March 27, 2000

[Sonny is putting on his jacket, getting ready to leave. He starts to go and Carly follows him out into the hall.

Carly: Sonny, you can’t just walk out on me.

Sonny: Watch me.

Carly: It’s the middle of the night. And this is important.

Sonny: Not to me. I have business to conduct. And since I can’t count on you not to nose into it...

Carly: You know what..wait a minute. Would you stop? Would you stop? For the 100th time, I was not spying on you. I don’t give a ...I couldn’t care less about your stupid business. I gave Bobbie access to y our desk because she’s my mother and she was freaked out.You know, the man she loves was in danger. Now, thank God, you know, you, Roy, Bobbie...you all came out of it alive. But you act like I deliberately double-crossed you, like I let the cops come into your house or something.

Sonny: What you did is prove to me you can’t be trusted.

[He leaves.]

[Carly is at the mantle when Sonny comes in.]

Sonny: You should be in bed, Carly.

Carly: Can’t sleep. We need to talk.

Sonny: Do you ever stop?

Carly: No. Not when it’s important to me.

Sonny: Ok, I don’t want to be up all night, so say what you have to say.

[They both sit, him on the chair, her on the couch.]

Carly: We were doing great, you know. [Sonny nods.] I mean we...I was starting to think that for the sake of the baby we were going to be able to find a way to co-habitate with each other, you know? Some sort of strange partnership. I’m not saying that we were friends. I’m just..you know, at least we weren’t actively being enemies. I made one tiny little mistake, Sonny. And bam, you know, you throw up this brick wall.

Sonny: See, that’s the thing. You think of this as a little mistake.

Carly: It is a little mistake compared to Hannah.

Sonny: Oh, come on. I don’t want to hear about Hannah.

Carly: I mean, I’m not a spy! I didn’t...I’m not...I’m not spying on you for the government. I opened a desk. For God’s sakes, man, you know, you can’t...think about all the times when I kept your secrets, when I helped you. You know, I don’t get any credit for any of that.

Sonny: This isn’t a game show, Carly.

Carly: Can I get a point or two, at least for having good intentions for once? You know, I gave Bobbie access to your desk because she was really upset, you know? And I just wanted to help. She’s my mother. I happen to love her.

Sonny: You want to know what your kind of love is worth? [Sonny stares directly at her before saying...] Exactly nothing.

Carly: My love means nothing, huh? How can you even say that to me?

Sonny: It’s the truth. Sorry it hurts.

Carly: What the hell do you think you know about my kind of love?

Sonny: More than I need to. To you...see, you know...to you love is desperation. On a good day, it’s how much money you can spent, but it’s never about what it’s supposed to be about. And that is loyalty. Without it, love has no value.

Carly: Yeah. Pretty high theories there for a guy who’s essentially alone, don’t you think? What, is that why you want to hurt me, Sonny, because you’re jealous? Because I do have people in my life that count on my, like Bobbie. You know, like Jason did before that stupid night with you. Like Michael.

Sonny: Michael. Perfect example. A defenseless little kid who you dragged from one house, one father, to another. Whatever suits your purposes. Disrupting his life. Then yammering about how much you love him.

Carly: I do love my son..

Sonny: But there’s more to it, Carly, than words. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you? [Carly raises her hand in a question.] You use love like a weapon..an excuse to manipulate and hurt people into giving you your own way. That’s not happening with me, Carly. You are not going to betray me in the name of love for Bobbie, my baby, or anybody else. I’m going to make sure you never get another chance.

Carly: You are one cold, miserable excuse for a human being.

Sonny: Sticks and stones, Carly. You know what I’m saying? I believe you stop trouble before it takes down your house. You will not be invading my desk because the locks have been changed. You’re not going to be butting into my business because you’re not going to be in the room or on the stairs listening.

Carly: What are you going to do, lock me up?

Sonny: If it comes to that.

Carly: No, you’re not going to lock me up! You brought me here. I didn’t want to be here. And you are not going to confine me because of your stupid paranoia. I did not betray you, Sonny. Betrayal implies intent. My intentions were good.

Sonny: You keep saying that. Is that supposed to absolve you of everything?

Carly: [She whirls around and screams at him.]I don’t need absolution! You’re not my priest, all right? And I’m not going to get it. I’m real clear on that. God help our children, our baby, if he or she makes a mistake or two. What are you going to do, are you going to shut down on our kid before it can even walk? Huh? Or has it already done the unthinkable...the unforgivable by having me for a mother.

Sonny: Ok, you know what? Stop right there because our baby is not even born. You’re putting it in the middle. I will never take out how I feel about you on our baby.

Carly: Are you sure about that because I’m really not. I’ve learned a thing or two about you, Sonny. You are incapable of forgiveness. Doesn’t matter...it doesn’t matter if it’s for you or if it’s somebody else. You just can’t believe that somebody can be sorry, that they can start over. As far as you’re concerned, once a thing is done, it’s done forever and ever.

Sonny: Mm-hmm.

Carly: Amen. Well it’s no wonder you can’t hold on to anybody you claim to love. Death must seem like the easy way out.

Carly: I'm sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that stupid thing about death. You backed me into a corner.

Sonny: Exactly. You took something you knew about my past, something you know still hurts every time I breathe, and you used it against me.

Carly: It was a thoughtless remark.

Sonny: No, no, no, no it was well aimed and fired. That’s the way you operate. Kids make mistakes. That’s how they learn. I don’t care what Michael or our baby or any other kid does. I will always forgive kids. But you are another story. You take calculated action in your own self-interest and you don’t give a damn who you hurt, Carly. I saw you do it to Jason. You’re not doing it to me.

Carly: Fine! You know what? I’m a horrible person. You know, you’re not much better. And we still made a baby together. And we’re still stuck in this living situation.

Sonny: Right.

Carly: That you insisted on. and it can’t be an armed camp. That’s not good enough. Sonny, we’re going to have to do better. We’re going to have to do more. I’m willing. Aren’t you? For the sake of the baby. [She places his hand on her stomach.] For the baby. Come on.

Sonny: That’s exactly what I mean.