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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter Sixty Seven
Special thanks goes out to Tiffany who tracked down and transcribed the lyrics to the New Ricky Martin single which to my understanding goes on Sale April 20th at a record store near you. The song is already being played on the radio and the video can be seen on MTV and may I say... it's hot, hot, hot... hotter than a parka, baby.
La Vida Loca
Kelly's dinner. Jerry and Carly arrive with Lucas after the riding lesson. Tammy is working behind the counter but getting swamped. Jerry goes over and grabs waters and menus after seating Carly and Lucas at a free table. Lucas demands quarters from Carly for the juke box. Carly hands them over with the condition that he has to pick at least one chick song. Lucas just grimaces but nods. Jerry comes back with the water and menus but tells Carly that he is going to help Tammy out for a few minutes so that she can get ahead of the rush. Carly nods and picking up her cell phone calls AJ. "Hey you still meeting me for lunch? Jerry, Lucas and I are at Kelly's."
"That's the plan. I just need to pick Michael up from the company daycare center so you can have him this afternoon. I have an appointment with Irene Chang this afternoon. She's taking over personnel here in Port Charles."
"She was the personnel director in Jakarta right?" Carly asks glancing over the menu absently.
"Yeah, She took some vacation in Syndney and just got into town. ELQ is putting her up at the Port Charles Hotel until she can get a place."
"Let me know if I can help. How long do you think you'll be?" Carly asks.
AJ looks at his watch. "Twenty minutes."
"I'm holding you to that... and I'm ordering for you. Longer than twenty minutes and you are getting the firestarter chili." AJ laughs but says bye quickly and hangs up. Carly starts tapping along with the music that Lucas had selected. Jax enters the diner. He had been following Jerry for awhile now trying to get a chance to talk to his brother. He'd been in contact with his parents but they were as frustrated as he was. All of a sudden Jerry wasn't taking their calls. Or at least not calls from John and Jax. Lady Jane had gotten a call on her birthday from Jerry but Jerry had hung up as soon as John got on the phone.
"Jerry, we've got to talk." Jax demands.
Jerry grabs both pots of coffee from behind the counter and circulates the restaurant topping every one off. "I'm a little busy right now." He says flatly.
"You don't have to do this, come on, Jer; it was just a misunderstanding." Jax takes a seat at the counter planning on waiting his brother out. "Go ahead and bite my head off but this silent treatment isn't going to work."
"What silent treatment?" Jerry asks quietly. "Can I get you anything? If you're not going to order; I'm going to have to ask you to leave. There is no loitering here."
"Fine coffee... and a cheese danish if you've got one."
"You know with that sweet tooth one of these days you are going to look like a tall Edward Quartermaine."
"That's cold, brother." Jerry just shrugs. "Look I know that I screwed up when I brought Robin to Carly's house but I didn't know what happened in court. I didn't even know that Robin was back to testify. I like Bobbie. I wouldn't have done that to her." Jax tries to explain.
Over at Carly's table the cell phone starts ringing. She picks up. "hello.... what already?... The grand jury was fast. When is it going to happen.... I'll be there." Carly hangs up and dials another number rapidly. "Lorraine? Yeah, it's me. It's finally happening, messenger the documents to his wife. She has to get them as soon as possible." Carly rises from her seat at the table and goes over to the payphone ignoring Jerry and Jax as she focuses on finding the number she needs. Once she does she uses the cell phone again to place a call. "Veronica Bowles? No, well then get a message to her that there is a major story breaking at the PCPD in about half an hour. It's going to have state wide implications-- might even go national depending on how she handles it.... nope that's all I can tell you. You snooze you lose, you know? Tell her this could be her lucky day." Carly disconnects the call and then looks down at her watch. She bites her lip and then calculates quickly. It would be quicker to walk to the PCPD than to wait for a car to be sent out to pick her up. Carly looks around her. Lucas is still at the juke box and Jerry is preoccupied with Jax. Quietly, she gathers up her coat and slips out the door. A few minutes pass and as a new song drops onto the juke box Lucas turns to where Carly had been sitting.
"This is it the chick song, Carly, it's the new one by Miguel Morez, that L&B guy. Carly? Jerry, did you see where Carly went?"
Jerry looks up and takes in the faces in the diner in a glance and knows that one is missing. "Oh hell."
She's into superstition, black cats
And voodoo dolls
I feel a premonition
That girl's gonna make me fall
AJ arrives with Michael brushing rain off the both of them. He takes in the grim face of Jerry and looks around the room. "Where's Carly?"
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. You guys didn't get your wires crossed?"
"No, I was just on the phone to her; she said that she'd met me here. Did anything weird happen at the riding lesson today?"
"Jason was there." Jerry admits. "But that was just before we left."
Lucas pipes up. "Lt Taggart was watching today too. He was talking to Carly for awhile."
Jerry and AJ look at each other. Jerry says "I'll check on Taggart."
"I'll take Jason." AJ pulls out his cell phone and calls Jason's number. "Jase, have you seen Carly?"
"What do you mean have I seen Carly?" Jason evades.
"Just that. She was suppose to meet me here at Kelly's and now she's gone. No one knows where she went. I figure you or Taggart might have a clue since you were the last two to see her."
"Taggart. Dammit. It must be going down."
"What's going down? Oh hell-- Dr Evans."
"You got it. And Carly's not going to watch from a distance. If she arranged for him to be taken out then she will want to see him bleed." Jason says flatly. "She'd have no control over when the bust went down but she'd know that he'd have to be booked sometime."
"Right-- PCPD." AJ hangs up on Jason.
She's into new sensations, new kicks
And the candle light
She's got a new addiction
For every day and night
"Jerry, I want to get this cleared up. The fighting between the two of us is going to kill Dad with his weak heart and all." Jax tries to get Jerry's attention away from the phone call that Jerry is listening to between AJ and Jason. Already Jerry can tell that the stuff is about to hit the fan.
"Sorry Jax. I really don't have time for this right now. Got an emergency on my hands." Jerry unties the apron that he had taken a moment to put on earlier. "Caroline is trying her hand at total destruction."
"What else is new?" Jax finally throws his hands up in disgust.
Jerry hauls back casually and drops Jax to the floor with a single punch from his iron fist. He looks over at Lucas. "We aren't going to tell your mother about this, right?"
"Okay, but you know she'd rather you didn't hit people. Even people that say mean things about MY sister." Lucas glares at Jax who rubs his cheek bone and winces as he realizes that once again he has stepped in it. Bobbie arrives in time to see Jax pull himself up from the floor while Lucas and Jerry stand over him. AJ is bundling Michael to go out again in the rain.
"What's going on? Jerry, what did you do? Jax, are you okay?" Bobbie rushes to Jax's side and gives him a hand up.
"Thank goodness you're here, Bobbie. I didn't want to take Michael back out in the weather. Is there any way you can keep an eye on him for a little while?" AJ asks quickly
"Where is Carly? What about Jason?" Bobbie looks around the diner.
"I think that we'll be meeting Jason." Jerry says calmly pulling on his jacket.
"You're going too?" Bobbie looks from Jerry to AJ. "What did she do now? It's going to take all THREE of you?"
"That's what we're going to find out." Jerry says gentley giving Bobbie a buss on the cheek. "Try not to worry." AJ hands Michael to his grandmother and leaves with Jerry close on his heels.
"Try not to worry, he says. Have you EVER heard anything so asinine? Oh GAWD Caroline, what have you gotten yourself into now?"
"Why is it that you can say that but when I do I get decked?" Jax takes an ice cube from the water glass and wrapping it in Jerry's discarded apron holds it to his cheek.
She'll make you take your clothes off
And go dancing in the rain
She'll make you live her crazy life
And she'll take away your pain
Like a bullet to your brain
Meanwhile at the PCPD, Carly has arrived and finds a quiet place with a view to the front doors. She gathers her coat around her; the damp chilling her to the bone. Spring might be trying to show its colors but the wind was sharp and cold. Luckily she hadn't changed out of her riding togs while the boots might not be made for walking they held up under the wet and mud standing under the tree. She leans against the tree observing the news crew setting up. Bowles didn't know how much she owed to Caroline Benson-- first Edward's foray into housebreaking and now Evans.
By the time that she was done with Evans, he'd wish that she shot him. Total destruction. If there were any justice in the world he'd end up rooming with someone named Bubba in the club fed he'd try to negotiate himself into. The news crew, the medical board, the IRS-- Carly looks down at her watch-- and a bomb dropped on his home life if Lorraine was on schedule-- no bail, hopefully no money for an attorney and the wife changing the locks on the cheating bastard. This was better than the movie definitely the american version but the brits version too. Evans would probably think her a devil in disguise. Evans would have nothing when she was done. Nothing.
Carly straightens from the tree as a car approaches; it's Taggart and he has Evans in the back of the car. A van pulls up behind them inside there are members of the staff that had also been implicated in the various illegal activities at Ferncliffe. Uniform officers haul the staff out in cuffs. Taggart does the honors with Evans himself. Taggart pauses as he closes the back car door and looks around. He sees the woman standing alone under the trees. Her blonde hair is darkened by the rain and her features obscured by the distance but he knows who it is. Evans, in a strange state of shock, also looks in that direction and the figure penetrates the fog that infolded his brain from the time the cuffs had been slammed on his wrists. "Caroline Benson?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell ya, Ms Benson sends her regards." Taggart quips and nods in Carly's direction. "Remind me to never piss the little lady off. In between shooting an ex-lover and what she has in store for you..." Taggart just shakes his head. Taggart starts to grin as he sees who is joining Carly underneath the tree. "Don't you know that girl? What's her name again... Lorraine... Willer, Stiller, Biller...?"
"Miller." Evans whispers his life, career and marriage passing before him. "Lorraine Miller."
"That's it." Taggart snaps his fingers. "Knew it would come to me. Wonder how those two know each other... you think maybe they went to nursing school together?" Taggart takes a look up the street as the roar of a motorcycle can be heard in the distance closing. Looking in the opposite direction he sees a limo pulling up and AJ Quartermaine and Jerry Jacks were climbing out. "And the hits just keep on coming. Will you look at this-- Angerboy, Junyur and the closest thing that Ms Benson has to a daddy all showing up when you are about to make your tv debut. Hope they don't steal your thunder. Wouldn't want you to be bumped off as the lead story on the six o'clock news now, would we?"
(Come on!)
Upside inside out
She's livin' la vida loca
She'll push and pull you down
Livin' la vida loca
Evans starts to whimper and shake. Taggart rolls his eyes and waves Officer Rick over to take Evans through the gauntlet of reporters. Rick takes custody of Evans and with one arm crossed before him and the perp push through the reporters. Evans tries to keep his head down but every way he turns is a camera and flashbulbs going off. As he makes it inside the building the Reporters turn to Taggart who hold his hands up for silence. "Working on an anonymous tip, the PCPD conducted an intensive investigation including undercover survellience into the workings of The Ferncliffe Institution. This morning the grand jury issued warrants for the director, Dr Evans, and members of the staff for violations of patients rights, assault, rape, criminal negligance and abuse. In addition there are allegations of financial malfeasance and the Internal Revenue Service has been forwarded information for further investigation. Dr Evans and his associates will be arraigned at this afternoon's incustody arraignments." The reporters eyes grow big not just local charges but the Feds too? This was going to be huge, messy and carrying on for a long time-- a ratings bonanza.
"Det Taggart!" is called out from all sides along with more questions regarding the charges.
"That's all that I can say right now as this is STILL an active case." Taggart says flatly thereby whetting the appetites of the press for even more sensational tidbits. Veronica Bowles is the first to notice the gathering under the shelter of the tree.
"Oh my gosh... Ted, get a shot of under the tree over there. Is that who I think it is?"
Ted looks through his viewfinder and zooms in on the group. "Don't know who one of them is but the rest... Carly Roberts, Jason Morgan, AJ Quartermaine... and hmm Jerry Jacks I think."
"Roberts, Roberts... Benson!-- She's the one that shot Dr Tony Jones and got sentenced to Ferncliffe. Any bets on who the anonymous source was?" Bowles gathers up the power pack for the camera. "Come on before anyone else notices." Bowles and her cameraman try to get over to the group before they are noticed by them or the other reporters who continue to hound Det Taggart.
Her lips are devil red
And the skin's the color mocha
She will wear you out
Livin' la vida loca
Livin' la vida loca
She's livin' la vida loca
"Did she get it?" Carly asks Lorraine ignoring the men surround them and who are talking over each other to get Carly's attention.
"Oh yeah, I followed the messenger saw him hand it to her. Kept the negatives for myself-- figured they might come in handy later." Lorraine confirms.
"There are gift certificates for a total spa experience at Deception as well as a HUGE certificate at Wyndams. I hear that the spring shoe sale is on. Italian leather."
"I always loved Italian leather." Lorraine quips. "I think this is also going to get some play on Inside Edition, Hardcopy and World's Dumbest Criminals."
"Well hold out for the biggest offer as if I didn't have to tell you that anyway. And my name doesn't come into it." Carly reminds Lorraine.
"Well all hope of that is going to go down the drain if you don't get out of here now." Jerry demands catching sight of Veronica Bowles closing on them. He moves to block Carly from the camera. Carly looks around him and swears.
"Come on Carly, lets get out of here-- NOW." AJ demands pointing to the limo.
Jerry looks over at Jason. "You get the other one out of here?"
Jason glares at Lorraine. "I told you to get out of town."
"Hey she called me, not vice versa." Lorraine protests. "I was mindin' my own business."
"We don't have time for this." Jerry growls. Jason grabs Lorraine by the arm and hauls her off to his motorcycle. He shoves the spare helmet at her and with a roar starts the bike. He waits a heartbeat after Lorraine climbs on behind him before taking off. Jerry looks around him and makes a beeline for the courthouse that is adjacent to the PCPD. Once he got inside he'd duck into a courtroom where the cameras couldn't follow him. After the ruckus had died down he'd head back to Kelly's.
Woke up in New York City
In a funky cheap motel
She took my heart
And she took my money
She must have slipped me a sleeping pill
(note to Marg and Barkie-- stop reading HERE-- you have been warned. I mean it. I will not be responsible for the consequences of your continued reading.)
"Well this scheme didn't seem to take as long as the others to come together." AJ protests. "When you said you were going after Evans I thought sure it was just getting the guy disbarred and thrown out of his house. Cuffs Carly? What did you do?" AJ directs the driver to take them home.
"Why is this my fault? I didn't manufacture the charges, AJ--- I just made sure that Taggart knew where to find the proof. You knew I was working on this." Carly turns on AJ inside the back of the limo. Then she glances at the driver and quickly closes the opaque glass between them. "When I was in Ferncliffe I played zombie girl half the time-- do you know what that means-- REALLY? Whatever was done to me, whatever I saw; I couldn't react. And then once I was getting..." Carly makes quote motions in the air. "better, I think that was worse because then I had to take what they dished out and pretend like I liked it... like it was for my own good."
AJ grows concerned and pulls Carly to him in a close embrace. "What happened Carly?"
"This wasn't like with you, okay? You didn't deserve getting slipped that mickey and dumped in the courtyard with fifth of vodka for cologne-- even if you were annoying the heck out of me and trying to spoil all my plans. Evans deserved this; he did this to himself. The only thing I set up on Evans was Lorraine. And it was just like Tony-- he couldn't get his zipper down fast enough. Lorraine didn't hold a gun to his head or anything forcing him to be a lying, cheating bastard."
"This is the last we've seen of Lorraine though, right? She isn't suddenly going to be your best bud or anything." AJ pleads.
"Nope." Carly moves to distract AJ from any more questions. Now she begins to realize that it is all going to come out eventually. She'd seen some of the staff who'd been arrested. No way were they going to go quietly. They'd start rolling on each other before an offer was even on the table. Carly straddles AJ in the back of the limo. She sees the suspicion in his eyes begin to fade as she unbuttons his shirt and press kisses to his mouth and face before trailing down his chest. AJ groans as Carly grinds against him.
"This discussion isn't over." AJ mutters pulling Carly's head back to expose her neck to his kisses. Carly pulls away from AJ for a moment and shucks her raincoat letting it fall to the floor then she grabs the bottem edge of her edge of her shirt and pulls it smoothly over her head. AJ pulls her back to him kissing her deeply in an open mouth kiss that has Carly's breath fleeing she leans even closer wanting more. AJ's hand slides up Carly's waist to the middle of her back and with a one handed flip of his fingers unhooks Carly's bra. Carly seats herself more deeply on AJ's lap as she leans back and grins while shrugging out of the bra. She rubs up against him skin to skin and smiles as she sees his pupils dilate. "Oh for the days of side saddle and skirts." AJ protests as he runs his hands over Carly's smoothly clothed posterior "And baby, you know I love you in boots but if we keep this up we're both going to end up with pants around our knees."
"Works for me." Carly reaches between the two of them and begins to unbuckle AJ's pants. "I was so busy with my plots and plans today; I didn't get a chance to go riding." She winks at him suggestively. AJ upends her on the bench seat as Carly laughs again and begins tugging off her boots. One by one the boots hit the floor. AJ peels her riding pants from her as she lifts her hips to accomodate him. "Hey no fair. You're wearing more clothes than I am now." Carly protests unencumbered with garments she straddles him again. She hesitates briefly at his zipper. "Do you have something?"
"Now she asks." AJ pants. Reaching behind her to the full service portion of the limo he knocks against a compartment that pops open. AJ grabs a foil wrapped packet and hands it to Carly. "Are you doing the honors?"
She never drinks the water
Makes you order French Champagne
Once you've had a taste of her
You'll never be the same
Cause she'll make you go insane
The car slows as it reaches the Happy Family house. AJ groans and pushes the intercom to the driver. "Pull into the garage." He demands and then hangs up. AJ reaches onto the floor for Carly's raincoat and hands it to her. She belts it over her nude body. AJ fumbles with his trousers not bothering to button his shirt or grab his jacket. As the car comes to a halt the driver makes no effort to get out of the car. AJ reaches over to the car door and climbs out. Before Carly's sock clad feet can touch the cold cement of the garage floor, he throws her over his shoulder in a fireman carry. Carly starts giggling.
"Oh my hero." She laughs. AJ swats her on the behind.
"Hush. If I start laughing you're going to end up on your noggin." AJ carries her into the house only setting her down once they reach the warm interior of the house. With his foot he slams the door shut behind him. Taking her hand, he races/drags her up to the master bath and turns the shower on high and hot. Turning around he reaches for the belt of her raincoat loosening and dropping it on the floor. Carly peels off her socks and climbs into the shower tugging in AJ with her.
"I'd have taken my suit off. " AJ protests pushing the water from his face.
"I'll buy you a new one." Carly insists as now she reaches for AJ's sodden garments and throws them out one by one onto her raincoat.
(All right!)
Upside inside out
She's livin' la vida loca
She'll push and pull you down
Livin' la vida loca
When the water starts turning cool, AJ grabs a towel from the warmer and wraps it around his trim hips; he turns the water off. He supports a boneless and sated Carly as she steps from the shower. Grabbing another towel, he wraps it around her and begins so rub her dry. Carly starts to perk up under his ministrations and pulls him into another embrace. Her kiss makes the impossible nearly possible but he groans and pulls away. "I have to get back to work and we need to get hold of your mother and have her drop Michael here at the house."
Carly whispers in his ear sending shivers up his spine. "You're the boss now. Take a long lunch."
"It's already turned into one of the longest lunches on record." He reminds her. "And I haven't eatten... food. I think I need some sustenance if we're to keep this up-- so to speak."
Carly pulls away. "Okay but I'm taking a raincheck." As her mind clears she starts to blush. "Oh my god-- the driver!"
"Yeah, he's probably waiting for me down in the garage. I hope he brought a good book." AJ quips.
"Oh you are so BAD. I'll meet you down in the kitchen" Carly throws a mock punch. She wanders off to her room to dress and allows AJ the time to do the same. After AJ has girded himself in his CEO clothes he goes down to the kitchen where Carly is making BLT's in a silk caftan that she'd picked up in Australia. AJ comes up behind her and starts nuzzling at the nape of her neck. "Don't start anything. " Carly protests. AJ withdraws taking a seat at the table. Carly sets the sandwich in front of AJ who quickly refuels while Carly is on the phone to her mother. "Mama, I don't know where Jerry is. We split up to lose the news crews... Yeah, I'm at the house now you can drop Michael off anytime." Carly hangs up the phone as AJ is finishing his lunch. She hands AJ a brown bag.
"What's this?"
"A BLT for the driver." She rolls her eyes. "And don't forget to bring me my boots back. I just got them broken in. AJ, I've got some time on my hands now." She pauses. "How has Ned been doing at ELQ? Is he still giving you problems?"
She'll make you take your clothes off
And go dancing in the rain
She'll make you live her crazy life
And she'll take away your pain
Like a bullet to your brain