CHAPTER ONE

"I'm so thankful you're home safe,"

"Me too,"

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this," the dark haired Don leaned in to kiss his wife.

"Are you forgetting that alcazar was in love with me not you?"

"My mistake," he kissed her again, and then leaned back to look at her with a scowl on his face, "are you saying that I'm not attractive enough for Alcazar?"

"Who knows? You're cute, I'll give you that,"

"CUTE?"

Carly laughed and kissed him, "Yup,"

"I AM NOT CUTE!"

Carly just nibbled at his lips.

"You do not call the mafia boss of the Eastern seaboard CUTE!"

Sonny groaned when she nibbled at his ear, "I thought you were a coffee importer,"

"That's what I said,"

"No it wasn't,"

"I know what I said. Stop trying to distract me,"

"I'm not," she nibbled on his chin as she undid the buttons of his shirt.

He grabbed her hands before she reached his nipples, "did you think Alcazar was cute when you were in love with him because of your dreams?"

"Oh no. Alcazar could never be cute. He's too manly to be cute,"

Sonny stepped away from his wife his eyes wide, "what did you just say?"

Carly struggled to keep a straight face, "alcazar all man, that's why he'd never fall for you,"

"You think Alcazar's all man?" Sonny took a deep breath to keep from passing out. "I'll show you who's all man!"

Carly laughed as Sonny attacked her and they tumbled to the ground in front of the fireplace. Neither heard the knock.

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"You two are at it AGAIN?"

"Go away Jason," Carly mumbled.

"Yeah, we're busy," said Sonny, "don't you ever knock?"

Jason chuckled, "I did. Twice. And very loudly,"

"What do you want?"

"It's about Alcazar,"

Carly groaned and released her hold.

Sonny kissed her one last time, "to be continued,"

"Count on it,"

"What about Alcazar?" Sonny asked, correcting his clothes.

"Him and his new wife just flew off on their honeymoon,"

"I'm going to go get something to drink," Carly said, "you guys want?"

Both men declined.

"It's bizarre thinking of Alcazar being married to a woman that looks like my wife,"

"How do you feel about that?"

Carly was on her way back when she heard Sonny say, "I'm jealous as hell sometimes. I look at her and see Lily, the mother of my unborn child, and I wonder what if? Would we still be married? What would our child have looked like? Would we have been good parents? That kind of thing...you know?"

Carly swallowed hard.

"I know Sonny,"

"I do know one thing, I'd be married to a woman that would always be honest with me. She was like you in that aspect, she couldn't lie. That's why we worked. I may have been in love with Brenda, but we still managed to make a life. I need absolute honesty all the time and she gave it to me. I don't get that from Carly,"

Tears streamed down Carly's face. She retreated to the kitchen.

"But I love Carly with everything in me. I couldn't live without her. She's my oxygen,"

"You two have been through a lot together,"

Sonny nodded and stroked a finger over a framed picture of Carly that stood on his desk. He looked at Jason, "that's why I keep struggling to forgive her. I'm still new at this. That's what I have to do if I want to keep Carly. I promised to see the "truth behind the lies" so I'm trying,"

Carly returned with a pale face.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Just hit my head is all,"

"Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No, I'm fine. In fact…"

"I have some other news," he rubbed a hand over his face, "sorry Carly. I need to say this,"

Carly looked at him and suppressed her comments, "no prob, Jase,"

"Courtney and I are officially separated. Justus is drawing up the papers this week."

"Oh Jason," Carly hugged him. She stepped back and glared at her husband, "Is this what you want?"

"I had nothing to do with it," he glared back.

"It was mutual," Jason interrupted the glaring match, "she can't live in my world and I won't force her to, but there's no point in staying married if we can't be together. Besides she wants children and right now I can't have any,"

"Why can't you?"

"Until we take care of this new enemy, I can't think of having children,"

"I'm sorry man. Is there anything you need?"

"No. Nothing. I just need to work to take my mind off things,"

"We'll help any way we can. Besides…" the rest of that she was going to say was interrupted by a knock.

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"Mrs. Roscoe," Johnny announced.

"Call me Faith," she smiled.

Johnny blushed.

"Wait out here Robert,"

"Yes ma'am,"

"What do you want?"

"I came to talk to Carly about a bake sale," Faith smirked to hide the hammering in her heart as she gazed into his blue eyes.

"You wouldn't know how to turn on the oven and if you did people would die of the poison you most likely put in it,"

"You've never sampled any of my skills so you have nothing to say!"

Jason gave her a look and raised an eyebrow.

Sonny and Carly stared at each other in shock when Faith blushed.

"Jason and Faith?" Carly mouthed to Sonny her eyes wide.

"No way!" he mouthed back.

"What are you doing here, Faith?" Sonny asked just so he could interrupt the glaring contest.

"I came to see Jason actually. Johnny said he was over here,"

"We're in the middle of something," Carly managed to regain her voice.

"It's urgent,"

Jason was already shaking his head.

She looked him in the eyes, "Please,"

Jason hesitated. There was something in her eyes. Something he'd never seen before. Panic.

"Fine,"

A chill ran down his spine. He had a sense of foreboding. He felt like his life would never be the same again.

"Mr. Corinthos. Mrs. Corinthos. A pleasure as always," she turned on her heel and walked out.

"I'll talk to you guys later," he followed her out.

Silence reigned in the penthouse after they had left.

"Have Jason and Faith ever…?"

"No. He would have told me,"

"Guys talk about that?"

"Sometimes,"

"Do you talk about us?"

"Sometimes. And only when we have problems. Very rarely though. When we have problems I prefer we work it out between ourselves,"

"I agree,"

Sonny stared at his beautiful wife. His heart raced. God he'd missed her.

"Johnny!"

The door opened and the guard stuck his head in.

"No visitors. Not even Jason,"

"Yes sir,"

That taken care of he started stalking his wife.

Carly's eyes widened, "Sonny, what are you doing?"

"I'm walking towards you,"

"No you're not," her heart hammered at the look in his eyes. He was as graceful and as dangerous as a panther stalking his prey.

"You know that thing that was to be continued?"

"Yes," she said backing up, "but the kids will be home soon and I have to get to the club. We can continue it later,"

She jumped as he vaulted over the sofa to stand in front of her.

"I think it should be continued now," a deadly dimpled smile appeared.

They continued for the rest of the day.

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Jason paused when he saw Faith heading to the elevator, "I thought you said you wanted to talk?"

"I do. I just want to do it somewhere public so people can hear me scream if you try to kill me,"

Jason smirked, "even then no one would help you. This is my town,"

"I thought it was Sonny's,"

"You know what I mean," he growled.

Jason took a deep breath forcing himself to calm down. This woman made him so frustrated that he wanted to pull his hair out. That or strangle her to death. He heard a smothered chuckle behind him. He turned and glared, "you're fired Johnny!"

"Yes sir. I'll tell Mr. Corinthos in the morning,"

Jason glared at him a little longer then turn back to Faith, "penthouse now!"

The blonde glared at him then turned and stomped to it. When the door closed behind them Robert turned to Johnny with awe in his eyes, "You're still alive!"

"Yeppers," Johnny said smugly, "the Boss and Mr. Morgan fire me every other day, but Mrs. Corinthos likes me so they never follow through,"

"Wow! I've never met anyone who met Mr. Morgan's death stare and lived to tell the tale,"

"That wasn't his death stare,"

Faith's guard gulped, "it wasn't?"

"Nope. The day I see Mr. Morgan's death stare, nothing Carly can do will save me,"

Robert prayed to the god he knew as a kid that his boss wouldn't anger the man.

Inside the Jason's penthouse, Robert's boss was indeed angering the man. Jason watched as the irritating blonde paced his apartment touching his things.

"Would you quit tainting my stuff and speak woman!"

Faith felt a foreign substance in her eyes. She rubbed her hand against her face and discovered what it was. Tears. She hadn't cried since her mother had died. His words reminded her of things her father and husband had said to her. She inhaled deeply then turned to face him.

"There's something you need to know,"

"Well?"

"I don't know how you'll react to this, but I'm…" she took a deep breath. I've faced down guns; this should be a cakewalk. I can do this. She looked him in the eyes, "I'm…I'm pregnant,"

At the last second she turned her back on him. Maybe I can't do this.

"Why are you telling me?" for some reason Jason felt anger rise up in him at the thought of her being pregnant, "why aren't you telling one of the NUMEROUS candidates for fatherhood?"

Faith choked back a sob. Damn hormones! But she deserved it. She sighed, "I haven't been with a guy in over a year until three months ago at Jakes,"

Jason laughed, "Who are you trying to kid. Everyone knows you're always open like seven eleven,"

Jason cringed. He'd never been so crude to a woman before even if she deserved it. But the unexplained anger was driving him.

Faith spun to face him anger running through her body. She opened her mouth to yell at him, but forced herself to remain calm. She could do this. She laughed sadly. For the first time in her life she was doing the right thing and being completely honest. She kept her eyes on his and reiterated, "I haven't been with a man until a month ago at Jake's."

Jason studied her. She was telling the truth. She hadn't been with a man in over a year. The rest of her sentence hit him hard. Jake's…last month…she was pregnant…wondering how he would react…

"You're PREGNANT?"

The expectant mother rolled her eyes, "I already told you that,"

He stepped into her personal space and placed both hands on either side of her face forcing her to look into his eyes, "I'm the father?"

She didn't know why it was important that he believe her but her eyes never left his as she said, "yes."