Chapter 2.

General Hospital.

Logan pushed Anthony Zacchara's wheelchair towards the elevator when he was stopped by Dr. Robin Scorpio, "Where do you think you're going?"

Anthony looked up at the short, but pretty doctor, "Don't worry, I'm going to be in good care. My brother has a nurse who works for him full time, so I'll be fine. Thank you for all your help, but it's time for me to go."

Robin followed closely, stopping in front of the elevator, "We discussed this earlier. Your best option is to remain here and take radiation and chemotherapy treatments. I know the odds aren't what you might like, but they are still better doing nothing at all."

"I appreciate your concern, but I've lived a long life and honestly, I don't have the willpower to fight this. I want to spend what I time I have left with my brother. In my climb to power he's the one who got left behind." Anthony said with a weak smile, before moving into the elevator, "Thank Doctor Drake for me. Goodbye Miss Scorpio."

Robin could only watch as Logan pushed Anthony into the elevator.

Nurse's Locker Room.

Nadine opened her locker, let out an exhausted sigh and began to undress. Leyla walked in and stopped at the front of the lockers, enjoying the view as Nadine stripped down to nothing and walked slowly into the showers.

Leyla moved over to her locker and proceeded to do the exact same thing, joining Nadine in the shower, stepping into the stall beside her, grabbing the soap and rubbing it in her hands. She lathered it up and began to wash her long slender legs, starting at the top of her thighs and sliding all the way down to her ankles.

Unable to ignore Leyla's erotic shower techniques, Nadine smiled and took a couple steps towards her dark haired friend, dropping her soap down by her feet, "Oh, could you grab that for me?"

Smiling up at Nadine, Leyla leaned down, grabbed the soap and handed it to her, "Thank you. I'm not usually so clumsy, maybe you could show me a better way to do this?"

"I think I could be persuaded to do that, but maybe it would be best if we waited until we got home to continue this little game?" Nadine said as she began to laugh.

"Oh come on, I was getting into this." Leyla said with her sexy British accent.

Nadine still melted when she heard Leyla's sexy voice, "You know someone will be in here soon, this place is never quiet for long. I think we can sneak in a couple kisses before we're interrupted."

"Well, let's find out." Leyla smiled, leaning in and kissing Nadine softly on the lips, her arms wrapped around her tiny waist. They kissed long and hard and oh so passionately, all but forgetting where they were, until the sound of someone clearing their throat brought them back to reality.

Robin stood outside the shower stalls looking very displeased, "I suggested you two finish your shower very far apart and then meet me in the nurses lounge before you leave."

Both women nodded and parted ways, not wanting to make things worse.

Carly's Home.

Carly stood staring at Michael's empty room, wishing so much that he was lying in his bed, sleeping peacefully and getting ready for a new day. It had been months since the shooting and still there was no sign of progress. Not that anything would make Carly give up, but it did take a toll on her life, mainly her marriage to Jax.

Unable to see eye to eye on much of anything, the two agreed to get a divorce before they ended up hating each other. They remain friends to this day, with Jax visiting Michael every chance he gets, while trying to help Carly cope as best he can.

After another long trip down memory lane, Carly closed the door and walked down the hall, down the stairs and into the living room where she came to a complete stop, put her hand over her mouth and then just fell to the floor.

As she woke up, she wiped her eyes, tried to focus them and sure enough she saw the same things she did when she feinted earlier. She reached out and slowly touched the person on the arm, jumping back in the sofa as she felt the soft smooth skin of another woman, "What the hell is going on? You're dead."

Courtney smiled back at Carly and put her hand over Carly's knee, "As the cliché goes, reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."

"No, I was at your funeral." Carly said, still not believing what here eyes were seeing.

"I know this is a huge shock, but on the positive side, I can finally explain what happened, but you're not going to like it one bit." Courtney said with a guilty smile.

"I don't care why, I'm happy you're here, I just can't let myself believe it, because I can't take another loss. Not now."

"I'm so sorry about Michael." Courtney said, leaning in and hugging Carly tightly, "I've had no contact with anyone since my death. I didn't know about Michael until I was free to leave, which was only a couple days ago. I would've been here had I known. I hope you know that."

"Just tell me what happened."

"Okay, you know that I was never supposed to have children. I was told I was barren and I refused to accept it." Courtney said, reliving a low point in her life, "I began searching for a solution to this. I knew there had to be way for me to have a child. In my search I came across some information about a drug that was supposed to be able to reverse the effects and allow me the possibility to have a child."

"Well that's great, but why didn't you tell me this is what you did? I would've been there for you. I could've helped."

"No, I couldn't do that. This drug isn't on the market. It's not FDA approved, but I did a lot of research and many doctors felt it should be, but it hadn't received the okay yet, but I couldn't wait. I felt like if I didn't have child I was going to go crazy. I couldn't think of anything else, but how empty I felt."

"I understand why you did this. I really do, but I don't understand how any of this has to do with you faking your death."

"Since this drug was not available, I had to find a way to get my hands on it. I found out that a large amount of this drug had been stolen by a notorious mobster from NY. He makes Sonny look like a saint. His name was Geno 'the strangler' Maletti. I got in touch with him through his many, many different lieutenants and finally arranged a meeting."

"Are you crazy? Please tell me that Jason, Jax or Nikolas were there with you?"

"I couldn't risk that. This was my problem and I was determined to find a solution on my own." Courtney explained, as she remembered back to that time when things were so messed up, "Anyway, I explained to him my situation and he seemed genuinely moved by it and agreed to sell me the pills."

"I can't believe you did this on your own." Carly said, wanting to be upset, but finding herself admiring Courtney's initiative, "You're starting to be too much like me and that's not always good thing."

"I learned from the best." Courtney said with a big smile, "After I had agreed to buy the drugs, I went back to my hotel and I was swarmed by the FBI. They wanted to nail Maletti for theft and drug trafficking and were going to use me to do it. If I didn't, they were going to arrest me for buying illegal drugs."

"Oh god. How can they do that? That's blackmail."

Courtney laughed, "They had all the cards. I had no choice but to agree, the only thing I wanted in return was to keep the pills I had bought. They agreed, but warned me that it was very dangerous to take any medication that was not FDA approved."

"So what happened to make you fake your own death?"

"When I went to meet Maletti for a refill, things didn't go according to plan." Courtney said, pacing back and forth in front of Carly, "I knew the FBI was very close, but I was also very nervous and Maletti noticed this and he ripped my shirt open and spotted the wire and there I was, in the middle of the most dangerous mobster on the east coast's living room, with 4 of his bodyguards wearing a wire."

"OMG, how did you get out of there alive?"

"I had to resort to using my body as a distraction and luckily for me, men can be so gullible." Courtney said with a cute smile, "I screamed for them not to shoot and slowly removed my bra. My blouse was already ripped open, so I just took it a step further. Anyway, as they were busy gawking at my breasts, the FBI stormed in. I hit the ground and after a lengthy shootout, all of Maletti's men were dead, but he somehow escaped."

"I'm just glad you weren't hurt." Carly said, still thinking about Courtney's distraction

"They figured Maletti would come after me, because he hated to lose, so they allowed me to come back to Port Charles under the condition I didn't tell a soul about what had happened or what was going to happen. They did something to me, stopped my heart and made it look I was dead. When my body was in the morgue, they removed it, took me to a safe house in Wyoming and I stayed there, in this small house for the last two years."

"I'm assuming they finally caught this Maletti character?"

"Yes, they caught him over a year ago, but it wasn't until last week that he was convicted of countless crimes, including 6 brutal murders and is now on death row. That is why I'm here."

Carly got up and gave Courtney a nice warm hug, "I can't tell you how happy I am that you're alive and well and are back in my life again."

"I'm glad to be here. I've never had such a boring time in my life. I spent all my time in such a tiny house. I couldn't go out, they would do my shopping and bring it back to me. I had TV, radio and even a computer, but they wouldn't let me be online for fear I'd contact someone, which I would've. "

"I guess it's time I filled you in on everything that's happened since you've been gone." Carly said as she sat Courtney down on the sofa and began updating her on the latest Port Charles gossip.

Elizabeth Webber's Home.

Lulu opened the front door and saw Elizabeth playing with her two kids, looking beautiful and happy as could be. She walked in, put her jacket and purse on the sofa and joined Elizabeth in playing with the two adorable children.

After enjoying the kids for a nice long time, Elizabeth took them upstairs for a nap and came back down to see Lulu waiting for her, looking anything but happy to see her, "You're looking very serious, is something wrong?"

"I was going to ask you that." Lulu said as she walked up to her beautiful lover, "Is there anything you want to tell me? A secret perhaps?"

Elizabeth took a long time to respond, trying to figure out just what Lulu might be talking about, "You seem very angry right now, but I don't know why. Maybe you could tell me why so we could work it out?"

"No, you will tell me your secret or we are over."

"Lulu, what are you talking about?"

"Look, I'm giving you a chance to come clean." Lulu screamed, hating that she had to keep pushing it, "Haven't you lied enough in your life? Do you not learn anything? Or is lying just who you are?"

Seeing the look of pain in Lulu's eyes, Elizabeth realized what was going on, "OMG, you know."

"Know what? Say it."

"Lulu, let me explain." Elizabeth said, inching closer to Lulu so she could touch her, but Lulu wanted no part of that and backed away, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I mean not telling you. What happened with Sam was nothing but a mistake. That's all it was. She wanted me to give her and I a shot. I felt that it was too soon and there was still too much pain and anger to do anything else, but try and be friends."

"I know you kissed her and were making out in the elevator and from what I've heard, you would've done a lot more had the elevator not been fixed."

"No. It wasn't like that. She kissed me. I did not seek her out at all."

"You didn't say no either." Lulu yelled, not listening to Elizabeth at all, "You kissed her back and you were not just some victim of Sam's unwanted advances, you were a willing participant, so don't lie again."

"But that's not true." Elizabeth explained, trying to get Lulu to look at her, "I admit that I may have kissed her back, but it was instinct, not because I loved her or anything like that. Yes, she wanted more and began touching me and maybe I didn't stop her fast enough, but I don't love Sam. I'm with you and I'm happy. Please don't let this ruin what we have."

"What do we have? You just told me the only reason you said no to Sam was it was too soon, so that tells me that you believe there is hope for you and Sam in the future and I'm just the transition girl."

"Don't say that." Elizabeth said with a sad sigh, "This happened at a time where we had just had a fight. We were at the party but we were not together. You were mad and you were off flirting with Johnny to piss me off. Sam found me and well, everything I did after that is all my fault, but I didn't think it was the right time to bring it up. We hadn't even made up. I wanted us to get back on some solid ground before I told you about Sam. Of course, once we did patch things up, I admit I was selfish and didn't want to ruin it. Only because it was meaningless, as meaningless as you flirting with Johnny."

"I didn't make out with Johnny did I?" Lulu asked, feeling very pleased to say that, "Anyway, I don't know what to do now. I thought you were done with the lying. I guess it was stupid of me, but I thought I meant more to you than that. I thought we could talk about anything, get through anything, because we trusted each other."

"You are blowing this out of proportion." Elizabeth said, feeling her life falling apart yet again, "Please let me make this up to you. I can. Just tell me what you need right now?"

"I think I need to be alone." Lulu said in a soft whisper, her head hung low, her eyes filled with sadness and confusion, "I'm going to go up and say goodnight to the kids and then I'm going to stay at my dad's place tonight. I just need some time to think."

"No, don't go. Please." Elizabeth pleaded, "I can't make this right if you aren't here."

"I'm sorry, but I just need to be alone right now. I'll call you when I get to my dad's place." Lulu said softly, turning and going up the stairs as Elizabeth looked on in tears.

Jake's.

Maxie sat alone at the bar, drinking her trouble away when Sam walked in and spotted her. She walked over and sat down beside her, "Well, what brings you here?"

"Same thing as always, I'm miserable and drinking makes me forget it all."

Sam had the bartender pour her a beer as she settled in beside Maxie, "What made you miserable?"

"How about you for starters?" Maxie said, smiling at her ex, "It really doesn't help seeing you either. Let me guess, Elizabeth turned you down, again, and you're here to drink yourself into a coma?"

"Close." Sam said with a laugh, "I don't understand Elizabeth at all. I know she wants me, but she won't admit it."

"Oh Sam, everyone wants you, you're beautiful, sexy and when you wear clothes like that, " Maxie said, referring to Sam's low cut top, showing off her very large, full breasts, "I don't think anyone alive could resist you."

Sam smiled at Maxie's wandering eyes, "Is that a compliment or are you hitting on me?"

Maxie smiled at Sam, "You can take it any way you like, but the point is, just because Elizabeth thinks you are physically attractive, doesn't mean she wants to be with you. There's more to a relationship than just sex you know."

"When did Maxie Jones discover this amazing fact?" Sam asked with an amused smile.

"I think it was being with you." Maxie said with a very big laugh, "We never really found a way to make our friendship work as relationship and I don't know why it didn't work. We were so good together before we had sex."

"I know." Sam said with a sigh, "I miss you Maxie. I miss having someone to talk to, to share things with and I want us to get back to being friends if nothing else. Do you think we can?"

"I don't know, because I'm still so attracted to you." Maxie said, doing her best to avoid Sam's ample cleavage, "I don't know that I can fight that. I still don't see why sex messes that up, it should make it better, not worse. So what are we doing wrong?"

"I wish I knew, because I miss you so much. I don't mean just the sex, but you are the first friend I've had in so long and I just feel so lost without you." Sam said, stand up from her seat and holding her hand out to Maxie, "Come back to my place with me. We can talk and watch TV or whatever, but getting plastered isn't going to help us and we both know that."

Maxie looked at Sam and knew she couldn't say no, "Okay, let's go then, before we find a way to mess this up again."

End of Chapter 2