Chapter 11

"Hey boss, the shipment of lumber is here…it looks okay, you want to check it out?"

"No, that's fine Bill. Did you mention we don't appreciate deliveries being 20 hours late?"

"I might have mentioned something like that."

"Good…if it happens again we are dropping them."

"I mighta mentioned that too."

"Good man."

Bill waved on his way back out to the yard. AJ leaned back and sighed. He hit play on his answering machine again.

"Hey AJ, it's Em. I hope everything is okay. I wanted to remind you that Mom and Dad's 30th anniversary is next week. It would mean a lot if you could come. I know you're busy and all, so if you can't come that's fine…but could you maybe call them? They really miss you. Especially Mom. And Grandmother. And me…bleep."

Emily had a tendency to leave rambling messages that got cut off long before she was done talking. AJ couldn't help but translate the message from Em speak to Quartermainesque. "It's their anniversary, call Mom. Dad could care less if you were dead or alive."

He should stop by the mall on the way home and send a card, but he wouldn't. Then there would be a last minute 'nottomakeyoufeelguiltybut' call from Em and he would call. There was no good way to avoid Dad and just call mom. Their schedules were still too crazy to predict. And with his luck he would get stuck talking with Dad, Ned, or even worse Grandfather.

They had written him off 7 years ago. And AJ wished he had done the same. But he hadn't. He used their disappointment and criticism as excuses to get deeper and deeper into the bottle. That coupled with his overwhelming guilt lead to three very, very bad years.

It isn't easy to deal with killing your own brother. Of course technically his brother wasn't dead at all. He was living and breathing, working and relatively happy, but he was no longer Jason Quartermaine, golden boy. He was Jason Morgan auto mechanic. After fighting his own demons to regain sobriety AJ took a page out of his not brother's book and started over. He had been long gone from home, when he hit rock bottom and crawled his way out he found himself in Phoenix, Arizona.

Now, four years later he owned a construction and carpentry business. And while it was small it had a growing reputation. AJ felt good about himself and his business. He rarely acknowledged a connection to the New York Quartermaines. He had long since paid back his grandmother's quiet loan.

"I promise, I'll pay back every dime, plus interest Grandmother."

"Oh, AJ dear, I'm not investing in the company, I'm investing in you."

"Maybe that's not a good idea."

"Maybe it's not…but I think it's the best investment I can make. You can't fail if you don't try, but you can't succeed either."

Grandmother. He missed her. He missed Em and his mother, but he hadn't been back to Port Charles in a very, very long time. He hadn't seen his father or Grandfather since he'd been sober. As much as he tried to let go of the anger, it still scared him. They had every right to hate him, he knew that. Was he strong enough to go back and stay the man he had become?


"Samantha, get down here this minute."

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" Sam flew down the stairs twisting her hair into a scrunchy as she did. "Has anyone seen my bag?"

"Mom…she's gonna make me late AGAIN!" Michael whined.

"Michael you're the only one I know who has to be 20 minutes early in order to not be late." Sam shot back. "Oh, there it is. I'm ready."

Alexis shook her head at her disorganized daughter. Somehow she could always pull it off in the last 10 seconds before disaster struck. "Okay, let's go. Sam do I need to put you back on a bedtime so you can get up in the mornings?"

"OMG…no…holy cow. It's 2 minutes earlier than we left yesterday." Sam argued. "And if you let me go with my friends…I wouldn't make the prince here late."

"No. Dad or I will be driving you to school from now on."

"Just until May right?"

"May?"

"My birthday? My sixteenth birthday? My get your license to drive here's the keys to your new BMW birthday?"

"Oh, yeah right." Michael scoffed. Sam smacked him upside the head none too lightly.

"Where did you get the idea you were getting a car for your birthday?"

"I'm not getting a car?"

"No."

"But…I…I…"

"Sam you haven't even taken drivers ed."

"Well, I know, but you don't have to. You and Dad can teach me…or maybe Max and Aunt Kristina…"

"You are taking drivers ed in the fall. If you pass your test, you will be allowed to use one of the cars under certain circumstances."

"That's so unfair. OMG…Robin has a car and Nikolas and Emily!"

"Emily? She's younger than you."

"Well, you know they'll get her one."

"Do I need to point out that I'm not her mother?"

"Heh, good one Mom." Michael laughed from the backseat.

"Michael." Alexis warned. "Sam I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not comfortable with you being responsible for a car."

"Have you and Dad talked about this?"

"Not recently."

Sam smiled and relaxed against her seat. "Oh good."

"Don't count on Sonny, baby girl. Dad doesn't even want you taking drivers ed yet."

"Good grief…kill me now."


"Johnny, what's the latest?"

"She left town a couple of hours ago."

"Where to?"

"Well there was a stop in Florida….but I think she's moved on since then. Francis will be checking in within the hour."

"Damn it."

"Why? What's in Florida?"

Sonny sighed. "Last I checked, that's where Carly was living."