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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
The Board Meeting - Part I
Carly's room in the house--
She looks in the full length mirror. Her hair is up and her makeup is flawless. The black velvet strapless dress is close fitting and ends just above the knee with a kick pleat so that she can walk easily. The black heels are high enough to emphasize the length of her legs. AJ comes by the open door and lets loose with a low whistle. "You look great."
Carly looks at AJ's reflection in the mirror. "You too." Turning she walks over to him with a smooth motion she brushes the shoulders of AJ's charcoal black suit. AJ rests his hands on her hips as she smoothes his tie. "Are you ready to kick some ass?"
"I been waiting all my life for this. Having you here with me makes it the icing on the cake. Only you could appreciate this as much as I do. And there is nobody I'd rather share it with than you walking in with me and our son."
Carly's hand comes up to frame AJ's face. "Be careful what you wish for. I know that this is your night. But the docks were Jason's night and look what I did there."
AJ laughs. "I already have Tracy's proxy; I don't think that anyone is going to start shooting."
"I'm only going to warn you this once. Your mother goes off on me and I'm going to rip her hair out."
"I think that you two can find two separate corners. I'm sure that Dad will head her off. He and I had a little chat."
"Let me guess-- how to handle little ole me?" Carly rolls her eyes.
"And getting custody and how it went in New York. Getting along with my father is as rare to me as you getting along with Bobbie." AJ reminds her.
"I know. I'll be nice to Alan, and I'll be sweet to Lila. But if the rest of them get out of hand then I'm making a break for it. Em would probably go with me. That would drive your mother nuts." Carly considers with narrowed eyes.
"If they get out of hand, I'll go with you. You know Jason might be there."
"He hates the mansion." Carly dismisses the possibility pulling away from AJ. She crosses over to the mirror to check her earrings and makeup for a last time.
"Yeah, but you and Michael will be there. The agreement went into affect yesterday."
"If he is there, and I doubt he will be, I'll keep my distance. But AJ, he can read me. Cutting him cold is only going to make him curious." Carly tries to give herself an out.
"You'll figure out a way, you always do. Come on; lets get Michael and get this show on the road."
The Penthouse--
"You ready?" Jason asks impatiently.
"Yeah, Ready as I'll ever be. So what is the plan here?" Sonny asks.
"Just keep AJ occupied." Jason replies. Together they leave with Johnny bringing up the rear.
The Mansion--
Alan arrives dressed in a nice suit. He hangs up his coat and then goes up stairs to see his mother still avoiding the front room until the last minute. Emily and Lila are together both dressed for the event although Emily is already practicing a cough to get herself out of the room if necessary. "Hello Mother." Alan leans over and gently kisses Lila on the cheek. He then draws Emily into a big hug. "How are you, Emily? I hear you have been spending time with Michael and AJ."
"I've been over to the new house a few times." Emily replies suspiciously.
"AJ told me. As well as telling me that you and Carly have been ganging up on him. Should I be afraid?"
"Oh very afraid." Emily laughs.
"Where is your mother?"
"She just got home from the hospital. She is changing now."
"I should go see her." Alan rubs Emily's back. "I'll see you both downstairs." Alan goes down the hallway and then knocking on the door of the room that he once shared with his wife. Hearing Monica's come in he enters. "I didn't think that you could look more beautiful." Alan flatters truthfully. "You look great."
"Thanks, Alan. Can you believe that AJ is actually bringing that slut tonight?" Monica fastens an earring.
"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." Alan nods. "Monica, you can't attack Carly tonight. You shouldn't attack her at all."
"You are asking too much, Alan. After everything that little bitch has done she deserves everything that I could dream up for her and more." Monica's face flushes.
"What do you want, Monica? Do you want a relationship with our son? with our grandson? Is it worth losing both of them to get back at Carly? I don't think so and I'm not going to go there."
"Alan, for goodness sake she drugged AJ, she kept his son from him for a year."
"And I tried to drop a house on you and your lover. I think that she's going to fit in just fine." Alan shrugs and goes down stairs.
"What is it about that little tramp? Do all the men's brains in this family drop into their trousers?" Monica complains to the empty room.
Carly, AJ and Michael arrive just as Alan is walking down the stairs. "Well hello." Alan lets them know that he is there even as Carly is withdrawing looking ready to make a break for it. "Glad to see you could make it. Everyone is still getting ready although I haven't found Edward and Ned yet." Alan reaches for Michael, Carly gives him up reluctantly only as long as it takes for AJ to help her off with her coat.
"I'll take him back now." Carly insists barely keeping the frantic feelings in check.
"Of course but first..." Alan gives Carly a one handed hug and kisses her on the side of her forehead. Carly pulls away bewildered by the unexpected affection. She studies Alan trying to figure his angle. Alan laughs and hands the baby back to Carly. "Lets set the boundaries, shall we? I am going to treat you like the mother of my grandson, and you are going to treat me like your son's grandfather. And since I'm new in the role, I'm kind of playing it by ear. But I believe it means that I get to spoil this little guy rotten and then hand him back to you full of sugar and cranky as the dickens."
Carly studies him intently before laughing softly still not believing what just happened and definitely not trusting it. "No sugar and we'll negotiate on cranky."
"Deal." Alan turns to see Emily coming down the stairs the perfect example of young womanhood. She is dressed formally but conservative for the board meeting.
"Carly, AJ HEY!" Emily hurries down the stairs as she sees her godson. "Give him over!" Carly laughing relinquishes Michael to Emily's hugs and smooches some of the tension draining from her seeing her son in the arms of someone that she trusts-- at least with her son. "Gawd, you look great-- like one of those models for the whiskey ads."
"This old thing?" Carly jokes. "AJ picked it out in New York. He may have the lousiest taste in ties but..."
"But I know what you look good in..." AJ interjects before murmuring softly in her ear. "And out of."
"You shush." Carly playfully bats AJ in the arm turning to Emily she changes the subject. "I brought a snack for Michael. I know that you probably have everything here but I wanted to be safe rather than sorry. I need to put it in the refrigerator. Can you point me to the kitchen?"
"Carly, that really is not a good idea." Alan says in a rush. "Our staff is rather... temperamental and I wouldn't want to have anything go wrong tonight."
"Oh don't worry-- I'm sure that Emily will run interference for me, right Em?" Carly insists.
"Okay. But Alan warned you." Emily hands the baby to AJ. "He's too young to see bloodshed."
"AJ?" Alan almost pleads.
"Don't worry, Dad. It'll be fine. Come on lets go see what the old man and Ned are up to. Carly, we'll be right in there." AJ nods toward the front room.
"I have to find out Cook's secret." Carly shakes her head and really laughs for the first time since entering the house. "She's got them all running scared. Come on." Carly and Emily enter the kitchen where the controlled but rushed preparations are in their final stages.
"What! What do you want?" Cook bellows from the stove without even looking over her shoulder to see who entered the kitchen.
"AH but I think it is I who has something you want." Carly declares firmly staying out of the way of the preparations.
Cook snaps around. "Sally, get over here and stir this. If you scorch it, I'm going to have your bony butt." Cook wipes her hands on a nearby bar towel. "AH Ms. Benson, so we meet again. Did you bring it?"
Carly reaches into her bag and pulls out a 3x5 recipe card. "I've got it. Do you have want I want?"
Cook reaches into a nearby drawer and pulls out a 3 page document. "Right here. It's a copy; the old goat will never know that you have it." The women met halfway in the kitchen and exchange the documents in a manner that resembles a hostage exchange. Each takes a minute to review the documents of the other. "So that's how she did it." Cook mumbles. "Excellent.
Carly quickly skims Evan's affidavit. "This is perfect." She folds it up and tucks it away in Michael's necessary bag. "Now for my excuse for being here." Carly pulls out a couple of Ziploc bags. "I told Alan that I needed to refrigerate Michael's snack. Keep it or toss it. I'm sure that whatever you made is fine." Cook takes the baggies and tosses them carelessly into the fridge.
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you." Cook states agreeably.
"And with you. Have I ever told you about my mother's vegetable dip?"
Cook laughs. "We'll talk."
Carly and Emily leave the kitchen. The door has barely closed when Emily explodes. "How did you do that?"
"Do what?" Carly asks curiously.
"Cook likes me and even I don't mess with her on board nights. And she laughed." Emily is amazed.
"I had something that she wanted. And she has something that I want... the ability to get the members of this family running scared so they'll leave us alone."
"You couldn't do it without getting locked up again. It involves a butcher knife and threats to short parts of their bodies that they value more than life itself." Emily explains.
"Well hell, that isn't going to work. I'm trying to convince people that I'm not going to kill them. Back to the drawing board."
"What was on the card?"
"A recipe for my mother's, Virginia, welcome wagon cookies. I have some over at the house. Next time you come over before a driving lesson you can sample some."
"What did she give you?"
"Strictly confidential-- Don't even write it down okay?" Emily nods in agreement. Carly tucks her arm through one of Emily's and leans in saying in a quiet confidential tone. "A copy of the papers that Edward got from Dr. Evans-- you know the shrink from Ferncliffe I told you about. I need to know exactly what the bastard is saying so I can fight it."
From the landing above Monica sees Emily and Carly with their heads together. She can't hear what is being said but she can see how comfortable they are with each other as they walk into the front room where the rest of the family is gathered. "Over my dead body, witch. You aren't getting your grimy paws on another of my children."