Carly stepped out of her office after changing from her work clothes into a red off the shoulder cocktail dress that Todd had never seen. She loved dressing for him. Even before they had started dating, when she had thought herself in love with John Zacchara, Carly loved going to his office for some small menial task just so he could look her over in that way only he had ever done. As she turned towards the main elevators for their dinner in the restaurant she felt it. Someone pressed a pistol into her ribs. Carly froze. She uttered the first words that came to her,

"I am no longer married to Sonny Corinthos or Jasper Jacks. Neither will give you a ransom for me."

She continued as she felt the pressure lesson on her side,

"If this is about Jerry Jacks, my ex husband won't give you a dime no matter what you do. If you let me go, I will continue walking and you can get out of here."

Her assailant spoke into her right ear,

"You are going to get me Todd Manning."

Carly was shocked. She had done a background check on Todd when she first let him stay in her hotel, a fugitive on the run, then just acquitted of a murder he readily admitted he had committed. She had found a thick file of crimes, and any number of enemies.

"He kidnapped someone I loved once to summon me. I figured, turnabout was fairplay."

He picked her cell phone out of her cluch and handed it to her,

"Call him now and tell him you would rather have an intimate dinner in his suite."

To any onlookers in the lobby, they looked like a very attractive, well dressed couple that were on their way out for the evening. Not a kidnapper and his victim. Carly pressed the speed dial for Todd's cell phone, knowing that he had spent the afternoon out of the office. He answered on the third ring,

"Manning." Todd barked into his phone without looking at the caller id, he was going to be late for dinner with Carly and his mood was getting worse by the minute.

"Hey, I was just thinking, lets stay in tonight. I will have dinner sent to your suite."

Todd could hear something different in her voice but he couldn't exactly pin point what it was.

"That sounds great, I am having a difficult time getting out of here, it may be another hour or more."

Carly willed him to her. But she just said,

"I can't WAIT to see you."

She walked onto the elevater with the man that was holding her hostage alone. Once the doors had closed, he quietly told her,

"I am not going to hurt you, I just need you to ensure that he shows up."

With that she looked at him and gasped.

He was very handsome, he had intelligent eyes, high cheekbones that stood out more than usual as he was very thin. He was the same height and roughly the same build, but where Todd had a lithe muscular physique, he was slim, perhaps from illness. But it was him, Victor Lord Jr. The man that Todd had killed.

Todd's twin brother, Tea's husband. The man that had lived Todd's life for eight years. The father of the child that Sam, Alexis, Spinelli and she had buried. She felt dizzy and with the sudden stop of the elevator on Todd's floor, she lost her balance. She felt a strong arm around her. He may look thin but he was decectively strong.

Victor had tried to skulk about Todd's new town doing intel like Todd had done upon his return to Llanview the previous year but it simply was not his style. He had noticed her right away. The beautiful, tall, leggy blonde that Todd had apparently taken up with. She owned the hotel Victor had checked into under a false identity and though he had seen Starr on several occasions, he just could not use her to coerce Todd into giving him what was his. Starr would always be his child, just as much as Sam. His heart told him that. But he had hurt and disappointed her enough. And there was a certain toughness to the blonde, she fascinated him, in ways she reminded him of both Blair and Tea. Those similarities ended with their strength, beauty and ability to handle Todd Manning. This woman was unique. Victor was intrigued by how his damaged, introverted twin managed a relationship with her.

They walked into Todd's spacious suite together. He put the gun down and again reiterated he had no intention of harming her. Carly looked at him, he was conflicted and deeply wounded. She had no idea what this man had been through but she knew it had been hell. She saw in his eyes, the same look that she only occasionaly glimpsed in Todd for a split second here or there before he deflected it with a quip or barb at someone. This man didnt cover it, he laid out his soul and allowed you to look right in. It was jarring. Carly also strongly sensed that he would not hurt her. She wasn't so sure about Todd. Would he kill Todd? Had she lured Todd into a trap that would ultimately lead to his death. That thought left her sick with worry. She decided while they waited she could reason with him. Help the brothers find resolution without violence.

"What happened? Todd thinks he killed you, he stood trial."

"I would like to find that out myself."

Carly heard in his voice that was a volatile subject so she decied to switch gears.

"I am so sorry for your loss." Carly had been there when Todd had finally broken the news to Tea of her child's death and shown her the DNA results.

"Tea has been truly amazing during this. I know having Danielle home has helped but she has gone back to work, your wife is an incredibly strong woman."

"What loss, what are you talking about?" A thousand scenarios were racing through his head.

"Oh, God. Victor, I was talking about the baby." Carly realized as every emotion crossed his face, that he didn't know.

"What are you talking about." He repeated with just the hint of threat in his voice now.

"Your baby boy, he didn't make it."

Victor flashed to Sam, what was Todd's blonde lover talking about, his head couldn't wrap itself around what he was hearing.

"Sam?" He whispered.

"Oh Victor, no, the baby Tea was carrying when you di.. when you were lost." Carly was stunned. She and Tea had spoken at length several times, she nor Todd had ever told her that Victor had died unaware she was carrying his child.

"I'm so sorry, " Carly started

Victor collapsed on Todd's couch.

"Tea said that the baby had kept her going after she lost you but I never dreamed she hadn't had the opportunity to tell you."

Victor grabbed her wrist as she walked by and with a yank pulled her down until they were eye to eye. Carly noticed then that his eyes were different than Todd's. They were very blue, much bluer, the blue Todd's turned in bed or when he was extremely angry. Not the hazel green Todd's were most of the time. She watched those blue eyes tear up and felt just as awful for this man as she had for Sam and then Tea. Carly realized this child had been loved and mourned, though inadvertently, more than any she had ever heard of. That lifted her heart as she stared into the broken face of the child's long thought dead father. She couldn't help herself, while he weeped into hers, she put her hands around his neck and started explaining the events that had led to the child's birth and death.

Todd Manning walked into his suite to the greatest shock of his life. Which was saying something considering Todd's life. His dead twin, the one he himself had shot dead and the woman he loved wrapped around each other on HIS couch. Recovering quickly considering the circumstances, he picked up a pistol that lay on his desk,

"Blair and Tea are one thing, NOW I'm REALLY going to kill you."