriend."

He gave her a smile that he's always reserved only for her. "I'll live," he replied.

She nodded and slipped out, leaving Lorenzo standing there watching the door close. He gave himself a moment to remember why he loved her, why she left him, why they weren't together anymore then pulled out his phone. "It's Alcazar. Someone shot at Morgan today and hit Lulu Spencer. I want to know everything there is about the incident."

-&-&-&-

Emily poked her head into Lulu's room, frowning at the sight of Jason sitting beside the young Spencer's bed looking tired and worn. She had seen Lulu's name appear on the floor chart and immediately decided to check on her. Lucky was her best friend, if there's something going on with Lulu, she wanted to know. She had been expecting a great many things but seeing her brother wasn't one of them. "Jason? What are you doing here?

Jason looked up and sighed when Emily entered quietly. Glancing at the sleeping Lulu, Jason motioned her out the door, fearing disturbing the girl. Closing the door behind him, "Lulu got caught in an ambush outside the penthouse."

"Oh my god," big brown eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you all…"

"I'm fine," Jason reassured her quickly, "Monica has already seen me; you don't have to worry."

Nodding her head in acceptance, because there was very little she could do, Emily frowned as she thought of the next question. "What was Lulu doing at your penthouse?"

"That's a question I'd like answer to myself," Luke asked as he strolled over. He glanced about, expecting his niece.

"How's Lulu?" Tracy asked without preamble, her body language exuding impatience.

Jason stared at the two for a moment without a word, his aunt and Lulu's father. "She's sleeping now."

Leaning to the side to look into the small window in the door, Luke stared at his little girl for a moment. Among the stark white sheets, Lulu looked so fragilely beautiful; just like his Laura. "What the hell is going on with you and my girl, Jason?"

Answering him would have just thrown oil onto the fire in regards to the situation with Liz and Lucky, so Jason chose the stay silent.

Tracy's eyes narrowed. "Where's Sam?" she had finally expected the trollop to be by Jason's side by now.

Again Jason was silent but Emily read the answer in his eyes. "Oh Jason…" she moved a little closer, her hand resting on his arm. "I'm so sorry." She didn't need to be doctor or a genius to know just how much Jason loved Sam McCall and what the recent events much have done to them.

"He's better off without her," Tracy stated without sympathy but with unrelenting loyalty to the family, her twisted version of it anyways. "She was just a little…"

"Tracy," Emily warned darkly, "Back off."

Jason didn't respond, merely patted Emily's hand in thanks and stepped away.

"Morgan," Lucky called out as he neared.

There were times when Jason really wish that his brain allowed him to express more emotions. Now would be one of those times where throwing a nice big tantrum would have been useful. "Where's Carly when you need her?" Jason really had no desire to deal with this at the moment. He had other matters to deal with.

Nikolas greeted the group with a frown, except for Emily who offered him a smile of encouragement but did not leave her brother's side. "How is she?"

"Apparently sleeping," Luke answered dryly. "You didn't answer my question, Jason. What's my girl doing at your apartment?"

"She was looking for Sam," Jason finally answered patiently.

"Why would Lulu be looking for Sam?" Lucky asked without thought.

They all turned to Jason for answers but he was less inclined to give one. There was no need to drag Lulu further into this mess he's made by revealing the knowledge that the young Spencer had known about the paternity of Elizabeth's child for some time now. And because he couldn't lie (his brain really wasn't wired in that fashion), he stayed silent.

"I sent her," Carly announced with a smile as she came up behind them all, her purse tightly clutched in her hand. Her mind was still churning with thoughts. "How's Lulu?"

"Asleep," Emily, Lucky, Luke and Tracy answered immediately. They looked at each other uncomfortably and looked away.

"Jason?" Carly inquired with a arched look.

"I've already arranged for guards for her; she'll have 24 hour security," Jason answered, correctly interpreting the unspoken question. But there was something else, something in the lines on Carly's usually rebellious face that didn't sit right.

Letting out an almost inaudible sigh of relief, Carly nodded her thanks and motioned him away from the others. Luke and Lulu's brothers moved into the room, intent on seeing Lulu for themselves. Emily and Tracy, true to their Quartermaine form, watched Jason with equal parts careful and concerned eyes.

"What is it?" Jason asked the minute they were out of others earshot.

"It wasn't Loranzo's people," Carly said agitatedly. "He wasn't behind it."

Frowning, "You didn't go see him, right?"

Carly gave him a look.

Jason sighed. "Of course you did. Carly…"

"He wouldn't have hurt me," she replied defensively.

"You don't know that," Jason countered with more concerned than he wanted to admit to. There were very few people he counted on and Carly was most assuredly one of them. Though he suppose he should have counted her on doing something rash and dangerously like this.

"Of course I knew," Carly gave him a light shove on the shoulder, away from his wound. "Lorenzo is a lot of things… sentimental being one of his better qualities. He is not going to hurt me because a part of him will always want me," she pronounced without a least bit of ego. "I was his wife."

Unable to say anything, Jason sighed. "Are you sure he wasn't lying?"

"I'm sure," Carly replied with certainty. "Just as I'm sure he isn't going to hurt Lulu. He's given his word to Skye and I think having his little girl around made him soft… His people wouldn't have hurt Lulu; no way, no how; I don't care how good of an opportunity it was for them; no one is that stupid."

Jason was silent for a moment. "You do know that if he didn't do it…"

"We have a major problem," Carly finished with a nod. "Jason, promise me you'll be ridiculously careful from now on."

He nodded, because he knew she needed an answer (or nag it out of him), and glanced toward Lulu's room again. "I can't guarantee that she'll be safe at the Quartermaines without upping the security there. Edward would never agree to it."

"I'll handle it," Carly offered, already seeing the stress appearing on Jason's usually stoic face. "Don't worry about Lulu, I'll take care of her."

"Carly…"

"She's family," which put a stop to all arguments.

Reluctantly, Jason nodded. He didn't really have a whole lot of choices. This just became a bigger problem than he had first suspected.

To be continued…