Journeylove- Yeah, Ned's still around on the GH canvas, he isn't a contract player anymore, but he's made a few appearances here and there since he was taken off back in April. Lesli, on the other hand, hasn't been around at all, even though it has been noted that she's also been dropped to recurring.

Story-

Sonny and Jason shared knowing glances at one another. While they may not have acted like they were even a little bit afraid of what could happen it did not mean that they weren't. John Durant… a man that they both knew well, although only by reputation and not by anything else. If Sonny and Jason thought that Ric's former vendetta against the two of them was something that they struggled to make it through, then John Durant was the person who was probably going to eat them alive without even blinking. But neither of them could show weakness, even around someone that they both trusted, because in showing weakness they admitted to it, and when people in their business admitted to being weak, things happened, people sometimes died, or were at least taken out of the picture.

Instead of dwelling on what could have happened, Sonny quickly realized that he needed to get the facts, as many of them as he could get. Since Damian was the one who managed to see John Durant, he was also the most likely person to probe for information. "Son, I need you to tell me everything that he said… anything that could explain why he came to Port Charles…"

"It's… it's my fault…"

"What?" Sonny didn't know why he would blame himself. Yes, Damian did have a complex about him that made him take the blame for anything bad that happened, to save other people the grief that he swore he could handle, but that didn't mean that everything was his fault. Hardly anything ever was. "How can this be your fault?"

"Because… because he's here since he met me in New York City on New Years Eve." Without getting into detail about why he went, and the specifics about John Durant, Damian recollected the story, telling his father and his uncle for the first time just who he had seen, a secret that he had held inside of him ever since that day. "Maxie and I… we ran into John Durant, and he started attacking me, verbally attacking me, saying how I was just there to see him because I was sizing him up for the two of you. He said that he was going to do something about both of you, and what you do here in Port Charles… I thought it was just an empty threat. I didn't expect him to ever actually come here…"

"How did he even know who you were?" Sonny wondered.

"The murders on the docks back in October," Jason guessed. "Even though he wasn't involved in them, Sonny, his name, his face, his connection to you… it was all over the media, here in Port Charles, and in other places, too. Durant's the type of person who tries to keep up with every single facet of activity that he can get his hands on, that's why he's so dangerous… he doesn't slack off, he doesn't really lose his focus."

"I'm sorry…" the boy muttered softly. "I didn't think he was going to come, I didn't think that he was going to do anything to either of you… if I knew, I would have told you. Please, believe me…"

"This isn't your fault," Sonny placed a hand on Damian's shoulder, trying to sound as sympathetic as possible. In his mind, Sonny was thinking about everything that he had to contend with. Not only did he have to worry about Michael's latest tantrum, as well as Damian and Elias now 'unofficially' holding territory in upstate New York, but John Durant was in town, and John Durant was looking for him and Jason. "Nobody is blaming you. You couldn't have known that he was going to come to Port Charles, you couldn't have known that he was going to act on this threat."

"But… but what if he gets what he wants? I know you two are good at keeping everything as clean as possible… but what…"

"Just let us worry about the possibilities, all right?" Sonny grinned, "You just focus on helping people get better when they're sick, and on your studies… you have nothing to do with this, son. Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise."

"Dad…"

Sonny shook his head, "Don't worry about it, Damian. Please, I need to know that you trust me enough to let me deal with this in my own way. I don't want you to be preoccupied with this, because it isn't important. You're stressed out right now, I had you running around town looking for Michael and then you had to deal with that bastard Durant… why don't you go inside and make yourself some tea, calm your nerves down a little. Jason and I need to discuss some things alone."

"All right…" he left the two adults in the hallway, opening and then closing the door. A part of him wanted to listen in on their conversation from behind the door, but he knew better than that. Sonny wanted his trust, and he was going to give it to his father, unconditionally, and in order for that to happen, Damian needed to give him some space.

"Maybe you should have told him," Jason said in his monotone way, always focused on the moment, on what needed to be done.

"You saw him, Jason," Sonny looked at the door for a moment before turning to his enforcer and best friend. "He had to deal with Durant earlier today, and if I told him that there was a chance that he could be involved in this because of what he did to protect me, to protect all of us, that would only break him down even more. I want to protect my children, and I'm going to…"

"Even if it means lying to them?"

"I'm not lying to him… when the time is right, I'm going to tell him," Sonny believed it… sort of. "He needs to know, and so does his Grandfather… but right now we don't need to deal with that. Sandoval is going to pass along the information that the person who owns Alcazar's territory is under my protection, and that anyone who messes with that person, whoever they are, will be dealing with me. Nobody knows that it's Damian that killed him… and as long as we keep our mouths shut we're going to have a little bit of time on our hands."

"They're not going to wait forever, Sonny. Alcazar had too much, even here, where he just started his business when he came to Port Charles. They might wait around for a little while, but eventually someone is going to get anxious and try and take it. It doesn't have to be Sandoval, it can be anyone…"

"Durant is our main concern," Sonny told Jason, stating the cold facts so that his best friend would not try and do too much. Jason was good at keeping everything together, but if he was spread too thin then there was a chance that he could break, and without Jason at his side, Sonny was extremely vulnerable, more vulnerable than he would have ever liked to admit. "He's here, now, he's going to try and take us down…"

"We haven't done anything that's been suspicious in weeks…"

"We just met with Armando Sandoval in an open area."

"Nobody was there, Sonny…" Jason did not want to use that moment to point out that he was against the idea of meeting Sandoval in such a place, Sonny had too much on his mind, and, as Jason was well aware, the more someone packed on Sonny, the easier it was for him to break.

"Where the hell does he get off accusing my kid of even being involved with us? I've done everything that I can to keep all the boys as far apart from who I really am as possible… and I think I've done a good job of it."

"Sonny, they have your last name… people know that you're their father, that they love you… they're only going to assume the worst. I'm not saying that it's fair, I'm not saying that it's right, but that's the way that they think…"

"I'm going to make him regret doing this to my son, Jason. He can try and come through me, I'm fine with that… I can take care of myself, but to throw a kid into his war against me? That's just pathetic…"

"He saw Michael, too… don't forget that."

"I haven't," Sonny remarked with a low growl. "What's he going to try and do now? Throw a nine year old into this? Mini-mobster in training… make it seem like I'm teaching Michael how to kill a man four times before they can even blink…"

"You need to focus, Sonny. You're upset, and you have every right to be, but when you get too angry you become too unfocused and you become vulnerable. Give it a day… let me and Stan work on this. I can have him look up any information that we can use against Durant, to send him away before he makes too much trouble for us… just a day, that's all I'm asking for."

"If you find anything…"

"You'll be the first to know."

Sonny nodded his head, "Thanks, Jason. You know I tell you this all the time, but if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to keep on going nearly as long as I have."

"You took a chance on me when nobody else would, you let me be the person that I needed to be… that's something that I can never repay you for."

"You're wrong… you've already repaid me a hundred times over for that, and you keep on staying loyal to me, even when we have our differences. I know I don't say this enough… but thank you." Sonny turned around, leaving Jason to do what Jason did best, protecting the people that he loved. Walking into the house, Sonny looked around at everything that he had acquired throughout the years, as well as the things that he had lost. Pictures, of his family now, and of Lily. Only a few of her, and, oddly enough, it was Carly's idea to have them there. She didn't want Sonny to think that he had to forget about everything that had happened to him before, everyone who had happened to him before.

His glance shifted over to the desk, where everything that contained who he was happened to be, safely secure inside of the many locked compartments, and still locked boxes that were inside. Again, his brown eyes, rich with fury and grief, scoured over, and he saw the phone. His hand reached over for it, and as he was about to touch the receiver, he pulled back. Sonny knew that there was someone else that he could look to for help, but he wasn't ready to ask… not yet.

Docks-

Carly and Courtney became fast friends shortly after they met. Now, they were closer than two sister-in-law's could hope to be, they were best friends, truly, they were like sisters. They would squabble at times, but in the end they would always come together, united by their love for one another, and for their family as well. It was not unusual to see Sonny's wife and his little sister together at any of the fine clothing places around Port Charles and the surrounding areas. Most often it was Carly who was doing most of the shopping, but there were times when Courtney herself regressed to the little girl who just loved to try everything on.

The dear friends laughed out loud as they walked towards their home. Carly had called Courtney shortly after Dillon had come home, telling her that she needed to come and see the outfits that had just come in. Although hesitant at first, Carly eventually wore down Courtney's resolve, and she was on her way to the store.

"So, are you glad that I managed to drag you to that place?" Carly asked between the laughs that they were sharing. Old memories, some considerably ancient, others that were still relatively fresh. It was good to be able to laugh, at times they both felt that there was almost never a time when they could just be regular women, when they were always going to be stuck as the wives of two very powerful mobsters, despite their claims that Sonny and Jason were completely legit.

"I could have gone without it…"

"Liar," Carly ribbed Courtney gently, "I saw those bright blue eyes of yours sparkle when you saw the dress that I knew you would love. You couldn't pay for that thing fast enough…"

"Now we just need to find some way for me to use it… we got lucky with New Years Eve, I don't know if we'll keep on getting lucky, Carly."

"Who says that we need the guys to have a fun night out?" Carly asked. "We can just do a girl's night out… just you and me…" Carly looked over and saw that Bobbie had yet to move from her place on the bench, "Mama…"

"What about Bobbie?" Courtney asked, wondering if Carly meant that they would also bring along Carly's mother. Courtney didn't mind, she was rather fond of Bobbie. Seeing Carly move in another direction out of the corner of her eye, Courtney followed Carly until she too saw Bobbie on the bench, looking sullen.

"Mama?" Carly reached over and touched Bobbie's shoulder as softly as she could. "Hey, I thought you were working today…"

"I took the day off," Bobbie tried to smile, but it was hard to keep her daughter from noticing the fact that she had shed a few tears since her latest meeting with Durant. "I just needed some time alone. I still do…"

"Courtney," Carly turned around, "could you… give me and my mother some time alone?"

"Yeah, sure," Courtney didn't mind. She would have asked the same thing if it was her mother who looked like she was having the worst day ever. "I'll be at home if you need anything. Bobbie, whatever it is that's bothering you, I hope you feel better."

"Thank you, Courtney… but I'm fine…"

Carly waited until Courtney was gone and out of earshot to speak again, "You're not fine, Mama. What's wrong? Is everything all right? Did something happen to Lucas?" Her little brother had been sent away to get a better education than he could have gotten at the local high school in Port Charles. Bobbie worried about him constantly, wondering how she could let him go alone without her. Her baby.

"Lucas is fine, Carly. He called me the other day, said he was doing good…"

"Then what is it?"

Bobbie smiled, forcing herself to do it despite the agony that she was feeling as she reached over and hugged her daughter. "Everything's going to be all right, Carly. I was just thinking about some things that I've done in my life, and how I wish that I could change them." She couldn't tell Carly the truth… couldn't let her know that her father was so close. Bobbie couldn't, wouldn't, dare take a chance of breaking apart everything that Carly had worked to obtain.