It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly
You won’t give up on me
And I shall believe
I shall believe
And I shall believe
— Sheryl Crow, I Shall Believe
Carly nervously took a step back. “Sonny.”
“I never will what, Carly?” Sonny demanded, taking another step closer to her.
Immediately, Ned stepped in front of Carly, feeling guilty for having brought it up. He’d sworn to Alexis that he’d keep Carly’s secret in return for her cooperation and because he’d felt the need to know Carly’s business…well, he felt responsible. “Don’t worry about it, Corinthos. Carly and I were just talking.”
Carly, feeling strangely grateful to Ned Ashton, took a deep breath and stepped around him. “Thanks, Ned. But I think that Sonny and I need…we need to talk.”
“Are you sure?” Ned asked.
Carly nodded, reluctantly. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, Carly,” Ned apologized.
“Me, too.” Carly turned back to her husband. “Mandy and Drew are being tested. We can talk about this at home.”
“We’ll talk about this now!” Sonny said, his face turning red with anger.
“No,” Carly said firmly. “We’ll talk about this at home.” She turned to Ned. “Can I leave Mandy and Drew with you and Alexis?”
“You will not leave my children–”
“They’re my children, too,” Carly said, glaring at Sonny. “And if I want them to meet Christina, they will.”
“Carly–”
“Drop it, Sonny,” Carly said. “Besides…I don’t want them anywhere near the penthouse when we have this discussion.”
Lu pushed open the door to her brother’s apartment and turned to Michael. “You ready for this? Because I think he’s gonna be a little tough to handle.”
Michael shrugged. “Can you blame him? His girlfriend just dumped him.”
Before Lu reached Lucky’s bedroom door, she stopped and pulled Michael to the kitchen. “You cannot under any circumstances tell him about what happened at Jason and Liz’s house.”
“Why would I tell him that?” Michael asked, bewildered. “And what does that have to do with anything?”
Lu chewed her lip for a few seconds before saying, “I think he still has feelings for Liz and I don’t want him knowing they’re having trouble.”
“All right,” Michael agreed. “I’m glad Em got out of this situation though–she’s better off.”
“I think so, too.” Lu jerked her heads towards the door. “Come on.”
Lu knocked on Lucky’s door. “Lucky?”
“Lulu, I don’t really feel like visitors today. Can you come back later?” Lucky called.
“I heard what happened,” Lu said. “Missy….you remember my friend Missy, the tall redhead? She works at the Grille. Let me in, Lucky. We can talk about this.”
“Nah. I think I’ll just stay in here for a while.”
“Lucky, don’t make me send Mom in here!” Lu called.
“You didn’t bring her did you?” Lucky asked after a pause.
“No. But she’s just a cell phone call away!”
A few seconds later, the bedroom door was jerked open. “Lulu, can’t–”
“Lu,” she cut in. “I am not five anymore.”
“All right, Lu. Can’t you just let me wallow in my own misery for a while?”
Lu shook her head. “Nope. You know, I’m trying to be supportive to everyone, but you guys all made messes of your lives long before I ever got old enough.”
“Lu–”
“Nikolas called Mom.”
Lucky’s face sobered. “So?”
Lu shot a look at Michael before continuing. “He, Gia and Markie are coming to Port Charles in about a week or so.” She took a deep breath. “Gia’s sick.”
Lucky leaned against the doorframe and closed his eyes. “When you say sick–”
“She’s got breast cancer,” Lu reported. “Now, it’s in its early stages and you know Nikolas is sending her to the best doctors in the world. She’s getting treatment in New York City, so they’re going to stay at Wyndemere while they’re here.”
“Stefan’s not coming is he?” Lucky asked, warily. “He’s gonna stay right in Greece, right?”
“Right,” Lu confirmed. “Anyway, Nikolas and Gia are going to need your support so you’ve got until then to wallow in your misery. Oh, and don’t bother Emily.”
“What?” Lucky demanded, incredulously. “You expect me not to try and get her back?”
“I expect you to use this time to think about what Emily said when you broke up–”
“She’s wrong–I do not still love Liz–”
“Yeah, I know–we’d all like to believe that. So, listen, you take this time and think about what Emily said. Think about it like an objectionable person and see if maybe she doesn’t have a point.” Lu poked her finger in her brother’s face. “But once Nik and Gia get here, everybody’s happy, got it?”
“Got it,” Lucky said.
“Good. Come on, Mike.” Lu grabbed her cousin’s hand and practically dragged him towards the door.
“Daddy? What’s for dinner?”
Jason hesitated in flipping through the channels to find a cartoon that would satisfy both Dee and Davie. Dinner. Suddenly he wished he hadn’t let Lu leave.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t cook. He could–
But if he remembered correctly when he’d gone to make coffee that morning, there was precious little to eat in the cabinets. Elizabeth usually did the grocery shopping, but she obviously couldn’t do it right now.
“Uh…” Jason said, trying to stall for time.
“We eat pizza!” Davie cried, jumping onto his lap.
“No, no, pizza isn’t good–”
“You sound like Unca Sonny,” Davie said.
“All right. Pizza’s fine.”
After ordering the pizza, Jason finally found an old episode of Scooby-Doo that the kids insisted he leave on. He left them on the couch and went upstairs to check on Elizabeth.
She’d come in, kissed the kids and made an attempt to play with them for a while. But then Davie had asked why she wasn’t fat anymore, and she’d shut down. She’d gone upstairs and hadn’t come down since.
He pushed the bedroom door open silently and sighed as he realized she stretched out on the far side of the bed, sleeping.
He entered the room and closed the door behind him. He sat down and ran his hand through her hair. She was in so much pain and all he wanted to do was take it away for her. He knew he should let her figure this out for herself, but he couldn’t help wanting to fix this.
“Jason?” she murmured. She rolled over on her back. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said softly. “I just ordered pizza and I wanted to see if you were hungry. I’ll bring you up a piece.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No. I just–I just want to sleep.”
“All right,” Jason agreed. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and got up to leave the room. He looked back when he was at the door, but she’d already rolled back over.
Michael had heard his parents fight countless times over the years–sometimes it was playful, sometimes it was serious.
But he’d never heard it as particular as vicious as it was now. He stood just out of sight in case his mother needed him. He knew Sonny would never hurt her, but Carly had a tendency to overreact and go after people, and he didn’t want to her to do it.
As a result, Michael got quite the earful.
“How could you not tell me?” Sonny yelled.
“I promised Alexis that I wouldn’t!” Carly snapped.
“After everything I’ve done for you–”
“Oh, please, Sonny. Kicking me out every time you didn’t like something I do–yeah, real generous!”
“I took you in, I’ve treated your son like my own–”
At Sonny’s words, Michael froze. He couldn’t mean–he couldn’t possibly be saying–
“That’s not fair and you know it! You wanted to adopt Michael! You wanted to give him a family!”
Michael closed his eyes and counted to ten. He was dreaming. That was the only explanation.
“I want you out of here, Carly! And I don’t want to see your face again, do you hear me?”
“Fine!” Carly yelled.
Michael heard the door slam and he knew his mother was gone. He walked down the stairs silently and asked the only question he could.
“Is it true?”
Sonny, who’d been standing at the bar, on the verge of smashing it, whirled around. “Uh, Michael. Hey.”
“Is it true?” Michael repeated.
“What are you talking about?” Sonny asked, looking away.
“You’re not…you’re not my father, are you?”
“Michael–”
“Are you?” Michael shouted.
Sonny took a deep breath and looked down. “No. Not biologically.”
“Who is?” Michael asked through gritted teeth.
“Michael, you know–”
“Who is my father?” Michael demanded. “Don’t lie to me–you hate liars, don’t be one.”
“AJ,” Sonny spit out the name like it was poison.
Michael gripped the railing of the stairs. “Quartermaine? Courtney’s husband?”
“Yeah.”
Michael nodded and walked across the room and opened the door.
“Michael,” Sonny called.
Michael turned around and glared at the man who’d been a father to him for as long as he could remember. “I’m going to go find my mother and I’m going to get some answers. And after that? I never want to see your face again.”
Laura Spencer opened her front door and immediately narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Carly shifted her feet and sighed. “Is Luke here?”
“Why?” Laura demanded.
“Look, I just want to talk to my uncle,” Carly said quietly. “So can you please just…just let me do that?”
Laura stepped back and studied the younger blonde. “What’s wrong?”
“Can I just…can I just speak with Luke…please.”
“Luke!” Laura called. When he didn’t answer she frowned. “Luke, I know you’re in the kitchen trying to cook, so just come out and I won’t yell at you!”
Luke exited the kitchen sheepishly. “Sorry, Angel.” His eyes focused on Carly. “Hello niece of mine.”
“I need to talk to you,” Carly said quietly.
Luke looked at Laura who sighed. “All right. I wanted to go speak with Emily about her plans for opening Wyndemere.” Laura picked up her purse and headed for the door. “I hope everything’s all right, Carly.”
“Thanks,” Carly said. Laura left and she turned back to Luke. “I wanted to say I told you so.”
“Aww, the don kicked you out, didn’t he?” Luke said.
Carly nodded. “Yeah. He overheard part of a conversation and demanded to know more…and I was going to lie to him. I really was. But I just couldn’t, I guess.” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m probably going to be staying at the Port Charles Hotel for a few days, but I was hoping Mandy and Drew could stay with you until I figure out what I’m going to do.”
“Of course. What about Michael?” Luke asked.
“I wanted to talk to him,” Carly said. “I think I’ll ask him if he wants to stay at the penthouse or come with me.”
“So, you gonna tell me what this big bad secret is?” Luke asked.
Carly shrugged a little and looked away. “Christina Ashton–Alexis’s daughter–is Sonny’s daughter, not Ned’s.”
“Oh.” Luke studied his niece. “And you knew all along.”
“Yep,” Carly nodded. “I didn’t tell Sonny because…well, because Alexis didn’t want him to know and I think that every mother has the right to raise their child the way they want to. I would not to do Alexis what Robin did to me.”
Luke suddenly smiled and Carly eyed him suspiciously. “Well, what do you know?”
“What?” she asked, warily.
“You’ve got principles.”
“That’s not funny, Luke.” Carly crossed her arms.
“You know Mandy and Drew are welcome here any time,” Luke said. “You’re more than welcome to stay in the guest room.”
“No. I appreciate the offer, but me and Laura don’t get along and we never will. Thanks…for everything. I’m going to go check in at the hotel now.”
On an impulse, Carly reached forward and hugged her uncle. Luke squeezed her back and then she stepped back. “You know you can always come to me. Spencers stick together.”
Carly smiled grateful. “Thanks, Luke.”
Lu entered Luke’s Club. “Mikey? Is everything okay?”
Michael sat on the barstool, sipping his soda. “You know…I wish I were of age to drink.”
Lu nodded and went around behind the bar. She poured him a shot glass of gin and set it in front of him. “Consider it a graduation gift.”
Michael stared at it and chuckled bitterly. “You know–you may be the only person that hasn’t lied to me.”
Lu folded her elbows on the bar and leaned towards him. “Michael, you sounded upset when you called. What’s wrong?”
“Lu…remember when Dee said Mandy had told her I didn’t look like her and Drew?” Michael said.
“Uh huh,” Lu agreed. “So?”
“Well, I’m not their brother. Not fully anyway,” Michael reported.
“What do you mean?” she asked, bewildered.
“Sonny’s not my father,” Michael replied. “And you’re not going to believe who is.”
“Michael–”
“AJ Quartermaine,” Michael revealed. He picked up his soda and finished it. “You can put the gin away. I’m not going to drink it.”
Emptying the shot glass, Lu said, “I’m sorry, Michael. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”
“You know what’s worse?” Michael asked. “I didn’t find out because they wanted me to know. No, Mom and Sonny were fighting and he threw it in her face. ‘After everything I’ve done for you’ and then…then he threw her out.”
“Sonny threw Carly out?” Lu repeated. “Why?”
Michael shrugged. “Don’t know. I didn’t hear that part of the fight. I confronted him, he confirmed it and I left.” He smiled humorlessly. “Of course, not without telling him I don’t want to see him again. That’s what he told my mother–that he never wanted to see her face again. Can you believe him? I knew he was selfish–but after all these years, he threw her out anyway.”
“Yeah, but Carly might have done something stupid, you know?” Lu said.
“Probably. But isn’t marriage about compromising and forgiving each other?” Michael stared at his best friend and cousin. “Shouldn’t it be about working things out instead of throwing it all away?”
Lu nodded. “You know, Mikey, you’re gonna make a woman very happy one day. But right now, you need to remember…Sonny and Carly don’t have a normal marriage. They never have–and there’s no reason to compare their marriage to a conventional one.”
“Yeah.” Michael sighed. “I know.” He peered at her. “You know…we might be the most mature and responsible people we know.”
“I don’t know,” Lu said, smiling a little. “There’s always Emily and Jason.”
“Yeah…well, when you think of Lucky, of my parents, of my real father, about your nutty father–”
“Hey!”
“–makes you wonder how we ended up the way we did?”
“Yeah…a little. Mikey, it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna figure this out,” Lu said, squeezing his arm a little.
“I’m sorry to dump this all on you,” Michael said. “I know you’re going through a lot with Lucky and Elizabeth, not mention Nikolas and Gia, but I didn’t know who else to come to.”
“You can always come to me,” Lu promised him. “No matter what.”
Michael smiled weakly. “Thanks.”
Alexis was sitting at Christie’s side when Ned entered the room. Her eyes widened as she recognized the children whose hands he was holding. “Amanda, Andrew.”
“Is that Christina?” Amanda asked, pointing towards the bed.
“Hi!” Christina said, sitting up a little. “I’m Christie.”
Alexis smiled and beckoned the twins forward. “Christie, you’ve met Carly Corinthos right?”
“She’s the blonde who you fight with sometimes,” Christie said.
“Right. Well, these are her children, Amanda and Andrew.” Alexis looked to Ned who gave her a tired smile.
“Hi,” Amanda said, cautiously. “Why are you here?”
“I’ve got leukemia,” Christina said, without a trace of bitterness in her voice. “Why are you here?”
“We had to take a test,” Andrew said, rubbing his arm where the needle had gone in. “It hurt a lot.”
“I hate needles,” Christina said, wrinkling her nose. Her eyes lit up as she saw the little purse Amanda was caring. “You like Sailor Moon?”
“Do I?” Amanda said, grinning. “I love it.”
Alexis stood and joined Ned at the doorway. “I’ll be in the hallway with Ned. Be good.”
“Okay, Mama,” Christie said as Amanda took her chair and Andrew leaned against the end of the bed.
Alexis and Ned went into the hallway. “So, they took the test?”
Ned scratched the back of his head. “Yeah. The results should be in tomorrow. Uh…Sonny knows.”
Alexis frowned. “He knows what?” A troubled look crossed her face. “Oh, no. How?”
“Carly and I were talking and he heard the tail end of the conversation. She wanted the kids to meet Christina, and I figured since it was my fault Sonny knows, it was the least I could do. They left, but Carly said she’d pick up the kids later.
“I hope Sonny at least hears her out,” Alexis said quietly. She peered in the doorway. “Amanda and Christina look alike a little, don’t they?”
Ned put an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Yeah. They do.”
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