A/N: Everything on the show has happened, up to 2/11/05, as background for the story. The first few chapters tie up the current trend of the storylines and lead into where I want the stories to go. Each chapter is written like an episode. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters on GH, or the initial storylines. This is simply where I want GH to take the storylines they started for February sweeps. The new characters that I add along the way are my original creations – the twisted ideas of a novice writer!

Chapter 1

Liz stood outside of Lucky's hospital room, trying her best to keep the tears at bay. Emily was at his bedside, sobbing uncontrollably, and Liz's heart broke for her but also for herself. She was watching the two most important people in her life slip away to tragedy and grief and felt powerless to stop it. She knew going to Emily again would be a mistake – she barely admitted Connor raped her after the scene with Steven; in fact, she still hadn't said the word "rape." Liz knew she would do as Emily asked, and help her fight the darkness that she understood all too well, but she couldn't do it alone.

"Hey, Em – I need to make rounds, but I'll be back soon," Liz said softly, as she walked back into Lucky's room and announced her presence.

"Ok…I mean, sure," Emily said, never turning her face toward Elizabeth. She may know what happened, but Emily still couldn't bare the thought of everyone seeing her fall apart. She knew she was strong, somewhere inside, even if she couldn't feel it anymore.

"Are you going to stay here?" Liz asked, moving slightly closer to Emily, and cautiously placing her arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

If only that were possible, Liz thought, as she left the room. God, I hope she'll forgive me for this.

Maria walked toward Kelly's absentmindedly, half-hoping Diego would be there, and half-hoping he wouldn't. Her son was very much like her and Lorenzo – hard on people and not easy to extend forgiveness to someone who wronged him. That was what attracted me to Lorenzo in the first place, she thought. The brut strength he displayed in the very way he walked made Maria know this man meant business – all day, every day – and he wasn't the type not to get his way. Shaking these thoughts from her head, she approached Kelly's entrance and said a quick prayer of thanks, as she saw it virtually empty, and no sign of Diego. She ordered a cup of coffee and sat at the counter, eyes roaming the newspaper. Looking for a job is exactly what I need to be thinking about… "Not Lorenzo," she said quietly.

"Trust me, I've told myself that about a million times this morning already," a voice behind Maria called out. Lois stood, pointedly looking at Maria.

At that exact moment, Brook Lyn and Diego, hand in hand, walk to the door of Kelly's, ready for lunch, before heading to the studio.

"Great, she's everywhere," Diego announced, seeing Maria at the counter, "and she's talking to your mom right now. I bet they're trying to figure out another way to break us up. I swear…," he broke of as he went to enter the diner and tell his mother where she and everyone else in the world could get off.

Brook grabbed his arm, "Look, I know my dad was just a jerk to you, but my ma isn't like that, ok? And even if she tries," Brook said, turning Diego's head toward hers, "didn't I tell you no one can stop me from being with you?"

"Yeah, but," Diego started.

"But nothing, alright! Look, let's go somewhere else to eat, and then see what Georgie and Dillon are up to. I kinda feel like getting Dillon away from the family today anyway – because of AJ's death and all."

"I'm sorry, Brook. Are you ok?" Diego asked, putting his hand to her cheek.

"Yeah, let's just go," Brook responded, but she felt a little off talking to Diego about her dead cousin – or anyone for that matter. Since she came to Port Charles, she hadn't spent much time with her family, and now one of them was dead. How was she supposed to feel?

"I'm WHAT?" Alexis couldn't believe Tony was speaking to her. "Look, I understand the hospital is very busy, but Doctor Jones, don't you think it's in the very least the best legal interest of the hospital for all the doctors to have the correct charts when they examine a patient? Next you're going to tell me I've been in a coma for days…" she cut off, realizing she had just described Lucky's condition and instantly regretted her words. She noticed Tony just letting her go on and on. "Don't stare at me like that! Why does everyone stare at me like that – Listen to me! I am not pregnant!"

"So you haven't had sex in the last 4 weeks?" Tony asked her, with a slight smile forming on the corners of his mouth.

"That is none of your business," Alexis huffed, "and I don't have time to indulge in this fantasy while my child is still missing!"

"Call it what you like Alexis," Tony said, becoming more serious, "but you are pregnant, and you have to take it easy. Thatfall could have cost you your other child's life."

"What other child?" Ric asked from the door.

(Flashback)

So, when I first saw this, I said to myself, "Kristina would love this." You want me to open it? You want me to open it? All right. Whoa. You see this? I was walking on the sand, right, and it was washed up on the beach. And usually they got holes in them because they got scratches, but this one is perfectly beautiful, just like you are. You want to hear what's inside of there? Put that to your ear here, this way. Here, no, this way. I don't want to hurt you. You can't really do it because you're too small. But what's in there are the waves and the ocean. Let me see. Yeah, there it is. Can you hear that? Shh. Yeah. You know what? One day, I'm going to take you to the island. Would you like that? A little bit? But you know what? You're going to be visiting here with your brothers a lot. You can play with your brothers; you can spend a lot of time with your papa. Because we missed two years, but you know what? We got the rest of our lives together.

(End Flashback)

"God," Sonny whispered to himself, clinching both fists. I made her a promise I couldn't keep, and now even bargaining with the Almighty may not save…

"Sonny, have you been listening to me at all?" Reese demanded his attention.

"Why should I, huh? So far, you've done nothing but follow me and ask questions you know damn well I'm not going to answer, shoot my best friend, and come up with stupid scenarios that aren't helping my daughter! Now it's 'I know she's a woman' – what the hell is next?"

"What's next is you tell me what woman in your life – besides Sam, since you suddenly believe her innocence – would want to hurt you more than anything? I'm sure the list goes on and on, but try to think, if you can muster up the capacity." Reese snapped. What the hell did Durant set me up with here, she wondered. "Alexis is out – she wouldn't be able to put up an act this long – so who else? "Another ex lover…what about Carly?"

"Carly would never keep me away from my daughter! Don't you ever accuse her of anything you understand me?" Sonny's voice was low and controlled, but the rage behind it was undeniable. Reese knew she more than hit a sensitive spot; she had struck right at his heart.

"THEN WHO ELSE! I can't ask about business, so it must be personal! Unless…did you ever mix business with pleasure?" Reese's mind began reviewing everything Durant told her about Sonny, all the files of his activity in the past few years.

"Never." Sonny retorted. "I am – was – married."

"What about Faith Roscoe?"

"Jason, Jason, Jason," Faith spoke lazily and contented, "you would have been so much better off working for – and with – me. Do you remember – you almost had me once," she smiled and climbed on top of Jason's ailing body, straddling him and making sure to cock her gun in his ear. "Just like this."

Jason, alert at her presence, turned his head away when Faith moved toward his mouth. "And I would have killed you then, just like I would now. You're nothing, Faith, and you know it better than anyone can ever tell you." His eyes were piercing blue right into hers, even through the pain, and Faith felt each word he had said like a knife in her heart.

"Well, I'll be sure to let Sonny know you really were just as faithful as ever," Faith said quickly. "He may doubt me though, but I guess that's just something you'll scowl over in Hell." She raised the gun to his chest, but pulled back. "Now why would I shoot something that doesn't exist," she laughed and slowly and purposefully raised the gun right between Jason's eyes. He refused to flinch.

"You so much as breathe on that trigger, you'll be tap dancing with the devil before I let this fall to the floor." Sam articulated with a deadly tone, as she pressed Jason's gun into the back of Faith's head. "Get the hell off him now, and slowly turn around because I want to enjoy killing you."

Faith rose from Jason's body, and Jason grunted as the pain shot through his side again. He watched as Sam spun Faith around and kept the gun trained on her head. The girl's got skill, he admitted to himself. "Sam," he winced, "the.."

"Here's the medicine. Go to the kitchen and take it. I got this," Sam smiled ruefully at Faith, who had placed her hands at her side. "Did I say you could put your hands down? Move over there, and if your heels land wrong on the floorboard I'm pulling this trigger with no remorse, got me?"

Faith moved, but couldn't resist. "First Jax, then Sonny, now Jason…I guess a hooker's gotta keep herself busy, and you do know how to pick 'em. So what's he like? I was just about to find out when you interrupted us, but you have a tendency of coming between people, don't you, midget?"

"I knew you wanted to die, Faith, but I didn't think you would make it that easy for me," Sam said, and cocked the gun.

"Sam, wait!" Jason exclaimed, with a cordless phone in his hand. "She has Kristina!"

"Hi, hi!" Kristina waved happily from the top of the stairs at Faith, Sam, and Jason.

Brook Lyn and Diego exit the elevator on the 10th floor of General Hospital, finding Georgie and Dillon sitting in the hub near the nurses' station.

"I didn't know him at all, except for him stealing money from the family, and now everyone's more focused on blaming Courtney for killing AJ than actually attending his memorial – which is, like, tomorrow," Dillon said, dejected. "I mean, I don't think she did it, but God, could they care more about someone being dead than who to blame?"

"What are you talking about? Courtney wouldn't kill anyone!" Diego shouts, only hearing parts of Dillon's conversation.

"Hey! Dillon didn't say that, and you're eavesdropping on a private conversation anyway," Georgie stood up suddenly to face Diego and Brook. "Why don't you leave? You've been nothing but trouble since you got here."

"Where do you get off, Georgie!" Brook exclaimed. "Diego was just defending Courtney. You have no right to talk to him like that!"

"Yeah, the only time you care about what anyone has to say is when it's about Diego!" Georgie barked back. "He got us all thrown in jail in another country, you're missing auditions and throwing away your future on someone who trashed his foster mom when he stayed with her, but now wants to defend her? Please, give me a break! Shouldn't you be consoling your family right now instead of defending this…"

"ENOUGH!" Dillon shouted, and stormed off. "Dillon, wait!" Georgie ran after him, leaving Brook and Diego staring at their disappearing figures.

"Don't listen to her, ok? You are so great – Georgie's just mad and she takes it-" Brook began.

Diego cut her off. "What missed auditions? What was she talking about Brook? Is that really why your father had me arrested?"

Liz walked purposefully toward the nurses' station. She mulled over again in her mind what she was about to do. Emily could hate her for it, and she certainly didn't want to cause more heartbreak for the Quartermaines. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't feel Monica walk up behind her.

"Liz, I thought you would be with Lucky right now. Your shift doesn't start for another 30 minutes." Monica said, worried. She knew Liz shouldn't be working at all if she was this distracted, but she wasn't going to say anything. She would speak to Bobbie about it later.

"Emily is with him now, Dr. Quartermaine." Liz said slowly. If this is a sign, she thought. "I thought you left to prepare for the memorial."

Monica's eyes welled up slightly, but she blinked away the tears. "I can't even think about it for more than a few moments at a time. I know when they bring his body…" she paused to collect herself, "his body back, it will just be too real. And with Jason hurt and on the run too –"

Liz began to cry quietly. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Quartermaine."

Monica looked at Elizabeth a little surprised. "It's ok, Elizabeth. I'm just thankful Emily has you, and Lucky, too. You've helped her so much through her ordeal with Nikolas and killing Connor when I couldn't." Monica thought she was reassuring, but her words only made Liz cry harder than before. "What, Liz…what is it?"

"Dr. Quartermaine, I didn't want to… you have enough to worry about right now," Liz said through her falling tears. "I just don't know how…"

"Liz, if I can help my daughter, tell me," Monica exclaimed, fear growing in the pit of her stomach. "I may not be able to help AJ, or Jason for that matter, but I will do anything to help Emily, you know that."

Liz breathed deeply. "Dr. Quartermaine, I've tried to help all I can, but you need to know, so that you can support her too. She needs it," Liz stated and inhaled again. "Emily killed Connor the night he attacked… the night he raped her."

Bobbie, Luke and Skye stood outside Lucky's room, watching Emily rub his hand while the ventilator made his chest rise and fall.

"Barbara, I know you want to believe Lucky can recover," Luke began.

"He can recover and he will! Luke, what has happened to you? It's like you refuse to fight for your family – and that is not the Luke Spencer I know!" Bobbie stated.

She was right, and Luke knew it. He had lost the fight he had, because he didn't have anything to fight for anymore. He got all his strength, all his resolve, even his humor, from his family, but there was no one to put a brave face on for now. His beloved Laura couldn't recognize him from anyone of the orderlies that changed her bedpans, and his son was even worse. To be hopeless almost felt fitting in the situation, but he couldn't tell the two redheads standing before him that. No, they expected the Luke Spencer front that he portrayed the past few years, they even mistook it for courage and depended on it.

"I'm going to get Emily and see if I can't get her to rest a while in the lounge," Skye interjected, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible. She loved Luke, but knew this was about his family, and she respected him enough to let him have that, separate from their relationship. She also recognized the fighting spirit that was nowhere to be found in Luke features since Helena almost killed him this last time, but she didn't want to believe it was true.

"Emily, hey, maybe we should let Luke and Bobbie in here for a while," Skye said from the door. "We can get some hot chocolate from the lounge and rest a while, huh?"

Emily walked with Skye, past Luke and Bobbie. She had heard their arguing, but she was so overwhelmed by it all she kept rubbing Lucky's hand as if doing so would drown out their voices and the ones in her head. Even when she focused on the present, instead of that awful night, she thought of Nikolas still in prison, AJ stabbed to death, and Jason shot. Could it get any worse? She needed to find her mother.

"Jason! Jason! Dammit," Sonny slammed the phone down and brushed past Reese to grab his coat.

"What happened? What the hell," Reese started to tear into Sonny again, but he grabbed her by the arm, threw her coat to her and ushered her to the car.

"Jason and Sam found Faith," he shouted in her direction. "She was at Rollo's apartment, and tried to kill Jason. He thinks she has Kristina."

"Makes sense, but why would she go back to…"

"Wait a minute – how did you know about Faith, anyway? Or you gonna tell me it's just a coincidence that you mention her as Jason calls and tells me she has Kristina?" Sonny stopped at his car and turned on Reese. "You've been trying to work me all along! You're working with her – she takes my daughter while you try to destroy my business!" Sonny lunged for Reese's throat, but she easily pushes him off and subdues him onto the car. Their faces inches apart, she coldly remarked, "Now, you want your daughter dead before we get to her, you can keep accusing me, or we can go get her together." The angry heat was something Sonny had felt before – it could melt the ice on his windshield, but he could only think about Kristina right now.

"Get the hell off him now!" Carly shrieked, and Reese backed away, and Sonny caught the familiar jealous look that Carly still shot any woman within 10 feet of him.

"Carly, get in the car, get Alexis and Ric on the phone – we're going to get Kristina." Sonny said, staring darkly right into Reese's equally vehement eyes.

"She has Kristina! You can't…" Jason shouted, as he dropped the phone he used to call Sonny instead of taking his medication.

"Hi, hi!" Kristina waved happily from the top of the stairs at Faith, Sam, and Jason.

"Kristina," Sam called out as she looked at the little girl. In that split second, Sam slightly lowered Jason's gun and accidentally squeezed her already poised finger. Faith yelled out in pain. Shot her right shoulder, she lunged for Sam, as Jason ran toward the women. He knew his gun had six bullets and if another one went off, he wasn't going to chance it would hit Faith in the block of ice she called a heart. Jason pulled Sam from the ground, and realized Faith had the gun positioned at Sam's torso with her left hand.

"Go! Get Kristina out of here!" he yelled, and Sam leapt over the couch and bound up the stairs toward Kristina. She held the little girl tight and carried her to the corner, covering her ears.

"Jason, no!" Sam cried, when she saw Faith pull up, using the couch for support, and push Jason's gun into his body.

"Now, I'm going to enjoy killing you," Faith laughed in Jason's pained face, as he looked toward Sam's terrified eyes and Kristina's curious ones, playing idly in Sam's hair. "Say bye, bye, Borg."

BANG! BANG! BANG!