Okay, so this chapter took a lot of time to write specifically because I wanted to make sure it was good. Again, I'm so, so sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I do hope that you find this update to your liking. Just so I know for future reference, do you, my lovely readers, prefer longer chapters less frequently or shorter chapters more frequently. What I mean by less frequently is say once or twice a week max depending on writing flow, and more frequently being about every other day. Remember to review, I love reading them. I'm accepting of all types of reviews. If you tell me where you want the story to head or how you think its going so far, I would appreciate it. I won't be able to accommodate all requests as they may contradict each other or my ideas, but hey you might give me even better ideas. Anyway, thanks so much for your patience. I've kept you waiting too long.
Enjoy!
Ric seethed in his hotel room. He hated how he had lost Elizabeth and he hated even more how that criminal had gotten her heart again. He was married for god sake. What, Sam wasn't enough. He had to take Elizabeth, too?
"God dammit," Ric screamed, throwing the glass of scotch he was drinking across the room where it made a satisfying shatter. "You do one bad thing and all of a sudden it makes you a bad person."
Ric heard a snort behind him and he whirled, his recently washed hair flopping on his forehead. "Carly? What the hell are you doing in here?"
"My hotel," Carly said as explanation. "I couldn't help but hear your mutterings, though. What bad thing are you referring to?"
"You won't get it anyway, so you might as well leave. I've lost Elizabeth all because I hired Hayden to pretend to be Jason's wife when we all thought he was simply Jake."
"Elizabeth was lost to you far before she found out about your wrongful deeds."
"That's a lie," Ric growled, vigorously running both hands through his hair. "Elizabeth loved me just as much as I loved her."
"Really? Maybe that was true at one time, but you weren't here when Jake aka Jason first showed up. He and Elizabeth hit it off early. She was the one who first treated him. She was the one he woke up to. She was the one who nursed him to health and brought him into her home."
"A bad idea, in my opinion," Ric muttered, pouring himself a new glass of scotch.
Carly shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to continue having a meaningless conversation with a delusional psychopath, so let me get down to it."
"I'm not delusional and I am not psychotic." Ric protested, slamming down his drink and stalking towards her, his finger pointing.
"What do you call a man that locks his sister-in-law in a panic room in the home he shares with his wife, or a man that plots revenge against his own brother simply because he has mommy issues, or better yet a man who hires a woman to pretend to be the wife of his romantic opponent?"
"Do you have to bring up that damn panic room every time, Carly? Jesus, get the hell over it. That was years ago." Ric said turning around.
Carly took a deep breath and bit her tongue. This was an age old argument between the two of them. He would never see himself at fault. "Anyway, I'm here to kick you out."
"Kick me out? What the hell have I done wrong? I've done nothing that justifies you to kick me out of this hotel. You can't refuse service simply because you don't like someone."
"That's not the reason, although it should be allowed. I'm kicking you out because you've been conducting illegal activities within my hotel. I am justified to refuse service for that reason. If you recall, Olivia kicked Julian out for the same reason."
"What illegal activities?"
"Fraud for one, among others." Carly began and Ric waved her off.
"Fine, fine. I'm sure I'll be able to find another place to stay. This isn't over, Carly."
"It never is," Carly murmurs almost to herself as she exits Ric's hotel room. "By the way, I'm billing you for the broken items." Carly chuckled to herself as she walked back down to the restaurant.
"You finally solve the Ric problem?" Olivia asked as Carly walks across the restaurant to the bar.
"Yep. The sleaze is packing up his stuff as we speak." Carly said with a sly smile.
"I just hope that he packs up and leaves our lives as well." Olivia said.
"Definitely," Carly agrees and smiles when she sees Michael and Kiki come off of the elevator. It had been a couple days since their celebration.
The couple was all smiles and Michael embraced his mother as soon as she was within distance. Carly loved that her son had come back into her life. She hugged him just as tightly and then let him go.
"You're proposal the other night was beautiful." Carly remarked and watched the blush color the couple's cheeks. No doubt they had had some celebration of their own after the festivities had ceased. It actually made her think of the celebrating she and Sonny had also done that night.
"It was, it truly was." Kiki said, kissing Michael's cheek.
Michael kissed her temple in return. "A beautiful proposal for my beautiful bride-to-be."
Kiki smiled and let her head rest on Michael's shoulder, her arm firmly linked with his.
"So what brings you here today?" Olivia asked with a smile. She knew how much Michael had gone through over the past few years. He deserved a good thing in his life.
"We're actually having lunch with Jason and Elizabeth."
"Really? Well, have fun. The lunch is on me."
"Thanks, but you don't have to do that." Michael said dismissively.
Carly put a hand on his shoulder. "It's no trouble. Have a good time. Order some wine and a nice dessert. I actually have to get going."
Before Michael could ask where she was off to she was gone. He thought it was strange but dismissed it when he noticed Jason and Elizabeth getting off the elevator.
"There's the happy couple," Jason greeted them, his arms outstretched. Michael hugged his uncle, clapped him on the back.
"It's great to see you again Mr. Morgan, you too Nurse Webber."
Jason shook his head with a smile. "Please call me Jason."
"And me Elizabeth, please." Elizabeth added.
"So what brought this on?" Michael asked as they sat down at their designated table.
Jason clasped his hands in front of him. "I actually have a question."
"Oh?"
"I saw that you were looking for a new head of security." Jason began.
Michael's brow furrowed and a look of confusion consumed his features. "Wait, Jason, are you telling me that you would be interested in becoming the new head of security at ELQ?"
Elizabeth looked confused as well. "You never told me that."
"I figure I need something to do during the day and I need to be able to make a living."
"I would have thought that you would have wanted to go back to work with Sonny. I mean Corinthos-Morgan coffee is still half yours."
"I get the feeling that you don't want me for the position." Jason said with a strained chuckle.
"No, no, no, that's not it at all. I just want to make sure that you're making a decision that will make you happy."
"Working with Sonny has its advantages, but it also has its dangers. I already "died" once while employed in that field of work. I'd rather not die for real this time."
Michael chuckled and nodded. "I'd rather you didn't, too. I don't think we would be able to handle it to lose you again."
Jason nodded seriously.
Michael cleared his throat and clapped his hands, rubbing them together. "You know what, you've always been extremely well equipped when it comes to keeping me and those you love safe. I could think of no one better to take over the position."
A smile spread across Jason's features. "Thank you, Michael. I'll prove to you that you didn't make a mistake."
"I look forward to working with you."
"On to lighter topics, have you and Michael figured out any details when it comes to the wedding?" Elizabeth asked, leaning back against her chair.
"Nothing's quite set in stone yet, but I do have a few ideas." Michael mentioned, playing with his hands with a smile.
"Michael and I were actually discussing the schematics earlier and we don't want it to be some big affair. We want it to keep small, close friends and family."
"And we want to have it soon. I can't wait until I get to call this amazing, beautiful woman Mrs. Michael Corinthos."
"Corinthos?" Elizabeth questioned. "I thought you had changed your last name."
"I may have been born a Quartermaine, but I was raised a Corinthos, and a Corinthos I'll always be."
Jason nodded. "I noticed that you said that you wanted to get married soon…how soon are we talking?"
Michael and Kiki looked at each other, smiled, and then faced the couple across from there with a definitive answer. "We're thinking a summer wedding."
"Really, considering its already summer, are you thinking this summer then?"
Michael and Kiki nodded their heads vigorously. "Of course."
"Why the rush?" Elizabeth piped in. "I mean it's obvious that you're in love. Why do you want to hurry it? Sometimes, being engaged can be enjoyable. Marriage can also change things. Not always for the better."
Michael nodded seriously. "I know what you mean, Elizabeth, but there isn't a doubt in my mind on who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I know that at times it may be difficult for whatever reason, but I also know that Kiki is who I want by my side, for better or worse. I've never been surer about anything. Kiki and I were thinking that we wanted to get married in July. Given that it's only the beginning of June, we were thinking that early July would be enjoyable. In fact, we have a prospective date picked out."
"Please tell me it's not the fourth of July." Jason said with a chuckle. "Your mom told me about how Franco had their wedding from hell on Halloween."
Michael shook his head. "No, no, we were actually thinking the ninth of July."
"Excellent." Jason exclaimed. "Now that we have a potential date, it will make planning the affair much simpler."
Kiki's eyes twinkled as she clasped her hands in front of her. "I wholeheartedly agree. I can't wait to start planning."
"And I can't wait to call you mine." Michael said and kissed her temple.
The conversation came to an abrupt halt when a gunshot rang through the ears of the hotel patrons enjoying the restaurant.