Joy- Yup, a scene with the dysfunctional father/son pairing. It was good
that they got a fleeting moment in this story, since the show almost never
gives them that moment. There was the one time after the fire, but that was
seriously it. Mike favors Courtney, but I would, too, honestly if I were
their father. Yeah, I know it seems like a long time, and that really is my
fault. Like I said before, I played this plot out too long for my tastes,
but I had stuff that needed to be done. Glad that I'm past it in the
writing part, though, since I can now get to a part that I've wanted to
write from the start.
I can't say that I would wait as long as Maxie did if someone that I cared about was in jail, I'd probably be there really quickly, but Maxie's got a case of being unable to accept things right away, so it made more sense for her to wait. Even though it is unlikely that Damian would in fact go away, they would have to put that into the light. Being the realist that he is, Damian would want Maxie to find something or someone to make her happy if and when it happened. I hope I don't let you, the readers, down with everything I've put the couple through. Poor kids, I'm just mean.
Story-
Port Charles Docks, Later That Night-
Ric walked up to the docks, unaware that his brother was there as well. When he saw Sonny standing over the dock, he thought of two things. One was that he could have pushed Sonny over and kept him submerged until his death, which was actually his first thought, the other was that he should have just walked away. Ric Lansing did neither of them, he just stood there, as if he was frozen in time.
Sonny, on the other hand, had gotten good at feeling the particular glare of his little brother. "You going to say something to me, Ric?"
"Coming back to the scene of the crime?" Ric asked.
"Maybe, what's it to you?"
"I would think that you would try and take steps to prevent your son from being sent to prison, Sonny. If Damian were my son, I wouldn't rest until I knew that justice was served."
Sonny turned around, "That's where you're always going to be dreaming, Ric. Damian isn't ever going to be your son. He's my blood."
"Which makes him my blood as well," Ric took a few steps forward. "You seem to try and forget that part of our past, Sonny. The part that can never be denied. We were both pushed out of our mother. No matter what, Adella's blood runs through both of us."
"It's the only reason that you're still alive," Sonny said. "If you weren't my half-brother, if I didn't think that killing you would possibly taint the memory of my mother, you would have been dead long before you had the chance to kidnap my wife."
"Would it have made you happier?" Ric asked.
"More than you could ever imagine," Sonny told him. "If you were dead, Ric, so many things would be different. I wouldn't have spent months trying to find my wife. Michael wouldn't be traumatized to this day with the memories of seeing you take his mother. Jason and Courtney would have their own child right now because we would have never had to go to Argentina looking for her. Life would have been better."
"Your son would have been dead if you killed me before, Sonny," Ric stated firmly. "Damian would have been killed by Faith Rosco before he even started calling you 'dad.' Think about that before you brush me off as expendable."
"I would have found a way..."
"How, Sonny?" Ric shook his head. "You had no clue what was going on, because you didn't want to pay attention to your son at that time. Or, rather, he didn't want to pay attention to you because he saw you for what you really are, a twisted, pitiful shame. You used everything that went wrong in your life and did the exact same thing, trying to make it seem like it was justification for all the death that happened in your wake. You know what, Sonny? No matter what happens, you're never going to find a way to make it seem like every single person that has died for you or because of you happened for a reason."
"Is this how it's always going to be with us?" Sonny asked. "We always going to be at each other's throats, no matter what?"
"I have tried plenty of times to bury the hatchet with you, Sonny. You know that."
"I don't trust you." Sonny thought back, "Not anymore. I've got no reason to trust you now that you've betrayed me."
"I won't justify my actions to you or to anyone else, because they can't be justified. I've done a lot of horrible things in my life, but you can't claim that you haven't done the same. At least I'm trying to do the right thing by helping people in this town. What do you do? You put them at risk with your constant mob battles. You leave me to pick up the pieces and put innocent men, women, and sometimes even children in body bags. How does that make you feel?"
"There are always going to be unfortunate casualties in life."
"There you go again, trying to say something, anything, to make it seem like something you did is okay. Stop fooling yourself, Sonny. You're never going to win."
Sonny walked away, not saying a word. He had been there for a reason. The docks were the first place that he had met Damian, when he didn't even know that he had a son that managed to slip away from him. It was where everything had started, and could have been where everything ended. Ric was right, nothing that he could have said or did would justify what happened to his boy. Sonny could fix just about everything. He couldn't fix that, though.
Ric watched his brother leave, he didn't want to chase after him. He had said what he wanted to say. Ric would have made a better father... he felt that in his heart. He could give up everything that he did in the past to secure a future for his children. Sonny couldn't even get out of the mob after he shot his wife in the head, though he tried. Ric was sad on some level. Nothing would ever be good between them. They would never have a brotherly bond, not even for a moment. On some level that was the one thing that Ric craved. He remembered growing up and seeing people around him, brothers, sharing laughs and supporting each other when they needed it. It pained Ric to know that he had a brother, but he would never have that. Even though he wanted it, he knew it would never happen.
"Ric?"
Ric turned around, "Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth had come from her job and saw the brothers engaging in another squabble. She had opted to stay low and listen. The one reason that she had pulled away from Ric the first time was because his hatred of his brother had made him a different person from the man that she met and fell in love with. She had seen that part of him too many times, but she didn't see it then. All she saw at that moment was someone who was hurt. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine," Ric said softly.
Elizabeth walked up, "You're a good liar, Ric, but sometimes even you can't be that good."
"You can see through me at times, can't you?" Ric asked.
"Only sometimes," Elizabeth said. "When you've started to show that you're a human being with feelings, not when you're the monster that you can be."
"You don't think I'm a monster right now?" Ric took a seat on the bench.
"No, I don't," Elizabeth sat down right next to him. "I think that you're hurt because of your past with Sonny."
"You're right, I am."
"I think I can help you," She grabbed his hand.
"How?"
Elizabeth kissed him on the lips, a soft brush that Ric didn't even think was coming. She pulled away, "That work?"
"It's a start."
"Ric... I need to tell you something."
Ric stopped trying to go in for another kiss. "What?"
"Even though I've tried to tell myself differently at times, I can't get over the fact that I still love you. On some level, I never stopped. I was able to fool myself for a little while, but in the end I realized that no matter what, you're always going to be the one for me."
Ric smiled, "There was never anyone for me but you, Elizabeth. You've known that from the beginning."
"Can we try again?"
"Do you want to try again?"
"I'm asking you, aren't I?"
He turned, "But are you asking me out of pity, Elizabeth? I can handle not being the one that you love, but I can't handle being someone that you pretend to love but really pity. Are you trying to make me feel better in my brief moment of vulnerability?"
"I would never do that to you," Elizabeth grabbed him. "I see how hurt you are by the relationship that you have with your brother. My sister and I aren't exactly the closest people on the planet, either, but we've managed to become at least civil with one another. I'm not saying that it will happen with you and Sonny, but I'm also not saying it can't happen. If you try hard enough... I'm sure you can find something that will bring the two of you together. You just have to look."
"We've got a commonality already," Ric said. "Damian... no matter what our pasts, he accepts us both as his family because we come from his grandmother. Sonny and I know we're brothers, but we may never look at each other like we are. We will always look at Damian as a member of our family, though."
"That could be something that you could use... you never know. I'm sure he'd like it if the two of you were somehow able to mend your differences. It must have been awkward for him, seeing the two of you at one another's throats every single time you were in the room together."
"When Sonny and I are around one another, we both lose focus," Ric admitted, much to his dismay. "The two of us can never get along. We can never forget the past. But, as long as I have you in my future, Elizabeth, it doesn't matter what my past is. It doesn't matter what I've done if you can love me."
"I want to believe that I can," Elizabeth wrapped herself around him. "More than anything, I want us to be happy again, like we were at first."
"I won't lose that again, not now, not ever." Ric looked into her eyes and kissed her. This time it was longer, but it was still as important to him as the brief brush he had a moment ago. "But... as much as I hate to do this..."
"You've got to get back to work, don't you?" Elizabeth knew that Ric's work would take up a part of his time, if not all of it. She also accepted that, since she knew how important his job was the ADA was to him.
"I'm sorry... but the longer I wait to clear Damian the less of a chance he has."
"You're right," She said. "We shouldn't try to put ourselves in front of an innocent kid. Go, honey. I'll be at my apartment."
"Wouldn't you rather go back to the house? I could give you the key."
Elizabeth shook her head, "One step at a time."
"Of course," Ric walked towards the Police Station. One step at a time.
I can't say that I would wait as long as Maxie did if someone that I cared about was in jail, I'd probably be there really quickly, but Maxie's got a case of being unable to accept things right away, so it made more sense for her to wait. Even though it is unlikely that Damian would in fact go away, they would have to put that into the light. Being the realist that he is, Damian would want Maxie to find something or someone to make her happy if and when it happened. I hope I don't let you, the readers, down with everything I've put the couple through. Poor kids, I'm just mean.
Story-
Port Charles Docks, Later That Night-
Ric walked up to the docks, unaware that his brother was there as well. When he saw Sonny standing over the dock, he thought of two things. One was that he could have pushed Sonny over and kept him submerged until his death, which was actually his first thought, the other was that he should have just walked away. Ric Lansing did neither of them, he just stood there, as if he was frozen in time.
Sonny, on the other hand, had gotten good at feeling the particular glare of his little brother. "You going to say something to me, Ric?"
"Coming back to the scene of the crime?" Ric asked.
"Maybe, what's it to you?"
"I would think that you would try and take steps to prevent your son from being sent to prison, Sonny. If Damian were my son, I wouldn't rest until I knew that justice was served."
Sonny turned around, "That's where you're always going to be dreaming, Ric. Damian isn't ever going to be your son. He's my blood."
"Which makes him my blood as well," Ric took a few steps forward. "You seem to try and forget that part of our past, Sonny. The part that can never be denied. We were both pushed out of our mother. No matter what, Adella's blood runs through both of us."
"It's the only reason that you're still alive," Sonny said. "If you weren't my half-brother, if I didn't think that killing you would possibly taint the memory of my mother, you would have been dead long before you had the chance to kidnap my wife."
"Would it have made you happier?" Ric asked.
"More than you could ever imagine," Sonny told him. "If you were dead, Ric, so many things would be different. I wouldn't have spent months trying to find my wife. Michael wouldn't be traumatized to this day with the memories of seeing you take his mother. Jason and Courtney would have their own child right now because we would have never had to go to Argentina looking for her. Life would have been better."
"Your son would have been dead if you killed me before, Sonny," Ric stated firmly. "Damian would have been killed by Faith Rosco before he even started calling you 'dad.' Think about that before you brush me off as expendable."
"I would have found a way..."
"How, Sonny?" Ric shook his head. "You had no clue what was going on, because you didn't want to pay attention to your son at that time. Or, rather, he didn't want to pay attention to you because he saw you for what you really are, a twisted, pitiful shame. You used everything that went wrong in your life and did the exact same thing, trying to make it seem like it was justification for all the death that happened in your wake. You know what, Sonny? No matter what happens, you're never going to find a way to make it seem like every single person that has died for you or because of you happened for a reason."
"Is this how it's always going to be with us?" Sonny asked. "We always going to be at each other's throats, no matter what?"
"I have tried plenty of times to bury the hatchet with you, Sonny. You know that."
"I don't trust you." Sonny thought back, "Not anymore. I've got no reason to trust you now that you've betrayed me."
"I won't justify my actions to you or to anyone else, because they can't be justified. I've done a lot of horrible things in my life, but you can't claim that you haven't done the same. At least I'm trying to do the right thing by helping people in this town. What do you do? You put them at risk with your constant mob battles. You leave me to pick up the pieces and put innocent men, women, and sometimes even children in body bags. How does that make you feel?"
"There are always going to be unfortunate casualties in life."
"There you go again, trying to say something, anything, to make it seem like something you did is okay. Stop fooling yourself, Sonny. You're never going to win."
Sonny walked away, not saying a word. He had been there for a reason. The docks were the first place that he had met Damian, when he didn't even know that he had a son that managed to slip away from him. It was where everything had started, and could have been where everything ended. Ric was right, nothing that he could have said or did would justify what happened to his boy. Sonny could fix just about everything. He couldn't fix that, though.
Ric watched his brother leave, he didn't want to chase after him. He had said what he wanted to say. Ric would have made a better father... he felt that in his heart. He could give up everything that he did in the past to secure a future for his children. Sonny couldn't even get out of the mob after he shot his wife in the head, though he tried. Ric was sad on some level. Nothing would ever be good between them. They would never have a brotherly bond, not even for a moment. On some level that was the one thing that Ric craved. He remembered growing up and seeing people around him, brothers, sharing laughs and supporting each other when they needed it. It pained Ric to know that he had a brother, but he would never have that. Even though he wanted it, he knew it would never happen.
"Ric?"
Ric turned around, "Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth had come from her job and saw the brothers engaging in another squabble. She had opted to stay low and listen. The one reason that she had pulled away from Ric the first time was because his hatred of his brother had made him a different person from the man that she met and fell in love with. She had seen that part of him too many times, but she didn't see it then. All she saw at that moment was someone who was hurt. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine," Ric said softly.
Elizabeth walked up, "You're a good liar, Ric, but sometimes even you can't be that good."
"You can see through me at times, can't you?" Ric asked.
"Only sometimes," Elizabeth said. "When you've started to show that you're a human being with feelings, not when you're the monster that you can be."
"You don't think I'm a monster right now?" Ric took a seat on the bench.
"No, I don't," Elizabeth sat down right next to him. "I think that you're hurt because of your past with Sonny."
"You're right, I am."
"I think I can help you," She grabbed his hand.
"How?"
Elizabeth kissed him on the lips, a soft brush that Ric didn't even think was coming. She pulled away, "That work?"
"It's a start."
"Ric... I need to tell you something."
Ric stopped trying to go in for another kiss. "What?"
"Even though I've tried to tell myself differently at times, I can't get over the fact that I still love you. On some level, I never stopped. I was able to fool myself for a little while, but in the end I realized that no matter what, you're always going to be the one for me."
Ric smiled, "There was never anyone for me but you, Elizabeth. You've known that from the beginning."
"Can we try again?"
"Do you want to try again?"
"I'm asking you, aren't I?"
He turned, "But are you asking me out of pity, Elizabeth? I can handle not being the one that you love, but I can't handle being someone that you pretend to love but really pity. Are you trying to make me feel better in my brief moment of vulnerability?"
"I would never do that to you," Elizabeth grabbed him. "I see how hurt you are by the relationship that you have with your brother. My sister and I aren't exactly the closest people on the planet, either, but we've managed to become at least civil with one another. I'm not saying that it will happen with you and Sonny, but I'm also not saying it can't happen. If you try hard enough... I'm sure you can find something that will bring the two of you together. You just have to look."
"We've got a commonality already," Ric said. "Damian... no matter what our pasts, he accepts us both as his family because we come from his grandmother. Sonny and I know we're brothers, but we may never look at each other like we are. We will always look at Damian as a member of our family, though."
"That could be something that you could use... you never know. I'm sure he'd like it if the two of you were somehow able to mend your differences. It must have been awkward for him, seeing the two of you at one another's throats every single time you were in the room together."
"When Sonny and I are around one another, we both lose focus," Ric admitted, much to his dismay. "The two of us can never get along. We can never forget the past. But, as long as I have you in my future, Elizabeth, it doesn't matter what my past is. It doesn't matter what I've done if you can love me."
"I want to believe that I can," Elizabeth wrapped herself around him. "More than anything, I want us to be happy again, like we were at first."
"I won't lose that again, not now, not ever." Ric looked into her eyes and kissed her. This time it was longer, but it was still as important to him as the brief brush he had a moment ago. "But... as much as I hate to do this..."
"You've got to get back to work, don't you?" Elizabeth knew that Ric's work would take up a part of his time, if not all of it. She also accepted that, since she knew how important his job was the ADA was to him.
"I'm sorry... but the longer I wait to clear Damian the less of a chance he has."
"You're right," She said. "We shouldn't try to put ourselves in front of an innocent kid. Go, honey. I'll be at my apartment."
"Wouldn't you rather go back to the house? I could give you the key."
Elizabeth shook her head, "One step at a time."
"Of course," Ric walked towards the Police Station. One step at a time.