Author's note: Just wanted to thank those of you who nominated this story for Reader's Choice Best Crossover! (http://readerschoice.cjb.net )

Chapter 31

Skye followed Jason down the hall of the second floor of Jake's, eyeing the walls with distaste.  "You think he's really here?" she asked him as she tried to keep as much space as was possible between her body and the walls.

"That's what the bartender said.  Besides, wouldn't be the first time," Jason shrugged.

"And probably won't be the last."

"You think he won't learn from this?"

Skye shot Jason a scathing look as her voice took on a condescending tone.  "Yeah, Jason. The empty bottle of Smirnoff really makes me think he's learning something. Can we just find him and get out of here?"

"Yeah, sure," Jason sighed as he paused at the side of a half opened door.

"Well?"

"This is it."

"OK, and. . .?"

"You wanted me to help you find him, I did.  Go get him."

"I also wanted you to act as a sort of bodyguard.  I'm not going in there alone."

Jason raised an eyebrow at that, "Prefer to stay out here alone?"

"You could at least, I don't know, check the room first."

Shrugging, Jason pushed opened the door and scanned the room, "You're fine."

"Gee, thanks. Ever so glad to know that chivalry isn't dead," she shot back as she brushed past him and into the room, gasping at the sight of AJ sprawled on the floor.  "AJ!" she called as she hurried towards him, and dropped to her knees next to him.  "Jason, give me a hand!" she yelled towards the door as she shook AJ's shoulder.  "Come on, little brother wake up!" she ordered as Jason knelt down on his other side.

"He's got a lump," Jason told Skye.

"Dawn?" AJ muttered as he grimaced at the hands poking at the back of his head.

"Who's Dawn?" Skye asked, as she helped Jason try to get AJ into a sitting position, his answer to which, was a shrug.  "Great," she muttered as she slapped AJ's face lightly.  "AJ come on, it's Skye.  We need to get you out of here."

"Skye?" AJ asked groggily, as he struggled to focus on her. 

"He probably has a concussion," Jason told her over AJ.

"Not to mention he's a few sheets to the wind," she shot back.  "Come on," she added returning her attention to AJ, "let's get you to your feet."

"Did you see her?" AJ asked looking to his left, and Jason.

"Who?"

"Dawn."

"No."

"But she was here. She said. . ." he shook his head, remembering that it couldn't have been her. That she had died years before and couldn't have been more than a figment of his imagination, or as he had told her--- a drunken hallucination.

"Come on, let's go," Skye sighed as she and Jason pulled AJ to his feet and shared his weight as they three quarters carried him to the door.

"I knew it wasn't real.  That she wasn't here.  Why did I let myself. . ." AJ muttered as they started down the stairs, unaware of the couple watching them in the stairway.

"We're running out of time," the man muttered, and the blonde could only nod her sadly head, knowing that disaster was heading all of their way, and there was a chance that not even heavenly intervention could help stop it.

hr

Danny shook his head as he closed the door behind Bobbie and started towards the couch.  Pulling the cover off of it, he fished his cell phone out of his pocket and sat down.  He had to admit that there was something about the woman that intrigued him, however he had always been one to enjoy the chase.  With the short amount of time he had spent in her presence, he could tell that their wouldn't be much chasing involved where she was concerned.  Besides, he was interested in chasing after another red head.  At least this time she couldn't use conflict of interest as an excuse. 

Smiling, he dialed 4-1-1 and got the number for the Port Charles Hotel.  His smile changed to a frown when he couldn't get in touch with CJ to touch base.  Leaving a message for her to call his cell phone, he rose, deciding to go in search of Bobbie. 

After all, it might be fun to be the chasee for a change.

hr

Bobbie walked down the stairs, and frowned as she heard voices drifting down the hall from the kitchen.  With a slight frown she followed them, gasping slightly as she walked into the room to see her former husband sitting at the counter with her son.  "What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"Nice to see you too, Mom," Lucas quipped as he took a bite of an apple.

"You know that's not what I meant," she sighed as she pinned her ex with a glare.  "I thought you two were going to a game.  What the new girlfriend nix it?"

"The game ended half an hour ago.  I'd have taken Lucas home with me, but I have a meeting on the Moss case once the tests results come in," he started as Danny slipped into the kitchen.

"They finally get around to those?" Bobbie asked, as Lucas groaned.

"I can see why you don't want me here. . ." he muttered disgustedly, bringing attention to man who was leaning against the wall, trying to make himself as unintrusive as possible..

"Ummm, sorry to interrupt," Danny replied, internally cursing the lose of the chance at information. "But, Bobbie, I was wondering where I'd find the towels and linens."

"Oh, right.  I'm sure you want to shower. . ." she started frustrated at the turn of events, then added at Lucas's snort.  "This is my son, Lucas, and my ex-husband, Tony.  Meet Danny Concannon, he's going to be renting Felicia's old apartment for a while."

"I didn't know you were renting out any on that floor.  At least not to. . ." Tony paused searching for the right words, "newcomers."

Bobbie rolled her eyes at that, "he has references.  In fact one of them is Frisco."

"You know my brother?" Tony asked surprised.

"You can say that," Danny shrugged.  "We have some mutual friends and contacts."

"You work for the WSB?" Lucas asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"No."

"That what do you do?" Tony couldn't help but ask.

"TONY!"

"What? The guy's going to be living in the same house as my son.  Considering some of the people you've had in and out of here over the years, I think it's a fair question."

Danny looked down at his feet to hide both his amusement and discomfort.  Once he was sure he had a face clean of emotion he looked back up.  "I'm a freelancer.  I'm in town to catch up with some old friends. Maybe do some research for a couple of stories I'm thinking about doing in the future.  Bobbie rented me the apartment because there wasn't a place at Kelly's."

"See," Bobbie chided.  "Now if you're done interrogating the man I'm going to find him those towels and linens."

"Bobbie. . ."Tony started, a bit embarrassed.

"Forget it Tony, I'm not the one you need to apologize to," she said shortly as she continued out. 

Tony looked over to Danny, who just shrugged, "Don't worry about it, man.  I'd probably do the same thing."

"Yeah," he muttered as he sat back down and shook his head, letting them all go into an uneasy silence. . .

hr

Jax opened the door and frowned.  "Glad to see you too," Mac told him as he slipped pass.

"Sorry, I was hoping you were V," Jax admitted as he shut the door behind his friend and followed him into the living area.

"I thought she came home hours ago."

"She did.  She's just meeting with some of Donna's friends to fill them in on what's going on around here."

"You don't sound too happy about that," Mac mentioned.

"Mac, if we can't do anything after leaving here for years.  Gaining the positions that we have, how do they thing they can?"

"It can't hurt."

"Can't it? They poke their noses in where it doesn't belong and they tip our hands.  Hell, we don't even know that they're on our side!"

"They're Donna's friends.  You really think they're going to be helping the people who put her in a hospital bed?"

"You never know," Jax sighed.  "So have you managed to get anywhere else on this?"

"Not really.  Although we might have some help putting the pressure on."

"How's that?"

"The daughter of a friend of mine works for the International News Network.  I leaked her the story.  She saids her boss took an interest in it."

"He's actually going to air it?"

Mac shrugged, "she said he was going to give it to a free lancer.  That's all I know."

"This could back fire."

"Won't be the first time I'd be fired."

"Not just on you.  What if the Quartermains have him in their pockets?"

"He won't be the first or last.  Worse case--- I'm out of a job and the story doesn't run. In the meantime, I don't see you doing much of anything."

"I'm working on a plan.  AJ's not getting away with this.  None of the Quartermains are.  Not this time."

hr

Zoey walked out of the kitchen and shook her head at the picture Charlie presented.  At the moment he was cross referencing some of his notes from lectures with textbooks while making more notes in what she assumed was preparation for some exam or another, and as always it surprised her.  Here he was this Polly-Sci major who had spent three years working at the White House as the personal aide to the President himself, and he felt like he had something to prove.  Sighing, she supposed that maybe he did for just that fact.  Then again chances were it was just his way.  Work with over achievers long enough and you were bound to become one yourself. Shaking her head she walked over to the table.  "Charlie, you want to come up for air?"

"In a few minutes, Zoey.  I just need to double check this. . ." he mumbled without looking up at her.

"That's all well, and good, but they're going to be calling any minute now.  You do want to be in on this call, right?" she asked.

As her words registered he looked up at her, "it's that time already?" he asked.

"Yeah.  You've been at this for quite a while."

"It's one of my take homes.  I wasn't expecting to have to turn it in so soon, but figured it was better to start with them . ." he shrugged.

"You e-mail your requests?" she asked as he pushed back from the table and stretched.

"Yeah.  I just hope they're understanding about it."

"They should be.  I mean, you're making all of them earlier, so it gives them more time to grade them before grades are due.  I know Dad has always said he preferred it when students took his exams early.  It was the ones who took later sessions of his exams that annoyed him."

"How's your dad handling the exam thing anyway?" Charlie couldn't help but wonder as they walked over to the couch, and sat down to wait for the call from her parents.

"He has advanced courses this semester.  Would assume he gave them all take homes, which he probably wanted at the beginning of exam week."

"And if not they can all be e-mailed to him."

"Right. So how late are you planning on being up to get your take homes written and study for tomorrow's exams?"

Charlie looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "Let's just say that it's a good thing I worked those crazy days for three years."

"Charlie. . ."

"You sound like your mother right there, you know that?"

"Don't try to change the subject. You need to sleep."

"I'll sleep."

"Right," she said, knowing the tone in his voice all too well.

"I'll sleep.  I just won't guarantee that it will be for a long stretch of time.  Hey, it's not like I'm the only college student who'll be pulling all nighters, or close to it, during exam week."

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"That's why you love me."

"That's debatable," Zoey deadpanned as she looked at her watch.

"What you expected the call to be on time? We're talking about your father and his staff here."

"You do have a point," Zoey sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder.  "You do have a point."