**This occurs in 1999 after Carly and Jason say "goodbye" at the penthouse and Jason has his talk with Sonny and he realizes that he lost Carly. This is going to be pretty dark off and on and AJ has been drinking this whole time.

Never Again

Chapter 1

Carly is nervous as she watches A.J. on the ride home. He hasn't said much and she is just waiting for the explosion that she knows is coming. The anger and tension sits like a heavy cloud over them.

Even after returning to the mansion he is eerily quiet.

Leaving him in the study she heads to the nursery to check on Michael. Her little boy is the only thing that can bring a smile to her face. Leaning over she places a soft kiss on his sleeping head. Somehow she would make this ok for him- for both of them.

Somehow she would pretend that her heart wasn't breaking into a million pieces and that she would be able to pretend that her heart didn't belong to a man in a penthouse across town.

Choking back a sob she goes into her pristine room and not for the first time shivers at how cold it makes her feel.

Through her falling tears she manages to get into her nightgown and crawl into bed, leaving her clothes lying carelessly on the floor.

As the tears dry she allows her exhaustion to take over and it is in her dreams that she feels safe.

Laughing she runs down the penthouse stairs and into Jason's arms.

"I'm home!" She squeals as she plants kiss after kiss on his face.

With a chuckle he pulls away, "I promised everything would be ok didn't I?"

"Yes… yes you did! I missed you- Michael missed his daddy!" Squeezing him tightly she realizes that she is still wrapped in his arms. Slowly she pulls back and grins, "Sorry, I am just so glad to be home."

Not letting her go Jason looks at her intently, "You are home and I am never letting you go again…"

He lowers his head and presses a tender kiss to her lips and that is all it takes for the flames to ignite. Their kiss deepens and they kiss so passionately that before long they are both out of breath. Slowly Jason lowers her to her feet and they frantically begin to undress each other not caring that they were standing in the middle of the living area.

"Oh Jase!" She moans as she feels his hands on her breasts, "I love you!"

Suddenly the hands on her body are no longer tender.

"Ouch! Ow… Jase? Jason, stop! You're hurting me…" She tries to pull away but her body feels heavy and she is unable to move.

A sharp pain pulls Carly out of her dream.

"What? A. J., what are you doing? Stop…" She can smell alcohol on his breath and feel his arousal against her leg.

"Stop… what? Stop making love to MY wife? Come on, you were kissing me so sweetly a minute ago… when you thought I was Jason." A. J. slaps her across the face as she tries to pull away, "So how long have you been fucking my brother?"

He finishes ripping her nightgown from her body and crudely shoves his hand in between her legs.

"Please stop…" She is sobbing in pain and fear now as she realizes that A.J. has her completely pinned to the bed and at his mercy.

Grabbing a fist full of her hair he knocks her head against the headboard of the bed effectively stopping her struggles.

Allowing the haze of pain to pull her away from what was going to happen Carly closes her eyes and just prays that he will finish soon.

After he is done, he pulls himself off her and falls asleep, afraid to move she lays there still and allows the tears to fall in silence.

Approaching her window, Jason called himself a fool over and over. What was he doing here? Could he really convince Carly to change her mind and come back to him?

After she had left with A.J. earlier he had felt as if his heart was going to explode from the pain and anger he was feeling inside.

It was only as he was talking to Sonny that he realized that he couldn't let her go. Letting her go would be like cutting off a limb. She was almost as necessary as air to him and he was going to do everything it took to bring her and their son home.

Looking into he window he allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room.

Feeling as if he had just been shot in the gut he doubled over in pain. Carly was in bed and she wasn't alone. He was too late… she would never be his again.