Authors Notes: I realize that I'm using the name of a character that has
already been used for a character on the show. but the show is 40 years
old, there have been some repeated names before. Plus, he's dead. and I'm
pretty sure he's STAYING dead. Now then. for some retroconning in order to
make this story make sense. Sonny and Carly are together, Carly has gotten
her feelings back for Sonny, Michael, Morgan, and the rest. Lorenzo is
still around, waiting for that moment when she will run into his arms and
he can claim victory over Sonny. They don't live at the mansion thing, they
live at the Penthouse. Maxie will be out of High School, as will Kyle, but
Michael and Morgan are still the same age they are on the show. Georgie and
Dillon are a bit older, too, but still in high school. Jason and Courtney
are still together, and I don't intend on putting Brian in this anywhere,
but if he does get in. well, whatever happens with that will happen. I
claim rights to the characters that I (believe) to have created. For all I
know. this show has had 40 years, and I've been watching for like 4 months.
Even with all the backstory I've learned. I don't know everything. So, if
they're already characters in the ABC soap world (since they all
intertwine), someone please let me know.
Los Angeles California, UCLA Medical Center, 6 Years Ago-
She had been in the hospital for almost three months. Everything was fine with her for so long, no one knew that she had anything wrong with her. but then it hit. Her cancer had gone undetected until it came out in full force. It was too late to operate, too late for anything to be done. Still, her family, being devout followers of the Catholic faith, believed that their prayers would be answered. That God would save their beloved Ana- Maria. She was only 32 years old, and she was very beautiful, although you wouldn't know it looking at her now. Her flowing brown hair had all fallen out from the chemotherapy that was hoped to give her enough time. She had lost so much weight that she was barely more than a skeleton. Her son, her reason for living, sat on the chair next to his mother's bedside. He was only 14 years old and he had watched as his mother, the only parent he had, slowly slipped away from him. He was loyal to her, and was almost always there. His grades were not yet suffering from the prolonged absence. His grandparents had informed the school of their crisis, and his cousins had picked up his work for him, and took it to school when he finished it. He was a smart boy. His mother only wanted him to do good in life. And he only wanted her to see it happen. His dream was slowly beginning to end.
Ana-Maria was asleep on her bed. She spent most of the day sleeping, everything that was happening to her had made her extremely weak. Her eyes opened and she saw her son. Although it pained her to do so, she smiled warmly at him. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her throat was so dry. He knew what was wrong and quickly helped her drink some bottled water, holding the container to her lips and gently tilting it upwards. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice at that awkward time where it had not quite grown from child's to man's.
"Where are your grandparents?"
"At home resting," He replied.
She smiled again, "Damian. I want you to promise me two things." She looked at her son, he had her hair and eyes.
Damian got closer, "What are they, mom?"
"Don't let my passing ever make you do things you regret. Don't think I didn't love you enough to stay with you. It is just my time."
"Mom."
She put her hand up slowly to silence him, "Also, please never let anyone try and define you by anything more than who you truly are. Your name, your family, these things are good, but they are not everything. You are your own person, don't ever forget that." She brought her hand up and touched his cheek, "Promise me."
Damian was silent for a long moment, looking at his mother, fighting back the tears, "I promise."
Ana-Maria Zuniga closed her eyes once more. They never reopened.
Los Angeles International Airport, Present Time-
Damian Zuniga was no longer the insecure boy he once was when his mother died. While that memory would forever haunt him he still continued on. He had graduated High School with a very high grade point average, and then attended a local community college where he completed his general education. His grandparents were there for him after his mother's passing, he continued to live with them while attending the community college. He wanted to attend a University as soon as he graduated, but they insisted on keeping him until he needed to go. He was their only tie to their daughter, they weren't going to let him go so quickly. Now it was time for him to go
"Damian," His Nana grabbed him tightly as she cried, "You've grown up so much. I'm so very proud of you."
"I don't see why you have to go all the way to New York," His Papi said, "There are plenty of good medical schools here in California, they would all accept you."
Damian turned his eyes up while still under the death grip of his Nana, "Papi, I have to do this. It is for the best, please believe me."
The old man nodded his head, "I do."
Damian left the grasp of his Nana and started to go up the escalator. She called out to him, "Call us when you have the chance!"
"I will!" He yelled back.
As he was on the plane his mind went back to a time not long after his mom had died. He was in his room at his grandparent's house, staring at nothing. He had always lived there, both he and his mother. She was so young when she got pregnant, and having a child made it very difficult for her to find a husband. Her parents could not allow their family to be out without a home. They never complained once about housing their now adult daughter and their then infant grandson.
Growing up without a father was not very hard for Damian. There were a few times where the harsh words of the other children about his broken family would send him home in tears. His mother knew that it must have been something displeasing, and she assured him that she loved him more than any two parents could ever love their children. It made him feel better and eventually allowed him to not even feel anything when the insults were thrown at him again. Still, there was a part of his mind that wondered. who was his father?
He got his answer that day when his Nana came in and gave him a letter that Ana-Maria had managed to write before her passing. Damian's Nana said that she wrote it almost immediately after being checked into the hospital, while she still had the strength to lift a pencil. She left him alone while Damian read the contents inside. It revealed the identity of his father, or at least who she believed it to be. She met him one night and they had sex. Then he was gone the next day. Months later she realized she was pregnant. Her first thought was to have an abortion, but she was as religious as her parents, she couldn't kill a baby. Damian was born without his father being there. In fact, Ana-Maria never saw that man again. His name was Sonny Corinthos.
Armed with this new information, Damian went on a search for his father. He dared not ask his grandparents, they were still much too shaken by the sudden passing of their daughter that speaking about Damian's father would be almost impossible. He found the information he was looking for at the library, using one of their computers and searching the internet. The name Sonny Corinthos brought up only a few pages. The most common were those of a local newspaper from the town of Port Charles, New York. Further research showed that Port Charles had a University, PCU, and it also had a very good internship program for medical students. His first inclination was to go as soon as he finished high school, but those plans were sidetracked and he spent two more years in Los Angeles.
Now, however, there was nothing stopping Damian from going to the small town. He would land in Buffalo and then take a small plane out to the airport of Port Charles, which did not have commercial flights. He had already been accepted into PCU, and even found housing. He had spoken to a woman named Bobbie about renting a small single room apartment above a restraint called Kelly's. She was very polite and said that she would save him a room. He told her his arrival date, a few weeks before the beginning of the school year. Damian had never been out of state before, which posed an even bigger challenge of adjusting. In edition to flying half way across the country, to a small town that was almost nothing when compared to the metropolis of Los Angeles, he had to deal with the possibility of being an extreme minority. His Mexican-American heritage was something he was very proud of, but he was entering uncharted territory. He knew that if it weren't for the double task of finding his father, assuming the man still lived in Port Charles, and going to school, he wouldn't have left California. He might not have even left his grandparents home. They provided him with a net of security in life that he now had to leave. He only hoped he was ready.
Port Charles, New York, Kelly's-
Elizabeth Webber-Lansing smiled as she gave yet another patron a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. She was an artist, with a deep passion for that which she loved. It was disheartening to her that she did not have as much time to work on her paintings as she did when she and Ric were married. But their relationship now, much like when they were married, was still very complicated. She no longer lived with him, and she was too proud to run into the arms of Audrey, her grandmother. She knew her gram would always be there for her if she needed it, but she was her own woman and she wanted to make it out on her own. That meant that she would have to take up her job as a waitress again. She was content making her own money, but as with many things in life, doing that caused her to give up time doing other things. She heard the door open and she instinctively turned her eyes to it. She saw a young man walking towards the counter, carrying nothing more than a suitcase and a backpack strapped behind his shoulders. Port Charles wasn't the biggest town and she didn't know everyone who made it their home, but she had never seen this person's face before. If he were a traveler wouldn't he put his things at the hotel, not bring them here? Shelving her curiosity for the moment, and noting that there was something about his look that struck her as a bit of familiarity, she spoke to him, "Can I help you?"
Damian nodded his head, "I'm here to rent an apartment. I spoke with a Bobbie Spencer and she said she would have the room reserved for when I came."
"Oh," She replied, "Bobbie's not available right now, she's at work. She did leave a note about your arrival, though, and left the key to your apartment." Elizabeth turned around and grabbed the single key ring on the wall. She gave another genuine smile as she held out the keys to Damian, "Here you go. The apartments are upstairs. The gold key is your apartment key, the silver one is to open the door to Kelly's, since you need to come in through that door to get upstairs."
Damian returned the smile that she had given him, "Thank you." He hurried up the stairs. Elizabeth watched for a second before turning back to helping the customers.
He opened the door to his apartment. It wasn't very big, there was little more than a bed and some furnishing, but it was his, and it was more than he expected. His family did not have much money, all he had were the clothes in his suitcase and the various toiletries in his bag. He tossed them both on the bed and looked out the window. He hadn't registered the time zone change yet. The sun was still out, but it was certainly later than he felt it should be. There was little to unpack, and he could do it later. Damian was hungry, he returned downstairs to sample the eatery.
Elizabeth heard the sounds of someone coming down the stairs. She didn't expect it to be the same person who had just gone up there a few minutes ago. "Something wrong?"
"No, I just came down for something to eat." He sat down on the stool next to the counter. Elizabeth handed him a menu, "Thanks."
"So, you're a new student at the University I take it?"
He chuckled, "Is it that obvious?"
"No, I'm just a really good guesser. I'm Elizabeth, by the way."
"Damian," He replied as he held out his hand.
Elizabeth shook it, "You want some coffee?"
"No thanks, I don't like coffee."
She took the pot away, "You know what you're going to school for?"
His eyes not being taken off from the menu, he gave his response, "Medicine. I want to be a doctor."
"Any particular reason?"
At that question he did prop his head over the menu. He was silent, his eyes showing his struggle with the question. "It's. complicated."
Elizabeth knew not to pry. She was a stranger to this boy and her attempts at small talk had just dipped into an uncomfortable area. "I'll be back in a few to take your order, okay?" She left him alone.
A short time later Damian walked back up to his room. He and Elizabeth engaged in some more idle chit-chat, none of which was potentially as personal as why he wanted to become a doctor. He didn't feel comfortable speaking about the moment that had haunted him more than anything else with someone who was only a step above a total stranger. It wasn't that he didn't like Elizabeth, she seemed very nice and the type that would listen if she felt he needed someone. Damian just wasn't ready to expose that part of his life to anyone in Port Charles. Anyone aside from his father. The search for Sonny Corinthos would have to wait until tomorrow, though. Jetlag was much more taxing on the young man than he thought it would be. There were many other worries for him in addition to finding his father. He had very little money saved up, and while his tuition was taken care of through grants and scholarships it did not cover anything else. He would need to search for a job as well. He'd had a few jobs while in his teens, and was generally a good worker, so finding another one shouldn't be that much of a problem. At least he hoped it wouldn't be.
Bobbie had finished her shift, which started early in the morning. Over the years of working at General Hospital she had grown accustom to the strange hours that her nursing job entitled. Still, there would always be that feeling of pleasure when she was able to leave. She walked into Kelly's and saw Elizabeth. "Sometimes I wonder if you work around here too much."
Elizabeth silenced a laugh, "Have to pay the bills somehow. We can't all make Nurses salaries."
"Don't I know it," Bobbie said with a sigh, "Overworked and underpaid. But it's worth it when I see all the people who we've helped."
"Coffee?"
"Please. You always know when I need a caffeine boost."
Elizabeth poured the coffee into a cup, "Your latest tenant came in today."
"The college kid?"
"Yeah."
"He have any problem with moving in?" Bobbie asked as she sweetened her drink.
"None so far," Elizabeth stated.
"I sense a 'but' coming along."
"There's something about him. I swear I've seen it before." She shook off the feeling, "I don't know, maybe he just has one of those faces."
"Or maybe you're just slowly losing your mind," Bobbie replied entirely tongue and cheek.
"I'm not the one who is over the hill, Miss Spencer!" Elizabeth said, joking around as well. She and Bobbie both laughed heartily.
Los Angeles California, UCLA Medical Center, 6 Years Ago-
She had been in the hospital for almost three months. Everything was fine with her for so long, no one knew that she had anything wrong with her. but then it hit. Her cancer had gone undetected until it came out in full force. It was too late to operate, too late for anything to be done. Still, her family, being devout followers of the Catholic faith, believed that their prayers would be answered. That God would save their beloved Ana- Maria. She was only 32 years old, and she was very beautiful, although you wouldn't know it looking at her now. Her flowing brown hair had all fallen out from the chemotherapy that was hoped to give her enough time. She had lost so much weight that she was barely more than a skeleton. Her son, her reason for living, sat on the chair next to his mother's bedside. He was only 14 years old and he had watched as his mother, the only parent he had, slowly slipped away from him. He was loyal to her, and was almost always there. His grades were not yet suffering from the prolonged absence. His grandparents had informed the school of their crisis, and his cousins had picked up his work for him, and took it to school when he finished it. He was a smart boy. His mother only wanted him to do good in life. And he only wanted her to see it happen. His dream was slowly beginning to end.
Ana-Maria was asleep on her bed. She spent most of the day sleeping, everything that was happening to her had made her extremely weak. Her eyes opened and she saw her son. Although it pained her to do so, she smiled warmly at him. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her throat was so dry. He knew what was wrong and quickly helped her drink some bottled water, holding the container to her lips and gently tilting it upwards. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice at that awkward time where it had not quite grown from child's to man's.
"Where are your grandparents?"
"At home resting," He replied.
She smiled again, "Damian. I want you to promise me two things." She looked at her son, he had her hair and eyes.
Damian got closer, "What are they, mom?"
"Don't let my passing ever make you do things you regret. Don't think I didn't love you enough to stay with you. It is just my time."
"Mom."
She put her hand up slowly to silence him, "Also, please never let anyone try and define you by anything more than who you truly are. Your name, your family, these things are good, but they are not everything. You are your own person, don't ever forget that." She brought her hand up and touched his cheek, "Promise me."
Damian was silent for a long moment, looking at his mother, fighting back the tears, "I promise."
Ana-Maria Zuniga closed her eyes once more. They never reopened.
Los Angeles International Airport, Present Time-
Damian Zuniga was no longer the insecure boy he once was when his mother died. While that memory would forever haunt him he still continued on. He had graduated High School with a very high grade point average, and then attended a local community college where he completed his general education. His grandparents were there for him after his mother's passing, he continued to live with them while attending the community college. He wanted to attend a University as soon as he graduated, but they insisted on keeping him until he needed to go. He was their only tie to their daughter, they weren't going to let him go so quickly. Now it was time for him to go
"Damian," His Nana grabbed him tightly as she cried, "You've grown up so much. I'm so very proud of you."
"I don't see why you have to go all the way to New York," His Papi said, "There are plenty of good medical schools here in California, they would all accept you."
Damian turned his eyes up while still under the death grip of his Nana, "Papi, I have to do this. It is for the best, please believe me."
The old man nodded his head, "I do."
Damian left the grasp of his Nana and started to go up the escalator. She called out to him, "Call us when you have the chance!"
"I will!" He yelled back.
As he was on the plane his mind went back to a time not long after his mom had died. He was in his room at his grandparent's house, staring at nothing. He had always lived there, both he and his mother. She was so young when she got pregnant, and having a child made it very difficult for her to find a husband. Her parents could not allow their family to be out without a home. They never complained once about housing their now adult daughter and their then infant grandson.
Growing up without a father was not very hard for Damian. There were a few times where the harsh words of the other children about his broken family would send him home in tears. His mother knew that it must have been something displeasing, and she assured him that she loved him more than any two parents could ever love their children. It made him feel better and eventually allowed him to not even feel anything when the insults were thrown at him again. Still, there was a part of his mind that wondered. who was his father?
He got his answer that day when his Nana came in and gave him a letter that Ana-Maria had managed to write before her passing. Damian's Nana said that she wrote it almost immediately after being checked into the hospital, while she still had the strength to lift a pencil. She left him alone while Damian read the contents inside. It revealed the identity of his father, or at least who she believed it to be. She met him one night and they had sex. Then he was gone the next day. Months later she realized she was pregnant. Her first thought was to have an abortion, but she was as religious as her parents, she couldn't kill a baby. Damian was born without his father being there. In fact, Ana-Maria never saw that man again. His name was Sonny Corinthos.
Armed with this new information, Damian went on a search for his father. He dared not ask his grandparents, they were still much too shaken by the sudden passing of their daughter that speaking about Damian's father would be almost impossible. He found the information he was looking for at the library, using one of their computers and searching the internet. The name Sonny Corinthos brought up only a few pages. The most common were those of a local newspaper from the town of Port Charles, New York. Further research showed that Port Charles had a University, PCU, and it also had a very good internship program for medical students. His first inclination was to go as soon as he finished high school, but those plans were sidetracked and he spent two more years in Los Angeles.
Now, however, there was nothing stopping Damian from going to the small town. He would land in Buffalo and then take a small plane out to the airport of Port Charles, which did not have commercial flights. He had already been accepted into PCU, and even found housing. He had spoken to a woman named Bobbie about renting a small single room apartment above a restraint called Kelly's. She was very polite and said that she would save him a room. He told her his arrival date, a few weeks before the beginning of the school year. Damian had never been out of state before, which posed an even bigger challenge of adjusting. In edition to flying half way across the country, to a small town that was almost nothing when compared to the metropolis of Los Angeles, he had to deal with the possibility of being an extreme minority. His Mexican-American heritage was something he was very proud of, but he was entering uncharted territory. He knew that if it weren't for the double task of finding his father, assuming the man still lived in Port Charles, and going to school, he wouldn't have left California. He might not have even left his grandparents home. They provided him with a net of security in life that he now had to leave. He only hoped he was ready.
Port Charles, New York, Kelly's-
Elizabeth Webber-Lansing smiled as she gave yet another patron a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. She was an artist, with a deep passion for that which she loved. It was disheartening to her that she did not have as much time to work on her paintings as she did when she and Ric were married. But their relationship now, much like when they were married, was still very complicated. She no longer lived with him, and she was too proud to run into the arms of Audrey, her grandmother. She knew her gram would always be there for her if she needed it, but she was her own woman and she wanted to make it out on her own. That meant that she would have to take up her job as a waitress again. She was content making her own money, but as with many things in life, doing that caused her to give up time doing other things. She heard the door open and she instinctively turned her eyes to it. She saw a young man walking towards the counter, carrying nothing more than a suitcase and a backpack strapped behind his shoulders. Port Charles wasn't the biggest town and she didn't know everyone who made it their home, but she had never seen this person's face before. If he were a traveler wouldn't he put his things at the hotel, not bring them here? Shelving her curiosity for the moment, and noting that there was something about his look that struck her as a bit of familiarity, she spoke to him, "Can I help you?"
Damian nodded his head, "I'm here to rent an apartment. I spoke with a Bobbie Spencer and she said she would have the room reserved for when I came."
"Oh," She replied, "Bobbie's not available right now, she's at work. She did leave a note about your arrival, though, and left the key to your apartment." Elizabeth turned around and grabbed the single key ring on the wall. She gave another genuine smile as she held out the keys to Damian, "Here you go. The apartments are upstairs. The gold key is your apartment key, the silver one is to open the door to Kelly's, since you need to come in through that door to get upstairs."
Damian returned the smile that she had given him, "Thank you." He hurried up the stairs. Elizabeth watched for a second before turning back to helping the customers.
He opened the door to his apartment. It wasn't very big, there was little more than a bed and some furnishing, but it was his, and it was more than he expected. His family did not have much money, all he had were the clothes in his suitcase and the various toiletries in his bag. He tossed them both on the bed and looked out the window. He hadn't registered the time zone change yet. The sun was still out, but it was certainly later than he felt it should be. There was little to unpack, and he could do it later. Damian was hungry, he returned downstairs to sample the eatery.
Elizabeth heard the sounds of someone coming down the stairs. She didn't expect it to be the same person who had just gone up there a few minutes ago. "Something wrong?"
"No, I just came down for something to eat." He sat down on the stool next to the counter. Elizabeth handed him a menu, "Thanks."
"So, you're a new student at the University I take it?"
He chuckled, "Is it that obvious?"
"No, I'm just a really good guesser. I'm Elizabeth, by the way."
"Damian," He replied as he held out his hand.
Elizabeth shook it, "You want some coffee?"
"No thanks, I don't like coffee."
She took the pot away, "You know what you're going to school for?"
His eyes not being taken off from the menu, he gave his response, "Medicine. I want to be a doctor."
"Any particular reason?"
At that question he did prop his head over the menu. He was silent, his eyes showing his struggle with the question. "It's. complicated."
Elizabeth knew not to pry. She was a stranger to this boy and her attempts at small talk had just dipped into an uncomfortable area. "I'll be back in a few to take your order, okay?" She left him alone.
A short time later Damian walked back up to his room. He and Elizabeth engaged in some more idle chit-chat, none of which was potentially as personal as why he wanted to become a doctor. He didn't feel comfortable speaking about the moment that had haunted him more than anything else with someone who was only a step above a total stranger. It wasn't that he didn't like Elizabeth, she seemed very nice and the type that would listen if she felt he needed someone. Damian just wasn't ready to expose that part of his life to anyone in Port Charles. Anyone aside from his father. The search for Sonny Corinthos would have to wait until tomorrow, though. Jetlag was much more taxing on the young man than he thought it would be. There were many other worries for him in addition to finding his father. He had very little money saved up, and while his tuition was taken care of through grants and scholarships it did not cover anything else. He would need to search for a job as well. He'd had a few jobs while in his teens, and was generally a good worker, so finding another one shouldn't be that much of a problem. At least he hoped it wouldn't be.
Bobbie had finished her shift, which started early in the morning. Over the years of working at General Hospital she had grown accustom to the strange hours that her nursing job entitled. Still, there would always be that feeling of pleasure when she was able to leave. She walked into Kelly's and saw Elizabeth. "Sometimes I wonder if you work around here too much."
Elizabeth silenced a laugh, "Have to pay the bills somehow. We can't all make Nurses salaries."
"Don't I know it," Bobbie said with a sigh, "Overworked and underpaid. But it's worth it when I see all the people who we've helped."
"Coffee?"
"Please. You always know when I need a caffeine boost."
Elizabeth poured the coffee into a cup, "Your latest tenant came in today."
"The college kid?"
"Yeah."
"He have any problem with moving in?" Bobbie asked as she sweetened her drink.
"None so far," Elizabeth stated.
"I sense a 'but' coming along."
"There's something about him. I swear I've seen it before." She shook off the feeling, "I don't know, maybe he just has one of those faces."
"Or maybe you're just slowly losing your mind," Bobbie replied entirely tongue and cheek.
"I'm not the one who is over the hill, Miss Spencer!" Elizabeth said, joking around as well. She and Bobbie both laughed heartily.