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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Twenty Four
Extended Family part deux
QUEEN OF ANGELS--
Jason meets the Bentley in the parking lot. "Where is she?"
Emily climbs from the car. "Who?"
"Carly, Where's Carly?" Jason reaches past Emily to check the back of the car. He unfastens Michael from a car seat and holds him close.
"Carly's with Bobbie, according to AJ. She called this morning to tell me to bring Michael to church. She's suppose to be back at the house by the time the services are over." Emily is bewildered by Jason's almost frantic behavior. "Did I do something wrong?"
Jason tries to shake off his mood. "No, nothing wrong. Did AJ know you were calling me?"
"I didn't say anything he just told me to stay out of the middle."
"Good advice." Jason hands Michael back to Emily. "Where is he?"
"Aren't you coming in?"
"NO. What's the address, Em?"
"Jason, I love you both, you know that, I wouldn't want to do anything that would cause me to lose my brothers-- either or both."
"I promise all we'll do is talk, Emily. And it's best if that happens with no one around: not you, Carly and especially not Michael."
"AJ was acting weird, Jason -- He was calm, too calm. I don't know."
"I do. Give me the address, Emily. I'll have it by tomorrow anyway."
THE STABLES
Carly and Lucas walk ahead to the stables while Bobbie and Jerry split off to find a seat in the arena for Lucas's riding lesson. "They seem to get on well." Jerry comments watching them leave.
"Sure, now that Carly isn't sleeping with Tony." Bobbie mutters.
Jerry gathers her close and plants a big old sloppy kiss on Bobbie. "Not that I haven't had my share of married women, but I have to say that I'm really glad that you aren't married to that ill-mannered, thug in doctor's whites any longer. It would definitely cramp our style. And I like having you all to myself." Jerry starts nuzzling on Bobbie's neck sending a delicious shiver down her spine.
Bobbie whimpers breathlessly her knees going weak. "But we aren't all to ourselves remember? Damn, I can't think when you do that and you know it!"
"We've got a bit of time before the kids get their mounts saddled." Jerry quirks a brow significantly.
"Oh you are so bad. And I love it." Bobbie giggles. Hand in hand, they go up the bleachers to find a semi-private place to neck.
THE BROWNSTONE
Jason rattles the front door but it is locked up tight. Going around to the garage he looks in and sees that the car is gone. "Where are you, Carly?"
HAPPY FAMILY house.
AJ is reading the back of the automatic dish washing detergent box. "Okay, so now I know how much... where do I put the blasted stuff?" He examines the dish washer again trying to find out where the detergent goes. "Ah the hell with it." Squeezing a line of detergent along the in side of the door he slams it shut and starts the dishwasher. "If that doesn't work, Carly can show me how to do it when she gets home. I get the feeling I'm going to have company anyway." Starting another pot of coffee, AJ sits down at the kitchen table to read the paper and wait for the first visitors. He isn't even half way through the business section when there is a pounding on the door. Pulling a coin from his pocket, "Heads it's Jason, tails it's Grandfather."
"AJ, WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!" Edward bellows from the front of the house pounding on the door again.
Sighing AJ puts the coin back in his pocket unflipped. "Why doesn't that surprise me." Leisurely walking through the house he opens the front door. "Mom, Grandfather, come on in."
"That's ALL you have to say for yourself?" Edward blusters.
"Well it seemed like a polite start. I was planning on calling you as soon as we got the house situated a bit to invite you over. How did you get the address?" There is a long pause. "Mom?"
"Your grandfather read Emily's journal." Monica speaks reluctantly before continuing normally. "Where is my grandson?"
"And Carly ... don't you want to know where Carly is?" AJ taunts ticked on Emily's behalf for the invasion of privacy.
"Fine-- WHERE are Carly and my grandson?" Monica replies growing irritated.
AJ walks away back toward the kitchen. "I have some coffee on, do you want any?" Edward and Monica follow in AJ's wake to the newly cleaned kitchen. The smell of fresh brewed coffee fills the air. AJ opens and shuts some cabinents before finding the coffee cups. "Sorry, about the delay. Carly put the kitchen together late last night."
"That witch is living here too?!" Monica sags into a chair by the table.
"Yes, CARLY lives here too and it's been kind of fun to be able to walk into my own kitchen any time I want. Nobody with a knife ready to run us out."
"Enough! I want to know what you think you are doing? The plan was for MICHAEL to be in the mansion!" Edward demands pushing away the coffee that AJ has put before him.
"Well Grandfather, I'm having a tough time with the idea of rewarding you for illegally obtained information. And Mom, I'm having a tougher time with the idea that you went along with it. Emily's JOURNAL for goodness sake? She's not going to forgive easily the invasion of her privacy."
Monica flushes but Edward is unslowed. "So where is he? Where is my great grandson? And why didn't you tell me what you were planning? We were in this together!"
"Your great- grandson, MICHAEL, is out with his godmother. I think Carly is planning on having that be a regular weekly outing. And I didn't tell you what I was planning because the timetable got moved up when Robin confessed to knowing about Michael's paternity." AJ softsoaps the last.
"Why is Carly making plans for Michael and Emily? Hasn't that bitch destroyed enough of my sons' lives? I can't believe that she didn't tell you that you were Michael's father." Monica can't restrain her fury.
"Do you have a problem with Emily spending time with Michael?" AJ asks quietly.
"No, of course not. But...."
"But nothing. My life hasn't been destroyed, I'm doing just fine-- better than I have in a long time if ever. Carly and I agree that Michael should spend time with Emily. I think that Em is fine with that as well. As for Jason..." AJ shrugs. "I'm sure that he and I will be having a-- discussion soon enough."
"When are you bringing my great-grandson to the house! It's his HOME, that boy deserved to be surrounded by his loving family. And how soon can you get his name changed?" Edward firmly entrenched on his one track.
"Yes, Michael deserves a loving and supportive family. I have an appointment with the Judge on Wednesday I think, yes, the day before the *board meeting*, and the name change will be handled then. Carly and I will bring Michael to the mansion for the *board meeting* on Thursday; Emily and Carly can keep him entertained while we have the quarterly Quartermaine battle. Since I took this week off to get to know MY son, I'm pretty well booked with meetings until then."
Edward falls silent trying to read through the lines of what AJ is saying. He blusters at a sudden feeling of being leveraged in some way. The young fool is up to something but what? "Well that's fine then. Glad to see you haven't totally forgotten your responsibilities."
"And Mom, Grandfather, might I suggest that we pretend this little meeting didn't happen? It might keep you out of the doghouse with Emily." AJ stands concluding the family tete a tete. "If you'll excuse me my next appointment is already overdue." AJ offers his hand politely to Monica to assist her rising from the table and then with a quick perfuntory kiss on the cheek escorts them both from the house shutting the door firmly after them.
THE STABLE
Carly and Lucas walk their horses out to the arena. The horses are saddled with English style saddles and step briskly, frisky from lack of exercise. Jerry and Bobbie watch from the stands. Jerry has his hand along Bobbie's seat back and Bobbie rests her hand on his rock hard thigh. Carly is about ready to mount up when she looks over to Lucas who is doing the same. Striding over she grabs Lucas by the back of his jacket and pulls him away from Thunder who shies a bit at the unexpected move. Both Jerry and Bobbie lean forward wondering what in the heck is going on.
"Carly?!" Lucas whines. "I wanna go riding."
Carly takes his riding helmet that had been set on the rail of the arena and slams it down on his head. "Not until you have all your gear on."
"But it's hot and I don't like it."
"You'd like it even less if all your brains fell out your ear. It's a rule-- bike, rollerblading or riding you have to wear a helmet or you don't get to play. Remember what happened to Superman, and he was wearing his helmet if he hadn't been, it would have been even worse! Everyone falls off sooner or later and you have to be ready for it."
Jerry is too far away to hear Carly's lecture to Lucas but says under his breath. "Good girl."
"Why did Carly pull Lucas away?" Bobbie asks. The streets of Florida had never prepared her for horse ownership.
"Lucas wasn't wearing his helmet. I think your daughter just laid down the law." Jerry confides to Bobbie.
"Oh."
"She knows what she is doing."
"Virginia said that Carly used to ride competively. She showed me the trophies and ribbons that Carly won." Bobbie tells Jerry. Both focus on the the duo in the ring. Lucas is now wearing his helmet and is astride Thunder. Carly adjusts the stirrups for Lucas and then confidently mounts her own horse. Together Lucas and Carly circle the ring... first at a walk, then at a trot. Carly slows her horse to a stop and speaks to Lucas. Then she circles the arena alone posting a trot showing Lucas how to properly post. Pulling into next to Lucas and Thunder she sends him off with directions. Lucas quickly gets the hang of it and as he comes around again Carly joins him.
"She's good." Jerry comments. "We could have saved some money on a riding instructor if I had known that she rode."
"She's THAT good?" Bobbie asks Jerry leaning in to watch more carefully but catches Jerry's nod out of the corner of her eye.
"As good as Jax and he used to play polo in his playboy phase."
QUEEN OF ANGELS
Emily drops Michael off in the nursery with the other kids and takes a minute kneeling at a pew at the back of the church. Resting her folded hands on the pew in front of her, with eyes closed she offers up a quick but fervent prayer... "Please, please God, don't let them kill each other."
HAPPY FAMILY house.
AJ sips his coffee and continues to read the Herald. None of it is really sinking in as he waits for Jason's overdue arrival. There is a soft sound of a footfall and AJ looks up to Jason looming over him.
"Where's Carly?"