A/N: Disclaimer from Chapter 15 still applies - I only own the character Cianna, and the direction of the storylines from here on out.

ENJOY!

Chapter 16

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.

Luke sighed as he walked around the bar of the Haunted Star. Skye's words echoed in his head all week, and he hadn't seen her since. He had been hoping for a fight when he sent the dissolution papers back unsigned, but not a word. Dillon passed him when he came and went as if he were at a wake, trying desperately not to look at the corpse.

Much to his surprise, all thoughts led back to Lucky. Usually, when he felt this low Luke simply thought about Laura – how her love embraced him when her memory did not. He couldn't feel it anymore. The whiskey burned his throat with a new vengence.

Maybe she should have! Maybe then you would have thought FIRST, and then acted. Maybe you wouldn't be willing to miss your daughter's childhood because you needed to have adventures with your girlfriend. Maybe you wouldn't have pulled the plug on your son when you weren't sure what would happen!

Luke wanted desperately to blame Lucky for taking away his only solace, Laura's unyielding belief in him, but he knew where the faults lie. He walked over to the phone, cleared his throat and dialed. He hung up after getting Leslie's answering machine at home and tried her cell.

"Hello?" Leslie's tired yet cheery voice pierced Luke's ears.

"Hey, Leslie, it's Luke," Luke replied, less jovial. "I'm not sure what you and Lulu had planned today but I'd like…um, I'd like to do it with ya, if it doesn't involve dresses."

"Actually, your call couldn't have come at a better time," Leslie answered, breathing a sigh of relief. She left Lulu still trying to convince Lucky in his room. "Lulu and I are at General Hospital. Lucky's being released tomorrow...and we need to talk."

"Lucky's said all he needs to say to me," Luke lamented. "I want to spend time with the child that doesn't exactly hate my guts yet."

"It's about Lulu, Luke," Leslie said urgently. "Please come down here – this affects all of us." She hung up the phone and walked back silently into Lucky's room, her lips pursed together thoughtfully.

"I don't have to guess who that was," Lucky said sardonically. "I suppose you told him about my plans."

"Our plans," Lulu said emphatically, whipping her brown hair defiantly behind her shoulder. "Grandma, please don't try to talk me out of this."

"One at a time," Leslie replied, sitting next to Lulu on Lucky's bed. "No, I didn't tell your father that you plan on moving in with Elizabeth. And I most certainly didn't tell him that you want to live with them."

Lulu suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Instead she grabbed her grandmother's soft hands. "You know how much I love you. I just think – really, if I'm only going to end up with Lucky or Nikolas anyway, why not go now?"

Leslie shook her head at Lulu's attitude. Just like her father, she thought. "I think your father needs a say in this – yes, he does," Leslie said, responding to Lucky's muttered disapproval. "Lulu, I want you to stay with your brother until your father gets here." She got up gingerly to leave before they could say anything else.

"Where are you going?" Lulu said, hoping she hadn't hurt her only guardian too much. She didn't recognize it at first, but part of Lulu was very much her father – she was willing to strike the match, but not completely burn her bridges.

"I'm going to wait for Luke, and let you guys discuss everything – for yourself," Leslie said, raising her head knowingly. Her grandchildren appreciated her confidence in them, and watched her walk away.

Liz filled out another chart and filed it, just as her grandmother approached her from behind. "Grams, um, when you get a chance..."

Audrey turned quickly to face Elizabeth. "I have time now, dear. What is it?"

Liz cringed. She had been stalling for days, avoiding Audrey about her impending living situation. She took great pains to pack a few things each day, things she knew her grandmother wouldn't notice, but it was time to come clean. "It's about Lucky being released tomorrow."

The worry that clouded Liz's face startled Audrey. "Well, he's perfectly fine to leave, Elizabeth. I know he's got a few more physical therapy sessions, but you shouldn't be so frightened for him."

"It's not that," Liz said, taking one final breath. "I've been putting off telling you because I know you wouldn't approve. Lucky and I are getting back together. I love him, Gram, and truth is, I never stopped."

"I know that, honey," Audrey said, smiling, "and I'm glad you two have found your way back to one another." She stepped forward, out of one of the other nurse's way, and patted her granddaughter's arm. "I know in time you both will be stronger together than you ever were apart." Steve's smile briefly flashed by Audrey's eyes, but she staved off the nostalgia.

"That time is now, Grams," Liz said softly. "I've been saving my money since me and Cam moved in with you, and Lucky and I are moving in together...tomorrow."

Rachel shifted in her seat uncomfortably, trying to concentrate on her menu. She hadn't seen most of the people in the Metro Court dining area, as she had been hiding in her room since the hospital escapade, but she distinctly felt all eyes on her. Rachel had talked herself out of leaving Port Charles altogether a hundred times over, but she was sure she was kidding herself. Her only hope was that AJ – whom she hadn't heard from – would surface in time to protect her.

Lorenzo sauntered casually into dining area, up to Rachel's table and sat down in a huff. "You summoned."

"And you look like I feel – like absolute..." Rachel said abruptly.

"Let me just stop you at hell," Lorenzo pronounced stiffly, leaning toward the table, "before we start trading polite euphemisms for excrement." He leaned back into his chair and picked up his menu. "Now shall we discuss our business arrangement?"

Rachel was caught off guard by his tone. She mimicked his demeanor, talking only above the menu. The waiter appeared just as she was about to confess to Alcazar her new misgivings. "Yes, white wine and the chicken Caesar...screw it! Give me the sirloin, medium rare, the whole platter, and make it Merlot." She shoved the menu at the waiter, and he scurried off after Alcazar waved off his option to order.

Rachel leaned in close. "It's been a week, and no word from AJ. Everyone knows what I wanted Courtney to do, so if anything happens to Steven I'm finished."

"Well, for such a brilliant mind, you dither when it comes to full disclosure," Lorenzo asserted.

"I wouldn't throw the rules of 'How to Kill Someone Quietly' in my face just yet," Rachel countered. "Your name hasn't come up at all."

"Well then, all is not lost," Lorenzo said, a half-hearted sinister smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "I can still do what you need – later – and it'll never get back to either of us."

"Why?" Rachel said, again unsure where Lorenzo was coming from. "I may have been hiding out in my room, but I still know things. Steven's not a threat to your relationship to Carly, since you're the one that walked away."

Lorenzo's green eyes flashed in anger, and his jaw tightened impulsively. "This makes me perfect – no motive. How do you know I didn't do it for you?"

Rachel stared in his eyes keenly. "Because you love her and because you're hurting." She reached for his hand and he clutched it slightly. Lorenzo knew that the first comforting touch would make him lose the bravado he had maintained since leaving the hospital, and Carly, for the last time.

The sound of slowly approaching, deliberate footsteps at their table broke Rachel and Lorenzo's consoling moment. Jax clutched the middle of his chest, his face feigning to reflect the actual pain he felt. "Touching, really. I couldn't think of a more deserving pair of treacherous snakes."

"Do you make it a habit of harassing all the guests at your hotel?" Lorenzo replied, standing to face Jax's smug expression.

"Oh, yes, thank you for reminding me," Jax said, tossing a piece of paper in Rachel's direction, speaking just loud enough for everyone to hear. "You are no longer a guest at Metro Court, Ms. Adair. Your things have been packed by the hotel staff, and I expect you to vacate the premises...after you finish your lunch, of course." Jax clinched his jaw tightly at Rachel, who simply stared down at the paper.

"What a crock," Lorenzo said, noticing the hurt in Rachel's eyes. "You double deal and manipulate people all day, every day, and yet you would evict someone because you and your girlfriend are on the receiving end? It's not only ironic, but childish, even for you Jax."

"Say what you want, Alcazar," Jax replied tightly, still looking at Rachel, "just be out of here before the dinner rush." He started to walk away, hand in his pocket, triumphantly before Rachel stood in his way, pushing him back.

"His name is Lorenzo," she spat, anger and aggravation replacing the tears in her eyes. Jax walked around her, clearly disturbed by her tone, and Lorenzo placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Rachel turned to him, her familiar wicked smile in tact. "Perfect." She turned back to watch Jax take his messages and a small package toward his office. "Forget Steven, Lorenzo – he's not a threat to anyone, least of all us. Jax, on the other hand," she said, turning back to her only friend, "I'm going to bury him."

"Hey buddy," Sonny said his eyes still glassy and frenetic, "you're gonna be ok, alright?" He kissed Michael's forehead gently over the bars of his bed on the way to his post-op room.

"That's right, Mr. Man," Carly said, tears waiting patiently to fall. "Your dad and I are going to be right here, and you're going to get all better." She reached out for Sonny's hand above their child's head, but he jerked it away so fiercely he almost shook Michael's bed. Steven looked straight ahead and wheeled Michael past his family. Jason and Sam disappeared behind him, but Carly couldn't see anything but Sonny's cold, dark eyes boring into hers...

"Hey, you ok?" Courtney said, placing a comforting hand on Carly's back. "You seemed a little lost for a second there."

"Yeah, um...I'm ok," Carly said, shaking the memory from her mind once again. "Thanks," she said, taking the coffee cup from Courtney's other hand and sliding down the other side of the wall to her son's room.

Courtney looked in the window to see nothing had changed. Max stood just inside the door, making sure no one came in, while Sonny held Michael's hand and rocked back and forth. She sat down next to her friend. "It's like watching two patients at the same time."

"Yeah," Carly said cheerless. "I'm so torn, you know. I'm anxious all the time, that Steven's going to walk around that corner and tell me something's wrong, and I already know that something's wrong with Sonny. And then I get so mad – at Sonny for pushing me away, at Alan for what he did to my son...at myself." Carly sighed, standing up and looking back at Michael. "I don't know where to put it all."

"That's what I'm here for," Courtney said, pulling her best friend into a strong embrace. "You don't have to shoulder any of this by yourself, Carly. I'm here for you, and I will help you whenever you need me."

Carly took her friend's hand and let out a soft groan. She then noticed she didn't feel the weight of Courtney's 5-carat engagement ring between them. "To keep your mind off Jax?"

Courtney shrugged and they walked over to some nearby chairs to sit. "I'm ok, really – I will be, anyway." She looked down at her bare hand, still unsure if she had done the right thing. "He's called everyday, sometimes three times a day. But you know," she said turning to her friend, "it's like, I'm always battling him about something or someone. I've been in one failed relationship after another, and I just don't want to fight anymore, especially not someone I love about the things that matter to me."

"But sometimes you have to," Carly said, breaking her gaze on her friend and looking toward Michael's door, and back again. "Look, I don't like Jax, and I'll probably never believe anyone is good enough for you but you-know-who, but…love isn't a fairytale. Sometimes it is push and pull to make the other person understand, and sometimes, no matter how much you fight, he's not going to understand your reasons or methods."

Carly never thought she would ever be giving her self pep-talk to another person. She heard her and Sonny's conversation about Kristina's paternity ringing in her ears again...It's what the lawyers call 'irreconcilable differences'..."It comes with the territory of being different people that, despite everything, still love each other." She tenderly shifted Courtney's face to look at her by the chin. "And you do love him, don't you?"

Courtney nodded silently, rubbing her ring finger with her other hand. "Yeah, despite everything, I do."

"Then it's worth the fight," Carly said. "The fight to keep him, and the fight to make him see things your way, to compromise on what you can, and leave what you can't behind."

Sonny finally looked away from Michael's tranquil face and out the window. He could see Carly hugging his sister and he sighed at turned away again. He knew he had to stay in Michael's room because he couldn't resist the urge to fight with both of them again. The rage seemed to complete take over his body when he got within five feet of Carly since the morning he found out about Michael's accident. She seemed to want to blame and pity him every time their eyes met, and he couldn't take either look from her. It drove him to want nothing more than to shake her, but fear and anguish paralyzed his muscles at the same time.

Looking back at Michael, Sonny seized his son's hand once again and breathed over their fingers. "You know something, buddy, I'm supposed to be protecting you, right, but it's kinda going the other way here. You're protecting me, you know, and you always have." He smiled as he remembered the first time Michael called him Daddy. He knew at that moment he had something more to live for, more he was willing to die to protect. He looked around. There was no glass to throw, no guns – Sonny felt safe from himself again, in that room, and oddly he knew Michael gave him that. "You're my reason to live, Michael. My mom used to say that to me, and I never knew that that is what a child brings to your life."

He leaned closer to his son. "You know, I used to think of your uncle Jason like a son to me...and Stone," Sonny said, his head down. "They were the sons I always wanted, until you." He nodded slowly to himself. "You know, I imagined so many times being gone...and how they would learn from me – how you would learn from me, and just, you know, be a better man than I knew how to be."

He chuckled, and wiped a tear from his eyes. "I never saw myself being there, you know, when my sons became better men than me, but it keeps happening, you know. Stone, Jason...and I'm fighting," he gasped and let the tears fall, "I'm fighting really hard not to resent them for it because it's what I want, just like I want it for you."

"Sonny, I brought..." Jason's voice cut off as he handed Sonny the takeout from Kelly's. The look of betrayal came and went between them over the past few days, and Jason wanted more than anything for it subside completely.

"Thanks," Sonny said, taking the food and sitting it beside Michael's bed.

"Sonny, you need to get some rest," Jason started to say, but was silenced by Sonny's waving hand.

"Don't tell me what I need, Jason," he whispered forcefully. "All I need right now is for my son to wake up, for him to be ok."

"I love him, too, Sonny," Jason said, hurt. "I feel just as guilty as you do, but I need to look out for you, too." Jason sighed, realizing nothing he said that day or any other would make Sonny budge. He walked to the door, looking at Carly's pained face through the window. He turned back to Sonny, wishing that he didn't need to say what he was about to – that he would already know.

"Call me...if you need anything." Jason left before his voice broke completely.

Jason sat at his desk in the penthouse, wishing he hadn't said what he did. That he had said something else, done something else, to make Sonny understand. Jason threw his pen down and rocked back in the leather chair. Jason always hated feeling distant from Sonny, physical or otherwise. Their friendship had sustained him the entire life he could remember, and despite the ups and downs, Jason always had Sonny's trust.

He knew it wasn't broken. Sonny was his partner; friend, brother and father rolled into one and nothing severed Jason's loyalty and love for him or the family they shared. But the eerie silence in the penthouse reminded Jason of what is could cost him.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Jason said, coming from the kitchen to meet Sam at the desk. He hadn't slept well, and his face was creased even more with worry when he woke up to find Sam gone. He kissed her lightly, running his fingers through her soft tresses.

"I went to the hospital," Sam said, her tone reserved, "to see your mother."

"Why? Are you ok?" Jason's bowed his face to Sam's, caressing her cheek, but she looked away from him. She put her keys down on the desk and walked to the chair behind him.

"Jason, I met her to ask about Sonny," Sam said carefully, still not looking at him. "Without telling her everything, I asked her what his symptoms could mean." She finally turned around to face what she expected, Jason's eyes dark with frustration. "She consulted with a psychiatrist, in front of me, and they both think he may be manic depressive." She made her last statement quickly, bracing herself for his reply.

"So you went to two different doctors and discussed Sonny?" Jason said, desperately trying to tamp down his anger. "What was that going to accomplish, Sam?"

"You've been sitting here for two days, Jason," Sam said, raising her voice, "worried about Michael, worried about Carly, and Sonny – how they're going to recover. But you refuse to accept the fact that they are going to have a lot more to deal with than just Michael's physical therapy!"

"And you think it's better to do what we did before? Help Sonny behind his back!" Jason said, walking closer to same, his voice low but just as angry. "We are his family. We will help him through this!"

Sam pushed Jason back, slightly harder than she meant to. "He almost shot me, Jason, not you – me! And when Michael wakes up, what exactly do you want him to wake up to, huh?" She stared Jason down until her eyes started to sting. "Do what you want," she said finally, stomping up the stairs.

It had been such a long time since he and Sam fought that he almost forgot how easily she won. She made her point that day, and had been relatively quiet ever since. She let him hold her when they slept, but it was only after she was completely asleep that her body relaxed against his.

He hated it. It was bad enough that chasm he felt between he and Sonny pervaded his thoughts at every turn, but now it permeated his only safe place – the peace he felt with Sam. Jason began to fill the air suffocate him, and he stood swiftly to grab his leather jacket from the closet. He shut the door, only to see Sam coming downstairs, beautiful in her jeans and a simple pink cardigan.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," Sam replied, looking into his eyes. She wasn't sure what to say but shook her head at Jason's request before he even made it.

"I'm going to the hospital, check on Michael. Do you want to come with me?" Jason asked, hoping they could use this as a ceasefire.

"I've got some errands to run, actually, and I'm headed to Kelly's," Sam said, grounding her toe into the floor and picking stray pieces of lint off the couch – anything not to look at him. "Give Michael my best, ok?"

Jason only sighed inwardly, placing his arms in the sleeves of his jacket slowly. He missed the way she ran to help smooth it out, an excuse to wrap her arms around his waist and pull him into a kiss that burned on his lips all day. He watched her stand there for a minute, and moved toward her. "I will," he said, kissing the top of her head before walking out the door. Her hair still felt like silk.

Penny cashed out another customer and refilled Cianna's cup. They talked quietly in the corner of Kelly's until Bobbie came in. "Duty calls," she said, leaving her cousin to read on her own.

"Let me know if you need help," Cianna offered, and Penny looked at her surprised. Cianna's chipper attitude had been in full force all day, and Penny didn't have to guess that her employer's son had something to do with it.

"Hey Penny," Bobbie said, "do you have the books for me?" She noticed the girl in the corner, how familiar she seemed but brushed it aside. She had been going non-stop at the hospital, visiting with Michael and helping Mike with running both Kelly's and The Cellar in Carly's absence. She hadn't been home much, and was more than elated when Lucas offered to stay with his father for a few days.

"Yeah, sure do," Penny replied. "Mike's at The Cellar, something about signing for the shipments and checking the wine stock."

"Good...aww, thanks," Bobbie said as Penny brought the paperwork to a table with a cup of coffee. She started going through the reports that Mike typed up when she saw Monica come in, her face drawn with exhaustion. "Hey Penny, could we have another cup and the biscotti from the back?"

"Sure thing," Penny said, also taking notice of Monica's worn appearance.

Monica sat down quietly, and Bobbie pushed her papers aside. "You look how I feel."

"Then I look too good," Monica said sadly, nodding at Penny when she brought her the coffee and chocolate dipped snacks.

"Oh, honey, you know we have survived a lot worse," Bobbie said reassuringly, "especially you. Michael's going to be ok, and I know Alan's going to fight to come back to you."

"What he's going to come back to is what worries me, Bobbie," Monica said, eating more of the biscotti before she continued. "Mac's already been by the house, so has Ric. Edward and Tracy fight them every step of the way, but they know what happened – just like everyone else in this town."

"Tell me about it," Bobbie said, munching on a piece of her own biscotti. "I thought it was bad enough having the nurses tiptoe around me about Lucky when he was in a coma – now they're downright docile if anyone even mentions Michael's name around me. It just reminds me all over again."

Just then, Leslie walked into Kelly's, frazzled. "Leslie, are you ok? Sit down," Bobbie said, pulling another chair to the table.

"I'm fine," Leslie sighed, and then looked over at Monica. "How are you two doing?"

"Peachy," Monica said sarcastically, "biscotti?"

"Anything to take my mind off today...and it's just a bit early for scotch," Leslie said, taking a huge bite out of the treat.

"Tell that to my brother," Bobbie said, stifling a mordant laugh.

"I'd love to, but right now I'm hoping he's at GH, talking Lucky out of taking in Lulu when he moves in with Elizabeth."

"So you heard about it too?" Audrey said behind the three women, and they all looked at each other in surprise. Monica pulled another chair around to the other side of the table and Audrey sat down in a huff. "I can't believe Elizabeth would just spring this on me, today! She's acting like a child, like she did when she first got here."

"Now I wouldn't say she's that bad," Bobbie said, remembering how much commotion Liz and Lucky caused in that very diner. "They're in love. Maybe they have to learn the hard way that that's not all it takes."

Penny sent Cianna over to their table with two more cups and a large coffee pot. "Should Penny get more biscotti?" She turned to Bobbie, and Bobbie could have sworn she saw a flicker of remembrance pass through the young girl's eyes.

"The whole stash," Bobbie replied, still trying to figure out where she'd seen the girl before. She turned back to her friends, each lamenting silently about their family problems. "So ladies, what should we toast to?"

Audrey, Leslie, and Monica looked up in a bit of surprise, but Leslie caught on quicker than the others. Bobbie was definitely a Spencer. "To dysfunction, in all it's glory."

"Works for me," Monica said finally, and Audrey appreciated the irony with a nod.

The women raised their mugs to the center of the table. "To dysfunction," they cheered, clinking their cups in unison and smiled for the first time in days.

Lulu looked thoughtfully at her brother. "So, he's going to say no, isn't he?"

Lucky held her hand and turned his mouth to the side. "Well, I don't know. Dad's pretty unpredictable, but whatever happens you've always got me, and Nikolas. But Lu, why do you want to leave Grandma?" Lucky was still so troubled by the idea of leaving his grandmother alone in their old house that he hadn't even gotten around to thinking about how to ask Elizabeth about this new development.

"It's like I said before, I'm going to end up with you or Nikolas anyway, so why not now?" Lulu hesitated to tell her brother how she really felt, but then let loose. "Look, we never know where Dad lives anymore, and Grandma is great, she is – but she's old. What happens if something happens to her? I end up with one of you guys anyway, so I'm just speeding up the process."

Luke listened silently from the hallway. He never thought he'd hear one of his children, especially Lulu, sound just like him. He walked to the entrance of the door even more heavy-hearted. "Hey."

Lulu spun around, hoping her father hadn't heard her little rant. "Daddy!" Lulu played her usual card and ran into Luke's arms. He swung her around dutifully, and held her close while looking at his son.

"So what's this family discussion supposed to be all about," Luke said, setting Lulu back on Lucky's bed, "and why is the person that beckoned my attendance not present?"

"You shouldn't have to be...never mind," Lucky relented, not wanting to make a scene in front of his sister. "Grandma Leslie thinks we should decide, as a family, a change in the living arrangements."

"Translation – Lucky wants to move in with Liz and I want to go with them," Lulu said proudly.

"Thanks, angel," Luke said, messing with his daughter's bangs playfully. "Lucky, you've already made it clear that you'll do as you please, and I agree. You're a grown man, make your decisions and stick by them – it's fine with me. You," he turned to his daughter, "are another story."

Lulu rolled her eyes. "Ok, fine, I'll spell it out for everyone in the room, one more time," she exclaimed, "I'm not doing this to spite Grandma or get attention or anything. Dad, I haven't lived with you since...you know, and if something happens to Grandma I'm in the house by myself. What good is that going to do, really? I'm going to end up with Lucky or Nikolas anyway, so you might as well let me go now."

Luke involuntarily felt a leap of pride in his heart, watching Lulu cock her head to the side and display that Spencer attitude. He checked the smile that forming and sat up sternly. "That may be, but you don't know all the factors here, Princess." He turned to Lucky. "Do you have your job back?"

"No," Lucky answered honestly.

"Savings?"

"A little bit," Lucky said, looking at Lulu sympathetically.

"And what about Liz? You have to help her take care of Cameron, too, right?" Luke said, but didn't wait for a response. He turned back to Lulu. "See, they have to get on their feet first, sweetheart – not to mention your brother's physical therapy. I know you want this, and you made some great points," Luke conceded, "but it's not a great time."

Lulu twisted her mouth like her mother. "It never is, Dad." She sighed. "Fine, fine! Lucky does physical therapy, him and Liz work stuff out, and I'll stay with them when they're settled."

"I have to clear all this with Liz, too," Lucky said patiently. He hated disappointing Lulu, and even more so that his father had been right about everything. The look on her face made him more determined than ever to get things back on track.

Liz peered her head in the room, and was startled to see almost the entire Spencer family together. "Clear what with me?"

"So now you're saying you want me with Jax?" Courtney looked up at Carly, the last of her tears wiped away.

"Not really," Carly said, only half-joking, "but I do want you happy."

Their embrace by the window was interrupted by Jason, walking up quietly. "Hey, how's Michael doing?"

Courtney and Carly looked at each other, thinking the exact same thing. "He's still sleeping," Carly said, running her tongue over her teeth. "Where's Sam?" Her tone wasn't as friendly and innocent as she hoped, but she knew Jason would have seen right through it anyway.

"She had errands," Jason said sternly, not looking over at Courtney's unassuming expression. He noticed when he walked up that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring anymore and he wasn't going near any subject other than Michael or Sonny with a ten foot pole. "How long has Sonny been in there with him?" he asked, watching his friend through the window.

"Hours, Jason," Carly sighed, "and he won't let me in there when he's there. I just don't understand why he still blames me." She walked away from the wall, cursing under her breath.

"Who knows why Sonny does what he does," Courtney snapped, walking behind her best friend. "Everyone knows you're not blame for what happened, or that Sonny was too out of it to be told."

"Enough, Courtney!" Jason retorted loudly, making Carly jump. "You know what...whatever. Do what you want," Jason said, and Sam's voice in the exact same tone rang in his ears. That was what he couldn't put a name to, what had bothered him so much about his argument with Sam, and how she said what she did: it was resignation. He shook his head and tried to refocus. "Look, all any of us need to focus on is Michael, getting him better – and being careful that if AJ resurfaces, he doesn't get anywhere near him."

Carly grit her teeth. "Yeah, well, he's not going to – ever. AJ thinks he's going to be some big problem for us, and he's overestimating himself, as usual. That maniac is never going to touch my son." From the moment Courtney told her that she, Jason, and Sonny suspected AJ was colluding with Faith to take Michael, Morgan and Kristina away she refused to go leave the hospital for more than a half hour. She was proud of herself for not panicking but she made sure Enzo and two other guards rotated around Michael's room and the hospital, in case AJ showed his face.

"That's right," Jason agreed. "We've just got to stay prepared and deal with our problems one at a time." He turned back to the window, and he and Sonny locked eyes. He hoped AJ was the biggest problem they were going to have to face right now.

The rumbling of the subway could be heard on the street, as Armando Sandoval walked stealthy toward the small, family-owned café in the Bronx. He knew walking through the neighborhood that he stood out: his freshly pressed Italian suit and silk tie was a dead giveaway to the people of this neighborhood. He didn't care. After raiding another of the Corinthos-Morgan shipments that morning, and with the tape he had tucked under his arm, he was on cloud nine.

He rounded the corner and saw two associates of the Gamboa family. "Gang's all here," he said, his heavy accent drawled out the words to get their attention.

The taller of the two guards stepped forward to pat him down. "How you doin', Mr. Sandoval?" He retrieved Armando's gun from his ankle and holster, passing them to his partner.

"Neva betta," Sandoval replied, watching the men carefully place his firearms among the cache they confiscated from the other dons. He nodded and proceeded inside the café, where Tesorieri, Gamboa, Fonti, and Guarisco were sipping imported beer. He took his seat among them. "Shall we begin?"

Victor Tesorieri swallowed his beer and placed the bottle down on the table. "The sooner the better," he said, leaning in just enough to flex his still massive arms. True to form, Tesorieri never missed an opportunity to take the reigns at the meetings, or show off his still virile frame. For a man over 50, he was stronger than most of his henchmen, and he kept order in house, and others – if they required his services.

"I trust everyone received a copy of the tape," Armando stated confidently.

"So, what about it?" Miguel Gamboa piped up. "If Corinthos has a Fed in his pocket, his bed, whatever...it's his business." He smoothed back his prematurely grey hair with one hand. As the youngest of the heads of the families, Gamboa always sought to keep the peace, so as to look more mature to his counterparts. He allied himself with Sonny early on, as he father had done before Faith murdered him, and had great respect for how Sonny ran his territory.

"Unless he's offering the protection their relationship implies, it's our business to handle!" Benito Fonti declared, annoyed again with Gamboa. He had watched the kid grow up in this business, but he had hoped to take over both families when Roscoe had massacred their fathers. "Corinthos may be a stand up guy, but he hasn't extended his protection in quite some time. It needs to be addressed."

"Then why isn't he here?" Gamboa retorted, less vehemently. He turned to Sandoval. "Why we calling meetings behind the man's back? There are no cowards here, right?"

Armando bolted from his seat and menacingly stood over Miguel. "Watch your mouth, or I'll watch it for you."

"Sit down, Armando," Salvador Guarisco said calmly, his tone flat and unamused. "We meet as gentlemen." Armando sat down immediately at the older man's request. The lone survivor of Faith Roscoe's attack, Guarisco was respected more highly than any other of the heads of the families. They automatically yielded to his command, even Tesorieri.

"This meeting is simply preliminary, Young Gamboa," Guarisco continued. "We understand your alliance with the Corinthos family and we respect your position," he said authoritatively, looking each of the other dons in the eye to garner their agreement. "Nevertheless, the tape was disturbing. This Reese Marshall is a different breed. She has challenged our bond before..."

"And she lost," Gamboa replied quickly. "Don Guarisco, she has fallen for charms before, and all the tape proves is that she has again. If anything, she looks as incompetent as a Fed as she did as Domeni's lawyer." He stopped, realizing they hadn't spoken his friend's name in years. He looked away but Guarisco placed a firm hand on his forearm to continue. "If Sonny has anything to do with her, she'll compromise herself again and she won't be able to make anything stick."

"Yeah, on Corinthos," Fonti spoke up again, "but what about the rest of us?" He shifted again in his chair. "Marshall may have smartened up a bit in the past few years, you ever think about that, Mickey? What about Sonny – he fell for a Fed before and he got over on her, but it's different now. He's more concerned with his family and when his next kid's gonna pop out from some broad than business."

"He has lost focus," Tesorieri chimed in, "but he keeps the peace in his territory. He makes us money and his shipments haven't been going bad...until lately." He glanced quickly in Armando's direction before drinking more of his beer.

"Which proves his attention is not where it should be," Sandoval said calmly, but clearly agitated at Tesorieri's comment. "I can run the territory better – my family is sound, my men are obedient. Corinthos slipped, and I only wanted to prove it."

"Then you should have your chance...to prove it face to face," Guarisco stated simply, leaning back in his chair as Armando's face fell. "We will meet tomorrow night, in Port Charles, to address our concerns with the Corinthos-Morgan organization, and put any disputes to rest. Understood?"

"Why should we extend such courtesy?" Armando protested, despite the irate expressions from the other dons that had simply nodded in compliance.

"Sandoval, your very question begets some of my own – about your ability to control yourself, let alone territory as vast as you covet." He stood gingerly, grabbing his cane and rounded the table to stand over Armando; his firm grip placed all his weight on Sandoval's shoulder. "We are gentlemen, with all the values, especially refinement, that the word implies. We value the honor of facing opposition and proving our strength accordingly and civilly." He finally relinquished his grip, and shifted his weight back to his cane. "Good day, gentlemen."

The men responded in kind as the elderly man, looking that much more so due to the bullet in his leg from the hit that almost confined him to a wheelchair, stepped out with the help of his bodyguard and Tesorieri. Armando made sure to keep his muttered curses to himself until after he retrieved his weapons from Gamboa's men and made his way back to Port Charles.

Sonny broke his stare with Jason through the window and turned back to his son. He sniffed quietly, and motioned for Jason to come in.

Jason stood at the foot of Michael's bed, looking back and forth between him and Sonny.

"I've been sitting here, telling Michael that, um...I used to think of you like my son," Sonny said lowly, not meeting Jason's eyes. "But you're not – you never were."

Jason felt his heart sink even lower than it had before. As usual, he wasn't going to fight Sonny, but he wasn't sure he could take any more rejection that day. "Sonny, you were...you were a father to me. And you let me grow up, just..."

Sonny walked around and faced him, holding up his hand in protest. "Jason, I want Michael to be a better man than me. That's what fathers want for their children; it matters as much as safety, or comfort, and lot more than money." He paused again, bringing his hands together before his lips. "I want that for Michael because I already see it in you."

Jason felt the relief shake his entire body. He immediately placed his thumbs in the inner corner of his eyes, but let his hands drop to fully embrace Sonny. "You're the best father I had, and the best I ever gave Michael." Jason felt the side of his shirt dampen with Sonny's tears, but they finally pulled away to look at Michael again.

"Nothing comes between us, our family right here," Sonny said unwaveringly, and Jason nodded in agreement. "Nothing...and no one."

AJ looked around the corridors in both directions before going into Alan's room. He still hadn't regained consciousness, and AJ waited until Steven left after checking his vital signs to sneak in. He sat on the side of his bed and stared transfixed at his father's face. It had some color, but only a little warmth on his cheeks and the stubble made him look haggardly.

"Dad," AJ whispered, close to his father's face. "I don't know if, um, you can hear me, but I hope you can. I never meant for it to be this way, any of this."

AJ threw his body close to his father's, wishing he would just hug him in return. He felt something move under him, and he jumped back just enough to see Alan's hand move up his arm.

"Oh my God, Dad!" AJ whispered excitedly, clutching his father's hand close to him.

"AJ," Alan whispered, his throat hoarse and dry.

AJ looked to the ceiling, tears of gratitude in his eyes. "God, thank you. Dad, I'm so sorry, and I needed to tell you that, and that I love you...in case I never get the chance again." The sound of footsteps caused AJ to spin around, right into his mother's face.

"I'm glad you did, AJ," Monica said furiously, "because I'm going to kill you."