Here - Chapter 27

Carly is bursting and giddy as she and Johnny approach the penthouse. She heads straight for the door, a joyful smile on her face as she greets Francis. "Hello!" she sings. She starts to put her hand on the knob, but Francis uses a gentle, but firm, hand to stop her.

Francis nods uncomfortably to Carly, then turns his eyes to Johnny.

Johnny jerks his thumb toward the door, "Still busy?"

Francis shrugs, then knocks lightly on the door.

Sonny's muffled, irritated voice yells through the door, "What??"

Francis opens the door a little and says, "Uh, Johnny's back -" He is about to announce Carly's presence when she pushes her way past him through the door.

At first, she is momentarily taken aback by Sonny's appearance. He is disheveled, his hair is ruffled, his eyes have dark circles beneath them. He is obviously stressed. His posture is tense as he stands at his desk, a pen in his hand.

However, she decides not let his mood ruin her own. When their eyes meet, his spark instantly, surprised and happy to see her. She suddenly finds herself rushing toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing a healthy, joyful kiss on his stunned lips.

Instinctively, he returns the kiss and his arms slide around her waist. His eyes move to Johnny and Francis, who are still standing in the doorway, mouths agape. When they see his eyes, they quickly back out of the door and close it behind them.

Carly backs away from him, looks into his eyes, and runs her fingers through his hair, gently smoothing it with her hands.

In that split second, seeing himself reflected in her soft brown eyes, Sonny forgets all of the reasons he'd given himself to do as Luke asked, to 'dump' Carly.

He closes the distance between them and brushes his lips against hers once more. Then his hands move to either side of her face and he deepens the contact between them. He feels the familiar shiver along his spine as her tongue darts between his lips.

He moans softly, then pulls away to look at her. A tiny smile forms on his face and he runs a thumb gently along her lips. He tilts his head slightly and whispers, "So...does this mean you passed?"

"Yeah," she breathes back, holding his wrist and pressing his hand to her cheek. All at once, the test is the last thing on her mind.

They both feel so good in this moment, standing quietly, closely, safely in each other's space, that they fight for it not to slip away. They both fight with all of their strength to keep the moment there. But, as with all moments, good and bad, it escapes and eludes their grasp in a futile attempt to catch up with the preceding one.

Sonny senses the change in atmosphere and is brought back to reality with a hard thump. Luke's words swirl around his head and he finds himself feeling an inexplicable anger toward Carly. He steps away, trying to appear nonchalant, "That's good! Congratulations!"

She clears her throat and watches him silently as he walks to the bar. She is confused by his sudden distance, but she manages, "Thanks for lending me your car..."

He shakes his head, "No problem." He asks if she would like a drink, but she declines, watching him closely as he pours himself a glass of water.

After a tense pause, Sonny turns to face Carly and blurts, "So, how's Michael??"

Carly's countenance transforms and her eyes become bright and alive, her smile is radiant, "He's just great! You should see the things he can do now!"

Sonny nods, unsmiling, waiting for her to tell him about AJ's threats. When she offers no other information, he asks, "How's AJ been treating you? Okay?"

Carly's eyes narrow. Sonny's voice is edgy, tense. She feels as if she is being stalked. She pauses before answering carefully, "He's AJ. Same as ever."

He stares hard at her.

She can tell he is waiting for her to say something, but she has no idea what.

He puts his glass down on the bar, scratches the side of his nose with a finger, and says intently, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Carly blinks, "Tell you what?"

Taking a step toward her, pain and anger drawn on his face, he questions softly, "Why didn't you tell me that AJ was threatening you about me??"

She backs away a tad, not liking this feeling of being attacked. Then she responds with just as much anger, "Why didn't I tell you?? Because it's none of your business!"

He looks at her in disbelief, "None of my business?"

She crosses her arms over her chest, "That's right. AJ is my problem. Not yours."

"But he was using me against you!" Sonny objects, his hands waving.

She screws up her face, "So what? He tries to use things against me all the time! And you know what? I handle it!" She stares at him and asks pointedly, "How did you find out about that anyway?? Who told you? AJ??"

Sonny shakes his head, his lips clamped down into a thin line, and mumbles, "Doesn't matter..."

"It matters to me!" she insists. "These are details about my life somebody's spreading around, man! And if I didn't tell you, that means I didn't want you to know! It's real simple!"

He responds quickly, his voice impassioned, laced with a hurt he didn't realize he felt, "But why wouldn't you want me to know? Maybe I could have helped you..."

She widens her eyes at him incredulously, "Do you even know who you're talking to?? Have you forgotten that I am the same woman who singlehandedly dumped AJ's butt in a laundry cart??" She shakes her head, "Here's a thought, Sonny: Maybe I don't want your help! Hey, you know, maybe I don't even need your help! Is that so difficult to understand or believe??"

He raises his brow and nods, "Actually, yeah, it is..." He pauses before going on, then, "I mean, this is your kid we're talking about, Carly."

"You don't have to tell me that!" she snaps, glaring at him.

He closes his eyes briefly and lets out a breath, "What I mean is, that I would think you'd take help from anybody..." He meets her eyes, "Even me."

She inhales deeply, vacillating between feeling insulted and feeling protected by the man standing in front of her. She takes a moment to think, then says calmly, "If it came down to it, yeah, I'd take help from the devil, he!!, I'd even take help from AJ if Michael needed it." She looks into Sonny's deep brown eyes, "But the fact is, he doesn't need it. I don't need it. We're fine. AJ was just blowing smoke, trying to run my life, but he knows he can't. So he has to back off." She shrugs and finishes in a soft voice, avoiding Sonny's eyes now, "He can't touch me for being with you."

Sonny picks up the glass again and takes a long swig of water. He puts it down again, gentler this time, "Are you sure?"

She nods, frowning, irked that Sonny has managed to bring her down on such a momentous day.

They stand silently for a full minute, both uncomfortable and tense now. He puts his hands in his pockets, then checks his watch for no reason. He scratches his ear and sniffs, "So..."

She looks at the ceiling, biting the inside of her cheek, "So..."

Finally, he voices what he's wanted to know since Luke's visit, "Why are you here, Carly? If you know that being with me could put your time with your little boy at risk, why are you here?"

She snorts, "Because AJ doesn't run my life, Sonny. Not anymore. I do."

He nods slowly, "So if AJ told you not to, I don't know," he waves a hand in the air, "not to drink a bottle of rat poison, you'd do it just to prove he doesn't run your life..."

She rolls her eyes.

"I'm serious, Carly. What is this? Am I just some way you can stick it to AJ?"

"I have lots of ways I could 'stick it to AJ,' Sonny. I don't need you for that..." she mutters. Then she adds under her breath, "And you are not rat poison."

"That's not what some people say," he offers.

"Who cares what other people say? I'm here because I want to be here," she counters.

He presses, "Why?"

"Why?" she shrugs, turning away and feeling a knot in her stomach now. Why? She has asked herself the same question innumerable times.

He narrows his eyes and waits, more anxious for her response than he has been in a very long time.

She shakes her head, "I don't know, Sonny..." She turns to look at him then, afraid to share too much of herself, but more afraid not to at this juncture. Her voice is barely audible as she bares her soul, "Because I like being with you. I feel good when I'm with you? Because I don't feel like I have to hide anything or be a certain way. I can just, I don't know, man, be myself..." She blinks slowly, watching his impassive face and very sorry she's said anything. "I don't know. I guess that sounds stupid..." her voice trails off.

He simply stares at her.

"It's not stupid," he says at last with a sigh. He admits, his face pained, "I feel the same way..."

Neither of them find it odd that such joyful confessions are accompanied by grimaces because neither of them are used to making joyful confessions. Let alone to each other, their own worst enemies just mere months ago.

"You do?" she asks, surprised only that he is saying it out loud, not by the sentiment. This is something she has known in her gut for some time now.

He nods, then approaches her tentatively, almost shy. He has been burned so many times in his life. His head tells him he is just headed for another flame. His heart tells him differently; that he is actually, impossibly, safe with this madwoman.

His hands touch her shoulders and her body floods with relief. This is the first time that she can remember simply telling the truth to a man -- without skewing it or weighing it down with consequences.

Before either is aware of it, their mouths are joined in a sweet kiss, more pure than any kiss that Carly can remember because it is honest. For Sonny, it is a kiss that reaches past the pain of his regrets, past the pain of Lily, of Brenda, of Hannah. It is a kiss that reaches into the future.

The kiss deepens. Their tongues become licks of flame, igniting their passion for each other. Carly groans against Sonny's mouth and smiles into skin, her breath warm against him.

He moves his mouth hungrily to the side of her throat, moving her loose blonde out of the way with his fingers, then works his way to her jawline and, finally, back to her full lips.

As he comes in for another round of kissing, she backs away, her heart fluttering, and bites her lip, "I feel like a little kid..."

He touches one of her breasts with a hand and whispers suggestively, "You don't feel like a little kid to me..."

Her face flushes. She runs her hands through his hair and presses her body against his, devouring his lips with her own. His hands slide south to her hips and he cups them gently, letting his fingers wander between her legs, feeling for for her through her jeans.

She gasps, grinding against him, locking her mouth on his, their tongues engaged in a wild battle of wills.

They step away from each other only to rapidly rid themselves of their clothes. And then they are draped against each other again, luxuriating in the sense of their bare, warm skin.

"Wait," he rasps, pulling away.

She knits her brow and asks breathlessly, "What??"

His eyes hold hers and he touches her cheek gently. He tilts his head a little, "Let's go upstairs."

Her lips part to say something, but he silences her with a soft finger on her mouth. He whispers quietly, "I want to make love to you in my bed..."

She closes her eyes and her heart flips at his words. Make love. Not have sex. Not screw. Not the 'f' word. Make love. All of a sudden, she is not sure if she has ever even 'made love.' Not this way, anyway. Not with her insides laid bare and no wall of protection to save her from the pain of rejection afterward.

As he leads her by the hand up the stairs, she wonders if she can.

[***Please contact me for UNEDITED version***]

After a few minutes, he lifts himself from her and moves next to her, leaning on his elbow and studying her face.

He kisses her mouth again, then backs away to look at her face, which he strokes with a hand, "So...you passed today..."

She smiles, proud, "Yeah. I did."

"You liked the car?" he asks absently, running his fingers through her tousled hair.

She nods, sighing, "It's a lucky car..."

He locks eyes with her, "You want it?"

Her eyes widen and she is not certain she heard him correctly. "What?"

He is serious, "Do you want the car? If you do, you can have it."

At first, she is overwhelmed, "Really??"

He frowns, "Yeah. You can think of it as a gift for passing your test."

Fighting her first instinct to yell, "YES" and jump on top of Sonny to thank him, she swallows, shakes her head, and says with more conviction than she feels, "I can't accept a gift like that."

He looks at her doubtfully, "You can't? Or you won't?"

She sucks in her cheeks then and sits up in bed, "I won't."

He rolls his eyes.

"I don't want to owe anybody anything, Sonny. No more than I have to anyway." She bites her lip, "I'll buy it from you..."

He runs a hand over his face, bemused, "You'll buy it...?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'll pay a fair price. If I can afford it. I need a car anyway, and I know it runs okay."

Sonny purses his lips and looks up at the ceiling, wondering what she thinks a car goes for. He takes a deep breath and rubs his chest with a hand, "All right. You can have it for $250.00."

She blinks, "$250.00??" The price is much lower than she'd expected, but more than she can comfortably afford. "Are you sure that's high enough??" she asks suspiciously.

"Yeah," he lies, "It's old. I was going to sell it for scrap anyway..."

She thinks for a moment, completely out of her depth. Then she offers, "I'll give you $150.00."

He laughs then, a deep, heartfelt laugh at her audacity and naivete. He shakes his head, "$150?? Carly...please..."

"Okay. $200," she counters. "That's my last offer though..."

He stares at her, gauging her sincerity. He is touched 0when he sees she is completely serious. Finally, he sighs, as if she is driving a hard bargain, "$225."

She clenches her jaw and quickly does the calculations in her head. This would leave her savings virtually empty. BUT...I would have a car...

"Okay," she agrees, offering her hand.

He gives her a half-grin and shakes her hand, thinking how ridiculous it is to be negotiating for a car stark naked, "Okay..."

She takes a deep breath, satisfied -- in more ways than one. "I have my own car!" she gushes suddenly, amazed at the fact. She adds cheerfully, "Even if it is an old junk heap!" Then she sings, "Good-bye, PCTA!!!! WoooHOOOOOOOOOO!!"

He lies back on the bed, smiling slightly. He grumbles, "Yep. An old junk heap..."

She settles her head on his shoulder and snuggles against him comfortably.

He does not even think twice about lying to Carly about the car. He figures she does not need to know that every car in his fleet, including the one he'd just 'given' Carly, is kept in premium working condition and comes equipped with high-priced extras of which she will probably never be aware. He figures she does not need to know that even if he were going to 'sell the car for scrap,' he could get much more than a few thousand dollars for it.

He looks down at her face and can tell that she is dreaming about driving anywhere she wants, anytime she wants, with whomever she wants. He can not believe how much he enjoys seeing her happy.

He catches sight of the clock on his nightstand and grimaces. He'd completely forgotten his meeting with Pfizer. It was nice to be oblivious for a while... He groans and sits up in bed.

"What's wrong?" she asks, crooking her head to look up at him.

"I have a meeting tonight."

She waits curiously, as if expecting him to tell her with whom he is meeting.

He looks at her pointedly, warning in his eyes, "Business."

She lowers her eyes, still curious but knowing she has to let it go, "Oh..."

"Believe me," he confesses softly, "I would not leave this bed for the rest of the night if I didn't have to..."

She smiles to herself, thinking of spending the entire evening and night and morning making love with Sonny. Then she stretches and says lazily, "So this means you're kicking me out of your bed to meet with some old fat guy about business?"

He gets up, "Afraid so."

She groans and covers her eyes with her forearm. Then she gets an idea, "Can I use your phone??"

He leans toward her and kisses her mouth. Then he says gravely, "Local call?"

She laughs and slaps his chest, "Of course!"

He acts as if he is considering. Then he nods thoughtfully, "All right. Knock yourself out."

She watches him walk to the bathroom, then picks up the phone. She dials the General Hospital operator by memory and asks for Nurse Barbara Jones. She hears the shower turn on and, with a wistful sigh, imagines what Sonny is doing in there.

When Bobbie comes on the line, her voice is clipped and terse, "Nurse Jones."

"Hey, Mama," Carly says, running a hand through her hair and wondering what Bobbie would say if she knew Carly was calling from Sonny's bed.

There is a short pause because Bobbie wants to blurt out all that she knows about what Carly has been up to, but she stops herself. Instead, Bobbie replies, "Hi, Carly. What's going on?"

"Well," Carly clears her throat, "I'd like to take you out to dinner. I've got a surprise for you..."

Bobbie's eyes fill with consternation, even though she knows that Carly has been working hard on her life. She echoes slowly, "A surprise??" Please no more surprises...

"A good one!" Carly laughs, reading her mother's thoughts.

Bobbie smiles, relieved, "Okay. Sounds good. Lucas is spending the night with Maxie and Georgie anyway."

Carly says, "I'll meet you at the hospital at six! That's when you get off, right?"

Bobbie nods into the receiver, "Six. Right."

"Okay! See you then!!" Carly chirps, happily trying to picture Bobbie's face when she tells the woman what she has been up to the last few months. Carly feels warm inside as she hangs up the telephone, imagining how it will feel to have Bobbie actually be proud of her.

Then she jumps out of the bed and runs to the bathroom, bursting through the closed door without knocking.

She pulls aside the shower curtain, the steam from the hot water filling the bathroom.

Sonny looks up in surprise, then smiles. He puts out his hand.

She takes it and steps into the stall with him.