** Author's appreciation:
The ever faithful J3ril33 – what I would do without you, I have no clue! It's safe to say that I adore you… no, really, I do! Thank you for reviewing… it warms my heart to know that you are out there and enjoying it as much as I do writing it. I'd about given up hope on people saying anything the last few weeks… but you surprised me. And thanks for your confidence. It's getting harder here at the end – maybe it's my subconscious not really wanting it to end. Who knows? I do actually have the end written… now I just need to fill in the blanks. I'm getting there slowly. Cross your fingers that the next parts turn out to your liking… and mine!!! :P Oh & hey, is your website working yet? I tried to get to it a while ago and couldn't… Anyways, this one's dedicated solely to you, babe!
P.S – You know the part in the chap. 16 where there's the Do Not Disturb? You can cut and paste Friday's dream CarLo love scene there… I think it would fit perfectly, don't you? I had tears in my eyes… Carly needs to come out of the coma & make that reality!
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~*~*~*~ The next morning ~*~*~*~
"Caroline, Caroline, Caroline. I'm beginning to think that you're bad luck," Luke said from her hospital doorway.
"Shut up, Luke," she said with half-hearted malice. She was gingerly packing her bag to go home. It had taken her almost an hour to get dressed with the nurses help. "I'm surprised that it took you this long to come see me… You've never resisted a barb this long." Luke laughed as he came into the room further.
"Well, darlin', I figured you wouldn't be at your best. I can only pick a fight when I know there's a worthy opponent," he said as he sat down on the vacated bed.
"How's Momma?" she asked as she reached for her hairbrush. Luke reached out and took it when he noticed that it was causing her pain to reach for it.
"She's doing better. The fact that she's a patient here and not an employee is making her act like a cat with its tail caught in the door… but other than that, our mutual acquaintance Dr. Tony says she's healing nicely. We just have to watch those scrapes for infection," Luke said, tossing the brush back and forth between his hands. Carly nodded as she watched her uncle's motion. Luke caught the faraway look in his niece's eye and he stopped.
"Want to tell me what's really bothering you sweetums?" he asked. Carly looked to the ground.
"My children were going to be in that car, Luke," she said. She reached up with her un-slinged arm to brush a tear that had slipped from her eye. "Leigh was there, but not for long. Michael was supposed to be. If those breaks had gone out earlier…" Luke reached out and took her hand, squeezing it.
"But they weren't, honey. And that's what you really have to think about, okay? You listen to your Uncle Luke, now," he said, causing her to look up at him.
"Am I really bad luck?" she asked, her eyes watering before she looked down again. Seeing his tough as nails niece like this made Luke regret his earlier words. He stood up so that he could stand in front of her. He gently found the one place on her chin that wasn't bruised and lifter her face to look at him.
"Caroline Leigh Spencer, there is no one on this earth tougher than you… except your dashing, charismatic, valiant Uncle Luke," Luke said with a grin and a wink. Carly smiled as well.
"You know, as well as I do, that there is no such thing as luck. We make our own," Luke continued. Carly snorted.
"I honestly don't know if that can be said for you, Luke. I'd say Lady Luck has fished you out of many a pickle," Carly said as she turned back to her packing. Luke smirked again as he put his hands in his coat pockets.
"Well then, since I've had enough of the Lady, as you say, I should know what bad luck looks like… and sugar, you ain't it," he said. Carly looked at him with a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Luke. That means a lot… coming from you…" she said. The man shrugged.
"Yeah… well… you're like a mold. You kind of grow on people whether they want you to or not," he said. Carly glared at the man. "What? It's true. Junior had some sick fascination with you, same with one Dr. Jones, you had Morgan enthralled since day one, even Corinthos took a shine to you, you've got your mother wrapped around you little finger, Dillon Quartermaine now worships the ground you walk on, my own son sings your praises some of the time, for a time Zander Smith was being led around on a leash, that shark Jax had actually gone into business with you… do you want me to go on?" Carly shook her head.
"Please, don't," she said.
"I'd certainly like to hear the rest of that list," Lorenzo's amused voice said from the doorway. Luke turned with a grin and held his hand out to indicate the man.
"Ahhhh, and here's exhibit B…" he said. Carly rolled her eyes.
"Stuff it, Luke. Where is your choice," she said. Luke laughed.
"Good to see the piss and vinegar back, darlin'. It'd have taken all the fun out of the world if you'd turned into a sniveling little crybaby. Take it from me, kiddo… it wasn't a good look on you," he said. Carly lifted her chin as far as her sore body would let her.
"Everything looks good on me," she said in the haughtiest voice she could come up with. Luke let out a hearty chuckle as he looked to Lorenzo.
"You've definitely got your hands full with this one," he noted. Lorenzo smiled.
"I certainly don't mind," he answered the other man. Luke shook his head in mock sadness.
"You poor masochistic bastard," Luke muttered. Carly's eyes narrowed at him.
"Luke," she said.
"Yes, dumplin'?" he asked, batting his eyes sweetly at her.
"I heard that," she said. Luke looked at her innocently.
"Heard what?" Carly shook her head.
"Go check on my mother, you mistake of birth," she said. Luke made a low, elegant bow to her.
"I live to serve," he said before winking at her and leaving the room.
"With all the crap he's pulled, the only reason that man isn't dead right now is because Hell doesn't want him," she said, causing Lorenzo to laugh.
"It's amusing to watch you two… you fight almost like brother and sister," he commented.
"Yeah, well… the only brother I have is an innocent teenager. He is no where near my caliber, my words would flay him like a flounder," she said. Lorenzo smiled.
"And Luke is a worthy adversary," Lorenzo concluded. Carly smiled.
"Yep," she said as she closed her bag. "I'd be hugging you right now if it were physically possible that I could without passing out from pain." Lorenzo chuckled again as she turned to him.
"We don't want that happening," he said.
"But…" Carly said as she stepped closer to him and tapped a finger to her lips. "… these have healed quite nicely."
"Good to know," he commented before leaning down and capturing her lips with his.
"Carly -" a voice said. The two broke the kiss and looked to see an uncomfortable Jason watching them thoughtfully.
"Yeah, Jase," Carly said, nonplussed
"I was just coming to tell you that Michael is with Lucas over at Bobbie's. Leigh is still with Leticia, but once you get settled, I can bring her over later," he said.
"Actually, Carly's going to be staying with me," Lorenzo said. Jason turned to him.
"She is?" he asked with a frown.
"I am?" Carly asked with a smile.
"You are," Lorenzo told her, smiling in return. Carly grinned at him before turning to Jason.
"Well, then… when you pick up Leigh, have her brought over to Lorenzo's… and would you mind bringing Michael by, too?" Carly implored, knowing that she was asking a lot of Jason.
"Ummm…." Jason started, unsure of how to answer her.
"Please, Jason? My babies have been through so much without me," she said, her eyes pleading. She knew her puppy dog look was lethal against Jason.
"Sure," Jason relented, his eyes relaying that the two of them were going to talk later. Carly smiled in acknowledgement.
"Good. Then we'll see you later," she said. Jason nodded before he took his leave. Lorenzo picked up her bag from the bed, pretending that Jason's palpable unease and apparent disapproval never happened.
"Well, let's go get you settled and resting," he said, a smile on his face that didn't really reach his eyes. Carly noted the look but didn't say anything. With a smile of her own, she went to the door happily.
"I can't wait to get out of here, but first I have to see my mother," she said, opening the door.
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~*~*~*~ Lorenzo's Penthouse – later the same evening ~*~*~*~
The knock on the door had Carly struggling to get up from the couch. Lorenzo had left after dropping her off and making sure she was comfortable to take care of some left over business.
"Carly, it's me," Jason called from behind the door.
"And me, Mommy," cried her son's voice, causing her to smile as she reached for the doorknob.
"Well… if it isn't two of the handsomest men in the world," she said as she opened the door. Jason smiled as he lifted the baby carrier for Carly to see.
"And the most gorgeous baby in the universe," she added as she nodded for them to enter. Jason looked around the apartment as Michael ran and jumped onto the couch.
"Where's Alcazar?" he asked with a frown as he sat the carrier down next to Michael on the couch. Carly knelt down as carefully as she could and used her good arm to uncover the baby's sleeping face.
"He had some things to finish up," she said as she smiled lovingly at her daughter.
"And he left you here alone?" Jason asked, putting his hands on his hips as he turned to look at her. Carly rolled her eyes as she stood up.
"Jason, I told him to. It took all of my powers of persuasion to get him to go. And he said it shouldn't take to long. I'm not an invalid…" she said. Jason rolled his eyes in turn.
"That's not the point, Carly. Sophie Germaine is still out there. I question the intelligence of you staying here. The woman is trying to get back at him… and you are part of the damn equation. Staying at his residence is pretty much putting all the eggs in one basket. You'd be safer at Bobbie's," he said. Carly stepped closer to the concerned man, putting her good arm around his waist.
"Jason, Sophie Germaine is a nuts-o, okay?" she said, looking up at him. A smirk crossed his face.
"Way to put it in perspective, Carly," he said sarcastically. This time Carly smirked.
"You've been hanging around me too much," she said with a laugh.
"I could, quite possibly, agree with you," he said with a smile. Carly shook her head.
"For a man that usually says so little, you talk a lot," she said. Jason just shrugged. "Anyway, what I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted is that our darling Sophie is crazy. If I'm part of the equation, as you so eloquently put it, it won't matter where I'm staying, Jase." Jason was silent as he pulled back from her and just looked at her.
"Carly, she's gotten to you twice. I don't want to risk you not being completely safe," he said.
"Jason, Lorenzo is perfectly capable of keeping me safe," Carly pointed out.
"The brake line was cut while he was supposed to be protecting you!" Jason almost yelled. He caught himself when his eyes landed on Michael, who was cautiously playing with the baby's hand. Carly put her good hand on her hip.
"You had guards on me too, Jason," she pointed out, causing Jason to glare at her.
"Don't point out my mistakes to me, Carly," he gritted out, softly. Carly huffed.
"Why? Because you don't make them?" she asked. "Jason, the reason I was taken the first time was because Sonny was involved in this. You didn't know that, I didn't know that, no one knew, okay? I'm safe with someone who knows what Sophie Germaine is capable of." Jason laughed softly.
"Carly… Lorenzo Alcazar obviously does not know what Sophie Germaine is capable of. He was just as clueless as the rest of us. And he was in love with her once! Besides, how do you know he isn't involved in this with her? How do you know that this isn't part of his master plan concerning you?" he asked. This time Carly laughed.
"My God, Jase, do you realize how ridiculous that sounds? Why would Lorenzo do that?" she asked. Jason turned serious eyes to her.
"Because people in love do crazy things," he said.
"Oh, you mean like having their wife kidnapped, held at gunpoint and have the man she loved killed in her presence? Or even better yet. How about marrying a certain brother in order to drive him back into alcoholism so that she can claim sole custody of her child and try to pull her family back together again?" she asked him, her eyes narrowed. When he looked at her with an icy glare, she knew she'd overstepped the line with the last comment. When he turned away from her, Carly felt the tears prick her eyelids. She hadn't meant to go there. She knew how much that part of their past hurt him. With a heavy, sad sigh, she walked over to him and wrapped her arm around him from behind.
"I'm sorry, Jase," she said as stood on her tiptoes and put her chin on his shoulder. He sighed too. Finally, he gently took her arm and turned around to face her. Carly took the opportunity to curl into him as his arms pulled her into an embrace.
"I know Carly," he said as he reached up to gently rub the back of her head. The both of them realized that it had been a long time since they'd really talked or even fought and made up. Carly closed her eyes as she relished the comfort from her best friend.
"I'm hungry, Mommy," Michael's voice broke the silent moment, causing both Jason and Carly to laugh.
"Okay, baby. We'll get you something," Carly said as she stepped back from Jason. The two had a chance to smile at each other before Michael grabbed his mother's hand and started tugging her away. Carly winced as a tug became too hard.
"Careful there, Champ. Your mom's still a little broken," Jason told the little boy. He then looked back to Carly. "I'll check on you later, okay?" She nodded. A quick glance at Leigh told her that the infant was still, miraculously, asleep.
"I'll see you later, Jase," she said. He just smiled before he opened the door and left.
"Well, Mr. Man… let's go see what we can find for you, huh?" she asked as she squeezed her son's hand. It was as they were walking back to the kitchen that Carly realized that she and Jason hadn't really finished their argument.
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"Carly?" Lorenzo called as he walked into the penthouse a few minutes later. He slipped out of his suit jacket and hung it up next to the door while he noted the empty baby carrier sitting on the couch. The blond woman entered the room, a happy looking and gurgling baby lying in her good arm. She smiled happily when she saw him.
"Hey," she greeted as she crossed the room to him and kissed him softly on the lips. Lorenzo's warm gaze fell to the child she held. "Michael's down for the night and this little lady just finished her dinner, and we've been going for a little walk."
"Doesn't it hurt to hold her?" he asked, concern marring his brow. Carly smiled as she looked down at Leigh.
"Any discomfort is completely worth it," she said before looking up at him. "But I should probably sit down." Lorenzo nodded as he led them both over to the couch.
"I saw Jason when I was coming up," he said suddenly. Carly looked over at him as she placed Leigh in the carrier.
"Yeah?" she asked, a little concerned as to where this was going.
"He's not happy with all of this, is he?" Lorenzo asked, sitting next to Carly. With a sigh, she reached over and took his hand.
"To be honest, no. He isn't," she answered as she curled as best she could into his side. "Why does it matter?"
"It matters, Carly, because he matters to you," Lorenzo said, bringing her hand up to kiss her knuckles. Carly smiled.
"Yes, he does matter to me," Carly confirmed. He was silent for a second before he looked up at met her brown eyes with his blue.
"What if it comes to a choice, Carly?" he asked. Carly could see the worry lying behind his eyes as she took her hand from his and placed it on his cheek.
"Lorenzo, listen to me. I love Jason with all my heart. It was the first 'forever' type of love that I'd felt… and for that he will always have a certain part of my heart. That's the way first love's go. But now, he is my best friend. He is going to be married to my soon-to-be-ex-sister-in-law. He is also the best friend of my soon-to-be-ex-husband, not to mention said soon-to-be-ex-husband's business associate. Jason is nothing if not loyal… which means he will support me, help me, love me… no matter what. But he is also loyal to Sonny and Courtney. That means this whole situation is difficult for him. As far as I can see, though, he's handling it a whole lot better than another man in his situation would. It will take time, but he will realize that this is what I want and what I need. I love you, Lorenzo… so much. Nothing can change that…" Carly said earnestly. "If it comes down to a choice, it won't be mine. I know where my heart lies, and I know what I want. I want the man I love and I want my best friend in my life. The only decision to be made is whether or not Jason can handle it. It's his choice, not mine."
"And what if he chooses to not accept this, Carly? What will that do to you?" he asked, his hand coming up to touch hers. Her eyes went a little vague as she tried to really think about that scenario.
"Well," she said, deciding that she needed to be honest with him. "It will really hurt me. Jason's been a part of my life for so long. He's seen me through so much. It will be like cutting a part of me out. But, he's also left me before. Twice, in fact. As much as I would hate it, I know I can survive without him. Especially if I have you, Michael and Leigh." Lorenzo smiled at her words, his first since walking in the door. A weight lifted off of his chest as her words dissolved the niggling insecurities.
"I love you," he said as he placed a light kiss on her temple.
"What's with all the worries?" she asked, causing Lorenzo to chuckle.
"Honestly, I don't know. It's a strange for me to feel like this. I just can't help but feel like I'm going to wake up," he admitted. Carly laughed as well.
"It's been a little crazy – almost like a dream," she declared. "This isn't exactly the way I would have wanted things to go… but I wouldn't change the results for the world." Her hand brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he eyed the bandages on her arm. Carly looked down at the cast.
"Well, I'm already sick of this… and I've got a whole month ahead of me yet. And some of the scabs are starting to itch like crazy," she said.
"And your head?" Lorenzo asked as Carly grinned.
"Oh, it's fine. No lasting effects. I've a harder head than anyone realizes," she said lightly.
"Well, good for you, bad for everyone else," he said with a smile. Carly nodded.
"You bet. Now… Momma bullied Luke into bringing over Leigh's bassinet earlier. You want to help me put her down?" she asked, looking at her heavy-lidded daughter. Lorenzo just smiled.
"I'd be honored," he said as he stood up and assisted her up off the couch.
"Good," she said as she picked up the carrier. "Then after that, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need your assistance." Lorenzo's eyes twinkled at her wink.
"I'm here to help," he said as he followed her to the back.
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"I swear that woman has nine lives!" an angry voice said.
"You mean it didn't work?" another voice said.
"Well, since she's up with him right now, I'd have to say no!" the first voice said snottily.
"No need to take that tone with me. You know that the boss man is going to be a little displeased at our lack of progress."
"You don't need to tell me that. I could figure that out on my own."
"Yeah, well, you might want to cut the attitude. He won't take it very well when you tell him if you say it like that."
"Why do I have to tell him?"
"Because you're the brains," was the answer before the owner of the voice left.
"Great. I'm the one stuck with ridding the world of Carly Corinthos."
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** Author's note: So… who's gunning for Carly and why? Care to take a guess? Will Jason accept Carly's relationship with Lorenzo? Will Jason and Courtney ever get married? What's Sonny been up to? If you want to know the answers, stay tuned… and please be patient! It'll come, I swear it! Let me know what you think!!!!!