**STEPPING AWAY**
 

“What is it, Johnny?” Sonny Corinthos all but growled.

I don’t know sir. But, it’s not ticking.”

“Just give it to me, Johnny.”

Without another word, Johnny handed over the envelope, and stepped out of the room. Sonny stood near the door for a minute longer, before finally deciding that he might as well open it now, won’t have to think about it later. It was a plain manila envelope, with a return address he didn’t recognize, and it was almost flat.

Reaching inside the envelope, the first thing he pulled out was a single sheep of white paper.  She’s beautiful, isn’t she? The address is on the envelope. Consider yourself lucky, we’re returning her, was neatly typed in big bold letters.

“What the hell?” Frantically, Sonny reached into the envelope, only to pull out a number of pictures, all of Carly. Carly with Michael. Carly at the opening of 101. Carly’s car going off the cliff. Carly tied up in a chair, blindfolded, bruised and scared.

“JOHNNY!!!!”
 

Days. It’s been days. Maybe weeks. She wasn’t sure – of anything. Slowly, she took a look around the room where she was, in complete appreciation of the fact that she could see. She’s been awake for a while, but had kept her eyes shut. She’s been awake for a week, and Bobbie has been driving her nuts. Not that she couldn’t understand Bobbie’s reaction, after all she had been dead. Weird. She hadn’t seen Sonny since the second day after she woke up, and that was fine with her. at least he was obeying her wishes, for once. She heard the door softly open, and turn to see Bobbie enter the room.

“Hey,” the smile Carly sent Bobbie was weak, but at least it was a smile.

“I come bearing good news,” Bobbie said with a cheery smile.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Bobbie’s smile widened. “You get to go home day after tomorrow.”
“That is good news.”

“And you have a visitor.”

Bobbie hold the door opened wider, admitting a bouncy Michael into the room.

“Hi, mom.” He was absolutely brimming with energy, and it seemed to have affected his mom.

“Mister Man” the smile Carly gave him was considerably brighter than before. “Tell me about your day.”

With a smile and not a word, Bobbie stepped out of the room to give them some alone time.
 

When the knock came he was surprised. He wasn’t expecting anybody.

“Ms. Benson to see you, Mr. Corinthos.”

“Let her in Johnny.”

Sonny stood behind his desk, somewhat nervous, but his facial expression blank. Ever since that day at the hospital, the day Carly had given him the “message” and asked him to leave, he’s been avoiding her. She knew it. He knew it. But he didn’t know what the hell to do about it.

She spoke first. “I’ve been thinking, seeing as that’s all I’ve been able to do. In fact, I’ve had so much time to just think, I’m surprised my brain hasn’t melted already.”

“Carly-” Sonny found his voice.

“You wanna hear this. And even if you don’t, I need to say it.” She took a deep breath, “So, I’m sitting in some strange room, with strange people, blindfolded and I’m thinking. I’m sitting in my hospital bed, and I’m thinking. I’m sitting in my home, where I’ve been put under house arrest by my overprotective mother, and I’m still thinking. You know what I was thinking about?”

Sonny was irritated. “No, Carly. I don’t know what you were thinking about.”

“I was thinking that if I meant so little to you, that you would disappear for a month without letting me know whether you were dead or alive, leaving me and my son unprotected while your enemy was still on the loose. That you would take your lawyer, the one you spent our entire married life telling that she didn’t have feelings for you, nor you for her, to Puerto Rico, doing something that we did when we were together, you even had sex with her, for the Love of G-d.  So, I’m thinking despite all of that, why would your enemies decide to come after me? I’m no longer important to you, I’m not part of your life anymore. And then it hit me. It’s partly my fault, you know why? Because, I keep fighting and fighting for you, and keeping myself in your life. But you, you keep letting me fight. You can’t decide what you want, do you want me to go or stay? You decided that, after you divorce me, pay someone to interfere in my life for you. You decided to get jealous because someone kissed your ex-wife, which you don’t want back. You decided that you wanted to be a permanent part of my and my son’s life, after you decided that you didn’t want us in your home anymore.”

“Carly-” Sonny tried again. Her little rant was beginning to give him a headache. Her next words stopped him cold.

“Stay the hell away from me, and my son. I have no interest in being used to deliver another message. We were Lucky this time, but I hate to think of what could happen next time, and I don’t want to know what it’s like to lose another child. I’ve played with Michael’s life enough to keep you, and it’s not worth it. Nothing’s worth it. Stay away from us, Sonny. Stay away from me, and keep your life from Michael.”

“And how do you intend to explain to Michael the fact that I’m no longer in his life?”

Carly shrugged. “I’m creative. I’m sure I’ll think of something. I’m serious Sonny. Don’t test me on this.”

With the last words out of her mouth, she was also out the penthouse. It took Sonny a second to go rushing out after her. Yanking the penthouse door open, he saw standing in front of the elevator.

“And if I don’t?”

“I’m sure Uncle Luke would be more than happy to provide us with a pair of one way tickets to Mars.”  The elevator arrived and she got on. “I’m not gonna choose you over my son, Sonny. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever again.” She hit lobby, leaving Sonny there to watch her walk out of his life.