"Joey! Joey look at me." Stella called out as he started to stir.
"You should be careful." He warned her. "Looking at your pretty face a man may just think he's waking up to an angel."
"Very funny." She smirked.
"He seems to be doing better." Johnny said standing in the doorway.
"How could I not with my own personal nurse to look after me."
"Well, they wouldn't allow me to assist with removing the bullet, but I will admit the doctors did an excellent job of stitching you up. I don't think there's going to be much of a scar."
"Darn; I heard they drive the lady's crazy." He smirked throwing another one in to make Stella smile. "How's your sister?"
"The ultrasound came out fine. Claudia's blood pressure is a little high but they attribute that to being kidnapped and bullets going off around her. The cops have already taken our statements, and I just wanted to let you know that Claudia named father and Brutus as the masterminds behind the jailbreak. She told them that you were forced into it by the threat of hurting your cousin."
"So as long as I corroborate that I can carry out the rest of my sentence as handed to me."
"How long?" Stella asked suddenly struck with an ill feeling.
"I'm up for parole in another nine months." He replied.
"That's not too bad. We can handle that, and I can provide testimony of your rehabilitation. You saved my life."
"We?" Joey questioned. "We're a 'we' now?"
Stella leaned over and met her lips with his in a passionate kiss. Joey was taken back, not entirely sure everything that had happened in the past 24 hours to inspire that but happily welcomed her into his embrace.
"Excuse me, Mr. Limbo. My name is officer Aguilera with the Policia Municipal de Madrid a have a few questions to ask you about last nights events. You too Ms. McCartney."
"I'll see you guys later." Johnny said back out and making his way to his sister. Sonny was just about to leave to get her something to eat when Johnny approached.
"Oh good. If you can sit with her I'll be right back." Sonny directed.
"When do you think they'll release her?"
"Soon; they just want to make sure she can get her BP down before they do."
Johnny nodded in agreement with the doctors and made his way inside to hold his sister's hand. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you."
"I should know my now. It's about the third time you've mentioned it." Claudia teased. "I'm the one that is thrilled. I thought I was dreaming when you and Sonny approached the house, but somehow I knew you would find me."
"God, you had me so worried." Johnny confessed.
"Dad wasn't going to do anything to me until after this baby was born, and now, thanks to you, he won't have the chance to. So, stop those unnecessary tears that I see forming and tell me, what have you been up to? Have you dumped Holivia yet?"
"Claudia!"
"What? What did I say?" She smirked.
"No; I didn't dump her, but she dumped me."
"She did what? Do I need to rip her hair out? 'Cause if I need to make a stop before returning to Pentonville, I will."
"Calm down. No. It was my fault; I missed up by feeling more for somebody that I really shouldn't." Johnny admitted.
"So you and Falcawh…"
"Claudia…" He warned.
"Sorry, you and… Olivia… really broke up? This is the second best news I've gotten today. Or third, fourth… I don't know between being rescued, hearing my baby is okay, my father is dead, and you and Olivia are done… it's up there."
"There's the sister I know and love." Johnny shook his head.
"You wouldn't have it any other way. Tell me about the girl. Is she good enough for you?"
"You wouldn't think so." He replied honestly. "But then again, there isn't a girl out there that you would. She did play a major role in helping us find you though."
"Maybe I need to open up my standards."
"Nah; she's better off where she is. This life, I wouldn't want to subject her to it."
"Isn't that for her to decide?" Claudia questioned.
"Claudia, I killed my own father and I don't even care. Rest in peace? To hell with that! I hope he burns in eternity."
"You and me both, but contrary to popular belief that doesn't make you a bad person. He was the bad person; he took everything good from our childhood and made us believe we didn't deserve better. Whether or not I spend the next 25 years behind bars; I am freer now than I have ever been thanks to you."
"You should get some rest." Johnny suggested kissing her on the forehead.
***********
"Mom?" Jason answered as Monica picked up his call.
"Jason, oh my God, are you okay?" Monica responded worried sick after he took off after the ceremony without as much as a word.
"I'm okay." He assured her. "I just needed some time to figure out a couple things."
"How much time? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I'm not sure and maybe, but you have to promise me that you're not going to tell anybody." Jason made her promise.
"Whatever it is you know I have your back."
"I believe Carly is alive, and I have a strong feeling that the key to finding her is in locating a neurologist by the name of Seth Walker."
"I'm not going to question how you got to that. Your instincts are impeccable. What do you need from me?"
"Anything you have? I'm at the hospital he typically works and spoke to the chief of staff who couldn't give me any information. Even if there's a way that I can find out where he lives; I can break in and go through his things maybe find a cabana that he stays at or something." Jason explained.
"Do you mind if I ask Patrick about him? I won't say anything about you or Carly, but that would typically be my first stop."
"Sure, go for it, but I'd like to keep it…"
"I understand, Jase. If you're right then it would be astounding, but…"
"If it gets out and I'm wrong than the result would be more crushing than had I never said anything at all." Jason finished.
Monica took a deep breath. "I'll do this, but you have to do me a favor too. Whenever you need it, you call me, before that boulder has a chance to plow over you."
"I love you, mom." He responded realizing he hadn't said it nearly enough in the past twenty years.
"I love you, too. I'll call you when I get something."
*************
"Cora, can I get you anything?" Jerry offered her as she flipped through a magazine. There were sitting on the porch savoring in the fresh air.
"No; I don't think so." She replied.
"Are you okay? Any pain?"
"No." She said putting down the magazine. "No pain; I just can't seem to see straight."
"What do you mean? How many fingers am I holding up?" Jerry questioned her.
"Well, I know the answer is two, but that doesn't account for the fuzzy ones over here." She replied pointing to the right of his hand. "This is a sign that it's growing, right?"
"I…I don't know." Jerry responded wrestling with the idea of bringing her to the hospital. "There's no pain?"
"No; not yet."
"How would you feel about me taking you out for dinner and dancing tonight?" He questioned wanting to have the opportunity with her. "Do you think you would be up for that?"
"I know what you're doing." She replied. The look of pain and sorrow told her everything she needed to know. "And I appreciate it. You were right we need to make this about celebrating the time we have left."
"You should lay down before the sun starts hurting your eyes." He replied in caution.
"Okay; but don't let me sleep through tonight." She said giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Shit!!" Jerry screamed once Carly was safely inside.
**********
"Patrick, can I get a moment of your time?" Monica requested finding him in the locker room following his shift.
"Sure; I was just about to meet up with Anna and Emma at the aquarium, but it can wait a little bit. I'm sure they won't miss me. What can I do for you?"
Monica thought about the best way to approach the question and decided just to come out with it. "What do you know about a Dr. Seth Walker?"
"He's the top rated neurosurgeon in Australia; third in the world for his craft. After me, of course." Patrick gloated.
"Do you know him?"
"Sure; you know, hung out at the bar after a few conventions together. We talked about our adrenaline seeking after hours sports."
"The racing?" Monica questioned.
"For me it's racing; he's a water skier in his spare time."
"Did he say his favorite beach to ski from?"
Patrick looked at her inquisitively as he pondered the reason for the non-medical inquiry. "Is there a particular reason you need this kind of information?"
"Yes; and any excuse I give you is going to sound even more like a lie, and since I can't tell you the truth, can you just trust that it's important?"
"I can do that. I have his cell phone number and his work address. I know he lives in Perth, about a mile down the road from the hospital, and he has a beach house somewhere either on or around Tasmania." Patrick replied.
"Have you spoken with him recently?"
"Yeah, right after the accident. He was sorry to hear about it but hadn't seen anyone fitting the description."
"Did he mention anything about going on vacation?"
"No, not a word. Did you want me to get more?" Patrick asked as he wrote down what he had.
"No; forget we had this conversation." Monica instructed. She didn't want Patrick inadvertently cueing this guy in to Jason's suspicions.
"What conversation?" He threw his arms up in the air.
***********
"Thank you for meeting me." Michael expressed.
"You sounded like you could use a friend." Alyssa said taking his hand as they started their walk.
"I am so lost." Michael admitted. "And I know this conversation isn't going to solve everything."
"It doesn't have to solve anything. Just tell me what's going on."
"Okay, my father is going to be bringing my pregnant step mother home shortly and her freedom may be dependant on whether or not I decide to testify against her."
"I don't understand; I thought she already found guilty." Alyssa replied.
"Her lawyer found a loophole. The case is going to go back to trial most likely, and her previous conviction rested on the same person that…" He struggled to finish the sentence.
"It rested on Jerry Jacks. I know." Alyssa said hanging onto his arm. "Michael, there was a reason you didn't want to testify last time."
"I didn't want it to be fault and I didn't want to pick sides between my parents." He replied. "But now; do I try to be the voice that my mom can't be? Is it fair that because my mom's not here Claudia gets to go free? Do I do what's right for Morgan?"
Alyssa shook her head. "You have to forget everybody else and figure out what is right for you, and I suppose let the court decide. I mean, if they call you up to testify then you answer the questions."
"Alexis pretty much said that she's not going to let the prosecutor know that Claudia confessed to me unless I want her to. It wasn't a part of the last case so it doesn't need to be presented. I mean, they have Jerry's video, but after his last stunt Ric is going to rip that to shreds."
"That's a lot to ask of you."
"Yeah, but isn't better that she did? If everybody is right, and my mom really is… gone than it means Britni is going to have to grow without her mom. Can I do that to Claudia's child?"
"You're still not convinced." Alyssa responded.
"I'm okay with you thinking I'm crazy."
"I don't think you're crazy; I'm just afraid of you setting yourself up to get hurt badly, but you have me if you ever need it."
