AJ shuffled slowly past Grandma Lila's garden in hopes of not being seen. Even though it was unlikely anyone would see him, it would cause far too many problems if he had to explain why Michael wasn't with him and what had brought him back to the "dangerous place" that hadn't protected his son's brother, sister, or cousin from being stolen. He had paid quite a few reporters to tell the story the exact way he wanted it and, due to his upbringing he assumed, he used money to solve all of his problems. This might have been why he was running low on cash. He couldn't exactly take out the kind of money this operation required without someone getting suspicious. Even millionaires had to account for what they had spent their money on and his uses for it were slightly illegal and most definitely frowned upon.

He hadn't wanted to risk putting in a call to his parents in case someone was spying the property. After what had happened to his baby sister, AJ was not above taking a few extra precautions if it kept him alive. His parents were such an obvious source of unlimited cash but, since he couldn't legally touch his son's inheritance, he had no choice. He knocked quietly against the patio door that led to the lit up living room and waited.

In the days that had passed since Monica had lost both Emily and Jason on the same day, she had become an expert at deciphering knocks. There was the harsh, staccato drum of that reporter looking for a story. The regretful clang of Commissioner Scorpio who had come to tell her exactly what activities had led to her daughter's death. The empty silence of so-called friends and colleagues who stayed away rather than be associated with the Quartermaines at this time. Moving toward the patio door, Monica briefly considered the short list of people who would dare to attempt to use the patio door. It limited the number of potential visitors to family and more specifically family afraid of Alice making a scene.

Opening the door, Monica peered out into the deepening twilight, trying to recognize the figure she saw there. "Who's there? I have a gun and I know how to use it," she warned when the figure began to approach her.

"It's...AJ." He croaked out slightly alarmed at the idea of his mother holding any sort of weapon.

"AJ!" Monica exclaimed pulling him closer to her and out of the open air. "What are you doing here?"

AJ leaned into his mother's embrace and smiled. Mom, he thought to himself. Even with all he had done, she still loved him. There was a good chance she didn't know, especially since he had begged Dad not to tell her out of fear for what she might think or do. Still, he told himself she did know and she wasn't disappointed in him. How long had he dreamed of being her favorite again? With Jason and Emily gone, he was all they had left. "I had to see you." He whispered.

"Sweetheart." Monica practically purred. "Are you ok? Is Michael ok?" A million questions flew through her mind. AJ had been clear for years he was through with Port Charles, preferring to have his parents visit him at his home instead of coming to see them. The kidnappings had only strengthened his belief Port Charles was a place he should run from and never look back. If had come back here, something must be wrong.

"He's fine. I promise. He wanted to come, but he still has a few weeks of school left." AJ explained. "As for me, I was hoping to see you and Dad. Is he around by any chance?" He hated that he had to get right to the point.

"He should be by now." Monica checked her gold watch that hung off her wrist. Walking to the doors, she pressed the button on the household intercom. "Alan, could you come to the living room for a minute?"

"I'm consulting with a patient over the phone. Is this critically important?" Alan groaned.

"Yes. Come down or I'll throw you out of my house."

AJ snickered. It was an old joke that started well before his birth. His father had bought the house for his mother so she felt obliged to threaten to kick him out of it on occasions such as this. "If he's busy, I can just come back." It was a lie. He wouldn't be leaving. He didn't care who he might be inconveniencing. It cost a lot of money to house two on-the-run criminals.

"Hush. He'll come down if he knows what's good for him. Now sit. I want to know exactly what brought you out in the middle of the night. Are you in some kind of trouble?"

AJ ducked his head. "I'm afraid I am." He spoke to his hands. "I assume you heard about Courtney being a part of the kidnapping spree."

Of course she had heard. It had been the gossip of the entire town. Her heart had broken for AJ. Once again he had fallen for girl who seemed to love money and power more than she cared about him. "You must have been devastated."

When AJ lifted his eyes to meet hers, there were tears in them. "I really thought she wanted me, Mom. I wanted to make a life for the two of us and Michael, but she...she was obsessed with having Morgan. It didn't matter to her that he had been willed to Robin. She couldn't see past her own jealousy."

"Oh sweetheart." Monica reached out and hugged him close to her. "You poor boy."

"I...I had all of her things moved out and I asked for the ring back." AJ muttered. "What hurts most of all is that she used Michael. He's never going to be able to trust anyone ever again."

"Michael is strong. He will survive, just like his father."

"He returned to boarding school and I get so lonely when that happens. I thought I'd come and see you and Dad."

"Well I'm glad you did." Monica patted his knee, just as she had when he was a small boy, getting hurt by falling out of trees and chasing the neighbors down by the boat house. She turned slightly when she heard the familiar footsteps that announced her husband's arrival. "It's about time." She remarked dryly as he opened the door. "Not that I said it was important or anything."

"AJ!" Alan exclaimed making a beeline toward his son and pulling him into a hug. "I got worried when we didn't hear from you."

If there was one thing his father was good at, it was putting his foot in his mouth. AJ quickly diffused the situation, "It's been difficult to stay in touch, but I couldn't stay away once I heard about Emily...and Jason." His voice rose slightly as he tacked on his brother's name. Inside, he was smiling.

"We understand." Monica rose to assure AJ.

"The only thing that matters is you're here now. How's Michael?" Alan wanted to know.

"He's still just as brilliant as ever." AJ smiled. "Still trying to live up to the family name."

"What did you come to see us about?" Alan pressed on knowing his son wouldn't return for the pure joy of seeing his parents.

"Is it a crime to want to visit?" AJ inquired, hurt.

"Only when it's the first time since you got Michael back." Monica pointed out.

"I had to let him go back to school. They were threatening to make him repeat the term if I kept him out a day longer." AJ countered with a huff. "Obviously it was a mistake coming here." He stood up to leave.

"No, no. Don't leave." Monica reached, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Please tell us why you came."

"I wanted to attend the funerals. I assume they're happening soon?"

"We already had them." Alan spoke up.

"Excuse me?" AJ asked, taken aback.

"It's been weeks. What were we supposed to do, keep them on ice until you decided to show up and pay your respects?" Alan was way past incredulous; he was outraged.

"It was very small. We didn't want the press interfering. That would have killed your grandmother on top of everything else."

"You have my number. Both of you." He took a staggering breath. "Even with them gone, I'm not a part of this family, am I?"

"Of course you're a part of the family. You're our son." Alan stressed each word.

"No. Jason was your son. I'm just your stand-in." AJ bit back unhappily.

"You are our son." Monica said firmly.

"Is that why I had to hear about my baby brother and sister's deaths on the news?" AJ stood up, reaching for his head. Even after everything, he was still only second-best.

"The same way we did you mean?" Monica asked him.

AJ glanced back at his mother, angry but not wanting to hurt her anymore than he already had. If you knew what kind of monster I was, he thought to himself. Let's see if you still loved me then. "It was a mistake coming here." He would get the money some other way. This was just too much. After all he had done and nothing had changed!

"No it wasn't." Monica shook her head stubbornly, trying to will AJ to stay in the house just by looking at him. "This is your home."

"This hasn't been my home since the day Jason was born. Even in his death, he's the better son. He killed people for a living and molested little boys, but he's the best son you've ever had or will ever have. I don't know why I'm surprised." AJ shook his head in awe and disgust.

"You're not being fair. We've never favored Jason over you." Alan argued. "And, even if we did, he's dead and your rivalry with him has to end."

"We can't change the past AJ. No matter how badly we may want to at times." Monica added.

"We agree on that at least." AJ told them. "I wish Jason had died long before now." With that, he ran out of the living room.

*****

"Where's Lulu tonight?" Luke asked his wife as he deciphered the number of words his remaining letters would form. So far, he had Zerf, Ferz, Ef, Ez, and Fez. She might let Fez slide since she had gotten hooked on That 70's Show around Christmastime.

"She had a date with a nice boy from school." Laura informed him with a smile.

"And Lucky?" Luke wondered if she would notice him change out his letters.

"At home with Liz and Cameron." Laura answered vaguely. Her husband was awfully antsy about the quiet that had hit their house the day Lulu had moved out. "Pot." She announced as she placed her pieces on the board.

Luke grinned, wondering if she had read his mind about That 70's Show. "What about Patrick?"

"What about him? He's with Robin and Morgan." Laura pointed out.

"I'm telling you, something isn't right." Luke declared with a sigh. "You'll see I'm right."

"On that day, I'll take off my aluminum foiled hat and greet the aliens." Laura teased him.

Luke had a mild temptation to snap the game board shut and run upstairs to sulk, but it was short-lived. "Cruz hasn't been to dinner since he knocked up Barbara Jean. I guess that means they've killed him."

Laura smacked him in the back of the head. "Luke Spencer—" She was interrupted by the ringing of the home phone. "You're getting off lucky this time."

Luke's eyes widened and a lazy grin splayed across his face. "Isn't it always that way for us?"

Laura was appalled so she didn't immediately recognize her sister-in-law's voice.

"Laura?" Bobbie balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she adjusted Majandra onto her shoulder. Casting one eye up the stairs to make sure the events of the night hadn't disturbed Cameron Bobbie turned her attention back to the phone. "Laura?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm here." Laura managed to force out. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." She was still shaking, but her breathing was beginning to return to normal, and she could stand without an incessant ringing in her ear. It was a step back to fine at any rate. "How are you doing with everything?"

"Well, Luke's not half the Scrabble player you are, but we're surviving." Laura wiggled her eyebrows at her husband.

Scrabble? Life changing news like Patrick getting married and Laura of all people was reacting by playing Scrabble? Something wasn't adding up. "I must admit you are doing much better with this than I am."

"Well, they're growing up Bobbie. Whether or not we want to accept it, they are adults now." Laura assured her.

"I know that. I just thought we would be told in some way other than reading it in the newspaper."

"Where else do we hear news? I thought you would have insider information considering what your husband does for a living."

"No. Apparently he, Lucky, and Elizabeth were all in the dark. They're out looking for those two right now."

Laura's eyes crinkled in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"I think Elizabeth about gave Lucky heart attack. I thought she was going into labor by the way she yelled."

"Elizabeth? She went into labor?"

"No but I'm pretty sure we got the preview tonight, minus the labor pains."

"Bobbie, I have to admit, I don't know what on earth you're talking about."

"But I thought you saw the paper? What were you talking about?"

"What did you see?"

"Laura..." Bobbie hemmed, not wanting to tell Laura the news over the phone. She should be told by Patrick and Robin in person.

"Is it one of the children? Are they hurt? Is that why you won't tell me?" Her voice began to quiver to the point of Luke getting out of his chair and walking over the couch in morbid curiosity.

"No, everyone is fine. It's just…Laura. I don't know how to tell you this."

"Then you had better figure out a way." Laura assured her.

"I'm assuming you didn't see the announcement in the paper today then?"

"No."

Bobbie took a deep breath and closed her eyes, holding her daughter a little closer t her. "Then you didn't see the announcement of Robin and Patrick's engagement."

Luke began to laugh, having put the call on speakerphone. "What are you talking about Barbara Jean?"

"Look at the Leisure section. It's all there in black and white. Complete with a picture."

"The boy's just practicing his April Fool's joke." Luke insisted.

"Cruz and Lucky don't think so. And Elizabeth insists Robin would have told her if this was a joke."

"Maybe Robin didn't know. Patrick could have added her to the picture later. I hear he's a photographer." Luke rolled his eyes.

"If he did it as a joke without Robin's knowledge, don't you think we would have heard about her moving out or kicking him out by now?" Bobbie argued.

Luke didn't have an answer so he looked over at his wife. She had the phone gripped tightly between her hands. "It's got to be a mistake." He told her. "There's no way they would decide something like this without telling the rest of us."

"This isn't funny." Laura said after a long pause. "It's not fair."

"Angel—"

"It's not!" Laura cut him off.

"I think that is the popular sentiment at the moment." Bobbie added.

"How could he get engaged without telling me? I could keep a secret." Laura wanted to throw the phone against the wall, but Bobbie would have misinterpreted the dial tone.

"That is the question on everyone's mind right now."

"Thank you for telling us, Bobbie. I have to go now." Laura threw the phone to her husband and ran upstairs.

"God damn it! You made her cry!"

"I didn't' mean to. I thought she had seen it already!"

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this and, once I do, this family's going to start taking me a lot more seriously." Luke told his sister.

Previews: "Are you trying to send me into early labor?"