Part Twenty
"How's Gia?" Sonny asked as his wife made her way down the stairs.
"Asleep." Carly answered. It had been two days since Gia had collapsed and for now she was staying with the couple. Her house was being repaired as quickly as possible, this time complete with bullet proof glass. She refused her brother, mother and even Jason's suggestion to stay with them. In fact, she still was refusing to see any of them. "She's still really shook up about it. And I understand…she could have lost her baby." Carly bit her lip. "And she would have been robbed of knowing what it would have looked like or…" She couldn't finished, her mind stuck on the little coffin for baby boy Corinthos. Sonny was there in an instant, holding her close and letting her cry.
She pulled away. "It's been years, Sonny, since our little boy died. Since he was taken from us. Why does it have to hurt so much?"
Sonny didn't know how to answer Carly. Some days he felt like he had and advantage over Carly. He had seen their little boy. As long as he lived he would remember the tiny child in the arms of Lily. He would remember the way his children smiled at him and the way Lily promised him that she would look after them. Carly never got to see the baby. He had tried to describe him once to Carly…but his words could not capture the beauty. As he stared into the hurting eyes of his wife, all he could do was wipe away her tears. "Gia will never have to know what it's like. We'll make sure of that."
"She still doesn't want to see Jason." Carly told him, changing the subject, trying to forget the pain.
"I think she just needs some time." Sonny said. "Plus, I think she's punishing them…as she should."
"What do you mean?" Carly asked.
"She told both Jason and her brother that she does not want them badmouthing each other in front of her anymore. She told them more than once and they didn't listen. It would serve them right if she made them wait for her forgiveness." Sonny poured his wife a drink of water.
Carly took a sip and then spoke. "You know I agree with you but I can't believe you're saying that about Jason."
"Think about it…the baby can hear conversations going on around it. It shouldn't have to hear words said in hate." Sonny countered. He looked at his watch. "I got a meeting with Benny and I need to get my things." He kissed Carly on the lips and then disappeared upstairs.
Carly finished her drink and sat down on the couch. Again her thoughts trailed to her dead son and she felt the urge to cry. Almost losing Gia's baby had hit her hard as well. The door opened causing Carly to look up. Jason was standing there. He had avoided coming over yesterday and Carly hadn't seen him since she had closed the hospital door.
"How's Gia?"
Carly stood up, her heart going out for Jason when she read the worry and concern written all over his face. "She's sleeping, Jason. I don't think she's angry anymore…just disappointed. As she should be Jason! I hope you can learn to control your temper when it comes to Taggert."
Jason just nodded. "I want to. I never want to hurt Gia again. I never want to see her face when she is upset like that."
Carly knew Jason was telling the truth so she didn't bother to push it any further. "Did you find out who did this?"
"I wish I could say yes." Jason said relishing the thought that he would soon find out so he could take the man down. "All I know is that a hired man did the job. I think it was the same person Roscoe worked for. Zander mentioned that Roscoe had someone higher up so I imagine this there way of sending a message to me." Jason shuddered at the thought of someone wanting to kill an innocent baby. "It makes me really sick."
"I know it does." Carly agreed.
"It's one thing to come after me but to end a life before it has even really begun…that's low." Jason ran his hand through his hair and sat down on the couch, watching Carly sit down next to him. "I just have thoughts of finding the sick person and strangling the life out of them. I want to really hurt them."
Carly understood this side of Jason. The side that would do anything to protect the child. "I hope you get the chance to do it, Jase."
"I wanted to come over yesterday but instead I sat around all day thinking. I thought of a thousand things I could have done differently. The night Gia stormed into my penthouse I could have told her to storm right back out. I should have said no but I couldn't resist her. When I found out about the baby, I could have done what Taggert said and stayed away. I'm trouble, Carly. Trouble that Gia shouldn't have to deal with." Jason said fiercely. "After what has happened, I again was tempted with the thought of cutting all ties…but I can't Carly. I couldn't do it then and I can't do it now. I like having Gia around. I like watching her face light up when she is talking about the baby. And the baby…" His eyes closed as if he were picturing his child. "I love him or her more than my life already. And I haven't even met the baby. I never knew you could love someone before you met them."
"It's strange isn't it?" Carly added.
"No matter how much danger my life is, I can't go the rest of my life without seeing Gia or the baby. I can't cut them out of my life. Call me selfish but I won't do it. That solution isn't an option." Jason told her. "But something has to be done…just to make sure that nothing happens again. And that's why I want to marry Gia."
"Marry Gia?!" Carly cried, taken aback by his statement.
"I thought it over real hard." Jason said. "First of all, no one messes with you Carly. Not just because you have enough attitude to scare off anyone…because you are the wife of Sonny Corinthos. His name means something. People know better than to mess with Sonny Corinthos' wife. People know not to mess with Jason Morgan…now I want people to know that they can't mess with the wife of Jason Morgan. And I thought about the baby. I want the baby to live in a home with the two people who love it the most in the world. I know Gia told me many times that I would be welcome to come whenever I wanted. She even had that spare room done for me in the house…but I want to be there at all times. I don't want my child getting older and suddenly realizing that when it gets dark, daddy goes home. I want the baby to have two parents under one roof."
"Did you ever stop to think how Gia would feel about this?" Carly asked.
"I hope Gia can agree." Jason said sending a silent pray up to heaven. "Because I know that I care so much about Gia. I don't love her the way I loved Robin…not yet. But I think I can. I love her for giving me a child…and I think that love can change into the kind of love she deserves. I think we can have a real family."
Carly didn't know what to say. She knew Jason had put a lot of thought into the idea and she was proud of him for it. But one thing was left up in the air…what would Gia think about the idea?
****
Sonny checked over the paperwork one more time before closing the briefcase. Everything seemed in order. He gathered his things and headed for the headed for downstairs. He was almost to the stairs when he heard a frightened cry. Dropping the case, he stepped back to peer into the guest room.
Gia moaned again, and thrashed a little in her sleep. It was obvious to him that Gia was dreaming.
Worried, he stepped into the darkened room, and softly called her name. When she didn't wake up, he reached down and touched her shoulder causing her eyes to open widely.
"You were dreaming." Sonny explained quietly.
Gia nodded. "I know…" The last few seconds of her dream flashed in her mind. Bullets flying…glass breaking. Her screams echoed against the bullet riddled walls. "The house…"
"It's okay." Sonny said unsure what to do first. He then placed a hand on her shoulder. She reached up and squeezed it. "The dreams won't last forever." He promised, hoping that he was right.
"I know." She said for the second time. "Thank you for bringing me out of it. Are you going somewhere?"
"I have a meeting." Sonny said. "But Carly's downstairs."
"I want to go down with her." Gia announced throwing back the covers. "I don't want to be alone."
"Alright." Sonny said assisting her out of the bed and to the top of the stairs.
She stopped when she spotted Jason sitting on the couch with Carly. "Jason." She breathed.
He looked up. "Gia…" He felt relief was over him. Just seeing her standing there was proof enough to him that things were alright. His baby was really safe.
Sonny and Carly locked eyes unsure of what to do. Maybe Gia wouldn't send him away this time.
"Is there any way we can talk?" Jason asked standing.
Gia nodded and finished the rest of the stairs. She gave Carly a reassuring glance. She wasn't going to get worked up. She wouldn't let herself.
"I'm late." Sonny announced, giving Carly a kiss and disappearing out the door.
Carly watched as Jason and Gia continued to stare at one another. She knew that they wanted to be alone to talk. "I'll be upstairs with Michael."
"No." Gia said. "That's alright. We're not going to talk here."
"My penthouse?" Jason asked.
Gia shook her head. "My place."
"Is that such a good idea?" Carly asked.
"I want to see it for myself." Gia told her. "I want the dreams to stop. Maybe seeing it will help me."
Jason didn't like the idea but he wasn't going to argue with her right now. "Alright, I'll take you." The idea of marriage was still fresh in his mind. He was going to ask her today.
The drive over was silent. Gia was preparing herself to see her home, the place she had come to love. And Jason was preparing himself to ask her one question and prepare to defend his views.
Gia stepped out of the car and pulled her jacket tighter around her. A fresh blanket of snow had fallen. She briefly remembered how much she had loved the sight of the snow on her home the first time it had fallen. Now as she stared at it, taking in the broken front windows covered to keep out the weather. She could see the chips in the paint where bullets hit.
Jason took in her face. "We can leave if you want…"
"No." Gia said firmly. "I want to go inside." She walked up the stone path and pushed open the front door. Two men were standing inside and she immediately felt fear rush through her.
"They're just fixing up the place." Jason explained from behind her sensing her change in mood. He looked at the workers. "Take a break, would you?"
Once they left, Gia began to survey her living room. The glass from the broken windows had already been cleaned up. She could see holes in the wall where the bullets had embedded themselves. Wrapping her arms around herself tighter, an act that had nothing to do with the weather, Gia walked through her living room towards the hallway.
"Only the living room was damaged." Jason told her.
"I just want to see it." Gia pushed open the first door. Her nursery was still intact. The rocking chair form Sonny and Carly sat in the middle of the room. The bare walls weren't damaged. Her bedroom was the same. She sighed in relief as she looked at her bedroom, the place where she felt the safest. Turning back to Jason, Gia managed to smile a little. "I'm happy to see that my house is still standing." She was going to say more but she caught sight of something lying in the corner of the living room. She rushed past Jason and reached down. She stood up with a piece of her figurine in each hand. "Oh no…" She moaned.
"Gia, I can get you a new one." Jason said at once. He knew how fond of the Christmas present she was.
"I don't want a new one." Gia said fitting the two pieces together. "It's a clean break. I can glue it back together." She disappeared into the kitchen, with Jason on her heels. He saw her wrapping the pieces in dishcloths, which she fitted into her handbag.
"I am so sorry Gia." He said after silence had made them both uncomfortable.
"I know you are." Gia said. "I know you're sorry that someone shot up my house. I know you're sorry that you fought with Marcus."
"I am…but I am also sorry that I broke my promise. I promised never to fight with Marcus and again I did it." Jason shook his head. "I guess what I was most afraid of is the fact that you would have listened to your family…and stayed away from me. I couldn't bear the thought of not being around you or the baby."
Gia's features softened. "I would never do that. This is your child too. I would never prevent you from seeing him or her…unless I thought I was in danger. I think what happened was a wake up call. People know now that I am in your life, and that they can use me to get to you. I need your solemn oath that nothing like this is ever going to happen again."
"I would die before I let it." Jason said never more serious in his life. "I want to ask you something…" His voice stopped as he tried to think of the right way to say it.
"Yes?" Gia said expectantly.
"I want to know if you'll be my wife." He said.
Gia was taken aback. Never did she expect him to say that. "You're wife?" "I know this isn't how you planned your life but please hear me out before you say anything. Gia, when I heard about the shooting I realized how close I had come losing the baby…and you." He added. "I need to keep you safe and marriage is one of the best options. People need to know that they cannot touch the wife of the boss."
"Kinda like a piece of property?" Gia commented, crossing her arms.
"No!" Jason protested. "Not like that. People respect me, and Sonny. People know that if they even thought about touching Carly, Sonny would have them removed. I want people to know the same thing about you. Plus, I was thinking of the baby. The baby needs two loving parents who have shown commitment to raise it."
"We are both committed to raising this child right now." Gia said.
"I know, but I don't want my child living in a household where the father is just a visitor. I want the baby to have a mother and a father. I want to do this right." Jason said. "I want to do the honorable thing."
"You sound like Sonny." Gia added.
"Because Sonny is the one who taught me things like that. He told me that honor, trust and love are the most important things in life." Jason moved closer to her.
"Love…" Gia repeated. "What about love? Did you think about that part? What if years down the road you met someone that you fall in love with? But whoops, you're married to me. Do you want to put a child through a divorce?"
"Gia, I can't tell you that I love you like Sonny loves Carly, but I do love you. You're my friend…the mother of my child. You're giving me something that is going to mean the world to me. I can't make you any promises but maybe someday it'll turn out to be the kind of love you're talking about." Jason took her hands. "Will you be my wife, Gia Campbell?"
Gia looked in his eyes, and saw the seriousness and the eagerness for her answer. She pulled her hands away and looked at the floor. Marry Jason…she had never thought about that. "Look, Jason, I need some time to think about this. You've dropped a bombshell on me."
"Take all the time you need." Jason said.
"Can we go back to Carly's now?" She asked, gathering her things and leaving Jason in the kitchen. He wondered if he had pushed her too far too fast.
****
Gia entered Carly's penthouse to find the blonde sitting on the couch with Michael. The two met eyes and Carly understood.
"He asked you." Carly said simply.
Gia just nodded. She should have known that Jason would run his idea by Carly first.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Carly asked.
"Not really." Gia headed for the stairs. "I just want to take a nap."
****
The next day, Gia stood outside the door to Jason's penthouse. She yawned a little. Truth was, she hadn't really slept since Jason had sprung his idea on her. Instead she thought about what he had said and then thought about all the possibilities of what could happen. What if they discovered that they couldn't fall in love with each other? She had wracked her brain and early that morning she had finally come up with an answer.
The door opened and Jason stood there, looking down at her expectantly.
"I've made my decision, Jason." She said. "I'll be your wife."