**A/N – I know this is a little short, but I needed to stop at the end for reasons I'm sure you understand. I also wanted to get this part written before I forgot how I wanted it to go. So – here it is! **
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Bobbie watched closely as Sonny walked into Kelly's. He walked up to the counter and picked up a menu. After glancing over it for a few seconds, he set it down and flagged a waitress. She tried hard to keep the pleasantness on her face as she approached him.
"Sonny! I'm surprised to see you here," she said as she laid a hand on his back. The dark-haired man turned to her with a smile, dimples and all.
"Good to see you, Bobbie," he said. Bobbie knew that here smile didn't reach her eyes.
"How is my beautiful granddaughter doing? Is Carly feeling better?" she asked. Again, Sonny smiled.
"Leigh is doing wonderful. She's a miniature Carly, which means trouble for all of us. And Carly is still recuperating. Hopefully she'll be on her feet again at the end of the week. I'm here to pick up her favorite meal – she's been bugging me about it for the past few hours," he said smoothly. Bobbie resisted the urge to smack him as he cheerfully received his order. He motioned for Bobbie to walk him to the door. She did.
"Will you tell Carly to give me a call tonight?" she asked as he opened the door for her and she walked through it. Sonny smiled again.
"We'll see. She has a habit of dropping off early in the evening. Leigh has been quite demanding of her time. So, if she isn't too tired, I'll have her talk to you," he said. This time Bobbie couldn't control her anger and she reached out and shoved him.
"Stop lying to me Sonny Corinthos!" she hissed, her eyes narrowing. Sonny scrambled to keep a hold of the food in his hands.
"What could I be lying to you about, Bobbie?" he asked, innocence written over his features. Bobbie saw red.
"Give her back, Sonny," she growled. "Hasn't she been through enough?" Sonny frowned.
"Give who back?" he asked.
"Carly! Who else? She's disappeared again – I know it. And I know that you had something to do with it. So give her back. Give her back to the people that really do love her – me, Jason, her children. Jason has been worried sick. He's trying to find out who did this, but he's come up short. And I know that's because of you," she said. "Why else would you lie about this to me?" Sonny took Bobbie's arm gently.
"I'm sorry, Bobbie. I just didn't want to worry you. I don't know who is behind this, but we will soon. I thought that it would be better for you to think Carly is still healing and busy taking care of our daughter. Is it so wrong for me not to want you to worry?" he asked. Bobbie's anger became even more palpable.
"She is my daughter, Sonny. And if I find that you had anything to do with this – anything at all – I won't care what your friends do to me because it will be after I've torn you to pieces," she hissed. With a final look at him, she opened the restaurant door and stormed through it. Sonny looked down at the dinner he held in his hand. He rubbed a hand over his face as he sat wearily down at the table next to him. Remorse and sadness were written in his features as he stared at nothing.
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"Good job, Barbara Jean," Luke told his sister as he nonchalantly peeked out of the window. Bobbie smiled at her brother and Jason, who had quietly sat down next to them.
"We Spencers certainly have a knack for acting," she said. "Now, what exactly is this supposed to accomplish?" Luke flipped the curtain back in place and turned to face his sister.
"Well, Mr. Doom and Gloom out there already feels that the world has it in for him – so, we add another heapin' helpin' of guilt for him kidnapping his own wife and, voila, we have a brooding session that accomplishes two tasks," Luke said.
"And what, pray tell, are those tasks?" Bobbie asked, leaning forward on the table.
"One – we hope to guilt Sonny into ending this stunt and bring Carly back. That way I can focus on what I really need to do and not have to worry about Carly. Two – we also sent the message that I don't know what's going on and that Sonny has a chance to fix this without anyone knowing he was behind it. Or so he thinks," Jason explained.
"It also gives us a chance to figure out the mastermind behind this whole thing," Luke said. Jason nodded, but Bobbie looked confused.
"I thought this was Sonny's doing," she said. Luke nodded.
"It is, little sis, but someone else is paying buku bucks for Sonny to pull this off," he told her.
"Why would someone pay Sonny to kidnap his own wife?" she asked. Luke and Jason looked at each other for a second before Luke nodded.
"Carly isn't the main target. She's a pawn for the real target," Jason said.
"Who?" Bobbie asked, not liking the way this sounded.
"Lorenzo Alcazar," Jason answered. Bobbie nodded sadly.
"She's in love with him, you know," she said after a second or two of silence. Jason nodded as Luke choked on his water.
"Can we keep this lovey dovey crap out of this for now? Every time I hear that Caroline loves Alcazar it makes me rethink my position in this. I shudder to think it – so, I prefer to be left out of that loop," he said, disgustedly shaking his head. "It's no wonder Corinthos has a bee in his britches."
"You know you're a hopeless romantic, Lucas Lorenzo Spencer," Bobbie said with a teasing grin. Luke shook his head again after sending his sister a death glare. "Fine, Luke. They explain to me why you are doing this."
"Let's just say, little sis, that I would like the man's help," he said. Bobbie raised an eyebrow.
"You want Lorenzo Alcazar's help?" she asked in mock surprise. Luke shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably.
"What can I say? The man's got my middle name – he can't be all that bad," he said, causing both Bobbie and Jason to laugh. "Well, if you two are just going to sit there and giggle, then I declare this meeting over." With a huff at the pointed teasing, Luke stood up and stormed out of the restaurant, causing Jason and Bobbie to laugh again. When the two were left alone, they sobered quickly.
"What if this doesn't work, Jason? What if Sonny won't change his mind?" Bobbie asked. Jason shrugged.
"If Sonny won't change his mind, then I'll have to get them both out. I think I may know where they're being kept. I just need to figure out what to do next. I still don't know where the mystery money is coming from. I need to know what I'm walking into," he said. Bobbie nodded.
"I know Jason. I have faith in you. I know that you will find her," she said with a smile.
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"Carly?" Sonny's voice asked as he walked into the dimly lit room. Carly sat wrapped in a blanket, huddled in the corner of a cot tucked in the far corner of the room.
"What?" she asked as she pulled her legs closer to herself. Her husband stepped all the way into the room and approached her. She watched warily as he held out a Styrofoam carton out to her.
"I brought you your favorite dinner from Kelly's," he said as he knelt in front of her. Carly cautiously took the offering and sat in next to her.
"Aren't you going to eat, Carly?" he asked, concerned. Her tired eyes met his.
"Maybe later," she said and turned her eyes away from him. Sonny took her hand, causing her to jump and try to take it back but his grip held firm. She looked down at her hand and then up at him.
"For what it's worth, Carly, I'm – sorry," he said, remorse shining in his eyes. Carly lifted her chin.
"Are you? Are you really, Sonny?" she asked. "Are you sorry that you locked me up, just like Ric did? Are you sorry that you are keeping me from my children, my family? Are you sorry that you locked up a man that had honorably offered a truce to you – which you took?" Sonny stood up as his grip on her hand tightened.
"A man that offered truce? What do you call it, then, when that man takes the woman I love? I don't call that a truce, I call that an act of aggression. He took my wife!" Sonny yelled as he indicated to the ring that Carly still wore. He through her hand away from him as if it burned him. Carly stood up suddenly.
"Didn't I have a choice in this Sonny?" she yelled back. "He didn't take anything from you that wasn't lost in the first place. Lorenzo may love me and I … love him too. But that doesn't make it a plot against you!"
"The hell it doesn't, Carly," he said, his voice calming. "He kidnapped you and kept you from your family all to get to me!" Carly shook her head.
"It changed, Sonny. It may have been to get to you when he kept me. But when we connected … you weren't even part of the equation. I don't want to say that I don't love you, because I do. And I know you love me. I wouldn't be here like this if you didn't. But our love for each other – it's different. It took my feelings for Lorenzo to figure that out. My feelings for him are what everyone talks about when they talk about 'forever' love. It's undeniable – and I want that type of love. I deserve that type of love. And that's why we are in this situation. I don't know what you are trying to accomplish here, Sonny, but you can't turn off my feelings. If you kill him, I will still love him. If you kill me, I will still love him. What you've done here will not change a thing," Carly said, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself.
"And what about Sophie Germaine? You know their story. They have a chance, Carly. Are you going to take that from them?" Sonny asked. Carly shook her head.
"Whatever Lorenzo decides from here on out is his prerogative. I can't make anyone do anything. But I think I know what Lorenzo's feelings are. I know that he believes the past is the past. Whether or not my faith in those beliefs are unfounded, it still won't change how I feel," she answered. Sonny absorbed her words for a few moments before finally nodding. Carly felt hope swell in her chest. Her husband was listening to her. She looked down at her hand and fingered the wedding ring. She gently took it off and stepped towards Sonny. She held out her hand for him to take. He did. Carly turned his palm to face her and gently laid the circle of gold there. They both looked at it for a significant moment before Carly closed Sonny's fist over it. He looked up, his sad brown eyes meeting her decisive ones. With a nod, he retracted his arm.
"If you eat your dinner, I will take you back to him," he said quietly before turning and leaving the room. Carly let out a relieved breath as the hope swelled even more, causing her to let out a small, happy laugh.
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Sonny closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He looked quickly down at the ring in his hand once and then put it in his pocket. With a heavy heart and an unsurprising guilty conscience Sonny turned and began walking down the hall. He spun around quickly as he heard footsteps following him.
"Mr. Corinthos, it is time for you to earn your payment," the person said. A hand grabbed Sonny's and placed a gun in his grip. "It is time for you to get rid of the Mrs."
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**A/N – Well, there you go. I hope you enjoyed the diminutive piece I've given you. It should be interesting from here on out. For you, and for me! **