Chapter 53


Standing at his kitchen counter after an invigorating run, AJ takes a sip out of his water bottle. The front of his t-shirt is saturated with perspiration and a white towel is draped along his neck. The phone rings and AJ picks it up on the first ring. "Hello."

Adrian's voice, smooth and professional, carries over the phone lines. "AJ, took some doing tracking you down."

"Sorry about that. Been busy re-prioritizing my life." AJ takes another swig from his water bottle.

"Speaking of priorities, I'm surprised I don't have the custody agreement I drew up with Carly's lawyer on my desk with your signature on it. I would think that would be at the top of the list."

AJ wipes his brow with the towel that's around his neck. "Yeah, well I'm sorry if you're disappointed that I'm not jumping up and down to sign away rights to my kid. I'll get to it."

There is a moment of silence on Adrian's end, before he finally says, "You haven't even read the custody agreement."

"Not yet," AJ admits. "I was a bit... held up last night, and when I finally did get free, I couldn't bring myself to look at it. After the terrible night I had, I figured what's the rush? I already knew what was in it."

"You have no idea?" His professional demeanor momentarily suspended, Adrian swears under his breath. "AJ, I insist you read it right now while I'm on the phone."

AJ reaches for the large manila envelope that Adrian had delivered to him last night. He breaks the seal, but hesitates before pulling it out of the envelope. "How bad is it, Adrian?"

Adrian grits his teeth. "READ it. I summarized the salient points on the cover sheet."

"Okay, Okay." AJ takes a deep breath as he pulls out the document. What could be worse than having no contact with my son? Could she be demanding that I give up all claim to Michael? Even the right to be called his father? AJ forces himself to read and as he does his mouth hangs open in disbelief. "Is this some sort of joke, Adrian?"

"No, it's not a joke. Margo and Carly were very specific about that. You see why I want this signed immediately? Until you sign it, she can change her mind and have it modified."

AJ clamps his mouth shut. "I'll be in your office in ten minutes."



The Cassadine Summer Retreat

Words are unnecessary for the lovers as they walk hand in hand to the front door. Emily in street clothes and Nikolas dressed only in a royal blue silk robe, pause on the landing. Tugging her hand, Nikolas pulls her towards him. Emily grasps the lapels of his silk robe as their lips meet for a lingering kiss. Nikolas' hands cup her chin, his thumbs stroking her throat seductively.

Emily parts from him reluctantly. "You're not making this easy," She says softly.

"That's the whole point," Nikolas replies while nibbling on her earlobe.

"This shouldn't be that hard..." Emily's eyes close as his hot breath sends shivers down her spine. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"But that's too long," Nikolas answers, his mouth capturing hers again for another kiss that goes on and on. Emily sags against him.

When Nikolas' hands travel under her sweater, Emily breaks the kiss. "I have to go, I do. I promised Grandmother I would be home for dinner. Now that AJ has moved out...."

Nikolas sighs and takes a step away from her and opens the door. "Call me when you go to bed tonight?"

Emily's eyes twinkle in response to his suggestion. "Count on it." She crosses the threshold of the door, then halts again, turning back to Nikolas for one last quick kiss.

Nikolas stands at the doorway to watch Emily drive off before closing the door. Cinching the robe more tightly around his waist, Nikolas' heart leaps into his throat when he hears a voice behind him.

"Obviously, She is as taken with you are you are with her."

Recovering quickly, and shock being replaced by blinding fury, Nikolas turns to face his father who is standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "What in the hell are you doing here?!"

"I would think it would be obvious." Ignoring Nikolas' murderous look, Stefan walks towards the living room. "The precautions you take are abysmal. Anyone could walk in here without you being the wiser."

"You invade my privacy and you are scolding me?!" Nikolas' voice rises quickly as he trails after Stefan. "You had no right breaking in here like this. What if Emily had seen you?! She would have been mortified!"

"Which is precisely why I waited until she left. I have no desire to frighten off your friend." Stefan helps himself to a drink from the liquor cart." I can't say that your Grandmother would be as courteous. And since I am the Regent, I am the one who manages the Cassadine holdings. I ought to be informed if you are making use of one of the residences. If for no other reason, to be sure security is maintained."

"Let me repeat it again," Nikolas says with painfully precise pronunciation. "I want some privacy! I am a grown man and I deserve to be able to lead my life as I choose. This is exactly why I enrolled at Oxford in the first place. Are you trying to drive me away again?"

Stefan stands toe to toe with Nikolas, not the least bit ashamed of what he's done. "I'm trying to ensure your safety, Nikolas. And since you won't listen to reason, I am forced to take drastic measures."

"I'm perfectly safe, Father. There is no threat to me. This is just an excuse to interfere in my life!" Nikolas takes the liquor glass out of Stefan's hand. "What is it going to take to make you understand you can't control me?!"

"This is not about controlling you," Stefan asserts. "You are not safe and that's why I am here this afternoon. For one, to demonstrate that anyone could gain access to you and you wouldn't know until it was too late. This is why I have always insisted on guards. It is why our properties have security systems."

"This paranoia is too much, Father. Why are you hitting the panic button all of a sudden? Why couldn't this wait until I came back to Wyndemere?"

"Because Helena has disappeared. If you are not worried for yourself, can you at least see the need for caution where Emily is concerned? If Helena decides to make Emily a target, how will you protect her?"

"What do you mean, she's disappeared?" Nikolas asks quickly. "Where was she last?"

"The men I have watching her lost sight of her in the Mediterranean about a week ago. Which means she could be anywhere by now, and be up to anything. If she has spies watching you, it won't take her long to figure out how much Emily means to you. She would not hesitate to use the girl to get to you." Stefan crosses his arms in front of him, the vision of an autocratic parent. "Do you see now why I came?"

"At the moment all I can see is that you are using Helena's disappearance as an excuse to do what you want to do, which is put me back under your thumb!" Nikolas blasts. "If this was really urgent, you would have called me on my cell phone. This was about you keeping tabs on me, showing me that I can't sneeze without you knowing about it."

"If you had checked your voice mail today," Stefan says calmly. "You would know that you turned your cell phone off."

Nikolas blinks once, remembering now that he had made a point of turning off his cell phone when Emily arrived. Damn. "You left me a message."

"Hours ago. I am offended that you see me as so uncouth as to relish interrupting your private time with Ms Quartermaine." Stefan shakes his head ruefully before turning away. "Can we dispense with the accusations so we may discuss security for yourself and your paramour?"

Nikolas bristles. "Emily is not my paramour...."

Stefan continues without missing a beat. "I would imagine she would need protection for the next week or so at the minimum, until you return to school. As for you, I already have a team on their way to England to upgrade the security system at your apartment..."

Nikolas pours himself a glass of water. "That isn't necessary."

Stefan stops short. "What do you mean it isn't necessary? Oxford would provide Helena many excellent opportunities...."

"It's not necessary because I'm not returning to Oxford." Nikolas takes a long sip, relishing the bewilderment on Stefan's face.. "At least not permanently."



With a phone nestled in the crook of her shoulder and the conversation well underway, Carly walks around the living room picking up toys and tossing them into a large plastic tub in the corner. "Oh gosh, Vincent. I don't think I can get free tomorrow morning. I promised Michael we'd go to the park and feed the ducks first thing."

"How is the little cherub? Enjoying his new home?" Vincent asks.

A smile of genuine contentment spreads across Carly's face. "Yeah, I think he is. He's sleeping better and smiling more. He was Mister Chatterbox in his bath last night. I think it's going to work out just fine."

"That's terrific, Hon!" Vincent answers enthusiastically. "I just knew he'd flourish under your tender loving care." Getting back to business, Vincent flips through his date book. "Listen, I really want you to see this new project at the Rollingford estate. I am convinced that Madam Rollingford would appreciate your aesthetic taste. How about Thursday afternoon? I bet the little tyke will need a nap in the afternoon."

"Thursday afternoon will be perfect. Thanks for being flexible." The door bell rings and Carly strides across the living room to answer it. "Hold on a sec, I have a visitor." Without looking in the peephole, Carly opens the door and immediately regrets it because AJ is standing on her doorstep. Resisting the urge to slam the door in his face or swear profusely, Carly's eyes narrow before she turns away to go back to her work desk to grab a pencil and paper. "Vincent, why don't you give me the address and I'll meet you there around one... Great. Thanks. I'll see you then."

Carly carefully places the handset back in it's cradle before turning to face AJ. All the anger she was forced to swallow in the lawyer's office surges up full force. She's steaming mad when she faces AJ, who is standing just inside the door. "You are some piece of work, you know that? How dare you show up at my house uninvited. Do you realize Michael is right upstairs? Do you really want him to see his father arrested? Hasn't he been through enough?"

AJ's voice is soft and his stance is non-threatening. "I made sure I came when he'd be asleep. I don't want him upset anymore than you do. He is asleep, isn't he?"

"And if he wasn't, would you leave?" Carly demands angrily. "I bet you counted on the fact that I wouldn't want Michael to see you being handcuffed. You are a user, AJ. You use whatever you can to get what you want."

"I didn't come here to fight, Carly," AJ implores, his tone conciliatory. "I didn't even come here to see Michael. I came here to thank you... I thought..."

"That's your problem, AJ. You don't think enough. You dare to show up at my home after what you've done to me and my son? You should be in jail right now. Heck, I should call up Taggert right now and have you arrested." Carly leans forward, her eyes blazing as she puts her face directly in AJ's. "You did everything you could to ruin my life! You made sure I had nothing after you were done with me."

"What I did was horrible," AJ answers quietly, with a hint of fear in his voice. If Carly hit him, he could take that. He could take just about anything she did, but if he blew this, if he lost access to Michael, he didn't know he'd do. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to cut me out of Michael's life."

"Oh, now that I am in control of the access to Michael, you're having an attack of conscience, huh? You want to be reasonable. Even though you did everything you could to keep me from seeing Michael." Carly's voice rises. "Now you're sorry? Isn't that just a little too convenient? I don't believe for one minute you're sorry. If you had to do it over again, you would. Admit it. Be honest for once in your pathetic life."

AJ looks at the floor, ashamed of the man he's become. A man he never wanted to be. He could have had so much more than supervised visitation if he'd been able to look beyond his own selfish wants to see what was best for Michael. "A week ago, that was true. I felt I was justified in what I did to keep you away from our son." AJ swallows hard as he thinks of Michael. "But in the last few days it's become clear to me, I let down Michael when I paid Peyser to lie on the stand. I let Michael down when I tried to keep you from seeing him. I let down Michael every time I used him as an excuse to do what I wanted to do."

Carly is so furious she hardly hears what AJ is saying. Her whole body seems to vibrate. Watching AJ, hearing his voice brings out all the anger, the hatred, the frustration... even the grief. Grief at everything she's lost. She wants to strike out, to have retribution for his ruining her life. She may have decided not to send him to jail, but she wants her pound of flesh. Unable to be still any longer, she starts to pace the length of the living room. Anything to keep herself from hitting him. "You are a pathetic excuse for a human being, AJ. You didn't just try to keep me away from Michael, you set out to destroy my life! I lost my son, my family, my friends, everything because of your lies. God, just looking at you makes me sick."

AJ watches Carly pace, at a loss of what to say. How does he make her see that he knows how wrong he was? How does he show her how grateful he is that she hasn't shut him out of Michael's life? He's afraid if he says anything more, she'll tell her lawyer she's changed her mind. The clause in the custody agreement gives her the power to suspend visitation for any reason. Knowing in his heart there is nothing he can say that will make a dent in the damage he's done, he decides to stand quietly and let her say her piece.

Carly comes to a stop in front of him again. While the fury is still evident in her blazing eyes, she is very much in control. She schools her voice to almost a whisper. "You aren't worth the putrid air you breathe. You aren't even worth a single thought. If it weren't for Michael, I would let you rot in some forgotten cell."

AJ swallows hard at the soft threatening tone in Carly's voice. It was worse than her screaming. "I know that."

"You know, I've considered ways to make you pay. At first, I wanted you in jail, what better way to make you pay for what you've done? But then I thought, no, there are worse ways to make you suffer." Carly crosses her arms in front of her chest and tosses her head back to look directly at him. "Tell me, which would be worse? Knowing from the start that you have nothing to live for, or hoping for a future then having it evaporate before your eyes? Could you take the disappointment? That every time you think you have a shot of happiness, to have to ripped away from you at the last minute?"

"You deserve whatever you get, AJ. You deserve to lose everything, not just ELQ and custody of Michael. You deserve to lose the love and support of your family. You deserve to lie in the gutter with your hands wrapped around your only friend, a bottle of Stoli; your clothes stinking of booze, your eyes bloodshot. That's really what you deserve. Prison would actually be too nice for you." She pokes him sharply in the chest. "But then I don't really need to lift a finger, do I? Because you are your own worst enemy. You won't be able to help yourself. You'll drive yourself there without any help from me."

"I know what I deserve for what I've done to you and Michael." AJ meets her gaze. "I'm not going to apologize because apologies are just words. But I will find a way to make amends. Not with words, but with action."

Carly laughs. "What load of garbage. You are such a waste of air. Get out of my house, Now."

Resigned, AJ walks to the door. He didn't know what he hoped for when he came here, but it wasn't this. "I signed the agreement, Carly. I give you my word that I will follow it to the letter."

"Then you know if you drink, you won't see Michael again. Ever ," Carly says emphatically. "Don't ever come back here, AJ, or I swear I'll have you arrested. The agreement gives you visitation with Michael, not me."

"I get the message loud and clear."

Carly reaches the door way right behind AJ. "Final warning, AJ. You do anything that hurts my son or anyone else I care about, and you will wish I had sent you to prison. You got that?"




Chapter 54

Luke props his feet up on the desk as he purrs into the phone. "Hey, Sweet Darling, what can I do for you this fine afternoon?"

Carly rolls her eyes. "You are darn right perky, Luke. Someone put prozac in your Cheerios this morning?"

"That's Uncle Luke to you. And I don't eat Cheerios, nasty stuff. Nope, I've just been basking in the knowledge that you are a Spencer through and through. I got a gander at what you did to Junior. You did your Uncle proud." Luke pulls a cigar out of his drawer, bites off the end and spits it into the trash can. "Of course it ruined my plan to shoot him through his black heart. I did get to scare him good though."

Carly puts her hand over her eyes, imagining the scene. "You didn't."

"Oh yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if he wet his drawers." Luke lights his cigar and takes a puff. "So what can I do for you, Darling?"

"I have a favor to ask, but I need to see you to explain it. You free this evening?"

"Sure thing. Come by the club, I'll buy you a beer and some cheese fries."

"That was too easy," Carly accuses. "You better not be thinking of setting me up."

"Who me? Honey, I'm wounded. Deeply wounded." After trading a few more quips, they hang up and Luke makes a call. "Good news. I just heard from my prodigal niece. Stop by the club tonight and you'll have your chance."



Carly watches Michael toss bread at the rapidly advancing ducks. In the last two weeks Carly and Michael's lives have fallen into pleasant routine. Three mornings a week they visit the park by themselves to feed the ducks and play at the playground. Afterwards, Carly feeds Michael lunch and puts him down for a nap. If the weather is pleasant they have playtime in the backyard before dinner.

With each passing day Michael settles into his nap with less fuss. Dinner continues to be messy but Michael is getting less on him and the floor and more in his mouth. Stefan is often present, and Michael blossoms under all the attention. After dinner, Leticia gives him his bath before books and bedtime. Carly makes a point to read him his bedtime story every night except Saturdays. While Michael isn't sitting in her lap yet, he now pulls himself up next to her to look at the pictures. He doesn't even mind when she kisses him on the top of the head.

Two days a week Jason takes Michael until dinner time, with the agreement that Leticia tags along. Leticia is present more for Michael's comfort than anything else since she is the one constant in Michael's life. On Saturday nights, Jason spends the evening with Michael and puts him to bed while Carly has a night out.

Even though Carly couldn't say she and Jason were friendly, or ever would be friends again, she discovered they could work well as a team where Michael's concerned. Jason has been as good as his word. Co-parenting seems to be working.

Then last week AJ started supervised visitation with Michael on Sunday mornings. Carly made sure she was long gone before AJ was due to arrive to avoid any chance an ugly confrontation that would hurt Michael. Carly is satisfied that AJ has been following the custody agreement. The only problem she has encountered is the social worker assigned to provide supervised visitation. It was obvious after the first visit the twit had the hots for AJ. She needed someone immune to Quartermaine charm or pressure. Hopefully she could fix that problem tonight.

At the tug on her pant leg, Carly's mind is diverted from the problem of the visitation supervisor to her son beside her. Michael claps his hands and laughs happily, pointing at the ducks fighting over the last of the bread. He looks up at Carly and reaches out his pudgy hand to her. Carly smiles and shakes her head. "I'm afraid we're all out. They ate it all up already, Honey." Michael reaches his hand out towards her more forcefully making eye contact with her. Carly sighs and opens her empty hands to show him she isn't hiding any. "See? All gone."

Michael frowns and kicks his feet angrily against the mud. The ducks react by flapping their wings and taking off. His eyes fill with tears as he crosses his arms and looks to the ground. Carly watches his mini-tantrum helplessly, knowing this is normal but wishing she could hug him close and make him feel better. She crouches beside him and holds out her hand. "How about we go to the swings, huh? Or how about a ride down the slide? Would you like that?"

From the corner of her eye, Carly sees a pair of woman's Italian leather boots approach. Then she hears the cultured voice of an older woman. "Well, it if isn't my son's latest trollop and her illegitimate child. Caroline..." Carly looks up to find Helena sneering down at her, a well manicured finger on her chin in a thoughtful pose. "What is your last name exactly? Is anyone even sure? It's quaint how you female Spencers change your names like clothes. One can hardly keep up."

Carly stands beside Michael so she's on the same level as Helena while keeping an eye on her son. It took conscious effort to resist the urge to pick Michael up and hold him close. To protect him from the witch in front of them. But it would only upset Michael, and she wouldn't put herself at a disadvantage in front of Helena. "Hello, Mama Cassadine. I know it's hard for a woman of your advanced years to remember much of anything, but I hope this won't be too difficult. My name is Caroline Benson." She spells it out slowly and succinctly for the desired effect.

Michael looks up between the two women mutely, watching their conversation with curiosity. Helena catches him staring at her and leans down to greet him. "Well hello there, Young Man," She coos enticingly. Michael scoots back from her suspiciously and bumps up against Carly's legs. Helena frowns. "What an odd little boy."

Carly glowers at Helena. "There is nothing wrong with my son. He happens to be an excellent judge of character."

"Is that why he doesn't walk like all the boys his age?" Helena queries. "You know, he reminds me of Stefan at the same age...."

Carly's chin juts up, her fists clenched at her sides. "Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."

Helena continues to study the boy closely. "Stefan was also an odd child. Hated to be held, hardly ever said a word. Oh I tried and I tried to love him. But he was hopeless." She makes a tsk tsk sound and shakes her head. "You have my sympathies, Ms Benson. Raising such a problematic child is heartbreaking. And to be doing it alone, without a husband, with no one to count on? I was fortunate I could take solace in my other son, my darling Stavros."

Ever aware of Michael who is crawling around her feet in the mud, Carly mutters. "We all wish you could be with Stavros." And burning along with him.

As women continue to trade barbs, Michael loses interest and digs his pudgy fingers into the slooshy mud to free enough for a juicy mud pie.

"Let me give you a friendly piece of advice, Ms Benson. My son is using you as a substitution for his lifelong obsession for Laura Spencer. He will use you for whatever revenge he has planned against your family and then he will toss you aside like the rubbish you are..." Helena's voice trails off when she feels something wet and heavy on her feet. She looks down to find a large glob of mud on her boots. She looks over at the muddy Michael and becomes immediately enraged. "Why, you nasty brat!"

Michael stares Helena right in the eye and pitches the mud in his hand against her white wool pants. Carly's eyes pop out of her head and she chuckles. That's my boy! Forcing her face into a serious expression, she says. "I'm afraid it's the Quartermaine in him coming out. He may not be able to walk, but he could mud sling at birth."

Helena takes a threatening step towards Carly, her hands clenched at her sides. Her words are ground out through her tightly clenched teeth. "I've had enough insolence from you and your filthy spawn..."

"Enough, Grandmother." Nikolas' voice commands the attention of both women. They turn to see Nikolas about a 100 yards away, with Emily on his arm.

"Nikolas Darling!" Helena's demeanor changes on a dime. Though her hands are still tight fists, her smile is radiant. "How delightful it is to see you, despite the trying circumstances."

Carly rolls her eyes to the sky derisively. "Dear Lord, just when I thought the day couldn't get worse." When the sight of Emily is actually welcome, she knows the situation is bad. Carly sweeps Michael up into her arms and hands him over to Emily's outstretched arms. Even though she dislikes Emily, giving Michael over to her care was better than having him witness more of the ugly scene. She was Michael's godmother, and on a basic level she trusts Emily to do the right thing by Michael. "Could you take him to the swings?"

Without hesitation Emily takes him, cooing a greeting to him while being careful to avoid the muddy hands. "Hiya, Michael! You've been busy, haven't you? How about if we wash some of this off, hmmm?"

Helena looks at Carly with a sneer of distaste. "Shouldn't you take your son home and give him a bath?" And lock him away until he can be civilized?

Carly stifles the urge to wipe her dirty hands on Helena's expensive fur. "Listen Mama Cass, since we've all had enough of you, why don't you slither back under your rock?"

"You have no business harassing Ms Benson and her son, Grandmother," Nikolas interrupts. He faces his grandmother, his eyes steely and his stance intimidating. "Stay away from them."

"Nikolas, I don't care for your tone or your insinuation. Isn't it obvious I was the one assaulted here? I have merely been trying to make pleasant conversation and that...." Helena bites her tongue hard to keep from uttering an expletive. "That child threw mud at me and his trampy mother insulted our family. Must I always be the one accused?"

Carly busts out laughing. "I love it! For once I'm not the one blamed. And just to set the record straight, I wasn't insulting your family, I was insulting YOU." Carly turns away as if to join Emily and Michael at the swings, but at the last minute turns back and shoves Helena roughly, catching the woman off guard. Helena's foot slips out from under her and with a sharp cry of surprise she sails back on her butt, landing squarely in the dark mud. "That was assault, you bony old hag. People who think my Uncle Luke is the dangerous Spencer haven't faced me. Don't mess with me or mine. I'm not nearly as patient as Luke."

Nikolas watches with admiration as Carly stalks off in the direction of the swings. "Impressive." But foolish.

"Nikolas, Darling, I'm hurt. Help me up, please." She looks up at him with an entreaty, her soiled hand outstretched asking for help.

"You brought this mess upon yourself, Grandmother. You don't ever stop, do you?" Nikolas keeps his hands in his pockets as he eyes her coldly. "You will leave Carly and her son alone, Grandmother, or face the consequences from me and Father." Without a backward glance, Nikolas strolls away to join Emily, Carly and Michael.

"ANDREAS!!" Helena hisses. Andreas materializes a moment later. Muttering under her breath, Helena takes his hand and rises painfully to her feet. Mud streaks down the back of her white trousers. Despite her pathetic appearance, Helena's pose is regal.

"Madame," You have suffered an grievous attack." Andreas answers in his most solicitous tone. "Are you in pain? Shall I take you to the hospital?"

"No, Andreas. I believe I will recover after a long steaming bath and a soothing massage." Taking his arm, Helena glares murderously in Carly's direction. "That whoring peasant will pay for daring to touch me...."




Nikolas halts a short distance away and waits for Carly to join Emily at the baby swings. Even though he despised ugly scenes like the one with his grandmother just now, he was glad for the opportunity it gave Emily and Carly to mend fences. Emily has been missing Michael fiercely.

Emily is pushing Michael from the front of the swing while he laughs at the silly faces she makes. Carly waves brightly at Michael as she comes to a stand beside Emily. "Hey there, Mr Man! You sure do love to swing, don't you?"

"Yeah, he sure does," Emily says as she gives him another push.

Carly sticks the toe of her boot in the dirt. This was awkward. How does she thank Emily after all the bad blood between them? "I... uh, I appreciate..."

"Don't mention it. I should actually be thanking you because you did me a big favor. I didn't have to listen to that viper and I even gotta chance to see Michael for a few minutes." Emily's face becomes sad for a moment. "I've really missed him."

"I think he's missed you too, I could tell by the way his face lit up when he saw you." Carly's voice becomes wistful. "He didn't mind you holding him at all, either."

"We got to be pretty good friends at the mansion. Didn't we, big guy?" Emily gives Michael a big smile as she gives him a slightly harder push. "He looks great, Carly. Smiling and happy. He wasn't like this very often at the mansion."

"He loves being outside." Carly basks in the high praise. So she wasn't just imagining the progress Michael's made. If Emily is admitting it, then it must be true. All the hard work is making a difference! "He's... he... took a few steps this morning. Leticia and I almost fell over, we were so surprised."

"He did?! That's great!"

Nikolas joins them, putting his arm around Emily's waist. "Everything all right over here?"

"Yeah. Carly just gave me some great news," Emily gushes. "Michael took a few steps today. He'll be walking in no time!"

Pointedly ignoring Nikolas, Carly looks at her watch. "It's getting late. Michael, it's time to go home for lunch." She gathers Michael up and turns to Emily. "Thanks again for helping out, Emily. Michael, say bye bye."

Emily tousles Michael's fine red hair lovingly. "Take care, Michael. I love you." Impulsively she leans over and kisses him on the cheek.

Carly turns to leave, then hesitates. Biting her lip, she looks up at Emily then at the ground. Much as she dislikes Emily and hates to swallow her pride, this is the right thing to do. The right thing for Michael. "Listen... why don't you stop by the cottage sometime? I know Michael would love to see you."

Emily rolls back on her heels, taken aback by the unexpected boon. "Sure! I... I'd really like that." Watching Carly and Michael walk away, Emily's eyes fill with tears. She turns to Nikolas and buries her face against his shoulder as he wraps his arms around her.

Nikolas holds her tightly, bewildered by Emily's display of emotion. "Why are you crying? Didn't you get what you wanted?"

"Yes!" Emily holds Nikolas more tightly, tears of relief streaking down her face. "I ... I just didn't expect it! Not only is Michael thriving, Carly is going to let me see him again. I never would have believed it! Never. I thought she hated me."

Nikolas strokes Emily's hair. "Carly is full of surprises."



Luke's Club

Luke grins widely at Carly as she breezes into the club. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He admires the picture she makes in her full length black leather coat. Somehow she manages to radiate class and earthy sex appeal at the same time. Luke moves forward to help her remove her coat, giving a low whistle. "Nice coat, Caroline. Your taste has definitely improved."

Carly turns around and winks at him. "Stefan picked it out."

Luke's face puckers like he just bit into a sour lemon. "Dang it, Woman. You ruined my mood. How's the little rug rat these days? Settling in?"

"Michael is doing great, actually," Carly answers, warming to her favorite topic. "Jason's spending time with him tonight. Michael and I had run-in with Helena Cassadine this morning and Michael did his mama proud. He dumped mud on her feet. And when she called him a brat, he threw mud at her legs. He's got great aim!"

Luke's face splits into a grin as he hangs up her coat. "Aw, he's a Spencer through and through. It's time he started spending time with me, don't you think?"

"Actually, I have an idea about that..." Carly begins.

"How about beer and cheese fries with a game of pool in the back room?" Luke suggests. "I can beat you at pool while you ask me your favor."

"Sounds like a deal." The suspicion she felt on the phone comes back with a vengeance. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Why can't I be nice to my favorite niece, hmmm?" Luke calls out the order to Claude as he ushers Carly into the back room.

"I'm your only niece. And you don't like me, remember?" Carly points out.

Luke puts his hand on the small of her back pushing her towards the back room. "That was before. Can't an old dog learn new tricks?"

"That's what I'm worried about." Carly digs in her heels. This is a trap. She can feel it. But darn it, she needs Luke's help. If she leaves now, she'll have to find another way to solve the social worker problem.

Luke opens the door and gives her a good shove until she's inside, then shuts the door and locks her in. The room is dark. Carly immediately turns and pounds on the door. "HEY!!! LUKE! I'm gonna get you for this! LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Someone across the room turns on the light. Carly whirls around to find Bobbie on the other side of the pool table. "Carly, we need to talk."



Chapter 55

Bobbie's gaze is steady and determined as she faces her daughter across the pool table. "Carly, we need to talk."

Carly's eyes narrow to slits and her jaw is clenched. She's furious. Instead of answering Bobbie she turns back to the door and pounds on it one more time. "Luke! Open the damn door!" She kicks the door in frustration.

Bobbie walks around the pool table towards Carly. "Carly! Please, I wouldn't have resorted to this if I had any other choice. But you won't see me."

"YOU put him up to this." If Bobbie had just left well enough alone, Carly would have found a way to set up visitation for her with Michael, now she'd be damned if she'd let this conniving bitch anywhere near her son. How dare she do this to her. How dare Bobbie trap her like this?! "I've told you over and over we don't have anything to say to each other, Bobbie. Now get Luke to let me out of here."

"Not until you've heard me out." Bobbie wrings her hands helplessly. This isn't working out at all the way she expected. Carly wasn't supposed to be this furious. She'd waited a couple weeks before resorting to drastic measures because she wanted to give Carly a chance to calm down. That didn't happen. If anything, Carly was even more furious than before. "We can't leave it like this between us."

"The hell we can't. Not that long ago, that's exactly what you wanted. You hit me to drive your point home. I'm little dense, but it got through." Carly crosses her arms in front of her. "So now what? Are you going to hit me again, to get your point across?"

Bobbie's face turns white and she covers her mouth. "NO! I wouldn't, I couldn't!"

"You already HAVE," Carly shoots back. "And don't think I won't hit you back because I'll lay you into next week before I let you raise another finger against me."

Bobbie stumbles to the nearest chair, visibly shaking from Carly's verbal attack, the truth in her words. The very truth that kept her up at nights. She'd hit her baby, her little girl. Not so little, but Bobbie had felt the horror of abuse in her life, from her father, to the occasional John, to her ex-husbands. She never wanted that for her children. She always swore she would kill before she would let anyone hurt her babies. And now I've abused my own child.

Haunted, Bobbie looks up into Carly's cold and unforgiving face. "I didn't..." Bobbie stops herself from finishing. It didn't matter that she didn't know. Carly had known and Carly had been hurt. Her voice comes out as a hoarse whisper. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it." Carly tosses her hair back angrily, refusing to be moved by the pathetic picture Bobbie is presenting. "It's just a word, it doesn't mean anything. Actions mean something, I've learned that. And what I've learned in watching your actions is that you'll believe anyone before you'll believe your own daughter. You'll believe the Quartermaines, you'll believe your cheating ex-husband Tony, and you'll believe a man who bilked you for money before you believe me. Your own flesh and blood."

Carly pauses, waiting for Bobbie to rationalize and excuse her behavior. When Bobbie is silent, Carly continues, gaining momentum. "So, this is how it will be. Don't call me daughter, don't call me family. I'm not your family anymore. If you use Luke to get to me again, I'll never have anything more to do with anyone named Spencer again. You got that?"

Bobbie quietly swipes at the tears that are pouring down her face. "Crystal."

"And to quote something that was said to me once...." Carly smiles bitterly, but her eyes are shining with unshed tears. "You call or approach me again and I'll have Mac arrest you for harassment. If necessary, I'll get a restraining order filed against you."

Bobbie recognizes the words as her own. Her parting shot in the elevator after slapping Carly. The words were horrible, filled with venom. Yes, she'd been hurting, practically hemorrhaging from the heart break, but it was a poor excuse. Drawing in a shaky breath, Bobbie acknowledges defeat. Carly wouldn't listen to her. Just as she hadn't listened to Carly's pleas that afternoon in the elevator. Rising on wobbly feet, Bobbie squares her shoulders and walks to the door. She makes a predetermined set of knocks to let Luke know to open the door. "You don't want me as a mother, and I understand that. I accept it. But I am, and I will continue to be. And I won't let you down again." Holding her head up high, she looks at Carly, showing her tear streaked face proudly. "When you need me, I'll be there. I will be on your side."

A moment later Luke opens the door. He takes one look at Bobbie's distraught and defeated face and reaches a hand out to touch her shoulder. Afraid she'll break down completely if she accepts his comfort, Bobbie shakes her head once and walks out.



After dinner Nikolas joins Stefan in the conservatory. "You should know Helena has been spotted."

Stefan's head snaps up from his book. "Where?"

Nikolas pours himself a glass of water from the liquor cart. "The park. I observed her toying with Carly. It seems she knows of your liaison and was taunting Carly, sowing the seeds of dissension."

Laying his book aside, Stefan cradles his snifter of cognac broodingly. He miscalculated. He should have warned Caroline of the possibility Helena might try to cause trouble. "Was Caroline frightened?" Stefan asks before taking a sip of his drink.

"No. I would say Carly was... peeved. When I came upon them, Michael had just thrown some mud at Helena." Nikolas looks up at the sound of Stefan choking on cognac.

Stefan's eyes water from the cognac going down the wrong pipe. "Excuse me. Did you say Caroline's little boy threw mud at my mother?" It defied comprehension.

"Twice." Nikolas' smile is wry. "Both direct hits. Helena was furious about it, but presented her other face when I made myself known. I tried to warn Helena off, but Carly wouldn't have any of it."

Regaining his breath, Stefan processes the information. "He is definitely his mother's child. And it stands to reason Caroline would want to protect her son."

Nikolas takes a sip of his drink. "More than you know. Carly shoved Helena into the mud. It was quite a sight. Helena all but breathed fire." He grins as he replays the scene in his head.

Stefan raises his eyebrows in amazement. First Michael, then Carly? Time to step up the training on self-discipline, she was starting to slip. "Caroline is sometimes foolhardy. Helena will not let such an insult go... did she make any direct threats?"

"She didn't dare, she's still trying to ingratiate herself to me." Nikolas takes a seat on the sofa. "In fact, Carly was the one doing the threatening. She basically told Helena that Luke was mild compared to her. If Helena wasn't baited before, she is now."

Stefan shakes his head unhappily. "I can double the guard on Caroline, but I am afraid it won't be all that effective since she is likely to find ways to lose them. Experience says that Helena will persevere until she finds an avenue to cause havoc in my life. Now Caroline will be the prime target after humiliating Helena in front of you."

"You have a herculean task before you-- protecting Carly," Nikolas answers. "You have to contend with not only the threat Helena presents but Carly's unpredictability as well."



With Bobbie gone, Luke glances at Carly, standing tall, fury and anguish warring on her face. He runs a hand over his closely shorn head. "Aw, Caroline."

Carly glowers at him angrily, pointing her finger at him accusingly. "Don't 'Aw, Caroline' me, you set me up!"

Luke puts his hands up defensively. "You can look at me like that all you want, baby, but the only balls you're gonna rack around here are over on that table."

"You are disgusting, Luke." Carly's anger dissipates with the absence of her target and the absurdity of his humor. As much as Luke has given her a hard time over the years, even going to so far as to threaten her life twice, she wasn't really angry at him. The difference being she could count that the face Luke presented was the truth. He'd hated her guts from the get-go and hadn't pretended otherwise. Now that he was warming up to her, she knew he meant it. She could trust him. Of course if he keeps championing Bobbie's cause that would be blown all to hell.

"You like that about me, admit it." Luke winks. He pulls a cigar out of his breast pocket and clipping off the end, lights up. He gives three good puffs before clenching it between his teeth. Ambling over to the table, he pulls out the triangle and tosses it across the table at Carly. "Here's your chance. Rack 'em up and break 'em, Darling."

Carly snorts and goes ahead and does as he orders. She trains her cue stick on the white ball and breaks. Two solids skitter into pockets. "Solids. Let's get a few things straight. You set me up like that again, and you're history. You got that? No friendly pool games, no beers and cheese fries and cigars. No progress reports on Michael, no scheming about Hells. Nada."

"Hells?" Luke looks at her quizzically. "Oh, Helena. Gotcha. Loud and clear, Darling. No more set ups." He crosses his heart. "I told Baby Sister it was too soon. I knew you weren't ready to talk. Nobody holds a grudge like a Spencer. Especially when it's against another Spencer. Heck, if my Pop walked through that door right now, I'd probably grind him up and make him into chili." Carly misses her shot and Luke bends over his cue. "Except he'd ruin the chili. Too good for him."

"So if you knew it wouldn't work, why the heck did you set me up?"

After Luke pockets a stripe, he strolls around the table considering his next shot. Laying the cigar in a nearby ashtray, he leans over the table to line up his shot. "She looked at me with those eyes of hers," Luke laments. "Can't say no to those eyes."

Snagging the cigar and sneaking a drag, Carly whistles in appreciation when Luke makes a tough shot. "Of course, now you owe me big time."

"Yeah, I figured as much. So who do you want taken care of?" Luke's next shot goes foul and catching her with the cigar, crooks his finger at her until she gives it up reluctantly.

Carly's eyes dance mischievously at Luke's offer. "Hmmm the list is sooo long.... have you got all night?" She lines up her shot, takes it, and the solid of her choice drops into the pocket neatly. "What I want from you is worse." Luke's eyes widen as Carly drops her bomb. "I want you to supervise AJ's visitation with Michael. The social worker who is doing it now has the hots for AJ. I can't have that."

Luke's protest is immediate. "Aww Caroline! anything but that! Anything! Please! I'll even change diapers. No, scratch that. But don't make me hang out with the baby-faced weasel. Please!"

"Luke." Carly glares at Luke furiously. After what he did to her tonight....

One look at her face and Luke surrenders. "Okay okay, you win. I owe you, I'll do it. What night do you need?"

Carly grins evilly. "Sunday mornings."

Luke looks like he's going to cry. "Aw, Baby. You're making this up as you go along."

Carly shakes her cue at him fiercely. "Dead serious. Sunday morning 10am sharp. Four hours of visitation. This is the price you have to pay for locking me up with your sister tonight." At Luke's nod of defeat, Carly does a happy dance and an Indian whoop.

"Are going to let up on the old gal eventually?" Luke pleads. "She's pitiful, Caroline. She cries all the time. My shirts are soggy, she bats those eyes at me. Have some mercy for an old guy."

"I'm warning you, Luke, don't go there." At his downcast expression, Carly sighs. "Okay, I'll concede this. If Michael takes to you the way I think he will, I'll think about letting you take him to visit Bobbie."

Luke kisses her on the top of the head. "You're all right, Caroline. You're all right. You carry a mean grudge like the rest of us, but you love that kid, don't you?"

"More than my own life." Carly hugs Luke back while whimpering. "Heck my life would be so much more peaceful if I didn't love him so much. Jeesh. First Jason, then AJ, today it was Emily. And you're already working on me for Bobbie. Next thing you know, I'll be planning tea parties for Monica."

"Never." Luke assures her immediately.

"If I do, will you please shoot me?"

"Sure thing, Baby." Wrapping his arms around her waist, Luke cocks his head at her curiously. "So you going to give me the rest of the goods on Mama Cass or what?"

Carly's face splits into a grin. "Oh, I never did tell you my parting shot, did I?"



Bobbie sits on her sofa in the dark, an Afghan draped over her. In one hand she holds her only picture of Carly and Michael. In her lap is a box of Kleenex with numerous used ones scattered around her like oversized pieces of popcorn. Gazing at her daughter's flawless face filled with a rare joy, Bobbie pours over the memories of their time together. Their initial friendship based on lies which quickly dissolved into distrust. The bitter hatred between them, and the horror of seeing Carly being wheeled into OR bleeding, then the struggle to deliver Michael and save Carly. Carly's plea for help before going unconscious. Then her attempt to help Carly bond with Michael, as if she was driven by something outside herself to right the wrong. It hadn't made sense at the time, but she needed Carly and Michael to bond. Even at their worst, even when she hated Carly with every fiber of her being, she'd felt a kinship with her. As if she was looking at a vision of her younger self.

Then the reeling shock of Carly's revelation that she was Bobbie's long lost daughter. The disbelief followed by blinding fury at being so duped. But she hadn't been able to stay angry at Carly. She already loved Michael with all her heart... and what joy to learn she was joined to him through blood! He was her grandson! She hadn't been able to cut the bond to Carly.

But she had let the past lies and betrayals color all that went after. Carly had been right when she said Bobbie believed anyone but her own daughter. It wasn't as if she didn't have a right to distrust Carly, but to keep punishing Carly again and again? Telling Carly she loved her and then slapping her down at every opportunity. Telling Carly she was there for her and then turning her back whenever Carly asked for help, saying she was too busy, that Carly had to fix her own messes. Didn't that make her a liar too? What was the saying? Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. You get when you expect.

It had to stop. She had to let go of all the past bitterness and hurt. Yes, she'd lost her husband Tony because of Carly. But she's aware enough of herself to know she lost Tony because of problems they created in their marriage before Carly arrived on the scene. Problems she contributed to with her own infidelity, lies, and secrets.

Her daughter had a hole inside her that nothing seemed to be able to fill. It drove her to do crazy things to fill that void. To find love, even if it was sick dysfunctional love, to fill that hole so she would find peace. It caused her to strike out at people who threatened her, to reject them before they rejected her. Maybe Bobbie hadn't created that hole herself by her actions, but she couldn't stop the what if's. What if I'd kept her? What if I found her before she found me? What if I kept looking instead of giving up?

As Carly's mother, Bobbie wanted to find a way to fill that hole in Carly. To heal the gaping wounds. But her own bitterness and distrust had gotten in the way, so that instead of healing the wounds, she had created more. Wasn't it worse to profess love and devotion and then rip it away? To claim you love someone and accept them, and then at the first wrong step condemn them and turn away? To not even give them a chance to defend themselves?

That's exactly what she'd done. It was her own fault that her daughter wanted nothing to do with her, that her daughter didn't trust Bobbie that she meant it this time.

Now she not only lost a daughter, but a grandson.

The sound of the doorbell echoes in the silence of the room, interrupting Bobbie's pity party. With a sigh of resignation, she rises from the sofa to answer the door. Swinging the door open, she finds Luke on her doorstep. He takes one look at her desolate face and pulls her into a hug on the doorstep. "I'm sorry the plan blew up in your face, Baby."

Bobbie can't decide whether to laugh or cry, so the sound that comes out is somewhere in between. "You warned me, but I wouldn't listen. I had to push it! And now she's angrier than before. "

"She's got the Spencer temper, Barbara." Luke lays an arm across her shoulders and walks her inside. "Put the two of you in a room and you got spontaneous combustion."

"She's never going to forgive me. Not with Stefan whispering in her ear, reminding her of all the awful things I've done." Bobbie shakes her head. "No, I can't blame this on him. I made this mess." Fresh tears fill her eyes. "I've hurt her so bad, Luke. I don't think there's a way to fix it."

"Now, Darling, don't give up so easy. You two need a little time and space." At Bobbie's look of derision Luke puts his hands up. "Okay, a LOT of time and space. Think of it this way, if you two aren't talking, you can't stick your foot in your mouth. Wait and let her come to you. She will. She's not as hardened to you as you think."

"I don't see how I have any choice. She made her feelings perfectly clear. She threatened to have me arrested if I approach her again." Bobbie plops down on the couch. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this. You were making some headway with her before I stuck my nose into it."

"She was pretty ticked at first, but she came around after I agreed to supervise AJ's visitation with Michael." Luke shudders. "Sunday mornings with the rodent. My stomach is already rolling. The things I do for family."

Stiffening her spine and forcing herself out of her her funk, Bobbie reaches over and squeezes his hand. "I'm glad she hasn't shut you out, Luke. I know so long as she's talking to you, there's a chance she'll warm up to me. Will you give me updates on Michael?"

Luke bites his tongue to keep from telling her that Carly was already weakening on the subject of Michael. No reason to get her hopes up if it didn't work out. He winks at his sister disarmingly. "I'll even take a few pictures."




Wyndemere

Stefan helps Carly off with her leather coat. "This is an unexpected boon. I did not expect to see you until tomorrow. I take it Michael has settled down for the evening?"

Carly shakes out her hair and turns while Stefan hangs up her coat. "Yep. I called over at the house and Jason said Michael went down easy. So since I've been missing you all day, I thought I'd stop by. Are we alone?"

"Very. Nikolas informed me that he wouldn't be back until quite late." Stefan opens his arms and beckons her over. "Come, I have missed you as well."

Carly hesitates, biting her lip. "I think I should shower first..."

"Nonsense, you look lovely. Come." Stefan pulls her in close and buries his face in her hair. Inhaling her scent he pulls back. "Where have you been? You smell like...." His eyes narrow. "Luke Spencer."

"Well, actually..."

"What business do you have with that reprobate?" Stefan doesn't hide his disgust. "You smell as if you have been smoking his foul smelling cigars!"

Carly fiddles with the buttons of his suit coat guiltily. "I told you I should shower first. And probably brush my teeth too."

"I suppose I should be thankful that I waited to kiss you?" Stefan pushes her towards to steps. "I don't want to hear anymore. We will scrub this off you until all I smell is soap. My soap."

"It's all your fault, you know," Carly wheedles. Her lips curve into a smile at the thought of a long hot shower with Stefan. "I'll wash your back if you wash mine?"

"I am not amused, Caroline," Stefan retorts sternly. "No more talk until this stench is removed. I expect a complete explanation afterwards."

"Yes, Sir!" Carly stifles a laugh. Stefan could be so cute when he was riled. She would have to surprise him more often.

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