Breaking Away Prologue - Chapter 2   Prologue ~*~Believe~*~ ~*~ No matter how hard I try You keep pushing me aside And I can't break through There's no talking to you It's so sad that you're leaving It takes time to believe it But after all is said and done You're gonna be the lonely one ~*~ Enough was enough. This in and out of her life as the mood struck. It would be over tomorrow. She'd expected to feel sad, afterall her marriage of so many years was ending. She'd filed for a divorce in probate court. Her last visit with her mother had helped her form a plan for taking control of her life. But instead of heart broken, she faced the future with a kind of relief and resignation. She didn't want to rely upon the kindness of strangers anymore. She didn't want to be the always suffering, never happy waterworks she'd become. There hadn't been a final straw per se. Just the feeling that she couldn't take another hit. She'd felt like a punching bag for the past year, to her husband, her former lover, and to her sons. This was the first step in getting her own life back. She would never fight Luke for custody of their children, he could see Lu at anytime. No father had ever loved his children more. But she could not, and would not allow Luke and Stefan to hurt them. Standing in the living room of her home, Laura knew that it would be anything but smooth sailing ahead. But right now, she felt strong. ~*~ Do you believe in life after love I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough Do you believe in life after love I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough ~*~ "YES!" Carly shouted exhuberantly. "I can't believe it Mamma!" She hugged a stunned Bobbie tightly. Facing the judge, Carly beamed. "Thank you your Honor. I can promise you I won't ever make you regret your decision, I love my son and will make sure he has the happiness he deserves." "Do that Miss Benson." Judge Harrison answered. "This court is dismissed." "I've got custody of my son!" Caroline repeated. She never expected to walk out of this courtroom with full custody of her child. A.J and Edward had come after her with both barrels. But instead of acting like Carly, stupidly and ruining all of Jason's plans, she'd acted like Caroline. An adult. Someone that kept herself in tight control Sure, there had been the occassional slip, like tossing a glass of water down A.J's pants at the Port Charles Grille. But for the most part, she had just maintained that she, and not A.J was Michael's true parent. The case dragged on for weeks, with both sides bringing out witness after witness. It was ugly, but worth it. Because now she and Michael were free. "I don't know what you and Jason did to rig this trial Carly." A.J snarled. "But I won't let you keep my son from me. Not ever! I'll demand a re-trial." "And you'll lose." Caroline put on her "Jason" face, stoney and cold. "Michael is my son. Mine and Jason's. You are nothing more than a sperm donor in the eyes of this court and the rest of the world." With that said, she pushed past him, ignoring his cries of "crazy bitch." to open the courtroom doors. Jason and Sonny waited patiently. "Well?" Jason prodded. "Let's go home and unpack Michael's bags!" Carly exclaimed eccstatically flinging herself into Jason's arms. "A.J didn't even get visitation rights. The judge said that he wasn't responsible enough. But, that if at some point I thought Michael would benefit, I could arrange court supervised visitation." "Would you?" Sonny asked curiously. "Not for a long, long time. Then Michael can decide what he wants." Carly answered. "Now let's go home, I feel like celebrating." As she linked her arm through Jason, Carly could sense that today was just the begininning of a whole new chapter of her life. The rest of the world had better look out. ~*~ What am I supposed to do Sit around and wait for you Well I can't do that And there's no turning back I need time to move on I need a love to feel strong 'Cause I've got time to think it through And maybe I'm too good for you ~*~ "Oh Lucy! I love this house!" Serena declared. "It's huge!" Lucy scrutinized the large empty livingroom. The house was beautiful. Not only physically, but also because of the underlying meaning of it. A home of her own. Contrary to what Scott was determined to believe, her moving out didn't mean she was still hung up on Kevin. In fact, it was really the opposite. Staying in the Firehouse was more like a safety net. She didn't want to be living in her own house when Kevin took her back. So the Firehouse had become a stop gap measure between Kevin kicking her out, and taking her back. And that wasn't fair. Not to Scott, not to Serena and not even to herself. It had taken seeing all of her things in a white cardboard box sent by messanger over from Kevin to make her see the light. Their relationship was over. No going back. And no hanging around on the fringes of his new life. She had her own life now. One filled with Almost Motherhood, a new home, friends, and a renewed partnership with her best friend. She'd hit bottom the day she caused Serena's accident, that had brought her crashing back to reality. Nothing was more important than Serena. Nothing would erase what she'd done in the name of jealousy, but she could work to make sure it never happened again. And if Kevin couldn't see that she was sorry, wouldn't understand that, then too bad for him. She wasn't going to play the penitent for the rest of her life. Plus, she hated how he always walked away when things got tough. It was his loss. ~*~ Do you believe in life after love I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough Do you believe in life after love I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough ~*~ Laura locked the front door of the house, and stood in the silence for a moment. She then walked to the mantlepiece and lifted a framed photograph of her and Luke at their wedding. It all seemed so long ago. They were happy, and young, and secure in the knowledge that they could bend and shape life according to their needs. She smiled at the girl in the photo. She'd been so naieve. Setting down that picture, Laura lifted another one. The picture Lucky and Nikolas had given her for her birthday. There they were. The three greatest gifts she'd ever been given. Nikolas with his dignified, and sweet disposition. Lucky with his father's brashness, and capacity to love and embrace life. And LuLu, her baby. All giggles, and shy smiles, and unconditional love for all the men in her life. No matter what transpired between herself, Luke and Stefan, her children made every heartache worth it. Even in her greatest sadness, she knew hope because of them. And if Stefan and Luke couldn't see that. Couldn't see the toll their animosity was taking on their children, then she would do whatever was necessary to protect them. ~*~ Well I know that I'll get through this 'Cause I know that I am strong I don't need you anymore I don't need you anymore I don't need you anymore No I don't need you anymore ~*~ Carly's Penthouse. Holding Michael up to the window Carly kissed his red head. "This was a great day for us Mr. Man." She informed him. "You and I are never going to be seperated again. Not by anybody. You've got your Mommy, and you've got your Daddy, and we're not going to let anything happen to you." They were a family. Okay, so maybe they weren't the Brady's, but they'd cope. And now that she had custody of Michael, she could stop depending on Jason to "fix" everything all the time. She wanted him still. She wasn't that much of a Saint yet. But she also had begun to cherish her independence lately. She'd finally learned how to drive from a truly brave Jerry Jacks. The guy was nice, and Carly was glad Bobbie had found someone that she "fit" with. Someone to be connected to. She thought she'd had that with Jason. But he was still missing Robin. Why, she would never understand, but he did. So if Jason wanted to waste his time mourning the ugly little stick figure, then he could. She would find a man to appreciate her, and respect her and treat her like a Queen. Jason Morgan isn't the only man on the earth. ~*~ Do you believe in life after love I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough Do you believe in life after love I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough Do you believe in life after love I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough Do you believe in life after love I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough       ~*~CHAPTER ONE~*~After Shocks~*~ Luke's. The middle of the day. Laura paused with her hand on the door to the club. There was no turning back now. She could have had a process server deliver the papers, but somehow that seemed wrong. She and Luke began their marriage. It was only right that they end it together. Luke was oiling the bar intently. He knew she was there. It was a long standing joke between them that Laura could never sneak up on him, he could sense her. "Hello Wife." His tone was scathing. "Thirsty from your boat ride out to Spoon Island?" This isn't what she'd wanted. But it's the hand she'd been dealt. "Luke. We need to talk. I've come to a decision about my life and I think it's important that you hear it from me." She held her ground against his black glare. "I've filed for divorce." Of all the things Luke had expected her to say, that was not one of them. "Really?" He could feel his throat tighten. It had come to this. She was leaving him for Cassadine. He savored the irony. At one point she would have begged him to save her from the big bad Cassadines, and now it was the other way around. "Is this what you want Laura?" He took the papers and then dropped them on the bar as if he were bitten by a snake. "No. Luke, none of this is what I want." Laura sat on a bar stool and looked around the bar. "But I can't just sit back anymore and lament about my life. I can't keep apologizing for doing what I really thought was best for everyone involved." At Luke's hot protest, she waves her hand. "I'm tired of it Luke. There's nothing I can do to change any of it. I can't make Nikolas Stavros' son. And even if I could, I wouldn't. I'm not ashamed that my child was born out of just as much love as his brother and sister. I can't untell the lies I've told. I'm not proud of them Luke. I'm not proud that I've hurt you, that I hurt our son. But once again, I can't undo the damage. All I can hope to do is move on with my life." "So you make a mess and just keep walking?" Luke asked incredulously. "Horses do that Laura, and this stinks just as much." "Luke!" Laura stood up and began to pace. "What do you want from me? To stay married so that when the mood strikes you can come into my home, berate and belittle me then disappear for another 4 months? Luke, you can't live with me in our home. You can't touch me, and you haven't said a civil word to me in two years. What kind of marriage is that? What kind of life is that?" "None." Luke shook his head. "You want a divorce? You can have it Laura." He could see the surprise written all over her gorgeous face. "I don't believe in keeping people where they don't want to be." His grin is bitter. "Afterall, I'm not a Cassadine." He glanced at the papers. "I'll have a lawyer look them over, but I want to see LuLu, and have her some weekends." "Of course Luke. I wouldn't keep you from Lu. She adores you." Laura felt a sharp pain in her chest. It was like losing a limb. She knew he was gone, but she could still feel him there. This was so much harder than she'd imagined. But she wouldn't cry. There weren't any tears left, and there was no reason. "I don't regret loving you Luke. I'll never regret one second, one minute, or one year." She whispered tightly before turning away. "I just thought you should know." ~*~ The Penthouse. "Hey Jason. I just wanted to tell you Michael and I are gonna be out for the afternoon." Carly poked her head into Sonny's office. "Where are you going?" Jason asked not even looking up from his work. "The park, and then lunch with Bobbie at the Outback. See ya!" That was close. She really wanted to invite Jason to come with them. But that wasn't going to happen. Not anymore. She was beautiful, smart, some might call her a liar, but she preferred to think that she wasn't bound by the conventional definition of truth. Strolling out of the apartment complex with Michael in a stroller and Johnny following close behind, Carly took in the beautiful spring day in the park. Once near the swings, Carly lifted Michael out of the stroller, and set him on his feet. As she was pushing the stroller out of the way, she stumbled and turned her ankle slightly. "OW!" "You okay Carly?" Johnny asked. "Yeah, fine. Could you push Michael on the swings Johnny? I want to see what I did to my ankle." "Sure thing Carly." Johnny took Michael's hand and led him to the swings. Carly watched them for a moment, then turned to her throbbing ankle. Man, she hoped she didn't break anything. As she removed her leather boot, a voice came from the bushes. "Still too involved with yourself to pay attention to your son? And they say *I'M* the criminal!" Tony Jones exclaimed indignantly. "That's because you are." Carly glared up at Tony, silently wondering if she were doomed to be stalked by him for the rest of her life. It was funny. She'd thought he was the answer to her prayers once. "You kidnapped Michael from his father. And the court awarded you custody." Tony sniped. "Didn't Jason and Sonny talk to you about staying away from my son?" Carly slipped her boot back on and stood firmly on her own two feet, ignoring the stinging pain. She wouldn't give Tony the satisfaction if seeing her flinch. "You'd better keep a better eye on your son Caroline. You never know what could happen in the blink of an eye." Tony's eyes glittered wildly. Before Carly could call Johnny over to get rid of Tony, someone spoke up. "Tony, why don't you just move along and leave the lady alone?" "Scott!" Carly shifted so that she could see the newcomer, and keep Tony in her sights at all time. "This is none of your business Scott." Tony offered. "You've known me for a long time. Would I ever harm a LADY?" "I never thought so Tony. But at the same time, I've never heard you threaten to kidnap someone before either. And when you were Dominique's doctor, I never would have thought you would hold Robin hostage and not give her her H.I.V medicine." He shrugged. "So obviously I don't know you that well. B.J would roll over on her grave seeing you like this." Carly watched the other man carefully. Scott. Scott. Scott Baldwin? Her mother's old flame? She'd never met him before, but she heard a lot of stories about Scott Baldwin and her uncle Luke. He was fairly good looking, blonde short, spikey hair, penetrating blue eyes, and she'd bet $25 that his grin when he used it would be crooked. "This isn't over Carly." Tony warned before skulking off into the bushes. "Gee," Carly remarked whimsically. "He forgot to twirl his moustache and *snicker* like Snidely Whisplash." Scott laughed at the image. "Believe it or not, there was a time when he wasn't so bad." Extending his hand, Scott smiled. "Scott Baldwin." "Caroline Benson. Everyone calls me Carly. I appreciate your dealing with Tony. I'm running out of ways to say "get lost"." "Have you tried German?" Scott asked helpfully. "Carly? You okay?" Johnny held Michael in his arms. "I saw Dr. Jones around and thought it was a better idea if Michael and I stayed where we were." "I'm fine. He just huffed and puffed." Carly took her son in her arms. "We'd better get going or Bobbie's gonna worry about us. Thanks again Mr. Baldwin." "Call me Scott." "Thank you Scott." She smiled and strolled away. Scott Baldwin was an interesting man. Hmm. . . just the day after the custody arrangement and already she was meeting handsome older men in the park. Oh yeah. She could get used to this. ~*~ Lucy's New House. She meandered around the great big house in the afternoon light.She'd taken the day off of work to get some moving done. It was begininning to feel more and more like home every minute. The first thing she'd done was to unwrap and unpack every single picture and photo-album. There had never been enough room at the Lighthouse. And Kevin had considered it tacky. Now, one entire wall of her new home was covered with pictures. Of her, her mother and father, grandparents, and old friends. Also on the mantlepiece of her fireplace was the crystal ball Damian Smith had left her. Running her fingers over the cool surface of the orb, Lucy could feel the corners of her mouth tilt up. He'd left it to her so that she could look in on him from time to time. And for some odd reason, that still made her chuckle. The only way he could get the last word in was by dying. Otherwise she and Damian would still be locking swords today. Of course that was the Lucy Coe B-K. Before Kevin. Back when she'd had nothing to lose. A tiny part of her said that she was back there again. With no one around her. But she knew it wasn't true. Not really. She wasn't the same person. She had more friends now than ever, and had formed her own family. She, Scott and Serena were a family. No matter what. There was a knock at the front door. "Coming." Lucy tugged at her ponytail, she knew she looked a mess, ratty old jeans she would deny owning for the rest of her life. And a cut off sweatshirt that reads "Notr Dam" "Kevin?" "Hi. Are you by any chance missing a duck?" He lifted Sigmund in his hands. "Siggy! How on earth?" Lucy plucked the duck from Kevin's hands. "Thank you." She turned to set Sigmund down on the floor. "I know! He got out from the old doggy door in the kitchen." She tried to find a polite way to invite him into her home, then realized; she didn't really WANT him in her new home. "Well thank you Kevin." Surprised at her lack of a reaction, Kevin shifted nervously. "Sure. No problem. He just surprised Me and Victor when he showed up at the Lighthouse." He paused, searching for common ground. "This is a beautiful house." "Actually, it's a beautiful HOME Kevin. My home. And in the future, please call before you come over." Lucy placed her hand on his chest and gave a firm push, closing the door behind her. She leaned against the door, eyes wide open, her lips formed in a perfect "O" of surprise. That had felt good. Really good. Pushing herself off the door, Lucy began to whistle happily to herself.     ~*~CHAPTER TWO~*~A Little Surprise~*~ Laura's. "Where is Lesely Lu? Hmm. . .if I were a LuLu, where would I hide?" Laura tiptoes carefully around her backyard, pretending not to notice Lu's sneaker poking out from behind a bush. "LuLu's too good at this game for me!" She declared hearing the girl giggle with glee. "I should just go inside, have some lemonade and cookies." "I'm here!" Lu's soft voice spoke up, not about to be denied cookies. "THERE you are!" Laura swooped down on Lu. "I wondered where my LuLu went!" She twirled Lu around to find Stefan standing on her back porch. "Hello Lasha." She could feel his intensity from across the yard. At one time she'd mistaken it all for sexual tension, unrequited love. Now she recognized if for what it truly is. The same expression a Cheetah gives a wounded impala. Self-satisfied, hungry, smug. It had always been her vanity that allowed her to think that all of Stefan's machinations had been the result of his feelings for her. She didn't deny that he had feelings for her. Or even deny that he loved her. But she also had come to realize that part of his passion for her lies in "Taking" something from Luke. And Stefan was never above manipulating her. He knew all the right buttons to push. She did however give Stefan credit for not making love to her when she begged him to. She wouldn't have resisted, but knew he was right, she was looking for something that night. Something to throw herself into to avoid the emptiness of her life. She filled her days with her daughter, and a few other chores, but for the most part, she had very little to do with herself. That was going to be remedied starting next week. She applied for and got a position working with the children in the Charles Street Shelter. It was a wonderful opportunity to reach out to young people, and she couldn't wait to finally put her degree in Social Work to some use. When Lu squirmed to get down, Laura set her on the porch. "Lu, the lemonade's poured and on the table. Just take two cookies okay? I'll be right out here if you need me." Stefan waited until the child went inside. "You look beautiful Laura." He complimented her with genuine admiration. She DID look beautiful. As always her eyes sparkled with an inner warmth. But instead of the usually warm, welcoming relief at the site of him, there was a different look. A more reserved, wary expression. Her body language was different. "Thank you Stefan. I assume you're here because you know I've filed for divorce." Stefan waited, and expected some additional reaction. He thought she would say more than that. "Yes. I know you won't believe this Laura, but I am sorry. I never wished you harm." Tired of the charade, of all the charades, Laura rolled her eyes. "Oh Stefan. Please. I realize that there is this sort of romantic haze around us, but not even you can deny we've done some damage to one another in the name of love." She took a seat on the swinging porch swing. "I do not understand your mood, Laura." Stefan frowned. He had never seen her like this. Bitter. Yes, that was the word. Lasha was bitter. And instead of being angered at her worthless husband she had turned her frustration inward. "Me either, Stefan. I don't know what I am supposed to feel anymore. My marriage of 18 years is over. 18 years Stefan, that's half my life, and now here you are on my porch and I don't know what to say." She could feel a headache coming on. "To be honest Stefan, I'm somewhat surprised to see you here." "And why is that?" "I assumed that you would be with Luke." Laura's grin is sad. "That you would have at least stopped on your way to see me to dance on Luke's misery." Wounded, Stefan recoiled. "That is unfair, Laura." "I know. But there's also a grain of truth in it isn't there? This mess wasn't just caused by the uncontrollable love of two man for one woman. That would be almost romantic. Stupid, but romantic. This, this was caused by two men, one woman, and how much the men hated one another. Boys meet girl. Girl meets boys. Boys plot day and night to kill, maim, mutilate, humiliate, or frame one another. Sort of a Grimm's fairy tale from Hell." "Perhaps I should return another time." Stefan toyed with his ring. She knew he was getting angrier by the minute, but wouldn't let his temper loose. It would clash with his carefully cultivated image around her. The wounded poet, the neglected younger brother, the soulful lover. All roles he played to perfection. For some reason, she couldn't explain even to herself, she kept pushing. "Tell me it's the same, Stefan. Would you get as much of a thrill of a clandestine meeting between us now? Now that I am TRULY a free woman. If I were to arrive on Spoon Island tonight wearing nothing but moonlight, would you want me as much as you did the other night when I was Luke Spencer's wife?" Seeing the outrage flare in his eyes, Laura kept on. "Can you be as devoted to me now that I am forging my own life? Now that I don't NEED you, or Luke, or any man to make my home? Now that I have my OWN relationship with Nikolas outside of your control? Do you want ME? Or the captive girl crying in the wild gardens? You can't have us both." "I have always wanted YOU, Laura. It was you that I fell in love with on that island prison all those years ago, and it is you that I love today." Stefan proclaimed. How could he? She didn't know herself. And if she took him up on the invitation in his eyes, she would never know herself.   ~*~ "I can't believe you, Laura! You're divorcing Luke? Why? Because he doesn't want to play your reindeer games anymore?" Bobbie was waiting for Laura when she turned the key to the house and stepped inside, her arms laden with groceries and mail. "Bobbie." Laura mentally cursed her luck. She'd had a wonderful day at the Shelter, and knew the work would be stimulating and enjoyable. All she wanted was to come home and start on dinner. Nikolas was coming over for the evening. The last thing she had planned on was a surprise visit from Bobbie. "What is wrong with you Laura? How could you ruin Luke's life? I mean, granted you've never been the most sensible person on the face of the earth, but I always thought you cared for him. What were you thinking?" Laura slammed her groceries down on the table. "Listen to me Bobbie. First of all. I want the keys to this house. You can't just come into my home and start taking shots at me." Laura's face flushed with anger. How had she taken being brow beaten by this woman for so many years? She was never a good enough wife, whe wasn't a good enough mother, she was a lousy friend. "Second. What goes on in my marriage is STILL none of your business. It wasn't any of your business when Scotty and I were married, and it's none of your business now. As for what I was thinking, I was thinking that I've had enough punishment. From EVERYONE. From my children, from my sister in law and from my husband. Why can't you understand what I'm trying to do? I'm doing exactly what you did." "Excuse me?" Bobbie asked incredulously. "When you first came to Port Charles you were greedy, and cruel, thoughtless and selfish. You had a past as a hooker." Laura continued, not caring about the rage building in Bobbie's flashing eyes. "But you changed all of that. You took the life you had and threw it out the window. You decided that your old life wasn't working and you went to school, got a job. Most importantly you worked on becoming the kind of person you could respect. Now look at your life! You're working in a field you love and you excel at. You've got a home, and have become an excellent mother. The independence was EASY for you Bobbie. You and Luke had no other choice from the time you were children but to be indepenent." "Just because we had no choice didn't make it easy." Bobbie answered stiffly. "Of course not. But you already had the skills. You started out independently, I've never been alone." Laura continues. "I've never been on my own, I've always had someone to take care of me, catch me when I fall. Now I'm pushing 40 years old, and I want to change. It's MY turn to grow up. Part of that growing up is taking responsibility for my mistakes. I may have made a shambles of my marriage, but I didn't do it alone Bobbie.BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH ~*~ "Hey Jase. I was thinking." "Oh brother." "Excuse me Corinthos? Was I speaking to you?" Carly grumbled. The man was a wet blanket. All he did was frown, mutter, sulk, pout, or snarl. It was like. . .well. . .it was like listening to herself and it was getting damn annoying. The idea of it made her chuckle. "What were you thinking Carly?" Jason knew he had to step between them to keep the Carly/Sonny bout from going another ten rounds. "Well, I was thinking about how much people have done for us all through the custody hearing." Carly answered. "I mean, let's face it, we wouldn't have stood a chance in hell if it hadn't been for Bobbie, and Emily, and Ned and Alexis Davis. I was thinking about getting them each something. I don't mean like a new car of anything, just little stuff to say thanks. Like get Emily a day at the Deception spa. Bobbie these earrings she really wants. Some sort of food/wine gift basket thing for Ned and Alexis. And maybe cover Mike's bets at the track for a month?" Impressed Jason nods thoughtfully. "That's a good idea Carly. But I was thinking about something a little BIGGER for Emily." He flashed a killer grin. "Like a motorcycle." Sonny smiled as well. "The old man would cut your heart out and chew on it for breakfast if you got the kid a bike." "She could keep it at the shop, and you'd teach her how to ride carefully wouldn't you Jase? Maybe a black bike with all chrome accents. Or a classic. One of those rebuilt things Mike's always grumbling about at the shop. Oh wait! I've got it!" She raced up the stairs. Emily was going to love this bike. She dug through a stack of magazines till she found the right one. Most people thought she liked shopping just to acquire more stuff for herself, but the truth was, she loved to give gifts more than anything. And if it hadn't been for Emily's careful spying on the Quartermaine's, her attorney never would have known that they planned on having Carly evaluated over and over again for competency. She'd gone through four psych evals. If Emily had told her beforehand, she would have snapped under the scrutiny. "Here! Wouldn't Emily look great on one of these?" She shoved the picture towards Jason. "Carly. Why do you always show Jason pictures?" Sonny snapped. "Come on! You know he can't see anything but lines!" Sonny snatched the magazine out of her hands. "Think!" Feeling her bloodpressure rise, Carly snatched it back. "He can too! Jason, follow the lines." Carly coaxed. "Remember when we were looking at the furniture catalog? You could see the difference in the chairs. What's the difference with these bikes?" Jason's brow furrowed in concentration. "One's a cheap Japanese knock off, and the other one is a mint condition, 1957 Harley- Davidson." He answered. "But looking at the pictures for too long still gives me a headache." Carly shot Sonny a superior look. "Told ya!" Then she turned back to Jason. "So what do you think? Emily doesn't need a big old road bike, she could handle a nice, sleek street bike.." When Jason's cell phone rings he answers it, and moves away from Carly and Sonny. "Man, if only you were half as good at MAKING Jason money as you are at spending it." Sonny snorted. "You probably just cost him $10,000 in the past fifteen minutes." "Well, it's a talent Corinthos. It's a talent." "And they've got names for that kind of talent sweetheart." Sonny implied nastily. "Well, if anyone would know about that kind of talent. . . it would be you." Carly shot back. It was bad enough she had to maintain the image of the sweet harmless housefrau in front of A.J and even that psycho Tony, but if Sonny Corinthos thought he was going to reap the benefits, he had another thing coming. She didn't HAVE to be nice to him. From the moment he had come back to Port Charles he was always on her case and she was fed up. Who the hell did this chick think she was? Even since she and Jason hooked up she did nothing but cause him pain and angst. She never thought before she spoke, and was always into other people's business. "Why don't you try and get a job?" "I have one, I'm a mother." "Yeah, right. I bet if Michael could talk he'd speak spanish. He knows more about Laeticia than he does about you." "That isn't even true. Not anymore!" "You get pregnant, you have the kid, leave him, and waltz back into town. You're a lousy mother and if it weren't for Jason I would pick Michael up and deliver him to old' Edward myself." "Who do you think you are to make MORAL judgements? Last time I looked you weren't a priest, a saint, or even a Boy Scout! I never asked for your approval Corinthos. I don't need it, I don't want it, and honestly I could care less what you think about me!" Carly can feel herself on a roll. "And another thing. Just because we're next door neighbors and you and Jason are pals, doesn't mean you get to talk to me any way you want. And especially not in my own house!" "This ain't your house little girl, this is Jason's place." Sonny corrected her infuriatingly. "What's going on? Carly?" Jason looked to where Carly stood radiating an aura of "Shut The Hell Up!" "Why should I? You can take care of yourself Carly." "I shouldn't have to! Either I can get some respect around here, or Michael and I are house hunting." "Are you threatening to take my son away cause you and Sonny fight?" "No you jerk! All I'm saying is that I don't want Michael to grow up thinking his mother's a moron. That she can't open her mouth without someone slamming her down. You didn't want him to be raised by the Quartermaines for that very reason!" Reading the genuine hurt in her eyes, Jason looked to Sonny. "She's right man." "Oh give me a break." Sonny sputtered indignantly. "No, Michael doesn't need this Sonny. This is Carly's home, if she's stressed then so is Michael. Ease up some. It's not Carly's fault Robin's gone." Ugh. Robin again. "You've got Michael?" Carly asked. "I'm gonna get out of here for a little while." Grabbing her coat, Carly walked through the door. She was half way to the elevator when she realized she'd forgotten her wallet. "Johnny, I'll be right back." "Okay." She walked briskly down the hallway, and opened the front door of the penthouse. She could overhear Sonny and Jason talking. "Come on, Sonny. Cut her some slack! Carly's been great lately. She held it together for the trial, and she'd holding it together now. What do you want from her?" "I want her to show some respect!" Sonny bellowed. "Jason, she walks all over you like one of these rugs!" "Sonny! My relationship with Carly shouldn't worry you. I trust her, and you've got to trust me."