1) I don't own General Hospital or any part of Port Charles, its characters, or history. You'd know if I did, cause everything'd be coming up Jarly
2) This story will revisit certain points in GH history, but with a new Jarly spin. Please excuse any timeline mistakes!!
3) This is a Jarly story. All other characters may be written as friend, foe, or fodder.
FYI...I'm using Laura Wright for the description cause I don't know how long this will go and I don't wanna keep changing it lol
~~~JARLY~~~JARLY~~~
Time ticked by at a leisurely pace, the seconds seeming to crawl by as Carly held Jason's hand, waiting for the Doctor to come update them on Michael's condition. Carly was unusually quiet as she tried to rewind her mind back to those early years. Piece by piece, she sorted through the big moments they were about to face. She knew they would agree to Michael's surgery and that he would be fine. What she was stuck on was her previous struggle with postpartum depression. She didn't feel the way she had before, probably because she wasn't who she was before.
"What?" Jason asked suddenly.
Carly's brow furrowed in confusion "Huh?"
Jason laughed quietly, shaking his head as he reached out to smooth the lines on her forehead. "Why are you smiling like that? It's almost your 'I have a plan' smile, but less chaotic and concerning" Jason explained with a smirk.
Carly laughed brightly, a melodic sound that soothed the aching places in Jason's soul. "I was just thinking, and no, not about ruining anybody's life" she teased in response "I was thinking about how I'm gonna focus less on that and more on this" she said, squeezing his hand to make her point. She watched Jason smile a smile that somehow managed to be both hopeful and disbelieving.
Carly was honest with herself. She knew that she would still be a hurricane and, God knows, she'd still have moments where Carly Babes reigned supreme. Looking into those ocean eyes she loved so much, she promised herself that she was gonna do things different this time. Dream, coma, alternate reality... whatever the hell this was, she was gonna see where the road not traveled lead. That was gonna start with never leaving Michael and Jason alone. Never giving Robin that opening to play house with Jason and her son. That pixie was never going to get the chance to dig her claws into Jason as deeply as she did before, Carly was gonna make damn sure of that. But, ya know, in some nicer way that didn't include skinning her alive for the trash Carly knows Robin's capable of. See? Growth!
Jason's cataloguing the emotions and expressions playing across Carly's face, feeling strangely disconnected when he realizes he can't quite read what's going on behind those eyes. He was trying to decide how worried he should be about the little laugh she just let out when the door to her room opened and Michael's Doctor entered.
The conversation that followed terrified Jason, just the thought of the child he'd already come to love having to go through a dangerous procedure on his heart just for the chance to be able to survive, felt like more than he could wrap his mind around.
"Do it" Carly insisted without pause "Do the surgery"
Seeing Jason's pale and frightened face, a look that seemed so foreign on the man she thought of as her personal superhero, Carly squeezed his hand tight. "It'll be ok. He's gonna be ok. Our little boy is a fighter" She promised confidently, neither her voice or her gaze wavering.
Jason lovked eyes with her for a moment, drawing strength and comfort from her level of certainty. Lifting her hands to his lips, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Taking a deep breath against her fingers, he nodded to the Doctor. "Do what you need to do to save our boy"
Forms were passed his way to sign and all Jason could think was how grateful he was that he didn't have to make this choice alone. That he didn't have to go through any of this without Carly.
As the doctors left the room and the waiting game began, Jason and Carly cocooned themselves in her hospital room, discussing baby things and names. A part of Carly cringed when Jason mentioned wanting to name Michael after Sonny, but she swallowed her distaste, promising herself that he'd never become Michael Corinthos Jr. Not this time.
"Jase" Carly began, biting her lip "Do you think I'm doing the wrong thing by not telling AJ about Michael? I mean, this is a big secret that I'm asking you to keep forever..." She trails off uncertainly.
"I know what I'm signing up for" Jason vows earnestly. "I love Michael. AJ is a drunk and the Quartermaines...Carly, I don't want them anywhere near him" He leans closer "Michael is our son"
Remembering how things played out the first time, Carly addresses the issue before it can ever arise, hoping to kill 2 birds with one stone; Jason telling Robin as well Jason and Robin's relationship. "You have to be really sure, Jase. I mean, what if Robin comes back? You're gonna have to tell her that you cheated on her" she takes a deep breath "If we're gonna do this Jason, the only people that can know the truth are you and me. Can you promise me that? Even if it means losing Robin forever?"
Jason takes a deep breath, the memory of his conversation with Robin playing through his head. His promise that he'd never sleep with Carly again. He considers the lingering feelings for Robin that haven't gone away, even in her absence. For a moment, he stutters on his decision, rationalizing that he could just tell Robin cause she'd never betray him. Then he remembers that she has before, when she went to Sonny behind his back. He knows he has to make a choice right now and he's gonna have to stick with it. Michael or Robin. After a moment, he breathes out, not realizing he'd been holding his breath the whole time. "Michael. I choose Michael and our family. I'm his father" he answers with conviction.
"Hell yeah, you are" Carly gives him her most dazzling smile, still bright despite the drugs, worry and exhaustion weighing on her. "And you always will be" she promises them both, knowing everything she's ever known is already changing.