AJ was furious. After checking the town bus depot as well as the train station, they had come up empty in their search. He had called home to see if maybe Taggert had been right and Leticia had just taken Michael out for the morning, but neither the nanny nor his son had been seen. Slumping into his seat in his office, he buried his head in his hands. Carly would not get away from him this time, much less with his son! The PCPD was still looking since Michael could not be found, but he knew that they didn’t think the case was serious yet. Twenty-four hours for a missing child to actually be missing before the police did anything. By then, Carly would surely be out of the country and it would be harder to find both her and Michael. But he would. He promised himself that.
Getting up, he went over to the bar to get a bottle of water. The bourbon that had called his name yesterday morning was drawing him in even closer today. He shouldn’t drink. He had been sober for a long time now. But really, what would one drink hurt him? After pouring himself a full glass, he returned to his seat. He swirled the liquid around the glass for a long time, listening to the sounds the cubes of ice made clicking against the glass and each other. Bringing the glass up to his mouth, he stopped to stare into the drink.
What was he doing? Deep down, he knew what this one drink would lead to. And he didn't want that for himself. Michael, especially, didn't deserve that from him. If he wanted to be a good father for his son, he had to become an example that Michael could look up to.
He didn't want Michael's male example to be that of a drunk, someone who couldn't control his actions after having too much to drink.
Getting up, he wandered over to the bar to pour out the glass when a knock came at the door. Clumsily dropping the glass in his hand like a child being caught in a bad act, he stormed over to the door.
“What do you want?” He asked angrily as he opened the door.
Dani stepped back, frightened by the man’s angry demeanor. “Um…AJ Quartermaine?” She asked cautiously.
AJ brushed by the woman, “Where is Denise?” He asked, looking around for his secretary.
“Who’s Denise?” Dani asked.
“My secretary... Who are you?” AJ walked back over the woman, who took a step back.
“Daniella Carzuti of Santos and Carzuti. I’m serving you with these divorce papers.” She handed him a brown envelope and waited for a reaction.
AJ looked at the woman as if she had just sprouted horns atop of her head. Squinting his eyes, he opened the envelope and brought out the bundle of papers. Looking at the front page, he saw that they were in fact divorce papers from Carly. Returning his gaze back to the woman, he looked her over, as if deciding whether or not to take her seriously.
“Those are real divorce papers Mr. Quartermaine. This isn’t a joke.”
“Do you know where Carly is? My son, Michael, is he with her?” AJ advanced on the woman.
“You should stop right there Mr. Quartermaine.” Dani said, holding up her hand. “I know Tae Kwon Do and I’m not afraid to use it.”
AJ stopped his advancement and looked at the woman. Was she serious? Tae Kwon Do? He started laughing, amused by her humor.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing. I’m being absolutely serious with you.”’
“Okay, okay,” AJ tried to stop his laughter, but only got it down to a small chuckle.
“I have to go Mr. Quartermaine.”
“Wait! You can’t just leave!” AJ was amazed at her audacity. “Where’s Carly? And Michael?”
“They are both fine Mr. Quarter...”
“That’s not what I asked. I asked where they were?”
“Well, if I tell you that, then you’re going to go harass her and she can’t be harassed. She’s pregnant, you know.”
“Yes, I do know Ms. Cartooti...”
“Carzuti, its Carzuti.”
“Whatever. And I’m not going to harass her. I’m just going to go get her and my son and return them to their home, where they belong.”
“Excuse me, but I just served you with divorce papers. She doesn’t want to be in that house... That’s the whole point.”
“You know what? Fine. I don’t want her anyway. But it will be a cold day in hell before she ever takes Michael away from me.” AJ brushed by her and walked into his office. Carly had some nerve pulling a stunt like this.
“Then I suppose I should warn you of the custody hearing in a week.” Dani raised an eyebrow when he slowly turned and stared at her. He stalked back over to her, which again caused Dani to take a step back.
“What did you just say?” AJ asked through gritted teeth.
“She’s not only getting a divorce, she’s also going to court to obtain full custody of her son. I filed the papers this morning and they should reach you by tomorrow afternoon. I wanted to deliver the divorce papers personally so I could tell you about the custody hearing.”
“No judge in his right mind would give her full custody of Michael. She might as well just drop the suit right now.”
“I think if the two of you would just calmly sit down to talk, you could work it out so that both of you could have equal time with your son. That would be best for him.”
“You don’t know Carly. You don’t know Michael. And honestly, you have no say in the matter.”
“Maybe so, but as Caroline’s counselor, I am now involved, and I would hate to see that little boy torn in two because of your animosity for her, or vice versa. Just think about it.” Dani turned, leaveing the office as well a stunned AJ behind.
Closing the door to his office, he returned to his desk chair, throwing the divorce papers atop of his desk. Blankly staring at them, he thought the Cartooti woman’s words over. It wasn't as if there was any love lost between him and Carly. Sure, at the beginning of the marriage he had tried to make things works. He could have loved her the way she had wanted if she had just given him the chance, but her thoughts had been centered on Jason. Always Jason. At one point, he had just been happy she had kept out of his way and thought that they would just live their lives like that until she came to realize that Jason wasn’t going to love her back. Now... Now she was pregnant again, but with his brother’s child.
Turning his chair to face the window, he continued with his thoughts while staring out over the bustling city of Port Charles. Maybe, he would give her the divorce. It was plain to anyone who was looking that they didn’t love each other – couldn’t even stand each other.
But Michael, that was a totally different thing. Michael was a Quartermaine and should be raised in the Quartermaine fashion. Because one day he would take over the empire that both Edward and him had worked hard to maintian for future generations of Quartermaines. He couldn’t just let his son go... But on the other hand, he couldn’t just take Michael away from his mother, no matter how much he disliked her himself.
Turning back around to face his desk, he pulled the divorce papers back over to look over them. Finding the number of Cartooti’s...Carzuti’s office, he dialed.
You have reached the offices of Santos and Carzuti. Please leave a message and it will be returned as soon as possible. Thank you. Beep.
“Ms. Carzuti, this is AJ Quartermaine...”
Bobbie walked quickly into Kelly’s, trying to escape the chill outside. Hanging her coat and scarf on the rack by the door, she moved over to the bar where Tammy and Mike were having what seemed to be an intimate chat.
“Hey Bobbie. How’s it going?” Tammy asked, interrupting her talk with Mike upon seeing Bobbie enter.
“All right, but don’t let me interrupt your conversation.” Bobbie moved behind the bar, and pulled out the books from under the counter. Returning to the opposite side of the bar, she took a seat and began her monthly ritual.
“Actually you weren’t interrupting Bobbie. We where just talking about the accident yesterday. I think all of Port Charles saw it on the news. How’s Carly,” a concerned Mike asked.
She’s pregnant with your son’s child, Bobbie thought. “Well, it was a close call, but her injuries were actually less serious than they seemed on the newscast. She only had a broken arm and a few bruises. Carly should be all right.”
“Well I’m glad. I was so worried about you.” Tammy cut in. “I was thinking of going to see her, maybe take her a get well card or something. You think she’d be up to it?”
“No she won’t.” Sonny cut in from behind the trio’s conversation.
The all turned to stare at him, confused faces at his comment – the most confused of all was Bobbie’s.
“What are you talking about Sonny?”
“Your daughter broke out of GH last night.”
“What?” Bobbie exclaimed.
“Sonny, how do you know this?” Mike asked his son.
Sonny looked to his father, then to Bobbie. He really shouldn’t be airing anyone’s dirty laundry out like this. “Bobbie, can I speak to you…privately.”
“You know what Sonny, I can take a hint. Even one like that. Tammy, I’ll see you later for dinner, okay? Say, seven?”
“That’s fine Mike,” Tammy said. Upon Mike leaving, Tammy made an excuse and left the area. Sonny then took a seat next to Bobbie and told her the events of the morning.
“How is she? Is she all right? What about Michael? Where is she? You have to tell me Sonny, I need to go be with her.”
“Calm down Bobbie,” Sonny put a reassuring hand on Bobbie’s shoulder. “As far as I could tell, she was okay. But she’s playing her games again and I think if you tell her to stop, she will.”
“No one can tell Carly what to do. You and I both know that when she gets and idea, she just rolls with it. “
“I told her I would get her the info she needs, but that was just to buy myself some time. I’m not going to help her destroy other lives... She’s already made that a sport in this town and...”
“You know Sonny, you are beginning to sound a little bit selfish. I know my daughter is not the most liked person in this town, but that doesn’t make her any less of a person. Doesn’t she deserve the same things everyone else strives for? Maybe, just maybe, Carly’s learned her lesson and is trying to correct all her past mistakes. Granted, this may not have been the best way to go about it, but at least she is trying. I think you should probably work with her somehow to figure out the best course of action for the both of you to take to insure this baby’s safety as well as its happiness. Living in the Quartermaine house under all that stress can’t be good for her. This is Carly’s way of asking for a way out Sonny, and if you can help her then I think you should. Now, tell me where my daughter is.”
Sonny just stared at the woman who had bypassed his cry for help and instead given him a lecture on helping her daughter. It seemed as if no one in this town was sane anymore.
“I don’t know that I should tell you. She’d probably just get mad at me and use it against me later. But I do, “ Sonny reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, “have this. It’s the phone number of the place she’s staying. Now, if she wants to tell you…”
Bobbie snatched the paper quickly. “Thank you Sonny. Look, I know that it may seem that Carly is pulling you by the strings, but maybe you deserve it a little.”
His look was stupefied. “And your reasoning for that would be?”
“Well, you did almost get her killed yesterday – which I’m still deciding on whether to whack you upside of the head for or not.” Bobbie got up. She put the books back where she took them from, got her scarf and gloves, then left.
Sonny just sat there, blankly staring at the door she had just left through.
“He said what?” Carly asked, not really sure she had heard Dani correctly. She was trying to balance Michael on her good arm while feeding him at the same time, but it wasn’t working out the way she had imagined it would.
Seeing Carly’s struggles, Dani took the small boy from his mother. “Let me feed him.” She cut the hot dog into small pieces with one hand, while balancing Michael on her other hip and arm.
“Thanks.” Carly muttered. “Now, tell me what AJ said again but slowly.”
“Okay. Well. He. Said. That. He.”
“Not that slow Dani!”
“Okay, okay. Sorry, I just thought a little humor would be nice.”
“Well?”
“Carly, he said he would give you the divorce. I have it recorded on my answering machine and everything. The only clause to his agreement is that you come home and the two of you discuss Michael. I don’t think he’s willing to give up custody, but maybe if you two talk about it, you can come to an agreement that will benefit the both of you, as well as your son.”
“It could be a trap. I don’t know...” Carly chewed the inside of her lip.
“Look, you want the divorce, right?”
“Well, yeah!”
“Then you should go home. Take your son home and talk about it. You might not even need whatever information Sonny can come up with, which would be good in keeping him away from your child.”
“I never said anything about that.”
Dani’s eyes practically fell out of their sockets. “You mean to tell me that you’re going to let him play a part in that child’s life? After what you’ve told me about him? The things he’s said and done to you, including yesterday , and the simple fact that the man is a criminal?”
Carly looked at Dani blankly, then shook her head. “I don’t know, but… It wouldn’t really benefit this child either if I denied him or her contact with their father. I mean, I’ve already screwed Michael up... I don’t want to make that mistake again, you know?”
“I understand, but still... He’s a mob boss. A criminal…”
“You see, now you’re judging me again and if there’s one thing I hate, it’s when people judge me!” Carly got off the chair and started picking up pieces of the hot dog that had fallen from Michael’s mouth.
“I’m…”
“Sorry, yeah I know.”
A silence filled the air for a long time. Carly thought of AJ’s proposal. On one hand, he could honestly want to work something out. But Carly knew AJ and the way he thought. He just wanted to get her back into the house so he could somehow make her stay and she would not let that happen.
Carly stood, placing the dirty pieces of food on a napkin and covering it up. “Fine, I’ll go back. I mean, I don’t want to, but I will. I still think it’s a trap though.”
“Good. I’ll call him as soon as I get done with feeding Micheal.”
Carly stared at the woman who was doing so well with her child. “You’re really good with kids you know.”
“Thanks, but don’t think it’s natural or anything. My sister has kids so I get a lot of practice with them.”
“Oh yeah. Yeah, I remember you telling me something about a sister. Melinda, right?”
“Yeah, but everyone calls her Meli. I’m Dani, she’s Meli.”
“Is she your only sibling?”
“We have a younger brother, Marcos. It’s his first year of college this year and he’s attending PCU.”
“Really? He must be smart. Does he live with your parents or on campus,” Carly asked. It was nice to have a conversation where she wasn’t the main topic. A conversation that actually seemed normal.
“No. Both my parents are dead.”
Carly looked to Dani. “I’m…”
“Sorry, yeah I know.” Dani smiled. “Its okay. I actually find it better to talk about. They were killed in automobile accident when I was 16. Marc was 6 and Meli was 20. She took care of us – she fought for us, she put a roof over our heads and food in our mouths. To this day she still mothers us, and sometimes it can get pretty annoying. Marc lives at home, with Meli and her husband, Tomas, and their three kids – Rebekah, Jaime, and Aria, all girls.
“Wow. Sounds like you’ve got a great family.”
“Yeah, I do. I don’t know where I’d be without them.” Dani looked to Carly, “What about you?”
Carly kind of jumped, surprised by Dani’s question. “What about me?”
“Your family – tell me about them.”
Carly thought for a moment. “Well, I don’t really have a family. I mean, I was adopted when I was a baby. My adoptive father ran off when I was little, my adoptive mother is dead. My real mother, Bobbie, I just found a couple of years ago. We had some…rough times I guess, but we’re starting to get closer. I don’t know who my real father is and I’d rather not go into that. So you see, the only real family that I have is Michael. That’s why I can’t lose him. I mean, what’s a mother without a child, right?”
Dani digested this information in. The look on Carly’s face showed one of disappointment mixed with determination. Dani put a hand on Carly’s arm and she looked up.
“You won’t lose your child Carly. Trust me. I won’t let that happen.”
Carly smiled at Daniella. “Thank you,” she whispered softly. “Hey Mister Man, come here!” Carly took Michael from Dani and placed him on her hip. “Let’s go get you cleaned up and then we’ll pack up and head out, okay?”
“Otay,” the little boy answered.
Carly smiled at her son. “We’ll be back in a little while,” she tossed at Dani as she and Michael left the room.
Dani watched the two disappear down the hall. She couldn’t fail her now…not after promising her what she just had. She just hoped that it wouldn’t come to an actual court hearing; that Carly and AJ could work out a compromise by themselves. If they didn’t then she would definitely have to brush up on her court skills.