I know, I know, about time! Honestly I had this written months ago. I just haven't had time to get it typed, and when I did I of course had the hand written copy elsewhere! Anyway, I hope you still are interested in it, because I've gotten a couple of future scenes written and it's taken some twists that I hadn't planned on, in part thanks to your comments. (Includind people finding out sooner than I originally intended and teaming up to bring down the Qs!)

MissDevon

Chapter 55

With a disgusted roll of her eyes and a disenchanted shake of her head, V. stepped away from the door. Swallowing back a sob, she moved quickly down the darkened corridor. She supposed she shouldn't be feeling as if her life was the one that was spinning out of control, but she did. She had hoped Felicia could've helped her to at least put her disillusionment of Jax into perspective, but she should've known better. The time when the two had been close friends had long since come and gone, even if she tried to hold onto their friendship.

And in many ways that left V. alone to face her mounting doubts about Jax and her concerns about the PD's handling of Donna's case.

Once she had had Alexis as well as Felicia to talk, but Chloe Morgan had effectively caused those relationships to crumble and had eroded the ties that bonded her to Ned and Jax. For a time it has seemed that they had been welded back together, only now she wasn't quite so sure.

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Dressed in a pair of sweatpants, a sweaty Mac answered the banging on his door. "Do you mind I have two girls sleeping upstairs," he asked as he wiped at some of the sweat on his face.

"I hope you're talking about the kids or I'm going to feel real guilty," Jax remarked as he took in his friend's appearance.

"Funny," Mac said with a roll of his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he added as he let the other man in.

"To tell the truth, I'm not sure. I went for a walk to think about things and ended up here. Figured you'd be up."

"Yeah, was working out some frustrations. So what's wrong?"

"You think we have a chance of getting AJ for this?" Jax asked bluntly as he sat down.

Mac shrugged, "truthfully, I don't know. Some things were mishandled and considering who's involved that will definitely work against us. But we've already been over this, so why are you really here?"

"I figured as much," Jax muttered, ignoring Mac's question. "And her so-called friends aren't going to make things any easier."

"What do you mean?" Mac asked as he put on a shirt.

"They seem to think they can just come into town and stir things up. That if they complain enough they'll get their way," he explained.

"Maybe they will. Maybe if someone makes enough noise, if they complain loud enough, something will get done."

"You don't really think that will happen do you?"

"A person can hope, Jax. I know that the political landscape of this town doesn't allow much room for it to happen, even if V thinks that I'm politically illiterate."

"Yeah, well, V's almost as bad as they are. She thinks that they can help. That it's ok that they're sticking their noses in where they don't belong. That they're making bad choices for Donna."

"And it bothers you that she doesn't see things your way," Mac deduced.

"It bothers me that she apparently trusts people she barely knows over me. That she thinks that I'll make things worse. That I'm using Donna's fall to get back at the Quartermains for some slight against Brenda."

"And you're not?" Mac asked, noting the annoyance that flickered across Jax's face. "Come on, Jax, let's be honest here. Yeah, you want to run to Donna's rescue, but it's not your only motivation. You want to take them down for a lot more than that."

"I am not using this as a reason to do that."

"I know that. You want to save everybody. I guess I'm partly to blame for that."

"In what way?"

"Because of what happened to Miranda."

"G-d, I'm not up to rehashing ancient history tonight."

"I'm not doing that. I'm just making an observation. You try to save others because you thought you weren't able to save her."

"So what? You stay on as Police Commissioner to make up for it?" Jax shot back.

"I stay on to try to make sure that people like Donna get some semblance of justice."

"Yeah, right."

"Jax, I made my peace with what happened. I, unlike you, still talk to her. I've made peace with other aspects of my past as well. A lot of people think that I'm in this job because of Robert. In a way I am. I want to add to the legacy that he and Sean left. I want the PCPD to be more than puppets for the Qs or any other puppeteers who come along. I've come to terms with how he died and why I lost time with him. Why I did some of the things that I did in my youth. Do I think about it? Yeah. Does it affect how I handle things, possibly, but I don't self-sabotage."

"Meaning what? I do?"

"Why else are you looking for a reason to doubt V.?"

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Isn't it?"

Pushing to his feet, Jax glared at his friend: "yeah, you can really give advice. Your wife slept around on you and you haven't had a serious relationship since."

"Maybe, but at least I had the sense to leave her the first time she cheated instead of sticking around while she snuck around with someone time and time again."

"Like she still isn't doing it?"

"If she is it's no longer my problem," Mac shrugged. "Anyway, you know where the door is. Close it behind you. I need to get some sleep before reviewing the case in the morning."

"You going to tell them anything?"

"Depends on if they ask."

"Mac. . ."

"It'll be part of public record. I can't not comment if they ask. Of course if that doesn't mean I have to give an in-dept answer."

"Thanks."

"For what? I'm going to go with my own instincts concerning these people. If I think they can help I'm going to accept it."

"They're going to screw things up."

"I wonder if they're the only ones who will," Mac muttered as he headed up the stairs, leaving an annoyed Jax to stare after him.

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Releasing and catching the small red rubber ball with increasing velocity, Toby tried to review the numbers for an ad campaign that he knew he would just have to review again later. Tossing the file aside, he continued to throw and catch the stress ball, wondering how much it would cost him should he break any of Tiffany's walls of windows. But, he supposed, if he hadn't broken any during his years at 1600, he wouldn't break any here. Besides, if he broke it, he'd pay for it.

The fact that his mind was reviewing facts and statistics that had nothing to do with the restraints of his current position and everything to do with a certain young woman was a bit surprising to him. He supposed that it was due to the fact that when tragedy struck in the past there were facets of his job that couldn't be shut out.

After Roslyn there had been questions about canopies and the Twenty-fifth Amendment. At the time of the 'announcement' there had been Mrs. L's death, the impending hearings, and the need to position Hoynes. Now the work that he was doing was nothing that his subordinates couldn't handle.

Growling in frustration, he chucked the ball at the window, finding some satisfaction in the thud it made against the glass as movement just past the window caught his attention. "What the hell?" he muttered as he moved out of the path of the rebounding ball and headed to the door.

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The loud thump off to her right caused V. to jump slightly and look towards the direction as she tried to gauge the cause in time to see the door being yanked open.

From across the darkened bullpen, Toby frowned as he crossed to the woman standing in the middle of it; one hand flattened against her neck the other swiping at drying tears. "I should've known it was you," V. muttered as she watched his approach.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, Toby crossed the remaining space between them. "What are you doing here?" he asked as she stopped in front of her, his narrowing slightly as he took in her appearance.

"Funny, I was just trying to answer that myself," she sighed as she tan a hand through her already tousled hair.

Toby nodded slightly at that, "why don't you have a cup of coffee with me while you try to figure it out?"

"No. That's OK. I want to get back to the Penthouse before Jax realizes that I'm gone."

"Hate to point this out, but you don't seem to be in the right frame of mind to be driving, and I prefer not to have to explain to your Godparents if you crash on the way home."

"Uncle Jed knows how stubborn I can be."

"He's not the one who concerns me," Toby responded earning a slight smile from V.

"And here I thought that that was just a rumor."

"It's my experience that all rumors have at least some basis in fact," he commented as he started towards the table behind them where the coffee pot was. "You know I have to admit I'm not used to such a dead newsroom."

"Not all that much happens in Port Charles," V. shrugged as she started to fix herself a cup of coffee.

"So I take it you're not here to talk about a late breaking development at the department," he prompted as leaned against the table and sipped his black coffee.

"No. No story. At least not from the direction of the PCPD," she sighed.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Just looking for Felicia."

"Nosey blonde?"

"That's one way of describing her I guess."

"She was in a while ago."

"Let's just say she's already in a meeting and leave it at that," V sighed as she pulled at the lip of the cup before taking a swallow, knowing he would be able to fill in the blanks.

"I stand corrected about the happenings of this place," he groused with a disapproving shake of his head while watching her over the top of his own cup. "Anything I can help with?"

V. shrugged one shoulder at that, "not really. But thanks for the offer."

"V. . ." he started then stopped as he looked down into his cup.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied as he turned slightly to put his cup down. "Just, talk to someone about what's got you so worked up, would you?" he added.

"Yeah. I will."

"And don't wait."

"I won't. At least not too long," she conceded as she put her coffee down and avoided his knowing gaze. "You going to keep assaulting that perfectly innocent wall?"

"Possibly," he shrugged. "I don't think I've put in a day like this since before the end of the administration," he muttered. "Guess I should go tell Ginger to go to the hotel."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" he asked as she pushed away from the table.

"Are you heading back to the hotel?" she clarified as she fell into step next to him.

"No, I think I'll go to the hospital. With any luck I'll be able to at least talk CJ into going back to the hotel to get some rest before her breakfast meeting."

"Who's it with again?"

"Danny Cancannon."

"He's a reporter right?"

"Freelancer. He'll keep things out of the news cycle for as long as we need him to."

"How hard do you think he'll hit the PD?"

"Damn, I didn't even. . ." Toby shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "How badly did they bungle things?"

"Pretty badly, although Mac, Garcia, Taggart, and Dara are trying to compensate. I just think that it's too late. Especially considering how blasé Mac's about some aspects."

"Like what?"

"It's not the case itself. More my end of things."

"How so?"

"He just. . . Toby, I know we're going to get crucified in the national press. Local news will pick up the story and drop it. It will be like always. The PCPD are keystone cops and the Quartermains are big, bad, business with their hands in too many pockets, but no one to even slap their wrists. There will be talk about corruption in the courts and the department, but it will go no further. Nationally though. . ." she shook her head. "We have some really wonderful, dedicated people on the force, in the DA's office, and on the bench. People who are above reproach, and to think about how this will paint them. . ."

"It might be the impedes for reform in the places that need it," Toby remarked as they come to a stop outside the archival room.

"I'm just worried that it will occur in the wrong places."

"Look, all I can tell you is to be prepared for anything. National might pick it up or because of the cycle that day it could be buried. In the interim, you should probably, talk to CJ. Get some pointers on how to handle the national guys. I'll also work on drafting up a statement for you."

"Thanks, but you don't have to do that. It's my problem."

"Actually, if and when it hits it becomes ours too. Besides, writing a statement will give me something better than ad revenues to focus on and save that wall from my frustrations."

"Thanks," she sighed. "I better get going. You alright getting to the hospital?"

"Yeah. How about you? You alright getting home?"

"Which one of us lives around here?" she asked with a slight laugh as she leaned over and pecked his cheek, causing him to blush slightly. "Thanks."

"Yeah. Sure. Get out of here, would you?" he directed slightly exasperated as she walked away, chuckling slightly.

"You're a soft touch, you know that?" Ginger asked from the doorway behind him.

"You finished?" was his gruff response.

"With the list you gave me? Maybe in a week or two."

"You're slipping."

"Yeah, well, my new boss isn't as demanding."

"Lucky you."

"Aren't I though?" she snarked as she crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight. "So do you have more demands or are you just here to annoy me?"

"And here I thought that was why you were here," he pallied as he turned to her. "Actually, I was going to suggest you call it a night and head to the hotel, but if you'd rather stay here. . ."

"I can deal with packing it in for the night," she conceded. "Although, I did want to run an idea pass you."

"Which would be?"

"I was thinking. WLPC would be one of the best places for local businesses to advertise."

"True, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Just listen. Who do you go to when you want to know about what's really going on in someone's office?"

"The staff," Toby answered immediately, then paused and added: "I'm not going to like this am I?"

"I think it's pretty ingenious if I say so myself. I go into ELQ, go to Quartermain's office with a packet of ad prices and commiserate with his assistant about out overbearing bosses."

"You really think his assistant is just going to tell you all kinds of dirty secrets?"

"Not all assistants are as loyal as we were. Besides, with how he treats women, you really think he's treating her any better?"

"That's assuming his assistant is female."

"I went over some recent tapes. She's female, and she doesn't look all that happy."

"Fine. Try it. Just be careful."

"I will."

"You alright with getting to the hotel?"

"I'm alright getting where I'm staying," Ginger hedged.

"I'm not even going to ask."

"Good. Because I'm not sharing," she shot back. "I'll see you in the morning."

"I'm not sure."

"Oh?"

"Not that I have to tell you, but I'm leaving on a little fact finding meeting of my own tomorrow. I'll probably spend the time before I go at the hospital or hotel."

"And hopefully grab a nap somewhere in there," she put in.

"Worried about my health there?"

"More like the health of those you cross paths with. You're even grumpier than usual when you're sleep deprived."

"Concern duly noted. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

"Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow," she laughed as she brushed pass him and walked down the hall, Toby standing there watching her a moment before following.