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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Eleven
A Serious Talk
"I don't know if this is fair. I get to put him down for all of his naps and so far all you do is the midnight readings." Carly softly closes the door between the sleeping Michael and the main salon of the suite.
AJ Adjusts the baby monitor so that they can hear the baby if he should wake. "You're the one that said the midnight thing was daddy time. That didn't take as long as yesterday."
"Well he was tired, you know, but not OVERtired." Carly explains. She looks at her watch. "He should be down for about an hour more or less."
AJ takes a seat at the table next to the window. "Come have a seat."
"This sounds serious."
"I think it is. It's time we started to work things out. I told the judge that I would try to have everything settled before the hearing. Carly, I want to tell you upfront this judge isn't in anyone's pocket. It's not Ferncliffe over again or even Tony Jones' trial. The fix isn't in. This guy is good--honest. He'll take everything into consideration-- everything that we present-- you, me and Jason, everything but somebody's bribe. Grandfather can't buy him; Jason can't buy him. This is going to be fair."
Carly sags into a chair across from AJ. "That has to be the scariest thing that I've ever heard."
"For me too. All of us bring a lot of crap to the table. I'm an alcoholic, you're a nut, and Jason is brain damaged. On the surface none of us look suitable to have custody of a puppy let alone that little boy in there. And if we get all of that on the record then it starts looking better for someone to come in and take custody or have a social worker or some other court intervention "in the interests of the child." We can't have any mud slinging. Anything that might cause this thing to be opened up even more. We have to have this hammered out before we go before the judge."
Carly bites her lip. "I won't be separated from Michael again."
"Me either." AJ replies calmly.
"I can't live at the mansion."
"I bought the house because it is big enough for all of us." The house is in all our names: yours, mine and Michael's."
"What?!"
"It'll take Jason a little while to figure that one out. He's probably found out by now that I was planning on moving out of the mansion. The house was actually bought by a shell corporation-- Happy Family inc. of which we are the principals. Course there are several layers between Happy Family and anywhere our names are mentioned. It'll take at least until we are back for Jason or his hackers to track it back to me." AJ grins.
Carly leans back in her chair crossing her arms. "You've been planning this for a long time."
"Months."
"See I'm not quite up to speed on all this. You've been running the tape through your head laying everything out. I feel like I'm just along for the ride." Carly protests.
"Guilty... of trying to nail down all the details. Carly, I tried to push things when you were pregnant and you backlashed hard against me. I got sucked into the stupid hurry up plots that Tony and grandfather hatched. I had to sit down and figure things out. Patience isn't one of my strong points."
"Nor mine."
"But something that we both learned the hard way. You in ferncliffe and me waiting on the damn DNA tests to come back; I don't think we're the same people we were when Michael was born."
"Thank God although most wouldn't agree. Your family for instance. AJ, your mother HATES me."
"That's because you're too much alike. And if you ever tell her that, I'll deny I ever said it. When I found out that I could be the baby's father it was like history repeating itself. My father has despised me for years because when I was born there was some doubt as to my paternity. My mother told him that my father was Rick Webber, a doctor with whom she was having an affair. I think I told you this before. I didn't want there to be any doubt as to Michael's paternity because I didn't want him to have to deal with the crud that I did growing up. Any of this sounding familiar?"
"Too familiar. But it doesn't change that your mother hates me. AJ, I won't have anyone badmouthing me around my son; I had enough of that with Robin. And if your mother is going to do that then I don't want her around Michael."
"Agreed. If you'll do the same for me. No more weasel comments okay?"
Carly flushes. "Deal."
"I don't get along with dear cousin, Ned. He tries to cut me down at every turn. Every success I have he believes is at his expense. Same deal... if Ned or anyone else starts badmouthing me around Michael you agree to put a stop to it."
"You're talking a united front here."
"Exactly. I know it's a stretch for a Quartermaine but we need to be a team on this. We need to be in agreement so that our... extended families can't try to use us or Michael against us later. You know they'll try. As soon as we get back to Port Charles the vacation will be over and we'll be back in the trenches. They'll be coming at us from all angles."
Carly considers his words and then tables them to chew over later. "St Swithens?"
"Over my dead body. That's where I started drinking, Carly. Boarding school wasn't a positive experience for me. It was a way for my parents to ignore my existence until I was old enough to not be an embarassment to them. It didn't work. For me it was the rich way of being abandoned and I punished everyone for it even myself-- especially myself. If Michael wants to go to a boarding school then HE is going to have to convince me it's his choice and then I'm going to try to talk him out of it. Religion?"
"Catholic. That's non-negotiable, AJ."
"Why? You're not and neither am I."
"Oh no I'm not. I'm still surprised I wasn't struck by lightening the last time I set foot in the church." Carly laughs then grows serious leaning in on the table to emphasize just how serious she is. "Michael was baptized Catholic; his godparents, including your sister, are Catholic and Jason is Catholic. Michael will be raised Catholic. If someday he wants to lapse then he'll have lots of company. But it'll drive Edward nuts in the mean time; I heard about that voodoo water comment from Jason. I want Michael raised in the church for that alone! Okay, we've been dancing around it long enough-- Jason."
AJ rises from the table and goes to the window. Looking out over the city, he crosses his arms. Holding himself stiffly he considers his words carefully. "I'm very angry at Jason. It might not be right but I want to punish him for his part in all this. He has made every effort to block me from my son's life. I lost a year because of Jason and he relished rubbing it in my face."
"And me." Carly reminds him. "Jason was protecting me; he was doing what I asked him to do."
"And then he isolated you to the point where you didn't have the opportunity to change your mind."
"Michael loves Jason. You may be Michael's father but you aren't his daddy.... that's Jason. Separating Jason from Michael is going to mess up MICHAEL."
"Jason is in a business that is going to get him killed and people around him are in constant danger." AJ stonewalls.
"Separating Jason from Michael is going to mess up Michael." Carly repeats stubbornly.
"Supervised visits on Sunday for church." AJ hedges already giving in on Michael being raised Catholic.
Carly smiles realizing that AJ had given in on religion, then quickly wipes it from her face. "Joint custody-- unlimited visitation." Carly pushes hard.
"No way. Don't even go there, honey! It isn't going to happen. Jason is dangerous."
"Not to Michael. For Michael Jason takes precautions. You know that. Michael is probably in more danger when he is with us-- because of YOU and you're connections. This whole first son of the first grandson crap that Edward is sure to spout is going to make Michael a target for anyone out for a buck." Carly pales as she realized that what she just said is absolutely true. "AJ?!"
"The house has the best security system on the market. Do you still not drive?"
"No, I don't have a license. I haven't even practiced since before I moved in with Tony. Jason drove me around when I was living with Tony if I didn't take the bus. Then when I moved in with Jason we had a driver and the bodyguards." Carly starts to shake reliving the nightmare of the kidnapping.
AJ looks over at Carly and sees that she is starting to lose it. Coming back to the table, he grasps her face in his hands so that she has to look at him. "Carly, we'll deal with it. I'll have some one from ELQ corporate security come over to the house. hire a combination bodyguard/driver for you. And I want you to learn how to drive. ELQ sends it's executives and security to a special school where they learn not only how to drive but how to drive and elude when there are bad guys on your tail. It's not so much of a problem here as it is for our executives overseas in fun places like Jakarta. There are things that you can learn to do to protect yourself and Michael. Hell I think I'm due for a refresher course. I'll sign us all up. We'll DEAL with it."
Carly takes a deep breath then exhales. "Joint custody-- unlimited visitation."
"DAMN YOU! You are so STUBBORN!" AJ stalks away again. "He has to be punished, Carly. I lost a year of knowing Michael because of Jason; I need to make up the time that I've lost. Michael needs to get to know me that he hasn't is Jason's fault."
"I won't let you punish Michael to get your revenge on Jason. That's a deal breaker, AJ; I'll take my chances with the judge and so will Jason."
AJ gets an evil glint in his eye. "Okay... Jason gets every weekend, two weeks a year and joint legal custody with us under one condition. It's more than most noncustodial parents get, Carly; I'd take the deal."
Carly frowns suspicious of AJ's sudden reversal. "What condition?"