Chapter 27

A few days later Jason pulled up in front of Caroline's. Carly sat next to him in the passenger seat.

She looked around the parking lot. "There is no one here. Where the hell are all my customers?"

She jumped out of the car to go inside and Jason followed her. As soon as she walked in, Carly gasped.

The club was lit only in candle light. There were no customers inside. Rose petals lead a path to the bar.

Carly spun around and asked "Jase, what is this?"

He nodded his head towards the flowers. She followed them to the bar and found a jewelry box. She opened it and saw a diamond bracelet. There was a note that read,

You deserve all the jewels in the world for standing by me since the day we met. Go to your office and look on your desk.

Carly smiled and said, "You didn't have to."

"But you are glad I did." he said, knowing her too well.

She gave him a kiss and then went to her office. On the desk she found another jewelry box.

Inside this one were diamond earrings and a note that read

You deserve more than jewels for never giving up on us. Go to the pool table

Carly found Jason standing next to the pool table. Another box was sitting there. She said,
"I love this, Jase, but you know I don't need it. I just need you."

"Should I take it all back?" he joked

"You better not!" she said smiling.

As Carly opened this box Jason took out his cell phone and dialed a number. He hung up without saying anything.

Inside the box was a diamond necklace with a note that read

I will do my best to give you all you deserve for the rest of our lives.

Carly hugged him, with tears in her eyes, "I love you more than ... I even knew it was possible to love a man. And just when I think I can't love you more I fall a little deeper in love with you."

She was so focused on him she didn't notice the front door open and people start to walk in.

Music filled the air. Carly and Jason turned to see Dara walking toward the stage, a microphone in her hand.

Carly started to cry when she saw Max, Bobbie, Lucas, Michael, Morgan, Luke, Emily, Monica, Leticia, Lulu and Lucky coming through the front door. The woman wore dresses, the men suits.

Carly asked Jason, "What is going on?"

Dara sang "Take me as I am
Put your hand in mine

now and forever

Darling here I stand, stand before you now
Deep inside I always knew..."

Jason said, "Dance?"

He took Carly's hand and led her to the middle of the crowd. Slowly they swayed as Dara continued "It was you, you and me
Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny

It was you, and you for me
Every road leads to your door
Every step I take for evermore."

Carly looked into his eyes. She was stunned. This public display was so out of character for Jason yet it was just the kind of thing she dreamed about happening. Jason had did this purely to make her happy and it was. She felt as if she might burst from joy.

"Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life
I gotta lotta love and I don't want to let go

Will you still love me for the rest of my life?

'Cause I can't go on
No, I can't go on
I can't go on
If I'm on my own ."

Jason placed a kiss on her cheek. The women in the crowd audibly sighed. Michael and Morgan gave each other high fives. They knew there mother would be happy if she married Jason and they wouldn't have to worry about her being hurt.

Jason whispered in her ear, "You're the one, Carly."

"Take me as I am
Put your heart in mine, stay with me forever

'Cause I am just a man who never understood

I never had a thing to prove

'Till there was you, you and me

Then it all came clear so suddenly
How close to you that I wanna be ."

She was shaking with happiness. This was better than any fantasy she could have dreamt up. Being with Jason, loving him and having him give her his full heart, was all she imagined it would be and more. This was a love she could always rely on. There was nothing shaky or scary in loving him. It was easy and right, real and true, it was something she could never bear to lose.

"Do you believe a love could run so strong?
Do you believe a love could pass you by?

There was no special one for me
I was the lonely one, you see

But then my heart lost all control
Now you're all that I know !"...

Stay around, you'll never be alone

Lyrics from a song sung by the band Chicago

Jason dropped down to his knee. Carly's hand flew to cover her mouth. He pulled another box out of his pocket. He opened it and revealed a diamond ring.

He said, "I wanted to ask you this in front of the people who love us. Everyone needs to hear me say that I was a fool to not fight for you years ago. But I will from now on, for as long as I have breath. Carly, I will not stand back and watch you love someone else and say that's okay with me. It's not. I want to be the one with you... forever." His eyes shone with tears "Will you be my wife, Caroline?"

Luke started to clap. Everyone joined in.

"Let her answer." demanded Michael.

Jason stood up. The crowd quieted.

"What do you say, Carly?" he asked softly

She moved close to him, stroked his cheek, and whispered, "I always knew I would one day marry my boy on the side."

Morgan asked, looking at Bobbie, "Does that mean yes?"

Bobbie said, "It sure does, sweetie."

The boys ran over and hugged Jason and Carly's legs.

Emily opened her purse and pulled out a camera. She snapped a picture capturing the moment: Carly and Jason, both with smiling lips and tearful eyes, were looking down at the children that completed their family, while Michael and Morgan looked up, their faces filled with joy.

Jason slid the ring on her finger and the crowd started clapping again.

Michael, who had seen too much violence and known too much fear and sadness in his short life, physically felt his body relax. Things would be okay from now on, he was sure of it.

Morgan couldn't be happier because he always had the most fun when his Uncle Jason was around and now he would be with them everyday.

Bobbie stepped forward to hug Carly. Luke shook Jason's hand and then Monica hugged him. Emily passed the camera to Lulu, who started snapping pictures, while Em pulled tissue out of her purse and dabbed her eyes.

Everyone started Congratulating them, forcing Jason and Carly to momentarily turn away from each other.

Dara started singing another song, this time softly, "When I first saw you, I saw love.
And the first time you touched me,
I felt love.

And after all this time, you're still the one I love.

Looks like we made it Look how far we've come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday"

Carly and Jason glanced over their shoulders at the same time and their eyes metSilently the communicated to each other, This is really happening.

Both moved away from their family members and back toward each other.

Jason said, "Took us long enough to get here, huh?"

Carly slid easily into his arms, loving the strength and safety she always found there, and replied "Well worth the wait, Jase.

"They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on

We're still together still going strong

You're still the one

You're still the one I run to!
The one that I belong to !
You're still the one I want for life !

You're still the one..."

The last strains of the song played and then, without any music accompanying her, Dara sang the words that inspired Jason to select this song. He looked into Carly's eyes, hoping she heard his heart through these words.

"I'm so glad we made it
Look how far we've come, my baby"

Shania Twain Lyrics

THE END

Author's note- Thanks so much for reading this fic. I have written a few more Jason and Carly stories that I haven't posted yet.

I will be posting a nine chapter story about Jason and Carly titled Starts with Good bye. That story is not a sequel to this. It's written in first person and has the premise

"What will happen if Carly decides to try and stop loving Jason?"

And there will be more J and C fics from me after that, as long as people seem interested in reading them. Jason and Carly are by far my favorite couple to write about.

I saved some things like showing my version of their wedding and them having kids for a future story.

My motto is- There must be 50 ways to reunite these lovers.

And if GH won't do it. I will.

Once again thanks for your support in helping me to develop my writing skills.