Chapter Eighteen:
Testify

“Danger, Will Robinson,”

Nikolas looked up from his study of Emily's portfolio in confusion. One day people would exhaust these pop culture references and he'd have a hope of understanding what they were saying to him beyond the most basic inferences. She was looking past him, at something over his shoulder. She looked a little pale.

“What is it?”

Emily shifted her weight in her chair, bringing her attention back to him. “Nothing. Just… I forgot,” she gave him a weak smile. “Michael's mother is here.”

Nikolas felt the patio tilt underneath him.

“Carly.”

He couldn't help but be impressed by how flat the word sounded, even to his own ears. His pulse picked up. The time had come.

Emily tapped the nail of her index finger on her teeth. “The one and only…”

There was an uncharacteristic twist to Emily's words and Nikolas felt himself getting immediately defensive.

“You don't like her.”

Emily gave a wry smile. “I have no opinion on that topic whatsoever.” She looked up at him. “That's my story and I'm sticking to it.”

Nikolas studied her face carefully. Emily walked a lot of lines, he knew this. She was constantly in the middle. The mere fact that she'd been bridesmaid at the wedding of one brother, while her other brother wasn't' even invited, suggested that the Carly situation was something she was still navigating.

“I met her at the wedding…”

It was strange to say the words out loud. He felt his blood rush around in his veins again, just letting the beginnings of the story to come out. He wanted to tell her, he realized. Not her, specifically, but someone. Just have one person to go to and let all of this spill out, without worry of consequence, or the expectation of being told he was crazy. It struck him, in a hard and cold realization, he was probably wasn't going to find anyone… not in this whole town… who was going to be happy for him, or believe that this is what he'd wanted. There was going to be a lot of this, he thought grimly. Lots and lots of people to tell, when the time came, and they'd all probably have opinions and judgments to make him aware of. He found himself feeling resentful without even having truly heard what Emily might have to say. He looked away from her, pushing his chair back from the table and her portfolio. Not that it much mattered. Emily would probably hate him for this anyway, for giving her yet another side to weigh in this war. For keeping his intentions from her. For all of it. The repercussions made him dizzy to consider, and he felt the stones on the patio begin to spin in front of him, twisting into some sort of deep vortex of confusion, just begging him to enter.

Nikolas jerked upright, sucking in a deep breath, and turned his head towards the lawn.

She was walking across the grass, but stopped dead when his eyes met hers. He couldn't read her expression, her face seemed entirely blank. She just stared at him, locked onto his eyes, and he felt lightheaded again. Her hair windblown, her dress, bearing the strain of its multi-day ordeal, seemed completely out of place on her. She was holding her shoes in her hand… with the exception of the child beside her, she looked just like she had that night. The night they'd first met. It hit him in a way he couldn't even begin to describe. Everything else seemed to go away, and all of the sudden other people's feelings didn't seem to matter in the least. Only hers. Only his wife.

He saw her cock her head to one side, and put her hand on her hip. The movement brought him back to earth a bit, and he could feel, now, that she was looking at him with a certain amount of betrayal. Her eyes seemed questioning now. Searching his out. She felt like he'd let her down, he realized, and the thought made him sick. He felt his resolve steel. It had felt wrong, seeing Emily, to just push past everything else. He hadn't wanted to be that opportunistic. Now he was having trouble remembering why it had mattered. Reality shifted for him when she was around. Even with all the other things around him, his focus remained on her.

Michael, having noticed something going on with the adults, looked up at this mother, then tugged on her hand.

“Momma?”

Carly's whole body jerked and she tore her eyes away from Nikolas, looking down at her son. She hadn't been quite prepared to see the look on Nikolas' face. For some reason she'd expected him to be cold, or dismissive. She was used to that, for her anger to be met with a complete lack of emotion. Either that, or impatience. She hadn't realized how much she'd come to expect that, until she'd seen his expression soften at the sight of her. Her heart was right back up in her throat. God, please, she suddenly found herself thinking. Let this work out. Let them like each other. Don't let this fall apart. You can't do that to me again.

“Come on,” Carly's voice was hoarse, but determined. And then they were walking again. Walking quickly, and Michael nearly stumbled. Carly's arms came down around him and she lifted him up, onto her hip, and continued her path to the patio. She had to get this over with.

“Hi,” she called out, her voice sounding more strained and clipped than she wanted it to. She felt Michael's hands tighten on her shoulders, and she cleared her throat, forcing a smile. “Emily.”

Emily nodded, stealing a quick glance at Nikolas. “Hey. Long time.”

“One whole week,” Carly arrived on the patio, and leaned against the stone wall that lined one side. “No dress fittings, no showers, no hair appointments…” she let Michael slip from her arms down to the ground. He didn't move away from her, wrapping an arm protectively around her leg, and holding tight. “Hey, Nikolas.”

Carly kept her eyes on Emily as she spoke. She distinctly saw her stiffen at Nikolas' name. Like Carly had broken some sort of rule, or crossed a line. Emily had always acted hot and cold with her, but this was more nervous. She felt her eyes move towards Nikolas, checking on his reaction.

Nikolas wasn't stiffening. In fact, he was looking at Michael, who was eyeing him cautiously in return. Well, she thought. I guess this is it. Carly brought her hand down to smooth over her son's hair.

“Michael?” She spoke gently to him, trying to get his attention. After a moment, her son tipped his head back and squinted up at her. “This is Mommy's new friend. Have you met Nikolas?”

Michael shook his head gravely, but his response was interrupted by an affected laugh from Emily.

“Sure you have, Michael. A few times. But it was when you were really little,” she gave Carly a quick look. “He's my friend, too.”

Carly raised an eyebrow. She wondered if Nikolas was noticing the possessiveness in Emily's tone. What had she walked into the middle of? She got the distinct impression that she was interrupting something. And Nikolas had barely said a word. She was about to surrender to panic when she felt Michael tugging at her skirt again.

“Can we go to the lake now?”

Yep, Carly thought. This is officially a bust. Why the hell did she let herself think, even for one second, that this would work out? She couldn't begin to describe the sick feeling gathering in her stomach. Like everything, every stupid thing she'd let herself think… every dream Nikolas had begged her to consider… was deflating right in front of her. She was being a fool. She knew better than to let herself hope for anything, no matter how briefly, and no matter how beautiful the person tempting her was.

This was, in all ways, wrong. She hadn't wanted Michael and Nikolas to meet this way. Not with Emily here, not with Chris standing a “respectful” distance away… close enough to hear every word, but far enough away not to be acknowledged. She wanted to be able to bring Michael in some place quiet and private and let him get to know this man. Explain why he was important. Why had she even bothered to ask Nikolas to come here? It was so ridiculous for her to think she could really have Michael know anyone in her life in a real way. She was still uncertain of how she managed to “know” him. They never saw each other, she wasn't a part of his daily life. When he'd first left her, she had stayed up nights, struck dumb with the terror of him not remembering her anymore. And now she thought she could somehow incorporate Nikolas into this madness? God, what had happened to her brain?

“Sure we can. Just…” she felt her throat tighten. “Say good-bye to Nikolas and we'll go.”

“No!”

Carly looked up to see Nikolas had gotten to his feet. The ferocity of his exclamation making him the unintentional center of attention. He ignored, this, however, his eyes boring into Carly's. She could barely look at him. Give it up, she sighed inwardly. It's not working. It's not GOING to work. You can't want to be here. Just leave.

If Nikolas picked up on any of Carly's thoughts, he completely ignored them, and focused on the small redheaded child clinging to his mother. Nikolas dropped down on one knee, bringing himself down to Michael's eye level. “We haven't said hello yet,” he spoke softly as he extended his hand to the boy. “Nikolas Cassadine.”

Carly felt Michael's grip on her leg loosen. After a moment he put his small hand into Nikolas' and looked him straight in the eye.

“Michael Morgan Quartermaine,”

Carly felt something inside her pop, hearing her son's spot-on pronunciation of his name. He was talking to him. they were talking to each other. She wanted to sink down onto the patio beside them in relief.

“Don't ask Nikolas his middle name,” she heard her voice tremble slightly, and uncertain smile finding it's way onto her face. “We'll be here all day.”

Nikolas looked up at her again, and Carly felt herself go cold. Wait, she though. What were the rules here? Hell, well she was asking questions, she might as well start with WHY they were doing this in the first place. God, she was confused. One minute everything looked one way, the next it was turned on its head. It was like she was living in her own personal snow globe and someone was picking it up and shaking it at will. 'I'm going to sleep for a week when this is over,' she thought.

“Only if we ask you to say it.”

His voice was soft and confidential. Like the sound of snowflakes settling around her. She felt herself warm again.

Michael was looking Nikolas up and down. At a loss, he dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out his newly prized toy.

“I have a ball,” he announced by way of making conversation. Nikolas' attention turned back to him. He smiled, recognizing the item.

“My sister used to have one of those,” he was more than willing to take him up on this topic. “How does it bounce?”

Carly cringed slightly as Michael's eyes widened. “Here, I'll show you!”

He wound his arms up again, stepping clear of his mother entirely and threw the ball hard at the grass by the patio opening. It bounced only a foot or so off the ground then sunk pathetically into the lush grass cover.

“I'll get it,” Michael dashed past Chris, onto the grass and retrieved the ball and brought it back. “It's lots of colors, see?” he held it out for Nikolas' eyes to examine.

Nikolas reached out for the ball, then stopped, meeting Michael's gaze “May I?”

Michael looked bewildered a moment, then nodded, realizing what his mother's friend wanted. He handed the ball to him.

“Thank you, Michael…” Nikolas tossed the ball up in the air and caught it. Michael looked ever so slightly awed. “Let me show you something.”

The ball dropped and, upon colliding with the smooth brick of the patio, it bounced back up, easily rising to a height of six feet and falling back to earth. Nikolas snatched it out of the air just before it landed on the brick again.

“See that?”

Michael's mouth was open, his face displaying his complete shock and amazement at what he'd just seen. It took him a moment before he found the words he was looking for.

“Do that again!”

Nikolas laughed and handed the ball back to him. “I don't have to. You try.”

Michael looked at the ball as if it was possessed, then an ever-so-slightly devilish look flashed across his face.

Carly held her breath, seeing exactly where this was going. She heard Emily move, the scraping of her chair legs as she pushed back from the table. She had a feeling Nikolas had just blown a family-wide conspiracy.

Michael wound his arm around again. He fired the ball at the far corner with all his three-year-old might. It bounced up off the floor, but collided with the wall, setting off a quick series of ricochets, over and off the house, down to the ground again and then hammering on the glass of the French doors before breaking loose and bouncing wildly across the patio. Michael gave a high pitched squeal of utter delight.

“What is tarnation…!?!” a gruff voice erupted inside. Emily shook herself and moved to the door, reacting quickly.

“It was nothing, Grandfather. Just some…” She looked at Nikolas helplessly, trying not to laugh. “Noise.”

“Well cut it out!” There was the sound of a newspaper being attacked and beaten into submission, then silence.

Carly covered her mouth with her hand, already shaking with laughter. She sunk down to the ground behind Michael and putting a protective arm around her son from behind. “Good throw, kid” she growled in his ear. Michael was beaming. He looked up at the assembled company as the ball came to rest.

“That was fun,” he announced. Carly put her head down on his small shoulder, forcing herself to breathe. She'd never ever seen her son do anything like that before and the sheer delight he was taking… the fact that Edward's grumping hadn't phased him… she had a desire to just laugh for days over something that wasn't really funny. She looked up again and saw Nikolas, now standing in front of them. He reached out silently and handed the ball back to Michael. And suddenly, she was going to burst into tears of relief on the spot.

Shaking her head hard, Carly got to her feet. She placed both hands on Michael's shoulders and turned her attention to Emily, desperate to keep a grip. She couldn't trust herself to look at Nikolas and do that.

“Is that going to get him in a lot of trouble?”

Emily shook her head, clearly finding this funny too. “I don't think so,” her voice trembled with the effort of suppressed laughter. “Unless it breaks one of Grandfather's vases and becomes the most expensive superball in history.” She looked down at her nephew. “I think maybe we should make sure we keep that a secret from Grandpa for awhile, huh?”

Michael nodded, his expression suggesting that he was thinking, rather, of just how well this might bounce in the foyer.

Chris cleared her throat and every ounce of relaxation Carly had managed to gather in the last few moments evaporated.

“Perhaps we should go inside?”

Carly gritted her teeth and Nikolas, having no idea who this woman was, decided he absolutely loathed her as he saw the joy that had been shining in his wife's eyes, go out without warning.

“The lake,” Carly's words came out insubstantial, like air. She was struggling, with everything in her, to remain soft and pliant, not to let the hard and brittle feeling she had inside break out. “We were going to go down to the lake.”

She looked around, at both Nikolas and Emily, and struggled with what to do next. She wasn't going to be able to get rid of Emily, that seemed obvious. Besides… she could be nice to her. At least the girl seemed to have a mind of her own. She also protected Michael, which, along with AJ's eerie tendency to listen to the girl, made her the closest thing Carly would ever have to an ally in this house. But mostly, she just wanted to keep Nikolas close. And there was only one way to do that and still play his game, whatever it was.

“You can hide out with us, if you'd like.”

Gentle waves were lapping against the stones that lined the rough shore where the Quartermaine grounds met the lake. Carly sat up on the lip of grass that broke away where the rocks took over, her feet tucked under her. This was unbelievable, she thought, smiling in a way she was sure she hadn't in years. She'd never, in all the time she'd come to the mansion, shared Michael with anyone. She just wanted them to go away. And since no one particularly cared to be within spitting distance of her, that wasn't a problem. Even Bobbie would only kiss Michael hello and then disappear to read in the library until Carly's time was up. She'd never tried anything like this. This was actually fun. Not just to have Nikolas there, but Emily as well. It made her feel human. It made her feel like she existed outside the tiny little bubble of her mother, her apartment and her weekly appointments at the hospital. For the first time, this didn't fill her with an unbearable ache.

That had started when, upon arriving at the water's edge, Carly had caught an unimpressed expression on Chris's face as she attempted to find a way to take notes while not crouching down on the ground and mussing her suit. Carly had felt a familiar flash of alarm… she's not going to like this. She's going to find something wrong with it. Then she had glanced at Nikolas and thought, “Wait a minute…”

That might not matter anymore.

God, how she had stopped herself from just letting out a yelp of delight was beyond her. How she was still managing not to explode with the vibrations of excited energy coursing through her. How could she have doubted this? How could she have forgotten how incredible he was? Thank God for him, thank God he's here, thank God you have him to get mad at. She suppressed another urge to laugh, as she felt her smile widen into a Cheshire cat grin. Something went your way, Caroline. Something is actually going your way this exact moment.

A shadow fell across her and someone flopped down in the grass next to her. Emily. Chris didn't flop. She looked over at her. She, too, was watching Nikolas and Michael, just a few short feet away, tossing rocks into the water.

“Boys,” Emily mused. “I'm not sure they really grow up, you know?”

Carly blinked. What was this? She looked Emily up and down, quickly, trying to see if she was concealing any weapons. Emily might not loathe her the way the rest of the Q's did, but that was a long way from light-hearted conversation. Still, it was hard to care. She turned back to the water.

“He's good with kids,” Carly said, unable to keep the marvel out of her voice as she watched Nikolas demonstrate to her son how you skipped a stone rather than just toss it. Michael's motor skills were just not up to the challenge and he was looking at Nikolas like he was changing water into wine. “He thinks he's magic. Look at him!”

Emily nodded, watching the scene in front of her. There was no words for this besides odd. It was… Not adding up. Nikolas said they met. Fine. Meeting was one thing. But… They seemed to know each other. She hadn't even heard what Nikolas had said to her, just the tone of his voice. Soft and… Confidential. It would be there one moment and then suddenly Carly would be talking to HER and extending invitations and that was just not in character. What was more… Michael? She never let anyone see her with him. If they did, it was just in passing. And her letting him out of her grip, actually allowing him to be with someone, someone she just couldn't know that well… Something was fishy here. And Emily wasn't entirely certain Nikolas knew it.

“Nikolas is an amazing guy,” Emily spoke cautiously. “He has a good heart.”

Carly just smiled, not nodding or giving any indication she'd heard what had just been said to her.

“He's having fun,” she breathed, not clarifying which party she was talking about.

“They are…” Emily frowned. She shifted her legs under her, and chewed on her lip, trying to think of how to broach the topic hammering away inside her head. “Uh… So you guys met last week, huh?”

Carly's smile dimmed. “He told you that?”

“Yeah,” Emily cleared her throat, looking the other way. Carly had this unnerving way of staring at someone in such a way that you'd begin to feel like you were being prepped for immolation. “He mentioned it. I guess you guys… Hit it off.”

Carly felt the warm wind coming in off the lake take on a decidedly chilly edge to it.

“We… Had some stuff in common, is that so hard to believe?”

Emily backed up on the grass, aware that she had taken a wrong turn. Carly's moods turned on a dime anyway. She never should have even tried… She shook her head, and gave a weak smile.

“He's just a nice guy. Going through some rough times.”

Oh, Carly thought, this child did not just warn me to back off from him, did she? She felt her features harden, knew that this wasn't lost on Emily. Still. What could she do? Apparently truth telling wasn't on Nikolas’ agenda today, for whatever reason, and she wasn't going to get into it with this girl. Not in front of Chris. Not until she knew with absolute certainty, that Nikolas’ promises hadn't just been made of air.

She stood up, not bothering to shoot the slightest response in Emily's direction, and stepped down onto the rocks, weaving towards her son and husband at the edge of the shallow water. She stopped, considering the words a moment. Son and husband. Family. Something she never though she'd have a chance at again. She felt that warm glow start inside her again and shook off the implications of Emily's queries. So the girl was worried her intentions towards her “friend” were impure? To hell with her. She had everything she needed right here.

Michael picked up a pebble off the ground and heaved it into the water. It sunk immediately and he frowned. He seemed to sense his mother's presence and turned to look up at her.

“I can't do it.”

“What?” Carly asked, innocently. “You're sure throwing far.”

“But it just goes under.”

Carly crouched down behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder. “You're just going to have to practice, then.”

Michael nodded, accepting this. He was frowning in determination. Nikolas laughed slightly.

“You're a Spencer, alright,” he shook his head. Both Carly and Michael looked up at him, with the same bemused expression on their faces. It was eerie.

“I'm a Morgan Quartermaine,” Michael announced. Unseen, Emily flinched. Michael had a strong attachment to his middle name that suggested, even at three, he had some sort of strong knowledge that it meant more than just being another name. How, she couldn't imagine. Probably Carly had something to do with it.

“Yeah,” Nikolas forced himself not to react to the mention of Jason's last name. “But you get that same stubborn look my sister gets when she wants something.” Michael just nodded, and picked up another stone. “Do you know my sister?” Nikolas asked, the relationship suddenly occurring to him. Michael looked up, his expression blank. “Lulu? She's your cousin.”

“Brook Lynn is my cousin.”

Nikolas frowned, and looked at Carly. “Doesn't he know Lucky and Lulu?”

Carly exhaled. No, she thought inwardly. And when would he have met Lulu? She and Luke might fight, but their minimal relationship had been a lot more distant before the trial.

“These are different cousins, Michael,” she explained, heavily. “They're Mommy's cousins. That makes then yours too.”

Michael nodded, not showing much interest. “Are you my cousin?” He looked up at Nikolas, closing one eye.

Nikolas blinked, surprised by the question. It was obvious, though. His sister, Michael's cousin… God, did Michael know any of his non-Quartermaine relatives? Probably not.

“No I'm…” Nikolas stopped, and looked at Carly. Her eyes were locked on his, waiting for him, just as Michael was. How was he related to Michael? He realized there was an easy answer to this. But it wasn't one he could give. “I'm not your cousin. I'm… Your friend.”

Carly bowed her head, looking away quickly. She hadn't expected him to say the truth. She hadn't. She repeated that to herself until the tightness in her chest started to relate. God, what would be so bad if he did? Michael was totally taken with him. That was obvious. He was going to love him. That had been what she'd needed to know. All this time. From the moment Nikolas had put the question to her, to this second, she had to know that Michael would be ok with this. And he was. He was really ok with Nikolas the friend.

Except that wasn't what Nikolas was.

“Nikolas is your friend,” she repeated, mostly to herself. “He's a good friend to have.”

“Sometimes.”

Nikolas’ voice was soft and full of unspoken apology. She looked up at him, back lit against the descending sun. She could tell he knew she was upset. He always did. He knew when she was upset and he cared like no one ever had. It hit her harder than anything else about him. And right now, it made her insides twist. Fine, she thought. So you know. You know this isn't what I want. Then why are you letting it happen?

“Miss Benson?”

Carly started, then looked up onto the bank. Chris. Her jailer.

“You have fifteen minutes.”

Carly carried Michael piggyback to the house at her own unhurried pace. Nikolas and Emily had disappeared not long after Chris's warning and Carly was doing her best to ignore it. Probably Nikolas wanted her to have some more alone time with Michael. Probably he'd wait for her in the foyer.

Probably.

She adjusted her giggling son on her back and glanced up the hill to the house. AJ was waiting on the patio. He had his hands in his pockets, and was looking grim. Carly met his eyes as she ascended the hill, thinking to herself that he must set his watch, count every second, until these court ordered atrocities were over. The pain, she thought bitterly. Like he has any conception of what kind of pain he could be in right now.

“You were at the lake,” AJ spoke the obvious as the party arrived in front of him. “Not the garden.”

“Mobility,” Carly sighed, swinging Michael around in her arms. “It's an amazing thing.” She brushed past him, across the patio, and through the French doors. The last thing she was going to be able to do today was put on a little song and dance for AJ. She barely had five minutes of pretending left in her. Irony, she thought to herself. This used to be your full-time job. Now you can't even do it as a hobby.

She could hear AJ behind her, his step had become, over time, familiar. It was always measured and careful. It sounded threatening to her. Like he was the Great and Powerful Oz, someone who didn't need to emote or reason or even speak much to get what he wanted. Far flung from the “loser” she'd tried to convince herself he was when she'd needed to hate him. Needed to think he was weak so that she could beat him.

“Christine said you'd be in the garden,” he said, entering the foyer after her. Carly set Michael down on the top step of the stairs and kneeled in front of him, undoing the buttons on the light spring jacket he was wearing.

“We're back on time,” she focused on Michael, pasting a soft smile on her face, her eyes looking into his. “And he's back in one piece, aren't you, Mike?”

Michael didn't answer, just stood still as a statue. He was still holding a stone he'd picked up at the lake and was turning it slowly in his hand, as Carly pulled his jacket off. She heard the hurried clipping of high heels and realized Chris had finally caught up.

“So we'll see you next weekend, then,” AJ pivoted on his heel, and gave Chris a wane smile. “At two o'clock?”

“Provided Miss Benson has no other commitments.”

Carly didn't answer. She didn't trust herself not to just tear into them. One time, just once, she'd had to change her visiting schedule, and no one would shut up about it.

“Two o'clock,” she finally managed, dropping her hands. Where was Nikolas? What the hell was she supposed to do now? Call a cab? She didn't even know where to go. Back to her apartment and wait for him to call, probably. The thought made her ill.

“I'll see you Saturday,” she spoke to her son, breathing in the last moments she was going to have with him this week. She reached out and put her hand under Michael's chin, tipping his face up to hers. “Hey, how many days is that?”

“Seven,” Michael answered. It was a memorized answer. Carly knew it didn't mean anything to him. But for some reason, it always made her feel better.

“Seven,” Carly repeated, holding out the number on her fingers. She brought one finger down. “Tomorrow it's six.” She folded the rest of her fingers down in quick secession. “And soon it's Saturday again.”

Michael grinned, nodding. He held up his stone to her. “Will Nikolas come too?”

Carly swallowed hard. Love to have an answer for you, kid, she thought. But I'm not clear on the plan.

“We'll see,” Carly smoothed her hand over Michael's shirt, dusting a piece of lint off his shoulder. “We'll see what happens.”

Behind her AJ gave an indiscrete cough. “Before you leave…”

Carly tensed and the smile on Michael's face faded. He looked up at his father with wide eyes. Carly pulled in a deep breath before finding her feet and turning around to look at the father of her child.

“Yes?”

“I wanted to let you know. Michael and I are going to be going away,” AJ was looking at her without emotion. “I'll have my lawyer mail you the details.”

Carly just stood, stock still, staring at him.

“I…” she felt the ground drop out from underneath her. “Uh… You… can't.”

AJ blinked. “I can't?”

“You… Can't. You can't take Michael away. It's in the custody ruling. You have to stay in Port Charles.”

Carly's voice was sliding steadily up into the hysteria range, heart beginning to beat wildly in her chest.

“I can't leave town permanently, Carly. I can take him on a vacation.” There was, Carly was certain, an air of triumph in his words. Old rage, rage she fought against daily, surged up in her. Her hand clenched around Michael's jacket.

“When?”

“August, most likely. It depends on my schedule at ELQ.”

Carly's eyes began to tear. No, she told herself sternly. Do not cry. Do not get angry. You can't do this now, you can't do this in front of Michael. And you sure as hell can't do it in front of Chris. Nikolas or not…

“How long?”

AJ shrugged. “Three weeks, at the most.”

Three weeks. Twenty one days. She didn't have that many fingers.

“I'll let you know when everything is finalized,” He wouldn't look directly at her. “It's six o'clock, Carly.”

Carly stared at the wall behind AJ's head. “So it is.”

This never got easier. She never found a way to do it. She wasn't sure she could navigate her way back to her son. Wasn't even certain where he was. She hadn't seen that coming. “Michael,” she just called out his name, unable to keep the desperation out of her voice. She felt his hand on hers and looked down, jumping in shock. “Oh!” She let herself sink onto the tile of the foyer, next to him. “I have to go now, Michael,” her voice and movements were disjointed. She couldn't figure out where to let her eyes rest. If she looked at Michael she'd crumble completely.

“I'm leaving myself…” Nikolas’ low voice cut through the silence in the foyer. Carly's head spun around to see him in the doorway from the living room, leaning against the door, as if he'd just appeared out of thin air. Emily was hovering behind him. “Do you need a ride, Carly?”

Carly didn't even know how she was going to stand up. She looked away from him, unable to give and answer, and pulled Michael close to her, holding him tightly, possessively, against her chest. She felt him tense, but she couldn't let go. She was never going to be able to let go.

“I'll see you next week, sweetie,” she repeated this to herself. “Seven days, ok? Only a week.” her voice cracked and she inwardly cursed herself. Don't do this to him, she repeated to herself. Don't scare him. Don't make him feel bad. He can't feel bad about having you visit. That finally brought her back to the moment and she managed to loosen her grip, pulling back a little to kiss the top of Michael's head. “I'll see you soon.”

Nikolas felt his heart rise into his throat watching her. God, this hit him hard. It was like getting hit in the head with a two by four. So awful. So intensely unfair. And he ached for her. He ached for Michael.

He'd only been standing there a moment. Not long at all. But long enough to know something was up. Something between her and AJ. It was clear from the expression on AJ's face. The way his eyes moved over Carly, the way he studied her. His expression was both contemptuous and possessive at the same time. The actual reality of what “Michael's father” meant was hitting him for the first time. What it meant… that this man had been with Carly. That he had kissed her, touched her, been inside her. And now he was looking at her like he still owned her. Nikolas had an overwhelming urge to reach out and grab him.

He saw Carly's eyes fly over to AJ's ever so briefly. She gave him a look that was loaded with meaning, and Nikolas felt out of place. Like he was seeing something he wasn't meant to. He felt himself go cold. She hates him, he reminded himself. Yeah, a voice spoke up, but she didn't always, did she? God, he wanted to get her out of here so badly. Get her alone again. Kiss her until she didn't remember her name, let alone AJ's or Tony's or any other man who had ever touched her. It was beginning to feel incredibly important. He was not going to wait around for AJ to upset her even more.

“Carly?” he repeated, his voice raw.

Carly straightened up, releasing Michael, who turned to look at the assembled company. He looked lost, confused, and a little nervous. His eyes flitted from Carly to Chris to AJ and finally settled on Nikolas. He gave him a shy smile, having found a port in a storm.

“Are you going to come back?” he asked, his eyes hopeful. Nikolas felt his focus split, feeling momentarily dizzy from the effort of assimilating everything that was going on in his head. He shook it, and looked at Michael.

“You want me to?”

Michael nodded, holding out the stone. “I found a flat one. Will you keep it and bring it back? Then you can make it jump.”

Nikolas nodded, numb, and took the stone from him. “Alright, I will”.

He looked up and caught Carly's eye. She was giving him that same cold and empty look she had given him at the airport. Something was really wrong. And she still hadn't answered him.

“Carly…” he started again. She looked away from him, quickly, her eyes moving to AJ. Her gaze became colder.

“Nikolas and Michael hit it off,” she looked down at her son. “You guys had fun, didn't you.”

Michael nodded, a smile finally returning to his lips. “He's my new friend,” he informed the room. Carly smiled slightly, and she ran a hand over his hair.

“Michael?” Carly's voice rested high in her chest. “What would you think if I told you Nikolas is your new Step-father.”