***Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned any of following literary elements of General Hospital, except of course for the previously listed fictional characters.***

Triple Threat ~Chapter Four

Billie's POV

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello?"

"Have you talked to Ellie lately?"

Realizing who it was I sprung up, "Joss! Its 2 in the morning! What are you drunk?"

"Oh please I'm not even buzzed and you didn't answer my question", she laughed.

"No I haven't talked to Ellie," I sighed, "wasn't she supposed to go with you to Devin's party?"

"She didn't show so I dragged Brandon along instead. I've been calling her for the last hour and a half after I got home but she's not answering. This isn't like her Billie it's been three weeks now and we've seen her like three time since then. We need her normal or at least crazy like she was before, either way its better then her being depressed. We don't have time for this and you know it".

By now I was fully awake and hating every moment of it. Of course I knew Joss was right and right now Ellie was a liability that we couldn't afford.

Forcing her to suck it up wasn't going to help though.

Ellie is naturally wild and crazy, but smart reasonable when she has to be. Forcing her to get over Pogue is just going to make her unstable and right now I need her reasonable.

"She has to get there on her own Joss".

"Well you can go on ignoring this but I'm going to knock sense into that girl first thing tomorrow morning…well later this morning or whatever", she exclaimed, "being her best friend an all I thought you would care enough to help me".

Before I could say anything though all I heard was the dial tone.

This is so going to end badly.

"I can't believe I'm doing this".

"Took you long enough", Joss said just was soon as I stepped out of my Ford Harley. She was leaning against her convertible, and from the looks of it suffering from a bad hangover. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and she was rocking some pink juicy couture sweats and no make-up. She looked fine to me but no matter what mood Ellie was in she was definitely going to comment.

Ignoring her I went straight for the door to Sonny's. We weren't even waiting a minute till Milo let us in, "She's upstairs".

Poor Milo she must be giving everyone hell around here.

I nodded and heard Josslyn thank him behind me as I went straight upstairs but I stopped short at the door.

"What are you waiting for?" Josslyn hissed.

"You wanted to come here so your going to start this off…I'm just here for moral support", I smiled.

Rolling her eyes, Josslyn opened the door (no knock necessary apparently).

Ellie was at the window. Remember what I said about Ellie having something to say about Josslyn's look today…well I honestly don't thing Ellie would be in the place to judge. She looked awful, and I'm not usually the one caught up in looks but damn.

Her hair was a tangled mess, curly and dull looking. She was wearing a tattered, dirty, giant looking shirt and some boxers. She had no make up on (which usually isn't a bad thing) and she looked extra tired almost like she aged a couple years.

Before Josslyn could start pep talking her, she turn away from the window and said, "Say or do whatever you want so you guys can leave".

"Are you kidding me? We came to see you and snap you out of this…whatever it is you're in and that's what you say to us", said Josslyn almost shouting.

"No one asked you to show up and I'm perfectly fine", said Ellie turning back to the window.

"I wouldn't call looking like that fine sweetie", Josslyn sneered.

Ellie ignored her –probably because she was right –and kept on starring out the window. Rolling my eyes I stepped in, "What's this going to solve L? You sitting here feeling down on yourself over him…obviously you care enough to cry for him but fighting just isn't in the cards right?"

"We both know there's no point in fighting a losing battle. He's not going to take me back this time, I wouldn't".

"Oh please, Ellie, we also both know that drowning in your sorrows is something we don't have time for. They don't shell out Kleenexs in prison", snapped Josslyn.

"We're not going to prison", Ellie claimed.

"Oh really? Now why is that did you find a way to take care of Mitch or Tea?" hissed Josslyn.

"I'll figure it out".

"When? After you blow out the snot from your nose?"

"Funny".

They must have gone on and on before I stopped Josslyn's rampage, "What's the first thing you ever told when we first met?"

Silence. More Silence… "It's not the same".

"What did you say to me?"

I remember it like it was yesterday…she was thirteen and had just lost her mother to cancer only to be told she'd be living with the father she'd never met and certainly didn't know. Stubborn and conceded even then she'd decided to be overly difficult as soon as she arrived in Port Charles. We meet not long after she met Mike for the first time. I asked her what she thought of Sonny…and she said…

"It doesn't matter what I think or what's going on with…I lost my mom…Sonny is family…family is first and foremost", she said, bring me back to reality.

"So what do you say? Aren't we your family too by now?"

I held her gaze for a long minute as we came to this silent understanding. Josslyn picking up on the moment decided to break the silence, "Since we're family bonding, L, you look like crap and you reek".

Quickly snapping her head in Joss' direction, she snapped, "Besa mi culo! Pendejo!"

"Sorry, I no peak-e es-pan-yol", Joss mocked.

Before they could start I ran interference, "Ellie, just go clean yourself up. Shut up Joss".

"At least everything hasn't truly fallen apart…yet".

Ellie POV

It took two hours –most of which was spent in the shower –but I was finally back to looking myself.

"I'll feel like myself later…"

I really didn't feel like going anywhere though, so we spent the next few hours at my house, hanging out 'til my dad came home.

It was one of those rare moments when none of us really had anything good to say. Billie buried her nose in the local newspaper, Josslyn was on her cell, either texting or surfing the net, and barely paying much attention to the bowl of cereal she had in front of her, and I was staring out the window. I'd been in the same spot for 15 minutes now and I still couldn't concentrate on anything other than Pogue.

Our fights haven't ever been this bad, just small stuff like him ignoring my phone calls, or me being to "friendly" with a random guy…just regular arguments for people who spend way too much time together. I'll admit I lie to him all the time about stuff but it's never been this bad and I've never actually been caught lying before; so I get he's pissed. I'd be pissed to if the tables were turned but I'd also understand.

Why doesn't he get that I did this for everyone…including him.

Joss broke through my thoughts, "Brandon just texted for us to meet him at his place".

"The dorms?" asked Billie.

"Hold on", seconds passed before Joss answered, "No, he meant at Michael and Scarlet's loft".

I finally tore myself away from the window to face two pairs of unblinking eyes staring at me, "Can't he just come over here?"

"He says it's important and that he thinks it better if we're in a neutral place, since we can't really go to Damon's right now…"

I had to ask, "ALL of us?"

"He doesn't know if he'll show."

Turning back to the window I turned my attention back to the window and really concentrated on this one bird that land right on one of the chairs out on the patio, "Alright, tell him we'll be there within the hour".

I had to change my clothes before we headed out to Scarlet and Michael's loft downtown and focusing on my appearance kind of help but I still wasn't sure exactly what I should wear. So I took a page from Billie's book and picked out anything with a similar color scheme to it; ending up with a pair of DKNY black Super Skinny Jeans, a dark blue long sleeve Ralph Lauren Scoop neck Tee, and my favorite and only –once dad saw the price tag –black Valentino knee high boots with bows at the back; I do love my shoes…

I stepped out my bathroom to face Joss and Billie, while pulling my hair into a ponytail, "Okay I'm set…"

Joss looked around before throwing me a navy Hollister Avalon hoodie she saw on the back of my computer chair, "Its getting cold and you've bitched enough today".

Catching the hoodie I looked her straight in the face, "Keep pushing it".

I could practically hear Billie's eye roll, "Its 4 o'clock".

By the sounds coming from the living room I could tell Sonny was home, something I wasn't quite hoping for, and from the sound of it he was on the phone.

He was rushing whoever it was off the phone as soon as we made it to the top of the stairs and he hung up before we could make it to the bottom, "Hola papi".

"Hey, nice to see you out of that room" he said smiling giving me a kiss on the cheek, "Joss…Billie it's nice to see you guys. You barely come through the front door these days unless I'm not here."

"Not on purpose", smiled Billie.

"Yeah we love seeing you Uncle Sonny", Joss added.

"I'm sure", turning directly to Joss, "does your dad know you're over here".

"Sure…he may not be okay with it but it's not just his call, besides I always tell mom first".

Laughing for a second he turned to Billie, "I just spoke to your dad today…should I send some food from the restaurant over for Sam's next family dinner?"

"That's okay; she actually wasn't bad last time".

"Same thing Jason said…still don't believe either one of you though", we pretty much all laughed at that –half heartedly on my part but still.

He soon notice that we were all pretty much on our way out after a few seconds so he turned to me, "Where?"

"Michael's", he thawed out a little and I could tell he wasn't worried so much about the details now.

"Alright, fine but you know the rules on weekends", unfortunately I did. Sonny was talking about the guard system; I was thirteen when I moved in with my dad and since then I've come to terms with the constant presence of guards in my life. Coming to terms with it doesn't mean I have to like it and I can be a real bitch when I really don't like something so every year Papi and I compromise on when I actually have to have guards around.

This year's terms for the "Guards System" were easy and a little lenient, considering. Basically I was free of guards during the weekdays –minus the ones all around the house –as long as I keep within a certain area range and called in at least ever 2-3 hours I was out of classes. Weekends, however, I had to have guards on me, optional early in the day but mandatory from 12 p.m.

There are three rules that stay the same every year though:

1) In event of a possible emergency –aka a pending mob war –guards are with me 24/7, the number depending on where I am or where I'm going and the amount of danger but no more than three at a time.

2) No ditching the guards. Period. (even though I break this one on occasion)

3) Mandatory guards when leaving Port Charles.

After a while you get used to it, and if you're me, you learn how to work it, "Ok fine but can you have someone drop off Billie and Joss' cars–"

"Yeah, yeah of course, I'll see you later; dinner's at six thirty, say hi to Michael and Scarlet for me", he said kissing me on the forehead before turning to Billie and Joss, "you too are welcome to comeback and stay for dinner. Max!"

Seconds later a big temporarily sweet looking man stood in the doorway, "Yeah boss".

"Have Hector and Junior bring the car around for Eliana, Billie, and Josslyn".

"Right away boss", and Max was on his phone in second repeating my dad's orders, while I made my way out the door.

The "car" that my father was talking about was a midnight black, full sized, bullet proofed Infiniti QX Luxury SUV, and it was also my least favorite car only because I was only ever meant to be driven in it. Thankfully my guards where pretty awesome, they where my personal Max and Milo, with a hit of brotherly affection, and I could truthfully say they'd take a bullet for me and respected my order a little more then they respect my dad's sometimes.

Hector was a 6ft lanky 33 year old man with dark buzz cut hair, light brown skin, and gray eyes…he was my go to driver first and foremost. Hector had been a car thief when he was younger and spent a little over 8 years in prison for a job gone wrong. I'm pretty sure Sonny hired him for his driving skills in high pressure situations and he's been working for my dad for six years now, driving me around for three.

Junior…truthfully I don't know much about the guy…not his age, birthday, real name…nothing; he's 5ft 11" with a real bulky build and a constant tan, his light brown hair is about shoulder length and always has a soft slightly damp look to it, matching his gorgeous chocolates brown eyes. Junior is my main bodyguard and good friend but he's mysterious and I don't know if anyone but my father, Jason, and maybe Hector know anything about his past, but whatever that past it's left him pretty dangerous. I've seen the guy kick some ass before and it's not only looks scary but painful…which is probably why I used to have a major crush on him.

A crush I gave up a soon as I met Pogue…a lot of things where racing through my head at once and I couldn't keep track of any of it or things going on around me either. So the car ride was a blur, Junior and Hector had somehow started bickering like crazy and apparently Josslyn started it, Billie on the other hand was just as quiet as me…quieter even. I was keeping thoughts of Pogue at bay but I could still feel Billie glancing at me from time to time till we made it downtown.

Josslyn's POV

The feeling in the car was toxically depressing and it radiated off of Ellie like heat waves and I know everyone felt it. Billie was all stone cold and pretty calm compared to me, who could stop talking with Hector and Junior in the front seat out of nervousness. I've only seen Ellie like this once or twice but never has it been over Pogue and there constant breakups. She's been better than how we found her though, if "better" is what you would call it; she obviously can keep it together when she's focused on something like a conversation with Sonny…but left to think at random she's a mess.

So when the car ride was finally over I was relieved, only to remember where exactly I was. I never understood why, with all of Michael's connection's to people with money and Scarlet's new found wealth, they would choose to live in such a crappy area.

The Downtown area is pretty hot if you're looking for the party scene; you can always find a good nightclub or bar around here but you can also find prostitutes, drugs, violence…I honestly felt safer at Ellie's with her gangster father. It doesn't really help either that we kind of scream three little rich girls who obviously don't live around here, if it weren't for Hector and Junior I'd be ready to piss my pants.

So the fact that my brother and his pregnant fiancée would choose to live here always baffled me when we would drive that way to see them.

We got out the car in front of this old broken-down warehouse looking building. I didn't understand the transaction that took place between Hector and Junior before we got out but while Junior escorted us inside to the loft Hector drove off in the car and disappeared around the corner.

The warehouse style building had a main entrance that opened up to a big dingy waiting area that showed two elevator doors next to the entrance, a stairwell entrance on the far right side, another private elevator door on the left down a short path with mail boxes beside it.

Once we stepped into one of the public elevators I asked Junior, "Where is Hector going?"

"He's just decided to lay low close by".

"Is that normal?"

Before he could answer my question though Ellie spoke, "It's normal. Let it go".

Seconds later the old elevator stopped at the sixth and last floor that opened up to a single –currently unlocked –door. You would never guess from the outside what Michael's place with Scarlet looks like; the whole décor had a warm coffee look to it: hard wood floors, big glass window that over look the urban neighborhood framed by great light brow curtains, the living room furniture was all coffee and chocolate colored drawing attention to the beautiful fire place and gigantic TV screen above it, the kitchen –which was blocked off by a big red brick wall that had a cut out window with stoles in front of it –was a marble-counter-top-stainless-steel wonderland with all the high-tech kitchen appliances.

Brandon was one of the soft leather couches looking through some files that he obviously hooked up from his laptop to the giant TV screen. Billie, Ellie, and I took seats opposite him on the other couch without saying a word, while Junior checked out the place before going to stand outside.

A soon as Junior closed the door we thawed out. Brandon finally looked away from the screen, "We might have a problem".

Just then Pogue and Damon walked in without a word. I could tell Ellie knew but she didn't look his way. Ignoring them myself I asked Brandon, "How big are we talking?"

"Mitch-can-destroy-us-all big".

Before the panic set in Billie cut in, "Start from the beginning".

Nodding Brandon turned to the screen and went geek on us, "Ok so after our little pow wow at Damon's I started analyzing the bugs"

A giant picture of the "bug" and its information popped up on the screen and Brandon started to explain its foreignness, "It an amateur model and at first I thought that was a good thing but then I realized that I couldn't track down the craftsmanship. Most devices I can track the manufacturer to certain locations especially the amateur models but this is a little old school. Think early flip phone verses i-phone, their hard to really find anymore let alone the fact that most wouldn't buy it. So I turned to other ways of knowing how long he's been working on this".

"For starters our security system; I keep my own "calendar" of when I install new technology anywhere and for Joss' house which is probably the most vulnerable I started a schedule as soon as we started this Teá stuff", he paused to look apologetically at Pogue, "I would check the RF jammers every month and replace them every four months and sweep the house while I'm doing it. So I looked for a weak spot in my calendar and saw something strange."

"Now RF jammers are annoying to come by so there is only one device that I programmed to be active consistently, which is set up in your room. Since these things also disrupt other things like cells the jammers I have set up at you house have low frequency ranges. Long story short your room should pretty much be a dead zone, after I found out all the devices I set up two weeks ago were disabled I got curious as to how someone would know the loopholes in my sweeps."

"I ended up doing a thorough security check on who in the last five months has had access to your house with the slightest technical intentions," suddenly another image popped up of an average overweight looking guy who was mostly likely Italian or something along those lines, "My search led me to this guy pretty quick."

"Meet Martin Romero, age 40, works for a cable company and visited Joss' house to fix some basic wire damage done to the cable network installed all throughout your house 2 years ago, the work was done within the same two week time frame I just mentioned".

"Sorry but I don't remember this guy. Don't you think I'd have seen him if he was doing work on my entire house", I said interrupting the Nancy Drew moment.

"I thought you'd say that…most of the work done was done from morning to noon, the time when your mom is usually home. Pictures taken outside of your house", sure enough as he said that pictures of my front door popped up on the screen, "and those from some traffic lights nearby that I gathered assure me that Martin was the only on with enough certification to make and install these bugs in your house. To top it all off the cable company, LWC, was just bought one month ago by Deep Well Systems, the growing computer software corporation that Mitch Cameron's family owns."

There wasn't enough time in the world for that information to sink in. Not only where we in this mess with tampering with evidence against Tea's case against Jason and Sonny but Mitch new about it somehow and had been planning to expose us for months, "You know what this means, right?"

Despite the fact that I was pretty much speaking to everyone, I was surprised to hear Pogue answer me, "Apparently it means Brandon has some creepy stalker like obsession with you and your house. Don't get me wrong, Mitch certainly has you beat but this surveillance level of Joss' place is pretty weird by normal standards."

Brandon turned deep red and with the heat I felt on my face I'm pretty sure I doubled the color; seconds later Brandon and I were practically tripping over each other.

"It's nothing–"

"That's not true–"

"I keep track of everyone–"

"He likes tech stuff–"

"I mean I love it and all but–"

"He jumps at the opportunity–"

"You all ask me to do that stuff–"

"We need him just to do that–"

"Not that I'm that intense with all of you–"

"You heard him it's for everyone–"

"I-I mean not that I pay more attention to Joss–"

"So it's not like that–"

"It's not what you think–"

Then Ellie exploded, "Pensé que podía pero…I can't okay…I-I'm not gonna' sit here while you act like this is just fun and airy because now you've decided you don't give a fuck and that it's completely my fault. I lied 'cause I felt it was right in order to protect you and my family and I won't apologize for that anymore because had the tables been turned you would have don't the same thing. You would sacrifice the whole WORLD for Teá just based on the fact that she's your sister yet you REFUSE to accept my attempt at the same thing for Sonny! The funny thing is though YOU knew who I was and how I operated when you signed up to be with me but you can't forgive me!"

"Damn it, El! I would never risk you!" Pogue said as he sprang up angrily but his voice was barely a whisper and his face just about broke my heart as I watched it crush Ellie's, "I know how you feel about family probably better than anyone –that duty is programmed in both of us –but you LIED to me and risked everything on that lie with this as the cost you never thought you'd have to pay…that we would have to pay."

"We can fix this, were not going to jail, I can fix this", her eyes got all watery as soon as the last world came out of her mouth.

"You know I'm not talking about that", he said glancing at the screen, "You risked us Ells…"

I don't know how long it was before Ellie spoke again and for a minute there I wasn't even sure she was breathing, so I glanced at Billie…then Brandon…then Damon. They were so still, and then I realized we all were that way but I couldn't figure out who I felt for more anymore.

Then –and I swear this is classic Ellie –she smirked, like she just made a good move at a darn chess tournament. But before Pogue full developed enough fury at that fact on his face, she asked, "So what are you more upset at the risk or the lie?"

Pogue rolled his eyes at about the same time Billie and Damon did, leaving me and Brandon completely confused, "This isn't a game El's"

"Why not? Isn't it always a game? Isn't that programmed in us to? Give me a chance to win and answer the question", she'd gotten up and was in front of him then.

It was Pogue's turn to smirk, "The risk".

"I'm sorry", she put her arms around him and kissed his right cheek, "I'm sorry", then his left, "I'm sorry", his forehead, "I'm sorry…"

Then he kissed her…

…and suddenly I felt sick.

A/N: SORRY! SORRY! I know this is like 2 years late but truthfully I lost interest in the story a while back. But now I'm totally recommitted and working on editing the next three chapters as we speak. So take this pretty long chapter as my piece offering.