CHAPTER SEVEN

Faith woke with a smile on her face that slowly disappeared when she realized that she was alone in the bed. She sat up and stretched.

She slid off the bed, slipped her feet into her shoes, grabbed her purse, and walked to the door. She opened it and saw Robert standing outside.

"He left an hour ago. He didn't look happy,"

Faith frowned as she allowed Robert to lead her down a corridor. Something must have happened. A part of her felt cheated because she wanted to wake up in his arms again especially after the dream she had last night.

"Do you know where he went?"

"No. But Johnny might,"

"Why do you say his name like that?"

"No reason,"

Faith raised her eyebrows.

Robert sighed. He hated it when she gave him that look.

"Just feeling left out is all,"

"Left out?"

"They're all going to the U2 concert tomorrow,"

"And you're feeling left out,"

The tall dark haired man nodded. "I know it's childish, but I feel like everyone's going to this really cool party and I'm not invited."

"You could just ask if you could go with them,"

Robert looked at her scandalized. "I am a man, Faith. Men don't do that,"

Faith rolled her eyes.

"Besides the concert was sold out months ago,"

"How did they manage to get tickets then? I only started hearing about it a couple of days ago,"

"All Johnny would say was that it was one of the perks of working for Sonny and Jason,"

"Ah. You know that I would have given you perks like that if you had asked. I'm not sure about my husband though,"

Robert was glad that he didn't have to respond to that since at that moment they saw Milo and Johnny standing outside a door.

----------

Faith and Robert walked to the two guards.

"Morning Mrs. Roscoe," they said in unison. They nodded at Robert.

"Why are you guys here? Is Carly here? Was Sonny hit?"

Before either could answer, the door opened to reveal Sonny and Carly.

"What happened?" Faith asked as she saw the bandages on Sonny's forehead.

"I'll tell you about it later," Sonny said.

Carly raised her eyebrows. "I'll tell you about it later?" When did they become so friendly?

Faith nodded. "I actually stopped to ask the guys if they had seen Jason."

"Shooting Range,"

Sonny exchanged glances with Johnny and Milo. The gun range was where Jason went when he was feeling dangerous.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks," she turned to Robert. "We should go."

"You going straight home?" Sonny asked.

"After my appointment,"

"I'll stop by and see you after my meeting then,"

Carly's frown was unnoticed by the others.

Faith nodded her agreement. She smiled at Carly and walked away.

----------

"You've been very quiet since we left the hospital. What's the matter with you?"

Carly scowled. "Nothing."

Sonny chuckled. "I've never seen anyone scowl like that over nothing."

She huffed and crossed her arms as much as she could in the space between her breasts and her stomach.

Sonny sighed and winced as the pain spiked in his head. "I don't have time for this Carly."

His words unleashed a maelstrom.

"Time? You don't have time for me?"

"I didn't say . . . "

"You never have time for me!" she yelled at him.

"I always have time for you," Sonny snapped.

"Really? Are you sure you're not confusing me with Faith?"

Sonny had the look of a man who knew he was in trouble but had no idea what for.

"Where did that come from?"

"Never mind,"

Sonny rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "Hormones."

"Get out," she said in a cold voice.

"Excuse me?"

"Get out. I don't want you in here,"

"This is my car, sweetheart,"

Carly pushed a button that lowered the partition and leaned forward to talk to Johnny. "Drop Mr. Corinthos off here."

Johnny looked at Sonny who nodded. Johnny pulled over to the curb and Milo stepped out to open Sonny's door.

Sonny walked off without looking back. Milo shrugged at Johnny and followed.

----------

Faith entered the penthouse after her appointment. The first thing she saw was Jason seated on the sofa cleaning his gun. He didn't even look at her.

"Hi. How are you feeling?"

Silence.

"Did something happen?"

Still nothing.

"Jason . . . "

"I want you to tell me the truth,"

"About what?"

"Am I or am I not the father of your baby?"

"You're the father," she said softly.

She stepped back as he jumped up.

"You're lying!"

"I'm not!"

"I know that I am not the father of your baby!"

A stunned Faith stared at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I remember everything about that night Faith," he emphasized the word everything.

She had been hoping that he would remember, but she didn't want that memory to turn him against her. She had been afraid that he would feel that she had taken advantage of him at his weakest moment and would hate her and it looks like that is exactly what had happened. But that he would say that he wasn't the father . . . did he hate her that much?

"I don't understand,"

"You're on the pill and we used protection each time so there is no way that I am this baby's father,"

Faith felt like she'd been slapped.

"Get out!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Leave!"

Before Jason could respond, his phone rang. He listened to the person on the other end and then hung up. Before walking out the door, he turned to Faith and said, "This isn't over."

----------

Sonny returned home to find his best friend and his wife curled up on the couch together. He raised an eyebrow, but Jason motioned him to be quiet.

Sonny nodded and led him into the kitchen so he could make himself a bite to eat.

"How is she?"

"A wreck. Apparently I have to be on my guard around you,"

"Me? Why?"

"You're too close to my baby mama as she put it,"

The two men shared a smile.

"Where on earth did she get that idea?"

"Apparently you're closer to Faith than she likes. She said you talk to Faith about the business but you won't talk to your own wife about it,"

Sonny put the knife he was holding down. He was afraid he might cut himself. "Where does she get this stuff?"

Jason shrugged and leaned against the island. "I don't know but I think she's scared you'll leave her for Faith since she's lived the life all her life and would make a better wife for you."

Sonny raised an eyebrow and looked at Jason. He had detected an undercurrent of something in his friend's voice.

"You don't have to worry. I'm not after the mother of your child,"

Jason looked away. "She's not."

"She's not what?"

"The mother of my child,"

"Did something happen?"

"I discovered that she's been lying to me,"

"About the baby?"

Jason nodded.

"What did she say?"

"There's nothing she could say. I hit her with the truth,"

"What truth was that?"

Sonny decided that dinner could wait and led the other man into his sanctuary, in other words, his study.

"She's on the pill and we used protection every time,"

Sonny didn't say anything. "And?"

"And what? What else is there? There's no way I can be the father,"

Sonny sighed. "If you're the only man she slept with then you are the father."

"How can you say that? We used double the protection!"

Jason didn't want to admit that a huge part of him wanted Sonny to be correct. He had been eagerly anticipating becoming a father for months now and the idea that it was not going to happen just about destroyed him.

"The chances of it happening are very small, but it still happens. Besides she'd been drinking and she'd been stressed out so maybe she forgot to take one or she threw up. Maybe one of the condoms was defective. Anything could have happened,"

"Do you really think so?"

Sonny nodded. "Faith knows what will happen to her if she lied about something like this and I've seen a change in her. I can say with absolute certainty that you are the father."

A big grin appeared on Jason's face. His entire body changed from stiff and despondent to happy and excited.

"Go home and tell her you're sorry before she changes the locks,"

The other man grinned before running out.

----------

Jason entered his penthouse half an hour later to see the mother of his child wrapped in the arms of her bodyguard. They were both sleeping. To make matters worse they were both under a blanket so he couldn't tell whether they were dressed or not. It crossed his mind that there might be another candidate for paternity after all. For some reason that thought angered him. He slammed the door and watched the two jerk awake. They both turned to look at him . . . one in fear and the other in anger.

"Do you mind?"

"Do you?" he snapped back. "This is my penthouse."

"It's not what you think Mr. Morgan," Robert jumped up causing Faith to fall back on the couch.

"It's exactly what you think," Faith returned. Robert turned to glare at her.

Jason was happy to see that they were both fully clothed. He didn't feel like taking Robert to the special place tonight.

"I'll . . . just . . . leave . . . now," Robert said as he edged to the door.

The other two ignored him since they were too busy glaring at each other.

Robert gave Jason a wide berth on his way out. He didn't want to get within arms reach just in case.

"I thought I told you to leave,"

"And I thought I told you that this is my penthouse,"

"Well you're not sleeping in the bed with me,"

"Fine. You can sleep on the couch then,"

Robert turned back to see Jason dump the flowers he was carrying in the trash can by the desk and storm upstairs. He closed the door on Faith's pleading look. One death glare from Jason Morgan a night was his limit.

----------

"How are your pair doing?" a voice said from behind.

Robert jumped and spun around. There was no one there.

"Round here,"

He followed the sound and saw a tiny alcove. Inside he saw Johnny sitting there. There must have been a shift change while he had been with Faith since Francis had been on duty when he had entered the penthouse.

"Not talking,"

"Same here," Johnny said as he reclined on his chair.

"I've heard that men become as hormonal as their partners but this is getting ridiculous,"

"Tell me about it,"

They were silent for a moment.

"Are you allowed to sit on the job?"

"Of course. Everyone sits down. Otherwise, we would all have needed new legs years ago. I have a clear view of both penthouse doors and the elevator so if I see movement, if I hear either door start to open, or the elevator, I can just stand ready at my post,"

"Have you ever been caught?"

Johnny nodded. "After the first time, Carly talked Sonny into placing this recliner here. We love it. It also vibrates. The only rule is that we can't fall asleep."

"Oh," Robert was starting to see how the Corinthos/Morgan family was the best in the business. They were all creative thinkers right down to the soldiers and Sonny and Jason took good care of their people.

He was going to love working here. He just had to find a way to be considered part of the family . . . hopefully before tomorrow night.

----------