Author's note:

Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I have an odd sense of humor and I'm not sure if what I'm writing in some parts is coming across as funny or not. I hope so. Anthony's so much fun to write. Johnny and Liz finally get to meet in the next chapter. YAY! I've been waiting for it as much as you have! Please let me know what you think of the story. The good, bad and ugly. Seriously let me know. I can take it. *I think* :-)

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own the characters. They belong to ABC and General Hospital. *Sighs* ;)

Chapter 6

Two days later, Anthony hobbled down the hall to John's old room, where his angelic nurse had been staying. It seemed that he had underestimated the girl from the beginning. She was a tough cookie and had saved his life when she could have easily abandoned him and left him to die. He owed her for not leaving and he was going to find some way to repay her someday. First, he had to get John out of prison. His son didn't belong in the clink and he was damn well going to get him out. In order for that to happen, he had to get her to agree to help. That was going to be the tricky part. He had a feeling she wouldn't like what he was going to ask her to do. Smiling widely as he thought of what he was going to say to her, he rubbed his hands together in glee. For all the trouble he liked to cause people, he loved their reactions more. His shenanigans, as John called them, were the highlights of his old age. He had to get his kicks in somehow.

Knocking on the door, he hoped Elizabeth was in a good mood because she had strictly forbid him from leaving his bed for any reason until he was strong enough to walk, but he was getting lonely and needed to talk to the girl.

As the doors opened before him, he came face to face with an annoyed Nurse Webber who immediately ushered him in to sit down in his son's desk chair. As she lectured him about opening up his stitches, he swatted her hands away.

"I'm fine."

Elizabeth arched a brow and said, "Really. Well what was so important that you had to walk all the way down here?"

Anthony grinned and said, "John, what else."

Elizabeth smiled, "Does that mean we can go home now?"

Anthony shook his head. "Not so fast Cookie. I can't go popping up at the PCPD and declare I'm alive." Laughing aloud, he said, "Oh but to see the look on their faces when I walk in. Especially that of Dante's."

Smirking he continued. "I still don't know who tried to kill me. From what you've told me, John found me with bullet holes near my ticker and surrounded by blood. The way I see it, I've got three options for what could have happened to me. One, for all I know, that crazy broad may have staged the whole thing to kill me slowly in retaliation for her precious Steven Lars going to jail. But I don't think that's what happened. Obviously, she's involved somehow because she had me holed up in that cabin. And honey those were mob guys she had guarding me. I'm just not sure who they're working for. The thing is it's hard to keep up with who works for who, turnover's a real bitch in this business. But I digress...because I'm not so sure she's the mastermind. You see, it takes a real evil genius to pull a stunt like that. Hey…I should know. I've pulled a few in my day." Grinning at Elizabeth's horrified expression he kept going.

"The second option is that someone actually could have tried to take me out for real and Heather intervened. Meh…I honestly don't know why someone would do that to me. I'm such a friendly old man. I tend to my roses and dote lovingly on John."

Elizabeth snorted at this and Antony winked at her.

"On the other hand, it could all be a set up by Sonny to take down John too. That wouldn't surprise me since he went after his old lady. That one right there has more snakes in the head than I do and that's saying something! It would help if I could remember that night but for some reason I can't. I blame the booze. John thinks I have a weakness for it sometimes."

Shaking her head at the last part of his statement, she said, "Okay…well that answers why you can't go home but I see nothing wrong with me going home. I'm not involved with your disappearance." Elizabeth gave him a level stare. She needed to get back to her boys. "Also, is it fair to Johnny for you to wait to come forward? He's sitting in Pentonville probably going through only God knows what for a crime he didn't commit. Let the police handle it. McBain and Anna are great, fair cops, they could really help you."

Anthony closed his eyes and shook his head. "Sweetheart, I thought you might have picked up on a few things in your time with Morgan. You see, we do things differently in my world. If I come forward, someone might attack John on the inside. Someone obviously tried to take me out and put him there and they want him to stay there. There's only one way I see this going down. I'm gonna have to bust him out of the joint and you're going to be the one to help me do it!"

Elizabeth jumped up off the corner of the desk where she had been sitting and began pacing. Shaking her head violently, she said, "No…No…NO! I'm not breaking Johnny out of prison. Have you lost your mind? Wait! Don't answer that. I know you have! Oh My God! I should have left you while you were sleeping. I'd be out of this mess and home with my boys right now." Elizabeth made her way toward the door. "I have to get out of here. Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. It's been nice knowing you Anthony, give Johnny my best. Stay off your feet for another day." She walked out the door.

"STOP! You take another step sweetheart and I'm calling up my guy watching your Grandmother and giving him the green light to go after your boys!"

Elizabeth whirled around to face Anthony. "You're bluffing. No one knows you're alive. And if they did you wouldn't do that. You owe me, I saved your life!"

Anthony smirked and knew that he had her attention. "Well you could always find out. What do you think I've been doing while you've been in here tinkling away on John's ivories and coveting his tub? Cookie, you need some lessons by the way. You're horrible" He shuddered and proceeded. "You think I've been twiddling my thumbs while I've been lying on my ass? Since your phone died, I've been making calls with that idiot Bones' phone and getting things in order. And no, I'm not giving it to you so don't even ask."

Elizabeth scowled at the man.

Anthony, unfazed, continued. "I made it my business to keep an eye on you and your boys all those years ago. Why do you think I came after you at the Black and White Ball? Hmm…could it be because you have Morgan's son? Morgan may be dead but your boy is still a bargaining chip in my business. Corinthos would negotiate for the safety of his best friend's son." Anthony watched as Elizabeth paled and he stood up and hobbled over offering her the chair.

Elizabeth dazedly walked over and sat down. He knows. He knows that Jake is Jason's. What am I going to do?

She was going to do what any good mother would do. Protect her sons.

Elizabeth looked up at Anthony's smug expression. He knew he had her and he knew she hated it.

"So Cookie, are you going to help save my son to save your own?"

Elizabeth nodded her head and spit out, "Fine, what do you need from me?"

Anthony rubbed his hands together and sat on the edge of the desk. "This is what we're gonna to do…"