Kermitklein: I once had an assignment in Mobile for a few weeks, loved the area, hated the heat. I loved the idea of using the state for Sam's hometown because of how close it is to both Texas and Florida. As for Sonny, I want to show him cycling through depressions and their opposite of manic hyperactivity. I know someone who suffers through the same disease and she can go from being the nicest most generous person in the world, to total selfishness in minutes.
Switching Places
Chapter 25
Two days after they had gone to stay at the hotel, Jason was helping Elizabeth rehang their paintings. The linens had been burnt, and everything scrubbed down, so they were officially living in their home again, this time as a married couple.
Sonny had moved Sam to a safe house and Milo and Max were alternating guarding her, the results for the DNA test had been sped up and Sonny would know today what Elizabeth, Carly and Alexis already knew, the kid was his. Hearing Emily stomp down the stairs, Jason hid his grin, she was still angry with her grandfather for showing up at the hotel this morning, before it was even light.
"Elizabeth, I need something chocolate, NOW!" She begged falling down on her knees, "Please!"
"Just let us finish with this one and I promise to take you out and feed you. How did it go with the doctor today?"
"He is as big a jerk as the first one, they all talk at you and not to you. How hard it is to listen to what your patient wants and then offer an opinion, not tell them what to do." She said.
"We will find someone, I promise." Elizabeth knew her always positive attitude was driving Emily crazy, so after Jason told them to take Francis and Paulie when they went to Kelly's, the girls kissed him goodbye and left knowing he had to see Sonny this afternoon.
Brenda was lying in the bed at the hotel, watching as Jax got dressed. "The annulment will be final this week, as soon as this investigation is over I hope you can get free of him."
"I will have no problems with that, he had a one night-stand who is pregnant, she is demanding marriage or to give the kid up for adoption." She said rolling over to get out of the bed.
"The woman at the office? She came to see me a while ago, I recalled seeing her the other day. Sonny isn't a big enough fool to marry her. She is trouble, that not even Corinthos deserves."
"I have to go to the station with Justus this afternoon to answer more questions about how Luis was acting when I visited his suite, according to the papers he had already been drugged before I was even there, so hopefully this should get me free sooner than later."
Taggert had finally located Courtney Matthews in Atlantic City where she was visiting her mother, tailing her, he made sure she returned to PC, then went to get a material witness warrant so that he could bring her in. They still had to find out what she was doing in Alcazar's room. So far, they only had an idea of what was going on that night and with Sonny involved he was determined to catch the mobster this time.
Returning to the hovel she was staying at, he removed his gloves and knocked on the door, making sure to wipe them off before pulling the gloves back on. "Miss Matthews, this is a warrant allowing me to take you down to the station, for a line up, so please don't give me any trouble."
Turning to the female officer with him, he told her to handcuff the blond and take her down to the station. Calling their suspect, they asked him to come down and identify the woman he spent the night with. Ric showed up at the same time as Sonny and Justus, he shied away from his half-brother and went over to see Taggert.
"Follow me. Justus, your client will have to stay outside the door during the line-up." Then he hustled the younger man into the room and asked him if he could identify the woman he slept with. Ric made sure to take a really good look, then turned to the detective and said 4; she also has a tattoo on her thigh in the shape of a heart.
Thanking the man, Capelli had him sign a statement then let him go. Meanwhile, Justus informed Sonny that his sister had been identified but for what, he had no idea. Courtney was led into the interrogation room and asked to repeat her whereabouts the night of the murder, that they had a possible suspect and that her statement gave him an alibi.
Courtney thought fast, and then smiled. "I lied; I came back to my room about twelve-thirty after spending the night with a hotel guest. AJ was asleep in my bed and I said we had been there all night to cover for sleeping with this man named Ric Lansing."
"What time did you arrive in this man's room and what time did you leave, without going into intricate details on what happened give me a general overview."
By the time she finished, Sonny wanted to commit his sister, she didn't ever seem to learn from her mistakes. "Thank you Miss Matthews. You said that you woke up with a funny taste in your mouth, could you explain."
"Bitter, but considering what I did with Mr. Lansing, I thought it was from that." She said blushing.
"We think you were drugged, to provide the gentleman with an alibi." Said Capelli.
"AJ drugged me arrest him, now!" She said.
"No, we believe that it was Mr. Lansing who drugged you. We have you with him from the moment he arrived at the hotel, and until you woke up at the sound of the sirens, so we know he either drugged you or you are a very heavy sleeper."
Elizabeth and Emily entered the diner at the same time as Georgie and Maxie; the older girl straining her neck to look at Lucky who had just passed the four of them without a word. "What is his problem?" She huffed.
"He is upset that I married Jason. So are you home for good?" She asked, knowing that Mac was hoping so from Alexis.
"At least until we finish school, we convinced Mom that riding a bus for an hour and an half to school was too long, but we just wanted to come home." Said Georgie as she glanced at the blond who had just entered the diner.
Dillon walked over and greeted his cousin and Elizabeth. Emily introduced him to the girls, Maxie just ignored him, she still hated boys after what had happened that spring with Kyle. Georgie however seemed interested but the blond just nodded on his way to pick up his to-go order.
"So, how about the two of you going with us tomorrow, we have to finish our holiday shopping." Suggested Elizabeth. "I also have to go for Alexis, since she doesn't want Carly to do it."
"Great, maybe I can find a new jacket, Mac says we both need one, but Georgie wants a ski jacket."
Seeing the younger girl who was still glancing at Dillon who was standing outside in the courtyard, Emily understood where she was coming from. She was still crushing on Nik after all these years. Fifteen minutes later, they tossed down a tip for Lucas and headed out the door, as Maxie flashed her cousin a grin and Georgie just sighed.
Jason entered the penthouse across the hall, seeing Sonny sitting there holding a piece of paper with the GH logo, he knew that the man was now aware that Sam McCall was having his child. "Sonny, is that the results?"
"It's mine, not that I really doubted it. Now what do I do?" He said staring at Jason in a way that reminded the enforcer of Michael when he is in trouble. Jason knew that he was in the middle of an episode, but he had no idea how to help.
"You offer her money, and then if she turns it down we use the court system to get custody of your child. You have to talk to Brenda; she needs to be on your side. Then you need to sit down with Justus and deal with some things." He wanted to add that the mobster needed some mental health help as well, but Elizabeth and Emily had come up with an idea the previous evening when his wife had mentioned that Sonny's symptoms seems familiar.
Getting down to coffee business when Benny arrived he soon found himself knee deep in the mess their legitimate business was creating for them. Thinking about what Carly and Liz had been discussing, he had an idea, and it might work for solving more than one problem. "Benny, restaurants, coffeehouses, and that type of business, it's not hard to hide money there, is it?"
"What do you have on your mind?" Sonny asked Jason.
"Elizabeth was joking around with Justus a while ago, that we need to open a coffee shop, what if we did that? Also with the problems the No-Name is having with the liquor board, we should see if Marteno is interested in selling it."
"We would have the same problem getting a license that Marteno is having." Said Sonny, "But the coffee shop isn't a bad idea."
"Sonny, wait just listen real quick. We can get the license, then you run it, at least to start off, we play it like it is a whim; most of the families know about your cooking skills. We buy in, you take control of it, we can use it to launder money but we make sure that our illegal liquor stays outside of the bar."
"Do you think you could handle things if I did this, it would mean that I would have to back away for a bit. At least for six months to a year." Warned Sonny as he got caught up in the idea of running a classy Italian restaurant.
"I could deal, but you can also use this to your advantage with the situation with Sam McCall." Jason could see the wheels turning in the mans head, but knew that he had to find a way to keep what Carly called Sonny's addiction to power under control. "In fact, we can say you are retiring, but maybe acting as a broker for family disputes, since you know the players and are neutral."
"We need a meeting with the families, tell them what we have in mind Then see if they are interested in my new place being neutral territory. It might work." Said Sonny. "It will take a few months to get things set up before I can open the restaurant, but we can still move ahead with the coffee shop idea in the meantime, maybe open a new office there as well."
Carly smiled as Michael and the kids from the neighborhood played in the first snow fall, she just wanted to stay inside where it was nice and warm. Seeing Alexis walking in, she offered up the soft chair and asked how she was feeling.
"I'm doing better; well enough to know there is something going on that you are avoiding telling Elizabeth and I. Something important. Spill." she ordered as she threatened Carly with the pillow she was carrying around.
"I did something different, I slept with someone I shouldn't have, instead of Sonny. I'm worried about the fact that the Morgan I knew won't be the child I may be carrying." She said softly.
"Carly, Sonny isn't Kristina's father. Things have changed. You knew they would."
"Yes, but you have no memories of Kristina, I do. I also have memories of my son, but with the change, he won't be the same child."
Carly finally broke down and cried for the child she was not going to have as well as the one she was more than likely already pregnant with. Alexis just rubber her shoulders and hoped for the best.
Chapter 26
Two weeks later, things were coming together, the Jones girls were looking forward to the hospital Christmas party while their father had started to unravel the mess that was the Alcazar murder. So far he had cleared Corinthos, his new wife and Jax of being murderers. At least in this case, he thought ruefully.
Ric Lansing had used Courtney Matthews, but they had found out that Lansing had been the late drug traffickers' former attorney. Alcazar had left him in jail for several months in Mexico and wanted revenge. Alcazar had paid him handsomely when the attorney had come to see him, but Lansing hadn't wanted anyone to know he had worked for the man.
The young girl had turned out to be Luis Alcazar's runaway daughter; she had come to town wanting revenge on Brenda Barrett who she had blamed for her mother's dying of a broken heart. The young girl had found a home at the Quartermaines. She had saved Miss Kitty from certain death when Lila's kitten had been walking along the top of the roof and fallen into Sage's arms.
Dillon Hornsby was now working at Kelly's as punishment for not telling his aunt and uncle about the girl he had been sneaking into the house. Lucas and him were not getting alone at all. Sage had been sat down by Carly of all people and informed that Brenda wasn't responsible for what had happened. Then she had ordered the younger girl to call her uncle and let him know where she was.
Looking at his suspect list, he sighed and went to speak to Carly, all the woman had offered up as an alibi was that she had been talking to AJ. Which Alan's son had confirmed reluctantly making him believe that it was true. He still hadn't located the pregnant young woman, he had the feeling that Corinthos knew where she was, but was keeping it a secret. From the rumors floating around, he could understand in a way, the woman was having his kid.
Getting her name and vitals from Bobbie Spencer had led to the fact that someone had used the Port Charles Police Department to already investigate the woman, and he was well aware of the fact that Carly had hired Felicia earlier in the year.
Elizabeth was debating on whether or not to get the small tree or the large one when she saw Sonny entering the lot; she hadn't seen much of the man since the big blow up a few weeks ago. While he had sent food and flowers as well as a nice art set as an apology some part of her still ached that he had hurt her in his selfish need to control the situation with Sam.
"Elizabeth, that tree is a little dead, why not get one of the bigger one." Sonny said as he hesitated and then walked over. He had done unspeakable harm to the relationship he had with the young woman who had been there for him in more ways than his own sister had.
Elizabeth decided to talk to the man, forgiving was not forgetting, she would make sure he understood that, but she had to accept the apology he had been trying to give her for days. "I know, but this reminds me of the first tree Jason and I ever shared. I really don't want a big one."
Sonny breathed easier, she was talking to him at least. "Why not get one of each. With Emily there, it seems like a good idea to go with the larger tree. How about this one?" He showed her one about four feet and only medium bushy.
"Maybe, but I hate to leave the poor little guy." She said looking back at the small tree.
"Why not buy that one and clip the branches and turn it into a wreath." Sonny saw the look of horror in her eyes and wanted to laugh. She was acting like he had suggested she murder the thing. "Or maybe not."
Turning to the man in charge, Sonny said "She will take both of them, please wrap them up and have them taken over to Harborview Towers, along with the twelve footer."
Thanking Sonny, Elizabeth said that she had to get back to GH for the rest of her shift, and that she would see him later. Breathing easier once she had gone, Sonny also arranged for a tree to be taken to the safe house for Sam.
Entering the hub, Elizabeth was filling out charts when her grandmother entered with a couple more. "Elizabeth, do you have a minute?" She asked hesitatingly. Every since she had heard secondhand from Lucky Spencer about her marriage to Jason, Audrey had been trying to heal the breach between them. It had hurt to realize she was that cut off from the one person she still had close to her. She loved her granddaughter and in her fear of losing her, had lost her anyhow.
Walking over to the sofa by the tree, Elizabeth asked her grandmother what she needed.
"To apologize. While I haven't changed my mind about the danger surrounding Mr. M-Jason." She conceded. "I don't want to lose you because of my pride either. I love you and I once swore to accept your choices, instead I have spent the last half year giving you heck for them."
"I was hoping that you would come over part of Christmas Eve, I am trying to get Sarah and Steven to join us as well. I want to try and make peace. I will try but I can't promise that I will always be happy with the decisions you make, but I will accept them."
"That's all I want. Now as to the holiday, I will talk to Jason about coming over after the Christmas party here at GH." Said Elizabeth. "We are spending the holiday several different places but I want to see you. I love you and your rejection has hurt."
"I'm so sorry my dear." Audrey reached over and hugged her granddaughter, realizing that Lila was right, they only had so much time left. What was more important, being self-righteous and rigid or being there for our grandchildren?
Hearing her name, Elizabeth walked over and answered the phone, saying thank you with a huge grin on her face. Thank you indeed, she thought. She could not wait to see Jason tonight. Calling Emily she asked her friend if she could spend the night alone at the penthouse, she wanted to head to the cabin with Jason later.
Jason walked into the living room and saw the two trees, the little one made him laugh remembering the chains and angel that had hung on a similar tree years before. Calling Carly he ordered his busy body friend to bring Michael over to the house, he needed a favor.
Running down the store, he just barely beat the two of them back to the penthouse and refused to tell them why they were there. Once inside he rushed off to start the hot chocolate then returned and said "I need you help with a surprise for Elizabeth, would you please help me Michael?
Two hours later, the trees were finished and a laughing Emily realized that the young couple might be better off there instead of the cabin so she asked Carly's driver for a ride to the mansion. Looking around the penthouse, she could not believe the amount of paper that had gone into the chains.
Entering the large house, Michael rushed off to find his grandmother and great-grandmother. Instead he ran into the man who was his biological father.
"Hey, AJ, I helped Jason plan a surprise for Elizabeth, but I can't tell you because then it wouldn't be a surprise. Your dad is in the living room swearing and Aunt Emily is yelling at him, do you know where my grandmother is?" He asked even as he opened every single door in the hallway looking for Monica.
"She is out shopping, but Lila is in the solarium."
"What's a solarium and how do I get there?" He asked before tugging at his hand, saying show me now.
Carly had been walking up the stairs and had seen the entire conversation and knew that she had to talk to Jason about helping her talk Sonny into letting her son's father into his life. AJ had been sober for over a year and had never once in the last six months tried to use his son as a pawn.
Part of that was the fact that AJ truly didn't seem to give a damn about what his grandfather wanted anymore. The other part was that he seemed to love his son. Maybe that had always been there, but the hurt and pain in his life had caused him to cover it up by causing others pain.
There were times in this new life that she could not help regretting her selfishness and impulsiveness, who know the Michael in the other world might not have had to end up in a coma for her to mature if that had been the case.
Alexis thanked Mac for helping her wrap the presents saying "I had asked Elizabeth to have them done in the stores, she decided I needed something to keep me occupied, not realizing the problem was I can't wrap a package for the mail let alone presents."
"Your welcome, I have lots of experience thanks to the girls. How is their helping you going?"
"Maxie is already planning on hitting after Christmas sales to make sure that my daughter has every single educational toy on my list and Georgie has been helping me look for a new place to live. I saw photos of a nice place down the by lake but I really have no need for all the bedrooms.
"How big is it?" He asked.
"Huge, there are four bedrooms upstairs and two down. It fit all the rest of the items on my list, except that it is too big. Georgie suggested that I move my office there, but I want to try and keep the two things separate for my daughter's sake."
"Have you considered moving out to Wyndamere?"
"Nik is having some financial problems, so Stefan is coming back to town, which means that there is a good chance that Helena will slither out from under her rock. I think it is a better idea for me to stay away."
Sam thanked Milo for the tree and the boxes of decorations. Dressing the tree, she asked who had picked out the lights and bows.
"Sonny had Brenda call over and order an assortment. If you need anything, just let me know I will be taking the food to the kitchen."
"Did you get the Chinese I requested?" She asked even as she pawed through the boxes of expensive ornaments.
"No, Sonny said something about MSG and said not to get it. Max is outside if you need anything, if you will excuse me, I have to go. The baby items you ordered should be arriving the day after Christmas."
Sam had overheard the guard talking about Brenda and Sonny getting a divorce so she had gone ahead and ordered baby items, she had finally figured out a way to have it all. She would marry Sonny and raise her child with all the money and power that being a mob wife entailed.
Jason waited for Elizabeth outside the locker room, seeing the smile on her face, he said "I have something to show you." with that he bent down and kissed his wife.
"Fine, but do you have time to go out to the cabin in the next few days, I have something to show you as well."
"We can leave in the morning." He said as he helped her into the truck, the snow had melted and refroze leaving areas slick.
As they went up the elevator, Elizabeth knew that she would not have to worry about counting the minutes until morning. Emily was at the Quartermaines, Carly had been threatened with a cancellation of the reception planned for New Years and Sonny had seemed to learn not to just enter anymore.
Jason had lifted Elizabeth and was holding her against him when the doors slid open. Hearing an ahem, he looked up and saw his grandfather standing there blushing. "What are you doing here?"
"This person outside your door has just informed me that Emily isn't here, so I will be heading out. Elizabeth, nice to see you again. Lila misses your visits; you should come over more often." With that he got onto the elevator without looking either one of them in the eyes.
Jason told Elizabeth to keep her eyes close and no cheating, before leading her into the penthouse. "Open them." He said with a shy tone in his voice.
"JAASSON, this is incredible, when did you have time?"
"Michael helped; he also created the tree topper, so I hope you don't mind having a rocket there."
"It's wonderful I love it. I love you. This makes my surprise something that needs to be shared now."
Sitting down she awkwardly pulled the paper out of her pocket and handed it to her husband, whose eyes widened as he read the officially worded paragraph telling him he was going to be a father in about seven months.
Elizabeth stared waiting for a response. They had been doing nothing to prevent getting pregnant instead leaving it up to fate, but she was worried he would think it was too soon.
"Really?" He asked again this time with a smile on his face, then a huge grin, before she knew it he had picked her up and spun her around.
"Yes, I went to see my GP since I thought I had anemia, turns out I'm not sick just having a baby. That is why I have been tired lately and my breasts have been so sore."
"Here I thought I was wearing you out." He teased.
"No, but you are still responsible for this." She said trying not to laugh.
"I'm going to be a dad."
Carly got up early, planning on taking Michael to school and trying to avoid Mac Scorpio. She knew he wanted to know what she had on Sam McCall, he had been asking questions about the woman and her connection to Luis, something she had never found out in her last time line.
As far as she could recall other than shooting Diego there had been none, but this was opening up a whole broad avenue of investigation for her. Calling the man who Felicia had recommended, she added this as a priority, telling him that looking into Jeff Webber could wait.
She had the sinking feeling that the doorknob-polishing slut had been busy in her past. As soon as she had dropped Michael off she went to see if she could get a hold of AJ. This was a talk she was dreading, but one she had to have with him, even before her friends. She could not believe it; she was having a second child with the man.
Seeing him coming up the steps to the plaza, she waved then asked the waitress for some green tea. AJ ordered a coffee and then they made small talk about Skye and her stopping drinking, Sage and Dillon and finally about Brooklynn arriving for the holidays.
"Carly, I don't think you asked me here for this so why am I here?"
"You are going to want to kill me." She said sighing, then placing her head in her hands she said "I'm pregnant, care to guess who the father is?"
AJ gagged on his coffee as it when down the wrong hole and asked "Could you please repeat that, because I would have sworn you just told me that I'm about to become a father again."
The blond, who had been hiding in the corner, froze and swore vengeance. Sonny had given her a small allowance, not much but enough that if she worked she could pay her bills. Since learning that AJ had gotten his money back, she had been trying to get close again to the heir to the billion-dollar fortune and it turns out her former friend had stabbed her in the back.
There was no way she was going to allow Carly to get away with this. She was stuck working at the local grocery store and she was getting another kid from a rich guy. Must be nice.
Sonny saw Elizabeth coming across the pedestrian walkway with Michael and the Jones girls who were all talking to her at once. Taking pity on the petite artist, he tried to distract them with an offer of hot chocolate. Hearing yeses, he sent Elizabeth's guard inside to get four only for Elizabeth to day to make it three and a cup of hot green tea.
"Are you feeling okay?" He asked.
"Yes, just fine. I am just cutting down on the chocolate for now." Jason and she had decided to wait until after the holidays to tell anyone about the baby to avoid the fuss they knew would be happening.
Ric Lansing came around the corner and saw his target talking to a beautiful young woman, waiting until she had turned to talk to the girls and red headed boy, he walked up the man. "Mr. Corinthos, have you thought about my offer?"
"Like I told you, I will be looking for a new attorney after the New Year, but if you keep bothering me, I will look elsewhere."
Ric tried to get a grip on his desperation; his plan to take down Sonny hinged on getting hired by him. Turning to the woman with him, he said. "Hello, my name is Ric Lansing. And you are?"
Seeing the practiced grin and recalling what Carly had said she replied "Married and very much not interested."
Marco tried to hide his grin as Francis walked out with the drinks and handed them around, telling Elizabeth that Carly was inside with AJ.
Sonny stiffened and went inside to make sure she knew that the drunk was not to be around their son. Carly walked away, saying "Sonny, you and I are divorced, and I can talk to whomever I want. As for AJ, he has respected the rules about Michael more than you have. Even now you are creating a scene with him watching, I will not do this."
Stopping the Quartermaine black sheep from exiting, he started a fight with the younger man who made him even angrier by not fighting back like Sonny had expected. Marco and Francis were urged by the women to break it up never seeing the blond who slipped out to where Elizabeth and Carly were talking.
Rushing the blond, Courtney shoved at her, pushing her forward and straight into Elizabeth who went tumbling down the stairs even as the kids and Carly tried to grab a hold of her. Courtney started to flee the scene when she found an accomplice. Ric hustled her away, thinking he had found the way to get Sonny to hire him.
Carly barely had Elizabeth by the fingertips when the ground underneath her caused her foot to hit the black ice that the snow covered steps were famous for.
Sonny had heard the scream at the same time as AJ. Both could do no more than watch as the young artist tumbled down the stairs while Francis rushed over to help. Carly found herself caught by the arms of her son and Maxie Jones while Georgie tumbled after Elizabeth ending up a second heap at the bottom of the concrete stairs.
Carly started to rush down the stairs only to be stopped by AJ, "Wait here, Corinthos and I will go down and get her. Call for a couple of ambulances. Then have someone locate Jason."
Seeing Carly standing there, AJ shouted. "Now Carly, now!"
"She's pregnant, Elizabeth is pregnant." Was all the woman could say. Maxie watched as the men eased their way down the treacherous steps, then grabbed Carly's phone and called 911.
"This is Commissioner Scorpio's daughter Maxie, we need two ambu-make it three ambulances at the foot of South Mart Plaza. A pregnant woman and my sister were just pushed down the stairs by Courtney Matthews. You might want to let GH now, the woman is Elizabeth Morgan who went down the stairs and Carly Corinthos has gone into shock."
Ending the call she looked through Carly's saved numbers and pressed dial for Jason Morgan. Hearing the trademark "Morgan."
"Jason, this is Maxie, Elizabeth is on her way to GH, she is really hurt. You need to get there; we are at the Plaza. Sonny, AJ and two of your guards are with her and Georgie. She looks really hurt."
Jason didn't even stop to pay for the food as he rushed out the door, leaving Penny and Mike to wonder what was going on. Cadet Spencer smirked as he realized that Jason had just committed theft of service by walking out without paying for his meal.
When he walked out the door he heard the call saying that Corinthos was on his way to the hospital they could take his statement there he followed. Step one of his plans to show Elizabeth the mistake she made by rushing into marriage with Jason could now commence.