Chapter 27

Robin didn't believe a word that Carly said.  "Jason had the guards follow you?  
On a date?  Yeah, right."

"Believe it.  Jason worries so over me."  Carly grinned.

"So what?  It doesn't mean a thing."

"Maybe not to you but to me and Jase…" Carly trailed off.

Robin folded her arms.  "Carly, we are not going to go back and forth over who 
Jason likes best."

"Because we all know the answer to that."  Carly mumbled under her breath.

Robin rolled her eyes.  "Anyway, all I want to know is if you are finally going 
to grow up and stop stalking Jason and using Michael."

"Grow up?  Me grow up?  That's cute coming from you, little girl." Carly 
sneered.

"I'm not here to listen to your snide comments and insults."

"Then you better leave cause that's all you are going to be hearing. And I have 
never 'stalked' Jason and I don't ever use Michael, ever."

"Have you forgotten about how you used Michael to hold on to Tony?"

"I am not going to discuss my relationship with Tony with someone who forgives a 
man for almost killing her and stealing my son.  And so I repeat I have never 
used Michael and I have never used to him to get Jason.  I have my own charms.  
Something else you lack."

"Don't try and fool me Carly.  I see the way you dangle that child in front of 
Jason, like Michael was a carrot and Jason was a tired mule. Without Michael, 
Jason would have nothing to do with you."

"Oh, because you would tell him not to?  News flash, Jason has his own mind and 
it would be a very, very, very cold day in hell before he lets anyone tell him 
what to do, even you."

"Carly, you keep living your dream world.  But you know it's the truth. Jason 
has no feelings for you!  He only cares about Michael; you're nothing to him! He 
thinks you're a liar, a no good slut and if he could he'd just take Michael away 
from you."  Robin lied. She knew exactly how Jason felt about Carly.  How he 
considered her his best friend and that hurt.

"Oh, the kitten has claws." Carly smirked.   "Better sharpen them a little more 
if you want to tangle with me.  I'm going easy on ya today but I can get down 
and dirty."

Robin switched tactics. "I just want you to leave us alone so we can live in 
peace.  Keep your child away from him.  You keep going back and forth. This week 
Jason can see him, this week he can't.  Do you know how that affects Jason?  He 
still loves that child as if he were his own."

"I know exactly how Jason feels about Michael and I have never played around 
with his feelings and I have never denied him the right to see Michael.  If he 
didn't see Michael for a week or so, that's because he didn't have the time or 
he didn't pick up the phone to ask me."

"Whatever."  Robin said lamely. "It'll just be better for all of us if you and 
Michael would just stay out of our lives."

Bored, Carly checked her watch.  "Robin, I don't have time to stand here and go 
back and forth with you because frankly you are not worth it.  I'll just tell 
you how it is.  I know that you're jealous because I gave Jason the child that 
you could never give him. Ever."

Robin started to open her mouth to object but Carly silenced her. "Shut up.  I'm 
not done. I'm not knocking on your being HIV positive, I'm just stating a fact.  
However I do know that when I got out of that nuthouse I was forced into because 
you helped the man who stole my son, you were so scared that I was going to come 
in and bust up the little family you made with my child. And because you knew I 
would never let you have Michael you decided that if you can't have him then me 
and Jason couldn't either. Robin, I know you were the one who told Keesha about 
Michael's true paternity."

Robin spoke up and didn't let the glare in Carly's eyes stop her. "I did no such 
thing. AJ and Keesha found out because you were stupid enough to believe you 
could get away with it but you didn't."

Carly curled her hands into fists and pressed them into her side. "Didn't I tell 
you to shut your damn mouth?  Now don't smirk at me and act like you didn't 
because I know you told her!  But your plan backfired because I still have my 
son and the only person you managed to hurt was Jason, who loves that little boy 
a hell of a lot more than he does you!  Now what do you think he'd say if he 
learned that you were the one that made it possible for the Qs to get their 
hands on Michael?  That you were the one who took his son away from him?"

"Carly, even if you told him this he would never believe you."

"That's what you hope will happen but who knows?  He just might believe me after 
all.  But don't worry little Robin, I'm not going to tell him.  Not just yet 
anyway.  It's not my secret to tell."  Carly said snidely. "And you better be 
glad we're in the middle of Kelly's and not outside. I know how much Ruby hates 
having to clean up blood."  

~~~~~

Carly stormed out of the elevator and walked up to Renaldo who was on door duty 
that day.  "Is he in?"  She snapped.  Now was not the time for pleasantries. 

Renaldo regretfully shook his head now.  "Sorry Miss Spencer.  Mr. Morgan had to 
go out of town for a few days."

With a surge of willpower, Carly kept herself from screaming at Renaldo. "When 
will he be back?"

"I can't tell you that Miss Spencer. I can give him a message if you like."

Carly had to bite her lip.  She tried to regain her composure but lost the 
battle.  "Oh, the hell with it."  She muttered.  

Carly advanced on Renaldo, poking him in his chest, her nostrils flaring, 
knowing he would do nothing.  "You tell *Mr. Morgan* that he had better call off 
his lap dog or at least put a leash on her or the next time we met up she would 
be so lucky.  And tell him to tell her to say out of my relationship with my 
son, my relationship with him, and my love life!  God help me if I have to 
listen to one of her smirking 'I'm so perfect and you're nothing but garbage' 
sermons one more time.  No make that God help her.  The Port Charles River can 
always hold one more body. You get all that that Renaldo?  Do you need me to 
write it down?  Huh?" 

Renaldo nodded.  He knew that the confrontation between the boss's girl and the 
boss's side-piece had to be bad to get her all riled up.  Carly whirled around 
and walked over to the elevator.  Luckily one was coming up.  Just as Carly was 
stepping in she heard Renaldo say, "It might be better if you give him the 
message yourself, Miss Spencer, he'll be back on Friday afternoon."

Carly called out before the doors closed.  "You give him the message but tell 
him to expect me, and Scorpio better not be there."

~~~~~

Friday Afternoon

Carly showed up at the penthouse and saw that Renaldo had door duty again. She 
walked over to him.  "Stuck with door duty again." She noted.

Renaldo noticed she was a lot calmer than she was on Wednesday and for that he 
was glad.  He nodded.  "Mr. Morgan is in and he is expecting you. And Miss 
Scorpio is out."  He quickly added.

"Good."  Carly was satisfied that she didn't have to set eyes on that chick. 

Renaldo knocked on the door and announced her.  "Miss Spencer."

Carly strolled in as if she owned the penthouse, a technique she had learned 
from her dear Uncle Luke. Jason was leaning against the dining table, waiting on 
her.  Carly barely spared him a glance before sitting down on the large couch.  
Jason immediately followed her over and stood over her with his hands on his 
waist.  She guessed he was trying to intimidate her, it wasn't working. 

"We have to make this quick.  Michael is over with Mike and I have to pick him 
up soon."

"You wanted to see me Carly?  Something about a lap dog and the Port Charles 
River."

Carly didn't look up.  She said calmly.  "Don't even try to lay in on me about 
insulting or threatening her.  She's lucky I was too bored to actually get 
physical with her."

"What is it now?"  Jason sat down on the coffee table in front of her.

"Don't sit on the table, it's not a chair.  And I'm here to say that I am sick 
and tired of Perfect Precious Miss Robin Scorpio."

Jason rubbed his temple.  "You're always sick and tired of her, Carly. Tell me 
something new."

"Here's something new.  I don't want to deal with her anymore. You tell her to 
stay out of my face and out of my life.  Nothing I do is any of her business.  I 
don't have a connection with her, I have a connection with you."

"Robin told me how you attacked her in…"

Carly surged out of her seat.  "She said what?  And you believed her?"

"No, I would rather hear your side of the story."

"So you can play judge?"  Carly snorted.  "If you need to know what happened.  I 
was on a lunch date at Kelly's…"

Jason interrupted.  "You were on a date?"

Carly shrugged.  "Yeah, with Marcus.  Sorry I didn't let you know. You could 
have set the guards after us like last time.  Oh, don't look so shocked.  I 
figured it out kinda easily."

"I told them you weren't stupid. Are you mad?"  He had only done it to protect 
her.

Carly waved a hand to dismiss his concerns. "At first I was ready to kill you 
however as I thought on it, it seemed sort of sweet.  You were just protecting 
me.  But just don't do it again or I will kill you."

Jason nodded.  The next time he did, he would use guys she didn't know.

"So to get on with the story.  Marcus had left, I went to pay and she showed up.  
I ignored her, Jase, I did, but she wouldn't stop bugging me. So what could I 
do?  And the things she was saying, did she tell you any of what she said?"

Jason shook his head and Carly continued.  "Of course not, then you wouldn't be 
leaping to her defense all the time.  But she doesn't need defending, she can 
take care of herself."  Carly didn't even bother telling him how Robin talked 
about him like he was easily lead around.

"Carly, are you just going to go on and on about this?"

"No."  Carly stood.  "I just thought you'd like to know that according to her, 
you only deal with me because of Michael and that if I hadn't gotten pregnant 
with him, we wouldn't have any relationship at all."

"Well, she's wrong."

"Duh.  We were friends before I even thought about being pregnant. I was your 
friend all during the time when you were mooning over that little twit who left 
you because she couldn't handle the 'business'. You let me stay with you before 
Michael was even a real person to you.  Our friendship is separate from 
Michael."

Jason nodded. "I know all that, Carly, why are we even rehashing all of this?"

"Because I want you to explain to that…that child that there is more to us than 
sex and Michael.  That I now know that what we had is over and done with, that I 
would never use Michael to influence you in any way. I love my son too much to 
ever do that to him and you. Tell her this because I sick of her in my face and 
like I said, I won't be as in control the next time the elf sticks her nose 
where it doesn't belong."

Jason sighed wearily.  "Carly, I…"

Carly threw her hands up in the air.  "Are you scared of her? What kind of power 
does she have over you that you can't even talk back to her?"

Jason didn't even want to go into the fights he and Robin had gotten into 
lately, most over Carly and Michael.  "I am not scared of her. But if you have 
something you want said to her, why don't you…"

"Because she doesn't *listen* to me when I talk to her.  She gets this glazed 
over look on her face whenever I open my mouth and then she starts to look down 
her nose at me like I'm dirt and my opinion doesn't count.  Do you know how hard 
it is to get someone to understand your point of view when all they do is sneer 
at you?"

"Carly you do the same thing."

"Because it gets done to me. You know what, I have had enough of this going 
around in circles thing with you and her and me.  This whole thing is over."  
Carly started to walk to the door.  Jason followed her.

"What's over?"

"You and me, our friendship or whatever it is.  I don't have the time or the 
energy to keep playing tug-or-war with Robin over you.  She wants all of you, 
she can all of you.  I told you before it was time for me to move on.  I meant 
it romantically then but now… we just can't be friends anymore, Jase.  This 
isn't going work.  You and me sneaking around so the Perfect Princess of Port 
Charles doesn't get upset, her accusing me of using Michael to keep a hold on 
you, it's all got to stop." Carly reached for the door.

"You are not going to bail on me just because of an argument with Robin, are 
you?"  Jason grabbed her by the arm.  "What about Michael?"

Carly laughed and turned to face him.  "So was she right?  Is Michael the only 
reason you have any thing to do with me?"

"You know that's not true so don't even pretend it is."  Jason couldn't lose 
Carly.  He knew that he needed her in his life as much as she needed him.  

Carly shrugged.  "Okay so I know it's not true but Jase, I am getting so tired 
of it all.  I know you don't want to choose between Robin and me because Robin 
is your 'true love' so I'll choose for you. And I choose my sanity.  I'll end up 
back in Ferncliff if I let this continue."

"Carly you are just overreacting.  Everything will be fine."

Carly sighed and ran a hand down the side of Jason's face. "Jason, sometimes you 
can be so delusional.  Remember how you thought we could all live in together 
here?  Just a regular family, you, Michael, Robin, and me, some family.  Thank 
god we didn't have to find out if we could because I knew we couldn't, Robin 
knew we couldn't and I'm pretty sure Michael knew we couldn't.  Jase, you're 
always trying to have your cake and eat it too, it's just an expression," she 
quickly added when she noticed the look on his face, "it just means that you 
always try to have things your way and this time you can't." 

Carly pulled away and started to open the door when Jason slammed it shut. "You 
are not leaving here, Carly, until this is settled."

~~~~~

Emily fidgeted in her seat once more and checked her watch again. Gail Baldwin, 
who was writing on her notepad said, without looking up, "Just a few more 
minutes and our session will be over, Emily."

Emily wanted to glare at her but she kept herself in check.  She was anxious to 
have the session over and done with.  She couldn't wait to see Nikolas.  That 
morning she had woke with a huge smile on her face as she realized that it was 
finally Friday. In just a few minutes she would get to see Nikolas again. 

It seemed to Emily that Dr. Baldwin had avoided the topic of Nikolas and the 
experiment on purpose. They had talked about almost everything under the sun: 
her relationship with Tino, her relationship with her family, even Alan's 
progress in rehab and her own progress.  But not one word about Nik or the 
experiment.

Finally Gail took off her reading glasses and folded her hands on her desk. Gail 
smiled at Emily.  "Okay, now our session is over."

Emily let out a breath of relief.  "If that's all, Dr. Baldwin. See ya 
Wednesday!" Emily shot out of her seat and was at the door when Dr. Baldwin's 
voice stopped her.  "Emily, I just need one more thing."

I just knew it was too good to be true, she thought.  Emily turned around. 
"Sure."

"I know that Nikolas is probably waiting out there for you, just as anxious as 
you are.  I just want to speak with you two for a few minutes."

Crestfallen, Emily frowned and nodded.  Gail noticed the look on her face and 
decided that the talk could wait until next week.  "Never mind, Emily. I can 
talk with you two next week instead."

Emily immediately brightened.  "Great.  Oh, thank you Dr. Baldwin!" Emily slowly 
opened the door and stepped out.  She was hoping that Nikolas would be right 
outside the door and not in the waiting area.  She had to see him now.  She 
looked to the right and he wasn't there.  Then she turned her head to the left 
and there he was.  Nikolas. A small smile came touched her lips.

Nikolas had been leaning against the office wall for the past 15 minutes. He had 
been waiting in the waiting area but after getting up every five minutes and 
walking around and fidgeting he knew he wanted to be close to Emily so he came 
and stood outside Dr. Baldwin's office.  He heard the door open and he looked up 
and he saw the way Emily had tentatively stuck her head out.  He knew she was 
looking for him but he didn't say a word.  He just drank in the sight of her.  
It's been too long.  

"Emily."  He said quietly.

"Nikolas."  She also said quietly.  She took a small step towards him then 
stopped. 

Nikolas wondered why she stopped. He decided to go to her if she couldn't come 
to him.  He slowly walked over to her and as soon as he got close enough he 
pulled her into a quick kiss on the cheek and a tight hug.

"Em, I have missed you so much."  He said.  His words slightly muffled by the 
fact that his face was buried in her hair.

"Me too, Nicky, me too." She wrapped her arms around him.

"God, I even missed hearing you call me that."  Nikolas laughed. "I hope we 
never have to do this ever again."

Emily pulled back slightly to give herself a little breathing room.  "I think I 
would die if I had to do this again."

Nikolas reluctantly let her leave his embrace.  If it were up to him, he would 
never let her go.  "Not you, Em, you survived it this time, you could do it 
again."

Emily shrugged.  "Maybe."  Then she laughed.  "It's just so good to see you."

Nikolas smiled.  "You look different to me."

"Nik, we were only apart for two weeks!"  Emily exclaimed.

"It felt like forever."  Nikolas pulled her in for another hug. He couldn't help 
himself. This time he was the first one to pull away.

"I know what you mean."  Emily couldn't help but smile.

"I thought about you and worried about you everyday."  Nikolas confessed.

"I know you did.  Your 'spies' told me everything."

"I'm sorry about that, it was just that…"

"Nik, I understood.  And I thought about you all the time also."

Even when you were Tino? Nikolas thought but then pushed it out of his head.  
"Did you?"

Emily held up a hand.  "I swear.  And I wore your medallion everyday.  I never 
took it out.  Would you, would you like it back now?"  Emily raised her hands to 
her neck.  Nikolas placed his hands over hers to stop her.

"No, I want you to have it just a little bit longer."  He smiled at her. He 
brushed the hair out her eyes and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "How 
about we get out of here?"

"My thoughts exactly."  They started walking towards the elevator. Nik reached 
down and grabbed her hand and they walked hand in hand. "What are we going to do 
today?"

Nikolas pretended confusion.  "You know what we always do.  Drive around, talk 
about your session, maybe pick up a video or go to the movies, you know, the 
usual."

"What?  We haven't seen each other in two weeks and you want to do that?" Emily 
was shocked her. 

Nikolas started to laugh and that's when Emily realized that he had been messing 
with her.  She hit him on the shoulder.  "Don't do that." She said.  "I thought 
you were serious." She tried to sound mad but she had a small smile on her face.

"Okay seriously, I thought we could go somewhere, just the two of us, and maybe 
have dinner and find out what the other has been doing for the past two weeks."

"So that means we are not going Spoon Island or my house." 

Nikolas shook his head.  "No, I just want to concentrate on you and only you and 
not be interrupted by our loving but slightly deranged families."

"I would like that too."  Emily smiled at him.  She was going to press the 
button for the elevator but it arrived just as she went to do it. The doors 
opened to reveal Tino. He was as surprised to see her standing there, as she was 
to see him.

"Emily, hey." He said with a smile and stepped forward.  Emily leaned in without 
thinking about Nik's reaction and she accepted Tino's kiss on the cheek.

"What are you doing here?"  She asked.

"I had to come meet with Dr. B about something.  I see your experiment is over."  
He gave Nikolas a little wave.  "Hey, Nik."

Nikolas, who had stiffened when Tino kissed Em, tightened his grip on Emily's 
hand and said. "It's Nikolas."

"Yeah, yeah, I forgot."  Tino smirked.  It was clear to Nik that he hadn't 
forgotten at all. "So off to do something special, I guess."

"Something like that."  Nikolas said coldly.

Tino nodded.  Emily looked from Nik to Tino and back.  She sighed inwardly. Were 
they going to start acting like macho idiots just because they didn't like each 
other? She tugged on Nik's hand. "Maybe we should get going, Nikolas?  We have a 
lot of catching up to do."

"Leaving already?"  Tino playfully frowned.  "Oh, well.  I'll see you tomorrow, 
chica? Remember, don't make any plans.  And don't forget to call me tonight."

Emily glanced at Nikolas who was glaring at Tino.  "I'll try.  Who knows what 
time I'll get home."  She shrugged.

"Or if she even gets home."  Nikolas added.  Emily wanted to smack him, instead 
she just stepped into the elevator and pulled him after her.

"Later, Tino."

"Adios, chica.  Bye, Nik."  The elevator doors closed on Tino's smiling face.