"Didn’t Aunt Laura teach you to knock before she went insane?" knowing it was her cousin Lucas Lorenzo Spencer, Jr. or Lucky as he was referred to. His mother was locked up in a mental hospital called Beecher’s Corner about twenty miles away from Port Charles.

"No it must have slipped her mind." Lucky said without humor.

"What do you want Lucky?" Caroline turned to her cousin.

"Emma is calling for you."

"Is Aunt Anna here yet?"

"No she and Uncle Robert haven’t arrived yet. Neither has the groom or the bride."

"Probably doing some last minute forbidden touching." Caroline said sarcastically.

"Caroline are you sure about this?"

"Aunt Lucy and Uncle Kevin are set to arrive in ten minutes. Emma and I will leave with them and Jason will be none the wiser. He'll marry Robin as planned and they’ll live happily ever after." Caroline said hiding her bitterness as best she could.

"That’s not what I asked and why do you care so much? You and Robin haven’t gotten along from the time you were children. She and Brenda were always more interested in playing with dolls and acting like miniature versions of Anna and Veronica and you used to run wild through the fields with me and Sly."

"Aunt Anna was Mother’s best friend and I won’t hurt her for the world nor will I hurt Uncle Robert. If that means letting Robin have Jason then so be it. Aunt Lucy is Uncle Luke’s closest friend after Robert and she and Kevin are more than willing to take me and Em in and to give us a home."

"But it’s so far away."

"A day and a half by train, three by horseback. I want to see you and Elizabeth especially after I find a place of my own to live. I will miss you Lucky."

"And I you cousin." Caroline gave Lucky a hug. "Promise to come home for the wedding?"

"When is it?"

"We’re thinking about Christmas."

"I’ll be here. You may bet upon it."

"Me bet?" Lucky grinned. His gambling habits had landed him in hot water more than once. "Never. It’ll be good to see you there cousin."

"I’ll be here Lucky."

"You better be."

There was a knock at the door and one of the parlor maids poked her head in. "Miss Caroline, Master Lucky, Master Luke would like you to come down to the study. He wishes to speak with you."

"We’ll be there in a moment Bessie." Lucky said.

"Very good sir." Before she left the room.

"C’mon let’s go get called out on the carpet one more time before I leave the Springs forever."

"Not forever. I won’t accept that."

"You might have to." Caroline said as she left her bedroom with Lucky close behind.

Jason Morgan stared out the window of his carriage as it drove through the countryside on its way to Spencer Springs where he was to be married. Married to Robin Scorpio. This day had been in wait since he was a child. He knew it would come so why did the realization that at this time tomorrow he would be a married man fill him with so much dread?

"Jason?" a voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to face his friend, Michael "Sonny" Corinthos.

"Yes?"

"We’re almost there."

"Good." Jason said, not meaning it.

"There’s still time to call this off, you know."

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Because you don’t want to do this. I know you Jason. I have your whole life. You don’t want to marry Robin. You haven’t for almost two and a half years now."

"That’s not true."

"Yes it is. Ever since you set eyes on Caroline Spencer you’ve never wanted anyone else. The whole world could go to hell in a hand basket and you’d never notice if she were with you."

"Caroline was nothing but a passing fancy."

"Jason stop it. You want Caroline but you’re not willing to go back on a stupid childhood promise made at a time when the world was turned upside down." Sonny’s voice softens. "He’d understand Jason."

"Would he? I promised him I’d take care of her."

"I don’t think he thought it meant you’d marry her. I know I didn’t. Neither did Robin."

"Then why’d she agree to marry me?"

"She felt obligated. Same as you." Sonny looked at the younger man, who suddenly looked so much older than his years. "It’s not too late Jason. Go to Robert and Anna. Go to Robin. Hell, take Caroline and elope. Just do not walk down that aisle tomorrow."

----------------------

"Uncle Luke?" Caroline said as she and Lucky entered the study.

"Come in both of you." Luke said as he turned from the window.

"Hello Felicia." Caroline said, acknowledging her uncle’s mistress, who was sitting on the couch.

"Hello Caroline. Lucky." Felicia said, her Texan accent coloring her words.

"Felicia."

"What is it Uncle?"

"Lucy and Kevin have arrived. Their carriage is being serviced and packed with your and Emma’s belongings. It’s almost time. I just want to make sure you’re still willing to do this."

"It is the only way."

"That’s not true." Felicia interjected.

"What would you have me do? Break Aunt Anna’s heart by telling her that I have born the child of her daughter’s fiancée?"

"But your life will be ruined. You’ll be seen as a fallen woman. A woman of no morals." Luke reminded.

"Don’t you think I know that? But what else is there to do?"

"Tell him." Lucky said.

"No." Caroline spoke softly. "I’ll wait for Aunt Lucy and Uncle Kevin in the rose garden with Emma and Polly." She left and her family looked around at each other.

"What are we going to do?"

"Tell Jason ourselves?"

"Lock her in a room till she tells him?

"No we can’t. Caroline’s too much like her mother, may she rest in peace, to be sensible. It took Barbara two years before she admitted to Ruby that she’d born a child."

"Well Caroline’s set to leave before Jason gets here. Maybe if we stall her Jason can see her and Emma."

"You might have something there Felicia." Luke said.

"Stalling her might just work." Lucky pondered.

"The only question is how do we stall her?"

"I don’t know but we better figure out something soon. Lucy and Kevin’s carriage will be here soon."

Robin Scorpio sat in her bedroom looking alternately at the wedding dress hanging on her closet door and the picture of her and Stone in her hand. Tears filled her eyes as she lay down and sprawled across the bed.

"Oh God what am I doing? I know Jason is marrying me because of that stupid promise he made to Stone. He doesn’t love me and I don’t love him. Stone, why did you have to make him promise to take care of me?" she sobbed.

----------------------

Caroline smiled as she watched Emma run around the rose garden her aunt Laura had planted before losing her mind. Her eyes drifted to the line of weeping willows on the edge of the property by the lake. She’d met Jason there. He’d wandered onto the property one day after getting lost on a walk of his own property a few miles away. The Quartermaine Estate was beautiful and spacious and Lila had a rose garden that could rival Aunt Laura’s but Caroline loved her family’s home and would miss it terribly.

She heard footsteps and looked up to see her Aunt Lucy approaching. Lucy and Barbara hadn’t liked each other but Uncle Luke and Lucy were the best of friends and Caroline often thought that if Kevin hadn’t started seeing Lucy before Laura lost her mind Luke and Lucy would’ve been the ones to get together. But of course Lucy’s Aunt Charlene, who had raised her, not to mention numerous male cousins would have killed Luke before they let him make Lucy his mistress.

"Aunt Lucy." Caroline stood and hugged her honorary aunt.

"Caroline, how are you?" A little bit of a southern accent lingered in Lucy’s voice.

"I’m good and I’m all packed. So is Emma."

"Are you sure you want to do this honey?"

"Yes. For the last time this is what I want to do. I’ve thought about it from every possible angle and this is the only one that makes sense to me. You and Uncle Kevin are so good to do this."

"You’re our family. There’s no thanks necessary."

Caroline just smiled before her gaze fell on the line of trees again.

----------------------

Jason stifled a groan as he looked around the grounds of Sonny’s estate and saw Sonny’s mistress Hannah walking towards him. Hannah had been living here for about a year and Jason detested her with a passion. He had liked Sonny’s first wife, Lily, who had died during childbirth taking their child with her three years ago and he had been fond of Sonny’s second wife Brenda, who had died during a carriage ride with her mother a year and a half ago but Hannah was a snake in the grass. She had proven that when she tried to blackmail him about his involvement with Caroline.

"Jason how are you?"

"Hannah." He nodded at her.

"Where’s Sonny?"

"I believe he’s in the kitchen trying to settle some dispute between the cook and one of the maids."

"I think we’ll be dining at the Springs tonight."

"Really?" He’d see Caroline.

"Yes. Luke’s invited the Scorpio’s as well."

"That’ll be nice."

"Yes your fiancée and the woman you love in the same room. What will you do?" Hannah smiled wickedly before strolling away and leaving Jason to contemplate this evening.

----------------------

"Kevin listen to me. We want to get Jason and Caroline alone together and make her talk to him."

Kevin Collins looked at Lucky Spencer in confusion.

"Jason Morgan? Isn’t he engaged to Robin Scorpio?"

"Yes but he’s in love with Caroline."

"And you know this how?"

"He told me." Okay so he was lying. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Look I need your help. Caroline is in love with Jason and he loves her too."

"Why? Because he slept with her? That’s not the way it always works Lucky."

"I know that. But Jason’s not like that. He wouldn’t sleep with someone if he honestly didn’t care about her."

"He’s a Quartermaine. His father’s been pulling up skirts since prep school and his grandfather has had more illegitimate children than the US army has all together."

"Jason’s not like that."

"Two words Lucky. Susan Moore."

Lucky rolled his eyes. "So what? So his mother was a tramp to put it nicely. So he’s got the genes to be the biggest adulterer this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. So what? I am sure of the fact that he is in love with Caroline and I want her to tell him that she loves him and I want him to know about Emma."

"And then what?"

"And then maybe Jason won’t go through with this farce of a marriage."

"You don’t know that."

"You’re right I don’t and I never will unless you help. C’mon don’t you want to see true love win for a change?"

Kevin sighed and Lucky knew he had won. "Okay what do you want me to do?"

"Now that’s more like it." Lucky grinned as he began to lay out the plan.

----------------------

"Luke?" Luke turned to see Anna, Robert, and Robin Scorpio being shown in.

"Anna my dear lady, you look gorgeous as always." Luke kissed her cheek before moving on to Robert. "Hey old man." Shaking Robert’s hand. "Hello Robin."

"Hello Luke. Where’s Felicia?"

"Doing some last minute checking on things in the kitchen. Where’s your intended?"

"He’ll be coming with Sonny and Hannah."

"Oh well I can’t wait to see him."

"Neither can I." Robin said smiling and then sitting on the couch.

----------------------

Jason sighed when the carriage pulled up in front of the main house of Spencer Springs and he saw that the Scorpio carriage was already there.

Sonny got out first and offered his hand to Hannah as she stepped down. Jason followed and looked over the large house. He knew which windows were Caroline’s and he hoped she’d be looking out them but she wasn’t.

"Jason? You coming?"

"Yeah I’ll be there in a minute. I think I’ll take a walk first. Tell everyone I decided to walk over."

"Alright." Sonny said reluctantly, knowing Jason was going to look for Caroline. He escorted Hannah to the front door and into the house.

----------------------

"Emma? Emma, where are you?" Caroline called as she walked through the gardens looking for her two-year-old child.

"She’s over here Miss Caroline and she’s filthy." Polly called.

"Thanks Polly. Take her in and get her dressed. I’ll be there soon."

"Very good Miss." Caroline watched as Polly led Emma away and then she walked down to the river, to the exact spot where she had met Jason almost three years ago.

"You’re here." Caroline closed her eyes when she heard his voice behind her. "Caroline?"

She turned around to face him. "What are you doing here?" Good God how late was it? She looked up to the sky and noticed how dark it was becoming. She was supposed to have been gone hours ago.

"I was invited for dinner by your uncle. Sonny and Hannah are at the house with the Scorpios." He smiled a little and reached out to touch her face. She immediately pulled back. "Caroline what’s wrong?"

"I never expected to see you again, Jason."

"I know but I’m glad I found you before dinner. There’s something I need to tell you."

"Well now that you mention it I have something that you should know too."

"What?"

"You first."

"No, you go first."

"We’ll both go on the count of three."

"Okay. One."

"Two."

"Three."

Caroline said, "I'm leaving Jason." At the same time Jason said,

"I love you, Caroline."

"What?" Jason said.

"You what?" was Caroline’s response.

"You can’t leave."

"You decide now that you love me? Jason you’re set to marry Robin in three days."

"I know that. But I don’t think that Robin wants to marry me anymore than I want to marry her."

"Oh please Anna says she’s happier than she’s ever been before."

"It’s possible to fool your parents into thinking you’re something your not especially when you’re doing something they want you too."

"Anna and Robert don’t want you and Robin to get married. Robert hasn’t been able to stand your family since Alexandra died."

"Alright fine. Then Anna wants us to be married. But that’s beside the point. You can’t leave."

"Why not?"

"Because I don’t want you too."

"Jason you don’t get a vote in my life."

"I used to."

"That was a long time ago."

"It doesn’t seem so long right now. It seems like yesterday."

"Well it wasn’t. Jason you know I love you. You have to know that."

"I do. You told me before I left for Virginia and now I’m telling you what I didn’t before because I didn’t think it was fair then."

"And it is now? Now that you’re about to marry someone else it’s fair?"

"No."

"Damn straight it’s not fair." Caroline’s language slipped a little showing her background of growing up in Luke’s club’s backroom watching card players. She took a breath. "You can’t seek me out anymore Jason. You can’t come looking for me. We can’t be alone anymore. It’s not right and it’s not fair to either one of us." Caroline turned to leave but Jason caught her arm and spun her around to face him and before she could offer up a word of protest he had her face in his hands and his lips against hers. She whimpered beneath her breath before surrendering to his embrace.

----------------------

"I wonder what’s taking Jason so long." Anna commented, her English accent coloring her words.

"Well it is a long walk from the Cape to here." Sonny said covering for his friend.

"And he did start out after we left, didn’t he sweetie?" Hannah said, smiling at her lover, giving the rest of the room a sense of déjà vu. Hannah looked entirely too much like Lily and Brenda for everyone not to notice the resemblance and considering the fact that Sonny had started to dress her like Brenda and teach her Spanish, Lily’s native language, there was a lot of gossip circulating about Sonny trying to recreate his wives in his mistress. Hannah, of course, didn’t notice. She was what Felicia called a few cows short of a cattle drive.

"Yes he did." Sonny shot Luke a glance before speaking. "Where’s Lucky? And did I see Lucy and Kevin’s carriage outside? I didn’t think they’d be here."

"Lucky is around somewhere with Kevin and Lucy’s upstairs."

"How is Lucy? I don’t think I’ve seen her since Dominique Baldwin died." Robert said from where he and Anna were sitting.

"She’s good and I think you’re wrong about when you last saw her. Didn’t you see her when Scott married Alexis Davis, the Cassadine cousin?"

"Oh that’s right. I’d forgotten about that."

"Have you been to see Laura lately, Luke?"

"Took Lulu and Lucky last week, Anna."

"Master Luke?" The housekeeper, Graciella stood in the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Dinner is prepared."

"Thank you Graciella." He nodded to his guests. "Shall we?"

"What about everyone else?"

"They’ll be here soon enough." Luke said as he offered his arm to Felicia and she smiled taking it as they led their guests into the large dining room.

----------------------

"Are you seeing that Kevin?" Lucky asked excitedly as they watched Caroline and Jason kiss on the banks of the river.

"Yes I am. Now what?"

"Now we make sure that the only place for them to go to is the boat house."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Kevin asked dryly.

"We won’t have to. Look at that sky. It’s gonna rain very soon and the house is to far for them to run to."

"Well if it’s going to rain, don’t you think we ought to get out of here?"

"Good point." Lucky said and he and Kevin turned and ran for the house, reaching it just as the downpour started.

----------------------

At first Caroline couldn’t identify the objects hitting her skin, she was too involved with the feel of Jason’s mouth attached to hers. But when Jason pulled away she realized it had begun to rain and that both she and Jason were quickly becoming soaking wet.

"Come with me." Jason said as he took her hand and began to pull her.

"Where?"

"We’ll go to the boathouse."

"Why not the main house?"

"Because we’ll both be soaked to the skin by the time we get there and personally I don’t want pneumonia." Jason pulled her further along before Caroline agreed with him and started running to the large shack where the canoes and rowboats were kept. Jason kept up with her and they both reached their destination just as it began to thunder and lightning lit up the sky brighter than day.

Caroline shivered as Jason shut the door. She searched around with her eyes for the supply of blankets they kept here. Sighing in relief she found them and pulled several down. She handed a couple to Jason and then turned away from him.

"Jason?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you turn around?"

"Why?"

"Because I’m going to take my clothes off and I don’t want you to see."

"Caroline you and I have seen each other naked before."

"Yeah well it’s been a while Jason now turn around."

"Fine." Jason faced away from Caroline.

After a quick peek to make sure he was true to his word Caroline quickly discarded her clothes and wrapped herself in a blanket after making a little bed for herself on the floor. "Okay you can turn around now."

Jason did so and his heart almost stopped when he saw Caroline’s clothes hanging over racks and her on the floor under a blanket and realized that she was naked.

"Jason?"

"What?"

"Do you want me to turn over so you can get undressed? If you’re planning to get undressed that is."

"I was thinking about it."

"Your blankets are right there." She said indicating a pile of four blankets on the floor near him and several feet away from her. He looked back at her just in time to see her turn away from him. He smiled slightly, a little amused by her attempts at innocence, when they both knew they were anything but. He shed his clothes and hung them over the racks near hers before making himself a little bed and lying down, first on his back and then he rolled onto his side to watch Caroline. He listened for a moment and the way she breathed told him she was asleep. An idea formed in his head as he carefully and quietly rose and moved his little bed next to hers. Lying back down under the covers he slowly bared one of Caroline’s shoulders and placed his lips on it. She shifted a little and her hair, which had fallen from its clips on their run to the boathouse, fell back exposing her neck. He smiled before placing little kisses on it, closing his eyes when heard her sigh. Lightning illuminated the boathouse and he slid his hand under her blanket and down the side of her body resting it on her hip and gently turning her onto her back before moving his hand and flattening it against the skin above her heart. He began to kiss her face starting with her forehead and making his way to her lips where he engaged her in a soft kiss, which stirred her but didn’t wake her. He kissed her again, this time sliding his tongue gently into her mouth and swirling it around. He pulled away just as her eyes opened and she looked up at him.

"Jason? What are you doing?"

"Caroline let me be with you."

"Why? As some sort of good-bye?"

"No. If I make love to you I won’t let it be good-bye."

"Jason I’m leaving."

"Why? Why is it so important that you leave? Why can’t you stay here and let me tell Robin I don’t want to marry her?"

"Jason, Robin’s right for you. She doesn’t drive you crazy. Jason the only thing we do better than have sex is fight."

"I don’t want something easy. I want something, someone that makes me feel alive. Caroline that’s you, you make me feel alive."

"Jason." Caroline’s voice trailed off when she felt his hand move further up and he brushed his fingers against her jaw line.

"I love you. I love you so much."

"Jason I love you too but-" she stopped when he put his finger to her lips.

"No buts. Nothing else matters anymore. We love each other and if I have to move heaven and earth we will be together Caroline."

----------------------

"Excuse me?" Lucy said as she entered the dining room.

"Yes Lucy?"

"Has anyone seen Caroline? I can’t find her anywhere."

"I saw her before down by the lake. She probably got caught in the rain and ran to the boathouse." Lucky said from his place at the dinner table.

"I wonder what happened to Jason." Hannah said to Sonny.

"He probably turned back once it started to rain. I guess that means you’ll have to wait until your wedding day to see him Robin."

Robin smiled faintly and tried hard not to cry. She didn’t want to see Jason on her wedding day, especially if he was the groom.

"Oh I think Robin will be able to stand it." Anna teased. "Right dear?"

"Right Mother." She said forcing herself to smile.

----------------------

Caroline watched Jason’s chest move up and down as he slept. She carefully put her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She closed her eyes as tears began to fill them. She couldn’t stay here much longer because if she did she’d never be able to leave.

"Caroline?" his voice startled her and she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees as she drew them to her chest. "Caroline?" he said again as he sat up. "What is it?"

"Jason we can’t do this."

"Caroline we talked about this already. I’m going to tell Robin the wedding’s off and we will be together."

"Jason there is something you don’t know. Something I’ve never told you."

"So tell me now."

"There is a reason I never answered your letters after you left. I read them but I couldn’t answer them. I tried but I just started crying when I would start to write."

"Caroline, you’re not making any sense."

"I couldn’t write to you because I couldn’t lie to you and tell you everything was fine when it wasn’t."

"Caroline what is it? What happened?"

"Her name is Emma and she is so beautiful. She has your eyes and your smile and this graceful way about her even though she’s a total tomboy which I guess I can only attribute to your grandmother cause lord knows that as a child I was as wild as Lucky and Sly."

"Are you saying what I think you’re saying?"

"The night before you left, do you remember what happened?"

"I couldn’t ever forget that night."

"Then I think you know exactly what I’m saying Jason."

"You had my baby? We have a child?"

"Yes."

"And you were going to keep this from me?"

"Yes. I was supposed to have been gone by the time you all arrived for dinner. I was to stay with Lucy and Kevin."

"And you were never going to return? You were just going to depart and leave me to wonder what had happened to you?"

"I was hoping you wouldn’t."

"Wouldn’t what? Wonder where you were? Wonder who you were with? Wonder if someone else held you in their arms at night?" The last question came out as almost a whisper.

"Jason."

"Please don’t leave me." He brushed back the blonde curtain of hair that covered the side of her face. She turned her face to him and bit her lip as her brown eyes searched his blue ones. The she kissed him gently on the lips. Jason immediately reciprocated the gesture and framed her face with his hands. Caroline gently pushed him back and he went down bringing her with him and threading his fingers through her hair as she moved her hands over his chest. Then he turned them over so that he was on top of her. Peeling away the blankets that separated them he moaned softly when his skin settled on top of hers. He moved his hands up her sides as his mouth moved over her face and down her neck making his way to the base of her throat and starting at the pulse point he began a trail of kisses down her body. When he reached her stomach he gently kissed her navel before he covered her body with his again. His mouth met hers and fused as their hands clasped above her head and her legs wrapped around his waist. Freeing his hands from hers he placed them on her hips and she put hers on his face as he slowly slid inside her.

Jason watched as her lips curled into a soft smile, her blond hair falling over her shoulders. She was the most breathtakingly beautiful woman that he had met--his Caroline. But she wasn't his and he wasn't hers. As she lay next to him in the boathouse, he realized that they were operating on borrowed time. He was to get married in a day to Robin and Caroline would be leaving his life forever. He could make her his mistress, but Luke and Lucky wouldn't allow that. He wouldn't allow Caroline to be something that he would stash away when company came. He wanted her by his side forever.

He sat up and stared out at the rain-soaked world surrounding them. They could take Emma and run, never return, but he couldn't do that either. Caroline loved her family and Anna would come after him. He heard the gallop of horseshoes clicking against the ground. Caroline stirred slightly and smiled.

"I love you," she whispered, covering his mouth with hers. She threaded her fingers through his hair and climbed on top of him. The door swung open and Lucky entered, a smirk on his face.

"Good morning all. Time to rise. Robert is searching for Jason," he said. Caroline stood, sadness sweeping her body. It was over; their little fairytale was over. The enchanted evening had ended.

----------------------

Anna tied the corset tighter and Robin took a sharp breath. She glanced down at the ring that adorns her finger and she felt the tears swell in her eyes. It wasn't a wedding, it was her death. She felt her mother rustle the hoop of the skirt and then lightly kissed her cheek. Happiness spread through her, her baby daughter was getting married. To a prominent Morgan nee Quartermaine. Anna left to visit with Felicia, leaving Robin to her sorrow.

Robin slipped the ring off of her bony finger and looked in the mirror. Her elaborate wedding gown fit her, complimenting her figure. She opened the small jewelry box and removed a thin band of metal. Stone wasn't a wealthy heir like Jason, he was a street hustler taken in by Sonny and adored. He slipped this ring on her finger before he died and lightly kissed her. She brought her lips to the ring and slipped it into her corset. Stone would be with her, no matter what this horrid day would bring.

----------------------

Caroline glanced around the estate that had been her home for so long. She learned how to ride a horse, how to clean and sew, how to shoot a rifle with Lucky and Sly. She met Jason in the tavern down the road, but she had brought him to the boathouse. It was their special place--Emma was conceived and born there. Lucy gave her a sympathetic smile and pats her arm softly.

"It's hard giving up on love."

"Scott?"

"He wasn't the one for me. Kevin was my Prince Charming, but I did love Scott. Very much so." Caroline hugged her and handed Laticia, the wet-nurse, Emma. Kevin opened the door to the stagecoach and offered a hand to help Caroline in.

"Stop!" a voice called. She turned and saw Lucky coming toward her. Her cousin hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek softly. Soft tears streamed down her cheeks. She hugged Lucky again.

"I love you Caroline. You can't leave me."

"You have Elizabeth and Luke. You can visit us."

"It won't be the same. I won't have my best friend with me."

"Oh Lucky." She kissed his cheek lightly and pulled away. With a gloved hand she brushed the tears from her eye and took Kevin's hand once again. She climbed into the coach when she heard a man fighting with the driver.

It was Jason.

----------------------

Robin stood at the altar, hoping that Jason wouldn't show up. Anna was seething, tapping her foot impatiently for the wayward Bridegroom. Robert's eyes roamed the crowd and he noticed someone was missing--Hannah. He stole a glance at Robin and couldn't help but notice that Robin looked relieved due to Jason's delay.

----------------------

"Don't go," Jason yelled. Caroline's head popped out of the coach and smiled. She climbed out and leapt into his arms.

"I love you. Please don't leave me." She kissed him deeply, feeling his hand placed on the small of her back. She looked up into his eyes and saw the love for the first time. He did love her.

"Your wedding. What do you propose I do?"

"Run away with me. We'll leave and live away from Robin and Anna..."

"And Lucky and Luke. You want me to leave my family?"

"Caroline, you were already doing that."

"It's different. I don't want to run away with you. Robin will chase after us." He kissed her deeply, trying to silence her protests with passion.

"Well, isn't this cozy," Hannah cracked, making her spot in the bushes known. Jason pulled away from Caroline and narrowed his eyes at Sonny's mistress.

"What can we do for you Hannah?"

"Your bride is waiting for you at the altar Jason. Her father is standing beside her, waiting to hand his property over to you." Caroline's eyes locked with Jason's and she kissed him lightly.

"Go." Jason started to walk off. She drew a sharp breath and felt her world crashing around her. Hannah smiled at Caroline.

"I know what it's like, to see the man you love wed someone else." Caroline nodded slightly, not even caring that it was Hannah the Banana that was trying to console her. Kevin and Lucy started to walk toward the main house, fetching supplies for their trek home. Hannah opened the door to the coach and pushed Caroline in.

"To the lake," she ordered.

----------------------

Anna saw Caroline walk across the garden. She stormed up the young woman, her eyes narrowed in rage.

"You hussy!" she hissed, slapping Caroline across the face. "You no good whore. What have you done with my daughter's fiancée?" Caroline was silent, her hand touching her stinging cheek. Lucky stood up and wedged himself between Anna and Caroline.

"Why don't you sit down love," Robert suggested. Her brown eyes narrowed.

"Shut up you! This little bastard child is ruining Robin's wedding."

"You're ruining it Mother! I don't want to marry Jason," Robin declared, hurling the bouquet of roses into crowd. Hannah grabbed at them and held them tightly.

"What are you talking about darling?"

"I don't want to marry Jason Mother. I don't love him."

"Of course you do."

"No," she said, shaking her dark hair. "I love Stone. I was marrying Jason because it was what you wanted."

"Robin!" Jason called as he ran across the garden. "Robin! I need to talk to you!"

"I'm not marrying you Jason," she said. He looked at her with surprise. He pulled her into his arms, her face covered with shock.

"I don't want to marry you. I love Caroline." Relief rushed over Robin's body. She lightly kissed Jason and then looked at her mother.

"I won't do you the shame of having a spinster daughter, a daughter that refuses to marry. I will depart for the convent in the morning." Robin marched up the aisle, her face brimming with happiness.

"It's a shame that the preacher came here for nothing," Felicia said. Luke smiled and covered his hand with hers. She knew that they couldn't marry, not while Laura was still alive and living in Beecher's Corner.

"Why don't we get married," Hannah suggested. Sonny looked at her with shock and surprise. The idea of having his Lily/Brenda clone as his wife never occurred to him.

"Mi amore," she whispered before kissing him. She stood and started to head toward the preacher when Lucky knocked her into the lake. She stood, her body covered in leaves and weeds.

"Marry me Caroline," Jason said. Tears of happiness stained her cheek. She kissed him lightly and nodded. He took her hand and faced the preacher.

The marriage of Jason Morgan and Caroline Spencer commenced. And they lived happily ever after.

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