Chapter 41

Michael walked into the house to find Kris awake on the couch reading a book. She had her back propped up against the arm of the couch as her legs were thrown up on the couch cushions. She had her glasses on and her dark brown hair pulled back in a messy ponytail as a few loose curly strands fell to frame her face. She looked so comfortable, and was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen, although he was positive that his wife was mad at him.

She had only returned this morning and as soon as that had happened his mother had called begging him to come see her at his Fathers house. He hadn't wanted to, he had wanted to stay and spend the morning with his wife, but he had also wanted to see Emma. He loved the girl like a sister and missed seeing her smile. He really hadn't planned on seeing his Aunt, or witnessing the screaming. He was still pissed at his father for screaming like he did. Angry with Sam for all the things the woman was thinking.

He wasn't sure about the woman. Not that he ever really liked her, but something about her attitude lately had made him question her more. Why was she so set on making everyone hate Emma, and Courtney for that matter? Sam was up to something and Michael could feel it.

"Are you just going to stand there all night," Kristina questioned as she turned on the couch to look at him.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. His messy mob of red hair fell into his eyes obstructing his view she was sure, he had a pair of slightly baggy jeans on and a loose dress shirt with the first few buttons undone. He was leaned up against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked rather relaxed, for the most part, but his broad masculine shoulders seemed a little tense.

She turned around again ignoring the fact that she should go up to him. Sure she wanted to talk, but she needed him to beg her. He needed him to want her to talk; she loved to see him beg. Something about him doing the puppy dog face with pouting lips, and then to see him and his ridiculous grin made her want to make him beg. She knew he got it from his mother, and the fact that Sonny had raised him, but she had been raised by Alexis and could easily hold out longer than he could.

"You just going to ignore me," Michael asked as he walked to stand in front of the couch. Kris never looked up. She just kept her focus on the book in her hand. Michael had to grin at this. So she was in the mood to play games, he could play at that too.

He looked down at the coffee table, the only thing on it was a few fashion magazines and a couple of folded papers, and it looked like a letter. He picked the papers up not paying attention to what they were. He walked to the end of the couch and took a seat. He kicked his legs up on the couch so they hit Kris's. She looked up at this and looked at what he had in his hand. It was upside down, but shock crossed her face in a second. He had the papers that she had meant to put away.

Michael looked up at her as she quickly looked back down. She had to figure out a way to get the papers out of his hands before he realized what was going on. She looked at the text as she tried to figure out what to do. Michael stared at her as worry washed over her face making him concerned. He wasn't sure what it was but something had made her look really upset, like she was trying to figure something out.

"Everything okay," Michael asked.

"Yeah," Kris said as she looked up and gave him a small smile.

"Really," Michael questioned as he began to lean towards her book in hand at his side, Kris looked at this as her chance to get the book. She let him lean into her as she prepared herself to hopefully out wit him in this 'game' of theirs.

Michael leaned in until his body was completely over hers. He had the papers, which were now slightly crumpled, in one hand keeping his body from resting against her too much. His other hand was resting on her stomach. Something about the position made his heart beat just a little faster. He leaned in preparing to kiss her, but before he could she brought her lips to his knocking him completely off guard. Her hands wrapped around his neck as she began to gently massage it. She took control of the kiss as Michael lost all control of his actions.

Kris felt his control of the situation lessen as she brought one her hands off his neck and allowed it to travel down the arm supporting her husband. Their hands met as he tried to intertwine their hands. She however, had other plans as she wrapped her hand around the papers, and crinkled them some more. Michael tried to pull away as her actions confused him. She however wouldn't let him as she continued to massage his tongue with her own. Michael gave in once again as he completely lowered himself on top of her.

He had completely forgotten the papers by now as he began to unbutton her dress shirt with one hand as the other slide up her skirt. She was so close to getting lost in him as she brought her hands up to the buttons on his shirt. She was so lost in him that when the book fell neither of them realized what it was. They were completely lost in each other, or so Kris thought.

Michael had seen the papers fall, but wasn't certain what was so important about it. He slid his hand down her leg and onto the floor as he let his fingertips search for the book. His fingers slid across the ground as he pushed the book under the couch. He tried to continue kissing her as he reached his hand under the couch.

The ball of paper had rolled too far under for him to reach it and he ended up falling off the couch and hitting his head on the coffee table in their apartments living room. Kris sat up as a small giggle left her mouth. What the hell was he thinking?

"Are you alright," Kris asked as she sat up and looked down at him.

He sat on the ground one hand rubbing his head as the other lifted his upper body off the ground. He looked at her giggling face and couldn't help but give a small smile through his pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just think that there will be one hell of a bump on my head tomorrow."

"Well let me get you some ice," Kris responded as she stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Michael continued to rub his head and looked down only to see the papers resting next to him. He lifted them up debating whether to read them. He slowly un-crumpled the papers and began to read them. If Kris hadn't wanted him to see them she would have put them away. He looked over the papers as shock ran through his veins. She wasn't. She couldn't be. She would have told him, or they would have at least talked about it.

Kris walked into the room only to drop the ice and be met with a confused gaze from her husband. She looked at the papers in his hand and she understood. This wasn't how she had wanted him to find out. She had wanted to talk to him first. To see where they stood, but that didn't happen, and now her secret was out.

-.-

Emma had long ago blocked out the sounds of her Mother and Jason fighting. She didn't want to hear it, she hated when people fought and she was sick of people blaming her Mother. Sure she had come to Port Charles with the reason of getting to know the man people told her she looked like, but she wasn't sure she wanted to anymore. She wasn't sure she wanted to know people who would blame the people she called her family for the mistakes they had made.

Emma slowly pulled herself off the ground as she stood to look in the mirror. Her eyes were dry, she didn't want to cry, this town had made her cry too much as it was. She looked in the mirror as she grabbed a brush and ran it through her wet hair a few times. She set the brush down, plastered a big smile on her face as she walked out of the bathroom She wasn't sure where her mother had gone, but she wanted to find her, and she didn't want anyone to know what she had heard.

She let the door swing open as she slowly and quietly made her way down the hall. The loft was completely quiet as she walked past the kitchen and into the sleeping area. She saw her mother curled up on the bed asleep. Emma only wished that she could get a decent night sleep. Ever since that night in the cellar she hadn't slept well. She kept having the same nightmare every night, why couldn't her dreams just stay in the past.

She stood at the edge of the bed, debating if she should just go sleep on the couch or not. She didn't really want to bug her mother, but then again she had missed her. It had been a few weeks since she had seen her mother and she just wanted to feel that comfort her mother always seemed to bring into her world.

Emma took a few steps back from the bed before she sent herself flying at it. She hit the bed sending her mother bouncing into the air a bit. Courtney landed back on the bed to be met with Emma's wet hair sprawled over her face as her head rested on her mother's shoulder. Emma let out a loud giggle as she tilted her head back lifting her shoulders off the bed and pressing her head into her mothers shoulder so she could get a look at the woman.

Courtney opened her eyes to a mob of wet blonde hair covering her face. She opened her mouth to talk only to have to blow some hair out of her mouth to keep from eating it. She brought her hand to her face and brushed the hair out of her face as she lifted her head off the pillow to look at her daughters face. Courtney couldn't help but smile as she watched her daughter but some goofy grin on her face.

Courtney shifted on the bed so she was more starched out. She lifted her arm around Emma's head as the young girl turned in the bed so that she was curled next to her mother. The two lay in the bed as Courtney softly rubbed her daughters back. Emma had shut her eyes and was beginning to fall asleep.

Emma couldn't help but forget about everything that had been going on, she didn't wasn't to think and it was like her mother was taking all her worries away. She let the softness of her mothers hand against her back lull her into a light slumber. She was slowly falling asleep, into a deep sleep, one she realized, at this moment, she had felt recently. Last night to be exact, She hadn't woken up last night with a nightmare; she had felt safe, comfortable, at peace. It wasn't just something her mother could do for her, but Jason as well.

Emma didn't know what all this meant. What was going on? Did she really need the comfort of a man that was supposed to be her father, was she already receiving that comfort. She was sure that she had felt safe last night because of Jason, but how had things changed since this morning. He hadn't said a word as they had stood in the hallway yelling at each other. She was so confused as her eyes finally shut all the way and her breathing evened out.

Courtney looked down at her daughter. Emma was asleep. She hadn't known where Emma had come from, maybe she talked to Carly, but she was glad she was there. Emma had calmed most of her fears without saying a word. Emma was her life, and she was a wonderful child.

"Maybe I should have told him," Courtney whispered to herself as she looked down at her daughter, "Maybe if I had told him things wouldn't have gone so wrong. I wouldn't have almost lost you."

Courtney took her hand not rubbing Emma's back and brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. She watched as the teen slightly shifted, but never opened her eyes. Emma was always a sound sleeper, Courtney observed as she looked down at her daughters angelic face.

"Why was I so afraid to tell him? Why couldn't I have just told Jason that he was going to be a daddy that day on the docks? Did I really rob you of the chance to get to know the wonderful man that he is," Courtney couldn't help but ask these things to herself as she looked at the blonde girl that lay in her arms. Courtney stopped rubbing her daughters back as she wrapped both of her arms around her daughter giving her a hug.

"Was I a bad Mother? Will they ever forgive me? Will you," Courtney continued to question as the tears rolled own her cheeks.

"There's nothing to forgive," Emma said in a sleepy voice as her eyes met with her teary eyed, shocked Mother.

"What," Courtney asked as she frantically tried to dry her tears.

"I said there's nothing to forgive. I understand why you did what you had to. I don't blame you. I don't blame them. Life throws you in unexpected directions. You couldn't help it. All you wanted was for me to be safe, and all I wanted was, well, was to feel loved. Between you, Carly, Max, Patty, Cassie and Michael I'd say I was more than satisfied. Mommy I love you. I could never blame you. So don't blame yourself," Emma gave her mother a small grin before settling back into her arms to sleep the rest of the night away in peace.

Courtney looked at her daughter. When did the girl get so wise, so comforting. That was exactly what she needed to hear to help calm some of her fears about the days to come. Courtney shut her eyes as she allowed the sounds of her daughters breathing to put her to sleep.