Part Nine
Carly looked down at her children again. She kissed Michael's forehead and then Adella's cheek. "You be good for Uncle Jason."
"Yes Mom." Michael said, almost sounding like a robot.
"We will be home tomorrow night." Carly reminded him, wiping the lipstick off his forehead with her fingers.
"Yes Mom." Jason said this time. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Relax and have fun."
"I have been telling her that all day." Sonny admitted scooping up his daughter and giving her a kiss. He then handed Adella to Jason. He looked over at his wife. "They will be alright. It's only one night and it's only an hour's drive from here."
"I know." Carly kissed Adella one more time. "I'll call you later on."
"Alright!" Jason gave her a playful shove towards Sonny. "Tell Courtney I said congratulations."
"I will." She linked arms with Sonny and they left, with her waving madly at her children.
Jason sat down on the bench with Adella on his lap. "Your mommy is funny duck." He told the little girl.
"You can say that again." Michael let out an exaggerated sigh and jumped into the sandbox. "I thought she was going to cover my face in lipstick. Yuck!"
Jason laughed. Adella mimicked him, causing him to laugh more. The little girl squealed in delight.
"Sounds like a real party!" A voice said from behind him.
Jason looked up. Gia was standing there in jeans and t-shirt. She was smiling widely.
"I didn't know if you would come or not." Jason admitted.
"My brother got a piece of my mind last night." Gia said sitting down beside him. She reached over and touched Adella's head. The baby immediately grabbed Gia's hand and stuffed it into her mouth. Gia just laughed. "I emphasized the fact that I am 24 now. I think I am old enough to trust my instincts." She wiped her hand on her jeans. "Marcus needs to learn to respect my decisions."
"He's your brother."
"What are they good for again?" Gia asked.
"I was going to say…I am sure that he is just looking out for you." Jason said.
Gia shrugged, stood up, and then walked over to the sandbox. She smiled at Michael.
"Gia!" He took in her appearance. "Does this mean you can play with me today?"
"I came prepared." Gia admitted. She sat on the edge of the sandbox and grabbed a shovel. "What are we building today?"
"I need a new road built." Michael began. "My workers need to be able to reach the coffee warehouse." He said pointing to a huge clump of dirt in one corner.
Gia laughed and looked at Jason. He was laughing too.
****
AJ groaned as he bought another drink. He knew that if Alan and Monica were there they would be begging him not to put it to his lips. They were in denial. They didn't want to believe that he had been drinking for two years now. Ever since Courtney had left him.
That's what started his drinking that afternoon. Edward, his evil grandfather, had spotted him in the PC Grill. He had made a big deal about coming over to inform him that he had gotten word that Courtney had given birth to her first child…a son. Then Edward had launched into one of his usual speeches on how AJ could have been such a fool to let Courtney get away. How that son could have been his…and how he still didn't have Michael. His grandfather had ended with the usual…AJ was a failure who the family could never be proud of. Then he left, leaving AJ desperately wanting a drink.
As he sipped the alcohol, he pictured Courtney holding her newborn son. He could see the joy on her face. He felt his chest tighten up. He still missed her everyday. He didn't think it would ever get better.
He should blame his self for what happened. He had married her to get to her brother and to get Michael back. But he had fallen in love with her. He wanted to be with her forever. It was too late. She had found out the real reason he had married her. She had found out their beginning was a lie. She refused to listen to his declarations of love and instead moved in with her brother.
If only he had been honest with her.
But then again, they were against unbeatable odds. Sonny was her brother after all. AJ realized that sooner or later Sonny would take her from him. He would take her the same way he had taken Carly and his son.
He just wished he could have held on to her. He finished off his drink and then left. He walked out into the sunlight. He needed the fresh air.
****
Gia brushed some more sand off her pants. Michael was digging the 'harbor' for the boat to pull up to. The boats needed more room to deposit the coffee. Gia had to laugh. The more he talked the more he sounded like Sonny. Gia finally moved out of the path of the flying sand, as she continued to build the perfect road. Jason had finally gotten in on the act, after Adella had dozed off in the playpen. She glanced back at playpen every once and awhile to make sure the baby was alright. The playpen sat in the shade so the baby wouldn't get too hot or burned.
"Jason, I believe Michael wanted you to connect your road with mine." She said noticing that he was just sitting there.
In fact, he had been sitting there staring at her for awhile now. She was having so much fun playing with Michael. Usually, people who played with the little redhead did it to please the boy. But she was really having fun. She had just given him another reason to respect her.
"Yeah, sorry." Jason snapped out of his trance and went back to working on the road. He glanced at his watch. They had been messing around in the dirt for almost two hours now. It would soon be time to take the children back to the penthouse for supper. He considered asking Gia if she wanted to join them. Maybe she was getting sick of spending time with them. He hoped not.
He was about to extend the invitation when he looked past her. He immediately frowned. What was he doing here?
Gia noticed the look on his face. Something was wrong. He was looking past her shoulder. She hoped her brother hadn't shown up. She looked back, and she frowned as well.
AJ was standing there taking in the scene.
Jason stood up. Gia watched as his whole mood changed. He tensed up…she could feel the fury building up in him. She looked at Michael. The boy hadn't noticed the new arrival yet. She wondered if she should take him away from here.
"Isn't this a cute little scene?" AJ asked coming closer. "If I didn't know better, I would swear that I was looking at a family. But I know better."
Gia could tell that he had been drinking. She looked up at Jason. She knew that this wasn't good for the children. He was thinking the same thing...she could tell. She touched Michael's back. "How would you like to go and see if we can get something to eat?"
Michael looked up, finally noticing AJ. He knew that he should know the man, but he didn't know why. He looked back at Gia. She was smiling down at him. He nodded. "Can we get candy?"
Gia nodded. She took his hand, and looked at Jason. "We'll be right back." She walked over to the playpen. She hated to wake Adella but she didn't want to leave the baby there. If she was right, and she knew she was…AJ and Jason were about to have a fight. She didn't want the baby to wake up to yelling. Carefully, she lifted Adella onto her shoulder. The baby stirred and then continued her slumber on Gia's shoulder. She took Michael's hand again and then left the scene.
As soon as Gia and the children disappeared Jason looked at AJ. He felt the urge to punch the man out. He had wandered into a place where children were…and he was drunk! "What the hell do you think you are doing?"
"It's a free country, little brother." AJ said. "I am on a walk. I just happen to come across you playing family with Gia and my son, and Sonny's daughter."
"Michael's not your son." Jason told him. "You may be the one that got Carly pregnant but you are not the one who raised him and loved him. You saw him. He doesn't even know you. He would rather go off and have candy with Gia who he has only known for a few days then stay here with his biological father."
AJ was seething. He clenched his fists. He had to hold back. "It's not my fault. I want to see my son."
"You signed away your rights."
"Only because I was forced too." AJ shot back. "You don't know how hard I have tried to get my son back since that day."
"I do know." Jason said. "You married Sonny's sister in order to get to him."
"I loved Courtney." AJ cried. "I love Courtney." He corrected.
"That's not love, AJ. You did it for your own self. Just like your quest to get Michael is just for you." Jason said. "If you truly loved Michael…the way you say you do, you would leave him be. He is so happy with Sonny and Carly. They love him. And he loves them. He loves his sister. You need to leave him alone. He doesn't know you AJ. Stop thinking about yourself and think about Michael."
"He's my son!" AJ screamed. The declaration echoed through the park. "He's my son. I deserve a chance to know him. I deserve a chance to raise him. He doesn't belong with Sonny Corinthos. That man doesn't deserve all the love he gets. First he took you from us."
"You took Jason Quartermaine from the family when you crashed into a tree." Jason shot back. "Sonny is my friend."
"Then he took Carly from me. I wasn't going to let him have Michael, but I couldn't stop him. Then he took Courtney from me." AJ was rambling on.
"Would you listen to yourself?" Jason asked. "He didn't take anyone from you. Carly didn't love you to begin with. He didn't steal her away. She went to get away from you. Michael is a part of Carly, he needed her. And he needed Sonny. Someone to love him and not to be careless and get drunk. And you lied to Courtney. She finally figured out your lies and decided that she didn't want to be with you."
"Courtney was listening to Sonny the whole time…"
"You are such a liar!"
Both men turned around to see Gia standing there. Jason could see the children playing with Johnny in the distance.
"Courtney believed you for so long!" Gia cried. "She wanted to believe you. She went against her brother and her father, both of whom she was trying to build a relationship with to be with you. Don't you get it? She chose you. And you lied to her. She asked me to help her. I could tell you were lying the moment I saw you with her. You didn't love her…at least not yet. We continued to talk and she told me that you continued to lie to her. Why would anyone want to be with someone who lied to them? She told me that she was going to leave and I agreed."
"You're supposed to be my friend." AJ said, looking bewildered.
"I lost any respect for you when I found out what you were doing to Courtney." Gia told him. "You are really low."
"And you are nothing but a bitch Gia. I forgave you for blackmailing Emily. I don't get the same treatment, huh? I guess the high and mighty model is too good for me." AJ began to walk away. "You know, people like you two…people like Sonny and Carly disgust me. You all need to get yours…maybe some day you will."
"Go sober up AJ." Jason demanded. "And don't ever speak to Gia again."
"That's going to be kind of hard, considering I am her neighbor." AJ laughed a little and then left.
"Dammit!" Gia said. "I forgot that he lived right across from me for a moment there. I should have kept my mouth shut! Now he knows I was the one who helped Courtney figure it all out!" She sat down on the bench. "Great, looks like I am going to have to get another room in the hotel."
"I don't want you in the same building as him."
Gia raised her eyebrows. "Well, I am not living with my brother or my mother. They are not fun roommates. And Wyndermere is out of the question. I am sure if I move up a few floors I won't have to worry."
"What about the elevator? Or the fact he could roam the halls…AJ is a loose cannon. Ever since Courtney left him he has been getting worse. He is going to snap sometime. Now that he knows the truth about you and Courtney he might take it out on you. I don't want to see you get hurt." Jason said.
"Where do you suggest I go then?" Gia asked.
Jason didn't even have to think. "I have a spare room. Move in with me."
