Part Four

            Jason didn't try to stop her.  He let her cry as long as she needed to.  He didn't say any comforting words because he knew that it wouldn't work.  She needed to let it all out.  His hand stroked her back. 

            Gia finally pulled back.  She used her hands to wipe her face which was covered in tears.  She looked at his jacket which was also soaked on one side.  "I'm sorry."

            "It's alright, Gia."

            Gia wanted to laugh or scream at him.  He was so calm, so nice…he didn't care that she had just soaked in tears.  "You really didn't ask for this." She said.  "And this is the second time in less than 24 hours you have gone out of your way to help me.  Why?" She asked.

            "To tell the truth, I knew you were hurting last night as soon as you walked into Jake's."  Jason told her.  "I could see it in your eyes.  I don't think it is fair just to stand by and watch someone hurt."

            "You have so many reasons not to help me." Gia pointed out.  "I blackmailed your sister…not to mention I barged into your room."

            "That was in the past." Jason said.  "What you did years ago doesn't change the fact that you didn't deserve to be hurt.  I had to offer my help."

            "I'm glad that you did." Gia continued to try and dry her face.  "I don't know what would have happened if you weren't at Jake's last night.  I could have made a huge mistake with Charlie.  And you made sure I couldn't drive.  I could have hurt someone."

            "You could have hurt yourself." Jason pointed out.

            Gia didn't say anything.  "This is all my fault."

            "What is?" Jason asked.  He wasn't going to push her.  If she wanted to tell him then she would listen.

            "Nikolas leaving town is all my fault." Gia explained.  "I pushed him away.  I didn't try to understand what he was going through.  I should have stood by him…I should have tried to help him with what he was dealing with.  I was just so tired of it all.  I wanted to feel happy again.  Why'd I have to be so damn selfish?"

            Jason shook his head.  "I don't think you were being selfish.  It's not wrong to want to feel happy.  It sounds like Nikolas wasn't even trying to help himself."

            "It's still my fault." Gia declared, wiping away another tear.

            Jason didn't know what else to say.  He could tell Gia what to think.  He just hoped that she would soon realize that she wasn't entirely to blame over Nikolas' departure.  He suddenly had an idea.  "Why don't you come with me?"

            "Where?" Gia asked.

            "To the park with Carly, Sonny and the kids." Jason said, standing there.

            "I don't think I should." Gia said.  The idea was tempting though.

            "I am not going to leave you down here alone.  You never know who might show up.  Plus, I would hate to think that you were going to spend the rest of this sunny day sitting on a bench crying.  Gia, it'll be fun." Jason smiled.  "You deserve to get you mind off things and smile."

            Gia thought for a moment.  "Okay, you've convinced me."  She stood up and followed Jason.  He came to stand next to his bike.  She raised an eyebrow.  She had never ridden a motorcycle before.

            Jason caught the look on her face.  "I'll go slow." He promised.  He handed her the helmet.  She crawled on behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest.  "Hang on tight." He instructed her as he kicked the bike to life.

            She did as she was told.

            ****

            Carly leaned against Sonny and dug her feet deeper into the sandbox.  She felt Sonny's arms wrap around her.  They were both sitting on the edge of the sandbox watching Michael play with his favorite truck.  Their shoes and socks were in a pile next to the playpen that Adella was resting comfortably in.  Sonny had taken off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves and pants.  Carly thought it was an amusing sight.  She closed her eyes and sighed.

            "Happy?" Sonny asked.

            "Very." Carly answered.

            Sonny leaned down and kissed her forehead.  His lips trailed across the faint scar left by the accident that almost took her from him.  He remembered hearing the news that they had found her.  He fought through the police line until he was standing next to the stretcher.  She was so pale and cold to the touch.  He knew that most people thought she wouldn't survive.  But he knew she would.  He had leaned down and kissed her forehead.  As they loaded her into the ambulance he had told her that he loved her and that she needed to come home to him.

            Carly snapped Sonny out of his flashback.  "So you said that Jason was with Gia?"

            "We were coming over here from the warehouse when Jason noticed her sitting on the bench next to the launch.  I think she was crying.  He said he would be here in a few minutes."

            "That bastard."

            "Who?" Sonny was confused.  "Jason?"

            "No!" Carly cried.  "Nikolas Cassadine…he hurt Gia.  I just know it.  She didn't say anything this morning but I could tell that she was hurt.  And to think about all she has done for him…it just makes me so frustrated."

            Before Sonny could answer, the couple heard the sound of the approaching motorcycle.  Michael looked up from the road he was building for his dump truck.  He knew what that sound meant.  "Uncle Jason!"

            Moments later, Jason appeared.  Gia was right behind him. 

            Carly smiled when she saw the model.  "Hey Gia.  Come join the party.  We got fresh air, dump trucks and best of all leftovers from last night's supper."

            Gia managed to smile back.  She felt a little strange standing there in clothes from the night before.  She almost felt like she was intruding when she looked at the way Sonny and Carly were sitting.  Jason immediately picked up Michael.  Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come there after all.

            "Gia!" Michael cried.  "I want you to see the road I built."

            She moved closer to the sandbox.  "That's really neat Michael. How did you do that?  Did you use a shovel?"

            He nodded.  "And my dump truck."

            "I used to have a sandbox…and a dump truck too." Gia told him, sitting on the bench next to the sandbox.

            "Trucks are for boys!" Michael declared.

            "I'll have you know that they are not.  I just to play with my truck all the time.  I built roads and played with my brother." She stopped.  Marcus…what would he think of the situation she was now in.  Who cared? He hadn't bothered to talk to her for weeks. 

            "Do you want to play with me now?" He asked.           

            Gia glanced down at her leather pants and boots.  "You know what?  I think I am a little over dressed for playtime.  But I promise you that I will play in the sandbox next time I see you in the park."

            Michael grinned.  She grinned back as he continued to race the truck around the dirt roads he had created.  She looked up at Jason to see him grinning back her. 

            Jason knew he was right.  Being around the children always cheered him up.  He knew that it would work for Gia as well.

            "I'm hungry." Carly declared. She pulled her feet out of the sand, flinging some in the air.  With a laugh, she stood, looking down at her husband.  "Come help me set the picnic table."

            Gia felt her own stomach rumble.  She had eaten a light supper the night before and had emptied her stomach that morning at Jason's.  "Are you sure that there is enough?"

            "Believe me." Carly said as she lifted a large basket onto the table.  "Like the rest of things Sonny does, he cooks in excessive amounts."

            Sonny poked her in the ribs.

            "What?" She teased.  "I'm telling the truth."

            Her husband just shook his head as he grabbed the paper plates.  He set out five paper plates.

            "Get Adella's bottle out." Carly instructed him.  "She is bound to wake up any time now wanting to be fed."

            As if on cue, Adella let out a small cry. 

            "Do I know my daughter or what?" Carly announced as she watched Jason pick up his god-daughter.  She took the cap off the bottle and handed placed it in her daughter's outstretched hand. 

            Adella was content to be in her god-father's arms and started to suck on the bottle.

            Gia took in the scene.  Jason was saying something softly in the child's ear.  She was grinning as she drank her milk.  Gia couldn't help but smile again.  Jason was good with children.  He also was a good listener, and he could drive a motorcycle.  What didn't Jason do?

            Jason looked up at Gia.  He was glad that she was still smiling.  "Do you want to hold her?"

            "I couldn't." Gia said.

            "It's not that hard." Jason said sitting on the bench next to her.  He looked at Adella.  "Honey, this is Gia.  She is a friend of your mommy's."

            Gia smiled.  "Hi Adella."  She carefully took the child in her arms and settled her onto her lap.

            Jason grinned.  "See, it's not that hard."

            Carly looked over as she began to take the containers of food out of the basket.  "Gia, you're a natural."

            Gia looked back at the little girl.  She was staring up at the model with her huge brown eyes.  She was completely won over by the angelic face.  She laughed a little when she noticed that Adella had inherited her father's dimples.  She had always wanted a child.  She and Nikolas never really discussed it…Gia tensed up a little.  There was Nikolas again…creeping into her thoughts.

            Jason noticed her shift in mood. "Are you alright?  Do you need me to take Adella?"

            "No." Gia felt herself quickly recovering.  "I'm okay.  I've got her.  More like she has me…I have never seen such big brown eyes." She said.

            "She may have my dimples." Sonny said as he came over to the bench.  "But she has Carly's eyes."

            "Dinner is served." Carly called, handing a moist cloth to Michael to wash the sand off his hands. 

            Gia stood up and handed Adella to her father.  She was starved.  She sat at the picnic table.  Michael crawled up next to her.  She smiled at him.  Jason was on the other side of her.  She looked at all the food on the table. 

            She leaned closer to Jason.  "Thanks."

            ****

            Later, after Gia had helped Carly clear away the mess from dinner, she and the blonde decided to go on the swings.  Carly had Adella in her arms, and was only swaying slightly.  Gia, on the other hand, was trying to touch the sky.  Her long black hair was flying in the wind. 

            "Fun isn't it?" Carly asked when Gia started to slow down.

            "I don't think I have done that since elementary school." Gia admitted.  "I forgot what a blast it is."

            Carly was watching as Sonny and Jason both helped Michael construct some more roads for his truck.  Sonny was laughing.  "I don't think I have ever wanted him more than I do right now."

            "What?" Gia asked, surprised at Carly's outburst.

            "I mean, look at him." Carly said as she stroked her daughter's hair.  "Playing with my son like he doesn't have a care in the world."

            Gia looked back at the sandbox.  But it wasn't Sonny that she was looking at it was Jason.  She had to admit he was very attractive as he dug a hole at Michael's instruction.  She automatically felt guilty.  She knew what was going on.  She was hurting inside…Nikolas had just left her.  It was only natural that she found Jason attractive.  After all, he was the one who had been there for her.  She knew that she still loved Nikolas.

            She sighed leaning to one side on the swing.  It was time to face reality.  She had to decide what she was going to do.  She obviously didn't want to stay at Wyndermere that night.  She didn't want to be in that big house without Nikolas.  She didn't want to stay with her mother or her brother.  The PC Hotel was the obvious choice.

            "Carly, can you help me do something?" Gia asked.  "You've done so much for me so I would understand if you didn't want to."

            "Don't worry about it.  What do you need?" Carly asked without hesitation.

            "I wouldn't mind some help at Wyndermere.  I want to pack up my stuff.  I really don't think I could do it alone." Gia said.  "I really would appreciate if you would help me.  I would get out of there faster and I would really like someone to talk to.  It will keep my mind off of…"

            "I there." Carly said.  "Give me an hour to get Adella down for her afternoon nap and get Michael started on his homework for Monday with Leticia.  I'll bring Johnny.  He's big and strong…plus he loves to do things for me."

            "Thank you so much Carly." She felt a little overwhelmed.  "I really didn't expect all of this.  You, Sonny and Jason have been so nice to me."

            "What can I say?" Carly shrugged.  "We're not the monsters the papers make us out to be."

            Gia laughed.  "I'll see you on the docks in an hour."

            "Deal." Carly said. 

            Gia got up and headed back to sandbox.  "Wow Michael, it's looking great." She said bending down.  "I gotta go.  Remember, next time we'll play together, okay?"

            "Okay." Michael said.

            Jason stood up.  "Do you need a ride anywhere?"

            She shook her head.  "I need to do a few things first then Carly is gonna help me get some stuff from Wyndermere." She noticed his look.  "I'll be fine Jason.  Thank you again for the food…Sonny; you really are a good cook."

            "No problem." Sonny said as he began to dust himself off.

            "Are you absolutely sure?" Jason asked.

            Gia nodded.  "I think I am all cried out for today.  Thank you for your shoulder and the bike ride.  It was fun. We'll have to do that again some time."

            "Anytime." Jason promised.

            Gia walked away from the happy scene.  Like when she left the penthouse earlier that day she wished she could have stayed.  But she would have to face reality some time.