Part Four

"Thanks for the chips and stuff," Spinelli said.

She searched his eyes. "Spinelli, I'm not going to date Logan."

"Did The Unworthy One do something to upset you? He didn't force you into anything, did he?"

"No, no, of course not. Logan is all right, if you get to know him. I just...I don't want anything to mess us up- me and you. He's just a boy, a guy, whatever...he's- not you."

Spinelli asked softly, "But you want to date him, right?"

She looked down. "I don't know what I want..."

"Yes, you do. But, all this time, you've been pushing it aside for me. You already lost your chance with Dillon and turned down Milo, too. Did you want to do that? The Jackal has been blind. My own foolish heart obscured my vision but now I think I am starting to see with twenty/twenty perception..."

Lulu's eyes met his. She started to tear up. "I need you the most."

Spinelli assured her quickly, "It's okay. You can date whoever you want. Even that Crabby Commando. I shall remain your ever faithful..."

She flung her arms around his neck.

"Friend," he finished as his arms rose to hug her back.

Lulu held on to her with a sort of desperation that told him all he needed to know. She loved him back. It wasn't just the way he would have liked it to be, but it was still real. It was still the best thing in his life.

Didn't we have the best of times?
When love was young and new.


Couldn't we reach inside and find?
The love of me and you.


We'll never lose it again!
Cause once you know what love is

you'll never let it end.

Didn't we almost have it all?

XXXXXXXX


She watched through her window as Jason walked onto her porch. In his arms he held Jacob.

For a moment, she stood completely still, her face crumpling but then she rushed over and yanked open the door.

A smile curved over her lips, as tears ran onto her cheeks.

"Carly, I want you to meet my son."

Her eyes stayed on Jason's for a long moment, working up the nerve to finally glance down. He nodded at her, silently pushing her to take another leap, to have some faith in him, in them, to stay with him a little longer- another minute, another day, till they could figure this all out.

When her eyes met Jacob's, she gasped. "Your son," the words were whispered but filled with love.

She motioned them in off the stoop.

He took a few steps toward the couch and then stopped. Jason stood there looking unsure. "Do you...do you...want to hold him or ..."

She nodded. He moved close and passed the child to her. She let out a shaky breath."Hey there, little boy. Guess what? You hit the jackpot. You got the best dad this world has to offer."

Jason blinked back tears. Before he could say anything Micheal and Morgan came running down stairs and soon they were surrounded by children. The boys excitedly greeted the newest member of their family, while the adults kept their eyes on each other.

She thought about:

"I did something," Carly said "you won't like it...I told Tony you are my baby's father."

He thought about:

"It's not a lie," Jason told A.J. "I said I'm his father and I am."

She thought:

"We decided to name the baby Morgan. It works if we have a boy or a girl."

He thought:

"I would be proud to have my sons grow up to be like you."

She thought:

"Tell me I can do this and I will believe you. There's nobody who I trust more than you."

He thought:

"I didn't lose Carly," Jason told Sam "She will always be a part of my life."

Didn't we almost have it all?
The night we held on till the morning.

You know you'll never love that way again
Didn't we almost have it all?
Didn't we almost have it all?

XXXXXXXXXX

That night

Jason sat in his penthouse, alone. He held his lockbox. Inside he placed a new picture. It showed Carly holding Jacob.

He stared at it for a long moment, smiled slightly, then closed the box and locked it.

Didn't we almost have it all?
When love was all we had worth giving?


The ride with you was worth the fall, my friend.
Loving you makes life worth living.

Didn't we almost have it all?

XXXXXXXXXXX

Carly rushed through the door carrying a pizza. "Hey, I got dinner."

"You could knock, Carly."

"You would lock it if you really wanted to keep me out." She looked around. "Are you...do you have time for me right now?"

He raised his hands in a vague motion that would have meant nothing to anyone else. But to her it meant : I'm here for you now and every time you need me. Just like I know you will be for me. I can't send you away because I need you too much...I need us.

She smiled and plopped down next to him, then spotted the lock box.

Carly turned and studied his eyes. He looked good- no lingering traces of sadness, doubt or fear. For right now, Jason was without worries. She had missed seeing him looking that way.

"What?" he asked when she was still staring at him a minute later.

She smiled, evoking a million memories and fantasies he had about her.

Jason remembered her face when he asked " A boy on the side? Is that what I am? Is that like a side order of fries?"

Carly remembered his face when she yelled "We could be married and have three kids by now!"

"Come on, Carly," he said with a chuckle and moved to open the pizza box.

They settled in to eat their pizza, laughing and joking, being completely relaxed in a way they could only be together.

Her eyes moved back to meet his, it was something they had done countless times, saying it all without a word, remembering who they were to each other.

"We're good the way we are. We're right," Jason had told whenever she looked at him in a certain way. Whenever she was craving the dream life she lost somehow.

"I wanted more," Carly said " I wanted you."

"You have me. I'm right here."

"I wanted it all."

Didn't we almost have it all?
Didn't we almost have it all?

THE END

Thanks for reading! I could never get enough of Jarly. I just wanted to write a little something for fans of their friendship as it is, though I will always and forever want it to be more.

Sara