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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Promises Promises
The conference room where Carly is putting on the finishing touches. She has already been running the front desk and the concierge ragged making sure that each of the rooms reserved had a full compliment of personal hygiene items and snacks not knowing when the people last had a chance to relax and soak up some hot water. Also in each room was a gift certificate for the hotel's store and an invitation to the party. Dimitri had been a gem sending over trays of deli items and Greek delicacies with a promise of more to come as they were prepared. Carly had made it more than clear to the bartenders that the beverages were to flow freely as nobody was leaving the hotel and to come to her at the end of the evening for their tips. Everything was to be on ELQ all the security people had to do was kick back and have a good time. Looking around her Carly shrugs. "Good enough." She looks up at the clock on the wall and then races back to the room where Jerry is still playing on the computer and watching CNN. "Well? Any news?"
"ETA on the jet is about 20 minutes. The hotel is sending vans to pick them up."
"What about AJ?"
"Haven't heard anything since he left." Jerry leaves out the part where the alarms had started going off in the background along with AJ's swearing and hanging up without a goodbye. "That was about 30 minutes ago. He should be about 10 minutes behind the jet. The people here are used to me though. The helicopter won't be landing at the airport but over in that field." Jerry nods and points. Jerry crosses his fingers behind his back for luck. "He might even beat the security crew to the hotel."
"Really?!" Carly says her voice crying out for reassurance now that it appeared that everything was going to be fine. Jerry nods. "Then I have to get ready." Carly tears through the small wardrobe that she'd brought and pulls out a sundress and undergarments and races to the shower slamming the bathroom door behind her.
"Did you get me a room when you were setting everyone else's up?" Jerry mutters to himself "..and is there any door that you don't slam?" He winces and reaching into his bag grabs some aspirin tossing them down dry. The phone rings; it's Edward.
"Where is my grandson?" Edward harrumphs finally getting the number to the suite reserved in AJ's name in Darwin.
"Heck if I know." Jerry says purely to annoy.
"Well then put Carly on the phone."
"Sorry, she's in the shower. Can't come to the phone. Can I give her a message?" Edward hangs up on Jerry. "Been nice talking to you too, old man." Jerry looks at his watch and deciding sighs. It was 4 in the afternoon here. That made it 4am yesterday back in Port Charles. She'd kill him if it wasn't an emergency. What in the hell was Edward doing calling? Jerry looks at the CNN screen and winces-- getting his answer. Pictures of ELQ Jakarta again this time the trucks had been vandalized, half of them rocked over-- one of them on fire. Windows in the upper levels were broken. The gate to the garage looked secure but that didn't matter since the front doors were wide open. Luckily the other camera crews shots were playing by the time Carly got out of the bathroom. She looks over at the screen just in time to see a whole factory go up in smoke, fire crews nowhere in sight.
"What was that?" Carly asked fascinated by the flames.
"Heineken distillery. Dutch beer, former Dutch colony." Jerry says tersely
"Now that's alcohol abuse." Carly sits on the edge of the bed putting on some sandals but can't take her eyes away from the devastation on the TV. "I thought I heard the phone ring?"
"Yeah, it was Edward wanting to talk to AJ."
Carly looks at the clock. "But it's 4am in Port Charles. What is Edward doing calling AJ?"
"Either he is watching CNN too or he's trying to mend fences with AJ. Carly, did you book me a room too?" Jerry finally asks.
"Yeah, it's next door." Carly says absently watching the TV for any signs of ELQ Jakarta before getting up to stand at the balcony waiting for the helicopter to arrive. "Shouldn't he be here by now?"
"A watched pot." Jerry quips, secretly glancing down at his watch.
"Oh just shut the hell up! I can't believe you said that to me." Carly turns sharply to glare at Jerry ready and willing to pick a fight with the only available person. But she is quickly distracted by the sounds of an approaching helicopter in the distance. "Nevermind." Carly races out of the room.
"Finally-- some peace and quiet." Jerry sighs rubbing the back of his neck. "How's a bloke to get in a party mood with a fractious female around." Jerry calls the front desk and has a bellman bring up the key to his room.
Meanwhile down in the field across from the hotel where the helicopter is landing Carly is busy trying to keep her sundress from being blown over her head while trying to keep her hair out of her face. As the copter lands AJ is the first one off the plane. Carly meets him half way and throwing her arms around him draws him into a deep lip lock. Neither pay any attention as the rotor blades come to a slow stop or the rest of the passengers leave the helicopter until there is a deep AHEM from beside them. AJ breaks the kiss and getting his bearings puts his arm around Carly. "Honey, these are the people that saved my bacon. Mason, the head of security, Laiman, the computer expert, Burt, the pilot you've already met and Jordan, babysitter extraordinaire."
Carly reaches over to Jordan and kisses him on the cheek and then gives him a heartfelt hug. "That's from me and my son. Thanks for taking such good care of him."
Jordan blushes and shifts on his feet. "I was just doing my job."
"And a damn fine job doing it!" Carly pats him on the cheek. Then returns to AJ's side. "Well the party starts in about an hour--open bar." She tells the men. "You all have rooms booked here, plenty of time to shave, shower, shampoo and shine. And may I say, while I adore all of you at this moment, you need it?" There is a round of laughter combined with disbelief. Was it going to be that easy? An hour ago they'd been racing to the helicopter knowing there were only a few floors between them and a rabble bent on destruction, now a wind mussed blonde was inviting them to party?
"If Carly says that there's a party-- watch out guys." AJ laughs; he starts walking back to the hotel with the rest of the group. "Carly, where are the rest of the security personnel?"
Carly shrugs. "They hadn't checked in before I saw the helicopter but I know the vans have headed to the airport to pick them up. Jerry said you'd probably get here first since you were landing right at the hotel."
Mason growls from beside Carly. "And where is Mr. Jacks?"
"Jerry? Jerry's getting ready for the party too. Why?"
"Oh he and I have a few things to settle." Mason states firmly.
"Hey Mason, just let it go, okay?" AJ asks tiredly. "At least for tonight." AJ starts looking around the lobby and heads for the desk with the other staff. Carly pulls at his hand tugging him toward the elevator. "Carly, I need to get a room."
"I got your room. Come on." After Carly punches in the floor needed and the elevator doors slide shut AJ pulls her close again and kisses Carly.
"I think there's a promise on the floor-- something about more than talking dirty?" AJ murmurs as he nuzzles Carly's exposed neck; his arms wrapped around her waist.
"As if I've ever kept a promise to you before!" Carly teases then grows serious her eyes filling with tears. "You scared me, AJ, and I don't like being scared. Michael and I are just getting used to you. Then you go off trying to get yourself killed. Was it really worth it?"
AJ pulls back. Looking at Carly and wiping away her tears with a motion of his thumb. "Yeah, Baby. I'm sorry I scared you, but it was worth it. It was a trial by fire. I didn't do everything right-- I shouldn't have brought you. I should have known what I was walking into. We almost put off leaving for too long. But I dealt with the situation without relying on Grandfather or Ned. And I found out there are worse situations than the Quartermaine mansion and the family politics. I think I got my priorities straight-- finally." The elevator doors open and Carly leads AJ to the room.
"Well-- fill me in on these new priorities of yours but not now. You need to get changed. I think we shouldn't call home for a few more hours it's the middle of the night there." Carly gives AJ a push toward the shower. "And I don't think it was a mistake for you to bring me... so there. I'll be downstairs doing the final touches on the conference room." Carly shuts the door behind her not allowing AJ to get another word in edgewise.
About twenty minutes later Jerry enters the room. He hears the shower running and gets comfortable. It was time for him and AJ to have a man to man chat. Jerry already verified Carly's downstairs making the staff want to pull their hair out. AJ comes out of the bathroom dressed in casual attire. He is still towel drying his hair when he realizes he isn't alone in the room.
"Look, I know you're ready to kick my ass but can it wait until we get home?" AJ asks plaintively. "And I should warn you it won't be a walk over; I did some kickboxing back in school."
"Oh it would be a walk. Don't fool yourself. You might get a lucky punch in but I'd clean your clock, Junior." Jerry says coldly.
AJ winces. "Junior. Hell! Now I know your ticked. I screwed up, okay? I shouldn't have brought Carly even if she thinks there was no problem with it."
"Caroline isn't always the best judge of what's in her best interests as you and I both know. So far I've taken a step back on this whole situation figuring it'd be less stressful on Bobbie to have Carly with you rather than with your mobster, thug brother. Can't say that's been proven so far."
"Listen I appreciate all your help." AJ starts to grow angry. "But Carly is just fine. She was invaluable to me getting the information I needed to make this work. Except when I had Burt put her on the helicopter everything has been her choice. She could have stayed in Port Charles. She didn't want to."
"You wave a shopping spree in front of that girl and then wonder she didn't want to stay in Port Charles!"
"She didn't want to stay 'cause she didn't want to deal with Grandfather, Jason or the rest of the family."
"Edward and the Q's, I understand perfectly. But Carly has been dealing with Jason for years now. Why all of a sudden is she avoiding him?" Jerry's eyes narrow
"It's none of your business." AJ says flatly tossing the towel aside and running a quick comb through his hair. "Carly knows her opinions matter to me-- that I appreciate the things that she does. Our relationship is a negotiation, not the dictatorship she lived with under Jason's thumb. If Carly doesn't want to be around Jason then I'm going to make sure that she doesn't have to."
"Leave the lying to Carly, AJ. She's better at it. Carly was in Jason's hip pocket right up until you went to New York and now she's pulled a 180. I'm not asking or thinking anything that anyone else who knows all the players wouldn't be thinking. What are you holding over Carly's head?"