"Marcus? Honey?" Keesha called from the bedroom. "Did you happen to see
where my black pumps went?"
"Which ones?" Marcus asked from the bathroom where he was shaving.
"The black ones. You know those?" Keesha said as if that cleared things
up.
"Um, baby, you *are* aware of the fact that you have like about 20 pairs of
black pumps?" Marcus looked at her through the mirror as he rinsed off the
razor.
Keesha waved her arms in the air in frustration. "My shiny black ones? The
ones with the very high heels you like so much? I can't find them
anywhere!"
"Oh those. Yeah." Marcus nodded as if he knew exactly what she was talking
about but of course he didn't. "Try under the bed. That's where everything
winds up."
Keesha knelt beside her side of the bed and throw up the comforter. She
stuck her head under the bed and immediately withdrew. "Oh, yuck! We've
got dust bunnies."
"Maybe someone should clean under there more often." Marcus suggested with
a half smile.
"Yeah, maybe *you* should." Keesha said before sticking her hand back
under the bed, making a face as she did so.
"Careful your face might stay like that." He warned. "Not a pretty sight."
"You'd still love me if it did." Keesha said with confidence. "Ah-ha! Got
'em." She pulled out the shoes.
"You'd have to wear a bag over you and I don't think we'd go out as much
but yeah maybe I would." Marcus smiled as he wiped away the leftover
shaving cream. "Didn't I tell you that they were under there?"
"Yup, thanks for the help." Keesha came into the bathroom. She leaned
against him as she slipped on the shoes. She pressed a quick kiss to his
chin. "Thanks, now get out the bathroom. It's my turn."
"Bossy woman." Marcus complained as he moved his things out of the way. "I
help you out and what do I get?"
Just then the doorbell rang and Keesha grinned. "You get the door."
Marcus grabbed his shirt off the bed and drew it on while heading to the
door. He threw open the door and was surprised to see a young teen-age girl
standing in the hall. She could have been 15 or 18; it was hard to tell.
She was short, had light brown skin, and long braided hair. She was wearing
black sunglasses and a cocky smile. She was carrying a backpack and a
duffel bag. She was also chewing gum, very loudly.
Marcus frowned down at her. "Excuse me but do I know you?"
"Hey who's at the door, hon?" Keesha stuck her head out.
"So is the girlfriend Mum was telling me about?" The girl asked with a
crisp English accent. She cracked her gum and Marcus winced at the noise.
"Marcus, who is this?" Keesha demanded. Her heels click against the hard
wood floor as she came down the hall.
"No idea." Marcus shrugged.
The girl whipped off her sunglasses revealing startling green eyes. "Uncle
Marcus, don't tell me it's been that long? It's me, Melinda…Melinda Ross.
Katarina's daughter? Your goddaughter, man!"
Marcus gaped at her. This was little Melinda?
Melinda blew a big bubble and popped it. "What's up, Unc?"
~*~*~
Emily had woken up that morning knowing she had to tell Sly about her and
Nikolas and their night together. She'd been telling herself that all
morning but so far all she was doing was waiting for the right time to do
it. Of course the morning after would have been a good time and there was
that morning too. But Emily was being a coward and that's why she still was
holding onto the secret and following Sly into Kelly's for lunch with Lucky
and Samantha.
She stopped short at the sight of Elizabeth *and* Nikolas sitting at the
table, laughing and smiling at each other. Emily almost felt sick to her
stomach and she didn't know why. So did this mean Nikolas and Elizabeth
were back together? Emily knew she should be happy for them but…
Nikolas glanced up and fought hard to hide his smile at seeing Emily. His
eyes roamed her all over before coming back to her face. It's been so long
since he'd seen her. She looked like she hasn't been getting any sleep.
There were bags under her eyes that she had tried hard to cover.
Emily tried to avoid looking at Nikolas directly but his eyes caught and
held hers. They stared at each other quietly for a few seconds before Emily
broke the stare by looking away. She caught Lucky staring at her with a
quizzical look on his face. She smiled weakly at him and took a seat as far
away from Elizabeth and Nikolas.
Nikolas could see that she was surprised to see him. He guessed that she
was invited before he was. And then there was Elizabeth. Seeing her there
had shocked him a bit. He hadn't thought about her in days, all his time
was spent thinking of Emily. He had been polite to her though and they
laughed at some corny joke Lucky told them.
He watched as Samantha threw Lucky a triumphant smile. He assumed that
this whole lunch was some sort of way to get him and Elizabeth back
together. He guessed he should have told them that that wasn't going to be
happening any time soon. Not with Emily on his mind.
"Hey Em!" Elizabeth smiled. "I haven't seen you around in days! When are
you ever coming home?"
"I, uh, I was just going to come back today." Emily told her as she looked
at the tablecloth.
"Great. I missed having you around the apartment. I haven't missed Sly of
course. Our kitchen's been looking normal without him around. Just
kidding of course." Elizabeth joked.
"Right. I have a lot to tell you." Emily said quietly. She looked up from
the table and glanced at Nikolas, telling him with her eyes that she was
going to spill the secret. Nikolas sighed and rubbed his forehead.
Lucky frowned and looked at Emily and Nikolas. There was something going on
between the two of them but what?
~*~
Lunch had gone by quickly and without much fanfare. Both Elizabeth and
Nikolas could tell that Samantha was waiting for the two of them to
announce that they were back together. Elizabeth was more than ready to
oblige her but she could tell that something was holding Nikolas back.
He had been quiet throughout the whole lunch, almost as quiet as Emily who
Elizabeth could swear barely said two words to her. Then there was this
uncomfortable vibe flowing from Lucky to Nikolas. Elizabeth hoped that they
weren't fighting again. She hated it when the brothers fought.
"So Em, I'll see you back at out place later?" Elizabeth turned to her
with a smile.
"Okay." Emily said while looking at the ground. Elizabeth frowned at her.
Emily didn't look at her once during lunch. Was she mad at her for some
reason?
"Okay, then I'll see you. Bye Nikolas." Elizabeth left Kelly's quickly.
Nikolas came up to Emily. "We have to talk."
Emily looked around. Sly was busy with Lucky. "No, not now."
"We have to talk soon. Emily, I know what you're going to do. Don't do
it. It's just going to end up hurting a lot of people."
"We've already hurt a lot of people!" Emily cried.
"We may have but—but they don't know it. And it's better that they don't
know. We'll just keep this to ourselves." Nikolas suggested.
Emily ran a hand through her hair. "We—we can't talk about this here okay?
We shouldn't even be talking about it all."
"You're right. We can't talk here. There's too many people." Nikolas
looked around in frustration, his eyes landing on Sly. "Look is there any
way I can get you alone?"
"No." Emily said quickly.
"Emily." Nikolas took a step towards her and reached out to touch her.
Emily flinched. He sighed. "We will have to talk about this soon."
Sly came over to them. "You ready, Emily? Nikolas." He said coolly to
him. Before he felt petty about his jealousy of Nikolas but today…there
was just something about the guy that bothered him and made him feel
justified in not liking or trusting the guy.
Emily nodded softly and the two walked out of Kelly's. At the door Emily
paused at looked back. Nikolas was still watching her.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lucky asked from behind him.
Nikolas turned. "What are you talking about?"
"There's something going on between you and Emily." Lucky accused him.
Nikolas forced himself to laugh. "I have no idea where you get these
ideas, Lucky."
"Don't try and pretend that I'm making this up. I saw the way you two were
looking at each other."
"So we looked at each other. What's the big deal? Really, Lucky, you
shouldn't be looking for things that aren't there. I have to go." Nikolas
rushed out of Kelly's.
Lucky nodded knowingly. Oh yeah, there's something going on.
~*~*~
Same Day
"Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Jungle boogie
Jungle boogie
Get it on
Jungle boogie
Jungle boogie
Get it on
Jungle boogie
Jungle boogie
Jungle boogie
Get down with the boogie
Jungle boogie
(Come and shake it around)
Sonny winced as he heard the loud 70s song coming from the penthouse. He
looked over at Johnny who stood by the door with a pained look on his face.
"How long has this been going on?" He asked.
"Just about thirty minutes, sir." Johnny said.
"Just like the good old days huh?"
Sonny had to smile as the memories came back to him. There were many days
just like this that Sonny could remember. Coming back to the penthouse and
hearing music being blasted and every time he opened the door the same
scene would be presented: Carly and Michael dancing around like fools. He
remembered how Carly had explained it to him:
'Look, Jason…Jason used to read to him. And that was his thing, you know?
That was their bonding thing. Well, this music and dancing that's my thing,
that's my way to bond with my son. And he loves it. Look at him.' Carly
swung a giggling Michael around in her arms. 'You're welcome to join us.'
She said breathlessly after she stopped.
Sonny just looked at her. At the way her eyes shone brightly and the
happiness that mother and son shared and declined to join in. This was
their time. 'No, that's okay. I'm not much of a dancer.'
Sonny sighed. The few days that Carly and Michael had been staying with him
had been like heaven. He could feel them falling back into their old
routine and ways of doing things. Things were like they used to be, like
Carly rearranging the furniture over and over until she was satisfied,
Michael's drawings scattered around the living room, dinners where he
wasn't the only one there, or even something as little as Carly remembering
to fill up the fruit bowl. His family was home and this time they were
going to stay.
Jungle boogie
Help and get down
Jungle boogie
Boogie baby
Jungle boogie
The boogie
Jungle boogie
Bruhuhuhu
Jungle boogie
Get down
Jungle boogie
Get boogie
Jungle boogie
Let me jump in
Jungle boogie
Johnny opened the door just as Michael's little voice rose stumbled over
the words. "Jungle ooogie." He giggled.
Carly had pushed back the couch, armchair and coffee table to give her and
Michael more room. There was a large stack of CDs sitting next to the
stereo system and in the middle of it all was Carly and Michael.
Sonny grinned at the way Michael and Carly were seriously getting down.
Michael was dancing a circle around his mother at least that's what he
thinks Michael was doing. Michael's dancing skills weren't that good but
you could tell that he enjoyed it. Carly wiggled her body around and
grinned at the little boy. He missed this…so much.
"I see your taste in music hasn't improved over the years." He announced as
he started to shrug out of his jacket.
Carly looked up in surprise and smiled. Sonny liked the way her eyes lit
up. "Hey." She wiggled her fingers at him and continued to dance. "This is
Michael's favorite song."
"So you just passed along the bad taste gene, huh?" Sonny arched an
eyebrow.
Down with the boogie
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Uh, yeah
Feel the funk you'll
Let me feel the load
"Sonny!" Michael cried happily. "We're dancing!"
"I can see that buddy." Sonny smiled.
"You wanna dance?" Michael offered.
Sonny answered as he's always has. "Nah, you know I'm not a dancer."
Michael pouted up at Carly. "Mom, why don't Sonny ever dance with us?
Doesn't he want to?"
Carly shrugged. "I don't know. Don't you want to dance with us, Sonny?
Don't you want to *boogie*?"
Sonny sent her a look that heated her to the core. "I like to …boogie in a
more…intimate setting."
Get down with the boogie
I'm gonna knock with the jungle boogie
Get down
Get down with the boogie say ugh!
Get down say ugh
Get down say ugh
Till you feel it you'll
Get down you'll
Get down
Get funky ya'll
With the get down
"Behave." Carly said lowly so that Michael couldn't hear but of course
Michael had perfect hearing.
"You better behave, Sonny or Mommy might punish you." Michael warned him,
wide-eyed.
"Would you do that Carly? Would you punish me? Spank me?" Sonny's eyes
twinkled as they bore into hers. Carly forced herself to look away.
"Sonny…" She started to say.
"Now, this song I like." Sonny changed the subject as a new song began to
play.
Some people call me a space cowboy
Some people call me the Gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice
Because I speak of the Pompatus of Love
"Dare I ask why?" Carly was aware that she was just leading herself into
some sort of trap but she couldn't help herself. She knew she had to make
Sonny stop playing these games with her. She had repeat over and over to
herself: I am with Alex, I love Alex.
"I love that line about: I really love your peaches, want to shake your
tree." Sonny cocked his head to the side and drawled. "Can I shake your
tree?"
Carly flushed. Only Sonny could make her blush like that and she hated it
because she knew he took pleasure in that. "Sonny…Michael, didn't you say
you were hungry?"
Michael looked up from the collection of CDs he had been going through.
"Yeah, could we order pizza?"
"Pizza? Sure. Is the number still kept in the kitchen?" She barely waited
for Sonny's nod before escaping to the kitchen. Sonny followed behind her
at a slower pace after stopping by the fruit basket on the dining table.
"You keep picking out those CDs buddy, okay?" He turned to Michael before
going in.
Carly stood in front of the sink with her back to the door as she talked
with the pizza parlor. She didn't hear him come in. "Yes, that's one large
half pepperoni, half extra cheese. Right. How long? A half-hour? Okay."
Sonny walked up and stood closed behind her. Carly started a little when
she felt his warm breath on her neck. "Sonny, I'm on the phone."
"Hang up." He murmured. He moved her hair aside and softly kissed the back
of her neck and repeated. "Hang up."
The soft-spoken demand sent a same thrill through her and she gave in. She
bent her head as she waited for Sonny's next move. She didn't have to wait
long. Sonny's left hand came around her waist and rested on her stomach. He
gently pushed her backward and she leaned back against his chest. His right
hand came around and he showed her the peach he was carrying.
"You know, I've always like peaches. So soft…so juicy…so sweet." He
murmured softly. "What about you?"
"Um…" Carly shrugged lazily.
"Here, take a bite…" Sonny held the peach up to her mouth. "Open up."
Carly obediently opened her mouth and Sonny guided the fruit to her. Carly
took a little bite and chewed.
"Good huh?"
Carly nodded and started to reach up and wipe away a little juice but Sonny
stopped her. "Let me."
He tilted her chin back and bent his neck. Carly shivered when she felt his
tongue gently touch the corner of her mouth. She closed her eyes as his
mouth completely covered hers. His lips gently caressed hers. She tried to
turn around to face him but she was trapped between him and the sink.
Sonny broke off the kiss and rested his head against her hair. "You miss
that don't you? Alex can't affect you the way I do." He trailed his fingers
down her neck.
"Sonny, I shouldn't have done that." Carly said in self-disgust. She had
forgotten about Alex.
"It wasn't wrong. I miss the feel of you in my arms, the taste of you, even
our fights. Do you know I lay awake in my bed every night fighting the
urge to come to you? I keep telling myself to wake for the right time, to
wait for you to come to me. But I'm sick of waiting Carly. Aren't you?"
"Sonny, I—" Luckily Michael came running into the kitchen interrupting
Carly's confession.
"Mommy! Your daddy's here!" Sonny felt Carly tense up in his arms at
Michael's announcement.
Carly's breath got caught in her throat and she thought she couldn't
breathe. "My father? Frank? Is here?"
"Huh? Mommy it's one of the Cassadines." Michael corrected her.
Carly relaxed and then tensed up again. "I don't want to talk to him.
Whichever *him* it is."
Sonny nodded. "I'll take care of this. You take Michael upstairs. It's
probably Stefan. Victor wouldn't be stupid enough to come here." Sonny
released her and wiped the peach juice off on a nearby dishtowel.
"Go." He said when he saw that Carly was still standing in the kitchen with
him.
Carly moved into action. She grabbed Michael's hand. "Come one sweetie,
let's go upstairs. Sonny's having a…meeting. Remember the rules for that?"
Michael nodded. "We stay upstairs until Sonny says we can come down."
Carly smiled. "Right. Good boy."
Carly quickly led Michael out of the kitchen. Stefan saw them coming and
started to smile. "Caroline…" He began. He had been unsure if he was going
to get to see Carly but here she was.
His smile faded as he saw her sweep past him and up the stairs. He started
to follow her but the sound of Sonny's voice stopped him. "Mr. Cassadine,
where do you think you are going in my home?"
Stefan turned slightly to face Sonny. "Mr. Corinthos, if you do not mind, I
would like some time alone with my daughter."
"See the thing is…I do mind. So, sorry no can do. Carly isn't your
daughter and she wants nothing to do with you."
Stefan couldn't believe that this…this person was serious in trying to keep
him from his own daughter. "Caro—Carly is my daughter and this is between
the two of us. It does not concern you."
Sonny shook his head. "The day she came to me because I was the only one
who could help her was the day this became my concern. The day she cried on
my shoulder about why *you* weren't there when she needed a father was the
day this became my concern. So I guess this is between the *three* of us."
Stefan glared at Sonny. "I wish to speak with my daughter. There are things
we must discuss."
"Now how many times do I have to tell you that she doesn't want anything to
do with you? And as long as she's with me she'll never have anything to do
with you." Sonny told him. "Now if that's all for today…. Go."
Irritated that a gangster was dismissing him, Stefan stalked towards the
door on stiff legs. "You can't keep her away from me forever."
"I can try." Sonny said coldly. Johnny held the door open for Stefan.
Seconds after it was shut, Carly came flying down the stairs.
"Thanks for getting rid of him for me." Carly said gratefully.
"I told you I would handle this." Sonny ran a hand through her hair and
cupped the side of her face. "You trust me right?"
Carly nodded. "Of course I do. Sonny…I think it's time I go see Bobbie."
where my black pumps went?"
"Which ones?" Marcus asked from the bathroom where he was shaving.
"The black ones. You know those?" Keesha said as if that cleared things
up.
"Um, baby, you *are* aware of the fact that you have like about 20 pairs of
black pumps?" Marcus looked at her through the mirror as he rinsed off the
razor.
Keesha waved her arms in the air in frustration. "My shiny black ones? The
ones with the very high heels you like so much? I can't find them
anywhere!"
"Oh those. Yeah." Marcus nodded as if he knew exactly what she was talking
about but of course he didn't. "Try under the bed. That's where everything
winds up."
Keesha knelt beside her side of the bed and throw up the comforter. She
stuck her head under the bed and immediately withdrew. "Oh, yuck! We've
got dust bunnies."
"Maybe someone should clean under there more often." Marcus suggested with
a half smile.
"Yeah, maybe *you* should." Keesha said before sticking her hand back
under the bed, making a face as she did so.
"Careful your face might stay like that." He warned. "Not a pretty sight."
"You'd still love me if it did." Keesha said with confidence. "Ah-ha! Got
'em." She pulled out the shoes.
"You'd have to wear a bag over you and I don't think we'd go out as much
but yeah maybe I would." Marcus smiled as he wiped away the leftover
shaving cream. "Didn't I tell you that they were under there?"
"Yup, thanks for the help." Keesha came into the bathroom. She leaned
against him as she slipped on the shoes. She pressed a quick kiss to his
chin. "Thanks, now get out the bathroom. It's my turn."
"Bossy woman." Marcus complained as he moved his things out of the way. "I
help you out and what do I get?"
Just then the doorbell rang and Keesha grinned. "You get the door."
Marcus grabbed his shirt off the bed and drew it on while heading to the
door. He threw open the door and was surprised to see a young teen-age girl
standing in the hall. She could have been 15 or 18; it was hard to tell.
She was short, had light brown skin, and long braided hair. She was wearing
black sunglasses and a cocky smile. She was carrying a backpack and a
duffel bag. She was also chewing gum, very loudly.
Marcus frowned down at her. "Excuse me but do I know you?"
"Hey who's at the door, hon?" Keesha stuck her head out.
"So is the girlfriend Mum was telling me about?" The girl asked with a
crisp English accent. She cracked her gum and Marcus winced at the noise.
"Marcus, who is this?" Keesha demanded. Her heels click against the hard
wood floor as she came down the hall.
"No idea." Marcus shrugged.
The girl whipped off her sunglasses revealing startling green eyes. "Uncle
Marcus, don't tell me it's been that long? It's me, Melinda…Melinda Ross.
Katarina's daughter? Your goddaughter, man!"
Marcus gaped at her. This was little Melinda?
Melinda blew a big bubble and popped it. "What's up, Unc?"
~*~*~
Emily had woken up that morning knowing she had to tell Sly about her and
Nikolas and their night together. She'd been telling herself that all
morning but so far all she was doing was waiting for the right time to do
it. Of course the morning after would have been a good time and there was
that morning too. But Emily was being a coward and that's why she still was
holding onto the secret and following Sly into Kelly's for lunch with Lucky
and Samantha.
She stopped short at the sight of Elizabeth *and* Nikolas sitting at the
table, laughing and smiling at each other. Emily almost felt sick to her
stomach and she didn't know why. So did this mean Nikolas and Elizabeth
were back together? Emily knew she should be happy for them but…
Nikolas glanced up and fought hard to hide his smile at seeing Emily. His
eyes roamed her all over before coming back to her face. It's been so long
since he'd seen her. She looked like she hasn't been getting any sleep.
There were bags under her eyes that she had tried hard to cover.
Emily tried to avoid looking at Nikolas directly but his eyes caught and
held hers. They stared at each other quietly for a few seconds before Emily
broke the stare by looking away. She caught Lucky staring at her with a
quizzical look on his face. She smiled weakly at him and took a seat as far
away from Elizabeth and Nikolas.
Nikolas could see that she was surprised to see him. He guessed that she
was invited before he was. And then there was Elizabeth. Seeing her there
had shocked him a bit. He hadn't thought about her in days, all his time
was spent thinking of Emily. He had been polite to her though and they
laughed at some corny joke Lucky told them.
He watched as Samantha threw Lucky a triumphant smile. He assumed that
this whole lunch was some sort of way to get him and Elizabeth back
together. He guessed he should have told them that that wasn't going to be
happening any time soon. Not with Emily on his mind.
"Hey Em!" Elizabeth smiled. "I haven't seen you around in days! When are
you ever coming home?"
"I, uh, I was just going to come back today." Emily told her as she looked
at the tablecloth.
"Great. I missed having you around the apartment. I haven't missed Sly of
course. Our kitchen's been looking normal without him around. Just
kidding of course." Elizabeth joked.
"Right. I have a lot to tell you." Emily said quietly. She looked up from
the table and glanced at Nikolas, telling him with her eyes that she was
going to spill the secret. Nikolas sighed and rubbed his forehead.
Lucky frowned and looked at Emily and Nikolas. There was something going on
between the two of them but what?
~*~
Lunch had gone by quickly and without much fanfare. Both Elizabeth and
Nikolas could tell that Samantha was waiting for the two of them to
announce that they were back together. Elizabeth was more than ready to
oblige her but she could tell that something was holding Nikolas back.
He had been quiet throughout the whole lunch, almost as quiet as Emily who
Elizabeth could swear barely said two words to her. Then there was this
uncomfortable vibe flowing from Lucky to Nikolas. Elizabeth hoped that they
weren't fighting again. She hated it when the brothers fought.
"So Em, I'll see you back at out place later?" Elizabeth turned to her
with a smile.
"Okay." Emily said while looking at the ground. Elizabeth frowned at her.
Emily didn't look at her once during lunch. Was she mad at her for some
reason?
"Okay, then I'll see you. Bye Nikolas." Elizabeth left Kelly's quickly.
Nikolas came up to Emily. "We have to talk."
Emily looked around. Sly was busy with Lucky. "No, not now."
"We have to talk soon. Emily, I know what you're going to do. Don't do
it. It's just going to end up hurting a lot of people."
"We've already hurt a lot of people!" Emily cried.
"We may have but—but they don't know it. And it's better that they don't
know. We'll just keep this to ourselves." Nikolas suggested.
Emily ran a hand through her hair. "We—we can't talk about this here okay?
We shouldn't even be talking about it all."
"You're right. We can't talk here. There's too many people." Nikolas
looked around in frustration, his eyes landing on Sly. "Look is there any
way I can get you alone?"
"No." Emily said quickly.
"Emily." Nikolas took a step towards her and reached out to touch her.
Emily flinched. He sighed. "We will have to talk about this soon."
Sly came over to them. "You ready, Emily? Nikolas." He said coolly to
him. Before he felt petty about his jealousy of Nikolas but today…there
was just something about the guy that bothered him and made him feel
justified in not liking or trusting the guy.
Emily nodded softly and the two walked out of Kelly's. At the door Emily
paused at looked back. Nikolas was still watching her.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lucky asked from behind him.
Nikolas turned. "What are you talking about?"
"There's something going on between you and Emily." Lucky accused him.
Nikolas forced himself to laugh. "I have no idea where you get these
ideas, Lucky."
"Don't try and pretend that I'm making this up. I saw the way you two were
looking at each other."
"So we looked at each other. What's the big deal? Really, Lucky, you
shouldn't be looking for things that aren't there. I have to go." Nikolas
rushed out of Kelly's.
Lucky nodded knowingly. Oh yeah, there's something going on.
~*~*~
Same Day
"Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Get down, Get down, get down, get down
Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Jungle boogie
Jungle boogie
Get it on
Jungle boogie
Jungle boogie
Get it on
Jungle boogie
Jungle boogie
Jungle boogie
Get down with the boogie
Jungle boogie
(Come and shake it around)
Sonny winced as he heard the loud 70s song coming from the penthouse. He
looked over at Johnny who stood by the door with a pained look on his face.
"How long has this been going on?" He asked.
"Just about thirty minutes, sir." Johnny said.
"Just like the good old days huh?"
Sonny had to smile as the memories came back to him. There were many days
just like this that Sonny could remember. Coming back to the penthouse and
hearing music being blasted and every time he opened the door the same
scene would be presented: Carly and Michael dancing around like fools. He
remembered how Carly had explained it to him:
'Look, Jason…Jason used to read to him. And that was his thing, you know?
That was their bonding thing. Well, this music and dancing that's my thing,
that's my way to bond with my son. And he loves it. Look at him.' Carly
swung a giggling Michael around in her arms. 'You're welcome to join us.'
She said breathlessly after she stopped.
Sonny just looked at her. At the way her eyes shone brightly and the
happiness that mother and son shared and declined to join in. This was
their time. 'No, that's okay. I'm not much of a dancer.'
Sonny sighed. The few days that Carly and Michael had been staying with him
had been like heaven. He could feel them falling back into their old
routine and ways of doing things. Things were like they used to be, like
Carly rearranging the furniture over and over until she was satisfied,
Michael's drawings scattered around the living room, dinners where he
wasn't the only one there, or even something as little as Carly remembering
to fill up the fruit bowl. His family was home and this time they were
going to stay.
Jungle boogie
Help and get down
Jungle boogie
Boogie baby
Jungle boogie
The boogie
Jungle boogie
Bruhuhuhu
Jungle boogie
Get down
Jungle boogie
Get boogie
Jungle boogie
Let me jump in
Jungle boogie
Johnny opened the door just as Michael's little voice rose stumbled over
the words. "Jungle ooogie." He giggled.
Carly had pushed back the couch, armchair and coffee table to give her and
Michael more room. There was a large stack of CDs sitting next to the
stereo system and in the middle of it all was Carly and Michael.
Sonny grinned at the way Michael and Carly were seriously getting down.
Michael was dancing a circle around his mother at least that's what he
thinks Michael was doing. Michael's dancing skills weren't that good but
you could tell that he enjoyed it. Carly wiggled her body around and
grinned at the little boy. He missed this…so much.
"I see your taste in music hasn't improved over the years." He announced as
he started to shrug out of his jacket.
Carly looked up in surprise and smiled. Sonny liked the way her eyes lit
up. "Hey." She wiggled her fingers at him and continued to dance. "This is
Michael's favorite song."
"So you just passed along the bad taste gene, huh?" Sonny arched an
eyebrow.
Down with the boogie
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Get down, get down, jungle boogie, get down, get down
Uh, yeah
Feel the funk you'll
Let me feel the load
"Sonny!" Michael cried happily. "We're dancing!"
"I can see that buddy." Sonny smiled.
"You wanna dance?" Michael offered.
Sonny answered as he's always has. "Nah, you know I'm not a dancer."
Michael pouted up at Carly. "Mom, why don't Sonny ever dance with us?
Doesn't he want to?"
Carly shrugged. "I don't know. Don't you want to dance with us, Sonny?
Don't you want to *boogie*?"
Sonny sent her a look that heated her to the core. "I like to …boogie in a
more…intimate setting."
Get down with the boogie
I'm gonna knock with the jungle boogie
Get down
Get down with the boogie say ugh!
Get down say ugh
Get down say ugh
Till you feel it you'll
Get down you'll
Get down
Get funky ya'll
With the get down
"Behave." Carly said lowly so that Michael couldn't hear but of course
Michael had perfect hearing.
"You better behave, Sonny or Mommy might punish you." Michael warned him,
wide-eyed.
"Would you do that Carly? Would you punish me? Spank me?" Sonny's eyes
twinkled as they bore into hers. Carly forced herself to look away.
"Sonny…" She started to say.
"Now, this song I like." Sonny changed the subject as a new song began to
play.
Some people call me a space cowboy
Some people call me the Gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice
Because I speak of the Pompatus of Love
"Dare I ask why?" Carly was aware that she was just leading herself into
some sort of trap but she couldn't help herself. She knew she had to make
Sonny stop playing these games with her. She had repeat over and over to
herself: I am with Alex, I love Alex.
"I love that line about: I really love your peaches, want to shake your
tree." Sonny cocked his head to the side and drawled. "Can I shake your
tree?"
Carly flushed. Only Sonny could make her blush like that and she hated it
because she knew he took pleasure in that. "Sonny…Michael, didn't you say
you were hungry?"
Michael looked up from the collection of CDs he had been going through.
"Yeah, could we order pizza?"
"Pizza? Sure. Is the number still kept in the kitchen?" She barely waited
for Sonny's nod before escaping to the kitchen. Sonny followed behind her
at a slower pace after stopping by the fruit basket on the dining table.
"You keep picking out those CDs buddy, okay?" He turned to Michael before
going in.
Carly stood in front of the sink with her back to the door as she talked
with the pizza parlor. She didn't hear him come in. "Yes, that's one large
half pepperoni, half extra cheese. Right. How long? A half-hour? Okay."
Sonny walked up and stood closed behind her. Carly started a little when
she felt his warm breath on her neck. "Sonny, I'm on the phone."
"Hang up." He murmured. He moved her hair aside and softly kissed the back
of her neck and repeated. "Hang up."
The soft-spoken demand sent a same thrill through her and she gave in. She
bent her head as she waited for Sonny's next move. She didn't have to wait
long. Sonny's left hand came around her waist and rested on her stomach. He
gently pushed her backward and she leaned back against his chest. His right
hand came around and he showed her the peach he was carrying.
"You know, I've always like peaches. So soft…so juicy…so sweet." He
murmured softly. "What about you?"
"Um…" Carly shrugged lazily.
"Here, take a bite…" Sonny held the peach up to her mouth. "Open up."
Carly obediently opened her mouth and Sonny guided the fruit to her. Carly
took a little bite and chewed.
"Good huh?"
Carly nodded and started to reach up and wipe away a little juice but Sonny
stopped her. "Let me."
He tilted her chin back and bent his neck. Carly shivered when she felt his
tongue gently touch the corner of her mouth. She closed her eyes as his
mouth completely covered hers. His lips gently caressed hers. She tried to
turn around to face him but she was trapped between him and the sink.
Sonny broke off the kiss and rested his head against her hair. "You miss
that don't you? Alex can't affect you the way I do." He trailed his fingers
down her neck.
"Sonny, I shouldn't have done that." Carly said in self-disgust. She had
forgotten about Alex.
"It wasn't wrong. I miss the feel of you in my arms, the taste of you, even
our fights. Do you know I lay awake in my bed every night fighting the
urge to come to you? I keep telling myself to wake for the right time, to
wait for you to come to me. But I'm sick of waiting Carly. Aren't you?"
"Sonny, I—" Luckily Michael came running into the kitchen interrupting
Carly's confession.
"Mommy! Your daddy's here!" Sonny felt Carly tense up in his arms at
Michael's announcement.
Carly's breath got caught in her throat and she thought she couldn't
breathe. "My father? Frank? Is here?"
"Huh? Mommy it's one of the Cassadines." Michael corrected her.
Carly relaxed and then tensed up again. "I don't want to talk to him.
Whichever *him* it is."
Sonny nodded. "I'll take care of this. You take Michael upstairs. It's
probably Stefan. Victor wouldn't be stupid enough to come here." Sonny
released her and wiped the peach juice off on a nearby dishtowel.
"Go." He said when he saw that Carly was still standing in the kitchen with
him.
Carly moved into action. She grabbed Michael's hand. "Come one sweetie,
let's go upstairs. Sonny's having a…meeting. Remember the rules for that?"
Michael nodded. "We stay upstairs until Sonny says we can come down."
Carly smiled. "Right. Good boy."
Carly quickly led Michael out of the kitchen. Stefan saw them coming and
started to smile. "Caroline…" He began. He had been unsure if he was going
to get to see Carly but here she was.
His smile faded as he saw her sweep past him and up the stairs. He started
to follow her but the sound of Sonny's voice stopped him. "Mr. Cassadine,
where do you think you are going in my home?"
Stefan turned slightly to face Sonny. "Mr. Corinthos, if you do not mind, I
would like some time alone with my daughter."
"See the thing is…I do mind. So, sorry no can do. Carly isn't your
daughter and she wants nothing to do with you."
Stefan couldn't believe that this…this person was serious in trying to keep
him from his own daughter. "Caro—Carly is my daughter and this is between
the two of us. It does not concern you."
Sonny shook his head. "The day she came to me because I was the only one
who could help her was the day this became my concern. The day she cried on
my shoulder about why *you* weren't there when she needed a father was the
day this became my concern. So I guess this is between the *three* of us."
Stefan glared at Sonny. "I wish to speak with my daughter. There are things
we must discuss."
"Now how many times do I have to tell you that she doesn't want anything to
do with you? And as long as she's with me she'll never have anything to do
with you." Sonny told him. "Now if that's all for today…. Go."
Irritated that a gangster was dismissing him, Stefan stalked towards the
door on stiff legs. "You can't keep her away from me forever."
"I can try." Sonny said coldly. Johnny held the door open for Stefan.
Seconds after it was shut, Carly came flying down the stairs.
"Thanks for getting rid of him for me." Carly said gratefully.
"I told you I would handle this." Sonny ran a hand through her hair and
cupped the side of her face. "You trust me right?"
Carly nodded. "Of course I do. Sonny…I think it's time I go see Bobbie."