Hope

Carly took another sip of her drink and looked back at the fire. She had been sitting there for over an hour and had come up with numerous conclusions. She had finally realized that Sonny and her were actually over, that the only thing that was connecting the two of them was their son, Michael. A smile danced upon her lips. {I never would have guessed that in 8 months I would be in my own home, realizing what was starring me in the face for months.} She had her club in the making and was getting back to life and feeling more alive then she had since the moment she moved to this crazy town she called home.

“Momma...” Carly moved her attention away from the fire and onto her joy who’s bottom lip was trembling.

“Michael what is it?” She opened her arms and soon felt her son on her lap and holding her tightly. She rubbed his red hair and kissed his forehead.

“Momma, I had a bad dream...” She felt another tremble rack his body and she pulled him closer.

“Well, it was only a dream Mr. Man...what was it about?”

“You died...” She could hear his sobs and began to rub his back.

“Honey, it’s all right, I am here and am not leaving ever. I’ll always be your mom.” She sat there holding her little boy and soothing him until he fell asleep again. He was her joy and pride, he was also the one person who loved her unconditionally. She smiled at the thought that he would never stop loving her and that he truly saw her. Now one really saw her, they only saw what they wanted to.

~*~

Carly placed the mickey mouse shaped pan cake on Michael’s plate who was smiling from ear to ear. He had slept in her bed last night after his nightmare and awoke her by jumping on her bed and giggling. {How on earth did I get so lucky to have this perfect child.}

She turned her head when she heard someone at her door. “Now Michael don’t make a mess with the syrup...or at least try not to.” She watched him smile at her and go back to ‘trying’ to pour the syrup on his pancakes.

Carly walked over to the door and opened it and saw her mother standing in front of her. “Momma, I didn’t think you were going to be here for another 30 minutes.”

“I know but I thought I would come early and that way you could get over to the club and not worry about being late. You look lovely this morning Carly, I can see you are making it just perfectly.” Bobbie smiled admiringly at her daughter.

Her words brought a genuine smile to Carly face, it wasn’t often that her mother said words like that to her. “Thank-you Momma. Well, I guess I’ll go then. Michael is in the kitchen eating pancakes. Michael, come kiss Momma good-bye!” She bent down and watched her son gallop towards her embrace. She picked him up and gave him a kiss on the nose and he followed. “Now Grandma is going to look after you for the day. So be good.”

“I will Momma, GRANDMA!” Both lady’s watched as Michael’s face light up.

“I think he likes you Momma. Well, I am off. You two have fun.” She grabbed her purse and walked towards her ‘Yukon Denalli XL’ and unlocked the doors and hopped into it and drove towards the club.

Chapter Two

~*~

“JAX! JAX!” Carly rolled her eyes and turned the corner still on her search for Jax. “This is not funny...” She muttered under her breath as she walked up the stairs towards her office. She opened the door and saw Jax smiling his signature smile and sitting behind her desk. “And what do you think you are doing?”

“Well, I am sitting here waiting for my lovely business associate to come for our meeting.” He winked at her and placed his hands on her desk. She looked beautiful this morning.

Carly pointed her finger in his direction. “Don’t think that just by turning on that charm of yours will fix everything, I am not every other women.”

“I realize that Carly and that is the part that intrigues me the most.” He picked up some files from the desk and walked over towards her. “Now here is the budget that you worked out I sent it to the foreman and he is says the job should be completed near the end of the month.”

Carly felt a tingle as Jax brushed up against her arm. {Cool it Carly. He is just a business associate.} Carly moved a step back and turned to face Jax and scrunched her eyebrows together. “I thought it would take longer then a month.”

Jax let loose a loud laugh. “Not the way you have them working. You ordered for the work to be continuous. Although he wasn’t impressed about the extra work, he was swayed with your work ethics to accept.” Jax placed the first folder in front of her. He flicked the next folder in front of her and swiftly opened it. “Now these are the swatches that you have picked out and they just need you to confirm so they will be here in about...” He looked at his watch. “10 minutes.”

She starred at him intently. “Since when have you started to make all the decisions? I thought this was ‘my’ club and I emphasize the word ‘my.’ Is there something that I missed or are you just trying to be helpful?”

“Carly, I am merely trying to make sure you have the club open for your deadline of Valentine’s day. I don’t know why you want it to be open then but it’s your decision.” He loved talking to her, there was something about her that sent a spark into his inner being and made him more curious then he should.

“Jax, it’s all about hope, sending hope to the people that have lost it. For example you...this club will be perfect for you and hopefully you will quit being so closed and open your eyes and let hope enter you again rather then having a bottle of it hanging on your ‘DO NOT USE’ shelf.” She turned around and started to head down the stars in order to meet the interior decorator.

Jax stood there watching the door. Carly did have a point his hope was on a shelf laced with cobwebs.

~*~

Carly sat down on the bench on the docks and starred off into the water. It had been a good week. Everything was finally finalized for the club and all was running on schedule. She closed her eyes...

“Carly?”

Her eyes shot open as she heard his dark voice entering her mind. Her eyes moved up and met his. “Sonny.” Carly rose and began to walk past him.

“Don’t go...” He quickly moved his hand and wrapped it around her wrist. “I need to talk to you.”

“Listen Sonny I am not in the mood to have a fight, argument, disagreement...” She counted the words on her finger before she crossed her arms, let out a sigh and looked at him with annoyance.

“It won’t turn into that...it’s about Michael.” He watched as her interest perked. “I can’t adopt him.”

Chapter Three

~*~

Carly stood there starring blanking at Sonny. She shook her head and tilted her head as she spoke. “What do you mean you don’t want to adopt Michael...I...I don’t understand.”

Sonny ran his hand along his face. “Carly, I just...I can’t adopt Michael. That’s it...that is all there is to it...now don’t make this harder then it is.”

She felt her face tighten as he spoke. “Don’t make this harder!? Who the hell for? You? Me? Michael?” She took a step closer towards him and starred in disgust. “Why don’t you tell me why the hell you are throwing away my son...isn’t this exactly what Mike did to you? The unforgivable sin?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

Sonny could see the anger in her eyes. He went to grab her shoulders but he felt her take a step back and removed his hands. “Carly this has nothing to do with leaving him...it’s for his own safety! Why do you make everything so difficult! You have always been like this!”

“Don’t you dare lie to me about my son! And don’t you dare turn this conversation about me and my supposedly ‘bad’ habits. When I was concerned about my, yours, and Michael’s safety you just threw some lame excuse about there being no danger in my face! Now save your honor and tell me the truth because you and I both no that isn’t the real reason.”

“CARLY!” He ran cracked his neck and walked past her. This was going to be harder then he had anticipated. “The truth is the safety, and don’t compare me to Mike!”

“Why you always compare me to him! Isn’t that right Sonny?” Carly grabbed his shoulder and turned him around and starred into his eyes. “You always say that I am like Mike, that I lie and manipulate people to get my way! Sonny he is your father, therefore his traits are in you! You have his blood running through your veins and you can’t hide that fact!” She looked at him and smirked. “You run and hide when something to powerful comes your way that you can’t control! So, you know what walk away from Michael, but just remember he will always wonder why the hell you walked away from him! And he will hate you because of it” Carly shook her head and looked back at him. “You know AJ was a better father then you...he never tried to abandon Michael!” Carly turned around and ran up the stairs furious with her ex husband.

She continued to speed walk towards her car when she slammed into broad shoulders and an intoxicating smell of musk. She looked up and saw Jax smiling down at her.

“Are you OK?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Her voice had an ice to it and she could see Jax’s eyebrows knitting together.

“So why were you in such a hurry?”

“Listen, Jax I am not in the mood to chit chat about my speed of walking! I just...I just need to leave! Good-bye!” She quickly walked past him and wiped a tear off of her cheek.

Chapter Four

~*~

It had been a 3 days since Carly encounter with Sonny on the docks and she was feeling better. She had spent the whole night crying for her son who would be devastated about not seeing Sonny anymore. But luckily when she told him he didn’t seem to mind, he had shocked her when he said that he didn’t like Uncle Sonny because he hurt her to often.

She opened the door to her office at the club and her jaw dropped. There was Jax standing in front of her with a party hat on and two cup cakes on her desk. She started to laugh at the picture that was before her eyes. “Jax what are you doing?”

He gave her a signature Jax smile before speaking. “You seemed down in the last couple of days and I thought what better of a way to make someone smile then a party!” He placed a horn in between his lips and blew it gently letting a loud noise out.

“Thank-you Jax.” She looks at him and lets a full blown smile on her lips. “I needed that...”

“Can I ask one question?”

“Ummm...ok...” She crosses her arms across her chest and looks at Jax with curious eyes.

“What happened to make you so sad? I mean I have never seen that side of you before. What happened?”

She bit her lower lip and turned her head to the side and tried to stop the tears before they fell. “Jax...I...”

Jax could see the shimmer the tears made in her eyes and for some unexplainable reason it broke his heart. When he first came to Port Charles he couldn’t stand Carly. She was another women who had fallen for the Mobster, not to mention all the horrible stories he heard from numerous people. But now seeing her so fragile and breakable he couldn’t stand it. He walked around the desk and gently grasped her hands and pulled her close. “Carly you can trust me, I am nothing like what you are use to.”

Carly took a deep breath and looked at Jax. She had never thought Jax would be the one standing by her side when her world took a spin. “You don’t want to hear it...it’s nothing important.”

“I have to disagree, it’s making you cry so it must be important. What is it Carly?”

“It’s Sonny...” Her voice trailed off and looked at Jax’s eyes to see some sort of sign of anger but she didn’t see anything like that so she continued. “That night you ran into me on the docks he had informed me that he wouldn’t adopt Michael and he wanted nothing to do with us.” She wiped some tears that had fallen. “I mean it’s not as though I want Sonny back...” She looked at his hands holding hers. “Cause I don’t. I just can’t believe how easily he threw away a relationship with Michael.” She scoffed and shook her head. “He gave me some lame excuse about not wanting Michael to get hurt but both Sonny and I know that isn’t the truth.”

“How is Michael taking.”

Carly was taken back by his question. She thought his first comment would be praise that Sonny would finally be out of her life for good. Instead he was worried about her son...worried? “He is fine, he said he didn’t like Uncle Sonny because he hurt me.” She smiled as she remembered how he had held her hand and told her why he didn’t like ‘Uncle Sonny.’

Jax smiled at Carly and squeezed her hands. “I knew there was a reason I liked that little boy.” He watched as Carly laughed and it brought a bigger smile to his face.

She playfully hit his arm. “What can I say he is my Knight.” She watched as he released her hands and sat on the desk.

“Carly, I am sure there is another Knight out there that won’t hurt you and will truly see you for what you are, and that is someone who is a wonderful mother, strong, passionate, and determined. You just wait.”

“I guess I just need to have hope...” She stopped and looked at Jax. “Speaking of hope...are you getting yours back? Am I rubbing off on you?” She raised an eyebrow and waited for his reply.

Jax turned his head and looked at the cup cake. “Boy do these look good. You have no clue as to how much self-restraint it took not to eat these.” He rubbed his hands together and picked up a cup cake and passed it to Carly. “To both of us finding what we are looking for.”

She gratefully took the cup cake and smiled. “To us...and you finding your hope.”

“You never give up do you?”

“You just said I was determined, so you should know the answer.”

~*~

Carly sat down on the sofa and looked down at her son who had his head on her lap and was waiting for the movie to rewind. She looked up as she heard a knock on the door. “I’ll be right back Mr. Man.” She kissed his red hair and skipped up the stairs opening the door to find Jax standing in front of her with an arm full of bags. “Jax...this is the second time I have seen you with food in the last two weeks. What's going on?”

Jax smiled at her and raised his eyebrows, a lot was going on and she was the reason why he was so happy. “I thought I would give my partner and friend a surprise.” He looked over her shoulder towards Michael. “Hey Michael, I have something for you...that is of course if your mother will let me in and out of this blistering cold.” He chuckled as he felt her arms grab his arm and pull him inside.

“Momma let him in! He has bags and a surprise for me!” Carly watched her sons eye’s twinkle and she looked at Jax who was giving her a mischievous grin.

“Well then Mr. Man I suggest we find out...maybe we could tickle him for the presents...just like what you do to Momma.” She watched as Michael began to run full speed to Jax.

Jax quickly placed the bags down and scooped Michael up in his arms. “Or we could tickle you!” He began to tickle the little boy in his arms and watched as his whole face light up from laughing and squirming. Jax suddenly stopped and look at Carly who had placed herself on the edge of the front step that led upstairs to her room. He looked at Michael and then back to Carly. “Michael I have a plan...” He bent down and started to whisper to Michael who was grinning and nodding his head rapidly.

Carly continued to watch Jax interact with her son and it brough a twinkle to her eyes and she felt herself melt. For a while she couldn’t get Jax out of her head and she was starting to wonder if she was forming something for him. {Of course I’m not, he is just a business partner and a friend. Althought miracles do happen and that is shown by us being categorized as friends.) “What are you two up to now?” She slowly stood up from her perch and looked at the two.

“MICHAEL NOW!” Jax plopped Michael back on the ground who started to chase Carly and he watched delighted as Carly started to run away. He moved into his position. Michael chased his mom all around the couch.

Carly began to run trying not to slip on the tight corners. She was running but barely, she looked behind her as her son tried to get her. She looked up and soon saw Jax running towards her. “JAX!” She felt him pick her up and start to tickle her. She began to squirm and laugh as she felt her son start to tickle her too. “This isn’t fair!”

Jax chuckled and looked at Carly, she was so full of life now and seemed so happy...happily away from Corinthos, which brought a smile to his face. A smile he hadn’t been happy enough to use in a long time. “Nothing is always fair Carly.” He watched as she looked at him and he felt himself stare into her eyes.

Carly looked into Jax’s deep blue eyes and felt a shiver run down her spine. She felt so safe and secure in his arms, something she had never experienced except for Jason. She wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to smile at him. She felt herself moving her head towards his lips but stopped and wiggled her way out of his embrace. “Michael I can’t believe you traded me for Jax!” She smiled as her son stood by Jax and looked at him with wide eyes.

“I like Jax he is fun!”

“See I told you I liked the little one.” Jax rubbed Michael’s hair and went over to his bags. “Now I do believe it’s time we open this.” He picked up the bags and headed to the table and began to take the items out of the bag.

Carly licked her lips as she smet Chinese food. “How did you know I love Chinese food?” She looked at him.

“What can I say I know everything, and I know Michael doesn’t like Chinese food.” He laughed as Michael made a disgusted face. “So that is why I picked him up a hamburger.” He observed as Michael’s face shined and looked at Jax with a wide grin.

Carly sat there and looked at Jax and leaned over to him. “Thank-you.” She gave him a small kiss on the cheek and looked back at her food feeling his gaze follow.

“Thanks Jax!” Michael began to take his food from Jax.

Chapter Five

~*~

Carly sat there next to Jax with Michae’s headl laying on Jax. She had tried to get him to sit between them or on her lap but he was bent on sitting and being with Jax. It was apparent that Michael had taken quite a bond to him and she was glad Jax was here. He had rented two movies. One for the three of them and one for her and him. She stood up as the door knocked.

“You want me to pause it?” Jax looked at her and tried to speak quietly since Michael was still half awake and half asleep.

“No, you can leave it playing. I don’t know who it is but I’ll make sure they leave promptly.” Carly swung the door open and saw Sonny standing there. She rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “What do you want?”

“I just wanted to talk to Michael about what is going on...” Sonny looked over at the couch to see Jax scowling at him and Michael sleeping on him. He felt his body stiffen. “What is Candy boy doing near my boy?”

“He isn’t your boy anymore.” She raised her hands at him. “You know what I am not having this discussion with you right now nor ever. You gave your rights away to Michael, the papers have been processed, he isn’t your son not now not ever. Now I was having a nice relaxing evening with my little boy and a...friend and I intend to keep it that way...now leave.” She looked at him with ice in her eyes and pointed her finger to the door.

“Carly I need to talk to Michael...”He looked at Jax. “Privately...that means you blondie, need to leave.”

“Sonny I do believe this is Carly’s house and she asked you to leave.” Jax looked down at Michael who was beginning to sit up.

Sonny watched Michael. “Hey there kiddo.”

~*~

Carly watched her sons movements, she watched as he walked over to Sonny. “Honey why don’t you go upstairs and I’ll be up there in just a minute. Jax?” She watched as he nodded and stood up and walked over to Michael.

“Michael why don’t you show me your room?”

Michael turned and looked at Sonny. “What do you want to say to me?”

Sonny bent down. “I know this is confusing for you... but I need you to know it has nothing to do with not loving you. Loving you is the reason I am doing this.”

Carly and Jax shook their heads as they watched Sonny. Carly’s eyes widen as she watched Michael kick Sonny in the shin. She started to giggle at the look on Sonny’s face.

“LEAVE ME ALONE AND MOMMA! WE DON’T LIKE YOU!” He ran over to Jax and looked up into his eyes.

Jax gently bent down and picked up the young Knight. “You heard ‘em.”

Sonny looked at Carly and walked away. She slammed the door and burst out laughing. “Michael, momma loves you so much!” She took her hands and cupped Michael’s face and kissed his nose.

~*~

Carly looked around the club. It was finally finished and she couldn’t have pictured it better then what it was. The roof was all black but had white twinkle lights dancing upon it, making it look as though you were dancing and walking under the stars. The couches were a deep scarlet red while others were a midnight blue and the tables were a simple design in a thick black color. Throughout the room there were large, tall white pillars with greenery wrapped around them. The dance floor was a large piece of glass with a stone pattern underneath. The stage had a midnight blue curtain and hung with curves through out it. The bar was black with a silver metal along the sides. The ceiling had long dark pieces of silk fabric that were also midnight blue and silver, some wrapped around the pillars. Some just hung from point to point on the ceiling and were reflected in the mirrors that were spastically placed along the walls. The place was nothing less then a dream come true to Carly.

Carly walked slowly to the dance floor and spun around on it closing her eyes thinking of what it would be like tonight when it was full of people dancing and romancing on it.

“May I have this dance?” Jax stuck out his hand and waited patiently for Carly to accept. He watched as she blushed a little before taking his hand.

“I didn’t know anyone was watching, I thought I was alone.” She looked down and soon felt his hand push her chin up and look him squarely in the eyes.

“I guess that is why this place is so enchanting, your right about me not having any hope. But being here with you in my arms, brings a whole new hope to me.”

Carly felt a bolt in energy hit her body as the words were spoken to her. For the last couple of weeks Jax and her had grown closer and closer to each other. It seemed every time he touched her she felt alive, and now with the words he spoke to her she felt like she was flying. “See, I told you I’d rub off on you.” She continued to stare into his deep orbs of color and felt a smile begin to prance upon her lips.

Jax moved his head closer and rested it on Carly’s forehead. “Hope is what I have found in you Carly. Let me be your Knight...” He moved his head closer and watched for her to pull back, but she never did. He leaned in closer and soon felt her satin lips upon his and hopes first kiss was granted to his soul and heart.

The End

Remember look for the sequal coming out soon called COURAGE.