Chapter 3

~~~Penthouse 4~~~

Sonny entered the darkened Penthouse leaving Pat outside in the hall. He slipped out of his coat and casually placed it across the back of a chair. Taking note of the fire still burning, he knew that Carly must have only recently retired for the night. Sighing in relief, he walked over to the bar to pour himself a drink. He took a swallow before thinking back to the phone call he received while he was on the docks mulling over the events of the evening. Elizabeth had called him. He wasn't really surprised that she was the one to place the call. It wasn't as if he and Jason had spoken in the last few years.

They wanted him to meet them at the yacht tomorrow morning. That bothered him. Why the yacht? While it did afford some privacy and some measure of security it wasn't at all what he expected. Why not someplace less public, less accessible by others? Like it's owner. Did it mean that Jason was back for good or that they just didn't care who knew he was in town? Then there was why he was in town? Sonny knew that it wasn't to see him. They hadn't parted on the best of terms when Jason left. He blamed himself for that, him and Carly.

He sighed, remembering the events leading up to Jason's departure from their lives. That night in November. He and Carly safe while Jason was shot. Jason walking in on the two of them. Getting a call from Elizabeth the next day, frantic that she had found Jason out by the boxcar shot. Jason not wanting Sonny's help and Liz convincing him to at least allow the doctor to look at him. It was never the same after that. There was a distance between them that Sonny was never able to bridge. A gulf that widened after they got Carly and Michael away from the Quartermaine's. One that turned into an untraversable chasm the day Jason heard Michael call Sonny 'Daddy.'

"Sonny?" Carly called softly as she walked down the stairs. "Everything okay?" She was worried at the lateness of the hour and the look on his face.

She watched as Sonny passed a hand over his face before looking at her. She had just thought business had called him back on his way home but she could tell it was something else. She would swear she saw fear in his eyes.

"Sonny? Is it Elizabeth? I know you planned on stopping by her place on the way home earlier. Is she okay?" Carly didn't know what was wrong. She only knew that it had to be bad and other than her and Michael about the only person that he would be this worried about was Elizabeth.

"She's fine," Sonny stated flatly. "But there is something you should know." He took a deep breath. "Jason's in town."

"What?" she was shocked. She looked at Sonny her mouth agape, not sure she heard him correctly. This was the last thing she expected. "Did you say Jason? In town? How do you know?"

Sonny poured another drink for himself and one for Carly, handing it to her before answering. "I saw him," he told her.

"Where?" She took a large gulp of the drink, the alcohol burning her throat and proving to her that this was real.

"Does it matter?" his voice showing his shock and anger.

"Sonny," Carly placed a soothing hand on his arm. "This is hard for both of us but why the anger. Something else is going on, isn't it?"

Sonny looked sadly at his wife. "I saw him when I stopped by to see Elizabeth. He was with her."

"Well they were on speaking terms when he left," she stated. Her brow furrowed as she was trying to think things through logically. "They were friends; she helped him. Of course he'd stop by to see her since he is in town."

"Carly, he didn't just stop by to say hi," Sonny said tersely, trying not to recall the scene the two of them made.

"What do you mean?" Carly began to question. Suddenly she stopped, slammed the alcohol down her throat, and closed her eyes. "He was at her apartment. How would he know where she was living now if they hadn't been in touch with each other? That means –"

"She's known where he was." Sonny interrupted. "That she's been in contact with him. And from what I could tell, they've been more than friends."

"More than friends?" Carly's voice whispered through the air. "And she didn't tell us….at least tell us that he was okay. Why wouldn't she have told us?" Carly looked at Sonny, the pain in his eyes reflected in hers.

"I think that was his decision. He wasn't happy to see me. But Elizabeth called and asked me to meet them at the yacht in the morning. Maybe I'll get some answers then."

They both knew that tomorrow's meeting wasn't a reunion of old friends but would be a confrontation. Carly knew Sonny well enough that he probably insisted on explanations and neither Jason nor Elizabeth would be happy on being cornered into explaining whatever Sonny saw. She simply took her husband's hand and slowly led him upstairs willing tomorrow would not turn into the debacle she feared it would become.


~~~Alexis' penthouse~~~

"LEXIE!" he yelled as he let himself into the penthouse. He just couldn't resist coming by instead of calling since he knew it would drive Jax crazy. He lazy flopped down in one of the overstuffed chairs waiting for his cousin to appear.

Alexis appeared at the top of the stairs, knotting the sash of her robe. She sighed and slowly shook her head as she took in the sight below her. Leo sprawled across a chair in her living room looking for all the world like he belonged there. "Leo, must you barge in at all hours?" She questioned as she descended the steps.

Leo's head jerked up. He slowly grinned. "If I called first it wouldn't bother Jax nearly as much."

Alexis chuckled as she sat down on her sofa. "Sorry to disappoint you but he's out of town."

"Damn," Leo grumbled unabashedly.

"Leo shouldn't you get another hobby. How exciting can it be annoying Jax all the time?"

"But he's just so easy to get all riled up. And he did start it, don't forget. He the one that just assumed I was trouble because of who I was." He nonchalantly stated.

"And he was wrong in that how?" Alexis raised an eyebrow. "And I know you didn't come over here in the middle of the night just to try to annoy my husband. So why are you here?" She pointedly asked him.

Leo sighed and leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs and looking down at his hands. "I think we've got some trouble." He looked up at Alexis. "Jason's in town.


~~~Liz's Apartment~~~

Liz woke up to a whispering voice and stretched her arm out feeling only an empty bed. Sitting up quietly she looked around smiling when she saw Jason standing in front of her bedroom window and staring out into the dark. Sliding out of bed she silently walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She kissed his back lightly before laying her cheek against him.

"Can't sleep?" she questioned softly.

Jason sighed. "No. Too many thoughts. Trying to figure out just how much we should tell him tomorrow."

"That's not the only thing, is it?" she gently prodded.

"No."

"You're trying to figure out what to do, how to feel, when you finally see them again, aren't you?" She maneuvered around to stand in front of him and looked up at his shadowed face.

"You know me too well," he smiled down at her. "Any suggestions?"

"Not really," she sighed, tilting her head as she stared into his eyes. "I wish there was a way to make it stop hurting."

He smiled down at her as he brought a hand up to stroke her cheek lightly. "I know you do. But it's okay. It's not like I ever thought I'd be able to be his father. There was just too much conflict when I was involved."

Liz turned into the hand at her cheek and placed a feather light kiss in his palm. "He hasn't forgotten you. And not as a distant figure either. Both Carly and Sonny have told him about you. In fact just recently he asked me about you. He'll be happy to see you again." Liz tried to sooth him with her heartfelt words.

"Uncle Jason, " he spat. "Not what I wanted but I guess it's what I'll be."

"Hon," Elizabeth said softly looking up into his eyes, one of her hands rising to his face where her thumb began to gently stroke his temple. "It doesn't matter what he calls you. The most important thing is how you feel about him and he about you. And you'll always be his father in your heart. Nothing else is important."

Jason wrapped his arms around her and laid his cheek on the top of her head. "Is there ever a time you don't say the right thing?" he asked lightly.

Liz pulled back from him, a slight smile on her lips. "No?"

Jason rolled his eyes slightly and groaned. "Real funny, Lizzie."

"Aren't I though?" she smiled knowing that the dark mood had lifted. "Now wanna tell me who you were talking to?"

"What?" Jason looked down at her innocently.

"Don't even try that 'who me? I'm totally innocent' look on me Morgan. What are you up to?" Elizabeth stepped out of his embrace and crossed her arms over her chest. "Need I be concerned? Should I be placing a few calls of my own?"

"Please, not that," he laughed, a mock look of horror on his face. "I just thought I'd give Leo a call."

Elizabeth shook her head, "In the middle of the night? Now I am worried. What kind of trouble are you two up to?"

Jason laughed and reached for Elizabeth, pulling her towards him. "No need to worry. I just thought I'd warn him that we had a run in with Sonny and that he would be meeting with us tomorrow at the yacht. Just in case Carly or Sonny cornered him at Deception."

"I'd totally forgotten about Leo," she muttered to herself. Reaching up she gave Jason a light kiss on his lips. "I'm glad you remembered him. That would have been a disaster none of us needed. I'm sure he'll tell Alexis so I'll be hearing from her first thing in the morning." She sighed, leaning against him momentarily. "Not something I'm looking forward to."

"She won't be happy with either of us." Jason led her away from the window. "Of course she'll be upset with you but probably furious with me. I am the one that showed up without any warning."

"Which you still have yet to give me an explanation for." Elizabeth tapped a finger against his bare chest. "Just what is going on that you appear without warning?"

Jason looked down at her trying to avoid the discussion for a while longer. "I can't simply miss you?" He lowered his head, allowing his lips to graze her temple and slowly make their way down to her mouth. "Got all lonely without you."

"Uh-huh. Sure you did." Elizabeth tried to keep her train of thought. Not easy when he was once again causing her pulse to race and distracting her with such sensual caresses. She caught his head in her hands, bringing his mouth back to hers. After a slow but passionate kiss, she pulled back slightly and looked deeply into his eyes. "I want to know what's going on and why you're here."

"Okay," he began to pull away from her. "If you insist."

"But," she grasped his shoulders and gently pushed him back onto the bed, "that can wait just a bit longer." She followed him down, deciding to worry about the outside world much, much later.

~~~Back at Alexis' penthouse~~~

Alexis just stared at Leo. Arching an eyebrow she chuckled softly. "Leo that's not funny. You got me up in the middle of the night for a joke?"

"I'm not joking." Leo raised his eyes to look at his cousin. He watched as she looked in his eyes and realized that this wasn't a joke.

"You're not joking." She wasn't asking him but knew from the look on his face. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Leo shook his head. He silently cursed both Jason and Elizabeth for him having to be the one to break this to Alexis. Why must he be the bearer of their bad news? "I really haven't a clue. I got a call from him, which is why I'm here. Thought that you should know asap, especially since Sonny knows." He braced himself for the explosion he knew was coming.

"WHAT?! What do you mean Sonny knows? How the hell did that happen?" Alexis demanded of her young cousin.

Leo winced at her reaction. He really needed to calm her down before she charged over to Elizabeth's demanding to know what was going on. Though it would be nice to know what they were up to himself.

"Look all I know is what Jason told me when he called, okay?" Leo knew that he better tell Alexis and quickly. "He went to see Lizzie. And before you ask, no, she didn't know he was coming to town." He quickly checked to see if Alexis was calming down any, frowning when he realized she wasn't. "Apparently Sonny showed up unexpectedly and saw Jason. And that's it Alexis. Except for the fact that they've set up a meeting with Sonny in the morning at the yacht."

Alexis closed her eyes, put her hands to her face and slowly massaged her temples. "Are they insane? And that is a rhetorical question, so no comments. They'll expect you to contact me about this. I guess that means we'll be seeing them in the morning and hopefully we'll have enough time for Jason to explain exactly what he's doing just showing up without any warning."

"We?" Leo really didn't want to be anywhere around when Alexis met with them. In fact he figured the farther away the better.

"Yes, we." Alexis opened her eyes glared at Leo. "And why the hell are you letting them meet Sonny on the yacht?"

Leo shrugged. "Damned if I know. I guess because it's as close to neutral ground as they're gonna get, Lexie." Leo rose from his position on the chair and bent down to give Alexis a kiss on her cheek. "The meeting is set for 10. I figure they'll get there early. Are you ambushing or should I call them?"

"I'll call Elizabeth first thing in the morning. I'm sure I'd be interrupting if I called now." She slowly shook her head as she stood. She walked slowly to the stairs before turning as she stepped onto the bottom step. "And Leo, lock the door on your way out."