No New Reviews (I was spoiled over the weekend, I know).

Story-

Children's Wing-

Carly had her jacket wrapped around her shoulders like a blanket, her eyes closed. Bobbie was sitting next to her, occasionally taking a look at the daughter that she had once given up and was now fortunate to have in her life again. Throughout the good and the bad, Bobbie and Carly had forged a very strong bond as mother and daughter. Michael was a big part of that, and Morgan was as well. Bobbie could only wonder what was going on in Carly's mind. What she was dreaming of. She wasn't exactly the most open of people with her personal problems, and even when she did open it, Bobbie was one of the last people she told. She would most often confide in Jason or Courtney. It bothered Bobbie somewhat, but at least she knew that Carly had some friends that she could count on to help her through any problems that she might have had. Carly also knew that she could come to Bobbie for anything, Bobbie would always be there for her, even when she didn't want it or realize it. Damian saw Bobbie and Carly sitting down in the chairs by the door. Carly sleeping was something that Damian took particular note of. She couldn't yell at him, look at him with scorn, or make distasteful quips if she wasn't awake. At least, he hoped she couldn't. But if there was a woman that would find a way to toss around insults, even while she slept, it was Carly Corinthos. Bobbie took one last look at Carly and got up, heading toward Damian. "I want to thank you for coming."

Damian shook his head, "You don't need to thank me, Bobbie. I happen to care a lot about the little boy that's not exactly himself inside that room. You couldn't keep me away from this hospital."

Bobbie was glad to hear that they had made such a strong bond in such a short time. "Still, I know how harsh Carly's been on you."

Damian smirked, "She doesn't get that feline attitude from you, does she?"

Bobbie grinned, "I don't know about that. I'd say she inherited it from me, actually. I used to be a bit of a hellion in my time. Now, I save it for special occasions."

"I'm not entirely sure I want to be there when it comes out."

"As long as you stay out of my way, you should come out unscathed. Look, Damian, don't be too hard on Carly. She's just protective of those that she loves. In time she'll get better about everything."

"Everyone tells me that," Damian commented, "But it seems like everything I do sets her off the deep end. It's getting to be that the only thing I can do that might appease her is lick her boots clean with my tongue."

"Have you tried that?"

"I won't sink that low for anyone, Bobbie."

"Stubborn," Bobbie observed, "That's probably why you and she butt heads so much. She doesn't back down very often, not when she feels that she has a point."

"Neither do I."

"It's a shame the two of you couldn't have started out as friends," Bobbie grabbed his hand. "But in time, if you can give her the time that she needs, I know that everything will turn out better. She just needs to see how much Michael really loves you, and how much you bring into his life. Carly might be a stubborn fool a majority of the time, but nothing makes her change her mind quicker than seeing her children react to a person."

"I've never been openly hostile towards Carly." He stopped himself and thought about it for a second, "Okay, I haven't been openly hostile towards Carly most of the time. I've tried to be nice, I've tried to stay away, I've tried and tried and tried, every time I got nothing in return except for a cold eye. If she wants to get rid of me she's going to have a much harder time than she expects, I don't intend on going anywhere soon."

"Just remember what I told you, okay?" She requested, "And, right now she's going to be even more protective about everything with Michael's condition."

"So I can expect multiple belittling on a daily basis," Damian groaned. "Great, just what I wanted."

"I'll stop her from being too mean," Bobbie winked. "How's that sound?"

"Best offer I've got so far," Damian smiled. "Excuse me, Bobbie, I'm going to check on him."

"Wait, Damian," She called out softly, stopping him at the door. "Carly might not think of you as family, but I do. If Michael accepts you as his big brother, that's all the proof I need."

Damian gave a sad smile, "Too bad you're not the one that I need to prove myself to, Bobbie. But thanks."

Sonny appeared to not even have moved a muscle since the last time Damian saw him. It was heartening to see Sonny so protective of his son. It didn't change the past. "He still asleep?" Damian asked.

"He hasn't even moved a muscle since you left."

"Is that bad?"

"No, I don't think so." Sonny got up and looked out the window, "I'd give anything for him to ask me for a new toy, or a puppy. I'd give him the world if I thought it would help him get his voice back."

"You're his father, Sonny. You are his world."

"A part of it, at least," Sonny replied bluntly. "Carly, Bobbie, Jason, Mike, Courtney, Morgan, you. We're all the most important people in Michael's life, but some of us can't see eye to eye and it's hurting the boy a lot more than he let on."

"Some things can't be helped."

"What is it going to take?" Sonny asked, "A new car? A wing donated to the hospital in your mother's name?"

"See, that's where you're wrong about me," Damian sneered. "I don't give a damn about your money, about your power, about your dynasty. The only thing I came here for was to find my father and grow close to him. It was a failed experiment."

"We hit a snag."

Damian shook his head, "What we hit was much more than a snag, Sonny. It's like we're separated by something the size of the Grand Canyon."

"I've apologized for that."

"And I've accepted your apology," Damian told him. "I know that you genuinely feel sorry for lying, but that isn't enough. If you cared about our relationship you would have been honest from the start. For all I know you could be holding plenty of other secrets from me."

"Just one," Sonny muttered.

Damian didn't exactly hear him, "What was that?"

"I'm only holding one other secret from you, Damian." Sonny sat on the chair again, "One that I think you're going to take harder than my life."

"What is it?"

"About me and your mother," Sonny was struggling in his mind. A part of him was saying not to tell Damian anything, but that was the same part that told him to keep his life a secret. "How we met, why we did what we did."

"Why would that be so hard for me to accept?" Damian asked.

"Because it would prove to you that I'm not the one that's been telling you the big lie in your life."

"Sonny, tell me."

"Your mother," He stopped himself. "Your mother was presented to me as a bargaining chip."

"Presented to you?" Damian was stunned, "Like she was poker chip?"

"It wasn't really to me," Sonny said. "The man I was working for at the time wanted to settle an old rivalry that he had started when he was much younger in Los Angeles. There was a reason that he had to get out of that city. The group that was headed by Elias Zuniga."

"My grandfather?"

Sonny nodded sadly, "In his day, your grandfather had his own little crime ring going on in the Los Angeles area. At its height it was plenty powerful, probably at a level with my own. But what my boss didn't know was that the regime had crumbled. Elias had left the life behind him when he met your grandmother. My boss didn't care and we went to the city. We were going to stamp out your grandfather. There wasn't much he could do. He was older and didn't have anyone working for him anymore. Elias was about to die when his daughter came out of the house and pleaded for us to stop. At first my boss didn't seem to care that he was beating down someone who wasn't even in the game anymore. But then something hit him, he had an idea. Elias was a proud man then, he'd sooner give up his own life than his families. My boss bargained with Ana, saying that he would let them all live if she presented herself to one of his underlings. He picked me."

"You," Damian stopped, "That can't be true."

"What good would lying to you now do me, Damian?" Sonny asked. "You already don't trust me, you already hate me. What could I possibly have to gain from shattering your perceptions of your grandfather at this point?"

"And you just let this happen?" Damian wasn't sure what to believe, he needed more.

"I couldn't deny an order without risking my life and the lives of your grandfather and mother. True, at the time I valued my own life more than theirs, but I wasn't going to let myself die. A big part of me didn't want to do it, but it happened. After that we left. Your grandmother had apparently turned your grandfather into a very religious man. He was crushed at the fact that your mother had been devirginized before being wed. My boss got the victory that he wanted. Instead of a quick death he got a lifetime shame."

A single tear ran down Damian's cheek as he thought about what Sonny was telling him. He motioned towards the door again, looking for an escape. Michael had woken up and saw Damian leaving. He pointed a finger at Damian. "Damian," Sonny called out.

Damian turned around and saw Michael. Now that Michael was up, if he left, what would the boy think?