Joy- I am sorry that you fell behind, but I do update this thing daily. You
think it's bad for you? Other people might be behind, and I have one friend
who is just waiting for some time before he starts reading this. I feel bad
for him. Really, really bad. I've said it before and I'll say it again,
this religious thing is really hard for me to do, since I pretty much
loathe religion and don't know a lick about it. The basis I got for Damian
was that he's Mexican-American, and most people of Mexican descent are
Catholic (I ain't, but the majority are, apparently), and I really wanted
him to be the type who gave up on that part of his life because of his own
tragedy. Regardless, I'd really like to believe that people of the Catholic
faith do indeed doubt their own faith at one time or another. I mean,
doesn't everyone? If I'm wrong, and if I have offended any Catholic readers
in any way, I do apologize, but it was not my intent. I actually don't want
Damian to reconnect with God in this, because I want him to be free of the
ways he once adhered to. It would always be a conflict for him, as evident
when he went to the chapel thing at the Hospital when he was waiting for
his paternity test (which, really, seems like a lifetime ago when it was
only like a month and a half ago that it was posted), but in the end he'd
always feel that it failed him because of his mother and never fully
embrace it. Of course, this could change, even I don't know every little
detail of my own story before I write it. Your reviews do help, don't ever
think that they don't. Thanks for the compliments on Elias, at least I gave
him a name, and Victoria too. I felt bad always referring to them as Nana
or Papi, but now that is no longer a problem. I'm glad you like Damian,
too. Really, if people didn't like Damian, I'd feel bad.
Both Joy and Rosa- As demanded, here is the resolution to that god awful cliffhanger. Look at it this way, at least you don't have to wait till Monday for a resolution. You only got to wait a day.
Story-
None of them had any time to scream or do anything but watch. Damian thought that the only person that he had ever connected with on a level like he had with Maxie would be killed in a heartbeat. Maxie prepared for the worst, sad that she wasn't able to say goodbye to Georgie, Mac, Dillon, and Damian. That last one hurt her the most. She would be killed in front of the person that she loved so much. He had already seen someone die in front of his eyes. Could he survive another death in front of his eyes? She wouldn't survive a point blank attack like that, the bullet would kill her in time. A single tear rushed down her cheek as she prepared for her end.
But Maxie Jones felt nothing. Instead she heard the wail of pain coming from someone else, a voice that she knew very well. She opened her eyes and saw Zander on the ground, his suit stained with his own blood. He took the bullet for her, his body as unprotected as her own.
"Zander, what the hell are you doing?!" Faith screamed, extremely disappointed in her head lackey. She hadn't expected him to be so unruly, and she certainly hadn't expected him to put himself in the path of a bullet for anyone else. She would never do something like that. Of course, Zander was busy bleeding to death, his eyes beginning to glaze over, but he managed to stay alive for a time. The bullet, aimed for Maxie's chest, was instead lodged inside Zander's side. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it could be if it wasn't treated in time.
"Emily," Zander muttered as he saw the vision of the only person he ever loved, the only person that he ever trusted. She had broken his heart, but he would always love her.
More shots were fired without warning. Faith was too busy looking at Zander and wondering why he had done the things that he did to notice that the shots didn't come from any of her people. She screamed, "I didn't order any other bullets to be fired!"
"None of your men did the shooting, Faith."
Faith looked up to see Sonny and Jason standing there in the walkway. She looked to her sides and saw that her men had been disposed of. Their bloodied bodies riddled the ground.
Sonny smiled, "The other men that you had standing around outside have also been taken care of. You were careless, Faith. You thought that I didn't know what was going on, and you were wrong. Take a look around you. See any of the people that you had working for you still alive? Aside from Zander here, I don't think so. You're going to be my message to everyone, Faith. You're going to be the one that lets people know that no one messes with any of my children."
Faith started to panic. She took a step towards Sonny, "I don't suppose that I could apologize and walk away with a slap on the wrist."
"You'd be lucky to leave with your wrist still attached to your hand, Faith," Sonny countered.
In actuality, Faith wasn't walking towards, Sonny, but towards the barely conscious Zander. She quickly dropped to the ground and grabbed his gun, coming up and pointing it at Victoria. "Let me go or Granny's going to be another casualty in this little battle of ours, Sonny."
"Don't you see, Faith? You've lost."
Faith laughed, "I never lose, Sonny, not till I say so. This is just a momentary distraction." Faith jiggled the trigger, "Now are you going to let your son's beloved grandmother bite the bullet for your own pride?"
Sonny looked at Faith, his eyes full of intensity. Jason was by his side, he didn't know what to do either. Damian, however, was not as hesitant, "Sonny, don't let her die, please!" He would protect the people that he cared about, even if it meant letting someone like Faith Rosco run free. It didn't matter. In time someone would find her and kill her, but he wasn't going to let someone die just so he could have that satisfaction now. He had almost lost Maxie, he wasn't going to lose his Nana, not today.
"How long do you think you can run from my people, Faith?" Sonny asked. "You've just done the worst thing you've ever done. You tried to hurt my family, and I will see to it that you are hounded down for eternity."
"I'm good at hiding," Faith snapped back. She was much calmer now, she knew that she had the upper hand again.
"We'll find out how good, Faith," Sonny told her. "But if I ever see you again, ever, I will shoot you where you stand and I will make sure that you die personally. Better run now, Faith, I don't know how long I'll be this generous."
Faith dashed out the back door, running as fast as she could. She didn't care about the damage that it did to her heels, she could find a way to replace them. Her life wasn't something that she could replace.
Damian hugged Maxie, who was shaking, the raw emotions from the day finally catching up to her. "Are you okay?"
"Zander," She said, looking down at him. His face was so pale. "Please, someone has to help him!"
"Why?" Sonny asked. "He took you hostage, didn't he?"
Damian paid no attention to his father. Instead he reached over to pull the curtain from the hanger and balled the cloth up, putting pressure on the wound. "I have to stop the bleeding, but I don't know how long it's going to keep him alive. Someone call an ambulance."
"No one is doing anything!" Sonny ordered. "This man worked for one of my enemies and tried to kill people that are important to you, let alone yourself. I won't let him live."
"Didn't you tell me that there were times when you couldn't do anything but what your boss was ordering because if you went against their word you would be dead, Sonny?" Damian asked, looking up, his hands stained with Zander's blood. "Isn't that the entire reason why I'm here? Zander saved Maxie's life, I'm not going to stand by and let him die, no matter who orders it. Not even you."
Sonny made the call himself. He could talk his way into getting people over that wouldn't care about the bodies that were lying around. He let Faith think that he didn't have that much flak on the other end of the country. She didn't know how wrong she was.
They were there within minutes, and they took Zander away on a gurney. Maxie watched and prayed that he would be all right. He had put himself in the way of that bullet. He had fulfilled his promise to keep her safe no matter what. He didn't have to, but he did. She fell on the ground, "Please, let him be all right." She felt a hand on her shoulder and jerked away instinctively. So many people had touched her on that day, looking to hurt her.
"Maxie, it's okay. It's me."
She turned her head up and saw him. He was smiling at her, but she knew that inside he was a mess. He hated violence, but it was a part of his life, some would say the biggest part of his life. She didn't matter what people thought about him. She had seen him today. He would throw himself away for her, for his family. Damian would do anything to protect the people that he cared for. She was lucky enough that she was on that list. Maxie got up and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "I was so afraid that I was going to die."
"Its okay, Maxie," Damian brushed his hand through her hand gently. "I was never as afraid as I was when Faith told that goon to kill you. Maxie, I thought I was going to lose you, like I lost my mother." His eyes watered up, "Promise me that you'll never make me go through that again, please."
"Do you both have any idea how lucky you are?" Sonny asked as he walked up. "Faith has killed so many people in her life without batting an eyelash. How could you be so irresponsible?"
Damian turned around and looked at his father, "I came here to confront my grandfather about the same lies that you told me, I didn't know that Faith was going to come up and try to kill me!"
"You always have to be alert, Damian!" Sonny reprimanded his son. "You're my son, and that will always put you in danger."
"I know," Damian muttered. "I know that now. I thought I could avoid it, but Elizabeth was right."
"Elizabeth?" Sonny asked.
"She said that no matter what happened, people would never see me as anything more than your son. They wouldn't care that I have nothing to do with your operations, that I hate the fact that you've just been able to kill people in front of me without batting an eye. They'll just see me as a part of some game."
"I did all of this to protect you!" Sonny said.
"I know, and I thank you for that." Damian let go of Maxie, "I need to ask you a favor."
"I'm listening."
"Make sure that Faith never gets her hands on Zander, ever again. I don't mean while he's just in the hospital. Help him come up with a new identity. Help him get away from this life."
"Why should I?" Sonny asked.
"Because he helped save Maxie's life!" Damian shouted. "Can't you see that? He threw himself in front of that bullet, doesn't that mean anything to you?" When Sonny said nothing, and made no motion that he was caring, Damian gave Sonny a situation that would make him care, "What would you do if he threw himself in front of Carly, or Me, or Michael, or Morgan? Think about the people that you claim to care about, Sonny. You say that you'll do anything to protect them, and I know I'll do the same for the people that I care about. But today, I couldn't protect Maxie. She would have died if it wasn't for Zander. I can't just turn a blind eye at that. I want him to be happy, I want him to be safe. Please, do this for me."
Sonny stared intently at his son. He was so mature, so unlike Sonny. But they had that one common thread, they were loyal to the people that they cared about. Hearing Damian tell him how much he cared about Maxie, and comparing that love to his own for Carly, it opened Sonny's eyes. He couldn't deny the request, "I'll see what I can do."
"Damian," Victoria called out to him softly. She was holding a cup of coffee. It was the only thing that was keeping her nerves even somewhat manageable. "Could you come inside the kitchen for a moment, please?"
"You going to be okay?" Damian asked Maxie. When she nodded at him, he left. He sat right next to his Nana, "What is it?"
"Why do you hold such animosity towards your father?" Victoria asked.
"Nana, look at him! Look at the people that he killed, and look at how it doesn't even phase him."
"He did it for you."
"I know that!" Damian said.
"But do you also know how much he cares for you?" Victoria asked. "I have no reason to love that man, he took my daughter and he used her and then he left, I should hate him. But I cannot hate someone that loves you as much as he does. You have known this man for only a month, and already he is willing to throw his life down for you."
"It doesn't make what he did right," Damian muttered.
"Good people do bad things for good reason, Damian. Many people have killed in order to protect the people that they love. Would you have killed that woman to save me, or that girl that you care for?"
"This isn't the same," Damian said softly.
"Because he is not as affected by it as you are does not change the meaning, Damian. You would have, we both know it. If you had to, you would have done it."
"I'm so confused, Nana. I want to care about my father, but there is so much that I cannot accept about him."
"Then you should only focus on the parts that you can accept." She thought back to another time, long before Damian was born. "When Elias was in the mob, when he was doing those horrible things, I knew that deep down inside of him there was a good man that was only trying to provide for himself. Your grandfather had nothing, Damian. His mother struggled to keep him and his siblings alive, because their father had long since left them. It was not easy, and she could not provide the love that Elias yearned for. It was why he turned to crime, because he needed a way to express his anger towards the world. Many people told me that there was nothing I could do to sway him, but I did not listen. I still hated what he was, but I realized that it was not everything that he was. Look at us now, we have been happily married for many years and he has become a much better man than he ever would have been if it weren't for me."
"I can't do it," Damian said, sadly.
"Damian Mario Zuniga, that man is your father, there is no way you can deny him."
"I never denied that he was my father, Nana," Damian said.
"But you deny him the name. No child should ever speak to their father the way that you do. Your mother would not want that."
"I hope I'm not interrupting much," Sonny said as he walked in, "but we're going to take Maxie back to Port Charles. Mac's probably throwing a fit wondering where she is. Don't worry about any of the damages that have been caused, Mrs. Zuniga. I will have some of my people come and replace and repair anything that you want, free of charge."
"That is very generous of you," Victoria said.
Sonny turned around and started to walk away, but he tossed his head behind his shoulder, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about Ana. I know how much she meant to you and your husband."
Victoria smiled and nodded, "She gave us something that would always remind us of her."
"Yeah, I guess she did. Damian, you can catch a flight back like you planned, right?"
"Yeah."
His eyes were shielded from his son, so Damian couldn't see that Sonny was actually disappointed. His voice didn't show it, though. "I'll see you when I see you, then." Sonny, Maxie, and Jason all left the house, heading towards one of the cars. Sonny's people followed, heading towards another car.
"You should go with him, Damian," Victoria said as she walked to the walkway. "He is your father, and you should be with him now."
"But I didn't even get to spend any time with you."
"I had twenty glorious years with you, Damian. He has had none. Go."
Damian nodded and hugged Victoria, "I love you." He pushed away and dashed after Sonny. "Wait, So-" He stopped himself. A part of him that had put up the wall between calling him Sonny and calling him something else, something that showed their relationship, it was strong. But Damian knew that his Nana was right. Sonny deserved more, especially after today. "Can I go back to Port Charles with you, dad?"
Sonny's face beamed with pride. His son had called him 'dad.' To some it was something that was so miniscule, but to Sonny it meant so much more. "You know you can."
Both Joy and Rosa- As demanded, here is the resolution to that god awful cliffhanger. Look at it this way, at least you don't have to wait till Monday for a resolution. You only got to wait a day.
Story-
None of them had any time to scream or do anything but watch. Damian thought that the only person that he had ever connected with on a level like he had with Maxie would be killed in a heartbeat. Maxie prepared for the worst, sad that she wasn't able to say goodbye to Georgie, Mac, Dillon, and Damian. That last one hurt her the most. She would be killed in front of the person that she loved so much. He had already seen someone die in front of his eyes. Could he survive another death in front of his eyes? She wouldn't survive a point blank attack like that, the bullet would kill her in time. A single tear rushed down her cheek as she prepared for her end.
But Maxie Jones felt nothing. Instead she heard the wail of pain coming from someone else, a voice that she knew very well. She opened her eyes and saw Zander on the ground, his suit stained with his own blood. He took the bullet for her, his body as unprotected as her own.
"Zander, what the hell are you doing?!" Faith screamed, extremely disappointed in her head lackey. She hadn't expected him to be so unruly, and she certainly hadn't expected him to put himself in the path of a bullet for anyone else. She would never do something like that. Of course, Zander was busy bleeding to death, his eyes beginning to glaze over, but he managed to stay alive for a time. The bullet, aimed for Maxie's chest, was instead lodged inside Zander's side. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it could be if it wasn't treated in time.
"Emily," Zander muttered as he saw the vision of the only person he ever loved, the only person that he ever trusted. She had broken his heart, but he would always love her.
More shots were fired without warning. Faith was too busy looking at Zander and wondering why he had done the things that he did to notice that the shots didn't come from any of her people. She screamed, "I didn't order any other bullets to be fired!"
"None of your men did the shooting, Faith."
Faith looked up to see Sonny and Jason standing there in the walkway. She looked to her sides and saw that her men had been disposed of. Their bloodied bodies riddled the ground.
Sonny smiled, "The other men that you had standing around outside have also been taken care of. You were careless, Faith. You thought that I didn't know what was going on, and you were wrong. Take a look around you. See any of the people that you had working for you still alive? Aside from Zander here, I don't think so. You're going to be my message to everyone, Faith. You're going to be the one that lets people know that no one messes with any of my children."
Faith started to panic. She took a step towards Sonny, "I don't suppose that I could apologize and walk away with a slap on the wrist."
"You'd be lucky to leave with your wrist still attached to your hand, Faith," Sonny countered.
In actuality, Faith wasn't walking towards, Sonny, but towards the barely conscious Zander. She quickly dropped to the ground and grabbed his gun, coming up and pointing it at Victoria. "Let me go or Granny's going to be another casualty in this little battle of ours, Sonny."
"Don't you see, Faith? You've lost."
Faith laughed, "I never lose, Sonny, not till I say so. This is just a momentary distraction." Faith jiggled the trigger, "Now are you going to let your son's beloved grandmother bite the bullet for your own pride?"
Sonny looked at Faith, his eyes full of intensity. Jason was by his side, he didn't know what to do either. Damian, however, was not as hesitant, "Sonny, don't let her die, please!" He would protect the people that he cared about, even if it meant letting someone like Faith Rosco run free. It didn't matter. In time someone would find her and kill her, but he wasn't going to let someone die just so he could have that satisfaction now. He had almost lost Maxie, he wasn't going to lose his Nana, not today.
"How long do you think you can run from my people, Faith?" Sonny asked. "You've just done the worst thing you've ever done. You tried to hurt my family, and I will see to it that you are hounded down for eternity."
"I'm good at hiding," Faith snapped back. She was much calmer now, she knew that she had the upper hand again.
"We'll find out how good, Faith," Sonny told her. "But if I ever see you again, ever, I will shoot you where you stand and I will make sure that you die personally. Better run now, Faith, I don't know how long I'll be this generous."
Faith dashed out the back door, running as fast as she could. She didn't care about the damage that it did to her heels, she could find a way to replace them. Her life wasn't something that she could replace.
Damian hugged Maxie, who was shaking, the raw emotions from the day finally catching up to her. "Are you okay?"
"Zander," She said, looking down at him. His face was so pale. "Please, someone has to help him!"
"Why?" Sonny asked. "He took you hostage, didn't he?"
Damian paid no attention to his father. Instead he reached over to pull the curtain from the hanger and balled the cloth up, putting pressure on the wound. "I have to stop the bleeding, but I don't know how long it's going to keep him alive. Someone call an ambulance."
"No one is doing anything!" Sonny ordered. "This man worked for one of my enemies and tried to kill people that are important to you, let alone yourself. I won't let him live."
"Didn't you tell me that there were times when you couldn't do anything but what your boss was ordering because if you went against their word you would be dead, Sonny?" Damian asked, looking up, his hands stained with Zander's blood. "Isn't that the entire reason why I'm here? Zander saved Maxie's life, I'm not going to stand by and let him die, no matter who orders it. Not even you."
Sonny made the call himself. He could talk his way into getting people over that wouldn't care about the bodies that were lying around. He let Faith think that he didn't have that much flak on the other end of the country. She didn't know how wrong she was.
They were there within minutes, and they took Zander away on a gurney. Maxie watched and prayed that he would be all right. He had put himself in the way of that bullet. He had fulfilled his promise to keep her safe no matter what. He didn't have to, but he did. She fell on the ground, "Please, let him be all right." She felt a hand on her shoulder and jerked away instinctively. So many people had touched her on that day, looking to hurt her.
"Maxie, it's okay. It's me."
She turned her head up and saw him. He was smiling at her, but she knew that inside he was a mess. He hated violence, but it was a part of his life, some would say the biggest part of his life. She didn't matter what people thought about him. She had seen him today. He would throw himself away for her, for his family. Damian would do anything to protect the people that he cared for. She was lucky enough that she was on that list. Maxie got up and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "I was so afraid that I was going to die."
"Its okay, Maxie," Damian brushed his hand through her hand gently. "I was never as afraid as I was when Faith told that goon to kill you. Maxie, I thought I was going to lose you, like I lost my mother." His eyes watered up, "Promise me that you'll never make me go through that again, please."
"Do you both have any idea how lucky you are?" Sonny asked as he walked up. "Faith has killed so many people in her life without batting an eyelash. How could you be so irresponsible?"
Damian turned around and looked at his father, "I came here to confront my grandfather about the same lies that you told me, I didn't know that Faith was going to come up and try to kill me!"
"You always have to be alert, Damian!" Sonny reprimanded his son. "You're my son, and that will always put you in danger."
"I know," Damian muttered. "I know that now. I thought I could avoid it, but Elizabeth was right."
"Elizabeth?" Sonny asked.
"She said that no matter what happened, people would never see me as anything more than your son. They wouldn't care that I have nothing to do with your operations, that I hate the fact that you've just been able to kill people in front of me without batting an eye. They'll just see me as a part of some game."
"I did all of this to protect you!" Sonny said.
"I know, and I thank you for that." Damian let go of Maxie, "I need to ask you a favor."
"I'm listening."
"Make sure that Faith never gets her hands on Zander, ever again. I don't mean while he's just in the hospital. Help him come up with a new identity. Help him get away from this life."
"Why should I?" Sonny asked.
"Because he helped save Maxie's life!" Damian shouted. "Can't you see that? He threw himself in front of that bullet, doesn't that mean anything to you?" When Sonny said nothing, and made no motion that he was caring, Damian gave Sonny a situation that would make him care, "What would you do if he threw himself in front of Carly, or Me, or Michael, or Morgan? Think about the people that you claim to care about, Sonny. You say that you'll do anything to protect them, and I know I'll do the same for the people that I care about. But today, I couldn't protect Maxie. She would have died if it wasn't for Zander. I can't just turn a blind eye at that. I want him to be happy, I want him to be safe. Please, do this for me."
Sonny stared intently at his son. He was so mature, so unlike Sonny. But they had that one common thread, they were loyal to the people that they cared about. Hearing Damian tell him how much he cared about Maxie, and comparing that love to his own for Carly, it opened Sonny's eyes. He couldn't deny the request, "I'll see what I can do."
"Damian," Victoria called out to him softly. She was holding a cup of coffee. It was the only thing that was keeping her nerves even somewhat manageable. "Could you come inside the kitchen for a moment, please?"
"You going to be okay?" Damian asked Maxie. When she nodded at him, he left. He sat right next to his Nana, "What is it?"
"Why do you hold such animosity towards your father?" Victoria asked.
"Nana, look at him! Look at the people that he killed, and look at how it doesn't even phase him."
"He did it for you."
"I know that!" Damian said.
"But do you also know how much he cares for you?" Victoria asked. "I have no reason to love that man, he took my daughter and he used her and then he left, I should hate him. But I cannot hate someone that loves you as much as he does. You have known this man for only a month, and already he is willing to throw his life down for you."
"It doesn't make what he did right," Damian muttered.
"Good people do bad things for good reason, Damian. Many people have killed in order to protect the people that they love. Would you have killed that woman to save me, or that girl that you care for?"
"This isn't the same," Damian said softly.
"Because he is not as affected by it as you are does not change the meaning, Damian. You would have, we both know it. If you had to, you would have done it."
"I'm so confused, Nana. I want to care about my father, but there is so much that I cannot accept about him."
"Then you should only focus on the parts that you can accept." She thought back to another time, long before Damian was born. "When Elias was in the mob, when he was doing those horrible things, I knew that deep down inside of him there was a good man that was only trying to provide for himself. Your grandfather had nothing, Damian. His mother struggled to keep him and his siblings alive, because their father had long since left them. It was not easy, and she could not provide the love that Elias yearned for. It was why he turned to crime, because he needed a way to express his anger towards the world. Many people told me that there was nothing I could do to sway him, but I did not listen. I still hated what he was, but I realized that it was not everything that he was. Look at us now, we have been happily married for many years and he has become a much better man than he ever would have been if it weren't for me."
"I can't do it," Damian said, sadly.
"Damian Mario Zuniga, that man is your father, there is no way you can deny him."
"I never denied that he was my father, Nana," Damian said.
"But you deny him the name. No child should ever speak to their father the way that you do. Your mother would not want that."
"I hope I'm not interrupting much," Sonny said as he walked in, "but we're going to take Maxie back to Port Charles. Mac's probably throwing a fit wondering where she is. Don't worry about any of the damages that have been caused, Mrs. Zuniga. I will have some of my people come and replace and repair anything that you want, free of charge."
"That is very generous of you," Victoria said.
Sonny turned around and started to walk away, but he tossed his head behind his shoulder, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about Ana. I know how much she meant to you and your husband."
Victoria smiled and nodded, "She gave us something that would always remind us of her."
"Yeah, I guess she did. Damian, you can catch a flight back like you planned, right?"
"Yeah."
His eyes were shielded from his son, so Damian couldn't see that Sonny was actually disappointed. His voice didn't show it, though. "I'll see you when I see you, then." Sonny, Maxie, and Jason all left the house, heading towards one of the cars. Sonny's people followed, heading towards another car.
"You should go with him, Damian," Victoria said as she walked to the walkway. "He is your father, and you should be with him now."
"But I didn't even get to spend any time with you."
"I had twenty glorious years with you, Damian. He has had none. Go."
Damian nodded and hugged Victoria, "I love you." He pushed away and dashed after Sonny. "Wait, So-" He stopped himself. A part of him that had put up the wall between calling him Sonny and calling him something else, something that showed their relationship, it was strong. But Damian knew that his Nana was right. Sonny deserved more, especially after today. "Can I go back to Port Charles with you, dad?"
Sonny's face beamed with pride. His son had called him 'dad.' To some it was something that was so miniscule, but to Sonny it meant so much more. "You know you can."