A/N: Thanks for all the positive feedback! Here's the update - it was kind of difficult to get through, but please RR, and enjoy!

Chapter 3

Emily walked into the Quartermaine mansion, still blind with rage at Liz for betraying her confidence. Her eyes shifted aimlessly, wanting to break something, but knowing it was inappropriate and worse yet, that it would cause someone else to ask her questions. Alan walked out of the living room to find his daughter looking lost, and assumed she was grieving for her brother.

"Oh, honey," Alan spoke to Emily through tears, and embraced her. He noticed her body didn't feel warm or even upset, just hard and cold, even as she embraced him in return. "I know, I was angry too, but we'll get through his death together."

Emily hugged him, and relaxed slightly. She had cried for what seemed a lifetime, and now she wanted to cry more but didn't know how. She looked at her father's face, so tired and worn, and she only embraced him again, with much more earnest and sincerity this time, in the very spot she first danced with Nikolas after their wedding. How could so much happiness and sadness exist in the same place?

"Dad, I want to help," she said simply. "Jason is in the hospital, and Mom is looking after him, but she'll be home soon. Just tell me what I can fix… I mean, do for you."

"That goes for me, too," Lois said from the doorway, Ned right behind her. Though she had been silent on the way back to the mansion, Lois knew when to spring into action, and Ned was grateful for that.

"Emily, you're the only one Cook will let near her now," Alan said, with a glum half-smile. His eyes still raged over planning a memorial for his son, but lifelessness was setting in as well, making his whole face slump.

"I'll go ask her to make all of AJ's favorites, and the rest of the family's too," Emily said quickly. She was happy to not have to face anyone else for the time being.

"I'll call the church, make sure all the arrangements are in order before we get there," Lois chimed in.

"I think Tracy was doing that," Alan said, and Ned and Lois looked at each other.

"Well, I guess I can bite my tongue and go help her," Lois answered, not as cheerfully as before. She left Ned with Alan, and they were surprised not to hear any raised voices.

"Where's Grandfather?" Ned asked.

"He went out to Mother's garden, said he needed to be left alone," Alan commented, knowing his tirade of the family only an hour before had struck his father the most. Alan always blamed Edward for bullying AJ and dangling ELQ in front of him when he knew he would never surrender it to AJ. He didn't mean for his entire speech to be directed at his father, but somehow managed to do just that.

"What can I do, Alan?" Ned looked at his uncle somberly. He had never been close to Alan, but he desperately wanted to rid him of that lifeless look in his eyes.

"Tell me how to mourn my son," Alan choked out before breaking down in Ned's arms.

"Jason," Monica ran into the cubicle where Jason lay, still shaking and sweating. "Is he alright?" She looked at Sam, who was still holding his hand.

"The doctor said he was going to be fine," Sam responded, grabbing Monica's hand. "He took one pill, a little late, but right before the ambulance came, so he's still fighting the infection."

"What happened?" Monica looked at Sam quizzically. She was surprised the two of them were in the hospital without police escorts, especially Sam.

"That's what I want to know," Reese said, as Monica and Sam looked in her direction. "I'm here to take Ms. McCall and Mr. Morgan's statements."

"You will leave my son alone, or I will break you in half, do you understand me!" Monica shouted so loud, Reese jumped back. Sam held Monica back from Reese and moved her behind her back.

"Can you wait a damn day? Jason's obviously in no shape to talk, and I have no interest in discussing what happened with you until I know he's alright," Sam snapped and turned back to Jason, whose face was gaining color.

"You…want a … statement, fine," Jason sputtered, and tried to sit up. Monica pushed him back down.

"Sam, tell her, so she'll leave," Jason squeezed Sam's hand. "It's ok."

"Alright," Sam turned toward Reese, "Jason and I went to Rollo's apartment looking for clues. We thought we found one but Jason's condition was getting worse, so I came here to get medicine from his mother. I took Jason's gun for protection, and when I got back I saw Faith sitting on top of him. I held her at gun point, we argued and I wanted to kill her," Sam stopped, wondering how much she was incriminating herself. What the hell, she thought. "I cocked the gun, to scare her, and Jason yelled for me not to shoot, that Faith had Kristina. All of a sudden, we heard Kristina say 'hi' from the top of the stairs. I accidentally pulled the trigger and shot Faith in the shoulder and then we wrestled for the gun." Sam looked at Jason, who nodded with his eyes closed. "Jason pulled me away from Faith and I grabbed Kristina at the stairs. I was afraid she would fall." Sam finished.

"And you called Sonny? When?" Reese asked Jason, who was trying to gain his composure. He hated being questioned by a Fed, and even more so because he looked weak in front of her.

"Sam…" he breathed laboriously, "she got me the medicine, and told me to take it in the kitchen. Instead of taking the medicine, I called Sonny. Then I came in the room, and saw Kristina at the stairs, and Faith and Sam. It all happened like she said," he said between short breaths.

"Are you satisfied now? You need to leave, now," Monica ordered Reese.

"Fine," Reese retorted, "anything else you have to add can be done later." She walked out of the area, and headed toward the station.

"Thank you Monica," Sam started, but Monica cut her off. "Sam I need to speak to Jason, alone, for a moment please." Sam nodded, a little worried, but kissed Jason's hand and pulled the curtain behind her.

"Jason, I'm so relieved you're alright," Monica teared at the thought of losing two sons in one day. "I wanted to be the one to tell you…"

Jason looked at her. Though he was in a lot of pain, he could see that hers was much deeper. Deeper than asking him to be part of the Quartermaines, than being her son again, which she normally asked of him – literally or with her eyes – when they were alone together. He reached out for her hand.

"AJ memorial is today," Monica said softly, as her body began to heave with tears. "He's been cremated, and we're having his memorial at St. Timothy's. I know you don't feel like he's your brother, but I wanted to tell you anyway."

"Monica –" Jason stopped. "Mom, I'm sorry."

She cried harder when she heard him speak, and rested her sobbing body on his side. He just stroked her back silently. After a while, she moved to get up. "You need your rest, and I have to go."

"I'll be there…if you need me to be." Jason offered. He hated dealing with the Quartermaines on any other day, but when it came to losing one of their own, they banded together like a real family. He often wondered what they would do now, if he were suddenly gone, like AJ.

"You should stay in the hospital," Monica replied, her eyes brimming with tears. She didn't know if Jason offered because she helped save his life, or if he was acting as he did when Lila died, but whatever the reason, she was grateful. "I'll be back to check on you afterward." She walked out, wiping away her tears and acknowledging Sam briefly, before heading home.

Sam walked in to find Jason trying to get up. "What are you doing? You should be resting Jason."

"Sam, could you go to the penthouse and bring back my suit? The black one," Jason asked quietly, staring at Sam's worried and tired eyes. "And my black and grey tie, please." He was still having trouble breathing but the sweating dissipated, and he went into autopilot.

"Why, Jason?" But Sam already knew the answer.

"She needs me."

Liz stayed by Lucky's bedside all day, and none of the doctors even bothered to call on her for her shift. She was so elated to have Lucky breathing on his own she couldn't see straight, let alone leave him. Tony had called it a miracle, and left to order test. Bobbie stayed, holding Liz's hand as she wept tears of joy. But Luke…he just stood there. Liz didn't know how to look at him – so she didn't at all. She was angry and hurt by his resignation about Lucky's condition, but when Lucky made it she wanted Luke to share the triumph with her.

Luke stayed outside the room, and he heard Skye's cautious footsteps behind him. "Blaze, you can stop tip-toeing – your heels clink either way," he said, never taking his eyes off Lucky.

"I know that Luke," Skye used a tone she never had before – helpless. Luke swirled around to see her dressed in a modest black dress and hair pulled behind her ears, He saw she hadn't slept anymore than he had, and her tear-stained face reminded him that AJ's memorial was today.

"Ah, Blaze," he murmured in her ear as he embraced her. "Can I do anything? I'm not much but…"

"No, I just came to check about Lucky before the – memorial," Skye exhaled deeply. "Has he made anymore progress?"

"I wouldn't know," he said simply. "Liz has sat with him since she tried plugging him back up, Bobbie's checked in, but I…Blaze, I don't know. I thought he was gone, and then he came back. Can I even believe that it'll last? What if he stops breathing again?" Luke turned around and faced Skye, frenzied. "I took him off once, and it damn near killed me. I can't do it again!"

"Luke, I don't have any answers for anyone, anymore," Skye declared sternly. "But take the moments you have, because they don't always last." She walked off, perturbed that Luke couldn't appreciate the life in front of him. But neither had she, she thought, or she never would have let AJ go so far…She tried to push that out of her mind as she made her way to the car, and to the church.

Carly brought Kristina back into the room, and Ric rushed to scoop the little girl in his arms. He's unusually happy, she thought, almost sourly until she looked in Kristina's face. She grasped at Ric's face and smiled at her mother, whose eyes had been plagued by fear and agony since she had been taken, but now were filled with joyous tears. Carly had never seen Alexis that way, but as she turned around, she recognized one face she'd seen too many times – and it made her shudder.

Sonny looked far away, no longer rocking, but hugging himself where Kristina was in his arms before she went to the bathroom. He smiled only when he looked up at Kristina, but it was a haunted smile, one of ghosts from the dreams Carly knew woke Sonny with a deep pain in his chest and a hollow soul – of pink dresses, car bombs, and lost children. Suddenly she heard a cell phone ring.

"Alexis Davis," Alexis answered, still firmly grasped under Ric's arm.

"Alexis, I need you, Sonny and Ric down at the police station as soon as possible," Mac responded on the other end.

"Is that really necessary, Mac? I want to get Kristina home," Alexis asserted, annoyed that something else could keep her from getting her family home. Her family, she thought happily.

"Trust me, you'll want to see this." Click.

Alexis looked up, dread filling her stomach again. She looked over at Sonny and Carly, her now exasperated face set on his blank eyes.

Felicia and Georgie walked into St. Timothy's somberly, but stopped to admire the simple, tasteful décor for AJ's memorial. Two flower arrangements sat on either side of AJ's picture at the altar. The prayer candles were half lit, and gave a pleasant and warm glow against the sanctuary walls, and as they flickered with the passing wind of the doors welcoming guests, seem to illuminate AJ's portrait like sunrays.

"Mom, should we go talk to the Quartermaines?" Georgie looked pensively at her mother.

"I'll go give Monica and Alan our condolences, why don't you get us a seat?" Felicia answered her daughter, and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Georgie walked away, looking in Dillon's direction. He caught her eye, but was comforting his mother, so she sat next to Lucas and Bobbie, who had gotten there just before.

"Monica, if there's anything I can do…" Felicia began, as she hugged Monica compassionately.

"Thank you, Felicia," Monica said preoccupied, as she tried to get Alan to acknowledge Felicia was standing in front of them. He had been unresponsive from the moment they left the house, and though she didn't care if he displayed bad manners, she wished he would at least look at her.

Just as she completed the thought, Alan abruptly took his seat next to Edward, and left Monica to greet Leslie and Audrey on her own.

"Everything at the hospital is taken care of," Audrey said softly in her friend's ear, "so don't worry about a thing. You two take care of each other." Audrey could see the distance between Alan and Monica and wanted to ease their burden as much as she could.

"Yeah, I –" Monica stopped short, and caught her breath when she saw Emily, Jason, and Sam walk into the sanctuary. Jason leaned on Sam heavily, but looked his mother right in the eyes and straightened up as best he could. He was there to support her, not the other way around.

"Mom, I'm going to sit with Jase and Sam in the back, just in case he needs to leave, ok?" Emily said as they approached Monica. Edward and Skye gave Jason grateful glances, while Tracy and Ned focused on consoling Alan, who stared off into space.

"Jason, you shouldn't be here," Monica started.

"I'm okay," Jason winced, but maintained his stance to prove it. "I just want to be here for you." He grabbed her hand and she carefully hugged him before he, Sam and Emily took their seats.

"Em, where's Liz?" Sam inquired thoughtfully. "I thought Lucky was doing better."

"I don't know," Emily replied distant, causing Jason and Sam to look at her, then each other, surprised. Emily began to stare at the front of the church, much like Alan, ending all discussion.

Liz patiently stared into Lucky's face, enjoying every second his chest moved up and down. She concentrated so hard she nearly jumped out of her skin when his thumb moved against her hand in the same way she had for the past few hours.

"Lucky, can you hear me?" Liz whispered, hoping it was not simply a reflex.

"Hmmm," he murmured, "Llll… Liz…"

"Don't talk, ok? I'll page Tony first, and then someone can check you out… you're gonna be just fine Lucky, I promise," Liz rambled excitedly, as she pressed the call button for a nurse.

"Wharr…What…wait," Lucky stammered out the words slightly slurred, "Liz…"

She looked at him, as he opened his eyes fully. She had never seen anything more breathtaking than that before. She kissed his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair.

"What…happened?" Lucky asked, just as Luke walked through the door.

"They want us down at the police station, Sonny," Alexis said, her features becoming more enraged as she looked at him. "Did you hear me?" She moved closer, and both Ric and Carly jumped in her way.

"Alexis, back off," Carly warned. She may have been happy for Alexis that Kristina was safe, but she wasn't going to back off a fight, not for a second.

"His enemy kidnapped my daughter, and you want me to back off!" Alexis was beside herself, not ready to back down from a fight either.

"Alexis, you have to calm down, and you know why," Ric pleaded, as he pushed Alexis back with one hand while hold Kristina in the other.

Sonny stood up progressively, as if coaching himself to move, and stared into Alexis' cold eyes. He could still hear Faith's laugh as she aimed Jason's gun at his head. Why hadn't he taken her out when she escaped from prison? Why didn't I realize this sooner? What's going to happen now? Why is Ric keeping Alexis at bay? Sonny's mind raced, but his face looked composed. He felt Carly link her arm to his and lead him out of Rollo's apartment, and his eyes expressed a private gratitude once they were out Alexis and Ric's sight, one he knew only Carly would ever understand.

Once outside, Carly's cell phone rang in her purse. What now? She looked and saw "Courtney" and immediately answered.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I need to talk to you; it's an emergency. Can you meet me at the police station?" Courtney's voice sounded anxious.

"Yeah," Carly said, looking at Sonny. "I'm with Sonny, we were on our way anyway."

"What?"

"I'll explain when we get there." Carly threw the phone in her purse, but didn't meet Sonny's quizzical stare.

"We are here to mourn the departure of our beloved son, brother, father, and friend, Alan James Quartermaine Jr." Father Coates began. "It is a tragedy when life is suddenly taken away from us, but in this sorrowful moment, let us reflect on those that have gathered to support one another in grief. For those gathered here today are what life is really about. Now, the family would like to say a few words," Father Coates concluded.

Skye closed her eyes, mostly to stop the tears from flowing, and took a deep breath. She stood up, only to see Tracy walking to the altar and looking at AJ's picture.

Tracy turned around, and stood defiantly – it was the only way she knew how.

"Not many people in this room even liked my nephew before he died," she started, but held her hand up at Monica, who was on the verge of protest. "I can't say I was happy with him either, after what he did to the family. In fact I couldn't wait for him to come home so I could wring his neck until I got that silly smirk off his face." Tracy chuckled to herself, because she knew everyone looked at AJ's picture and realized she was right – it was never a genuine smile.

"But I wasn't mad for long, I was too jealous to be mad. He did what I never could – he staged a coup against the family. He got everyone's attention." Tracy surprised herself when she began to choke on her words. "When I was banished from the family, I told him, 'Look! I know what you're capable of, and you have to think like a Quartermaine.' He did, and though I didn't always like it, he made me proud. He didn't know it, but he made us all proud."

Tracy inhaled deeply, blinked twice, and nudged her father over. Sitting between him and Alan, she grabbed their shaking hands, holding them steady. She reserved her tears for closed doors.

Skye didn't bother to blink them away, or wipe her face. Her tears wouldn't interrupt what she had to say. "Um, when I wrote this," she looked down at her tear-stained stationery, "I felt like I would be the only person attending today that admired AJ. I'm so, so thankful that I'm not." She looked at Tracy, and for once, received a sympathetic gaze.

"AJ made me as much a part of this family as Alan," Skye continued. "He and I set out to make scheming an art form, a true tag team, but we always knew when to reign each other in from edge…or the bottle." Skye shook her head. "We weren't always right, but we were always right there, you know, for each other. We understood each other, because we both knew how it felt to be – to feel – wrong all the time. But he wasn't wrong, he was dying…dying to be forgiven, to be congratulated, to be loved." Her tears fell a bit faster as she said, "I loved him. We were connected implicitly, and for that, for him – I am eternally grateful."

She turned to look at his picture once more, not noticing the blond walking out of the chapel, but hearing the echo of Emily and Monica's sobs, and caressed the face she couldn't help but want to see just once more.