Once at the Quartermaine Mansion, Monica took Charles to her private sitting room and had brought tea up.
"Do you want to talk about what happened with Sonny?" Monica asked.
Charles sighed.
"I still feel horrible for letting him getting under my skin like that," Charles said, "That you had to see that. For whatever reason since I've been back, it's been harder to keep my personal animosity towards Sonny buried. You were right before we got in the car about my reaction being about more than just Sonny's current request."
Charles sipped his tea and thought for a moment before continuing.
"Sonny's never been my favorite person," Charles said, "Back when I first found out Kellie was alive and he was her father, I had my reservations about him. I really hoped my initial instincts were wrong. It never got better with everything I saw in his relationship with Kellie over the years. But he was still Kellie's father and I've never felt it was my place to let my personal feelings get in the way of whatever relationship Kellie wants to have with him. But when he asked me to talk to her about convincing Jason to go prison, I guessed I snapped."
"I can't say I blame you," Monica said, "You've covered your feelings towards Sonny well over the years. For most of the last year while Victor Cassadine was holding you hostage, I'd imagine you maybe got used to not having to worry about maintaining that civility. I think it makes sense that you'd struggle to maintain that demeanor especially with all that I'm sure you learned about what happened between Sonny and Kellie after we thought you died. I only heard rumors and gossip that are probably only a fraction of the real truth. I'm sure hearing even portion of that truth didn't help.
"No, it didn't, Monica," Charles said, "It broke my heart to hear some of what Kellie was willing to tell me about how things had been with Sonny. At one point, she asked me what some of her actions towards Sonny said about her."
"Any particular actions?" Monica asked.
"Let's just say there was a particularly tense confrontation involving Kellie, Sonny, and Jason," Charles said, "It was ugly."
"They all obviously walked away unscathed I take it," Monica said, realizing Charles wasn't comfortable sharing the details.
"They did" Charles said, "It was a confrontation Kellie shouldn't have been involved with. I understand why she was. But it still bothers me that she had to go through that at all. From what Kellie told me it shook her emotionally whether she realizes it or not. It feels like yet another way Sonny has managed to not only disappoint Kellie, but cause her to doubt herself as a person."
"You've had a front row seat for a lot of fallout Sonny's action have had on Kellie, haven't you," Monica replied,
"I guess you could say that," Charles said, "There was so much that impacted her and Tyler's marriage early on. I was Tyler's sounding board for a lot of it. Even when neither them of told me, I could tell. Though luckily once they'd moved to California, the distance kept that to a minimum. When Kellie decided to move back to Port Charles after Tyler's death, I'd hoped that time and growing up on both Kellie and Sonny's parts would have softened the issues between them."
"Except Sonny hasn't changed," Monica said, "Kellie did, but he didn't really. Not in the ways you hoped."
"No, I guess not," Charles said, "I just hope that one day that Kellie won't feel the sting of that so much."
"For what it's worth," Monica said, "I don't think the things Sonny does gets to Kellie as much as it used to. Olivia and I had a conversation not too long ago about how things had quieted down quite a bit between Kellie and Sonny, this latest fiasco aside. Although, the rift between them that started in Nixon falls never healed.
"It didn't," Charles said, "Kellie told me that she's civil with Sonny if they do cross paths, but she doesn't seem to be inclined to seek him out."
"Maybe she's found what works for her with Sonny," Monica said, "I know it sounds tragic. But if it gives Kellie whatever peace of minds she needs, she won't twist herself in knots when Sonny does disappoint her or trying to keep Sonny from disappointing her."
"You might be on to something," Charles said, "I guess just hoped that Kellie would be able to work things out on some level with her father. I wanted to be wrong about Sonny."
"Of course you did," Monica said.
"Still I shouldn't have lost my temper like that," Charles said.
"I think you're being too hard on yourself," Monica said, "Sonny was way out of line to even ask you to speak to Kellie on his behalf. More so, given he wanted her to implode her own life, her marriage. As far as I'm concerned, Sonny had it coming."
Charles looked at Monica slightly stunned, but also couldn't hold back a laugh. It was as if something about what Monica said allowed the tension Charles had been holding to defuse.
"My apologies, Monica," Charles said, "I didn't mean to laugh. When you put it that way about Sonny wanting to ask Kellie to upend her life, the utter ridiculousness of the situation hit me. Not to mention the situation also involves your son being asked to go to prison for something he didn't do essentially. I haven't even considered your feelings about this."
"I'm angry at Sonny but that's nothing new," Monica said, "I'm more relieved Jason is putting himself and his family first."
Charles nodded and he and Monica sat in a comfortable silence, sipping their tea until they were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Monica, dinner will be ready in 10 minutes," Brooklynn's voice said.
"We'll be down in the minute," Monica answered, setting her tea cup down, before starting to stand.
"We?" Brooklynn replied, opening the door, her curiosity getting the better, "Oh, Hi Charles. Nice to see you around here again.
"Hello Brooklyn," Charles said.
"Way to go, Monica," Brooklyn said, shutting the door before Monica could reply.
Monica shook her head.
"Shall we head downstairs for dinner?" Charles asked, standing up, "And the usual Quartermaine mayhem?"
"You can still back out of this," Monica said
"Wouldn't dream of it," Charles said, as they locked arms and went downstairs.