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Chapter 16: Choices


the Grille

"...and right there," Alexis indicated a dotted line with her finger, waiting as Lucy signed her name. She gathered up the sheaf after a moment, flipped through them to make sure there were no dotless i's or uncrossed t's, and looked up at Lucy. "That's it," she said, matter-of-factness written in her tone, "it's done."

"Painless and -- sterile, isn't it?" Lucy said, her tone -- not exactly matter-of-fact. "The ending of a marriage, I mean. This isn't the first time I've done this, but every time," Lucy looked down briefly, then back up, "every time it feels like there should be something more." She smiled suddenly. "My friend Victor would probably tell me to go sacrifice a goat and shout to the gods or something. That would make sense. More sense than this," she indicated the pile of papers with a disdainful shake of her hand.

Alexis was quiet a moment. "You know, I really would feel more comfortable if you had your own lawyer go over these," she said compassionately, tapping the papers with her forefinger. "They're very fair terms, on both sides, but I would just feel a little more--"

"Scotty was my lawyer," Lucy broke in, shaking her head once, her voice soft. "It doesn't matter; we made our peace, Scott and I. This agreement is fine. I trust him. And, I'm not stupid, Alexis; I read the whole darn thing before I signed it. I can read, and I can even figure out what those big lawyer words mean, even when they are written in teeny-tiny little print." Lucy deliberately drawled slightly as she spoke. "And, I have done this before. Too many times," she added, under her breath.

Alexis flushed slightly. "No offense was intended, Lucy." Lucy inclined her head, and Alexis gathered her papers, slipping them into her briefcase. "Okay, then," she said, briskly. "I'll file these this afternoon, the judge should sign off on them by tomorrow morning, and you'll get your copy in the mail early next week." She slipped on her jacket, then looked at Lucy before standing up. "I'm -- sorry, Lucy. About your marriage. I know that you and Scott loved each other, very much, and I'm sorry that this didn't work out." Alexis paused a moment, as if waiting for some sort of response, then stood up. "I have a lunch appointment, and I'm late, so...if you have any questions, please call my office. Have a good afternoon."

"Alexis," Lucy stopped her, "thank you. I know that you've been a good attorney and a good friend to Scott, and he needs both, very very much. And," she continued, impulsively, "I know that you and my Luke are -- I know that he's happy," she said reluctantly. Lucy tilted her head to one side. "Is he your 'lunch appointment'?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but," Alexis bit the bullet, "yes." She let out a deep breath. "Actually, I guess you could call it, if we're playing semantics, a date rather than an appointment. If you absolutely insisted. I mean, if we have to label things we might as well call them what they really are, so yes, Luke and I have a date. For lunch." She sank down in the chair she had recently vacated, looking at Lucy in horror. "Am I -- babbling?"

"Only a little bit," Lucy answered, comfortingly. She reached out to pat Alexis' hand, feeling like the woman was actually, maybe, human in the first time that she'd known her. "It's okay though; I'm the queen of talking nonsensically about very many subjects in a short period of time. Which, if we're playing the semantics game, is a much, much nicer way to put it than babbling." She smiled, and Alexis smiled back, slightly. "I wasn't really trying to be nosy," at least not mostly, "when I asked about Luke; I just need a message passed on to him."

Alexis lifted an eyebrow. "About the matter you asked him to look into?" she questioned.

"Not that it's any of your business," Lucy mimicked, gently, "but yes. Since I guess he told you about it, do you know if he found anything that would help," she lowered her voice, "Jerry?"

Alexis shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, I really don't know. All Luke told me was that you were forcing him, his words," Alexis clarified, hastily, "not mine, to help my ex-brother-in-law out from his current mess. I did offer to help, but Luke said that this particular mess wasn't my area of expertise. For what it's worth," she returned Lucy's hand squeeze lightly, then released, "I hope he can find something. I know a little bit about what it is to care for Jerry," she smiled wryly. "He's a nuisance and a pain, but he is, with the possible exception of his brother, one of the most loyal people I've ever met. And, he's too damned charming for his own good but it -- gets to you. Despite how angry I've been, and possibly still am, at him, I wish him well."

"He is charming," Lucy said. "And, he just has the biggest heart. Jerry knew that coming back here wouldn't be easy, and that he'd be getting himself into another huge mess but seeing his dau--" Lucy broke off abruptly and looked at Alexis guiltily.

Alexis looked at Lucy sharply, her keen lawyer's mind picking up on both Lucy's guilty look and the incredibly intriguing dangling sentence she had uttered. "His what? Lucy," Alexis leaned across the table, "what were you about to say?" she demanded.

"Here's your mommy, precious!" Blair Daimler pressed a kiss against Christina's forehead as she leaned over a grateful Lucy, handing her her daughter. "Sorry I took so long getting her here, Luce, but Crissy and I were just having so much fun, weren't we, beautiful?" She ran her perfectly manicured hand over Christina's cap of waves as the little girl giggled happily from her mother's lap.

"It's perfectly, totally fine," Lucy said, busying herself with Christina and managing to completely avoid Alexis' gaze. "Your timing was more perfect than perfect." She smiled at Blair. "Hello my little angel," Lucy cooed, turning to the child in her arms.

"I guess that's my signal that this conversation is over. For now," Alexis added significantly. She rose, nodding at Blair. "Lucy, I'll pass on the message to Luke. And, I will most definitely be in touch." She picked up her briefcase, and after flashing one more warning gaze in Lucy's direction, left.

Blair slid into her empty seat. "What was that about?" she asked, curiously. "It didn't sound like typical divorce attorney business, Lu."

Lucy settled Christina comfortably on her lap before looking up at Blair. "It was me about to let my big fat mouth get me into trouble. You two came along just in time to rescue Mommy," Lucy directed her last comments towards Christina, pressing kisses against her cheeks. She looked back up at Blair after a moment. "You look better. Almost out in full battle-dress."

Blair smiled, slowly. "It's amazing what a shower and a shopping spree will do. In fact, I'm about to complete the Daimler-cure-for-what-ails-you by taking you up on that offer to visit your spa, if you're still offering. Shopping, a hot shower and a massage -- guaranteed to make you feel like a new woman."

"I'll call my assistant Don this very second and let him know you're on your way. Here's the address," Lucy pulled a card out of her bag. "Any of the hotel taxis can take you there, or I can have Don send a car."

Blair shook her head. "Thanks, Lu, but I think I'm going to walk. You said it was just across the park, right?"

Lucy nodded. "I may join you after I drop Christina off at her nanny's. It's been far too long since I've checked in over there, since before all this stuff with Crissy happened. Here," she scribbled something on the back of the card and handed it to Blair, "are directions once you leave the park, and I'll meet you over there in an hour or so."

the park

Jerry paced back and forth, back and forth, back and forth in front of a solitary bench, his frenzied motion coming near to wearing a bare spot in the grass. He glanced at his watch every so often, his expression growing equal measures darker and more sorrowful with each glance down. Finally, he sank down on the bench, dropping his head to his hands. "Bobbie," he murmured, "where the hell are you?"

A hand dropped on his shoulder, and Jerry jerked his head up to meet a very familiar pair of blue eyes. "I'm not Bobbie," Jax said, "but I am here."

Jerry stared at his brother a long moment, then sprang up, knocking Jax's hand of his shoulder. "Bloody hell," he yelled, disgustedly, looking around wildly. "Where is she? Damned, nosy, interfering woman," he continued ranting until V slowly stepped out from behind Jax. As soon as he saw her, Jerry took a step in her direction, eyes blazing, only to be yanked back by his brother.

"You want to attack someone? Then come at me, big brother," Jax snarled, his hand clenching on Jerry's shirt arm. "But leave V the hell alone! All she wanted to do was help a man, who by the looks of it, didn't deserve a second bloody thought!"

Jerry jerked his arm away from Jax's grip, breathing heavily. He stared from Jax to V and back again. "I didn't come here," he finally said, "to talk to my noisy oaf of a brother or his 'helpful' assistant. I came here to talk to Bobbie; the two of you can get the hell out of here."

"She's not coming," V spoke up gently, for the first time. Her eyes met Jerry's with mingled compassion and irritation. "I'm sorry, Jerry. I delivered your message, like you asked me to, but -- Bobbie went out of town this morning. I stopped by the hospital a little while ago; she's not coming."

Jerry's quieted slightly, his dark eyes getting even darker. "Not coming?" he repeated. "Did she -- do you know if she read my letter?"

V shook her head. "I don't know for sure. I think so; I saw her start to open it, but I really don't know, Jerry. Audrey Hardy said that Bobbie had suddenly decided to go out of town with -- with her friend Roy."

"She's involved with someone else, Jerry." Jax looked at his brother, almost scornfully. "Let her be. Last thing the woman needs is you ruining her life again."

"That's not your call to make," Jerry bit out. "And this isn't about getting back together with Bobbie."

"Oh yeah?" Jax asked, disbelievingly. "Then tell me, Jerry, what is it about?"

"None of your business. It wasn't your name on that letter. Or yours," Jerry glared at V before turning back to Jax. "I don't owe you any explanations, little brother."

"You damn well do!" Jax exclaimed, shoving Jerry not so lightly in the chest. "And, about more than just this. But we can start here." He crossed his arms across his own chest, waiting.

For a moment, V tensed, ready to spring between them if Jerry threw the punch she was half-afraid he would. Jerry, however, made a visible effort to compose himself, taking a deep breath, and passing his hand over his eyes. "I have a daughter," the words burst out of him. "Carly Morgan, she's my daughter," he looked up at the two stunned faces in front of him. "Doesn't matter how or why, and I just found out this year. Only a little before I found out that quitting the WSB is not -- an option. Now you see why I came back to Port Charles, why I contacted Bobbie, and why I'm walking away now." Jerry locked eyes with his brother, then deliberately walked forward, passing him.

Jax stared at Jerry, waiting until he had almost reached the pathway leading back towards the exit to the park. "All I see," he said, choosing his words carefully and enunciating precisely, "is that you're a coward."

Jerry stilled and spun around, as Jax had intended. "What?" he said, stunned. "What the hell-- If you knew the things I've seen, the things I've done, brother mine--"

"Are you running now?" Jax cut into his brother's words, harshly. Jerry was silent. "Then you're a coward. You have a daughter, Jerry, a child. No matter where you go, you can't run from that."

Jerry's voice was low. "I don't want to."

"Then don't," Jax said bluntly, as his brother lifted his eyes to meet his. The men locked eyes for a long, breathless space as V's eyes flickered from one to the other. Then, slowly, inevitably, and so silently she could still hear all three of them breathing, Jerry turned on his heel and walked away.

V moved closer to Jax's side, slipping her arm around his waist as his shoulders slumped. "I'll go after him," she said, quietly. "He's less likely to start swinging at me."

Jax let out a small laugh, dropping his head wearily to touch V's. "Less likely, but it's not impossible. My brother's in a fouler mood than I've ever seen him." He hugged her hard, then released her. "V," he called, as she started determinedly in the direction Jerry had left. She turned. "Thank you. This family owes you."

She smiled, brightly, then turned and continued on her way. "And you know I'll collect," V called back over her shoulder as she hurried off.

Jax chuckled, again, amazed that he was able to do that, twice, after what had just happened here with his brother. "Carly," he murmured incredulously, then shook his head, rubbing his temples as he walked off in the opposite direction of V and Jerry. And ran smack into a figure hurrying the other way.

"Thanks a lot, jackass," came the inelegant, angry drawl from the very elegant woman deposited in a heap at his feet. She ignored the hand he extended to her and rose slowly, brushing off her fawn-colored suede pants with both hands. Blair Daimler tugged her form skimming hunter-green velvet turtleneck back into place, put both hands on her hips and glared at Jax. "Didn't your mama ever teach you to look in front of you when you're puttin' one foot in front of the other, idiot?" she demanded, eyes flashing.

Jax stared at her incredulously. "You know what? Normally I would be more polite than you, apparently, deserve and not only ask you if you were alright and apologize, but offer to send my car to take you wherever it is you're in such a hurry to get to. But, today," he shook his head, looking at her disdainfully, "I am so incredibly not in the mood for this that you wouldn't believe it. You're going to have to find your own ride. And, I'm afraid I don't give a damn whether or not you're alright or whether you need to visit the bloody hospital!" Jax looked down, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Excuse me," he said, after a moment, then stalked off, brushing past Blair as if she didn't exist.

the Morgan PH

"Come in!" Latecia turned to face the door at the slight noise, but didn't reach for it, her hands full of squirming Michael. "Mrs. Morgan was expecting--" The nanny fell silent as she saw the man standing on the other side of the opening door. She let Michael slide down and out of her arms; he took off running for the bedroom and his mother without a second glance at the man at the door. Latecia couldn't take her eyes off him. "Mr. Corinthos, I'm sorry; I didn't know it was you."

"Yeah," Sonny grinned disarmingly at her, dimples flashing, "I figured that. It's good to see you, Latecia." He rested his hands on the doorframe, but didn't come in.

Latecia clasped her hands together. "It's good to see you, too, Mr. Corinthos, really, but," she glanced towards the back, worriedly then back at him, "I really don't know if--"

"It's okay, Latecia." Both of them turned to see Carly, standing in the doorway to her bedroom, Michael resting gently on her hip. She walked forward into the room and after a quick, whispered deliberation with her son, handed him to Latecia. "Could you take Michael upstairs for a little while?" She smiled, briefly, as Latecia nodded hesitantly and started for the stairs. "Thanks." As they disappeared upstairs, Carly turned back to Sonny. She gestured towards the couch. "You want to sit down?" Carly asked, walking over and taking her own seat, tucking her feet up under her, grabbing a pillow tight in her arms as she did so.

Sonny stood without moving. "Carly, I know what the doctors said; I was there. The last thing I want to do is stress you out. I'm not here to--"

"Sonny," Carly interrupted quietly. "It's okay." She patted the couch beside her, and slowly, Sonny sat down, watching her. "I figured you'd come by; I thought it would be before now, actually."

He took a long breath, letting it out noisily. "Carly, I--" Sonny began the words he had rehearsed so many times now, and then stopped, unable to continue when she was actually sitting right in front of him.

"It's your baby, Sonny," Carly said it baldly, calmly, her white knuckles on the pillow the only thing betraying the heights of emotion she felt. She let out her own shuddering breath. "There. I said it. Now you know."

Sonny face whitened as his eyes darkened. "It was that night?" he asked her finally. "The night I left?" Carly nodded slowly, and he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," Sonny whispered, from deep in his throat.

"No!" Carly reached out, grabbing his hands as she spoke intensely. Sonny's eyes snapped open at her voice. "No, Sonny, don't be, don't be sorry. I'm not. That night," her fingers twined with his, "it was the first step I took towards life after our son died. And, you gave me that. And, we made a baby. And I'm not gonna be sorry for that. Not ever."

Sonny shook his head, looking deep into her eyes. "I don't mean I'm sorry for that night. I've never been sorry for a single night I spent with you, Carly. I meant," his voice lowered, "that I'm sorry for leaving you. I thought I was sparing you; I thought I was making it better for you, but all I was really doing was running. All the things in my life I regret," his eyes flicked down then up, and his voice was so soft Carly had to lean forward to hear him, "I regret that the most."

"Don't," Carly said, shaking her head as she gently untangled their hands. She lifted one to stroke him lightly on the cheek. "Yeah, it was bad. And, I was so pissed at you for a long time. But -- it worked out, you know? I married Jason, and he loves me and he'd do anything to keep me safe and to make me happy. He's gonna be so good to this baby," her hand dropped to rest lightly on her stomach. "I'm not sayin' he's gonna be the baby's father; I wouldn't take that way from you, Sonny. But, he's my husband. He'll be in this baby's life."

Sonny swallowed, his eyes dropping to the slight curve of her stomach before lifting back up to her eyes. "There's no one else in this world I would trust more to help raise my child," he said softly. "I'm glad you're happy, Carly. Thank you for telling me about my child."

"Yeah," she smiled, blinking back the tears that were thick in her throat all of the sudden, "I'm gettin' better at that one." She hesitated, then reached for his hand. "You wanna -- you wanna feel the baby?" At Sonny's slow nod, she lifted his hand, placing it gently on her stomach as she leaned back.

"Carly, the door was open so I just -- oh." Lucy stopped in the middle of the living room as both Sonny and Carly lifted their heads turning towards her. "I didn't mean to interrupt," she said, her curious tone belying her words.

"You didn't," Sonny lifted his hand from Carly and stood up. "I was just leaving." He looked down at Carly who was sitting up. "I'll call you," he said, and walked towards the door, pausing to smile sweetly at Christina. "Hey there, beautiful," he said, kissing her cheek lightly. "See you, Lucy."

"Bye Sonny," Lucy called after him before turning to Carly with a lifted eyebrow. "You did say it was okay to bring Christina over since Latecia was going to be with you 'til your baby's born, right?"

Carly ignored Lucy's obviously probing tone. "Right. Latecia's upstairs in Michael's room; she'll be down in just a minute," she said, adopting a business-like tone.

"Okay," Lucy said slowly, sinking down into a chair unasked, depositing Christina carefully on the floor. "You know if there's anything you want to talk about, I am a very, very good listener. And, I've known Sonny for years."

"Lucy," Carly said, flatly. "We tried this you giving me advice thing before, remember? Didn't go over so well. Our kids have the same babysitter, that's all. It doesn't make us friends and it certainly doesn't make me want to share the details of my private life with you, okay?"

"Just as stubborn as he is," Lucy muttered, under her breath before she could catch herself.

"What was that?" Carly asked, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward.

Lucy hesitated a moment, toying briefly with the idea of spilling all before discarding that as a supremely bad plan. "Luke," she said, hastily, "you're just as stubborn as your uncle Luke."

Carly wrinkled her nose distastefully. "God, Lucy. Don't compare me to him." She shook her head as if clearing it, and stood up. "Look, why don't you take Christina up, okay? First door on the left. I'm supposed to be in bed, and this little 'heart-to-heart' of ours has gone just about far enough."

"Right. Bed-rest," Lucy nodded. "You take care of that baby of yours. And, remember," she called as Carly rounded the corner, "if you ever want to talk--"

"Okay, Lucy," Carly's voice came back from her room, sarcasm-laced, "I'll remember."

"And, if you don't, I'll keep reminding you," Lucy murmured, quietly. "Because I know you, Carly Morgan, same as I know the girl I used to be and the girl your mother used to be. And, same as I know your father. Admit it or not, you need a friend. And it's going to be me, whether or not you like it."



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