Part Eleven
Gia didn't know how to answer her brother. She could see the mixed emotions playing across his face. She came to the bottom of the stairs moving past Jason to stand next to him. "Yes, Marcus, Jason is the father of the baby." Gia said to the silent audience. She watched as anger flared in his eyes. "And that is why I didn't tell you."
Marcus and Gia continued to stare at one another. Neither Sonny, Carly nor Jason knew what to do or say. Finally, Marcus made his move. He lunged toward Jason but Gia was there to hold him back. His weight caused her to stumble a bit. Jason moved forward, his stomach clenching, but Sonny was there to catch her as she fell backwards.
"Careful!" Sonny cried, glaring at Taggert. He knew what a fall could do to an unborn child.
Gia cursed for putting herself in danger. She steadied herself and looked over at Marcus. "Do not attack him, Marcus. This has nothing to do with you."
"The hell it doesn't." Marcus said, turning his attention back to Gia, as he tried to ignore Jason.
"This is something Jason and I have to work out." Gia said evenly. "We got ourselves into this situation and we are trying to work out the details."
"I am prepared to take full responsibility for this." Jason said stepping forward.
Marcus turned to Jason and unleashed onto him. "You must be proud of yourself. You managed to seduce my sister. And now she's pregnant. You got her right where you want her. She'll have to rely on you now. Soon she nothing better than a mob moll. Listening to your orders, putting herself in danger…"
Carly raised her eyebrows. Was Taggert referring to her? She wanted to open her mouth but thought better of it.
"I am not going to let Gia throw her life away like this." Marcus cried. "The best thing you could do for my sister and this baby is sign away your parental rights…"
"NO!" Jason's voice echoed off the penthouse walls. "This is my child too."
The possessiveness of his voice even frightened Gia a little as she watched the father of her child and her brother stare each other down. She ignored Sonny's warning hand on her shoulder and again stepped between the two. With a hand on each of their chests, she spoke again. "This is not going to get you anywhere, Marcus. You have no say in the matter. What happens in my life is under my control. Jason can't tell me what to do either. But he is willing to help me and I am not going to turn him away. Besides, this is his child too and he deserves to be in its life."
"He deserves nothing." Marcus muttered.
Gia raised her hand and shot him a disgusted look. "Stay the hell out of my business." She warned, getting frustrated with her brother. "I can't believe you, Marcus. I really need you on my side right now but you want to lecture me because you don't like the father."
"He'll get you killed." Marcus said in a softer tone. The thought of his baby sister lying somewhere with a bullet in her head made him shudder. "I just want you to be safe."
"She'll be safe." Jason cut in.
"Yeah like everyone else who ever were connected to you stayed safe." Marcus shot at the younger man.
"Taggert…" Jason growled.
"WILL BOTH OF YOU JUST STOP IT?" Gia cried. She felt like a mediator. Each of them seemed to be able to talk to her without getting angry but they just baited one another. She was getting frustrated and angry.
Marcus nodded and stepped back. "I came here to take him and Mr. Corinthos to the station any way."
"For what?" Gia and Carly said at the same time.
"For questioning on the beating of a dockworker." Marcus explained. "Are you going to come on your own or am I going to have to pull out the handcuffs?"
Sonny and Jason both stepped towards the door.
"Marcus!" Gia cried.
He looked back at his sister. "You told me to stay out your business…well, this is police business, my business, and so you stay out it."
Gia wanted to explode on him. She felt Carly's hand on her arm and looked back at the blonde.
"I'll call Alexis." Carly said even though she wanted to do anything but. She wished she could have convinced Sonny to find a new attorney when she convinced him to get Alexis to move out. "I'll be at the police station in a few minutes."
"So will I." Gia promised. She wasn't through with her brother.
****
Exactly twenty minutes later, three women entered the PCPD. Alexis was the only one who was calm even though she was a little nervous being around Carly. She knew Carly despised her for sleeping with her husband. The lawyer was also a little curious as to why Gia was there. She knew better to ask any questions. Carly almost seemed bored. She was beginning to see the routine. Every time something happened in Port Charles they automatically blamed it Sonny. He would let them drag him down to the station, grin as they asked him questions and then saunter out a few hours later. Carly just came to annoy them as she stood there waiting for the release of her husband. Gia on the other hand, was steaming mad. She knew that Marcus was dragging Jason down her because of her.
Alexis immediately found her clients and started asking for the charges. Carly laughed a little when she saw one of the officers who seemed to be always there. He grinned back and made the comment. "Long time no see."
Gia couldn't stand waiting any longer. She walked over her brother and stood behind him just as he began to speak to Sonny, Alexis, and Jason.
"A dockworker is in the hospital after a severe beating last night. I don't think Sonny did it himself but he would probably send Anger Boy to do it for him."
Gia laughed causing her brother to turn to face her. "Jason didn't do it. He was in Brooklyn last night."
Marcus raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"In a café with me discussing our baby." Gia finished. "So whatever you think you have on him, you don't."
Alexis was taken aback by the news. Gia was pregnant with Jason's baby? She knew she was out of the loop but she didn't think she was that far out. She looked back at Taggert. "There you go…Jason has an alibi."
Marcus didn't pay any attention to Alexis. "He was in Brooklyn with you?"
"How do you think I got back here?" Gia asked. "I asked him to bring me back to Port Charles."
"Can I go now?" Jason asked Taggert.
"Not so fast." Marcus said. "We still have to talk."
Jason groaned. "Look Taggert, I don't need you harassing me."
"You are going to have to live with it." Marcus shot back. "You put yourself in a situation where we will have a lot of contact."
Jason just shook his head. "I am looking forward to every minute of it."
Marcus was about to say something before Gia cut in. The two were starting to goad one another again. It was making her angry… "Will you two please stop it?" She asked. Both men looked at her. "I think I'm going home."
"Wait about twenty minutes and I'll drive you." Marcus pleaded.
Gia shook her head. "I don't want another lecture from you and I sure don't want to be double teamed by you and mom once we get to the Brownstone. I'll find my own way home."
Carly spoke up. "Our driver will take you. I can get Michael from Bobbie while I'm there and go home. I'll send the driver back here to pick you two up." Sonny nodded and leaned in and kissed his wife. Carly couldn't help but admit that she enjoyed the look of jealously on Alexis' face.
Gia looked over the faces of Jason and Marcus again before joining Carly in leaving the police station. She groaned. "This is what I didn't want to happen. Both of them at each other's throats. I'm sorry if this sounds selfish but I want their support not them acting like children."
"That's not selfish." Carly told her. She made a mental note to talk to Jason later that night about how his behavior upset Gia.
****
Taggert eyed Jason as he sat down across from him. He had convinced Alexis that the discussion he was going to have with Jason only had to do with his sister before he had led the younger man to his office. "You upset my sister…"
"You played a hand in it as well." Jason pointed out. "I meant what I said. I am going to be a part of my baby's life."
"Even if it isn't the best thing for it?" Marcus asked.
"What do you mean by that?" Jason asked. "Would you rather the baby didn't have two parents?"
"I didn't mean that." Marcus said. "I meant that people around you get hurt. How would you feel if something happened to this baby? Because I guarantee that is what will happen if you get involved."
"I would never let anything hurt my child." Jason declared. "Or Gia…"
Marcus sighed and ran his hand over his head. "Why can't you see my point?"
"And why can't you see mine?" Jason asked. "We may never get along but we are both connected to this baby. We're going to have to at least attempt to be civil to each other."
"Just remember…" Marcus began. "If anything happens to my sister, or her baby…I will make sure you pay."
****
Both Gia and Carly had sat in silence for awhile. Carly finally spoke up. "I wanted you to know that my ear is always open to anything you have to say, Gia."
Gia smiled. "I really appreciate that." She had a thousand thoughts going through her head but she tired of talking. She wanted nothing more than to crawl in her bed and start reading the book on pregnancy she had in her handbag.
When they reached the Brownstone, Gia thanked Carly and went to her apartment. She was fiddling with the key when the door to Marcus' place opened. Her mother popped her head out and Gia heard the long drawn out sigh.
"Gia…"
Gia looked up. "Look, Mom, I really don't want to hear it. I have been dragged through enough lectures and looks of disappointment in the last forty-eight hours. I just want to crawl into my bed and sleep. Is that too much to ask? I don't think so." She didn't give her mother chance to speak as she continued. "Marcus will fill you in on all the details and then he'll tell you who the father of the baby is. He'll tell you what a terrible man Jason is and how evil he is. He'll fill your mind with his thoughts and then you'll have something new to scold me about. Well, just remember there are two sides to every story." She went into her apartment and closed the door. Grabbing the cordless phone she went into the bedroom and turned on her stereo. The soft strings of a Boys II Men song drowned out her mother's knocking on the door. She changed into her bedclothes and sank under the fluffy comforter on her bed. She dialed Lucky's number.
He answered immediately and she could tell her was smiling by the tone in her voice. "Gia!"
"Hey Lucky." She said. "How are you?"
"Fine. More importantly, how are you?" Lucky asked. "Are you getting used to staying in Brooklyn?"
"I'm not in Brooklyn anymore." She told him. "I'm in my own bed in Port Charles, where I belong. Mom is not to happy about it but I don't care." She listened for a moment and realized that the knocking on the door had stopped. "Jason knows. He came to Brooklyn to talk about the baby."
Lucky pretended to act surprised. "How did it go?" He said mentally crossing his fingers.
"All right." Gia said, remembering the tender looks he had given her at the café. "But now Marcus knows too and that's a whole new mess to contend with. The two of them just can't stand one another."
"Hopefully they'll calm done." Lucky said.
"I hope so." Gia admitted. She paused and then continued. "I'm telling your mother about the baby tomorrow. I really don't know how she'll take it."
"I really don't know either." Lucky told her. He hoped his mother wouldn't decide to replace her.
"Wish me luck."
"Good luck."
"I'm going to relax for awhile." She said. "Goodnight Lucky." She hung up phone and reached for the book, which she had placed on her bedside table. Her hand went to her stomach without her knowing as she began to read about what she was about to face.