CHAPTER 1

The restaurant at the MetroCourt was setting up for the annual Fourth of July party, but Carly couldn't concentrate on the arrangements. For the past week, she'd been battling what she hoped was a stomach bug. But it hadn't gotten any better from when it had started. And, sadly, as her hotel manager, Olivia Falconeri, droned on about the plans, she was feeling worse and worse until she couldn't take it anymore. Carly was thankful she had made it to the toilet in time and as she cleaned herself up, Olivia came in to check on her.

"You alright there?" her employee asked.

"It's a stomach flu or something. I think I picked it up from Joss when she was at camp," Carly said dismissively.

Olivia seemed unconvinced. "Yeah, I remember the time I had something like that. Seven months later…"

Carly tried to laugh it off. "I haven't seen with anyone since…" Carly thought long and hard for a minute. "Yeah, New Years' Eve. And if I was pregnant, it would be a little more obvious by now."

"Sure there wasn't anyone else?"

Carly narrowed her eyes. "Who else would there have been? Sonny's been moopy since Connie got that job out in LA, Jax hasn't been up since the Nurses' Ball. Who else could it even have been?"

"Your private life is yours, but every time AJ Quartermaine's been in for dinner with Liz Webber, you two have given each other tension vibes like you wouldn't believe," Liv commented. "Maybe you found a way to release it."

Carly let out a short laugh. "What, AJ? Really, you think I'd make that mistake again?"

The manager held up her hands. "I'm just sayin'." As Olivia backed up out of the bathroom, Carly could her her saying, "You know the expression. 'A thin line between love and hate.'"

Carly tried to put it out of her head, but sadly the night with AJ was stuck on rewind. If she were being honest with herself, the ride hadn't been half bad. Hell, even in the drunk state they were when Michael's was conceived was pretty good. "NO! Not going there. This is, this is not happening."

She left the hotel and as she walked through the park, heard the chirpy voice of Elizabeth Webber. Spying through the shrubbery, she saw Ms. Perfect sitting on a blanket with her sons. On the other side of the boys was AJ, pointing out the fireworks as they exploded in the sky. It surprised her how good AJ was with them and lightly placed her hand on her stomach. For a fleeting moment, she remembered Jake and the fact that the little boy had actually been his nephew. Shaking her head, she headed to the drug store. Her purchase made, she went home to find Morgan sitting glumly on the couch watching the fireworks on TV.

"You didn't want to so see them in the park? Best view in the city there," she said to her son as she approached him.

"I'm under house arrest, aren't I?" he asked snidely. Ever since he'd gotten kicked out of Vanderbilt for running a betting ring, he'd been in a nasty mood. She hoped that him staying with her would have done more for him that being at Sonny's, but she was sadly mistaken.

"Morgan, you pull crap like you did in school and you get caught, there's going to be consequences. You knew the schools' policies."

"Yeah, whatever," he said, trying to avoid the talk. Carly was going to continue the conversation, knowing how Sonny's Teflon affect with the authorizes would seem to Morgan, but a wave of dizziness overcame her. Morgan looked up in time to catch her before she hit the floor. "Mom? Mom, are you okay?"

Her wits regained, she nodded her head. "Yeah, it was busy today and with all the running around, I must have forgotten to eat."

A sly smile appeared on her younger son's face. "Wanna share a microwave pizza?" The thing about Morgan was, he took after her in the fast food department. Sure, Sonny was a gourmet chef in the kitchen, but this son was more likely to eat quickly prepared foods than one that took hours to make.

"Sure, I think I stocked up the fridge since you've been home," she replied. They went in to look and found three different kinds. After finishing all three, Morgan decided to go up and get some sleep while Carly retreated to her own room. She laid down on the bed and when she opened her eyes, it was morning. She went looking for her purse and found the drug store bag. She took the item out and read the instructions, following them to the letter. Fifteen minutes later, she slowly opened her eyes as she looked at the stick.

Positive. Of course it was positive. Of course Olivia's hinting was on the mark. She couldn't believe it. For the second time in her life, she'd gotten knocked up by the one person in the world she couldn't stand.

She had no clue what to do. Absolutely none. She could terminate the pregnancy, but something about the idea unsettled her. As she had argued with Olivia the day before, there were no other men that were known that she could blame. And no one would buy the idea of a sperm donor. These were the times that she truly missed Jason. He'd know what to do. He'd helped her in this situation before. But even if he was here, he wouldn't step up now. And then there was the father of the child.

A quick list of the people this would affect ran through her head. There were her own children, although Josslyn had been asking for a baby since her friend Sophie had become a big sister. But Morgan and especially Michael? How would they take it? Since AJ had returned, Michael had been painted a very different portrait of his early years than she or Sonny had let on. She was sure Sonny would blow a fuse, but she doubted the meat hook would work this time. And the sanctimonious Quartermaine women would be the duo from hell. She could even picture her own mother's disapproving looks.

She needed to get out of her house. She called Olivia and told her the stomach bug was worse than she had suspected and she wouldn't be in at all that day. She walked into Kelly's but the smell of the food just made the morning sickness worse. She walked past the hospital but the idea of running it Monica scared her off. Finally, she made her way home and, wandering through the woods between her house and the Quartermaine Mansion, got onto the grounds and into the family crypt.

She had to smirk at the plaque that hung in there for AJ. "They haven't taken that one down yet?" she mused aloud as her eyes gazed at the others. Justus, who had been a friend and advisor to Jason. Emily, who despite the injuries and the separation, was still Jason's little sister. Edward and Lila, heartbroken to their ends that he had turned his back on the family. Carly thought it was a mercy for Edward that the family had never told him he had outlived his grandson. Alan, who fought to his end to get his son back.

Carly turned to the plaque for Jason. "Well, I screwed up again," she said as if her were standing there listening to her. "And surprising, no booze was involved this time. But the result seemed to have been the same." She ran her fingers over the lettering. "I'm pregnant, with AJ's baby." A short, manic laugh escaped her lips. "Why him? I don't even like him! And yet…He's cozying up to Elizabeth now. What it is with her and brothers? You and AJ. Lucky and Nikolas. It's just kinda…" She took a few steps back and sat down. "When I need you the most, you're not here for me. And I do so need you. What do I do? Please, help me here."

AJ was enjoying himself as he strolled around the grounds. The night before had been amazing. Not only being with Liz but her boys. He had missed so much of his own son's life, because of his own stupidity and the viciousness of others, but now he seemed to be given a chance to be a father in the lives of other children. It was heartening. He continued his thoughts when he heard a voice coming from the family crypt.

"Well, I screwed up again. And surprising, no booze was involved this time. But the result seemed to have been the same." That was Carly's voice, but why was she in the Quartermaine family crypt? He walked closer to it as he heard more of what she was saying. "I'm pregnant, with AJ's baby. Why him? I don't even like him! And yet…He's cozying up to Elizabeth now. What it is with her and brothers? You and AJ. Lucky and Nikolas. It's just kinda…When I need you the most, you're not here for me. And when I need you most. What do I do? Please, help me here."

AJ stepped back so far, he bumped into a tree he'd forgotten was there. Had he really heard right? No, it couldn't be. It had been one time, right? The images had assaulted his mind. No, there had been multiple times in the one time. Suddenly, almost comically, he looked around to see if anyone saw him. Then he heard footsteps on the marble steps as Carly came out. He ducked behind a tree as she exited. When he saw her take a wooded path off the property, he let out a breath. His mind reeled. He had to go someplace, anyplace, and think. He knew his room wasn't where he could go, as he kept remembering that night with Carly. He couldn't go to the MetroCourt and possibly run into her. So he got into his car and pointed it in the direction of The Floating Rib. Once, the had been called Jake's and in the room upstairs, he'd spent a drunken night with a woman that had resulted in a son he was only now getting to know. He saw Coleman at the bar. "Can I have the key to the room upstairs?" he asked the bartender.

Coleman looked around, as if to see if there was anyone accompanying the Quartermaine heir. When he didn't see anyone, he asked, "Any little fillie I should send up when she gets here?"

AJ just stared at the man until he retrieved the key. Then he headed up and into the room. For some reason, the memory of his night, all those years ago with Carly in this room, soothed him. He sat on the bed and ran his hands over his face. He was at least happy to hear she was as confused as he was. He realized then why she'd been there. She was looking for help from the one person she'd always relied on to be there for her. But Jason couldn't help her now. Not to give advice or cover.

AJ would have to think long and hard about what his next move would be. There were a lot of factors to consider. Carly and their child, Liz and that budding relationship and the exploding heads of Sonny and his mother. And Michael. He knew kids reactions to the idea of their parents and sex. Michael had reacted about as well as AJ would expect. Now, throw a baby into that?

AJ collapsed onto the bed. Silently, he found himself doing the same thing he heard Carly doing in the crypt. He asked Jason for his advice.