"So, Michael, tell us again how you plan on handling this whole situation?"
Lucy, Kevin and Darric, long since having gone to bed, left the four friends sitting around the living room after a relaxing day at the Collins home.
Michael ran one hand through his hair while the other laced together with Andrea's as the two nestled on the loveseat. Michael's gaze went from Andrea's supportive, to Mary's nervous, to Dominic's serious one in a slow, fluid motion.
"Well, I have to figure out where I'm going to live before I can really deal with things," he started slowly.
"You can't return to Harborview Towers?" Dominic inquired, leaning forward. Michael shook his head quickly, "I can't, I-I feel like I've already spent too much time there already."
"What about at the Q mansion?" Mary asked tentatively, a hopeful smile creeping onto her face.
Michael gave her a small smile, not wanting to disappoint his closest friend, "I don't think I'm ready for life at the Q's yet." A thought occurred to him, "I could find my own place," he said brightly.
Andrea patted his knee, "honey, you don't even know how to separate whites from colors when you do your laundry, once every blue moon," she dead panned gently.
"What about your Aunt and Uncle?" Dominic suggested.
Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "I don't want to feel like a burden," he started before Andrea interrupted him.
"What are you, an elephant?! What kind of great burden would you be? They would *love* to have you as long as you needed. Mom was already on the phone this morning with Emily about sending care packages and relief work so the transition could be easier."
Michael shrugged, still slightly unconvinced, "I guess."
"What about your stuff? Clothes, books, CD's. What about school?" Mary asked.
Michael stared at Mary his eyes wide. It hadn't occurred to him that living somewhere else meant moving the things he already had. "I don't know, maybe I could go there when they aren't there, or..." he said, his voice trailing off. Things were getting complicated.
"I don't see your Mom just letting you take your stuff and leaving," Andrea said softly, echoing the thoughts of the other three.
"You might have to consider the fact they will want to speak with you, try and bridge the gap," Dominic added.
"And Spencer. God, what do I tell Spencer? What happens to us?" Michael's voice was barely a whisper as Andrea soothingly rubbed his arm.
"We'll help you," Mary said reassuringly. "We'll make sure things work out. Maybe we'll pack for you so you won't have to go, or maybe your maid can pack and send it to Emily and Lucky's place, and with Spencer we could meet him at a neutral place and figure out" she chattered, growing energized with her ideas. Dominic leaned towards her and grasped her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Mary blushed slightly, growing silent.
"I think what Mary is trying to say is, we'll help you, whatever you need help with. Even if it's just to take your mind off things and to treat you normal, we'll do it," Dominic summarized.
Mary nodded and Andrea gave Michael a warm smile. Michael gave a tentative grin in return.
"Thanks guys."
*********
Carly and Jason's PH
"It was awful, first Keesha and then Bobbie," Carly informed Jason as she brushed her teeth.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here, nobody talks to you like that," Jason said, annoyance ringing in his voice as he slipped on his boxers.
"Yeah, well, nothing I didn't already know," Carly muttered as she switched off the bathroom light and entered the bedroom. "Hey, Spencer was a bit rattled when you guys came in. What happened?"
Jason took a deep breath, hoping Carly wouldn't pick up on their youngest son's mood from that afternoon. He turned around, standing at the foot of the bed. Carly, standing at her side of the bed, stared at him expectantly, "well, what was it?"
"Jerry Jacks was at the PC Grille."
Carly's face paled. One hand rose slowly to cover her open mouth. "What?" she asked, the shock still settling in.
"He was just there. Him and Dade and Jewel," Jason said, his voice softening slightly at the mention of Jewel.
"What the hell is he doing here? What does he want? Oh GOD Jason, Spencer was with you!" Carly cried, panic oozing into her voice as she hugged herself tightly.
Jason moved quickly towards her, enveloping her in his strong arms. "I know, we handled things properly and Spencer's fine," he murmured, attempting to reassure Carly.
"What about Michael?! How can we protect him when he's not even living here?!" Carly shrieked, pushing from Jason.
"You think I wouldn't keep my best men protecting Michael without his knowledge?" Jason said sharply, his voice rising. "I know how to keep my family safe!"
"Safe?!" Carly shouted. "Michael is GONE, he's not coming back! Justus is not in our corner anymore! The D.A. has a STRONG case against us! They might even get something on YOU if one of your LOYAL men turn on you for a better deal and to top things off, JERRY JACKS is in town! How in HELL do you know how to keep your family safe?!" Carly screamed at Jason, not noticing the hot tears streaming down her face.
Jason stood, a pained expression on his face in response to Carly's tirade.
Walking to his side of the bed, Jason slowly took a seat, hunched over, the weight of everything putting a strain on him like nothing else. Everything he and Carly had been through, he knew he could always count on her to be at his side, weathering the storm with him. "I know what's a stake here. I know what we've lost. I just don't know how to try and fix it any other way," he said softly. "All I want is for us to be a family, all four of us," he said, his voice almost a whimper as tears blurred his vision.
Carly turned around, facing Jason's now shaking bent over frame as he began to weep. Fresh tears sprang forth and a need to comfort the man she had loved half of her life came over her. Quickly, she crawled across the king sized bed and coming up behind him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace, she pressed the side of her face up against the back of his neck. "I know baby, I know. We'll get through this," she reaffirmed over and over in an attempt to calm him.
They would get through it.
All of them.
***********
Suite 403 PC Hotel
Dade, Alexis and Jerry watched the late newscast silently.
"Sources indicate that with so many members of the Morgan crime family either under arrest or under police suspicion, there is curiosity surrounding the fact that Jason Morgan himself may be the next defendant on the D.A.'s growing list of the accused. It was also rumored that Justus Ward, Morgan's longtime friend and attorney was no longer an employee of Morgan's although a family spokesperson has denied all rumors. Opening remarks are set to begin in two weeks."
Jerry clicked off the television. "Well, looks as though his past is finally catching up with him," he noted grimly, a cold smile forming on his face.
"Maybe we should let this go, leave Morgan's fate to the authorities," Dade suggested calmly. Jerry waved it off, rising from his seat and headed towards the windows, gazing at the night below him. "Morgan's fate is in my hands, just like Deanna's was in his. An eye for an eye." His eyes lowered to his hand, where he gently ran his finger along the wedding ring he had given to Deanna all those years ago. A lump formed in his throat as he remembered the moment he'd placed it gently on her ring finger the day they were married. Sighing painfully, he placed the ring in his pocket. "He knows I'm here which makes any plan of action all the more difficult."
Dade groaned inwardly at Jerry's statement. The more planning he did into how to exact revenge on Jason Morgan, the harder it was going to be for Dade to persuade him not to. "You've obviously taken that into consideration though," he countered evenly. Despite the fear at knowing Jerry was becoming rapidly consumed by this desire, Dade could only watch helplessly, for now.
Jerry nodded seriously. "I have no desires to harm Carly or the boys, in fact I would prefer it if we kept our plan of action exclusively to moments where neither his wife nor children will be present."
Alexis rose, clearly aghast with the whole conversation. "I'm sorry, but what difference does leaving Carly and the boys out of it do? You kill Jason, Michael and Spencer grow up hating you, maybe they kill you. Jewel exacts her revenge and maybe someone from his family kills her and so on. When does it end?" she demanded angrily. "I grew up without a Father, I watched my Mother get murdered and then GROW UP in the house with the woman who butchered my Mother! I guarantee you, this will serve no purpose to Jewel, she is already growing up without her Mother, do you plan on making her an orphan before she's 12?" she shouted.
"This is about making things right!" Jerry thundered back, his eyes flashing with the rage that hadn't stopped boiling since the day Dade had informed him who had murdered Deanna.
"How?! By making yourself a target? Making Jewel a target?!" Alexis shot back.
Jerry flinched, as if struck by Alexis's accusations with physical force. "I would NEVER put my child at risk," he whispered, horrified that Alexis would even suggest such a thing.
Alexis gave a bitter laugh as she stared daggers at Jerry. "Really? Your hate blinds you Jerry. I know what losing Deanna did to you, but Jewel should mean more than revenge on Jason Morgan," she said harshly, crossing her arms in front of her.
Dade stepped between the two, holding up his hands. "Enough, it's late and there is no point to this right now when everyone is angry and upset."
"I agree."
All three whirled to the suite doorway in surprise. None of them had heard the door unlock. Stefan Cassadine stared at the scene before him carefully. Alexis was near tears, as was Jerry, despite both of their attempts to hide that fact. Dade looked torn, divided between loyalty to Jerry and his own moral dilemma. Every face was flushed and tight with pain. Stefan took a step forward. "Nothing of importance can be decided upon tonight. We should return to Wyndemere. My grandson Raphael and Jewel are there and I don't want them to remotely catch any hint of tension between you three. I trust we can all be civil for the next few days while we calm down," he informed each, clearly laying down the ground rules.
"I will stay here for the night, I will be at Wyndemere before Jewel has breakfast. I promise I will not do anything foolish in that time," Jerry stated gruffly.
"Very well, Alexis, Dade, will you be joining me on the launch back to Spoon Island?" Stefan asked the two.
"Of course Stefan," Dade said, offering a weak smile to the Cassadine Patriarch and the three left Jerry's suite and headed somberly down the hallway to the elevator. "Oh, you two can take the next one down. I've arranged for another car and another launch to pick you up at the docks to return you to Spoon Island," Stefan informed Dade and Alexis matter-of-factly.
Before either could respond with curiosity, Stefan smiled at them knowingly. "You think I don't know about your secrets before you do?"
And with that, Stefan entered the elevator, letting the doors glide shut.
**********
The Brownstone
Bobbie shuffled into the home, tired and partially intoxicated. Amy and a few of the other nurses had encouraged her to drown her miseries in a few drinks. It had worked, her buzz was still warding off all misery inducing thoughts. She of course knew that come morning, it would all come back, pounding into her head, but she didn't care about any of that right now. Her world was spinning off its axis but right now, all she could think of was sleep. Dropping her coat, shoes and bag near the coat rack, barely remembering to lock the door behind her, Bobbie trudged towards the staircase, not noticing the living room lights were on.
"I was wondering where you were."
Suddenly wide awake, Bobbie whirled around to face the person in her living room. Blond hair, bright hazel eyes and a wry grin added up to only one person.
"Lucas!" she cried, rushing up to greet her son. Bobbie threw her arms around him, hugging him tight, inhaling the scent she missed so much.
"Hey Mom, you okay?" Lucas laughed as his Mother clung to him. Bobbie didn't respond, she simply closed her eyes and pulled her son closer, basking in the fact that one thing for now was in its rightful place.
Feeling something wasn't right, Lucas pulled from her gently. "Mom, what's wrong?" Carefully looking at her face for any sign, his face suddenly darkened just as Bobbie was about to insist everything was fine.
"It's Carly again, what has she done this time?"