Author's Notes: This story starts after Jason rescues Sam, when they took her back to Sonny's house to "relive" everything that had happened when Kristina was taken. From the point after Agent Marshall shoots Jason, everything is different than the way it actually happened on the show. This is just my take on what could have happened. I'm messing with a lot of things, including Sonny's erratic behavior and the Carly/Courtney friendship. This story mainly revolves around the interactions of two couples: Jason & Sam and Carly & Lorenzo as they try to find out who the real kidnapper is and clear Sam's name. Also, be advised that as I have many stories going, this one may not be updated every single day. However, I will attempt to update at least once a week.

Enjoy the story


In all her years of knowing Sonny Corinthos, she'd known he was a volatile man. More often than she cared to recall, he'd turned that anger upon her. However, the look in his eyes at that particular moment, made even Carly Corinthos stiffen and all but sprint for the exit. Fear and more than her share of curiosity held her in place.

She wanted to say something, but she didn't want to be the first to speak. While Carly always had to have the last word, she could do without having the first, more often than not. Especially when the first words could be the difference between a regular argument with Sonny and the finally snap that sent him into the darkness that he always claimed to be afraid that he would fall into it.

Carly knew that she should have left. She knew that she should have made a beeline for the exit the second that Sonny turned those eyes on her. No matter who spoke first, she was pretty sure that she wasn't going to like the outcome. She may have been divorced, but she still went by the name of Corinthos. If she stayed much longer, she was going to have to go back to Benson, because just the mention of the last name would make her flinch.

There was more to it than that, though. There were other things that needed her attention. Other people who needed her. For the first time, her major motivations weren't completely selfish. She was actually thinking of someone else this time, someone that she hadn't even liked until recently. And in truth, she wasn't all that sure that she liked her now. But, that didn't mean that she was heartless. It didn't mean that she had no compassion, and that she would let someone get railroaded. Especially since the situation started because Carly had found it necessary to open her mouth before taking in all the intricate details.

"You know where they are."

Sonny's voice pierced the silence and Carly jumped. It felt like the world had been stopped, then suddenly started to life. Like when the power went out with the radio on. Everything was calm and silent for what felt like an eternity, but then the electricity returned and everything that was previously turned on came back to life with startling intensity.

"What have you done, Carly?"

What had she done? She'd helped a friend. Not Samantha McCall. No matter what the woman went through, how much sympathy she had for her, Carly knew that if it were just Sam involved, she probably wouldn't have done anything. No, Jason Morgan was the one that had her in the middle of this mess. It had been Jason's insistence that Sam was innocent, his belief in the diminuitive brunette, that had pushed Carly into action.

"I haven't done anything," she said, her voice soft. Her body was rigid and tight. She was afraid, and Carly wasn't used to be scared of anything. At least not physically scared. She had been afraid for her children before, and she'd been afraid for those around her, but staring into Sonny's cold, pitiless eyes, she was afraid of him. Of what he might say and more important, what he might do.

"Don't you lie to me!" His fist came down hard on the desk and Carly jumped. It wasn't the first outburst she'd seen from Sonny, and considering the situation, it wouldn't be the last. She wished it could be, though. "You helped them. Are you still that mad about Alexis and me that you'll let our daughter go off with Sam?"

"Oh, now you're just being…" She stopped herself before she could finish the sentence. Calling Sonny stupid wasn't going to get them anywhere. Carly sighed and shook her head. "Do you really think Jason would go off with Sam if he thought she had kidnapped Kristina?"

"He's blinded by love! He doesn't know what he's doing!" He went still for a second. Sonny's appearance was haggard. The bags beneath his eyes were growing and soon, they would hang halfway down his cheeks. His hair was a mess of loose curls. Two days worth of unshaven hair crept over his sienna features. His clothes were wrinkled. Unkempt was just too soft of a word to describe him. He was a complete and total wreck.

"You're the one that first said that Sam could have had something to do with this, Carly. You're the one that said she had the most reason to take Kristina."

If she were ever going to admit that she was wrong, this would have been the perfect time. However, Carly rarely admitted her flaws, and with Sonny looking like he wanted to ring her neck, she wasn't about to let this be one of those rare moments. "Think about it, Sonny. If she had Kristina, would she have come back here? Wouldn't she be long gone from here? You're looking for the wrong person. You need to be looking for whoever really took Kristina."

"Listen to yourself, Carly! You sound as crazy as she is!" He shook his head, then ran his hand over his face. His voice lowered and Carly was grateful. He took a few steps towards her and the gratitude was gone. "You don't even like her, but you're buying into this delusion of hers. Why? Because of Jason? Both of you are too close to this to see the truth. You're too close to Jason to realize that he's been conned."

"You know what, Sonny? I'm not Sam's biggest supporter, but I am Jason's. I trust him and I believe him. Ya know, I remember when you did, too. Jason's been nothing but loyal to you. And no matter how much he loves Sam…" She paused and held back the grimace that wanted to crunch her face. That she could actually admit that Jason loved Sam made her feel dirty, somehow. "No matter how much he loves her, he's not stupid, Sonny. If he thought she had taken Kristina, he would be getting Sam to return her, not running with her."

Sonny was quiet and she hoped that he believed her, that he saw the truth in her words. However, it became apparent that he wasn't even really listening to her when he asked, "Who helped you? I know you had something to do with this, but you couldn't have done it on your own."

Carly had no idea how Sonny had found out that she was involved, and she didn't ask him. Not like he'd tell her, anyway. Sonny had always been one to demand explanations from others, but refused to give any himself. He seemed to think that he was beyond reproach, that no one had any right to question him. Yet, he could question others with as much force as necessary to gain a response. The current line of questioning, should she continue to evade his hammering question, could prove the truth in that line of reasoning.

If Sonny was upset that she'd been involved in the escape of Sam and Jason, he'd be even more upset that her accomplice had been Lorenzo Alcazar. It had become painfully obvious to Carly that Sonny wasn't going to see reason, that he would let Sam hang for something she didn't know. He wouldn't listen to anyone, he wouldn't see beyond what he wanted to believe, but Lorenzo…

Part of her felt bad about bringing him into this whole thing. She didn't want him to think that she was using him. That wasn't it at all. She trusted Lorenzo, and she knew that he had faith in her. He and Jason were no more friends than she and Sam. In fact, they were even less. They were borderline enemies. However, Carly believed in Sam's innocence and because of that, so did Lorenzo. She trusted him in the same way that she trusted Jason, making Lorenzo one of only two people whose hands she would lay her life in. Neither of those two people were her ex-husband.

"I'm not getting into this with you, Sonny." Carly forced herself to move forward. Though, instead of walking directly towards Sonny, she moved around the sofa, going for a more outward route. "I've got things to do."

"You're not going anywhere." He moved quickly to the side and caught her before she could get to the door. Sonny grabbed her arms, just above the wrists and held her in place. "You're not leaving until you tell me what's going on. It was Alcazar, wasn't it? Did all of you get together to torture me? All of you decided to steal my daughter to make me crazy?"

"You're being paranoid, Sonny." She jerked her body backwards, but he didn't release her. "Let me go, Sonny." His grip tightened and her voice rose. "Let me go!"

"Not until you tell me what's going on! Where did Alcazar put them?"

"Do you really think I'd tell you anything! You let Agent Marshall shoot Jason! He's always loved you like a brother and you're turning on him!" She jerked her body back more. "You're hurting me! Let me go!"

"Not until you tell me!"

Carly closed her eyes. She didn't want to hurt him. She knew he was just afraid, and though she loved another man, she didn't want to actually, physically hurt Sonny. However, he continued to refuse to let her go, and she couldn't stand there, waiting for him to hit her. With much regret, she reared back and kicked out. Her leg hit him square between the legs. In shock, pain and surprise, he let her go and Carly ran out of the house as fast as she could.

It had finally happened. Sonny had cracked. For him to be so distrustful of Jason, there was no other excuse. For him to be so far gone that she actually thought he would hurt her… Carly knew that Sonny was gone and he wouldn't be back until Kristina was returned. That meant that Carly had to get to Lorenzo fast… and that they all had to hurry and find Kristina even faster.