Show: General Hospital

Title: Las Vidas de los Corinthos' II: Chapter 9

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you very much from last chapter's comments. I'm pleased with the positive response

to the new character Daniel. You can be sure you'll be reading a lot more about him where Liz is

concerned in future chapters. The Liason moments are coming… soon I promised, but like I said

before, you guys signed on for a lot more than just sappy romance when you started reading this

fic, so bear with me, you'll get what you want… soon.

*~*~*~*~*~*

New York City (the next night)

New York was the perfect city to disappear in. It was so easy to blend in with the crowds… no

matter where you seemed to go, it was a guarantee that there would be at least someone else

who would stand out more than you would. He was counting on that.

The heavens had opened and fat crystalline raindrops were continuously hitting the sidewalk.

Before, the night had been clear, only a few clouds in the sky. But everything in New York was

unpredictable, even the weather. Umbrella after umbrella suddenly snapped open, those without

were caught unawares, but no one ran. They all continued on their way seemingly like mindless

drones, too intent on getting where ever they were going to give a damn about getting a little…

well in this case, a lot, wet.

He didn't like the city. The people were so uncaring, so unfriendly, most had no sense of family…

it was like they hated all strangers – people who walked too slowly or had the audacity to ask

them for directions. **Goddamn it! Where is he!** The man craned his neck as he looked up and

down the busy sidewalk, scanning each face in the crowd. He checked his watch for what was

the fifth time in as many minutes, but there was still no sign of the person he was to meet. Sighing

in frustration and shivering slightly from waiting on the chilly sidewalk, the man turned around and

headed into the diner he had been standing in front of.

An annoying little bell signaled his arrival, and inwardly he cringed, expecting every single eye to

be glued to him but, in typical New York fashion, the diner patrons didn't so much as bat an

eyelid. Furtively, his eyes darted around, making note of each patron while also trying to find a

seat in the back, relatively private but in an area where he could still see the door. Spying one, he

hurriedly made his way over to it and slid into the booth. He ordered a cup of coffee from the

waitress, who impatiently snapped her bubblegum every few seconds, and waited.

When another half hour and three cups of coffee had passed, he was growing more alarmed by

the second and was seriously considering leaving when the bell announced another patron. He

breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized the person.

Shaking raindrops from his coat, the other man's eyes shrewdly swept the room and, spying the

man in the corner, he brusquely made his way over to him, his eyes shooting daggers as he slid

in across from him.

"Thanks for meeting me," the man spoke up, leaning forward eagerly, his eyes bulging in his too-

thin face.

"What are you doing here?" the other man hissed. "What the fuck do you want from me now,

Lyle?"

"The same thing I know you want," he replied, reaching into his denim-jacket pocket and

removing a photograph and chucking it across the table.

The other man scoffed, but picked up the photo. It was a picture of Sonny and Jason about to get

into a limousine with Alexis. He stared wordlessly at the photo.

Lyle shrewdly measured his reaction. "Take a good hard look at the men who murdered your

brother."

Silent seconds ticked by and the man stared balefully at the two men in the picture. "I know," he

finally replied, his voice harsh with emotion. "I know."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Casa Corinthos (around the same time)

"I spoke with Elizabeth yesterday," Alexis announced at the dinner table. Courtney's head

snapped up, Ric smiled, Kristina continued eating her noodles in her high chair and, as usual,

neither Jason nor Sonny said anything.

"Really?" asked Ric, eager for news about his elder niece. "How is she?"

"Great!" Alexis replied, refilling hers and Sonny's glasses. "More wine?" she asked Courtney and

Jason. Jason shook his head, but Court immediately stuck her glass out for more. "Like I said,"

she continued, "she's doing great. One of her paintings is being showed in the Schmidt Gallery in

the city."

"That's fantastic!" announced Ric.

"Yeah," replied Courtney with only slightly less enthusiasm. Despite her misgivings about her

niece, she was genuinely proud of her.

Jason and Sonny remained silent, Sonny staring broodingly into his wine glass, Jas

absentmindedly twirling his pasta around his fork.

"Isn't it?" continued Alexis. "She was supposed to have a meeting with the curator last night to

discuss promoters. I'm going into the city on Friday to have lunch with her, see what all those

crazy art people are going so gaga over," she joked.

Ric laughed, Court smiled, Jas and Sonny said nothing and Kristina giggled: "Uh-oh!" when her

spoon slipped out of her hand to the floor, sending sauce everywhere.

Talk about the elder Corinthos daughter was suspended for a while Courtney and Ric cleaned up

the mess and Alexis carted Kristina upstairs to clean up, leaving Sonny and Jason alone at the

table.

Sonny got up from the table and headed for the balcony. Reluctantly, Jason followed, knowing

that something was eating away at his best friend and wanting to help him, but not

enthusiastically because he had a feeling of what was plaguing Sonny's mind. As he stepped

onto the open-air balcony, he braced himself against the cool night wind and the barrage of

memories of the night of the housewarming party.

"I miss her, you know," Sonny spoke so softly, Jason wasn't sure he heard him. But he knew

exactly whom he was talking about. He knew that Sonny and Elizabeth had had a falling-out of

some sorts, but he had never asked what about. He would never have guessed it was about him.

"What happened between you two?" Jason finally asked, staring straight ahead to the twinkling

lights of the town below, trying hard not to notice the imaginary scent of vanilla floating on the

breeze.

Sonny said nothing for long indeterminable seconds. "You," he finally admitted, the single word

hanging heavily in the wind.

Jason's head whipped toward him, his blue eyes etched with surprise.

Sonny walked back inside. That one word had said it all.

*~*~*~*~*~*

New York City

Lyle stared at the other man and scratched his balding head. "What do you mean, you know?"

The other man smirked mirthfully. "I do read the PC Times. It pays to know what's going on at

home. Besides… who doesn't know about the almighty Sonny Corinthos and his Enforcer, Jason

Morgan?" he asked bitterly.

Lyle's eyes darted around, trying to deduce if anyone had overheard what the other man said.

"How long have you known?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot, Lyle? I know what sort of life my brother led. I knew it would only be a

matter of time before he crossed the wrong line and pissed off the wrong person…."

"You didn't even come to the funeral?" Lyle spoke up almost accusingly.

The man's eyes snapped up, the dark pinpoints, so alike his brother's boring into the other man.

Lyle swallowed convulsively.

"What good would that have done?" he hissed.

"Your mother would have appreciated it," Lyle shot back.

The other man remained silent.

"You should have been there."

"But I wasn't!" he shot back defensively.

"So what are you gonna do about it? Leave your mother to grieve for yet another murdered family

member?"

As Lyle spoke the other man's hands convulsively tightened around the photograph of Sonny and

Jason until it was nothing but a crinkled ball of paper. "You know me better that that, Lyle. If

there's one good thing I've ever learnt from my sonofabitch brother is vindictiveness. Corinthos

and Morgan will *pay* for what they did to my brother!"

*~*~*~*~*~*

The Loft (after dinner)

"That's great about Elizabeth, isn't it?" asked Courtney as she removed her jewelry in their

bedroom. She didn't know why she asked the question. It had popped out of nowhere. But part of

her, the part of her that knew that everything about Jason and Elizabeth's relationship wasn't

quite clearly defined, wanted to see his reaction. She watched his reflection as he sat removing

his boots, in the mirror.

"I guess," he answered in a manner that was completely Jason – difficult to analyze or

understand.

"She must be really happy," she continued, unsure as to why she was pushing he matter.

Jason wondered the same, but as usual, kept his thoughts to himself, seemingly perfectly

absorbed in the task of removing his boots.

"She's worked really hard for this."

Jason's eyes snapped up, his confused gaze meeting hers in the mirror. "Yes, she has," he

replied, his voice full of conviction.

Neither said anything, their gazes locked in the mirror. Courtney looked away first. "I'm happy for

her," she mumbled rapidly, staring down at the engagement ring winking on her ring finger.

For someone who had been described as not having the capacity to feel or to read emotion, he

caught the gist of Courtney's statement very well. It seemed the green-eyed monster was rearing

its ugly head again.

Suddenly he was aware of how cautious he had been around Courtney in the last few months –

always minding his P's and Q's, especially where Elizabeth was concerned. He always carefully

gauged what he said about Liz around her, although he didn't know that Courtney's jealousy was

justified. He wanted to mirror her statement, although he would have echoed it more truthfully.

Instead, as usual he said nothing and blatantly changed the subject.

"Hey, Court, wanna beer?"

Courtney's blue eyes incredulously snapped up to meet his again, as if to say, "Can you be for

real, Jason." She continued to stare. She knew he had changed the subject. Part of her wanted to

know why, the other just wanted to let it alone. "Sure, Jas," she finally replied. "Why the hell not?"

TBC…

A/N: I know the chapter's kinda short and sort of roundabout. I promise next chapter will be a lot

juicier. Please R&R and tell me what you think.