Part Twelve

            After Jason and Gia explained to Sonny and Carly about their living arrangements, Jason excused himself. He had something he wanted to do but couldn't because he had been watching the kids.  He got Johnny to accompany him.  They made their way to the PC Hotel, and walked up to the door of AJ Quartermaine.  Jason knocked lightly.

            AJ opened the door thinking it was room service.  His eyes grew wide when he saw who it was.  He tried to shut the door but Jason pushed the door back.  He walked over to the man that everyone said was his brother and grabbed him by the shirt.  Pushing him up against the wall, Jason found himself wanting to really hurt him.

            "You listen to me, AJ…if you ever come near Sonny and Carly's children again I won't hesitate to take you out."

            "Michael is my son!"  AJ declared trying to get Jason off him.

            "Wrong answer!" Jason informed him, slamming him against the wall.  "And another thing, if you ever do what you did to Gia again…" He trailed off.  "No, if you ever speak to Gia Campbell again I will make sure that you disappear for good.  Isn't that right Johnny?"

            The bodyguard just nodded.  He knew his boss was about to blow his top on the Quartermaine brat.  He thought it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

            "So just remember what I have said…stay away from Gia and the children and you'll be fine.  Understand?"

            When AJ didn't respond right away, Jason slammed him against the wall.  "Understand?"

            AJ finally nodded. 

            Jason threw him to floor. 

            ****

            It had been a few weeks since Gia first had moved into Jason's.  She had begun looking for places the next day but stopped soon after.  The truth was she liked it where she was.  Jason didn't mind that she was there, or at least he didn't say anything.  Gia figured if she started to think he was getting annoyed by her presence then she would start looking again.  She hoped that day would never come.  She enjoyed the way they would talk in the morning over breakfast and then again at night before they went to bed. 

            She also enjoyed the fact that she was close to Sonny and Carly.  She now considered Carly her best friend.  It felt like they knew each other forever.  She was glad that some of Carly's wacky spirit was rubbing off on her.  She got to know Sonny better and decided that he was a nice guy no matter what her brother tried to tell her.  She also enjoyed the fact that she was able to be around Carly's children.  She was falling in love with them more each day. She felt like she was being pulled out of the rut she was in with her relationship with Nikolas.         

            Gia opened the door to the penthouse after spending the day working with Lucky.  He was almost friendly towards her and she appreciated his effort.  She hoped that some day the two could be friends like they used to be.  If only that accident hadn't of happened. So many things would be different…maybe Laura was right, maybe it was her fault.  She shook her head as she sat her purse on the desk.  She couldn't think like that.  Nikolas had left her almost a month ago, and each day she was getting stronger.  She wouldn't pull herself back into that rut. 

            Jason appeared from the kitchen.  He smiled when he saw her and got a smile back. He had never told Gia about his confrontation with AJ. He didn't want to say anything to Gia but he was hoping that she would never want to move out.  He didn't realize how lonely he felt in the penthouse until Gia moved in.  He liked everything about the experience even when she played her music a little too loud or took all the hot water.

            "Long day?" He asked noticing the look on her face.

            She nodded.  "At least Laura wasn't there to give me dirty looks through the whole shoot." She looked at her watch.  It was close to nine o'clock.  She knew that she could go to bed at that moment.  "I'm going to turn in."

            "Okay." Jason sat on the couch.  "You look really nice Gia."

            She hadn't taken off her makeup from the shoot.  She blushed a little, thanked him, and then went upstairs to get ready for bed.  Every so often, one of them would say something and Gia would find herself wanting to kiss him so badly.  But she knew that she couldn't take advantage of their friendship like that.  

            She crawled in bed and settled against the pillow.  Sooner or later she was bound to just grab him by the face and press her lips against his.  She had to watch herself.  Yawning, she hoped that she would have another one of her recurrent dreams about him…

            "Gia…" A voice called to her.

            She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes.  Looking at the clock, she realized that she hadn't been asleep that long. 

            "Gia." The voice called again.

            She crawled out of the bed and walked towards the door.  "Whose there?"
            A figure stepped in the doorway and Gia's eyes grew wide.  "Nikolas?"

            Nikolas smiled at her and stepped forward.  "I miss you so much Gia."

            Gia was confused.  How did he get into Jason's penthouse?  "What are you doing here?"
            "I wanted to see you." He reached out and touched her face.  "I missed you so badly.  I missed everything about us.  Did you miss us too?"

            Gia put her hand up to touch his.  She was silent for a moment.  Then she nodded.  "I missed you too." She admitted.

            "If you missed me so badly then why did you push me away?" Nikolas asked.  He dropped his hand.  "Why do you let me go?"

            "Nikolas…"

            He cut her off.  "Why did you let him have me?"

            "Who?" Gia asked.

            "Me." The voice was right behind her. 

            Gia spun around.  She cried out when she saw Stavros standing there. 

            "You let him take me, Gia." Nikolas said when she turned back to him.  He stepped back.  "You didn't help me and now he's got me."

            Then the laughter started.  Gia stood between father and son and listened to both of them laugh at her.  She was shaking now.  Finally she sank to the floor, sobbing…

            Gia woke up in tears.  She glanced over at the clock and found that she had been sleeping for hours.  It was all just a dream…She reached up to wipe her tears.  Why did this have to happen to her?  She was doing just fine and then something happens to pull her back in.  She felt more tears streaming down her face.  Had Nikolas been right?  Had she let the idea of Stavros overtake him?

            She quickly made her way downstairs to the couch.  She sat in the darkened penthouse and sobbed quietly.  She tried to calm herself but they just kept falling.  She had stopped dreaming of Nikolas when she moved in with Jason and she had hoped they were gone for good.

            A hand fell on her shoulder.

            Gia jumped and then looked up.  "Jason."

            Jason felt his heart tighten.  In the moonlight he could see that she was crying.  Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears and her face was covered in them.  He came around the couch and sat beside her.  He didn't even say anything just pulled her into his arms and held her like he did weeks ago in the docks.

            "I had another one of those damn dreams." Gia confessed after she had calmed down a little. 

            "Dreams?" Jason asked.

            "About Stavros and Nikolas." She began. "I have been having them for years, ever since Nikolas lost his father for good.  They got worse right before Nikolas and I broke up.  I thought they were gone for good when I moved in here.  All I had was good dreams." Gia said remembering all the nights she had dreamed of Jason.  "But tonight the dream came back.  I dreamt that he was here in the penthouse! And so was his father!  It was so real!"

            Jason began to slowly rock her, like he used to do to Michael when he had a bad dream.  "It's okay.  Dreams are your fears come to life.  It's what you worry about the most.  You have to let those things go, Gia.  Let them go and you'll stop dreaming about them."

            Gia moved closer to him.  "I wish I knew how." She said.  "I want to, but I can't."

            "Gia, what happened to Nikolas was not your fault.  You are not to blame for what his family did to him.  You never brought back Stavros to his life.  You have to know that."

            "The logical part of my brain does, but there is a part of me that thinks I could have done more." Gia said.

            Jason pulled away from her so they could make eye contact.  "Gia, I wish you wouldn't do this to yourself.  You're a good person.  Think about it.  You have been a good friend to Sonny, Carly and me.  Michael and Adella love you and I know you love them.  They make you smile.  And you make them smile.  Gia, you couldn't have stopped Nikolas.  He did this to himself."

            Gia looked straight into his deep blue eyes.  She could see that he meant every word of what he was saying.  She believed him.  Nikolas had done it to himself.  She tried to help him but she couldn't.  "Thank you." She whispered as she sat up straight.  She mumbled her thanks again as they both leaned closer to one another.  Their lips met in a passionate kiss.  Gia put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as she continued to kiss him.

            Then she pulled back.  Her hand went to her lips and she looked at him.  "I'm sorry." She said before he could say anything else.  Then she jumped off the couch.  "I shouldn't have done that." She told him.  "We're friends…I shouldn't have done that." She repeated before dashing upstairs.

            Jason wanted to go after her.  After all, he had kissed her too.

            ****

            Gia tiptoed downstairs.  She wasn't sure she was ready to face Jason after what had happened the night before.  She shook her head at the memory.  How badly she wanted to do that for weeks and when she did it she freaked out.  What a fool! He must be as embarrassed as her.  She meekly called out when she reached the bottom step.  "Jason?"

            When she got no answer she realized that he must have gone somewhere with Sonny.  The two often did their business in the morning so Sonny would have more time to spend with his family.  That would mean that Carly would be home.  Gia opened the door, smiled at Johnny, and went into the Corinthos penthouse.

            Carly was sitting on the couch reading a magazine.  Gia threw herself into the chair and sighed.  The blonde looked over her magazine at the model and raised her eyebrow.

            "Something up?" Carly asked.  

            "I'm screwed." Gia declared.

            "Okay." Carly put down her magazine and sat up.  "And what makes you think that?"

            "Well, let's see, last night I overstepped the boundaries of friendship and kissed Jason." Gia explained.  "This is my books makes me screwed."

            "You kissed Jason?" Carly asked, excited.  She noticed the look that Gia gave her.  "I mean, how horrible…to kiss a handsome man!"

            "This is serious!" Gia cried.  "I have been so good about it."

            "About what?" Carly asked and then clued in.  "You wanted to do this for awhile?"

            Gia nodded.  "I think it must be because he treated me so nicely.  I am not used to people being so nice to me despite me having some huge faults.  I guess I can't help but be attracted to him even though I still love Nikolas."

            "Do you still love Nikolas?" Carly asked.

            "Of course!" Gia declared.  Then she was silent.  "Or at least I think so.  I'm confused."

            "If you love Nikolas, I suggest you work your butt off to find him and then go to him.  If you think that there is a chance of something between you and Jason, stay here and give it a try." Carly advised.

            "I don't know what I want anymore." Gia put a pillow over her face.  She was tempted to scream into it.

            "Go ahead." Carly urged.  "Mike is spending the day with the kids."

            Gia let loose her frustrations.

            "Well, I might not know what you want.  But I know what you need." Carly announced.

            "A good knock upside the head?" Gia asked.

            "Ladies night." Carly corrected her.  "Just you and I…raising hell or something close to it.  I'm thinking a night out at Club 101.  No guys…just us women enjoying the music and dancing until the sun comes up."

            Gia threw the pillow off her face.  "You know, that actually sounds like a good idea."

            "I'm full of them." Carly smiled.  "It's a deal.  I'll come collect you at 7:00pm."

            Gia nodded.  Then she slapped her forehead.  "All my party clothes are in a box in the storage room at the club." She said.

            "Not a problem." Carly said grabbing the phone.  "I'll call the club and tell Danny to let you into the room this afternoon.  You can get what you want."

            "Thanks Carly." Gia hugged her friend and then left.

            Carly made the call and then sat back down on the couch with her magazine.  Jason and Gia?  Now that wasn't such a bad idea…