Kelly's-
While it had only been a day since Damian had last set foot inside the place he called home it felt much longer to him. Perhaps the fatigue caused by his constant state of worry of Michael's health had finally caught up to him. The largest part of his soul cried out for the bed inside his room, with it's plush pillows and soft blankets, a very big upgrade from the cold wooden chair he had slept in the night prior. While he was extremely tired he presented himself well, not crawling on the ground looking for some help up the stairs. Elizabeth came in from the back and saw her friend making his way up the stairs, "Hey, Damian!"
Damian stopped himself and turned around, not wanting to be rude towards Elizabeth. He traveled back down the stairs and smiled, "Hi."
"Is everything okay? I didn't see you come back before I finished my shift last night, I was a little bit worried."
"I'm fine, Elizabeth."
"And what about Michael?"
"He's already out of the hospital," Damian told her.
"That was fast," Elizabeth remarked. She quickly corrected herself, "I mean, getting out of the hospital fast tends to be a good thing, doesn't it?"
Damian chuckled, "You don't need to cover your tracks, I know what you meant. Yeah, we're lucky that it wasn't something more long term. He just had a really hard time adjusting to everything that it kind of gave his brain a momentary overload."
"That poor little boy," Elizabeth mused, partly to herself.
"He's fine now, and that's all that matters to us."
"He's fine now, Damian," Elizabeth said. "Michael gets put through so much on a daily basis because of his parents. They can't keep on stressing the poor boy out because one day it will be too much and they won't be as lucky as they have in the past."
"Sonny and Carly may have a lot of faults, but they're good parents and they love Michael and Morgan very much."
"I'm not denying that they love their children, but sometimes love isn't enough. You can love someone more than anything else in the world and still not treat them the way that they deserve to be treated." When she said that her mind flashed to her marriage with Ric. How much he claimed to love her, how much she knew that he did love her, and how much it hurt when he would always let his inner demons rule his life. She was still very happy that Ric had since changed, or at least he appeared to have changed.
"They didn't mean for it to happen," Damian, oddly enough, found himself defending Sonny and Carly, which was one of the last things he ever thought he would do. He knew how much they cared about Michael, and he wouldn't let anyone, not even a friend, discredit them unfairly.
"They never mean for it to happen," Elizabeth told him. "That doesn't mean that it hasn't happened before, and it won't happen again."
"Are you saying that they're unfit parents?"
"I don't know what I'm saying!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I just don't want to see those boys get hurt anymore."
"Nobody does."
"Then why don't Sonny and Carly take the steps that they need to in order to prevent it from happening again?" Elizabeth asked. "As long as they stay in Port Charles they're constantly placing Michael and Morgan into the firing zone caused by their daily activities. Sonny's been marked for dead plenty of times, Damian. The people that want to see him dead won't stop to think about killing those children in order to make sure that he does eventually die. The same can be said for you, you know. The minute that they find out who you are and what your connection is to Sonny you're going to be a target."
"I wouldn't be a very good bargaining chip," Damian said.
"Why? Because you're not living with you father? Because you're trying to keep yourself untainted with the life that they lead?" Elizabeth shook her head, "I'm only telling you this because you're my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt. When I started being in a relationship with Jason I thought the same thing that you do, that I wouldn't have to worry about anything because I'm not a part of their life, because I was something completely different from what Jason was involved with. But I was wrong. Jason warned me about what kinds of risks I was taking by being in his life. He told me that it didn't matter if I was in the mob or not, I could still be used as a pawn by someone at some time."
"I'll deal with that when I cross the road it leads to, Elizabeth. Right now all I want is to continue with my education and build a better relationship with the people in this town. That can wait until I get some sleep, though."
"You tired?" Elizabeth wondered.
"Tired isn't the right word for it," Damian said. "Completely drained would be a much better way of explaining how I'm feeling at the moment. But it was worth it. If I had to spend another day at the hospital, even another week, I would."
"You're so dedicated to your family."
"It's the way I was raised, I suppose. Big family, a whole lot of things that happened where we'd all get together. Even though I wasn't exactly comfortable around everyone, I still went. I can't deny family, no matter what."
"Then why are you here instead of with Sonny?"
"I'm giving Sonny and Carly time to make sure that Michael is really okay with everything," Damian replied. "They're his parents, they should be the ones to make sure of such things, not me."
Elizabeth shook her head again, "That's not what I meant. Why aren't you still living with Sonny?"
"Because he lied to me, you know that."
"But you just said that you couldn't deny family."
"It's not the same," Damian told her. "If Sonny needed me for something I couldn't say no. I can't live with him, but that doesn't mean I won't be at his bedside if he ends up getting shot at."
"You might have to," Elizabeth remarked. She looked over, "I've got to work some more, but I'm really glad everything turned out okay."
"Thanks. Now I can get some sleep." Damian tried to go for the stairs.
"Hey, Damian."
Damian hung his lead low, "Or not."
"I'm so glad that I ran into you!" Georgie rushed up and tugged at his wrist gently.
"Hello, Georgie," Damian replied, making sure that she wasn't able to tell that he really didn't want to talk with anyone at the moment. It wasn't her fault that he was so tired. Although he would give just about anything for her to just go away.
"Maxie called me and told me that Michael's been checked out of the hospital. I'm so happy."
"Thank you. We all are."
"I want you to meet someone."
"Could it wait?" Damian was almost begging, he really did want to get some rest.
"It won't take but a few minutes, and you're both right here!" Georgie turned behind her, "Dillon, come here!"
Dillon complied with his girlfriend almost instantly. "What is it?"
"This is Damian, Maxie's boyfriend." She turned to Damian once more, "Damian, this is Dillon, my boyfriend."
Damian offered his hand out to Dillon, "Maxie's mentioned you a few times."
Dillon grinned, "All of it good, I hope."
Damian shrugged, "So far she's only had good things to say about you, but we don't really go indepth or anything."
"I was telling Dillon how much I wanted him to meet you now that you and Maxie are a couple," Georgie gripped Dillon's hand tightly. "Maybe we could go on a double date."
"I think Maxie would rather that we have our first date date be one that we do alone, no offense."
"You two haven't even gone out yet?" Dillon asked.
"That depends on your preception of a date, I suppose. I saved her from a raving lunatic, she came to me when I was on the verge of a breakdown and then when Michael was in the hospital she was there as well. Any of those count?"
"I don't think so," Dillon noted with an uneasy chuckle. They had gotten off to a rough start, Damian and Maxie. At least they were there for each other. And it wasn't like he and Georgie had some storybook romance, they had their fair share of troubles as well.
"What are you going to do?" Georgie asked.
"Sleep," Damian instantly replied.
"I meant for the date," Georgie smiled.
"I think better when I've had a comfortable rest, Georgie."
"Come on, Georgie," Dillon pulled her away. "The poor guy has been through a lot, the last thing that he needs is you asking him a whole bunch of questions. Nice meeting you."
"Sorry we couldn't talk longer, I'm sure we'll get the chance soon enough." Damian almost bolted up the stairs so that someone else didn't come in and find him standing there.
Dillon rolled his eyes. Mac was acting so much like Mac that it wasn't even funny. He didn't see anything wrong with Damian.
18
While it had only been a day since Damian had last set foot inside the place he called home it felt much longer to him. Perhaps the fatigue caused by his constant state of worry of Michael's health had finally caught up to him. The largest part of his soul cried out for the bed inside his room, with it's plush pillows and soft blankets, a very big upgrade from the cold wooden chair he had slept in the night prior. While he was extremely tired he presented himself well, not crawling on the ground looking for some help up the stairs. Elizabeth came in from the back and saw her friend making his way up the stairs, "Hey, Damian!"
Damian stopped himself and turned around, not wanting to be rude towards Elizabeth. He traveled back down the stairs and smiled, "Hi."
"Is everything okay? I didn't see you come back before I finished my shift last night, I was a little bit worried."
"I'm fine, Elizabeth."
"And what about Michael?"
"He's already out of the hospital," Damian told her.
"That was fast," Elizabeth remarked. She quickly corrected herself, "I mean, getting out of the hospital fast tends to be a good thing, doesn't it?"
Damian chuckled, "You don't need to cover your tracks, I know what you meant. Yeah, we're lucky that it wasn't something more long term. He just had a really hard time adjusting to everything that it kind of gave his brain a momentary overload."
"That poor little boy," Elizabeth mused, partly to herself.
"He's fine now, and that's all that matters to us."
"He's fine now, Damian," Elizabeth said. "Michael gets put through so much on a daily basis because of his parents. They can't keep on stressing the poor boy out because one day it will be too much and they won't be as lucky as they have in the past."
"Sonny and Carly may have a lot of faults, but they're good parents and they love Michael and Morgan very much."
"I'm not denying that they love their children, but sometimes love isn't enough. You can love someone more than anything else in the world and still not treat them the way that they deserve to be treated." When she said that her mind flashed to her marriage with Ric. How much he claimed to love her, how much she knew that he did love her, and how much it hurt when he would always let his inner demons rule his life. She was still very happy that Ric had since changed, or at least he appeared to have changed.
"They didn't mean for it to happen," Damian, oddly enough, found himself defending Sonny and Carly, which was one of the last things he ever thought he would do. He knew how much they cared about Michael, and he wouldn't let anyone, not even a friend, discredit them unfairly.
"They never mean for it to happen," Elizabeth told him. "That doesn't mean that it hasn't happened before, and it won't happen again."
"Are you saying that they're unfit parents?"
"I don't know what I'm saying!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I just don't want to see those boys get hurt anymore."
"Nobody does."
"Then why don't Sonny and Carly take the steps that they need to in order to prevent it from happening again?" Elizabeth asked. "As long as they stay in Port Charles they're constantly placing Michael and Morgan into the firing zone caused by their daily activities. Sonny's been marked for dead plenty of times, Damian. The people that want to see him dead won't stop to think about killing those children in order to make sure that he does eventually die. The same can be said for you, you know. The minute that they find out who you are and what your connection is to Sonny you're going to be a target."
"I wouldn't be a very good bargaining chip," Damian said.
"Why? Because you're not living with you father? Because you're trying to keep yourself untainted with the life that they lead?" Elizabeth shook her head, "I'm only telling you this because you're my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt. When I started being in a relationship with Jason I thought the same thing that you do, that I wouldn't have to worry about anything because I'm not a part of their life, because I was something completely different from what Jason was involved with. But I was wrong. Jason warned me about what kinds of risks I was taking by being in his life. He told me that it didn't matter if I was in the mob or not, I could still be used as a pawn by someone at some time."
"I'll deal with that when I cross the road it leads to, Elizabeth. Right now all I want is to continue with my education and build a better relationship with the people in this town. That can wait until I get some sleep, though."
"You tired?" Elizabeth wondered.
"Tired isn't the right word for it," Damian said. "Completely drained would be a much better way of explaining how I'm feeling at the moment. But it was worth it. If I had to spend another day at the hospital, even another week, I would."
"You're so dedicated to your family."
"It's the way I was raised, I suppose. Big family, a whole lot of things that happened where we'd all get together. Even though I wasn't exactly comfortable around everyone, I still went. I can't deny family, no matter what."
"Then why are you here instead of with Sonny?"
"I'm giving Sonny and Carly time to make sure that Michael is really okay with everything," Damian replied. "They're his parents, they should be the ones to make sure of such things, not me."
Elizabeth shook her head again, "That's not what I meant. Why aren't you still living with Sonny?"
"Because he lied to me, you know that."
"But you just said that you couldn't deny family."
"It's not the same," Damian told her. "If Sonny needed me for something I couldn't say no. I can't live with him, but that doesn't mean I won't be at his bedside if he ends up getting shot at."
"You might have to," Elizabeth remarked. She looked over, "I've got to work some more, but I'm really glad everything turned out okay."
"Thanks. Now I can get some sleep." Damian tried to go for the stairs.
"Hey, Damian."
Damian hung his lead low, "Or not."
"I'm so glad that I ran into you!" Georgie rushed up and tugged at his wrist gently.
"Hello, Georgie," Damian replied, making sure that she wasn't able to tell that he really didn't want to talk with anyone at the moment. It wasn't her fault that he was so tired. Although he would give just about anything for her to just go away.
"Maxie called me and told me that Michael's been checked out of the hospital. I'm so happy."
"Thank you. We all are."
"I want you to meet someone."
"Could it wait?" Damian was almost begging, he really did want to get some rest.
"It won't take but a few minutes, and you're both right here!" Georgie turned behind her, "Dillon, come here!"
Dillon complied with his girlfriend almost instantly. "What is it?"
"This is Damian, Maxie's boyfriend." She turned to Damian once more, "Damian, this is Dillon, my boyfriend."
Damian offered his hand out to Dillon, "Maxie's mentioned you a few times."
Dillon grinned, "All of it good, I hope."
Damian shrugged, "So far she's only had good things to say about you, but we don't really go indepth or anything."
"I was telling Dillon how much I wanted him to meet you now that you and Maxie are a couple," Georgie gripped Dillon's hand tightly. "Maybe we could go on a double date."
"I think Maxie would rather that we have our first date date be one that we do alone, no offense."
"You two haven't even gone out yet?" Dillon asked.
"That depends on your preception of a date, I suppose. I saved her from a raving lunatic, she came to me when I was on the verge of a breakdown and then when Michael was in the hospital she was there as well. Any of those count?"
"I don't think so," Dillon noted with an uneasy chuckle. They had gotten off to a rough start, Damian and Maxie. At least they were there for each other. And it wasn't like he and Georgie had some storybook romance, they had their fair share of troubles as well.
"What are you going to do?" Georgie asked.
"Sleep," Damian instantly replied.
"I meant for the date," Georgie smiled.
"I think better when I've had a comfortable rest, Georgie."
"Come on, Georgie," Dillon pulled her away. "The poor guy has been through a lot, the last thing that he needs is you asking him a whole bunch of questions. Nice meeting you."
"Sorry we couldn't talk longer, I'm sure we'll get the chance soon enough." Damian almost bolted up the stairs so that someone else didn't come in and find him standing there.
Dillon rolled his eyes. Mac was acting so much like Mac that it wasn't even funny. He didn't see anything wrong with Damian.
18