Note: I mistakenly, in the last chapter had Stephen call Arielle "mom" (say "mom and dad" actually to Elizabeth) and she's not his mother, (I'm pretty sure he's Stephen Lars Webber from back in the day, right?) but I didn't deal with it; let's just suggest he has no one else to call mom, and calls her that, despite the fact that she's his step-mother.

-Alison

Chapter Two

Baby Steps

---

"That grief is light which can still take counsel."

-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

---

"That's a long story and it doesn't really matter now anyway," Courtney said, and Carly could hear in her voice what had happened.

Everyone thought Courtney was mourning her face – but Carly had known there had to be more. That wasn't Courtney. Now, Carly understood what Courtney had lost – it wasn't sculpted cheekbones or a beautiful nose; she'd lost a child. Another one.

"But how? I thought – "

"Yeah, I lost a miracle," Courtney said softly. "The odds were against me. 90 chance against it. They couldn't find a viable egg when they went looking, but apparently, there was at least one somewhere in there. The doctor confirmed that I was, back in Manhattan. Only barely. Less than a month. And he warned me," she said, but then she paused, lost in herself, in the memory. "He said there was a good chance I couldn't carry it to term. That I shouldn't get my hopes up too high. Guess he was right, though I don't think this was what he meant."

Carly could hear in her voice that her friend was at least close to tears, but there was a mess of gauze, a haze of wrappings that kept her from seeing her friend's expression. Not that she needed to see it, or even hear it – she could feel it.

There wasn't anything left to say, so she reached out for her friend's hand and held on. Courtney squeezed her hand back.

---

Mac sighed, holding Maxie's cell phone in his hands. He was sitting on the staircase at home, alone, in an empty house. Everyone else was at the hospital, but he needed to think.

He wanted to keep his promise to her, but he couldn't talk to Jesse yet. As a law enforcement officer, he wasn't sure if he should even listen to her voice recordings – it was illegal to tape someone's speech, and certainly inadmissible in court. But he'd promised her he'd listen.

He scrolled to find the voice recordings. There was only one, taking up the full ninety seconds her phone would hold. He couldn't imagine how she could have recorded anything in ninety seconds that proved Jesse's innocence.

"Okay, Maxie, let's see what you've got," he said softly, hitting play. There was a jumble of static, motion, fiddling, at first. Then, finally, halfway through, he heard voices:

Murphy: (steely) I'm not doing anything. All I'm doing is stopping a fugitive.

Jesse: Come on, man. Put the gun down.(pause) We don't want any trouble. Just put the gun down.

(scuffle, shots, and then the tape cuts off)

Mac's eyes flashed at the sounds of shots. Whatever – or whomever – he was to believe, or what he had actually heard in there, he couldn't know. Was Murphy threatening? It was possible, sounded so, but the tape was too short. What he did know was clear: Murphy had been there when Maxie was shot.

Mac set the cell phone down on an end table on his way out the door.

---

"You look exhausted," Bobbie said as she watched Elizabeth drop off another chart. "Are you feeling okay? Audrey's doing much better now. I was just in there," she offered.

"Yeah. I saw her on my break," Elizabeth said softly. She tried smiling at Bobbie, but the room felt a little uneven, still. "I just feel a little – "

But she couldn't finish for two reasons. One, because she had to rush away, towards the ladies room to avoid throwing up on counter of the Nurses' station. And two, because a person should never say a little pregnant.

Bobbie walked after her for a moment, just to check and see if Elizabeth was okay. But she waited outside the restroom door for a few minutes first, to give the girl some privacy. After a moment, she stepped in.

By that time, Elizabeth was putting water on her face.

"You okay, Lizzie?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Bobbie. I'm okay." She paused. "Hey, how quick do you think they'd be able to work me in at the lab, for a pregnancy test."

Bobbie looked surprised for a moment, but then nodded. "Let me see if we can't get one done after your shift."

"Thanks." Elizabeth answered, and Bobbie left. Elizabeth stared at her face in the mirror, wondering how she felt about the room spinning. A week ago, she knew what she wanted the answer to be, knew what she was doing, or at least thought she did. Today, she wasn't sure what she wanted or didn't want.

In her contemplation, another wave of nausea overtook her, and she rushed back into the stall to throw up again.

---

Sam nearly runs into Emily in the hospital. Emily's just come from her therapy session, and hasn't quite put her brave face on yet, and Sam notices.

"Something wrong?" Sam asks, momentarily forgetting the reason she'd come.

"No. Just the day to day," Emily said. "What are you doing here?"

Sam looks at Emily for a moment before she answers, as if considering whether to tell her the truth or not. She decides yes. Emily is her friend. Emily won't rat her out. "Maybe you can help," she starts. "I need to get Jason's medical records."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just something strange." Sam paused. "It's all this stuff with Dr. Thomas. Jason hates him, which makes sense, but at the same time, everything that Dr. Thomas says about Jason, it's almost like…Jason believes him. And Dr. Thomas is always digging for Jason's memories, and – I just have an instinct. I want to see exactly what is supposed to be wrong with Jason."

Emily listens and nods. "Okay, but Sam, even if you steal Jason's medical records, what are you going to do with them. I mean, you'd need a neurologist to understand it."

"Couldn't you help?"

"I'm just in school," Emily said. "I don't think – I don't know anything about neurology. I don't think I could. I could get books on it, but we wouldn't get that kind of time with his records, and even then, there are things that are more complicated… Look, if you want, I could talk to my parents, ask them about the accident –"

Sam sighed. "No. No offense, Emily, but I don't trust your parents any more than I trust Dr. Thomas."

"What are you looking for?"

"I don't know, but it feels like I should know something. Jason doesn't really know anything about the accident, and Dr. Thomas keeps bringing it up. Something happened. Do you know what?"

"All I know is that A.J. was driving drunk, crashed into a tree, with Jason in the car. And I know Jason woke up, and wasn't the same man, and my family couldn't accept that."

"Nothing about what happened when Jason was in the hospital? Or who brought Dr. Thomas to treat him?"

"No. I wasn't here then," Emily said, then paused. "But if you want to know anything about it and you don't trust my parents – and I'm not sure I blame you there," she said, thinking, "the best thing I can think to do is ask my cousin, Ned. I'm not sure if he'll tell you anything or not, but if it was family business, he probably knows about it. He took responsibility for the accident back then, so that A.J. wouldn't get arrested for driving drunk."

"I don't want him getting the Quartermaines all guarded, in a huff," Sam said quietly. "Do you think I can trust him?"

"I'll talk to him if you want. I'll make it seem like it's me wondering."

"You sure you don't mind?"

"What are friends for," Emily said. "I'll call you later," She promised Sam before leaving. "Just don't do anything stupid like trying to break in for those files."

Sam didn't answer that. She just turned back towards the direction she'd been walking. She stopped when she was near the chief of staff's office.

Alan's office. She thought it was as good a place as any to look for something on Jason's medical files. She tried the doorknob. Not locked. Good, she figured, she was in luck.

"Probably won't find anything," she muttered.

---

Sarah Webber found Dr. Alan Quartermaine in the hallway. "Am I still supposed to meet you in your office, or have you gotten pulled away?" She asks, noting he has a medical chart in his hands.

"No, no. I've got your resume in here somewhere, Dr. Webber, and I've spoken with the board about the neurological research you want to work on here at the hospital. They were very impressed with your recent work overseas. We have a lot to talk about," he answered. "Just give me an extra fifteen minutes or so. You can wait in my office. It should be open."

Sarah Webber did walk past him, towards his office.

---

Sam was going through the filing cabinet when she heard the door open behind her. Not knowing what else to do, she quickly ducked under the desk. But Sarah Webber had already seen her, and the blond girl started laughing.

"I suggest you come out. Someone's going to notice you down there eventually. Plus, you left the filing cabinet open."

Sam sighs as she pulls herself up. "I must be losing my touch."

---

Reese locked the door to the woman's restroom as she entered. She moved quickly from one stall to the next, pushing at each of the doors, searching to make sure the room was clear. No one there.

She pulled out her cell phone. She'd been going to public places to make these calls lately. It was only two days ago, she'd found the first bug. She couldn't know how much they'd picked up of the whole "Charlotte," story she'd been telling Ric, and she couldn't even be truly sure who was listening.

"Hey. It's me." She said, as the person answered. "Yeah, I'm somewhere safe. I haven't found any new bugs. I destroyed the last one pretty naturally. Watered the plant a little too much. Think I shorted it. Stupid place to put it," she said, sighing. "But I'm not really getting anywhere."

She paced as she listened.

"No, I don't think Sonny planted the bug, at least not if it was working recently. Sonny would have confronted me about the Charlotte crap already. He's an explosive man. I think he'll forgive me that, if he finds out. Ric Lansing might tell him at any time. But that's part of the plan, right?"

She stopped pacing and leaned against the sink.

"Okay. Well, I'm getting closer, but at the same time, never close enough. Seems like Sonny trusts me, but he never lets his women get involved in business, and he keeps his paper trail well away from me."

She tapped her heel as she listened to the response.

"Yeah, well, trust is important. Who would have guessed that the best way to get in was to be an FBI agent from the beginning? What kind of stupid crime boss gets involved with an FBI agent in the first place? Even an ex-FBI agent?" She clucked her tongue, smiling, her face different, gaining real humor. "Hubris. Exactly."

---

"Hey. Look what I brought you," Ric entered Alexis's hospital room, carrying Kristina. He stopped, a tiny bit surprised at the sight of Jax, but not completely. But he nodded his head at Jax in greeting.

Alexis smiled as Ric brought Kristina around.

"Thought it would be better than flowers."

"Definitely is," Alexis agreed. "Hey, baby," she said, as Kristina climbed up next to her, from Ric's arms. "I swear you've grown," she told the girl, and Ric and Jax laughed.

"It's been two days," Ric said, but he smiled.

"Maybe I always imagine her tinier."

Jax was watching them, unsure whether he should leave his chair. Not really wanting to leave the hospital, and not having much hope of getting through to Courtney, he stayed a minute longer, watching Kristina. Kristina, for her part, looked completely absorbed with Alexis's hair.

"Curly. Like mine," Kristina said, as if approving the style.

"Yes, it is. A little more matted than yours, though, honey," Alexis said, laughing. She hadn't been given a mirror knew she couldn't look quite her best at the moment. "Have you been good for Viola today?"

Kristina looked confused for a moment. "I like Viola," she said, as if at a loss to answer the actual question.

Alexis knew immediately that something was up, though her first thought was that her girl had finesse. It wasn't often you get an evasive response from a three year old. "Hasn't she been with Viola, in the apartment?" Alexis asked Ric quietly. She knew the little girl had been until yesterday, still safe at home.

He sighed. A fight was the last thing he'd wanted when he came there. "She was, mostly. But she stayed at Graystone this morning. Once Sonny found out they were still holding you, he thought she belonged with him while you were in the hospital." He almost added, And I didn't tell him you were still here. But he didn't feel like being on the defensive, going round for round on this one. Especially not in front of Kristina. Or Jax, for that matter, who was still sitting a few feet away.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was calm, almost light. She was careful not to raise her voice, or sound shrill in front of Kristina. She put her other arm around the little girl, as if to shield her. But Kristina still looked on the adults with wide eyes, as if she knew something was going wrong right in front of her.

"What were you going to do?" Ric pointed out. "Unlimited visitation, remember. Reinstated. I thought it was better not to get you upset."

"Jax," Alexis said quietly. "Would you mind taking Kristina for a few minutes, maybe down to the cafeteria for something, so Ric and I can talk?"

"Sure," Jax agreed, standing. He offered Kristina his hand. "You want a ride on Uncle Jax's shoulders?"

Kristina giggled, charmed, and nodded, taking his hand. He lifted her to his shoulders and left Ric and Alexis to their fight.

"She's not sleeping there, is she?" Still, keeping her voice even.

"I imagine that Sonny will expect it, seeing as you're not going home."

Alexis started to sit upright, and looked about ready to bolt out of bed.

"Oh, that's a great idea," Ric said. "Let's jeopardize the health of our child, and you, just to stick it to Sonny."

"No one said I was getting up or going home," she said. "I just can't think like that. That is the world's worst position, let me tell you. I feel like a deranged pretzel, and that puts me in no condition to figure out a plan."

"What plan? The mother's in the hospital, the kid stays with the father. While I understand your reservations about Sonny, there's no real case for changing that plan."

"You could talk to him. Suggest keeping Kristina at the apartment, in her own bed. That makes sense, too. Days are one thing, but nights…"

Ric nodded. As much as he didn't want to get involved, he couldn't think of any better solution. "Okay. I'll try."

Alexis almost looked a little surprised, but she smiled. "Thank you."

---

Skye glanced over the rose garden, suddenly overwhelmed by how much she missed Lila. And the influence Lila had brought to the mansion. She'd only come outside to get away from Tracy and Edward squabbling; she hadn't expected to get lost in thought. She'd wanted something more serene than thought.

Really, she wanted a drink, and this was the worst kind of wanting one, because nothing terrible had happened. No big explosion. Just a thousand little cracks in her skin, a feeling underneath herself, inside her skin, a heaviness. The worst kind of feeling. And it had her frozen in place, safe, here with the roses.

"You never told me what you thought of my suggestion."

It was Luke behind her, but she didn't turn around.

"I haven't thought a whole lot about it," she said quietly.

"I want out of marriage to Tracy. I thought you'd agree with me on that."

Skye knew he was trying to manipulate her, and furthermore, he knew she knew. He wasn't being subtle. That wasn't their way.

"I'm not sure why you haven't."

"Because she won't give me my money," Luke reminded her. "That's the whole reason for the suggestion in the first place. To take it. The fifteen million. Remember? The reason for my wedded bliss."

His 'suggestion' would probably bankrupt ELQ, and while sabotaging Tracy's power as CEO and pulling the rug out from under her would be wonderful, it would also hurt the rest of the family. She'd have to betray them to help Luke embezzle the money, and she wasn't sure it wasn't going to lead to further crushing of an already battered family. She had lied when she said she hadn't thought about it; she had. She was even pissed at Luke for even asking – had been for about five minutes, until she remembered: that was Luke. And he had never pretended otherwise.

She wanted to say all of that to him. Instead, she just said, "Your suggestion is complicated."

"Because you aren't sure we can pull it off, or because you're not sure you want to be involved in it?"

She wasn't ready to answer that question yet. "It's complicated in a lot of ways, Luke," was all she said, before she walked past him, back into the house.

Tracy and Edward were gone, and Skye found a strange sight instead: Brook Lynn, looking sad on the couch. Since Ned's teenage daughter was scarcely at the mansion, she found that strange.

"Brook? Are you okay?" Skye asked, sitting next to the girl.

Brook looked up. "Yeah. I was told Dillon was here this afternoon. But I guess he's already gone. I've been trying to track him down."

The teenage girl looked close to tears. Her hair was messy and behind her ears. Actually, it looked like she'd already cried. She just looked miserable. Skye knew how she felt.

"Oh. Yeah, he was here. Tracy kept bugging him about something. They were talking earlier, not sure about what. He's not at home?"

"No. Or Kelly's. Or the Pizza Shack. Or on the docks. And Georgie's at the hospital, with Maxie, but he's not there. It's okay, it's no big deal. I really just wanted – to talk to someone."

"I'm sure Ned would love to have a late lunch with you if you called L&B," Skye pointed out to the girl.

"Someone not either one of my parents," Brook said, sighing. Talking about Diego with Ned sounded completely unhelpful. "Dillon is good at cheering me up," she added.

"Yeah. Dillon's a great kid," Skye agreed. She looked at the girl for a long moment. "You could talk to me. I'm not funny, and I'm not your age, but I wouldn't tell anybody. And I definitely would have no right to judge."

Brook smiled a little and nodded, looking softer than usual. "Maybe," she said, as if considering. "Thanks."

"You want to go get something to eat? Get out of this house, maybe, for some girl talk. We can talk, not talk. Get ice cream? Shop? Manicures? Something?" Skye threw out suggestions with a soft, light tone.

Brook laughed. "Okay."

---

Carly sighed as she sat down in a chair in Lorenzo's study. She took off her shoes one by one, not speaking to him at first. He looked up from his desk, but he didn't speak either. Just studied her as she readied herself for words.

That was something Carly liked about him. The space he gave her to get ready. She thought about that now, as she tried. She felt heavy from talking to Courtney.

"I came from the hospital," she said finally. "I saw Courtney."

Lorenzo nodded. "Not good?"

"No." Carly wanted to unload the whole sorry story on him. What held her back wasn't the fact that it wasn't hers to unload, that it was private to Courtney, that Jax didn't even know. No, what held her back was she still could hardly speak.

"Will she be okay?"

"She'll live," Carly said. "I don't know how okay she'll be. It was pretty bad."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah." Carly just nodded, before burying her face in her hands.

---

Elizabeth sighed as she looked at the piece of paper in front of her. Well, it was official. No doubt left, and no time left to consider what she wanted in anything. She was pregnant.

---

Coming Up Next Time:

-The Webbers have a family dinner, but it's interrupted by some unsettling news.

-Elizabeth shares her news with Lucky, and they make an interesting decision.

-Sarah agrees to help Sam figure out what the Quartermaines, or Dr. T, are hiding.

-I actually begin using Justus, unlike the folks on GH.

-The police actually investigate something (Murphy/Jesse situation).

&More