Jerry slipped in, he wouldn't do anything just yet, he owed it to Alexis to let her save her little girl, but Sam was going to die. "Jerry, why aren't you dead?"
"Well sweet Sam, reports of my death, well they haven't been greatly exaggerated, well except apparently in your mind." he replied. "You on the other hand, we all thought after you got sick when Helena Cassadine let those chemicals loose here in the hospital, that you were a goner. No, thought isn't the right word, there either. More like those in Port Charles that know you were dancing in the street at the idea of you being a goner. Too bad, it didn't work out that way."
Jerry had to stay hidden for a few hours, looking at the confused woman in the bed, he thought about it then decided to stay and torment her a bit with what she had lost. As he started talking, Sam just made plans to tune him out, then like the story in her mind, it seemed to include parts there was no way he should know unless he was peeking in windows.
It was icy cold out as the various members gathered to celebrate the successful fundraiser in memory of the late Robin Scorpio Drake. Even Helena who had her own plans that evening, which should have warmed her cold icy heart was freezing as she waited for word that her plan had been a success. All she needed was a distracted staff and the fire her people would start to cover up her past mistake.
Johnny was not happy, for some reason, his sister was demanding he attend this hospital party. He had better things to do, like getting the hell away from Dr. Hunter who had announced to Mike Corbin while waiting for his lunch order that Georgie Jones was coming home for this fundraiser honoring her late cousin.
Leaving the diner, he glared at the doctor then at Corinthos who was heading into his warehouse. The man was still alive only because the Russian bastard that Morgan had grabbed stated Corinthos was being set up, Helena wanted him dead and until they figured out why, he was going to live.
At the hospital, he saw Elizabeth Morgan wearing a simple long moss green dress talking to Edward Quartermaine and was amused to hear her convince the man she wasn't pregnant just because she was drinking a soda. "Sir, you have two grandsons, be happy with what you have."
When he wouldn't let up, she was getting annoyed when she said "Why don't you ask Ned or Dillon for grandchildren?"
"Because Ned had a girl and didn't do it right. She is more Cerello then Quartermaine." It was one of his major complaints, that Brooklynn was living so far away from her family.
"And our little girl, would be more Morgan and Webber." she pointed out while laughing. Seeing Carly Jacks there turned her stomach considering the blonds well known dislike for Robin Scorpio but for some reason, yet again, Jax had forgiven her. When she saw the man he looked miserable even as he tried to smile. "Jax, how is everything?"
"Carly is pregnant." he said trying for happy. She saw him watching as the blond once again showed herself in a public setting by asking someone do they know who she was. Looking around, he saw Mac Scorpio and went over to talk to the man knowing if his wife saw him talking to Elizabeth, there would be hell to pay.
Mac left, after patting Patrick on the back who looked around, feeling desolate at this being in memory of Robin, instead wishing she was there to be bored to death just like him. He tried to give a smile when he saw Maxie looking at him, clearly worried about his mental health. He was glad when he saw her leaving with Matt, who knows maybe just maybe his brother might get a chance with the woman he had fallen for.
Seeing Georgie glaring at someone, Patrick walked over just as his beeper went off. "I will be back, but since everyone else left; you have to stay." he pointed out to the younger girl. When she just gave him a sick half grin, he went to find out what the heck was going on.
Meanwhile, Claudia got her first real live look at the young girl who had her brother in knots for some reason. Pretty yes, and from the sounds of things, smart and friendly, yet why didn't she seem to figure out that he had feelings for her? Then hearing Lulu Spencer who stopped in to see her boss and pouting when she was told to go, talking to Georgie, the mobstress knew there had to be a story there.
Especially when the brunette walked to a window and seemed to be gathering her courage. She gathered herself then slowly circulated through the party, very carefully avoiding Johnny. She watched as the girl wearing the soft pink dress, kept fussing at her sister then teasing the doctor about something then look at the last group, the one containing her brother, Jason and Elizabeth Morgan.
Then she saw it, the quick look at Johnny, the surprising misery in her eyes, then the anger. Looking over she saw Johnny had walked over and was talking to Kate Howard and her cousin and wondered what that was about. When she turned around to see where the girl went, she saw her talking to the old man she had been told was Edward Quartermaine and seemed stressed.
Halfway through the party; almost the moment the Quartermaines left along with Kate Howard, there was a rotten egg smell, followed by the doors locking. "What is that?"
"I can't believe this." moaned Georgie when she saw that most of the guests were already gone. All that was left was the Zacharas, Johnny's dark haired bar babe, the Morgans, the Jacks' and Georgie.
Hearing laughter, Elizabeth turned white then looked at Jason before saying. "Sonny is missing and that was Helena laughing."
"Are you sure?" he asked then looking around the room saw Carly glancing their way then passing out. She woke up to Jax holding her and wanted to shrug off her husband's hands but didn't dare. He had made it damn clear she was on very thin ice with him and Jason hadn't even so much as nodded her way.
Patrick went to the tenth floor hub and was told they were evacuating patients. Turning he said "The lower floors are being emptied. We have to wait."
Trying to reach the party, he figured the phone system was being affected and tried first Elizabeth's, then Georgie's cell phones. Nothing. Swearing he saw the CDC entering wearing hazmet suits. "Is that really necessary."
"Dr. Drake, we have had two patients die from this, we need to know what is in those canisters. Can you handle an autopsy." Nodding he just prayed he made it home to his daughter as he cut open the dead woman and watched as the two men photographed her organs and took samples. Being told the patients were slowly being quarantined, he recalled why he was wearing a suit.
"We have a private fundraiser going on, most of the hospital board is up there."
Things were orderly and organized as they got the patients and staff to safety until Luke Spencer who had shown up looking for his daughter, shot one of the cans. Soon, the hospital was a raging fire ball. Getting it under control, Chief Wisman told his firemen to use foam to cover the hot spots just before the helicopter flying the guests from the party off the roof landed.
On the ground, Carly was checked out and closed her eyes waiting for the ax to fall. She was relieved when the doctor from County confirmed she was pregnant. Hiding her smirk, she went to find Jason, needing to share the news with her best friend.
Instead she was told he had left, taking his wife home with him. Sitting down in the shabby overcrowded waiting area at the charity hospital, she watched as the others soon left. Georgie gave a sad laugh when she realized no one knew she was here.
"Georgie, do you need a ride?" Johnny asked. He had seen the girl who was still starring in his dreams after Olivia, his occasional lover from last summer had asked him for a ride.
"No, thank you." she said politely but inside, knowing that jealousy would be eating her alive if she saw them all lovey-dovey or if she had to make nice with the woman. "If you will excuse me."
Walking away, she hurried into the nearest hospital room and closed her eyes in a vain attempt to stem the tears. "If you are a doctor, why wasn't I allowed to go? Oh, it's you." said the scornful tone.
Open her eyes and wondering why Claudia Zachara was looking at her with disdain, she said "I will find a doctor for you."
"Do that, then do us all a favor and hop back on a plane to Europe, isn't it?" she said looking at the girl who had broken her brother's heart. "Johnny doesn't need to have you around. There are tons of girls begging him for dates. He doesn't have to wait around, like a love sick fool on some girl who acts like he is something she has to scrap off the bottom of her shoe."
"Lady, do you have the wrong end of the stick. I don't even think you brother knows I am female. And I have no interest in being just another number. You have it wrong, from what I saw, he prefers women your age; you know, old." she snapped then slammed her way out the door.
Offended at first, Claudia thought about what the kid had been saying and laughed, well well, turns out her suspicions were right, the girl wasn't so indifferent to her brother after all. For now, she would do nothing, but who knows, that might be something to look into later on
Sam ignored Jerry taunting her about how Jason and Elizabeth had gone back to Europe soon after, how they had spent the summer traveling because Sonny had been returned and Helena had disappeared. How rumors was Helena was dead at the hands of Jason Morgan.
Carly had given birth in September, that very same day Jasper Jacks had filed for sole custody of his daughter, citing what had happened to her two sons. She was granted visitation, and when Jax had offered her a choice in godparents, she had chosen Jason only to be told he wasn't acceptable that the blond had made it clear when Jax had talked to him that he had no interest in making that mistake with Carly.
The rest of the summer went quickly. Michael had come home from his new school that he loved for part of it. He had seen Keifer, a guy he knew from when he had attended school in Port Charles with a bad reputation hanging around his sister and had quietly talked to her. She had opened up to him that they had been quietly dating and that she was being pressured to sleep with him. "I told him I couldn't, not without birth control. So far, it's keeping him away."
Michael had talked her into publicly staging a big scene with Alexis regarding that issue. The entire world knew her mom was a control freak and when she said no, there was a good chance the jerk would move on. Michael had debated it, but after a long talk with his guardian, Monica, she had called over Mac Scorpio and the boy had warned the cop about the kid.
Kristina had found out her mother was furious with her question and had been shipped off to summer camp, grateful to be away when she heard that Keifer had gone to jail for beating up his next girlfriend. That his parents the Bauers were publicly tormenting the younger girl and her family saying she was lying. Well aware of her close call, she shuddered at all that could have gone wrong.
When Michael had called, explaining that he had gone to his Uncle Jason, then told him all that was going on, after being upset and embarrassed but finally admitted to being glad when she heard that she would once again have guards. No matter what her mother thought of it.
The Mayor was having problems of his own as a result of the Bauer mess. First one of his biggest supporters son was arrested for almost killing a girl, then his wife started to act strange, he was convinced she knew about his latest mistress, but dismissed it when she was so friendly with the woman.
To make matters worse, Spinelli who had taken a PI Class online had been following the man, at the suggestion of Maxie, his bff. She had suggested using him as a test subject, unaware that the man didn't understand the concept of fidelity and found out he was having an affair.
When the woman was murdered weeks later, the geek had turned the file over to Mac Scorpio who had been shocked to find out it was Mrs. Mayor, Lydia Garrett who had killed the woman. To cover her tracks she had caused a car accident at the annual summer carnival.
Edward Quartermaine had almost died and that brought home the Morgan family. He had been drugged, causing a heart attack and he knocked down two tents and almost a row of games with his Bentley. When Elizabeth and Jason arrived home, he was just being released from the hospital, but two of the people he had hit were still patients.
Unfortunately coming home meant dealing with Carly Jacks who was working on becoming Carly Corinthos again. They had had a few close calls with the woman then she had gone silent when Jax had arranged for a surgeon to come in and save Morgan.
At first aghast that Morgan's parents weren't doing more, Jax finally figured out that Carly had the out of sight out of mind attitude, but that Sonny had been contacting Drake regularly for updates and asked what could be done for his son.
Jax, who had truly bonded with Morgan during his brief marriages to Carly had done whatever he could for the little boy, determined to help him wake up and have a life. Jason when he heard what was going on, furious that Carly and Sonny seemed to have forgotten about their little boy that they had just sent to a clinic and left there, had also been looking for someone to help Morgan. He had been happy that at least Sonny would go to visit the little boy, but Carly only went once every couple of weeks.
The day the little boy woke up, Jason and Elizabeth were quietly talking to Jax outside while Carly was in with her son. Looking at him, waking up convinced her that it erased all the bad that had been happening. "Jason, come in, Morgan is awake."
Bringing Elizabeth with him, he saw the little boy was scared then watched as Patrick rushed in. Removing the tube, the first words the boy spoke were to ask for Jax, sending Carly into the stratosphere along with Sonny who was having troubles all his own.
He kept having blackouts and instead of telling someone, like his therapist, he just kept track of them, writing them down. Now, he had to explain to Mac Scorpio where he was when Claudia Zachara was murdered only he had no idea.
Jerry told Sam all about how Claudia Zachara had died at the hands of the artist known as Franco not Sonny who had been under suspicion all summer and fall. "It became known when his painting of her dead body showed up in an art gallery near the airport."
Johnny stood at his sister's grave, watching the rituals of death. Returning home, he had the guard hand him photos of all who had been there. One picture caused his eyes to narrow and his mind went back to a visit with Claudia that February when the doctors wouldn't let her leave the hospital.
Going between the pictures and the memory, Johnny asked himself. "What on earth were you doing at my sister's funeral, Ms Jones?"
"Sir, there is a woman to see you." Putting the pictures away, Johnny thought about Morgan's offer from this morning and was seriously considering accepting it.
Looking up, he saw Olivia Falconari. Grimacing, he sat back in his chair and said "Is there something I can do for you?"
Seeing how uneasy she looked, he cut to the chase, "Let me guess, you want to know if I know what my sister was blackmailing you with?"
When she sat down across from him, he said "No, I don't. Don't care either. Look, Olivia, I should have never been sleeping with you."
With a caustic laugh, she said "You really don't know, do you?"
"Know what?" he asked then saw his newest man entering. "Did you need something?"
Wondering why his mother was visiting the latest target of his undercover job, he said "I was told you wanted to see me."
"Excuse us, Olivia." he said then walking to the hall, gave him the photo and said "I want to know everything you can find out about this woman. Do you have a passport?"
Nodding yes, he saw his boss pull out a large amount of money. "You might need it, she has spent a lot of time in Europe and might head back there. Follow her, I want to know everything."
Shocked to see the PC police commissioner's daughter in the picture, he went towards the door. "And Dominic just watch, don't approach. If I find out you were too close, if you get my meaning, you won't like my response. Keep her safe."
Leaving, still worried about his mother, he went to meet his boss. "I might have something."
Explaining he said "Do you think he is looking for blackmail material against her father? Or even her?"
"I don't know, but find out." When his boss had left, Dante called his mother's phone and requested they meet. At the diner, he saw the pretty blond and asked "Do you have time for some dinner?"
Lulu grinned then looking around said "It looks like it is going to be slow tonight."
At the Zachara house, Johnny listened as Olivia explained what his sister had been up to. "Let me get this straight, you have a son, whose father is Corinthos? I get why you kept it quiet, but why would you agree to my sister's order to befriend Carly."
"Because I agreed with what she was saying. Sonny is a slut, but acts like he is a saint now that it is done, I am going to concentrate on working for Jax. Let the woman figure out for herself that our friendship wasn't real."
When she left, Johnny called his people and said "I want everything you can find on Olivia Falconari and her son. No, I don't know how old he is. My sister did some research, get that and use it as a starting point."
December 2009
At Christmas time, Johnny was standing looking out his window when Dante entered. The mobster had known who the younger man was, but had kept quiet, liking the idea of having a cop protecting Georgie. But Morgan was right, he had been playing dangerous games and it was time to cut him loose.
Looking at the man he said "I know who your father is."
"What?" he asked blinking. His heart had been racing convinced Zachara knew he was a cop.
"I met your mother, last year at Jake's. We were together a couple of times." Not adding that he had been drunk out of his mind the three times he had had sex with the woman. "I know that you are the son of Sonny Corinthos."
Scoffing, Dante looked at the man then said "Yeah, right... you are..." His eyes saw Johnny's, then said "What do you know?" the detective asked, worried that his career and his life were about to be blown out of the water. Who his father was didn't matter, after all he hadn't had him in his life all this time, now, well other than doing damage to his reputation, it wouldn't affect him at all.
"I have known you were a cop almost from the beginning." Well that was true, he just hadn't known that he was the son of the woman he had slept with.
"Why keep me working for you?" he asked now a bit worried he wouldn't make it out alive.
"You had your uses." he replied his mind on pissing off Lulu Spencer and protecting Georgie at the same time.
"Georgie Jones, she was just what, to keep me busy." he asked as he thought about all the research he had done on the girl including the few meetings he had found out about between the mobster and the student in 07 and 08.
"No, you were there to protect her. I got a kick out of having a cop keeping her safe." he replied; mainly because he knew the idiot man was gaga over Lulu. However he didn't think that would last long. The blond had taken her cousin's advice and kept her abortion from the man.
"Why do you care?" he asked. "She certainly isn't you type. Not a one night stand kind of girl."
"No she isn't." When Jason joined him, he said "Sit down Dante."
The man froze at the blond mobster entering the room with a man he most definitely didn't want to see. Once down, he only hoped that his mike would get all of this, since he was about to die. That he was now sure of.
"Sonny, I would like you to meet Olivia Falconari's son. Dante." Jason saw the man's face and knew he was in shock. "Yes, he is your son. Dante, this is your father. Oh, and we are here for one reason, to prevent blood shed."
Sonny looked at Jason, then back at the kid, then at Zachara. He had been working behind the scenes trying to get his territory back. Jason had told him on the way over the Zachara family had a cop trying to work them. Now, to know that if he went through with his plan, it meant going up against his son.
"There is more, you have been being drugged. Nothing much, just enough arsenic to cause trouble."
"Who?" he snapped even as he got that he now had a way to force Jason to break this stupid and unneeded truce with the Italian.
"My sister." retorted Johnny. "And don't you even start on her, we both know what caused her to go after you. The attack on me, your verbal assaults against her."
"That was no excuse." he replied then looking at Jason snapped "You had better deal with this."
Johnny stood and moved closer "Don't even think about threatening me. Let me make it damn clear, I have lived my last few years, protecting those I care about because of you, you sick bastard. You had Georgie Jones grabbed."
"What?" asked a startled Dante as he thought about the beautiful young woman living in Italy. Then he saw it, the look in Zachara's eyes and knew, the man had feelings for the police commissioners daughter. That was one land mine he didn't want any part of. Then grimaced at the idea of this man sleeping with his mother, clearly it hadn't been out of love. That was a road he didn't want to go down, especially not with his mother.
"Daddy dearest here, grabbed her and had her locked in an empty nut house because he thought I had something to do with his son being gone. Instead, it turned out the kid ran away. This after pushing one of our mutual enemies too far and she had been grabbed and taken to a monastery for almost a week and locked up about six months earlier."
Dante saw the look in the mobster's eyes, then looked at the man who somehow was his father and then back. Glancing at Morgan, he saw the other man just shaking his head when Johnny played for Dante a tape of his father threatening Elizabeth Webber. "Now, here is what is going to happen, Corinthos."
"Don't you talk to me that way, you are nothing more than a punk kid who got lucky when his daddy died." he stood and then tried to walk away. Dante warned him he was coming after him as he left and went to see his boss, knowing he was going to have to resign from his assignment.
Johnny watched, then destroyed his office. Jason sat there, then said "Did it make you feel better?"
"No dammit. Why are you so calm?" he snapped.
"Because at the end of the day, I go home to the woman I love, to my two sons and hold them tight." he replied. "I see it hasn't gone away."
Jason couldn't help thinking that maybe Elizabeth was right, there was a serious lack of communication going on and if things worked out the way he planned, that would have to change.
"I don't think it is going to." he said bleakly. At the door, once Morgan had pulled away, Johnny went back to his now solitary life.
Jason on the other hand went to his new office, then after checking on things went home to where his wife was hanging up the phone and laughing about something. Seeing Jason, she said "Steven will be dropping off the boys in a few minutes. How did it go?"
"Not well. Dominick's real name is Dante Falconari. Sonny didn't take it well, but then neither did his son. Plus, I don't think he has heard about the offer that was made. When he does, well, let's just say that I am glad they came to me, not him."
Hugging Jason, Elizabeth curled into him then said "I have some news that might make you feel better."
Encircling her waist, positive he already knew, Jason looked down and said "When?"
Pouting a bit, she said "August, the 27th."
Sam listened as she was told about Sonny going to jail, then being transferred to Shadybrook. "He got clean of the arsenic. Then was put on a better dose of lithium, Sonny opened a restaurant last year, stays out of business. He spends most of his time trying to reconnect with his kids."
Jerry took some pleasure in knowing that he hadn't been successful. Dante loathed that his father was a criminal. After losing his cushy undercover job, he now worked for the PCPD, the only good that had come out of it, in spite of his father going to jail was that Dante had gotten the girl, such as she was.
Michael, lived with the Quartermaines and was immersed in school and the discipline he had found there, Jerry had been amazed when Jax told their mother and him how the teenager had stayed in contact with him. Had even thanked him for saving his brother.
Morgan had had help from Alexis Davis and now spent half the year with Jax and half with Sonny now that he was out of the hospital. The pre teen rarely spent time with his own mom. As for Sonny's daughter, Kristina treated both her parents with disdain, preferring to hang out with Michael.
No one was going to tell her that Jason and Johnny had teamed up to work together. That in spite of the SEC, the FBI, the ATF, none had been able prove there was anything illegitimate going on. And with Georgie Jones working for Jason, most had come to accept that they were clearly out of the business.
When Sam was alone, she felt the baby move and was now worried, something was wrong with her pregnancy, she shouldn't have felt this much so early. Trying to calm down, certain she was overreacting, Sam hit the call button then asked for a sedative.
Down the hall, Alexis looked at the calender then prayed that someone, somewhere forgave her for what she was going to have to do.
Rejoining her oldest child, she sat down waiting for her to awaken when she did, she heard Sam asking about Franco and said "That is a horrible man. I guess I should start with how he grabbed Elizabeth who had just announced she was pregnant. He didn't harm her, just forced her to look at his paintings."
"He didn't plant a bomb under her?" Sam asked knowing that Elizabeth unlike herself wouldn't have been able to handle it. The other woman would have freaked.
"No, because he was killed the next day in a police shootout. Dante shot him to save his girl friend, Lulu Spencer who has been pretty quiet the last few years." Alexis could still recall how terrified the blond had been, how she had gone to stay with her mother who was now living in Paris for a month.
"What about Maxie, they slept together?" Sam was getting desperate, she needed something, anything to be the same.
"Maxie, Maxie married Matt Hunter." she was informed by her mother who seemed to be growing slightly distant.
"No, she was supposed to marry Spinelli." she insisted. She could still recall what had happened after the non wedding, how Jason had let her make him wear the pink tie, how they had spent a romantic Valentines together, reading a gun magazine. Frowning a bit, she shook her head, no, that doesn't make sense, a gun magazine?
Alexis looked at the girl then said "Spinelli and she are best pals, but dating, I don't think so. She married Matt Hunter this summer. It was a lovely ceremony."
"What about Kristina and Molly, why haven't they come to see me?" she asked. "I want to see them,"
"Kristina won't visit you, Sam. When Ric left town, she found out about you sleeping with him." she told the angry young woman. Alexis knew that Kristina was furious about Sam, but even more so with her for sitting more with Sam than with Molly. "She lives with Sonny right now."
"Wait, I was told Sonny almost killed several people." she protested now certain she had proof that this was a dream.
"He did, but since the new drug regimen and Morgan taking over things have been calm. The last murder in Port Charles was a domestic violence case. Some kid that Kristina used to go to school with, his father killed his mother. No mob violence in quite a while." Well since the mob wasn't an issue anymore. Alexis thought about it, then decided she hadn't lied.
"Jason must be bored out of his mind." she snickered recalling how he had been so eager to rush out and find trouble.
"He has been rather busy, Sam. No time to be bored. Elizabeth gave birth to a little girl in August, plus Cameron is in school. They built a house out near Vista Point but travel to Italy frequently."
Sam felt her baby kick, then cramping. "What is going on, it's too soon for me to be having-"
"No, Sam it isn't. You are almost nine months pregnant." Alexis decided that since Sam didn't have much time, now was the time to tell the truth.
"That's impossible," she snapped. "I want to talk to Jason, now!"
"Jason Morgan won't come Sam. He hasn't been in your life for over three years. Now calm down so that your baby can be born." Alexis said not adding what she really wanted to.
"Then if Jason isn't the father of my child, who is?" she snapped, something was off, this dream, well nightmare really was becoming painful. Did dreams cause pain?
"Sonny." replied Alexis as she called Dr. Lee. "Sam is in labor."
"No, that isn't possible." she stated. "I-I-"
Looking into her mother's eyes, Sam knew something was wrong. "What did you do?"
"You are going to give birth tonight to your late daughter's full blooded sister. I will raise her, not even Sonny knows about this child. You will more than likely slip into a coma. At least according to the doctors who advised against your being pregnant. Then you will die. And Kelly and Patrick, they have no proof that I was the one who did this. Oh, I am sure they suspect, but I made damn sure that there was no actual proof."
"Why?" Sam had tears in her eyes, she didn't want to die, not when she had so much to live for. She had seen Elizabeth was dead, she knew that this was not really happening but she had heard when you die in your dreams, you were truly dead. Looking up at the woman she once again asked "Why would you do this to your own daughter?"
Alexis looked her straight in the eyes and said "To save your younger sister. Molly is sick and you and this baby are the only way to save her."
Sam could feel the blood, then saw her doctors entering, struggling to stay conscious, she was soon out of it and felt herself floating on air even as in the distance she heard Dr. Lee talking about doing a c-section.
TBC