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Changes

Jason parked in is space and as he walked through the office he was greeted by the staff. He was still on leave, but today's meeting warranted him coming in. Once business was done he would meet up with Elizabeth and the boys. "Hey." He said entering the boardroom.

"Hey. We'll keep this as brief as possible." Sonny told his partner. He told Jason he could sit this one out, or skype in, but Jason felt the need to be here in person. It was that attitude that made him a good boss. "How is the family?"

"Good." Jason just had to smile thinking about them. "We should be at dinner in a couple of weeks." The boys weren't on bottles yet and Elizabeth was still tired. So visits were still primarily at the house. Today was the first time they were having a long stretch of time out since the Christening.

"While I'm excited to have my godchildren at the house, we understand. You can change your mind about your leave." Sonny tried one more time.

Jason poured some coffee before facing his partner. Both Sonny and Johnny took three full months of family leave. The day after the babies were born Sonny suggested that Jason should take twice that amount of time since he had twins. Jason shot that down. He also shot down three months off and then three months of part-time hours. He knew how much work it was to run things, and as a full partner, he did his share. However two babies were twice the work, so Jason compromised because he got that Sonny was concerned about Elizabeth being overworked. "Four months is fine." He would return, full time when the offices opened after the winter holidays.

"Are you guys getting a nanny?" Sonny wanted to know. The search would need to start soon because it wasn't easy to find someone to fit into this life.

"Audrey is going to help us when we need it." Jason told his partner. "If we need any additional help we'll call the agency you and Johnny used." Jason wasn't expecting that to be the case. Elizabeth had flexible hours and him working from home occasionally was going to happen. Both his friends did it several times a month.

"Bobbie was a godsend." Sonny said nodding his head. "With you having both sets of grandparents close you won't have to look far for childcare. He said chuckling. If anything Jason might have too many volunteers. He pointed to coffee as Francis came in.

"How are the rugrats?" He asked taking a seat.

"Good. Kelly does great work." Jason had seen the doctor a few days ago when the boys went in for a well visit.

"Of course she does." Francis was so proud of his wife.

"Who does what?" Johnny asked coming in.

"What he said." Shawn also arrived.

"My wife is the best." Francis said with a smile.

"I have to agree." Johnny grabbed some dark brew and took a seat next to Jason.

"I don't have a point of personal reference, but all your kids are healthy so I'll throw in with the majority." Shawn took a seat next to Francis. "So are you going to tell us who got the nod?" This meeting was to talk to whoever Maximus tapped to head their own territory. Not only would congratulations be offered, but logistics were going to be gone over to help the organization get up and running.

"That's what is wrong with the younger generation. No desire to let the anticipation build. It's all about instant gratification." Francis said making a joke at Shawn's expense.

"I'm not that much younger than you." The former soldier reminded his friend.

"He also doesn't like surprises." Johnny said laughing. None of them liked surprises unless it was from their ladies. The whole table was laughing at the joke. "I'm in the same boat as you." He told Shawn. "Only those three know." Francis would have gotten a call because he was the next in the power structure.

"Cody and Renaldo both got territories." Jason told Johnny and Shawn.

"One here in the states and the other overseas." Francis spoke up next. "If it makes you feel better I don't know who is where." As a sign of respect, their bosses would wait until the new bosses were in the room to share that.

"They are going to be outstanding." Johnny was so proud of his friends.

"They are." Sonny agreed. "Come in." He yelled at the knock. Both Cody and Renaldo walked in. Once they had coffee and were seated the meeting began. Sonny would get them started, but everyone would speak up when they had something to add. "Congratulations. Maximus has decided to promote you to family heads." Sonny was smiling wide enough to pop out his dimples.

Cody just looked shell-shocked. He was thinking that he was too new to get picked the first time his name was put forward.

Renaldo was grinning wide, but yeah he was surprised too. This was just about as big as it got in their business. The Don had a good sized pool of candidates but he had chosen them.

Sonny gave them a moment to let the news settle.

"Where are we going?" Cody was going to have to pack up his entire life and move. Port Charles had been home for years, and now it would just be somewhere he visited. He was going to leave with his first alliance so business trips would take place.

Renaldo nodded indicating that he wanted that information too.

"Renaldo let's start with you." Sonny consulted his notes. "You are going to Portugal. Lorenzo controls Spain and he has agreed to offer you back up while you are getting established. The Don will also have men in the area to make sure no one decides to try anything." Even that didn't guarantee that someone wouldn't go after the new boss. However, odds were good Renaldo would be fine.

"I have ports." Renaldo was surprised by that. He was guessing he was put there because he was fluent in Portuguese.

"You do." Sonny nodded. "It's about the size of Crimson Pointe so you'll have the entire country."

"We would like for you to consider taking Max with you as your number two and enforcer." Jason spoke up. "Not only will he provide you with good backup, but it gives you a friend. Someone you know you can trust from the start. You are also welcome to see if anyone else would like to go." They could help seed the upper echelon of his organization.

"If Max is agreeable then I'd like to have him. Maybe Kenny, Freddy, and Greg." They were guys he had worked with for years and trusted implicitly.

Jason nodded. "That's fine." And a good line up. "You can contact them. Tell them they have our blessing to go."

"Thank you." Renaldo leaned back in his chair.

"I'm guessing my placement isn't as good." Cody had gotten good at reading his bosses. Sonny was stalling.

"Memphis." Sonny said and watched as everyone else at the table but Jason winced. This was a territory that had seen three bosses in the last ten years. Two were taken out and the last one just got moved because he was doing a lousy job.

"The FBI lists Memphis as the fourth most dangerous city in the country." Cody had been looking up stats since putting his name forward. Memphis was on the list of places he didn't want to go, but given his background, he was expecting to not be put someone so great. "I was expecting Detroit."

"We have given Detroit to the Russians." Sonny had been surprised to hear that. "Maximus doesn't want to put any organizations there. Honestly, if you can't make a go of it we might leave Memphis as well."

"I made a request of Maximus, and it was granted." Jason took the floor again. The fact that it was, spoke not only of the Don's respect for Corinthos Morgan but also to his concern about the area Cody was going to. "You have forty-eight hours to decline this assignment. If you do, you'll stay here in Port Charles. You will also be able to put your name forward again the year after next."

"I'll take it." Cody looked at the two men who had trained him. "It's not ego talking, in case you are wondering. Like I said I was expecting worse if I got picked. I know this won't be a cakewalk, but I think I'm up to the challenge." He had some of the best training in the world as a Marine. He had been worse places, in worse conditions. "Can I have some guys as well?" They might not want to send folks with him.

"Do you have a list in mind?" Jason asked his friend. Cody's training wasn't the only reason he was picked. The former Marine was also single. He wouldn't be taking a family into a danger zone. Nor would he have to leave anyone here while he got the region stable. Because Jason had no doubt Cody was going to clean things up.

"Yeah. I'd like Marco, Phil, Doug, Logan, Vince, and Tomas." Cody looked down the table. "If they want to go." He wasn't going to force anyone to move down there.

Sonny looked at Jason and nodded. "That's a good lineup." Jason gave his approval as well. "Maximus is leaving his men there just like with Renaldo. You'll have a larger force. The Montgomery family is in Nashville, they are friends of ours and I know they will lend you some assistance."

"It would be best if I didn't ask for it though." Cody understood that much. If he could clean up Memphis it would establish his reputation as someone not to be messed with. As a newer person to the business someone might come after him before Renaldo, but they would wait to see if the city did him in first.

"If you need help, call us." Sonny would send more guys.

"I've got a list of guys you can hire right away." Shawn knew a lot of ex-military personnel who would be a good fit for Cody's organization. Some of them were waitlisted to come to here since Jason and Sonny didn't need more guys at the moment. They had plenty of men to secure Port Charles and Crimson Pointe. They didn't want to work for just anyone which Shawn respected. The guys on the list would have no problem taking orders from Cody.

"You ever been to Memphis?" Johnny wanted to know. He was glad he didn't put his name in. The southern city was somewhere Maximus would probably put him. Or maybe somewhere worse.

"Nope." Cody would need to get some books. He was betting Jason had some.

"I have some books for you in my office." Jason said as if reading his friend's mind. "Renaldo you've been to Portugal so I didn't bring you any."

Renaldo nodded his understanding. Cody would just need more help, which was why he was getting most of the attention at this meeting. Renaldo could admit, even if just to himself, that he was happy to not be going somewhere dangerous. He was nervous about taking control, and to have to clean an area up as well might be too much.

"I'll take the list." Cody knew that everyone had already been screened. "When do I need to leave?"

"No more than four weeks. Maximus wants you to have time to get your guys together. Anyone you bring in from out of town can stay in an empty unit at the Towers. The boardroom is available to you for meetings." Sonny let his friend know. "Like with Renaldo, you are welcome to put out an open call. Anyone who wants to go can."

"Thank you." Cody appreciated that. In addition to the names Shawn would give him, he had some folks in mind as well. If all went well when he arrived in Memphis he would have at least twenty guys with him. "As soon as I leave here I'll be making calls."

"That's smart. The sooner your crew is put together the tighter you'll be when you get there. Being a unit and knowing what you expect will make things easier on you." Francis was going to be lighting a lot of candles for his friend.

"Renaldo, you need to leave in two weeks." Jason continued the meeting. "With Portugal being stable, you should have an easier transition."

"Congratulations." Sonny told his now former employees. "There will, of course, be going away parties for both of you. Let me know which location you want and we'll have everyone come out to see you off."

"We consider you both allies." Jason said making it official. "If you need us call." He repeated what Sonny said earlier. Both men nodded.

"If you don't need me I'd like to start making calls. Shawn, if you are around I'd like to do some brainstorming."

"Let me know when." Shawn fully believed Cody was going to come out on top.

"With the books, there is a flash drive with all of Maximus's files on Memphis." Jason told his friend. Corinthos Morgan didn't have any information on the city because they didn't need to. "Renaldo, Angie has a flash drive for you."

"I'll pick it up." Renaldo said also getting to his feet. He would start making his calls too. He would also start wrapping his brain around the fact that he was now the boss of a territory. "Thank you. For everything."

"Yes. Thank you." Cody echoed the sentiment.

"You're welcome." Sonny said smiling. They were ready. After they left he looked around the table. "Let's reach out and see if we can get more information on Memphis. Maximus's files are going to be up to date, as of this morning. Keeping ears to the ground will make sure Cody knows of any changes between now and when he leaves."

"He'll send someone to reconnoiter." Shawn knew his friend well. "Probably Logan."

"I noticed that with the exception of Marco and Paulie everyone else he picked is ex-military." Johnny thought that was smart. They would be trained in urban warfare which would come in handy.

"The two mob guys he picked both grew up in this life. Knowledge that will also come in handy." Francis added his observation. "Cody and Renaldo will be missed. They are also going to do a hell of a job in their new homes."

"That they will." Sonny knew that was going to reflect well on Corinthos Morgan, which in turn would help the next group of men who put their names forward.

"Can I ask why you suggested Max leave?" Shawn was a bit confused about that. Maximus had placed his sons here intentionally.

"Maximus knows." Sonny said grinning. "There isn't anything else I can teach Max. If he is going to take over Palermo one day he needs to start leading. He can do that with Renaldo, and they get along really well." They were often partnered on jobs.

"The other reason that we suggested Max leave is that he is stopping Milo from coming into his own. It's time that Milo stopped being the little brother and started being his own person." Jason gave the second reason for the decision.

"Milo is sharp. I think not having his brother here will help him tremendously. What do you see him doing?" Johnny had a few ideas.

Jason could hear the wheels in his friend's head turning. "He is going to be put on your crew. I'd like to see him either replace Renaldo or maybe even Cody." At the moment Milo was on Jason's crew. As head of security Johnny had the enforcers and guards under his umbrella. He didn't tell Shawn or his backup what to do because it wasn't necessary. However, Johnny did work closely with the head of the guards, which was what Renaldo had recently been doing.

"I had been thinking of Marco as my backup after you said Cody was leaving." Shawn had the floor. "With him leaving I'd like to maybe have Ritchie fill that role. Milo is good, but he's not ready just yet. He would make a good head of the guards."

"We'll take that into account when we talk about who will back you up." Sonny respected Shawn's opinion on the matter since it was his life on the line. However, the final decision wasn't up to him. Sonny would make the choice along with Jason and Johnny.

Shawn just nodded. He knew how this worked. He trusted his bosses would give him a good backup.

"Okay, Francis and Shawn get out." Sonny said laughing. "Let us talk so that we can get Jason back to his family." Sonny already had a line up in mind, his partner would as well. Johnny didn't have a prepared list, but he knew the guys well and would have a lot to add to the conversation. "We will call you with our decision."

"Everyone is well?" Shawn asked Jason. The meeting started right after the enforcer arrived so he didn't get a chance to ask.

"They are, thanks." Jason would ask Elizabeth to send out some new pictures this week.

"Call if you need anything." Francis didn't need to sit in because he oversaw business operations. He would be a heads up to what decision they reached because his bosses respected him that much.

"We will." Jason assured not only Francis but all the guys in the room. Everyone who was left refilled their coffee mugs and sat down to work out how they could best support Cody over his new territory.


"Okay." Liz said putting the key in the engine. Ritchie was in his car, behind hers in the driveway, and it was time to go. She was taking the twins for a visit with their great-grandparents, and later their grandparents, at the mansion. Jason was meeting them there after he was done at the office. When the visit was over they would all come home together. That was why he had one of the guards drive him in. He'd left half an hour ago, and now she was ready to set off.

Today was the first time she was responsible for putting the babies in the car on her own and then driving them somewhere. Getting out of the house with two babies was harder than she would have thought. Ritchie did offer assistance, but Elizabeth declined. She considered this a learning experience. Most days her guard wouldn't be here so early, and she hated to keep the guys waiting. So she had to figure out how to get the babies in the car without assistance.

The first thing she realized was that she couldn't walk with both carriers and the large diaper bag at the same time. She was in great shape, but everything together was just too heavy and at the moment she was too damn tired. So she used the stroller to cover the distance from the house to the car, mainly because she didn't want to leave one of the boys in the SUV alone. Again Ritchie would have been happy to keep an eye out, but since she had to bring the stroller anyway this got everything to the car all at once.

Once the boys were settled and the diaper bag was stowed she got behind the wheel and came up against something unexpected. She was a little scared to drive. That wasn't quite true. Driving was fine. Driving with the boys in the car was making her nervous. Jason had driven them home from the hospital at ten miles below the speed limit. Liz had sat in the passenger seat trying not to laugh. Now she got it. The awareness that her children were counting on her to get them to the mansion safely was very real.

Thinking about being hit didn't happen that often. However, from time to time the memories were front and center. This was a relatively recent trauma so it was holding on tighter than her rape. This morning she was very much aware of the damage a car could do. What enabled her to put the key in the ignition and turn it was the knowledge that the vehicle they were in was as safe as Jason could make it. If something did happen she and her sons had a very good chance of walking away without a scratch. "Call Ritchie." She told the hands-free device. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are." He had wondered why they were still sitting here but wasn't going to rush Liz. He was just happy she wanted to drive herself. Having the babies in the car would make him nervous.

Liz put the SUV in drive and set off.


"Hello." Audrey gave her granddaughter a hug while looking her over. Elizabeth still looked tired, which wasn't surprising. Audrey was waiting for the call to say it was time to start helping out. She was guessing that once the boys were taking bottles it would happen. "How are you?"

"Good." Liz said soaking up the love. "Thank you, Alice." The housekeeper had come out to make sure help wasn't needed. Because there were ramps at the house to accommodate Lila's wheelchair, Liz didn't need help getting the stroller in the house.

"You're welcome. The nursery is all set up for when you need it." The housekeeper had done a walk through personally. Alice didn't actually clean the rooms, but she did oversee the staff who did.

"You are going to spoil me." Liz smiled as Alice blushed a bit. "I'm sure everything will be perfect."

"Why don't we get you into the parlor and off your feet." Audrey said urging her granddaughter forward.

"That's a very polite way to say you want to hold the babies." Liz was laughing as she replied.

"We love you, but let's face those babies are adorable." Audrey didn't bother to deny it.

"I was warned that it would be all about the babies once they were here. To be honest I love that they have so many people who love them." Liz could feel herself tearing up. Her hormones were still making her more emotional than normal. "Having everyone around to watch Cameron and Jake grow up makes me really happy."

"We are happy to be here." Audrey gave her granddaughter another hug. "Look who I found." She announced as they entered the parlor.

"Hello, my dear." Edward got up and came across the room. He gave Elizabeth a hug before urging her over to a chair. "Let me get you a glass of water." He was quickly back with the beverage. "Can I get you something to eat?" Lunch wasn't for another few hours, and he knew that she needed to keep her calories up. "We had some delicious pineapple this morning at breakfast and I'm sure there is more in the kitchen." He was enjoying doting on the new mother.

"I'm good, but should I change my mind I'll be sure to let you know. Now you can sit and tell me about your trip to London." Liz told her grandfather. Across the room, Lila and Audrey were kissing on the boys. Over the course of the day more family members would show up, but right now she had her grandparents all to herself. Not a bad way to spend the morning.


"Mr. Jason." Alice said opening the door once more. "Mrs. Elizabeth and the twins are upstairs. Your grandparents are in the parlor. No one else is here, just yet."

"Thank you." Jason didn't even hesitate to head for the stairs. He knew where the nursery was located and it didn't take long to reach the large room. Unlike in their home, here the boys were sharing a room. The door was closed so he knocked lightly before opening the wooden panel and stepping inside. "Hey."

"Hi." Liz smiled at him. She was in the rocker feeding Jake.

"Did Cameron eat already?" Jason asked as he came over to drop a kiss on his wife's lips.

"He went first because Jake went first earlier." Liz was rocking lightly as her son ate. "It takes a lot longer to feed them individually." She said with a smile. "At the same time, it was kind of nice to have one on one time. I know you are looking forward to being able to feed the boys and have that bonding time. I was thinking we could try the bottles tomorrow." They would be home all day, and no visitors were scheduled to come over. Folks didn't just drop by unannounced.

"I'll sterilize everything tonight." They had been gifted a machine that took care of that, and it also stored the bottles until they were needed. What they didn't have was breast milk. So at some point tonight or tomorrow Elizabeth would need to use the pump to express some. If the boys took to the bottles then they could start storing a freezing the extra milk. "However I don't need to feed the boys to bond with them. We spend plenty of time together. I want to start helping at meal time so that you can get a break." His wife amazed him. Not once had she complained.

"You are a great dad." Liz wanted him to know what she saw.

"I'm just trying to keep up with you." Jason said giving her another kiss.

"All done." Liz said handing Jake to his dad when Jason held out his hands. As she rearranged her clothing she watched her husband burp their son before putting the baby in his crib.

Jason gave both boys a kiss and told them that he loved them before coming over and wrapping his arms around his wife. "How has the visit been going?"

"Great. Grandmother has a new hybrid in the garden. It's a fall blooming rose. She took me out to see it, and I know she is excited to share it with you. Gram wants us to consider letting her come over sometime soon so that we can have some time to ourselves. So if the bottle feeding goes well, would you like to go out to dinner?" Liz wanted to know.

"Absolutely. Let's give the bottles a few days, just to make sure things are good first." Jason smiled at his wife. "Can I take you out on the bike? The weather is still clear, but that probably won't last that much longer." It was chilly enough that she pulled out their jackets, but it was still dry. By this time next month the odds were good the temperatures would be much lower, and there might even be snow on the ground.

"It should be fine." Liz had gone in for her six-week postpartum visit hoping to hear that she was healed, but that hadn't been the case. While Kelly said things looked good, she asked that they hold off being intimate for another two weeks. Liz had been bummed and found herself confiding in Sarah, who said that with all of her births she didn't get the go-ahead to be with Cooper until the eight-week mark. So once again Liz was apparently following the family model.

When she got home she still felt like she letting Jason down, and her hubby let her know nothing was further from the truth. The most important thing for him was that she was completely healed. Still, Liz was counting down the days, and the extra two weeks were just about up.

"With the boys resting do you want to take a nap?" Jason didn't want her exhausting herself.

"I took one after the last feeding. If you'd like to lie down no one will mind." Liz let him know.

"I'm good." Jason had trouble sleeping outside the house, especially if Elizabeth wasn't with him. "Do we have a minute to discuss some changes that are coming?"

"Sure." Liz led him over to the love seat that was in the room. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Cody and Renaldo are leaving. They've been promoted and are getting their own territories." Jason told her with a smile. "That's what the meeting was about."

"I'll miss seeing them, but I'm happy they are being recognized. Will there be visits to their new home?" Liz wanted to know.

"We can go see Renaldo, he'll be in Portugal. Cody we can't go see just yet. He's going to Memphis and the territory is unstable at the moment. Maximus is putting him there because he thinks Cody can get things under control." Jason further explained. "Once things calm down then we can go to Tennessee. I've never been to Memphis so we can explore together."

"I'll keep him in my prayers. I know he is very capable and Maximus was right to trust this job to him." Liz was still going to worry about her friend though. She also knew that if he needed help the guys in Port Charles would give it.

"Other changes are coming. One of which affects you directly. Cody and Renaldo are taking some of our guys with them, so we've had to shift some guards into new roles. Ritchie is getting a promotion, so is Milo. So you'll be getting a new guard. Give Johnny a call and he'll go over some choices with you." Jason wasn't going to get involved in that. He trusted his friend to put someone good with Elizabeth.

"Should I call him now?" Liz had time.

"Tomorrow is fine. Ritchie won't be told about his promotion until then so he is finishing his shift today." Jason thought that Ritchie was going to be an outstanding enforcer. Milo was going to be the new head of the guards, and he would do outstanding as well.

After the meeting with Johnny, Jason and Sonny had a quick meeting of their own. They were looking at the bigger picture. Since Johnny was staying it might be time to promote him. They had room for expansion because they were thinking of promoting Francis as well. That would mean Shawn also moving up. Ritchie would then become their primary enforcer with Milo moving into the number two slot. That was on the horizon for next year, but both partners like to think ahead. It kept them from being caught flat-footed.

"Let's go downstairs. I can see the roses, and Grandfather can flirt with you. Because I'm sure he didn't do that enough earlier." Jason didn't even have to ask to know that was true.


"Is everything okay?" Jason finally got his mother alone. She had come home a few hours ago, and he immediately got the impression that something was off. He didn't bring it up right away because she was visiting with the boys. After that dinner took place. Emily joined them and for some reason, he was convinced that his mother's mood was tied into his sister. Family drama was not anything new, but he still wanted to check.

"Everything is fine. I promise." Monica smiled at her son. "I'm not hiding in my office. I had to take a call about a patient." But yes the break allowed her a moment to herself. Being a parent was the greatest joy of her life, but at the same time, it could be heartbreaking. Although she could admit that she was being a little dramatic. No one was sick or dying, so she didn't have anything to complain about. "Also your father is on his way home, if I'm not out front he will get both boys and not share."

"You had time with them." Jason said backing off even though he was convinced something was up. "You have to share."

"I'm a grandmother. I don't have to share." Monica said grinning. "What I need to do is come out to your house to visit so that everyone else isn't around. Although I hear Audrey has scooped us all by agreeing to watch the boys when necessary. I should have thought of that." She said as they walked back to where the rest of the family was at.

"You have a full-time job." Jason reminded her.

"The boys are cute enough that I would quit." Monica said laughing. She was joking, she loved her job and wasn't ready to step down. Since her son and daughter would allow her visits with her grandsons when she requested, within reason, Monica didn't have to choose. "I'm too late." She said as she walked into the parlor. "You will have to share." She told her husband.

"No, I don't. I just got here and both babies want to hang out with me." Alan said from the couch. He was holding Cameron and Jake was next to him in his mother's arms. "Be nice and I'll have my visit here where you can at least see them." For tonight's visit, he was the only grandfather in residence because Jeff and Carolyn weren't over. Alan didn't mind sharing his grandparent status with the other couple, but sometimes it was nice to be a little selfish.

"Did you need to eat?" Monica would have something brought in.

"I ate in my office, so you are not distracting me with food." Alan gave her a smug grin. "Has anyone else noticed that Cameron has my nose?" Alan smiled down at his grandson. "I think Jake does as well."

"Generally folks would say that the babies have the features of their parents." Emily was laughing at her dad as she answered. "So you should say that they have Jason's nose. Which isn't true. They have Liz's nose, but their eye color and shape is all Jason." Nights like this, when the family was together and peaceful were the best. She had been spending most of the evening sitting back and taking it in.

"If you have something to share, we don't mind. Tonight doesn't need to be all about us." Liz got the impression that her best friend was sitting on good news. Emily was fairly easy to read, especially when she was excited.

"Since you offered." Emily said grinning. Yes, she did want to share, and if she did it while Jason and Liz were over then she didn't have to track them down. The medical folks in the family already had this information because it was shared at the hospital earlier. That just meant the non-medical folks needed to be brought up to speed. Tomorrow she and Dante planned on starting that by having dinner with his dad and Carly. If Liz and Jason weren't over tonight, Emily would have asked to drop by their house.

"Spill it, Emily." Jason told his sister. He could see their grandparents, and Audrey was curious as well.

Emily looked over at her husband, who always supported her even when it meant massive changes for him. "We are moving." There was such joy in this announcement, but some sadness too. She loved being in Port Charles and having everyone she loved around her. However, this move represented her future. Dante hadn't even hesitated to say it needed to happen.

"To where?" Jason got the impression she didn't mean just out of the Towers. A look at his wife showed the same feeling in her eyes.

"Colorado." Dante answered putting his arm around his wife. "Emily is taking the next step in becoming one of the best ophthalmic surgeons on the planet." He was so proud of her.

"You're going to study with Dr. Batra." Liz couldn't help but smile. Her mother had introduced both doctors in July, not that long before the baby shower. Liz knew that her best friend and Dr. Batra had been in contact not only via phone but skype as well. If Emily was changing hospitals during her residency, that relationship must be flourishing.

"I am. She extended the invitation last week. Your mom has been sending glowing reviews of my work. Dr. Batra then called Dr. Howard to see what he thought." Dr. Howard was head of ophthalmic surgery at General Hospital. He had admitted that his resident could use a better mentor than him, not something easy to do. However, he understood that Emily was a natural for the field and that needed to be encouraged. "I had to give it a lot of thought. Changing hospitals during your residency is not common."

"Your trip last month was to see her?" Jason knew that his sister had done some traveling not too long before the Christening, but he didn't know where she went.

"She wanted to see me in the OR, and with patients before making the offer." Emily had been nervous during her weeklong visit, but that hadn't affected her work.

"Clearly she liked what she saw. Emily, I'm so happy for you." Liz could already feel her eyes burning. She was going to miss her friend. "How much time do we have to get into trouble?" Looking over she could see Monica fighting off tears. After Emily left, Liz was going to have to make sure her mother in-law was doing okay. Two of her three children would no longer be living in Port Charles. Alan needed to be checked up on as well.

"We are leaving in two weeks, so there won't be any Thanksgiving pizza for us this year." Emily was nervous and excited all at the same time.

"We will miss you, but I know I speak for everyone when I say we are so proud of you." Lila told her granddaughter. The strength of the younger woman left her in awe.

"Thank you, Grandmother." Emily was going to miss tea and talking with the older woman. Her grandmother was the heart of the family and always had to ability to bring them together.

"What will you be doing?" Edward asked his grandson in-law. He had contacts out that way if Dante needed them.

"I'm following in Cooper's footsteps. His firm has been giving my business since coming to the area, so I've been doing more consulting work in addition to private investigating. So with his help, I found a security firm in Denver that was looking to sell. I'll have a thirty-minute commute from Aurora which isn't bad at all." For Dante, the move offered him the chance to be someone other than the son of a mob boss. He loved his father, but Sonny's career choice cast a long shadow.

"Sounds like a good plan." Edward would call his friends and send some business to the new firm. He very much liked Dante and thought he had an exceptionally sharp mind.

"I wasn't going to go if it meant Dante was unhappy." Emily told the room.

"I have enough money in the bank that even if I didn't have something to do right away, it would have been fine." Dante assured his wife. While yes he wanted to work, there was no way he was standing in her way. This opportunity was too good to pass up. "I would have found something eventually."

Emily had to kiss him for that. Her guy always supported her.

"Where are you staying?" Jason wanted to know.

"A hotel while we look for a house. We are going out a few weeks before I start work so that we can get settled." Emily was already combing websites to find them a property. "You can send security if it makes you feel better." Whoever her brother sent would be discreet.

"It shouldn't be necessary." Jason and Sonny were on good terms with the head of that territory, so his sister and brother in-law would be fine. If guards were needed then Roy would not mind sending some local guys. "We are proud of you."

"And thrilled for you." Liz added on.

"We will be having a going away dinner for Emily and Dante the night before they leave." Alan told the room. "I'll send out more information later in the week." He started preparing for this moment after Dr. Batra called the first time.

As Emily's father he always thought she was brilliant, as her boss he shared that same opinion. She was a gifted surgeon, and it was time for her to spread her wings. She was poised to be a rising star in the medical community, and he wanted that for her. She was going to make countless lives better. Working with the number one ophthalmic surgeon in the country ensured that.

"We will be here." Liz didn't hesitate to say.

"Maybe in the next couple of days I can come out to the house and we can talk more?" Emily asked her brother and sister. She was trying not to discuss this much in front of her parents. They couldn't escape the fact that she was leaving, it was going to be the talk of the hospital until she was gone. So in their downtime, they didn't need to be hit over the head with it.

"Pick a day and let us know." Liz got what Emily was doing.

"I think news of this nature calls for cake." Lila said smiling. "Let me tell Cook." Edward got up to push her into the kitchen.

In the living room, Liz looked over at her husband. This was another big change for their family, and it would need some time to settle. She would check in on him, but she knew he was happy for his sister.


"Are you okay?" Liz asked later that night when they were cuddled up in bed.

"I am. I'll miss Em, but I'm happy for her." Jason promised his wife. "When you mentioned Dr. Batra back in May I got this might happen. I'm willing to bet my parents tried to get her to come here, and it just didn't work out." He said grinning. "This is good for Emily, so she has my full support."

"The town is going to look so different in a few weeks." Liz said resting her head on her husband's shoulder. Familiar faces would be gone. In time it would be the norm, but for the first few weeks, it was going to take some adjusting to. "I once read that one of the only certain things in life was change. That is so true. Sometimes that change is bigger than others. I just wasn't expecting so much to shift at once."

"It's all be good, so we are fortunate that way." Jason said urging his wife closer. Even with Cody going somewhere potentially dangerous, his promotion was a good thing. "I think that is going to continue. When Emily says its okay, we'll go out and visit. I've never been to Colorado, so you can show me around."

"It's a date." Liz would love to go back. "Get some sleep. The boys will be up in about an hour."

"I love you." Jason wanted her to know. Changes were something he could handle because no matter what he had his girl beside him and his sons.

"I love you too." Liz could handle whatever life threw their way, even her best friend moving across the country because she had her family. The heart of which was the man holding her close. As she drifted off to sleep she couldn't help but feel that no matter what, life was good.


If you requested a story set around the storyline where Jason offered to take Liz to Italy and then canceled due to the Sonny being an idiot (I think this was during the Karpov story) please contact me. Thanks.

Thanks for the reviews!