Samsonlove- The true merit of an actor is if you can learn to love to hate them, as most people do with John Durant. Yes, people hate him, but they're supposed to hate him, that's who he is. Corbin does evil very well, and I for one am glad that he's still on the show, because the show needs a true villain as opposed to the sort of gray area villains that they've had as of late, such as Lorenzo and Ric, who eventually get redeemed. True enough, Luke and Tracy together was a wonderful move, although, as with anything involving Luke, the moment that Tony Geary decides that he wants to take his vacation and then poof everything is dropped. I hate that.

Story-

Port Charles-

"You know, you didn't have to do this…"

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't…"

"Carly," Sonny said as he stared into his wife's beautiful eyes, "I had to do this." He reached over and grabbed her hand gently, bringing to his lowered head and then kissed her hand softly, "Honestly, how many times do we have where we can get some time alone? Where Michael or Morgan aren't around?"

"We just had a party on New Years Eve, remember?" Carly asked. It was a very fun party, one where she had the chance to be with all the people that meant the world to her, one where she didn't have to worry about the children. That wasn't to say that Carly didn't love her children, nothing could be further from the truth, but there were moments when she needed to be alone with her husband and with other adults, when she wasn't being asked questions that had no answers, question after question after question. Michael loved to ask questions. In some small way, Carly hoped that his little brother did not inherit the same trait, even though it showed that Michael was one of the brightest boys in his school. Let the teachers field his many questions, or, in some cases, his older brother.

"Yeah, but when we had that party we weren't alone…"

"We're not alone now," Carly said as he motioned to the small crowd in the same restaurant. Some of them, a lot of them, were looking at her and her husband. They always got a few glances, wherever they went. Sometimes it was because the two of them just looked like they belonged in such a place of class and recognition. Sometimes it was because they didn't look like they belonged in such a place. Sonny, the boy who came from nothing and grew up to have everything, Carly, the girl who came into town looking for revenge against a mother who gave her daughter up because she didn't think that she had any other choice. With that kind of dysfunction it was only obvious why they ended up together.

"You're right, we're not alone right now," Sonny didn't mind the leering so much. Let people think what they wanted to think about himself and his wife. Even though some of them may have known what was going on it didn't mean that they understood it. If Sonny allowed himself to be more open about the things he did and the reasons why, people wouldn't be so quick to judge him, but Sonny would only do that if he actually cared about the way that other people saw him, and Sonny didn't give a damn about the way that other people saw him. They didn't matter to him, all that mattered to him was staying in the good graces of the people who he cared about, and that was his family. His family still loved Sonny, that was all he needed. "But, you and me… we're the only two people in this restaurant that matter to me…"

"I really hope you don't mean that, or I'm going to get offended…"

Carly heard the voice and she rolled her eyes, "Maybe we can get a reservation at another restaurant here… one that doesn't have such an open policy on admittance…"

Lois looked over at Carly, "You look wonderful in that dress, Carly. It would look even better if you would lose a few pounds…"

"Lois…" Sonny gave a cautionary glance up to his best friend. "You know how much I love you, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let you insult my wife."

"You just got told…"

"And you," Sonny looked over at Carly, "you should show a little respect for someone that you know means so much to me. I swear, both of you should just get it over with and fight to the death or something."

"I'm not going to fight her," Carly remarked, "look at those fingernails of hers, they could tear into me like I was nothing!"

"That would give me a lot of pleasure, Carly, more than you could ever hope to experience yourself, but, out of respect for my best friend here, I would never do something like that… or take you away from your beautiful children." That last comment was not one that was laced with any sort of sarcasm or ill intent. Lois had seen both Michael and Morgan, and they were beautiful children, only because of Sonny's influence, either in their makeup or their upbringing. "I can only assume that you're both here because you've managed to get a momentary breather from Michael and Morgan?"

"Courtney and Jason took the boys to the Zoo for a little while." Sonny told her. "Michael loves it when he gets to see all the new animals that have been born, or the new animals that they brought in since the last time he went, and Morgan's getting to that age where he can realize more things, so we figured we would let him expand his mind…"

"And if you managed to get the baby out of your hair for a few hours, then that's just an added perk," Lois snickered softly. "Trust me, Sonny, there were many times when my Brookie was growing up that I left her with my parents for a bit and just went out and did my own thing…"

Carly couldn't resist the urge to say something. She really did have such little self-reserve when it came to dealing with Lois. That was to say that she had none at all. "Street corners are pretty hard to resist…"

"I'm sure you would know," was Lois's quick retort. Both of the women had their wit at its sharpest when they were around one another, claws ready to strike.

"Enough…" Sonny groaned. "I wanted to have a nice evening with my wife…"

"Hear that, Lois? Maybe you should leave…"

"I would, but I have a person that I need to meet here."

"This isn't a single's club, Lois," Carly shot back. "Although I don't know if anyone who goes to such places would even give you a second glance. So, who lost the bet this time at the poker game?"

"That… would be me," Ned came up and wrapped an arm around Lois's shoulder. "I figured I would give my ex-wife a nice dinner where we could talk about Brook without the constant chatter of my family. We haven't had one of those yet. Thanks for meeting me here…"

"How could I resist?" Lois wondered. "You didn't really give me a choice…"

"You always had a choice, Lois, you know that."

"I can make the choice for you both," Carly announced. Lois and Ned were far from her favorite people, putting them both together, again, was just like jabbing a hot poking iron in her eye, tormenting her slowly, but nevertheless thoroughly. "Why don't you let Sonny and I eat before we both lose our appetites."

"I'll talk to you later, Sonny," Lois leaned over and gave her best friend a gentle peck on the cheek, mostly just to piss Carly off, but she also loved Sonny dearly, so it wasn't the only reason.

Carly swirled the drink that was in her hand a little bit, "I might need a few more of these now. I've got a splitting headache."

Sonny shook his head, "You know if you and Lois would get along better, it would make my life a whole lot easier."

"I could say the same thing about you and your father…" Carly stopped herself a moment later, knowing what she had said and how he would react to it. "Sonny, I'm sorry. Just, being around that woman makes me so angry that I forget what I'm saying to the people that I'm with. I know that you and Mike have a lot of issues that you need to work out…"

"Don't, Carly," Sonny put his hand up. "Please, just don't. What's done is done, nobody was hurt by it. Can we please just have this nice meal together?"

Carly smiled, but the smile quickly turned into something else. "Sonny, can I ask you something?"

"When has not being able to ask me something ever stopped you from asking it anyway?"

"Are you doing this because you want to… or are you doing it because a part of you worries about the fact that this could be your last chance to actually have a dinner with me, in case John Durant does manage to find something on you that will send you away?"

"We've been through this before…"

"And I know you better than you want to believe I know you, Sonny Corinthos. You act like everything is going to be all right, but beneath that cool exterior rests the heart and soul of someone who is more than a little afraid to get burned in the process. Don't hide your feelings from me, Sonny, I can take it."

Sonny looked away for a second, "Maybe I am afraid of it, Carly, but that doesn't mean that it has to be like that. I'm here because I love you, but that won't change, regardless of what happens."

Carly felt the sincerity in his words, it made her whole world a little less scary, "I feel the same way about you, Sonny. The same way."

At the other end of the restaurant, Lois and Ned couldn't help but look back at the couple who was smack dab in the center. Even if they weren't, they would be the center of attention. Lois would say that it was because Carly wouldn't let herself be anything but the center, needing the spotlight to be placed on her at every possible moment, because she craved it, the attention that she was denied as a child.

"Are you going to be all right?" Ned asked as he took a sip from his water and looked at the menu that had been given to them. "Do you need me to go and buy you some boxing gloves?"

"Violence never solves anything," Lois replied, her eyes still caught at Carly, the icy glare of death being given, Lois hoping that it would have some desired results. Sadly, Carly did not fall into a catatonic state. Lois did not have powers great enough to ward of Carly's evil. "If it did, I would have taken care of her a long time ago."

"Sonny seems to think that violence is the answer to all his problems… just look at the trail of bodies."

"Ned…"

"Sorry. You don't like Carly, I don't like Sonny, or Carly for that matter, but I really don't like Sonny. It just fascinates me the way that you can be such good friends with someone like him."

"I've told you time and time again that there is more to Sonny than you're trying to see. It isn't his fault that you're some spoiled little rich boy who can't help but see through the veil that you have over your eyes."

"So now you're saying that I'm ignorant?"

"I've always said that you were ignorant, and you ignore the problems that you should be dealing with…"

"Give me one example."

"All right, your mother."

"What about her?"

"The way that she treats both me and your daughter, Ned. Don't you think that we deserve a little more respect from Tracy than that? She makes us feel like we're entirely unwelcome in that house… and it's hard to ignore feelings like that. Really hard."

"You know mother…"

"And I know that you never want to grow a spine and speak up against her. She really must have done a number on you when you were in the womb, because she certainly didn't give a damn about you while you spent all those years in boarding school."

"My mother always loved me…"

"Keep telling yourself that, Eddie. It's probably the only way that you can look at her and not be repulsed."

"At least I have a relationship with my mother that remotely mirrors something related to kinship… unlike some other mothers that I know who barely even know their own children…"

"You'd better not be talking about me."

"Are there any other mothers in this conversation? You don't know Brook Lynn at all."

"And you do?"

"I didn't get the chance, because of what you did, the way that you put yourself and our daughter as far away from me and my family as you could."

Lois threw the napkin on the table, eyes welling up with tears, and, without saying anything, she headed out the door.