Part Two

Carly sat on the deck of a beach house and watched Michael play in the sand. She was back in Florida. It seemed she always ran here when her world came crashing down, either here or to Jason.

He carried her bags down to the parking garage the day she left and said "I could come with you two..."

"You can't. You know that. Stay here and deal with him. Get him out of my life for me. You always said it was my choice. Well, I've made it."

Carly spoke to Jason daily on the phone, hearing about how Sonny's emotions went from shocked to pissed to vengeful and how AJ was making noises about getting Sonny arrested for hanging him from a meat hook. Jason could stop AJ but he wasn't really inclined to put in the effort.

Alexis was trying to push through the adoption, while Justus was fighting to have the agreement revoked. If Carly didn't show up for court and officially agree to the adoption, Sonny would have little chance of getting it approved. But a payoff here or there...it could change everything and Carly was counting on Jason to make sure that Sonny didn't maneuver his way into parental rights.

The weeks turned into a month and Carly started to feel herself recovering from the ordeal of being Mrs. Corinthos. But she didn't really feel like herself again until that afternoon.

She heard someone step into the beach house. Standing up, she pulled her eyes on her son who was building sand castles, and looked in through the french doors.

Jason stood there, holding a overnight bag. He dropped it on the floor and started toward her.

A smile broke out on her face, but she held herself back from her natural inclination to rush into his arms, to sigh out her happiness at the sight of him, to confess how she missed him and loved him.

She did, he knew.

And now that she had left Sonny, it would be hard for her to not push Jason for more. But Carly had made up her mind...if Jason wanted that he could come to her, she wasn't going anywhere, or ever going to love anyone else...not as much as she did him, at least.

She feared Jason never would want more, that she would end up with another last name of some other man she would love a little bit years down the road for now. But that fear wasn't going to make her beg Jason.

Because getting his love that way would never satisfy her. She needed him to break down and admit he loved her, craved her, that she was it for him and that he never wanted another man to touch her.

Nothing else would be enough, and yet she was still here- for she could never turn away- and she was still settling for much less than everything from him.

He stepped onto the deck, his eyes washed over her, and she watched as all the pain in them lessened, as relief and joy spread through his features. He looked past her and saw their son. The tender way he looked at the boy, nearly brought tears to Carly's eyes.

"Hey," Jason said softly

"Hey," she said back "I didn't know you were coming down today...is it done?"

"Yes. He's mine again."

"He always was...to me, at least."

Jason nodded. Then he looked down. Sensing his sudden rush of emotion, she moved closer and touched his hand.

"After what I did," he said in quiet hushed words "stepping back from being his Dad...thank you for letting me come back..."

"You never left us. Not really."

"You'll have to sign some papers when we get back home. We'll have to go to court. But Sonny's petition for rights has been turned down and AJ is powerless now. You don't have to worry about anyone taking your son."

"Our son, Jase. You know you think of him that way."

"Yeah, I do." He wrapped his fingers around hers, squeezing her hand.

His other hand rose slowly and moved around her back, pulling her close to his body. She relaxed into his chest, her eyes drifted close.

Soon Micheal was running up the beach yelling Daddy.

Carly pulled away, smiling sheepishly at him. "I had a little talk with our kid...hope that's okay."

Before Jason could answer, Micheal was doing what his mother had so many times in her life- flinging himself into the strong and steady arms of the one man who would fight the devil for them, who had loved them through it all and made them feel safe in a insane world where nothing was ever easy for any of them.

"Daddy," he said again as Jason hugged him.

Carly watched as Jason's eyes filled with tears, as his nuzzled the neck of their boy, and she watched him change right in front of her. It was as if layers of pain and regret lifted away.

"Micheal," he choked out "I missed you."

"Are you staying here with me and mom?"

"For a while. Then we'll go home together."

Micheal started to go on and on about things he wanted to do while in Florida. His parents smiled and nodded but their eyes stayed on each other.

And in that moment, many of the knots they had tied themselves up in trying to be apart unraveled, as all the heartache started to dissolve away into only a memory...into just the past.

Jason looked at Carly, feeling breathless and full of devotion for her and their son, and wondered if he could get her back too...all he knew was he had to try.

XXXXXX

That night, while Micheal slept in one of the bedrooms of the beach house, Jason and Carly sat on the couch together.

He reached for her hand, and let his thumb stroke over her skin. "How did you explain this all to Micheal?"

"It wasn't as hard as you might think. He can't remember the time when he was a baby but he knows who loves him most in this world. He knows the whole story of how you were his father from the moment he was born and I told him now you never stopped wanting him and that from this day on we would all be a family."

She went on, "He was confused about why I left Sonny but...he loves you, Jase. He had divided loyalties before and now he doesn't have to worry about Sonny's feelings anymore. Did you see the smile on his face when he spotted you today? That's all the answer I need about who his father is, in his heart."

"I can never leave him again. I never will let that happen."

"I know." After a moment, she smiled "Don't worry about it. I won't let a crazy plan mess up our family again. You need him and he needs you. No matter if we all live together or what...I have to know my son has his father and will always have him. I can't believe I almost gave Sonny that place in his life..."

"Why did you?"

She looked away. "It was part of the delusion I was building with him. I needed to keep taking steps away from you and toward him...if I was going to convince myself that Sonny had my heart, that he was my future, that I had his love. I was willing to go to extremes to prove all that...but I kept failing cause it wasn't true. I sometimes wonder how I can ever forgive myself."

"You wanted to make it work. That isn't a crime or sin or anything like that. Give yourself time, Carly."

He watched her, as her eyes searched his and then she finally nodded. He let go of her hand and stood up. "I'm going get some sleep...you need anything...don't hesitate to wake me up."

"Like I would hesitate," she joked.

Jason smiled and, for the first time in years, he looked as carefree as he did before she was ever pregnant, when they were young and didn't know it would all turn so messy and break both their hearts, back before they called this thing between them love.

XXXXXX

The days went on, down there on the coast, and for once life was easy for them. They spent days seeing the sights, swimming in the ocean, and having all the little moments they all used to think would never be there's.

On the last night before they were scheduled to head home, Carly put Micheal in bed. She left him there with Jason reading him a story, and headed to her own bedroom.

When she came out of the adjoining bathroom, after taking a shower, she found Jason standing there, staring out her window.

She smiled and asked, "How many stories did he get out of you tonight?"

"Four."

She laughed. " You are such a softy when it comes to that boy."

He nodded, and then drug his eyes from the window and met hers. She stalled in her tracks, as she took in the lust and need that was staring back at her.

She swallowed.

Just when she had been getting used to them as a just co-parents now he seemed to offering her more, without her even asking for it. The thought made her knees weak.

She breathed out, "Jase."

He crossed the room to her and placed on hand on each of her arms. He rubbed them gently. "I hate to leave here tomorrow..."

"Don't you think we can't make it in Port Charles? I think we could."

His eyes darted back and forth, finally locking in on hers. She was surprised by how soft and emotional his words were when he told her, "I made myself stop hoping...you'd ever come back...it was too hard to do that...I didn't ever want to feel anything for you ever again...but I always did. You gave me my son and I gave you...whatever I have to give. I know you haven't said a word about us...you didn't leave Sonny for me...but...before we go home and you move on...I can't watch you move on without me...not if there is even a little bit of a chance...Carly, I need to know if..."

She cut him off by bringing her lips to his.

After a single gentle kiss, she cupped his cheek, feeling his stubble under her fingers, and whispered "Yes, I do. Of course, I do. You know my heart, Jase. I love you in a big, crazy way that might even be a little bit dangerous...but, yes, I love you...I tried to love him and I will try to love someone else if you don't want me...but if you do..."

This time he kissed her. Carly felt his whole body shaking, and wondered about the power she had over him, finally realizing it was just as strong as what he had on her.

His hand ran up the side of her thigh, sending a jolt straight to her core. She broke away from him and stumbled backwards.

Jason's eyes filled with insecurities.

Carly let out a ragged breath.

"It's too soon," he said "I should have realized that."

She bit her lip, barely able to stand on her shaking legs. He was all she had ever wanted to call her own, and the thought that he might want her just as bad made it hard for Carly to think. But she knew one thing, without a doubt.

She couldn't risk their family again.