Chapter 3

Jason arrives, gun drawn.

Sonny, Carly, and Joss

More Ward and Quartermaine Family drama

Elizabeth remains seated, keeping her composure, her heart racing, and she continues talking with Johnny Zacchara. She says, "Johnny, what do you want? Diane may be able to help you, but you can't escape some form of punishment."

Johnny sidesteps Elizabeth's comment. He replies, "You said that LuLu remarried Dante. She was the only one besides Claudia who believed in me. I want to see and talk with her before they take me away."

Elizabeth says, "LuLu may agree, but I'm not sure Dante would. I don't think I could make it happen today."

Johnny says, "You better try. You can be persuasive."

Elizabeth wearily chuckles and replies, "I can offer reasonable options, but that is far from persuasive. Besides, once Jason bursts through that door, it is out of my hands."

Johnny says, "I'm sure you can convince Morgan otherwise."

Elizabeth replies, loudly this time, "I said it is out of my hands."

Jason turns the knob to the door slowly and bursts into the room. He rushes Johnny, holds his gun aimed at Johnny, and says, "Don't move. Elizabeth, are you okay?"

Elizabeth replies, "I'm fine. Johnny is unarmed. His gun is locked in the drawer behind me."

Jason, still holding his gun on Johnny, places his arm around Elizabeth, kisses her forehead, and says, "Yes, you are fine. You did great. Are there any zip ties to contain Johnny?"

Johnny says, "Ooh, kinky. What? No handcuffs?"

Elizabeth sneers at Johnny and replies to Jason, "I think there's a box in the office used for the media cables." She grabs a handful of them and brings them back to the table. Jason hands her the gun and takes the cables from Elizabeth. He zip-ties Johnny's hands behind his back and places three phone calls. He calls Diane and asks her to come to the house, he places a call to the PCPD, and his last call is to Sonny. "Sonny, Elizabeth, and I have everything under control. Diane and the police are on their way here. It would be best if you made yourself scarce. You don't need to be here….Seriously? Okay, I'll follow up with you and Carly later."

Johnny sighs and says, "Will one of you call LuLu? Elizabeth, you promised."

Jason replies, "Elizabeth did not promise. She said she wasn't sure and she'd try."

Johnny stammers, "How do you know what she said?"

Jason holds up his phone, shakes it in the air, and replies, "You can thank Spinelli, he's taught me a few things about security cameras and how to access them."

Elizbeth holds up a hand as if to say, "I'll call LuLu, but no promises." Elizabeth reaches LuLu's voicemail and leaves a message. She updates Johnny and Jason on the call.

Johnny says, "Before Diane and the cops arrive, can you tell me why you are cow-towing to Sonny and Carly again?

Together Jason and Elizabeth say, "None of your business."

Diane arrives first, dismissing Jason and Elizabeth to speak privately with her client.

At Elizabeth's office Elizabeth says, "Okay, Jason, there was more to that call with Sonny. What is going on with Carly?"

The door rings before Jason can respond. Dante calls out, saying he is there with Harrison Chase. Elizabeth opens the door and tells Diane that the police have arrived. Diane watches while Johnny is cuffed and put into shackles. Dante asks if Johnny had a gun. Elizabeth looks at Diane, and Diane nods. Elizabeth walks to the drawer where she locked up Johnny's gun. She unlocks it and hands it to Dante, including the gun clip. Elizabeth whispers to Johnny that she will try LuLu again. Dante reads Johnny his rights; Diane says, if my client says anything without my presence, I will have your badges. Johnny, do not say a word until I arrive."

After they watch Johnny being taken away, Diane says, "Jason, I'll send you my bill. It was nice seeing you again, Elizabeth."

Jason says, "I never picked any dinner up due to your distress call. I can order something; we can go out or see what is left in the house to eat."

Elizabeth replies, "I'm too exhausted to go out. There's not much to eat here, so maybe you could order a pizza delivery?"

Jason says, "Sure, I will tell you about the phone call when I finish the order. But hold on to the pictures. I want to go through them with you. We could take them to bed."

While they wait for the pizza, Jason relays what Sonny said Carly told him. Jason says, "AJ Quartermaine may have more biological kids."

Elizabeth laughs and replies, "Don't look at me."

Jason rolls his eyes, and he continues. "This was before your time, but Keesha Ward spent a few years in Port Charles. She was Justus's cousin. Before she left town, she was involved with AJ. She's back in town with her two kids, and Carly thinks AJ is the father."

Elizabeth replies, "Wow!"

Jason says, "Here is the part that bothers Carly. Joss is dating the son. His name is Sean, and his twin sister is Mary Mae."

Elizabeth replies, "Oooo-Yep! Not gonna touch that one. I'll leave you to calm Carly down."

While Jason calls Carly, Elizabeth stacks the pictures and takes them to the bedroom for later. She cleans the table and sets it for dinner. She texts Jake about a grocery order and wants him to pick it up before returning home. Elizabeth checks her email when the pizza arrives.

Jason fills Elizabeth in on the rest of what he learned from Carly. Elizabeth tells Jason of an email she got from Laura. Elizabeth says, "Laura emailed me. Keesha is the new Assistant Mayor. Laura wrote about Keesha's grandmother Mary Mae and Ward House. Did you know Keesha or her grandmother?"

Jason replies, "Keesha and Jason Quartermaine were involved before my accident. I was mean to her as I was with the Quartermaines after the accident. I wanted to push her away. As Jason Morgan, I never knew her grandmother, though Robin told me about her."

Elizabeth says, "Did Carly tell you that Sean is the new ADA?"

Jason replies, "Yes, and that has Carly in an uproar. Joss is afraid once Sean finds out what Sonny and Carly did to AJ, he will break up with her. Sonny hopes that is the case."

Jake, Aiden, and their guard arrive home. Jake unloads the groceries while Jason and Elizabeth enjoy a few beers on the back deck. Jake says, "The groceries are put away. If you need us, Aiden and I will watch a movie in the den."

Jason says, "Thank you. How was your evening with the Quartermaines?"

Jake replies, "I always like seeing Grandma and Grandpa. Danny was there with Sam. Grandma was in a good mood."

Jason says, "How do you know? Did Monica say anything?"

Jake replies, "Grandma was humming, and I heard her say to Grandpa that she was looking forward to tomorrow. She said something about family. Maybe it's about Willow and Tait."

Elizabeth smiles and says, "Maybe. It's nice that Monica is happy."

Jake says, "Can I get back to the movie?"

Jason replies, "Sure. Your mom and I are heading to bed soon. We will take care of the alarms; you take care of the lights."

After going through the pictures, Elizabeth updates Jason on Cam's call. Jason says he is happy Elizabeth kept her cool with Johnny. Elizabeth comments it's time to put out and shut up. Jason laughs, turns out the light, and eventually falls asleep in each other's arms.

The following morning, Elizabeth is fixing breakfast while Jason calls upstairs to tell the boys it's time for school. Elizabeth catches the TV in the kitchen. It's not something Jason usually cares about, except that Elizabeth enjoys current events, and since the boys got involved in sports, he tries to keep up with their interests. There is news of Johnny's arrest. Thankfully Elizabeth and Jason's names were left out of the arrest of Johnny by 'unnamed officers.' The anchor says, "Tune in at 4:00 pm when the new assistant mayor and her family will answer questions from when she lived in Port Charles, to her famous family ties, her time away from Port Charles, and why she returned."

Jake, his hair wet from the shower, runs downstairs, grabs two pieces of bacon, and gulps down a glass of orange juice. He yells to Aiden that he is leaving soon for school. Aiden rushes in, takes a bagel, toasts it, spreads cream cheese, and places two pieces of bacon on it. Jake says, "Come on, Aiden, let's go!"

Elizabeth takes her dishes to the sink, quickly rinses them, and loads them in the dishwasher. She is running late for her shift. She mimics Jake, "Come on, Jason, let's go!"

Jason smiles, kisses her, and says, "You are taking your guard."

Keesha, Sean, and Mary arrive at the Quartermaines. Monica welcomes them. She ushers the Ward family to the back patio, where Cook has laid out an assortment of pastries, fruits, juices, and coffee. She urges them to help themselves to anything they want. Monica says if they have special dietary needs, Cook can accommodate them. She introduces Jeff; Ned walks in, helping himself to coffee and fruit.

Ned says, "Keesha, it's nice to see you after all these years. Congratulations on the Assistant Mayor's position. I look forward to the news program this afternoon. Michael walks in and introduces himself.

He says, "Hi, I'm Michael Quartermaine. My wife, Willow, is at the Gatehouse with our son and baby daughter."

Keesha introduces her children. She says, "Monica, Jeff, Ned, Michael; these are my children, Sean and Mary Mae. They are AJ's children."

Monica breathes out. She thinks to herself, "I knew it!" Instead, she says, "I am happy to meet you. Keesha, you have beautiful children. I'm sure you have many questions, as do we."

Keesha replies, "After my interview with Laura and arrival in Port Charles, she filled me in on much of the last several years. I am so sorry to learn of Alan's and Emily's passing. Emily was a light for all Quartermaines. I remember Alan's performances at the Nurse's Balls."

Monica says, "Thank you. I am grateful to have found love again with Jeff, but I still miss Alan. Justus was in Port Charles again when we lost him in 2006. I'm sorry for your loss."

Ned says, "Michael, why don't you take Sean and Mary to tour Lila's garden and show them her roses? I think they would love to hear about the woman she was."

Michael replies, "Sure, please follow me." Michael tells the stories of what he remembers and what others tell him. He says, "Our great-grandmother Lila Morgan Quartermaine was a force of nature. She could be quiet and strong, and if she felt someone was wrong, she would gently raise her voice or place her hand on our great-grandfather Edward's arm, and he would quickly abide by what she wanted." They reach the Rose Garden, and Michael continues, "This is Lila's prized Rose Garden. Everyone is welcome here. It was her place of solitude. She would often take her tea on one of the many benches. There are over twelve species of roses, including a hybrid rose Edward created and named after Lila. Emily, my, our Aunt was closest in temperament to Lila, and she enjoyed this garden. We lost her in 2007. She would have loved to meet you. Unfortunately, the Rose Garden took a few hits from the asteroid. Fortunately, we have excellent gardeners who were able to restore Lila's Rose Garden."

Keesha arrives at the tail end of the Rose Garden tour. Michael guides them to the Gatehouse. Inside are Willow, Brook Lynn, Ned, Wiley, Tait, and two nannies. Willow is in remission but still tires easily.

Michael says, "Willow, this is Sean and Mary Ward, my brother, and sister." He introduces them to Wiley and Tait.

Willow says, "Mary, do you prefer Mary or Mary Mae? The news said you are an intern at General Hospital. I am a nurse working part-time but hope to work in oncology. Do you have an area of interest?"

Mary replies, "Mary is fine; Sean likes to call me Mae. I'm starting off working in the ER on the Night Shift. It will be nice to have a familiar face nearby. Maybe you could give me the lay of the land."

Willow replies, "The past year, much of my time was spent in isolation in the Cancer wing. I'm in remission from leukemia. If you are looking for a tour guide, I recommend our Head Nurse, Elizabeth Webber, Monica, or our other Chief of Staff, Dr. Terry Randolph."

Keesha's eyes widen at the mention of Elizabeth's name. She asks, "Elizabeth Webber as the Elizabeth married to Jason?"

Ned notices the look on Keesha's face, and clearly, she still harbors anger toward Jason, either because of how he treated her after his accident or how Jason, Carly, and Sonny treated AJ.

Sean speaks up and asks Michael about what he remembers of their father.

Michael replies, "I have few memories of my early years with AJ. My Godfather, our Uncle Jason, raised me in the first year of my life. For a few months, I lived here with AJ and the Quartermaines. When my mother and Sonny married, he adopted me. Jason would occasionally bring me to see Lila and the family. It wasn't until I was an adult I got to know AJ again. That time was cut short due to AJ's death. I remember that AJ loved me and regretted what happened with our relationship."

Mary asks, "What happened?"

Monica interrupts, saying, "First, Sonny brainwashed my son, then Sonny and Carly took my grandson, and then Sonny killed AJ; that's what happened!"

Ned shouts, "Monica, that was uncalled for!"

Monica retorts, "It's true! Ask anyone; better yet, Google it. It's that idiot Governor that gave Sonny a full pardon! Sonny Corothinos always skates by with no repercussions. I would have you ask Jason, but his loyalties remain with Sonny."

Ned takes Monica by the arm and apologizes to everyone for what they just heard. He says, "I'm sorry you had to hear about it this way. My Aunt has been through a lot of losses over the years."

Ned walks an angry, sobbing Monica out of the Gatehouse when Sean says, "Is this true? Did Sonny Corothinos kill our father?"

Silence. Then Michael says, "I'm sorry, yes, it's true. I can't give you any excuses that would satisfy you, but I hope you don't hold what Sonny did against us forming a relationship."

Mary, the more emotional of the twins, says, "What are you going to do, Sean? I can't believe you are dating the stepdaughter of the man who killed our father!"

Michael is astonished, and Sean says, "Mae, It is not Michael's or Joss's fault what Sonny did to AJ. Besides, we never knew him. We didn't know he existed until yesterday."

Keesha says, "Clearly, this was a bad mistake. It was nice meeting you, but we have overstayed our welcome." Ned has returned and offers to show them out. He apologizes again, but a stoic Keesha leaves with a teary Mary and a quiet Sean.

After showing Keesha and her children the way out, Ned returns to the Gatehouse. He says, "Michael, I'm sorry. I did not think Monica would take it to that extreme. I slipped your card to Sean in case he wants to contact you. He seems more forgivable than Keesha or Mary. Joss comes as a surprise, though."

Michael laughs sarcastically, "I'm sure Sonny loves that one."

Sonny and Carly leave Avery and Donna with the nanny, drive to the Metro Court, head to the front desk, and ask them to notify Joss they will be in the café for brunch and would like to see her. Currently, Joss is staying in one of the Penthouse suites at the Metro Court since her friends left Port Charles. After Spencer returned from Boarding school, she wasn't as close to him, and if it weren't for Trina or Cam, she probably would not have continued their friendship. She lost touch with Cam since he's living with Emma, and Trina is very busy with school. She wishes she could have confided with Spencer about Sean but doesn't trust him. She is in her office when the front desk calls to inform her that her mother and Sonny are in the café and want to have brunch with her. Joss sighs and says, "I'll be there shortly." Joss dreads the confrontation about to come.

Joss arrives, and Sonny is drinking one of the Corothinos Coffee blends. Carly has a fruit plate and spreads cream cheese on a toasted bagel; she places a thin layer of lox on top. She looks up and sees her daughter walking towards her. Carly stands and embraces her.

Sonny clears his throat and asks Joss to sit down. Joss complies but asks the server to bring her a Denver omelet and a glass of orange juice. She pours a cup of coffee from the carafe and adds almond milk. Calmly she says, "Sonny, I know why you are here, and the answer is no."

Sonny's voice turns cold and menacing, meant to cause his subordinates reason to fear for their lives. It doesn't work on Joss. She's seen it enough times not to care what Sonny thinks. Sonny says, "Josslyn Jacks, this SeanWard is a danger to my organization, and I suggest you end whatever relationship you have with this young man."

Joss replies, "Right now, there is no relationship, and thanks to you, there might not be one; however, if Sean is still interested, I intend to keep seeing him."

Sonny says, "I'd hate to see you called on the stand to testify against me. They could attack you and bring up things from your past that could embarrass you or your mother."

Incensed, Joss retorts, "Don't give me that shit. 1. I know nothing about your organization. You have taken great pains to shield me from your 'activities.' 2. I have nothing to be ashamed of. Being your stepdaughter has left me wide open for public fodder. 3. You are more concerned about your image and having a stepdaughter date an ADA. 4. Michael texted me before I met with you. Keesha and her children met the Quartermaines, and they know everything, at least the part about Sonny killing AJ. I don't know if they know anything about what you did, Mom. 5. I don't know what will happen with Sean, but that is between Sean and me!" Joss finishes her juice, takes her half-eaten bagel and coffee, and returns to her office.

Carly says, "That went as expected."

In his anger, Sonny curtly says, "Joss is a cross between Jax and you; I don't know which is worse."

Elizabeth is about to go off shift at General Hospital when Terry introduces Mary. Elizabeth smiles, extends her hand, and says, "Welcome to General Hospital, Mary." Mary realizes who Liz is and begins peppering her with questions about AJ and Jason.

Mary says, "Elizabeth Webber, are you married to Jason Morgan?"

Elizabeth bites the inside of her mouth and replies. "Yes, and if rumor has it, you and your brother are the children of Keesha Ward and AJ Quartermaine."

Mary says, "Mother was right; gossip spreads like wildfires in Port Charles. Can you tell me why you married a killer and how your husband could stand by while his boss killed his brother?"

Elizabeth is prepared for the backlash from Keesha's kids; she didn't expect it would be this soon.

Terry says, "Dr. Ward, you are an intern at General Hospital. This is your third day. Elizabeth has been a nurse for 20 years and a scrub nurse for over 15 years. She has more experience than you and does not deserve to be spoken to her in that manner."

Mary apologizes, and Elizabeth graciously accepts her apology. Elizabeth says, I only knew of your mother through AJ and my best friend, Emily Quartermaine."

Mary asks, "How did you know AJ?"

Elizabeth says, "Terry, do you mind if I speak with Mary for a few minutes before she resumes her duties? Maybe I can answer some of her questions."

Terry nods and replies, "I'll get some coffee and return in 20 minutes."

Elizabeth leads Mary to a bench and says, "I knew of AJ through Emily and Jason when I first arrived in Port Charles, and years later, shortly after we thought Jason was killed, AJ resurfaced. Everyone thought he was dead." Elizabeth chuckles, "In Port Charles, people are often presumed dead and later return, learning their deaths were faked. Your father and I were involved for a few months in 2012. Jason didn't return until after Sonny killed AJ. Jason is not, nor has he ever been, responsible for AJ."

Mary asks, "What was he like?"

Elizabeth hesitates and says, "What did your mother say?"

Mary replies, "Only what she knows from before she left town before Sean and I were born. Why are you hedging me?"

Elizabeth replies, "Mary, if you want to know what AJ was like, you should ask Monica. AJ had his demons, and you may not want to hear my opinion."

Mary says, "Fair enough. Did you know my namesake? Mary Mae Ward?"

Elizabeth replies, "That was before my time. My first husband knew Mary Mae and told me stories about her and singing with her at the General Hospital Nurse's Ball. Laura Collins, my former mother-in-law, was good friends with her. You should see her, and Laura could tell you stories. I'm sorry, but I must get home to my family. If you want to talk later, we can."

Terry returns, shows Mary more of the hospital, and orients her in the ER.

Before changing out of her scrubs, Elizabeth calls the guard Jason assigned for her to inform him she is ready to go home. She calls Jason and asks if she needs to pick up dinner, but Jason tells her that Jake and Aiden have dinner waiting.

After dinner, the boys offer to take care of the dishes. Jason says, "You missed the news about Keesha, Sean, and Mary. I taped it, but it should be on the news tomorrow." Jason and Elizabeth head upstairs. After they take a relaxing shower, Elizabeth applies lotion to her legs and feet. She tells Jason about her day and her encounter with Mary, and Mary's anger against Sonny. Elizabeth says, "Mary had some choice words about you and criticized me for marrying you. She is furious about AJ, even though she never knew he existed until recently. You may want to call Sonny and Carly tomorrow."

Jason holds Elizabeth and says, "I'm sorry you had to endure the attacks Mary made against me on the choices I made over the years. You are wonderful, and I love you."

Nestled in Jason's arms, Elizabeth replies, "I love you too."

Hayden, Finn, and Violet

Lainey and Kelly return to Port Charles

Sean, Mary, Joss, and…..