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The Triumph Of AJ Quartermaine
Chapter
Calling Jason.
"So we're agreed. I get this week." AJ queries as he reaches for his cell phone.
"And you don't try to take my son away from me." Carly qualifies. "You doublecross me and all bets are off."
"Ditto, Sweetheart, Ditto." AJ hands the phone to Carly.
Carly punches in the number and walking away from AJ waits for Jason to pick up. "Jason, It's me."
"Where are the hell are you? The jet came back from New York without you and Michael. Tell me where you are and I'm on my way."
"You told me there was no way that AJ could have the court order so fast. You told me there was no way I could lose my son. Jason, he's known all along! He didn't need to get the damn court order because he used the one he got back when I was PREGNANT WITH MICHAEL. He's been planning this for MONTHS. Robin telling him just moved up his timetable; he told her that coming clean was too little, too late." Carly laughs bitterly.
"Where are you?"
"Jase, he says if Michael and I stay with him for a week then he won't go for sole custody at the hearing."
"He's lying; Carly, you know he's lying. He's already tried to take Michael twice! He's in the old man's pocket. You give him anything, and he'll take it all. We can beat him. I've already given the lawyer the order that he dropped at the doctor's office. The lawyer thinks that there is a good chance that it can be overturned."
Carly chews on her lip, hesitating. "AJ doesn't want a court battle, he says he doesn't want anyone to settle this but us. What am I suppose to do, Jason? Tell me what to do! I can't lose Michael, not again." AJ pulls the phone away from Carly.
"Hey bro, how's it going?"
"AJ." Jason grinds out. "Put Carly back on the phone."
"I don't think so. You have entirely too much influence with our girl. It's been a real eye opener. She'll do whatever you say. Has it always been that way? How stupid am I? Everyone says that Carly is the manipulator, but you're aces at it. Do you know how angry I am at you right now?"
"Do you think I care, AJ?"
"No. I know that you don't, Jase. But know this, Jason, when Carly gets back to Port Charles in a week she won't be afraid of Michael anymore. She won't need you to connect with our son. Michael will know that he can rely on Carly and me too. Ha. You call yourself her friend. You're just as emotionally abusive as Tony was. Carly and Michael have gotten on just fine without you and I'm going to make sure that stays true."
"Don't you ever compare me to Dr. Jones." Jason yells.
"You're an emotional bully just like Tony. You saw someone weaker with something that you wanted and you took it. Well it isn't going to play that way anymore, Jason." AJ disconnects the call.
The penthouse--
Jason throws the phone against the wall shattering it. Sonny stands up from where he was leaning against the desk. "I take it that didn't go well."
"AJ took the phone away from Carly before she could say where they were. She was thisclose to telling me and he knew it." Jason sags onto the couch and covers his face with his hands. Taking deep breaths he tries to bring himself back under control.
"You knew that you couldn't trust her. That she was a manipulator-- standing back to see who was going to win and then going with them."
Jason sweeps the contents of the coffee table to the floor and jumps to his feet. "YOU DON'T GET IT! All you ever heard was what Robin said about Carly. What about me? What about what I told you?"
"You told me that she was a liar; that she was crazy!" Sonny yells back bewildered at Jason's sudden rage.
"Robin LEFT; YOU LEFT-- Carly never did. She was always there for me. She lied FOR ME. She played crazy FOR ME." Jason starts thumping his chest in emphasis. "She was my friend; she made it okay for me to come home at night to this place. When my life was falling apart she gave me Michael. And whatever you, Robin or anyone says about Carly she would NEVER have taken Michael away from me. She believes that Michael's my son and because she did so did I! But that's all destroyed now. It's gone."
Sonny pulls his jaw back up from the floor at the flurry of words that had come from his normally stoic friend. "You're in love with her. When in the hell did that happen? How in the hell did that happen? What about Robin?"
"What about her?" Jason asks bewildered by the sudden change in subject. "Robin's gone. And one thing that I picked up in the conversation with Carly was that Robin knew what AJ was planning. Did she say anything to you before she left for Paris?" Sonny shakes his head. "Damn her. Carly wanted to run; she knew something was up. I thought I had time to fight this. That AJ had to get a court order for the paternity testing. The bastard had this in the works from when Michael was born-- he used the court order he got back then. Robin knew it before she left and didn't say a word." Jason realizes. "Did she hate me that much?"
"Carly." Sonny shakes his head. "She hated Carly that much. Whatever they talked about that last time must have struck a nerve. She was so sure that Carly would betray you. That she would use Michael to get you-- in her life, in her bed."
"Well we know how that one turned out. Now AJ is the one who is using Michael to get Carly in his life, in his bed."
"What?!" Sonny sits down across from Jason totally lost.
"Carly will stay with whomever has Michael. You all thought that meant that she would betray me. But it was never about me not really-- not totally; it was about not being separated from her child. That's why she came to me because she thought I could protect her.. .protect them."
Sonny remembers. "They are a package deal."
"Yeah, all Carly wanted was to be with her son. But she was afraid, so afraid, of hurting him because he was the most important thing in her life. She's convinced that she is a total screwup. AJ says that I kept her feeling that way. That's when he compared me to Dr. Jones."
"AJ is an idiot." Sonny waves off the comment.
"Not this time... not this time. I got to get out of here. If he lets Carly call again it won't be until midnight. If then." Jason strides from the room grabbing his leathers and helmet; he slams the helmet against the door jam as he leaves.
"Oh Jase, man, you've got it bad." Sonny picks up the phone and starts the search for Carly and AJ in New York City. It might be futile but he has to try.
The Waldorf--
"You almost told him."
"But I didn't, okay. I didn't tell!" Carly wipes away tears angrily. "I would have held it together you didn't have to hang up on him."
"Just tell me when you started let Jason doing your thinking for you?" AJ snarls.
"HE'S MY FRIEND!"
"I WAS YOUR FRIEND. Damn it. I was your friend too, Carly."
"You wanted to steal my son; you were driving me crazy!"
"I was trying to get you away from TONY!"
"WHAT?!" Carly starts shaking her head. "That's not true. You were going to take Michael. You told me you were going to sue for custody."
"Before that! Did you think I was following you around for my health? I stopped you from marrying the guy for goodness sake."
"Oh don't rewrite history. That was spite. You were still ticked because I drugged you."
"Let's not even go into that one, or the rigged sonogram, 'kay?"
Carly collapses onto the couch. "I'm a bitch okay; a cold-hearted, manipulative bitch-- you've known that from the start!"
"Yeah, I know... beautiful, intelligent, talented, creative and horny. And I think it's time for those assets to start working for US."
Midnight at the Waldorf Astoria--
Michael's cries wake Carly from a fitfull slumber. Throwing on the complimentary robe, she yawns and goes into AJ's room where the crib is set up.
"What's the deal here?" AJ is bouncing Michael trying to comfort him.
"Michael never just goes to sleep." Carly yawns again. "He wants to be read to. And his book is back in Port Charles."
"What are you reading him?"
"Oh not me... Jason. Jason is reading him a book on Africa this week." Carly raises her voice to be heard over Michael's cries. "We've already gone through France and Spain and a snoozer on the Caribbean. If you don't start reading to him he isn't going to stop; he might not stop even if you read to him."
"I guess the goal is for this kid to be an ace on Jeopardy one of these days-- I'd like world rivers for $200, Alex."
Carly laughs. "Someday he's going to support me in the style I've become accustom to. And Jason doesn't watch tv."
"Poor kid, guess that means no teletubbies for you... or barney either." AJ makes a funny face at Michael that distracts him momentarily.
"As if I'd let my son watch that big purple pedophile! Every stranger is a friend, my ass." Carly retorts.
AJ covers Michael's ears. "Honey, not in front of the baby." AJ's eyes have a wicked gleam as he teases Carly.
"I'll see if I can find anything for you to read to Michael." Carly retreats.
"Me? What about you?"
"It's not my voice he wants to hear." Carly shrugs. "Welcome to daddyhood. I'll find you a book and then I'm going back to bed."
"Oh no you don't. If I'm up so are you. We can do tagteam later in the week but for now we're in this together."
Carly just shakes her head and leaves the room to search the living area for something to read to the baby. She returns momentarily. "It isn't Africa but maybe it will do." She hold up a book of attractions in New York City.
Holding out a free hand AJ takes the book. "So does he liked to be rocked or what?"
Carly frowns. "You mean like a rocking chair? I don't think so. He is more used to being walked when he is fussy."
"Well that's a blessing since we don't have one here. " AJ settles into a chair with Michael tucked into his lap and tries to balance the baby and the book. "Well Michael since it is too cold on this trip why don't I read you all about Central Park; we probably won't be able to play there. That way you can know what you are missing." AJ one handed flips to the appropriate section and begins to read. His voice is low and soothing. Carly curls up on the bed and waits for AJ to give up so that she can call Jason. Michael hiccups and pauses in his cries; reaching for the book he tries to tear it from AJ's hands. "This is good stuff, Michael, pay attention." Michael leans back arching his back then settling in as AJ's voice washs over him. AJ reads for about 15 minutes only pausing as he realizes that Michael is asleep. He looks over to Carly to share the accomplishment only to find that she has gone back to sleep as well-- in his bed.