Accept No Substitutes
by Angela

Carly just glared at Sonny, "So you're just going to sell my company?" Sonny sniffed and nodded, "If you don't behave yourself I will." She shook her head and laughed as she walked up the stairs to their bedroom and changed into a pair of jeans and white t-shirt. Sonny followed her up the stairs a few minutes later and watched as she pulled her hair into a ponytail and sat on the bed to pull on her black cowboy boots. Without a word she riffled around in the back of her closet until she grinned in triumph and pulled out the black leather jacket that had been stuck in the back months ago. She pulled it on and grabbed her purse before walking out of the room without even a glance in his direction.

Sonny jogged down the stairs after her, "Where the hell do you think you're going? Carlybabes need a night on the town or something?" She just laughed and took off her wedding rings, "Fuck you Sonny. Carlybabes was a one shot deal, not that I would expect you to understand that but it's ok. I see now that you know nothing about me. You never have. You wouldn't know Carly Benson if she walked up and kicked you in the balls." She moved to the door and he blocked her without a word. She raised her eyebrow at him, "But we can put that theory to the test if you don't get out of my way right now." He studied her for a minute before stepping aside and letting her leave. She smiled up at Johnny, "You know where we're going right?" He nodded and followed her onto the elevator as Sonny watched them go.

Johnny kept a close eye on Carly from a nearby table as she played pool by herself at Jake's, taking an occasional sip of beer between shots. He wondered what the hell was wrong with his bosses as he watched her. It was a mystery to him why Jason and Sonny didn't realize that she was the perfect woman for both of them and he couldn't figure out why one of them, at least, couldn't see that and act accordingly. Shaking his head he let his eyes scan the room for potential threats and cursed under his breath when he saw Jason walk in with a laughing Elizabeth Webber.

He looked over at Carly and saw that she had also seen them. He held his breath for the inevitable scene but it never came. She had heard the rumors circulating about them but never thought they could be true. She shook her head with a sad laugh and went back to her game, determined to ignore them.

Jason walked up to the bar and ordered a beer for himself and a Sprite for Elizabeth. He laughed and shook his head as he wondered for the millionth time what the hell he was doing letting a little girl hang around, but sobered when he realized, yet again, that he was just using her as a replacement for who he really wanted to be with but couldn't. He tried to shake off the thought as Jake got his beer and went to get the Sprite. Jason grabbed the bottle and took a swallow as he scanned the bar. His heart stopped when he saw her playing pool and he had to blink his eyes a few times to make sure it wasn't a delusion.

When he realized it was really her he smiled and went to go over but was stopped by Elizabeth, "Jason? Where are you going? Did you get my drink?" He didn't take his eyes off of Carly as he answered her distractedly, "Uhm…Jake's getting it. I'm just gonna go say hi to Carly." Elizabeth's jaw dropped open as he moved past her and towards the pool table. She went to the bar and got her Sprite before storming after him.

Jason grabbed a cue and set his beer down on the edge of the table before throwing down a quarter and asking, "Is this a private game or can anyone play?" Carly picked up his quarter and tossed it back to him before leaning down to take her shot as she said, "It's a private game." She stood up after making it and looked him in the eye, "You and Lizzie will just have to wait 'til I'm done."

Jason gave her a hurt look and was about to reply when Liz came up behind them and said, "Thanks anyway Carly but we can find other ways to occupy ourselves."

Carly laughed as she bent to take another shot, "I'm sure you can Lizzie. His room's the first one on the left. Now if you two don't mind, I'm in the middle of something here."

Jason stepped forward, "It isn't like that Carly."

She looked him in the eye and laughed, "Why do you think I care who you're getting it from Jase? You dumped me on Sonny and moved on. I get it so why don't you just take my cousin's girl and go paint the wind or stand on some bridge somewhere or do whatever it is you're doing to try to recapture what you had with Robin."

Jason laughed and forgot Liz was there as he replied, "I brought her here Carly. You really think Robin's what I'm trying to recapture?"

Carly looked at him for a long moment and then turned away, "I can't do this anymore Jason.

Jason walked forward so that he was right behind her and whispered, "Do what Carly? Why are you here alone? Where's Sonny?"

Carly sniffed, "I'm not alone, Johnny's with me and Sonny is at home probably filing for divorce."

Liz walked up to them and whined, "Jason can we just go on with our night please?"

He looked at her for a moment and then took a look around motioning to Johnny when he met his eye. Johnny came over to them, "Yes boss?" Jason jerked his head in Liz's direction, "Take her home. I'll make sure Carly's ok."

Johnny nodded and went to get the car while Liz stared at him in shock, "Why are you sending me away Jason?"

He shrugged, "Carly needs me right now and you need to get home to Lucky."

Carly went to walk away but Jason grabbed onto her hand and gently pulled her back to stand next to him. She struggled slightly but he just gave her a warning look and she sighed as he turned back to Liz, "Go home to Lucky Elizabeth."

Tears filled her eyes, "I don't want him Jason. I want you."

Jason closed his eyes as a wave of guilt washed over him. He swallowed it down and looked at her as he said, "I'm sorry Liz."

She nodded and wiped her face as she went to leave. She paused at the edge of the table and looked at Carly venomously as she hissed, "All either of them ever wanted you for was sex or a child." Carly laughed at her, "At least they wanted me Lizzie. Now run on home and lie to my cousin while you still can. He's a Spencer same as Luke, same as me. He will wise up to you little girl."

Liz gave her one more glare before storming out of the bar. Carly watched her go and Jason watched Carly as he entwined their fingers and asked, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Carly pulled her hand away and shook her head, "There's nothing to talk about Jase. Sonny and I are over and even the wisdom of Jason Morgan isn't gonna change that. I told you that I couldn't marry a man who didn't respect me or want me for who I am, but somehow I let you talk me into it anyway. I don't blame you but I'm not in the mood for any more of your advice right now. I just want to play pool, get drunk and pass out."

She took a swig off her beer before picking up her cue and raising an eyebrow at him, "You're welcome to stay and watch if you want but getting me drunk enough to forget that the last few years of my life were a huge mistake isn't a two man job. I fucked it up on my own and I can damn well celebrate closing the book on this chapter of my life on my own."

Jason leaned against the edge of the table, "You didn't fuck your life up on your own Carly. You had plenty of help from everyone around you, especially me. So I think I deserve to celebrate with you."

She laughed humorlessly, "Fine. You know what? This is actually a very fitting end to this tragic little tale. The destruction of my life began here in this very bar and it began with you." She waved a finger at him, "I'm not blaming you, but me picking you up in this bar started it all."

He shrugged, "Actually I picked you up the first night we had sex, but whose counting right?" He looked at her sadly again and reached over to brush a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face, "Michael and I always used to be the one thing you thought you got right. What happened to that Carly?"

It was her turn to shrug, "Well as far as Michael goes I ran both of his fathers off and am getting ready to do the same to the third."

Jason shook his head angrily, "AJ and Sonny aren't his father. I am."

Carly looked at him incredulously, "Are you fucking kidding me? You left Jason. You gave him up and then you left. I know why you did what you did. I know it was my fault, but you none the less, you left."

Jason took a step closer and lightly grasped her arms. He stared into her eyes and said, "Tell me you don't still consider me Michael's father Carly. Look me in the eye and tell me that."

She sighed and rubbed her hand on his cheek gently, "You will always be his father in my heart Jason, but he doesn't understand this and I don't know how to explain it to him. Every time you come home and then leave again he cries for you for weeks. I don't…I don't know how to make him understand when I don't understand it myself. I know why you had to leave the first time but you came home and I thought…" She trailed off and just looked at him sadly before pulling out of his grasp and turning away from him, "You know what? None of this matters anymore."

He stepped up behind her and pulled her to lean against him as he whispered, "This is all that matters. I have made just as many mistakes as you have but at least you have always been willing to see and accept yours and try to fix them. I ran. Every time things got hard I left and that wasn't fair to you and I'm sorry. Neither of us can change the things we've done to each other Carly but we can decide what happens next and whatever it is I want it to happen with us together. I'm done denying what I feel for you and our son. I want my family back and I'm willing to do whatever it takes for that to happen."

Carly closed her eyes and relaxed into his embrace, "How do you suggest we do that?"

He shrugged, "I don't care as long as we do it. If you want to leave and start somewhere else I have no problem with that. If you want to stay in Port Charles and be close to our families I have no problem with that either. All I care about is having my family under the same roof again. The rest we can work on later, when you're ready."

Carly shook her head, "I can't go back to being your roommate Jason. I t was hard enough the first time when I was just starting to love you."

He pulled her tighter against him and whispered into her ear, "Then don't. Be who you have always been to me. Be the woman I share my bed with, my best friend, Michael's mother…the woman I am in love with. Just be them all at the same time now."

She squeezed her eyes shut against the tears and said, "I don't know if I can."

With a laugh he turned her around in his arms and forced her to look him in the eye, "You can do anything you want. I know you Carly. I know you better than you know yourself and you know me just as much. You…we can do this. You just have to want it."

She felt like she was drowning in his eyes as she stared into them and saw how much he meant what he was saying. She shook her head in awe and smiled, "Why do you love me Jason? After everything I've done to you how can you love me?"

He laughed, "I have no idea, but I wouldn't change it if I could."

Carly gave him a fake glare as she pulled him into a hug. He closed his eyes as he hugged her back with everything in him and then moved his head so that he was looking into her eyes.

He smiled widely, "I love you Carly."

She grinned back at him, "I love you too Jason."

He bent his head and captured her lips in a kiss that left them both gasping for breath. He cupped her face with his hands and laid his forehead gently on hers as he asked, "Are we gonna give this a real shot?"

She looked into his eyes and nodded without hesitation. He grinned before kissing her again.