Chapter 12

"Bernie I need you to find me a custody lawyer." Sonny commanded over the phone.

"Oh, I'll look into finding you one for Kristina's situation, boss." Bernie felt uneasy saying this as Sonny hung up. He had learned after watching Sonny lie to Carly that the man could cross anyone and not care. He would pass along the info that the boss might be making a move after Michael and Morgan. The guards had made it clear that Bernie could stay in his position or fall with Sonny, they didn't care as long as he made his position known.

Bernie was a survivor just like his brother. They would join the strongest side and stay out of the middle of the turf war. Jason was better at business anyway. It has to be the lack of emotional response. He is like the ultimate machine. Good thing the mob got him before the Army did. Bernie thought maybe I should leave the business…

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Carly had just checked her messages and it was five o'clock. She went to the park knowing that Lulu would be near the fountain that had been dedicated to her mother. Lulu looked like a train wreck. Her poor eyes were swollen and bright, pink eye worthy red. She looked as though she had gone through a war. But then again what love wasn't really war against the odds anyway?

"Lulu?" She asked gently. "Come on Lu let's go to Bobbies. I'm not leaving you here to cry over whatever happened so your coming with me and we'll get you all squared out. Jase is taking the boys at my house for pizza and Halo wars. So let's go."

Lulu walked like a sad little robot to the car. Carly had six kinds of ice cream with her and every kind of topping imaginable. She had already called ahead to Bobbie and they both knew it was going to be a night for the Spencer womenfolk only.

After the silent 10 minute drive Carly pulled a wet icy towl from the cooler for Lulu and the women proceeded up the sidewalk where Bobbie was waiting.

"How bad is it, sweetheart?" Bobbie asked.

Lulu just cracked like a plate and began to try to tell what had happened, but the sobbing gasps were making it hard for them to understand. All Carly heard was Milo and she knew that the boy was dead the next time she saw him. Jason hadn't told her, but neither Milo's brother nor he had taken him off duty for the night. The men figured he needed a life lesson…

The women started out with ice cream and eventually went to margaritas for the older two and a little bit of rum in a 20oz cup of Coke for Lulu. They didn't want to leave her out, but they also re-enforced responsible drinking around all of the kids. Because they were both smart enough to know that Lucas and Lulu would drink, but they wanted them to be careful, especially with Lucas' diabetes and Lulu's internal trouble magnet.

After nearly three hours of insulting men in general and their own loves in particular all of them felt much better. Carly offered to let Lulu spend the night with her. She instantly accepted and the two promised to meet Bobbie with the boys for breakfast.

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Meanwhile Jason was having his ass handed to him in Halo by a seven year old. This is humiliating. At least there's no one here from the mob to see this, he thought in frustration.

"Seriously, Michael how long has your mom let you play this in two weeks?"

"Uncle Jason, are you saying I could be cheating!!"

"Maybe, you do take after your mother…"he said with a grin.

"Mom doesn't cheat. She told me that she just does what she has to."

"Michael, when your mom does anything she "has to" it is always one of two things: cheating or illegal. Let's not sugar coat it."

"Funny."

"What?"

"That's what she says about you…" Michael said giving him the patented Spencer evil smirk.

"HAHA very funny. You're just like your mother, you know. I am dreading the day you get older, hopefully you escaped the plan genes, but I don't think you did."

"Plan genes are important even Uncle Luke says so. Although he also says that the Cassadines are vampires, which I don't get. Spencer doesn't have fangs and Momma told me that Uncle Nikolas's only come out when he's angry. What do you think, Uncle Jason?"

"I think your spending too much time with him. And I am surprised your mom's letting you."

"I only see him when I am with Lulu. Mom calls him an old goat and Grandma says he's a little loopy. But I think he's a lot loopy and really a little off."

"So how are things?"

"They're good, but Mom's been sad again. Ever since Jax left and Dad's not visiting us anymore."

:"I am sure he is just really busy."

"Too busy to call? He seen Kristina yesterday she told me at lunch."

God, I wish I knew what to say. But I can't tell him his dad is being a jackass, because that's what he is when he's angry.

"Listen Michael, no matter what's going on with your dad, he still loves you it's just he isn't good at showing it."

"But how come you're always here with us? Even when Mom and he are together he's never there and then she gets sad and we leave. You are always with us, Uncle Jason no matter how mad at Mom you are."

"Being mad doesn't change the fact that your mom and me are friends."

"Then why does it change things in a marriage?"

"I can't really explain it to you." Jason admitted, sad over the fact that Michael was beginning to ask questions in life that people took their whole lives to answer. His little boy was growing up.

"Sometimes I wish that you and Mom were still together." He said softly, shocking Jason.

"Michael, you were too young to remember that."

"But everyone talks about it, even AJ did. He always said that you guys loved each other best and it wasn't fair because he loved mom to. But that she didn't love him. Is that true?"

"Your mom loved AJ, but she didn't love who he became when he was drinking and using the two of you as pawns to run ELQ. I know it's hard to understand, but there are a lot of ways to love someone. Your mom and I are friends for life, and AJ had that chance with her before you were born and he chose not to accept it for what it was."

"Dad's the same way. He doesn't want to be friends with mom, even if they're both happier. He wants to be married. He said that me and Morgan would live with him again a few weeks ago. We're not going to have to leave Momma again are we?" Michael asked fearfully. Leticia was nice, but she was the hired help and Mom spent all her time with them. Morgan even went to work with her for four days a week and spent one with Uncle Jason and Grandpa Mike switching off.

"No, that won't ever happen again. I promise. I'll talk to your dad and if necessary your mom and I will start talking to some people to make sure that it can't happen."

"Okay. I can't believe Morgan's asleep already."

"Don't be too shocked your next."

"AH, Uncle Jason it's Friday."

"And twelve at night. I'll tell you what. You go change into your pajamas while I put Morgan down. We'll set you up with a glass of water and read a chapter from your Russia book that Nikolas lent you. Then you'll officially go to bed and I'll wait for your Mom and Lulu."

"Don't you want company?" Michael wheedled.

"Nice try" Jason said with an amused smirk.

"How do you know Lulu's coming?" Michael asked.

"Because I know your mother." Jason said as he frog marched Michael and carried the little one to bed.