A/N: OMG! I'm so overwhelmed by the support for the last chapter - I seriously prolonged posting because I wasn't sure how it would be received. I promise - Chapter 13 &14 are the slow ones...it's all intense from here on out :-P

Couple shout-outs: Thanks to the new people to review! Flash of Light, I'm so sorry but I'm not a Journey fan, nor Brook/Lucas - but they will interact, so keep reading please! DMS, Annie - so happy you're reading and please keep reviewing! Melanie,Oueen, Shell, MVP and IluvCarson - you guys seriously - start criticizing me :)

ENJOY!

Chapter 14

Durant paced back and forth in front of his daughter, Bobbie, and Courtney, checking his watch every 30 seconds.

"John, that's not helping anybody," Bobbie said softly, never leaving Carly's side. "Why don't you sit down?"

"I can't just sit and do nothing," Durant said panicked. He looked at his daughter's face and could tell she understood him. They were so much alike, but he marveled at how much fight seemed drained from her. Looking at her was like seeing a broken spirit, and he blamed Sonny as much as Alan Quartermaine for the sight before him. "I gotta take care of something."

Durant walked out of the waiting area, toward the elevators. He flipped open his cell to call Ric again, but scrolled down to Mac's name first. He hit the 'Call' button and bit his lip.

"Hello?" Felicia's cheery voice normally would have brought a smile to John's face but he could on grimace.

"Felicia, it's John," he said, looking down at the floor as if she was standing in front of him. "I'm calling about tomorrow night, well I guess it would be tonight. I can't make it."

Felicia looked at her watch, realizing it was after midnight, but she was more concerned about the sound of John's voice. "I understand, another time then."

"It's my grandson. He was hit by a car, and he's still in surgery," John explained. "I can't leave Carly right now, but I'll make it up to you."

"Oh my God, is Bobbie there?" Felicia, shot up from the couch she had been laying on and began fixing her hair.

"Yeah, she's here too. We're waiting in surgery right now," John lowered his voice, hoping neither Bobbie nor Carly were aware of his bungled plans.

"I'm on my way down there," Felicia said quickly, hanging up the phone before John could protest.

"Great," he whispered to himself and spun around to return to Carly's side – almost smacking into Bobbie, who had followed him. She exhaled in frustration and they both headed back to Carly without a word to each other.

Maria walked to the nurses' station on the 13th floor, looking around for any familiar face. "Excuse me, do you know what room Alan Quartermaine is in?" she asked a nurse rushing by.

"Are you family?" The nurse looked at her suspiciously. She heard the rumors about what happened in the ER, and knew people would be looking for him.

"Actually, I'm looking for family member of his, Ned Ashton," Maria said quickly, hoping no one was around to hear her.

"I'm right here," Ned spoke up behind her and Maria nearly jumped into the nurse's arms. The nurse slightly smirked and went back to her rounds.

"Oh, um, yeah…I brought Diego here," Maria said, after catching her breath. "He and Brook were having dinner with me just before you called. Are you ok?"

Ned didn't have the heart to smile, though he was excited about Maria's concern. "I saw them. Lois took Brook and Diego to the cafeteria before going to sit with Alan." Ned had just sent Tracy home, but the hours were showing on his face even more than hers. He still wanted to talk to Dillon about Georgie, but he shifted his focus the minute his mother looked like she was going to breakdown. Ned knew he was spinning his wheels to keep from facing the reality of what Alan had done, but he was also in a familiar damage control mode.

"You didn't answer my question," Maria said quietly, walking around him to sit in the hub. Ned followed her and sat down, exhaling loudly. "Is that avoidance or just a 'Mind your own business'?"

"Neither. I'm just trying to keep it together right now," Ned said sincerely. "My family is in all different directions right now, and to top it all off, we just found out AJ is really alive."

"The one you were kicking yourself over on the docks?" Maria replied confused.

"The one and only, and I swear – when I see him, I'll be kicking someone again," Ned declared angrily. "Ahh, I'm just tired of fixing things that…they just keep getting broken."

Maria grabbed his hand. "You need help, that's all." They smiled at each other, and Maria smiled brighter looking at Ned's dimples. "And some sleep," she added, and Ned laced his fingers through hers thoughtfully.

Cianna sat in the far corner of Kelly's, staring over her cup of milk tea at her duffle bag. The waitress came over, moved the duffle bag from the seat in front of her and sat down.

"Can get you anything else, Cuz?"

"Nah, I'm cool Penny," Cianna said, shifting uncomfortably. She had only remained close to Penny after her father, Penny's uncle, had left their family, and Penny quickly took a mothering role in her life – even when she wasn't asked.

"I'm pretty sure that's not true, but you know I'd never pry," Penny said sarcastically, and Cianna threw a napkin at her. "Hey, you know I'm here if you need to talk about anything." She got up to get back to her shift but turned back to Cianna. "No sugar in that, understand?"

"Gotcha," Cianna whined, and waved an Equal packet at her cousin. She sighed at thought about her final minutes in the hospital. She wanted to say something to Lucas, to tell him why she got so mad, but figured he'd be even more confused. What she couldn't wrap her head around was how or why Diego Sanchez would be within five feet of Lucas. They couldn't be friends, she thought. Don't I have enough problems? She sighed and walked to the side counter to get some more tea. "Refill, please?"

"Only if you pass this along to table 6?" Penny stated, trading Cianna's cup for a cup of coffee.

"Always trying to get me to do your job," Cianna smiled and easily switched. She followed Penny's extended finger and held her breath, seeing Lucas with his head down on the table. "Thanks, Penny," she muttered to herself and walked as confidently as she could muster to Lucas' table. She slid the coffee quietly in front of Lucas and tapped his arm.

"Thanks," Lucas mumbled, hoping no one caught how much he was feeling sorry for himself. He glanced up, expecting Penny, but sat back in his chair fully when he saw Cianna looking down sympathetically. "You work here too?"

Cianna eased into the seat in front of him, still staring at his worried blue eyes. "Nah, I wear myself thin as it is. Seems like you have too, tonight." She finally broke gaze with him, and felt a hot blush filter through her honey complexion.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think you'd care too much after this afternoon," Lucas answered roughly, instantly regretting the harsh tone in his voice.

"Well, I did!" Cianna shot back, but fought the urge to take off again. "And I came over here to apologize. I just…I don't give all my info when I first meet someone, that's all. Anyway, you looked like you had a rough night, so I guess…whatever," she said, rising from her seat.

Lucas quickly reached out for her hand. "Hey, wait. I'm sorry I snapped – and about before. Maybe I was prying a little, but I didn't mean to push your buttons." He motioned for her to sit back down, and she did. "I've just never seen you around the hospital, and to be honest you do look a little young to be pulling long shifts at a hospital…" he paused and lowered his head, "…and too beautiful to be pushing a mop."

Cianna looked away from Lucas, embarrassed by his compliment, but she didn't let go of his hand until Penny came to the table with her tea. She gave her a "don't ask" look, and Penny just smiled. "Thanks, Lucas. I guess it wasn't that personal a question."

"So do I get an answer?" Lucas said, looking back into her soft green eyes. He thought they had so much sparkle before, but there was a shyness about this girl – that all her emotions were reflected in her eyes, and shyness made them a calming sea green.

"I'll tell you, if you tell me what's bothering you," she replied, anxious to know what was wrong with Lucas. She hoped it wasn't anything seriously wrong with him. She had already lost him once.

"It's the reason I need to use the phone this afternoon," Lucas began, and Cianna held her breath. "I saw Dr. Quartermaine acting really strange, and I was trying to call someone about it, but then we started talking, and…"

"And then I blew you off," Cianna offered weakly, sipping her tea and cursing herself.

"Well, yeah, but see, he hit my little cousin Michael with his car. I just keep thinking if I had called someone, it wouldn't have happened," Lucas gulped down his coffee, though it stung his throat. He couldn't believe how easily he told her everything, when he hadn't wanted anyone to know just moments before.

"What if you had, and someone was in the car with him?" Cianna said, pushing her hair away from her neck, and then grabbing Lucas' hand again. "Then someone else would have been hurt. Look, I'm not saying don't feel bad for your cousin or the doc, but guilt doesn't help anyone. It only serves one purpose – to tear people down."

The doc, Lucas thought to himself. It sounded like something he'd heard before, in Cianna's exact same voice, but he couldn't be sure. "You're probably right. Sounds like you're an expert."

"You could say that," Cianna responded, keeping her voice light. She looked down at her watch. Damn it, again. She missed half of what Lucas had just said, thinking about what was in her duffle bag. "Huh? Sorry, what'd you say?"

"Just offering to get some food, maybe get out of here," Lucas said, unsure if she had started tuning him out already. "And for you to answer my question." He raised his eyebrow to make sure she knew he hadn't forgotten.

"Sorry, I gotta hit the little girl's room and head home," Cianna commented gloomy. "Another time?"

"Definitely," Lucas said reassured, and he held onto Cianna's hand as she stood up. "Thanks."

"Sure," she said, and slid her hand from his. She walked over to the counter, and made sure Lucas had stopped looking before grabbing her duffle bag from Penny and going to the bathroom.

Bobbie walked back to the waiting area, after telling Durant to get Carly some water, and sat next to her and Courtney.

"Carly, I know you care about him, for whatever reason," Courtney said, checking the disdain in her tone, "but he's doing you a favor. Alcazar being away from you right now is a good thing."

Carly looked at her best friend knowingly. Courtney would never accept Lorenzo after the kidnapping and her miscarriage, and she had decided long ago not to fight her about it.

"Courtney has a point," Bobbie chimed in. "He's giving you space to deal with your son's accident. And Carly, I've seen how he looks at you," she said, turning her daughter's face to her own. "He won't turn away from you completely, you know that."

Courtney cringed, but she knew Bobbie was right. Carly had just relayed the entire conversation to her while Bobbie was gone, and she could tell Lorenzo Alcazar truly cared for her best friend. He was even willing to go to bat for her at Carly's insistence. She just wasn't sure what it would cost Carly to give in to him.

"You guys are right, I'm focusing on my family," Carly said, shaking her head. "And that includes you, Courtney. Tell me, what the hell is going on with Jax?"

"I don't know, he says he went to confront Rachel for me – which we both know would have been a mistake," Courtney sighed, "but whatever confrontation they had that led to Rachel's blouse being wide open for the world to see…I just don't want to think about it."

"Well, she certainly tells one hell of a story," Carly commented, and Bobbie nodded in agreement. "She helps AJ fake his death, and sets you up on his behalf. I can't imagine anyone being loyal to that little slime."

"Oh, she's not loyal at all – to anyone but herself," Courtney scoffed. "After you guys left, the Quartermaines pressed her for answers and she was coming up with stuff straight out of the Twilight Zone."

"Well, if AJ thought of it, that's not a stretch," Carly snorted.

"Yeah, but it was out there, Carly," Courtney said, pacing and trying to remember everything Rachel told them. "She said AJ planned an all out attack or something, that he wanted to get even on every front. Rachel claims she went along with AJ's plan because he promised her that they would both get everything they wanted, which for her meant Steven dead."

"And you in prison? That doesn't make sense, even for AJ's twisted mind," Carly said. "AJ's only goal in life is money and power – it's all he's ever wanted."

"And Michael," Bobbie said to both of them. Carly looked at her mother strangely, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry, honey, but you know it's true. AJ wanted Michael – whether it was at your expense or not."

"Wait a minute," Courtney said, mostly to herself, but met her friend's eyes. "Rachel said she didn't know where AJ was, that when she came here to blackmail me…that AJ was going to lay low and 'wait for his other partner in crime.' What could that mean?"

"It doesn't matter – Michael was never AJ's son. He was a pawn to go after what he really wanted, which was ELQ," Carly said vehemently. "Sonny is father, I am his mother; that's how it is, and how it always will be."

"So, where is Sonny," an equally broken voice came from behind the three women. Monica stood there, her face drawn and pale. "Why did he choose this moment to go MIA?"

Carly shot Monica a death glare, and snatched the coffee Courtney brought her earlier and stalked off. Courtney sighed at Monica and Bobbie and ran after her friend.

Skye wandered around the roulette table at the Haunted Star, picturing all the plans she had for it with Luke while she was locked up in Pentonville. She slumped down at the bar, feeling her throat get tight as she gazed at the various top-shelf vodka bottles.

She walked around the other side of the bar, and grabbed a glass and the bottle of Armadale from the bar. She whistled as she poured the drink and held it high in the air. "To freedom," she said to the clear liquid and hurled it through the room. The loud crash against the opposite wall brought an agonizing laugh from deep in Skye's sad heart. "Freedom sucks." She looked at the bottle and chucked it as well – narrowly missing Luke's head.

"HEY! Red, I get that you and the 12-step deal aren't on good terms with my favorite booze, but could you lighten up on the barware," Luke exclaimed. "You're starting to remind me of a former business partner of mine."

"Well it must come with the dissolution papers," Skye said emphatically. She softened when she finally looked at Luke. "Which, by the way, are right over there."

Luke looked in the direction of Skye's glance, to see a legal document sitting on top of a box of Skye's belongings. "Skye, I don't want you to leave the Haunted Star."

"I had Justus draw up the document, to your benefit," Skye said shakily. "I know we haven't been open in a while, and that was partially my fault, so I don't expect anything out of backing out of our partnership." She stopped to gain her composure. "I just want it over."

"Blaze, I don't want that either," Luke said, only because he couldn't think straight to explain everything else he was feeling. "I'm no good at this stuff – talking, but I'll try to tell you everything. And if that doesn't work, then scrap it and just focus on what I'm saying now. I love you, Skye, and I want you to stay."

Skye felt the tears welling up again. "Luke, I just sat by Alan's bedside, willing him to come back, to talk me out of breaking my own heart. I love you too, but you have experienced love on a level that defies logic. It defies sense, sensibility, and every other profound novel or movie that can ever be produced or mentioned." She let the tears fall once Luke leaned on the craps table and bowed his head. "I'm not capable of it, Luke. I know myself enough to know that."

"Blaze that doesn't make any sense to me. It doesn't," Luke said, looking back at her. "You've never punished me or held back because of my love for and with Laura before now. That's part of the reason I know I can open my heart to you, because you left room for her."

"And now I understand why you do, Luke," Skye said. "I'm just trying to be honest with myself here. I have never been loved like you have been by Laura. We're not playing on the same field. Maybe I'm scared, maybe that's it," she repeated, "that one day, we'll get close. We'll get close to what you and she had, and either you'll pull away, or do something that I can't forgive like she would."

Skye walked closer to Luke, placing her hand over his. "It's a gamble, Luke. And I'll lose big. You can't promise me that I won't."

"When did you start walking away from high stakes?" Luke sincerely asked, enclosing her hand in his. "You're not the scared type, Blaze. You weren't in the hotel fire, and you weren't in Pentonville. You don't have to be now," he said emphasizing each word.

"But I was, Luke. I was the whole time, and I don't want that to be my life," Skye cried out softly. "Our adventures were the best – and the worst, but when they're over, it's real life. We couldn't run from Lucky being shot and paralyzed, or what Faith did when we helped her escape, and now Alan being in a coma. Sure, we're unstoppable on the road, but we're not so good in one place. I don't want to be scared to stop running."

She wasn't sure if she was getting through to Luke, as he kept looking quizzically at her. "I like being in one place, Luke. Truth be told, it's what I've always wanted – one home, one family to drive me crazy with all the little things of everyday life. If I thought you and I could be happy like that, I'd rip that paper up. But you couldn't do it before me, Luke, and I'm not going to go on, thinking I'll be the reason you start now."

"So, it's more than just Laura or the forgiveness thing," Luke said, letting go of her hands. "It's the long haul. You don't think I can be in it with you for the long haul."

"No, I believe you would be," Skye said desolately. "You just wouldn't be happy."

"So nothing I could say or do would change your mind, right?" Luke said, knowing the answer. She was right about the settling down business, but dead wrong about loving her. It had snuck up on him, but he knew it was there and it was there to stay.

"I don't want you to change my mind," Skye replied, picking up her box. "I want you take care of yourself on your next adventure. Or better yet, make up with Lucky, spend all your free time with Lulu. Fathers are just so, so precious, Luke." She walked to the entrance, but didn't look back when she mouthed 'I love you Luke' as she walked away.

Emily looked down at her watch. She couldn't believe it was 6am. She had been roaming the hospital for hours. One of her professors from the medical school stopped to offer her condolences about Alan's condition, and was even the first to give her his room number, but Emily never went there. She could feel the dread in her gut at facing her hovering family, or worse – their feuding. She also couldn't bring herself to go to the surgery unit, not even to comfort Jason. It was the worst feeling – she wasn't comfortable anywhere, not even her own skin.

She kept thinking about her visit with Nikolas. He had reached out to her, and she refused to let him in. She had done the same thing to Zander when she was sick, but this was so much worse. Nikolas wasn't even free to fight her like Zander had been. She kicked him while he was down; she made him feel like she did.

Emily stopped outside of Lucky's room, wondering how she'd gotten there in the first place. He was sleeping soundly, with a small smile on his face. She looked at him and wondered how they got where they were – how he became man right before her eyes. She cracked the door open slowly and cursed to herself when the door made a loud screeching sound.

"Elizabeth," Lucky called out, his eyes still closed. Emily was thankful for that, because he didn't witness her ball her fist and roll her eyes at the mention of Liz's name.

"Sorry, just me," Emily whispered. "It's really early, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's ok, Em," Lucky said, yawning. "You know I never mind a visit from my best friend."

"Well after the last one…" Emily started to say, but Lucky interrupted her.

"What last one?" He smiled and reached for her hand, signaling all was forgiven.

"Thanks," she offered meekly. "How are you feeling, anyway?"

"Good enough to get the hell out of here, get back to my life," Lucky said, thinking about the plans he had made with Liz before she left last night.

"Don't push yourself, seriously," Emily said, happy to show concern for someone else for a change. "You don't want to risk coming back."

"Not at all!" Lucky laughed. "I want to get moving, back into the land of the living, you know."

"Or the half-alive, you mean," Emily somberly stated, not bothering to meet Lucky's eyes.

"And the first thing on my to-do list, is getting that great Emily smile back on your face again," Lucky said, interrupting Emily's bad mood. "You guys have been here for me, and I want to be there for you in any way that I can Em – even if you don't need me," he added, in case she was going to try and go there.

"I'll never say I don't need you, Lucky," Emily said carefully. "But I'm fine, really. I'm doing what I need to for myself, and I'll get better in my own way."

She crossed her hands over Lucky's and he immediately noticed she was only wearing her wedding ring. "Em…"

"Hey, Lucky, sorry I didn't come back…hmmm," Liz said, having burst through the door. "Hello." Liz's voice had a cool air to it, and Lucky had never seen her so detached.

"I'm gonna go," Emily said quickly, dropping Lucky's hand and brushing past Liz's accusatory stare.

"Do what you do best," Liz muttered as she past, and turned to face Emily's disbelieving stance. "Yeah, I said it and I don't take it back! You don't respond when people are nice to you, or mean well, or suffer your indignation in silence, so I'm not going to anymore."

"Liz," Lucky said pensively, but Emily shook her head.

"It's ok, Lucky," Emily said, walking back toward Liz boldly. "Liz can't understand that people grieve in their own way, or deal with crisis as they choose. I'm sorry, Liz, everyone can't be so adult, so condescendingly ADULT like you. Some of us just try to make it through the day the way we know how."

"Yeah, by dumping on the wrong people and throwing away the love that surrounds them," Liz barked back. "You're right – you're not an adult. You're not even trying to be the responsible, level-headed person I wish I had been when I was raped." Liz turned away from Emily and Lucky reached out for her hand. She took it and held on tightly, to hold back her hot tears.

Emily took Lucky's show of support for Liz as opposing her, and she shook her head violently at the display. "Both of you go to hell!" She turned on her heel and ran to the door, only to come face to face with Nikolas.

"What about me, Em? I've already been to hell – where do you want me to go?"

Sam approached the doors of Greystone, exhausted. She knew she looked horrible, by the surprised looks on Marco and Max's faces. She approached the guards quietly, running her fingers through her hair to straighten her appearance. "I just came for Jason's meds, and then I'm heading back to GH," she explained.

"You sure you're ok, Sam?" Max asked, very concerned. He had seen her this tired after her baby died, and he knew it had been one thing after another with her ever since.

"I'm fine, Max, thank you," Sam said quietly. She always appreciated how Max had Jason's back, how he looked out for everyone in Sonny's family, and how he made her feel like that included her.

"Well, when you do go, you mind taking your agent buddy with you?" Marco piped up as the three of them walked into the foyer. Max elbowed him in the ribs, and Marco punched him in the arm. "I'm just saying, Reese Marshall shouldn't be left in this house, and you know Jason would agree."

"I'll be right back," Sam said, seemingly not acknowledging Marco's assertion. She knew he meant well, but she wasn't in the mood to defend Reese, at the risk of then having to defend herself.

Sam got Jason's medicine from the living room, not realizing Reese was sitting in the corner by the fireplace. "Oh my God, you scared me," Sam said, clutching her chest when she saw Reese get up from the chair. "Is Sonny upstairs?" She looked Reese up and down, taking in the drink in Reese's left hand, before asking her next question. "Did something else happen?"

"No, thankfully not," Reese said, putting down the glass of scotch she made herself after leaving Sonny's room. "I didn't want to leave before someone else got back, but Sonny did wake up while you guys were gone."

"What did he say? What did you say?" Sam asked anxiously.

"I covered, don't worry," Reese said, annoyed that Sam had such little faith in her, "but he was suspicious that Jason, and everyone else would leave me here alone with him."

"I bet," Sam breathed a sigh of relief. "Look, thanks for covering. I mean you can't imagine what's going on at GH."

"How is Michael? What happened to him?" Reese asked, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Alan Quartermaine hit him with his car, and worse yet, he was high on some kind of pills when he did it," Sam relayed the information. "Michael's in surgery, and Alan's in a coma."

"Whose in a coma?" Sonny said from the top of the stairs, causing both women to nearly knock each other over in an effort to appear to be doing nothing more than discussing how cold it would be outside that day.

"Hey, Sonny, how are you feeling?" Sam said, meeting him at the foot of the stairs.

"I'm fine, Sam, really," Sonny replied, deflecting her trepidation. "Are you ok? I mean…"

"I'm fine, I just came to get Jason's medicine," Sam said, looking over to Reese for some help.

"So you said Alan's in a coma right?" Sonny repeated his earlier question, as he walked to the bar for a drink. "Why would Jason be there for that? That is where you're going right?"

"Sonny, you really think you need a drink now? It's near 6am," Reese said, stepping forward.

"You got one," he said, lifting his glass in a mock toast and motioning to Reese's matching glass. "Cheers."

"Well, you know Jason, Sonny," Sam insisted, trying to keep her mind off Sonny being so close to bar ware again, "Emily called, said it was an emergency and he had to go."

"Yeah, Jas –" Sonny started to say, but halted at the sound of his front door bursting open.

"He will see me…oh my goodness," Alexis said, brushing past Sam and Reese to embrace Sonny. Her disheveled appearance was not lost on anyone in the room, and the women looked at Max apprehensively. He shook his head furiously, making a slashing motion across his throat.

"Alexis, isn't early?" Sam shouted, but didn't stop Alexis from speaking.

"I'm so sorry, Sonny. Why aren't you at the hospital with Carly?" Alexis looked down at Sonny's glass. "How could you be drinking when you're son's been hit by a car?"

Alexis met Sonny's clouded eyes astonished, but Sam and Reese didn't dare look his way.

Ric walked sleepily out of the elevator, right into Durant's chest. "You might want to go home and shower, Durant."

"And you might want to get here when I call you!" Durant's bloodshot eyes had more fire in his blue irises than usual. " I want Alan Quartermaine prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. You think you can handle that, or should I call someone competent?"

"Ok, Durant, I get that you're upset," Ric fumed, "but don't you dare pull me out of my bed in the middle of the night, about my nephew, just to harass me about my skills as a district attorney! Now I will contact Mac, get the facts, and do my job."

"Right," Durant scoffed, "but let me ask you something. Are you going to do it because it's your job – or to score points with your mobster brother?" He paced away from him, but jumped right back in his face. "So help me, if you don't convict this open and shut case, I'll have your license… and your job."

Durant stalked off, leaving Ric punching the walls. He flipped open his cell, and dialed Mac's number. "Mac…yeah I know what time it is! Sorry, look…I'm at GH, on my way to talk to Steven about forensics for the Quartermaine/Corinthos accident. I need all the information on my desk before business hours." He slammed the phone down on the couch, falling helplessly next to it.

"Damn it!" Felicia cursed quietly, as she searched for her shoes in the dark. After John called, she had gotten dressed, and plopped back on the couch out of worry and frustration. Before she knew it she was asleep, and no one had woken her up.

"Turn on the light," Mac called out, flipping the closet switch to the stairs.

"Mac, how could you not wake me up? Bobbie must think I don't care about her at all," Felicia fretted, and finally found her shoe under the couch. Just as she tugged it on her feet, Georgie slowly turned the knob to the front door, and swung it open and shut. Her efforts were to no avail, as Mac's bright red face met her within a minute of the door.

"Don't even think about it, you're grounded!" Mac bellowed, and stomped away from her. "I can't believe this Georgie. Just when your mom and I start to trust you, give you what you want where Dillon is concerned, you break curfew and try sneaking in the house."

"Dad, it's not what you think," Georgie said, and looked at her very sleep deprived sister that had just bound down the stairs at the commotion. "I was with Dillon, but…"

"Now would not be the time to get honest with me," Mac ground out, his jaw hurting from how hard he grit his teeth. "Man, I can't wait until I get my hands on him – you two will be singing in the same key!"

"We've been at the hospital while you've been getting your beauty sleep, MAC!" Georgie spit out irately, trying to get his attention. She instantly regretted that move as her family stared at her in amazement. "It's the truth – Dillon and I were hanging out, before my curfew, and he got a call from his mother about Dr. Quartermaine. I've been there ever since, and I don't care if you believe me or not!"

She attempted to run past her parents but Felicia grabbed her by the shoulders. "Mom, I thought you were coming to the hospital."

Felicia knew then that Georgie was telling the truth, but perhaps not the whole truth. "Mac, she's right. I got a call about Alan and Michael and was supposed to be there hours ago," she said weakly, not really happy about siding with her daughter against her former husband.

"That's no excuse, and you know it Georgie," Mac said, but Felicia looked at him hard.

"I will handle this with my daughter," Felicia said, irritated that Mac seemed to be ignoring her.

"Yeah, now you want to," Mac muttered not so lowly, and met Felicia's hurt eyes. "I'm going to take a shower and go to work." He brushed past Maxie, not wanting to meet her approving look anymore than Felicia's incensed one. Maxie shrugged, figuring she'll get the dirt from Georgie later, and headed back upstairs.

Felicia could hardly speak; she was so hurt by Mac's barb. She looked back at her youngest child, but couldn't quite ask her that dreaded question. Georgie looked back at her mom, expecting the worst, but only saw hurt and shame reflecting back at her.

"I do love you, Georgie," Felicia mustered, and hugged her daughter.

"I know, Mom. We all know," Georgie said, wanting desperately to tell her mom the ups and downs of the night.

Dillon trudged into the Haunted Star and sat down in one of the private booths. He couldn't believe how quickly life shifted. "It's like the stars collectively decided to line up against me tonight."

"I see your stars, and I raise you a past and the universe," Luke said from behind the bar. He poured his fourth Jack Daniel's and walked over to the booth. "I'd offer, but you know…"

"Not interested, but thanks," Dillon said. "So still not cool with Lucky?"

Luke took a swift swig. "Nope. You and Georgie on the fritz?"

"Nah, we're great, actually," Dillon said thoughtfully. "She's the only good thing I got going right now."

Luke, in his stupor, looked over at Dillon and saw Lucky at that age. The spiky hair, offbeat attitude, pessimism – he had all the makings of teenage angst. "Well, if I've learned anything tonight, young Spielberg, is that the woman is most important. If it's going good, keep it going." He drained the last of his drink and patted Dillon's shoulder.

"So what happened with Skye?" Dillon said before Luke could retreat behind the bar again.

"Reality," Luke said sadly. He walked away, probably to another one of the holding rooms he often occupied. Each walked away thinking about the last thing the women in their lives said.

"Nikolas," Emily said, but Liz ran to him before she could get anything else out.

"We are so glad you're home," Liz said in tears.

"Yeah, but don't expect me to get all mushy," Lucky said from his bed, tears flowing all the while.

Nikolas tore his eyes from his wife to run and hug his brother. "Yeah right," he said, choking up himself. "I'm so glad you're alright, man."

"So it was Helena? That's what got you free," Liz said, wrapping her arm around Nik's rather thinning waist.

"Yep, and she's next on my list to visit," he answered, hugging Liz closed to him with one arm, his hand still gripping Lucky's.

The three of them looked around to Emily, who stood motionless at the sight she no longer felt a part of. She walked out of the room without a word, and Liz just shook her head as Nikolas followed her.

Nikolas never called out to Emily; he knew it would be no use. She was too far-gone from him, and as he was released he decided to let her find her own way back to him. He saw her stop and realized she led him right where he needed to go.

Emily walked past Helena's door to the window, staring at her nemesis lying peacefully in a hospital bed. She couldn't even conjure up tears, but she felt deep down in her gut that she would never sleep that peacefully again. Emily looked back at Nikolas, who stepped through the door and shut it behind him.

"Wake up, Grandmother," Nikolas called out. When Helena stirred only slightly, Nikolas rushed to her bedside and shook her violently. "I said, wake up!"

"Oh, oh!" Helena coughed and shook, only to realize she had been strapped to the bed. "Nikolas, your demand for attention must be refined. I admit I was a fool to let Stefan have such responsibility, but really – oh!"

Nikolas put his hands around her throat. "Don't speak his name! Don't speak period," He said letting go and ignoring her gasps. "The nurses won't come for you, Helena. You know, I've already been convicted of killing you…you do know what that means, don't you?"

"Nikolas, surely you wouldn't gain any satisfaction from ending my existence this way," Helena scoffed, indignant. "At least pretend to be a Cassadine, enjoy the pleasure of gaining victory over your enemy nobly."

"Well you have yourself to blame for that, Grandmother," Nikolas said solemnly. "Not Stefan, not Luke, not Emily." He walked toward her bed, turning on the light just above it.

"I'm not noble, I'm not even me, anymore," he said, letting the tears form openly, "because I'm…not…whole anymore. And you do this to me," Nikolas admitted, and Helena looked devastated at him. "YOU, do you get that? You've won, and you have the nerve to look at me like you're SORRY!" He shouted in her face and jerked off the side of the bed.

"Nikolas, you know she doesn't mean that much," Helena pleaded. "You are still the heart of the Cassadines, and you will be over…"

"It doesn't matter," Nikolas said, staring right into Emily's conflicted eyes. "You've been so wrong before Grandmother, and you're wrong now. I don't have…a heart…left," Nikolas gasped between tears. He broke his gaze at Emily, who began crying to, to look at his grandmother one last time.

He walked back to her, kissing her on the forehead forcefully, and leaned closer to her ear. "I've become you. I'm the Cassadine you always hoped for, Helena, and I will deal with my enemies as such."

His frigid voice made Helena's blood run cold. "Nikolas…"

"You're first on my list," he said definitively, pushing himself off the bed. He looked first to the tears he spilled on her pillow and cheek, not believing she had any of her own, then to the window, but Emily was already gone. Nikolas walked out quickly, and Helena reached out in vain from her restraints, struggling between thinking of herself and her beloved lost grandson.

Skye gripped the box close to her chest, but it didn't stop her heart from pounding. She stopped at the bench in the park, and looked over to see a homeless man sleeping near the trash can.

"Oh, Luke," she shook her head, but no tears come down. She had only heard the phrase "all cried out" in a cheesy R&B song she accidentally flipped to after the millionth boyfriend broke her heart, but she finally felt it. Her eyes weren't dry – she just didn't have anything left. She wondered if it was resilience or bullheaded pride, but setting that box down she didn't care. She just knew it was over.

Skye could see the sun peaking through the dark clouds, but the sky was a strange shade of red instead of its normal purplish pink. Suddenly a pair of hands came from behind Skye, rubbing her shoulders sympathetically. "Did you miss me, sis?"

Upon hearing AJ's calm and cocky voice, Skye balled her fist in shock and swng around with all her might.

Reese stood behind Sonny in the elevator, her hand itching to grab her gun. She looked over at Sam, who hadn't stopped glaring at Alexis.

"Your ability to be callous and cruel amazes me," Sam whispered in Alexis' face as she stepped over to Sonny. She tried to put her hand on his arm but he jerked it away without looking at her. "Sonny, you know why," she appealed but gave up.

She stepped back to Reese, who nodded at her but stayed silent. Sonny continued to look at the numbers lighting up above him. His skin felt clammy and dirty, but he could feel the stubble seeping through around his chin without touching his face. His heart seemed to beat Michael's name, and he felt even then that Alexis was standing there waiting for his claustrophobia to kick in so she could use it against him.

The elevator chimed, and Sonny ran out of the elevator before he could scream at them to stop looking at him, and knocked into a wall as he turned down the right corridor toward surgery.

Steven stood in front of Carly, Courtney, Jason, Monica, Bobbie and Durant. "He pulled through the surgery." Carly grabbed Steven and held him fiercely. Her grip loosened immediately, and Jason's eyes closed lamentably as Sonny came tearing into the waiting room, followed by Sam, Reese and Alexis.

"How could you do this to me?" Sonny ground out, looking dead into Jason's eyes.