"Damn." Carly murmured.

"Huh?" Jax leaned down and said into her ear. "What's wrong?"

"Things are about to get really awkward." Carly muttered under her breath.

"What's going on?" Jax asked.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke threw her arms wide. "How dare you? You
think you can just waltz up in here—"

"Brooke! That's enough." Lois cut in.

Brooke turned to her. "But Mom—"

"Quiet." Lois took a moment to look Carly over. She glanced at Jax briefly
before settling her gaze on Carly. "What do you want?"

Carly arched her eyebrow but figured it wasn't the time, especially
considering who she was and who Lois was to Sonny. "I was hoping to check
in with…"

"My husband?" Lois finished for her. She opened the door and stepped aside.
"Go on."

"Mom!" Brooke gasped.

"Let it go, Brooke." Her mother advised.

Carly hesitated and Lois nodded. "Go."

"Jax." Carly said softly. Jax pushed her into Sonny's room.

"Mom, are you out of your mind?" Brooke turned on her mother. "Do you know
who that was?"

"Yes, I did." Lois said calmly.

Brooke gaped at her. "And you still let her go in there? I don't get you."

Lois sighed. "It's complicated."

She shook her head. "What's complicated about it? She's not supposed to be
in there or in any part of our lives, period."

"Brooke, baby, you'll understand when you're older." Lois said.

"I hope to God I never have to." Brooke said darkly and took off down the
hall.

~*~*~
"Caroline?" Sonny said from the bed as Jax wheeled Carly over to the bed.
His voice hardened. "Jacks."

"Hey, I'm just the delivery man." Jax said. "I don't want to be here
anymore than you do."

"She's here, so now you can go." Sonny barked.

"Back out there?" Jax jerked his thumb towards the door. "With your wife
and kid?"

"Jax, go. I'll call you when I'm ready." Carly said. Jax looked down at
her. She said softly, "Please."

Jax reluctantly left the room, closing the door behind him. Outside Lois
leaned against the wall facing the door. He smiled sheepishly at her. "Hi."

A dark look came over her dace and he wisely didn't say another word.

"Sonny…" Carly reached out and took his hand. "I'd ask how you were but
that's a stupid question."

Sonny answered anyway. "I'm doing okay. Shot up but I'm alive." He shrugged
and winced from the movement.

Carly noticed immediately. "Are you okay? Should I get a nurse or a
doctor?"

"No, no." Sonny shook his head. "It's fine."

"It's not fine." Carly frowned. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into this mess.
You almost died because of me and…"

"Hey," Sonny said softly, "I don't exactly lead the life of a dentist, you
know? I'm used to these things."

"Well, I'm not used to people getting shot just because they're on a date
with me." Carly muttered.

"Hell of a first date. Wonder what we're going to do on our second." Sonny
arched an eyebrow.

"Something quiet, and safe, and boring." Carly said with a grin though she
knew that would be the last thing they'd ever do.

"What happened after I blacked out?" Sonny asked. "I didn't understand how
you ended up in the hospital also."

"When you fell I came out of the car to help you."

He groaned. "You shouldn't have done that. You were safer inside."

"Yeah, well, too bad. I got out and Elizabeth shot me. I didn't realize I
was shot until after I'd shot her and tried to get back to the car for my
phone."

He frowned. "Did you call the ambulance?"

She shook her head. "They were already on their way. I remember hearing the
sirens. I passed out before I could get to the car."

"You're lucky to be alive."

"We both are." She murmured then said, "Your guard! I almost forgot about
him. What was his name? I'll have his funeral and everything arranged and
taken care of."

Sonny shook his head. "I'll handle it."

"He died because of *my* grandmother." Carly protested. "I'll take care of
it."

"Let me rephrase it then, it's already been taken care of." Sonny said.

Carly frowned but nodded. "Tell me if I can send flowers to someone
instead. I want to help."

"Your grandmother was behind this? I thought it was just your secretary?"
Sonny frowned, just then picking up on what she'd said.

"Turns out she was working for my grandmother who was trying to kill me.
You and your guard got in the way." Carly sighed. "It's a long story that
I'm not going to get into."

Sonny regarded her with a long look. He wanted answers that he could use.
Someone tried to kill her and he needed more than just a brush off about
her grandmother. Carly reached out and trailed her fingers down his bearded
cheek. Her touch momentarily took his mind off his questions.

Carly sighed again. "I ran into your…I ran into Lois outside just now. If
I'd known she was there I wouldn't have come down to see you. Okay, that's
a lie. I would have came down anyway. I was going crazy upstairs. No one
would tell me where you were or how you doing except that you were fine and
alive."

"I'm glad you came. Though did you have to bring him?"

Carly raised her eyebrow. "You really aren't in the position to nit-pick."

He grinned. "No, I'm not but I'll do it anyway."

"Ugh." Carly shook her head. "You drive me crazy sometimes."

"Uh-huh." Sonny nodded. "Now kiss me."

"What?" Carly laughed.

"You've been here for how long and I still haven't gotten a kiss?
Something's not right here." Sonny said.

"I don't want to hurt you or anything…" Carly hedged.

"Come on." He murmured.

Carly leaned down until their lips were inches apart. "Now don't move." Her
nose wrinkled as she looked over his beard. "I am going to have beard burn.
But it'll be worth it."

Sonny placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her down so that
their lips met.

"Don't either of you ever put me in that position again." Lois said as she
stormed into the room. She'd given them long enough to be alone but she
couldn't stand it anymore. Jax followed closely behind her.

"Damn." Carly muttered as she dropped back into her wheelchair.

"Lois, what are you talking about?" Sonny asked.

"Don't ever make me disrespect myself in front of *my* daughter like that
again." Lois said vehemently. "I deserve more respect than that."

"Hey Lois—" Sonny began.

Lois threw up her hand. "Don't 'hey Lois' me. It's bad enough I have to
know about her, I don't need to have her in my face right now. You want to
see your little girlfriend? Make sure she doesn't come around when our
children are here."

"Excuse me—" Carly started to argue but Sonny tightened his hand around
hers.

"Don't." He murmured.

"No." Carly pulled away. She turned to Lois. "I get that you're upset—"

Lois glared at her. "You don't get anything about me. You don't know jack
about me."

"You're absolutely right." Carly said. "But no one held a gun to your head
to make you let me in here. And you want to talk about respect? I deserve a
little also. I didn't ask to get involved with a married man. It just
happened that way. Hell, I didn't even know he *was* married at first. And
you're pissed off that your husband's got a girlfriend? Too bad. I doubt I
was the first, just the first you had to face."

"Caroline…" Sonny said in a warning tone.

She looked at him. "What? She gets to go off about me and I can't say
anything in defense? I refuse to play the homewrecker when there wasn't any
home to wreck. I'm not the villain in this. You made your own choices and
you chose me."

"Sonny…" Lois gritted out. "I don't have any patience for this. My daughter
thinks I'm some sort of pushover weakling and your little girlfriend keeps
yapping on and on."

"Why won't you talk straight to me?" Carly challenged her. "Face the facts,
Lois. This isn't one of those 'he says he's getting a divorce but he's not
really getting one' things. Sonny's divorcing you for real. It's over."

"That's enough, Carly!" Sonny said.

Lois looked down at Carly. "No, let her yap. I think she likes to hear
herself talk. So what else do you have to say about my husband and me?"

"Don't be bitter, Lois." Carly said condescendingly. "I mean if my husband,
who I haven't lived with for *years*, suddenly found someone new I'd be
upset too but I'd get over it. I wouldn't become a shrew. I have too much
*self-respect*." She mockingly dragged out the last two words.

"I said that was enough Carly." Sonny said. He glanced at Lois who was
fighting to hold it together. He had a feeling the old Lois from
Bensonhurst was going to break out and there'd be curses and fists flying.
Right now she was trying to hold onto her last bit of patience. "I think
it's time you left. I'll see you later."

"I guess a goodbye kiss is out of the question?" Carly raised any eyebrow.
When Sonny just looked at her she said. "Okay Jax, I'm ready to go."

Jax quickly walked over to her and pushed her out of the room. Sonny said
to Lois. "Lois, I—"

"If it's an apology for her save it." Lois said. "You probably enjoyed it.
Two women fighting over you? Forget that, I wasn't fighting over you. If
she wants you so damn bad, she can have you."

~*~*~

"That was interesting." Jax said as he helped Carly get back into her bed.

"Oh now you have something to say." Carly said. "The whole way back you
were quiet."

"I thought you wanted it like that. So you can replay that little scene
over and over in your head." Jax grinned. "Looks like you've gotten
yourself into a nasty situation there. A married man, Carly?"

"Shut up. Jax."

"You do know there are plenty of single men out there? Hey, you're talking
to one right now." Jax said.

"Again I say, shut up."

"Why him?" Jax mused. "Because it's safer that way? No fear of the
relationship turning serious."

"I was previously engaged." Carly pointed out.

"Which ended because you were seeing Corinthos on the side." Jax said. "Are
you commitment phobic? Could your parents marriage have affected you this
strongly?"

"Are you a jackass?" Carly asked. "If I want a shrink to psychoanalyze me
I'd go to a real one and not an Aussie with a bad haircut."

"Hey!" Jax's hands immediately went to his newly cut hair. "That's a low
blow."

"Well keep your psycho babble to yourself then." Carly snapped. He'd
started to get a little too close for comfort.

"You know you really hurt my feelings." Jax said.

"Oh please." Carly rolled her eyes.

Jason knocked lightly on the open door. "Am I interrupting?"

Carly's eyes widened. "Jason? No, come on in."

Jason stepped into the room hesitantly. He looked at Jax curiously. "I just
wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm, I'm doing okay." Carly said.

Jax stood up. "I'll be right back."

"Oh, you don't have to go." Jason quickly said.

"No, I…" Jax glanced at Carly. "I should go."

Jason stepped aside as Jax walked past him. Jason walked over to the foot
of Carly's bed. "I read about the shooting. They mentioned your secretary?"

"It was Helena." Carly said simply.

"She was behind this?" Jason said.

"Don't look so shocked. She was the one who sabotaged Luke's car and caused
Lucky and Lulu's accident among other things. This was just another plan.
My father is taking care of it."

Jason nodded. "You look…"

"Bad, I know." Carly shrugged. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Just because we broke up badly doesn't mean I don't care if you live or
die. I still care about your well-being, Carly."

"Why? I thought I was some—" Carly caught herself before she said something
awful about herself and him. "Thank you for coming."

Jason was quiet for a moment. He looked into Carly's eyes. "I have to
know."

"Know what?"

"You and me. Was it ever real between us?"

She frowned. "Of course it was."

"I just wonder why you bothered to stay with me, become engaged to me if
you still had to go to someone else." Jason said. "Was I just good enough
until something better came along?"

"God, Jason, it wasn't like that. I loved you."

"But I still wasn't *enough*." Jason said.

Carly looked down. "No, you weren't. But Jason you had to sense that
something was missing. That I probably wasn't enough for *you*."

Jason shook his head. "No, you were all that I wanted."

"Jason…" Carly said softly.

"I have to go." He said abruptly. "I have rounds."

He turned and started for the door. Carly called out after him. "Jason,
wait!"

"I'll tell Emily I saw you and that you were doing better." He tossed over
his shoulder as he left the room.

~*~*~
Sonny was dozing lightly later that night when someone flicked on the
lights. He'd been wiped out after Lois and the kids finally left that
afternoon. Lois was still mad at him and whatever progress he and Brooke
had made was shattered after Carly came to see him. Brooke wouldn't talk to
him for the rest of their visit.

Sonny groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He frowned. "What the hell are
you doing here?"

Stefan Cassadine closed the door behind him and stared down at Sonny. "We
have to talk."

"And this couldn't wait a few hours?" Sonny muttered. "What do you want?"

"I don't want you seeing my daughter any longer. I don't like the business
you are in. It's not safe for her." Stefan said simply.

"That's funny cause Carly told me it was *your* mother who tried to have
her killed." Sonny scratched his chin and raised his eyebrow. "Nothing to
do with me or my *business*."

Stefan nodded curtly. "Nevertheless it's better for her that you don't see
each other anymore."

"Are you supposed to be scaring me off here? Why? You want old doctor boy
back? I'm nothing because I, I run a nightclub and my parents weren't a
part of a country club or some crap like that?"

"Your business, your…*nightclub*, the fact that you are married with young
children…I don't want that for her. She deserves better and more." Stefan
said. "You couldn't possibly give her what she needs."

"I don't think you know your daughter all that well because me and
Caroline," Sonny paused to smile, "we work. She enjoys herself with me, a
lot more than she did with her boring old fiancé. And you can hate it all
you want but it's not going to stop her from seeing me."

Stefan raised his eyebrow. "She values my opinion of her above anyone
else's."

"I know." Sonny said softly. "I saw her after a fight she had with you. She
was pretty much devastated. You worry about me hurting her, maybe you
should take a look at yourself."

"You know nothing about my relationship with her so your thoughts on it is
not welcomed." Stefan said harshly.

"She practically worships you." Sonny said. "She's the quintessential
daddy's little girl. But that doesn't mean she's going to let you tell who
she can be involved with and who she can't."

"Caroline knows that I want what's best for her."

"You weren't planning on telling her anything about this visit where you?"
Sonny suddenly realized. "You were hoping I'd agree with you and back out.
Oh she'll love to hear about this."

Stefan looked at him darkly, "You really don't want to start a war over
this."

"I didn't have to start anything. You started it by coming in here. You
don't want to make her choose between you and me. You wouldn't like the
results." Sonny said cockily.