General Hospital Rewrite Part One

December 18th 2016 Part 1

12:06 a.m.
     Julian presses his hands to his forehead and falls into the chair. "It's been hours, why haven't they found anything?" He asks Alexis, his voice shaking as much as he is. "I don't know. I don't know! Every second that goes by is just more time she could be hurt or worse. What is taking so long?" Alexis screams at a passing cop.
     "You two need to calm down. We're doing everything we can to find Jodie. Almost no evidence was left so it's taking time." Jordan tells them. "Arthur found me in a matter of hours with no evidence. Don't give me that, it takes time. If it took this long I'd have died in that warehouse."
     "Well sorry to point this out, but I'm not Arthur Finch. He was an expert in finding missing persons and he had background info on who took you."
     "I told who you could've done this. Veronica Heidegger."
     "You're accusing a business woman, who's never meet your daughter, of kidnapping her. Do you realize how insane you sound?" She asks. "She's never meet Jodie but she's her maternal half sister." Alexis cuts in. "I'm sorry but we can't just take your word for it. We need actual evidence."
     Julian grunts at her and turns. "We got the blood results back. It's not Jodie's blood." Dante tells them, walking over. "She must've fought back." Alexis says. "I can't lose my baby again. I can't lose Jodie again." Julian cries into his hands. Alexis wraps her arms around her husband. "She's strong Julian, she'll be okay. She'll be okay." She assures him, and herself.
     Niels comes running in, holding Avery against his chest. "I need to report a missing person." He announces. Julian looks up and stands. "Did Ava not come home?" He asks. Niels nods, kissing Avery's head. "I kept calling and calling and I went to the gallery to look but her assistant said she'd never come back after lunch. She's been gone for hours."
     "Why'd you wait so long to report it?" Julian demands, clenching his fists. He needed someone to take his anger out on and Niels happened to have walked in at the wrong time.
     "I was out looking for her. I called her assistant like seven, and I was running around town. I went to the Metro-Court, other art galleries, I even checked the hospital. Her car is still at the gallery and her purse is in her car. I think she might've been abducted."
     "Give me my neice." Julian opens his arms to take Avery. "Why are you two here?" He asks, keeping his hand on the back of Avery's head. "Jo's missing too." Julian tells him. "Christ. Do you think it's related?"
     "If it's not, it's a freak coincidence. If it is, than I don't know who would've done this." He sits with Avery, letting Alexis hold them both. "I'm so scared Alexis. I don't wanna lose Jo or Ava."

     Jo bares her teeth at Rudge, making him flinch at the memory of her taking off the top of his ear with a knife she'd taken from him. "You know I can kill you." He threatens. "You know I can even out your ears for you." She retorts with a devilish smile, hiding how scared she truly is.
     He kneels in front of her and pulls the knife out. "Would you like a matching scar on the other side?"
     She sinks back into the chair and looks away. "Winston!" Veronica calls from the other side of the room. He puts the knife away and walks over to her. "Did they finish the video?" He asks. "Yep, the recording is good too. It's time for stage two." She tells him. Rudge nods. "I'll make the call."

1:12 a.m.
     Alexis paces with Avery in her arms. Niels watches her, concerned about her wavering steadiness. "You should sit." He suggests. She turns and glares at him, telling him to stop talking. Julian walks back in, his face still wet from the water he'd splashed on his face.
     He takes Avery from her and helps her sit. Niels watches Julian's ringing phone for a second, putting Julian's attention on it. Alexis looks too, her eyes widening. "Why and how is Arthur calling you?" She asks. His finger hovers over accept call. He looks at Alexis Dr directions, she nods at it. He hits accept and holds it to his ear.
     "If you want to see either of them go to the same place I found you. Come alone." The call cuts off. Arthur's familiar accented voice echoes in Julian's head, like the first time driving after a car crash, the images of Arthur's death stick in his head. Alexis takes his phone from his motionless hand while Niels takes Avery back. "How is this even possible?" Alexis asks.
     "It wasn't Arth. It was his voice but it wasn't him. It sounded like someone took old phone calls and sliced them together. Ava and Jodie are in the same place, I have to get them back. Niels, if I'm not back by four, tell the cops to go to the place Arthur found me and Sonny. Alexis, you need to sleep. Take Avery home. She can sleep in Leo's crib tonight."
     "I'm not gonna go catch up on beauty sleep while you and Jodie are in danger." She argues, grabbing him by the sleeves of his shirt. "I have to go alone. You need to worry about you and the baby. Please Alexis, I could lose Jodie and Ava, I can't lose you and this baby too." He kisses her head, holding her there for a second. "Julian."
     He pulls away and leaves before Alexis can stop him. "I'll stay here. You and Avery, and baby, all need some proper sleep. If anything happens, I'll call you." Niels promises, passing the sleeping toddler over to Alexis. "Thank you Niels." She says, adjusting Avery. "Jodie and Avery are the closest things to a daughter I'll ever have." He tells her, kissing Avery's head again.