Carly: "How’s Sonny?" (she turns to face Jason)
Jason: "He’s better. He’s upstairs." (He gestures toward the stairs)
Carly: "Okay, then. I’ll be quiet."
Jason: "You didn’t . . .you didn’t come here to check on Sonny."
Carly: "Um . . . okay, I probably should have told you this, a long time ago. But, I came and you were gone…, so you know, Sonny was…"
Jason: "What? What, Carly, what is it?"
Carly: (walks over to the desk) "I had to get Michael out of that rose garden, you know? He was looking for you, I could tell he was, and I was afraid he was gonna start screaming ‘Da-da, Da-Da, Da-Da’. See, there was this big party there; they were acting like there was something to celebrate." (chuckles) "You know? In the rose garden, of course, not in the main house, not in the pool." (pauses) "I’ve never seen A.J. so happy in my entire li…"
Jason: "Carly, just tell me. Just tell me what it is."
Carly: (turns to face him) "Okay, um….A.J. decided to change Michael’s name to Quartermaine. Michael Alan Quartermaine."
Jason: (pauses, looking at her) "Now Michael knows who he is."
Carly: "Don’t do that. Jase, don’t pretend like the last year never happened."
Next scene: Jason and Carly are sitting on the sofa in Sonny’s penthouse.
Jason: "Last night I woke up a little past midnight. I heard …I heard Michael crying for me. I was halfway to his old room before I realized . . . I can’t be his family any more. I don’t want him to remember last year, I…I don’t want him to remember me." (turns to look at Carly)
Carly: "Yeah. That is why you left, isn’t it? To protect him, to protect me, right?"
Jason: (nods and whispers) "Yeah."
Carly: "Okay. I understand that now, I really do. You didn’t want to hurt us and,… I know that if you hadn’t come back…I don’t know, Jase, I just get scared, man, and I do stupid things."
Jason: (small smile) "Yeah, no kidding."
Carly: (laughs) "But it’s always for you. I mean, it’s always for us, even now. Look at us: you left to protect Michael and I married somebody else so I could be with you. Kind of makes sense doesn’t it? And, except for Michael, you’re the most important person in my whole life. You’re the only one who’s never lied to me. You’re the only one who doesn’t want to change me into something, anything. (Jason looks at her, intensely) I can just be my self with you.
(Carly moves her hand to the side of Jason’s face, and he leans into it, closing his eyes)
Next scene: They are still in Sonny’s penthouse on the sofa.
Jason: "You know, when you showed up that night, it was raining. You were so scared. You needed me. You asked me to take care of Michael, and that’s…that’s when my life started. A life I thought I could never have, more than anything I could ever imagine." (pauses) "It was all because of you. It’s true, Carly, you are a lot of trouble." (she laughs) "You make things more complicated than they are, but… you showed me new things. You gave me a year and a half that no one can take away. Nothing will change that."
Carly: "You’re dumping me, right? You’re dumping me."
Jason: "Carly, c’mon, you’re married to somebody else."
Carly: "I don’t care."
Jason: "Well, you…you have to sneak around. You lie to A.J., you lie to Michael…"
Carly: "I don’t lie to Michael."
Jason: "Well, you will if…" (he starts to say something, but stops himself) "If things stay the way they are. Even A.J.’s gonna catch on."
Carly: "I can take care of A.J."
Jason: "I can’t do it, Carly. I can’t turn around and wonder if you’re gonna be there. Here…, at the warehouse, with no warning."
Carly: "Aren’t you ever glad to see me?"
Jason: (looks in her eyes) "Yes. But, then I have to let you go again. Until you show up the next time. Then, I have to let you go all over again. I can’t…I can’t do it." (he gets up and walks over to the mantle)
Carly: (rises) "Well, we’ll work something out. I can call before I come, I can send you smoke signals…"
Jason: "Carly. Don’t come up with any more plans"
Carly: (pauses) "I’d do anything to be with you."
Jason: (looks at her steadily) "Will you leave A.J.?"
Carly: (nods emphatically without hesitation)
Jason: (pauses) "Will you drag Michael through another custody fight?"
Next scene: Jason is walking to the other side of the penthouse
Carly: "Jason?"
(He turns to look at her as she closes the distance between them)
Carly: "I love you, and -- I know you hate it when I say that….I know it doesn’t mean the same thing to you as it does to me but...I know that – I know that you love me too.
Jason: (stares at her)
Carly: "And I’ll always love you." (she looks away, breaking into tears)
Jason: (reaches out and grabs her shoulder) "Hey. Hey"
(Jason pulls her closer to him, cups her face in his hands, and brushes her hair behind her ears. He brushes her tears away with his thumbs, and they look into each other’s eyes. He pulls her face close to his, and for a second, it looks as though they will kiss. Suddenly, they both catch themselves, and enter into a deep hug)
Carly: (crying softly) "Oh, God. I love you."
(They pull away, and Carly wipes the tears from her eyes)
Carly: "I’m sorry."
Jason: "It’s okay. You have to go home?"
Carly: (nods)
(Carly retrieves her purse from the desk, they link hands and walk to the door. As they pass Johnny, still holding hands, Carly pushes the elevator button. They stand looking at each other for a beat.)
Carly: "Aren’t you gonna give me any money for a cab?"
(Jason allows a small smile to cross his face. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the money. He holds out his hand for hers, and when she extends it, he places the money in her hand, encloses it in his own, brings it to his lips, and softly kisses it. He looks up into her eyes. Not able to contain herself, she moves closer to him for a kiss, but pulls herself away once again. They press their foreheads together in another embrace. Suddenly, the elevator doors open and A.J. steps out. Jason sees him first, and places a protective arm on Carly’s.)
