SoapQueen89

At the hospital -- Detective Steel stepped off the 8th floor elevator at General Hospital looking for some answers. He had spent over an hour with Lt. Taggert and had found out about the recent shootout on the docks. His curiosity got the better of him and he went to the hospital to see for himself what kind of danger had come to this city. As he reached the nurse's station, Amy noticed the stranger approach and asked him if she could help him. He reached in his coat pocket and flashed his badge telling her who he was and that he was there to talk with the victims of the shootout that had been admitted. Amy hesitant and cautious of his intentions and his credentials, she pointed him in the direction of the ICU. She watched him as he walked passed her and then down the hallway. The detective was approached by Alan out in front of the ICU as he glared in at Jason lying in the hospital with Elizabeth sitting beside him. The nameplate on the door to the room read "Jason Morgan" "ICU # 2A", Jake jotted down his observations in his memory as Alan approached him. "Can I help you?" Alan asked as he looked over the rugged young man who stood watching his son. "I was told this young man is one of the victims of the shootout the other night." Jake replied as he turned around and faced the brut form of the Chief of Staff. "May I ask who you are?" Alan questioned as Elizabeth noticed the commotion outside the room. Jake pulled his badge from his jacket and explained to Alan who he was and that he was there to talk with Jason. "Alan?" Elizabeth said as she appeared from her husband's room. Both Alan and Jake turned towards her when she spoke, acknowledging she was there. "Mrs. Morgan?" Jake asked extended his hand to her. Elizabeth glanced down at it and hesitantly shook his hand. "Yes? I'm Jason's wife. Can I help you?" she inquired as Alan stepped in between Jake and Elizabeth. "Perhaps this isn't a good time, you should be in there with Jason." Alan replied and tried to guide her back into the room. Jake reached for Elizabeth's arm as she walked back into the room. "Wait .. I'd like to talk with you." he said as she turned around and looked over the young man. "Who are you?" she asked again, insistent this time. "Detective Jake Steel from the Miami PD. I'm here to talk with your husband about the shooting." Elizabeth looked back over her shoulder towards Jason and stepped out of the room so they wouldn't disturb him. "Jason's in no condition to talk to you .... Det .. Detective." she replied as she kept a watchful eye on her husband. "And I don't foresee him talking with you or any one else wearing a badge." she added as she looked at him sternly. She turned and walked back into the room and took her seat once again next to her husband. "I guess you will be leaving now." Alan stated as the young man watched Elizabeth and Jason through the plexi-glass window. She noticed him watching and went to close the blinds. Jake got her point and turned towards Alan who stood in the doorway of the room. "And the other person involved is ....?" Jake inquired as Alan crossed his arms in front of his chest. "On another floor. He was moved last night to another room." he replied giving Jake very little information about Zander's whereabouts. "You gonna tell me where to find him, or am I going to have search the hospital floor by floor?" Jake replied sarcastically. Alan sighed as he passed behind the young man and started walking away. "I can tell you, he's not going to be telling you anything either, Mr. Steel." Alan added as he turned back towards him. "I would at least like to see him." Jake added as he followed Alan down the hallway to the elevators. "4th floor ... room 228." Alan answered as he pushed the elevator down button. Jake nodded in acknowledgement and stepped onto the elevator as Alan continued down the hallway, knowing full well that with Emily there with Zander and Monica hanging around, he was sure the detective was going to come up empty in his search for answers. Outside Zander's room -- Jake stepped off the elevator on the 4th floor and made his way to the nurse's station. He asked where he could find Zander's room and the nurse graciously pointed him in the right direction. As he approached the room he noticed the door was standing open, and respectfully knocked on the door before entering the room. Emily sat by her husband's side as she noticed the young man appear in the doorway. "May I help you?" she asked as she got up from her seat and approached him with caution. "I hope so." Jake replied as he took one step into the hospital room. He noticed the equipment Zander was hooked up to before focusing on the young lady in front of him. Jake extended his hand and introduced himself. "I'm Zander's wife, Emily .... how can I help you? Detective." she replied as she escorted him outside the room so they not disturb Zander who was sleeping. She was sure to keep a watchful eye on her husband as she stood in the doorway of the room. "I was hoping to talk with your husband, Emily." Jake inquired but by the look Emily shot back at him, he knew that wasn't happening. "I'm sure you know, Detective, my husband has been through alot over the past 3 days, he's in no condition to talk with anyone." she answered as she heard Zander becoming restless. Jake peered around the corner of the doorway to see if perhaps her husband was awake so he could ask him some questions. "I know it's been a terrible time for both of you, but if you could just give me 5 minutes ..." she interrupted with a direct and honest "...uh no." "I would really appreciate it if you'd come back at another time. My husband needs his rest and I can tell you this now, Zander's not going to tell you or anyone else wearing a badge, anything." Emily added as she turned away from the detective and back into the room to be with her husband. Zander was no where near ready to talk with anyone, he was still recovering from surgery the day before and Emily wasn't about to allow some Detective to lurk about her husband like a vulture waiting for his prey. Jake stood outside Zander's hospital room for a couple more minutes just watching and observing her demeanor. Emily noticed him still hanging around outside the room, and she got up and closed the door to the room. Steele reached into his jacket pocket and stuck his business card in the nameplate outside the door hoping that either of them would change their minds and call him. "Okay, that went well ...." he mumbled under his breath as he walked down the hallway towards the elevators. As he walked passed the waiting area, he was approached. "I thought I told you to leave my hospital?" Alan said as the detective tried to avoid a confrontation with the big man. "Well now I have what I came for, I will be leaving." Steele lied through his teeth to the Chief of Staff, but he'd be back another day to get his answers. "I very much doubt that, especially if you were just talking with my daughter. You'd be lucky to get the time of day wearing that badge." Alan chuckled as Steele gave him a smug look before walking off. Alan knocked on the door to Zander's room and Emily cautiously opened it for him. "Hi sweetheart." he greeted her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "How's he doing?" her father asked as he approached Zander. Alan checked the monitors Zander was attached to and read the numbers hoping they would improve from the day before. "He isn't awake yet, so I guess he's doing about the same." Emily replied as she sniffled back the tears, wanting so much to stay strong. Alan checked Zander's pulse as he held Zander's wrist in his hand. Alan's face didn't tell Emily what she wanted to hear. "Dad, what's wrong?" she became worried and agitated. "Nothing, sweetheart. There isn't anything wrong, I was expecting a stronger pulse that's all. He's fine." Emily sighed heavily, she didn't know what she'd do if she lost him. "How's Devon?" she asked. Devon had been staying at the mansion while Zander was in the hospital, she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could, so her parents had offered to take Devon for a while. "Devon's great. He's really a blessing in our house. Your grandfather is spoiling him rotten." Alan laughed. "I can just imagine ...." Emily replied with a smile. It's the first smile Alan had seen on his daughter in days. He wished he would have some good news to tell her to bring a smile to her face like that one. Zander was just the same, and the prognosis wasn't looking any better as time went on. "Do you think Reginald could bring Devon by later? I'd love to spend some time with him, I could take him to the children's center for a while." Emily asked. She missed her little boy and just needed to tell him how much she loved him. "Sure, I'll call home and have Reginald bring Devon to the hospital." he agreed with her request and she got up from her seat and went to him. "Thanks Dad, it really means alot to me to have Devon here." Alan embraced his daughter and gave her all the love he could muster. Emily sniffled back the tears as she watched her husband sleeping, she prayed he'd wake up, he needed to wake up if he was going to get better. The longer he was out, the worse his chances got of a recovery. "Don't worry, Zander's gonna be fine, he's a fighter, Em. He survived our family hasn't he?" Alan joked hoping to see that smile again on Em's face. She mustered a giggle. "Yeah he has." Her tears moistened her father's white doctor coat as she kept watch on her husband. Alan pulled from the embrace and cupped his large hands around Emily's chin. "Zander is going to get through this, you have to believe that, Em." He could see it in her eyes, she wasn't holding on to much hope. "I know. Would you come with me to the chapel? I want to light a candle for Zander and for Jason." she asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Sure I'll go with you, sweetheart." he replied with sincerity as she looked once more at her husband before she left the room. Alan walked out of the room and waited for her in the hallway. She pulled the door closed and they went to say a prayer to bring Zander back to her and their son.

Jason's hospital room Elizabeth sat with Jason as Monica jotted down his current vitals in his file. Her concern for husband was apparent when she asked Monica how he was doing. "He's getting stronger and that's always a good sign." Monica replied and touched her gently on the shoulder as reassurance. "When will he wake up?" Elizabeth asked as she caressed Jason's hand. "It shouldn't be long now. You can talk to him, he should respond to your voice. But don't force him to wake up, he'll come around on his own." Monica left Elizabeth and Jason by closing the door behind her. She peered through the glass window at her son who was in critical yet stable condition. Alan's strong arms came up from behind her and embraced her. "He's going to be alright." he said trying to reassure her. Monica sniffled back the tears and leaned back into him. "You cannot guarantee me that, Alan" she replied as she turned into him and held him close. "No, I can't but I can tell you that Jason is strong, and he's a fighter. You have to believe that." Her motherly tears moistened Alan's white coat as they stood outside their son's room. Since that fateful day many years ago, they had truly tried to be parents to Jason Morgan, yet he fought so hard to dismiss their affections. Even though they were not as close as they would of liked to be with Jason, he was still their son. Elizabeth spoke no truer words to her husband as he lye lifeless in the drab sheets of the hospital bed. She hoping that her soft voice would bring him back to her. He began to stir, she could feel the grip of his hand grow stronger with every word she spoke. A few brief moments past, and his eyes fluttered open slightly. She breathed a sigh of relief and said a little prayer of thanks for bringing him back to her. She turned and noticed Alan and Monica standing outside the room observing what had happened between her and Jason. "Dr. Quartermaines'! It's Jason .... I think he's waking up!" she stated overly excited about seeing Jason awaken from his medicated state. "Okay, okay .... let's check him out. It could be his body reacting." Alan said as he pulled out his light pen and checked Jason's eye reflexes. Jason stirred a little more and moaned groggily. His dry mouth inhibited him from speaking, but his eyes worked well as he noticed Elizabeth sitting by his side with the smile he loved so much. As Alan checked Jason reflexes to stimulants, Jason's eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the hospital room. Elizabeth's soothing voice reassured him of where he was and what was happening to him. "All looks good, Jason. Reflexes are all normal." Jason held his hand at his side and grimaced as he tried to re-position himself. "Okay, Jason .... " Monica said as she tried to prevent him from moving. "You're going to have lie still ... we don't want you moving around." she continued as Jason moaned in disgust. "Jason, you gotta listen to the doctors ... okay?" Elizabeth said trying to convince him he had to do what he was told. He tried to speak but the breathing tube was causing an obstruction, so Alan explained to him that it needed to be removed before he tried to speak. Jason nodded that he understood and Alan went on about how they would remove it. "On the count of three, Jason ....okay?" Jason nodded again that he understood and in one fluid motion the tube was removed from his throat. He coughed as it exited his mouth, his voice hoarse, and rough, but it was a relief to be rid of the machine. "Now, can .... can I have a ... drink of ... water?" Jason asked in his rough voice. Alan smiled and chuckled. "Yeah, you can have a drink of water." Monica handed the white paper cup filled with water to Elizabeth and she stuck a straw in it for him to drink from. The water cold, it was irritating to the raw membranes of Jason's throat. He coughed as he tried to swallow the wetness. "Easy ... it'll take some time for your throat to heal. Take your time." Monica replied as Jason handed the cup back to his wife. Jason rubbed his throat with his hand in a soothing motion and tried to speak a few more words. "What .... *cough* .. what happened?" The three of them looked at each other and then at Jason .. "You don't remember?" Elizabeth asked. Jason turned his head and looked at his wife. "No ... tell me ..." he replied as he swallowed hard trying to relieve some the rawness in his throat. At the PCPD Lt. Taggert sat relaxed in his leather desk chair with his feet propped up on his mahogany desk looking over a case file that was given to him that afternoon. "Damn it! Another mob shootout! This needs to stop, and stop now!" he said loudly to himself as he got up from his chair and headed towards the door. He opened the door with purpose only to find a young man standing on the other side. "Lt. Taggert?" Taggert looked sternly at the young stranger and sighed in disgust. "Yeah, who the heck are you?" he replied as the young man passed him and entered his office. Taggert closed the door and looked over the young stranger who barged in unannounced. A rough, rugged young man in blue jeans, a tee shirt, and a hooded sweatshirt jacket, certainly not someone who looked like any importance. "Lt. Taggert, I'm Det. Jake Steel from the Miami Police Department." said the stranger as he extended his hand to Taggert. Taggert shook his hand and then passed by him throwing the file in his hand on the desk. He quickly turned around asked why he was there. "Well, Sir ... it seems my investigation has led me here to Port Charles and I'm hoping you can help me." the Detective replied as he took a step toward Taggert. Taggert intrigued by this young man, he offered him a seat and asked what kind of help he was looking for.

The hospital ER -- Elizabeth pulled back the curtain, and was taken back by what she saw. A white gauze patch on his forehead held in place with opaque hospital tape, an IV hooked to his left forearm, wires pressed against his chest, an oxygen mask that was covering his nose and mouth, her husband was in critical condition. She slowly walked towards him and took his hand in hers. Amy was checking his vitals on the machine that was standing next to him and jotting down the numbers on her clipboard. "You can talk to him, but I doubt he'll respond. He's on a lot of medications, it may be a while." Amy remarked as she pulled the curtain closed and left Elizabeth alone with her husband. Her head fell to the metal sidebar along the gurney and she sobbed. This was her worst fear coming true and she couldn't control what was going to happen. She said a little prayer and squeezed Jason's hand. She told him that she loved him and that he would be alright. He was in the very best hands, the doctors would take care of him. As she spoke the words to Jason, she needed to believe them herself. Tears trickled down her cheek as she sat with him for a while hoping that he would know she was there with him. Monica appeared and walked up behind her. "I have some news." Elizabeth startled by Monica's presence she rose from the swivel stool she was sitting on and waited to hear the prognosis. Emily came to be with Elizabeth as she heard the news about Jason. "We have done the best we can right now. Jason will need surgery to remove the bullet, however I don't want to go in there blind. So we have administered a self inducing coma medication to keep him sedated for a while. We can slowly bring him out of it when we think it is safe enough to go in and removed the fragments. His vitals are not stable enough to do that now, thus we need to get him stabilized before we go in search of the bullet and the fragments it may have left. Xrays tell us that it doesn't look like it punctured any major organs, which is good. However the bullet has lodged itself in a compromising position, and for us to remove it, we need to know that Jason is strong enough to handle the surgery. He is by no means out of the woods, the next 24 to 48 hours are critical." Monica knew that it was a lot for Elizabeth to comprehend right now, but she needed to know how things were looking for Jason. Elizabeth gave her a tearful thank you for telling her all she could and returned to be with Jason. The hospital chapel -- A few hours had passed and Emily had tried to stay positive about Zander. She had left Devon with Alexis and Ned who had come to see what they could do for her, while she went to the chapel to light a candle and to say a prayer. She pushed open the chapel doors to find Sonny kneeling at the alter. She was hesitant to enter, but she had a few choice words for him so she moved forward. The doors swooshed closed and Sonny rose to his feet. He turned and saw Emily standing in the back of the chapel, her hands folded in front of her, her eyes filled with anger. She took a few steps towards him before he stepped down from the alter. "Emily....I'm so sorry." he spoke softly as her arms fell to her side, her fists clenched in anger. Emily stiffened as he walked passed her and through the double doors. She turned and watched him go, not saying a word to the man who put her brother and her husband against one another. Her heart filled with hate for the man, everyone called Mr. Corinthos. She lit a candle for Zander, and a candle for her brother Jason. She took a seat the nearest pew and whispered a prayer for them. She heard the doors open once again and she looked up to find her dad standing in the doorway. "We have news about Zander." Emily stood up slowly from the pew and turned towards her father. She took a deep breath and approached him, unsure of was coming next. Alan reached for her hands and held them tightly in his. Her father's hands strong and always comforting to her, she knew the news about Zander wasn't good. "Zander's out of surgery. He stayed strong during the procedure and is stable." as he finished Emily sighed relief. "May I see him?" she asked as she sniffled back the tears. "Come, I'll take you to him." he dad said as he escorted her out of the chapel. "How's Jason?" she asked as they turned the corner and headed towards the recovery room. "The same. Elizabeth's with him." His concerned look didn't help comfort her own fears as they reached the enclosed room where Zander lay lying in a hospital bed connected to all sorts of machines. Outside Zander's room -- The large glass windows revealed to her, her husband who lie lifeless. She cautiously peered around the corner and stood in the doorway. She walked slowly into the room and towards his bedside. The small stool squeaked as she rolled it closer to the bed. She sat down and took his hand in hers. She held it close to her lips and kissed it gently as her free hand brushed back the few strands of coal black hair of his forelock from his eyes. Her hand brushed against his cheek as she brought it back down to her and wrapped her hands around his. She kissed his hands once again as she whispered against them how much she loved him. She sat and listened to the silence. The distinct sound of the breathing machine continued as the deflator moved in an up and down motion with every breath. Zander was pale, his color had not returned to what she had remembered, the bronze tone had vanished from his face, his arms, his hands were cold to the touch. She knew she had to bring him back to her. He had the fight of his life staring him in the face and he had to stay strong and fight to be with her ... yet again.

Elizabeth slipped on her silk robe and slippers and went downstairs to wait for Sonny and Carly. Max announced them as she was pacing the floor waiting for them. "Sonny .. please give me good news. Please!" Sonny and Carly exchanged glances and she knew the news they had for wasn't what she wanted to hear. Sonny took her by the arm and asked her to sit down on the couch. Carly followed and sat on the other side of her and tried to be there for her when Sonny started to explain. Elizabeth's cries echoed through the apartment as she leaned into Sonny for comfort. He tried to reassure her that Jason would be alright, but Elizabeth wanted to see for herself. Carly helped her upstairs to get dressed, she was going to the ER to be with her husband. Sonny called for Max to take Elizabeth to GH and to go in with her to the ER, he and Carly would follow them there. Max did as he was instructed and he escorted Elizabeth to the limo that was waiting for her in the parking garage. Max drove her there as fast as he could knowing that this night had to be one of Elizabeth's worst fears coming true. He pulled up to the ER and tried to walk Elizabeth in, but she rushed passed him as soon as the automatic doors of the ER opened. She saw Monica and Alan tending to a patient and rushed up to them to see if they knew anything about Jason. Bobbie interceded and tried to keep her from pursuing towards the patient that laid still on the gurney. Elizabeth didn't need anyone to tell her who the person was as she cried out for her husband. "Jason!!!" her legs buckled underneath her as Max was there to catch her before she fell to the floor. She leaned on Max as he tried to steady her against him. Sonny and Carly walked through the automatic doors of the ER and Sonny rushed to Elizabeth's side to help. He and Max walked her to the waiting area and sat her down on the couch. Elizabeth trembled as tears fell from her soft brown eyes, fearful for her husband, not knowing anything, she tried to get as close as she could to see him. As she tried to rush to his side, she noticed her best friend Emily was standing on the other side of the nurse's station talking with her mother. Elizabeth wiped away her tears and composed herself the best she could and walked over to see if she could help. She was in no shape to help anyone, but she needed to be there for her friend. ******************** Emily and Elizabeth had been the best of friends for as long as they could remember. It had been rough over the last year or so since Elizabeth had married Emily's brother Jason, Jason being Zander's adversary, it made things difficult for the two of them to stay connected. Elizabeth rushed to her friend's side and Emily fell into her arms, without a thought about why they were not close anymore, nothing else mattered. Emily needed her friend right now and she knew Elizabeth would be there for her. "Oh my God, Emily!" Elizabeth asked as her friend sobbed uncontrollably. She held her like any friend would and tried to comfort her the best she could. "Come, let's sit down." Elizabeth took Emily by her hand as she wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue from her pocket. "Emily .. listen to me. We're gonna get through this. We're gonna do it together." Elizabeth trying to stay strong for the both of them as she saw Emily's parents walking towards them. She stiffened and Emily felt her demeanor change as she turned around and saw her mom and dad approaching. Emily rushed the two of them as they drew closer and Elizabeth followed wiping the tears from her cheek and trying to compose herself enough to understand what they were about to tell her. "How's Zander?" Emily asked as her mom took her hand and tried to steady her for the news she was about to tell her. "Zander's in surgery. It will be a few hours before we know anything." Monica replied as Emily's fear worsened. "Well, why aren't you in there with him?! I want ..." Monica tried to explain that he was getting the best care that GH could offer him and that she should try to calm down. Elizabeth took Emily's hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. "How's Jason?" she asked as another doctor approached them. "We're working on him ... I can't give you much more than that. I am so sorry. We'll know more soon, though." Alan replied as he and Monica tried to reassure the girls. "I want to be with him!" Elizabeth insisted as she saw the gurney Jason was on being moved to an enclosed exam room. The curtain was drawn closed and she wasn't able to see what was being done to him. "Give me a few minutes, okay. Then I'll let you see him." Monica replied as she turned and went to see what could be done for her son. Emily and Elizabeth stood together watching as Monica went behind the closed curtain. What seemed like hours for Elizabeth, Monica appeared in a few minutes and led her to be by Jason's side. Emily sat in the waiting area with her dad and Devon as she anxiously awaited news about her husband.

It had been a few days since Elizabeth had heard from Jason and she was now getting worried. He was never gone this long without calling her. She had double checked the locks downstairs and had retired for the evening by turning out all the lights and heading upstairs to the bedroom. The house felt so empty without him in it, the bed felt so cold as she lay awake hoping she could fall asleep without him by her side. The fear of hearing the worst had been bringing her nightmares when she closed her eyes at night, she didn't want to fall asleep but she knew she had to. She pulled the covers up over her shoulders and turned onto her side and faced into his side of the bed, still empty, still cold. She missed him so much. As she lay there, she had this overwhelming feeling of something awful had happened. Fearing for her husband, she opened up the nightstand and pulled out the cell phone she kept there. She quickly dialed, he didn't answer. She called the next person who would know what could be happening. She dialed the number feverishly, her fingers pushing down the keys on the keypad quickly. It rang, and rang, finally someone familiar answered on the other end. "Hello..." the voice said groggily. "Sonny .. It's Elizabeth. Have you heard from Jason?" she said now hysterical and worried about him. Sonny heard the worry and concern in her voice and tried his best to calm her down over the phone. "Elizabeth? What's wrong? He isn't back yet?" Sonny replied now concerned himself about Jason. "No Sonny, damn it! He's not back yet! And I have an awful feeling something's happened." There was a brief pause without any word from Jason's best friend, Elizabeth repeated her words to him again. "Okay.....we'll be right over." Was all Sonny said and the phone line went dead. ******************* Emily was pacing the hardwood floor of the bedroom as she kept checking on Devon making sure he was alright, not knowing what to do or who to call. Zander wasn't back from his business trip and she was getting worried about him. He always called to check on her and Devon, no matter what time it was, Zander called. She was restless, couldn't sleep, concerned and fearful something had happened. She had just come back from checking on Devon when the silence was broken by the ring of the telephone. She rushed to pick it up hoping it was Zander. As she picked up the receiver, a feeling rushed over her, a horrible feeling that this phone call was not good news. "H-Hello Zander?!" a brief pause before the voice on the other end answered her. "No sweetie, it's mom." Emily's heart sank to the floor, her insides contracted and she felt the worst had happened. Without giving her mother a chance to say anything her eyes welled with tears. "Oh my God! Mom, is he alright? Tell me he's alright!" she said frantically. She trembled as she held the phone to her ear and listened to her mother explain the reason for the call. "Emily, sweetie....you need to stay calm and listen to me. Okay." Emily's insides quivered with fear as she trembled and tried to reply to her mom's request. "O-Okay..I'll try." Emily stammered. "You need to get Devon. You and he need come to GH, we're in the ER. I'll explain when you get here." There was no reply from Emily on the other end. "Em! Emily! You still there....honey...you need to get to GH. Zander's been shot." Emily hadn't heard the last remarks from her mother as she left the phone dangling on the floor, she had rushed to Devon's room and got him dressed and bundled to go to the hospital. Emily packed the diaper bag and wrapped Devon in a blanket, took him back to their room and got dressed. She and Devon rushed down the stairs and out the door. She needed to get to the hospital .. her husband needed her. She met Louie at the elevator, he had been standing guard at the front door since earlier that evening. He noticed she was frantically trying to get the elevator to open up, when he asked her what was wrong. She tried to explain that she needed to get to GH and that Zander had been brought in. Louie escorted her to the car and helped her with Devon into the back of the limo. He drove her as fast as he could to the ER and walked her in to find her mother. "Mom!" Emily shouted as she rushed into the ER with Devon in her arms. "Where's Zander? How is he?"

The scene opens in the bedroom of Zander and Emily's penthouse apartment, the bedroom is dark, dimly lit by the storm that's brewing outside the window. The rain pounded hard against the elongated window, the wind outside howled as the storm made it's presence known. Zander stood looking out across the bay into the darkness as the lightning flashed in the distance, thunder rolled across the sky and he turned and with concern and worry in his eyes towards the one true love he has ever known, the woman who had his heart, his wife, Emily. She lay in slumber only a few feet from him and the flashes of light that filtered in through the window as the storm drew closer illuminated her form just enough so he could admire from across the room. The early morning hours drew near and he was restless, he couldn't sleep, he slipped quietly from bed, so as not to wake her. He gazed out the window into the midnight and wondered if his life was to end in tragedy as well. He had always known that the life he led was dangerous and deadly, but it was the only life he knew. His father was in over his head, killed by his rival when Zander was just a boy, but old enough to witness the murder and know who had done the deed. A man who was close to his father's side through out the years, his father's right hand man, a dirty player in the game who only had one thing to gain by killing his long time boss, power. Power and greed were the motives for his father's death, and he couldn't allow power and greed take over the life he had worked so hard for. The dark, dangerous, and sometimes deadly life had always been on his mind, he could never guarantee or promise he'd return, he couldn't promise he'd be home every night at a reasonable hour, he couldn't promise a life of safety and security, the only thing he could promise was that he would protect and love his family. His wife, Emily, knew that walking into this relationship and then marriage ... But he was still worried and fearful of the life she'd have if God forbid he was to leave one evening and not return. If tragedy struck and he'd be killed by a rival organization it would devastate her, she'd be lost with out him. He was in way to deep to turn back now, there was no way out. His life now threatened by another powerful organization who wanted control of the territory he was handed down by his family. He had never thought he and Sonny would be on opposing sides, their relationship was never cozy but they were friends and had been for some time. Now his mentor was the one who was threatening to take his life. Had never wanted to bring fear into the eyes of those he loved, and lately he had seen it in the eyes of his wife and child. He couldn't leave the life he built for himself, he couldn't make promises or guarantees to Emily or to his child that he'd always be with them, he couldn't turn back now, there was too much at stake. The storm raged on outside as he thought about all his options, there didn't seem to be answer for him as he stared out into the darkness. The driven rain pounded against the glass as he turned and walked towards the bed. He brushed back a stray strand of Emily's auburn hair and softly kissed her cheek. Tenderness and devotion filled his eyes as he watched her sleep. He quietly left the bedroom and walked down the stairs, he knew there was no sleep for him tonight, he had a lot on his mind. Only dressed in his black silk pajama pants, the tile of the living room floor was cold as he stepped down off the last step of the stairs. His feet patted across the floor as he picked up a clean glass from the wet bar counter. He poured himself a drink, he didn't care what, it needed to be strong. He poured himself a double and walked towards the mahogany desk. He sat in his chair, opened the file that lay on the desk, and stared down at it. He ran his hands through his cool black hair and wondered if his rival, Sonny Corinthos was as restless as he was. He flipped the folder closed in frustration and took the last swallow of his drink, he grimaced as it went down his throat. He set the glass on the desk and walked away leaving it there till morning. He headed back up the stairs towards the bedroom. He slipped in quietly and walked to his side of the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and laid back down. He folded his arms underneath his head and stared at the ceiling. She heard him come in and slip back into bed. She moved slowly towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist, she nuzzled in close and laid her head on his shoulder. Still unaware what was on his mind, she closed her eyes again and fell back asleep in the arms that she knew would protect and love her always. He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, his mind raced with worry, fear and concern as all his thoughts could give him was what ifs. He slowly moved down and laid his head on the pillow, hoping he could fall asleep. The storm now upon the town of Port Charles, it raged on as the thunder rumbled and the lightning cracked loudly as it struck the ground across town. It shook him awake in a cold sweat fearfully he had been the victim of a gunshot. He still groggy from sleep, felt up and down both their bodies fearing the worst. He found nothing wrong as he awoke fully and breathed a sigh of relief it had only been the storm. Across town someone else worries -- She heard the key in the door as she lay awake on the couch waiting for him to come back from his midnight meeting at St. Timothy's church. She removed the afghan from her body and rose from the couch to meet him as he opened the door and stepped into the apartment. "Oh thank God!" she rushed into his arms so glad he was alive. She had been having nightmares of a fateful night like this night and finding out from one of the guards he had been shot. "Hey, hey it's okay. I'm alright. I'm home now." he replied as he tried to comfort her worries. She looked up at him, he drenched from the rain. She touched every inch of him, finding him in one piece, no wounds to speak of. He looked at her confused as to what she was doing. "Elizabeth, what are you doing?" he asked as he felt her hands touch him all over. "I'm looking for war wounds, what do you think I'm doing?" she replied in a serious tone as he chuckled at her actions. "I'm okay...really." he answered as he removed his leather jacket and hung it on the back of the desk chair. "Well, I ... I wanted to be sure." she said still concerned about what could of happened tonight. He and she walked together towards the couch and sat down. She covered herself with the afghan once again as she felt a chill in the air that gave her the quivers. She leaned into him as he wrapped his arm around her. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed up and down along her arms with his hand. "I was worried about you....you didn't call and I didn't know what to do, Jason." she flinched as the lightning outside struck once again. She jumped frightened by the storm that raged on outside. He held her against him in the hopes of soothing her fears. He could only imagine what she feared for him. He had been leading the dangerous life for a long time and he told her before initiating a relationship with him that it would not be a life she would of hoped for. He had told her from the beginning he couldn't promise her a life of security, a life free from danger, all he could give her was a dangerous lifestyle with guards and guns. He slipped out from underneath her and covered her up with the afghan. He brushed back a stray strand of hair from her face and gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand. She was the most precious thing in his life, he would protect her at all costs. He turned and walked towards the window. He stared out into the darkness as the lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled so he could feel it in his gut. Jason knew he was in too deep to leave the organization, there was no turning back. He wasn't surprised that the rival organization wanted the territory he and Sonny had possession of. It was prime real estate that would bring in huge dollars to those who had possession of it. He wasn't shocked to hear that his brother in law was the opposing party who was in after it, the territory he had possession of, laid against the territory already owned by Zander's family. There was a war about to begin, he was fearful for his sister and his wife. He glanced over his shoulder and watched her sleep so peacefully, he went to her side and scooped her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled in close. He carefully walked up the stairs and to the bedroom. He laid her down gently and covered her with the blankets. She turned into the pillow and sighed. He smiled and walked to the other side of the bed. He removed his tee shirt, and then his jeans and boots. He slipped into bed beside her as she felt the warmth of his body against her and she was overwhelmed with the feeling of security. For tonight, he was home safe and his arms wrapped around her. For tonight, he was home unscathed from the storm that raged on. The next morning --Zander and Emily's Penthouse The late night summer storm blew through Port Charles only to leave behind a beautiful sunrise and a clear blue sky. Emily awoke early that morning by the sound of Devon's crying. She quickly slipped on her ruby silk robe and her terry slippers, she looked over her shoulder to see Zander still sleeping soundly for the first time that night. He'd been restless last night, though he didn't realize she was aware, she was. She stood up from the edge of the bed and went to Devon's room to comfort him. When she reached his room he had pulled himself up to the collapsible side bar of the crib, his face lit up when he saw his mommy standing in the doorway of the nursery. He not quite 7 months old, was her and Zander's miracle. She had been told by countless doctors that she would have a difficulty becoming pregnant, and if she were to become pregnant, she would have a hard time carrying the baby to term. Both were pleasantly surprised when she found out she was carrying Devon. Doctors had put her on the strictest routine because she was at risk. Plenty of bed rest and absolutely no stress ... a difficult thing not to have when she's married into the mob lifestyle. Devon, a dark haired little boy, was certainly happy to see his mother when he woke up every morning. Emily not knowing how having a child would change their lives, she was just overwhelmed with being a mother. She reached into the crib and lifted him up to her. He smiled and cooed as his mother just smiled at how big he was getting over the last few months. He'd be walking and getting into mischief in no time. She had to laugh at the faces he was making as she stood and held him close to her. She changed his diaper and got him all ready for the day. The morning sun created funny shadows on the Noah's Ark wallpaper of the nursery as Devon smiled and pointed to the sunspots that were scattered on the walls. She headed out the door of the nursery with Devon in her arms as she peeked in at Zander and noticed he was still sleeping. She left him sleep and took the baby down stairs for breakfast. She sat Devon in his highchair and took out a bottle of milk and his baby food from the refrigerator. She laid a terry bib on the counter and grabbed a baby spoon from the drawer. Devon sat waiting patiently as he watched his mom gathering his breakfast. She was surprised at how good he was when it came to feeding him. He rarely made a mess for her to clean up or was fussy with what she was giving him to eat. She sat down in front of him and opened up the jar of strained bananas. She put the terry bib on him and snapped it closed in back. He cooed at her and she smiled and laughed with him. She turned when she heard the pattering of bare feet from the living room. Zander had awaken and walked across the tile floor of the living room and into the kitchen. "Morning sweet heart..." he said and kissed her on her cheek and then said good morning to his son as he brushed the side of his pudgy cheeks. "Any coffee?" he asked as he walked towards the cabinet for a coffee cup. "Sorry, honey ... didn't get a chance to make a fresh pot." she apologized as she spooned another small portion of strained bananas for Devon. Zander began to fill the filter with coffee just as the phone rang. He stopped what he was doing and went to answer it. Emily rolled her eyes cause she knew this was only the beginning of their day, it was sure to get worse as the day went on. Zander came back in a few minutes, without saying a word he went back to making a fresh pot of coffee. She noticed his demeanor and didn't ask who was on the phone. She finished giving Devon his strained bananas and handed him a bottle of milk. He grasped onto the bottle and started to suckle the tip. She held it for him as he drank so he wouldn't drop it on the floor. Zander filled his coffee cup with his morning caffeine fix and took a seat at the table with his wife and son. He looked at Emily feeding his son and wondered if all of the danger was worth it. How life with his family away from the mob would be different. He ran his hands through his hair and answered his own questions .... what other life did he know ... why worry about the what ifs when all they were, were his dreams. Jason and Elizabeth's Penthouse across town -- Jason's morning began like any other morning as he turned towards Elizabeth to watch her sleeping peacefully. He brushed back a stray strand of her hair and kissed her gently on her lips. She stirred as she felt the sensation of his soft lips on hers and returned the gesture as she wrapped her arms around him. "Good morning, beautiful..." he said as she began to stretch out the sleepiness in her body. She yawned and looked at the digital clock that sat by the bedside. "Jason ..." she whined as she noticed it was only 5am. "It's so early ..." she continued as he smiled and caressed her upper arm with his strong hand. "Yeah, it is .. but I wanted to tell you that I would be leaving again for a few days, and I couldn't leave before I did." he said as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and saw that he was dressed in a black tee shirt and jeans. "For how long?" she asked as he sat up and reached for his watch that sat on his night stand next to the bed. "I don't know .. I'll have to call you when I get there." he replied hoping she wouldn't push the subject with him about where he was going. She noticed the look on his face and thought better of asking any more questions that she knew he couldn't answer. He leaned down and kissed her gently, she wrapped her arms around his neck not wanting to let him go. He reached up and pried her arms from him as he got up from the bed. He knew she wanted him to stay, but he had to leave her for a while, he'd be back soon enough. He gave her one last longing look and grabbed his duffle bag as she watched him walk out the bedroom....always on her mind, if it would be for the last time. She turned and sunk her head into the down pillow as she heard him return as the door squeaked as he opened it slightly. She turned towards him as he peeked in "I love you..." he said as she smiled and said "I love you too..." He blew her a kiss and was off to somewhere she didn't know. She laid in bed alone, with nothing to think about but what would be happening to him while he was away from her. She knew he would return in a few days, he would come back to her as he had done many times before. She turned onto her side, reached out her arm and caressed his side of the bed....still warm from his body, she grabbed his pillow and held it close to her, still having his scent deep in it's fibers, she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. He would come back to her .... she just needed to believe that. *Note: If these episodes are too long, please let me know and I'll cut them back.*

The Storm - Background Two mob forces are about to have an all out war to gain territory owned by Zander Smith, which was once owned by his father, Frank Smith. Jason Morgan and Sonny Corinthos will do anything to get what they want. Zander learns of his family secrets and finds out the truth that has haunted him since he was a child. The truth will effect everyone involved and brings about even more conflict. The Storm - Characters Zander Smith - Port Charles mob boss, son of Frank Smith (deceased) Emily Smith - Zander's wife, daughter of Alan and Monica Quartermaine Alexis Davis - Zander's friend and attorney Ric Lansing - Port Charles' District Attorney, Zander's brother Mac Scorpio - Police Commissioner Marcus Taggert - Police Detective Sonny Corinthos - Rival mob boss in Port Charles Jason Morgan - Rival mob boss in Port Charles, Emily's brother Elizabeth Morgan - Emily's best friend and wife of Jason Morgan Lorenzo Alcazar - Rival mob boss in Port Charles Alan Quartermaine - Emily's father and Chief of Staff at General Hospital Monica Quartermaine - Emily's mother and Cardiologist at General Hospital Zander's Bodyguards - Thomas Greg Marcus Cory Frank Trent Wade Jerry

All of Safe From Harm has been moved to their own category. I am about to start a new fic called The Storm. First episode will be posted tonight. Safe From Harm will be continued, but I'm putting it on hold for a while, so I can start something new. Jen

I am loving Dillon/Lucas/Brandon! Strange cause I normally don't like the teen scene but I do here! Very nice job!! Jen

Outside Greystone -- The explosion rocked the neighborhood and soon the TV crew was on the scene, as the officers tried to get their bearings in the aftermath. The fire and rescue units were called and the street soon became a chaotic disaster area. Unknown as to who was in the house when it exploded, Sonny and his family were everyone's concern. Cabin safehouse -- Alexis had just put the girls to bed and had sat down on the couch. She curled up in the corner of the sofa and threw the afghan over her for warmth. Ric had walked into the living room and sat down beside as his cell phone began to ring. "Lansing ...." he answered "Boss, turn on the news .. you are never going to believe what has happened!" Thomas replied. Ric and Alexis stared at the chaos surrounding Greystone as shocked looks came over their faces. Ric still hanging on the line with Thomas .... "Get me all the info you can, Thomas! I want details and I want them now!" "Oh my God, Sonny and ....." Alexis overwhelmed with what she was watching unfold on television. Ric pulled her close to him as they sat and watched the news report about the explosion and what was known at this time, which wasn't much according to the local news station. Ric fought the urge to go back to town to find Sonny, but Alexis held him back and reminded him that he was also in danger, that he would be safer staying at the cabin. He hoped that someone would be calling with information to put his mind at ease about Sonny and the family. A few blocks from the chaos -- "It went off without a hitch." said the dark figure hidden in the shadows as he talked into his cell phone. "Good .... keep me informed." The dark figure closed the phone and stood at a safe distance watching the chaos unfold as news crews showed up on the scene, and fire and rescue extinguished the flames. Flashing lights lit up the neighborhood as police cars arrived one right after the other. It was a spectacle to witness. Things were going as planned and no one suspected a thing. On the docks -- Faith knowing full well that Trevor would follow through with his threats, she was planning on living to fight another day. She met with Lorenzo to tell him what had happened and to tell him she was going back to Miami. She would come up with another way to get Sonny and Ric's territory. She had to take out Trevor first. Lorenzo realized this might be the opportunity he was waiting for, he could move forward with the plans to gain the territory without Faith's help. It was already set into motion, they had done all the work over the past few months, he wasn't about to let it all go to waste. Trevor was after Faith, not him, he could do it alone and take it all for himself. He didn't need Faith for the plan to work. At the hospital -- Emily and the family were informed that there were complications, but they were treatable. Relieved to hear, Emily breathed a little easier. She tried to call Zander to let him know, but she got his voice mail. She had been prescribed bed rest and plenty of it. The less stress she incurred the better, which seemed impossible being a cop's wife, but she had to try for the sake of their baby. She tried calling Zander over and over, but to no avail, he wasn't picking up. She began to worry about him and fear the worst. Her parents there with her, tried to keep her calm and relaxed but her mind just began to wander and to think of the worst case scenarios. Being a cop's wife, it came second nature. Her worries escalated when Monica got a page to go to the ER, there had been an explosion and a few officers were injured. Emily feared the worst and it took everything in her to stay in bed instead of going down to the ER to see if one of those officers was her husband. Coming up -- - There's a new threat in town - Emily receives word about Zander - Ric and Alexis fear the worst about Sonny and the family - Lorenzo sets a plan into motion to take over the territory

On the docks -- Faith surprised to see Trevor, her first instinct was to rush into his arms, but she thought better of the idea. She and Trevor had had a long on going relationship, both business and personal, but both had cooled off over the past few years. Trevor had divorced from his wife many years ago, it had been said that Faith was the reason for shambles their marriage was in, though in reality there was a lot more to it. "Long time no see, Faith." Trevor said as he approached her. "It sure has been a while, Trevor. As always, it's nice to see you again." she purred. The initial encounter was a little awkward, she unsure of herself and her feelings she still had for this man she had once called her partner in crime. "What can I do for you, Trevor?" "I have a business proposition for you Faith." "Oh you do, hmmm .. is that all you have for me?" she flirted. "I'd be lying to you if I told you I didn't come here to see you for a more personal reason, but there's a time and a place for everything, Faith. Now's the time for business, pleasure will come later." She flashed him a smile that would make any warm blooded man beg for mercy. "What is it that you want, Trevor?" "I want you to stay away from my family, Faith." "Or else what? You're going to kill me?" "You will be swimming with the fish before sundown." Trevor threatened. "Now is that anyway to treat the best lover you've ever had?" she replied as she tried to seduce Trevor by rubbing her hand up and down the front of his chest. Trevor grabbed her hand and squeezed. "I never said you weren't a smart and sexy woman, Faith. But my family comes first." "That's funny because you never thought of them before..." she reminded him of their past together. "Well things change, Faith. Ric is all I have left and I am not going to stand by and let you of all people ruin his life." "No Trevor, you did that a long time ago." she replied and then her lips pressed against his. "Remember ..." "Yeah I remember, you're pretty hard to forget." "Don't worry, Trevor. Ric won't be harmed unless he gets in my way. I just want what he has. And if he gives it up without a fight, I might let him live long enough to enjoy that family of his." she threatened. Trevor grabbed her arm and squeezed it tight. "No, you listen Faith. You come anywhere near Ric or his family, you will pay dearly. And you know me Faith, I don't threaten, I make promises. You will not live to see the sunrise. You got that?" Faith knew Trevor didn't make idle threats, he meant every word he said and she knew she'd be as good as dead if she harmed Ric or the family. Trevor released his grip on her when he saw she got the message loud and clear. "Now you need to get this straight Faith, Ric and his family are to be left alone, and you will take your sexy little ass back to Miami within the next 24 hours, or I will be paying you another visit. And next time, I will not be so gentle with you." "Oooh, promise..." she replied trying not to let on he shook her with his threats. Trevor grabbed her arms with both his hands and pulled her to him with one quick jerk. "Promise ..." he replied and then pressed his lips hard against hers, leaving her a bit breathless and shaken. Trevor turned and walked away from her, leaving her standing on the docks alone, and weak in the knees. He was a man of power and at that moment, she was left feeling she had no other choice but go back to Miami to lick her wounds. At least she was alive to fight another day. She would get her hands on Ric's territory, she just needed to take Trevor out first. At the PCPD -- Durant entered the squad room with warrants in his hand. He came upon Mac, Lucky, Zander and Jameson who were still discussing their strategy to bring in Sonny and Ric. Durant slapped the warrants down on the desk. "Here are the warrants, now go and bring the two of them in!" he ordered as Lucky picked up the warrants and handed the warrant for Sonny to Zander. "Here, I'll let you do the honors ...." Lucky said as he patted Zander on the shoulder. "Be careful, Sonny and Ric don't play games. They are to be considered armed and dangerous." Mac said concerned for his men as they went out after the two mob bosses who have run amok in Port Charles for far too long. Durant approached the holding cage where Carlos Escobar was still waiting for someone to get his statement. "You, I want to talk with you ..." Durant said as he pointed at Carlos. Another officer unlocked the cage and Carlos was handed over to Durant. "We're going for a little walk ..." "Ooh where are we going? Carlos asked as Durant took him by the arm and shoved him in the direction he was suppose to go. "Never you mind where we're going ... walk ...." Durant ordered as he and Carlos headed down the hallway towards his office and gave Carlos another shove. "Hey, you know this is police brutality?!" "Shut up and move ...." Durant replied getting annoyed with Carlos' back talk. They walked down the hallway and stopped at Durant's office door. Durant opened the door and pushed Carlos inside the room. "Take a seat ..." Carlos did as he was told and sat down in the chair in front of Durant's desk. "You know you should be extra nice to me if you want the information I have that can put Corinthos away ..." Durant sat down behind his desk and glared at Carlos. "What is this information you say you have? Perhaps we can make some kind of deal." "Now see, I don't like to make deals without my attorney. And well, since I don't seem to have one here at the moment, I don't feel oblige to tell you anything.... you know just so I don't incriminate myself." "Well, why don't we just chalk this up to a friendly conversation off the record. Start singing!" Carlos didn't see any other choice, he obviously wasn't going to get anywhere with Durant. It wasn't in his best interests to talk, but he knew maybe if he talked he could make some kind of deal later, a deal that would exonerate him and hang Corinthos. Little did Carlos know but Durant had started to record the entire conversation they were about to have. At Greystone -- Two patrol cars pulled up outside Sonny's estate, Zander and Jameson were sent there to do a job and they were going to execute the warrants they had been given. They waited till more back up arrived before entering the premises. Once more patrol cars had arrived, the two emerged from their car, guns drawn before they hit the front door of the mansion. No guards at the front gate which seemed a little odd, and the two approached the situation with caution. As the two stormed the house, they found no one on the inside, an empty house was all quiet, little did they know they had tripped an invisible wire when they opened the front door. A keen eyed Jameson noticed something on the far wall of the foyer. "Everyone out! Now!" Jameson grabbed the back of Zander's jacket and pulled him back out the front door. Before anyone knew what had hit them, the mansion exploded. Jameson and Zander fell forward from the impact of the blast, landing close to the patrol cars, face down in the dirt. The other officers took cover behind the patrol cars to protect themselves from the explosion. Coming up -- - Faith leaves town - Ric hears of the explosion at Greystone - Jason escapes capture

On the docks -- Lorenzo meets Faith for a midnight meeting on the docks. He's concerned about the next step in Faith's plan to take over the territory, and Faith is boasting about a job well done. "I hope you know what you're doing," Lorenzo said as he came upon Faith. "Of course I do. It's working fabulously so far." she replied as she approached him. "Yeah that's what I'm afraid of. When Sonny and Ric find out what we've done, we're good as dead." "You worry too much, Lorenzo." "No, I'm being cautious, Faith. Too much too soon will cause mistakes and mistakes we don't need right now. We should be keeping a low profile, instead we're setting up Sonny and Ric and ...." "And reaping the rewards ..." she finished his sentence for him and grinned. At the safehouse -- The long black limo droved down the narrow dirt path towards the secluded cabin the woods, as Davis and Mario accompanied Ric and Alexis back to the safehouse. The car parked out in front of the cabin, and Ric emerged from the car. Alexis followed behind him as Davis helped Ric up to the porch. Viola inside with the girls, Alexis was relieved to be back safely with her family. Davis assisted Ric to the couch and then took his place outside standing guard with Mario. Frankie stood inside the cabin and waited for his orders from Ric. Alexis and Viola snuck up the stairs to take a look in on the girls, while Ric and Frankie discussed business. "I want you to get me everything on what went down tonight. I need to know what Durant is up to and what he found at the warehouse." "Yes, sir." Frankie replied and then he turned back towards the door. Alexis stood at the top of the stairs and watched Frankie leave the cabin before she came back down. Ric heard her on the stairs and watched her as she came over and sat with him on the couch. "Everything okay?" she asked. "Yeah, we'll be fine here at the cabin. No one else knows about this place but us, not even Sonny." "Durant thinks he has you, doesn't he?" "Yes I suppose he thinks so. But it's not him I'm worried about." "Oh ... " Ric shook off his suspicions of Zander and the case that was building against him. Zander had enough evidence to put both he and Sonny away for a long time. "I'm worried about you and the girls. The four of you should of went to the island with Carly and the boys." "No, I'm not leaving you here. We're better off here at the cabin then thousands of miles away without you." Alexis snuggled up close to Ric on the couch, his arm wrapped around her, as she leaned in against him. He winced when he felt her up against his aching body. Frankie had left to go do what he was told, while Davis and Mario stood guard outside the door of the cabin. The two bruts taking turns walking the perimeter of the property every hour as a safety precaution. No one was getting close to Ric and his family, they were safe, at least for tonight. On the docks -- As Lorenzo steps into the shadows and disappears into the night, Faith is startled by a visitor. "Who's there ...." she says as she can hear footsteps come up behind her. "It's me ..." Faith turns around when she recognizes the deep voice, and comes face to face with Trevor. Coming up .... - Trevor threatens Faith - Zander and Jameson arrest Sonny - Jason returns home

Portrayed by John J. York Mac Scorpio, the Police Commissioner of Port Charles, husband of Felicia Jones, and father to her two girls, Maxie and Georgie. Also brother of former Police Commissioner, Robert Scorpio. Mac leads the fight against crime in Port Charles and has a strong stand on organized crime. He has been waiting for the day to put Sonny Corinthos and Ric Lansing behind bars. He is hoping that with John Durant's help, that day will come soon.

At the hospital -- Emily's test results are in and the doctor is sharing the results with Emily and Zander. "Emily is going to have to take it easy for the next few days, and I'd like to keep her in the hospital for observation." the doctor informed them. "Are she and the baby okay, though? I mean no complications, right?" Zander spoke up concerned for his wife and child. "They're fine, this time. I don't mean to scare either of you, but this is going to be a delicate pregnancy and Emily will need to live a stress free life for the next 6 months. Which is why I'd like to keep her in the hospital the next few days to monitor the baby and to be sure she/he is okay." "Stress free? Yeah like that will happen." Emily joked. "I know stress free is almost impossible, but having you in the hospital can at least give you a better chance at achieving it. I'll check back with you tomorrow. My suggestion for you, is to get plenty of rest. Use the time here in the hospital to relax and rest. You and your baby need it." With that the doctor left the room, leaving Zander and Emily alone together. "He does realize I'm a cop's wife, right? Stress free does not exist for us, Zander." "Yeah well, its going to have to for the next 6 months, I don't want anything to happen to you or our baby. And if he says bed rest is what you need, bed rest is what you and the baby are going to get." Zander replied and gave her a kiss. "Yeah but I hate hospitals!" "Em, your a doctor ...." Zander joked. "Yeah but I'm not always a patient and you know what they say .... Doctors make the worst patients." she smirked. "Oh I can see that ..." he laughed and quickly gave her a kiss to stop her from replying with a comeback. Emily's parents entered the room, and they were filled in about Emily's condition and that she was to stay in the hospital for a few days for rest. As they all sat conversing, Zander's cell phone rang. He excused himself and went out into the hallway to answer the call. "Smith ..." he answered after he flipped open the phone. "Hey, it's Jameson .... I'm at the PCPD with Escobar. Drop what you're doing and get down here ASAP." "I'll be there as soon as I can." Zander replied to his partner, Detective Lee Jameson who had escorted a suspect, Carlos Escobar from Miami to Port Charles. A suspect who they had hoped would connect Sonny and Ric to an incident that occurred in Miami last year. Zander went back into Emily's room and told her he had to leave on police business. He gave her a kiss goodbye and quickly left the hospital, heading to the PCPD to meet up with Jameson. At the PCPD -- Detective Jameson and Escobar entered the squad room, and were met by Mac Scorpio, the police commissioner. Escobar in handcuffs and walking with confidence alongside the Detective. "Can I help you?" Mac said as he approached. "I hope so. I'm Detective Jameson from the Miami-Dade Special Investigations Unit and this is our suspect Carlos Escobar. I believe someone was suppose to get a call from my superiors that we were arriving today." Mac recognized the name and he had received a phone call a few days prior from a Captain Cortez from the Miami-Dade Police Department about a Detective escorting a suspect connected to the Sonny Corinthos case. "I'm Mac Scorpio, the Police Commissioner and yes I did get a phone call that you and the prisoner would be arriving. You can put him in the cage and we'll have a chat about the case." Jameson uncuffed Carlos and tossed him in the large metal holding cage that sat in the corner of the squad room. He followed Mac into the interrogation room to discuss the case and waiting for Zander to arrive. "Miami-Dade, huh? The same police department Detective Zander Smith is associated with?" Mac asked as he closed the door of the room. "The one and the same. Detective Smith and I are partners. I called him when I arrived, he should be here shortly." Jameson replied and he took a seat. They didn't have to wait long before Zander arrived. He walked into the squad room and noticed across the room, Escobar was sitting in the cage, waiting. Mac came out of the interrogation room, Jameson followed and met up with Zander. "Hey, man ... any problems getting him here?" Zander greeted as Jameson approached. "No problems at all, he was a good boy all the way from Florida." Jameson joked as he eyed Escobar. Escobar smirked because he realized they were discussing him and their travels from Miami. "Yes I was a good boy, now what do I get? A cookie?" "Maybe, just maybe, the judge will see to it you keep on breathing." Jameson snarked back. "That is if Corinthos lets you live that long." Zander added. "Now come on Detective, that's not a nice thing to say. I mean, I've been a good travel companion, haven't I? I didn't give you any trouble, did I? And that's how you talk to me ...." Escobar replied, being the smartass that his is. Jameson just sneered back at the prisoner and then followed Zander and Mac back into the interrogation room for a discussion about the case. As the three of them were discussing the case, John Durant entered the squad room with Detective Lucky Spencer by his side. The men following them held in the hands bags of evidence that needed to be logged in to the evidence room. "Take that stuff and get it all logged in!" Durant ordered as the officers did as they were told. "I'll start on the paperwork ..." Lucky said as he went to his desk and then noticed the new prisoner in the cage. "It was a good bust tonight, Detective." Durant praised. "Thank you, sir." Lucky keeping his eye on Escobar, wondering where he had come from and who he was. Mac, Zander, and Jameson emerged from the interrogation room. Durant was the first to ask questions about Escobar. "Mac, I see we have a new guest tonight. Care to explain?" "John, this is Detective Jameson from the Miami-Dade Special Investigations unit. He escorted Carlos Escobar from Miami. He's a suspect involved in an incident with our very own Sonny Corinthos. Jameson hopes to shed some light on our case against Sonny and Ric." Durant shook hands with Jameson. "John Durant, Federal Prosecutor and the lead on the case against Sonny Corinthos and Ric Lansing." "Detective Jameson and I have been working this case for 3 years now, and the case has led us to believe Escobar and Corinthos had dealings in Miami for the past 3 years. We hope he can lead us to the bigger fish, who we really are after .... Salvador Sabata." Coming up -- ~ Durant's case against Sonny starts to build ~ Ric fears for his family's safety ~ Faith and Trevor meet

Casting news for Safe From Harm! John-Paul Lavoisier Detective Lee Jameson, Zander's partner from the Special Investigations Division will appear beginning in Chapter 12 - Episode 1 Robert LaSardo Carlos Escobar will be a material witness/suspect being transported to Port Charles by Det. Lee Jameson. He will appear in Chapter 12 - Episode 1 More Casting news coming soon!

In the limo -- As Ric and Alexis head back to the safe house, the silence is broken by the ring of Alexis' cell phone. She pulls it out of her purse and flips it open to answer it. "Alexis Davis..." "Alexis ... It's John. I shouldn't be doing this but out of professional courtesy, I am giving you a heads up. My task force and I will be carrying out search warrants tonight." "Thank you for letting me know. I hope you know what you're doing and what will transpire because of it." "I do ... and I hope the search will give me the evidence to put Sonny and Ric away for a long time." "Well, good, I look forward to going up against you in court, John. Because effective immediately, I will be defending my husband if this goes to trial. I hope you come prepared, counselor." Alexis flipped the phone closed and hung up on Durant. Ric looked at her, "Did you just quit the DA's office?" "Yeah I guess I did." she laughed. "John Durant wanted to let me know he is coming after you and Sonny tonight. I just hope he knows what kind of a fight he has ahead of him." Ric feeling a little more confident knowing his wife was in his corner, but his first priority was keeping his family safe. The waterfront -- Durant and his task force stormed one of Ric's warehouses, search warrants in his hand. The warehouse dark, it didn't seem like anyone was around. He dispersed his men and they began searching the offices and the entire building. A few crates sat in the corner of the huge dim light room. "Let's get those crates open ..." Durant ordered. A crowbar was used to open up the crates. The aroma of coffee filled the air as Durant and his men stood there hoping to find something other then coffee. "It's been cleaned out, sir. The office is empty." said one of the men as he returned from searching part of the building. "Dammit, there has to be something left here! Find it!" As Durant oversaw the execution of the warrant, his men emptied the contents of the crates onto the floor. Ground coffee spilled onto the concrete floor as they poured it from the crate. When the crate was empty, there were traces of what was in the crate left behind. "Sir .. I think we found something!" one of the men said and Durant raced over to see what they found. He looked into the empty crate and found some white residue at the bottom of the crate. "Call forensics and get them down here, I want to be 100% certain that is what I think it is!" At Sonny's warehouse -- At Sonny's warehouse, Detective Lucky Spencer executed another search warrant. The team stormed the warehouse in search of incriminating evidence against Sonny. It seemed the latest shipment wasn't removed yet by Sonny's men, Lucky and his team had hit pay dirt. Lucky quickly got on his phone and informed Durant of what they had found. "All those crates ... open 'em up!" Lucky ordered. Inside the crates was all they needed to put Sonny away on weapons charges, drug charges and a host of other offenses. It was a good bust and it made Detective Lucky Spencer quite proud. As the men continued to search Sonny's warehouse, Durant and his team arrived to see what the other team had discovered. "Detective, what did we discover here?" Durant asked as he approached Lucky. "You'll be pleased I'm sure. We got 'em on a list of charges, sir. From weapons to drugs to money. You name it, we found it." Lucky boasted. "Good work .... great work, Detective." Durant quite pleased with the discovery, but it was all a little too convenient. Lucky noticed it Durant's smile soon was overcome with concern. "Sir, anything wrong?" Lucky asked as their search continued. "Nah, I guess not." Durant replied, brushing off the feeling that things were as kosher as it appeared to be. "Get all this stuff back to the evidence locker and make sure it's done by the book!" Durant barked the orders to the team. "I'll be back at the office filing the necessary paperwork against Corinthos. Good work, Detective." "Thank you, sir. I'll make sure it all gets back to the house safe and sound." Durant smiled at Lucky before leaving the warehouse. Lucky and his men continued collecting evidence against Sonny and his organization. With all they had discovered, Sonny was in for a long time behind bars. At the hospital -- Georgie Jones was working the nurse's station in the ER, her first night on rotation at the hospital as a nurse's aid. She was expecting an eventful night in the ER, it usually was in PC. As she stood filling out paperwork, the door to the ER opened up and Zander came rushing in with Emily passed out in his arms. Georgie quickly went to see what was wrong and how she could help. Zander filled her in on Emily's condition and that she had been having pains after dinner and then passed out. Georgie called for a gurney and for Emily to be taken to cubicle #3. Being Emily was pregnant, Georgie called for the OB/GYN who was on call. She also tried to reassure Zander they were going to do their best and that he should wait in the waiting room until the doctor examined Emily. Zander wasn't about to sit by and wait, he wanted to be with his wife and no one was going to deter him from being by Emily side. It took a few orderlies to keep Zander from the examine room, but he complied to the doctor's orders. Emily was in her first trimester, and though her doctor's didn't think it would be a risky pregnancy, they did have her on a strict regiment. Zander began thinking all kinds of things, none of them good. He sat and waited a while before the OB/GYN emerged from cubicle #3. "How's Emily and the baby?" Zander asked frantic with worry. "She's stable, we're going to keep her here for a while to monitor the baby. That's all I can tell you for now. We're running tests, we should know soon though." Dr. Swenson replied. "We'll be moving her to a room as soon as one becomes available. But until then, you can sit with her if you would like." he continued. "Thanks, doc." Zander replied and he ran quickly to be with Emily. Georgie was in the cubicle with her, making sure everything was working properly and writing down Emily's stats. She was startled by Zander's entrance. "I'm sorry, I'll get out of your way, I just wanted to double check on the stats." Georgie said as Zander took a deep breath and a seat next to Emily. Georgie wanted to be helpful and asked if she should call Drs. Quartermaine and let them know Emily was going to be admitted. Zander thanked her for her kindness and if she could do that, it would be appreciated. She left Zander alone with Emily and went to the nurse's station to call Emily's parents. She didn't know Emily and Zander all that well, but she knew Drs. Quartermaine and they had been helpful to her during her time in the nursing program at the hospital. Zander was soon joined by Monica and Alan. Monica had reminded Alan to keep his mouth in check while around Zander, their dislike for each continued even after he and Emily moved to Florida. In the time of crisis was not the ideal moment to start with each other, Emily didn't need the extra stress and aggravation. The family sat by Emily's bedside waiting for the test results to come back, Alan had called the lab to put a rush on the results. This was his daughter and grandchild, the concern he had for them was overwhelming. Coming up ... ~Arrest warrant is issued for Sonny ~Forensics test the white substance found at Ric's warehouse ~Test results are in on Emily and the baby ~Lorenzo and Faith plans are coming together

Portrayed by Corbin Bernsen John Durant, the Federal Prosecutor who resides in Port Charles and the constant thorn in the sides of both Sonny Corinthos and Ric Lansing. He is the father of Carly Corinthos, Sonny's wife. And in an on again, off again, relationship with Bobbie Spencer.

Portrayed by Greg Vaughan Lucky Spencer, a Detective for the Port Charles Police Department, much to his father's chagrin. Lucky resides at his aunt's Brownstone with his live in girlfriend, Maxie Jones. They are raising their two year old daughter, Sierra.

Portrayed by Ted King A mob kingpin who resides in Port Charles. A rival of Sonny Corinthos and Ric Lansing. Lorenzo's past is not yet known, other then he had a love, by the named of Sophie.

Portrayed by Tyler Christopher Nikolas Cassadine, heir to the Cassadine fortune, resides on Spoon Island at Wyndamere. He is the nephew of Alexis Davis-Lansing and is a brother to Lucky Spencer. He resides at Wyndamere with his wife, Gia and their son, Spencer.

Portrayed by Chad Brannon Zander Smith is a reformed bad boy, who married Emily Quartermaine, town rich girl. He and Emily reside in Miami, Florida and he is now a Detective in the Special Investigations Division of the Miami-Dade County Police Department. He and Emily are now back in PC after a living in Florida for the past 5 years. Zander has been working on a case and he believes his case connects somehow to Sonny Corinthos.

Portrayed by Amber Tamblyn Emily Quartermaine-Smith, wife of Detective Zander Smith, and daughter of Drs. Alan and Monica Quartermaine. Emily is a Cardiac surgeon at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami. She and Zander are expecting their first baby soon.

Durant's Office Durant sat in his large leather upholstered swivel chair, his feet propped up on his desk as he laid back looking over one of his files. He was startled by a knock on his door and invited whomever it was inside. Zander peeked his head in and asked if he was interrupting. Durant waved Zander into the office, and then removed his glasses as he sat upright in his chair. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Detective?" Durant greeted as Zander approached the desk. Zander stepped forward and handed Durant a thick file folder. "Here ... this should get you a conviction." Durant took the file folder and laid it open on his desk, a rap sheet staring up at him. "What's this?" he asked as he flipped through the file. "That is what is going to get you a conviction on Sonny and quite possible Ric. It's all you need, Durant. Have fun..." Zander's words drifted off as he turned to leave the office. Durant calling after him, stopped him in his tracks and turned back around. "Wait! I thought you'd want to be in on this Detective? You're just handing over your case?" "Look, I've been working on this damn case for 3 years, Durant, but I have another case building against Sonny that is more important then racketeering and drug charges." Zander's words piqued Durant's interest even more. "You do, do you? Care to share what's going on?" "I gave you enough to put Corinthos and Lansing away for a lifetime, what more do you want from me, Durant?" Zander reluctant in sharing his case that was still pending. Durant felt some hostility coming from Zander, though he didn't feel it was directed towards him, but more towards Sonny. "Hey I don't mean to step all over your toes, Detective. I was just asking ..." "I know and I'm sorry for snapping. It's just the case I have building against Corinthos is ... personal. And I have to do this case alone, Durant. You understand, don't you?" "Yeah, of course I do. Dealing with Corinthos all these years, I have my own stake in seeing him behind bars. Thanks for the file, Detective." Durant replied as he acknowledged Zander's help. "You're welcome. I hope you get the bastard. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet my wife at Kelly's for dinner." With that, Zander walked out of the office and headed to Kelly's to meet Emily. Durant sat back down at his desk and picked up the phone. He punched in a number and waited for someone on the other end to answer. "This is John Durant, I need search warrants on both Corinthos and Lansing's residence, warehouses, vehicles ... the works. And I need it tonight!" At the hospital Ric was up and walking around, he shouldn't be, but he had spent enough time in that hospital bed. He needed to get out of there before he lost his sanity. Frankie stood guard outside the door of the private room as Alexis stepped off the elevator, obviously in a rush to see Ric. She didn't even stop to talk with Frankie, she barged right into Ric's room, startling him as he stood by the window. "What are you doing?! You should be in bed." she barked as she entered the room and saw her husband staring out the window. "Alexis, I'm fine. What are you doing back here? I thought you went to see Nikolas?" "I was going to, but I had a run in with Faith when I got to the launch." "Oh my God, are you okay? She didn't hurt you, did she?" Ric asked, worried about his wife. "No, I'm fine. She just tried to scare me by making threats towards you." "Frankie!" Ric called for his body guard without questioning Alexis any further. "Ric? Now don't go doing anything stupid. I'm fine, really." Alexis trying to calm him down. "Yes sir ..." Frankie said as he came into the room. "I want you to call some of the boys and have them go out there and find Faith. Put a scare on her a little bit. If her goons are with her, give them a little taste of what we can do to them if they come near my family again." Ric ordered. "Yes sir." Frankie noticed Alexis' concern before leaving the room, and he hoped she was alright. Ric grimaced and applied pressure to his side with his hand as he searched for his clothes. He wasn't staying one more night in the hospital. Faith was getting too close and he needed to protect his family. "Ric, calm down, you're going to open up those stitches. You are not well enough to leave this hospital!" Alexis barked at him as he found his clothes in the drawers of the dresser. "Look, Faith got close to you tonight, too close! I can't have that happening again!" "The boys can take care of that, you need to stay in the hospital! You're not ready to face Faith alone! Dammit Ric! Listen to me, please!" Ric stopped and sat down on the bed, his clothes lay beside him. He held his hand out to her, she took it and was pulled in towards him. "I love you, and I will protect you at all costs, Alexis." "I love you too, Ric, but you are still healing. You are in no shape to go after Faith alone." They were interrupted by Ric's cell phone. He reached for it and flipped it open to answer it. "Lansing ..." "We have trouble, sir." "What kind of trouble, Thomas? Faith and Lorenzo?" "No, not that kind of trouble. It's Durant .. he's out for blood. Our sources at the PCPD are telling us that Durant got a judge to issue search warrants for both you and Sonny's property .... homes, cars, warehouses .. everything." "Dammit! Okay, have Davis and Mario come to the hospital to pick up me and Alexis. We'll go to the cabin till all this blows over. And make sure Sonny meets us there." "Yes sir, right away." Ric flipped closed the phone and with some pain in his side, he got dressed as quickly as he could. Alexis concerned and wanting to know what was going on. "Now what? What's going on, Ric?!" Ric hurried her out the door. "I'll explain on the way ...." "On the way? On the way, where? Ric?" Coming Up ... ~ Emily and Zander get a scare. ~ Ric and Sonny are searched ~ Alexis steps down

At the hospital -- Zander stood waiting for Ric's answer, though Ric was reluctant to point to the suspect he believed Zander wanted. Zander grabbed the photo sheet from Ric in disgust. He knew Ric wasn't going to tell him the truth, no matter how long he stood there and waited. Ric noticed the frustration from Zander. "I'm sorry Zander, I don't recognize anyone." Zander rolled his eyes at Ric's comment. "You honestly don't expect me to believe that, do you?" "Yeah Zander, I do." "You know I figured you'd do the right thing here, Ric. But you know what? I don't need your ID, I have enough evidence to put both you and Sonny away for a long time, without you." "If you did, Zander, I would be in handcuffs by now!" Zander knew what Ric was saying was the truth. He didn't have enough evidence, but he surely didn't need Ric's testimony to get warrants for both he and Sonny. Zander turned to leave, but turned back towards Ric. "For Alexis' sake, Ric, I hope you know what you're doing. I would hate to see you regret your decision." Somewhere on the docks -- Alexis was heading towards the launch, where a boat waited for her to take her to Wyndamere. She had made plans to visit with Nikolas to go over a few details about Cassadine business. As she approached the launch, she encountered someone. "Well, well .... It's nice to see you again Alexis..." the shadowy figure said as she came into the dim light of the moon. Alexis tensed up when she realized who was approaching her. "Faith ... what do I owe this pleasure?" "I was hoping you could get a message to your husband." "Oh really, and who's to say I'm going to do this for you, Faith?" Alexis replied as two of Faith's bodyguards came from out of nowhere and came up behind her. Alexis felt their presence beside her and she tensed up even more. "You are going to deliver this message for me, Alexis, because if not ..." Faith seethed and nodded to her two goons, who then grabbed a hold of Alexis' arms to hold her steady, as Faith approached her. Faith stepped up and got in Alexis' face, standing nose to nose with her nemesis' wife. "Let your husband know, I am coming after him, and if he stands in my way, those he loves .... let's just say accidents do happen." she threatened. Faith's goons released Alexis from their grip, and Faith stepped back and away from Alexis, letting her pass, now. Faith and her goons disappeared into the shadows once again, leaving Alexis on the docks alone. After the encounter, Alexis quickly fled the docks and headed to the hospital to tell Ric of her encounter with Faith Roscoe. Coming Soon ~ Durant issues warrants for Ric and Sonny ~ Ric takes back control ~ Emily is hospitalized after she encounters problems with the baby

At a warehouse on the docks ... The room was silent as the members of the five families had their guns drawn on the door, awaiting the unexpected visitor. The door swung open and in stepped the blonde vixen, herself. She slithered in with three bodyguards in tow, and noticed the guns drawn on her. "Whoa, gentlemen ... You can put those weapons away, I am no threat to you." she said as she stepped inside and the door closed behind her. "Faith you are a threat to everyone in this room .... you were not invited." Sonny stepped forward and faced her. She ran her index finger underneath his tie and pulled it slowly out from behind his buttoned jacket. "I didn't come here to fight Sonny ..." she whispered. "Then state your business and leave ..." he replied as she flirted with to distract him. "I'm just here to make sure my investment is protected." she seethed as she took a seat at the table and very obviously crossed her slender legs. Her bodyguards standing close to her when she took her seat. The other gentlemen at the table put their weapons back in their holsters, but still uneasy with her sitting at the same table. They were on guard throughout the entire meeting. Faith had heard enough and she soon left the private meeting. Afterwards, the families discussed how they would strategically take her out of the game. They discussed their next course of action. It had been decided that Sonny would be the one to take her down, she seemed more to want what he had, more than anyone else there. The decision had been made when the meeting was interrupted once again. The door swung open and Trevor stepped inside the room. The family representatives were surprised to see him at the meeting. They didn't know he was back in the business, they had been told he had retired when Ric took over a few years prior. "Gentlemen ..." he greeted as he approached the conference table. "It's nice to see you again, Trevor." Javier greeted with a handshake. "Javier ... how's your papa doing?" "Papa is doing well, thank you for asking." Javier replied. Trevor went down the line and greeted everyone who was in attendance. "I hope you don't mind me stepping in to represent Ric's interests. I would of been here earlier but I had an appointment, it couldn't be helped." "That's quite alright Trevor. A man in your good standing, can certainly be forgiven for lateness." Javier praised. "If I may ...." Trevor began and Sonny motioned he had the floor to speak. "I am sure we are all aware of our pesky problem, who seems to be becoming a bigger problem for some of us more than others." The men at the table nodded in agreement and Trevor continued. "We have to eliminate this threat before she gets out of control." "What do you propose, Trevor?" Tomas spoke up. Trevor explained to the men his plans, and they all agreed. Faith had to be eliminated and quickly. The meeting came to a close, Trevor feeling quite proud of himself, a bit too proud. It felt good to be in control again, though Sonny still was uneasy about Trevor being involved in the business again. At the hospital - Ric's room Zander stepped off the elevator and approached Frankie, who stood guard at Ric's hospital room. Frankie stepped in front of the door, refusing Zander access. Zander shown Frankie his badge and told him he had a few questions for Ric regarding some past business. Zander had to get some answers from Ric if he wanted to get Sonny on the pending charges in Miami. Frankie opened the door and he entered the room, leaving Zander in the hallway. Frankie opened the door from the inside and allowed Zander access to Ric, but only for a few minutes. Zander thanked Frankie and entered Ric's room. "I'm not sure what you want from me, Zander." Ric said as Zander approached his bedside. "How about the truth, Ric?" "The truth about what? I'm not sure what you're talking about." "The truth about Miami and the incident that occurred there last year .... ring a bell, Ric?" Zander tried to jog Ric's memory. Zander mentioning the incident in Miami had an effect on Ric. Zander noticed he became evasive and nervous about the questions he was asking. There was something Ric wasn't telling him and he needed Ric to tell him everything. "Dammit Ric!" Zander was getting frustrated with the run around he was getting with Ric. "Look, just tell me what went on, the truth, now." Zander pulled out some mug shot photos he had in his jacket pocket and handed them to Ric. "Tell me who it was, Ric ... I need some thing." Ric took the photo sheet and stared down at the photo array of suspects. He knew 3 out of 6 on the sheet, and two of them were involved in the incident they were talking about. Ric looked up at Zander. Ric couldn't tell him the truth, it would be an of betrayal. Coming up .... ~ Zander gets evidence against Sonny ~ Alexis encounters Faith ~ Ric takes control back