Aftermath

Prologue
Fallen Branches

---
To love at all is to be vulnerable.
-C.S. Lewis
---

"I married you because I wanted to, Lorenzo. And I'm not sorry that I did." Carly sat down on their bed. "But the question is, are you?"

"Not yet," he answered, looking at her pointedly. "And I hope I won't be."

"Look, I'll drop the thing with Reese. I already told Jason. It's none of my business if she gives Sonny what's coming to him," Carly said. "You and me, that's where I am now, Lorenzo, but I'm not going to kowtow to you anymore than I'm willing to do it for Sonny anymore. You either believe in me, and love me, or you don't."

Lorenzo looked at his wife for a long moment before walking across the room to meet her. He took each of her hands in one of his. "I do," he said, leaning in against her forehead. "When I said 'I do,' I meant it. Just no more lies."

"No more lies," she echoed, leaning in to kiss him. They moved towards the bed as the lights went out again, leaving them in the darkness.

The storm raged outside, but their storm had passed. They forgot about the trees rustling outside, the turned-out lights, and even the broken mirror, not thinking of anything but each other.

---

Jason sat downstairs, alone, watching the hurricane die away in the earliest morning hours. The electricity was out. Sam was asleep, upstairs, passed out from exhaustion and tequila, but he hadn't really been able to sleep. He still couldn't shake Dr. Thomas's words.

Jason can't empathize. The brain damage is too extensive. No matter how hard he tries. He only sees what's right in front of him.

He knew Sam wanted to forget his limitations, wanted him to forget his limits. Maybe he had even started to forget them earlier, but the second he heard those words, it came back. He was damaged. He was different. And that wasn't going to change. He couldn't forget.

Dr. Thomas came downstairs, and Jason looked up. "I didn't think you'd be up," the doctor said. "Things seem to be clearing up some, outside. I was going to see if I could leave now."

"I don't see why not," Jason answered, nodding towards the door as if to say, go on, then.

But Dr. Thomas didn't move, and Jason sighed. "What?" Even he couldn't understand what about the doctor got him this on edge.

"I can tell you've been thinking on what we spoke about. I hope you'll be prepared to do what's best for Michael."

"What is it you're trying to get me to do exactly? I drop him off at the sessions. I take care of the kid. What do you even want that has to do with Michael? You just keep talking about me." Jason asked. "My accident has nothing to do with him."

"It's a trauma that has a ripple effect – even to Michael, because it shaped the first year of his life, a very important time for children, in terms of their psychological makeup. Even more important because they don't quite remember it," Dr. Thomas explained, in his slow, condescending voice. Jason turned away from him, back towards the window. "It's ironic that you, of all people, would be unable to understand that. But I can understand why. It's part of what we talked about last night, with the extent of the brain damage. You've done remarkable for all your limitations. I'm amazed you can function at all."

"And what am I supposed to say, thank you? Why are you still here, talking about this?"

"I'll go. Thank you for the comfortable room," the doctor said. "And I do hope you'll do what's best for Michael. His treatment is at a critical stage."

---

A branch struck the windshield of Courtney's already crashed car, cracking the glass. Pieces fell inward, dusting with her blond hair, as she lay unconscious across the steering wheel.

---

Elizabeth brought Lucky to his feet. "There are things we need to talk about first – serious things. Before we take that step."

"Everything can fall into place."

"Life doesn't work that way," Elizabeth reminded him. "I think we should wait to decide on this...on marriage, until we see if I'm pregnant. And maybe until after the baby is born, if I am. I don't want to trap you in a situation you're not happy with. I don't want to fight like that."

"So, if you're not pregnant, you won't try again?"

"I didn't say that," she said softly. "But I will think about it. And we'll both think about this," she said, taking the ring from him. "Just tuck it away for now. I just want to know we're not trying to solve everything with one big gesture."

Lucky sighed, hurt, but also understanding that if he wanted to prove to Elizabeth he was really honest, that he would need to wait. "This discussion isn't over, though."

"I hope not," Elizabeth said softly, and he smiled, even though they both knew there might be harder days ahead. The lights did come back on, though, as they embraced.

---

Lorenzo and Carly lay in each others arms as the lights came back on. He was amazed at how quiet she could look in his arms, this feisty woman beside him. But they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Lorenzo sighed and began to dress. Carly pulled the sheet tight around her and sat up in bed.

He opened the door, just slightly, to keep Carly's privacy. "What do you want?" He asked, seeing Reese.

"I just thought I'd come up and tell you we're leaving."

"Bye," Carly called loudly, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"The bridge is fine to drive again," Reese added, "so everyone should be clearing out."

"Thanks," Lorenzo said, as if dismissing her as well. "I trust you and Mr. Corinthos can find your way out." He did start to dress, though. "I should get downstairs. To make sure this…event ends smoothly."

"Because it's gone so smoothly so far," Carly quipped, but she pulled out of the sheets and began dressing as well.

---

Jax came upstairs to knock on Alexis's door and found Ric, leaning against it. He smiled. Ric was asleep on the floor, against the door. "Ric, hey," he bent down to shake him on the shoulder. "Hey."

Ric started to wake, a bit startled. "Hey. Uh. Jax. What's up?"

"The bridge is clearing. You should be able to take Alexis to the hospital very soon, to get her checked out."

"That's good news," Ric said, looking visibly relieved. He let out a long breath. "Should we wake her now?"

"Yeah. In a minute," Jax said, sitting down next to the man. "Did you sleep out here all night?"

Rick was notably rumpled, understandably, with his jacket beside him and his pants wrinkled from sitting all night. Jax, for his part, was notably unwrinkled, but he had taken his bow tie off and put it in his jacket pocket.

Ric looked up at him and sighed, "Can't you tell?"

Jax laughed and nodded. "Standing guard?"

"Just didn't want to get too far," Ric answered. "I left after she fell asleep. She's a light sleeper." That part was a lie. He just hadn't known whether she would want him there, or not. He didn't know what to do with Alexis, or about Alexis, most of the time.

Jax squinted at him, knowingly. "You forget I was married to her. I lived with her. She always seemed like a pretty heavy sleeper to me."

"Things change, I guess." Ric said, rubbing his face and getting himself to his feet. "Maybe the pregnancy affects her sleeping patterns."

"Maybe," Jax said, standing up again.

"Anyway, I want to get her to a doctor. Make sure everything's alright."

"You can take the limo. It's on it's way back over the bridge now. I already called," Jax said. "Seeing as your car's in a ditch."

"Okay. Thanks. I'm sure Alexis will want to thank you, too." He gestured towards the door.

"Tell her I'll call her later. See how she's doing. I'm getting a ride home with Nikolas and Emily," Jax said. "Unless you need help getting her down the stairs."

"No. I think we'll be alright."

---

"My car's still here, so we can get out of here," Lucky said, staring outside. "It's cleared up all it needs to."

"Has someone told Alexis?" Elizabeth asked.

Nikolas entered and heard the last few words. "Yeah, I was just up there. Jax just finished telling Ric. She and Ric are taking Jax's limo to the hospital."

Lucky still winced at the mention of Jax, but tried not to show it. He wasn't willing to lose Elizabeth over this argument, not now.

"Good. Well, then, yeah, we should get home. I really want to get home to Cam," Elizabeth agreed with Lucky. "I'll go get my purse. I set it down in the living room."

"You'll be okay, getting home."

"Yeah, I just need to track Emily down, and then we're leaving, too."

"You guys doing okay?"

Nikolas let out a long sigh. "No. You guys?"

"Better now. Hopefully. I just hope she isn't pregnant."

"Think of everything you had to get through to be together again."

"You, too," Lucky reminded Nikolas.

"Yeah. Why is it you never think... when you start out, you never imagine it could get this hard," Nikolas said, but then he answered his own question. "Probably because it looks so much easier from the outside. Just look at me and Emily." He sounded like a kid, just finding out there are no fairy tales, no Easter Bunny, no magic in the world.

Lucky just shrugged at his brother. It was hard to believe Nikolas had never learned the lesson sooner.

---

Monica found Alan outside, in what was left of the rose garden after the hurricane. He had been sitting there calmly for hours, even though it was raining.

Monica knew Alan well enough to know something was up. Lately, he had seemed less himself, another mood swing, longer this time. Ever since AJ's initial disappearance and murder, and now Lila's death, they'd been fighting each other, so they wouldn't have to fight anything else.

Looking at the wreckage of the hurricane felt cleansing. Monica felt she could empathize with the poor roses. "Have you been sitting out here all this time? You're soaked through, Alan."

"Look at this mess," he said, instead of answering her. "We were lucky to have made it home before it got any worse last night."

She sat down next to him. It was still raining, but only barely. "Yes. Just imagine being stranded in that house. Though, it's only barely worse than being stranded with this family." She was light, though, joking, and he smiled.

"Just barely."

Monica sighed, feeling very old suddenly. "When you want to talk about it, we can."

"About what?"

"Whatever's bothering you lately." Monica looked at her husband. "I know we haven't seemed…close lately."

"Have we ever been close, Monica?" He sounded almost cryptic. She couldn't know he was thinking about secrets. How many he'd had. Not that she hadn't had her share.

"God, I hope so," she said. "We've wasted an awful lot of years otherwise."

He looked at her for a moment. "I've been thinking I should get away. Thinking of resigning at the hospital. Since mother's death, especially. And A.J."

"Oh," She said. She started to stand up.

"But, maybe, we should both go," he added. "See what there really is outside of this madhouse."

She softened. At least he had asked. "I don't know." She had things she didn't want to leave. Emily. The hospital.

"You don't have to decide right away. I've just been thinking, like I said," he said softly, pushing the edge of a broken branch with his shoe.

---

Skye was drinking coffee on her porch, from the Lake House, when she saw him approach, walking through the remnants of the hurricane.

"You always return to the scene of the crime," she said, teasing. "What brings you back now?"

"The company," Luke said, smiling. He sat down in a chair beside her, out of the rain, under her porch. "Did you sleep much?"

"No. Not at all. Too loud."

"Yeah. Tracy snored through it, but I've been rattling around all night. Always been a night person anyway."

"Me, too," Skye admitted. "Though I've fought it."

"Not much left of the storm."

"No," she said, "not much." She paused, sighing as she finished the last of her coffee. "Why not tell me what you're really doing over here? You didn't walk all the way over in the rain for a chat."

"Sure I did," Luke said, smiling. "But that doesn't mean I don't have anything important to say. I was hoping for a good scheme."

"To do what?"

"Get the money Tracy owes me back from E.L.Q. Thought you might want to help me out, Blaze. I'm getting restless with the situation," he said. "And I never was a patient man."

---

Bobbie sunk down, onto a chair in the nurses' lounge, feeling exhausted, but mostly low. She'd been doing paperwork for all the hurricane injuries all night, but still not able to attend to patients because of the ongoing law suit. Her days were full of paperwork now, that and legal discussions.

She sighed. No need for changing. She hadn't been in scrubs, without patients. She just grabbed her purse and started to leave. Hopefully, the hurricane had lightened, gotten far enough away for her to leave.

As she was leaving, however, she saw an orderly wheeling Alexis in, with Ric not two steps behind at any time, and stopped to walk with them.

"What's wrong? Are you two okay?"

They were all walking towards the E.R.

"We thought Alexis might be going into labor," Ric said quietly. "But the contractions stopped. Just stress. But now, she's losing amniotic fluid."

Bobbie nodded, not showing worry. "Last I heard, Dr. Meadows was still here. I'll page her to the E.R." She looked at Alexis briefly. "You'll be okay. You're probably fine if it's just oligohydramnios, which I'm sure it is. It's very common."

"Thanks," Alexis told Bobbie, as Bobbie left, to page their obstetrician for them.

"See, it's common," Ric said, not looking any more relieved himself.

Alexis still couldn't help feeling there was something wrong, and, honestly, neither could he.

Bobbie was on her way to page Dr. Meadows when she saw the main door to the emergency room open. She recognized the blond girl on the gurney immediately, and it stopped her mid-dial.

---

Elizabeth and Lucky entered their darkened living room to hear only the sound of Cameron wailing. Lucky tried turning the lights on, but the power was still out at their apartment.

"Grams?" Elizabeth called, as she went first into Cameron's room. "Oh, no, Lucky," she shouted from the nursery.

Lucky ran in.

Cameron was in his crib, shivering and crying. The window was broken, and branches lay on the water-stained carpet next to an unconscious Audrey.