The Longest Night

This chapter takes place on February 8th in the city of Port Charles, New York between the hour of 12 am and 1 am.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Seventh Hour- Part Three

12:30 am

Standing just outside the bathroom door, in the suite, Maxie was wrapped in only a sheet. "I'm a dangerous friend to have, Johnny."

"Your father would tell you the same thing about me but that's not gonna stop you, is it?"

"Never."

"So lets agree we don't turn on each other. There's only one person in my life that I can say that about but I want to say that about you too, okay? I don't know anything else...but I know that."

"I can't promise I won't turn on you but I do promise that I'll give you fair warning if I'm gonna."

He chuckled.

Maxie smiled. "What? I always tell people just before I wreck them. I'm polite that way."

"Good enough."

"You'll take it?"

"Yeah. I'll take it."

"Okay, move. I need a shower and to do something with this hair of mine. God forbid the paparazzi spot Kate Howard's first assistant with bed head."

She slid into the bathroom.

XXXXXXXXX

12:32 am

Carly sat on the bed, with her knees tucked under her chin. "Hearing Jerry on the video, it just brought everything back, like it was the same day all over again. Like I had just heard that Michael was shot. Do you know that Claudia was standing next to me when the call came in? That bitch used me as her alibi."

"When I heard about Michael getting shot... it was just a moment after....."

"What?"

"Liz and I had decided to get married."

Carly sucked in a ragged breath but pushed on, not stopping to think about what he said made her feel, but instead focusing on his emotions. "And then it was ruined."

"It would have never worked. We wanted to give Jake a family...give it a real chance. It was all lying to ourselves."

Carly watched his eyes intently as he struggled to get the words out.

Jason went on "Later that night I drug her in Michael's room and I made her look at him....see what my lifestyle does to my kids. Why I can't be around any kids anymore. Since that night, nothing has been right. I can lie to myself but that's all it is. Lies."

"Its hard. And its always gonna be hard with our little boy not able to get out of his bed but Michael would want you happy, Jason. I'll never believe she can make you happy, though, or that she can even understand who you are, not who she wants you to be. But whatever would make you happy...that's what I want for you. That's what Morgan and Michael want, too."

"I don't care about myself anymore. Not at all, Carly. I care about you getting some happiness finally. How...how are things with Jax? Good? You two working it out?"

"We're getting closer but we're not there yet. Its like one step forward and ten thousand steps back but I'm not giving up. I need to find a way to smile again. I was happy that day when I married Jax. I believed in me and him. I need to keep believing, even if it seems like an uphill battle, crawling on my knees, over broken glass, with bricks on my back to find a way to make him see me as someone other than the person who broke his heart in two. But I totally get why that's all he sees now."

"Don't let him make you feel not good enough for him. He's the guy who takes off on you, time after time."

"And I'm the woman who cheats on him, time after time. Pretty, huh? But we're working it out, I guess."

"Just as long as that is what you want."

"I want my son to wake up, Jase. I want to have just one day with both my boys laughing and running around and you there with us. That is the sum total of my perfect fantasy....just about."

She didn't mention the little girl she wanted to. He knew that. He knew everything about her.

"I would give you that if I could," Jason said.

"I know you would."

Jason looked down.

Carly scooted closer to him on the bed. She brought her hand to his cheek and lifted his head so that their eyes met again. "I know you would," she repeated "and I'd give you the same thing back, if I could. I'd give you a chance to see our boy happy again. Because if he was, it would all feel worth it. Worth this pain and loss. Worth the sacrifice and guilt. Worth all we can't have anymore....just to have that."

"I don't want you wishing for things that will never be."

"I always do, Jase. I can't help it. Because if I stop hoping, then that's when my life stops being worth living and I won't let that happen to me, or to you."

"All night long, I kept thinking I had to get back here...cause you needed me." After a long pause Jason added "I had to get back here cause I needed you."

XXXXXXXXXX

12:36 am

Johnny walked over to his phone and checked it. He saw several missed calls: Lulu, Spinelli, Trevor, Anthony.

He called Lulu. "Hey, where are you?"

"Not with Maxie. Like you."

"We need to talk."

"Just make sure she's out of there cause, I swear to God, I can not see her right now. It will be ugly if I do. Where are you?"

"I'll come to you. The bar in five minutes?"

"You think you'll make it here alive? You better hope you don't run into Sonny, Jason or anyone that works for them, Johnny, because they are out for blood after what Claudia pulled."

"What happened with my sister?"

"You didn't hear? You really are holed up in a room with Maxie, aren't you? God, I prayed I was overreacting and jumping to conclusions. I've felt something was off for months. The way you two look at each other, joke around, like I'm invisible."

"Lulu! What's going on with Claudia?

"Of course. Your sister comes first."

"I'm sorry. But you've freaked me out by saying Sonny is gunning for her. Why?"

Lulu sighed. "Fine. Carly was giving her speech to raise funds for research and she wanted to play this video that would show kids that have brain injuries. She pressed play and that video didn't come up. Instead it was Jerry Jacks saying that your sister hired Ian to shoot Sonny...but shot Michael. Its shocking, I know. Are you...okay? God, I can't believe I'm actually upset for you over that when you've thrown away our whole relationship by acting like a whore with someone I actually thought was my friend."

Everything after It's shocking, I know from Lulu was just blah, blah, blah in Johnny's head as his body went still and his mind raced at the implications of what was happening. Everything he dreaded for months...the truth coming out for all to know...had now happened, just like that.

He muttered "I'm not shocked."

"That I hate Maxie? Because I don't. I knew who she was years ago. You wanna know what I hate? I hate this situation. I hate that you lied. I hate that both of you don't respect me. I hate that you both believe I'm too sick and sad and too much of a child to handle the truth. I hate that I fell in love with a coward. I hate that you lie to me. I hate that I don't want to believe you fucked my friend tonight but I know you did. I hate a lot of things, Johnny. But not myself, so don't worry about me going back to Shady Brook. And even though I could slap Maxie silly right now I don't hate her. I feel sorry for her, really. She's pathetic and she did what she always does. She destroyed the love she wants by crawling into bed with the first hard dick she could find. That's all you are to her. No matter what you think you got going on...you are as delusional as I have been for months now...cause she loves Spinelli. I'm the one who loved you, Johnny. ME!"

"I know you did. And I loved you back. But the day I agreed to put a hit out on Sonny.....I knew we were over. This has all been one long year of lying to myself. I ruined us months ago."

"What?" Lulu whispered "What did you just say?"

"I knew what Claudia was planning. If you tell Sonny or Jason, I'll deny it. I'll say that Trevor set the whole thing up. I have to protect my sister. But, between you and me, Jerry was telling the truth. I thought it was a bad idea for Claudia to hire him but I went along with it. I wanted Sonny gone as much as she did. I hated him for kidnaping me. The mob war was getting out of control. People were dying. There was one way to stop it. Get rid of Sonny and Jason. It was strictly business. I never thought your cousin would be hurt. I never would have agreed if I knew- "

"Shut up."

"Lulu."

"Just shut the fuck up. You should be the one in a coma. Not Michael."

Click.

Johnny picked up a vase and threw it at the wall. He grabbed his shirt and put it on. Then slid on socks and shoes. He jotted a note to Maxie:

Claudia is in trouble.

XXXXXX

12:41 am

Ric pulled his car into the garage. He quickly climbed out of the car, pulled the lever to pop the trunk, and made his way to the back of the vehicle.

Looking into the trunk, his heart clutched at the sight of a bruised and bloody Claudia. Her dress was stained and ripped. Her nose looked like it could be broken. Her lip was swollen.

The garage was dark but the light in the trunk illuminated it enough for her to see him back. She struggled to sit up.

Ric reached in, hooking an arm around her back. "Here. Let me help you."

"Easy."

"I can be gentle, you know."

Claudia let out a shuddering breath. "Ouch. I don't know if I can stand."

Ric looked down at her legs and saw blood flowing freely down one of then. "Jesus." He lifted her off her feet and carried her into the kitchen of the house. Then set her on the table. "Sit still. We got to stop this bleeding."

"Do you think its an artery?"

"No, you would have already bled out."

"Dying like a wounded dog in your trunk. Daddy would find that an oddly fitting end for me."

Ric grabbed a towel out of a drawer and pressed it to the long gash in Claudia's leg. "Hold that firm." He left the room and came back with a medical kit.

"Where are we?" Claudia asked

"Somewhere safe."

"Can I have a few more details..ouch!" She jerked back when he put ointment on the cut.

"Its gonna sting. Did I forget to mention that?"

"Who owns this house?"

"I do."

"Sonny will find out about it then."

"I know how to hide assets so no one can link me to this place. Your father and mine are not the only two conniving people in this world who know how to cover their asses. The day I went to work for Anthony I knew I needed a safe house just in case I one day became expendable. I might crave power and revenge but I'll never get it if I'm collateral damage in a mob war, will I? This place is somewhere I set up to hide out until I could make a new plan."

"To go back to Port Charles? If my father sets his sight on you, you need to run, not negotiate. Don't forget that, okay?"

"You worried about me?"

"I'm just being honest with you."

"First time for everything."Ric wrapped a bandage around her leg

"Why are you helping me if you can't stand me anymore?"

"Did I say that? Don't presume you know what I feel. I don't even know what I feel for you right now."

XXXXXX

12: 47 am

Johnny ran down the stairs with his cell to his ear.

"John," Trevor said "Where in the world are you? Corinthos is out for Zacchara blood. You got to get some gaurds around you."

"Where's Claudia?"

"How should I know? Last time I saw her she was holding Carly Jacks hostage then the restaurant's lights all went out. When they came back on, Claudia had scampered away like the snake in the grass she is."

"Don't you dare run down my sister's name!"

"Claudia has done this to herself. We all know what she is and now so does her husband. He'll take care of her."

"You find her. Protect her. Because if she dies, I will hold you personally responsible."

"John, be reasonable. She's as good as dead already. Bury her. Move on."

"I'm telling you the way it is. You do everything in your power to save Claudia, and I better believe you did, because when this is all over, you don't want to be on my bad side."

"What is that? A threat? You know I've always looked out for you. Besides, a threat takes manpower to back it up."

"All a threat takes is one bullet and somebody willing to pull the trigger. My Dad taught me that one. And if Claudia dies, bet your ass your life is gonna get a whole hell of a lot shorter and much more unpleasant."

XXXXXX

12:49 am

Ric worked in silence for a couple more minutes. Claudia bit her bottom lip as pain shot through her leg. Finally Ric stood up. He walked over to the sink and wet a wash cloth. Coming back to Claudia, he started to wipe the blood off her face.

She said "I got that."

"Relax."

She grabbed the cloth away from him."I can handle it, Ric."

"Is it so God awful to accept help? Or just my help? Would you jump at the chance for Sonny to be the one wanting to save your life tonight instead of the one wanting to end it?"

"You'll never believe me but I did all that with your brother just for the power. For us. To make a path to the top of the organization. To one day be in charge of it all."

"Oh I believe you. For your own power, though. Not ours."

"I wanted you by my side. Haven't the last six months showed you that?"

"I don't know what it showed me....I don't know who I am anymore. For fuck's sake, I'm an attorney! I should be at home preparing for a case or, crazy thought, reading my daughter a bed time story. But I'm not doing that. Cause I wanted this...this insane life in the mob....and because when I saw you in trouble tonight I suddenly forgot that you married my brother, that you threw me under the bus in the name of your ambition, and all I wanted was to save you. But that does not mean I believe you would ever pick me over Sonny given the choice between us."

"It was never a competition."

"Its been a competition with him since before I was born! You knew that."

"What I had with him was business."

"A business deal that puts his ring on your finger and you on your back. I'm not a fool, Claudia. If Sonny didn't want you dead, you'd be trying to get into his bed right about now."

"Yeah, probably! But that was business. Claire wasn't."

"Jealous?"

"No."

"Yeah you are. Good. You should be. What I have with her isn't twisted...like this....us."

"Oh yeah? Well where is Ms. Tight Ass? I don't see her around here right now."

"I sent her to the ladies' room so I could go kill the lights in the restaurant. To try and give you time to get away. Claire probably hates my guts right now. Since I ran out on our date without so much as a goodbye to her."

"Why did you help me?"

"Because if you died then Anthony would kill Sonny. And I don't want my brother dead."

"Liar."

"Takes one to know one."