AJ Quartermaine was one of my favorite characters on GH. However, I feel that the writers always wrote him as a loser and a worthless drunk. My short story below is an overview of AJ's life from the point at which Sonny employed Jason all the way up to the future. To understand the story, you'll need to throw most of that junk out the window, as if it never happened. AJ marrying Courtney? Never happened. AJ kidnapping Michael? Never happened. AJ being murdered? Never happened. In fact, for this story, most of the bad things never happened.

I hope you enjoy.

Christmas Past

"Blue Christmas". No one knows the meaning of those words better than A.J. Quartermaine. This year, tragedy and defeat has combined to form the deadliest cocktail of all for the dejected alcoholic – sheer and utter hopelessness.

Christmas Eve finds A.J. wallowing in that hopelessness at a bar called The Blue Whale. He stares at what remains of his latest drink, a Tom Collins.

"It's amazing...", he says with a slurred chuckle, "it's amazing how much a Todd Collins tastes like lemonade. It doesn't tase like grape juice or orange juice or anything else. It's the best alcohom – alcohomic drink I ever ate in my entire life."

"Yeah, Mac, that's simply amazing" replies Dan the bartender sarcastically, "That Todd Collins is a great drink. I try to eat one every day. Look, Mister, what are you doing here on Christmas Eve, anyway? Don't you have a nice family you can go home to, get cozy by the fire and sing Christmas carols, instead of sitting around here getting plastered and butchering the English Language?"

"My brother...my brother, he loved English. It was his favorite sumject in grade school. Me, I never could stand it – I was more of a lunch break and recess kinda guy.You know, maybe that's the answer after all..."

"The answer to what?" inquires Dan.

"The answer to the question, the big question. The question that has plagued man and womankind for all time. The humongous, huge, exasperate- exasper- exasperatabing question I have never ever, no never, found an answer to!"

"And that question is...?"

"Well, funny that you should ask about that; I don't recall the exact wording of the question, but it's got something to do with my brother, and why my parents love him more than me."

"So...what's the answer?" asks Dan.

"I have no idea...I can't remember now...drat."

"Hey, don't stop now – you've got me interested; what's the deal with your brother?"

"I wish I knew; all I know is he's not my brother anymore. Did you know that I made my brother that way? Did you know he kills people now because I drove him into a tree?"

"Slow down, Mister, you're not making sense. Can you start at the beginning?"

"He's not an orphan, you know. He's got a mom and a dad and a brother. How can someone with a mom and a dad and a brother be an orphan?"

"Who says he's an orphan?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure anyone says he's an orphan. But that mobster Scummy Corinthos sure made him think he is one. Just came right along and scooped him up and took advant-advantage – did I get that word right – of his drain bamage to brainwash him into this life of crime and grime. But Scummy isn't his dad – Alan is. And Scummy isn't even his brother – I am."

"You really love your brother, don't ya?"

"You bet your sweet bippy I love him. He's my brother. Of course I love my brother. But he wasn't always a cold monster with no conscience. He was a good kid once, before...before.."

Tears force A.J. to cut his sentence short. But he wouldn't want to finish even if he could. The pain of the accident and Jason's journey to the dark side are too fresh in his mind – he wants another drink to erase it all.

"But you don't wanna hear my sob stories anymore. How about another Tossed Collins?"

"You've had enough of those for one night" says Dan, placing a cup of coffee in front of A.J. "Let's get started on these."

"This is pretty good", says A.J., drinking the coffee, "it doesn't taste like lemonade, but it's good anyway."

"You know what you need, Mister?", asks Dan. "You need a good stiff glass of hope. And I think I know just what that hope may be."

He hands A.J. a flyer.

"What's this?"

"Some lady brought it in tonight. The church down the street is having a special midnight Christmas service. I wanted to go, but I'll be closing this place down. Why don't you go and tell me what they say."

"I don't know that someone like me should set foot in a church. They might think I'm drunk."

"Now why would they think a thing like that", chuckles Dan. "Look, the service is still a good 5 hours from now. I'll just keep shoving coffee down your throat and you ought to be good and sober by then."

"It's not just being drunk; I don't belong in church – I'm not good enough."

"Who is? Isn't that the whole point of Christmas anyway – a child born to save those who can't save themselves?"

"I guess you're right. Well, what are you standing around for? If I'm going to that service, you've got a lot of coffee to be brewing."