Chapter 78- Family Feuds

After booking Esme, the officer escorted her to the holding cells, but she halted when he opened Josslyn's cell.

"No, no, no," Esme said. "I am not sharing with someone who tried to take my son from me!"

Josslyn crossed her arms on the bottom bunk. "For once we agree on something. I will not share with Esme."

"You have no choice." The officer prodded Esme in.

GHGHGH

Felicia dragged her feet in the door to find Mac on the couch.

"Hey, how'd you make out with Esme?" Mac asked.

Felicia groaned. "They're keeping her overnight. I don't blame her one bit. I would've reacted the same way. But still… I wish she held back."

"I understand. Hopefully they'll go easy on her."

"I was hoping we could've celebrated tonight," Felicia said. "I'm so relieved she won custody. I just hope this assault charge doesn't spoil that. And this whole thing with Nelle…. I don't trust her."

"Yeah, that was really weird."

"I just hope my daughter will see through her. Anyway, how are Georgie and Ace?"

He nodded. "They had a good day with Anna and Lucy. They're both asleep now."

She smiled. "That's good. I'll go check in on them."

"But Ace is getting low on diapers and wipes," Mac said. "I can head out to the drug store."

"Mind if I go?" Felicia asked. "I need to clear my head. But I'll check on them first."

GHGHGH

"You came back," Carly repeated.

"I'm sorry it took so long," Jason said.

Carly let go of the hug, her eyes wet with tears. "Where have you been? You're bleeding…."

Jason touched his side.

Carly's hands went to the wound. "Were you shot?"

"Yeah."

Carly lifted his shirt. "How bad is it?"

"It—It's not bad," Jason said.

"You always say that. Oh gosh."

"Carly. The bullet passed through. Jake tried to patch me up. But I don't want him and Danny involved."

"You saw Jake and Danny?"

He nodded. "I can use some fresh bandages. But I'm going to be okay."

"I can get a first aid kit at the drug store. But I don't want to leave you."

"I'm going to be here when you get back."

"Promise me," Carly said. "Promise me you're going to be standing right here when I get back."

"I promise."

GHGHGH

"What do we do?" Danny asked.

Jake rubbed his chin. "I don't know. He said not to tell anyone."

"He could be out there bleeding to death. But I have to make sure my mom is okay too."

"What's wrong with Sam?" Jake asked.

"There was a fire at my grandma's house. Come to think of it, Chase didn't say anything about Grandma."

"I'll go look for Dad. You should go check on your mom and grandma. But any ideas where Dad could be?"

"I don't know," Danny said. "He didn't seem to want anyone to know he's back. So, who would he trust to know he is?"

Jake paused in thought. "I know where he is. The same place he always is. Don't worry about Dad. Focus on Alexis and Sam."

GHGHGH

Nelle arrived at the hospital and spotted Nina with her arm around Willow, who was crying, in the waiting room. She sneaked past them and into Wiley's room. She sat at his side where he was sleeping.

"Hi Wiley."

His eyes fluttered open. "Whoo arr yoo?"

Nelle beamed. "It's me. I'm your mommy."

He stared at her. "Mommy oudside."

"I'm your real mommy. And a lot of bad people are responsible for you getting hurt. But I'm going to make sure they don't hurt you again. You're going to come live with me and Esme and Ace soon, all right?"

He started crying.

Out in the waiting room, Willow cried in her hands while Nina rubbed her back.

"Do you think Nelle's right?" Willow asked.

"About what?" Nina asked.

"That I never took the time to grieve for my son."

"I don't know," Nina said. "I think only you can answer that. Do you think you have?"

Willow paused in thought. "I did marry Michael pretty much right away and we jumped right into the custody battle. So, I don't know. But I can't just leave Wiley."

"I think in time you and Nelle will grow close as sisters and Wiley can have both of you."

Willow gaped at her.

GHGHGH

Esme sat down at the table and glared at Josslyn sitting on the bottom bunk.

"Hey, Esme." Josslyn rose and crossed her arms. "You have something to say, say it to me instead of staring daggers at me like the psychopath you are."

"Fine." Esme stood up. "I tried to be friends with you. I made mistakes."

Josslyn scoffed. "Mistakes?"

"But you sunk to a new low trying to take my baby from me."

"Here you are again, playing the victim," Josslyn said.

"I am not playing the victim. Ace was the victim and I'm not okay with that!"

"If you're not playing the victim, fine. Then tell the truth for once in your life."

"Truth about what?"

"You made up those lies about your father so you wouldn't have to go down with Dex," Josslyn said.

Esme's breathing sped up.

"You got off scot-free and Ace is your meal ticket," Josslyn said. "You might have Felicia fooled. You might even have Cam and Trina fooled now, but I don't buy it. You're using Ace and this story about your father sexually abusing you to get out of prison and I'm NOT okay with that. You need to pay for what you did to me."

Esme's hands went over her ears.

"Josslyn, shut up."

Josslyn looked up to find Cameron standing there.

"How can you stand there taunting her like that?" Cameron asked. "You and Spencer are the ones that put Ace in danger. Hey, Esme, it's okay. Just take a deep breath. Don't worry about what Joss says."

Josslyn shook her head. "I can't believe you're falling for her lies."

"I can't believe I fell for your lies, Joss," Cam shot back. "Esme, don't let Joss get to you. You won custody and I'm certain your mom will get you out of here."

Esme slowly looked at Cameron with tears in her eyes.

"Just stay strong for Ace," Cameron said. "I know you're rightfully angry at Spencer and Joss, I am too. But you fight her back in here it'll only turn back on you. You have to ignore her. She isn't worth it."

"But Ace could've been shot," Esme said through gritted teeth.

"I know," Cameron said. "But you have to let the justice system deal with them, just like your mom said."

"It was not my fault that the shooting happened," Josslyn said. "It was an accident. Donna and Avery were just trying to play."

"Donna and Avery didn't mean for it to happen, no," Cameron said. "But they were mimicking the adults in their lives while you and Spencer weren't paying attention. They were supposed to be in your care."

"It could've happened to anyone," Josslyn said.

"Really?" Esme asked. "How many kids shoot their siblings? Or wait… how is Wiley related to you guys?"

"He's my nephew, but that's beside the point."

"The point is, leave Esme alone," Cameron said.

"She's the one who was sitting there glaring at me," Josslyn said.

"Leave her alone, I mean it."

GHGHGH

Felicia searched the aisles at the drug store before she found the baby aisle. She grabbed some Huggies diapers and wipes and put them in her basket. She turned to the next aisle and her body tensed when she spotted Carly.

Carly grabbed a first aid kid and bolted down the aisle but froze when she saw Felicia. She started to move past her.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve, Carly, involving yourself in everyone's business," Felicia said. "But I don't take too kindly to anyone hurting my daughters like that."

Carly whipped around. "You want to talk hurting daughters? Then you need to look at Esme and what she did to my daughter."

"Fr—Esme was forced into doing those things."

Carly laughed.

"We all saw on camera how Dex was threatening her," Felicia said. "He abused her just like Ryan did."

"That's right," Carly said. "Esme is always the victim. Like that time I grabbed her arm and she claimed I gave her bruises."

"Those bruises were from Ryan. But I don't appreciate that you grabbed her too. But this, orchestrating Spencer and Josslyn's marriage to take my grandson from my daughter, that is not okay. I might not agree with you taking Wiley and Amelia away from Willow, but at least they are your family, so I can at least sort of see why you wanted them. But you had no connection to Ace, yet you wanted to rip him away from his mommy for no good reason. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though. You've been destroying families for decades, starting with my best friend."

"You're really going to stand there and throw my dead mother in my face?" Carly asked.

"Bobbie would be so disappointed in you," Felicia said. "I wouldn't say that if it wasn't true. I was there when you first came to Port Charles. You destroyed Bobbie's life and not for nothing. Tony was my family too and you essentially tore Lucas from him. And you didn't just break up a marriage, it was two people I considered to be my home base."

"If you're going to throw stones, how about you abandoning Maxie and Georgie?"

"I wish things were different," Felicia said. "I wish I didn't have to leave them, but I had to. I had to find my youngest daughter. And I know that Bobbie forgave you because you are her daughter but if she saw you right now, still out here keeping children from their parents and micromanaging relationships, she would be ashamed that as a 50-something year old, you haven't changed a bit. And she especially wouldn't be happy that you've made enemies with her best friend and her daughter. But I will always side with my daughter, so you better stay the hell away from her and my grandson." She took her basket and went to the cashier.

GHGHGH

Jake arrived at Sonny and Carly's house to find the door open. "Hello?" He walked in and found Jason sweating on the couch.

"Dad? You okay?"

Jason looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

They turned when Carly walked in with the first aid kit. "Oh, hi Jake. I'll just be a minute." She sat down and began cleaning Jason's wound.

"Dad, like I said earlier, I think we should tell Mom," Jake said. "She's a nurse and she can help you."

Jason shook his head. "No. Don't tell your mothers."

"Yeah, telling Elizabeth is the worst thing you could do," Carly said. "I used to be in nursing, so I know what to do."

"Well, I'm also studying to be a doctor," Jake said. "But I'm just learning. Mom is a professional."

"There, all done." Carly packed up the first aid kit. "I'll go get you some water." She went to the kitchen.

Jake cleared his throat. "How are you feeling, Dad?"

Jason sat up a bit, the colour returning to his cheeks. "Much better."

"Good." Jake nodded. "But how could you do that to us?"

"What?"

"Left me and Danny worried about what happened to you?" Jake said. "We went back to the warehouse and you were gone. I figured you would come here because you were always here before."

"I didn't want you and Danny involved. I knew Sonny and Carly could help me."

"We were already involved," Jake said. "Instead of allowing us and Mom and Sam to help you, you still chose them like you always do."

"Jake, you don't understand what's going on. Sonny and Carly can help me."

"So, is that how it's going to be?" Jake asked. "You're going to work for Sonny again, aren't you?"

"Jake—"

"You don't care about me or Danny, stop pretending like you do."

"I do care about you," Jason said.

"Just not as much as you care about Sonny, Carly, and their kids."

"Jake—"

"I hope you feel better." Jake stormed out and slammed the door.