(AUTHORS NOTE: (THANKS TO TERRYGYIMAH FOR REVIEWING! AND TO THE TWO WHO ARE NOW FOLLOWING MY STORY, TWILIGHTCRAZYASSBITCH and APHASS. I LOVE YOU ALL, HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS.)

CHAPTER 02

the morning after a chance meeting

"I'm never drinking again." came the muffled muttering of a barely awake, and now, apparently pantsless AND shirtless Morgan Corinthos from her couch as she tried quickly to avert her eyes when she walked past her couch, realized just how little he was wearing right now. She bit her lower lip, gave a slight giggle and asked calmly, "Hang over?"

"Hell yes." he grumbled as he sat up, grabbing for his pants.

"You kinda ralphed on them. They're in the wash. You can wear this for now." she muttered as she held out a pair of sweats, a white t shirt to him, her other hand on her hip as she said "Shower will definitely help, Morgan."

"Oh, so you're saying I stink, huh?" he asked, managing a smile, although it was slightly wounded, it wasn't his typical megawatt and killer smile. She shook her head quietly, shrugging as she pointed him down the hallway, a firm look on her face. "Feisty."

"Mhmm.. You have to get clean. I'm pretty sure you don't wanna go wherever it is you're gonna go today, smelling like you crawled out of a bottle. And I have two dance classes to teach."

"Oh really."

"Really."

" I actually have nowhere I really want to go.. Which kind of leads into what I'm going to ask you.. This is crazy, but.. Can I stay here for a few days, until I figure things out? I just.. I can't be near her, or my family right now. It hurts too much and I.."

She thought it over and then sighing said "Yeah. But there are conditions.."

He raised a brow and she said calmly, "Don't butt into my personal stuff. I can handle me just fine. I work crazy hours, so lock up every single time you leave.. And don't hog all the hot water. We cool?"

"Yeah, I think I can handle that." Morgan muttered as he held her brown eyed gaze a moment and then said "Gonna go shower now.. Can I ride with you? I need to get some things from the place I was staying with Kiki..."

" Sure.. Where were you guys living?"

"The boathouse on the Quartermaine estate." Morgan admitted sheepishly as she studied him a moment, muttered something about "Boy.. from a palace to a dive, huh?" as she turned to walk out of the room, his eyes following her boy as she walked out.

"Wonder why she told me to stay out of her personal life? Damn it, I bet she's seeing someone or she dates a lot. And I didn't even bother to ask." he muttered, mentally kicking himself as he turned on the shower in the small bathroom, stepped beneath the shower, braced the walls, trying not to think about everything he and his father, he and his brother, he and his soon to be ex wife screamed at one another in public last night. He bit his lower lip and growled when all attempts to block it out were to no avail.

He'd just stepped out of the shower, the towel was around his waist and he was brushing his teeth when she walked in shrieked, "God damn it, I'm sorry, I didn't hear the water going so I." and covering her eyes, stepped out into the hallway, causing him to chuckle a little. "Yeah.. she's still the same shy girl." he muttered to himself as he finished and leaned in the doorway, watching her making her bed, looking around the room.

"You do know they sell bedframes, right?"

"Yeah.. I bought an Ikea one.. Good fucking luck reading those directions." she admitted as she pointed to a stack of wood and parts in a nearby corner. He chuckled and said "I'll see if I can put it together for you if you want?"

"Knock yourself out, big guy. Not like I'm gonna figure it out anytime soon." she shrugged as she slipped a fitted under armour jacket down over her camisole tanktop and then worked on pulling her hair up into it's usual bun.

"Noo.. Leave it down."

"Morgan, I have to see."

"Okay, fine.. But I'm telling you, you have the pointed ears, not me." Morgan joked and watched her blush as she remembered their one conversation, back in high school.

"Oh haha, funny. At least I don't have a lazy eye." she stated with a wink as she laughed a little and said "I cannot believe you remembered that."

"You don't really forget things like the funniest conversations in your whole life." he admitted as he looked at her, his hand in his hair.

"Wow.. You.. The people you know all have sticks up their asses then, apparently." she said as she grabbed her keys and asked, "So.. All set now?"

He nodded and walking out the door behind her, he got into the passenger seat of her car and leaned the seat back, squeezing his eyes shut. His head ached, his heart hurt and all he could think about was finally ending the charade he called a marriage to his wife, Kiki. And beyond that? He was pretty much done with everyone.

Except the brunette driving him currently.. He'd made up his mind last night that maybe he should actually get to know her, maybe. As friends, for now.. But he couldn't deny an attraction, a lingering one at least, was there.

"You drive like a bat out of hell." he commented as he looked at her. She glared playfully and pulled into the Quartermaine's estate, the long winding road. Morgan got out and pressed the call button, asked for Alice, who let them in.

"Just here to get my stuff." he said, waving his hands to show he meant no harm. Alice nodded and said quietly, "You might not want to go out there, Morgan."

"She's out there, isn't she?"

"With Michael."

"Stay here, Zara."

"Like hell I'm staying here, Morgan. Somebody's gotta keep you out of trouble, right?"

"You're not gonna want to see this." Morgan warned as she rolled her eyes, muttered something crossly at him in Brazillian and then said "No, but.. You really don't need to be arrested."

"I can handle it."

"Okay, alright.. Fine big guy. Go ahead. Get into the fight of all fights with your big brother. Over a girl. See how well that works for ya." Zara muttered dryly as Alice snickered a little, let the two of them into the back area, where the boat house lie.

"My bus used to come by this house every day on the way home from school.. I used to.."

"What?"

"Wonder how the hell someone would waste so much money buying such a big house when a small one will do." she admitted, making Morgan grin a little. He burst in the door and Zara groaned as she saw the girl, Kiki, sitting in the lap of Morgan's older brother, the two of them talking. She could tell they had real love.. But she could also tell that Morgan, right now, wasn't calm, wasn't thinking.

"You bought him back here?"

"Morgan I.. Who the hell is she?"

"I'm Zara. I'm the one who kept him from getting ran down in traffic last night when he got too drunk and stumbled out in front of me.. Correct me if I'm wrong.. Shouldn't the WIFE do those things?"

"This is none of your business." Michael spoke up as Zara rolled her eyes, her hand on her hip as she said calmly, "Yeah? Well too bad, because honestly? You two are sick for doing whatever it was you did to him."

"You don't know what he's done first." Kiki grumbled as Michael glared at her, his arm around Kiki. Morgan stared his brother down and for some reason, instead of punching him like he really wanted, he slid his arm around Zara and said "Have fun with my leftovers. I'll call a lawyer, Kiki so you two can hurry and elope or whatever it is. God knows neither of you have been able to keep your hands off."

"Says the man who's brought home by.. Whatever she is."

"Hon, whatever I am is ten times better than the slut you obviously are." Zara popped as she smirked, played along with Morgan's little ruse for the moment, leaning against him as she said "And it doesn't matter what he did.. We talked last night and I know what he's had done to him by you people, for a lifetime now. Do you have your stuff, babe?" she asked, looking up at him over her shoulder as he barely contained a smirk and laugh as he said quietly, "Yeah. Got it all. Keep the cards and all the shit I got you.. I'd prefer not remember you, Kiki."

She gaped at him as Zara laughed and tossed a smirk in the direction of Kiki and Michael, walked out with Morgan, muttering about his being the sexier more down to Earth brother loudly enough to be heard on her way out the door..

"Boy.. you owe me.. Big time."

"Wow.. you were a fireball in there.. "

" The whole fucking thing made me sick when you told me about it last night.. I mean yeah, what you did was stupid, Morgan.. But if they couldn't stop sneaking a round, she should have been woman enough to end it."

Morgan nodded and then put his stuff into the trunk of her Eclipse and then got into the car.

Inside the boathouse, Kiki and Michael sat looking at one another, and when Michael wasn't looking, Kiki sighed a sad sigh as she looked at the retreating silver convertible making it's way down the driveway.

"Who the hell did she think she was, coming in here, saying all that?"

"Michael, calm down.. Look, Morgan probably lied to her."

"Kiki, the stuff she said to you.."

"It's okay, Michael, damn it. At least this is over." she said quietly as she bit her lip. But did she really want it to be over, deep down? Was she really ready to just let him leave like this, with no fight?

Somehow, she wasn't too sure.