As requested by Salena, a new chapter. There is NO Jason in this chapter. Hence me losing interest in writing it, damn Franco. :-P

Who wants to pick the next update? Thanks for reading guys!

Part Four

"Husband," Robin cried out as she flung herself towards Patrick.

"They're even drunker than I thought they were," Edward replied in awe, he'd assumed he'd had a pretty good idea of their level of intoxication after enduring the 15 minute limo ride with them incessantly giggling.

"I may be pumping their stomachs before the night is done," Monica agreed.

"Oh dear lord, it's like dumb and dumber," was Edward's next reaction as Matt had managed to keep himself composed as he greeted everyone, but as he helped Brenda with her coat, he went slack jawed over the short gold dress.

"Oh be nice Edward, they're young," Monica sighed as she was helped out of her coat by an attendant.

"I don't want that fool around Charlie," he scowled.

"They're only here for a few more-" she stopped and stared at her father-in-law, "what do you have up your sleeve?"

"Nothing, I'm appalled you'd even-"

"Edward, don't you dare do anything that is going to alienate Brenda," she threatened.

"Oh look, there's Chadwich," he pointed at a member of the hospital board and took off as Monica frowned after him.

-x-x-x-x-

"Herve Leger and Louboutins, you were married to Jason Morgan?" Diane asked with sarcastic feigned shock.

Robin laughed, "Brenda meet Diane."

"Pleasure," she said extending her hand. "You look lovely as well Robin, Robert Rodriguez?"

"Impressive," Brenda said taking hers.

"Yes well someone has to have a modicum of taste in this town otherwise we'd all be running around in our flannel pajamas, not that any self-respect-"

"I can hear you, Diane," Alexis announced from several feet away.

"You were supposed to," she yelled back..

"Oh my god is Mac flirting with Alexis?" Brenda asked in a low voice to Robin, forgetting about the woman in front of her.

"Aren't they so cute at that age?" Robin pouted and hugged Brenda's arm.

"Neither of you are old enough that I can't still ground you," Mac yelled over. He shook his head at Alexis, "Maybe a night in jail would earn me some respect."

"Just don't forget to toss Diane in as well," her eyes sparkled.

"Were we that loud?" Brenda asked Robin.

"We were totally not that loud," Robin shook her head in drunken indignation. "Uncle Mac, either hears everything or nothing."

"Let's get you another drink girls and we'll have a nice little chat," Diane said walking around the girls and breaking into their link, hooking her arms into theirs, gleeful over the gossip she was about to find out about her employers.

-x-x-x-x-

Matt didn't like the thought of having to wait until midnight to kiss her. She settled into his body at the perfect height and knowing the killer heels she had on that were making her that perfect height…He ordered his mind off her fuck me feels.

"You're quiet," she whispered.

"I'm dancing," he responded.

"You can't dance and talk at the same time?" her voice sparkled.

He looked down and cursed himself for the action. She was looking up with that smile, the smile put the heels to shame. "Not with you."

"Almost kinda smooth Drake 2.0-"

"2.0?"

She simply smirked at him.

"New and improved, I can live with that," he smiled, he could deal with being a Drake to her.

"Thought you could," she smirked again.

-x-x-x-x-

Midnight. Never in his life had he wanted a day to end as desperately as he wanted this one to end. Hours dragged on, then minutes, then seconds, then finally she was in his arms as she should have been the whole night only he had been forced by the social niceties to behave.

She had been worth the wait, just as he had known she was going to be, she gave as good as she got. Then he stared in shock as she was pulled away from him. He had been waiting days for that kiss and her being yanked away when he had barely started…

Robin hugged her first, then Patrick, then Edward, then Monica, an endless sea of people passing Brenda along, keeping her away from him.

"Do you ever get so sick and tired of being good?" she questioned seconds after she finally found her way back to him.

"I try never to be good," he smirked.

"This means nothing," she said pulling him in by his tie.

-x-x-x-x-

"Stop smirking Dr. Hunter, it's unprofessional," Epiphany ordered him.

Had he been smirking? His smirk grew bigger. Last night flashed through his head followed by the memory of waking up to her leaving, followed by the memory of their long kiss goodbye, then rolling onto her pillow in the hotel room and breathing in her scent as he drifted back to sleep.

He shook it off, ordering the smile off his face. She was leaving in a few days. She had a kid. Seriously she was leaving. In a few days. Which meant he had a few more days. The smirk returned.

-x-X-x-

The first day of a new year and Monica Quartermaine was filled with regrets for the years that had passed. Walking into GH with Charlie's hand in hers she wondered why she hadn't spent more time doing this with her boys. She wondered how she had been so caught up in her career and her relationships that she had neglected the most important part of her life. She could trace the fates that befell her children back to her and her mind often did. Four children lost because she had repeatedly made the wrong choices. One little boy holding her hand who was sad because of Jason's early morning visit where he told the little boy that he was sorry, but that he'd miss the rest of his visit. Charlie didn't need to know that Jason had turned himself in to the PCPD after he left, the reason Alice was with them and the guards trailing them discreetly. He didn't need to know that root of it all traced back to her.

They joined a sea of other families at the movies, they waited in the endless concession line and had their feet stick to the movie theater floor and she realized she could count on one hand how often she had taken her boys when they were children. They had gone with nannies and told her about it afterward, but it wasn't the same. She hadn't seen their faces light up, heard their belly laughter, had to rush them out of the theater for a bathroom break midway. She had barely even noticed the singing chipmunks on the screen; she was too caught up in the boy next to her.

"Maybe we'll go to the zoo tomorrow," she suggested to him.

"Jason said he'd take me," he was quick to reply.

The lump got caught in Monica's throat, "I know Jason wanted to take you, but you heard what he said this morning-"

"Jason will take me," he adamantly declared.

"Char-"

"Jason's taking me," he looked up with large blue eyes without an ounce of doubt in them.

Her mouth just barely opened, still no idea the words that would emerge from them when the elevator pinged. She just nodded to him as they waited for the passengers to disembark, "Want to press the button? We're going to six," she said as they stepped in.

He smiled brightly and slammed his palm into the button.

-x-x-x-

"I need your help this afternoon young man," Edward said over breakfast as Charlie was inhaling a plate of blueberry pancakes.

He looked over with his mouth full.

"What's up?" Brenda replied for her son.

"It's been almost a year since Annabelle-" he stopped himself, "Alice and I have been thinking the house needs another dog."

"A dog!" Charlie's eyes went wide and a mouth full of pancakes didn't stop him from talking.

"A what?" Brenda's eyes were wide as well.

"A dog Brenda," Edward said dismissing her, "a puppy. Lila told me after she got Annabelle that she thought all houses should have a dog and I've realized she was right."

"Really?" Charlie's eyes were still wide and the syrup covered pancakes were forgotten.

"Edward," Brenda's voice was firm and her eyes were livid.

"He'll be over at 1," Edward pulled his napkin from his lap, "now I need to go into the office, but I'll be back in time for lunch, I expect to see you both."

-x-x-X-x-x-

"I'm going to kill him," Brenda fumed as her son was gaga over the five dogs that had arrived at the Quartermaine mansion. It would serve him right if Charlie requested them all.

"Oh now Miss-"

Brenda shot a look over at her.

"Sorry Brenda. Mr. Q hates to admit it, but he gets lonely."

Brenda rolled her eyes, "Yea like this is really going to be his dog."

Charlie was in a fit of giggles as the puppies continued to climb all over him, washing every spot of exposed skin with their tongues. "I think you need them all!"

Brenda smirked.

"Five dogs is completely beyond Alice's control," replied Edward not looking amused by the thought.

"You COULD help," Charlie pointed out, nearly rolling his eyes as well.

"One dog Charlie," Edward reminded. "Now you were saying that yellow one was a what?"

"A golden doodle," Vincent, the ELQ lackey Edward had tasked with this assignment answered, "very popular. The white and black is a Portuguese Water dog like the first dog."

Edward nodded.

"The short haired tan one is a pug," Vincent continued.

"His face looks like it's been smooshed in," Charlie laughed and petted the dog.

"The dog from Men in Black," Vincent leaned in closer to his employer.

"The boy's five," Edward's turn to roll his eye.

"It's a Chinese breed," Vincent loudly replied to the room and Charlie's eyes lit up brighter.

Vincent did his best not to gloat.

"The last one?"

"He's the one from the pound, they think he's a Wheaten Terrier and a Schnauzer,"

"What's a pound?" Charlie was quick to question.

"It's where some dogs go when they're waiting for new homes, like a hotel" Brenda quickly explained hoping that would be the end of it.

He frowned. "Why doesn't he have a home?"

Edward inwardly smiled, pleased that he had guessed appropriately and his request for a shelter dog had been a good one. He turned to Vincent, who looked confused, "Well?"

Vincent's gaze shot back and forth between his employer and the child. What was he supposed to tell a child? "The uh, mother was a purebred, they think the father was a schnauzer from the dog park. The owners weren't interested in any dogs that weren't purebreds."

Purebred had already been explained to Charlie by Alice while they were waiting for the dogs to arrive. "So they just got rid of him?" Charlie exclaimed.

"It would seem so, and all of his brothers and sisters have been adopted without him," Edward seamlessly informed Charlie, it wasn't a lie necessarily, for all he knew that could have been the truth.

Brenda once more rolled her eyes and tried to get used to the thought of a dog.

"It's okay we love you even though you aren't a purebred," Charlie said pulling the tan dog in for a hug.

"That will be all Vincent," Edward stood, "why don't we go take the dog for a walk while Vincent gathers up his friends."

"They're all going home right? To their moms?" the little boy said standing with his new dog.

"Of course," Edward nodded and placed a guiding hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Alice where did you put the collar I asked you to buy?"

"It's in the front hall Mr. Q. It's a harness, it's better for puppies. Do you need me to come help you-"

"Nonsense," Edward said waving a hand at her, "I'm sure Charlie and I can figure it out. Now have you thought about a name young man?"

"I think I need to spend some time with him," Charlie replied after a moment thinking about it.

"Smart decision, now let's figure out this contraption Alice got."

Brenda and Alice listened to Edward and Charlie humorous attempts at getting a harness on an excitable dog as they helped Vincent return the dogs to their carriers.

"Damn it dog. Stay still," the frustration was no longer able to be kept from Edward's voice. "Dog get-"

A loud crash followed.

"You, you…" Edward was bright red just like the roses now on the floor.

"I GOT IT!" Charlie exclaimed, "Alvin. Monica's going to love him!"