Lulu's POV

After I dropped Rocco off at practice I drove back to Johnny's penthouse apartment, I walked into the elevator enjoying the October chill on my skin. Halloween wasn't my favorite holiday but I did enjoy the cooler weather and seeing the kids get dressed up. When I walked into the apartment I saw Johnny and Charlotte sitting on the couch immersed in conversation.

"Okay, I'm loving this." I looked over at my daughter and my boyfriend, with a big smile.

"And we love you!" Charlotte smiles back, just as cheerful.

"I'm just glad you two are on the same page, Rocco might be another story. Rocco says that he's happy for me but, what Rocco says and what Rocco does are two different stories." Lulu breathed a sigh of relief but, was still anxious about her son's reaction.

"Whatever happens, everything will be okay. I promise." Johnny rose from the couch, squeezing her hand.

"I hate to say it but, Dante and Sam kind of made Rocco into a spoiled brat. I'm not saying this for sure but, I think Rocco was telling you what you wanted to hear. Dante likes to fill his head with things that aren't true. I wouldn't trust a thing Dante told you, actions speak louder than words." It was hard for Charlotte to keep faith.

"Dante's always spoiled him, I'm not going to believe it until Rocco actually meets Johnny. Did you want to go Halloween shopping?" Lulu didn't want to focus on the negative right now.

"YES! We're having a Halloween dance at school!! Did Aunt Maxie tell you?" Charlotte claps her hands together the subject of her brother, forgotten.

"A little birdie told me, I want to make an effort to celebrate the holidays from now on. The colder months are my favorite times of the year. Do you want to come?" I turned to Johnny.

"I'll give you two time to catch up, thank you for including me. I'll catch you two next time, I promise." Johnny easily smiled, knowing Charlotte needed some time with her mom. Johnny wouldn't get in the way of that.

"Thank you, you're sweet." Lulu gives him one kiss, before pulling away.

"That gives us the opportunity to get your costume." Charlotte smirked, earning a high five from Lulu.

"Yes! I didn't even think about that!" Lulu gasped, Johnny just shook his head.

"Great, now there are two of you." Johnny couldn't keep the smile from his face, despite the situation.

"You'll live." Lulu smirked, grabbing her purse.

"Take my card, get whatever you guys want." Johnny handed Lulu his card, knowing that all of the money was still there know that he was a free man.

"Thank you, you don't have to but...thank you." Lulu chuckled, taking his card and putting his card in her wallet.

"Lulu, you know I've got money." Johnny knew he had to get back into the game before someone attacked him.

"You've got business to attend to, I know. Be careful." Lulu smiled knowingly, giving him another kiss.

"I always am." He smirked at her, opening the door for the girls.

"You two be careful. Call me when you two are done, we'll get something to eat." Johnny nodded at Lulu.

"Okay, I will. I love you." Lulu didn't even have to think about her statement, she did love him. She always had. Charlotte looked on at them with admiration, she could only hope to find a love like that one day. Charlotte and Lulu went out to the car And drove into the city, towards the mall.

Johnny's POV

Before I delved into getting back into the business I decided to go get some groceries, after I'd gotten everything I spotted some familiar faces...I tried not to make a face.

"Sonny." I nodded, clearing my throat.

"Johnny. I've actually been meaning to come and talk to you. Do you have a minute?" Sonny and Johnny stood a good distance from each other.

"About business?" Johnny raised a brow.

"Yeah. Unless, you're not in it anymore." Sonny bit back a chuckle.

"Sonny, I think you know me better than that. Listen, if your adamant about talking to me you could come back to the penthouse and we could talk. I have groceries to put away." Johnny was trying his best to be civil.

"Okay." Sonny and Johnny rode in silence back to the penthouse and awkwardly put the groceries away.

"I'm tired." Sonny clears his throat.

"Take a nap??" Johnny asked, giving Sonny a look.

"Would you stop being a smart ass for once in your life and listen to me?" Sonny groaned, exasperated.

"A little hard to be serious when you're barely talking." Johnny shrugged.

"I mean I'm tired of this. You and me trying to kill each other, our loved ones worried that one of us is going to end up dead. What happened with Claudia is something we'll never agree on but, I actually have never wanted to kill you. I thought I did but, I've had time to reflect. I'd much rather kill Julian." Sonny had an all out war with the Jerome's raging on.

"I'm tired of it, too. Looking back Claudia knew what she was getting herself into, I'm sorry that my sister- mother, whatever she was to me...I'm sorry she got your son shot. I'm willing to help you and...Morgan out. By the way, where the hell is Jason?" Johnny felt like he was in the Twilight zone back in Port Charles at times.

"Thank you, I appreciate your apology. We really need it, my youngest son Morgan has joined Julian and Ava and that's given the Jerome's an advantage. Jason's been trying to keep a low profile because of Sam." Sonny frowned, this left Johnny with even more questions.

"What? Isn't Sam Jason's wife? I am so confused." Johnny shakes his head.

"Yeah... Sam's engaged to Dante and pregnant with his child. It's a whole...big mess." Sonny sighed, he often worried about his best friend.

"Wait. What? Oh...when Charlotte was mentioning Dante and Sam earlier...that's what she meant. I didn't make the connection that they were a thing, I'm dumb." Johnny finally put the pieces together.

"I would have never thought my son and my ex would get together, God we live in a God damned soap opera." Sonny mutters.

Lulu's POV

"I see how happy he makes you, mom." Charlotte turns down the radio.

"Oh, yeah?" I smiled, turning into the parking lot.

"Johnny told me that he's loved you for fifteen years, and I can see it. The way you two are with each other...I've never seen anything like it. I hope someone loves me like that one day." Charlotte smirks, catching a blush spread across her mom's face.

"It was always Johnny, it's always going to be Johnny. I'm glad that you two have formed a bond." It warmed Lulu's heart to see her daughter and Johnny forming a relationship.

"He gets me, you know? I know that you put me first but, a lot of people treat me differently and think I'm weird. While you were missing in action, I felt completely lost. Mom, I just wanted to stay with Aunt Maxie and Uncle Nathan. Maybe you didn't notice it but, Dante just felt obligated. I don't feel like he really cares about me. I've always felt that way." Charlotte decided to take Johnny's advice about telling her mom about how she felt.

"Yeah, Johnny's very much felt exactly what your feeling. Johnny had a rough life, his mom was killed right in front of him when he was only seven...by his father. I know how people treat you and I wish I could make everyone see how beautiful and amazing you are but, you can't change how people are. The only thing you can control is how you react to it. I used to care way too much about everything people thought about me but, them I realized that there was no point in crying over split milk so to speak. If I'd been awake and on the go you wouldn't have had to go through Valentin's death the way you did. Hell, sometimes I didn't feel like Dante even liked me. Dante really changed from the person he used to be, I shouldn't have went back to him after he and Valerie slept together. Being different than everyone else is better, we get all the good medicine and personality." Lulu didn't want her daughter to get down on herself.

"I hope when I get older I can be as confident about life as you are, mom. Mom- the best medicine?" Charlotte was going to say more but, she cackled at her mother's comment.

"Hey, it's true. Zoloft works wonders." Maxie Jones-West smirked over at Charlotte walking over to her window, Lulu and Maxie always shopped for costumes together. Georgie Spinelli (who was now 12) and James West (who was 6) were in tow.

"Nathan decide to skip out this year?" Lulu smirked.

"Oh, he wishes! Nathan's reparking the car because apparently I can't parallel park. Who knew?" Maxie shrugged as the two got out of the car.

"Johnny said we can get whatever we want so I'm not holding back." Charlotte warned her mom.

"Oh, he did?" Nathan West raised a brow, knowing where that money came from.

"Play nice or no pookie." Maxie called after her husband.

"What's pookie?" Georgie asked Charlotte.

"Sex." Charlotte smirked, earning a swat on the arm from Maxie.

"Char! My baby doesn't need to know about the horrers!" Maxie covers Georgie's ears.

"Mom, I know what sex is!" Georgie wriggles out of her mom's grip.

"I know you think you do but, you really don't!" Maxie argued.

"Oh, I should have grabbed Rocco. My bad." Lulu winced.

"Yeah, maybe it's time to remember you have another kid." Nathan mutters to himself.

"I'm sorry, do you have a problem with my daughter? Because your acting like you do. Why are you being a dick to me? This isn't how I remember you." Lulu turned on Nathan, going on full protective mode.

"Nathan, cut it out! Now!" Maxie snapped, giving him the evil eye.

"Your the one playing house with a criminal." Nathan shrugged.

"Your best friend fumbled me, it's not my fault Johnny is the love of my life. Johnny has embraced my daughter which is more than I can say for Dante. The only thing Dante's done is shack up with Sam and let Rocco become spoiled. I'm not going to stand here and act like what you're saying is okay in any universe." Lulu wasn't one to go down without a fight when she was being disrespected.

"You know what? Just go home!" Maxie yelled, agitated.

'You heard her, Lulu." Nathan smirked, crossing his arms.

"I wasn't talking to her, Nathan!" Maxie spay at him, pointing to their car. "The kids and I will get a ride back with Lulu, nobody wants your nasty attitude. Your entitled to your own opinion but, there are children present! I don't know why you're being mean to Charlotte, maybe Dante has some place for you to stay tonight!"