Chapter 51
Luke smiles evilly at AJ as he toys with the revolver in his hands. "I can understand you wanting to see your son, even wanting custody. But you tried to steal a part of my family and you almost got Caroline killed, and those facts I can't forgive." Luke uses the gun to wave AJ into the cushioned seat in front of him. "Sit down, Junior."
AJ sinks into the chair. "You're nuts," he whispers.
Luke points the gun straight at AJ and pulls the trigger. All they hear is a soft click. "Damn," Luke says, crestfallen. "I was hoping I'd get lucky the first time. Not to worry, I got five more chances to get it right. Meanwhile you and I are gonna talk. And you're gonna give me reasons not to pull this trigger."
AJ's mind races as he grabs onto the first thing that comes to mind. "I'm Michael's father..."
"Wrong answer. As far as I'm concerned, that's an excellent reason to snuff you because as long as you live you can harrass my neice and her rug rat." The gun still trained on AJ's head, Luke pulls the trigger again, and it clicks. "Not my day it seems, which means you get another guess. Take your time Junior, you don't want to get this wrong now, do ya?"
"You can't mean to do this?!" AJ puts his hands up in defeat as Luke cocks the gun again. "Okay, Okay, give me a second here." AJ can hardly think, he can't remember a time when he's been so terrified in his life, with the possible exception of when he almost killed Jason. But as the reality that Luke will kill him sinks in, he thinks of all the things left undone. All the people he wants to see one more time. Michael, his parents, Emily, his Grandmother, even his Grandfather, and finally... "Carly."
"Carly is the reason I should kill you, Junior," Luke says with a sneer. "What makes you think she's the reason I should let you live?"
"She's the one I hurt most, she should be the one who decides what happens to me." AJ runs a shaking hand through his hair. This day was too much. Everything else had been more or less what he expected. But not even in his wildest imagination had he expected this visit from Luke. "She's had her pound of flesh, Luke. I gave up rights to my son to her, I was forced out of my job. Hell, I'm probably facing jail time if Carly decides to take it that far. Killing me can't be much worse than what I'm already facing."
Luke's face splits into a huge grin. "You're kidding me? She did all that? Darn it, don't that beat all? She's a Spencer to the core. Did her Uncle proud." He shakes his head in awe. "You swear you're telling me straight? She flushed you out of ELQ? What's she got on you?"
AJ lays his head back and closes his eyes. "She's got evidence I bribed Peyser to lie in court, it's enough to lock me up for a while."
"That's my girl!" Luke stands and pockets his revolver. Patting AJ's cheek affectionately, he makes his exit. At the door, Luke turns back to issue AJ one last warning. "I'll let Carly deal with you this time. But you mess with any of my family again and I'll be back. And next time there won't be enough of your brains to scrape into a coffin. You have a nice night now." Luke closes the door quietly behind him.
Quartermaine Boathouse.
The small shack is bathed shadows as the sun sets over the lake. Emily and Nikolas lay entwined on the small cot, their clothes lying on the floor next to them. Nikolas places a soft kiss on Emily's temple. "I want more than stolen kisses, Emily."
Emily turns her head so their lips meet for a leisurely kiss. Her hands travel down his bare chest, enjoying the feel of his lean muscles. "Hmm, this is definitely more than a few kisses."
Nikolas groans as her hands travel lower, and in a moment of clarity (or stupidity depending on your perspective), he grabs her hand. "I can't think when you do that. I was trying ot make a point, Em."
Emily slides her long leg between his, rubbing against him suggestively. "Which is?"
"Seductress," Nikolas growls as he rolls her underneath him and pins her to the mattress, their palms pressed together on either side of Emily's head. His mouth devours her lips and her slender throat until she's arching under him.
The sound of a large rock hitting the roof stops Nikolas cold. Emily collapses, panting. "It was just a bird dropping something on the roof. They do it all the time."
"Which brings me to my point." Nikolas sits up, draping a sheet over his lap. "I can't keep doing this. What if Edward or Alan discovered us?"
Sitting up, Emily puts a warm hand on Nikolas' shoulder. "They never come down here, Nikolas. If anyone found us, it would probably be AJ or Ned." At Nikolas' ashen look, Emily giggles. "It's not going to happen, I promise you. We're safe here."
Nikolas slips on his boxers and black slacks, then sits back down on the cot with Emily. With one hand he brushes her hair back and kisses her softly. He itches to do more, to caress her until she's calling his name, to lose himself completely in the smell and feel of her. But he can't, not here. "If I make other arrangements for us, will you meet me?"
"I'll find a way." Emily pulls a sweater over her head. "Do you have to leave already?"
"I should at least make an appearance at Wyndemere tonight, or my father will worry." Tucking his shirt in, Nikolas looks at his watch and estimates a time. "Call me on my cell phone in an hour, I should have a plan in place then."
"That'll give me enough time to make 'plans' for a late night study session with Allison." Emily walks Nikolas to the door. When Nikolas kisses her, she wraps her arms around his neck and loses herself to the kiss.
Nikolas' hands slip under the sweater to cup her bare bottom. He groans in protest when she breaks the kiss. "You are too sexy for your own good, you know that?" His hands travel up her back, pressing her more fully against him. He ravages her mouth, giving up the battle for self control.
Under his spell, Emily's head falls back giving him complete access to her neck as her fingers bury themselves in his jet black hair. "At this rate, we'll never make it out of here...."
.
Standing on the porch and staring up at the night sky, Carly sighs with contentment. From behind, Stefan slips his arms around her waist and places his chin on the top of her head. "I cannot recall a time in recent memory where I have had such fun with a small boy. He is a delight, Caroline."
Carly smiles as she puts her hands over his. "I'm surprised how fast he's taken to you, Stefan. He didn't even fight when you picked him up tonight."
Stefan kisses the top of her head."Perhaps it was because I was putting him on the pony in front of his mother. I had a distinct advantage."
"No one knows how to capitalize on an advantage the way you do." Carly chuckles at the memory. It was turning out that horses were as therapeutic for her son as they were for her. She almost cried when Michael actually laughed for the first time. "He is such a sucker for horses, isn't he? He wouldn't even let go of that stuffed pony while Leticia was trying to dress him in his jammies. He had it in the crook of his arm when he fell asleep tonight." Carly reaches up behind her and caresses his bearded cheek. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For coming to dinner tonight, for trying so hard with Michael. You don't have to, you know."
"Ah, but I enjoy pleasing Michael as much as I enjoy pleasing his mother." Stefan brushes his mouth against her ear lobe seductively, nipping at the tender skin and causing her to shiver. "Well, almost as much."
Carly turns in his embrace to wrap her arms around his neck. Pressing her body against him fully, she kisses him deeply, telling him with her actions how much she wants him. Finally she breaks off the kiss. Her breathing is uneven. "Stay with me."
Stefan caresses her soft cheek with his fingertips as his lips kiss her closed eyes one by one, then her eyebrows, her cheeks, finally resting on her mouth. "Michael could waken... it would not be right for me to stay." He deepens the kiss until she's clinging to him. "Come to Wyndemere. I'll have the driver bring you home before morning."
Carly whimpers as she forces herself to come down to earth. "I can't leave Michael. I want to be there in case he wakes up. And Nikolas is at Wyndemere tonight anyway, isn't he? Shouldn't you be spending time with him?"
Hating that she is right, Stefan steps away from Carly and holds her hands. "Will I see you tomorrow, then?"
"As if you could keep me away." Carly smiles up at him, her love shining clearly in her eyes. "Maybe in a week or so Michael will be settled enough for a day trip to Wyndemere? Unless you think it's a bad idea..."
"It is an inspired idea." Stefan kisses her forehead one last time. "I better leave before I lose my resolve. Good night."
.
Wyndemere conservatory
Stefan is pouring himself a brandy from an ornate decanter when Nikolas enters the room. "Good Evening, Father."
Stefan smiles over his shoulder . "Hello, Nikolas. I hope you had a productive day. Would you like something? Some brandy or port, perhaps?"
Nikolas takes a seat on one of the love seats. "Brandy, thanks. Among my errands today, I paid a visit to Bobbie this afternoon."
Stefan pauses a moment in pouring their drinks, surprised by Nikolas's announcment. "How is Barbara these days?"
Nikolas accepts the offered brandy snifter. Swirling the amber liquid, he inhales the aroma before taking a sip. "You probably know more about that than I do, Father."
Stefan sits in one of the ornate high back chairs. "Barbara and I are hardly on speaking terms."
"I saw her catch the launch to Wyndemere yesterday, she looked like a woman on a mission." Nikolas eyes Stefan with some suspicion. One of the many things they didn't see eye to eye on was Bobbie. Nikolas sees her as a type of mother figure: warm, compassionate and easy to talk to, and someone he wanted to protect, while his father sees her as a distasteful reminder of a mistake he made, and yet another woman who betrayed him to his worst enemy. It would be his father's style to encourage the hostilities between Carly and the rest of her family.
"It wasn't a particularly civil exchange. As usual, she accused me of some nefarious plot to use Caroline's maternity as revenge against her and her brother." Stefan sips his brandy slowly. "It was quite tedious. So what did Barbara have to say?"
"She was lamenting her lost relationship with Carly. Seems Carly won't even take her calls." Nikolas studies Stefan carefully. "You wouldn't have anything to do with that, I'm sure."
"I do not appreciate what you are insinuating, Nikolas," Stefan answers reproachfully. "And it's just like Barbara to accuse me when she herself is to blame. Even if I were one to interfere, Caroline does exactly as she wishes."
"Bobbie didn't accuse you of anything except being responsible for confirming that Carly is her daughter." Nikolas takes another sip of brandy, deciding to change the subject to one he's given a lot of thought to today. "It's taken me a while, but I realize that Carly is a lot more complicated than I first thought. It's not that I trust her motives where you are concerned, but I'm going to try and keep my mind open about her. She deserves to be given a chance to prove herself."
"I am pleased your conversation with Barbara helped you see Caroline in a new light. For all her other faults, Barbara has always been able to see the good in people. Although," Stefan pauses to take a sip. "It's a bit disconcerting that my own son will listen to anyone before he listens to me."
"It's not that I didn't listen, I just don't believe you see her with an objective eye. Anyone who sees you with Carly would see how smitten you are." Nikolas leans forward as he tries to drive his point home. "I don't want you to get hurt again. Is that a crime?"
Stefan smiles at him warmly, touched to hear how protective Nikolas is. "I believe I can forgive you that."
"I've had a long day, I think it's time I retired." Nikolas rises and places an affectionate hand on Stefan's shoulder. "Good night, Father."
"Good night, Nikolas." Just as Nikolas is disappearing through the door, Stefan calls out, "Give my regards to Miss Bowen-Quartermaine."
Nikolas shakes his head ruefully. Is there anything Father doesn't know about?
.
Late Evening
Carly sits out on the porch steps of her cottage, sipping some cocoa and enjoying the briskness of the spring night air. Much as she likes to consider herself a city girl, down deep she craves the quiet and clean air of country life. It's why she loves horses, because among other things riding gives her an excuse to spend time outside.
Carly breathes in deeply. If this is what happiness feels like then she never wants it to end. Her son is asleep upstairs, safe and getting better every day. She's standing on her own two feet for the first time since she hit Port Charles, and she's love in with a man who cares about her.
If she'd given it any thought beforehand, she probably wouldn't have told Stefan she loved him. But now that she has, she's glad she did. She doesn't have any expectation that he will feel the same way, or that he will ever say he loves her. She knows enough about Stefan to know that's not how he operates. Knowing he cares for her is satisfaction enough. What he gives her is so much more than she ever imagined when she landed on his door step two months ago.
In the distance Carly hears a car coming to a stop. Two months. She never would have dreamed she would be where she is now. Not in two months, not in six months, not even in three years. Now that she has a taste of what a good life truly is, she's never going back to being the helpless reactive girl she was before she entrusted herself to Stefan.
"Carly?" Bobbie steps out of the darkness of the trees to stand in front of Carly. "I took a chance you'd be here."
Frustrated that her moment of peace is slipping away, Carly sips her hot chocolate rather than answer Bobbie immediately . Why did her mother have to show up and ruin her serenity? Okay, so this has been coming for a while, but still, the timing sucks. Not that any time would be good. And it could be worse, like the first time her mother surprised her at the cottage. "You took a chance I wouldn't call the cops."
Bobbie takes a step forward. Her voice is soft, pleading, almost desperate. "I've been trying to call you for days, but you won't take my calls. What else was I supposed to do?"
"I don't know, maybe waited until hell froze over?" Carly's voice is quietly bitter. "That's about the time when I'd be interested in seeing you."
Hearing the ice in Carly's tone hurts Bobbie more than all the anger. Despite her promise to herself not to cry, Bobbie finds herself fighting the urge to weep. "Please, Carly. I want to talk. I know you probably don't believe this, but I love you. I can't leave things like they are."
"So is that why you sent Nikolas over today? To smooth the way for our little conversation tonight?" Carly stands up and turns her back on Bobbie to climb the stairs to the porch landing. "Why don't you adopt him, Bobbie? You two have a lot in common. He needs a mother as much as you need a child. He thinks you're the perfect mother, and I'm sure he's the perfect child. You two even agree about me. You both think I'm a lying tramp."
Bobbie swallows the lump in her throat. How could she even begin to heal all the hurt and bitterneess between them? "Whatever else you think of me, I didn't send Nikolas over here. If he came, he came under his own steam. I'm not a coward, Carly. I fix the messes I make."
"So is that what I am? A mess for you to fix?" Carly drops into the creeky porch swing angrily. "News flash, Bobbie. I'm not a mess anymore. You see, I have everything I've ever wanted, not that I have my family to thank for it. I have sole custody of my son, I have a good job, a house of my own, and a man who cares about me. What would I possibly want with a mother who treats me like a mess she has to fix?"
"That isn't what I meant at all!" Bobbie brushes furiously at the tears falling from her eyes. "I remember every horrible thing I said to you during the time I thought you weren't my daughter! I'm ashamed of myself, Carly, those things I said were cruel. At night, when I close my eyes I see your face after I hit you. You were crying..." Bobbie squeezes her eyes shut to keep from sobbing. "I would do anything to take it back, to take back every mean word I ever said to you."
Crossing her arms, Carly looks at floorboards of the porch rather than at Bobbie, knowing if she did, she'd start to cry herself. Her voice is flat and emotionless. "It's too late. Every bit of love I had for you died when you hit me. Just go, Bobbie. You don't have a daughter anymore."
Tears streaming down her face, Bobbie puts her closed fist over heart. "In here, deep in my heart, you were always my daugher. No matter what anyone said, no matter what I said or did, I never stopped loving you. And I never will. You will always be my daughter, Carly. And I'm never ever giving up on you again." She quietly turns and walks away.
Carly watches her mother's retreating back as a solitary tear streaks down her cheek.
Chapter 52
The Cassadine Summer Retreat.
On a sumptuous king sized bed in the master suite, a satiated Nikolas lies with Emily cuddled against him. Pressing a kiss into her hair, he sighs contentedly. "This is a touch of heaven."
With her eyes still closed, Emily snuggles closer to Nikolas. "Definitely better than the boat house. I wish I didn't have to leave at all tonight. But if I'm not back by eleven, I'll be in sooo much trouble."
"I don't suppose your parents would accept an overnight study session?" Nikolas suggests hopefully, stroking her soft brown hair tenderly.
"Not on a week night, though I might be able to arrange something for the weekend." Emily runs her fingers through the soft fur on his chest. "How did you get your father to agree to let you use this place?"
"Who said I asked?" Nikolas grins. "The less my father knows the better. Though somehow he figured out I'm seeing you. On my way to 'bed' tonight he told me to give you his regards."
"How did he find out? Do you think he has someone watching us?" Emily wonders, then quickly puts the pieces together. "Oh, Carly probably told him."
"That would make sense since I jumped to your defense a couple weeks ago when she came for a visit with Michael. Even so, it's best to keep a low profile." Nikolas says, recalling the fiascoes with Sarah, Katherine, and even his infatuation with Robin. His father couldn't seem to help himself. "If he thinks we're serious, he'll won't be able to stop from interfering, and then we're in for real trouble. But as long as he thinks were having a fling, we're pretty safe."
"Well that shouldn't be hard to pull off since you'll be going back to Oxford at the end of the month." Emily whimpers into his chest. "I can't believe we only have a couple weeks."
"I'm not going back," Nikolas announces casually.
"What?!" Emily is incredulous, not sure if she should be ecstatic that he's staying or miffed because he didn't tell her before. "When did you decide this? And why am I just finding out now?"
Nikolas rolls her on top so her legs straddle him and plants drugging kisses on her lips and throat. "Because you're so attentive when you think I'm leaving....."
Laughing at his outrageousness, Emily punches him in the shoulder causing Nikolas to yelp. "You pig! You are such a guy! Who else knows you're sticking around?"
"No one. I swear, you're the first to know." Nikolas grabs her hands to prevent any further damage. " When I enrolled in Oxford, I thought I needed distance from my father to be my own person. I know now that running away doesn't solve any problems. The best place for me is here." Pinning her hands behind her back, he molds her body to his as his lips lead a smoldering trail down her throat. "And most of all, I don't want to go back to Oxford without you." Nikolas rolls her over onto her back. "Think you can forgive me for being a 'guy'?"
Emily moans blissfully as Nikolas's tongue trails lower and lower. "Mmmmm, Keep doing that and I think I could forgive you for anything. Damn you are just too good at that, you know?"
Sitting up in bed with a book in his lap, Stefan answers the ringing phone at his bedside. Only one person would call him this late. "Hello, Caroline."
He smiles when he hears her sigh on the other end. "Am I really that predictable?" She asks.
"Only because I know you so well. I am surprised you aren't already asleep." Stefan puts the book on the bedside table and sits up more fully. "Is something troubling you?"
How well he knows her, and the fact causes tears come to her eyes. Nothing like understanding to make her spill her guts. "I saw Bobbie tonight. She caught me on the front steps so I had to talk to her."
Hearing the sadness in her voice has Stefan swinging his legs out of the bed and breaking his promise not to spend the night at Carly's. "Shall I come over?"
"No, I'm fine," Carly says with grim determination. She was going to be fine if it killed her. She wasn't going to get crazy like before. "Our conversation wasn't like the last time. And I refuse to let her get to me anymore."
Stefan can hear the brittle edge to Carly's voice. He can sense that sheer willpower is the only thing that is keeping her from crying. She feels things too deeply, it was one of the many things he loves about her. He can't let her deny her true feelings, not when it is this important, not when it involves more than just her relationship with Bobbie. "Caroline..."
"I mean it. I don't have a mother! What do I need with one anyway?" At Stefan's silence, Carly bursts out. "What? What?! Say it!"
"What is the point of my saying something you don't want to hear?" Stefan asks patiently.
Carly can't stand it. "Just say it, okay! I promise I'll listen."
Stefan's voice is low and intimate, and annoyingly reasonable. "You are forgetting I was there, I know exactly how much Barbara means to you. Denying it will not help you."
"And what do I get when I admit how I feel?" Carly rants. "Kicked in the teeth! I'm tired of it. I don't care how sorry she is, I don't need her kind of love."
"Is that how you felt before Peyser lied on the stand?"
"I didn't know any better back then. I thought she cared about me and Michael! I thought she loved us. But even then she looked down her nose at everything I did. Michael and I don't need that!"
Stefan changes his tactics. "Then you are right to cut her out of your life. If Barbara would be so low as to insult you in front of your son, you shouldn't let her get anywhere near Michael."
Carly bites her lip uncertainly. "Michael.... Michael loves Bobbie."
This time Stefan is adamant. "Don't second guess yourself, Caroline. Michael is too fragile, and your relationship with him is too tenuous to withstand Barbara's bitterness. Obviously Barbara would be a poor influence on Michael."
Carly sighs. "I hate when you do that."
A small smile crosses his face. She's getting it. "What exactly did I do?"
"Make me see logic. Here I was just thinking of me, and what I wanted. When I should be thinking about what's best for Michael."
"Shouldn't what's best for you be what's best for Michael?"
"Bobbie would cut her heart out before she'd do anything to hurt Michael or my relationship with him," Carly admits.
"And how can you be so certain of that?" Stefan asks.
"Back when Michael was born, even before she knew I was her daughter, she helped me bond with Michael." She fiddles with the phone cord as she recalls that emotional time. "I had a real bad case of post partum depression. I took off right after Michael was born. Then when I came back, I was afraid to hold him. Bobbie.. God, she trudged through a blizzard with me so I could hold my son for the first time." The tears in Carly's eyes spill over. "Whatever else I think of her, she's a good grandmother to Michael."
"And Michael should have his grandmother," Stefan surmises.
"Yeah, he should." For the thousandth time Carly thanks the stars for Stefan. How clearly he made her see the important issues. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
Stefan leans back against the pillows of his bed and closes his eyes. "Hmm, I could stand to hear it again. How about you come to Wyndemere tomorrow morning and show me in person?"
11:15pm
Emily slips through the front door of the mansion, being careful to close the door quietly behind her. With a little luck her parents are already asleep and they won't know she's few minutes late for her curfew. Just as Emily is tiptoeing up the steps to her room, she hears a voice behind her.
"You're late again."
Her heart dropping into her stomach, Emily turns around to face her mother. "I can explain."
"Imagine my surprise when I called up Allison's Grandmother and found out Allison wasn't there, and neither were you." Monica crosses her arms disapprovingly. "I wish you felt you could trust me and your father with the truth, Emily. Why didn't you just tell us you were going to see AJ? We would have understood."
Monica walks into the Quartermaine living room with a relieved Emily trailing behind her. "I... I'm sorry I made you worry, Mom."
Monica sits on the sofa and pats the space next to her for Emily to sit down. "How is AJ? He's not drinking, is he? Oh God, if he starts drinking again, I don't know what we'll do."
Emily sits down next to Monica. "I think AJ is going to be okay, Mom. He hasn't been drinking and he seems pretty adamant about staying sober. He's taking responsibility for what's happened. Those have to be good signs."
Monica breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Em. I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear that." She notices one of Michael's small stuffed toys under a chair and reaches for it. She rubs it against her cheek sadly. "I can't believe how much I miss him already, Emily. And to think it might be years before any of us get to see him again."
"I know, I miss him too, Mom." Emily reaches over and takes the stuffed toy out of Monica's hands. "You know what I miss most? The way he used to put his arms around my neck. He smells so good after his bath." Emily brushes a tear from the corner of her eye.
"You were the only one besides Leticia that he'd let hold him. And if Carly has anything to say about it, we'll never see him." Monica shakes her head sadly. "After all everything that girl has done to AJ and this family, how could a judge give her sole custody of that little boy!"
"A judge didn't give her sole custody Mom," Emily points out. "AJ settled. And he did it to stay out of jail. What AJ did to Carly was wrong. He didn't just try and protect Michael, he tried to destroy Carly, and he almost succeeded. Carly was within her rights to have him arrested. He's lucky she's being reasonable at all. AJ has the courage to admit it, to take responsibility for what he's done. And we need to follow his lead and accept our responsibility."
"Reasonable?" Monica snorts. "Carly doesn't have a reasonable bone in her body! As for taking responsibility, has she taken responsibility for anything she's done? She dumped AJ into a laundry cart and poured booze all over him to make him believe he started drinking; she lied for months about who was the father of her child, and then she set Jason up to be arrested! She doesn't care who she hurts to get what she wants."
"I'm not saying that what Carly did was right," Emily argues. "I hate what she did to my brothers and I probably won't ever be able to forgive her for it. But everything I've learned about her from listening to Jason and AJ, points to the fact that Carly pulled those stunts because she was scared. She really believed that with the Quartermaine money and power at his fingertips, AJ would take her son away from her forever." Emily throws up her hands for dramatic affect. "And guess what? She was right! The first chance AJ got, he took Michael away and never had any intention of letting her see him again. Maybe if he'd been fair to begin with, we would still have a chance to be a part of Michael's life."
"You sound like you're defending what she's done," Monica accuses. She always counted on having Emily in her corner when fighting Carly. And now it seems she lost her ally. "You sound like you're on her side now."
"I'm not on anyone's side but Michael's. I've done a lot of thinking, Mom. I've thought about what Carly's done to our family, and I've thought about what this family has done to her. And it seems to me what she's done to cut us out of Michael's life is no different than what we've tried to do to her. How can we blame her for doing exactly what we have done ourselves?"
"AJ may have gone too far when he went for custody of Michael, and I'll admit Edward can be bloodthirsty, but the rest of the family hasn't done anything to Carly."
Emily looks at her hands in shame, remembering how she low she stooped to get to Carly. "I'm ashamed to admit this, Mom, but a few weeks ago I tried to provoke Carly into hitting me." At Monica's horrified look, Emily shakes her head. "No, she didn't hurt me. But I wanted to make her look bad to the court psychologist so they wouldn't let her near Michael. It took a long talk with my good friend Nikolas to make me realize how wrong that was. You know what I did after that? I watched Carly with Michael, and you know what I saw? I saw how much she loves him, Mom. And She's good with him. You only have to open your eyes to see how much she loves that little boy. And when I put my personal feelings aside, I know being with Carly is what's best for Michael."
"So that's it? You're going to trust Carly to take care of Michael?" Monica throws her hands up in defeat. "Just like that?"
"I'm not going to abandon him, Mom," Emily assures her mother. "I take my duties as his Godmother very seriously. Which is why I'm going to find a way to make peace with Carly so I can keep seeing him."
"And how are you going to do that? Carly hates you." As much as Monica hates to admit, she's envious of the idea that Emily might get to see Michael when she herself doesn't stand a chance.
"I'm going to start by asking Jason for advice," Emily says with fierce determination. "He knows her the best of all of us. But I'm not giving up. Not as long as Michael needs me."
The next morning at Kelly's Diner
Emily takes the seat across from Jason. "Thanks for meeting me, Jason."
Jason being Jason, he gets right down to business. "It sounded important. Is everything okay with Grandmother?"
Tammy drops off menus and takes their orders for coffee and tea. Once Tammy's gone, Emily answers Jason. "She's fine. Sad because Michael is gone and AJ moved out the mansion, but she's taking the news as well as expected. I actually wanted to talk about Michael."
Jason leans forward at the mention of Michael. "Have you heard something? Is something wrong with Michael?"
"No, not that I know of. Actually that's the problem. Now that Carly has custody of Michael, I haven't seen him." Emily looks down at her fidgeting hands and then back up at Jason. "I miss him, Jason. I just thought since you know Carly the best of us, you might be able to help."
Jason leans back and shakes his head. "If I could I would, Emily, but Carly and I haven't been on speaking terms since she had me arrested. She just started letting me see Michael again."
Emily's eyes widen with wonder. "You're seeing Michael? Really? Oh Jason, that's great news! Michael has missed you sooo much. How did your first visit go?"
Jason makes a so-so sign. "Rough, but he's getting used to me again. Not like before, but I think he's glad to see me."
"Well I certainly don't want to do anything to get in the way of you seeing Michael," Emily gushes, already feeling more hopeful than she did before. Last night when she told her mother what she planned to do, she had no idea how she was going to make it happen. And while she still no idea what she's going to do, the fact that Jason is already seeing Michael is excellent news.
"I'm sorry, Em. If I thought she'd listen to me, I'd try to smooth the way. But my first priority has to be Michael, and I don't want to jeopardize that." Jason thanks Tammy when she delivers their hot drinks. Taking a sip of the scalding coffee, Jason shakes his head sadly. "I never thought it would come to this, where I would have to watch what I say and put up with someone I despise just to see Michael."
Emily reaches out and covers his hand to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Jason. Of all the rotten things she's done, getting you arrested was the lowest."
"Thing is, I would have forgiven her if it'd just been me she messed with. But Sonny and Michael got caught too. And Michael is just a little kid, and I promised him I'd protect him no matter what." Jason gets a tortured look. "She made it so I couldn't protect him. I know AJ manipulated her, but I can't forgive what she did."
Emily squeezes his hand. "I'm sorry, Jason. I know how it must have killed you to be locked up and not be able to take care of Michael like you promised."
Jason looks back at her gratefully. "Knowing you, Leticia, and Grandmother were looking out for him kept me from losing it more than a few times. Thanks."
"There's no reason to thank me, I've just been trying to keep the promise I made at Michael's christening. And I'm going to keep protecting him as long he needs me to," Emily adds firmly.
"I knew I picked right when I picked you to be his Godmother, Em." Jason gives her a rare warm smile. "Listen, I may not be able to talk to Carly for you, but I'll give you this advice. The best way to approach Carly is to be straight and honest. Keep the conversation and the situation as non-threatening as you can. If she senses hostility or a hidden agenda, she'll attack first and ask questions later."
**** NC-17 Portion Skip if you find this content offensive**** "Yes, that is correct, Mr Yoshuri, I was recently appointed CEO of ELQ," Stefan says into the phone. He glances up to see Carly leaned up against the doorway, smiling at him seductively. He waves her in. "The hows and whys are less important than what strengths I bring to a company the size of ELQ. You see, now that ELQ is stabilizing, it is poised to expand into the Japanese pharmaceutical markets. We would prefer to have a mutually beneficial relationship with your company, but I am prepared to move forward without you."
Carly comes up behind Stefan's chair and embraces him from behind. Nuzzling his neck, Carly parts his suit coat and rubs her hands avariciously over his shirt-covered chest. Stefan doesn't miss a beat in spite of the distraction. "Excellent. I will have my assistant reserve a suite for you at the Port Charles Hotel.... I will meet you then." Stefan turns the phone off and tosses it onto his desk just as Carly starts unbuttoning his shirt. Turning quickly, he grabs her around the waist and drags her into his lap. "You, My Darling, are incorrigible."
"Hi, did you miss me?" Carly asks breathlessly. Stefan answers by framing her face with his hands and kissing her deeply. Carly makes quick work of his shirt, murmuring her pleasure as her hands caress his lightly furred chest. "I just thought I'd get an early start on my promise last night."
Stefan stills her hands when she reaches for his belt. "Not here, not this morning. I want you in my bed."
Carly stands and tugs on Stefan's hand to pull him to his feet. "It might take a while..."
"I am counting on it taking all morning." Stefan lifts her into his arms and carries her through the opened door and up the steps to his bedroom. Placing a knee on the bed, he lays her gently down in the middle. Her mouth finds his automatically as her hands cup his bearded cheek tenderly. Her tongue slips between his lips, stroking the inside of mouth in the way she knows gives him pleasure.
This simple intimacy is one of many things he missed on the nights he was apart from her. Her kiss, her sensuous touch, a mixture of tenderness and fierce passion. It left him wanting so much more. With the back of his hand he strokes her throat up to her chin, then back down again. His fingers part her blouse revealing a delicate silk blue camisole underneath. Grazing the fabric with a feather-like touch, he smiles when she gasps and her nipples harden. With a flick of his wrist he slips one spaghetti strap off her shoulder revealing one perfectly rounded breast to his ardent gaze.
Stefan looks up at her passion-filled eyes. "Beautiful, you are so beautiful Caroline."
Finding it hard to breath, Carly runs her free hand through his hair. "I thought I was supposed to be showing my love and gratitude..."
"Ah, but this is why it will take all morning." Stefan's tongue grazes the nipple of her bare breast, pleased when he hears her gasp and arch her back. He loves to tease her, to make her crazy for him before he took her over the edge. If he had his druthers they would spend the entire day in bed. Stefan slips the other strap off her shoulders so that she's naked to the waist. Propping himself up on his elbows, his fingers caress the tips of breasts before making a leisurely patterns on the creamy white skin. "You were made for my touch, Caroline. So sensual, so passionate. The more I touch you, the more I want to touch you. Addictive. Tell me, is it the same for you?"
Carly's full bodied laugh is choked off when his mouth fastens on one of her breasts and suckles. Heat pours through her body, moving from the center outward. Her whole body is aflame with passion that rises even higher when he moves to the other breast and gives is the same treatment. Finally dragging a breath into her lungs, she answers shakily, "God, you drive me insane..."
"Good," Stefan answers as he rises to his knees above her. With one caressing hand he strokes her bare stomach, her breasts, and finally her face. His fingers memorize the curves of her face, the outline of her eyes, mouth, everything. "Insane is exactly how I feel."
Carly makes quick work of his belt and slacks until he is completely nude. Gazing ravenously at his beautiful physique she laughs. "For once I am more dressed than you."
A smile tugs at Stefan's lips as his hand slips up her skirt and rubs against her damp underwear. "It was bound to happen sometime." With his fingers he moves the cloth aside and strokes her swollen clitoris until she writhing helplessly underneath. Sharp fingernails score his back. "How hot and wild you are, I don't even need to undress you. But we found that out the first time we made love, didn't we?"
"Stefan--" Carly gulps for air as his mouth descends on her breasts again. Stefan' tongue swirls expertly over the sensitive tips, at times suckling, and times nipping until she's crying out insensibly. Just as she's sure she can't go higher she feels him enter her with one smooth stroke. Instinctively she rises to meet him, driving him deeper still. She opens her eyes to see him gazing at her intensely, an almost pained look on his face. But she knows it isn't pain he feels, but emotion and need mixed, overwhelming and indescribable. Returning his gaze, she cups his face with her hands, communicating silently over and over again: I love you, Stefan, I love you.
A moment later Carly cries out as her climax peaks and she feels herself floating on wave upon wave, suspended from reality by the pleasure of the moment. Feeling the muscles inside her clench and unclench around him, Stefan joins her in the climax with a shout of pleasure before collapsing on top of her.
More NC-17 Later.
Stefan lays on his stomach, with his head on his hands and his eyes closed. He smiles when he feels Carly's hands travel up his back, followed by her lips and tongue. "I thought you needed a nap?" He inquires.
"I lied." Completely nude, Carly lays on top of Stefan. Her tongue darts around his ear, tantalizing and teasing, while her palms slide down the backs of his arms. "You taste incredibly good, Stefan."
"I'm glad you think so. I happen to think you are delicious." Stefan groans when she nips his earlobe. "Keep that up and there will be retribution."
"I certainly hope so." Carly chuckles in his ear, her hands sliding back up his arms and down his sides. Her fingernails score him slightly in a move designed to inflame him.
Stefan keeps his eyes closed, finding it increasingly difficult to play possum. His hands itch to touch her, to end the game but he's enjoying her tease too much, the way he breasts graze his back, the feel her hot breath on his skin. "Careful what you hope for."
Carly slides her tongue along his spine. "I want to taste all of you, Stefan."
Stefan turns over suddenly and grabs her hands. Wrapping her arms around his neck so she's lying on top of him, he captures her mouth with his for a long drugging kiss.
Carly grins when she feels him press against her thigh."You want me."
"Has there ever been any doubt?" Stefan's hands cup her bottom and squeeze while his mouth finds the sensitive hollow of her throat.
Carly chuckles. "Usually I'm too enthralled to notice." She groans when his teeth graze her ear. "You're doing it again, as a matter of fact."
Stefan stills. "Am I now?"
Carly smiles at his scowl of annoyance. "Yes, you are. You are a master of seduction, it's one of the many reasons I love you. But it's my turn."
Stefan looks at her skeptically. "Your turn?"
Carly unwraps her arms from around his neck and props herself up on his chest. "Yes, my turn to seduce you."
Stefan smiles suddenly. "Ah, but I'm already seduced. All I have to do is look at your luscious body and your smiling face and I'm at your mercy." His hands slide up her back to cup her head. Keeping it still, he proceeds to kiss her thoroughly until she's groaning against his mouth. "How could you doubt your power?"
"Then why am I always the one begging for you to take me, hmmm?"
Stefan's grin widens. "Because I like it that way?"
It takes every bit of self control for Carly not to bust out laughing. "You are SO bad, Stefan Cassadine."
Stefan runs the pad of his thumb along her swollen lips. "I have a sneaking suspicion you are trying to tell me you want your way with me."
Carly captures his thumb in her mouth and sucks on it. Stefan is sure her goal is to drive him insane. "Bingo."
Freeing his thumb, he trails it down her throat, satisfied when she gasps as it touches one of her nipples. "And you aren't going to let this go until I agree, are you?"
"And people say you are thick headed." At Stefan's mock glower Carly backtracks. "Kidding, just kidding!"
"You better be." Stefan trails kisses down her throat as he ponders her request. Finally he relents. "Very well, Caroline. You may 'have your way' with me."
Carly gives a little squeal of delight. Rising to her knees she runs her nails down his leanly muscled chest and across his wash board stomach. He's beautiful and he's mine. She alternates kisses, licks and nips all over his body.
Just when he's sure he'll go crazy from the torture of her touch, he feels her mouth on his penis. It's official, he groans. I'm insane.
Carly tongue licks the tip of his penis and she smiles when she feels him practically shake with the tension in his body. Feeling her power, she slides her hands along his thighs then surrounds him with her mouth all the way down to the base. Before she can move, his hands are on the back of her head, stilling her.
Stefan gulps air into his lungs. "Caroline--" He rasps. Swallowing once, he lets go of her head. He trusts her, he can do this. It's important to her, and if he's honest with himself, it's important to him too.
Carly's mouth slides up and down his length slowly at first, reveling in the power she has to give him pleasure, to make him tremble at her touch, and in the trust he's given her. She quickly finds a rhythm that has him groaning with pleasure.
Stefan buries his fingers in her hair and wraps the strands around his fingers, the pleasure and torture mixed is incredible. The drive to bury himself inside her is strong, but he ignores it. He would let Carly decide how it ended, and he had to admit she was taking him to places he'd never been. He didn't want it to end, her mouth was delicious, just as he knew it would be.
Climbing to his climax finally, Stefan attempts to pull her away but she wouldn't have any of it. Tenaciously she increases her pace until he can't control himself. With a shout he explodes in her mouth.
Carly swallows it eagerly, licking him clean and relishing the knowledge that she gave him such pleasure. She kisses him stomach reverently, not wanting this intimacy to end. Never had she loved a man more than she loves Stefan at this moment.
Weak and panting, Stefan pulls her against him so their faces meet. "Caroline, I---"
Carly kisses him silent. "Don't you dare say it was anything but incredible, Stefan. Even if you have to lie."
Stefan closes his eyes, her vehemence a sweet balm, his guilt evaporating quickly. "There is no need to lie, it was indescribable.. powerful... even a bit frightening. What is the American phrase... 'Mind Blowing'?"
Carly chuckles laying her head in the crook of his shoulder and her thigh across his waist. "Good answer."
With one finger a still breathless Stefan lifts her chin for a kiss. "Thank you. Such a gift...."
"Stop!" Carly cuts off his words with a kiss. "There's just one thing you need to know."
"What's that?"
Carly runs a lone fingernail down his chest to his torso. "I've been left a little frustrated, see..."
Laughing, Stefan squeezes the breath out of her. "You are incorrigible!"
Carly blushes. "Well, yeah..."
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