It's getting late when Jason finally leaves the warehouse, but he doesn't head straight home. He still needs that ride to clear his head and his hormones before he goes near Carly. Riding around the back roads of Port Charles is probably not one of his smartest moments, but it lets him separate out his emotions and that's worth the risk. He's prepared to creep into the house so that he doesn't wake Michael, instead he finds them wide awake and dancing around the living room. The second Jason steps into the room Michael launches himself at him, a string of exuberant nonsense spilling from his lips. Somewhere in the middle of the hug, he looks up at Carly and it hits him that they're home. Together. A family again, and no one can change that. No one can be allowed to change that.

He reaches out a hand to Carly, smiling when she steps close enough to be included in the hug. He lifts them both and spins them around to the music. The sound of their giggles fill his ears, and his heart to the point where he can't even manage to speak. He guides the three of them down to the floor, tickling Michael the whole way.

When the giggles subside, and they are all sprawled out panting for air he rests his hand on Micheal's back and murmurs, "It's late kiddo. Want me to read you a story before bed?"

"Okay." Michael snuggles into him, "I'm glad you're home."

Jason gets to his feet slowly, cradling his son close to his chest he reaches down to pull Carly up too. It's awkward and not romantic in the slightest, but he can finally admit to himself that he loves her. Loves knowing that even if they can't go backward, they can go forward. Putting Michael to bed together is a dance that they've done a hundred times, and the familiar rhythm has never been more soothing than it is tonight. After Michael is settled, he feels Carly slip her hand into his, and he cups it just as carefully as he held Michael. He's lost them both in the past, and that's not a feeling he'll ever forget. So when they walk out of Michael's room he doesn't let Carly pull away. Instead he guides her into his bedroom, sits down in the big chair she insisted he needed and pulls her into his lap. He doesn't have anything to say, doesn't need her to say anything, it's enough right now to hold her and just be still for a moment.

Carly wants to stay in the quiet forever, but she's sitting on an almost secret and they don't do secrets. Not anymore. "I met someone today."

"I thought you were staying home." Jason's voice is low, and Carly can't tell if he's upset or his usual flat self.

"I didn't go out." She takes a deep breath, "A woman came to measure the windows. We were talking about curtains and she told me she knew what happened to Sonny."

Jason can feel himself tensing up, but he forces his voice to stay calm, "What does she want?"

"Nothing. Well, she wanted to thank me for helping her get away from Tommy." Carly twists a little so she can look Jason in the eye, "Her father borrowed money from Sonny and couldn't pay it back. Tommy made her..."

"I can guess." He reached up to stroke Carly's cheek, "Where is she now?"

"On her way out of town with her Dad." Carly shrugged, "She says she'll never tell anyone anything, but her Dad is dying, and she's been working and taking care of him. I called Wyndham's and got them to give her a leave of absence so she could take him someplace nice until it's over."

"Carly..."

"I know you're going to say I should have called you, but if she was going to say anything she would have done it by now. She didn't even want to take the trip, but I told her her Dad deserved to be someplace beautiful. Besides, after what Tommy did, what Sonny helped him do...she needs space to heal. And she hated them more than we ever could."

Jason laughed sadly, "I don't know if that's possible. The more I find out about him, the angrier I get. He lied about so much, and I know there's a lot of people out there like her...or worse. And I helped him do those things."

Carly pressed her forehead against his, "You didn't know. None of us knew. This wasn't your fault any more than it was mine."

"You finally believe me?" His eyes brightened, "How did that happen?"

"Talking to Marilyn helped. She told me how Sonny treated her when she went to him for help, and how Tommy would brag to her about what he could do to her because Sonny would cover for him. I hated him already, but now I know that until that night I'd never seen the real him."

Jason sighed, "I'm not sure anyone did. I always thought no one could lie to me, but Sonny lied so much I couldn't tell when he lied to me."

"Sometimes I think Sonny lied to himself too. No one is that good at pretending to be someone else." Carly's voice dipped, "He sure had me fooled. I used to think the insults were fair, that he was some great guy who did amazing things for his little princesses like Robin. I thought it was my fault he treated me like trash."

"I thought he knew everything. That he was my best friend, and if he said it then it had to be the right thing. We were both wrong."

Carly smiled mournfully, and got to her feet. "Come on. Enough of this, it's late and I'd rather not think about Sonny ever again."

Jason stood up, and Carly started tugging on his shirt until he raised his arms, and let her pull it over his head. He gritted his teeth, already prepared for another night of frustration when she reached for his hands. She held Jason's hands in hers for a moment before guiding them to the buttons on her blouse, smiling at him when he fumbled. They undressed each other slowly, Jason watching Carly's face for any sign that she was uncomfortable with him. She looked away when he peeled off her bra, and he froze in place. Carly raised a shaky hand to his, and guided his fingers to her nipple. Jason stroked it softly, marveling internally at the way her skin felt against his own. She peered up at him through her hair, and something about the look of wonder on his face settled that small frightened part of her that thought this was all pity and not attraction. She leaned into his touch, making soft noises of pleasure when he bent to kiss her.

One soft kiss led to another as they fell into a slow exploration. The room was silent except for the sounds they made together. Jason gasping when Carly's fingers slipped into shorts, Carly moaning when Jason took a nipple into his mouth, and sound of skin on skin. Jason's touch was almost reverent, and it brought tears to Carly's eyes when he slowly kissed every inch of exposed skin. She was trembling by the time he flipped onto his back, and pulled her on top of him. Carly guided him into place, smiling slyly when his eyes rolled back into his head as he slid into her slick heat. She rose slowly, swirling her hips as she rode him. Jason settled his hands on her hips, letting her set the pace and the angle, his thumbs stroking her clit until her movements grew erratic. When her head fell back and she started to make the high keening noises he had dreamed of over the years, he took over. His hips rose and fell faster than hers, but his thumbs kept up the same maddening pace. He could feel her contracting around him, and as she reached her peak he let himself fall too.

They lay together afterward, Jason's hands stroking her back gently. As his heart rate settled, it occurred to him that they hadn't used any protection. He could tell the moment the thought struck Carly, as she stiffened against him. When she raised her head to look at him, he smiled ruefully and said, "You caught me off guard. I didn't think about it either."

"Jase..." Carly blinked furiously, tears welling up in her eyes, "I don't know what I'll do if I'm pregnant. I'm still learning to be a good mom for Michael."

He shrugged, "You are a good mom. And this time there would be a lot less stress. No one chasing you around, no angry Luke, just us being a family."

"Just like that?"

"Yep. Besides, it's too late to worry about it now." He tugged her back down, resuming his slow stroking of her back as he spoke, "We're together. We're going to stay together. No matter what happens, no matter what anyone thinks of us, this is our future."

The conviction in his voice, and the soothing patterns he's tracing on her skin lull Carly into a deep sleep. Jason lays there listening to her breathe, his mind racing over the steps he may need to take if she is indeed pregnant. There is a small secret part of him that is hoping she is, that they can have this after everything that has gone wrong over the last few years. It's a hope he hasn't allowed himself before, and it draws his mind toward the possibilities that a good future with Carly could hold. He's smiling when he dozes off still clutching Carly.