CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"Incoming." Gia warns.
Carly looks over her shoulder then turns back. "For you or for me?"
"Good question." Gia acknowledges.
Liz approaches their table hesitantly. "Gia? What are you doing back in Port Charles?"
"Hello to you too." Gia replies coolly.
Liz shakes her head. "Sorry. It's just I thought…"
"That you'd never have to deal with me again?" Gia laughs.
Liz lets out a frustrated breath. "Does Nikolas know you're back?"
"Not yet but I'm sure he won't have a problem with it all things considered." Gia shrugs.
Liz looks at Carly. "I didn't realize the two of you are…"
"What? Friends? Why yes Lizzie. We are both capable of friendships. Go figure." Carly bites out.
Liz stiffens. "I wasn't trying to start anything Carly. I'm just surprised to see the two of you back in Port Charles and together at that. Does Jason know you're back?"
"Yes, my husband is well aware of my return." Carly sits back in her chair with a grin.
Liz eyes widen. "Your, your, your…"
"Husband." Gia finishes for her. "The ceremony was quite lovely."
Liz folds her arms across her chest. "He married you? How'd you trick your way into that?"
"She didn't have to trick me." Jason responds from behind her. "She's always been my life."
Liz gasps as she looks down at the stroller he's pushing. "Jason, is that…?"
"Our son." Jason lifts him from the stroller and proudly introduces the baby. "This is Jason Mateo Morgan. Jason, this is Elizabeth. She is the mother of your big brother Jake."
"Jason." Liz warns.
Jason hands the baby to Carly. "Things have changed. I want all of my sons to know each other. If we have to take this to court then we will."
"Hopefully it won't have to come to that." Carly interjects. "You are Jake's mother and I know you want what's best for him. A long drawn out custody fight isn't good for anybody. All Jase wants is the right to know his son and for his son to know us."
Liz looks around at all their faces. "You planned this. You knew…"
Gia clucks her tongue. "Um you walked up to us not the other way around. Nobody planned anything."
"I need to talk to Lucky." She flies from the restaurant.
Jason and Johnny take a seat. "Well we're here. What do you want to talk about?"
"You don't want to talk about what just happened?" Carly gives Jason a look.
He shakes his head. "No. Elizabeth knows I'm serious. You and I are on the same page when it comes to Jake. The next step is hers. Diane has the papers ready to go whichever way she decides."
"Now what did you want to talk to us about?" Johnny asks again.
Gia exchanges looks with Carly. "We've been thinking." She flips them off when they groan. "We want to start a business."
"You do?" Jason directs his question to Carly.
She nods. "Nothing full time. I know I have the boys to look after and the hotel. Far as the hotel goes I think Marty is ready to handle the day to day. Gia and I want to start a small interior design business."
"So what do you need from us?" Johnny makes faces at his godson.
Carly takes Jason's hand. "Really we don't need anything. We just, I don't know, wanted your blessings I guess."
"Carly you know I'll support whatever you want to do as long as you're safe." Jason reassures her. "We'll have to work out security issues for you and Gia but I don't see a real problem. Are you sure you want to do this though? You have a lot on your plate already. What about Crimson?"
"Oh, once I have that I'm giving it to Maxie." Carly says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
Jason chokes on his beer. "Maxie?"
"Yes, Maxie." She pounds on his back. "She's the one whose really running everything over there according to my spies. Kate is/was always off with Sonny or handling some Sonny related crisis."
Johnny holds his hand out for a bottle. "But Maxie is pretty young Carly. You sure she's ready for something like this?"
"I think this is exactly what she needs." Carly leans forward in her chair. "She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age. If I'd had something to focus on, someone to really believe in me, I might not have made half of the mistakes I made. All I'm going to do is give her the opportunity to get out of her own way. The rest is on her."
Jason drapes his arm along the back of her chair. "Maybe you should ask her before you plan her life for her babe."
"I will once I have everything in place." Carly leans her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to bring anything to her that I can't deliver. Something tells me the last thing that girl needs is more broken promises."
Gia takes the baby from Johnny. "Speaking of Maxie…what are we going to do about her and Spinelli?"
"Seriously Jason," Carly sits up to look at Jason, "you guys needs to light a fire under whoever needs a fire lit and get the houses done. If I have to listen to Maxie and Spinelli go at it one more time..."
Gia laughs. "Who knew Spin had those kinda skills?"
"I know right?" Carly gives her a look of disbelief.
Jason holds up a hand. "Please, stop." Last thing he wants to think about is his protégés sex life. It's bad enough having to listen to it from the next room or hell the living room. Maxie is loud all across the board.
"We can hear them from across the hall." Johnny reports dryly.
Jason nods. "I know. I should've soundproofed all the bedrooms not just ours."
"Incoming." Gia warns for the second time tonight.
Jason stiffens as Mac Scorpio arrives at their table. "Jason, we need to talk."
"Talk to my lawyer." Jason responds coldly.
Mac gestures to the other officers. "We can do this here or downtown."
Jason wipes his mouth with a napkin then picks up Carly's cellphone. "Diane. Meet me at PCPD." He stands and gestures to Johnny. "Make sure they get home safe."
"You sure you don't want me to…" Johnny gestures.
Jason shakes his head. He leans down and kisses Carly. He tells her softly, "Don't do or say anything. I will be home in an hour." He looks at Mac. "Unless I'm under arrest I'll meet you at the station."
Mac nods and steps to the side. "We'll follow you."
Once they're at the station Jason sees that Claudia and Johnny have been brought in as well. Mac follows his gaze.
"Nervous?"
Jason remains silent. When Diane arrives he lets her do all the talking. They've found Sonny's body. Jason isn't fazed. He wanted them to find the body. He figured he owed it to Mike and Morgan to make sure Sonny had a proper funeral. It'll be closed casket but hey at least its closure.
After securing the alibis for all parties involved Mac has no choice but to release them. Jason and Claudia exchanges glances as they leave the station. One problem down. One to go.
Jason arrives home to an anxious Carly. She launches herself into his arms before he can fully shut the door. He wraps his arms around her and presses a soothing kiss to her collarbone.
"It's okay." He reaches back and closes the door. "They found Sonny."
"So now what?" Carly takes a seat on the couch.
Jason sighs and takes a seat. "Now we prep for the funeral then it's over."
"I'm not going to his funeral." Carly sneers.
Jason takes her hand. "Yes, we are. It's not for us. It's for Morgan. It's for Mike. We know what he really was but they love him."
Carly falters. "I didn't think about Mike. Gawd, this is going to suck. Mike…he's lost all of his kids." She knows he still hasn't fully recovered from losing Courtney.
"He has us and he has Spencer and Morgan." Jason leans back on the couch. Mike is almost like a father to him.
Carly curls up next to him. "We never talked about it."
"I'm fine baby." Jason assures her.
She takes his hand and pulls his arm around her. "I know you're not fine. You did what you had to do but you're not fine."
"Yes, I am." He hugs her to him. "I gave him chance after chance and he threw them all back in my face. The only thing I regret is that I didn't kill him the first time he touched you."
"We need to talk." John stops Maxie from closing the door.
Maxie steps away and lets him enter. "We don't have anything to talk about. I told you I'm not leaving Spinelli."
"That's not what we need to talk about." John sits on the arm of her couch. "I um I was brought in for questioning tonight."
"What? Why? Are you okay? What happened?" Maxie flies to his side.
He holds her at arm's length. "I'm fine. Sonny is dead."
"Well I guess that sucks?" Maxie isn't sure how to take that one. She has no real interest in Sonny Corinthos one way or the other. Well that's not exactly true. She hates the way he treats Spinelli. The more she thinks about it she decides she's okay with Sonny being dead.
John laughs slightly. "No, it doesn't but I have to tell you something that does. I had to tell them where I was the night of the murder."
"Okay…and?" It suddenly dawns on her and her big blue eyes grow even bigger. "No way. You wouldn't. You couldn't. Tell me you didn't."
"I had to." He protests. "If there was any other way you know I would have taken it."
She gives him a scathing look. "Okay look Zacchara, I'm not Lulu and that bull is not going to work on me. You knew this was going down, didn't you? Did you purposely use me for a frickin alibi?" He looks away and she has her answer. "I can't believe you. Do you get what's going to happen when Spinelli finds out? I'm going to lose the only person I have on this frickin planet who loves me unconditionally. Do you understand that? Do you even care?" Tears spill down her cheeks.
Johnny wipes them away gently. "Yes, I care. I care more than I should since you keep telling me we can't be together and how much you love him."
She sniffles. "I do love him."
"Then why do you keep sleeping with me?" He challenges.
She swipes at her cheeks in anger. "Because you're freakin hot and I'm horrible at controlling my impulses."
He laughs slightly. "You said that the first time it happened. I didn't buy it then either. There's something between us and it's not just sex."
"It's not love." She protests. "It's not what I have with Spinelli. He loves me and he trusts me. This is going to break his heart. I'm going to break his heart, again." She paces the room.
Johnny steps in her path. "Spinelli is a good guy. You know I like him but Maxie he's not enough for a woman like you."
"You don't know the first thing about me and Spinelli." Maxie fires up. "Damian is exactly what I need. He's patient. He's kind. He makes me want to be better."
Johnny throws up his hands. "Better than what? You are head strong, bold, and fearless. You don't need me or anyone else to make you a better person. You've made mistakes? Guess what? We all have. At least you were strong enough to face them. You didn't tuck tail and run. You are a very strong young woman Maxie. I just wish you could see how terrific you really are."
"Yeah well you are the only one who's ever thought so." Maxie mutters.
He wraps his hand around the back of her neck. "Because I'm the one who really sees you…all of you."
Maxie falters then regains her strength. "No, no. I need to think. I have to get in front of this. Did you say we had sex? What were your exact words?"
Johnny drops his hand and steps back. "I said I was with you all night. I didn't say what we were doing. Honestly your dad didn't want to hear anymore after I said that."
"MY DAD?!" Maxie shrieks. "Oh god oh god oh god. Mac is probably having a stroke as we speak. Johnny how could you tell my dad of all people?" She smacks his chest.
Johnny rubs his chest. "Hey it wasn't the most comfortable situation for me either."
"Okay, think." Maxie rubs her temples. "Okay so I tell him yes we spent the night together but nothing happened. You were upset about Lulu. You needed a friend and I was there for you. We talked all night then I crashed on your couch. Simple enough."
Johnny sighs. "Yeah simple enough."
"Just…go along with it if anyone asks. Please?" Maxie places a hand on his arm.
He looks away. "If that's what you want."
"Yeah, it's what I want." She drops her hand. "And this…whatever this is between us, it has to end. I can't risk what I have with him anymore. It's not fair. I'm not going to lose what we have over nothing."
Johnny eyes narrow. "You want to keep lying about us? Okay I'll back your play but don't stand here and pretend you don't feel something real for me too."
"Yes it's real." Maxie snaps. "It's called lust. I've done lust before. It doesn't last. I want something more."
"How can you know there's not more to this if you won't even give it a chance?" Johnny pulls her against him.
Maxie fights the instant want she feels every time he touches her. She battles with everything in her to break away from the look in his eyes. She knows that look. That's the look that claimed her on her desk at Crimson. It's the look that turns her every no into a yes.
"Tell me you don't want to be with me and I'll walk out of here and never bother you again." He whispers against her ear then trails kisses down her neck.
She turns her face to his. "This is the last time. Just one last time." She brings his mouth to hers.