A/N – Thanks for the comments! Glad you like the progress. * Guest – Danny is excited because Sam showed him pictures of his father the whole time he was gone. Little kids get excited. He has a dad now. I'm so scared to ask what RC did on GH. Gah I looked. That is why I stopped watching. At least Liric is dead. Her being with Ric just disgusted me.

Ok kids. Taking tomorrow off. Will be back on Monday.

Chapter 23 - Family

Patrick was surprised but happy and went back to the room with him. "Hey my beautiful Princess."

"Daddy," Emma yelled. "I miss you so much."

"I miss you too."

"When are you coming back?"

"Probably at least another week." He could see the disappointment on her face. "I'm sorry but I have a really sick patient. It's a little boy. Your mommy is here too. She's helping me."

Emma nodded. "Is she really going to come home?"

"Yes. She's going to stay in Port Charles so you can see her all the time. She really missed you." It was a hard conversation for Patrick but this was all about Emma and what she needed. If Robin was it, then he'd deal with it.

Emma slightly smiled. "Is she there?"

"Hold on."

Patrick found Robin in Georgie's room. "Hey, Emma wants to say hi."

Robin's face brightened up and she got up and followed him.

"Hey Emma."

Emma smiled. "Hi mommy."

"Are you having fun with Sam and Danny?"

"Yes. We had dinner at the diner."

"I love the diner."

"Will you take me when you get back?"

"Yes. I love you so much Emma. I'm so sorry I've been gone. I want to spend as much time with you as I can."

"Sam said you missed me."

Robin was glad that at least Sam was keeping Emma's best interests at heart. "I do. As soon as we're done helping the little boy, me and your dad are going to spoil you rotten."

Emma grinned. "Deal."

Danny came back and they got Jason and he talked to him a little while longer, finding out his likes and dislikes. He was a little different in personality than Jake. He hoped they got along.

Sam and Patrick talked for a while and then Jason went to find Elizabeth.

"How did it go?"

He smiled. "It was nice. When Patrick finishes up, maybe we could talk to Cameron."

Liz smiled. "That would be great."

They waited about ten minutes and walked into the room just as Patrick had finished. Elizabeth had called Epiphany and she got things set up on Elizabeth's laptop.

Jason sat next to Elizabeth and when they picked up the call they could see Cameron.

"Hey Cam."

"Hey mom."

"I think you got bigger."

Cam smiled. "You always say that."

"Are you being good for Epiphany?"

"I'm being good, but I think she needs a time out."

Epiphany yelled, "Traitor," from the kitchen.

"She's been trying to duplicate your brownies for the last three days."

Liz laughed.

"One night, she almost had to take me to the hospital for poisoning."

"Elizabeth, you better warn him about me and duct tape."

Liz grinned. "She duct taped Patrick to a chair one day. It was pretty funny."

Cam chuckled. "Hey Jason."

"Hi Cam."

Jason wasn't sure what to say.

"Spencer and I have a bet."

"I'm scared to ask," Liz said.

"I bet him that Jason would take me for a ride on his motorcycle."

Liz's eyes grew big. "Cameron Spencer, you aren't big enough."

"Mom."

Jason smiled. "I can take him in the Quartermaine's driveway. It's long and there is no traffic."

Liz groaned.

Cam grinned.

"What do you win if this happens?" Jason asked.

"Spencer does dishes the next time he comes over."

"And what if you lose?"

"I'm his slave at school for a day."

Jason grimaced. "Doesn't that boy have enough servants? I'll do anything I can to stop that from happening, even if I have to duct tape your mother to a chair and sneak you out."

Epiphany laughed in the background.

"Deal," Cam said smiling. Spencer had told him Jason was scary but Cam just thought he was quiet. He was always nice to him.

"Alright, go finish your homework."

"Mom….."

She smiled as he walked away and Epiphany sat down.

"You seriously didn't write the recipe down?"

"Have you been going through my drawers?"

Epiphany smirked. "Jason, Liz said we're going to the floating rib for some drinks when you get back."

Jason was surprised. "Did she?"

"So put on your dancing shoes."

"I don't dance."

"Then you better practice. Elizabeth has some moves."

He looked over at her. "Is that right?"

Liz smiled. "I guess you'll have to ask me to dance to find out."

Jason shook his head.

"Alright you two love birds, I need to go strong arm your son into doing his math homework. I don't remember it being so hard when Stan was younger."

Liz groaned. "This new math crap does my head in."

Epiphany chuckled. "Later."

Liz kissed Jason.

"What was that for?"

"Making my baby smile."

Jason kissed her again. "How about you show me some of them moves Epiphany was talking about."

Liz got up and walked to the door and did a little shake and kept moving as she laughed. Jason smiled. His girl was hot.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Three days later, Jake was still stable and Johnny and Georgie were doing great and had a lot more stamina. AJ was showing signs of starting to wake up but Patrick was a little worried because his vitals were a little erratic.

"Do you think he's dreaming?" Robin asked.

"Maybe. It could be his motor functions reacting to stimuli. His muscles are contracting and there has been some movement."

Johnny and Georgie's bodies didn't react the same way.

"I really don't want to have to sedate him," Robin said.

"I agree. Let's just see how it plays out."

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Helena took a sip of her tea. "Is our patient awake yet?"

"Almost," Victor said looking at the computer screen. Due to the microchip, he could see AJ's vitals and pulse rate. "He's stirring."

"I love technology."

"Let's just hope our programming will fool who we need to fool."

"The only problem is that he's still a buffoon. AJ is still very much in there. He'll probably make mistakes."

Victor nodded. "That is too be expected. I still feel with your powers of suggestion, he'll fall right in line."

"We just have to hope they don't find the chip."

"They won't. It's not in his head. I doubt they will scan his whole body."

"True. Being evil is so much fun."

Victor smiled. He just hoped that Helena would get what she wanted so he could leave her be. While he did have some loyalty to her, there was no way he was going down in flames for any of this. He had made sure of it.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Michael watched his mother walk into the doctor's office. His counselor wanted to have a joint session so Michael could get some of his feelings out.

Carly gave him a hug and sat down.

"So, thank you for coming here on such short notice."

"I would do anything for Michael."

"That's the problem," Michael muttered as Carly's mouth dropped open.

"Michael has a lot to say to you and I need you to listen. You can react later," the doctor said knowing that there was no way in hell Carly would probably be able to bite her tongue. Michael had given him an earful.

"I'll try," she said quietly.

"I don't even know where to start," Michael said before running his hands down his face. "I still can't believe that you lied to save Sonny. I don't know why that shocks me though, because it's vintage mom."

Carly pressed her lips together hard.

"You both had already done so much crap to AJ but it seems like it's never enough."

"Michael….."

Michael stood up and started to pace. "It sent me spiraling. I know I'm responsible for my own actions but I felt so betrayed and heartbroken. You just don't get it. Sonny doesn't even really care about you. He uses you when he's needy or alone. He's selfish, destructive, and bi-polar. Everything is about him. It's Sonny's Corinthos's world and we just are the unlucky people who got stuck in his vortex of shit."

Carly's eyes filled up with tears.

"And then, there is you. You were going to marry Franco. How could you do that to me? You chose that psycho who set my rape in motion over me. Do you understand how that made me feel? I mean who's next? Is Ric going to cop a tumor plea and you go running to him to piss off Sonny when he choices someone else?"

Carly looked mortified. She didn't even recognize her son anymore he had changed so much.

"Don't act like that isn't something you'd do. I took it straight from the Carly Benson playbook. I can't live in this craziness anymore. I want the adoption reversed. I want nothing to do with Sonny and at this point mom and I can't even be around you."

"You know Michael, AJ gave as good as he got. You barely blinked when he choked a woman. He chose a bottle of alcohol over you but you act like he was some saint."

"I know who he was, so don't sit there and act like I have blinders on when it comes to him. Do you think it didn't hurt me that he chose to drink after losing ELQ? I chose to forgive him and not give up on him just like I've done for you time and time again. You act like you're the only one entitled to be forgiven or make mistakes. You need to grow up and stop reacting and start thinking. I've made a total mess of my life. I can't do it anymore. I can't hold in this anger because it's destroying me. The only person I plan on talking to is Jason."

"He'll be a good friend."

"He's done a lot for me; things that my parents should have done. Because of your obsession with him, he made really bad choices and he sees that now. He's not going to kiss my ass and I need people like that around me. As for Morgan, too much damage has been done and he is just like you. He can't see that he's wrong or being vengeful. He doesn't care who gets hurt in the process of getting even with me. I'm done. I'm not going to fight with him or speak to him. He wanted me out of his life so I'm giving him his wish."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Michael, you know him. You knew that he would go off the deep end because of Kiki."

"I was being selfish. I think both of us have learned a lot from you." He actually regretted taking Kiki from Morgan. It set off a chain of events he couldn't take back and it ended up that she wasn't worth it.

"So it's all my fault? You want to sit here and blame me for everything? Whatever. You are an adult and no one forced you to make the decisions you have."

"You're right. And no one is forcing me to walk away from you either. I'm doing it for my mental health. I need to grow up and I can't do that when you have no concept of what that means. I'm done here."

Michael walked out and Carly started to cry.

"I know that was brutal, but Michael needed to tell you how he felt."

"I just lost my son. Nothing good came out of being here," she said getting up and storming out of the room.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Jason looked at his phone and saw that Michael had sent him a message warning him that he had turned her away and that she was going to be upset. Jason sighed. He was wondering if he should answer her when she called or let it go to voice mail. For now, he decided she should stew in whatever Michael had laid on her. He wanted her to see him face to face when he talked to her about their friendship.

"You look deep in thought," Liz said walking up to him.

"The usual drama."

"Carly?"

He smirked. "How did you guess?"

She gave him a funny look.

"I'm a little worried about Michael but I think he's handling things. I'm going to stay out of it for now."

"Good," she hugged him tightly.

"I have Diane looking for houses."

She pulled back. "So you're really serious about a clean start?"

"Yes. I want a safe place for us. Some place we could grow old together."

She smiled. "I like the sound of that."

He kissed her and then rested his chin on her head. "It's nice having dreams now."

"What are you dreaming about?"

"You and our family being happy, you and me in bed….."

She pulled back quickly and laughed at the look on his face. "Jason Morgan."

"Yes. Don't you dream of me in bed?"

Her face flushed. Sometimes she woke up panting dreaming about the last time they were together.

"I'll take that as a yes."

She slowly smiled. "I'll look forward to the next time." They weren't quite ready to take that step.

"Next time, it will be slow and torturous."

She laughed. "Bring it."

He kissed her thoroughly, as she eagerly returned it.

Robin ran into the room. "Sorry but, AJ is waking up."

They pulled apart and looked at each other for a few seconds and then raced behind Robin to the lab.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Patrick watched AJ's eyes flutter opened. "You're not going to be able to move. You're doing fine so just take deep breaths."

AJ recognized Patrick.

"You were taken by Helena Cassadine. We found you. We'll explain more later."

Robin walked into the room and smiled. "Welcome back."

AJ slightly smiled.

Elizabeth appeared and he was shocked. They had decided that Jason wouldn't come in yet. They needed to explain what was going on before that happened.

"Deep breaths," Liz said taking his hand. "It's good to see you back."

"Sorry," he said softly.

"We can talk later. We need you to rest. The next couple of days might be a little stressful. It will take a while for your body to start reacting like you want. So, you'll have to be patient."

"Okay."

"Close your eyes and get some sleep."

He stared at her for a moment. He had cared for Elizabeth deeply, but he realized that he had wrongly relied on her for redemption. But he would never regret the time he spent with her. She was good to him when most people wouldn't have given him the time of day. He closed his eyes and quickly fell back asleep.