Musical Inspiration:

Take Me To Church - by Hozier

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - by Lorde

Time To Say Goodbye

Chapter 20

Shotgun Wedding

.~*~.

"God, I hate church weddings. How did we get roped into this again?"

Robin stood from her bent over position and placed another bouquet in front of the alter. "Kate cornered you and you crumbled like week-old bread." She tilted her head to see if the lined flowers were even. "I just don't get it. I don't get the sudden rush for them to get married."

Brenda got it, she got it all too well. Kate wasn't stupid. The woman saw the closeness that was happening between Sonny and Carly. She was trying to lock that down before he changed his mind. It didn't help that Jax and Carly had officially separated. The paternity secret was still intact but Brenda wasn't sure for how long. Little Josh had only been home a week from the hospital and those dark waves on his adorable head were coming in fast.

"Where is Jason today?" Robin suddenly asked.

"Work stuff," Brenda said, still trying to properly drape fabric from pew to pew.

Robin nodded, not asking any more questions. She knew the drill as well as Brenda. In all actuality though, Brenda was more informed than any of Jason's past romances. She had to be because somehow, she was usually smack dab in the middle of it.

Jason was currently dealing with Russian Alcazar, as Brenda liked to call him. Some mob head, Karpov, rolled into town wanting a piece of the action. He apparently aligned himself with the Zaccharas and though the Corinthos organization had backing in the five families, the old geezers didn't like to get involved in these types of disputes. It was all very Godfather. Still, Jason said the Russians agreed to play nice so she was hoping for the best.

"How are things with Patrick? Brenda asked, trying to change the subject.

Robin shyly avoided her eyes. "We talked. I agreed to let him into our child's life and we are taking things slowly."

"That's great news!" Brenda squealed

Her friend gave a blushing grin in return and lowered her voice, "He keeps popping over to my room with all kinds of food and little thing he finds for the baby."

Brenda attempted to keep the smirk from her lips but was failing miserably. "Food, huh? That's his excuse."

"I said we are taking things, slow."

"Mm-hm," Brenda hummed out while working to pull herself up from a crouched position. She let out a groan while she did so. "Why are the two pregnant women on church decoration duty? Doesn't Kate have relatives who should be doing this? Where's Maxie? Kate usually uses her as her whipping horse."

"Trust me, this is the easy duty. Maxie has barely slept in two days. She thinks her hair is falling out."

"That poor girl," Brenda commented as she grabbed her stomach. She gave a little flinch at the small pain.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked, dropping what she was doing to speed over.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She gave her tummy a small rub. "It started a few days ago. Jason dragged me to the hospital twice. They said it's just Braxton-Hicks. Dr. Revere said to come back if they started a timed pattern."

Robin reached out and placed her hands on Brenda's large bump. "Your stomach is tight. When was the last one?"

"A few hours ago."

"Keep an eye on that. I want to make sure I'm there for my niece's debut."

"I will," Brenda said and gave Robin's small bump her own pat. "And how's my nephew?"

"Were you and Patrick talking? He's hoping for a boy too."

Brenda shook her head. "I just want my girl to have dating options."

Robin snickered but stopped when a loud screech was heard.

Both dark-haired women quickly turned to see a disheveled looking Maxie standing at the entrance of the church. Her normally fashionable attire was mismatched and her blonde strands stuck out in every direction.

She looked like she was ready to explode. "You're not finished yet?!"

Brenda and Robin thought it better to remain quiet and go back to their duties.

.~*~.

As organ music played light melodies in the background, guests slowly filtered into the church. While Jason was helping escort people to their seats, Brenda stood outside to get some fresh air. She smiled at some of the faces walking by her.

Alexis gave her a nod in greeting and Diane commented on her cute shoes. Brenda guessed that Diane would have normally come with Max if he wasn't on security duty for the wedding.

Carly hit her eyesight next. She looked good considering everything she's endured over the last 2 months. With a new baby, her marriage separation, and Michael's therapy, the blonde was holding steady.

"Hello, traitor," Carly said, taking the final step to stand in front of her.

Brenda frowned. "I'm not in the wedding, I was only helping out."

"You shouldn't be doing that at all. You're Sonny's ex. You're not supposed to help shove him in the arms of a new woman— one that is completely wrong for him," Carly tilted her head to peek through the doors and made a disgusted face. "And one that clearly doesn't have any taste. How boring can you get— all white? Are those hydrangeas?"

"Maxie said she was going for classic elegance." Brenda shrugged.

Carly rolled her eyes. "Well, it's all in vain anyway."

Studying her friend, Brenda saw the determined look on Carly's face. "You're up to something."

"I don't know why you would say that," she said, feigning innocence and smoothing down the creases in her skirt.

"Carly, what are you going to do?"

"Me, I'm not going to do anything. The truth is what is going to tear those two apart." The blonde looked like she was going to say more but Jax was slowly approaching them. "I'll see you inside," Carly said, stepping through the door and leaving her behind to deal with him.

"Brenda, can I have a word?" he asked, gesturing off to the side.

With a nod, she walked with him to a spot further away from the foot traffic. She studied his nervous features as she waited for him to speak.

"I wanted to apologize to you. You didn't deserve my anger."

Brenda heaved out a resigned breath. "It's okay. I understood it. I'm not a fan of taking the brunt of it but I know it was a shock and you had to unleash it on someone. Carly wasn't exactly in the position to be a candidate."

Jax gave her a sad smile. "That's gracious of you," he paused, giving her a once over. "You look beautiful."

Brenda chuckled. "I don't know about that. I think there might a 'Good Year' tag stamped somewhere on this dress."

"No. You really do. I used to picture you like this and I always knew you would be breathtaking in this form." He let out a depreciative laugh and shook his head. "I'm a fool."

"Jax," Brenda began, not sure what to say.

"I really am. Tell me the truth," he said, gazing at her stomach before his pleading eyes met hers, "could it have been us?"

After a thoughtful moment, she answered, "Yes."

She didn't want to lie, she knew they could have been happy. She just needed time that he wouldn't give her. If they had slowed things down, she knew it probably would have worked out. She would have been content but— contentment, she realized, would have made her settle and miss out on the strong passion she has now. After experiencing the type of relationship she had with her husband, she couldn't imagine anything less. Brenda knew for a fact that she would never love anyone as much as she loved Jason. She was very grateful things played out as they did. She ended up where she was supposed to be.

"But you can have more than that, Jax. So— it might not have been with Carly but someone is out there for you who will be your everything."

"Maybe," he said, his face still sad. "I should get inside. They are probably going to start the ceremony soon."

With that, he walked away, and Brenda, despite all the hurt he had caused her, wished for Jax to get his happy ending.

"Brenda!" Robin's voice echoed, whipping her head around frantically on the church steps. When her friend spotted her, she grabbed Brenda's arm and attempted to pull her inside. "You have to stop him. He's going to kill him."

"Who's going to kill who?" Brenda asked, flustered, as Robin directed her toward one of the back rooms.

"Jason's going to kill Sonny."

"Wha— " she started to question as she was pushed through the door. Her eyes widened as she saw Jason leaning over a fumbling Sonny on the ground. Jason had the lapels of his partner's tux in his hands. Her husband's head whipped up when he heard her.

"You kissed him?" he questioned angrily.

"No!" she denied in surprise. "Not since the last wedding. There was no repeat performance."

"You said you were going to tell him. I just assumed he knew so I was thanking him for not making a big deal about it," Sonny growled out, holding the left side of his face.

Brenda's mouth popped open and closed again as she recalled the night of the black and white ball. "Oh."

Jason squinted his eyes in irritation. "Oh?"

"Okay. In all fairness, I was planning to tell you. I just completely forgot about it after the whole coma thing. We were at the ball, he kissed me. I didn't kiss him back. I pushed him off and he apologized. It was all settled."

"It's true, man." Sonny held his palms up in a peaceful gesture. "I realized she was serious about you and that she meant it when she said she loved you."

Robin narrowed her eyes. "Weren't you with Kate then?"

Brenda gripped her husband's arm to convey that he should let Sonny get up. He unhappily did so.

Sonny gained his footing and stood. "Yeah," he began, "but it wasn't official yet so I would appreciate it if that information doesn't leave this room. I am getting married in 15 minutes."

Jason pointed at him. "You try that shit on Brenda again and I will— "

"Gotcha." Sonny nodded, not letting him finish. "It was a mistake. I moved on. I'm just hoping you can too and that you'll still be my best man."

"I'll be up there," Jason said shortly, before putting his arm around Brenda and leading her out of the room.

"I swear I had every intention of telling you," Brenda said as they made around the corner of the wall.

He stopped abruptly and leaned down to kiss her. It was possessive, with both hands placed on the sides of her face. What started out as aggressive lips turned softer as he got swept up in the action. Brenda clutched him closer losing herself as well. Stopping to take a breath, it kicked in that they were actually in a church and needed to stop.

"Are you okay?" Brenda whispered, her forehead still leaning against his.

"Yes."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No," Jason said, releasing her from his hold and taking a half-step back. "I'm just tired of people always trying to come between us."

"Even if they try, it won't ever happen. It's you and me always, Jase," she said and winced. She looked down at her stomach. "We didn't forget about you."

Jason moved his hands to her stomach. "How is she? Are still getting contractions? When was the last one?"

"Calm down. She's fine." Brenda placed her hand on top of his. "Yes, they are still coming. The last one was an hour ago."

"They are closer together," he pointed out.

"I know, which is why we need to hurry up and get through this wedding."

Jason slipped his arm around her and moved them forward. "We should get you to the hospital."

Brenda stopped his rushed steps. "It's only an hour, Jason. I would be sitting in the bed for God knows how long. You remember what the doctor said, labor can take a really long time before it becomes active." He sighed in resignation and she paused staring at the oblong doors in front of her. She giggled when her thoughts took her somewhere they shouldn't.

Jason lifted a brow at her.

"You know, if you are really trying to hurry this labor thing up there is a confessional, over there." She pointed to them jokingly. Yup, she was going to hell. And by the look on Jason's face, he briefly contemplated going with her.

Shaking is his head at her brashness, he directed her back into the main area. He took her to an empty seat and Brenda watched as Carly came rushing up behind them to sit with her.

Jason brushed his lips over her cheek and gave his friend a hug before going up to take his place at the altar.

"Where were you?" Brenda asked Carly.

"Just having a chat with the bride-to-be."

"Carly," she said flabbergasted, "you didn't."

The blonde gave her a smug look. "The ball's in her court now. Let's see how much Kate loves Sonny."

Sometimes it really shook Brenda how conniving Carly could be. She guessed her plan had been to lay it all out for Kate and tell her about the baby— coincidently, right before the girl was ready to walk down the aisle. If Kate could handle that connection that would soon come out, she would marry Sonny. If not, well, she had to put a stop the wedding with all her family and friends here. Brenda found herself cringing at the position the woman was in. God, she really hated weddings.

They all turned their head when the music changed to a stringed tune.

Kate's sister, Olivia, slowly paced down the aisle and gave Sonny an odd look. Brenda wasn't sure what that was about and glimpsed at Jason for an indication. Her husband lifted his shoulder slightly relaying he wasn't sure about the weird tension either.

Giving up on trying to figure out what Sonny could have done this time, she let her eyes wander over the crowd. She smiled when they landed on Georgie who was tucked nicely into Spinelli's side. His proud face at being to hold her like that spoke volumes. She was thrilled to know they were officially a couple.

Next to them, sat a more composed Maxie and her brother Cooper. Brenda searched out Maxie's hand to find no diamond ring. She would have to get on his case about that later.

Finally, she glanced at Robin and Patrick, the couple who were soon-to-be parents and were taking another step towards rekindling their romance. She thought Stone would have liked the pairing. They were good together and all he ever wanted for Robin was to be happy. She definitely looked so now.

The music switched again and everyone stood.

"Ave Maria? Are you kidding me?" Carly murmured out.

Kate held her bouquet tightly as she took her steps. She looked elegant with her white wedding dress laced in silk. Looking her over, Brenda determined she definitely was not wearing white when her and Jason did this. White was bad luck. Maybe it wasn't too late to head back to Vegas.

As Kate passed, Brenda could see the apprehensive fidgeting she was doing as she passed by Carly. While the blonde smirked, Kate's face relayed how much she disliked Sonny's ex-wife.

Reaching the altar, the bride handed her flowers to her sister and everyone sat down. Brenda waited with bated breath for what was going to happen next. It also didn't help that she was getting another cramp. She tried to keep the pain off her face but it apparently wasn't missed by her husband. Jason's serious gaze kept on her as she sat down.

"Dearly belove— "

"Wait," Kate's voice suspended the room.

While Sonny stood confused, Olivia was making the sign of the cross and kissing her hands upward.

Carly gave Brenda a few pokes in her side with her elbow in a 'see, see' movement. She and Jason scowled. Carly was unaware of the reason being that Brenda was already in pain.

"Kate?" Sonny took her hands, waiting for an explanation.

"I can't do this." The bride pulled her hands away. "I can't marry you knowing you have a child out there you don't even know about— one that I'm sure you will want to be a part of its life. I know you should but how long will it be before you want to be with his mother, as well?"

"You promised!" the maid-of-honor shouted out.

Kate's eyes widened. "Olivia, no!"

"You promised you wouldn't tell him about Dante. You swore up and down you would protect him. Instead, you tell Sonny about having a son he didn't need to know about. I trusted you!" the red-head screamed, chucking the bouquet she holding to the floor.

While Sonny was taking a step back from the pair with his mouth open in shock, Carly stood up and yelled, "What?" ,

Most of the crowd replayed the same question. Brenda couldn't help the, "holy shit," that slipped out of her own mouth. She was tempted to tell Spinelli to get popcorn.

"I have a son? And you kept him from me?" Sonny asked, his eyes burning holes into Olivia.

"No," Kate twisted Sonny's arm around to get his attention. "I mean, yes, you do but that wasn't what I meant. I was talking about your son with Carly."

"Morgan but—" It took a second for Sonny to catch up. When he did, his head snapped in Carly's direction. "Josh is mine?"

Olivia, now realizing she spilled her own secret sunk to the ground in distress.

Now, Jax was angrily standing, gripping the back of the pew forcefully. "You need to make up your God damn mind, Carly!"

"Please, everyone, we are in the house of the Lord," the priest pleaded.

"Josh is mine?" Sonny repeated, stunned. "I thought he could have been but I pushed the possibility away because when I looked at him— I wanted him to be mine."

"Yeah." Carly nodded, a few teardrops leaked from her eyes. "He's yours."

Kate wiped her own tears away before she spoke up. "And I can see that I was right."

Sonny composed himself and turned back to his fiancée. "Kate—"

He didn't get to finish his words as a gunshot echoing through the church took them away.

Jason was next to Brenda in an instant, pulling her down and covering her. She could hear the screams around her and could vaguely see her friend's blonde hair on the floor next to her. The girls both sought out each other's hands in comfort.

Through the sounds of scrambling feet on the marble floor, Brenda had to clench her eyes shut.

Another wave of pain rippled through her stomach. This time, it was faster and stronger than the previous and she knew that was not a good sign in their current predicament. Thankfully, it had only been one shot and she hadn't heard anything since. Brenda attempted to pop her head up but Jason wouldn't allow it. He was to busy calling back and forth with the guards asking if they had their eye on the shooter.

"Clear."

"Clear up here."

"Somebody call 911!"

"Holy Mary Mother of God, Pray for us sinners."

"Kate! Come on, Kate, keep those eyes open!"

Brenda felt arms around her, lifting her up. Before she could turn, Jason had surrounded her once again as she was pressed to his chest protectively. She could feel by the swipes of his chin, atop her head, that his face was still turning in every direction. He only loosened his hold when the commotion on the altar became heightened.

Focusing her sight in the direction of the cries, Brenda could see Kate Howard on the floor surrounded by blood. It didn't look like she was breathing.

"Where's the fucking ambulance?" Sonny shouted out.

The octave of his tone shrilled in her ears and made her jump.

It triggered another contraction— this one made her bend over.

Carly, who had been standing in shock, took notice of her situation as Jason was trying to help her sit. "Oh, my, God— are you in labor?"

It was as if her friend's words welcomed the concept and made it real because suddenly, Brenda could feel the fluid running down her legs. Dammit!

"You are." Carly knelt before her with Jax at her side.

"The ambulance will be here soon. They will be able to check on you and Kate," Jason soothed, his hand rubbing circles are her back.

He, nor anyone else, wanted to mention the fact that Kate, even after a few rounds of CPR, still wasn't breathing.

Brenda leaned forward trying to battle the pain. It seemed like it took forever for the paramedics to get there. The team of them split up and each took on a patient. The young girl assigned to her introduced herself as Vicky. Jax froze at that. He must have been having flashbacks of her mother. How fitting that a woman with the same name was trying to help her.

After a few standard checks, the paramedic asked about her pregnancy history. Thankfully, Jason stepped up to the plate and gave the answers that Brenda was too strained to reply to. Biting her lip, she watched Kate's body being rolled out of sight. An angry Sonny and a weeping Olivia followed behind.

Vicky, who had discreetly covered her to check if Brenda was dilated, asked her if she felt like she needed to push.

She did— but there was no way in hell she was going to. Brenda tried to stand and the crowd that had formed around her tried to refrain her from doing so. "Jason, I cannot have our daughter in this building. This church is cursed," she grounded out through her teeth.

"Brenda—"

The priest decided to chime in. "Madam, I assure you this is a house of worship. All God's children are welcome to—"

"Shut it, Padre!" she growled, making the man jump back. She turned to her husband, attempting to hold her tears at bay. "Please, Jase, not here."

It might have been illogical but all Brenda could think about was how many lives were ruined in this church. Weddings that never happened, funerals that were nefariously interrupted, death— it was all too much.

Jason put a hand under her knees and around her back. He lifted her up gently and she put her arms around his neck.

"You're not going to seriously move her? She's ready to give birth," Alexis argued.

Vicky, who had rushed to gather her supplies, strode along next to them. "There is no ambulance outside. My partner took it. Backups have been called in but I don't know if they will make it in time."

Brenda whimpered and Jason held her tighter. "We need a big car," he said as they got into the parking lot. He started to walk toward one of the parked cars but Brenda stopped him in his tracks.

"Not the mini-van," she said eying the vehicles, "the Mercedes."

Brenda heard the choking gasp behind her but she didn't care. She already felt like her uterus was trying to claw its way out of her body. If she was doing this, she was going to be as comfortable as possible.

"Keys," Jason said loudly, waiting for whoever the SUV's owner was to place them in his hand.

"You are going to buy me a new car. There is no way those fluids will come out of the upholstery," Diane said, handing them over.

It didn't take long for Brenda to be settled in the back of the Mercedes with Vicky hunched in front of her.

"I can't believe I'm doing this without an epidural. I had that thing scheduled for the last month. Revere promised me an epidural," Brenda squawked.

Vicky chuckled. "Women have been doing this for centuries without it. You're fully dilated so now is the time to push. Push through the pain."

She did and while doing so, she asked the stars above why women chose to go through this. They were insane. She was insane.

"You're not the first woman to think that," Vicky replied.

Brenda wasn't aware that she had spoken out loud but she wondered how anyone could understand her through her shrills of pain. She was realizing that in her labor filled haze, she didn't notice a lot of things. Like the fact Diane's interior was a really shitty color or that Jason had somehow maneuvered himself behind her. It made sense, there was no other way her back would be this comfortable.

"I'm glad it's helping. You're doing great," Jason said into her ear.

She really needed to filter her brain to her mouth.

"Yes, you do!" Diane's annoyed voice chimed from outside the car.

"Time to push again," Vicky said.

The pushing seemed to be endless but then the burning came and she thought she might pass out. Brenda was told one more push should do it so she buckled down and the agony began to lift. She let her head fall back into Jason's chest when she heard crying. God! She was never doing this again.

"All new moms say that until they get to see this," Vicky's voice rang through. "Meet your daughter."

Brenda lifted her head to see her baby, bundled, and staring at her with beautiful blue eyes. "Hi," she said, awestruck. Taking the swaddled baby from the paramedic. Brenda continued to stare at her amazed. "She's perfect."

"Of course she is," Jason said, his head resting on her shoulder.

"She does have us as parents," Brenda nodded in admittance. "It was kinda a given. I just can't believe she's real." She knew it sounded silly but the idea that they created this little person was just blowing her mind. And, the absolute instant love as she looked at her daughter was incredible. It really was automatic. This gorgeous baby in her arms was everything and she always would be.

Brenda twisted her head around so she could see her husband better. "Hey, Jase, I kinda extra love you right now."

He chuckled and hugged her closer in response. Together they continued to gaze at their daughter.

Vicky, who had stayed silent while letting them have their family moment, finally spoke up, "The other ambulance is here so I think it's time we get both mother and daughter to the hospital for proper treatment."

"Thank you, Vicky, for all your help," Jason said.

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Just doing my job," she replied with a smile before going to meet the other paramedics.

"We are buying that girl something huge," Brenda commented.

Jason nodded as her softly swiped a finger down his daughter's cheek. It caused her to open her mouth in an adorable yawn. "I'll take care of it."

.~*~.

Watching as they weighed and measured his daughter, Jason still couldn't believe she was here. And she was his— his to raise, his to love. The feeling of elation, he remembered it well— only this time, maybe the bottom wouldn't drop out beneath him. There would be no question of paternity or lawyers to battle. There would be no changing of minds or protective custody. There would be no fear to allow him into her life.

He was so thankful for Brenda and this gift she'd given him.

Family.

A nurse came out with the birth certificate for him to sign. Checking it over, he could see all the information was correct. Seeing his daughter's name spelled out in front of him made him smile.

Though they decided what to call her months ago, naming their daughter had some hiccups in the process. Both of them liked the name but it was so different they were sure it would raise some brows, especially for a girl. Finally, they decided to go with it. It meant something to them to take that piece of Emily that she held so dear. It was for her. Also, Brenda pointed out that 'celebs' tended to give their kids weird names anyway. Hence, their daughter would forever be known as Bowen Victoria Morgan.

He signed his name with pride.

"She'll be ready to go back to your wife's room soon. We are almost finished with her tests and then we just have to match the paperwork," the nurse said.

"Thank you," Jason replied.

He continued to watch through the window as his daughter was poked and prodded. The loud cries she was giving the nurses let them know she wasn't happy about it.

"Jason!"

His stance was jolted as a little boy was wrapping his arms around his legs. He looked down to see a small head of curls. "Hi, Cam."

"What are you doing?" he asked, as Juan, holding Jake, walked up behind him.

Jason took a moment to take in Jake's features before replying. It had only been a few days since he'd seen him last but he was trying to determine if he and Bowen held any resemblance. He wondered if the siblings would ever get to know each other.

He pointed at the glass. "My daughter was just born," he told Cam, "she's with the nurses."

"Congrats," Juan offered, searching out the baby. "She's a beauty. I know Brenda is going to make a wonderful mother. She just has that aura about her, ya know?"

"Yeah." If he brought up Miguel again Jason might ask Cam to hold Jake.

"There you boys are. What are you doing all the way over here? I thought you were going to wait for me by the nurse's desk," Elizabeth asked, pacing over.

Juan smiled and gestured to Jason. "Cam spotted Jason and wanted to say hello. Jason's being welcomed to fatherhood again," Juan's eyes widened when he realized his mistake. "I meant for the first time, definitely for the first time, of course."

Jason looked from Juan to Liz. She was biting her lip and her eyes stared at him with a hint of guilt.

"Juan, why don't you take the kids over to the vending machine? I'll just be a couple of minutes," she said.

"I can do that." He speedily nodded. "Sorry," he whispered to Liz before giving her a peck on the cheek. He took Cam's hand and walked him down the hall.

Jason waited for Elizabeth to take the lead in the conversation.

"It was an accident that he found out. It was my fault. I was talking to Jake about going to your visit and I didn't know Juan had stopped over to take me to breakfast before my shift," she explained.

"He knows about our arrangement?"

"Yes, but I trust him."

Jason rubbed his forehead. He knew he really couldn't give her a hard time over this. He, himself, told Brenda first because he trusted her as well. "Okay."

"Thanks for understanding." She smiled and tilted her head to see what he was looking at. Noticing he was in front of the nursery and recalling Juan's words, she assumed the outcome. "Oh, the baby?"

He couldn't help but grin and pointed to his daughter in the nurse's arms. "Bowen Victoria."

Liz put a palm to her chest and gave him a sad smile. "Her maiden name. Emily would have loved that." She took a step closer to the glass to get a better look. "There is a lot of Brenda there."

"Are you talking about looks or personality?" he asked, considering his daughter had a good set of lungs on her.

Elizabeth laughed and shook her head.

They enjoyed a calm silence before she spoke again, "I'm sorry."

Jason was curious where she was going with her apology so he stayed quiet.

"I'm sorry I took this from you and I'm sorry your children won't know each other the way they should. I wanted you to know that."

"I never faulted you for trying to do what you thought was best for him."

"Thank you." Elizabeth smiled. "Congratulations, Jason. Despite everything, I always knew you would be a great father."

With a squeeze of her hand on his arm, Elizabeth followed the path Juan and the boys had taken.

"Mr. Morgan?" A nurse began as she popped her head out of the nursery, "We just finished bathing her. If you would like, you can wait with her while we finish the paperwork. I'll just need to match your bracelets up."

Jason immediately followed through the door, anxious to hold his daughter. After they scanned his id, he was led to her bassinet. He had to take a deep breath to push down the joy that was building. He leaned over to get a good look at her. Her eyes, that were beginning to drift off, were the same blue as his own. He saw a little likeness in the chin but Liz was right, she was all Brenda and he was perfectly happy with that. He might not feel the same way when she was a teenager but for now, he would enjoy having a mini Brenda around.

He took the time to count fingers and toes before swaddling her back up and lifting her into his arms. "Hi, Bowen. I'm your dad," he said, taking a moment to hold her closer and breath in the scent of baby shampoo. Dark brown wisps were already beginning to dry. "Your mom and I have been waiting for you. I hope you like your name. I had to talk your mother out of giving you the middle name Mercedes, so I hope you're grateful for that. I have to actually buy two of those cars now."

Seeing he was losing her attention, Jason finished up his conversation. "I'll let you sleep but before I do, I want you to know that we love you very much and I will always make sure you are protected. All I want for you is to be healthy, happy, and safe." He pulled his daughter closer to kiss the top of her head.

Jason looked up to see Carly smiling at him through the window. He proudly moved closer so she could get a better look. His friend was teary-eyed in a matter of seconds.

"Mr. Morgan, we are ready to take her down now," the nurse said.

Loosening his hold, he laid Bowen back into the bassinet so they could roll her into Brenda's room. As they exited the nursery, Carla practically leaped on him for a hug.

"I'm so happy for you. You deserve this more than anyone," she said.

"Thank you, Carly."

Separating, his friend twisted her arm with his and they followed after the nurse and baby.

"Was Brenda asleep when you left?" he asked.

"Yeah, Monica was in there when I stepped out," Carly replied and looked around them to make sure they were an earshot of anyone who might listen. "Jason, Kate didn't make it."

"Damn," he cursed. "Where's Sonny?"

Carly looked toward the ceiling and blew out a long breath. "That's what worries me, Jason. I don't know. Max said he took off when he got the confirmation. I'm scared. I don't know what he's going to do."

Jason's worry heightened as he didn't know either. Sonny was always a loose cannon and this might be the thing to set him off massively. He felt a little guilt that his friend had to deal with this on his own but he needed to make sure his wife and daughter were secure first.

Just outside Brenda's room, two guards took their normal position and a crowd of people stood waiting to get a glimpse of the new Morgan baby. Spinelli and Georgie peeked over the shoulders of Maxie and Coop. Monica stood inside the door with Edward and Tracy. Robin was the one attempting to make everyone stand back. The young nurse rolling in his daughter looked overwhelmed.

"You named her Bowen?" one of the voices called out.

"I'm an uncle. That's so cool," Cooper said, staring down at his bundled niece.

Maxie smirked. "Remember, I called it— beautiful babies."

"Is the celestial one named after the rock legend who famed the character Ziggy Stardust?"

Everyone turned to Spinelli to give him their usual 'what the hell are you talking about' look.

"Emily's last name was Bowen," Georgie informed her boyfriend.

While Monica was getting choked-up, Edward had other thoughts. "Bowen Quartermaine does have a nice ring to it." His response got him a slap on the arm from his daughter-in-law.

Tracy feigned disinterest and shrugged. "She's cute."

"How about we let baby see her mommy?" Robin said, gesturing for the nurse to go into the room.

Just as the hospital employee made it through the door, Epiphany, who had been doing her rounds, stopped in front of them. "I know all of you aren't trying to fit into that room. Family only."

"But, we are family," Maxie complained.

Jason couldn't help the grin that formed on his lips at that statement.

Epiphany simply lifted a brow. "Then, three family members at a time. Don't suffocate the poor child."

Jason walked past the annoyed nurse and disgruntled young adults. Carly snuck in behind him.

He saw Brenda was awake with Bowen in her arms. She gave him one of her blinding smiles when he reached her bed. "Look at how good she is," Brenda beamed at her daughter who laid there quietly sleeping.

"You didn't hear her earlier. She not a fan of baths," Jason revealed.

"Neither were you," Monica chuckled.

"You should start looking into schooling now. The best schools have a large waiting list," Edward said sitting in an open seat.

"Edward—" Brenda shook her head. "She's not even a day old."

"It's never to early to prepare for the future."

Carly rolled her eyes taking the spot on the side of the bed. "The two of you can forget about sleep anytime soon. Word of advice, try to get her on a schedule— A.S.A.P."

"Jason's like super-dad so I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," Robin said.

He straightened his back at his friend's declaration. It's been ages since he raised Michael. Actually, now that he thought about it, he got a little nervous hoping he remembered how.

"What's with the panicked face?" Brenda asked.

"It's been a long time since I did that— raised a baby."

"Well, even though this one isn't stolen, I'm sure it will come right back to you," Tracy threw out.

"Tracy!" Monica scolded. "Either be cordial or shut up."

Jason glared at the woman. Why is she in the room, again?

"Go, go, get in there!"

The room occupants all snapped their attention to the door which previously halted the hallway lingerers. Now, the 4 of them came rushing through.

Georgie gave them an apologetic look. "Epiphany turned the corner, it was our only chance."

"She scares the Jackal," Spinelli said, poking his head back out the door and turning his head frantically.

Cooper sprinted over to the end of Brenda's bed first, dragging Maxie with him at his side. "Good. We're all here. I want to do this now since my new niece gets to be a part of it."

Jason noticed Brenda inch upward in the bed in a bouncy fashion, she tucked the Bowen closer so she didn't get jostled. He wasn't sure what was going on but his wife must have been privy to it. Jason turned his attention back to Cooper who pivoted to his girlfriend.

"Maxie, you have become a huge part of my life, a part of my family. And now, in front of that very family I want—"

"Jason!" Milo sped out as he squeezed into the room.

"You have got to be kidding me," Coop mumbled out.

Milo attempted to catch his breath before continuing, "You need to come with me. There's a situation." The guard tried to keep the usual air of vagueness but was failing as everyone could see something was very wrong.

Jason turned to his wife to explain but she nodded that it was okay. "It's fine. We're fine. Stay safe."

He leaned over, giving her a quick kiss and leaving another on Bowen's forehead.

After a subtle apologetic smile, he followed out after Milo.

"And there goes your super-dad, off to take care of mob business instead of spending time with his daughter."

Jason heard a band of voices telling Tracy to shut up.

Their defense didn't make him feel better. He knew that annoying woman was right.

.~*~.

Arriving at the Greystone, Jason wasn't sure what state he would find Sonny in. Milo had only told him that the guards had lost track of him but he returned home not to long ago. Now, Sonny was holed up in his office and wouldn't open the door.

Entering, he realized things were indeed bad as his boot crunched glass into the hardwood. Pills were scattered and the locked section of the hutch in the living room looked like it was broken open— as if someone couldn't be bothered with taking the time to find a key. It worried Jason because he was almost positive Sonny kept an extra weapon in there.

Stepping around a discarded coat on the floor, Jason found himself in front of the office door. "Sonny." He knocked. Not receiving a reply, he tried again, "Sonny, you got to open the door."

The silence was unnerving him. "If you don't open it, I'm going to break it down."

Horrible thoughts entered Jason's mind of possibilities. With Sonny's bipolar disorder and his combined grief, he feared that his friend might have hurt himself.

"I'm coming in," Jason shouted and took a step back. With the full force of his shoulder, he rammed the door open and attempted to catch his balance.

Raising his head, he could see his friend sitting behind his desk breathing calmly.

Jason became alarmed instantly at his appearance. Though his friend appeared to be unharmed, most of his attire was covered in blood.

"Sonny," Jason whispered in concern, knowing things just got 100 times worse, "What did you do?"

Sorry to Kate fans. I guess no one is safe in my little Port Charles world. Oh, and to answer the Carly question, I usually tend to stick with the time frame actors unless they are horrid. So, Carly in this fic is Laura all the way when I picture it. Thanks for asking. :D

Fav/Follow/Review.