Chapter 6:Cracked Mirrors
When the mirror you look into is cracked, the image you see is what you want.
AJ woke up from his nightmare. He kept hearing the girl's voice saying she knew he would be back in time to rescue her. The problem was he didn't know the where or the who or why she needed rescuing. All he knew was that Elizabeth and Mac Scorpio were involved.
Holding his spinning head, he went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Staring out the window at the water, he wondered when Jason would be arriving. There was a time when the thought of Jason having a family would have driven AJ over the edge.
The last four and a half months listening to his brother helped him understand how he had believed that Carly would be a good parent. That Jason had admitted he was wrong and that he regretted what he had done to Michael and to his brother had helped heal the breach that had been torn asunder almost twenty years ago by a woman's lies.
Hearing noises the older blond turned around to see Elizabeth walking gingerly into the room. Not sure where she was in her memories, he waited to see how she reacted then realized she hadn't seemed to recognize him. "There is coffee on."
With a quick grin she said "Don't touch the stuff. Probably do later on, but this me, nope."
Then she looked at him and said "AJ? Emily's brother?"
"Yes." he said cautiously. "Uh, how are you doing?"
"Better, Things are coming back to me much faster, now. Uncle Tom told he how he sent me to my safe place and that I seemed to have lost all my marbles. I gather there are some memories I am not going to want back." she said. "So, why are you here?" Elizabeth was curious, she barely knew either of Emily's brothers, so spending time alone with one of them was strange.
"Missing memories, though, my were stolen to keep me from rescuing someone. It's strange to know that I promised someone I would come back for them and not have a clue who or why it is so urgent. Listen, could you help me figure out the clues?"
"Me, missing memory girl?" she asked doubtfully. "Besides if you don't have memories, why do you have clues?"
With a soft chuckle as she asked the exact same thing Jason had; only more politely. "I haven't the foggiest, but I found 12 handwritten clues in my pocket. They are written in a woman's script, neatly so I would be able to read them is my guess."
Following them into the parlor silently, Tom watched as AJ handed the hand worn first note to Elizabeth. "This had a huge one on the back of it. Reading it, Elizabeth shrugged then said "That one sounds like the police commissioner in Port Charles, I think I heard someplace that he is from Australia. As for the second part, I have no idea on the waitress at Kelly's who is now a nurse."
Tom entered and said "We think that you might be the answer to that clue. Remember I told you I had no idea of you ever wanting to be an artist, well you are a nurse."
"No way!" she said aghast. "I wouldn't be able to handle it, the sight of someone hurt turns my stomach, why on earth would I consider that for a career choice? Was I that desperate to earn gran's love that I would chose a profession I loath."
"Well here is the second clue." said AJ trying to change the subject only for Elizabeth to turn white and say "Well, I now have another memory to add to my growing collection. Emily and I went to Boston one weekend, we measured ourselves against one smoot. I have no idea who the candy stripper is, but she is there laughing when we told her about lying on the bridge to compare ourselves." she said with a shrug then said "I would love to help you, AJ, but right now, I need to deal with something."
Watching as she left, her hands shaking as she carried her glass of water, Tom followed. Once in her room, they soon found themselves dealing with the next group of memories. Lucky's death, her friendship with Jason and his leaving. Followed by Lucky's return. "Oh, god, we stole the body of a cop. What were we thinking?"
As Tom took her through the memories, Elizabeth admitted her feelings of loss as a friend, then her guilt at feeling like she was finally standing on her own and then at realizing she had mourned Lucky for all the wrong reasons back then.
"The Candle, it was mine. I blamed myself and then when I fell in love with Jason..." Tom tried to get her to go on, but she said in a soft voice "I'm tired, I need to sleep, but Uncle Tom, you were right, looking back, without the guilt. I … I was afraid that if I showed people the real me, no one would love me. Then when Lucky returned, I became stepford Elizabeth. I think I stayed that way for a very long time."
Kissing her forehead, Tom said. "There is always time to change, to stand up for yourself."
With a smile as she slid into the comfort of the blankets, she said "I know, Uncle Tom, since you haven't moved me out of this room, why do I think there are worse things coming up?"
!!*!!
Cam had a great time on the train, between the people who kept talking about how cute Jake and he was to being allowed to sleep on a bunk bed while the train was moving, nothing was slowing him down. Jason picked up Jake who has fallen asleep next to him and laid him down on the bed, pulling up the protective railing before moving back to the seat.
As the brown haired boy watched the scenery outside the window, Jason quietly explained to Johnny what he had been up to since leaving Port Charles. "I have list of people, I want you to give me your opinion on each. Don't hold back, lives may depend on my hearing things I might not like."
Nodding, he waited until Cam joined his brother in the 'land of nod' before answering to the first name. "Fair, a little naive and he has no idea of the crap his daughter is in to."
"Okay, what about his daughter?" asked Jason.
"Maxie is a screwed up piece of work. I don't understand that Spinelli relationship, I still don't know what happened with the almost wedding."
"Almost what?" Jason asked in shock.
When Johnny explained, Jason shook his head in disgust then said "The tie, a pink tie? You think someone might have had the sense to have me checked out at GH."
"I think she is a little too close to Sam McCall. Talk about a bad influence, a friendship based on both of them hating the same woman? Why?" That was something Johnny just couldn't figure out.
"Because they have pathetic lives and both are in need of mental health help." said Jason. "Okay, what about Robin?"
"Who?" he asked then thought about it. "The doctor with HIV. She is okay, but when I last saw her she was friendly with Sam, I just don't understand why. As a mother seems to me she would have a problem being friends with a woman who hurt a friend of her's kids."
With a frustrated sigh, Jason said "We kept it quiet, she might not know. What about her husband?"
"Drake? He seemed to be the only person in the room when they said Elizabeth was gone who seemed sad. The rest were all too busy vilifying her for telling Sam's sisters she slept with both their fathers and I do have to ask did she really do Ric Lansing with his daughter in the next room while her mother was suffering from cancer?" Johnny had never had a high opinion of Sam McCall, but even he hadnt expected that one.
"Yes, and what do you mean Elizabeth told them? That doe... Tom said the PTSD was manifesting itself in anger the last few days before she came here." with a soft chuckle then feeling bad for the younger girls, he said "What was being said?"
"Oh the usual, how she shouldn't have done that, how she was wrong, that sort of thing. The weird part is not a single person said ANYTHING to Sam about what she did becoming public. It was like the expected that behavior from her."
"Plus, Carly couldn't say a thing, after all she ruined her mother's marriage by doing the exact same thing." he said then asked about Lucky Spencer.
"Puppy boy, what a loser. He is all about himself and how everything should revolve around him. I don't understand why … he let the lie stand to control Elizabeth, didn't he?" asked a disgusted Johnny. "The mess with Nik, for two brother's, one is clueless the other is all about himself and his pain. I don't get why?"
"I gather you knew about Nik and... Elizabeth." said Jason as it hurt. He tried to let it go, after all she believed he was sleeping with the woman who had hurt their children. He had been responsible for pushing her away instead of realizing he was doing what his so-called friends wanted. He only hoped Elizabeth would be able to get over it herself, he knew it was hard for her to sometimes forgive her own mistakes.
"Only the last day in town. I felt sorry for her, I mean she had no one. Spencer and his brother were both manipulating her for some reason or another. Sam, Maxie and your buddy Spinelli were gleeful about you supposedly being back with her. The fact you were sleeping with her was public without being public if you know what I mean."
"Oh, I do." said Jason growling as he plotted more pain for the man who he had let into his life. It was now on a list of his biggest regrets. If Spinelli had ever just fulfilled his promise to Epiphany Johnson they would have known about Jerry and his part in the fake pharmaceuticals. Instead his breaking that vow, had led to Ian being allowed to roam, Claudia making a stupid deal in anger and even worse Michael getting shot.
He was well aware that his nephew was now beyond saving. The boy he had raised like a son the first year of his life had chosen to take after his adopted father. Now all he could hope was that this brush with the real world might wake him up. "One more group, Carly."
Johnny hoped he meant what he said about wanting the truth. "A manipulative bitch who thinks she owns Sonny and you. She is only willing to associate with women she can dominate, denigrates anyone who is strong enough to stand up to her. Carly creates little plans to ruin people, especially anyone who knows the truth about her. No offense, but your best friend is a rabid dog who needs a rabies shot."
Jason had asked for the truth, and Johnny's opinion equaled AJ's and many others. For a long time, Jason believed that if people got to know the real Carly they would see a different side, but he now got that he wasn't the one seeing the truth about his ex-friend. He was the one who had been blind.
"Sonny?" he asked thinking he already knew that answer but was shocked at what he had to say.
"Cunning bastard who had the good sense to take you in when he met you. Without you, he would have lost this business many times over. He likes to present one face to the world, to women, but deep down, Morgan, he is a man with a dark side. If it comes to it, he would sacrifice anyone to save himself. His family, his friends, and even his partners. I think he told my father about Jake, Anthony already knew, but Sonny passed that on since you were opposing him in regards to the Russians."
Sitting back quietly, Jason thought about it then said "I thought it was Sam, or maybe even from Elizabeth and I meeting that allowed them to find out."
"No, Elizabeth and you, they did find out, but Jake, no. Sam more than likely was willing to give them up, but she was suddenly playing like she was one of the good guys, I just don't know why. I overheard something between Maxie and her a few months ago. She was saying how she blamed Elizabeth for her life ending up the way it did. That she was going to take everything back. You, Jake and then help Lucky destroy her."
"Jake isn't hers, and I knew Elizabeth long before Sam, if I hadn't thought my life was too much for her, I would have been with Elizabeth all along." he admitted. "I never wanted the filth of it to touch her."
With a sad chuckle, Johnny said "I know the feeling. There was someone, a long time ago. I felt the same way. It's funny, I was barely out of my teens. I don't even know where she is now. In the end, I had to cut what few ties we had to protect her."
"I tried, repeatedly, but I never could. I needed seeing her, knowing she was safe and alive like I needed to breath." Jason's mind seemed to replay every single smile had had ever gotten from Elizabeth.
"I was always glad things never went that far." said a sad Johnny as he thought of his friend. When Morgan had burnt down his father's house, the last connection to her had burnt up in the fire.
"I was a fool. I can still remember the day I made the decision. We had spent the evening talking about trying, going for it. Then I was dealing with business that night. It was dirty enough but then I was protecting Sonny's sister who was stripping." With a harsh laugh he said "See I saw her as another victim of our life, not knowing she had placed herself there for a reason. I went home that night and Elizabeth had left me a sandwich and a note. I knew then that I didn't want her to become like Courtney. That she was too good for that type of life."
Hearing Jason's bitter chuckle, he looked at the man who said "Courtney was who she was long before she came to town. My partner opened my eyes on that one. It's sad, but I was trying to save both Elizabeth and her, instead I destroyed Elizabeth, sending her into Lansing's web. My brother and I had nothing left and the woman I was trying to save … well,... she... she was worse than her brother."
Feeling a heavy burned lift, Jason stood and said "I will be right back. Do you want anything?"
Shaking his head no, Johnny went back to his melancholy thoughts while Jason went to the front of the train. Sitting down in a vacant chair, he rubbed the scar from his first stay at Elizabeth's studio. Every time he had pushed Elizabeth away for her own good, her life had gone to hell.
Why had it taken all this time to figure that one out? Thinking back on conversations in his past, he knew that most of this had been equally their fault, but at the same time he knew that his friends had made the mess worse.
!!*!!
Mac entered the library and went to ask about applying for a card. Taking the appropriate paperwork back up, he was a bit surprised when they said "Sir, the book you requested is waiting for you in the reading room."
When he picked up the book, he wasn't amused when he read the title. Sitting down with the book on Coffee, he was turning each page gently when he found the note. It had been written on tracing paper. Following the directions he walked to the lost and found and said "My name is Mac Scorpio, I left a letter here the other day."
The security guard had him show some ID, then went to retrieve the package. Taking it out into the cool sunshine, Mac leaned up against one of the Lions and opened it. The picture made him sigh as he wondered who was getting the frequent traveler miles he seemed to be earning.
Four hours later, he was catching a quick train to the City of Brotherly love. As he ran his fingers over the words in the note, he tried to figure out why they were so familiar when the phone rang.
"Abbott, what is it?"
"Corinthos was released we have no proof to hold him for the actual murder. Ten million in bail, his mother paid it. As for his old man, he was arraigned on federal charges including the murder. We transferred his protesting rear to the medical wing. Can you give me some background on his relationship with Alexis Davis besides her being the mother of his daughter?"
Filling Abbott in, Mac then asked why he was interested?
"Diane Miller refused to represent the kid, citing her past relationship with the wanted fugitive Max Giambetti. Corinthos called her traitor, saying Max killed his son. It's nuts, we have him on the cell phone ordering these men to kill Dante Falconari, yet he keeps protesting he is innocent. We now know that it was the younger Giambetti brother who sent us the phone after his brother's almost death."
"I figure it was something like that." said Mac dryly, he had also suspected a few others. "What are the rest of the fed's charges?"
"They have the Zachara books, we are looking for this Johnny to verify some of this, but he isn't implicated anyplace. Whereas Corinthos and Ric Lansing are. Lansing did a runner as well. Don't supposed you have any idea where to check for him, the LAPD is rather eager to find him."
"Try Martha's Vineyard, his family has a place there and he is arrogant enough to believe it was a safe place. WAIT! What do you know that you're not telling me?"
"A young girl, Kristina Corinthos showed up at GH, attacked Sam McCall, accused her of setting her father up. She was with Lansing who was pretty cozy with Raynor while he was in town. The FBI have an unnamed co-conspirator who is walking away from the charges and we know it's not Morgan."
Don't be so sure on that thought Mac with a slight smile. "McCall, are you sure?"
"No, but it fits. Either way, I am going to be bringing her in for an interview. Also Morgan is waking up but has major memory gaps from what my contact at the hospital told me."
"Where is Michael Corinthos? And who is his tail?"
"Harper. And he is staying at the hotel with his mother. Jasper Jacks kicked Carly out of the house and has received custody of Morgan and their daughter until things are resolved."
"Don't count Carly Jacks out, she is a Spencer and they truly think that the world owes them something. She will beg, borrow, steal and use anyone to get what she wants."
"I have a man at GH, she has been hovering around Morgan's room. There was a confrontation with McCall when Morgan first woke up, then another after Corinthos kid visited." Abbott didn't get the blond's obsession but he was grateful for it, it had given him more ammunition than he would have had otherwise.
!!*!!
'Jason' woke up in the hospital bed, trying to place his screwed up memories in prospective. He was hoping that this Sam McCall was pulling a con, since she wasn't pregnant with his kid. Otherwise it would more than likely grow up an orphan because his boss was going to kill him. Hearing voices arguing in the hallway, he shuddered when Carly Corinthos forced her way in.
Looking at the woman who had made his life and those he cared about hell for years, he signaled he wanted water and watched as she ignored it and just started in on the problems of her life. He just listened and shook his head no when he heard about Michael, Sonny killing his own biological son that didn't shock him, nor that Michael had been taken to the scene.
Sonny had been grooming that kid for years, even while pretending not to be. When the doctor finally entered stopping Carly's whining, 'Jason' hinted for water. Drake helped him sit up and drink some just as the door opened and Sam walked in with the computer geek.
With a grimace that was hidden by the face bandage, he asked "How long was I out?"
Hearing the answer, he asked "Elizabeth?"
"That ungrateful bitch is dead." said Sam shocking even Carly. She couldn't stand Elizabeth either, but they had always had the sense to be careful to hide from Jason how much she had loathed the woman.
"Don't talk about her that way." he said coughing between words. "Where are the boys?"
"Gone." Sam said bluntly. "But don't worry, Jake really wasn't yours. Ask Spinelli he found the proof on the computer. The tests were switched."
Bull crap, thought the man in the bed. "Everyone but Spinelli out, NOW!"
Ignoring the protests of the women, Patrick Drake escorted them out the door and turned to Spinelli and said "Ten minutes, for each of you. Got it?"
When Carly protested that her need was more important Sam looked at her and sneer, "No it isn't. This baby, our child is more important you had better get used to some changes. Jason is no longer going to be allowed to chase after you and your pathetic offspring."
"Allowed? Who do you think you are?" she said with a snort. "If Elizabeth Webber didn't stand a chance of separating Jason and me, you don't either. Now back off or I help Jason get permanent custody of the kid."
"Oh, please. I don't scare easy. You can't do anything. Jason loves me, after all he took me back even after what happened with Jake, and he thought he was his son at the time. You, you are not a threat any longer." said Sam turning her back on Carly and never seeing Michael glaring at her from the shadows. His mother said Uncle Jason was his best hope of getting out from under these charges since that bastard Giambetti had made a power grab.
In the room, Jason pushed away the geeks hands as he tried to help him sit up. "Leave it. Now want to tell me why you fixed the records and try the truth."
"Stone Cold, they were fixed by someone other than me. I just found the truth while..." he found himself gasping for breath as Jason pulled down on his computer bag choking him. "Wait.. I just was doing you a favor. You never wanted Jake and I just fixed it."
"Where the fuck are my sons your troglodyte little bastard and what happened to Elizabeth. She wasn't hurt that badly. How could she be dead?"
Struggling free, Spinelli looked into his eyes and saw the color had a green tint to them and wondered what was wrong with his master. "NOW! Tell me NOW!"
"Uh, I don't know. All I know is that their true father Luc..." he couldn't talk as once again he found himself pulled close by the handle of his bag. "Okay, I am sorry. I mean you didn't care then suddenly you do, how am I supposed to know."
"ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION!!!!" he roared.
"They are missing. The unfortunate Maternal Ones grandmother misplaced them. Then she left town to bury the man stealer..."
"Stop that..." gasped Spinelli only for 'Jason' to toss him across the room.
"Find Cody, I want him here now. You stay the hell away from me, and you fix those f-ing records you hear me. Then get your crap out of my penthouse and don't so much as even talk to me again, do you under stand me or do I need to write it in crayon? Take that whore with you."
"Whore?" asked Spinelli confused.
"Actually both whores, the one you are pathetically dreaming about a white picket fence and babies with and the whore who endangered Elizabeth and those boys." Johnny was angry and no longer cared about protecting his bosses secret, god, if Elizabeth really was dead....
"What about your much anticipated happy event with the true owner of your heart? How can you toss away your hard won happiness in memory of a woman who was sleeping with her fiancee's brother." Spinelli was certain he only had to reason with his master, soon he would return to his senses and recall all that had happened.
"Well I screwed a woman who slept with her mother's husband and his brother. Shouldn't be that hard to forgive Elizabeth for a mistake I caused in my failed attempt at protecting her from my miserable life filled with piteous companions like you and the rest of the exploiters in my life."
He counted to two after the trembling stuttering geek fled with tears in his eyes before Sam and Carly entered. Turning to the blond he said "Carly out, I will be with you in a minute. Take the time to make a list of all the anserine ways you have screwed up your life and when you come back in we will go through them, for now get the hell out."
Carly walked down the hall to where Michael was waiting and missed seeing another of the women on her hit list slipping to outside the door to listen in.
'Jason' thought it felt good to finally tell that blond harpy what to do then turned to the woman standing there with a smile on her face and when he tuned he in realized she was telling him all about her baby and how they were going to be great parents.
"Stop talking and listen." he snapped. Alexis eyebrow's furrowed, that voice, it sounded strange to her. Wondering if there had been throat damage, she got quite an earful as "Jason' continued to talk. "Now, stop the lies, that unfortunate progeny that you say your are having isn't mine."
"Of course it is, Jason. I know that we weren't planning for a child but this is a blessing, he can replace the mistake that Elizabeth lied saying was yours." she said then felt her hand being squeezed. "Ow, Jason I know you are excited but that hurts my hand."
"Listen up, Sammy. Elizabeth didn't lie your fan boy Spinelli faked the test results. I just had a discussion with him about lying and I know he didn't like the penalty. I kicked his rear out of the penthouse. As for Jake, he was never a mistake. The only mistake is that Cameron doesn't share the same parentage. He should have never have been Zanders."
"You kicked Spinelli out, great we can make that into the baby's room." she squeed in excitement only for 'Jason' to roll his eyes.
"Sam you are not listening to me. Do you really think that I would even dip my wick into your well used spot with there being any chance of you getting pregnant. Now don't bother with the old the condom broke, it won't fly." he said coldly.
With tears she said "I won't. I made sure I would get pregnant. I can't believe you are treating me like this. You swore you forgave me for what happened with Jake. That my rescuing him made up for watching him get kidnapped and the incident in the park." Sam was sure that Jason would come around, he was just stunned by his good fortune right now.
Alexis counted to ten, she finally got why Elizabeth had been so angry the day she had died. What the hell was Sam thinking? That was just it, all she had been thinking was of hurting Elizabeth, yet it was Jason who had harmed her. But what came next was what caught her attention and sent a chill down her spine.
"I didn't, and I can honestly say no parent ever would. You were a way to scratch and itch created by my injury and a way to find out the truth." then with a cold grin he added "Before Mexico, I had a vasectomy."
Sam stared then desperately said "Then it didn't take, you know you are the only man I love."
Alexis heard the bitter chuckle and leaned back starting to put the pieces together. Then when the man in the bed said "You don't love me, otherwise you would have wanted for me to be happy with my family, with Elizabeth and the boys."
"She stole my life!!" she shrieked.
"No, see Elizabeth was the first woman to live in that penthouse, the only one worthy of living in either of the penthouses. You, you were mistake, one I tried to warn Sonny about, then later on..." shutting up, 'Jason' mentally swore at himself for what he had been about to reveal.
"Later on?" she asked moving in closer.
"Later on, you were convenient, no more Jake's to pick women up, I had one right there. Oh, I am not saying you didn't try, but in the end it has always been about Elizabeth."
Looking up at the woman, 'Jason' said "You tried your best, it didn't work. Go find the real father of your kid and leave me the hell alone. Don't come back here you aren't welcome. I will be making sure that the doctors know that."
"So, so what you are saying..." she asked sobbing. "What you are saying is that you just used me, that you never loved me."
"No. And these last few months, I knew that something was up. I know about Jerry Jacks, and I know that you made some sort of deal. I just don't give a crap any longer. Just know one thing, if you have anything to do with Elizabeth's missing sons, I will bring you to the edge of death and then bring you back. Then repeat it all over again until you tell me the truth." he said then saw Sam getting ready to slap him.
He was surprised when Alexis rushed into the room and stopped her. "I think you have done enough damage. Go to your place. I will stop over after I finish talking to Jason." she said never taking her eyes off the man in the bed.
With a flip of her hair, Sam walked out and told Carly that Jason had told her to keep the blond out of the room. When she went to get inside, Carly found the door locked and started banging on it until security asked her to leave.
Meanwhile in the room, Alexis moved in closer to the man in the bed and sat down on it's edge. Looking into his eyes, she leaned in and shocked the hell out of him by kissing his lips.
Tensing up, he couldn't help wondering what the heck was going on until she leaned in closer and said "Hello, Johnny. That is you, isn't it. You are going to need another surgery to change your eye color, the green is showing through slightly."
Shocked he stared as she said "Now for the really big questions. Where is Jason Morgan? Is he alive? And what about Elizabeth Webber? Did she fake her death again?"
TBC