General Hospital Rewrite Part One

April 27th 2016

6:18 am
     Julian sat on the couch, staring at the television, despite it being off. The lying had started getting to him. When he woke up that morning he could hardly stand knowing that the woman laying next to him, his wife and love of his life, was being lied to. He hated lying to her after all the promises. He was doing this for his sister, he was just trying to be a good big brother, but after Carlos had come back to town it became so much more. Now it was his life on the line too. If Carlos told the police he had him kill Duke Lavery, even though he didn't, he'd go to jail for the rest of his life and lose his family.
     He closes his eyes and puts his head in his hands. Why did everything have to be so difficult? Why couldn't be have stayed out of the business and lived his life with his new wife and kids? He knew he would either go to jail forever or die an innocent man. Even if he were to be arrested he would probably be killed either in custody or in jail by one of Sonny Corinthos' men. He couldn't care to leave his three kids and grandson and two step daughters, one of which had just started to accept him.
     He'd been so caught up in his mind he didn't hear Alexis come down stairs and walk behind him. She leans over the couch and wraps her arms around his neck, putting her chin where his neck meets his shoulder. "Hm, very interesting show you're watching there." she jokes. "Yeah guess I must of zoned out there." He says. "You alright?" she asks. "Huh, yeah yeah I'm all good." he lies, not yet willing to tell her what he's hiding. "Well I'm gonna go make coffee, you want some?" she asks. "No, I'm fine." he answers. She stops and walks back to sit next to him. "Okay what's wrong?" she asks.
     "I've just been a little stressed lately. With the whole Carlos thing and last night with the surprise probably fake witness." He explains. Last night Alexis had been called to the police station only to find out that nearly a year late on the exact day a judge was signing papers releasing Carlos a witness showed up saying he saw everything. The year before Julian had sent Carlos to kill Duke only to change his mind at the last minute and telling his hitman to stand down. Carlos went for the kill anyways. That very night Julian's son, Leo, was born. His supposed death had been the breaking point for Julian and he quite the mob. As it turned out, Leo was alive and well. Julian was reunited with his son and his legitimate life was going very well. Until his younger sister Ava had done business with an undercover law agent and put a hit on her head.
     He retook the business and planned on getting out as soon as he knew Ava and her two daughters were safe. It took longer than he expected then Carlos came back and messed up all his plans. This mess was a fire that got out of hand and he couldn't put it out by himself but didn't want anyone else getting burned. He wanted to get back out as soon as possible but that didn't look like anytime soon.
    Alexis put her arm over his shoulder, pulling herself close. "Are you sure that's all?" she asks, not convinced by his lame accuses. "That's all I want to talk about." He says abruptly. Not only what was going on but the time of year and what had happened many years ago at this time of year. April 29th 2002 to be exact. Alexis didn't know why this time of year was hard for him, in fact, no one did. "Why don't you go upstairs and see your baby, that always cheers you up." Alexis suggests. Olivia, his son, Leo's mother, had dropped him off the night before. He smiles at her and gets up to go see his son.
     He holds Leo close to his chest, humming to keep him from crying and waking his stepdaughter Kristina, who'd been staying with them after she got suspended for offering a teacher sex for a grade. Leo was almost a year old and was getting big fast. Julian changes Leo and brings him downstairs to get a him and himself some breakfast. When he gets downstairs Alexis is still in the kitchen making herself a coffee and small breakfast. She smiles when she sees her husband and stepson. She walks over and he hands Leo over. "He really is just the cutest little baby in the world isn't he?" she admires. "I think he looks just like me." Julian laughs. "Don't laugh he does look like you. I've got to get to the office early I have a lot to deal with now that there's this new witness, I've gotta go get ready. Love you." she says, kissing the both of them and taking off upstairs.

7:12 am
     Julian opens the door and lets Olivia in. "I was just thinking you weren't gonna show and I'd get to play hookie with my boy." He laughs. "Well I didn't have to get up early to change him and I kinda slept in." she tells him. "Well you're here, I've gotta get to the Metro-Court too so I'll probably see you there." He says handing Leo over to his mother.
     Getting ready he brushes his hair and teeth, finds an out fit and spends time looking for a new handkerchief, he'd given one to Nina after he found her crying. He goes into the closet and moves a box, nearly dropping another on his head. The box busts open on the ground and a small, red bead purse with flowers fall out. He recognizes it instantly. Picking it up in one hand he turns it around, undoing the zipper and pulling out a little butterfly finger puppet. He immediately puts it back in and hides it again, not yet ready to face the truth of that box's contents.
    
7:57 pm
     Alexis hadn't gotten home yet, though with all that was going on it didn't surprise him. Things only got harder for him as the day went on, what he found in his closet brought back many painful memories he didn't want back in his brain. He sat on the couch with a glass of scotch, his third fourth or God knows which cup. He was buzzed at this point, he felt flushed and vulnerable.
     When Alexis got home she made him stop drinking and take a shower. He stayed awake in bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling and staring. Things were getting harder for him. He felt something bad coming. He could taste the feeling of tension between him and Alexis growing. He hated that, and loved her. Nothing seemed fair to him. He just wanted his legit life back.
     He just wanted what he's lost back.