Author's Note: Sorry I've been out of touch guys, but I wanted to drop 2 chapters for each of my stories! In the case of THIS one, I'm gonna hit you with the final 2 epilogues AND the M-rated slice of life, Motivation.

Epilogue#2: Thankful For Everything

Carly stood hugging herself and staring into space. To the casual observer, she might appear to be simply looking out the window. But to the man who knew her better than anyone else, it was clear that she was staring into the past—their past. He could even see where her mind had gone.

I can be an asshole of the grandest kind
I can withhold like it's going out of style
I can be the moodiest baby and you've never met anyone
who is as negative as I am sometimes

Jason expected to open the door to Emily, but as usual, Carly was right where he least expected her to be. He let her in, and she was clearly nervous. "How's Sonny?"

"Oh, he's better. He's upstairs," he replied quietly knowing there was a reason she was there.

Carly looked toward the staircase desperate to avoid his eyes. "Ok. I'll be quiet."

Jason couldn't take any more so he stated the obvious, "You didn't come here to check on Sonny."

She took a deep breath as she looked at her hands "Um—Ok. I probably should have told you this a long time ago, but I came and you were gone. So, you know, Sonny—"

"What?" he demanded startling her. He took control of himself and asked again. "What, Carly? What is it?"

Carly her head bobbed as she glanced at him before pacing away. "I had to get Michael out of that rose garden, you know," she rambled on the verge of tears. "He was looking for you. I could tell he was. And I was afraid he was going to start screaming, "Dada, dada, dada, dada, dada." See, there was this big party there. They were acting like there was something to celebrate. You know, in the rose garden, of course. Not in the main house. Not in the pool. I've never seen A.J. so happy in my entire life."

Jason took a deep breath and tried again. "Carly, just tell me. Just tell me what it is."

Carly inhaled deeply and nodded. "Ok. A.J. decided to change Michael's name to Quartermaine. Michael Alan Quartermaine."

Jason froze. Inside he felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, but he controlled it for her because he could tell she was hurting enough for both of them. "Now Michael knows who he is."

She recoiled as if he'd slapped her." Don't do that," she begged as tears threatened to pour down her face. "Jase, don't pretend like the last year never happened."

I am the wisest woman you've ever met.
I am the kindest soul with whom you've connected.
I have the bravest heart that you've ever seen
And you've never met anyone
Who's as positive as I am sometimes

Seeing she was hurt more by his attempt at indifference, Jason nodded and led her to the couch to sit. "Last night, I woke up a little past midnight," he explained. "I heard Michael crying for me. I was halfway to his old room before I realized—I can't be his family anymore. I don't want him to remember last year. I don't want him to remember me."

Carly bit back her tears. "Yeah. That is why you left, isn't it? To protect him? And protect me, right?"

"Yeah," he breathed painfully.

Carly: nodded as her mind spun to make the connections that would make everything ok for both of them. "Ok. I understand that now. I really do. You didn't want to hurt us. And—I—I know that if you hadn't come back—I don't know, Jase. You know, I just get scared, man, and I—I do stupid things."

Jason couldn't help the chuckle—a mix of derision and humor—that escaped. "Yeah, no kidding."

Carly nodded accepting his response, but continued speaking. "But it's always for you. I mean, it's always for us. Even now. Look at us. You—you left to protect Michael. And I married somebody else so I could be with you. Kind of makes sense, doesn't it?" she said, her voice taking on a slightly hysterical tone. "And except for Michael, you're the most important person in my whole life. You're the only one who's never lied to me. You're the only one who doesn't want to change me into something, anything. I can just be myself with you."

You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed
There's not anything to which you can't relate
And you're still here

"You know, when you showed up that night, it was raining. You were so scared. You needed me. You asked me to take care of Michael, and that's - that's when my life started. A life I thought I could never have, more than anything I could ever imagine." He knew that this might be his last chance to make her se all that she had been to him and he had to make sure she knew. "It was all because of you. It's true, Carly, you are a lot of trouble." Carly's laughter took on that hysterical edge once more. "You make things more complicated than they are, but—you showed me new things. You gave me a year and a half that no one can take away. Nothing will change that." Jason stared into her eyes begging her to understand.

"You're dumping me, right? You're dumping me," Carly said in fear and disbelief.

"Carly, come on, you're married to somebody else," Jason said, unable to hide the pain that brought. His fault Carly was married to AJ, because he had too much pride to take a chance and stop it. He'd known that was what Carly wanted—she waited for. But he's been a coward, and he didn't. And she'd decided she had to prove herself to him yet again.

"I don't care," Carly snapped.

"Well, you—you have to sneak around. You lie to AJ—you lie to Michael," Jason explained weakly.

"I don't lie to Michael," Carly swore.

"Well, you will if—" Jason paused when the words froze in his throat. "If things stay the way they are, even AJ's gonna catch on."

"I can take care of AJ," Carly retorted in tears.

"I can't do it, Carly. I can't turn around and wonder if you're gonna be there. Here - at the warehouse, with no warning."

"Aren't you ever glad to see me?" Carly asked pleadingly.

He knew he couldn't say what his heart was screaming.—that he was always glad to see her—that he was never as happy as when he saw her. He would never make her understand if he told her the whole truth. "Yes. But, then I have to let you go again. Until you show up the next time. Then, I have to let you go all over again." Letting her go was the worse pain he had ever experienced. He had thought it could get no worse than with Robin and Sonny, but letting go of Carly and Michael was proving him wrong. Because it reminded him that could have been his because he had made so many wrong choices that they might never really be his. "I can't - I can't do it." Jason felt his body propelled from the comfort so close yet so face on the couch and paced over to the mantle.

"Well, we'll work something out," Carly assured him desperately, as she waved her arms in frustration. "I can call before I come, I can send you smoke signals."

"Carly," Jason gasped as he fought tears. "Don't come up with any more plans."

Carly searched her mind for a way to fix things—a way to make him see reason before settling on simple truth. "I'd do anything to be with you."

He should know that, Carly thought feeling stupid for stating the obvious. After everything, they had been through that she would lie, cheat, steal, kill… God, she'd crawl through broken glass to be with him. Hadn't she already sold herself to his brother and the Quartermaines to prove that to him? Wasn't that enough?

"Will you leave AJ?"

Carly's nod was almost instantaneous, as she gave him the truth without hesitation.

"Will you drag Michael through another custody fight?" Jason asked. His question was met with silence as she fought to make herself say yes. But he was the only man she could not lie to and Michael was the only person she would put before everything—even the love of her life, Jason. He felt his heart swell with love as her apologetic eyes meet his. Knowing she loved their son enough to sacrifice her dream of being with him, only made him love her more. And that made the knife in his heart twist even as he felt his determination to find the arsonist redouble. Jason knew he would only get one shot at AJ if he handled things carefully enough, and it would be with the information that he hired someone to burn down the warehouse. He was still waiting for an affidavit.

I blame everyone else, not my own partaking
My passive-aggressiveness can be devastating
I'm terrified and mistrusting
And you've never met anyone as,
As closed down as I am sometimes.

"Jason?" Carly asked, walking towards him. Jason turned to drink in the sight of his Carly as she moved closer her love pour out at him through her eyes. "I love you, and—I know you hate it when I say that. I know it doesn't mean the same thing to you as it does to me, but… I know that—I know that you love me too," Carly whispered.

In her head, she was begging him to say the words… just once. She just needed him to give her some kind of hope. But Jason just stared at Carly. He stared so intently that, she could almost swear she heard him say the words.

"And I'll always love you," Carly said. She started crying again and she turned away.

When Jason reached out, and gently touched her shoulder, it was a shock to them both.

Carly immediately spun into his embrace. "Hey, hey," he whispered quietly over her whimpers.

He pushed Carly back to give them a little distance. But there was no way he could let her get too far as his hands reached up to cup her faces. He felt like his mind was warring with his heart. He felt himself moving without his head's permission and tucked her hair behind her ear. His thumbs moved to brush her tears away with he felt himself fall helplessly into the depths of her endless chocolate gaze.

She never thought anyone could really love her even after all that she did to destroy everything she touched in the name of love, but she knew he did. It was there in the crystal blue clarity of his captivating eyes. So when his face came closer, she held her breath and prayed that finally his heart might win against his head. She could almost feel that kiss that could change everything between her and Jason. He just had to pull her closer to him and let go. one kiss, and they would go from him breaking up with her to him making love to her. But once again it wasn't to be she saw the flash of hesitation a second before his forehead touched hers. She started crying again and held him tighter as the fear released once more at the realization that he would really let her go. "Oh God, I love you."

Jason pulled back and Carly followed suit with a hysterical chuckle as she wiped away her tears.

"I'm sorry," Carly said. She had to stop hurting him. She had to be unselfish and take responsibility for this mess and not make this harder on him with her own over-the-top emotion.

"It's okay. You have to go home?" Jason asked.

That's where I want to go Jase. Let me go home instead of the Quartermaine Hell, she thought desperately fighting to hang onto whatever control she had managed. But she managed to say nothing allowing a nod to be her response.

As the reached the elevator, she turned and offered a watery grin. "Aren't you going to give me any money for a cab?"

With a slight smile, he pulled out his billfold and counted out some money. He took her outstretched hand and placed the money inside before turning her hand over and kissing it with all of the desperate love he fought to hold back.

I'm the funniest woman you've ever known.
I am the dullest woman you've ever known.
I'm the most gorgeous woman you've ever known
And you've never met anyone as, as everything as I am sometimes.

He knew that was the first moment in their past that they both ever truly believed their dreams had might not survive to become reality. Jason moved forward and rested his hands on her shoulders. He watched as they sagged and she released a breath along with all of the tension of the past. Her eyes even drifted shut. He moved closer and he body seemed to instinctively melt into his waiting embrace.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

She immediately shook her head. "No, Jase," she sighed. "I'm sorry. I—I"

"Shh, Carly, listen," he said stopping whatever she'd been about to say as he turned her in his arms. He took her face into the palms of his hands and lifted it so that their gazes locked. "I love you. We're married. We have a beautiful family."

She cut in desperate to make him understand. "I know, Jase, and I know I do a lot of crazy things, but—"

He cut her off with a kiss. "You are the best and the worst things that have ever happened to me in my life," he whispered. "My only regret is that I waited as long as I did to claim what you always offered me so freely. But as much as I would love another child, I can't lose you. You can't leave me. Not now that I've finally gotten it right. You are everything to me, Carly."

"You won't, Jason. I promise. I have waited for so long to finally have my dream come true and I want that last little piece of the puzzle. It may seem greedy or selfish, but I am both of those things and you know that so it shouldn't come as a surprise. You promised me we could make my dreams come true. We have the chance to give Josslyn and the boys another brother or sister. And we're gonna do it, Jase. We are. It's gonna be hard, and you'll have to remind me to breathe and count to 10—a lot, but in seven or eight months, we're gonna welcome this baby into our family."

You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed
There's not anything to which you can't relate
And you're still here

"You never fight fair, do you, Carly?' he sighed letting his forehead drop to rest against hers.

"Nothing worth having is worth chancing by fighting fair for it," she pouted.

Jason could feel the laugh building inside him from her twisted Spencer logic. Giving her a wry smile as he lifted his head to look at her, he quipped, "I thought the expression was 'Anything worth having is worth fighting for'?"

That earned him an eye roll. "Blah, blah, blah. That is what weak people have to tell themselves to pump themselves up for a fight. But I'm a Spencer and a Morgan, so I know the fight is coming and it's just a matter of deciding how badly I want or need to win it."

Jason threw his head back as the laughter exploded from his chest. "You're insane. You know that, right?"

"Well, you're in love with the wackjob so what does that make you?" she snapped back playfully so filled with joy at the sight of him finally smiling again.

"Desperately in love with you and terrified of losing you," he replied as his laughter turned to tears. Her heart throbbed as she pulled him into her arms and let him cry.

"Jason Morgan, I have spent the better part of my life in love with you. Now that I have you and everything is about to be perfect, how could you think for one second that I would not be right here to enjoy it?" she demanded fighting tears. "And to gloat over those damn pixies and their stupid supporters who doubted me? Do you think I'm going to let this town of the hook that easy after all these people have put me through? No, I am going to bring this baby into this world, help you raise him or her, and gloat at every given opportunity about my spectacular husband and incredible kids."

"Like you don't already?" he smirked as his tears subsided.

"Well, I think I've earned it," she pouted. "Besides, I didn't get to the most important part. I am going love you and grow old with you so that I can still be chasing you around even when I'm forced to use a walker to do it."

Letting the laughter that marked their life together act as a balm to his soul yet again, he cupped her face in his hands. "I'm gonna hold you to that, you know?"

"Feel free. Have I ever broken a promise to you, Jase?" She continued when he shook his head no, "And I won't start now."

Their mouths met in a rush of fear, love, and hope.

What I resist, persists, and speaks louder than I know
What I resist, you love, no matter how low or high I go

A few hours later, Jason stood at the head of the Quartermaine table as everyone waited for him to speak so they could eat the traditional pizza dinner as yet another turkey had met it demise on the way to the table. He and Carly had already made their announcement, which had been met with equal parts hope, love, excitement and worry. But as his gaze met that of each member of his family briefly, he found himself becoming more settled and even a little more hopeful. When his eyes finally came to rest on her bottomless, coffee gaze, he knew just what he wanted to say.

"What am I thankful for? Everything."

You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed
There's not anything to which you can't relate
And you're still here

And you're still here
And you're still here...
~Everything, Alanis Morrisette