They hadn't said a word aloud since he had shown up at Audrey's door to deliver the bad news about Steven. Elizabeth had clutched one of her infant twins closer to her chest and Audrey had started to cry. No questions, no demands. It was shock, he realized. It would wear off. Without warning, they would both start yammering away and he would answer any questions they might have. He had been briefed by the patrolman at the scene, and seen the carnage with his own eyes, so there was precious little he didn't know. This wasn't the time to think about what Georgie had confessed to him, so again he relied on the cop part of his brain to push it back and analyze it later. He couldn't look at the young man, the stranger, as anything but Audrey's grandson and Elizabeth's older brother. He couldn't think of him in terms of family relations or he'd start to feel his control slip quickly away from him. He had to stay in control.

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out in front of him, still silent as ever. He didn't know what he wanted from them, nothing he decided. He should prefer this, he thought to himself, because in a minute, when they saw Steven, they were going to flip out and then he'd have two emotional women on his hands. He wished greatly for Alexis's company, but she had gone home to relieve the babysitter. Better for her not to be here anyway. At least that's what he told himself.

"Is he in surgery? Where is he Mac?" Elizabeth finally asked, pushing the twins in their double stroller. She should have called Lucky and she would. But first she needed some answers.

"He was too unstable to undergo surgery. He's right through here." Mac led them to room 502 and stood in the doorway while they slowly made their way to the left and right of his bed.

"Oh god. Steven." Elizabeth breathed out as her hand hesitantly made its way towards his hand. She was scared to touch him, afraid to do any further damage. There didn't seem a space on his face that wasn't covered in bruises. His breathing was shallow, and to her untrained eye seemed sporadic.

"Sweet boy." Audrey reached out and smoothed his curls away from the dried blood on his forehead. Leaning down, she gently pressed her lips to his forehead. "Oh you sweet, sweet boy."

"Elizabeth? Audrey?" Georgie stepped cautiously into the room. She wasn't sure what, if anything, Mac had told them about why she was going to sitting with them. If he had told them the whole truth, they would have every right to be angry with her. If he hadn't, they were going to be beyond confused as to why she was there in the first place.

"Georgie?" Elizabeth looked up, confusion crossing her face. "What are you doing here?" She had heard her brother and the nervous young woman had met a few times while they were in Paris, but it didn't mean she would show up when she heard he had been in accident. And it for sure didn't explain why it looked as if she had been crying since she found out.

"I came to sit with Steven. The doctor said he might be able to hear our voices." Georgie tried to sound hopeful, but her heart was breaking. Mac must have noticed because he pulled her into his arms.

"Hear our voices? It's sweet you want to be here, but I didn't think you were that close." Elizabeth started to question, but any further exploration was stopped when the door opened once more, revealing the faces of her parents and sister.

"Steven? Oh my God, Steven!" Elaine screeched, running for the bed, almost pushing Mac and Georgie into the door in her haste. "What has happened to you?" She turned toward her youngest daughter. "What did you do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything. I was with Grams." Elizabeth defended herself.

"I don't think I caught your name." Mac stepped between them. "I'm Commissioner Scorpio with the Port Charles PD."

"Elaine Webber." She offered him one manicured hand and then, almost afraid to touch him, withdrew it before their hands made contact. "I'm Steven's mother. What happened? Why are you here? Was there a crime committed?"

"A hit-and-run." Georgie supplied nervously.

"And just who are you?" It was Jeff Webber who demanded this.

"Georgie." She took a deep breath and looked over at Elizabeth and Audrey, the only two family members Steven had ever talked warmly about. "I'm Steven's wife."

"Am I being Punk'd?" Sarah asked, rounding the corner and entering the room. "Steven doesn't have a wife."

Elizabeth felt her jaw drop to the ground and was grateful she wasn't holding Jake or Gracie when Georgie began to speak. Wife? "His...his wife?" she managed to gasp out. "You…you married Steven? My...my brother Steven?"

"We were going to tell you." Georgie promised adamantly. "We just had to tell my dad first. That's what tonight's dinner was about."

"So it's your fault he's hurt then." Elaine deduced coldly.

"Now just a minute." Mac cut in. "I won't have you talking to my daughter that way."

"Can we please concentrate on the fact Steven is in the hospital?" Elizabeth asked. "And the fact that he got married? Placing blame isn't going to help him here."

"What would you know about it?" Sarah growled. "When have you ever taken responsibility when someone gets hurt? Hmm?"

"Sarah." Jeff shook his head. "We're all very upset."

"Yeah we can't all try to paint ourselves as saints by being a backstabbing bitch Sarah dear." Elizabeth said coldly.

"Elizabeth, Sarah, let's just try to calm down." Audrey chimed in.

"Mother, please stay out of this." Jeff insisted. "Is someone going to tell me what happened to my son?"

Mac resisted the urge to reach over and slap Jeff Webber across the face. Not only had his wife attacked Georgie, but he had disrespected the sweetest lady Mac knew. Some people just deserved to be smacked. Swallowing down the bile this particular meeting had brought on, he said, rather calmly, "Steven's car stalled on the side of the road—" But no one was paying any attention to him.

"Jeffrey Webber. You will not order me around as you do your children." Audrey responded sharply. "You, Elaine, and Sarah will either behave yourselves or I will help Georgie call security and have you escorted from the premises."

"You don't actually believe all this hogwash about her being his wife." Elaine sounded insulted.

"But I am—" Georgie tried again.

"Nonsense. Nonsense." Elaine dismissed immediately. "This is just some scheme."

"I beg your pardon?" Mac challenged angrily.

"She's obviously after his money or something. I see no proof, not even a wedding ring on either of their hands. Where's the marriage certificate? She's clearly lying."

"Oh my God." Elizabeth breathed out as the revelation hit her like a ton of bricks. Of course, her brain yelled at her. Why didn't it seem strange to you before? "You know Lucky's name. It was you that night when I was in labor."

"What?" Everyone but Elizabeth asked in unison.

"When Robin called him, she heard someone in his room remind him of Lucky's name. He never says it. Ever. Calling Lucky 'Spencer' is progress. Steven would never tell some random person Lucky's name. But this girl knew it. You know Lucky's name. You've known it. You were there."

Georgie nodded, understanding. "He was so upset that he couldn't bail on the movie and come here to be with you." Her dad hadn't said anything about her being in Steven's room in the middle of the night, but she had had a feeling he wouldn't, at least not now. He was nothing if not diplomatic right up until the moment he blew up.

"Steven is critical." Elaine snapped. "And that means only family is allowed in this room. Commissioner Scorpio, I'd appreciate it if you and your daughter would leave before we have to involve security."

"Georgie is his family." Elizabeth pointed out. "And I'm pretty sure, as his wife, she can kick you out. Right Grams?"

Audrey nodded. "Elaine, I suggest you, Jeffrey and Sarah leave, before I help my newest granddaughter have you be forcibly removed. As you said Steven is critical and the last thing he needs is people causing a scene."

"I'm not leaving. I am his mother!" Elaine reminded them.

"And Georgie is his wife!" Elizabeth shot back.

"Not without seeing some shred of evidence." Jeff shook his head. Georgie fished into her back pocket where she had stashed her engagement ring and wedding band for the great reveal at dinner. She held them out and gave him a threatening look.

"Steven told me the truth the other night." Audrey stood up and moved towards her son. "I've seen his wedding rings. I've even seen pictures of the two of them together. That and what Georgie is showing you are all the proof I'm sure Steven will ever make allow you to see. Now I suggest you do what your daughter-in-law said and leave."

*****

Robin didn't know what she was going to say to Patrick, to any of them actually. She had left her father flabbergasted as she hopped aboard the plane and waved goodbye, Morgan trailing giddily behind her. Her father held each of them in a hug that could have lasted anywhere from two minutes to two eternities and, she mused with a smile, it had been all she had needed. Of course, there had been some tears as a result, but what was new about that? Hormones had been kicking her butt long before she started carrying this baby and she had a feeling they were going to hang around like out-of-town relatives. For the majority of the plane ride Morgan was either listening to her iPod or sleeping. She wished she could sleep, but her mind hadn't stopped humming since her phone call from Dillon.

What did you think? That they would just stop needing you if you switched continents for a little while? Please. Even you are not that daft. Though, maybe you are. They're always going to need you and you're always going to need them. Admit it, if only to yourself. This trip was more about a worthwhile distraction than anything else. Yes, you missed your father, but not to the extreme of staying away so long. And what has happened in your absence? Chaos! Your best friend is vulnerable and probably frightened, but she didn't think to call you. Why do you suppose that is? Is it because you're selfish? Robin closed her eyes tightly, trying to fight the voice but knowing it was useless. Her conscious had been whining at her the moment she stepped off the plane into Paris and the sound, the only one she could hear, had intensified to the wildest of cries.

How was Patrick going to take her sudden return home? In all the confusion, she hadn't called him, didn't even want to turn on her phone. He had suffered more than anyone else, had been caused the most heartache because of her decision to leave. No, her conscious screamed. You call it what it is! When she ran away. It seemed she had been running away from Patrick and the feelings she had for him for a long time. Too long. Why was it so hard for her to just love him? He obviously needed her, if Dillon and Elizabeth's phone calls had been any indication. Why weren't he and Lucky speaking? That bugged her most of all. She hadn't thought (well that was obvious) that he would have absolutely no one to talk to while she was gone. Just as she had told Dillon, hearing he and Cruz were on the outs hadn't surprised her, but not talking to Lucky after weeks of being stuck to him like a lost puppy left her feeling discontent.

Would he let her in the door? Of course he would. He would let her in, but he may not speak to her. It had been too long since they'd talked for her to determine his mood upon seeing her again. He wouldn't show it in front of Morgan, no he had matured enough to not fight in front of her son. He would most likely not say anything, freeze her completely out because he knew how much she hated it. He would have made a great Quartermaine, she mused to herself, if for no other reason than he could stick to the silent treatment until she was literally climbing the walls. Please be happy to see me, she silently prayed. She didn't think she could handle any other reaction. Her heart was barely beating in her chest since she had left him and she worried it might stop without warning.

She hadn't told him she was coming, so why was she surprised when no one met them at the gate? Thankful that neither she nor Morgan had to wait on excess luggage, she hurried him outside and pushed him into the first cab she saw, giving the driver directions to their apartment. Morgan must have felt her excitement; she just hoped he was oblivious to the terror she was also feeling. Her father had finally fessed up and told her that Patrick had tried to call her the day before and she had been so angry she hadn't planned on speaking to him for the rest of her trip. It just so happened to work out that way, but she had had no choice but to explain where she and Morgan were going. He had wished them good luck and safe travel and she wondered forlornly how long it would take him to contact her.

"Listen." Robin said, convincing Morgan to meet her eyes before she continued. Despite the full eight hours he had slept on the plane, his eyes were a little puffy and she wouldn't have been that startled if a yawn escaped him. "It's late and when we get home I don't want any arguments about bedtime, okay?" Best to prevent a mob war if she could. She didn't want Morgan caught in the middle of a fight.

"No arguments." Morgan promised, curling up next to her and closing his sleepy eyes. Again, she found herself wishing for sleep and again it evaded her. Too many things could go wrong if she fell asleep. She had to stay awake and, more importantly, alert. They were forty-five minutes out of Port Charles. Robin spent this time practicing what she would say when she saw him, imagined herself cutting off whatever he might want to say for fear that he would want to pick up the fight that had been boiling over the surface since she left him here. Her hands fell to her stomach and she promised she would do whatever she had to do to keep their family together.

Previews:

"He's playing messenger for my father. It's called kissing ass." Maxie said sagely.

"Screw him. I'm here for you. Is there anything you need me to do?" Sam countered.

"Honey if you want to screw him, then you shouldn't be sitting here with me."