A/N: This story contains spoilers from the last two shows

Line Drawn

Julian Jerome knew he was not a good man. He'd done many terrible things. He'd killed stolen, and placed his family in jeopardy. He wasn't a good man. But even he had a line he wouldn't cross. Stealing a child went over that line.

Julian had been prepared to keep Brad secret about Wiley in the beginning. Brad shouldn't have done what he did, but he was desperate, and according to him, Wiley came from a homeless woman who didn't want him. Julian really should've realized how farfetched that story was, but he didn't think Brad would cross the line into baby theft.

However, things were different now. They changed the moment Julian realized that baby belonged to Michael Corinthos. He wasn't a big fan of Michael, but he was a good man, and even if he wasn't, it didn't give Brad the right to steal his child. Michael grieved for Wile…. For Jonah. Julian knew what that was like. He knew what it was to receive the news that your child was dead, and he knew what it was like for it to not be true. It nearly killed him when he thought Leo was gone, and it hadn't been nearly as long for him as it had been for Michael.

This wasn't something Julian could condone, even though he knew that telling Michael would hurt his son. It would destroy Lucas to lose Wiley. But that baby wasn't Wiley. He was Jonah, and Jonah's father was missing out on his life. He'd already missed out on over a year. He'd missed many of his firsts. Besides, the truth would come out one day, and the pain Lucas felt would be even worse. Plus, it would hurt the baby, as he got more attached to Brad and Lucas. No, this couldn't continue. Julian had to draw the line. He had to Lucas and Michael the truth.

Very briefly, Julian considered giving Brad a chance to tell the truth himself, but he knew he wouldn't. Brad was too far gone, to the point where he'd asked Julian to commit murder. He wouldn't do the right thing. He didn't even regret his actions, which was going to make the whole mess even worse.

Julian asked Lucas to come to Charlies' with Wiley. He'd also asked him to invite Michael, as he was pretty sure Michael wouldn't come if Julian called himself. He'd also called Willow. She deserved the truth too. Her baby was gone. She needed to know, so that she could grieve for him.

Lucas and Brad arrived first. Brad was holding Wiley. He looked a bit nervous.

"Hey, Julian. What's up?" Lucas asked.

Julian reached his arms towards Wil…. Jonah. The child wasn't his grandson, but he loved him like he was. This would be the last time he'd likely get to hold him. Besides, he didn't want him in Brad's arms when he realized what was going to happen. He'd actually hoped Lucas would come without Brad. "Can I hold him?"

Brad looked for some kind clue from Julian's features. Julian had told him he needed time to think the last time they spoke. He wasn't sure what he was going to do now. The man wasn't giving anything away from his face.

"Brad, let Julian hold Wiley," Lucas said, unsure why his husband was hesitating.

"Right. Sorry, I guess I checked out for a minute," Brad said before handing the baby over.

Julian pulled the boy into his arms and held him close. Doing this was going to break him. He hated that he had to hurt Lucas like this, and that he'd lose the baby in his arms, but he had to do it. He was unwilling to cross the same line Brad did.

Lucas smiled at his father and son. "I'd almost think you brought us here just to see Wiley if you hadn't insisted I invite Michael."

Panic began to ignite in Brad's eyes when he heard his husband's words. There was only one reason Julian would want Michael there. "Michael's coming?"

"Yeah, Julian wanted him here," Lucas said.

"We need to go!" Brad said urgently before moving to take Wiley.

Julian used his free arm to grab Brad's arm and stop him from taking Jonah. "It ends now, kid."

"What's going on?" Lucas asked. He saw the fear in Brad's eyes, as well as the anger in his father's. Something was going on that he didn't know about.

Just then, Michael walked in with Willow right behind him. "Hey. Why'd you want to meet here, Lucas. Willow said she was asked to come too." He'd run into her in the parking lot.

Lucas frowned in confusion. "I didn't call her."

"I did. There are many things that are wrong right now. I asked you all here to fix them. Unfortunately, it's going to cause all of you pain," Julian said sadly.

"Julian, please," Brad begged.

Julian shook his head. "You have one chance, Brad. If you don't make this right, I will."

"Don't! Just let us take Wiley home," Brad pleaded.

Julian sighed and turned to his son. "Lucas, I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to do this, but there are some things even I won't do."

"You're scaring me," Lucas said with fear in his voice.

"We don't have to listen to this. Julian's obviously playing a game," Brad said before moving to grab Wiley again.

Once again, Julian stopped him. "You're not touching this child again."

"He's my son," Brad said.

"No, he's not," Julian said coldly.

"What? How can you say that?" Lucas asked in a betrayed voice.

"I'm sorry, Lucas, but this is not your child," Julian said as gently as he could. He hated that he had to do this, and that he had to do it so publicly. He would've preferred to tell Lucas first in private, but he knew Lucas would confront Brad first, and he knew Brad would try to convince him to stay quiet. His son shouldn't be put in the position to try to fight the urge to agree.

"I thought you loved Wiley. You were happy for us when you found out we were adopting. You helped us try to keep Wiley. How can you say that's not valid now?" Lucas asked angrily.

"I do love him, and if you'd adopted him, he would be yours, but you didn't," Julian said.

"I don't know what you're doing, Julian, but you will give Wiley back to his parents," Michael said forcefully.

"I intend to, Michael," Julian said.

"What the hell are you doing?" Willow asked. She didn't understand any of this. How could Julian say that Brad and Lucas hadn't adopted Wiley? Of course they had. She picked them to do so.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't your baby either, Willow," Julian said before shifting Jonah in his arms so that he was facing Michael as Julian carried him to him.

"Don't!" Brad exclaimed.

"What are you doing?" Michael asked when Julian stood directly in front of him.

"Michael, I know you think very little of me, and you'd be right. I'm capable of almost anything. But I've lived through the lie that my child was dead. I cannot have the knowledge that another father is going through the same thing and not rectify it, not even to spare my own son," Julian said.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked.

Julian turned to him. "I hope you can forgive me, son. This is not your baby. This is Michael's baby."

Michael gasped. The air felt like it was being forcibly taken from him as he heard the words. It couldn't be true though, right? His baby died. Julian was playing some kind of game, getting revenge against his father. Wiley was Willow's child, and he'd been adopted by Brad and Lucas.

Julian turned back to Michael and held Jonah out for him.

Michael took a step back. He'd never hesitated to hold Wiley before. He loved that baby like his son. But now he was being told that he was his baby, and the longing to have Jonah was just too much. His son was gone.

"This is your child, Michael. Nell and Brad conspired to take him away from you. Think through everything and you'll know it's true," Julian said.

Michael did think it through. He thought of the first time he saw Wiley. He'd been too consumed in grief at the time, but Brad was off. He seemed really nervous being around him. He was that way many times that Michael was around, and particularly when he held Wiley. He also remembered Nell saying she wanted to tell him something about Jonah, but making up something stupid when she saw the picture of his girlfriend. Finally, Michael considered Wiley's heart condition, the same one he'd had when he was a baby. The coincidences were many. "Jonah?"

Julian took a step forward and held the baby out again.

This time, Michael didn't hesitate to pull the child into his arms. He pulled him to his chest and held him tightly. This was his baby. His son was alive. He was never, ever, going to let anyone take him away again.