Drowning
AJ stood outside the entrance to the Grille for a few minutes, then turned abruptly and walked down to the end of the block. He leaned against a car and with no one to watch, he pulled a small flask from an inner coat pocket and drank deeply.
"Didn't think you'd stay on the wagon long, AJ." He spun around at the sound of that much hated voice. "So much for wedded bliss. What'samatter? Is the honeymoon over already?"
"Go to hell, Carly." AJ watched as she climbed out of the car.
"Been there already." she said. "Remember, I was married to you." She walked around the car to come and stand in front of him. "Saw Alexis and Sonny inside earlier. What do you want to bet that they are hatching up new and improved ways to make sure you never get near our son. When they weren't pawing all over each other, that is."
AJ snorted. "Get your paranoid mind out of the gutter. Sonny and Alexis weren't even there together. She was meeting with a client long before he ever showed and he stayed at the bar. He's talking to his sister, my sweet little wife, right now." He laughed at her. "So you see, everybody is busy with their own little lives right now. Except for you...you don't have much of a family anymore since Sonny had the sense to kick you to the curb."
"Don't hold your breath if you think Courtney's going to sway Sonny to let you get near Michael. More than likely, it will be the other way around. He'll turn Courtney against you..and then who'll have the happy little family life then? He's trying to cut me out of Michael's life... so don't you see..Sonny's got his own little family unit in mind..and it don't include -- you."
Carly got right in AJ face for her next words. She wanted to make sure they had an impact, she wanted to make sure she made him bleed. "Sonny doesn't have much use for women, never has, since his mother abandoned him...kicked him out on the streets when he was sixteen. He doesn't even know it, but he uses women, doesn't like them much...Not unless he can pigeonhole them neatly into safe little categories. You know - like Brenda, the helpless beauty star , Hannah - remember her, another damsel in distress.. Even Alexis...the sexless ever present faithful bulldog attorney. She probably fills Sonny's missing mommy's complex... but either way, it's all nice and neat, just the way he likes it."
"You mean he's got that Whore-Madonna complex? Guess which one you are, Carly? But I'm sure that in Carlyland, you were the exception to the rule. Yeah, yeah, you think you broke the mold, didn't you Carlybabes?"
"Damn right I did." Carly snapped.
".... and Sonny's heart." AJ shot back. "Which is why he divorced you in a heartbeat. That darn Sonny and his little quirks about honesty and loyalty." AJ took another drink and got right back in Carly's face with wicked glee. "You'd better watch out, Carly. Methinks you protest Alexis' presence in Sonny's life just a little bit too much. Could it be you're be feeling a little threatened? After all, you've always mananged to use your not-so-inconsiderable bed skills to worm your way into whatever bed you needed to at the moment. But it's not working this time, is it?
"Hmmm.. I wonder why. Sonny's found himself spending a lot of time with a woman with class and breeding. A little too good for him, in my opinion, but hey, there's no accounting for tastes. After all, I bedded you once, didn't I? Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot, I was pretty much blind drunk at the time."
AJ circled around Carly. His words were hitting a nerve and he was enjoying it. "Let's rethink the whole mommy dearest substitution, shall we? Alexis is closer to Sonny's age than you are. Could be that Sonny doesn't regard Alexis as sexless as you might like to think? After all, ya gotta wonder what's underneath all those tailored suits, don't ya? Most men would. What frothy little silk unmentionables does Alexis don under her three piece suits. And she's got some set of legs.... The heels she wears makes them seem to go on forever... I wonder if she wears garters and stockings? I wonder if Sonny knows. Alexis has brains, beauty, class and breeding, integrity and loyalty. Everything you never had. No wonder you're threatened by her. You were outclassed from day one and yu knew it!"
"Think what you want!" Carly spat at him. "You're deluded as you ever was! But let's speak about your love life and not mine's! Sonny is going to beat you once again. He's took me...he's taken Michael, and now he's going to take Courtney. Don't you ever get tired of losing to him? Or maybe you're just such a loser that you're just stupid enough to accept it once again. I can't wait until Courtney really sees you...when Sonny opens her eyes to what you really are.. What will you do when you recognize that look in her eye. When she looks at you with the same disgust that everyone else in this town does?" Carly had had enough...she hurled herself back towards her car, the sound of AJ's laughter burning white hot in her ears. "You're stupid, AJ..as stupid as you ever were! I'll have the last laugh when it's you that's all alone out in the cold..just like you are now!!"
Carly jerked her car into life; the gears grinding in protest as she lurched the car out of her parking space. The smell of scorched rubber filled the air as she revved off down the street.
AJ toasted her departure with a silent raising of his flask, still laughing. But his laughter stopped as quickly as it had started. He drained the last drink and fumbled the top back on. AJ's hands were shaking as he fumbled some breath mints into his mouth. Carly's words rattled in his brain as he turned and retraced his steps back to the restaurant. He didn't trust Corinthos not to try exactly what Carly accused him of... he'd love nothing better than to turn Courtney against him...and if that was true, then everything else that bitch of an ex wife had said could be true. With Carly ut of the picture for the moment, Sonny would love to ensconce Courtney there in her place as a caretaker for Michael. He ight even use AJ's own son as the wedge to pry him and Courtney apart. Her heart was so trusting, that she wouldn't even realize what her gangster brother was doing. He had to get back inside and get Courtney away from Corinthos before he said or did anything to screw up his own plans.
Before he could reach the safety of the entrance, a hand was shoving him back hard against the brick walls.
"What was that, a little celebratory toast to yourself?" Sonny said with disgust. "Can't you stay sober long enough to make my sister a decent husband?"
"You tend to your wife and I'll tend to mine." AJ snarled back. "Oh wait, you don't have a wife anymore. How many marriages is that now, Sonny? How many wives... what's the score now, two for two?"
Sonny ignored AJ's cruel words.He had more important matters on his mind than AJ's sick taunts."Shut up. For whatever reason, my sister loves you. If I can't respect you, I can resepct that. But don't push it. Don't go back in that restaurant and disrespect her."
Carly's words have whipped AJ into an unthinking frenzy. How dare Corinthos sstand there and criticize him. AJ shoved Sonny away from him. "Your sister. It's all about what you own, isn't it, Sonny?"
Johnny, the ever present shadow at Sonny's side, stepped forward, but Sonny waved him off. "Put the cheescake in the car, Johnny. I'll be along in a moment." Johnny didn't move at first. "Now, Johnny! I can handle this!" Johnny retreated.
Sonny turned back to AJ, his face impassive, but his eyes bright with anger as AJ continued.
"Your sister. You like saying that, don't you, Sonny? It's all about what's yours... and what you possess...and what you own, isn't it? Well you don't own Courtney. She's mine. And you can't stand that, can you? You hate it that she made a choice that you don't approve of."
"No, I hate you AJ. But more than that, what I hate is the fact that Courtney can't see you for what you are. And the fact that I'm going to have to stand by and watch her learn a hard lesson in life. That everything that stands on two legs and calls themselves one, ain't a man at all. A man that uses a woman to get what he wants isn't a man at all."
"Listen to you...going on and on about using women? What pedestal did you go and put yourself on? You married a rival crime boss' daughter, you bedded first an FBI agent and then your best friend's woman.. and then there is the matter of your very pretty very competent attorney, the one with the legs that go onnnnnnnnn forever. Don't talk to me about using women. You do it every single day of your life."
AJ was in a vicious mood and it made him reckless, brave, very very stupid or a combination of all three. He didn't much care which as he launched into a tirade.. "You told your sister you accepted this marriage? You gonna go back on your word to her? How much will she respect you after that? You wanna steal my son, you think it's a done deal. Well fine. Turnabout is fair play... So sit back, relax, and watch me steal your sister. Look how much she loves me. She's going to get my son back for me without me even having to do a thing? What are you going to do, tell her she can't see her nephew? Why? 'Cause you don't trust her? Think how much you'll break her heart…you can't do that, not to your new-found sweet baby sister; so then you'll have to give in…and sooner or later, Mikey will learn that his auntie's husband is actually his daddy. Why? Because my dear sweet wife will feel he needs to know. She's got a thing about truths. You know that… and once Mikey learns the truth..that I'm his daddy -- not you.... not you! He'll find out what liars you and your trampy ex-wife are."
He laughed "Oh who would have thought my plan to get my son back would have worked so well. And I'm glad you didn't give in the night you fund out Curtney and I were married. It's made things that much more delicious." He leaned in close to Sonny. "Yeah, really delicious. You really did do me a favor by bringing your sweet delectable baby sis to town. I don't know the last time I've had a woman so sweet and lovable…..really, really lovable…or is that lickable?"
AJ chuckled. "I've given your sister her every dream. I give her everything you can't. And you know what I mean by that, don't you Sonny boy? And I give it to her every single night. Days too.Mornings, afternoons...and nights..."
Sonny felt encased in ice. His body couldn't move and he went blind with fury for an endless moment. He didn't even remember snatching AJ by the lapels of his coat and ramming him bodily against the wall. All he knew was that suddenly they were face to face, the reek of AJ's drunken breath rank and foul in his nostrils.
"Sonny," AJ was saying, still managing to look ammused. His expression had it all; he knew that he had Sonny in the crosshairs. "Don't look so horrified. You know damned well what I'm talking about..after all, we have so many women in common... Hannah, Carly... and now Courtney. Sweet Courtney, living the life of a Quartermaine princess. And guess what, I can continue doing that, giving her the life she's dreamed of…or I can change it all around. It's up to you. Just let this little scenario play out the way it's going, all of it..Courtney's happy marriage, Mikey's brand new auntie, and everything that will come in time… The big reveal. It won't be so bad – except that Mikey will get to know who his real dady is and you and your slut wife..excuse me.slut ex-wife will be shown for the liars and hypocrites you two really are. Sure Michael may feel he never wants to see your lying face again, but maybe it won't be forever. But hey, it's a chance you'll have to take. And you don't have a choice. Because it's up to you…Do nothing, and I will continue to give Courtney her dream. Try to stop her in any way, and I will make her life a nightmare."
Sonny stared at the other man, each foul word coming out of his mouth giving shape and form to his worst nightmares. He flung him away from him. AJ stumbled, but reached out a hand and caught himself from falling. He took a step away from Sonny and then turned and laughed. "Oh I know, you'd like to pound me into pulp. ut it might be a little hard explaining that to Courtney if I walked back in right after you walked out if I had so much as a splinter in my pinky, wouldn't it?"
AJ laughed a final time. "Remember, Sonny. A dream, or a nghtmare. The choice is up to you." AJ walked towrds the restaurant, whistling a nameless tune.
Sensation returned in shuddering waves, engulfing any doubts, drowning any hopes and that Sonny might have held, or alternatives that might have been
He had no choice. None.
