Kayla- A thousand apologies! I forgot to add my reply to your post
yesterday! So sorry for this I am! I'm glad you enjoyed the mother/daughter
conversation that I had going on. I felt kind of bad since Bobbie had been
pretty much neglected in my story, which was something I wanted to change
from the show. She's probably going to spend a little more time in the
spotlight coming up, though, so we've all got that to look forward to.
Provided, of course, that we're fans of Bobbie.
Joy- Poor Maxie, going through so much and not knowing how she is going tog et out of it. It's not that she can't see that she's a better person, it's just that with everything that has happened to her in such a short amount of time she doesn't know how to deal with it in a reasonable way. Yeah, I liked the Michael/Maxie moment a lot as well, it was fun. There might be a few more of those coming up.
Story-
He didn't lie to Bobbie, at least not in the sense that he told her something that was false. He was there that day because he wanted to get some fresh air. That much was true. He omitted the fact that he came back when he heard gunshots, and the fact that the only reason he had returned was because he knew that his father and his uncle were there and he had to make sure that they were not riddled with bullets and clinging onto a last breath of life. It would put a lot into perspective, about his motives and about his reasons for being there, but it would also hurt Jason and Sonny, something that Damian couldn't bring himself to do.
There were so many times over the night that he thought about it. He thought about what could happen if he told the truth. If he let it be known that he was only there because of his ties to his family. It would have been so easy to sell them out, but he couldn't do it. There was more than the fact that it would probably do nothing for anybody, he'd probably still be the one that would be in trouble, but the only thing he would do is put them into trouble too. He'd betray people that he had only barely began gaining the trust of, and he couldn't do that to them. The others would understand, they'd have to, because he wasn't going to let someone else take the fall, even if that someone else was someone who was entirely involved when he was completely innocent. It was the nature of his morality. His best friend and his worst enemy at times.
The door opened again. Damian thought that maybe it was Bobbie coming back to say something else. When it opened fully and he saw Scott standing there he knew that his feeling was unfounded and incorrect.
"I'm having the hardest time figuring you out, Zuniga. You know that."
"My name isn't 'Zuniga,' Baldwin."
Scott laughed, "You're not in the position to be telling me how to do or say anything. I'm the one on the right side of the law."
"I could debate that."
"You've got a mouth on you," Scott observed. "Do you snap as easily as your father?"
"You might not want to find out," Damian replied.
"You some kind of witch doctor or something?" Scott asked. "You put a spell on every single person in this city so that the moment they meet you you're automatically made into some saintly figure who can do no wrong?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, out with it. What's your secret?" Scott pressed on. "I could buy Sonny and Jason coming in here and spouting off about how innocent you are, but you've managed to coerce three members of my squad and Bobbie into believing that you're not guilty of anything."
"They believe the truth," Damian told him. "They can see past the lies that you're trying to put on me."
"I'm a good liar."
"And I've been taught from the day I was born that, in the end, the only one who ends up losing is the one who lies." Damian eyed Scott, "You ready to lose?"
"You ready to have your childhood misconception about truth shattered?"
"Had to happen sometime," Damian's voice was monotone. He could go a round with Baldwin, easily. That didn't mean that he wanted to do it, though. He wanted Scott to leave. He still felt uncomfortable around the DA, figuring that something that he said could put them all into a lot of trouble. He chose his words carefully, but he wasn't at all seasoned in dealing with crooked law enforcement, at least not personally.
"I could make this all go away," Scott said. "I could make you a deal."
"And what would this deal entitle?"
"You telling me what really happened that night, who shot those people. Who murdered half a dozen men?"
"None of them were good men," Damian said. "They were criminals."
"How could you know that?" Scott asked.
"They carried guns. They were not police officers, were they? Not even undercover officers. Decent people don't need to carry guns for protection. Decent people don't need protection."
"Some people have guns just in case," Scott said.
"Such people don't walk around town with a loaded gun, do they?" Damian asked. "Do you carry around a loaded gun while you're walking down the street? While you're getting a cup of coffee at Kelly's?"
"If I make these charges stick, and right now I've got a very good chance of it to be honest, you could go to prison for a very long time."
"I will know that I am innocent. The people that I care for will know that I am innocent. It is enough to keep me going for the rest of my life."
"Don't you have any plans for your life?" Scott asked. "You want to become a doctor. Kind of hard to do that from a prison cell, isn't it?"
"The only one that is holding my dream in jeopardy is you, Baldwin," Damian said. "You're the only one who wants these charges to stay in place, for whatever reason that may be. I don't know what I did to get on your bad side. Perhaps you are tired of watching my father continually get success while you are denied it. I can understand your jealousy."
"I'm not jealous of your father!"
"Not even a little?" Damian asked. "Sonny Corinthos could have anything and everything he wanted at any time. All the women, all the money, all the power. That doesn't entice you even the slightest?"
"Sounds like you're the one who wants the power," Scott said. "Maybe you're upset because as long as you're in here, you can't take over Daddy's empire once he bites the bullet. Someone's going to be better than Sonny one day, Damian. IN the end,t here is always someone better."
"I learned long ago that material possessions cannot bring true happiness," Damian said. "My father's vast wealth in monetary value means nothing to me. It is the richness that he can give me by providing me with two brothers who I care for dearly, an Aunt who I can look to for emotional support without question, an Uncle who will stop at nothing to see that I am kept safe because of his compassion for his family, and, most importantly, a father who is more than just the one that provided me with half of my genetic make-up. That, Scott, is true wealth. Something that cannot be denied."
Scott was in awe. The boy... Bobbie was right about him. Being around him, he just oozed this feeling of compassion. It hit Scott, who was well known for being jaded and callous when he didn't need to be. Nonetheless, the feeling was fleeting. Scott knew that he had something that needed to be done. Damian had to be put in prison for this, or his career was over. Even more importantly was that his life would be over if he failed in this deal with the devil that was Alcazar. Now, however, Scott had to wrestle with the blossoming return of his conscience, which was reminding him quite a lot of how he was once. Someone with hopes and dreams. When and where did everything take a turn for the worse? Why did he become the person he had become? Scott turned around, "Don't make me do this... please."
"I'm not making you do anything," Damian pointed out. "The only one who is keeping me here is you."
Scott opened the door and Ric walked in. "Scott, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"I've got familial ties to Damian. That's more than enough reason, don't you think?"
Scott, his face sagging with conflicting emotions, just walked out.
Damian knew that he had made an impact. Would it be enough? "Uncle Ric..."
"You shouldn't talk to him."
"He came here and talked to me," Damian said. "It's not like I can just walk out, or shut the door in his face."
"Your silence is the only thing that can prevent Scott Baldwin from using anything that you say against you," Ric said. "You know that he's the one that is doing this to you, don't you?"
"I'm well aware of the fact that Baldwin is responsible for my imprisonment, yes."
"Then why are you compromising any chances you have at getting out by talking to him?"
"I'm not compromising anything," Damian countered. "I'm trying to inspire compassion in the man!"
Ric laughed, "Scott Baldwin has no compassion!"
"The same could be said of you," Damian pointed out. "Think about how little everyone thinks of you, Uncle Ric. Think about how many people think that you're out to destroy me because of my ties to my father, because I'm a link that puts us all together and one that could get in the way of your desire to see him in pain. People see you as cold faced and unfeeling, but you care about me, don't you?"
Ric didn't have an answer, because anything he said would be against him. "I see your point."
"I didn't say anything that could be used against me, I don't believe."
"You shouldn't have taken the risk."
"I've got nothing else to lose," Damian remarked. "What's the worse that can happen? I can't get put in a situation worse than this."
"Do you think your gambit paid off?"
Damian shrugged, "I don't know. I certainly hope so..."
Joy- Poor Maxie, going through so much and not knowing how she is going tog et out of it. It's not that she can't see that she's a better person, it's just that with everything that has happened to her in such a short amount of time she doesn't know how to deal with it in a reasonable way. Yeah, I liked the Michael/Maxie moment a lot as well, it was fun. There might be a few more of those coming up.
Story-
He didn't lie to Bobbie, at least not in the sense that he told her something that was false. He was there that day because he wanted to get some fresh air. That much was true. He omitted the fact that he came back when he heard gunshots, and the fact that the only reason he had returned was because he knew that his father and his uncle were there and he had to make sure that they were not riddled with bullets and clinging onto a last breath of life. It would put a lot into perspective, about his motives and about his reasons for being there, but it would also hurt Jason and Sonny, something that Damian couldn't bring himself to do.
There were so many times over the night that he thought about it. He thought about what could happen if he told the truth. If he let it be known that he was only there because of his ties to his family. It would have been so easy to sell them out, but he couldn't do it. There was more than the fact that it would probably do nothing for anybody, he'd probably still be the one that would be in trouble, but the only thing he would do is put them into trouble too. He'd betray people that he had only barely began gaining the trust of, and he couldn't do that to them. The others would understand, they'd have to, because he wasn't going to let someone else take the fall, even if that someone else was someone who was entirely involved when he was completely innocent. It was the nature of his morality. His best friend and his worst enemy at times.
The door opened again. Damian thought that maybe it was Bobbie coming back to say something else. When it opened fully and he saw Scott standing there he knew that his feeling was unfounded and incorrect.
"I'm having the hardest time figuring you out, Zuniga. You know that."
"My name isn't 'Zuniga,' Baldwin."
Scott laughed, "You're not in the position to be telling me how to do or say anything. I'm the one on the right side of the law."
"I could debate that."
"You've got a mouth on you," Scott observed. "Do you snap as easily as your father?"
"You might not want to find out," Damian replied.
"You some kind of witch doctor or something?" Scott asked. "You put a spell on every single person in this city so that the moment they meet you you're automatically made into some saintly figure who can do no wrong?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, out with it. What's your secret?" Scott pressed on. "I could buy Sonny and Jason coming in here and spouting off about how innocent you are, but you've managed to coerce three members of my squad and Bobbie into believing that you're not guilty of anything."
"They believe the truth," Damian told him. "They can see past the lies that you're trying to put on me."
"I'm a good liar."
"And I've been taught from the day I was born that, in the end, the only one who ends up losing is the one who lies." Damian eyed Scott, "You ready to lose?"
"You ready to have your childhood misconception about truth shattered?"
"Had to happen sometime," Damian's voice was monotone. He could go a round with Baldwin, easily. That didn't mean that he wanted to do it, though. He wanted Scott to leave. He still felt uncomfortable around the DA, figuring that something that he said could put them all into a lot of trouble. He chose his words carefully, but he wasn't at all seasoned in dealing with crooked law enforcement, at least not personally.
"I could make this all go away," Scott said. "I could make you a deal."
"And what would this deal entitle?"
"You telling me what really happened that night, who shot those people. Who murdered half a dozen men?"
"None of them were good men," Damian said. "They were criminals."
"How could you know that?" Scott asked.
"They carried guns. They were not police officers, were they? Not even undercover officers. Decent people don't need to carry guns for protection. Decent people don't need protection."
"Some people have guns just in case," Scott said.
"Such people don't walk around town with a loaded gun, do they?" Damian asked. "Do you carry around a loaded gun while you're walking down the street? While you're getting a cup of coffee at Kelly's?"
"If I make these charges stick, and right now I've got a very good chance of it to be honest, you could go to prison for a very long time."
"I will know that I am innocent. The people that I care for will know that I am innocent. It is enough to keep me going for the rest of my life."
"Don't you have any plans for your life?" Scott asked. "You want to become a doctor. Kind of hard to do that from a prison cell, isn't it?"
"The only one that is holding my dream in jeopardy is you, Baldwin," Damian said. "You're the only one who wants these charges to stay in place, for whatever reason that may be. I don't know what I did to get on your bad side. Perhaps you are tired of watching my father continually get success while you are denied it. I can understand your jealousy."
"I'm not jealous of your father!"
"Not even a little?" Damian asked. "Sonny Corinthos could have anything and everything he wanted at any time. All the women, all the money, all the power. That doesn't entice you even the slightest?"
"Sounds like you're the one who wants the power," Scott said. "Maybe you're upset because as long as you're in here, you can't take over Daddy's empire once he bites the bullet. Someone's going to be better than Sonny one day, Damian. IN the end,t here is always someone better."
"I learned long ago that material possessions cannot bring true happiness," Damian said. "My father's vast wealth in monetary value means nothing to me. It is the richness that he can give me by providing me with two brothers who I care for dearly, an Aunt who I can look to for emotional support without question, an Uncle who will stop at nothing to see that I am kept safe because of his compassion for his family, and, most importantly, a father who is more than just the one that provided me with half of my genetic make-up. That, Scott, is true wealth. Something that cannot be denied."
Scott was in awe. The boy... Bobbie was right about him. Being around him, he just oozed this feeling of compassion. It hit Scott, who was well known for being jaded and callous when he didn't need to be. Nonetheless, the feeling was fleeting. Scott knew that he had something that needed to be done. Damian had to be put in prison for this, or his career was over. Even more importantly was that his life would be over if he failed in this deal with the devil that was Alcazar. Now, however, Scott had to wrestle with the blossoming return of his conscience, which was reminding him quite a lot of how he was once. Someone with hopes and dreams. When and where did everything take a turn for the worse? Why did he become the person he had become? Scott turned around, "Don't make me do this... please."
"I'm not making you do anything," Damian pointed out. "The only one who is keeping me here is you."
Scott opened the door and Ric walked in. "Scott, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"I've got familial ties to Damian. That's more than enough reason, don't you think?"
Scott, his face sagging with conflicting emotions, just walked out.
Damian knew that he had made an impact. Would it be enough? "Uncle Ric..."
"You shouldn't talk to him."
"He came here and talked to me," Damian said. "It's not like I can just walk out, or shut the door in his face."
"Your silence is the only thing that can prevent Scott Baldwin from using anything that you say against you," Ric said. "You know that he's the one that is doing this to you, don't you?"
"I'm well aware of the fact that Baldwin is responsible for my imprisonment, yes."
"Then why are you compromising any chances you have at getting out by talking to him?"
"I'm not compromising anything," Damian countered. "I'm trying to inspire compassion in the man!"
Ric laughed, "Scott Baldwin has no compassion!"
"The same could be said of you," Damian pointed out. "Think about how little everyone thinks of you, Uncle Ric. Think about how many people think that you're out to destroy me because of my ties to my father, because I'm a link that puts us all together and one that could get in the way of your desire to see him in pain. People see you as cold faced and unfeeling, but you care about me, don't you?"
Ric didn't have an answer, because anything he said would be against him. "I see your point."
"I didn't say anything that could be used against me, I don't believe."
"You shouldn't have taken the risk."
"I've got nothing else to lose," Damian remarked. "What's the worse that can happen? I can't get put in a situation worse than this."
"Do you think your gambit paid off?"
Damian shrugged, "I don't know. I certainly hope so..."