"Thanks for helping me look," Lucky mumbled over his shoulder. "She's pretty upset about losing it."

Tommy stepped out of the bushes to glance at Lucky. "I can't thank you enough for taking care of her when you found her. Taking her to the hospital was smart, Lucky. Thank you for thinking fast on your feet."

Lucky nodded and continued to look for the lost bracelet. "I can't believe a man would... Only a disgusting animal could do what was done to Elizabeth. I've read about Survivors on the Internet. It's gonna be a tough battle for her, I think."

"Yeah," Tommy choked, remembering the shattered look in his young cousin's eyes. The innocence that once lessened the bite of her sharp barbs was gone. Nothing would ever bring it back either. He kicked a mound of snow from underneath his feet. "We haven't heard anything more from the cops. They've got to get that bastard who hurt her."

Lucky's jaw tightened as he agreed. "No one knows where Joel is, but the word is he's hiding with relatives. If the PCPD doesn't handle it soon, I will."

"If you have any leads, let me know. I dream about beating that asshole to within an inch of his life."

"Our dreams are similar," the teenager muttered.

A rustle in the breeze caused both young men to cease their search. Tension eased from Tommy as he recognized his new friend. "Hi, Nikolas."

"Hi, Tommy," Nikolas greeted. He drew in a breath and gave Lucky a tight smile. "Lucky. I got a letter from Laura today-"

"Don't," Lucky bit out. **

Jason read Carly's police statement for maybe the hundredth time, hoping again that he'd see something he missed the first time. Nothing new turned up. The document revealed that she didn't notice anyone lurking around her at the department store. She didn't see who took Michael. And they still were without anything new.

"Dammit!"

His hand balled into a fist and pounded the desk with a vicious punch. A shock of pain shook his arm, but Jason barely noticed. He had far more things to worry about than his pain. What was happening to Michael right now? Was he being taken care of? Did the tiny infant realize that Jason was looking for him and would do anything to get him back? It wasn't fair for this to happen. He'd lost so much already. He shouldn't have to lose Michael, too.

"Jase!" Carly called from the top of the penthouse staircase. Her footsteps bounded down the steps as she moved to join him in the living room. "What was that noise? Has there been word about Michael?"

Her brown eyes were wild with worry. Tiny lines spread from her bloodshot eyes. The terror of the baby's disappearance affected her as deeply as it did him. It should have offered Jason some solace, but it didn't. He couldn't help himself, but he blamed her. If she had been paying attention and not acting on impulse—yet, again—that faceless, nameless person never would have gotten the baby. Jason's jaw tightened in raw fury as she reached out to him. Swallowing hard, he bit back the accusations that rested on the tip of his tongue. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "There's been nothing about him."

"Where are you going?" she cried as he pulled the door open. "Don't leave me alone."

"I'm going to look for him," he answered without turning around.

"Let me come with you-"

"No!" he ground out. "Stay here, Carly. Stay by the phone...just in case."

Finding out Eric's new name wasn't too difficult for Bobby once he knew where to look.

Matthew Harmon.

Dr. Matthew Harmon.

If that didn't beat all, Bobby laughed. The little punk became a doc! Figures. He was always a little helper. Their mother loved that about Eric. So helpful. She fussed at Bobby, but Eric was her angel. Well, her angel would soon get sent to the after world. If the saints were with him, maybe he'd go up instead of down.

Bobby hung around General Hospital for a while, but the little loser didn't show up. A few of the doctors and nurses formed a line to some dinky hang-out around the block. Not having anything to lose, he decided to follow them. The Recovery Room wasn't so bad once he was inside. A little dark, but the food smelled good. And there was booze. It couldn't be too bad if the joint served a few shots. Bobby nonchalantly strolled to the bar and ordered whatever was on tap and waited. Sooner or later someone who knew Dr. Matt Harmon would come in with info and then, they'd come face to face again. Brother to brother. Then, it would end.

"Are you okay?" Ellen asked Matt. The ride from the hospital had been rocky. She felt bad for shaking him so badly, but it couldn't be helped. The shocks in her car were long overdue for being replaced and she just hadn't had any time to get them fixed. She hoped that it hadn't hurt him or aggravated his wound.

"I'm fine," he said, smiling underneath his bandages. "Are we almost there?"

"We're here," she announced. "Just give me a second to take these things inside. I'll be right back."

"You know, if you took off this bandage, I could see and I could get inside on my own," he mumbled. "It's merely a suggestion."

The tone he used was familiar. It was more than a suggestion. It came close to being a demand, but she wasn't above making a few demands of her own. Ignoring his suggestion, she said, "I'll be right back. Sit tight."

"Aiy, aiy, sir!" he grumbled, complete with a mock salute.

Ellen dropped off his bag just inside the doorway and quickly returned to her car. With barely little effort on her part, she helped Matt exit the passenger seat. Because of the bandages, she had to steer him inside and when she slammed the door closed after him, she almost had to tie his hands down to keep him from removing the gauze from his face. "Stop it, Matt!" she reprimanded. "I'll do it. The way you're poking around, you'll take an eye."

"I've been prisoner behind these bandages long enough. I can't wait to see the warm, comforts of home." He released a dramatic sigh, which tugged at Ellen's heart.

"Um, Matt, about where I brought you..." she hesitated as she cut the strips away from his face.

"Yeah?" he asked. The bandages fell from his face and he looked around. "I thought we made a wrong turn back there. Where are we, Ellen?"

Her eyebrow arched at his use of her first name, but she decided to let it slide. The way it rolled off his tongue brought a welcome shiver down her spine. The sensation warmed her all over. "I brought you someplace where you wouldn't overly exert yourself."

"I told you I'd rest," he said, somewhat irritated. "C'mon. What gives? Whose place is this?"

Ellen inhaled and quickly released the breath. "This is my apartment. I couldn't think of a safer place for you so here you are."

His expression hardened and he steered his wheelchair towards the front door. "Take me home."

"No, Matt," she responded. "You're staying here until you're really fit enough to take care of yourself. Deal with it."

"'Deal with it'?" he repeated. "I have a say so, Dr. Burgess! I need to be in my own place."

"Why?" she countered. "Why are you so damned stubborn, Dr. Harmon? You're being pigheaded and immature, and I'm not wasting my time arguing with you. I'm hungry. Pasta's on the menu, so I hope you like Fettucine Alfredo. And uh, Matt? Don't think about trying to leave. The deadbolts require a key to unlock them and I have both sets in my pocket. See ya at chow time."

Dara pulled on her dressing gown and watched her new husband's face as he spoke on the telephone. A muscle flickered angrily at his jaw and his green eyes blazed with fire. He wasn't happy at having their stay-at-home honeymoon interrupted and neither was she. They should have gone away as he suggested, but she thought the trip was too quick. From now on, she planned to listen more closely to her gorgeous husband's words of wisdom.

Mac slammed down the phone and turned to her with an apologetic expression on his face. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"What's wrong?" she asked, crossing the living room floor to wrap her arms around his waist. "Do you have to leave?"

He nodded. "I'm afraid so. A known underworld figure was seen lurking around General Hospital. I have to investigate."

Dara's throat constricted with dread. "Can't they send someone else? We're on our honeymoon!"

"I know," he murmured. His hands covered her back in sweeping strokes, pulling her against his hard chest. "I feel the same as you, but the mayor wants me on this one. He's my boss. I can't exactly tell him no unless I plan to quit my job. Do you want me to quit my job?"

He tilted her head so that their eyes met. The teasing light in his emerald orbs brought a faint smile to her face. "Well... Not unless you want to."

"I kinda like it," he admitted. "On a few rare occasions, I actually do some good. It inspires me. Just like you do. Stay dressed just like that until I come home-"

She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. "But I'm not wearing anything underneath."

"That's what I like about it," he growled.

His mouth closed over hers in a kiss that devoured her. The familiar tingle fluttered in her lower belly and spread outward, but this time, there would be no release. Mac ended the kiss, hugged her and then he was gone. As soon as the door closed behind him, Dara felt empty. She missed him already.

Bored without him and trying her best not to worry, she grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen and plopped down on the sofa. After channel surfing for ten minutes, 'Imitation of Life', an old tearjerker, caught her attention and she sat back to enjoy it.

Hours later with tears streaming down her cheeks, she flipped off the set and rose. A sudden chill swept over her. "Mac," she whispered, terrified that he was danger.

"No," a gravelly voice murmured from the kitchen doorway. "Sonny."

[**Author's note: The scene where Lucky tells Nikolas that Nikolas was a product of rape and then Nikolas in turn, tells Lucky that Luke raped their mother played out so well the first time, I didn't feel the need to do it again. What happened on the show, happens in this story, too. So I hope you all remember! *g* -Dominiqua]