Author's Notes: This is in the GHR series (as can be told from the title) and takes place sometime after High Wire Act, the Brenda and Luis story. For a running list of casting changes, please refer to the original story, General Hospital Redux. For the most part, though, the main casting differences from the current show that will probably appear in this story are:

Tamara Braun as Carly
Jonathan Jackson as Lucky


Sam McCall stared into the interrogation room, arms folded over her stomach. The District Attorney paced back and forth. She could only see his back, but from the expression on Jason's face, she knew that Ric Lansing was talking. She also knew that Jason didn't like whatever he was saying.

Sam wished she were in the room and knew that she should have been the one inside. She should have been the one who was carted out of the penthouse in handcuffs. Most of the time, Jason was the guilty party, but this time, the cops couldn't have been more wrong. Jason hadn't killed anyone. No—That was wrong. Jason had done a job recently, but they didn't know about that. This time, however, this particular body… Jason had nothing to do with it. This time, the body floating face down in the harbor was all on Sam's head.

Jason's eyes fell on her and Sam instantly felt overwhelming guilt. He should have at least known what happened. She'd had every intention on telling him, but the police hadn't given her the chance. The ends of her hair were still wet from the bath she'd just stepped out of when the policed showed up at the door.

Of course, Alexis would probably say that Jason didn't need to know. The less he knew, the better. He couldn't let anything slip. He couldn't do anything that would implicate himself or anyone else. At the moment, he wasn't giving anything away. Jason Morgan gave great straight-face. The only people better at it would have been Lorenzo and Luis, and sometimes, she thought Jason even had Luis beat.

Sam turned from the window and sighed. Where was Alexis, anyway? She had called her on the way to the police station and let her know that this was urgent. She hadn't given any details but Alexis never needed those right away, anyway. She could get the gist over the phone. The rest could wait.

"Sam." She turned and sighed with relief. Alexis Davis strode into the station on brown pumps that matched her brown suit. It could have been called a power suit, but all of her suits were power suits. "What did he do this time?"

"Jason didn't do anything." Alexis fixed her with a disbelieving and almost offended look. Sam groaned and rolled her eyes. "Look, I realize that your job usually entails Jason doing something, but this time, he really didn't do it."

"For the moment, I'll assume that you may know what you're talking about." Sam growled and Alexis ignored her. "What do they think he did?"

Sam sighed and turned away from Alexis. She walked slowly back to the window and stared inside again. She didn't want to tell Alexis before she had even told Jason. There was no way she'd be able to just let it drop without explanation. Sam would have to tell her everything, or at least enough to explain why they would think Jason had done it. Why she knew Jason was innocent just might be able to wait.

"They think he killed Manuel Ruiz."

Alexis went still for a second, just long enough for Sam to k now that the name was familiar to her. "Why would he kill Manuel Ruiz?"

Sam sighed, still staring into the room. Hadn't she been listening? Jason didn't kill Manuel Ruiz. Of course, Alexis could have just been trying to get more information out of her. She shook her head and muttered, "I really wish I knew what Ric was telling him."

"Why does it matter?" Alexis tapped her fingers lightly against the glass. "How do you know Manuel, Sam?"

"Who said I knew Manuel?"

"I saw it in your eyes. Heard it in the tremor of your voice when you said his name. Alexis went still and waited for Sam to say something. The air between them remained silent as Sam mentally berated herself. She'd really tried to have no emotion at all in her voice when she said his name. "Does Jason know?"

"Does he know what?" The innocence sounded false even to Sam's own ears. "No," she said with a sigh.

"So, the cops think Jason murdered Manuel. Either because he was a rival to the Alcazars, or because you're his ex-girlfriend. Do you think Ric knows about the latter?"

"He could," she said with a shrug. "And if he does, he's already told Jason."

Alexis turned to Sam and looked down to the diminuitive brunette. Her heavy gaze made Sam uncomfortable and she fidgeted, scratching at her arms. "Jason really didn't do it, did he?" Alexis asked.

Sam looked up at her with cold eyes and said, "No." She turned back to the window. She reached out slowly and pressed her palm flat against the glass. The glass was cool beneath her hand, but still her palm sweated. She pulled her hand back and rubbed it against her jeans. Sam locked eyes with Jason and whispered, "He didn't kill Manuel Ruiz."